Kagato’s last attack blew the Ryu-oh module apart whilst Tenchi was still aboard, and despite all her searching, all Ryoko could find in the wreckage was his bloodied bandanna. It seems that Tenchi must have been killed in the attack, and an enraged Ryoko plans to make Kagato pay. Teleporting back to Ryo-Ohki, Ryoko uses her earring to make a new gem for her right wrist, before setting a direct course for the Souja. And, fearing that their beloved Tenchi is dead, fellow passengers Ayeka and Mihoshi are only too happy to go with her.
Back on Earth, Sasami knows that Tenchi is still alive, but senses that he soon won’t be if she doesn’t act fast. Rushing out to Funaho, Sasami wipes away her tears and begins chanting a prayer that will allow her access to the powers of the ancestral Juraian space trees- a power that could be Tenchi’s last hope.
The other three girls have made it aboard the Souja, and between them they start taking out Kagato’s traps, hoping to reach the central chapel where the man himself confidently awaits their arrival. Meanwhile, out in space, Tenchi lies unconscious in a protective force field created by Azaka and Kamidake- and it seems that the power summoned by Sasami has arrived just in time to find him and teleport him away to a safer and more comfortable location.
Back on board the Souja, and eager Ryoko and Ayeka forge ahead into the depths of the ship, leaving poor Mihoshi behind. Whilst attempting to catch up, the hapless GP officer ‘reflects’ through the floor, ending up in a reversed mirror version of the Souja.
Ryoko and Ayeka do not notice their companion’s absence, however, for they have finally reached Kagato’s chamber. Designed to resemble a chapel, the room contains a protective force field capable of absorbing energy attacks, as Ayeka discovers when she makes an unsuccessful attack on the space pirate. When Ayeka is knocked away, Ryoko spears Kagato with a couple of energy bolts, but as he melts away, she realises that she wasn’t fighting him at all- just his shadow. In short order, the real Kagato grabs hold of Ryoko and turns her to stone, before turning his attention to Ayeka. As a princess of Jurai, she is sure to know the secrets that he longs to discover.
Meanwhile, Mihoshi continues to wander through the reversed world, finally stumbling into a room containing a woman in crystal and two giant guardian snakes. As the snakes begin attacking, Mihoshi fires at them, eventually encasing the two creatures in crystal. The seal soon proves to be only temporary, however, but even as the snakes break free, so does something else. Trapping the snakes in crystal somehow broke the seal holding the trapped woman, and now her crystal prison is cracking open as well.
Fortunately for Mihoshi, once freed, the woman easily deals with the snakes, first turning them to stone before making them crumble into dust. Whilst an astonished Mihoshi looks on, the woman draws the stone Ryoko into the reverse world and revives her. To Ryoko’s annoyance, the woman gives her the once over and decides that the other woman is starting to sag a little.
Ryoko is naturally none too pleased to hear this, but the woman tells her to be quiet- she should be more respectful to her mother! Introducing herself as the great scientist Washu, the woman explains that she is the creator of the Souja, Ryo-Ohki and Ryoko. In Ryoko’s case, she used her own eggs, so she likes to think of herself as Ryoko’s mother. What’s more, she is also telepathically linked to her ‘daughter’, so she already knows about Ryoko’s feelings for Tenchi, and how badly she wants revenge on Kagato.
Washu is certain that Kagato can be no match for Ryoko, so she is happy to let her return, even though Washu and Mihoshi cannot accompany her. As Washu unsuccessfully tries to explain to Mihoshi, Ryoko was able to return because only her astral body entered the reversed world. The two of them are physically within the reversed world, and unless Kagato is destroyed, there is no way to get back.
Meanwhile, Kagato is trying to penetrate Ayeka’s mind in order to divine the secret of the ultimate Juraian power known as Tsunami. Ayeka struggles to resist Kagato’s probing, but soon he is thrown out by the power of Tsunami herself. As Kagato prepares to try a different tactic, Ryoko returns and launches an attack. Now the real fight can begin.
