"Sweet dreams are made of this."

- PS4 commercial

"There's still sadness somewhere deep inside you, but it'll be okay. No matter how corrupt your soul gets, I'll grow corrupt with you. If you go to Hell, I'll follow."

- Narika Shihoudou, Beat Blades Haruka

"The most wanted man on wheels is about to change sides."

- Anonymous


Mai and Mikoto's quest had reached its end. They found the throne room of Windbloom abandoned and sunken in gloom. The grand hall was empty. The rows of pillars stood like lifeless tombstones. Narrow slithers of sunlight occasionally flickered through the rustic curtains. The only souls in attendance were the king and his noble handmaiden, waiting silently at the head of the castle.

King Kazuya was seated low in his throne, his features hidden under the shadow of his tilted crown. His long royal cape shrouded most of his body, making it appear as if he and the throne were a single inseparable being. One hand clutched an armrest in silent tyranny. A glass wine chalice dangled through the fingers of the other. He slowly rolled his wrist from side to side out of boredom, sloshing the liquid ruby in tiny waves.

Akane was at the king's side. Her cream-colored servant's dress modestly accented her agile form. Her short brunette bob cut lined her soft facial features. She stood in peaceful, obedient silence with her hands delicately folded over her apron. A beacon of purity and piety glowing dimly in a chamber of darkness.

"Exterminate these rodents, my darling war-tigress," King Kazuya muttered under his brow, slowly twisting his hand toward Mai and Mikoto.

"As you wish, Kazu," Akane quietly and cheerfully answered. She moved two paces and leaned over the throne as if she were ready for Kazuya to whisper all of the kingdom's darkest secrets into her ear.

The king pecked her earring with his lips, triggering the authorization code for her GEM. She stood upright, glowing in swelling white energy.

Akane transformed as she gradually stepped down from the throne. Her uniform dissolved to reveal her athletic bare body, illuminated like smooth marble under a spotlight. The faint plume of alcohol on Kazuya's breath acted as a decelerant on the circuitry in Akane's GEM, slowing the Materialization process by a few extra seconds. The plated nanofibers of her Robe gradually weaved around her and tightly hugged her body, solidifying in a thin but resilient white battle-glaze with dark blue stripes. With each gentle step she took down the staircase, her shoulders swayed gracefully like a swan's folded wings, while her hips shifted like a cat's.

Her soft footfalls stopped when she was poised evenly with Mai. She crossed her wrists over her armored bosom and summoned her personal weapons out of nothingness: A pair of bronze tonfa with sharpened titanium claws.

"I'll make sure you bleed for Kazu, before you sparkle for him," she hissed toward Mai, shattering her peaceful complexion in a startling instant.

Mai lowered her head, burying a painful look of regret in her eyes. Akane crouched on her pearl heels and drew back her blades, ready to pounce.

And then they fought.