For the first few days, the five members of the Alliance worked to gather as much information as they could. Through the local authorities, they found several gambling rings and busted in, arresting quite a number of people and scrounging up little bits of a trail. However, three days in, they decided to switch strategies.

"None of those groups were related to JUNGLE," Yata grumbled in annoyance, lacing his fingers behind his head. His Proctekt rolled his eyes beside him.

"JUNGLE wouldn't be such a huge problem if they were easy to catch in three days, Misaki~"

"Oh my god, stop calling me that!" Misaki exclaimed, exasperated. Fushimi ignored the boy, scanning the streets once again. The pair were walking down one of the main streets of Tokyo, looking for suspicious people. This new change of strategy was accompanied by the donning of Fushimi's Scepter 4 coat. Before, the group had been bent on stealth, resulting in Fushimi and Shiro changing their usual attire to normal civilian clothing.

But this time, they were looking for attention.

"See anyone yet?" Yata murmured under his breath. Fushimi let a lazy smile creep onto his face.

"Why are you asking me? Is it because I have a better vantage point than you, shorty?"

"Are you planning on pushing my buttons every damn time?!"

"Wait," Fushimi suddenly hissed. He shoved his hand over Yata's fuming face, making the Defendet yelp minutely. Yata shoved the hand away and looked up at his partner, resisting the urge to follow his line of sight.

"Found someone?"

"Hn."

Fushimi was watching a man from the corner of his eyes. The man was talking rapidly into his phone, glancing furtively at the pair as he walked to his destination quickly. He's in a big hurry, Fushimi thought in amusement as he tracked the man, bumbling his way through the thick crowd and knocking people's belongings to the ground.

"Is he even trying to blend in?" Fushimi sighed to himself. Yata looked at him in confusion.

"What's happening?"

"Why don't you go look yourself?"

"I can't, that would blow our cover-"

"You don't need an excuse to admire my face, Misaki."

Yata couldn't help but punch Fushimi square in the chest. Fushimi, who had been distracted by the fleeing man, coughed as he curled in, clutching the sore spot. Glaring at his partner through his bangs, Fushimi hissed. "Couldn't you have held back a bit? We're on a mission!" Fushimi whispered.

Yata ignored him, keeping track of the man as he speed-dialed their teammates. When the other line picked up, the orange-haired boy didn't bother with greetings.

"There's a guy running down Kizume Boulevard," Yata muttered. He accidentally locked eyes with the man in question, causing the fugitive to freeze before tearing away in a frenzy. "And he just found out we're onto him. Saru and I are gonna follow him."

"Be careful, Yata-kun," came Shiro's voice.

"Sure."

Hanging up, Yata stepped onto his skateboard and started to kick off. Fushimi straightened up beside him, annoyed.

"I thought I was the boss."

"Well, you were too busy trying to 'flirt', you shithole," Yata shot back before racing off in a brilliant show of flames. Fushimi watched him go for a second, grinning in amusement, before remembering there was a criminal on the loose.

"Che." Fushimi sprinted after Yata, making use of the path he made through the startled crowd. "Scepter 4! Clear the area immediately!"

Sukuna was playing yet another game on his PS4 as Mishakuji played with the main terminals in the room. An endless scroll of unregistered Strains were slowly disappearing from the monitors, accompanied by a window reading, "Deleting files: 47% complete". The swordsman twirled a small USB in his hand as he watched the screens in boredom.

"Ah!" Sukuna suddenly exclaimed. A small dejected noise came from his video game, and the silver haired boy groaned in frustration. "That's not fair! I didn't know there would be a last-ditch attack from the boss that powerful!"

"It's meant to be like that, Sukuna-chan," Mishakuji commented, briefly checking his nails for any signs of damage. Clicking his tongue, the man reached into his pocket for a filer. "A game wouldn't be any fun without a surprise."

"I guess so," Sukuna muttered reluctantly as he restarted the game. As Mishakuji listened to the sounds of blasts and gunshots, he decided to add a little flame for entertainment.

