Disclaimer: I don't own the King of Fighters…

A/N: Greetings! Welcome to my story and thank you for reading. Okay, we've reached part one of this year's climax, and we're starting with the more emotional side of this battle. From a personal standpoint, I think honestly that this may be the best chapter of a story I've ever written. Thank you again for reading, and I really hope you like it. And here … we … go:

The King of Fighters XV

Love Bleeds Once More

Mad Dash

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

In 'The Quarter', Hiroshi, Kyo, and Adel stood amongst the masses in the Upper End of Bourbon Street, where many of the tourist attractions were. All up and down the obvious party center, there stood many establishments including bars, restaurants, strip clubs, etc. Even on the street were multiple t-shirt vendors and souvenir shops, very intelligent considering the activity. The street was alive on this night, a lot more than usual incredibly, as the people were in the midst of a festival, celebrating the international recognition the King of Fighters brings. The area was bathed in the soft light from the hanging strings of festival lights. The air was filled with the aroma of cooked seafood and distinct Cajun seasonings. Overhead, there hovered the iconic Spanish iron balconies.

Standing on a balcony over the street, two people noticed Hiroshi standing alone: Vice and Mature! They quickly got into position on the balcony right above him, but something very peculiar happened to them upon seeing him for the first time in a year. Their hearts skipped a beat before starting to race. They suddenly couldn't look away from him, and they didn't want to either. Then, a foreign feeling took over them, a kind of excitement. It wasn't their usual sadistic excitement either, but a joyous kind. They were actually … happy to see him, and not just happy, but elated. Finding themselves carried away, the pair eventually pushed their feelings aside for why they found him in the first place…

Vice let out a long whistle, and Mature called down to him, "Hey, kid!"

Knowing the voice immediately, Hiroshi slowly turned around, and his eyes instantly landed on them. He, just as instantly, endured a cascade of conflicting emotions. Hiroshi was stunned into silence as his heart leapt into his chest, but that effect could have had several possible sources. He sensed a faint familiar joy, simple shock, an odd dread and fear, and just beyond that was a vague sadness…

Vice sneered with satisfaction, "Long time no see. Tell us: does your back still hurt? We didn't twist the knife in it too hard, did we?"

That comment sort of snapped Hiroshi awake again, and focused his mind again. He pushed his pain and anger to the forefront, letting all the other feelings be drowned out. His eyes built up from shock into intensity. His face fell from stunned to deadly serious, but he didn't speak.

Vice persisted, "So, how's life treating you? How's that big, cold, empty, mansion of yours, huh? I can't imagine how quiet that place is now."

Hiroshi exhaled deeply through his nose with ire. His fist clenched, making his gloves whine from the pressure. His death stare deepened. Meanwhile, as he hung on to his composure, Hiroshi remained silent…

Mature jumped in and added her own jeers, "Seriously though… Did we hurt you really badly when we left? Did you cry? Did you weep your pretty heart out?"

After that, Hiroshi was barely controlling himself. It was all he could do to not tremble with rage. His fists began to smoke. But he continued to bite his lip … literally, so hard that he drew blood. Finally, he couldn't take it, and, as a last ditch effort to keep his sanity, he turned his back to them.

Not letting this opportunity go to waste, Mature ran with it, saying, "Oh, the silent treatment. You're such a chick. Or … maybe we got it wrong. Maybe … it's that you don't care at all."

Vice added, "There's an idea. Maybe you didn't care enough. Maybe we should have ditched you sooner."

"You're wrong."

Vice and Mature stopped as they recognized the change in his voice. His single comment had a calm but earth-shattering pitch. He hadn't raised his voice but it still pierced through all the noise on the street. It even seemed to ring in their ears, but all of it had another influence. Those two words … were the first time they'd heard him speak in a year. Hiroshi turned back to them, and instantly claimed their attention as they couldn't ignore his look anymore. All remnants of his natural kindness and his pain were practically gone, and all that was left was fury and purpose. For Vice and Mature, it was an oddly surprising and rather chilling sight.

Hiroshi said absorbedly, "For your information, my promise… I kept it. I faced Iori Yagami in the last round, I hit him with everything I could give, and I beat him … in your name."

Both of them genuinely shocked, Vice stammered, "You … defeated Yagami?"

