Darling in the CitruXX: The Great Life Fiber, Arc One

Chapter 6: Universes Collide, Part One

"Glad you came back at an impeccable time, code 016!" said Dr. Franxx as Hiro and the seven ladies entered the Briefing Room. "I'm guessing it's at least been a few hours for you since you looped through time, but for us, it's been no more than a few minutes. Although," said Dr. Franxx, turning around to face two other strange-looking girls, "it's been a very interesting few minutes, for that matter."

Goro was standing behind the doctor. "Welcome back, bro," he said. "Nana paged me about doing something. Looks like we had the same job," he grinned, "but we had to go to different places."

"I figured," replied Hiro. "I'm assuming Hachi passed along the info about all this pistil-pistil business?"

"Yeah," returned Goro. "Gotta say, I'm quite interested to see what the good doctor has in mind for our visiting girls here."

"You'll see soon, code 056," said the doctor in a cheerful tone. "I'm interested myself in how this is gonna pan out. Now, then," he spoke to the pair, "we'll be needing some blood samples from the both of you, so follow me."

Goro was silent, sunken deep in thought, as Hiro watched these two. The awkward silence was broken by Yuzu. "Uh, so what are we here for again?" she asked, scratching her ear in impatience. "I heard from Hiro here that we've been called to save the world, or something like that...?"

"That's right," said Hiro as he wheeled around to face the seven Tokyo girls. "And from what it seems, the seven of you pistils aren't alone in joining our cause to fight for the adults here. Am I right, Goro?" he asked, turning to his best friend.

"Yep," he replied. "The doctor had me warp a couple years in time after your timewarp, just  to get those two sisters in on the experiment. It's actually rather intriguing, because they've apparently led a coalition against a global threat already."

"Oh, really?" inquired Hiro. "And for the sake of my group here, may I ask what this threat was?"

"Well, it's a long story," Goro replied. "Do you want to hear it?"

"I guess so," said Matsuri, who had taken her headphones off in growing interest. The others assented in like manner.

"It might seem somewhat boring, but here it is," said Goro, polishing his glasses. "In their time, the planet's population unknowingly came under subjection to extraterrestrial entities called Life Fibers. These strange things are parasitic beings, requiring a host to feed it with blood. They chose to inhibit the primate homo sapiens for its affinity with clothing. The Life Fibers used that dependence on clothing to induce human evolution and, in the long run, to attempt to envelope all of Earth in a cocoon made of Life Fibers. All of this, however, could not come to pass until civilization had become technologically advanced enough all the while maintaining the habit of wearing clothes. Say, Hiro," Goro suddenly said, "I wonder if the adults got so advanced that the Life Fibers forced Papa to have us all live in plantations."

"You haven't told us everything yet, bro," Hiro replied with a grin. "I can't bring myself to connect the dots until you give us all the facts."

"Well, I guess you're right," Goro agreed. "I got ahead of myself for a moment there. Anyway, the Life Fibers' plan was intended to be carried out by the girls' mother. She began to communicate with the first Fiber to reach Earth, leading the the mass of these aliens to come out of dormancy in their wait for civilization to develop. Her will became synchronized with that of the Fibers, and she took action, attempting to blanket the planet in a canopy of these parasites. Fortunately, our guests managed to successfully stop her in what was arguably one of the greatest coups of all time."

"And how did that happen?" asked Mitsuko, who had raised an eyebrow multiple times during Goro's narrative.

"It went as follows: The elder sister was raised as their mother's successor to command the Life Fibers, and she had exhibited authority all throughout her childhood. She was recruiting the strongest and most able assistants in the schools she went to, and went on to establish a school called Honnouji Academy to seemingly carry out her mother's will on having these students eventually become human sacrifices to the Life Fibers. As the founder of this school, she held a position of leadership, though she was as young as the others. ("She was a Student Council President?" Mitsuko whispered to Mei. "I wouldn't be surprised," the latter replied.)