However, the two of them are swallowed by the ooze. Tsukiko then sees the scene from
ten years ago play out and her dog is hit by a car. This time, the 20-year-old Tsukiko is
there as well; as the 10-year-old Tsukiko blames the street assailant for the attack, her
shadow takes the form of Lil’ Slugger. The 20-year-old Tsukiko runs to Maromi and
picks her up in her arms and admits that it is her fault that she died. The shadow of Lil’
Slugger says “Good-bye” (“sayōnara”) and then vanishes. The black ooze vanishes from
the city and Ikari remarks that it looks as it did after World War II (which Kon admits
makes no sense considering Ikari’s age [Kon 2004a]).