Disclaimer: It's amazing how we as a people can condemn violence yet consume it with such fervor that it rivals religious zeal. Then again, I'm a producer of violent media so who am I to judge?


In the courtyard of an old temple, moonlight glittered and danced as two blades whipped through the air, their wielders striking with such speed and force that the displaced air left the thinnest of grooves in the ground. The two swordswomen circled one another, their blades never making contact with one another nor their targets–such a thing being invariably fatal.

As beautiful and terrifying the battle was, it was over in short order and the light of the moon reflected solidly off Motoko's blade as it came to a perfect stop, the fine edge resting at the base of her opponent's neck.

She was fortunate. Had Motoko not the skill to use anymore ki than she had, the displaced air would have sliced clean through her anyway.

"And that's when you would die," Motoko said before pulling her sword back and sheathing it.

Her opponent, a blonde-haired tomboyish girl, whistled loudly, and rested her hand where Motoko's blade touched. "Are you sure you're Shinmei Ryu, senpai? That was some Mujushin shit right there."

Motoko snorted. "That television nonsense is nothing like real Mujushin, and real Mujushin can't hold a candle to Shinmei Ryu. Though your attempts at trying to look cool while you attack makes more sense now, Tenoh."

The Lieutenant of the Mugen Academy's Kendo Club, Haruka Tenoh, laughed and sheathed her sword. "Did I look cool, though?"

Motoko smiled slightly as the two began walking towards the living quarters of the temple. "I'll say that the one who would kill you would at least have an interesting story to tell."

Tenoh chuckled at that. "You're so cold, senpai." She bumped her hip to Motoko's. "But not as frosty as you usually are."

Motoko found that interesting. She wasn't oblivious to the distant air she put on, it was what she did to keep people from getting too close–such was the duty of an assassin. "You suppose so?"

"You've been smiling more, at least. And just now you cracked a joke," Haruka replied.

Konno was beginning to rub off on her, damn.

"It's pretty cute."

Motoko's cheeks flushed slightly, when her friendly rival gave a very friendly smile. Seeing that made Tenoh's eyes grow large at the wonderful reaction. "… Oh?"

She swung closer to Motoko. "Has Spring finally come for you, senpai?"

Motoko stopped and stumbled back from Tenoh, her face now completely red. "W-what are you saying?!"

The other girl didn't expect such a passionate reaction. "Wow… whoever's gone through your armor must've have gone deeeeeeep."

"You're being ridiculous," Motoko quickly said. "I don't have a crush on anyone nor would I require one to develop a sense of humor."

Being a good sport, Tenoh relented. Besides, the thought was in her head and she could tease her about it more later. "Oh, whatever you say…"

Motoko, still unable to banish her blush, pouted at the other Haruka in her life and looked away. She didn't have a crush on anyone, she's just been in a better mood and it was hard to avoid such a thing with the way things were at home. Everyone was just happier with their new manager, that's it, that was all.

Maybe before bed she should call, and check on them. To make sure their manager wasn't being lewd towards Su.

Love Hina: The Merry Killers
Chapter 8: Red Moon Over Paradise 2

The blades of the four Molmol's Special Operations Soldiers came down and created a tremendous geyser from the force of their combined impacts. When they stood back, they found only the shredded remains of Naru's clothes resting in the roiling water. Quickly they looked around and found her, standing underneath atop the tallest boulder in the spring with her arms folded–clad in her black and pink ninja gi.

"Let's get this over with," Naru said before the two halves of her white mask slid from the sides of her head to over her face and connected with a metallic click.

Two of the Spec Ops soldiers immediately attacked, leaving great splashes behind them as they rushed Naru's position. Naru jumped off the rock and landed in the spring before lifting her hand and clenching it into a fist.

SPAK!

And in an instant the two soldiers were gone from the waists up, completely torn apart by the force of Naru's backhand. She looked to the two remaining soldiers as a fine red mist rained upon her, expecting an immediate reassessment of how fucked they were, but instead they simply twirled their knives and charged her with the same lack of hesitation.

One slashed at her, and had its arm captured by Naru before she kicked him in the chest, severing him from his arm as he went flying back. As he crashed into a rock, Naru narrowly avoided the strikes of the second soldier, reassessing them as she moved. These guys literally had no fear, at all!

