Zero,
in the form of Ryoko, is charged with the duty of killing Tenchi to
remove the last obstacle to capturing Washu. However, Zero-Ryoko's deep
feelings for Tenchi stop her in her tracks, and she leaves the room
without harming him. Washu is waiting for her outside; she knows that
Zero-Ryoko is a fake, and outwits her once again when she tries to complete
her kidnapping mission. The commotion wakes Tenchi, and he comes out
to see what is going on. Torn between her mission and her feelings for
Tenchi, Zero-Ryoko flees in tears. Washu knows that they must go after
her to rescue the real Ryoko, and she, Ayeka and Tenchi set out for
Dr. Clay's ship aboard Ryo-ohki. On the way there, Washu fills Tenchi
in on the details.
When they arrive
at Clay's ship, they find that Mihoshi has beaten them there already,
having been investigating in the area, and is engaged in combat. However,
Clay's firepower is too great for Mihoshi's shuttle, and she crashes
into his ship. Tenchi and Ayeka change into their battle suits and take
a crystal pod to the wreckage of Mihoshi's shuttle to rescue Mihoshi
(who, they discover, is alive and well and being chased by robotic probes).
Aboard
Clay's ship, Dr. Clay is watching Tenchi, and doesn't notice Washu sneaking
aboard. She confronts him, and talks to him like she has known him for
a long time. It transpires that Clay and Washu were both nominated for
the director's chair at the Science Academy, but Clay was driven out
by Washu, and he wants revenge. He threatens to destroy the ship along
with Tenchi, Ayeka, Mihoshi and Ryoko (who is imprisoned on the bridge
of the ship) if she doesn't tell him the secret of Ryoko's gems. Washu
confesses that they are a puzzle to her as well. She continues to tease
Clay until he finally tells her that Lady Tokimi is interested in her.
Clay tries to trick Washu and capture her in a viscous goop, but she
manages to outwit him again by substituting herself for a doll of herself.
Dr. Clay soon gets the upper hand as Zero arrives on the bridge. However,
Zero threatens Clay and tells him not to involve Tenchi any more, but
Clay knocks Zero out and tries to use her to make a copy of Washu in
order to unlock her long-forgotten memories of Lady Tokimi. Luckily
for Washu, Zero reactivates, turns against Clay and frees her. Defeated,
Clay activates the ship's auto-destruct sequence and flees in the escape
pod. The ship begins to collapse in on itself, turning into a black
hole with Washu and the others on board.
Elsewhere on the
ship, Tenchi, Ayeka and Mihoshi are hunting the endless corridors to
try and find Ryoko. However, they soon become lost and are trapped.
The ship collapses around them and they are sucked into the black hole.
Clay
thinks he has made a clean getaway in his escape pod, but out of the
singularity that is the remains of his ship bursts a set Light Hawk
Wings. At the centre, held in a bubble, is Tenchi, Ayeka and Mihoshi.
Tenchi himself is generating the Wings. Distracted by the spectacle
of a 'mere human' producing Light Hawk Wings, Clay doesn't notice Ryo-ohki
leap into the fray until it is too late, and his pod crashes.
With Dr. Clay held
prisoner, Mihoshi heads back to headquarters to take him into custody.
Washu has saved Ryoko and Zero from Clay's ship. Washu tells Tenchi
that she is going to merge Zero and Ryoko into one being. She tells
everyone that Zero and Ryoko are both part of the same being, with Ryoko's
true emotions being contained in Zero. Ryoko knows that Washu is lying,
but wants to help both her and Zero by merging them, and she agrees
to it.
Back on Earth, life
is returning to normal in the Masaki household, but with one difference.
Ryoko, merged with Zero, is now fully capable of expressing her emotions,
and is acting more like a human than ever.
