Several hours had passed, Filia took to a small bar nearby to compose herself with a few shots of whiskey, courtesy of Kazuo. Sienna also joined the two with Leviathan and Samson minding their hosts. It won't help Medici, Foxhound or Contiello forget about the Detective, but they would be commemorating him instead. During this time, the drinks came at a slow rate, and Filia spoke about the training she had with the Detective.

His laid back attitude yet firm teachings were things that the former student kept alluding to. The way he smiled when she was doing good in her training and the way he frowned when he looked back to his past… To the way he treated both her and Samson like they were his own.

Kazuo and Sienna could only imagine, but in a way, they also felt some kind of connection to someone in such a way. For Squigly, Nikki could relate to her very well, and was gentle when she took her in. She didn't mind that there may have been a spark between her son and the undead opera singer, at least so she thought. There is still a lot to learn before anything could really happen, but Nikki felt motherly-like, even though she was so forwards and rough houses anyone who annoys her. Could it be that the way she acts reflects as how Nikki lost her family? It made sense if that was the reason: without the family she had grown up with, Mason must've yearned for some kind of attention, even if it meant being a delinquent.

Or was it that she was like this at a young age, and that she continues such behaviour to prove that even when she had lost so much, she lived happily. As always, so many questions, very few answers. It'd be sad to say goodbye once the Skullgirl was gone… It was only natural that her life would expire at the same time… Borrowed time is all Squigly had.

Kazuo on the other was very close to his Auntie, almost as close as he was to his own mother. Moka was the one who taught him how to control his powers, even when she had deficiencies with her own abilities. Every day, 'Auntie Moka' would lament on the fact she was cybernetically enhanced and become nostalgic for the days she was a simple succubi/vampire. At the same time, she is thankful for the new gift, as she is smarter, stronger and never felt as grateful for being merely alive. Those days were long gone now.

Thinking back, even though he and his father didn't have the best of relationships, he still learned anything that his father offered. Little bits of advice, a way to fight and a way not to screw up in life… Or was that last part his mother? Even so, he didn't think any less of his father, because Izunna, harsh as he is, cared for those around him. Takeo-Foxhound could never be like his dad, and whether he'd ever be there to see big achievements is questionable. As his son, he still had nothing against him…

"You know… The fact that we met each other is quite strange…" Kazuo noted as he took a sip of his glass of whiskey, dry and on the rocks.

Squigly had a light apple cider, and though the taste still didn't appeal to her, it wasn't as bad as what she had to deal with back at the office. "It is… It's lead to… Quite bizarre events."

"Yeah." Kazuo agreed. "So when the Skullgirl is gone… Wouldn't that mean…"

"Unfortunately. Yes."

Filia sighed. "That's rough… But I wonder… What is it like?"

How could Sienna explain it? There were so many things to think about when it came to 'the other side'. The bright light when her vision should be pitch black, the echoing call to her name when her hearing subsides and the warm feeling on her skin when she should feel nothing… But after, she couldn't remember, but she smiled… Though she hadn't any definite memories of 'the other side', she knew it was a happy story.

But she was happy here… Happy to meet all these new faces, and had already engraved them to mind. It would be sad to leave them here… Only to return when a Skullgirl surfaces… In a way, that kind of life was torturous, because she'd have to say goodbye to any friends she makes, and perhaps to the family that also await 'in the next world'. If there was a way to bring her to life again, she'd be forced to make a choice: stay or leave.

Setting the thought aside, she smiled. "I wish I could tell you. But there's so much about it I can't explain." But Squigly knew she will be returning soon. To see her family… To watch from above perhaps. There were no spirits in the cloud, but if Angels, Demons, Vampires and other creatures exist, there should be something overlooking the worlds.

"Well. Let's head back to the castle… Get some proper rest…" Filia said as she stood from her seat. Kazuo agreed and Sienna and Leviathan followed quietly.

"Something up, kid?" Samson asked, but not to his host but to the undead opera singer. She shook her head, but he could tell from her frown that there was a thought stuck in her head. He'd seen that kind of face enough times in his life to know it meant something. The drake attached to her head looked at him with a concerned look, but both theons preferred not to interfere with her personal business, even though Levithan himself was a part of Squigly.


Night… The view from the castle's balcony was enough to oversee most of the city, even though it was far away. Leviathan was asleep on Contiello's right shoulder, but she couldn't sleep. Her mind was full of thought, the thought to make a decision. Being alone with her mind, and with Leviathan also asleep, she relished in the peace around her.

Her mind drifted to the past once more, before the day her life was changed… The days where she was innocent and content with the world around her. She wanted to grow up, become a renowned opera singer like her parents and family, and marry someone she fell in love with… Have children, grow old and leave the world behind. That could never happen now, but she smiled at the thought, especially when she pictured Micheal as that perfect man.

A childish thought: it was a fairy tale at best. But if only… If only… Removing those stitches in her mouth felt like a blessing in a way from Nikki, but Micheal could find better. She was… How could she put it: dead? She already kissed him, which made complications worse. He'd be heartbroken at the end of all this.

"I need to stop thinking…" She said to herself as she held the canal of her nose. Her train of thought thankfully was interrupted when she heard the squeak and steps of boots behind her. Turning back, she saw the Commander approaching the balcony. He didn't wear his usual red coat, only a white shirt with a navy tie and a pair of black dress pants that covered most of his combat boots. "Commander Reala?"

"Please, you don't have to be so formal Sienna." He said with a smile. Looking over the balcony and down to the city, he hummed to himself. Slipping his hands into his pockets, he silently watched over the city, even from far he could see that it was still busy with lights, cars and people filling the streets. "Nice view, isn't it? The city? I love the city."

Squigly smiled and chuckled to herself. "A bit of a drive though, isn't it?"

"True, but it's worth it. As much as the city is far too busy, I like that. It means something."

"What's that?"

"That the city is alive. It has soul. Dirty and rough, but alive and wonderful." Reala pulled his hands from his pockets and leaned on the balcony railings, wanting a closer look at the still distant city. He turned back to Contiello: "Thoughts stuck in your head?" At first she looked away, but he kept his eyes on her and she could feel the stare. She nodded.

Last night he spent a great deal of time training her in the dream world, as Romeo did for Filia. Shocked as he was by the news of his passing, he will keep fighting on his behalf. But for now, he had to tend to a Reaper. "I ever tell you the story of a man who once lived on a world of dreams? A world of freedom? A man who had the love of his life and a best friend?"

Sienna turned to him, tilting her head. "Not that I know of."

Reala nodded to himself. "He loved that woman to the ends of the earth, and wouldn't trade her for anything… But unfortunately, things didn't turn out the way he wanted."

"What happened…?" Squigly asked, curious as she mimicked his stance whilst besides him, still keeping her eyes fixated on him and ear open to hear the story.

Reala shrugged. "He lost her to a man mad with power… And that man was then cast away, lost in a place far away from home. He was lucky to have his best friend, but like any person, felt lonely for losing someone so dear to them. She was perhaps the only family he really had left." He smiled. "But he learned that he wasn't grounded when it came to love… If he kept to the past, he wouldn't be allowed to live the future. There was a woman who stole his heart… And he stole hers."

"Where did he go after that?" Contiello asked, smiling.

"Had a kid, lived happily and made more friends. But those friends became family." He chuckled. "What you're going through is a little different, but I believe that this time, you can really have a second chance. But it really depends on where you're putting your money at. One way or the other, cherish every moment you get."

She felt a warm sensation crawl up her back, and it somehow made her smile. Perhaps the Commander's advice worked like magic… "I will Commander…"

"Past few weeks have been hectic. But I guess that's what comes with the job." The Commander commented.

With everything that had happened, she would expect the Commander to have given up. Perhaps he had seen so much more than all of the Reaper members combined that he wouldn't give up hope. If he was anything like the man in the story, she believed that he put his heart, soul and mind into dedicating his life for herself and the others. She hadn't met many Reaper Seniors, but perhaps they shared the same value as well.

Considering that she only became a Reaper in light of recent events, Contiello doubted herself. She was undead, and with every passing of the Skullgirl, she passes away too. Unlike those Reaper members who have fallen, she cheats death, and it made her feel second-rate. Perhaps she should permanently accept death and live well enough with her family…

But that wouldn't do. It wouldn't do at all! She promised her mother that she would find the one who destroyed the Contiello family! The Medici and Skullgirl, and that creature… Double. It burned within her heart to stop them, to avenge the Contiello tradition! This had to be the reason she was given a second chance this way… Or was it?

Now she was unsure of what she really is here for… Is there truly a purpose for her being 'alive'? It couldn't be to have a real chance at life: that'd be too cliché! But she pondered the idea. If that man in the story could move on and live a happy life for the sake of those he lost, couldn't she do the same? Isn't that what a normal person who was given a second chance to live would do? Live life, for the good things… Revenge and hatred would lead to a lonely path down a dark road… She'd drag Leviathan along with her, and he trusts her as much as she to him, but to throw aside all sense of rational thought would certainly ruin their ties.