Backed against a rock by his attacks, Naru stood stock still as the soldier lunged a final time to stab her, when she took his arm, bent it, and then drove it straight up into his own gut just under the sternum.

The soldier grimaced, before blood bubbled from between his lips, then let out a gurgled gasp when Naru twisted the knife. She let him fall into the spring, and looked down at him.

"These guys…"

She heard a splash and quickly turned to see the soldier she kicked rushing towards her, another knife in his remaining hand. Looking at the three-eyed visor, and the sparks that shot from his destroyed arm, she quickly couldn't believe it.

"Molmolese!" she gasped before the soldier slashed with all his might.

He missed when she ducked, and then Naru's hand erupted from his back, clutching an artificial heart.

Ripping her arm free, she looked at the mechanical heart and then around at the men she'd destroyed. No… these weren't men at all…

"Machines?" she asked aloud.

She hardly felt bad about these guys showing up before, now she felt absolutely nothing at all aside from the dread at what Molmol's move represented.

"You're not getting her back," she growled before heading into the house. She had to find Keitaro, find Su, and get her to where they won't find her.

Of course, as she leaped from the springs to the second floor corridor, she found even more of these robot men waiting for her, brandishing knives and polearm weapons. Looking amongst them, she snorted and readied her fists. She hoped Keitaro was keeping Su safe.


Keitaro was confused. The mysterious woman knew him, and even called him by Kei-kun. "Seriously, do I know you? Are… are you Su's older sister?"

If she was then this was a bad thing. He knew full-well why Su was here, and what it meant if Molmol was able to take her back home.

The woman giggled. "No."

She began to play the setar again, walking past him as she did. He followed her with his gaze, when she passed him, she spun on one foot, the warm breeze that brought the sand from so far south catching her clothes as she faced him again.

"Do you love Naru-chan?" she suddenly asked.

"Of course I do!" Keitaro quickly said, what kind of question was that?

She smiled a bit bigger. "Are you going to go to Toudai with her, and marry her, and have a lot of babies with her?"

Keitaro blushed at that question. "I-I am, of course… when she's ready to have kids at least…"

The woman stopped playing, her fingers resting against the strings of the instrument. Her smile dimmed, becoming sad but not disappearing entirely. "Don't."

Keitaro blinked. "D-don't have kids?"

She laughed. "No, have lots of kids! But don't just love Naru-chan. Love everyone! Love Kitsune, and Motoko-chan, and Shinobu-chan… find Mutsumi-chan and love her too like you said you would."

"M-Mutsumi, too?" Who was this girl?!

She walked up to him and patted him on the chest. "Love all of them."

Keitaro looked down at her hand, then to her face. "What about Su?"

She sighed, still smiling sadly. "Love Su, too."

"You're not here to take her away?" he asked, uncertain.

She shook her head as she drew her hand back.. "No, Su loves all of you. Su would never want to leave."

Keitaro stared at the mysterious woman, looking straight into her eyes. A thought then suddenly flickered in his head. "Wait…"

The roof then split open underneath him, and a chainsaw shot up, his front and clocked him in the chin knocking him onto his back from the force of the blow. "GAAAH!"

Laying on his back, Keitaro immediately clutched at his crotch. The chainsaw had hit him there first. "God damn it! THAT HURTS!"

The chainsaw proceeded to do what it was designed best for, carving through the roof until hitting Keitaro–again in the crotch. Instead of barreling through him like physics dictates, however, the chainsaw created a shower of sparks as it dragged Keitaro along the roof and towards the front of the house.

"OWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW!" Keitaro yelled before he was launched off the roof and went plummeting to the ground. "AHHHHHHH!"

Tumbling end over end, he tried to remember the proper landing technique for situations like these, but just as he remembered it, he hit the ground on his back with a heavy thump and a light shower of debris rained on him.

With a groan he grabbed a board that had landed over his eyes and lifted it up, and the first thing he saw was the blade of the chainsaw barreling towards him and the trenchcoat and helmet wearing woman that wielded it like a sword.

"Oh man…" Keitaro moaned before the chainsaw met his face.

"Something is... wrong..." Dr. Bu said with a confusion-born hesitation as KG-02's chainsaw smashed down into Keitaro's face and sparks began flying.