"Just like Yatagarasu back in Milan."

A startled smash of buttons promptly ended the game. Sukuna yelled once again, glaring at Mishakuji. "Now I only have one life left because of you!" he accused. The man merely smiled, caring for his nails as he continued the conversation.

"My, my. Just Yata-chan's name is enough to send you into anger? I think I'm sensing something here."

"It's not like that!" Sukuna spat disgustedly. "Keep your fantasies to yourself, you pervy old man!"

"Oh!" Mishakuji huffed, clearly offended. "I'm not that old, Sukuna-chan!"

The ring of a cell phone interrupted their banter. Puzzled, Mishakuji pulled out his PDA and read the screen. The J-rank smiled.

"Sukuna-chan, get ready."

"Huh? For what?" Sukuna grumbled, his eyes still on the game. Mishakuji accepted the call, putting it on loudspeaker for his companion to hear.

"Mishakuji-san! Scepter 4 is closing in! There are two, I think, a Defendet and a Proctekt! They're following me to the safehouse; I can't lose them and-!"

Another dejected sigh from the PS4 was heard as Sukuna dropped the game and grabbed his scythe. Mishakuji, momentarily ignoring the man on the phone, looked at the discarded game in mock surprise.

"I thought you only had one life left?" he asked innocently. Sukuna smirked, twirling his weapon joyfully in his hands as he walked toward the doors.

"That battle is nothing compared to a game with Yatagarasu," Sukuna replied, opening the double doors. "Send me the location, and I'll be there in two!" he yelled before sprinting down the corridor. Mishakuji chuckled as the doors slammed shut behind his ally.

"What will we do with you, Sukuna-chan?" he sighed fondly.

"Can't you go any faster?"

"Try opening up a path through a crowd yourself, Saru!"

"He's getting away."

"No, he isn't!"

The now familiar banter between the partners continued as the pair raced through the sidewalks and tried to draw parallel with the man on the other side. Seeing the fugitive turn down a street abruptly, Yata cursed and turned toward the street.

"Go take the crosswalk, you prick!" he yelled as he fearlessly shot through moving traffic. Fushimi facepalmed, hearing furious honks as Yata sped through the lanes. Weighing the risks and consequences, Fushimi followed after Yata in the midst of the interrupted traffic, smartly avoiding the angry drivers who attempted to give him a piece of their mind. Jumping over a car which had narrowly ran him over, Fushimi landed onto the sidewalk and chased after his troublesome Defendet once again. Yata peered over his shoulder smugly at the frazzled Proctekt, wind whipping his red hair every which way.

"Feeling tired, Saru?" he jeered. Fushimi glared and clicked his tongue.

"Just move."

"Haha!"

They were now moving into the less crowded parts of Tokyo. Yata resisted the urge to speed up and capture the man in favor of finding out his destination. Meanwhile, the Defendet kept an eye out for any ambushes. He could hear Fushimi's rapid footsteps behind him, and the slight pants from his Proctekt. Then, there was a thump from a streetlight above him. Looking up, Yata found Neko gleefully leaping from one lamp post to the next, followed by Kuroh. After looking for the Silver King, Yata found his friend running on the other side of the street. Shiro briefly met his gaze and smiled, saluting. Yata laughed under his breath, focusing his attention back to the chase. The man seemed to be tiring, but before Yata could catch up, a black car turned down the corner and opened its doors. The man hopped inside, barely seated before the vehicle shot off again.

"Fuck!" Yata heard Fushimi curse behind him. The footsteps behind him suddenly changed course. Yata glanced behind him and was surprised to see Fushimi confiscating a police officer's motorcycle, flashing his Scepter 4 ID as he jumped on and turned the ignition. Laughing at the irony, the orange-haired boy was brought to his senses by Fushimi grabbing the back of his shirt as he shot by, pulling him off his skateboard successfully. With an indignant yelp, Yata hurriedly climbed on behind Fushimi, calming his racing heart.

