Aftermath

Jayr POV - Jayr's Soulbound Territory - 1007 ATF-SW

I'm spending some time relaxing in the Nymph's still-growing settlement, which still keeps the name of Nymph's Orchard, to clean my mind about the recent events.

I have to admit that their growing society is very interesting to say the least, while all of them look like small cute girls, the Nymphs are in fact still plants, to be more specific they are polygamous trees, in simple words that means that they are a group of plants that have three genders of flowers, a male one that produces pollen, the "sperm" of the plant, a female one that produces seeds and fruits to spread, basically the ovaries, and cosexual flowers, the ones that have both the parts.

So that means that they can both reproduce by themselves or with other Nymphs, and it is clear that they have a quite strong reproduction capability if all the seeds I sense implanted in the area are a clear hint of it, and they are also quite free and lustful in nature, as I often find them in engaging in what can be only considered a huge orgy or acts of reproductive self-gratification.

But this could also be considered my fault, and the result of my careless actions, as it seems that they witnessed my previous "fight" with Tio and became more interested in that aspect of life, even more so now that they can enjoy it, 'Luckily the growth cycle of a Nymph is still quite long just like their lifespan, as they take 30 years to grown mature enough to be able to reproduce...'

Another interesting thing is that the Nymphs, thanks to the fact of them being a newly sentient race, consider themselves one big family where the elder Nymphs take care, teach, and guides the younger oikos (family members), while the eldest leads them and they are very united, because there isn't any kind of dispute among them.

The reason for that is quite simple, the Nymphs as a plant-based sentient race don't have a great need for resources, for their sustenance they only need fertile earth, light, and water, and they can easily replace some of them with Mana, and Cosmo, all things that they have in abundance in my Soulbound Territory, and they don't need to pay anything to take as much as they need.

All the Nymphs are very peaceful even if a little mischievous, as they also like to play pranks on others and even members of their own race, and the pranks are more of the silly and not harmful in nature plus the fact that they are still very open-minded and tolerant, make them very difficult to be angry over something, 'Well, I'm sure that if someone tries or is able to harm one of them then that individual will truly face the wrath of nature... Despise their peaceful nature, they still train in using their Magic and Cosmo to be able to protect themselves, something that I and the girls made sure to teach them...'

The result of all this is a society with such harmony and peace that truly makes me envious of them.

As I'm playing with the younger Nymphs throwing small water balls at each other in an impromptu dodgeball game, I think back at the events that came after the battle between the Dai-Gurren Brigade and the Eastern Human Eradication Army led by the now-dead general Thymilph.

As soon as Kamina pulled off his epic Giga Drill Break to destroy the Byakou and kill Thymilph, I quickly used the micro Spiral Ball to infuse my Spiral Energy into his body to put him in a death-like state and to protect his remaining vital organs from further damage, as I couldn't heal him yet because for sure Leeron with his scanners would be able to notice that the "dead" Kamina's corpse is strangely regenerating.

And so I had to endure the heartbreaking sight of Simon, Yoko, and the others crying in despair and grief, in front of Kamina's "corpse" as a dramatic downpour falls from the sky.

I truly hated putting them through that and even more playing with their feeling in such a way only because I need Simon to grow into the warrior he is meant to be so that he can help me in facing the real threat that is the Anti-Spiral tribe, instead of simply facing and dealing with the threat myself and allow them to have a happy and safe life.

I really despise my cowardly and manipulative actions, even if my logical side tells me that I did the right thing and that this is necessary to make sure that everyone has the happy ending they deserve, but my irrational one, the one that deals with feelings, tells me that I chose the wrong method to reach my objective, but despise this inner conflict, I still stand for this decision, for one simple reason, I have to make sure that I can return back to Saori, Seika, Eri, and Tio.

But as I looked at the despairing Simon and grieving Yoko as they buried Kamina's corpse, I also swore that I would never use such a method again and to further improve my powers so that I'm never forced to make such a choice again, of course, I'll also talk about this with my girls not only because I promised to tell them everything, but also because talking about it will help me.

Anyway, after Kamina's funeral, the Dai-Gurren Brigade quickly moved back to the Dai-Gunzan, whose name is now Dai-Gurren, to take care of the repairs to both the moving fortress and the Gunmen, but also to get away from here so that they couldn't be attacked by the Beastmen once more.

And once they were out of sight, I quickly made my move and took out Kamina from the ground, I also took his sword and cape, then I brought him into my Soulbound Territory to patch him up, luckily it didn't take too much time, a little bit of Restoration Magic and he was as good as new, and now it only needs some more rest.

