The past few days had been unpleasant for Luke. He and the others returned to Baticul after dropping Arietta off at Ferres, and decided to enter the new group arena matches.

While the battles themselves were easy, it was other things, that were causing problems. Natalia had told her father, the King, of what Zero had done to her. Obviously, the King was furious, and Luke would find out two days later that the enigmatic youth now had a bounty on his head for his kill or capture.

It took all of his will not to slap her right then and there, and he said as such, to her shock. The young man was his tutor, his mentor, his teacher, his friend, and dare he say it, his brother in all but blood. And even though she knew of his unimaginable strength and skill, she still allowed her father to essentially sent countless people, most possibly very fine people with families of their own, to their deaths.

It was on the third day, the day after Luke himself found out about the bounty, that he had gathered the party to try to convince the King to drop it. Not just out of respect for Zero, but out of worry of the countless lives that would no doubt be lost as they tried to claim it.

"Uncle, please you have to-

Luuuuuuke. Oh Luuuuuuuuuke.

"Well…shit…" Everyone gave pause as Luke suddenly clutched his head in the middle of his plea, and blinked as he cursed randomly.

Yes…sensei?

Oh good you're listening. Luke…why do I have a bounty for One-Hundred Thousand Gald on my head for my death or capture?

Well, this wasn't going to be good, he thought. …because Natalia told the king about you making her barren.

There was a strange noise, as if he were humming inside his own mind. I see. I suppose she didn't bother to tell the whole story then.

I don't think she did, Sensei. I've been trying to get Uncle to listen but…Natalia must have turned on the water-works for this one.

Very well…looks like I'll have to do this myself then. I presume you're at the Castle?

Yes sensei…King Peony is also here, he too wanted to inquire in person about your bounty, especially since apparently he considers you part of his kingdom.

He does? Huh…weird guy, but I guess it makes sense. Anyway, we'll talk later, I'll be there in a few minutes.

"…uk…uke…luke…Luke! Luke!"

Luke blinked, shaking his head as the connection faded. He noticed his Uncle had been calling his name.

"What?"

"What's wrong with you boy? You suddenly stopped speaking nor paying attention!"

"Zero is on his way."

That gave them all pause. "What makes you say this?" The King asked.

"He just told me."

"What? How could he have-

"The same way Asch contacts me, Uncle. Zero has learned how to wield the Seventh Fonon to connect directly into my mind through my fon-slots. He doesn't do it very often, only when something is important, unlike Asch who does it when he pleases. He is coming to make his case, and Uncle, you will listen."

With a raised eyebrow the King responded. "I don't think you are in any position to tell me what to do Luke."

Luke sighed. "You'll listen if you want this castle…no, this entire kingdom, to remain standing past today."

"What are you saying Luke? And mind your words."

"It wouldn't be me Uncle. Zero is very powerful. He's capable of feats that even Jade himself cannot do. It's like the world bends to his will, as he desires it. I've no doubt that it would be child's play for him to wipe this kingdom off the planet. He may be my sensei, and he may hold his actions for a time for my sake, but even so, if it's a threat to him, or who he cares about, it gets erased, no questions asked. But no, it is not my story to tell. He is near, and you will find out yourself Uncle. All I can ask is that you listen, because he does not take willing ignorance lightly."

BOOM

The doors to the throne room crashed open. Not broken, but blown wide open. Two figures walked in, Zero, leading, and Arietta behind him slightly.

"Sensei."

Zero said nothing, striding over to where Luke stood. The guards at the sides of the throne room readied their weapons, in case of need, but Zero paid it no heed. He slowed his stride as he neared Luke, allowing Arietta to catch up to him. She looked back at him as he stepped back, gently placing a hand on her back, before gesturing at the floor. For a moment, she thought he wanted her to sit…when a small rumbling filled the room.

Before everyone's eyes, the floor buckled and warped under where he was holding his palm. From the ground rose a plain stone chair, forming from the very castle itself. Eyes widened in shock as the event occurred, none ever heard or seen of anything like this happening before. He gently guided Arietta to the chair that had appeared next to Luke, before waving his hand again, this time a slight green glow appearing.

There was a small distortion, a weak haze, for a moment, before he nodded to himself, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder, indicating silently for her to sit. She did so and her eyes opened further in surprise. The chair was actually soft. He had created a cushion of air for her to sit on. She offered him a smile, which he returned, if only slightly.

"Chair, brother Luke?" Luke just stared in shock, before slowly shaking his head. He was fine standing.

"A pillar, to lean on then?"

Luke blinked. "Uhh, no. But thank you, Sensei."

"Suit yourself then."

Zero strolled to the center of the throne room, and pointed his palm at the floor again. Another rumbling, this time accompanied by distorted waves emitting over the ground. A small circle appeared on the carpet, the area within shredding to pieces before an earthen pillar slowly rose from the floor. He watched it rise to the ceiling, before nodding. The ground stopped rumbling, and he casually leaned on it while staring at the King.