Mature echoed even as her voice cracked, "The promise… You… You remembered that?"

Hiroshi replied intensely, his voice practically sizzling, "You bet. So, don't you tell me that I didn't care. I cared for you for years, and I defended you in the face of a lunatic, but now … who's going to defend you from me?"

Again, another odd feeling overwhelmed the duo. Hiroshi's words shot through them, and took away any enjoyment or satisfaction they were having at his expense. Both felt a distinct dull pain in their mid-sections, but no matter the cause of the side-effects … they weren't going to make fun of him again.

Her tone considerably softened, Vice responded, "Bring it on, kid."

Mature said, the words sounding almost like an appeal, "Come and get us."

Adel stood slightly far away with Kyo beside him, both watching a street show. After a while, he noticed Hiroshi was nowhere near and started to look for his friend. Adel spotted, across the crowd and down the street, Hiroshi looking up at something. He followed his friend's line of sight to see Vice and Mature on the balcony above him. A second later, Adel witnessed Hiroshi generating a fireball…

"Oh no…" Adel uttered under his breath.

Hiroshi shot the fireball, and the chase was on. Vice and Mature dodged the attack and took off down the street, sprinting and jumping across balconies. Hiroshi followed after them on the ground while deftly avoiding the crowd. Adel and Kyo sprint after the three but were soon held up by the stream of people. Halfway down, Vice and Mature sharply turned off the street and into the Quarter. Hiroshi vaulted an unsuspecting street vendor as he rounded the corner, and continued on. The two women continued down the dark and empty hillside street with Hiroshi close behind until they ducked into the second floor window of a pitch-black building at the bottom of the slope.

Far from the lively Bourbon Street, Hiroshi stopped in front of the ominous building. It was a seemingly abandoned retro-style movie theater without a light on inside. The outside of the building was in complete disrepair with missing letters on the signs and broken windows all around. Even the front door was boarded up. Most telling however were the foreboding titles on the dirty and dim but clearly altered marquee: 'Where Time Stands Still', 'A Time to Kill', 'Drag Me To Hell', 'Road to Perdition', 'The Final Destination', 'Phantom of the Opera', 'Dead Zone', all of them above the words 'Playing Now. Enter the Psyche'… This building definitely gave pause even if one didn't recognize the disturbing aura covering it. Most people would stay away from this place or even run in the other direction; Hiroshi, without a second thought, entered.

Matching the setting, the theater's would-be gigantic lobby was just as desolate. The ticket counters were knocked over and scattered all around. A thick blanket of dust laid on the snack counters with some even smashed in. The derelict movie posters were ripped and laying about the floor. Hiroshi cautiously scanned the area with his eyes, and couldn't find a trace of Vice or Mature anywhere.

"Over here!" Mature called out a she fired an 'Ebony Tears'.

Hiroshi blasted the cross of cutting energy, and after glimpsing Mature disappearing around the corner, went after her. He rounded the corner in time to see both of them enter a door down the hall, and sprinted after them. At the door and closing in, Hiroshi reached for the handle … and stopped. Something had washed over him as he was heading inside, and it forced him to pause for the first time since he started to chase. Intrinsically, he could sense the power coming from the other side of the door, and what had washed over him was a sense of trepidation. As he held his hand inches from the door handle, thoughts of turning back or waiting for back-up began to run through his mind, an odd sudden contemplation and weighing of his options. Noticing this himself, he could only equate this to a final chance to stop; this was a point of no return… Undeterred nonetheless, Hiroshi opened the door and stepped in.

Mirror Madness

Out of breath, Adel and Kyo finally came to a stop at the bottom of the hill, bending forward as they tried to catch their breath, lost in the darkness of the unpopulated pocket…

Kyo choked out interspersed with his heavy breathing, "Man … who knew … Hiroshi … could run so fast."

As they finally gained their wind, Adel said, "Yeah… But the better question: where is he now?"

Kyo saw something and pointed to it as he said, "I got an idea. Look."

Adel's eyes trailed to where Kyo was pointing, and saw the definite clue: outside a run-down theater were still smoking wooden boards strewn on the ground, white embers still smoldering atop some of them. The two followed the path inside…

Kyo let out a long whistle upon seeing the inner workings and said, "Yep… This is definitely a trap."