The thought of being fully revived became a little more tempting as she continued to think. Sure she had her family in the next world, however, it was the Reapers who made her feel like a normal person again. Micheal, Kazuo, Filia, Nikki: they all saw her for who she is, not what she is. Dead, a monster, unnatural? Yes, they all applied, but so does emotion and life.

Reala straightened his back as he stood up straight, but then returned to leaning forwards. Glancing to his right to look at Contiello, he smiled as he caught a glimpse of the serpent theon that rested on her left shoulder. Shimmying and fidgeting about, the parasite raised himself before yawning, and slowly opening his eyes. "Morning there."

Yawning once more, Leviathan sighed as he felt Squigly's hand stroke his head. "That nap felt wonderful…" Twisting and turning himself to adjust his body, he shook himself to regain his senses. "Sorry if I'm a little sloppy, that nap was just gorgeous…"

"Take your time." Sienna said, smiling right after.

"You came from Roberto, correct?" Reala asked, curiously.

Hearing his previous host's name, the drake turned to the Commander with a raised brow. "Hmm? Yes, I did. Indeed he was my previous host, before those horrid events came to be…"

The tall, bulky man nodded. "Hmm. You took to Sienna by his request?"

"How did you…?"

"You forget what my night time job is?"

"Invading the dreams and memories of Reaper members, in order to get to know us and to reassure us?" Sienna noted, then realising what that meant for both her and her parasite. "You care about us that much?"

"I wouldn't have looked into your dreams and memories if I didn't." Reala explained. "Call it an 'invasion of your privacy', it's better for me to know exactly what bothers you than let you explain it when you don't want to."

Leviathan's mouth opened, jaw gaping at the Commander's antics, but at the same time, powers. He was able to look into his dreams just by standing next to him? What other powers lies within this mysterious man?

"You miss him?"

Leviathan nodded without hesitation. "He was a good man. But I still feel…"

"Guilty?"

Leviathan nodded again. "He sacrificed himself for his daughter."

"I would for mine." Reala noted.

Reala had a daughter? Strange… That man had a daughter to, the man from the story. "Wait a minute…" When he turned away, she gasped as she put together everything Reala said. By the time she had turned to her left, he already left the spot and made his way back into the castle: "Commander! Were you that man!?" Her question was only met with a simple indefinite wave…


"We're almost at Bastet's Den." Kazuo noted, in the driver's seat again. Today, Sienna joined in with him, Filia and the crew to investigate a major disturbance at New Meridian's popular night club. It was also home to Eliza, and thanks to Romeo beforehand, they knew she was a threat and not to be taken lightly.

Reports came to the Egrets about blinding light surrounding the area of the club. Panicked bystanders of course called in on the first sign of trouble when the ground started to shake violently, and moments after, men covered in black plating of the sort and a blade on their left arms emerged from the ground.

Klo was asleep again, as usual. "Someone wake up sleeping beauty again?"

Sienna tapped on Klo's left shoulder. "Hey, we're on."

Yawning as he fidgeted about, his eyes fluttered open. "Alright… Not about a milkshake this time. Had an amazing dream guys…"

"We'll talk dreams later." Filia said as she opened the door to her right, stepping out immediately.

The Captain turned the key and pulled it out of the keyhole; the engine's roar faded and it became quiet. Foxhound opened his door and immediately walked to the trunk of the Humvee, shoving the key in and turning, lifting the door up to reveal the weapons cache hidden within. Stored here were: two Vladof U2 rifles, one Remington 970, Kneesock's personal scythe rifle folded up, four UF45s (three were personal) and pouches of ammunition to accompany each weapon. Taking the first U2, he passed it to Medici and patted her back. "Lock and load."

Medici took her personal UF45 and holstered the weapon. With the rifle, she had Samson strap himself over it. Wearing her usual light vest over her long-sleeve shirt, Kazuo helped fit extra magazines into the pouches, before tugging on the vest. He gave a thumbs up, and she nodded. In turn, Medici tugged on Kazuo's lion armour and nodded once more.

Kneesocks accompanied Sienna to the back of the Humvee. The demoness reached out for her personal weapon, and then took two UF45 handguns, offering one to Contiello. "It might not be your style, but these little guys here can be life savers." As Squigly reached for it, she spun the gun to have her grab the handle. "Relax your trigger finger, and always keep it off until you definitely wanna shoot something."

"I'll keep that in mind…" It reminded her of one of the weapons that were used during 'that day', but perhaps it was fate that she would be using it against her enemies. Kneesocks and Klo checked each other's vests to double check that they were secure. Squigly had one over her torso, and the Captain approached to check hers. They couldn't possibly stop a demon's arm blade could they? Knee's armour seemed light layered, and was grey, matching her hoodie and complimenting her black cargo shorts, and her knee socks were black.

Klo's vest was bulkier, complete with sleeves and shoulder pads. It hid his white t-shirt, whilst the belt around his waist was hidden by the vest, though of course his camo combats were obviously visible.

Sienna turned to the Captain: "Are you sure this vest is necessary?"

The feral Captain nodded. "These babies are good for stopping bullets. Maybe a blade. It's better than going in unprotected."

"Is that why you wear such a heavy set-piece?" Leviathan asked, staring at the heavy mesh that the feral wore. But he had already seen how fast Foxhound was when he fought against Dahlia. He is no doubt very strong, so the heavy gear probably doesn't impair him, despite its bulk and weight.

Drawing his Mateba, Kazuo examined his personal weapon. "Vampire or not; there is always a chance that I might take a heavy blow. At least this should soften it." He patted his armour. "It's made of concentrated hardened theonite." A creation by his auntie, and the armours that his comrades wore, his auntie discovered a hidden trait. Densely packed together, theonite can be hardened and up to two times stronger than fifteen sheets of Kevlar layered over each other. It could be how the Skullgirl is able to endure much damage or how her skeletal based attacks can be very strong, even against repeated attacks.

So far, these armours have done well in stopping bullets and deflecting bladed attacks. Despite being very useful, theonite is very difficult to obtain, and the amount needed to create even a single vest is ludicrous, and expensive. His team are currently the only members who are using these armours under trial. Perhaps they will show their true colours today.

"Do we have a plan?" Filia asked.

"No need to play it quiet. The civilians around here have already been evacuated." Kneesocks noted. She then handed one of the shotguns to the feral Captain, and a bandolier of shells.

"Sounds like a good plan." Leviathan quipped. "What next? Blow down the door with explosives?"

"Correct." Klo answered as he rushed to the front doors with a satchel with large bolt letters that read 'BREACH' in hand. Sticking it on the door, he urged everyone over… Once they stood behind him, he produced a detonator from his pocket, pressing the large red button atop the rod, and allowing the satchel to explode. Though it wasn't a large explosion, it was enough to break through the doors, loudly.

Klo entered first, rifle shouldered and safety on his rifle off. Kazuo followed as backup. Passing through the main reception, the Captain tapped on Klo's shoulder as he stepped ahead, leaving Klo as his backup. Peeking into the club through the doorway, the feral Captain noted how dark it was. Pulling out a flashlight, he crossed it over with his handgun. "Way too dark in there. Feels off…"

"I thought Vampires are good at seeing in the dark."

The Captain chuckled. "My eyesight can be a little off at times." Opening the door and entering first, he was followed by Klo. "Place is perfect for a trap and we're walking right into it." The smell of iron was strong. But there was no blood visible anywhere.

The long eared friend stopped his Captain. "Smell it?"

"Hmm…" He nodded. "Blood… But no blood visible." The Captain had a gut feeling that something was wrong.

The theon on Filia's head kept his eyes open, more than usual as well. "I think I have an idea of what we're up against…" The stench was strong, but nowhere to be seen. He knew one person who could control fresh blood, but it couldn't be… She was dead years ago! "Be ready Filia!"

An echo of maniacal laughter filled the whole club, mocking the rag-tag group as they explored the area. This club is known for having many patrons enjoying the show that Eliza put on, drinking alcohol from a simple beer to the hard whiskey or fine wine to compliment the snacks or meals. Patrons would cheer and clap by the end of every performance. Tonight was a performance to die for. The laughter continued.

The emptiness of the club served to emphasise the desolate environment around them, as well as the insane tone of voice of its owner. Its audible echo was strong to each pair of ears that were available to the group, so it was difficult to pinpoint its whereabouts.

Sienna stopped herself as she felt a strange sensation… Turning to the closed curtains of the stage, she hummed to herself. Gun in hand, Leviathan on shoulder, she slowly approached the large silky stage cover; when Kneesocks noticed, she followed after her to keep an eye out for her. "Strange… Feeling…" She murmured.