Natalia was freaking out inside her mind. She wanted revenge on the youth, for taking away her chances to make a family of her own, ignoring that she caused it herself…but now, witnessing his casual display of power, to do what no man, no person, had ever done before…

She wondered if maybe she was indeed, being a fool.

I thought Luke said something about needing to be in a specific state to wield fonons so effortlessly…?

"Hail, and well met, Emperor Peony."

"The same, Zero. Though I wish it had been under better circumstances."

"Indeed. Before we get started, may I ask upon Alicia's status?"

Peony had to think about that for a moment, before the information came to him. "Ahh yes, the girl from the item shop right? She misses you dearly. Every now and then she comes to see me and ask if I've heard from you. I do believe you have a fan."

"That tends to happen when you save a person's life. I'll have to go visit her then…very well, down to business."

"King Ingobert, while I have gotten much information from Luke, I ask you. Why is there a bounty on my head for One-Hundred Thousand Gald?"

Deciding to school his emotions, and simply answer the boy before him, he responded. "Due to your crimes against the kingdom, through my Daughter."

"Indeed? I take it she told you of my turning her barren then?" Peony blinked at that.

"Wait you did what?!"

Zero continued on, as if he didn't hear them.

"I also take it she did not tell you why."

The Kimlascan Monarch grew irritated at that. "Why? The why does not matter! You-

"The why does matter." Zero cut the king off. "In fact it is the why that is the reason for all action, is it not? It is the why that lead you to place a bounty on my head, and subsequently condemn countless fools to their deaths as they dared try to attack me. It is the why that lead me to come here and seek diplomacy, rather than simply erase this place from the face of Auldrant. The why is that your daughter, performed the crime that lead to me taking the course of action I did."

"And what pray tell crime was this?!"

"She broke the terms of a sanctioned and mediated duel."

That gave the king pause. "She…what?"

"Roughly a week and a half ago, she was present for a sanctioned and mediated duel between two parties. The terms of the duel were battle until one side falls defeated, however no death was to be brought. She was not part of this battle, and alongside Luke, was merely a spectator. However, she took it upon herself to 'assist' her allies and attempt to bring death upon the opposing side, of which leader was my dear Arietta."

The king's eyes narrowed. "Explain."

"She notched her bow, and let fly an arrow straight for Arietta's head. Had I not noticed her actions, the girl would be dead, and your kingdom would be lost, for I would no longer have tie to this world, and no reason to allow any of its inhabitants to continue existing. Your daughter not only broke the terms of a duel of which she had no part in, but endangered the lives of every being on this planet. In retaliation, I removed from her what made her a woman, rather than giving her to the loving embrace of death. Although now I seem to have made a mistake."

The king nodded, surprised the boy was speaking words of repent.

"I should have just killed her and been done with it. After all, it was death she sought, therefore it should have been death she wrought."

Ingobert's eyes hardened. "This is twice now, that you have threatened my kingdom. And now you speak of slaying my daughter so casually?!"

"Am I to believe you are going to ignore my words? Are you going to ignore the fact that we have a hall filled with witnesses to the act, both hers and mine? Are you going to simply brush away the crime your daughter committed, and focus solely on the one who enacted justice upon her? Am I to believe that you would be so foolishly corrupt, as to blatantly deny that which is truth?"

"I have had enough of your foolish insinuations! Guards! Seize him!"

Zero simply sighed and gently stepped away from the pillar as every armored man in the room readied their weapons and charged at him. He did naught but raise his right hand, and snap his fingers…before everyone who moved was suddenly dropping to their knees.

"What are you all doing?!"

"Dying, that's what."

The two kings, along with everyone else, snapped their heads towards Zero. He casually leaned back against the pillar of his own make, as the guards armor rattled as their bodies shuddered uncontrollably. A massive pressure had washed over them all, and they were forced on all fours…before the groaning started.

As the pressure around them localized entirely to their bodies, they found themselves able to stand…but they were clutching themselves. Some were holding their heads, others, their torsos, still others arms or legs.

And then one of them screamed. He screamed as if being tortured…

And then exploded in a spray of blood.

Another scream, and another, and another. All those who were within armor loosed their death cries, as their bodies erupted in waves of blood and metal, the armor falling to the ground, life essence dripping from its insides.

The hall was silent, save for the pitter patter of life liquid dripping to the ground.

Zero broke the silence, by holding out a strange stone.

"This, is a recording crystal. I've had it activated since the moment I walked into this room. Due to it being an…interesting…collection of fonons I grafted together myself, I can re-play any vocal patterns captured within it, through any medium I desire. It is still recording as I speak, in fact. King Ingobert, Monarch of the Kingdom of Kimlasca-Landvaldear, your words, your ignorance of the truth, has been captured upon this device.

Should you decide to continue on your current course of action, your words will be heard by the entire world, as justification before I decide to erase your kingdom, and the foolishness within. If you are to ignore the crime your daughter committed, and allow her to go unpunished for breaking an age old rule that she was fully made aware of before she acted, then you have declared yourself corrupt, and unfit to be king. And by proxy, you have declared your kingdom to be one of liars, and untrustworthy fools. Therefore, you have declared your kingdom to be open season, for all who wish justice upon the world. As such, you have also declared that everything you have said in the past, can be taken as words of a liar, and are not to be trusted. And to go further, you have therefore claimed that your kingdom is to be waged war upon.