Adel responded with urgency, "It looks like it; we need to find Hiro and get out of here before we set off anything."

The two walked forward cautiously, careful of where they were stepping, until they ran headfirst into … nothing! Kyo and Adel had hit a wall that was obviously transparent but painfully solid. Both groaned and stumbled backward from the pain and surprise of running into the wall with their faces. When looked back up, however, they were surprised to find that the wall wasn't transparent at all, but a mirror.

Adel succinctly expressed his uneasiness, "Okay… That's weird."

Also perturbed, Kyo said, "Good, you noticed too… that this mirror wasn't here when we hit it."

"Right, but how? And why?"

"Well, there's only one mirror I know of that can… Huh?"

Incredibly, they noticed that their reflections … were changing! Kyo's clothes had somehow changed back to his old school uniform; the familiar white headband was back on his head; and his skin tone began to dramatically darken! For Adel, his suspenders were suddenly down by his sides; his pants had turned red and his shirt had turned black; disturbingly, his right eye turned bright red until it almost glowed. Adel let out a gasp of shock as the imagery donned on him.

Kyo said in confusion, "What in the…"

Backing away in panic, Adel protested as he covered his right eye, "No. No! This isn't… It can't be…"

"HA HA! HA HA! HA HA HA!"

In a nightmarish turn, the two images began to move! Two pentagrams appeared on top of the altered reflections as they seemed to become sentient at their presence. Using the pentagram as apparent openings, the two mirror images crawled through the centers and broke through the planes of the mirror … into full bodied entities! The identity of these two was unmistakable: Kusanagi and Rugal!

Kyo accurately deduced, "Yep, it's the Yata Mirror alright, with two blasts from the past. Looks like Ash is trying to warm us up before the main event."

Long and angry as usual, Kusanagi shouted, "I'll do more than warm you up, Kyo; I'll blast you to ashes!"

Kyo, unfazed, replied through a confident smile, "Yeah that sounds about right. Now, it's coming back to me… I remember just how much you tick me off; just another cheap imitation headed to the furnace."

Kusanagi shouted even louder and angrier, "You bastard, you're gonna burn! You're gonna burn like you're freezing to death!"

Kyo defiantly motioned him forward, saying, "Bring it! Let's rumble, fake!"

Kyo and Kusanagi began battling right away, but father and son weren't so eager. Adel just stood staring almost completely frozen from what he was seeing, while Rugal simply stared back with an evil grin…

Rugal finally said with obvious satisfaction, "What's the matter, son? Awed by the perfection that is your father… or marveling the great future ahead of you?"

Adel protested in a stunned denial, "No, you can't… You're not my final destination."

Selling the idea like the familiar serpent, Rugal said, "Don't be so opposed, son. The power is in your very blood, the power of a god."

Adel resisted, getting some courage and base in his voice back, "That's wrong; no human is a god, especially not us… if anything, you're closer to that word spelled backward."

Rugal laughed as he crossed his arms in front of his chest, "I see you've got your father's silver tongue. You're more like me than you think."

Adel replied as he channeled more of his strength and courage, "Don't count on it. And even if I am, I don't value the same things you do. I'm not going to follow in your footsteps. I-I can't… I refuse to end up like you."

Rugal slowly unfolded his arms and replied, "Those are strong words, but you don't sound so certain in them. I'll have to use a better sales pitch… Come; witness the power that could all belong to you."

With that, Adel and Rugal faced off…

Deep Heart Burn

Hiroshi cautiously walked forward into a large pitch-black room, generating some flames in his hand as a torch. Suddenly, a spotlight shone on him as he reached the presumed middle of the room, making him stop and look around for what happened.

"Oh, good; you made it. I'm so thrilled."

Hiroshi knew that sly, sneering, jeering voice anywhere; it had been running through his mind for quite some time now. The only question now was where. The voice echoed through the chamber almost disembodied and seemed to come from all sides. Moments later, a second spotlight shot on and shined right where the familiar presence was coming from. Perched on a balcony high above and to the left of Hiroshi was Vice, Mature, and … Ash. The Sneering Blaze sat on a throne-like chair overlooking the area, and Vice and Mature sat on the ledge on opposite sides of the seat, literally at Ash's feet.