Grunting as he acknowledged the same feeling within, the drake-like theon raised himself high, breath ready to burn the earth before him.

Reaching out with her left hand, she stopped as she took hold of the cloth. Something was calling to her, and it was behind this sheet hanging before her. "There… It has to be…" Slipping it aside, she saw it… The bright glowing blade that she had lost, its glint sharp enough to cut. "The sword…!" Without thought, she stepped forwards with hand out to reach it.

Foxhound and Filia stopped and raised their attention to Sienna who shouted from the stage. "Sienna, it's a trap!"

She didn't hear them in time, once she felt someone on her left side. Leviathan didn't sense it either, and they didn't have enough time to react as they were ensnared by a thick, iron smelling, liquid. What ensnared her was crimson, but she couldn't break free from its hold as it lifted her by the neck. "Leviathan!"

"Squigly!" Not again!

"Hello Leviathan. How long has it been since we've last seen each other?" The woman, beautiful, dark, lustfully voluptuous with short black hair, laughed at the theon and his host. Her right arm was stripped of any flesh and nerve, but her shoulder and so forth was covered perfectly normal… From the bare bony arm was a thread of the red liquid, it was blood.

"Sekhmet!" He gasped her name before she was held by the neck by her skeletal arm.

No time to think, he had to do something! The Captain turned to Klo who had a second rifle on his back. His friend unslung the weapon and threw it to the hybrid feral. "Here!"

First to make a move, the feral Captain brought his rifle to shoulder, and pulled the trigger. Once the weapon's firing pin clicked, it unleashed a volley of chaos towards 'Sekhmet', or as he and the others knew her by, Eliza. Crying out as he sprayed rounds from his rifle, Klo joined him as he fired onwards at Eliza as well with a shotgun.

Kneesocks and Filia (with Samson of course), almost joining, was interrupted by Stygian emerging from the ground. They had to keep the masses busy!

Returning to the duo who fired, they realised their shots were not going through as she used a wall of blood to blood their shots. Their guns clicked empty. Throwing his rifle aside for Klo to take, Kazuo rushed with his right arm charging full of energy. Before he could reach Contiello, he was knocked away by a wave of blood. As he flew, he couldn't help but feel that what just happened was ironic.

Able to loosen the grip around her ankle, she was able to swing a free kick at the distracted Eliza! Slightly stumbling her, the blood that entangled her melted back to the diva's body, reforming her arm. The kick wasn't powerful enough to keep her away as she slammed the ground with enough force to send a wave of blood under Sienna to launcher her high! Sienna luckily had the pistol Kneesocks gave her, and aimed down as she fell, pulling the trigger without a second thought, and again and again!

To throw them away from the stage, Leviathan spewed fire to suppress the wench! Once further away from her, she shrugged the burns off. Trying to rush at Eliza again, Sienna jumped high, with the faithful dragon spewing flames on her left hand to give it that extra sense of drive to punch right through her!

"Gotcha…" The wench said as she clicked her fingers, summoning a pool of blood underneath the undead Contiello. Raising her right arm high, the blood reached out for Leviathan, tugging Squigly like a puppet! She laughed mockingly. "You are very important to Valentine's plan!"

"Worm!" Samson shouted when he saw Leviathan and Sienna caught.

Filia turned back, throwing away a stygian at the group of demons that attacked her and Knee.

"I got this!" Knee claimed as she ducked from an attack.

Medici brought her rifle to shoulder and fired at Eliza, much like Kazuo and Klo did, but again did nothing.

Eliza laughed as she raised a pool of blood before her to stop the bullets. "Is this your latest host Samson? Pathetic!" She curled her left hand into a fist. "Sometimes, you just need to pull the string out of the puppet!" She shouted as the blood that held Leviathan threw him around, violently shaking at Sienna.

"Squigly!"

"RIP AND TEAR!" The spray of blood, the crackling sound of shattering bone and piercing audible sound of flesh ripping apart… Sienna's corpse dropped to the ground before her, and Leviathan thrown aside, akin to a wet paper towel. "In most cases the host would be dead as is the parasite… But in this case, she was already dead, and that can only mean one thing!" She pointed at the now standing corpse that opened her eye; it glowed a bright red. Her face was covered in her own blood, but she didn't notice it covering her face. "Without you to interfere with Valentine's power, she's now back with us!"

The theon, still alive but weakened, struggled to slither by. "Sienna…"

"You've grown quite powerful. Perhaps it's enough to do what needs to be done." Taking hold of the sheathed katana, she approached the blank Squigly who accepted the weapon. Pointing downwards as she let the pool of blood form a seal, she smiled.

Standing from the last blow, Kazuo rushed at Eliza, who happily engaged with him. He threw punches and kicks rapidly, but aimlessly. Getting a hit on her was not part of the plan however as he had to keep her busy for the others. Throwing another punch, he was stopped by a blood formed fist, but he threw his fist dead on it once more for good measure. A third punch, and he was able to throw the wench back.

The fox-cat bounced in place, smiling at his opponent impishly. Peaking to his left, he saw that Klo and Filia were fighting their way through demons to try and get to Sienna. That seal that the blood drew out meant bad news if it were to be opened, and Sienna is able to use the sword fully! He only hoped that he'd be able to keep 'Sekhmet' busy long enough for his friends to get her out of the way. They had to get Leviathan into her again somehow, but that last attack drained him!

"Is that the best you can do? I hear you've been around for what, thousands of years? Don't disappoint me now!"

"You dare mock me!?"

"Just saying how I see it. You don't throw great punches." That was a lie; last punch she had in store for him would've sent him flying had he not competed with his own clash. But if she used blood to form herself, he had to be careful not to have an open scratch. Getting his energy through her blood might work in his favour, perhaps he can conduct it through. "Hora! Hora!" He taunted.

Adjusting her elbow, she growled at the Captain. "Hold your tongue!"

Filia and Klo knocked down and shot through any demon that stood between them and Sienna, but more took their place in overwhelming numbers. They wouldn't be able to stop whatever she was doing if they kept at this pace!"

The long eared feral used his shotgun's stock to knock down a reptilian demon, but the force was enough to break it; he was out of shells anyways. Switching to the rifle that Foxhound left him, he loaded a fresh magazine in before raining hot shots at his enemies. "We gotta stop her!"

Samson and Filia agreed that they can't both focus on the demons. "Long ears, get the Opera singer! Shove that worm back into her head!"

Looking back to the drake, he grunted. The stygians were swarming, but they had to stop her! Throwing his rifle to Medici and a pouch full of magazines, he made a run for the parasite.

Catching the weapon and pouch mid-air, Samson handed over the second rifle to his host, whilst keeping hold of the pouch. Filia's first rifle clicked empty. Bringing it to her left hand and her second rifle to her right, she unloaded the magazines from both weapons. Their thoughts were one again, as Samson was quick in shoving a new mag in each weapon, and then releasing the bolt. "Two for one special!"

Reaching her aim out and setting both weapons to automatic, she pulled the triggers back of each weapon, the chatter of the gun's mechanics and the repetitive loud crash of the weapons filled the club. The muzzle blast of the guns were bright, hypnotising due to their rapid nature! The rifle rounds were enough to drill through the tough hide of the artificial demons. Samson was also ever so ready to keep the action going, holding more magazines at the ready.

The long eared feral took the distraction as a chance to get Leviathan in hand, but as he did, he was knocked down by his Captain, who was thrown at him.

"Second time…" Kazuo said, groaning as he sat himself up.

When a bright light flashed around Sienna, the whole club was engulfed by its blinding omen… "Too late, children! This world shall come to an end!" She declared. "The sword was enough to open the Hell Gate below! You cannot stop us, the Egrets are outnumbered! You are powerless!" Bursting into laughter again, she pointed at the squad who slowly backed away.

The sword was there! If only Filia could get her hands on it, maybe that will close the Hell Gate! "We have to stop Squigly!"

Standing up, Kazuo stood again ready to fight. "We have to do it quickly, this place is going to hell fast!" He noted as he watched Stygians emerge in hordes from the portal forming at the stage. Their invasion was temporarily interrupted when a large paw, big enough to grab hold of several of the humanoid demons in one swipe, broke through. A big demon was trying to make its way in! Forcing its way through the portal, stretching it open, the creature resembled as that of a deformed ape-like creature. It wielded a large paw sized blade, formed specifically as its hunting tool.

Kneesocks and Klo joined Filia and Kazuo as they prepared to stand the tide… "That's one big ugly fucker." Klo noted.

Eliza smiled at the creature. "This is a Hunter, think of him as a brute mercenary if you will."

"What is to be done?" The monster asked.

"Destroy them." Eliza ordered.

"Consider it done!"