"What the hell! I could keep up with them on my skateboard!" Yata shouted over the roar of the motorcycle. "And you could have given me a warning!" he added, grimacing as he touched his throat, where a red mark from the shirt was forming already. Fushimi drew a sharp turn, forcing Yata to clutch onto the Proctekt's jacket in fear.

"Better to waste gas than flames, dumbass!" Fushimi yelled back. Yata glanced back worriedly for his skateboard, but was relieved to find Neko carrying it with her as she raced above them. Another sharp maneuver sent Yata sprawling, making the Defendet realize one small detail.

"Who gave you a motorcycle license?!" Yata yelped. Fushimi smirked.

"No one!"

Yata gaped at his partner in horror before turning to Shiro, jumping on the cars near them to keep up. "Shiro, help me! I don't wanna die!"

"Huh?"

"Too bad, you're stuck with me until we get that car!"

"Damn it!"

Fushimi ignored the pale Defendet behind him. Mentally, he congratulated himself for his previous experience with motorcycle games as he shot in between cars and avoided pedestrians. The rookie ran several red lights, helping himself to Yata's death grip on him and Shiro's slight mutterings about the trouble he would have to face because of teenagers disturbing streets and stealing police vehicles.

The car was losing ground against them. Fushimi steadily closed the distance between them, narrowing his eyes as he tried to peer through the tinted glass. The could just make out the silhouette of the man; his body language suggested he was still panicking. Within mere minutes, they were racing into an underground parking structure. Fushimi could feel the aura shift as he went deeper into enemy territory.

"Fushimi-kun, we'll be blocking off the exits!" he heard Shiro's shout echo far behind him. "We'll join you in a bit...!"

"Lay low, Saruhiko!" Yata barked suddenly. The boy abruptly stood up in his seat and brandished his metal rod, almost sending both of them off-balance and crashing to the ground. Fushimi struggled to keep the motorcycle upright as Yata deflected a sudden attack from their right. Twirling his rod at high speeds, the HOMRA Defendet protected Fushimi and the motorcycle as they descended farther into the enemy's lair. Yata could make out the green highlights of the JUNGLE clansmen's helmets as they sped by. Catching a few of the weapons thrown at them, Yata shot down a few of the opponents with their own attacks.

"Saru! Where's the car?!"

"Up ahead!" Fushimi shot back shortly, gritting his teeth. "Can you stop moving around?! I can't control the bike!"

"You want a knife in your back?!" Yata retorted, batting away an arrow bolt. He glanced at it in surprise, noting the green electricity sparking from it. "We've got trouble. I think there are a few U-ranks mixed in there."

"What happened to your bravado about being the third-in-command at HOMRA?" Fushimi grumbled as he turned a corner. Yata yelped, grabbing Fushimi's collar to avoid tumbling off. Fushimi coughed, choking on the sudden pull.

"Sorry," Yata apologized sheepishly as he righted himself. Then he frowned. "But that's payback, too."

"Shut up and stay still," Fushimi growled, glancing around. "No more attacks?"

"What do you think? Shut up and drive!"

Fushimi rolled his eyes before catching a flash of red. He frowned at the gas monitor, with the tank in the danger zone. "The idiot didn't fill up his tank," Fushimi grumbled, reaching into his jacket. Yata watched him curiously as Fushimi produced three knives.

"What are you-?"

Almost like lightning, the knives flicked out of Fushimi's fingers. Two of them glanced off the car's rims, but the third landed with a steady thump in one of the tires. A loud, airy pop was heard, and soon the car was veering wildly into a support pillar. With a grand burst of flames, the car smashed into the pillar. Fushimi and Yata roared past the car, hearing an explosion behind them as they turned and circled around. Slowing down, Fushimi was surprised to find Yata slinging an arm around his neck as he whooped in delight.

"That was awesome, dude!" Yata cheered excitedly. Fushimi regained control over the motorcycle, slightly frazzled by the suddenness of his , Yata didn't notice his partner's distress. "Those knives just disappeared and BOOM we have a flat tire!"