And since that means you are a threat to me, your majesty, that means that as a life form of free will and with right to live, I have every right to assist the warring states against you, and erase your kingdom from the planet. So, King Ingobert, the next move, is yours. Choose your actions carefully."

The thin crystal hovered over Zero's palm, as he spoke. The king stared at him, wanting to ignore the boy's words…but he spoke truth. Even if that Device didn't do what he claimed, his nephew's group, along with the Emperor of Malkuth were present, and even if he could declare that group enemies of the state, he couldn't go against Malkuth without once again entering a pointless war.

"All this…because of my daughter…?" He whispered.

"I'm going to do something I don't usually do." Zero spoke. "In fact I already have the feeling I'm going to regret it."

He sighed, and continued. "I don't like your daughter. I never have, and I never will. She…rubs me the wrong way, so to speak. However, as much as I would have liked to torture the bitch just for existing, the fact that Luke cares for her, whatever amount he does, has stayed my hand. However I warned him, and I warned her, that day, that should she fight against me, for yes, I was on Arietta's side during that duel, she would die. Yes, I was willing to break the terms for my own gain, her existence irritating me thus. After all, nobody has managed to do what I have done, when it comes to fonons. Nobody is my equal here, although I'm attempting to remedy that. If I wanted, I could take over this world without a sweat. But that's not my point.

My point is, I gave her warning, and she chose to ignore it. She did it without Luke's knowing, though I'm going to have to drill it into his head to pay attention to everyone, because emotions can lead to betrayal. She made her choice, and in turn, forced my hand. Being the only one who can easily decimate your nephew's group, it fell upon me to enact justice, for I couldn't bring her to either Monarch for it, and Daath has proven far too unstable as of late."

Peony used this chance to get a word in. "You didn't think you could trust me?"

"It's no offence to you, Emperor. It's that I know you both have been riding on this group to battle and end the machinations of Van Grants, and the corruption of Daath. If I brought her to you, her sentence would most likely be delayed, so she could perform what you believed her needed to be done. Not to mention, it would possibly lead to people viewing Malkuth as having attacked the status of Kimlasca, leading to war again. If I brought her to Kimlasca for judgment, it's possible they would have either done the same, or ignored it period, considering that at the time, Arietta was still affiliated with Daath, which by then had shown itself to be rather untrustworthy.

Therefore Natalia's actions would have been taken as an attempt at securing peace, by assassinating one of Daath's most powerful components, a God General. Which means not only would she likely get away with her crime of breaking the terms of a sanctioned duel, in the end, she would be praised for it."

Everyone stared at him. The two emperors ran the scenario through their minds, and found things matching up exactly as he said.

"How…" Ingobert started. "How is it…that you have so quickly come to that conclusion?"

"Pfft, I thought about it before I even started the fight. I am a being of possibility. Scenarios like that play out in my head damn near every second of the day. Hell, I came up with three different plans on dealing with this bounty situation, depending on your reactions. And those were just the solid ones. A true leader has to know how to swap plans and actions on the fly, how to adjust things at a moment's notice. And in order to do that, one has to know how to think, how to see. I came in this castle today, fully prepared to wipe this kingdom off the face of the planet, for one reason or another. I've already completed my goal, so there is literally no need for anyone else to exist.

But a world without people would be boring, so there's no point to me just off and wiping everyone either. So the way I see it, I leave them alone, they leave me alone, everyone's happy. Make a move against me, I'll see the root and take it out, even if it means wiping entire cities. Only one person in this world truly matters to me. The other people I hold dear are close, but not held as tightly as she. And should anything happen to her, I will find those responsible, and make them beg for death's embrace. And then I will find those responsible for them and do even worse. Everything that happens, happens for a reason, but that reason is not due to some prophetic force, it is due to the actions of others. Every decision made, comes on the tails of other decisions. Every event, occurs due to another event triggering it. These links, these ripples, these chains, all create the phenomenon we call life. And I have learned to follow these links, travel these chains, and watch these ripples become waves. And to be honest? I love doing it.

I love seeing how things unfold, whether they succeed or fail, I love watching things happen. It doesn't matter if I'm the cause, or if someone else is, I love watching plans unfold, collapse, and change, all within a matter of seconds. Its chaos, and I love seeing it. But I understand that not many can see the world as I do, and it is fine, it's their eyes, their life, not mine. But it is…an instinct…of mine, to watch others. You never know when you're going to pass by the next mass murderer, or the next creator of a spell possible of reverting time, or the next greatest musician."

Arietta smiled at the passion in his voice, as he spoke.

"You'd be surprised." She said, startling everyone, including Zero. "He's rarely ever passionate about anything, but if there's one thing I've learned about him, it's to expect the unexpected. He does things because he feels like it, not because of some sense of duty or someone's demands. He…understands life on a level that no living being thus far, at least that I've met, has even fathomed. Did you know, your majesty, that Fate had decreed I die that day? Be it by the hands of your daughter, the hands of Anise and her friends, or by the Miasma that was within my body for the past almost-year."