When the creature leaped at them, they all prepared to hold their ground, weapons in hand. Filia and Samson however were first to dive to the ground when they felt something behind them. Before long, the other three joined her as crashes of loud, rapid gunfire filled the room. Looking up, Medici saw the creature on its knees, bleeding profusely from its abdomen. Looking back, she saw who they were saved by.

"Wh-who are you!?" Eliza shouted in a demanding tone.

"It's that chick in the red coat! And that other, Sciency lady with Kazuo's pa!" Samson shouted.

"Nikki?" Kneesocks murmured.

Looking back, Kazuo saw his father and Auntie who stood with weapons by their side. It was Nikki who fired her guns. Only one of her guns, the darker toned handgun, was smoking hot. The rapid crashing was akin more to a machinegun, and the fact she did it with a single semi-auto is beyond impressive.

BlitZ and Moka looked around the club, and saw the mess made by the five. "Not bad, son." BlitZ folded his arms. "Not bad at all."

"Sorry we took our time. Bad traffic." The feral rabbit said as she brought out her huge Claymore and stuck it to the ground. Leaning on the handle, she chuckled. "So that's why she wanted the sword. In most cases, I'd be angry, but right now I'm really pissed off." Bringing her sword out from the ground, she hung it over her shoulder as she slowly approached, passing the four who stood up and backed away from the Hunter.

Looking at the large demon as its wounds slowly regenerated and its bleeding slowing down, she scoffed. "Using my sister's sword to open the portal to the demon world is one thing to get me pissed off. But here's where you really got me mad!" She pointed at the weakly Leviathan, who rested on Klo's shoulder, and then to Sienna.

The wench stepped back, sweat pouring down her forehead and cheek as she found herself intimidated by this red coated feral. "D-don't mock me!" She said, noticing that she was stuttering as she did so. "You don't know who you're messing with!"

"Here's where you should've ran; you hurt Sienna Contiello, you answer to me." She brought her gun to aim again. "I guess I can work the anger off you first."

With its wounds mostly healed, the large ape-like creature leaped at Nikki again, who was quick enough to dodge its lightning attack, and blocking its blade with her sword. "Impossible!"

"Too slow!" Using her gun, she shot through the Hunter's large blade, cracking a huge hole in it, large enough to shove her sword through. Jabbing her sword through the hole, she used this to drag the creature down by its arms. "And weak!"

Moka and BlitZ quickly came running in with their respective blades in hand, Moka carrying her trusty straight edge katana and BlitZ with his Revolver based sword. The fox made the first move by jabbing straight for its heart, firing one of the Revolver's blanks to propel the attack! Moka followed up with a volley of energy wave attacks from her blade! Even then, the creature struggled for its life and swung at the two with its gigantic paw.

Nikki, still pinning it down, shook it up to misdirect its attack, allowing BlitZ and Moka to barely dodge on a last minute notice! Releasing her sword, she drew her lighter toned handgun, and with both, stood under the creature as it hunched itself over her. Crossing her arms over each other, she fired her guns rapidly, each bullet carving a hole through its body, and since she was so intent on mulching through, she left a large gaping hole…

But it wasn't enough to sate Nikki's anger, and she retrieved her sword as she put away her lighter toned gun. With one swing upwards, she sent the creature flying back through the open portal, also knocking demons back down into it with him. Luckily, Moka and BlitZ's swords had flown through before that happened since she destroyed his chest. Looking at her Claymore, she noticed that it was bloody. Swinging at Eliza, she let the blood splash over her.

Unamused, she wiped it off her face and absorbed it into her own form. The whole room was showered in blood… Slowly creeping towards the dark skinned lounge singer, she chuckled. "It's time to show you true power!" With a tide of blood behind her, she was then accompanied by the possessed Sienna.

"True power huh?" She pointed her oversized sword. Looking at Sienna, she gritted her teeth together. "Come on then."

Eliza wasn't foolish, and had Squigly go first. The possessed opera singer pounced towards the Private Eye, katana in hand. Filia dived at her with her 'Pins', and locked herself with Contiello. "Let's dance, Squigly!"

More demons continued to try and climb through the vortex, but Kazuo, BlitZ and co were keeping them busy, shooting any that try and climb through and using whatever they could to stumble the masses, like bowling pins. Tables, glass bottles of drink, whatever was most available worked in their favour.

But Moka knew that the only way to close it was both the same blade that created it, and a drop of Nikki's blood. Filia fought Sienna, and she hoped the Medici can stop her and take the sword without killing Squigly. This couldn't be the only vortex open, perhaps this would be the first of many that the sword had opened… Or worse, this could be merely a distraction and that Eliza was truly just stalling the Reapers.


As anticipated, Sienna's training with precise and fast attacks put pressure on Filia. Her speed couldn't exactly match, and her blocks were barely holding out as is. Even when she had two 'Pins' and parasite, Samson to fight with, Sienna with her single katana was capable of fending off attacks and punishing Medici.

But again, this was like training: Romeo was faster, and also strong! Sienna however did not focus on strength, and instead tried to aim for vital points. While it can be very damaging, Filia was determined not to lose and stop her friend.

Retreating from a downward strike, Filia landed on one of the tables. She dove to her right when Sienna sliced upwards from underneath the table, cleanly cutting through, and barely scratching at Medici's leg. The cut was light, not deep enough to be of any worry. For the most part, Samson was the one throwing the two out of the way, but there wouldn't be any progress if she played chicken repeatedly against the fast corpse.

The only way to beat her was to find the perfect opening. Through the fight, Filia noticed several important factors: her strikes were weak, perhaps locking with an attack would give Filia enough time to attack. Despite her speed and precision, Squigly had overshot her mark and lost balance; she recovers from these mistakes very quickly so the opening was short. Without Leviathan, Sienna's main pressure comes from using her blade and swinging energy at her, which can be dangerous even if Medici had Samson to cover her up as armour.

One very important factor she noticed was how she was very strict in her standing, stepping very few times and keeping a wide, low profile in her stance. Knocking her off balance could be the perfect way to bring her down!

Another downwards strike, and Medici was able to lock herself with the undead opera singer using her pins. Thoughts alone was enough to convey what needed to be done next, and Samson wrapped himself around Sienna's waist. "This is it kid!" Immediately after his signal, the Junior jumped over the opera singer who was bound by the parasite. With a strong tug, she slammed Contiello to the ground behind her.

Releasing himself from their opponent, Samson encased Filia's arms and legs as the undead opponent rose to the challenge. Without a sense of discipline, the possessed corpse swung at them, sometimes the swing would throw her off balance. Filia wasn't able to dodge the relentless flurry of attacks and instead blocked with her pins and gauntlets. When the corpse tripped over herself, Filia was able to send a powerful roundhouse thrust kick, sending her friend flying aback!

Samson unwrapped from his host when he read through her thoughts again. Rushing at Sienna, Medici had her theon entangle the corpse. With all her might, both Samson and Filia swung Contiello's possessed body at the wall, before reeling her in with a strong tug from both host and theon. Charging up her right fist with enough energy, she threw a mighty punch, at the same time, releasing Squigly from Samson's grip. "Gotcha!"

Sienna was down for now. It took all she had to beat her though, so she was no joke.

Nikki was busy keeping up with Eliza who used wave after wave of blood to strike, literally. Even so, the feral Private Eye was able to counter with her sword, surprisingly holding her own despite Eliza's overwhelming attacks with blood.

But nothing could phase her when she was able to cut her way through those tides, even surprising the lounge singer. "Not bad!" Swinging once more, she sent the feral rabbit at the wall. The crash was loud, and she broke through to the next room, also leaving a smudge of her own blood behind. There were many pillars, and keeping to the strange theme here, there were Sphynxes and Pillars of hieroglyphics everywhere! There also seemed to be some sort of pool… A pool of blood. Not very hygienic.

Standing and pointing her sword, she smiled.

"What are you smiling about?"

"A fight every now and then makes life just that little bit more interesting, hmm?"

"Hmm… Agreed, it does keep things active." Eliza nodded. "But darling, I have never lost."

The Private Eye scoffed. "Then why are you working with the Skullgirl?" When Eliza hesitated, she knew that she struck a nerve. "Well?"

She growled. "You talk too much!" Swinging and turning a puddle of blood into a sharp spike, she stabbed through Nikki's torso. "You're mine! Let's have some of that warm blood!" Something was wrong however when she noticed that the rabbit took the damage in stride. Before she could draw a drop of blood from her, a spark of red lightning flowed through! Unable to pull back in time, she was shocked by this red lightning, forcefully breaking herself and Nikki apart.

Sitting up, she opened her eyes, blurry vision and shaking arms. "Wh-what was that!?" Once her vision returned and arms stilled, she shook her head and stood. "You should be dead! What are you!?" She demanded.

"Does it matter what I am?" She asked rhetorically.