"What do you expect?" Fushimi sighed, fighting down the smile threatening to come onto his face. He failed, and the small, genuine smile made itself known on the Proctekt's fire-lit face. "I wasn't thrown in as third-in-command for nothing."

"Sweet!" Yata whistled, laughing joyfully as they neared the crash. Fushimi flinched in surprise as Yata rested his chin on his shoulder. "Wow, I never knew you were that good," Yata complimented, obviously impressed. Fushimi ignored Yata, knowing the Defendet would use his discomfort to his advantage if he knew. Yata smiled on his shoulder next to him, pondering.

"You know, I'm actually starting to think we'd make a great team," Yata said suddenly. They drew near to the crash, with Fushimi listening half-heartedly to Yata's ramble. Yata kept going, aware of Fushimi's lack of attention.

"We totally kick butt, and you got some pretty awesome skills up your sleeve, so-!" Yata was suddenly interrupted by a blur of black in his peripheral vision. He raised his rod too late, and was knocked off of the motorcycle by a strong blow to his side. Fushimi whirled around, eyes wide with a rare panic.

"Misaki!" he yelled.

Yata hit the ground, tumbling around with his attacker. Growling, he called up a bit of his aura and broke free of the tangled mess they were. Yata's back slammed against a wall, making the boy cough as the wind was knocked out of him. The attacker landed on his feet, standing up as he smirked at Yata from a few yards away.

"It's been a long time," he greeted, twirling his scythe alight with Green Flames. "Yatagarasu."

Yata stood up unsteadily, wiping the corner of his mouth as he glared hotly at his attacker. A quick glance told him that Fushimi was alright, holding his discarded rod behind the new arrival. Turning his attention back to the boy, Yata felt his Aura suddenly pulse involuntarily.

"Gojo Sukuna," Yata drawled, giving the boy a confident smirk. "Sure has been a long time. I thought you'd be dead after I kicked your ass that day."

Sukuna laughed heartily, using his scythe as support for his body. "Oh, please, Yatagarasu!" he cried, wiping away a small tear. Sukuna grinned maliciously, eyes glinting dangerously in the light of the fire. "There's no way I would go down before I destroy you."

Yata gritted his teeth, face twisted in internal conflict which Fushimi could not read. HOMRA's clansman walked toward Sukuna, face completely blank. The silver haired boy merely stood by as Yata passed him, heading toward Fushimi. Fushimi frowned, wondering what was going on, as he handed Yata his rod. The boy took it wordlessly, muttering a "Let's go" to his partner. He grabbed the Proctekt's wrist, and soon, Fushimi found himself being tugged to the motorcycle by his Defendet, leaving behind the JUNGLE clansman. They were just a few feet away from the motorcycle when Sukuna spoke up.

"You let yourself be tamed by those Blues? Honestly, I'm disappointed."

In a flash, the warmth on his wrist was gone and there was a clang. Fushimi whirled around, astounded to find Yata and Sukuna locking blade and metal behind him. Sukuna had an eager smirk on his face while Yata had a pissed frown on his. With a start, he realized that Yata's Red Aura, which covered the Defendet head to toe, was an even brighter red than before. The choker around Yata's neck was glowing. After checking his bracelet, he found that the boy's Aura was being stabilized by his own flames. The crystal in the bracelet glowed an angry red, much like Yata's Aura at the moment.

"I wasn't tamed," Yata growled dangerously. His eyes flashed. "The choker is just a necessity."

"Oh?" Sukuna replied, looking thoughtful. "But you were much stronger without it, Yatagarasu."

With that, Sukuna released his blade from the locked hold and lashed out with his foot. Yata guarded against the kick, sending his flaming fist in return. Dodging, Sukuna suddenly unleashed a stream of green lightning from his blade, paralyzing Yata momentarily. He gleefully tottered back, watching happily as Yata fell to his knees helplessly.

"See?!" Sukuna cried, laughing. "You were tamed! The wild monster I met without a doggy collar was far more stronger than this little chihuahua."

