Sakura Taisen Kyougi Book two Ikazuchigumi

by Benji Himura

Sequel to Sakura Taisen Kyougi. Now leader of a brand new team to face the darkness how the player will adapt to the leadership and his team mates?

1. Chapter 1

Hi this is Benji Himura. I am now starting a new fanfic. Is a Sakura Taisen story. I don't own Sakura or any of the characters. Some anime or manga characters might show up in the story I also don't own then. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura.

Pre-story author notes:

This story is an altered universe for Sakura Taisen. As it will be told on the story it is a game being played. At least that is the very beginning of the story. Things might take odd turns as the story develops. But so far one thing is for sure. Ogami Ichiro won't be the leader of the hanagumi and I am not sure if he will appear on this story. Kyougi means game in Japanese the title of this story is Sakura Taisen the Game. But it isn't based on the real Sakura Taisen game. All the characters on this fic taking out the characters of the Sakura Taisen world belong to me and are based on my friends, family, classmates and teachers. Some of them where romanticized or changed by request of the person who the character is based on. Some characters are imaginary but still based on someone that I know. Unless you have my authorization you can't use any of them.

Observation: During a song (text inside) is the back voice.

"Text" Talked or thought sentences.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language. As English when everyone else speaks Japanese.

:Text: Messages show in an electronic screen.

Prologue

"Okay mind in answering me this, why with the original hanagumi you need a new group?" Benji asks in a serious tone.

Reni knew that sooner or later he would ask that. "Because I am the sole survivor of the original Hanagumi." She answers in a somber tone. Benji chokes with his drink. "You mean that everyone is dead?" Benji asks surprised after wiping his lips. "I survived barely. And I still carry a token of that day." Reni says taking out her right hand glove.

Her right hand is shinning silver, she moves her fingers and Benji can see the joints moving. "I lost all my friends and my right arm. We were able to replace it for a cybernetic arm." She says inwardly happy because Sasha went to the toilet. "That is why we need desperately a new team."

Benji holds her mechanic hand. "I am on it now." Benji says. Reni nods a bit embarrassed over the gesture. Most of people show repulse over her arm or a sick curiosity to dismantle it. She holds his hand and shakes it. "Welcome to the Ikazuchigumi Benji." Reni says in a solemn tone. "Leader of the team, Captain Benji Himura."

"At your service General Milchstrasse." Benji says in the same tone. Outside a major storm is falling on the city and lightning and a thunder fills the air. As if the duo sealed a pact with the night.

September twenty third 20XX São Paulo capital

Benji, Reni and Sasha are in a private jet in an airport. Benji's bike is safely loaded on the cargo compartment and they are taking off. After getting in cruise height and velocity they undo the belts. Sasha is watching TV from the jet seat. Benji is reading a book while Reni uploads all the information of his com link and memory card to her personal laptop.

While the information is transferred she clutches on a large blue stone on a collar. She can't help on smiling at the memory of how it was done.

Two hours earlier

Benji kicks Reni out of his room, literally speaking. Reni is rubbing her sore end regretting on daring Benji on showing to her his skills with resin. He took the challenge but kicked her out of the room to work after she gave him her sole picture of her with Iris that she carried around.

She paces out of the room nervously, she wonders why she is feeling so anxious. Because the picture or the way that Benji looked. "I am acting like a teenager waiting to be picked up before her first date." Reni mutters. "For God sake act as old as you is Reni. You have 38 years old. You are a mature woman. Not a teenager. I am too old to be blushing."

She adds feeling her cheeks heating up. One and a half hour later Benji leaves the room. And toss something to Reni. She grabs it. She is now holding a five centimeters long, three centimeters wide and one centimeter thick blue stone. It is being held by a silver hook that is connected to a thin silver chain with circular links.

"Well what you think?" Benji asks. "It is beautiful. It looks like a sapphire, you even angled the edges to seem that was lapidated. But where is my picture?" she says. Benji sighs and picks the stone. And open it lightly pressing one side of it. "Inside the stone." Benji says handing it to her.

Reni sighs relieved seeing the picture intact cased in a transparent resin case and embedded on the blue resin. She sees a small lock and hinges carefully hidden on the resin. She closes it. "It is a beautiful piece." Reni says with an honest voice. Benji picks it and walks behind her and puts it on her.

"The chain is a bit too long. Let me adjust it." Benji says cutting the chain and quickly repositioned the lock. And then he puts it again. "Thank you." Reni says. "My pleasure." Benji replies. "Are you flirting with your superior?" Reni asks teasing. "What?" Benji asks surprised. "Men usually give jewels to women when they are interested on them." Reni replies.

"That isn't a jewel." Benji says. "It looks like one right Sasha?" Reni asks to the teen, who nods agreeing. Reni continues teasing him until she begins to laugh with his excuses.

Present time

Reni sips some soda. Looking at the picture. "Look against the light." She recalls Benji words before they left to the airport. She looks against the light and the dark blue transparent resin lets the light pass with a beautiful effect. Closed the locked seems like a large sapphire. With the picture inside keeping the core of the stone dark while the light peered by the edges as a real jewel would do.

With a soft chime the upload ends and she begins to run a program to analyze Benji movements in combat. Not only a communication device the com link acts like a black box of the player movements when the player is wearing it. The program is ignoring repetitive moments or similar movements used in combat. As running or shooting.

While the program does its work Reni looks around the plane, Sasha is still looking at the TV and Benji is reading. Curious Reni gets up and walks to him. "What you are reading?" she asks in front of Benji. He closes the book keeping his index finger marking the page that he is and shows her the front cover.

"Art of war?" Reni asks. "I thought that you already knew that." Benji stretched a bit. "Well I have read it once few years ago. But I saw it on a bookstore on the airport and decided to buy this version that is more complete that the one that I have read. Besides I am not much on the mood for novels or romances." Benji replies. "Well that explains why you lasted that long. "Sun Tzu was great strategist and his teachings are eternal." Reni says. Benji nods agreeing.

She returns to her seat when her laptop beeps the end of the running program. She watches the simulation of the combats based on the camera of the headset combined with the com link data and an occasional security camera hacked from a combat site. She sips a cold soda and looks with mild surprise at the motions of the 3-D animated Benji on the screen.

With a larger amount of surprise Reni looks when Benji there begins to attack with many different weapons. Looking on the time table of the program there wasn't a combat on that time. And since the animation don't show hits being taken Reni understand that what he is doing is training.

The program is inserting weapons based on the scan of his own weapons making sure that the motions suit the weapon. When Benji appears holding a spear that Reni doesn't saw on his belongings she is surprised because the program placed one there based on its own data base. After it Benji animated moves and the date too and Reni sees Benji fighting Vittoria.

The computer shows statistics over the damage acquired on the combat. The program also adjusted the statistics computing the data of his equipment. Still Reni was impressed with the beating that Benji took. Not to mention the cruel torture over the lynx. Reni heard many things over that killer. And she was on the top of the chain. Not the higher but close.

"And Benji defeated an assassin of such caliber." She mutters impressed with her underling. She is aware that she hitted the jackpot with him. Of course what most shocked her was the data of the club fight and of the hotel. Specially the last battle on the hotel room with out the memory card.

As she digests the information they arrive in Vitória. Three hours passed since noon. Benji leaves the refrigerated jet and stretches under the hot Brazilian winter sun. Reni gasps with the heat as well Sasha. None of the duo used to that kind of heat. Picking a cab on the exit of the airport the trio is driven to the second best hotel in Vitória since Benji blasted the first. Reni is sited on the front seat and Sasha is besides Benji. Who is resting his chin over his palm looking at the distance by the window.

The driver tries to make a chat but Benji asked him to take them to the hotel and explained that the ladies don't speak Portuguese. Reni looks at Benji noticing how depressed he looked when passing by a club on the Reta da Penha. (What is wrong?) Reni asks in Italian. (Nothing.) Benji replies clearly wanting to avoid the subject. Not wanting to scare him away Reni just let it slide.

Half hour later Reni and Sasha are registered on the hotel and on a room. "What you will do now?" Reni asks because Benji hasn't registered with them. "I have things to do today." Benji replies. "You can leave your bags here if you want to." Reni says. Benji nods and places his large bag on a corner. His smaller bag pack is on his back. Reni hands him a cell phone.

"There has my own phone number. If you need just call me." Reni says. Benji nods to her. "I will see what I will do." He says back to her. "Mind if I tag along? I might as well take a walk to exercise." Reni asks. "I don't mind. But I will be walking a lot." Benji answer. Reni nods and enters on her bedroom. Ten minutes later she walks out wearing black trousers, a white long sleeved button up shirt and gloves. Sasha decides to stay and rest. She was still recovering from everything.