A water ball to the face followed by the bright laughs of the nearby Nymphs brings me out of my reverie and with a smile I say, "Ah! You got me!!" then dramatically fall on the ground amidst all Nymphs that still continue to giggle.

But then I sense that the guest resting in my villa is about to awaken, so I slowly get up and patting the head of a nearby Nymph, I say, "Sorry, I have to go now. Don't worry, I'll play with you all again another time..." then I calmly walk back to my home.

Kamina POV - Jayr's Soulbound Territory - 1007 ATF-SW

I wake up feeling my whole body being wrapped by something warm and soft, it is a very strange but comforting feeling, something really soft is gently catching my head and back and the softness akin that of feathers wraps around my body and keeps me warm, even warmer than a blanket made of pigmole skin.

But my dozing consciousness is thrown into confusion by this, 'What is this? I'm supposed to be dead, is this how being dead feels... Is this heaven?' I'm also fumbling around as my consciousness isn't fully awake yet, however, soon I realize that I can feel my body again, and more importantly, I can hear my heart steadily beating.

And as I realize this, my heartbeat gets faster and I forcefully open my eyes and sit up, "Ghaaa!! Too bright" but the next moment, I'm temporarily blinded by the strong sunlight that seems to come from everywhere.

Just as I'm about to panic thinking that I'm becoming blind, I hear a calm and clear male voice that says, "Good morning, Kamina. Don't worry, your eyes are this sensitive to light because they are still dry. In fact, you should be able to see without any problems now."

And indeed, as this voice says this, I quickly regain my sight and see that I'm laying on what looks like a bed, the softest and most comfortable bed I've ever slept in.

After that, I look around and see that I'm in a beautiful and clean room with pure white walls, I also notice some paintings on them that depict some fantastical creatures, enchanting life-like scenery, or some strange alien object, there is also one that depicts something that looks like a white, blue and red Gunmen but it has only one face and it is pointing a rifle at the sky.

Then I look a where the voice is coming from, and see a tall young man, with messy dark blue hair, and bright green eyes, his body is full of muscles, and it is clear that he has developed his muscles' build and definition to perfection, moreover, the green tattoos on his body gives me an unusual mystical feeling.

With one look I instantly understand that this man is a warrior and a very strong one too, if fact he gives me such a feeling of unparalleled power that I never felt before, but despite that, I also know that he isn't a danger to me.

After studying him in silence for a few seconds, I finally ask, "Who are you? And where am I? Is this what comes after death?"

The young man, displays a wry smile on his face before he says, "Well, let's answer your questions in order. First, my name is Jayr Pucci. Seconds, in simple words this place is my home that resides in a place that only I and those I approve of can have access. And last, you are still alive so this for sure isn't the afterlife."

Then he stops for a few seconds as if unsure of what to say before he let out a sigh and says while lightly bowing, "I'm sorry. Because of me. Simon and the others think that you are dead and are now still grieving for having lost you... especially Simon and Yoko..."

Jayr POV - Jayr's Soulbound Territory - 1007 ATF-SW

After my confession, Kamina looks stunned for a few seconds, then he gets up and walks toward me, and with a firm gaze and an apparently calm tone that isn't able to hide the raising rage behind it as he says, "Explain what do you mean..."

And so I slowly start to explain everything to Kamina, I tell him about me coming from another Universe and take a few minutes to make a simple explanation about the Universes, the Multiverses, and the Omniverse, then I tell him without giving too many details about how I knew about the original story of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, about the future events and especially about his death, how I wanted to prevent that and continue by explaining how I saved him and faked his death.

After that, I don't stop and say, "...With my current power I could've easily used another method to save you... but I didn't for three very important and I admit selfish reasons."

While I explained all this, my eyes never left Kamina's, who is still calmly looking back at me, studying and judging my every movement and word, but despise this, I continue without hesitation as he, and after him, the other member of the Dai-Gurren Brigade deserve to know the truth, "First reason, your "death" is the spark that will kick-start Simon's growth into the great men he is meant to be..."

As I say this, I notice that on Kamina's face, a slight smile appears on his face, before he steels his expression once more, at the same time, I continue, "Second reason, I didn't want to change the events I knew would happen too much so that I can retrain the advantage of knowing beforehand what is going to happen."

Then I end with, "And last and most important reason, I'm not sure I alone can defeat the enemy behind everything that is happening and is going to happen in this Universe, and I'm not talking about the Spiral King and his Beastmen."

And after I said this, Kamina looks at me in silence for a few seconds, before he asks, "Is that all?"