Villetta couldn't look away from the screen. "That's blatantly obvious. Have the MKG Teams located the Princess or any of the Ninja?"

Dr. Bu quickly checked on the teams of Mass-Produced Kaollan Gears that had been searching the house. "Teams One through Seven have been wiped out? The MKGs aren't cutting it against that girl!"

Villetta pursed her lips briefly. "Where are eight, nine, and ten?"

"Engaging the-"

The second floor wall suddenly exploded outward, and one of the MKGs was sent flying out the house, crashing to the ground next to where KG-02 had Keitaro pinned. From the dust, two more of the MKG soldiers leaped out, one holding a spear ready as the other tried to raise his arms to block as Naru came out after them.

Grabbing the blocking MKG by his foot, Naru swung him around into the other, the force of the impact causing both to break apart. Dropping down, Naru landed behind KG-02 and slowly stood up, her mask opening and folding to the sides of her head to reveal her face.

"GET OFF!" she yelled angrily.

KG-02 pulled the chainsaw from halfway down Keitaro's throat, and rose to her full height before turning around to face her. "Naru Narusegawa. Age 17 years, Height 163cm, Blood Type B, BWH Measurements 83-56-86, Color Red."

They knew about colors? Naru immediately bristled. "And you are?"

"I am Kaollan Gear Prototype KG Zero-Two," she introduced.

Naru narrowed her eyes, this one must be a heck of an improvement if they figured it better than the giant target she and Motoko trashed. Still…

"No," she growled before her mask slid closed again, "you're scrap."

She jumped at KG-02, the force of her landing fracturing the ground beneath their feet. As the shockwaves radiated out, Naru shot forward with her punch, a crack of thunder sounding as the air rushed to move clear.

But to her disbelief, KG-02 leaned backward, avoiding the punch while at the same time swinging the chainsaw around straight for her side. Yanking her fist back, Naru sprang back from KG-02 and tumbled backward as she landed.

KG-02 jammed the chainsaw into the ground, and carved a half-circle around herself. "Executing target."

She hurtled at Naru, much faster than the MKGs that she'd made short work of earlier, forcing a yelp from the other girl as she narrowly dodged her chainsaw. The robot didn't let up, her blinding speed allowing her to smother Naru with sweeping attacks before she dove out of the way of a rolling slash that turned KG-02 into a giant circular buzzsaw.

Landing after the attack, KG-02 stood and turned to face Naru, who got up panting.

Aboard the Yullan Lollan, Dr. Bu analyzed the data KG-02 was sending her. "Is this correct?"

"Is what correct?" Viletta asked.

"The target is tiring earlier than her performance projected." Dr. Bu hummed. "Interesting! Interesting!"

Pointing the chainsaw at her, KG-02 became a blur once more, approaching Naru in a wide zig-zag pattern that left her darting her head from side to side before suddenly lunging at her with the saw swung in a wide arc.

Naru vaulted over KG-02, but the faster machine woman turned around with her vault, and stabbed her cleanly in the chest

"Naru!" Keitaro shouted in horror–only to stop when the chainsaw suddenly jammed to a stop. "Eh?"

KG-02 stared at the chainsaw, which appeared to be stuck in some kind of resin-like material, before she saw Naru's fist come down to smash the weapon. The faster KG-02 quickly leaped back, ripping free the chainsaw and pulling much of the front of her gi clean off.

"Damn it!" Naru hissed, having missed her chance to completely destroy the weapon.

Keitaro stared as Naru's destroyed gi proceeded to repair itself–the resin-like material spreading across her stomach and chest before sealing back into place and even adjusting itself for comfort. He was immediately reminded of his bathrobe adjusting itself.

"That's the Princess's Regenerating Armor!" Dr. Bu cried out. "She had only proposed it before!"

"And she's made it for them…" Villetta murmured.

The chainsaw choked again and died, unable to overcome the gunk that gummed it up. Naru let out a relieved sigh as she caught her breath. She hadn't been able to destroy that damn chainsaw, but it had brought her a much needed breather. Still, she didn't have the stamina for this to keep going.

It had to end with this next attack.