The older duo leaves. And after a short ten minutes walk to a bus stop Reni is sweating a lot. Gladly taking a bandana that Benji offered and tying it over her hair and forehead helping her to cool off. "Is always this hot on the summer?" she asks to him while waiting under a shade.

"We are in the winter." Benji answers. "It gets hotter in the summer." Reni squeals with surprise. She doesn't even want to imagine how hot it would be in the summer. She rolls up her sleeves and takes out her gloves. Benji notices that her right arm is covered with skin. "You said that you got a cyber arm." Benji says to her. "I have. I placed a fake skin over it." Reni replies pulling a small spray can from her trouser pocket. "Last two hours only. After that it evaporates. I usually don't use because dampens the feelings of the arm."

Benji nods understanding. "Is helping to cool off?" Benji asks. "Yes." Reni replies relieved with it. They get in a bus and with his ticked card Benji pays the fee for the two of them. The bus is half filled. Reni seats on an empty chair and Benji stands near her. Reni takes the time to see the cityscape. By the route of the bus they pass by a large beach.

Unlike her idea there weren't hundred of people on the beach tanning and having fun as people think that would be in a tropical seashore city. But she recalls that the idea was a stereotype. She can tell that on weekends or holidays when the sun is hot the beaches must get full of people. But most of the times everyone works as in any other part of the world.

"A pretty sight." Reni thinks seeing the beach. If wasn't by her arm, her almost albino white skin and the fact that she was on duty she would most likely enjoy one day or two on the beach. "Maybe even getting a tan." She thinks seeing few people running on the beach as exercise.

After two more stops Benji sign to stop on the next and Reni gets up to leave with him. While they walk up a street Reni wonders how Benji can endure the heat under a white lab coat. With a heavy back pack on his back, gloves and the long hair. Not mentioning that she hasn't began to broke a sweat. While she soaked her bandana and shirt. Even the reasonably strong breeze doesn't her to get reasonably cool.

Benji knocks in a house door. By the footages that she got she recognizes as one of Benji's hideouts. Carla opens the door. She looks at Benji eyes. "You are done?" she asks in Portuguese. "Yes. He is dead." Benji replies. Reni is surprised she learned a bit of Portuguese after founding about Benji. They haven't traded a greeting or pleasantries. Straight down to the point.

"How well killed?" Carla asks. "With his head blasted off by a custom made amalgam explosive bullet." Benji answers. Carla nods and motion to them to get in. Reni holds back a sigh of pleasure when entering on the house cold with the working air conditioner. Carla told them to sit while she fetches some refreshments. Something that Reni cheered deep inside her mind.

When Carla returns handing to them cold drinks Reni stays in silence listening to the talk and savoring the small pleasures that she took for granted, as air conditioners and a cold drink when feeling hot. Carla explains to Benji the details of the funeral. Reni just understands few words. Not enough to make up the entire conversation. When done they leave.

Reni sighs with displeasure when feeling the hot breath of air from the street. "I need one week here to wrap up all my business." Benji says to Reni while they walk down the street. Sensing that wasn't a request but a demand Reni agrees. She still needs time to finish the arrangements of Benji's documents, as passport, Japanese citizenship, license to carry and possess weapons and his military rank of captain. The last three are easily arranged since they are directed involved in Japan. Where her authority is only bellow the emperor, the supreme military council and the elders council. Something as small as ranking and arming Benji is something easy.

But getting him a passport and a lifetime visa to Japan in Brazil is trickier. But thanks to Benji Japanese bloodline that is easily solved. She is aware that Benji's taming process is far from complete and if she doesn't give in on certain maters that are important to him she will lose him. Until he is used to her and his new position she is walking on thin ice.

She pants a bit under the heat. "Hotter than a hot summer day in Japan." She mutters. Benji drapes his lab coat over her shoulders and Reni felt oddly refreshed. "Well I know that I will suffer with the cold there." Benji says to her. Reni feels the light synthetic fiber of his lab coat cooling her. The white fabric reflecting the light and the heat leaving her on a cooler state.

"Now I understand why you used it." Reni says thankful. "Thanks for borrowing me this." Benji smiles. "You are welcome." Benji replies. Reni can't help wondering how odd he is. In a moment he tells her that he needs a week on his hometown in a tone that made sure that it wasn't negotiable and then he acts as a gentleman and lends her his jacket, when noticing that she wasn't getting used to the heat and replied to her thank you with a casual but gentle tone.

"I am sure that he will get on they good sides." She thinks looking at the wide back of his underling while he leads the way to his next stop. They get in a garage. She sees Benji discussing a bit with a young man. "I know that. She is on the airport. She needs few repairs and a new paining. I kind of went to rough on her." Benji says to Raphael.

"I heard about it." He replies. "I will get it. By the end of the week it will be done that if is only minor repairs and the paint job." Benji nods. "I will send you the details later." Benji says handing him a voucher for the airport and some money to the repairs. Then he leaves, Reni follows.

They take another bus, the third one since they began Benji's errands. They pass by the club and few stops after it they leave. On a drug store Benji buys a six hundred milliliters bottle of soda to Reni who eagerly accepts drinking it slowly by a straw. They walk up a hill and Reni removes the bandana that became uncomfortably soaked and pockets it on Benji's coat.

She notices with some satisfaction that Benji is also sweating now. Reaching a building gate on the top of the hill Benji greets the door keeper that has a bit of a hard time recognizing the long brown haired young man. But recognition shows on his face when Benji talks to him a bit. He buzzes open the gate letting them enter on the building grounds.

Hearing a warning about trash collecting from the floors Benji and Reni moves to the lobby that is on higher grounds, instead of using the entrance of the garage. Reni continues to suck the soda to refresh her hot and beginning to dehydrate body.

Benji stops when seeing a group of people leaving the lobby. He recognizes them. After all is his direct family. Mother, grandparents of the mother's side and one of his aunts. Ringo, Lisa, Rosetta and Maria are there too. Surprised seeing the young man there they stop on they tracks.

Ringo reacts first and dashes to him. She draws her pistol and holds it by the barrel and slams the handle on Benji. Benji blocks the attack holding the handle with his left hand. Reni takes few steps back still drinking her soda now mildly amused. Lisa joins Ringo and tries to punch Benji who leaps back. Finishing the combo Maria enters tailed by Rosetta.

Benji stays in silence while the four girls try to beat him up. But after eighteen days being hunt and gaining new skills Benji is a hard target for the girls. And after two minutes Benji ties up the girls as if they were bullocks.

Reni decides to ask where he kept the leather bangs later. The girls squirm trying to break the thin but very strong leather stripes. Benji's mother walks to him rolling up her right sleeve and she packs a powerful punch on him. Reni is surprised by the fact that Benji haven't dodged or blocked the hit. She knows that he could do it.

"You have lots of explaining to do!" she says harshly. "I know that mom." Benji replies. Reni raises an eyebrow understanding. Even being a good fighter and a superb assassin Benji still doesn't raise his hand against his mother. "First explain who is her." She continues pointing to Reni who is slurping the final drops of her soda. Reni stops and puts the now empty bottle on the coat pocket.

(Actually I am his employer and I am going to explain everything that happened.) Reni says in English. Benji's mother stares at her. (But mind if we do it in a cooler place. Or at least on a shade?) Reni asks. (We will be waiting on the apartment.) Benji's mother says. Before entering with her parents on the building. Benji moves to untie the girls. Seeing as futile to fight him they just follow. Rosetta looks curious to Reni.

On an elevator moving to the sixth floor Ringo stares at Benji clearly wanting to smack the man. But she decides not to risk anything on an elevator. Entering on the apartment Benji leads Reni to a large table on the living room where the rest of his family is. Benji's grandmother serves some iced tea to the German delight. And since the table is near of the window Reni is being directed hit by gusts and gusts of fresh wind.

(My mother's name is Kaori. My grandmother is Ana, my grandfather Hikoe.) Benji says to Reni. (The last name is of course Himura.) Everyone stares to Benji since he is speaking in German. (The blonde with a gun is Ringo Kuonji. The brunette is Lisa Houston. The older brown haired one is Maria Magalhães. And the shorter is Rosetta Bassant. All of them are family friends.) Benji adds continues to explaining and introducing everyone.

"Well to begin everything I am a General of the Japanese army." Reni says in English. By the reacting everyone understood her. "My name is Kazue Ikura." Benji eyebrow rises a bit while he tries to remember where he heard that name before. "The reason of the attacks against him was because he is my underling and was helping me on an investigation of a former officer who got insane and went rogue. He was kidnapping and killing innocent people. Feeling threatened by Himura's investigation he ordered him to be killed." Reni explains.