I nod, and the next moment, Kamina raises his right fist and punches me in the face while yelling, "Who the hell do you think you are!? What rights do you have to make such a decision!?" even if I could've easily dodged his fist, I let it hit me because on one hand, he won't be able to harm me, as he is only using his pure physical power, on the other, I kinda deserve it for my quite selfish actions and at the same time, Kamina needs to vent his frustration.

After he has punched me, he starts to shake his hand and mutter, "Damn it! Just how hard is your skin!? It feels like I punched a Gunmen...", and I reply to his previous questions, "You are right I had no right to make that decision. But I have the power, the knowledge, and the will to help, I want to give you guys a chance at a happier ending than the one I knew Simon and the others would have."

Then as if all his previous fury vanished, Kamina then asks, "Just tell me one thing... Who is this enemy that you are so afraid of?"

I let out another sigh and say, "Its name is Antispiral... it is both the leader of and the physical manifestation of the Anti-Spiral tribe's consciousnesses after they sealed themselves away to purge their race of Spiral Power. It is also the being behind the Spiral King's action and the current state of your world and many others like it."

Hearing that Kamina nods and says, "So, in the end, we just have to kick this Antispiral's ass and get done with it. Pretty simple!"

I also nod and say, "Yeah, it's simple, you just need enough power to be able to destroy multiple universes with one blow..."

Hearing that Kamina smiles full of confidence and asks, "No problem... so... how big is this universe thing?" but then he quickly says, "Well it doesn't matter we will be able to pull it off with enough fighting spirit!"

I let out a sigh and say, "I know that you are in a hurry to return back to Simon and the others, especially to a certain bombshell which you promised "Tenfold return of love"... But there are still a few things to do before that happens... you have to wait for Simon's transformation from a boy who relies on his Aniki to a young man that takes the lead believing in his own power, it shouldn't take too much time for it to happen, after all, love is one of the most powerful forces in the world... or as the saying in the easter sea of the One Piece: Love is always a hurricane!!"

Hearing what I just said, Kamina remains stunned in silence for a few seconds, with his eyes blinking repeatedly, then as he finally registers and understands what I said, he explodes and yells, "How do you know about that!? No, wait!! Simon is in love!? How!?? With who!!? Is she beautiful!? Cute!? Does she loves him back!?" and start to yell a quick series of random questions about Simon and his love life.

Then I calmly reply one question at a time as briefly as possible, "Yes, Simon is going to fall in love. She is cute and going to be beautiful, and also the second person to fully believe in him like you. Yes, she loves him back and in around 7 years they are going to marry and she will die after the wedding if I don't do anything about it..."

Hearing that Kamina suddenly shouts, "You bastard! What are you waiting for!? I forgive you! Hurry up and save my ototo's wife!!" to which I reply "Hey, hey. Calm down, we still have a lot of time. If I was able to save your life despite how serious and lethal were your wounds I can also save her. As a doctor, I will promise you that I'll do anything possible to save my patients." soon Kamina calms down a little and asks, "So what are we gonna do now!?".

To which I reply, "Well, we train, I still have to master how to fully use the Spiral Power and you didn't even scratch the surface of it... By the way, the Spiral Power is the name of what you usually call "Fighting Spirit", the energy that powers the Lagann and the other Gunmen that can be used by every Spiral being, that means all the lifeforms capable of evolving... At the same time, I will watch over the Dai-Gurren Brigade to make sure that they are safe, and when the time is right, you can reunite with them."

After that, I give Kamina his cape and sword, and then I tell him to wait for a little as I prepare our lunch as it is time to eat and move to the kitchen to prepare it, this time opting for something simple and quick to cook but nonetheless delicious, as first dish I start to prepare the Cacio e Pepe, that is simple pasta, typically the spaghetti or the more traditional tonnarello with finely grated Pecorino Romano and black pepper, a true classic.

While the pot with water is on the fire waiting that the water reaches its boiling point, I also prepare the second dish, which I decide a more unusual one, Petto di Pollo al Limone, so I take some chicken breasts and cut it into small cubes, then I bread them with flour, after that, I take a lemon from the fridge and simply squeeze its juice into a small contention.

Seeing that the salted water is boiling, I quickly throw the tonnarelli into the pot, then I take two pans and put them on the fire, one for the second dish and the other for the first, in the latter, I put the crushed black pepper and then some water from the pot, in the other I pour a little of olive oil and wait for it to heat.

Once the pasta is almost done, I put it into the pan with pepper and continue to cook it, then I take the pecorino I prepared beforehand mix it with some of the same water of the pot to create a creme, and then pour it into the pan and mix everything together.