She had to finish it now! Swinging her sword at Eliza, it generated a wave of energy to cut at her. Anticipating such an attack, the lounge singer lunged herself upwards. Covering her trusty microphone/staff in blood, she swung down at the Private Eye, locking her sword in. "Do you know what happens to my opponents!? It's butchery!" Pushing towards the Private Eye, she found herself trying to compete in raw power.

Then she noticed something… Something she should've seen straight off the bat! Nikki held her own with one arm! That means… "Oh no…"

Bringing her right arm and curling a shaking fist, she threw a powerful punch to the side of Eliza's head. The punch was no ordinary punch, with the force capable of breaking through Eliza's threshold, to even damage Sekhmet's form behind all the blood that tried to harden itself to soften the blow! Impossible!

Following through with her tough punch, she threw the singer into the pool of blood. "The moment an enemy basks in victory, they've already lost!"

But it wasn't over, Eliza wasn't dead. Slowly sitting up, her head pouring her own blood, she growled. "I'll… Kill… You…" But when she tried to stand, she found herself unable to! "N-no! H-h-how!? Punched… Through… Skull!" It wasn't her blood shell or organs that were damaged, it truly was the theon's skull she cracked through!

"In the case of a head fracture, most people may go through a series of symptoms. You may feel like your head is 'pounding' and your stomach 'swirling'. Perhaps loss of bodily function." She noted.

Eliza gagged and coughed, and her head pounded! "I… I feel nauseous! And… Headache…!" How humiliating. How many years had it been since she last felt truly ill? Without the use of her legs, she was a sitting duck!

"How long is it gonna take to heal up that thick skull of yours? Five seconds more? Ten?" It didn't matter. Once she was up and running again, Mason's was willing to smack her down again.

'This lowlife is mocking me!' She thought to herself, still unable to stand up. Luckily for her, the blood she absorbed helped to heal the wound. It was slow, and even though the offer of mercy was a mockery, it was an offer Eliza was willing to take. Feeling her legs once more, she slowly stood up from the shallow pool. The only thing that mattered now was winning, and how she can win… What it takes… "It doesn't matter!"

Splashing blood at the red coated feral, she roared as she saw her chance! She was blind from the blood, so there was no chance of missing! "I've won! DIE!" She shouted, throwing a tide towards her opponent. The tide of blood formed into a hardened giant fist, and she threw it at Nikki.

Even without sight, Nikki was able to deduct where the attack was coming from, and with one well timed kick… There was a loud crash, followed by audible crackling, like a brick wall being blown in and crumbled under a bulldozer's presence. Wiping the thick crimson liquid off her eyes, the Private Eye was able to see the surprised look on the Crimson Scourge's face.

"H-how…? No one was able to block that much force!" It took the whole pool to form that fist, and that alone was enough to put Samson's previous host out of commission! Her formed arm began to melt, and her control over the blood had faded. "What are you!?" She shouted again.

Mason grinned. "I'm not so sure myself."

"It wasn't meant to be this way! I should've won! I was promised a kingdom! This world, then the next world over would've been 'ours'!"

"Is that so? Well…" Nikki paused herself, before drawing her silver handgun. Without a second to hesitate, she pulled the trigger, the muzzle aimed toward the top of Eliza's head. The shot topped off the left side of her forehead, piercing through seamlessly and breaking through the back. She could see that the bullet had slowed, but glowed a bright red. She didn't charge that shot, at least she thought that she didn't. Perhaps it was an unconscious action…"We'll have to rearrange the size of your head to fit the tiara."

The dark skinned lounge singer flew across the pool, before landing flat on her back, floating. Her form was still mostly intact, that meant that she still wasn't dead. With such a large gaping hole in her head, she was out of commission. Unconscious as well, so the damage would take a long while to heal. She wasn't concerned with Eliza however as she stepped out of the pool. "I'll admit though, that took a lot outta me." Especially a lot of anger…


Stepping back into the club, she found that Moka had already sealed off the portal. Remembering that Sienna was the current owner of the sword, it was all a simple step by step process. Filia had beaten Squigly, they had both her blood and the sword. When she thought about it, she probably could've closed off the vortex earlier, and then the group could've taken on Eliza.

The sword to open the gate to the demon world can be used to close it. To open a portal, the user who tributes their blood to the sword can freely open portals. A drop of blood from either the creator, her great-great grandfather and descendants, or even the current sword owner, can be used to nullify an opened gate. Luckily, the situation didn't escalate out of control here, but elsewhere could be different. At the very least, they had the sword again.

For Squigly however, she was able to open the gate without knowing how or being taught about it. Perhaps being possessed allowed Valentine to relay such information, but right now she was a puppet under string. Leviathan was alive, and was able to resist the nurse's influence, but he was weakened by that last attack. He could burrow back into Contiello's head again, but what if he's pulled out in a crucial moment? There must be some way they can work around this.

But the rule of thumb: An attached parasite that is removed from their host forcefully will kill both host and parasite. But they were already dead! This sparks a whole slew of complications…

"Will putting Leviathan back to her head bring Squigly back?" Filia asked.

"No doubt, but I'm worried. What if this happens again?" Nikki admitted.

Samson nodded. "She almost had us. She's real fast, and tough. It wouldn't be right to put her six feet under…"

"Let's just get her back to HQ…" Moka suggested. "Get her on a bed."

Nikki nodded. She knew that Eliza back at the pool of crimson wasn't dead, but she wasn't of any concern now.


Seeing Sienna on the bed, almost lifeless due to her state, made Nikki frown. There were risks to fighting alongside the Reapers, and Squigly still happily joined regardless. But she saw that she had become stronger, spending time in the dream world was worth the trouble. But with the state the opera singer is in: what would Sienna do after the Skullgirl is defeated? Her name was signed and processed into their databases, and most of all she made a strong impression.

It would be sad to see her go… But she had to choose between the possible second chance she has, or return to the grasp of her parents. If Mason was put in that situation, it'd be a hard choice. To choose between your own blood kin, and the family that one had been accepted to and treated as such would take far too long for her to make a decision... Had she not some very important family now. Her children and her husband, people she couldn't let down or leave behind.

Mason however was not this unconscious opera singer: she was pure, innocent but also strong minded. She shook her head at the thought…

Moving to the drake who was slowly recovering in a small pen, she took note of the monitoring devices attached to him. Heart rate had returned to normal, so that was a good sign. "How you feeling, champ?"

"Could be better…" He turned to his host. "How is she?"

"Unconscious, but she's fine. Moka is broadcasting a psionic wave around this hospital to keep the Skullgirl out of reach." They wouldn't have to worry about her waking up under Valentine's control. Still, she frowned at the sight of her…

"Something is bothering you." Leviathan deducted just by looking at the Nephilim's face.

Mason nodded and sighed. Like a mother thinking about their child with friends at a park, maybe the clingy Auntie who always thought about their niece of nephew, or perhaps the Grandmother who keeps calling to check on her grandchild… She couldn't put the thought of Sienna Contiello aside. Regardless of their differences, there was a time where Mason herself was in that position; feeling helpless and wondering which road is best to take. Her path was split in two, and both paths lead very different ways.

The Private Eye was fortunate to have chosen the road she had years ago, when she had the choice to give up or continue living.

"You needn't worry. Once I have my strength, we can fight again. I promise you that."

"But that's not it."

"It's not?" Leviathan asked, curious.

The feral rabbit nodded. "Sixteen years… Sixteen fucking years. That's how long you two were put six-feet-under, right? How many years more? You're not really there…"

"What do you mean?"

She sat down on the chair besides the pen and bed. "It's torture… I know you two feel that you have a responsibility to stop the Skullgirl that awakens you two, but… Shouldn't she have a sense of happiness?"

The snake-like theon nodded. "She is happy, despite the hardships…"

"Do you really believe she's truly happy? Leviathan, you and I both know that she's trapped between two worlds… Can she not be given a sense of stable happiness?"

Silence… Nothing came out of either party's mouths. Taking the thought into account, what is best for his host is not for either of the two to decide. It was Sienna's own choice. He looked at his host, seeing how she looks closer to being alive than ever with her pale but lively skin, the healed wounds that used to be on her hip had also sealed up and reformed. It didn't mean she was truly alive, and she was only driven by the Skullgirl's powers.

But if Squigly was more than happy to take the chance to live again, then he shall as always stick with her to the end. Her happiness was part of his own goals, to make his former host proud that he was able to stand in his steed. Roberto… He missed him, and Sienna did without a doubt yearn for her father. These people however, they've become as important as ever, and the parasite himself felt attached to these sentimental people.

For Leviathan, Nikki was the type of person who doesn't like to show her emotions. She didn't bottle herself in however, but rather display what needs to be seen, say what needs to be said and listen when one needs to be heard. Mason was stoic, and even as her vocabulary didn't represent it, she was knowledgeable. It had been such a long time since he had met someone as such, and couldn't remember if one such person was a former host.