"Her Seiyuu!" Benji thinks recalling where he heard the name before. "As I send the reports for Sergeant Kuonji explaining the situation." Reni continues pulling an envelope from her pocket. "You can see here that Himura has your President license to carry and use weapons, to engage combat against criminals and freedom of action over any civil authorities." She hands to Ringo the envelope. She opens it. "It is authentic." The blonde says handing the letter to the others paling a bit.

"Benji is ranked as captain!" Lisa shouts surprised. "He was discharged by excess of contingent." Rosetta stares surprised at Benji who doesn't show surprise at the information. Reni gave him a minor briefing on the plane but haven't explained him everything. But he is faking well. "You mean that he is not a terrorist?" Kaori asks.

"Quite the opposite." Reni says. "Himura is the best man of an elite anti terrorist unit." Suspicious his mother looks at him. "When he got the training or met you?" Kaori asks. "How we met is classified information. And he got his training in secret during the past December." Reni answers with help of a certain information given by Benji. "One week of training is not enough." Kaori replies.

"It isn't the recommended. But was enough." Reni replies. They don't know with what they are more surprised. The story or the past events. But Ringo clinical eyes said that the letter is authentic so the story must be too. "He was ordered to operate in secret and not tell anyone about his foundings. Sadly there was an information leakage that is now eliminated, that compromised him."

Benji's family and friends are clearly happy on hearing that he isn't a criminal. Even Ringo who reported Reni's version of the events to her superiors before this meeting and was very suspicious accepts it gladly. Benji wouldn't face any charges.

Half hour later Reni excuses herself to the bathroom. She enters in there and takes out her shirt and Benji's coat. The synthetic skin of her shoulder is already vanished and it is quickly moving down her arm showing the metal bellow. Reni begins to apply the spray over the metal where it begins to form a new layer of skin. When she reaches her elbow, her hand and finger tips are clean metal only. She finishes to applying the spray on her arm and tests it a bit. "Nice and firm." She whispers.

She washes her hand after flushing the toilet and pocketing the can and leaves after drying her hands. On the living room the mood is light. With a light nod Benji excuses himself and Reni and they leave the apartment. Benji leaves behind the pack.

"At least all ran well." Reni says in German. Benji nods agreeing. "But you needed to use the name of the Seiyuu that does your voice?" Benji asks. "Actually it was me. Kazue Ikura is an alias. That I use when there is risks of people disbelieving me because my real name." Reni answers. Benji understand. His family might not know anyone named Reni Milchstrasse, but Rosetta knows since she also likes Sakura Taisen.

"Anyway what you will do now?" Reni asks. "Stay here for the night or you will be sleeping on the hotel?" Benji thinks a bit. "I guess that I will stay with them. Since I will be leaving in one week I will at least give them some nice moments before I leave." Benji answers. "I understand. Mind in calling a cab for me so I can return to the hotel?" Reni replies.

"I drive you there." Benji says. He returns to the apartment and leaves in two minutes. In few minutes Benji leaves the building driving Ringo's car with Reni on the shotgun. Reni is clearly happy inside the car because of the working air conditioner. "Sasha isn't joining the team." Reni says serious once she passed by the happy state over the coolness.

"I guessed that much." Benji replies making a small note of how natural is for them to speak in German and Japanese since them trade languages between those two a lot. "It's a kind of a pity. But she isn't a player in the sense of combat as you and most of the others were." Reni says. "Well specially comparing to you. I mean you are just natural."

"That is not something that I am happy on being natural." Benji replies stopping on a red light. Reni understands. "By the way you know your genealogy?" Reni asks. "Just what I heard from my family." Benji replies. "Why you are asking?"

"Curiosity." Reni replies. "By father Lebanese or Arab. I am not sure of that side. And Spanish. I don't know how much. But a great aunt of mine is a duchess. It seems that my great-grandfather father was a Bedouin. I heard that from my father. Seems that our family is the only with the last name on Brazil." Benji says. Reni nods hearing the information. "By mother Japanese. My great-grandfather family name was Katsura. But he adopted his wife family name so it wouldn't extinguish." "A usual procedure on Japan." Reni remarks his words.

"But I am not sure of how much we are related but my grandmother said to me that we are related to the Kougo Katsura. I heard that Katsura isn't a common name. Thought I am not sure" Benji continues. "I am not sure of which European country my grandmother family descends from, but I heard that somewhere on the line had a Brazilian Indian on the mix."

"Interesting. Even your bloodline is filled with warriors' people." Reni comments. "No wonder you are a natural, it is on your blood, deep in your genes." Reni says. Benji accelerates when the light turns green.

Benji leaves Reni on the hotel. "Sasha is going to leave tomorrow. If you want to join me to see her off you can come." Reni says before leaving. "I will. Call me with the details." Benji replies. She nods and leaves.

September twenty fourth 20XX Vitória

Benji and Reni are in Vitória airport. Sasha entered on a flight to Rio de Janeiro where she will get in a fight to Germany. The farewell was casual bordering the formal. After the German girl flight takes off the due leaves.

"She will be fine?" Benji asks. "Yes. Her card was destroyed. And her spirit energy hasn't developed. Since she doesn't want to train she has no reason to fear. No one can track her." Reni replies. They get on the parking lot where they enter on a rented car. Already informed about her plans Benji drives to a bank in order to exchange some money for Reni. Who was embarrassed on the previous hours for not having currency not even to buy an ice cream. Something that she really starved for under the heat. Benji did buy the ice cream that she wanted. Making the older woman blush, something that the younger man found amusing and is looking for more openings to do it again.

On the bank Benji speaks with the cashier who recognizes Benji. After all who would forget a man who traded twenty thousands dollars in one visit? Benji gets a VIP treatment. He suggests to Reni trade only one hundred dollars that would be more than enough money to daily expenses, since she would pay the hotel with her credit card.

"Unless you are like Sumire and want to rampage on a shopping frenzy it will be more than enough." Benji says to her. She gives to the cashier five hundreds dollars. This will give her a bit more than one thousand and five hundred reais. "I need to go shopping for clothes to stay here." Reni says.

But something on her tone of voice and deep on her eyes, something so subtle and well hidden that Benji almost misses it. The cashier moves trade the currency. "You plan on go on a shopping spree." Benji whispers in Japanese in a teasing tone. Reni blushes deeply. "You look like you also want to buy a Brazilian style bikini."

Reni gets two shades of red deeper on her blush. "You are going to buy a Brazilian bikini!" he adds seeing Reni with out words answering him. She is scarlet to her hairline. Benji is with a wicked smile preparing another blow when the cashier returns rescuing Reni from another comment. After finishing everything Reni blushing tells him to drive her to the mall and help her to shop. After all she doesn't speak Portuguese well enough for that.

Benji takes her to the Praia da Costa mall that is on Vila Velha the neightbor city of Vitória. Since he wrecked the Shopping Vitória. Benji escorts Reni over the stores. Reni chooses light cotton made clothes that are fresh under the heat. Mostly in light colors in order to get even fresher.

After buying three sets of shirts and trousers they leave the store. Benji even convinced Reni to buy a really short pair of shorts that enhance her long legs. And would keep her fresh since the wind would pass on them. They enter in a sports shop. Reno does try few bikinis. She thought of them all really daring. But Benji explained that it is actually the usual on Brazil.

She buys a black one to contrast with her white skin. She blushes a lot and make sure of not ask for Benji's opinion or letting him see her on it. With a handful of bags they walk away from the store. They walk around a bit before leaving the mall. Benji drives to the hotel where Reni changes of clothes putting on a white shirt, black trousers and a pair of sneakers. Since Benji asked her if she wanted to hang out with him on the week full of parties that his friends and family planned.

Knowing that she would be bored there since she already send the paper work out and went over all the reports. Staying locked on her hotel room would be by far boring since there wasn't anything to do. At least on the parties she could distract herself. She packs few clothes and meets Benji on the living room of her suite.

They move back to the car and Benji drives to Jacaraipe to his family beach house. But before Benji stops in a dental store and buys some auto resin. Then he continues. Reni don't ask the reason of the purchase. The travel to the other city is made in a pleasant silence. Reni is using the time to look at the landscape.

Later after they arrive in the Himura family beach house Benji gives a brief explanation of why she is there. Since there are too many people on the house the bedrooms are divided for groups. Reni is bunked with Lisa, Rosetta and Ringo in one of the four bedrooms of the house.

Benji grandparents are in one room with a double bed. Benji's mother and aunt are dividing other room with a double bed. Since the last of the rooms was converted on a depot and can't be used as a bedroom Benji stays on the living room couch that is large enough for him and someone else sleeping close.

On the kitchen Benji's mother and grandmother begin to set up the food to be eaten on a large barbecue. Benji is helping his grandfather setting the grill up. Rosetta, Lisa and Ringo are sunbathing on the large backyard of the house. Reni is on the shared room spraying her cybernetic arm. When finished the grabs a book and leaves to the backyard where the barbecue will take place to found a nice spot to read.