Sukuna leaned down to the struggling clansman, lightly stroking the choker's gem despite Yata's hostility. The silver haired boy clicked his tongue in anger.

"If only I could get rid of this collar," he muttered before his face lit up. Glancing at Fushimi, Sukuna smirked predatorily.

"Or of the handler himself."

Fushimi was given no warning when Sukuna shot toward him and swung his scythe down. Startled beyond belief, Fushimi drew his sword in a flash and parried, glaring at the child above him.

"Sorry, but I'm not going to be easy to take out," Fushimi grunted. Sukuna chuckled.

"What a bluff!" he crowed, suddenly using his blocked scythe as leverage to haul himself over the Proctekt. Fushimi cursed and turned, crossing his arms in front of his quickly before Sukuna's enhanced kick hit him squarely. Tumbling, Fushimi hit the discarded motorcycle.

Sukuna had been about to deliver the last blow until Yata intercepted him. The Defendet defended Fushimi with his rod before using it to jab Sukuna in the stomach and send him flying. The JUNGLE clansmen landed on one knee, glaring at Yata.

"Get out of the way, Yatagarasu," Sukuna snarled menacingly. "I'm trying to free you!"

"Thanks, but I'd rather keep my choker," Yata replied, clutching his weapon. In a heartbeat, the two clansmen were engaged in battle, with swift attacks and impressive dodges. Fushimi stood, shaking his head to clear it, then joined in. Knives flew past Yata and scratched Sukuna, making the Green clansman even more furious. But every single one of his attempts to kill Proctekt Fushimi was stopped by Defendet Yata.

"You're better without the choker, Yatagarasu!" Sukuna snarled. Yata yelped as the green blade dug into his arm. Fushimi knocked the blade aside and thrusted his sword. Sukuna bent backwards, slamming his scythe into the concrete and hoisting himself up. Kicking Fushimi away with both feet, Sukuna perched on his weapon and looked boredly at the two in front of him.

"I don't have a death wish," Yata said as he readied himself, cradling his bleeding arm. The Defendet grit his teeth. "And I'll get stronger with the choker and Saru!"

Mishakuji glared at the monitors impatiently. The window had a glaring "Deleting files: 63% complete". The swordsman tapped the armrest of his chair constantly, his posture stiff. His cell phone was ringing incessantly to the side; yet, he ignored it. The screaming from the halls was getting closer. Once the percentage had changed to 64%, Mishakuji sighed.

"I think it's best to throw in the towel now," he muttered to himself. Quickly, the man leaned forward and started tapping away at the keyboard. On the screens, the words "Cancel deleting process?" and "Deletion canceled" flickered by. Mishakuji quickly grabbed the USB just as the walls suddenly exploded. Jumping over desks, the swordsman glanced back to see Kuroh's startled face and the Silver King's charge. Internally reeling by Shiro's speed, the clansman drew his sword and lit it with Green Flames, slicing the tinted windows. Glass shards fell to the street below, and distant screams were heard as Mishakuji hurriedly launched off the tiled floor and soared into the air.

The swordsman cried out when a strong wave of Silver Flames crashed into his back. Mishakuji shuddered as he felt Shiro's flames invade his system, poisoning him.

Damn you, Silver King, he thought, glaring back. Shiro stood at the edge of the destroyed floor, body sparking with Gold Lightning and his choker dimly lit. His white coat fluttered in the breeze along with his pale bangs. Hair shadowed an uncharacteristic terrifying, sharp glare. Even without him speaking, Mishakuji could easily discern the message Shiro was sending him.

I'll murder you.

"I'd love to stay and catch up with you and Kuroh-chan," Mishakuji called, pleased when Shiro's eyes darkened at the mention of Kuroh's name. The swordsman waved lightly as he descended, falling twenty stories straight into traffic. Amidst panicking drivers, a woman suddenly rose from the ground, arms outstretched patiently. Mishakuji fell straight into her arms, and they both sank back into the ground rapidly.