"I…did not."

"None did, not even myself." She stood from her chair, and slowly walked to Zero's side, before slipping her arms around his waist.

"He defied Fate for me. He denied Her desire. He saved my life on Mt. Roneal, even though chances were that my animal allies were already moving. He stopped me from not clarifying the duel terms, and did so for me. He protected me in that battle, laying waste to those he'd once called allies, in my name. He blocked your daughter's arrow, taking it in the chest, just under his heart, where it was aimed for my head…"

She looked up at Zero, almost lovingly.

"And he saved me from the poison that was within me for so long that it had grafted to my very blood. He, and your Nephew wielded the most unknown of powers, the Hyperresonance, and erased the miasma within my body. Each time, Fate had decreed I was to die, he rejected Her will. All because of an uncertain chance…all because of one emotion, one desire, that he was willing to see unfulfilled if only it meant I lived. He has trained, for years, almost a decade. He has mastered the world in ways we could only imagine, and he's willing to share his secrets with those he finds worthy. Can you really say you're willing to allow stand a decree that would not only put his life in danger, the life of a man who has protected, defended, befriended and assisted your Nephew through this past year, but the very people who would attack him?"

"He…has committed a crime however. He has slain members of the kingdom."

Arietta shook her head. "But it was you who made that command. Not only that…" She looked at Zero again, before speaking. "They made the choice to follow it on their own. In essence, they decided for themselves, to attack him. And any who attack him, meet their end, regardless of who they are. It would be like condemning a man for slaying a bandit, who was on the verge of violating his daughter's purity. It would be as if you invaded Malkuth, found your armies decimated, and then blamed them for the loss of life on your side, when you were the one who attacked first. It would be as if you set a bounty on Luke's head, and he slew all who came to claim it, and then blamed him for their deaths, when they sought him out with the intent to kill him. Should one not match killing intent with killing intent? Or have you humans grown so full of yourselves that you believe you all to be beyond the rules of life?"

"WHEN THE HELL DID YOU GET SO SMART?!" Anise yelled.

Arietta frowned. "I've always been smart, Anise. It just wasn't until recently did I have a reason to think properly. Or did you forget the lie I've lived for so long?"

Anise bowed her head. "You…have a point."

"Back to the matter at hand." Zero stated. "You can keep the bounty on me if you want, but be prepared to find multiple cities turned into craters if you do. And don't be surprised to wake up dead, if you decide not to punish Natalia for her crimes as well. Or, you can remove it, and I stop giving a crap about what you do with her."

"Again, you threaten-

"No, Uncle. He threatens nobody." Luke finally had enough. "He's telling you what will happen, depending on what you decide to do. Knowing him, if the bounty stays, it means that you have declared war against him. And if you do that, it's entirely within his right to slay any who raise arms against him, or might pose a threat. You don't win a war by standing around and letting things come to you, you win by taking initiative, striking before the enemy forces can properly mobilize, decimate their supplies and ration sources, and make as many maneuvers as you can to place yourself in a favorable position over them.

I tried to warn you that you were making a mistake, placing a bounty on his head. And now that you know why he did what he did, you have a chance to right it. And if you don't, you'll be condemning everyone to death. Yes, even the people of Malkuth. What, you didn't think that some from Malkuth would want the bounty?"

"Desperate people will do desperate things." Jade added. "If one wanted the money badly enough, and on top of that very few know who Zero Shinzaki is, they would take up arms and lead themselves to death. And I can say from experience, he holds no quarter to those who bear arms against him."

All had made good points…but surprising them all, it was Natalia who spoke next.

"Father…I think you should remove the bounty."

"Hello." Zero said randomly.

"I…he…he is right. I am a fool. I wanted revenge for what he did…I wanted…I wanted to stop all this madness, I wanted to stop that pointless battle…but…I…ignored her reasons. I ignored her desires and feelings…and I ignored his loyalty. We'd…never truly trusted him Father. He seemed far too unstable, far to unwieldly. And yet…when it came to Luke, he rarely ever steered him wrong. In fact it was he who defended Luke's name, after Akzeriuth, when we were ready to cast blame upon him for destroying the town. It was Zero, who made it clear that Luke was not the source of the destruction, he was only the method in which it was brought. It was He who brought Luke victory over…over Asch…when we reached Yulia City. It was He who taught Luke proper fonon manipulation…it was He who helped us defeat that horrible monstrosity created by the Miasma gathering at the Tower of Rem.

I have…no doubt that he would make good on his word, Father. I…I don't want any more lives pointlessly lost. As it is…I'll have nightmares of guilt over causing this situation which sent good men to their deaths because of my foolishness…"

A whirring sound accompanied that statement. Immediately heads turned to Zero, who was holding arm outstretched, red ring around his wrist. Natalia's eyes widened as she recalled that device, once again pointed at her. She shrieked in fear as the rainbow streams crashed into her body once again…but she felt no pain.