The remaining day was filled with music, chatter and games. Reni admitted that was fun even if she was only reading and occasionally eating something. "I am working too much." She mutters in Japanese while stretching on a hammock that Benji hanged for her on a shady part of the backyard with a good distance from the blasting loud radio and from the majority of the chatter.

She takes a deep breath inhaling the sea breeze, with the scent of the roasting meat lingering on it. She noticed Benji walking to her with a plateful of cutted roasted beef, pork, chicken and sausages. "Enjoying the spot?" Benji asks handing to her the plate. "It is very nice." Reni replies taking it. That process repeated itself many times during the afternoon.

Benji hands a cold soda to her who gladly accepts it. Reni rediscovered her taste for cold soft drinks under the hot sun and weather of Vitória. "This feels so good." Reni purrs after taking a large sip of the can. "I forgot how good it feels drinking something this cold when is hot." Benji smiles understanding.

September twenty seventh 20XX Vitória

Now tanned Reni tags along with Benji who is moving to a hair parlor. Reni is quite content with the light tan that she gained during the two past days on the Himura beach house. Even though she stayed under a large parasol during the stay in the beach itself. She chuckled recalling the beach soccer game between Benji and his friends. Especially the level of aggression play on it. Pulling shirts and low kicks on the ankles were allowed. And the match between Benji that played most as a fullback and Lisa the goalkeeper. Since the brunette blocked the man power kicks. Even that her hands got sore and hurt with the amount of them.

While Benji's hair is dyed black Reni recalls the 'montinho' over him. "I swear his hair was standing up on the ends and his ponytail was fluffed up as a cat tail when Julietta, Ringo and Lisa jumped over him." Reni thinks chuckling more recalling the even. After the red head, blonde and the brunette combo landed on Benji who was out of balance everyone else on the field jumped over them. Even Rosetta who arrived from a swim on the ocean few instants before the event.

She knows that Benji got few bruises because the other game called 'porrão' that they played after it. "An aggressive soccer with no teams. Only to kick the ball as hard as you can on the other." Reni recalls Rosetta words when she ran out of the field before being hit by a stray ball.

After the dye job Benji asks to his hair to be tied on a ponytail on the base of his neck and then braid it. The hair styler agrees and does so. And after it Benji says something that shocks the woman. "Cut it above the band." The woman eyes went wide but she obeys. She can suggest styles but the costumer is the one who orders. After cutting and adjusting his now short hair the woman looks at Benji when he asked to his hair being dyed once again, but on this time of a very specific shade of brown.

The woman nods and does it. Reni already figured his reason. Half hour later Benji leaves with his braided hair on a plastic bag and his short hair brown. "Mind if I go there too?" Reni asks. "I think that I own her few words of appreciation." Benji nods. One hour later they are inside a church. It isn't filled with people, but isn't empty. Benji recognizes the faces of his and Emi's classmates. Ringo also is there. And Carla. Benji walks to her and she nods after his words. He walks to the open casket with Emi's body.

He places his braided hair in there. "You said that liked of my hair long." Benji whispers to her placing the braid on her hands. Benji whispers few more words, so low that no on can hear. And he walks away. Reni walks to Emi's casket.

"I am sorry that you were dragged to this." Reni says in English. "I will look over him. I believe that he won't make the same mistakes as we did and lose something or anyone dear." Realizing one thing Reni changes her sentence. "He won't lose anything or anyone else dear again."

Later they move to the cemetery, Reni is quite angry because the day is sunny and clear. Bursting with life and energy unfit to a burial. On that night Reni is on her bedroom on the hotel. The TV is on an English news channel. She just left the bathroom and is with a bath robe. She is drying her hair.

"Seems that it made the news." Reni mutters seeing the story that she arranged over Sasaki and his mercenaries. "And hey bought it." The fake information was fully accepted and no names were mentioned. Her com link begins to sounds an alarm. Reni runs to it and reads the information. "Damn!" she curses beginning to dress up. She grabs a pair of jeans trousers, a white button up shirt, a blue jacket and run out of the room grabbing Benji's combat bag and a small bag for herself.

But when the reaches the garage to get the car only her finely tuned combat reflexes saved her from losing her head. She grabs a sword with her right hand. "Damn the readings were wrong." She mutters breaking the sword from a dark creature. She puts Benji's bag over her shoulders. She opens her and quickly assembles a double edged lance just fifteen centimeters shorter than her.

With a precise stroke she kills the envoy of darkness, only to found herself surrounded by many more. Reni let's out a sigh. "I wonder if Benji is having this much of trouble." She mutters "Come on Shisetsu. I will take you down."

In front of his apartment Benji who is wearing trousers, a t-shirt and a jacket is with his sword on hands and the knife on his waist. Around him there is many Shisetsus. "You guys again. Don't you know when to give up?" Benji spats bitterly. In total silence they attack Benji. Benji dashes avoiding them and slashing them. They turn into dust and seven more appears.

Benji spins his sword with the right hand slashing one of them. He blocks one attack with the sheathe. Seeing that is futile to fight them on the half dark street Benji runs to a larger street. The Shisetsus follow him. Benji ties the sheathe on his back in a ninja style and stops and slashes two of them who was closer of him before running again. This time there wasn't a surge of more of them.

Glad that on the late hour of the night the streets are empty Benji runs to the hotel where Reni is staying sure that she must be facing the creatures too. The Shisetsus are just few meters behind Benji. But when reaching another street another group of them attacks Benji, who speeds up and slashes them into black dust.

As he run Benji founds more groups and kills them all. The ease of that feat is mild surprising him. But the fact that his sword is losing the cutting edge is worrying him. That sword wasn't made for such intense use, small cracks and dents appear after each attack. The Shisetsus weapons and natural armor makes harder to the sword to cut them. Turning a corner Benji sees Reni. She spots him. Both of them have a group of Shisetsus chasing them. They just nod and run past the other charging against the groups of demons. Soon it is over. Reni exhales deeply and Benji cracks his neck before removing his sword from a lamp post where the blade buried deep when he killed his last Shisetsu.

"You did very well." Reni praises Benji skills. "Thanks." Benji replies. "You were also doing very well." Benji sees how many cracks his sword has. "She took a great amount of damage. She did very well for a normal sword." Reni says. Benji nods understanding. "This blade contains some of my friends' spirit." Benji replies. Reni nods. "Well I think that we are done for tonight." She says. "I hope so." Benji said before sheathing the sword.

But the duo is wrong. The ground opens and a giant knight appears. The dark armored demon knight is wielding a large shield and a massive hammer. "Tell me that he is weaker than he looks." Benji says to Reni. "I never saw a demon of that class before." Reni replies. They run to another spot avoiding being crushed by the hammer. Benji slashes the demon on the wrist but the demon armor is so thick that Benji's sword can't cut. More dents appear on the blade. Benji curses and sheathes it again. Reni charges the demon and gives a powerful stab with her lance. Also with no effect. They back away to avoid a horizontal strike.

Benji rips his right pants pocket and there appears a series of metal rods connected to each other. Benji rip them from the holder and grabs his knife. He places the knife handle ring on a pin that fits tightly. Two thinner pins above that one lock around the handle. Benji spins the rods and with loud snapping sounds it turns into a major staff. Benji slams his fist on the middle joint locking it firmly on the place.

He spins the spear and the edge cuts the asphalt producing many sparks. "There was the spear." Reni mutters recognizing the movements from the program that she ran days before. They once again dodge the demon attacks. This time Benji slashes the demon with the spear on a circular movement filled with momentum from a full body and spear spin. The heavy spear slashes the armor of the demon. Not deep enough to damage him. But enough to give the two fights hope of winning.

Benji leaps back avoiding a hit from the shield. Reni spins the handle of her lance. The handle slides inside the blade until it only remains space enough to two hands to hold it. The blade grows more changing her shape lightly. "Benji let's trade!" Reni shouts tossing to him her now sword lance. Benji nods and tosses his spear to her. The spear buries on the asphalt and Reni easily removes it from the road. "Kind of heavy." Reni mutters feeling the weight of the weapon. Benji grabs the sword. "Too light." Benji mutters feeling the weight of the sword lance.

Benji feels better by using a sword even one that looks like a slender and lighter version of Gatts dragon slayer, from Berserk. But thanks to the light weight Benji can packs lots of momentum and speed on it. Using the fact that the demon is fully armored and that slows him down Benji and Reni use speed to attack him from many sides. But in one time Benji couldn't dodge in time and the hammer hitted him fully.

Benji blocked with the lance. But the force of the blow raises him on the air. With his arms numb with the impact Benji looses the grip of the sword. The blade falls very far of him. And Benji can't recover it. Reni attacks the demon giving Benji a change to get back on his feet. Benji jumps on the demon back and stabs him on the neck with his katana. The blade buries deep inside the demon, but breaks. Benji curses and sheathes the remaining blade, while moving away from the demon range.