Back at the ledge, Shiro stared at the spot where Mishakuji disappeared. The wind blew past him suddenly, making Kuroh and Neko brace themselves against the gust. Shiro stared up into the sky, rigid as words carried by the wind whispered against his ear.

But Nagare-chan has plans for you.

Finally fed up, Sukuna jumped back from the duo, sighing slightly. Observing the tired couple in front of him, Sukuna grudgingly admitted that they made a decently good team. No matter what sneak attacks he tried, one of them always covered the other's back. It was starting to irritate him.

"I hate to admit that you two are rather good together," Sukuna said. Across from him, Yata grinned and nudged Fushimi with his elbow.

"See? Even Gojo Sukuna agrees," Yata said. Fushimi only clicked his tongue.

"Good team or not, we'll need to bring you down," Fushimi declared, holding up his sword and daggers. Sukuna grinned and was about to leap into battle once again when a beep from his PDA stopped him.

Quickly, he whipped out his phone and connected the call. Pressing the phone to his ear, Sukuna snapped.

"The hell you want, Yukari? I'm busy!"

"My, Sukuna-chan. How rude. I just called to tell you that Nagare-chan ordered us to retreat and leave whatever's left."

"Hah? I'm not leaving this fight!" Sukuna protested. Yata stepped forward but was stopped by Fushimi, who was listening attentively.

"Sukuna-chan, Nagare wants to save the best for last. Besides, the Silver King just got serious."

Sukuna frowned, looking up to an unseen Sword of Damocles. Yata looked up too, confused, while Fushimi let out an insufferable sigh beside him.

"...Fine. I'll meet you at base," Sukuna mumbled as he hung up. Twirling his weapon, Sukuna saluted cockily to his opponents.

"You're a great team, but only at defending critical attacks. Other than that, you're laughably WEAK!" he goaded. Yata's hackles rose.

"You little-!" he started, but stopped suddenly when a woman rose from the ground. The woman glanced at them minutely before placing her hand on Sukuna's shoulder. Together, they started to sink down. Fushimi clicked his tongue angrily.

"You're not getting away!" he snarled, whipping out the rest of his knives at a blindingly fast speed. Sukuna easily deflected them, smirking.

"Bye, bye, Yatagarasu!" he chirped.

Suddenly, Sukuna felt a chill.

Wha-? Sukuna snapped his gaze up, eyes wide. Above him, Yata was raising his rod. The Red Aura surrounding him almost rendered him indiscernible. His flames were an alarming dark crimson, pulsing with a staggering amount of power. From afar, Fushimi's eyes widened, feeling the density of the flames from a distance away.

What is this? he thought. His flames are close to a King's!

The rod came swinging down. Sukuna hurriedly raised his scythe. The two weapons connected.

CRACK!

Sukuna's eyes widened as his weapon snapped into two. He met Yata's eyes for an instant.

And grinned.

"There you are, Yatagarasu," he whispered.

The JUNGLE clansmen disappeared completely into the ground. Yata's rod crashed into the empty concrete. An explosion of Red Flames surged out of the impact and rushed through the whole floor. Fushimi felt his legs buckle as the ground was destroyed beneath him. Their surroundings suddenly turned into a nightmare, filled with Red Flames, creaking pillars, and a living earth. Stumbling, Fushimi desperately looked for his partner through the flames.

"Misaki, you idiot!" he yelled. Yata snapped out of his rage, looking up at Fushimi with wide, startled eyes.

"Saru-!"

Fushimi saw Blue Lightning spark from Yata's choker before it blinked out. Suddenly, Yata was screaming, his body engulfed in Blue Aura which sizzled and crackled all about him.

"Misaki!" he cried out, throwing caution to the wind as he leapt from one slab to the next. The ceiling above them was groaning, with a few spots dipping dangerously. In the back of his mind, Fushimi wondered why all of his missions ended with a collapsing skyscraper. The Proctekt grabbed Yata, unconscious, and slung him over his shoulder before bolting out of the place.