Finally reawakening, Tenchi finds himself onboard Tsunami. Appearing to him as a young woman, Tsunami introduces herself as Sasami’s space ship. After explaining that his friends are now in battle, Tsunami offers to send him to the Souja to help, even though she herself cannot accompany him.
Washu and Mihoshi cannot do more than cheer on the sidelines as Ryoko faces off against Kagato, and as the battle drags on, Washu becomes uneasy. At her full power, Ryoko should easily be able to destroy Kagato, and yet instead, the two are sparring as if they were evenly matched. Finally, Washu realises the problem- if Ryoko uses her full power, she will end up destroying Ayeka as well. In fact, despite their usual rivalry, Ryoko is actually protecting Ayeka in this battle- and that is putting her at a severe disadvantage to the more ruthless Kagato.
Fortunately, Washu is able to solve this problem- she draws Ayeka into the reversed world, thus putting the princess beyond Kagato’s reach and giving Ryoko free rein to go all out. Kagato, however, has developed some tricks of his own. He has a weapon that can gather all of the energy from the Souja’s gems, and he plans to demonstrate its power in a test firing- with planet Earth as the target.
With her gem power also drained by Kagato’s weapon, Ryoko is as powerless as the others, and can only watch as Kagato fires his weapon at the Earth. Fortunately, there is a defender ready to intercept it- Tsunami, the legendary ship with ten Light Hawk wings. After absorbing Kagato’s attack, Tsunami counters with blue energy bolts that easily rip through the Souja’s shield.
Kagato is far from giving up, however- he has many more plans for the power of the Souja’s gems, but first he plans to knock out Ryoko so that her gem power can be used as well. As Kagato grabs her, Ryoko calls out for Tenchi, and to her great surprise, he actually appears. Tenchi is here to fight Kagato, that is, if he ever manages to get his sword from where he tucked it inside his clothing.
Whilst Azaka and Kamidake buy him a little time with an attack of their own, Tenchi draws his sword, and when the two guardians are knocked away, he charges into battle. Unfortunately, it soon becomes apparent that the sword is practically ineffective against Kagato now that Tenchi is onboard the Souja and cut off from Tsunami. Easily knocking Tenchi aside, Kagato draws in the power of all the gems- even those from Ryoko and the Tenchi sword. Armed with this new power, Kagato attempts to exert his control over Tsunami herself- and to everyone’s horror, he seems to be successful.
As Tsunami is drawn closer to Souja, Kagato delightedly anticipates their fusion- a joining that will finally give him the power he craves. Looking on, Tenchi is convinced that he has failed, until he remembers Tsunami’s words. Trusting in the sword alone was never going to be enough- he must find the power that rests within himself.
As Kagato turns to finish him, Tenchi tosses his sword aside. Believing that his adversary has given up, Kagato confidently fires an energy blast at Tenchi. Kagato is sure that it is enough to finish Tenchi, but even as he turns to do the same to Ryoko, the smoke clears to reveal that Tenchi is still standing, protected by three Light Hawk Wings.
Tenchi has finally awakened the sleeping power within, and as the girls watch, he takes control of his Light Hawk Wings, creating a sword and shield to use against Kagato. Filled with this new power, Tenchi is easily a match for Kagato’s attacks, forcing the space pirate to put his all into an ultimate sword attack.
The two adversaries meet in one final clash, each taking a hit from the other’s sword. But whilst Tenchi is protected by the Light Hawk power around his body, Kagato is not so lucky. Cleaved in two, his body disintegrates, turning to dust.
With Kagato destroyed, Washu, Mihoshi and Ayeka are released from the reversed world, and soon all the girls are competing to be first to hug Tenchi. Whilst the others bicker, Sasami appears on board and manages to reach him first, although she is soon joined by the rest of the girls., leaving poor Ryoko as the last one to reach him. Within moments, however, that becomes the least of their worries as they realise the Souja has also been cut in half- it is past time to go.
It is time for everyone to return home, and hopefully things will settle down a little- even if life is going to be somewhat different with five girls now living at the Masaki house. Azaka and Kamidake have taken up residence at the gates as talking guards/post-boxes, and these days a quiet morning is one where the fighting causes minimal damage to the house. Still, things could be worse…