"Benji!" Reni shouts tossing his bag pack to him. Benji grabs and takes his shield and armlet from it. He quickly puts it on. The demon is trying hard to remove the blade from his flesh. But he is failing since the blade is buried deep inside him and broke in there.

"Watch out!" Benji shouts seeing the shield moving towards Reni. She curses and tries to avoid it. But it hits her making the spear fly from her hand. She recovers and curse. Both have lost the weapons. And Benji's shield won't pack much damage on the demon. In a mater of fact the demon hits Benji, who blocks with his shield.

It breaks on the half with the impact but protects Benji. Benji lands near Reni. "Shut down arm nervous centers." Reni mutters. "Hold me tight from behind!" she orders to Benji. "What?" Benji asks. "Hold me! Get behind me and hold me!" She shouts to him. Benji don't understand but obeys. One of his arms is around her waist and the other is across her chest. His face is near of hers over her left shoulder. Reni aims her right arm to the demon. Her hand opens and locks over her wrist. Her joints are locked on that position.

Then from Reni wrist a burst of fire leaves her arm. From her shoulder too. A high speed projectile hits the demon. Benji and Reni are dragged down by the recoil. They move back two meters. Bellow her shoulder an opening appears and a used cartridge is ejected. It closes and another one replaces the expend one.

The demon roars in pain with a major crack on his armor chest where the projectile entered. Seeing an opening Benji charges at the demon. Reni is recovering from the massive stress of using the cannon of her arm. "Just focus. Gather all your energy inside you on your arm." Benji hears the familiar whisper of the girl talking to him. Benji draws his sword and holds it with the hilt between his index and middle finger to pack a punch using the blade as a pair brass knuckles.

"Use your mind eye to see what it will happen. Then shout out its name with all your spirit to release it." She continues. "PANZER CRUSH!" Benji shouts slamming his right fist on the demon. The energy filled sword breaks thru the damaged armor. The energy tore thru the demon and explodes his back. Oddly the energy flows inside the demon. Benji still holds the sword as the demon vanishes.

Now Benji is holding his katana. The blade is now blood red with a fire orange edge. Many runes are carved on the edge. Benji falls on the asphalt. Reni curses and moves to his side. She reaches to his neck with her right hand. "What I am doing?" she asks herself pulling back her right hand and touching on his neck with the left. "Steady pulse. Constant breathing. Pupils reacting well." She mutters to herself while examining him. "Passed out because used too much energy." She sighs while gathering all the weapons and placing them on the bag.

She puts it on her back. She lifts Benji with her right arm. "One hundred kilos." Reni mutters. "At least I am strong enough to handle until finding a cab." She tosses him over her right shoulder. She does manage to found cab but by then she is carrying him by draping his arm over her shoulders and holding him by the belt. After giving him the address of the hotel she rests a bit.

On the hotel she acts as if she is angry because he was drunk. She reaches her suite and tosses Benji on the empty bed that was once for Sasha. She places the bag down and moves to the bathroom to soak on the tub to ease her sore body. On the tub filled with hot water Reni sighs with pleasure. "No mater how much I work out every time that I fire the cannon I get all sore from the blast." She mutters to herself. "Not that taking shots on the back and carrying Benji around wasn't making me sore too. At least that shield of him works." She recalls taking shots from one Shisetsus who was armed.

On the next day Benji wakes up. He feels oddly refreshed. He founds his chest and neck bandaged. He founds himself in an unknown room. "Woke at last." Reni says entering on the room. Benji sees that she is wearing her usual clothes. "What happened?" Benji asks sitting up.

"Well you used too much energy and you weren't ready for it. So you passed out exhausted. I had to carry you to a cab and them to the room." Reni explains. "Sorry." Benji says. "It is okay. You did save us." Reni replies. "Well there are some clothes that I ordered for you. I am sure that you must be very hungry." She adds pointing to a dresser. Benji nods and dress up after she leaves. He is wearing black trousers and a white button up shirt, with a pair of comfortable shoes. He leaves the room and Reni hands to him part of his equipment. Benji thanks her and they leave to have lunch.

After a large meal for Benji they are on a bar. "I think that the enemy is getting desperate." Reni says to him. "You turned from a headache to a major complication to them." Benji don't seem very happy about it. "Relax we have two more days. And after a summoning of that size there will be months before anything can be summoned here." Reni explains. That does makes Benji feels better.

Benji leaves the hotel carrying only his knife and the dismantled spear hidden on his clothes. Benji stops before crossing a road. A car pulls over in front of him. "Hop in." Lisa says on the passenger seat while Rosetta pops open one of the rear doors. Benji enters and sits near of Rosetta.

"Want to grab something to eat with us?" Ringo asks from the driver's seat. Even finishing of eating Benji was still hungry. "Your body will digest much faster than before to produce energy to refill the one that you spended yesterday." Benji recalls Reni words during the lunch. "Sure." Benji answers. Ringo drives away. Few minutes they are on a McDonalds. Benji is having three large burgers while the girls have one of normal size ones.

After few minutes of casual chat Ringo looks at Benji with a serious expression. "When you are leaving?" She asks. "In the morning of the day after tomorrow." Benji replies with out hesitation. Rosetta chokes with her cheeseburger. "That explains why you are so available and outgoing on the paste days." Lisa says. Benji nods. Rosetta removes the cover of her soda cup and drinks it shoving down her burger and easing herself. "Why you haven't told us!" Rosetta asks a bit hoarse.

"He wanted that we had a good time with him with out knowing that he would leave us soon." Ringo answers for Benji who nods confirming. "You can't go!" Rosetta says clinging on his arm. "You can't leave us!" Benji knew that would be hard to her. "Is his job Rosetta." Lisa says. "Why he have to leave? He was living here until that mess began!" Rosetta says stubbornly clinging on Benji with tears welling on her eyes. "Because I have to." Benji says. "Where you are going?" Rosetta asks. "I can't tell." Benji replies. "Why?" she asks. "It is classified." Benji answers. "As well my function and what I will be doing."

Rosetta buries her face on Benji chest. He holds her and tries to comfort her. Lisa and Ringo knew that she would react like that to the news. But would be better than waking one day and not founding him, just a letter that would hide much of his reasons. And that would crush the young teen heart. It wasn't a secret that the brown haired girl had a huge crush on the taller brunette.

A person would need to be blind to not see all the advances from her. All advances that were carefully fend off to not hurt her by Benji. Ringo and Lisa knew very well that after being rescued by Benji that crush grew stronger. While holding on Benji, Rosetta notices a hardness on his waist. She traces it with her fingers. "It is metal." She thinks still sobbing. "A knife?" she feels the outline of Benji's large amalgam knife on his waist.

"So it is okay that we set a party tonight. I mean a big one, calling everyone?" Lisa asks. "It is okay. Just don't tell anyone about me leaving." Benji answers. And after eating and discussing a bit the details of the party they leave. Rosetta was still sobbing lightly when she entered on Ringo's car. Benji walks to his destination. One of his aunts' condo. Since she is his aunt by father's side Benji don't see her much. But since he is leaving the country maybe even this world if anything goes bad he could at least expend sometime with her and his cousins.

He meets his aunt and her husband as well his cousins. Benji chats to them about trivial things before leaving. He walks to Raphael garage and manages to convince the mechanic to borrow him his customized Hayabusa. "I will return it tonight. But I need a set of wheels to go to see my grandparents." Benji explained to the mechanic. He took more convincing but borrowed it. Benji leaves the garage driving the large racing bike.

Passing by the third bridge that connects Vitória to Vila Velha. Even being against the law Benji is with earphones plugged on his ear hearing Ai Yueni. Leaving Vila Velha Benji speeds up even more entering on the Rodovia do Sol. The wind flicks with a leather jacket that he also borrowed from Raphael.

On her room Reni sits on a chair with the laptop over a table and turns it on. She gets a status report of everything and does an update of the status of Benji. "And Ma'am we received a word that more mercenaries and assassins were hired to kill the player. And unlike last time they were professionals that only kill for money. Now it was hired men who kill for pleasure. And the assassins are out to kill the man who killed the Lynx. And so getting themselves a name." A young woman with short blue hair and pearly white skin says. "Damn!" Reni curses and orders the location of the mercenaries.

On the meantime Benji arrived on his destination. Guarapari, a city quite far from Vitória that his grandparents live. Lowering the speed and the gear Benji drives until he reaches the familiar two stored house where they leave. Benji removes the phones and the helmet while getting out of the bike.