She lowered her left arm and let a handful of throwing stars slip down her sleeve and into her hand. Then, with a flick of her wrist, she whipped the stars at the Molmolese soldier. KG-02 quickling swept the chainsaw in a figure-eight pattern, deflecting the buckshot, and in the time the blade swept past her face, Naru closed the distance and punched much closer to her target than before.

KG-02's free hand came up with the same great speed, and caught Naru's devastating punch. Almost immediately, the cyborg's entire arm disintegrated from the force of the blow, but it had done enough, leaving Naru wide-open for KG-02's kick to connect with her side and launch her into the front of the house, right next to the front door.

"Ah… sh-shit…" Naru coughed as she looked up to see KG-02 turn towards her, holding the chainsaw in her remaining hand.

"KG-02, kill her but bring the body back as intact as possible, I need to study this," Dr. Bu commanded.

"Understood. Limiter off."

The chainsaw fired up again, struggling against the gunk, before it began spinning so fast that the teeth heated up red hot and burned away the material jamming it. When lowered towards the ground, the heat from the teeth melted the cobblestone underneath it.

KG-02 began walking towards Naru as clouds passed in front of the red Moon, lifting the chainsaw up and away from her, to prevent the heat the weapon gave off damaging her. Stopping in front of her, she lifted the weapon over her head to plunge it into the top of Naru's.

And struck instead Keitaro, who yelled in pain as the weapon's heat burned into him. Despite the high speed and heat, the chainsaw only managed to burn away the part of the bathrobe it was cutting through, creating a shower of sparks as it ground futilely against his shoulder and chest.

"Keitaro!" Naru gasped as he screamed louder than the shriek of the metal of his skin. Even with his durability, he still felt the pain of the heat searing through his skin.

KG-02 stared at him, as the young man continued to resist her, and pushed down on the blade. Keitaro resisted, grabbing her arm and planting his feet, but it was clearly obvious that he could not resist her strength as his knees began to buckle under the force of her one arm.

"I won't let you hurt her!" Keitaro stopped screaming loud enough to yell.

KG-02 just pressed down further, and Keitaro fell to one knee under the pressure.

"Do you really think this is enough?"

Keitaro stopped screaming entirely, his breath hitching when he heard the voice in his head.

"You're weak, she's going to realize that and toss you aside. There's no way you can actually stop her."

KG-02 indeed continued to press down, but not with as much effort.

"The only way to stop her, is to kill her… and you can do that."

Keitaro's eyes widened. "N-no…"

"Just say it, and I'll give you what you need to save Naru."

He saw the needle-toothed grin in his head.

"Do it one last time, for the one you love."

Keitaro closed his eyes as his footing began to finally slip. "No…!"

Before his footing could slip, however, every light in the Hinata-sou and on its property came back on–brilliantly illuminating the front of the house and briefly blanking the night vision of both the KG-02 and the Yullan-Lollan.

Pulling back her chainsaw, KG-02 leaped back and landed away from Keitaro as she switched to normal camera viewing.

The pain quickly receding, Keitaro opened his eyes and winced at the bright lights, before he turned and saw Su walk out of the front door. She looked over to him and Naru, and then smiled big.

"I got the power back on!" she reported cheerfully.

Villetta gasped. "The Princess!"

Dr. Bu didn't hesitate. "KG-02! Recover-!"

Neither did Su, who pointed her finger like a gun at KG-02 and winked. "Bang."

KG-02's remaining arm exploded violently, showering the ground around her with blood Next to Su, the optical camouflage concealing Haruka fell, revealing her and the heavy Anti-Material Rifle she held aimed at KG-02.

"WHAT?!" Dr. Bu screamed.

"KG-02, tell Lambda that Su is not coming home, ever!" Su declared. "Su likes it here in Japan, and everyone here is Su's friend and Su loves them very much!"

"Princess, you have betrayed Molmol?" KG-02 asked.

Su shook her head. "Su still loves Molmol, and Lambda. But Japan… the Hinata-sou is Su's home."

"KG-02! Disregard the Princess's words, she's been brainwashed-!" Dr. Bu shouted, before Villetta raised her hand, silencing her.

"Withdraw, KG-02," she said as Dr. Bu became acutely aware of the numerous target lock warnings blaring on the bridge. The house's security system had come back on as well, and could easily see through the airship's stealth.

KG-02 nodded, and turned to walk away. "Understood."