This woman didn't even know Squigly the way Micheal and the other Reapers does, and yet once she knew about the events that transpired on the day the Contiello's were wiped away… She stood by her.

"I don't know… If I could wish upon the Skullheart without a catch, I'd ask for her to be alive once more. But no, doesn't work like that does it? It would've been fool proof though if it did. No procedures, just… Alive. Maybe her family too."

"You wouldn't wish for your own?" Leviathan ask, assuming she went through something similar. His assumption was proven correct when she shook her head. "I've had my fair share, I was strong enough to stand on my own two legs at the time I lost them. What I want and need isn't as important, because that girl there didn't get the chance to live a life on her own, or at all." She grimaced. "No one deserves to die when she did."

Leviathan nodded. "I wholeheartedly agree…"

"Moka has been planning something. It could bring her back, but…"

"But…?"

"It might not as well."

Not many people would have this chance, but Squigly is perhaps one of the few of the undead that can be revived… If it worked that is.

She fidgeted about in her sleep, before finally sitting up. Yawning and stretching her arms out, she rubbed her eyes as they slowly opened. "What happened…?"

"Hey, take it easy kid. You should rest."

"Kid? I'm not that much younger than you."

"Still younger." Mason noted. "You okay?"

Squigly nodded, feeling the empty space in her head where Leviathan would usually be. Seeing him in his own pen, connected to various monitoring machines, she smiled. It was strange without him through her head, and normally without him, she'd be… One of 'her' minions. Perhaps they had some sort of technology to prevent Valentine controlling her. Across the room was a mirror; she hadn't had the chance to look herself in the mirror the past few days, at least properly. Goodness, things have changed.

She didn't notice that her skin had become a pale white, which ironically was better than the shade of blue she had previously. Her hair still was navy, and she still hadn't a left eye, but her fringe did a good job covering that. Aside from the missing eye, the navy hair and large gaping hole in her head, she looked like an older version of her former self.

If Leviathan hadn't pierced through her skull and burrowed his way in, she wouldn't have come this far. Was this change a sign? Or was it provocation to tempt her away from her family in the next life? Perhaps it was both. Maybe if it didn't happen to her family, she would've been in her early thirties, perhaps singing as part of an Opera Group, not minding anything about the Skullgirl and the Skull Heart. She would be alive, and family as well!

But she was killed, shot right through her head point blank. But even so, even as she is brought back every time a Skullgirl comes into play, she has grown close to Leviathan who is dedicated to his current host. Even better, she met some new friends, ones that have become so important that she couldn't simply leave them when the time came. If she was alive, she would never have become close to Filia, she would never have met Kazuo, Nikki… Micheal... Losing her family left a huge hole in her life, but these people… They are as good as family as her real one. Perhaps she really is part of their family.

Would it be worth leaving her new family and her chance at revival to be with the ones waiting for her? Would she be betraying her bloodline? No, it can't be. Her father allowed Leviathan to implant himself into her head, and in doing so gave her the chance to live, again and again. This must be some kind of miracle, perhaps her father wanted Sienna the chance to live for the sake of her late family, reinstate the Contiello's firmly to the Earth again.

"Is something up?"

Squigly at first shook her head, unsure whether she should admit the thoughts in her head. But looking at the mirror again, she found herself smiling at the thought of a new, clean slate. It would be nice to have a real chance at life again, for both herself and her parasite. It has been at least more than a week, not counting the time she had in the dream world. Her mind had made itself up: she would take the risk. "Moka said she had been working on something for me, didn't she?"

Mason smiled. "Yeah, why?"

Before she answered, she turned to her resting theon. Taking a deep breath in, she asked: "Leviathan, do you stand by my decision?"

"Whatever you request, I shall surely stand by your motive m'lady."

"Good… Because I'm willing to take the risk. I can't be bound by the awakening of a Skullgirl any longer. I want to be… Alive."

Mason nodded. "I'll speak to Moka about it." She stood, walking to the door and leaving Host and parasite behind.

"It's a very bold decision…"

"I can't stay buried under six feet only to be pulled out of my coffin because someone wishes on the Skull Heart. I can't allow myself to be bounded by it, I cannot allow my life for the rest of time to be dragged under by that notion! I will not allow it!"

"Squigly…"

"I know I'll miss my family, but this is why I'm here now! A real second chance! I will take it, and even if it fails, I'll keep trying. I want to be in control of my own life, and I won't allow any entity to drag me around with them. I'm not a puppet stringed up and hung for the next show, I… Am a Contiello."

Smiling at his host, he slithered his way to her. "Let the Contiello tradition live on."

The door opened, it was Nikki. "Sorry to bother. You two up for the nickel tour?"

"I wouldn't mind the opportunity to stretch my legs." Sienna admitted, standing up from her bed slowly. Leviathan hung from her shoulder, though missing the warm sleeve of his host's head, he will have to make do with the current situation to avoid hurting her. She followed the Private Eye as they walked through the hallway. It was bright, and the walls were plastered with a plain blue wallpaper as the floor was marble-like in pattern. "This is a hospital, right?"

"Yes, a very good one. 'Abellio Grace's Hospital'. I old girlfriend worked here once."

Squigly nodded. "Ah, I see."

"Moka should be in room 115A1. She said she wanted to see you."

"Okay." Squigly acknowledged.


Moka kept herself busy as she organised a set of tools on a small metallic tray. The tray sat atop a small table with small wheels that squeak as they move. Aside from the small tools she will need, there was also the abundance of monitoring systems, ready to hook up to her next patient, and life support units. Blood bags, painkillers and anaesthetics were at the ready, a little overkill but the procedure she had in mind would be very risky.

The bed for which her next patient would be had been made with new sheets for the mattress, and the pillows. An extra pillow for the comfort of the patient! Set beside the bed was a sheet to cover up said patient, with a detachable square centre for surgery.

Making sure that the room was well lit under procedure, she dimmed the main lights of the room and brightened the light that shone over the bed. To ensure that the balance wasn't compromised, she took to the windows and closed up the blinds, preventing even a slit of sunlight slipping through. No other devices were on besides the ones that will be monitoring the patient's vitals, and machines that would help transfuse blood and so forth.

Of course, she had to make sure that everything was ready for the appointment. Picking up one of the scalpels, nodded at its gleam.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a polite knock at the door. "Come in!" She said, not looking at the doorway. Her right ear perked at the door squeaking open.

"Am I interrupting?" The soft voice, made for soothing through song…

Turning to her, she smiled at the person who politely knocked and spoke. "Not at all Squigly. Come, make yourself comfortable."

The undead… Well… Supposedly undead Contiello took to the bed. You wouldn't be able to tell that she was dead with such pale skin. She didn't have that washed out shade of blue on her skin, but she was still at best 'dead'. Fidgeting in her seat, she laid her theon on her lap.

"Nervous?"

"A little, but confident."

"About what?"

"About…" She looked around. "This?"

Moka chuckled. "I think we should run through what procedures I will do." When Sienna and Leviathan nodded, she cleared her throat. "Firstly we're going to sedate you, make sure you're unconscious. Wouldn't wanna be awake whilst we go through this. But I'll nutshell everything that we're going to do."

She stood and revealed a synthetic hand, oriented to replace ones left hand. Comparing it with Squigly's left skeletal hand, it would fit perfectly. "One thing that we need to do is replace that left hand of yours. If this operation is successful, then your skeletal hand would be of no use." Putting the hand aside, she then pointed to Squigly's head. "Then I need to work on that hole in your head."

"Hmm?"

"In general, if a theon was forcefully removed from their host, both would be dead. But right now, you're in a situation where removing Leviathan didn't kill you. What if we could do that freely whilst you were alive?"

Sienna and Leviathan looked at each other, interested at the theory. "So… Leviathan can freely let himself out of my head, and still we'd be both alive?"

Moka nodded. "I'm certain that we can turn Leviathan into a remote theon of the sort. I just need to reinforce that hole in your head… May need to put a processing chip into your brain as well. Augmentations like these are quite extreme, but not as crazy as what I've went through."

"I see."

"I just need your final approval, and we can begin. I can't guarantee that it'll be completely successful, if at all. It's taking a chance."

Squigly nodded. "If it needs to be done, then we can begin. I'm willing to take that chance." She nodded to herself at the decision. "But… Can I see someone very important? Would you be able to call him over?"

"I'll make arrangements. Sit tight."


The fox hybrid sighed to himself and cleared his throat. When he heard what happened to Squigly, he immediately left the Castle to find Squigly. His mother however was here, and assured him that everything was fine. But Micheal was still concerned, as he heard what Squigly wanted to do.

Of course he trusted Moka, she hadn't failed anyone yet, but this is something that no one had worked on yet. Bringing the dead back to life was no laughing matter, and no doubt would prove a challenging task even for the smart mind of Moka. If something goes wrong, Sienna will have to go through the process of being called to the purgatory of being undead, or worse… He could lose her forever! The thought sent chills down his spine.