He claps his hands and shouts few words that he hasn't said in at least seven years. "Vovó Zilda!" Benji can't help in smiling feeling nostalgic when shouting those words. Even with the interphone on the wall it would be a good surprise to them. His smile gets broader when the familiar tanned face of his grandmother appears from a window smiling back and she tosses to him a key chain. Just as she did when he was younger.

Benji grabs it easily and enters on the garage that leads to the stairs to the second floor where she lives. "Bença Vó. Bença Vô." Benji says to the elderly couple. "Deus te abençoe." They reply with smiles on they tanned faces. "God Ben! You grow up so much." Zilda says to him, while hugging him tightly. "Your hair is nice on that color."

They seat on the kitchen table and chat. Benji's grandmother places a very large plate or chocolate covered carrot cake. Benji sniffs the cake feeling very nostalgic while his mouth waters with the delicious scent. "So what you have been doing?" Antonio, Benji's grandfather asks. "How are your classes?"

Benji eats a piece of cake savoring it, before swallowing. "Well the classes are fine. Because my work I skipped a couple of weeks of it." Benji replies with a true decorated with a small lie. "And what you do?" Zilda asks lighting a cigarette. "Is kind of secret." Benji answers. "But what I do help many people."

Antonio lights a cigarette too. "But you can say that I work for the government." Benji adds. "I see. As long you know that what you are doing is right is good." Antonio says. Benji nods and they chat over many things.

Not so far from there a suspicious looking man is inside a red Ferrari F-40 "The target prefers speed than power. So I will play with his cards." He says caressing the wheel of the sports car. After one hour of chat and being stuffed with delicious food by part of his grandmother Benji leaves the house.

He rides on the Hayabusa and he notices a crowd near of something half block from there. He doesn't have time to put the helmet when an engine starts. Benji sees a red Ferrari speeding towards him. One month earlier Benji would have stopped to gaze the car. But after all that he passed Benji only starts the Hayabusa and speeds away. On high speed they leave the coat city reaching the Rodovia do Sol. There Benji changes to the second gear. Gear after gear till the fifth Benji reached 310km/h.

The Ferrari is right behind him. Benji turns on the compressor of the Hayabusa that Raphael installed and gains more 50km/h. On the Ferrari the mercenary does the same activating the changes that he added on the stolen car. Benji sees the change of speed and curses. He passes to the sixth gear gaining more and more speed.

"Damn." The mercenary curses forcing more the turbo. In an amazing speed they cross Vila Velha driving thru traffic, red lights and other dangerous zones. They reach the third bridge that by the time of the day is quite empty. Benji activates the nitros.

The bike jumps forward with even more speed. Benji with his left hand assemble the spear. In an insane and suicidal move Benji gives a full turn over the central pillar of the bridge. The taller part of it. And speeds up towards the Ferrari. "So you want to do a bravery test." The mercenary says speeding up. "Fine. I am game."

The Hayabusa and the Ferrari race head on to the other. Benji moves his body back making it rise over the rear wheel. The front wheel lands over the Ferrari hood and speeds over it. Benji drives the spear thru the wind shield before the bike is propelled in the air by its own speed combined with the Ferrari ramp like design.

The customized bike lands behind the Ferrari that smashes itself to the concrete divisor of the tracks. Benji breaks and the bike turn. He would stop well if the tires haven't passed over a junction of the bridge sections and make it lose control thanks to the high speed. Benji and the bike fall on the asphalt. Benji drives a throwing knife on the asphalt slowing himself down. The bike crashes against the outer grid.

Benji stops breathing hard. He gets on his fours and shakes his head to clear his mind. He gets up a bit wobbly and sees the bike. "Now I own Raphael a new Hayabusa." He mutters. "That if he don't kill me for wrecking a Ferrari." Benji walks to the Ferrari and rescues his spear from the dead mercenary corpse.

A helicopter appears and Benji sees armed people there. Knowing that he is an easy target Benji runs to the outer grid. He tosses a grenade inside the helicopter and jumps from the bridge. That grenade goes off. Benji tosses a grenade under him inside the water. It goes off and creates a large water column. Benji hits it and it smoothens his fall inside the water. Still with the spear in hands Benji swims under water for a while before coming up for air. He swims until he reaches a beach under the bridge. "Just what I needed." Benji mutters breathing deeply. "More people trying to kill me." on the beach he sees about thirty men and women armed.

Benji tosses his last grenade on them lowering them numbers greatly. With the spear Benji takes care of the remaining ones. After killing the last one Benji stops panting. The jacket is ripped in few parts and with holes in others. He has few cuts. He hears more shouts in English and run away from there. This time Benji is being hunted down with passion by them.

Benji path is blocked by twenty men. All armed with melee weapons. Fifteen more appears behind him surrounding him. Benji charges them slashing three of them down with his spear. Benji spins his body and kicks two more of them on the jaw. He uses the momentum to slash with the spear cutting them deeply.

The strikes of them don't damage Benji but rips his clothes. Rain begins to fall over the city. Benji continues to kill his way out of the trap. The last one fall. Benji runs away from the pile of corpses. He stops in an alley. His face is wet by the rain and he is breathing hard. A man on his late fifties attacks Benji with an axe. Benji barely dodges it.

"Not bad. No wonder the Lynx was killed by you." The man says. "But you are tired from the entire chase. You are no longer a challenge..." before he can attacks Benji leaps over him and drives the spear repeatedly on the man chest with his right hand while holding him down with his left hand. Benji runs from there wobbling a bit.

Far from there Reni is surrounded by a group twenty men and women all carrying melee weapons. Reni sighs a bit frustrated. "With out that man around she is defenseless." One of them says. He is the first to charge Reni. She blocks the attack only with her right hand. She closes her hand around the man one and a half hand sword blade. "You all made a major mistake thinking that I need protection from my underling." Reni says crushing the blade. The man stares to the broken sword on her hand. Reni stabs him with a German army combat knife.

Another one attacks her and she blocks the attack with her right arm and attack with the knife. She fends off attacker after attacker, the only effect of the assassins blade had is to make small cuts on the fake skin of her cyber arm. The nails the knife in the skull of the last of the men while she crushes the neck of the last woman. The sickening crunch of bones breaking is her sign to let her go. Reni sighs cleans the knife before sheath it. She combs her silver hair with her left hand fingers.

"That only delayed me." She mutters looking at her comlink. "Fuck and something wrecked his comlink." She covers the small cuts on her right arm and walks to Benji's grandmother condo. "That is the most likely spot where he will shows up." She mutters while buying herself two cans of soda from a machine. "I am beginning to hate this heat." She says popping one can open and drinking its contents while walking away. "Send a cleaning team to this address." Reni says in Japanese to the comlink. Reni lets out a major string of curses in all the languages that she speaks when rain begins to fall over her. "At least it is cooling out the day." She spats bitterly drinking her soda.

Reni enters on the condo because the doorkeeper recognized her. She founds Lisa, Ringo, Rosetta and Maria on the lobby moving to the party hall where they set up decorations and a stereo for a party. She just stays out of them sight. Ringo of them all would think that a soaked Reni with out a Benji around would be a sign that the brunette is in trouble. And she would be right.

Far from there Benji is panting leaning on his spear. The blade is buried on a corpse. Many more surround him. Thanks only to a new scale mail Benji only have minor bruises. His shirt is ragged showing the black tinted mail under it. Benji removes the blade from the corpse. He just lost the count of the ambushes that were tossed over him and he never cared to count the number of mercenaries and assassins that he kills.

Benji walks away. He walks the hill of his grandmother's condo from the back hill, much more inclined. But harder to set an ambush. The assassins there failed to notice that the inclination and the rain makes harder to fight. Benji just kills them and tosses the corpses on an empty lot covered with plants and keeps walking.

He enters on the hospital and leaps over the wall after placing the spear on his back. Slowly he climbs to his grandmother's apartment, that he luckily founds empty. He grabs a dry set of clothes from the back room and walks to the bathroom. He places the spear near of the shower and undresses. He tosses the ragged shirt on the floor and a puddle of water forms around it. All his damaged clothes follow shortly. The mail is tossed over the sink. Benji enters under the hot water from the shower and relaxes.

Only three hours later Benji found Reni sited on the floor with her back on a pillar on the ground level garage. They trade greetings and Benji changes his mind of returning back to his apartment. He and Reni return to his grandmother's apartment. Benji serves her a cup of hot tea. It helps to heat up her body now dry form. They comment over the attacks. Benji informs the locations of the attacks that he suffered and Reni ordered a cleaning team to deal with everything, even the news.

Much later they move down to the party. Benji's family is there, at least from his mother's side. Many of his friends too. Ringo, Rosetta and Lisa move to a rented karaoke machine that they expended most of the afternoon programming it with dozens of animes songs straight from a handful of CDs that Benji burned. Also the songs from other artists that he also liked. As well many 'normal' songs.