The blood leaking from her ruined arms, KG-02 walked to the top of the steps, and then jumped into the night, optical stealth activating as she departed.

Keitaro fell to his hands and knees, relieved. "Oh God… that… what the hell was that?!"

"That was someone signing their own death warrant," Haruka said as she set down the rifle and walked over to the remains of the arm and the chainsaw left behind. Removing the chainsaw from the hand, she held it up and examined it.

"Someone signing their own death warrant?" Keitaro repeated like Snake.

"They know about colors, she even called me a red," Naru said as she got up and embraced Keitaro from behind.

"How troubling," Haruka said as she started up the chainsaw briefly, and then stopped it. "Looks like there'll be some meetings about this one."

She picked her rifle up and slung it over her shoulder. "Everything all right here now, Su?"

Su saluted. "You betcha!"

Haruka nodded. "Then I'm heading home. Button up the house good and tight, and Keitaro…?"

Keitaro blinked. "Y-yeah?"

"Good job," Haruka replied before she went on down the stairs.

Keitaro watched her leave, wondering what she meant by that when Naru turned his head and kissed him. "Mm?"

She broke the kiss, and smiled amorously. "Keitaro…"

Keitaro blushed, and then yelped as he was lifted off the ground and into her arms, bridal style. "Um…"

Naru kissed him again, and then carried him off into the house, Su quietly watching them go. Walking over to KG-02's arm, and picked it up off the ground as the clouds that blocked the moon passed, it and the night sky now its normal color.

She examined the arm. "KG-02 isn't a robot… this is a cyborg arm."

She sighed. "Shayla… Su told you that was unacceptable."


Taking a drag from her cigarette, Haruka sat on the spotless operating table of her cleaning room, her phone held to her ear. "Yeah, it was a Spec Ops force, complete with a battleship. I just got off the phone with the Defense Forces and they didn't detect anything unusual."

"It looks like Su-chan will have to update their systems again," Hina replied.

"It'll get her out of the house for a few days, I'm sure she'll love that, but I'm more concerned about who could've ratted us out. Since they know about colors it has to be one of the Emperor's other dogs."

"Don't be so hasty, Haruka. Treason accusations are nothing to take lightly, and making them without definite proof is foolish."

"I know, Granny."

"I will contact the Soe and we can go from there."

Haruka hummed. "Funny you should mention them…"

"Like I said, Haruka-chan, making them without definite proof is foolish."

Haruka hummed again. "Anyway, there's another curious bit of news I should relate to you. Kana-chan isn't around, is she?"

"No, she's in the arcade playing video games."

"Keitaro got involved in the fight."

There was a long silence. "Did he-?"

"No, he used himself as a human shield and that was it."

There was a chuckle from Hina. "I told those parents of his that they should've named him Mamoru."

"Keitaro fits better." Haruka took another drag of her cigarette. "Anyway, it's been a long night and I've got one more long walk up the stairs before I can turn in." She looked to the side, at some neatly piled trash bags. "One last load for the incinerator."

"Already? After all the work we went to finding her, I thought you would've played with her for a little longer."

"I would've… but I got a brand new, Molmol-made chainsaw and I just had to use it." She looked at the chainsaw hanging over a sink with most of the blade sitting in a cleaning solution, modified with a sword grip sticking out of its back end so it could be used as such. Surprisingly crude and simple for a Molmolese weapon, really.

"All right dear, have a good night."

The call ended with a beep, and Haruka got up to pick up the trash bags. As she lifted them up, a thought occurred to her, and she looked back at the chainsaw. "… It couldn't be."


Naru lay in the near complete darkness of Keitaro's room, cuddled up close to Keitaro and watching him sleep. It was, admittedly, tough for her to comprehend life as Keitaro–to be capable of taking any hit but lacking any killing instinct of his own. He made up for it a lot though, in all the ways he was a good person… if next to hopeless academically and somewhat inept socially.

"Even if you didn't make it to Toudai, that'd be okay," she whispered as she lifted his hand to her lips and kissed his palm. "I'd still love you."

She smiled as he just slightly shifted in his sleep, and then looked at his palm in the moonlight shining through his window.

And there in the moonlight she recognized the unmistakable mark of a scar right across the width of his palm.


A/N: It goes deeper...