The silence after the Cartoony Dog's erasure was heavy.
Then—
CRASH.
The hotel door at the edge of the street burst open.
"HEY—! Which one of you idiots ordered the apocalypse without inviting me?!"
A woman staggered out, barefoot, coat half-on, hair a mess, holding a half-empty bottle like it was a holy relic.
Jaki Onna.
Drunk as hell.
She squinted at the battlefield, eyes unfocused, then pointed vaguely at Brush.
"…Huh. You look important."
She took another swig, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and then finally noticed Hikaru collapsed in Brush's arms.
Her expression changed instantly.
The drunken sway stopped.
The smile vanished.
"…Oh," Jaki muttered. "You idiots cut fate again, didn't you."
Crunchyroller blinked.
"HOW ARE YOU STILL STANDING?"
Jaki shrugged, clearly annoyed. "I don't have a fate to cut. That's kinda my thing."
She stumbled closer, stopping just short of Hikaru, and crouched down. Her eyes—still glassy—were suddenly sharp enough to hurt.
"That arm," Jaki said flatly. "Yeah… that's bad."
Mia Rika bristled. "Can you help or not?!"
Jaki stared at her for a second… then sighed.
"…I can punch gods, break systems, and finish fights no one else can," she said, lifting the bottle.
"But I can't fix what destiny already slapped."
She reached out anyway and pressed two fingers lightly against Hikaru's injured arm.
The air cracked.
Not healing.
Stabilizing.
"Won't get worse," Jaki said. "Won't get better either. Not until he decides it."
Her gaze drifted to Brush.
"You," she said, pointing at him with the bottle.
"You're the reason we exist. Determination incarnate. Summoner of idiots and miracles."
She took one last drink, then dropped the bottle. It shattered—but made no sound.
"…So don't you dare let this end badly."
Hikaru stirred slightly, opening one eye.
"…You're loud," she murmured.
Jaki snorted. "You cut fate while sober. I'm allowed to be drunk."
For the first time since the battle, Brush let out a shaky breath.
But far above them—beyond systems, beyond gods—
Something recorded Jaki's presence.
ERROR: ENTITY HAS NO FATE VECTOR ERROR: ENTITY CANNOT BE PREDICTED ERROR: FINISHER CONFIRMED
Jaki felt it… and grinned crookedly.
"…Yeah," she muttered. "They definitely noticed."