The device faded from his wrist, and Zero gave a strange look.

"Huh…well…there goes that thought."

"Zero! What the hell-

"Hey, she grew a brain out of nowhere. I thought she might have been a fake."

That shut Luke up. "…he has a point. That was…uncharacteristically mature of you, Natalia."

"Well, since that pulse was specifically tailored to wiping clones, and nothing's happening to her, she's real. Which is really unexpected."

Luke sighed. "Next time warn us before you do something like that."

"Are you daft man? And give the target a chance to dodge? That's it, you're getting drills later."

"Oh…bloody hell." Luke cried. "Come on man we just got through a bunch of fights in the Arena."

"Wait the Arena's open?"

"Yeah…why?"

"What the crispy-shit am I doing with you morons then?! I could be finally getting a bloody challenge!"

And seek a challenge he did.

Before any could stop him, he'd immediately wrenched himself from Arietta's grasp, sending the surprised girl to the floor, where she blinked for a moment before sitting up with a huff of irritation, and fixing a glare upon Luke.

"Great, now he's in 'ass kick' mode. Thanks a lot, I was just finally getting to hold him properly."


The group sat in the King's Box, a specially reserved set of seats for when the King himself decided to watch the arena's events.

With them was a surprised Noelle, claiming that Zero had grabbed her from her shopping and said he had a surprise for her.

The surprise was watching him at work, outside of having truth thrown in her face, something she was glad to finally see.

They watched with amazement, especially Ingobert, as Zero decimated all who stood before him. Captured criminals were dispatched with single waves of razor sharp wind, rabid ligers were taken down with walls and claws of stone, all manner of feathered avian were dealt with through spears of rapidly flung ice…

They watched as he weaved fonons like never seen before, chaining spells faster than even the best mages, linking techniques flawlessly…

It was the first time he could pretty much go all out, without there being some sort of horrible danger or plan or otherwise event that restrained him or caused him to have to focus on a certain aspect of battle.

And he was loving it.

A flick of the wrist and a blade of crackling yellow electricity shot down from the sky, a maneuver thought foolish by the king, as the targets were a group of bats with a heavy amount of wind resistance…

His eyes widened in surprise, as the blade not only cleaved cleanly through the single giant bat it had fallen upon, but the arcs of lightning actually fried the bats around its detonation radius. It was then explained to him that Zero had mastered fonic manipulation so much, that he could replicate electrical spells, only with an Earth origin, rather than Wind.

A solid glowing sword of blue light cleaved the legs off of a giant turtle, before a blast of fire engulfed it, turning into a whirlwind of flame. As that happened, a literal fist of earth erupted from the ground underneath a giant spiked lizard, sending it into the air, where its ascension was halted by him slamming his foot into the ground, almost resembling a petulant child. While his maneuver was comical to some, the smiles turned into gaping mouths as a literal boot encased leg of solid ice materialized in seconds, crashing into the chest of the lizard, sending it rocketing back to the ground, where it bounced back up from the force, before another foot crashed into it once more.

A cry of "WEAK", and a forceful thrust of his palm, and a shockwave of neigh invisible force rippled through the air, before impacting the lizard and sending it crashing into the far arena wall, where it was riddled with glowing blue swords, which then detonated in a wall of blue flame.

The arena was silent for a few moments. That was the last monster to appear. Suddenly, a man roared in approval, followed by the rest of the crowd. The crowd was large, hearing that the very man with a bounty on his head had not only been brazen enough to enter the kingdom that had posted it, but the deadly arena as well, and slaughtered everything.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! OUR CHALLENGER, ZERO SHINZAKI!"

Another roar of approval.

"This warrior from nowhere has appeared and decimated our arena with displays of skill of that I've never seen before! Ladies and Gentlemen we have our new Cha-

"Wait just a moment please." The King interrupted the M.C. The crowd silenced itself, as he stood calmly.

"Before we present him as Champion, there is one last battle I would have him face. It is his decision, however, to take this final challenge or not."

Zero's response? "Pfft, bring it."

The king nodded to the Arena Master, the one behind the organization of the challenges. The man smiled with glee, eager to see his ultimate creation in battle.

A heavy roar ripped from the monster cages, as one hidden wall of the arena opened. Out stomped a large golden dragon, easily dwarfing Zero. Immediately the M.C. fled to the designated waiting area, magically protected to ensure his survival.

Zero just stared at the giant beast, golden scales glinting with the light of the sun, glaring red eyes staring at the human before it. He took in its razor sharp claws, the angled horns on its head and tail. Its arms and legs were bulky with muscles obviously made to crush anything in its grasp. The way its tail lashed back and forth showed signs of intelligence, waiting to attempt to capture its foe in an unseen trap.

But it wasn't any of those things, nor the way the M.C. paled like a ghost, when the dragon appeared, nor the sudden hush of the crowd after a simultaneous intake of breath.

No…it was the feeling coming from the dragon.

Something…isn't right here.


Immediately Arietta began snarling. Some of the spectators' heads snapped to the direction of the King's Box when the girl began emitting a heavy level of killing intent, her own bestial nature coming out from its bound state upon the revelation of the golden beast.