This must be the reason why she called to him personally. Just in case this happens to be either the last time for a long time, or… "Come on Mikey… Think positive." He urged himself, but how could he when something that no one had attempted before is to be tried today? But he can't say anything to sway Sienna's decision, because he has no control over what she wants.

Before he had the chance to knock, he stopped himself. "Hmm…" That scent… The strong scent of roses that he welcomed warmly. The door opened before him. "Were you expecting me?"

"Yes… Please come in Micheal…"

The hybrid nodded and followed Sienna in. "You can call me Mike. Or Mikey." He joked. With Leviathan detached from her head, he found it an odd site, even though he understands the circumstances. It's just that he had been so used to seeing him pop out of her head, he couldn't imagine her without him.

Closing the door behind him, he took a seat besides the bed. Leviathan was resting easy on the desk besides the chair. Moka will be working on the both of them tonight… He seemed quite peaceful, content almost. Perhaps he didn't mind being removed from his host's head, as long as he was still close by. "So… Tonight's the night."

"So it is…" Squigly said as she sat on the bed.

The hybrid feral scratched the back of his head, lost for words. "Uhm…" He spurted out. When something came to mind, he cleared his throat again. "You know Squigly… I've been thinking…" He searched for words again. "You know… All this? Everything that's happened so far has been strange."

"It has." Contiello agreed. "With the Skullgirl and all." But she knew that's not what he meant. Clearing her throat, looking to her left and swaying her fringe aside, she smiled and flushed red. "Micheal…"

"Yes?" He brought himself closer to her. As he did, she pull him towards her, catching him off guard. She was able to lead his lips to hers, and again she had stolen another kiss from him; like before, there was no rejection. He responded in kind to her forward approach, swirling her tongue over his and his over hers. Like before, she dominated, again, he didn't mind.

Unlike before, the kiss was ongoing, and they were at their closest as she reeled him in very close. He was kneeled down on the floor, but tall enough to reach her as she had her head angled down on him. There were short breaks in their frenzy, enough for short bursts of air. 'I still need to work on my tongue.' Squigly thought to herself. Still, they continued.

'I hope I'm doing things right.' Micheal thought to himself.

Another short break, but a swift recovery as they only took a moment of reprieve for air. Warm, wet and yet it sated their need… Squigly partly thought that this was simply puppy love, that it couldn't be true love. But if it was simply just the heat of the moment, why was there so much determination and drive being thrown in to this? Their moment of desire felt more like a mosh pit than a fairy tale. Still, the needy nature only motivated their curiosity.

For a simple experiment, perhaps they found the solution to that million dollar question: 'Would this relationship work?' Despite the hardships they will be going through and the dangerous nature of their current occupations… Contiello and Mason-Fox both were confident that 'they' can work.

One more swirl, before the kiss broke, leaving a trail behind. Mason-Fox and Contiello took a moment to process what just happened; it was unreal! Sienna thought about what her parents would think, perhaps they would've been either angry or embarrassed. But this is now, and as much as she missed a lot about the world, she felt that this was right and didn't care if she was wrong.

"Sienna… I…" The hybrid feral tried to think, but his mind was clouded by the thought of that opera singer. His mind raced through thoughts as fast as his heart did, like a horse galloping mercilessly to the finish. Those thoughts slowed themselves at the moment he realised that this could be the last time they'll see each other, or that they will be once again separated by the end of the quest. "Well… I…"

Squigly kissed him once more, a simple plant to his forehead. There was silence, but she smiled at him tearfully. It was a good thirty seconds before the two broke eye contact, but it felt like time had frozen. Breaking their line of sight from each other helped time to resume around them.

"Wish us luck."

"I won't be the only one." He turned around once more. "Sienna I want to sa-…"

"I love you!"

Utter silence… Not even white noise or the internal ring within ones ear could help regain the audio within that room. Silence… Silence… Silence…

"Squigly…"

She stood from her bed, and hugged him. "We don't know each other entirely, but I know I love you! I know that deep in my heart that it's you that I care the most about right now!"

"Squigly… There's got to be some other reason that you feel that way…" But he felt it in his own heart that he wanted her. She made him feel like he'd a purpose, and even if she was stronger, he would give everything he had to offer. Was this what is parents felt like when they decided to get together? So hastily yet it felt… So right…?

"You made me feel alive; made me feel like I was important again. I've said time and time again that you did what so many would not do. You didn't sympathise, you just acted on what you felt was right… That's just one reason why I fell for you…"

The feral hybrid brought his arms up, wrapping them around Contiello's waist, tightly keeping her to him. "It's cliché… I still fucking believe it."

"You better…"

He said to his comrades that he'd be assisting again, but the thought of leaving Sienna felt wrong. "I'll be waiting… You come back to me."

"You better be waiting for me…" She let him go, and he let her go, before he took to the door slowly, trying to make the moment last an eternity.

Leviathan, seeing the Reaper feral leave, smiled. "Stalemate."

A few minutes of being alone to herself, she heard the door open. Sitting up to see who was at the door, she took note of this person. He was a fox, but he didn't have the bunny ears like Micheal did, even though he looked similar! "Hello?"

"So… You must be Sienna."


Nikki entered the room, her coat off and wearing a similar apron to Moka. The feral cat raised a brow. "You're not usually performing surgeries for people anymore."

"You're going to need someone who knows how to perform surgery."

"True…"

Nikki turned to Contiello, and approached. Nodding in acknowledgement, she held her hand. "This is it kiddo."

Squigly nodded.

"Any last requests? Just in case?"

She smiled. "If I don't make it, tell Kazuo and Filia… 'Kick Valentine's ass."

Mason nodded. Taking the gas mask and having it at the ready for both Leviathan and Squigly, she slowly fitted it around their mouths.

Micheal was greeted by Kazuo and Filia, who made it too late to see Squigly before the surgery. The hybrid Nephilim though assured the others that she would be fine.

"I guess it's all about waiting now." Samson said.

"Yeah." Micheal nodded, though his thought was elsewhere when he didn't pay attention to the two. His were blank, so neither Filia nor Kazuo could tell what was in his mind. Perhaps he was concerned, but of course they knew that! It had to be something else that was stuck in his head, something that would leave any person flabbergasted for minutes, hours or even days on in.

The Captain nodded. "She'll be okay man. She's tough. You should've seen her at the club."

"Still kicked her ass." Samson gloated.

Filia hushed her theon, and reached out to Mason-Fox. "We got lucky at best. But that's not important." She nodded to herself. "Did you talk to her before they took her in?"

Micheal couldn't help but smile. "Define: 'Talk'?"

That impish smile… Where had Kazuo seen it before? The smile was nothing of the sort: it wasn't the smile of victory or the smile of deception. The curved lips didn't represent his reaction to humour, but rather he did find Filia's notion humorous in some context. To complicate things was 'Why did he smile at that'? Of all the things that could've had him even grin, it was something as simple as Filia asking if he had talked to his love before surgery.

The fox-rabbit twiddled his thumbs around and against each other, something uncharacteristic of him. "Talk…" He scoffed. "Talk? Pfft. We 'talked'. A little."

"A little?" Filia asked as if she is interrogating him, raising a brow.

Micheal's smile subsided but his gaze went out the window to his left. What was he thinking about now? Perhaps it was Squigly of course. Squigly? Of course! Foxhound knew that look was familiar! Kazuo could only know it for the fact his own thought trail had experienced what his friend is going through. The smug smile, the starry night eye gaze even during daylight, the pointless addition to his responses!

Any man or woman wouldn't be so obvious when they go through a multitude of different feelings, but it only takes one simple action to give it away. "You didn't just talk to her, huh?" He asked, and Micheal blushed as he scratched the back of his head.

Medici caught on to the situation very quickly, and her jaw widened in shock. It was a good few seconds before she smiled and hopped towards the Nephilim. Wrapping her right arm around his head and pulling him down, she laughed. "We got a Mr Casanova here!"

"Dude, if you were a vampire, you'd be-…"

"Fang-whipped?"

The three were interrupted when a deep voice from across the hall echoed to their location. Filia's grip on Mason-Fox loosened, and she slowly stood up straight along with Micheal who looked down the hall. A tall feral fox: yellow furred, wearing a blue leather coat with rose red accents, had a long bushy tail to match and short dark brown hair. He looked very close to Micheal, but instead he wore a pair of designer frame glasses, and stood slightly taller and bulkier. He approached with hands in pockets, smiling at the feral Nephilim.

The Nephilim couldn't believe his eyes, but who he saw before him, standing before him… "Dad!?"

He came all the way from the Chess Kingdom to hear his son's voice. He himself wasn't surprised at Micheal's reaction. "Hello son."

"What brings you all the way from 'Chess'? Weren't you dealing with a case there?"