Benji and Reni almost choke with them drinks when the trio begins to sing 'Geki! Teikoku Kagekidan.' (Kind of ironic.) Benji mutters in German. Reni nods agreeing. (They have no idea of how right they are.) Reni says.

"Hikisaita yami ga hoe furueru Teito ni

Ai no uta takaraka ni odoriteru senshi-tachi

Kokoro made koutetsu ni busou suru otome

Aku wo kechirashite seigi wo shimesu no da" The trio sings together loudly, with everyone else cheers.

"Hashire kousoku no Teikoku Kagekidan

Unare shougeki no Teikoku Kagekidan

Machi no hi ga kie hatete obieru Teito ni

Niji no iro some-agete odoriteru senshi-tachi

Akatsuki ni gekijou wo terashi dasu otome

Aku wo horoboshite seigi wo shimesu no da

Hashire kousoku no Teikoku Kagekidan

Unare shougeki no Teikoku Kagekidan" They continue to sing and stop for a second letting only the instrumental play.

"Watashi-tachi, seigi no tame ni tatakaimasu." Ringo says with the song.

And Lisa continues "Tatoe, sore ga inochi wo kakeru tatakai de atte mo"

"Atai-tachi wa ippo mo hikanaize!

Itsu no hi ka, kono Teito ni!" Rosetta shouts.

"Aku ga naku naru hi made!" Lisa says looking at Benji.

"Watashi-tachi, tatakai wo tsuzukemasu!" Ringo shouts with energy on the tone of the song.

"Sore ga Teikoku Kagekidan na no desu!" The trio shouts together.

"Mune sae mo chigirekobi itetsuku Teito ni

Ai no hirodaki tomete odoriteru senshi-tachi

Inochi sae koutetsu ni chikai-au otome

Aku wo kirisutete seigi wo shimesu no da

Hashire kousoku no Teikoku Kagekidan

Unare shougeki no Teikoku Kagekidan

Hashire kousoku no Teikoku Kagekidan

Unare shougeki no Teikoku Kagekidan" They sing together until the song ends. Everyone claps at them. "This song is dedicated to a certain baka that is here." Rosetta says looking at Benji.

The party continues with everyone taking shots on the karaoke. Some doing better than the others.

By free and increasing pressure Benji makes a duet with Julietta.

"Mysterious T.O.K.Y.O"

Take It Easy Dangerous Night

Mysterious T.O.K.Y.O

Pick Me Up Foxy Night Game" Julietta begins to sing.

"Tsukikage saewatari betsu no yoru e izanau

Sameta tokai no kodou abiru KURAKUSHON" Benji continues the song.

"Kodoku yori taikutsu na seijaku wa rabirinsu

KAIRAKU ni mi wo yudanete hitaru yoru wa IRUMINEESHON no umi" Julietta sings alone.

"Aoi aoi toki ga tokedashita

Hakanaku uwakiagaru mirai

Inochi wa hikari no kazu dake kirameite chiriyuku" Benji and Julietta sings together

"Zawameki to kutsuoto ga afurete 'ru KONKOOSU

Mure ni oyogitsukarete naida MONOKURO" Benji sings alone.

"Uso wo kazaritatete 'ru biru no SHOW-WINDOW

Yami kara yami ni kiete 'ku shinjitsu wa ase-iro no PRELUDE" Julietta sings by herself.

"Aoi aoi kokoro tokedashita

Setsunai namida ga furu ame

Inori wa hikari no kazu dake kagayaite chiriyuku" Julietta and Benji sing together facing the other.

"Aoi aoi toki ga tokedashita

Hakanaku uwakiagaru mirai

Inochi wa hikari no kazu dake kirameite chiriyuku

Aoi aoi kokoro tokedashita

Setsunai namida ga furu ame

Inori wa hikari no kazu dake kagayaite chiriyuku"

"Mysterious T.O.K.Y.O

Take It Easy Dangerous Night

Mysterious T.O.K.Y.O

Pick Me Up Foxy Night Game" Julietta finishes the song. Everyone claps the duo. Since Benji pressured her, Reni goes sing too. And she makes sure that he will make a duet with her and that Benji would be leading the singing. They begin with Ai Yueni, with Benji singing Maria's lines and Reni singing Sakura's. And to break a bit the anime songs trail Reni picks Nightwish Wish that I had an Angel.

Then Rosetta changes places with Reni. The teen picks one of Benji's favorites and makes sure to him that she will be only doing the back voice. And Benji begins to sing.

"Sakotsu no kusari midare te takara shitade karame totte ageru

uemuki no BODEI sasae kirezuni kagi hirakusa. (ANATA GA HOSHII)

kara mitsuku hoteri kotoba koete atsui shigeki no boritsumeru

kimagure na karada hisokana SURIRU ni ochite yukusa (IMASUKU HOSHII)

owaranai yokubou tsunagare ashikubi ni akai hana

samenai yume amai ROOPU kirenai sa Ah! MONOKUROOMU TORABURU

KUCHIBIRU kawakanai nureta meiro samayotteru

KUCHIBIRU kawakanai kuri kaesu wana kimi wo tsukami kirenai

(Give me Love again)"

While Benji sings Rosetta stays very close of Benji sexily hugging him, catching her cue Benji sexily pretend to act some of his words.

"SHIITSU no PUURU de oyogi tsukare ase wo nugui tsumeta kunatte mo

ikenai kakudo de obiyaeru FURI no kimi wo sagasu (KANJITE HOSHII)

kodou nuri tsubusu teguchi ni iki wo tome oboreteru

GURII no yami hanaretai hanarenai sa Ah! MONOKUROOMU TORABURU

KUCHIBIRU ugokanai toketa NAIFU yami wo sakenai

KUCHIBIRU ugokanai tomadou hada kimi wo RIZUMU ni shibarenai

(Give me Love again)

kami ato ni damasare sakarai mogaku hodo mudanakoto

fureraretara subete wo ataete shimau Ah! MONOKUROOMU TORABURU

KUCHIBIRU kawakanai nureta meiro samayotteru

KUCHIBIRU kawakanai kuri kaesu wana kimi wo tsukami kirenai

KUCHIBIRU ugokanai toketa NAIFU yami wo sakenai

KUCHIBIRU ugokanai tomadou hada kimi wo RIZUMU ni shibarenai" Benji and Rosetta finishes the song. The teen face is lightly flushed, but she is with a content smile. Everyone claps, Ringo, Lisa, Maria and many others whistle sexily teasing the duo.

Much later many of the guests have left. Some stay behind to help with the clean up. Benji have taken a sleeping Rosetta up to his grandmother's apartment and laid her on an empty bed on the guests' room. Because of the very late hour and the level of alcohol on them Ringo and Lisa went to sleep on Maria's apartment. Benji's mother and brother left. Victor to a rock concert many hours before. Kaori back to the apartment. Julietta is also going to Maria's. But she follows Benji and Reni that left the party hall. Both looking very serious.

Have being filled with the news about Benji. She keeps a safe distance while she follows them. Benji and Reni walks to his apartment. She sees Benji jumping on the wall of the neightbor building, to jump to a balcony until he reaches his own bedroom window. After few moments she hears the gate snapping and the door opening. Reni gets in. minutes later a van stops in front of the gate and six men dressed like ninjas enter on the building and they leave minutes later carrying out boxes. They repeat the process six times, and then they leave. Benji and Reni leave few minutes after them. As they walk away from the building Benji tosses a glance on it. "He is leaving." Julietta thinks understanding. The duo walks away and returns to his grandmother's condo street.

The duo stops in the middle of the empty street. She sees Benji assemble a spear and Reni draw a long but slender knife. The duo looks at the other and trade weapons. Two large SUVs stop twenty meters away from them. And many men leave the cars. Some are carrying guns but most are carrying melee weapons.

Julietta reached to her cell phone. Just to find that it is not working. The look of confidence on Benji and Reni scares her. They are outnumbered and out armed, yet they aren't scared and there isn't a shadow of doubt on them faces. A silver throwing knife tossed by Benji kills one of the men with guns. And that is the signal for the battle begins

Three more knives fly killing the remaining ones with guns. Reni kills her share catching up with her underling score. Benji's knifes are blocked by the melee armed ones. But that leave an open guard that the young man attacks killing them. Julietta notices that Benji is not even bothering to block hits against his chest. And they don't do any damage on him.

One of the men tosses a grenade at them. Benji recognize as a flashbang. He slaps it back. But it detonates near of his palm. He covered his eyes, Reni covered hers. Julietta did the same. Benji tosses his last knife on the man and Reni kills the last man with the spear.

"Well I am calling the team." Reni says picking her comlink. Benji nods and looks at his right hand palm. Half of the skin of the palm is scorched and hanging loosely, as a piece of ragged fabric. "That looks bad." Reni says placing her comlink on her waist. Benji only holds the skin with his left hand and rips it off. Reni gets pale staring to him ripping his skin, even part of the skin that wasn't hurt. The last thing that Reni notices is that Benji face doesn't show any sign of pain.