"What" she growled, glaring at Ingobert with eyes that promised death after an eternity of pain. "the FUCK is that thing?!"

Luke's mind started racing. For Arietta to suddenly tap into her full potential means that something existed that set off her instincts and consider her life in danger.

"Arietta, what's wrong?" He asked, the first to overcome her radiating killer intent.

"What's wrong?!" She cried, locking her glare upon him. It was a testament to his growing will, forged through Zero's constant beating of his self-deprecation out of him, that he didn't flinch. "That thing is what's wrong! That thing is an abomination! What the FUCK is it?!" She directed her growled question to the king once again.

His eyes narrowed. This was an unexpected reaction. "It is my Arena Master's greatest creation. Thus far, no warrior has even landed a scratch on it."

"Well it's pissing me off! I don't know what the hell is going on but I can't stop feeling like I should either be running for the hills or getting ready to die tearing that thing to shreds!" Was the pinkette's response.

Anise pieced together what may have been going on. Arietta was extremely sensitive to the existence of natural creatures. She only got this way before, when that Miasma Dragon was around. Which means that 'creation' isn't just a random phrase. She called it an abomination, so it's not a natural born creature.

"Hey, Gloomietta? That thing's not natural is it?"

"No, it's not. And it's really pissing me off just by existing!"

Any further dialogue was cut off by the crowd giving a roar of approval as the battle below began.


Alright…dragons are tough enough on their own. Don't remember there being a Gold one in this world…there was one on Tethe'alla and a black one on Derris Kharlan, but not on Auldrant. So…this is gonna be entirely new.

K, defense check. It's gold, and gold is usually reserved for those of the earth element.

Nodding to himself, his body glowed green as he quickly gathered the fonons in a pattern required for a Turbulence spell. As a heavy gale of wind whipped around the beast, the dragon folded its massive wings in front of it, before whipping them outward, cancelling the spell.

Ok…that was unexpected. Maybe something stronger…

He raised his arm over his head, grasping hold of the fonons around the dragon. Whipping it around in a small spiral, the crowd watched as the air turned a slight greenish tint around the dragon, before a massive tornado ripped into place. Once again, the spell was cancelled by the dragon's wings.

That's annoying…didn't seem to do much except irritate it. Alright, maybe the color indicates its weakness then.

Diving out of the way of a claw coming down upon him, he glowed a faint golden as he put some space between him and the dragon. Everyone gasped as a giant glowing yellow broadsword appeared in the air above him, and crashed down upon the dragon in an explosion of earthen fonons.

As the dust and energy particles cleared, Zero's eyes narrowed as nary a scratch was upon the beast's scales.

He rolled to the side, evading a lash from the dragon's tail, before spinning his arm in place, creating a disk of flame, hurling it at the beast. The flames washed over the dragon like a blanket, but nothing came of it.

Walls of ice, spears of darkness, rays of light, every conceivable element he could wield was thrown at the dragon. And not a single one pierced its hide. Even dropping a ball of magma on the beast did nothing, nor did attempting to bind it with roots that ripped from the ground beneath it. Its claws cut through, as its scales protected it from the heat.

Something was off about this dragon, and Zero was having a hell of a time figuring out what. Not wanting to resort to his eyes just yet, he decided to try one last thing.

He closed his eyes and focused, not noticing as the dragon suddenly seemed to glow a faint grey, before it vanished. As he tapped into the seventh fonon, ready to try to blast the thing to bits through Sound, he heard his name cried out by his love. His eyes snapped open, concentration broken, just to see a massive claw come crashing down on his body.


Gasps were heard all around, as the boy vanished under the beasts claw. A massive pillar of dust rose to the air upon impact. Arietta's eyes widened, as her instincts translated the dragon's roar, as a cry of triumph. Yet another human had fallen under its power.

Immediately she turned a glare back to the king.

"That, wasn't natural. What is that thing?!"

"It is a dragon with power over time itself. Its scales protect it from almost all elements, and its own power allows it to move at almost incalculable speeds. Its brain is programmed to be loyal to my command, as long as we keep it fed. There is a gem, embedded within its heart, that will kill it should it try to move against us. This gem is the only thing its power cannot manipulate." He said.

"F-father…you…he…"

"It would seem…" He spoke without emotion. "That Mister Shinzaki was not as powerful as you all thought."

"Hah." Everyone, even the spectators turned to the sudden laugh. "Haha. Hahahaha! Hahahahaha! AAAHAHAHAHAHA!" Arietta suddenly began laughing hysterically, her knowledge of the man who saved her life overriding her instinctive fear of his end.

"Ahh…that's funny. No, foolish human." The bestial aura was back…and like against the Miasma Dragon, a single ethereal tail was lashing about behind the girl, who had stood to better view the arena.

"My Zero is not dead."

Not enjoying being laughed at, the King responded with irritation. "And what makes you so sure?!"

"Because my Zero…is a God."

