Get Down To Business
Written by: Lone Wolf NEO
Conceived by: Lone Wolf NEO

Author's note: Guilty Gear is copyrighted by Ishiwatari Daisuke, and Lone Wolf NEO does not own any or all real-life features or whatever facts featured in this story. Some of the characters featured in this story may have been inspired by anime series, but the resemblances are purely coincidental. He does, however, own the copyright to all his original ideas in this fiction. The author would really appreciate it if readers do not plagiaries everything inside this story without his knowledge.

Please see: this story may slightly crosses with the storyline of Heart of Melting Blood as well as Guilty Gear's original timeline. At such, some elements portrayed in this story may be considered as non-canon. Also, since the sword Holy Orders Sol uses in Guilty Gear XX Slash is as yet unnamed, the author decides to give it a name: Sheer Heart.

Chapter 1
Brighton Rock

"DRAGON INSTALL! TYRANT RAVE OMEGA!"

Three times Sheer Heart pounded. Three times the Gear monster was struck. Temple, nose and shin. Each with the force equivalent to ten 3000-tonnes locomotives ramming into concrete wall at speed over 1000 miles per hour. All the three attacks would surely have killed a normal human, and it would have finished off the monster as well.

But it did not.

The Gear monster roared. Despite severe injuries it still stood firm on its four legs. Now it glowered at the lone attacker. Full of outrage, the monster pounced at the person, mouth wide open and fangs jutting out. It seemed the man in particular would have no chance defending himself against the ferocious creature.

Or would he?

"Fuck you."

Sol braced himself. He unleashed another Dragon Install and slammed the heavy blade into the ground. The emerging flaming pillar caught the monster by surprise and set it on fire. Sol screamed out a deafening battle cry and charged at the falling monster. He reached the monster, sent it into the ground with a Bandit Bringer and fired an aerial Gun Flame. The vicious projectile incinerated the monster, turning it into a huge fireball.

But it was not enough.

"BAPTISM!"

Sol dashed toward the disintegrating monster. A loud crash echoed across the city ruins, followed by a shockwave that shot across the ground. Sol emerged from the dusty air that came afterwards in crouching position, glanced at the monster and flipped a thumb's down.

"By fire."

A gigantic cross of fire appeared on the ground. It burnt with the heat greater than the surface of the sun. It melted everything that it touched. It incinerated those who came too close. It destroyed all that denied its raw power. The Gear monster was no exception, and it seconds it turned into nothing more than charred carbonized matter.

Sol stood up. His Holy Orders uniform flapped freely with the blowing wind. His headband glowed in hot red, with the word "Rock You" standing out from the metal plate. He appeared to be untouched by the unnatural flame scorching behind. Sheer Heart, the heavy blade he was holding was smoking, but not melting. It seemed he not only survived the inferno, he created it.

"Whatever."

He pulled out Sheer Heart. Sol walked away from the monster, burnt beyond recognition, and headed to the arc. Today, Sol Badguy the Holy Knight would return to the Seikishidan headquarters to report his duty. Today also, Sol Badguy the flame warrior would earn another credit in his Hall of Fame.

And he was no stranger to the two matters.

He halted. Sol looked up into the afternoon sky. He shrugged and took out what looked like a Marlboro from his sleeve. He did not need a matchstick or lighter set the cigarette on fire; all he needed to simply touch its tip onto Sheer Heart, channelled in some fire and started smoking. It was all he had to do to satisfy his need, and as he smoked his feet tapped to the rhythm of 'We Will Rock You'. He was among a few knights in the organization with the uncanny appreciation toward rock music from the 20th century, and he happened to be the strongest, most devoted fan of Queen, which he considered the best rock band in the world.

But that was not the main point.

The point is, Sol pondered, why he would indulge in religious matters, especially the so-called Crusades as the self-proclaimed Holy Orders always preached in their weekly sermon? He was not a believer, and certainly he did not have anything to do with God. His method of handling his missions, especially, was brash, merciless, rough, and full of raw power; something frowned upon by the Orders and labelled as 'an unholy act'. Yet it was those approaches that made him famous and respected by many of his colleagues. He could have cared less of those politically-inclined bureaucrats or his fellow knights, as long as he could do his work.

So what was troubling him?

There had been rumours circulating around Holy Orders' administrations that a former assassin was to be recruited by one of the strongest knight in the orders, Kliff Undersn. Known for his compassion toward people, his decision to bring an ex-criminal into the sacred organization and train him as his apprentice brought an apparent shock and uproar to his comrades. It was against the orders' code to prohibit convicts from joining them, as their soul was considered as impure and must be banished to eternal damnation. The old warrior had another thought; he felt he had the responsibility to guide the confused man to the path he should take.

No, that is not the case.

It is him.

Ky Kiske.

The Child of Lightning.

The Thunder Warrior.

Long considered as a thorn in the flesh, Sol always regarded the Frenchman as an obstacle that always got him nerve-wracking. He had always despised of Ky's school of thought ("Your sin is beyond the grace of God." Thus, "God? I don't want to have anything with it."), although he never hated the man himself. It was like Sol and Ky are never made to go along together. Both of them are like fire and oil, never allowed to mix in any condition.

Especially now; the news of the ex-assassin really wretched Ky's very foundation of belief. He questioned Kliff's decision to let the criminal joining the orders and becoming a knight. He seemed to be prejudiced against criminals, Sol thought, and he would not forgive anyone who wanted to repent for their sins whoever they were. He would describe Ky as "an overly confident, self-proclaimed knight who is too indulged in justice to think of anything else."

Well, at least that's what he's feeling.

"Che. Why I must have anything with it?" Sol discarded the unfinished cigarette, holstered Sheer Heart on his shoulder and headed out of the city. He took a last glimpse of the ruins, shrugged his head off and went to the direction of the sunset.

To Be Continued