Reni faints, with her skin turned in goose flesh. Benji shrugs Reni reaction and walks to the SUVs, he founds a first aid kit and after tossing alcohol on his wound he places gauzes and bandages over it. "God…I don't blain her for fainting…" Julietta says very pale walking up the hill trying to erase the images of Benji ripping his skin off and then tossing alcohol on the open would that was raw flesh.

Benji finishes wrapping his hand and walks to Reni and pick her up. He gently lays her on the SUV hood and takes out her shirt exposing her white sports bra, the cyber arm and the scar on her shoulder where the metal anchor of the arm is. "Sorry for it." Benji says wrapping her shoulder, chest and arm with bandages. After covering her hand and fingers with the bandages Benji puts Reni shirt back on and places her on his back. He picks the weapons as his spear and her knife and stores them.

Then he moves to his grandmother's house. Much later on the next day Reni wakes. She looks around and doesn't recognize the room. Benji that was reading looks at her. "Where?" She asks in Japanese. "My grandmother's guest room. Formerly mine and my brother's room." Benji replies in the same language. She notices the bandages. "Why I am with bandages?" she asks. "I couldn't leave the people see your arm. So I placed bandages there so no one would see." Benji answers. "I had to take out your shirt. But I haven't taken your bra and I tried not to look too much."

Reni blushes. Partially embarrassed and partially angry because he can make her blush like a teen. "I understand." She says. She notices his hand. She shivers recalling what he did. "It hurts?" She asks pointing to it. "Actually no." Benji replies. "Oddly enough I usually don't feel pains that should be intense or unbearable."

Reni stares at him. "Family trait. At least from my father side." Benji mutters embarrassed with the stare. Ana enters on the room. "Lunch is ready." She says in Portuguese. (You woke. I was beginning to get worried. You shouldn't drink all that much.) Ana says in English.

Reni nods figuring that was Benji excuse. (The lunch is done. You can come eat too.) The older woman says. Reni nods and they follow. Reni notices that Benji is using his right hand with out problems even with the bad wound. Reni also notices that the lunch is actually leftovers from the party sushi and more Japanese foods. The day runs smoothly with no problems.

Well taking out a pissed Raphael who found that Benji destroyed his Hayabusa and a Ferrari. Benji is not sure what pissed him off more. The bike destruction or the Ferrari's. After a promise of repaying with a brandy new one Raphael cools down. Later on that day night Benji enters on Rosetta's condo. He just avoids being seen by the doorkeeper.

"What you mean that I am invisible to cameras?" Benji recalls the conversation with Reni during the afternoon on her hotel room. "Well in combat you are deploying an electromagnetic field that makes you invisible to electronic sensors as cameras. You also seem to be jamming communications with it." Reni replies. "So if you focus it you can turn electronically invisible. You already know how to use your energy, now you only need to learn to use it in different ways." Benji nods at her words and they expend few hours training.

Benji waves to the security camera knowing that he won't appear on it. "It is quite easy when you get used to it." He mutters to himself while entering on Rosetta apartment. He moves silently as the ninja that he became. He enters on Rosetta's bedroom. The teen is sleeping peacefully. Benji places between her hands his belt pocket with his CD and MP3 player and a CD case.

"You will have better use for my old friend than I." Benji whispers. "Take good care of them." He moves few strands of her hair from her face and kisses her forehead. He places a letter and a small box on her nightstand and leaves. Benji also visits Ringo, Lisa and Maria leaving a small gift and a letter for each of them.

Reni is on Raphael's garage with the mechanic while Benji does his visits. The mechanic is finishing to polishing Benji's BMW. When Benji returns Reni looks at him. "Over now?" she asks in Japanese. "Yes." Benji replies in the same language. "It is done." Raphael says to Benji pointing to the bike. Benji takes a look at her. The bike colors changed. The blood red is gone and the metal blue no longer is covering most of it.

The bike now is black, white and with few blue details. On the fuel tank Benji sees a cross. "As you said to place it on the bike. I picked a place where you can always see." Raphael says. Reni notices that half hidden thanks to the dark color, there is a name written on the black fuel tank in metal blue. "Emi." Reni thinks. She now understand it why the color changes. Black and white is from a nun robes.

"I placed race bikes breaks, I altered the engine block so she gained ten percent of power, I added nitros, a turbo, two compressors, jumping suspensions, a accelerator lock so you can lock the gas and release the handle, racing tires, the rear one is broader so it has better speed and stability." Raphael tells to Benji the changes that took place on it. Benji hears carefully. And pay twice the asked value. Just for the effort and the short notice of everything.

Benji and Reni leave to the airport. They arrive there on the dawn. Benji places Emi on the cargo bay of the private jet and moves to the costumes to arrange everything for his departure. All his belongings where inside the jet and he had no luggage except a bag pack with two books, his pistol, knifes, the disassembled spear and a MP3 player. Unlike his previous one that used CDs this works downloading the MP3 from a computer and storing them to play.

"A sad departure." Reni thinks, she suggested leaving on the scheduled time at noon. But Benji insisted that he didn't want to everyone seeing him off and that he wanted to leave before they woke and found him missing. She can see on his face that he think the same.

"Ooooiiiiiiiiiii baaakkkaaaaaaaa!" A feminine voice shouts as Benji and Reni where moving to get in the track to board the plane. Benji and Reni turn around. Rosetta is running toward them being followed by Ringo and Lisa. Surprised Benji don't react to the massive tackle/hug from the teen. She makes sure to hold him tightly not letting him go.

"You really thought that we would let you go with out a goodbye?" Ringo says breathing quickly. Behind them Benji sees Maria, Julietta and his closer family. "How you found?" Benji asked surprised. "I have my ways." Ringo replies, hiding that was Reni who tipped her over the departure while Raphael was explaining the bike changes to Benji.

"I am disappointed with you." Kaori says. "Slipping out on the middle of the night is totally unlike you." Benji doesn't say anything. "You should be proud of what you do, not act like you was a criminal." She continues.

Hikoe pulls an old fukuro from a bag. "This should be an heirloom for your uncle Takao. But you will need it more than he does." He says handing it to Benji. "A short sword." Reni thinks by the size of it. Benji, his family and friends trades the goodbyes. Rosetta is the last.

"I will take care of it." She says. "I know." Benji replies. They smile to the other.

She makes Benji lowers to her eye level. She whispers few things on his ear and before he can reacts she plants a kiss on his lips. She ran from him and stuck her tongue out in a childish way, blushing a bit. Benji's family and friends see him off. And after the plane takes off they leave. On Ringo's car Rosetta puts on Benji's MP3 player. She presses the play button making the paused music continue to play. Is Kiseki no Kane. She closes her eyes to enjoy the song.

"Well at least we could say our goodbyes." Ringo says to Lisa. She nods agreeing. Rosetta eyes went wide with shock. She reaches forward and pulls the hand break. The older women shriek surprised with the sudden stop and the momentum. "Rosetta you are insane! That is dangerous!" Ringo shouts. "Turn back!" Rosetta says. "Rosetta Benji is already far! We saw him off!" Lisa says. Rosetta bites her lower lip. "I am sorry." She whispers. The older women dismiss the issue as a sudden rush of Rosetta crush.

"How I didn't noticed it before." Rosetta thinks, lowering her head so the older women can't see her tears. "How I failed to recognize it, miss it in such a way?" her tears falls on the worn out MP3 player. On the display were one tear fall one name appears after the word artist :Kazue Ikura: Rosetta sobs and more tears fall on the display. "How I missed that you are serving to Reni Milchstrasse of the hanagumi."

Lisa sees Rosetta sobbing by the rearview mirror. "She is taking it quite badly." She whispers to Ringo. "He is hers first love. Is natural that she is suffering like this. But I think that she always knew that was a impossible love." Ringo whispers back.

"You wanted to leave like this in fear that we would found that you are facing demons." Rosetta thinks covering her mouth with her left hand chocking her sobs. "You were afraid that our last goodbye was truly a final goodbye."

On the plane Reni is reading a book, Benji is doing the same but he is also with the MP3 player. What he didn't know is that Reni ordered that all his unique equipment was collected. All the weapons made out from resin and other material were collected and stored on the cargo compartment of the jet. Reni wants that those weapons to be analyzed and studded to learn more about it and the possibility to using them.

End of the prologue:

Please read and review. I will answer every review. If you have time to read and send a review. I will send you an answer.

I am making two versions of this story. One with out explicit sex scenes and one with then. As well with sexual related omakes. The unedited version can be found in MediaMiner fanfiction page. The address is on my profile.