(BGM: Bayonetta – You May Call Me Father)

As if to punctuate her statement, the dragon was suddenly blown back as a massive prismatic flare of light erupted from beneath its paw. The dragon's wings fanned out, catching its fall, and flapped heavily, slowing its descent to the ground, as the shimmering light took the form of six radiant wings coming from Zero's back.

"Holy shit!" Emperor Peony yelled out. His surprise at seeing Zero's transformed state was mirrored by everyone else present, most especially King Ingobert himself.


"Y'know…I was trying to be fair about this. I was gonna play nice, and beat you with this world's natural rules. But nooo, you had to go and cheat didn't you? Well guess what? I'm a better cheater than you are."

Silence had met Zero's statement, which brought a serene smile to Noelle's face, as she caught the double meaning behind his words, even if he didn't intend it.

It wasn't her fault really, he'd just been talking with her too much. She'd been corrupted to think like he does. Honestly, it made life more fun.

The silence was broken as a single voice pierced the winds.

"ZERO! I WANT THAT FUCKER'S HEAD ON MY WALL!"

Giving a random thumbs up to Arietta's general direction, Zero glowed a radiant gold once again.

The dragon snorted…but what came surprised everyone but Arietta. Instead of a simple earth attack, the ground rumbled and buckled, as ripples began forming underneath where Zero's silver wings were holding him aloft. In seconds, fissures appeared in the arena floor, as pillars of grain; spires of sand ripped from the ground.

Everyone gasped in shock as these pillars became massive tendrils, which formed around the dragon into two gigantic hands. The two hands grasped onto the dragons wings, as Zero's hands formed into fists, clutching air. He pulled, straining, as if he were the one pulling the dragon's wings. The beast screeched in pain as the floating arms pulled on its wings, until, in a spray of blood, both of them were ripped off.

It stumbled around, blinded by a haze of pain and anger, before a golden light appeared within its maw, a massive sphere of energy being loosed directly towards the angelic Zero.

It didn't, however, expect its attack to be batted back at it with a casual wave of the hand. The beast gave another horrid screech in agony as its own power cut through its scales. What happened to the puny human?! It thought. What manner of ungodly predator has replaced it?! Blinded by its pain was it so, it didn't notice the ripple of air appearing before it, as Zero slammed a glowing fist into its torso, after dipping down below it.

"SHISHISENKOU!"

A massive image of a lion's head ripped from his fist, propelling the now surprised dragon into the air. The creature was thrown high enough for the entire arena to make out each scale on its body, before their attention was brought back to Zero, as the ground beneath him crumbled to give way to massive roots that ripped from the earth and reached above the dragon, before forming a palm that smacked it on the back, knocking it back towards the ground, where Zero casually floated to the side as a massive pillar of ice ripped through the air, punching it back towards the heavens.

A shimmering light around Zero's fist brought the crowd's attention back to him. He was on the ground, wings still out but his fist was what captured their eyes.

"TENSHOUHA!" (Amaterasu Command)

He punched the ground, and a massive ray of light shot from the sky and engulfed him, and since he was below the dragon, the beast was enveloped by searing rays as well. The dragon roared in agony as its scales were being sheared off by the holy rays, its elemental protections being overridden by Zero's command of the Fonons around him.

The light show stopped, and as the dragon fell back to the ground, Zero appeared in a ripple of air. Four glowing blue swords appeared around his body, circling him horizontally and moving in a clockwise motion. He spread his arms wide, and the four became eight, with the second set of four spinning in a counter clockwise motion.

The swords vanished for a moment, before appearing in a tight circle, tips outward, rotating around Zero's arms. Their rotation picked up in speed, until it looked like two glowing blue disks of energy were floating around him.

"SHINGETSURIN!" (True Moon Ring)

He called out, before thrusting his arms forward, tossing the two disks like ring-blades. The disks flew right at the dragon, slicing through and sawing off its forelegs, the appendages dropping to the ground amidst a puddle of blood and another screech. The dragon's maw was silenced as the blood rippled, and razor sharp spears of blood-ice slammed into its jaw, pinning it shut.

The next maneuver became a testament to Zero's physical strength.

He flew underneath the dragon, before grabbing it by its tail with his bare hands, before his wings began fluttering at a blinding pace. He pulled, and the dragon gave a fearful growl as its body was hoisted up from its rear, before Zero swung his legs back, throwing his weight behind him, and flipping himself over.

In a move that shocked and awed the crowd watching, the dragon was yanked along with Zero's movement, and slammed against the ground, head first. Stunned, both by the blood-loss generated from losing both wings and forelegs, and slamming into the ground, it could do nothing but stare in horror as Zero grabbed the sides of its maw, barely able to grip onto the head of the dragon, but still able to adhere himself through gravitational manipulation. The dragon tried to make noise, tried to open its mouth, but the blood-icicles were doing their job of pinning it shut. It could do nothing as Zero pulled and pulled, before he twisted, and with it, so did the dragon's neck.

But he wasn't done.

He continued to pull, twisting the head more until even the scales looked like they were stretching. With a roar of defiance, Zero gave one final pull, literally ripping the dragon's head off its body in a spray of blood, scales, and tendons. Some of the viewers retched at the action, others were scared shitless, and still others were transfixed both by the action, and the brutality of the warrior who until then, had simply been flinging spells around.