When Fushimi shot out of the exit, he was greeted by dozens of law enforcement vehicles and officials. The Proctekt pushed past the clueless officers, only stopping at a spot on the other side of the street. Fushimi set Yata down against a shop window just as Neko dropped down beside him.

"What happened to Yata-chibi?!" she cried, seeming to leave out the insults. Fushimi frowned at Yata, taking in his pale, sweaty face and the sparking choker.

"I don't know. The choker acted up," he replied. Neko's hands flew to his mouth as she gasped.

"Oh no," she whispered in a small voice. Flopping down in front of the Defendet, Neko stroked the skateboarder's hair worriedly. "Yata-chibi, you idiot."

Fushimi looked around, eyes roaming over the crowd. "Where's Shiro and Yatogami?" he asked.

"They're together at the cross streets. Shiro's using his power to try and keep the skyscraper from falling onto the other buildings," Neko replied with a quiet voice. Fushimi decided to ignore the cat's down state, standing up.

"Take care of that fool," he ordered, walking away. Neko blinked before glaring at the clansman's back.

"Aren't you supposed to take care of Yata-chan?!" she snarled angrily. Fushimi looked at her over his shoulder, giving the girl a cold look.

"Hah? The mission comes first, and he's fine," Fushimi retorted carelessly. The Proctekt turned away and continued on, leaving Neko glaring at him as she cradled Yata's head.

"That bastard," she hissed. The girl turned to Yata, expression turning worried as she pressed her forehead to his cheek.

"I'm sorry, Yata-chan," she mumbled. As the gray clouds above them started to let down snow, Neko felt a tear fall from her eye.

"I'll take care of you."

Fushimi neared Shiro and Kuroh. The Proctekt was observing the Silver King's Sword above him. The proud, powerful symbol was shining amongst the snowflakes falling to the earth. Fushimi came to a stop in front of Shiro, who was sweating as he held his hands in the air.

"The local guys have it under control. You can let go now," Fushimi told him. Shiro bit his lip.

Slowly, the skyscraper lost the silver sheen from Shiro's flames. The building creaked loudly, but the metal binds to other buildings kept the structure from falling to the side. Once the flames had completely drained themselves from the building, Shiro let out a loud, relieved sigh.

"That took all the energy out of me," Shiro whined. Kuroh patted his King on the back.

"You did a good job, Shiro," Kuroh comforted. Shiro smiled thankfully at his clansman before turning to Fushimi.

"How'd it go?" he asked the Proctekt. Fushimi clicked his tongue.

"The man was killed when we crashed his car," Fushimi said. "Then we were attacked by a J-rank, Gojo Sukuna."

Kuroh stiffened, but Shiro seemed to remain calm. The white-haired boy furrowed his eyebrows as he continued his questions.

"How'd Yata-kun take it?"

"We fought him, and managed to hold him off," Fushimi answered. He sighed, frustrated. "But he had the upper hand. After a while, he retreated with another clansman by a special power that allowed them to phase through objects."

Shiro nodded.

"How's Yata-kun?"

"He's recovering with Neko right now."

"Recovering?"

"Before Sukuna left, Yata attacked him," Fushimi retold, frowning. "His injuries had something to do with his Aura. It was very powerful, like a King's. After they left, the choker knocked him out by itself."

Behind Shiro, Kuroh flinched. The Silver King took no notice, making a worried face.

"Is he alright?"

"Unconscious, but I don't know if his life is in any danger."

"It isn't," Shiro told him. The King gestured to a nearby officer. "The choker hit him because he forcibly exceeded the limits. The effects will wear off in a while."

"Why aren't you with him?" Fushimi blinked then turned to Kuroh, who was glaring at him. "Why aren't you with Yata-san?"

"I'm not obligated to be with a downed teammate," Fushimi retorted, rolling his eyes. The boy let a smirk creep onto his face. "Besides, it was his fault," he added mockingly. Kuroh bristled.