"I was, but it was nothing to worry about." He scoffed. "When your mother called and told me some interesting news, I came as quickly as possible."

Micheal blushed and reached the back of his head. "Oh, right…" As always, it's a long story to explain. "If I'd known you were coming, I would've introduced you to her."

"Nah, don't let me interrupt. Whilst she's going through 'that', I think you shouldn't worry yourself and find a place to turn in." He patted his son on the shoulder, who was just slightly shorter but bulkier than father.

Micheal nodded without another word and waved farewell to his friends. Kazuo nodded and waved back. Turning to Mason-Fox's father, nodded in acknowledgement. "Strange time to be here, huh Kizza?"

Filia turned to Kizza. "You're Micheal's father, huh?"

"The one and only." He smiled, pulling his right hand out of his pocket and reaching out for her. When Medici took to his offer, he took notice of the theon that posed as Filia's hair. He decided not to say anything.

"It's nice to meet you. Probably be nice for you to meet Sienna too."

"That's not a problem…" He smiled again. "For now, I'll keep an eye on Micheal. As for you two, I heard good things. Reala also wants to see you back at the castle." Kizza said before leaving. As he walked away, a thought on his mind played over… The reason why he wasn't disheartened by the fact he didn't get to meet Squigly formally, was because…


Taking a sip from a personal flask, he put it aside as he sat beside Squigly who was relaxed in her bed. "It's strange. How the first person my son truly falls for is you."

"It's because I'm… 'Dead', hmm?" Sienna retorted.

Kizza chuckled. "No, no. It's more like he chose someone as strong as you over many others." Leaning back in his seat, he turned to Contiello. "It's kind of like Deja-vu."

"You think so?" She raised a brow.

The fox nodded. "Considering the woman I decided to pick was an ass kicker herself. More so than I."

"I wouldn't know about that." Squigly said, curving her lips widely. "I hope that after the operation, that I can see him again."

Kizza stood from his seat, nodding at Sienna's wish. "I believe you will. I'm sure Nikki does too." Nikki always believed in luck and good things. Sienna and Micheal's meeting couldn't have simply been chance, and that alone made him wonder whether it was simply good luck as well. Though the feral fox couldn't understand what it'd be like to be in Squigly's predicament, he at least understands the feeling of being held back.

Curious about how Micheal's parents ended up together, Sienna took a deep breath. Ringing up any courage she had within her, she cleared her throat and asked: "How did you and Nikki meet? Didn't she have a 'girlfriend' before she met you?"

Fox chuckled. "I remember that story like it were yesterday. There isn't a moment that I forget it."

"Go on."

The feral fox took his flask again, unscrewing the cap and lifting his head back as he allowed more of his concoction to flow in. After a good moment, he gulped down what he had in mouth, wiping away any excess and then he continued. "I met her at a bar. She was wearing a red, cuffed sleeve coat and a pair of beige denim to compliment. She had shorter hair, only chin length and un-styled." Not like the hair she had now: the shoulder length ponytail with straight bangs, and a dyed black fringe.

Sienna grinned. "What was it like?"

"She spoke first."

"What did she say?"

He chuckled at the thought. "The exact words: 'The fuck are you looking at?'"

Squigly expected nothing less from Nikki. Unromantic, but honest and straightforward, as well as being downright rude. In a way, the undead opera singer did like that about her. "So what happened after? She buy you a drink or did you buy her one?"

"We kinda shared a drink actually. She had a whole whiskey bottle to herself and after she saw me try to buy some beer, she immediately took my aback and had me drink with her. The more we drank, the more we got to loosen up and talk to each other."

"Mmm…"

He couldn't remember how long it took before the relationship became concrete, but it must've been at least a year before things between the two escalated. It's unlike most relationships he had. "We kept in contact. Knowing that we were in the same line of business made it easier."

Squigly didn't doubt that by any stretch. "So what sealed the deal between you two?"

Kizza leaned his head back on the wall, his face blank. His mind went back in time to search for the perfect answer, and he knew it by his heart and soul that what he was looking for was correct. "The day she asked me to work for her was the day she proposed."

As unromantic as Nikki mostly seemed, she can admit: that trick alone was creative, smart, and probably one of the most romantic things she's heard in a long time. The story of how her parents met and became one would've stayed atop the list had she not have heard this. "Beautiful."

There was a moment of silence…

"You stay safe." He said as he stood

Sienna nodded. "If I make it."

Taking his flask, he stopped himself. Looking at the small metallic bottle, he hummed to himself. He only picked it up very recently, and wasn't much of a drinker, rather he planned to hand it over to his son when he was finished with it. Turning back to the undead Contiello, he offered her the flask. "Here."

"Huh?"

"I don't have much use for this. Take it as a sign of good will."

"Or your blessing?"

"That too if it makes you feel comfortable." When she took the bottle, he smiled once more and slipped his hands into his pockets. She didn't have to drink from it to accept it, but nonetheless she angled her head back as she consumed a small amount. "How's it?"

It didn't burn like Nikki's drink; rather it left a booming sensation that splashed and ran around her tongue. What was in the flask…? If she had to describe it, the taste strongly resembled strawberries that had been freshly grounded and sweetened with sugar, fit for a peanut butter sandwich, or simply bread alone. To compliment the tangy sweetness, was a strong bounce, perhaps lemon? It certainly was noticeable, but not as much as the aftertaste of gala apples.

Unlike the last drink, this was something she could easily run with. "What was that…?"

"Bit of something I picked up from Downtown New Meridian." Kizza explained as he turned and waved. "If you wake up by tomorrow, head north and stop at the 'Indivisible' bar."

Sienna smiled, feeling glad that she was also accepted by Micheal's father. "I'll keep that in mind…" Putting the flask under her pillow, she lied back and sighed. "You know Leviathan, I think I've made the right choice." She didn't receive so much as a word from her parasite. He was fast asleep in his pen, awaiting for the Doctor's call. Perhaps he would've liked to meet Kizza, the two would've got along so well.

"Mother. Father. Wish me luck."


Bullet after bullet, magazine after magazine. Kazuo and co were preparing supplies of ammunition for their next venture, whilst Filia double checked that the weapons they were bringing were in good condition. With the next mission expected to stress their weapons to their limit, she packed spare parts for the guns. As for their blades, Samson was happy to sharpen and clean the blades, making sure they were ready for the upcoming battle.

After checking through the firearms one last time, she gave a thumbs up to the Captain. "We should start fitting on our vests."

Kazuo nodded, but stopped Medici before she could pick her usual Kevlar vest. "No way Filia. You're not wearing this shit again."

"What? I'll be fine."

"I know. But…" He pointed at the doorway as Cerebella dragged in a large box (with the help of Vice Versa of course), and atop the box was Ms. Fortune who continued to plague her friend. Bringing it to Medici, Fortune and the former acrobat stood aside and allowed the operative to take a look. "Courtesy of Reala!"

"You don't have to worry about scratching this." Nadia commented.

Knowing how Reala liked to procure gifts for the operatives, she shrugged as she crouched and unlocked the large and wide box. Throwing it open, she cautiously looked inside. She couldn't believe her eyes… "Oh my…" She expected something anti-climactic, like a small firearm of sorts; what she got was different.

There were several pouches that cushioned: a carbine Vladof U2, with a black and classic artificial wood stock and foregrip. The gun also has a logo of a sinister upside down smiling face with grotesque teeth, which resembled something she drew to represent Samson! To compliment this weapon was a full set of custom armour, something much like the Captain's but slightly cut down, yet bulkier at the torso.

The armour was black with patches of silver and grey, a large logo pasted around the chest much like her gun. It did not have the full sleeve like Takeo-Foxhound's, and leg armour was limited to a custom pair of heavy boots and shin pads. She knew however this was to make up for her vulnerabilities whilst Samson ensnared her arms and legs.

"Wow… This…"

"Reala doesn't give people stuff like this unless he thinks you deserve it." Klo added.

Kazuo nodded in agreement. "So how about we fit that mesh on?"

Filia nodded, smiling to herself. "Thank you, all of you…" This was their token of gratitude. There was no going back now. Filia finally felt truly part of the team.

"Let's fit that on kid."

"Yes." She nodded. Before she reached out for the armour, she stopped herself and turned to Kazuo. "Captain, I need to hear a promise from you." She trusted him that he wouldn't fail her.

"What is it?"

"For the past few years I've never been able to find myself. I'd been lost in my own mind, trapped in the past…" Sighing and closing her eyes, she thought back to those days. It seemed a while ago, even if it had been only a few years. "If it weren't for you all, I wouldn't have found myself. But I ask for one last favour."

Kazuo nodded. "Yes?"

"I barely know Squigly, but I want to fight to restore the trust between our families. If I go down, will you fight in my name?"

There was a pause, but then… He nodded. "Yes…"