He smashed the head into the ground a few times for good measure, until the blood from it stopped coming out as much, before lifting it and lobbing it into the crowd.

"MAKE SOME ROOM!" Arietta yelled, before her fonic aura flared to life, arms raised as ethereal dark pink claws caught the flying head. She held it over her own head, smiling ferally at her trophy.

She turned back, in time to see Zero floating over the body of the now dead dragon, wings fluttering even faster than when he'd lifted the damn thing. She smiled wider, knowing he was going for a showy finish to this bloody battle.

Everyone was trapped in a void of darkness for a brief moment, before an orb of pitch black appeared in Zero's hand. Everyone's perception of color inverted for a second, before a massive dome of black erupted into place, engulfing the entire arena ground, and stopping just before the closest spectator seats. Everyone felt the sheer pressure coming from the dome, before it flickered and slowly faded.

A final sea of gasps, as the arena had become nothing more than a giant crater.


"And that," Arietta spoke softly, her words directed to King Ingobert. "Is what will become of your city should you decide to keep that bounty on his head."

The king, Luke's family, even Natalia paled, at that statement. Seeing him in action, seeing the winged warrior now slowly descending to the ground, showed to them that it was no bluff. He would do so, and it would be their fault. Immediately he gestured for a nearby soldier to come by. The man did so, keeping a wary eye on the pink haired girl who was still generating a glowing field that was the shape of a four legged beast holding up the head of a golden dragon.

"I want all those posters taken down by the end of the week. No later."

"Yes, your majesty."

As the soldier gladly ran off to do his new duty, Arietta smiled.

"There's hope for you yet, Human."

"I…Ladies and Gentlemen…I don't believe it. This man…this Winged Warrior has conquered our Arena! Sir Shinzaki, as customary for our champions, we usually grant them a title reflecting their skills but…I have to admit, I'm having a difficult time thinking of one befitting you."

"You know…" Arietta said softly to the King. "He didn't even use his ultimate power."

"What?!"

She nodded sagely. "He called it 'Mystic Eyes of Death Perception.' The way he described them, it was a power that could kill even concepts. A power that can enable one to slay even gods." She said almost musingly. "Almost like he's some sort of…God Slayer."

"God…Slayer…" The king mulled the words over in his head. They had a nice ring to them.

"I have an announcement!" He shouted. All attention was on the king.

"From this day forth, ye shall be dubbed Zero Shinzaki, the God Slayer!"

As the crowd roared in approval, Zero simply smirked.

Another take on Shinigami huh? I like it.


"Do you have to drag that thing with you?" Anise asked.

"Yes." Arietta answered matter-of-factly. "It's my trophy, and I'm taking it home."

"Uhh…hate to burst your bubble Arietta but…that thing won't fit in the Albiore." Noelle said.

"What the shit-, you're still dragging that thing?" Zero spoke from ahead. He'd arrived in front of the group, from a different direction.

"Oh Zero it's such a lovely gift. You really know what to get a girl." Arietta gushed.

The young warrior just blinked. "Uhh…sure. You're welcome…I guess. But…that thing's too big to fit on the plane you know."

Arietta huffed. "Well then how am I supposed to get it home?" She complained. Thinking for a moment she spoke again before anyone could answer. "I suppose I could ask if I could take it on a cargo freighter…"

"…or…I could fly it back to Ferris myself, and you guys follow for that lesson I've been meaning to give you and Noelle."

"Oh, that's a much better idea." Arietta agreed.

"You're one fucked up girl Arietta." Zero mused.

"Hmph, like you'd have me any other way." She batted her eyelashes at him. He smirked and pulled her into a tight hug, which she swapped for a kiss. The action surprised him, but his mind slowly eased into it, realizing she'd been getting more and more affectionate as they spent more time together. As she pulled away, she couldn't help but quip something.

"It's a pity though, that you erased that thing. I've never tasted dragon before."

Everyone stared at the girl like she'd grown a second head (which was an interesting thing considering just a moment ago she was dragging a giant golden dragon head along the city by the remnants of part of its spinal cord).

Zero just blinked at her. "Well…I'll try to remember that if I ever run into a meaty enough looking dragon."

A girly squeal of joy and another kiss was his response. When she pulled away and returned her grip upon the dragon's spine, temporarily forgetting that it was Zero who would be taking it, both he and Anise spoke as one.

"God you're friggin weird."


A/N: yep. She is.

Bit more insight to Zero's thought process, and the return of the Beast Aura! Zero gets to show off some as well. (Don't worry, Luke will get his time, give it a couple more chapters.) Arietta's starting to really get into him isn't she? Just a warning: Next chapter contains a lot of talking, and explanations of things and how things interact with other things. Generally no fighting or as far as I'm aware, drama at all. Just figured I'd warn you.

(blank name): glad you find everything awesome. Nobody messes with the people Zero Shinzaki cares about, and gets away with it. And here, we see the response to what was done. Hope you continue to enjoy!