At the same time, the oil on the other pan finally reached the right temperature, so I put the breaded cube of chicken breast into it and start frying it, making sure that they are well cooked, then I pour the lemon juice into the pan and add a little bit of flour then mix everything, and soon both the dish are ready to be eaten, so I call Kamina to join me and soon we start to eat.

Well, I have to admit that Kamina's reaction to my dishes did surprise me a bit, he started to cry saying that it is the most delicious thing he had ever eaten.

After our lunch, I get up take the dirty plates and put them into the Mana/Cosmo-powered dishwasher and say, "Kamina, you are free to do what you want, treat it as your home, but I have to warn you that some distance from here, there is a Tree Orchard, well those trees are in fact a race of plant lifeform living here called Nymphs, they are a peaceful race but a little mischievous so if you go there it is probable that they will pull some harmless prank on you, and their young will ask you to play with them." to which he says, "Got it!".

But then he takes his katana and says, "But after that gorgeous meal I feel really full of energy so I would like to spar with you, what do you think? After all, you said that we have to train."

Hearing that, I shrug my shoulder and say, "Very well. Let's go out... I'll teach you how to fight and how to use your Spiral Power outside of a Gunman." and lead him out of the villa toward the clearing away from the Nymph's Orchard.

But as soon as we step outside, I hear Kamina behind me yell, "It's Lagann!!" turning my head I see him staring at the white mini-type Gunmen sitting next to the entrance of the villa, so I explain, "Yeah it's a mini-type Gunmen similar to the one that Simon uses... Its name is Cratergann."

Still looking at it, Kamina, with a tone full of curiosity asks, "Where did you find it?" to which I simply reply, "Somewhere underground. But it is more precise to say that Cratergann found me... I think that these mini-type Gunmen have a little sentience and react to Spiral Power, and if one is without its pilot, it will react to the nearest and strongest source of Spiral Power and move toward it."

Kamina nods and says, "I see..." and after that, we continue to calmly walk as Kamina curiously looks around while muttering, "This place truly looks like a paradise. I have never seen so much green and so many flowers." and after some time, we finally arrive at the place where I and the other usually train, and the difference between it and the rest of the Soulbound Territory is as clear as day.

There is no grass here, only bare ground, with upturned earth and big craters, broken rocks and boulders and all around, all of it caused by the various sparring and training sessions that took place here but the curious thing is that this area is all restricted in a perfectly circular zone, and as we arrive, Kamina whistles and says, "This is a more familiar sight... but something feels off..." and I explain, "Well, this is the place where I usually train or spar with my friends and lovers, and to avoid unnecessary damage to the surroundings we always raise a strong barrier around us. Now let's move on."

We move into the training area and once in the middle of it, we face each other, then I say to Kamina, "Pull out your katana! Don't hold back! Fight me with all your strength!" and as Kamina remembers how hard my skin felt when he punched me, he doesn't hesitate and quickly draws his katana, at the same time, I habitually use Spatial Magic to raise a barrier around us to isolate this area.

Without waiting for my signal, Kamina rushes toward me with his katana raised and start to wildly swing it around, and in response to that, I simply raise my finger and easily block all his attacks without even taking a step.

Seeing that Kamina exclaims in frustration, "You bastard! How is this fair!? No matter what I do I won't be able to hurt you with that hardass skin of yours! Are you sure you are human!?"

I smile and reply, "Maybe... But even if my skin is a little harder, so can do something similar by using your Spiral Power, or as you call it your fighting spirit, you have already fully awakened that power in that battle... Feel it inside you, let it course through your body, and guide that energy it will make your body stronger, tougher, faster..."

And as I continue to easily parry his every attack, I start to feel a change happening inside Kamina, his Spiral Power starts to stir and infuse into his body, and at the same time, his red eyes change, and turn into Spiral Eyes, and instantly, Kamina starts to get faster and stronger and a very fast rate, if before he was only slightly stronger than a regular human, now he is easily reaching the level of power of a Bronze Saint, and even beyond it approaching the Silver Saint level as his attack speed is quickly becoming supersonic.

Kamina realizes the changes happening in his body and a wild smile form on his face, and his attacks become even wilder and more unpredictable.

After a few seconds, his speed and strength stop growing as if reaching some kind of cap and I instantly realize what is going on, 'This is his limit for now... He is still too new to this, but even so, his body is still slowly improving and evolving under his Spiral Power care... But he is different from Simon who can produce a very vast amount of it and can basically brute force through everything...'

While thinking that, I continue to spar with Kamina, slowly guiding him in improving his techniques and control over Spiral Power.