"You," Kuroh growled, reaching for his sword. Before he could draw, Shiro held up a hand.

"That's enough, Kuroh," Shiro ordered. He turned to the officer he had called. "Fushimi-kun's right; a Proctekt doesn't have to be by the Defendet's side all the time. The mission is the priority. Fushimi-kun fulfilled his job when he carried Yata-kun out."

Kuroh tsked, letting go of the handle. Fushimi walked away, ignoring Kuroh's angry gaze as he continued to bring order to the chaos.

Dresden Slates Information: Law Enforcement

Due to the rise of crimes related to uncontrolled Strains and JUNGLE clansmen, local police are outranked by Scepter 4. Local law enforcement covers normal, everyday crimes such as theft and murder. When the possibility of a connection to the Slates turns up, the case is turned over to Scepter 4 or, depending on its severity, the Gold Clan.

Additionally, police are trained to assist Scepter 4 and the Gold Clan when the need arises. A special department in the police division is trained to overcome outrageous and deadly outcomes, much like falling skyscrapers.

Police are equipped with anti-Aura weaponry, but their equipment pales in comparison to the power of Flames. Sadly (and perhaps fortunately), police officers make up most of the death toll resulting from a Level One or Two Strain.

Due to the seemingly fruitless efforts of Scepter 4 and the Gold Clan, there is much tension between the local law enforcement, local governments, and national government with the Clans. Regulations have been placed that stated the Desperate Alliance was only allowed to interfere with public matters if there is a proven connection to JUNGLE. If not, the government was to take over the matter.

Author's Note

Whipped out another chapter for you guys! I apologize, it's pretty short. And I know, biweekly updates are pretty slow, but I don't want to feel pressured.

I had no idea what to put for the Dresden info, so I just put in a small note. But then, a plot bunny in the form of a freaky dream I had visited me. (I'm happy, since I was nearing a writer's block, but GOD, it was about to become a bad nightmare.) So the last paragraph for the Dresden info will have some importance in later chapters.

Now, some news about my life.

FIRST! Next week is my week of finals. Good luck to any of you out there who has finals coming up! But because of this finals week, I have banned myself from touching anything here, so the fourth chapter is behind. And the next update was supposed to be Christmas day (what a coincidence) so I may move the chapter to January 1st.

Actually, wait. I changed my mind. This is a golden opportunity to use Christmas in the story.

So, next update either on Christmas or New Year's.

SECOND! I got hit by a Miraculous Ladybug plot bunny AAAAAA but don't worry, it won't get in the way of this story. It'll just sit in my drafts. Wait, did I talk about this already? Eh, no matter.

THIRD! I just watched Dreamwork's Rise of the Guardians and I LOVED it! I've been wondering what movie Jack Frost was in, so when I finally found out, I watched it. So cool, so unique, I want more.

And yes, before you ask, I got hit by an RotG plot bunny.

The spirit of a fanfiction writer, I swear.

Guys, I'm getting kinda freaked out I'm home alone and upstairs there's creaking and I know it's the wind but I'M GETTING A KNIFE JUST IN CASE HOMIE HOLD ME BACK.

Update: I checked (armed by a knife and all I'm serious) and there was nothing.

(In other words, I'm fine, prepared for an alien invasion, getting hit by annoying but awesome plot bunnies, everything is normal on my end. How's everyone else?)

~Akina1521

5,215 words

For readers on fanfiction . net:

We just got a new computer, and I'm having trouble with it. For one thing, it's a mac, so no Word to put the story on to upload. Good thing is, I can use another app to upload, and this time I can keep some of the additions. (I wonder if colors would work…) Second, and the most important thing, Parental Controls have restricted me from accessing fanfiction . Net freely. I found I am able to bypass by using the mobile version to sign in, but I can't look at stories on the computer. Hopefully, it allows me to upload. So until I find a slick way to get this website onto the safe list, updates on this website may be slower than those on wattpad. So from now on, I'll be juggling phone and computer!

I'll try AO3, and I'll update on whether it works there.

Until next time!