Ash said, "Hiroshi. I'm so glad you came."

Hiroshi relied with deadly seriousness, "This isn't a good thing, Ash, not for you."

Ash responded with a wry smile, "I beg to differ. Your timing was also quite impeccable; you're even a little early."

"I had two very good reasons," Hiroshi replied as he looked at Vice and Mature.

Seemingly enjoying Hiroshi's smoldering intensity, Ash continued, "I can see that, but it's still rather impressive. It doesn't look like you had any trouble finding the place."

Hiroshi pointed out, "No, and I have to say: the theme is clear but this place seems a little too decrepit for the taste of someone like you."

Ash's eyes lit up as if Hiroshi had given him some kind of verbal signal, and eagerly said, "Oh, that's only because I've been waiting to put my own twist on it. Here, tell me how you like this."

The Sneering Blaze stretched his arms outward as he tapped into the Yata Mirror's power. A light wind rushed through the chamber. The room's boundaries including the walls and floor undulated, shivered, and went out of focus. Soon, the room gained noticeable features under its distorted guise. It slowly snapped back into place as the light within it came on and illuminated the hall. Finally, once it was over, Hiroshi received an instant shock; the room had morphed into an exact replica of his main ballroom! It had the same golden color, same marble floor, same dark red curtains, same floor-to-ceiling windows, and the same mural on the ceiling. The balcony the three were sitting on that now sat in front of the windows was the only difference!

As Hiroshi looked it over in surprise, Ash brought his arms back down at rest and gloated, "Eerie, isn't it? And this isn't all of it either… my two associates here have told me everything there is to know about you."

Hiroshi went back to his earnestness and vehemence, and said, "No, they didn't; not everything. While I'm on the subject, Vice, Mature, how do you like it down there?"

Mature giggled slightly as the choice of words, and replied, "Down here? Oh, the view from here looks just fine to us."

Hiroshi explained in spitefulness, "No, I meant down there … at Ash's feet. Seriously, you two look like his pets."

Vice and Mature were obviously peeved at the statement, and normally would argue, but they didn't. That was for two reasons: they agreed about how they looked … and that was how they felt as well.

Obvious delight on his face, Ash said quietly his teammates, "Wow, he's quite abrasive today, and eager too. Ladies, I think it's time to start this coup."

Mature asked to get clear confirmation, "Okay, so what exactly are we aiming for here?"

Ash answered with delight, "Why, you're aiming to kill him of course."

Mature and Vice instantly snapped their heads to Ash. What he had ordered, while not unfamiliar to them, was something they hadn't really considered. In fact, it had never even crossed their minds before then. Now, once he said it, the order hit them really deep down, and, oddly seemed like a soul-rending concept. They didn't even attempt to hide their astonishment. Ash, of course, was not helping; he just smiled at them nonchalantly with a giddy child-like look on his visage, looking oblivious to his morbid command.

Perhaps sensing their reluctance, Ash inquired, "What is it? I thought you two would enjoy some high-velocity murder after having to hold yourselves back in our matches. Is something wrong?"

Vice stammered, "N-No… It's just… we could've used some heads up on the plan, that's all."

Ash simply shrugged it off and said, "Oh, well; can't be helped. But you two should really get down there now. We really shouldn't keep our guest waiting."

"Yeah, we're on it." Mature said as the two ladies put their guards back up.

Mature and Vice leapt down and gracefully landed not far in front of Hiroshi, where they slowly began to circle around him. Soon, the situation changed into a very surreal and quite mesmerizing scene: they both continued circling around Hiroshi, occasionally switching direction, like two predators sizing up a kill. But Hiroshi was no prey; he wasn't even really affected by this normally-disturbing position. His eyes stayed straightforward, his resolute and grave attitude unchanged.

Mature began as she circled behind Hiroshi, "Isn't this nice; it's a regular family reunion. I would bet … this has to be hard for you."

Vice added, "I agree. You never did have the stomach for this sort of thing. I don't think you can even go through it."

His voice cold and ominous, Hiroshi responded, "Trust me; I've been picturing this moment for some time now. I'll manage. You two should be more worried about yourselves."

Vice lightly mocked her opponent, "Ooh! I kind of felt that threat. Maybe we rubbed off on you more than we thought."

"Probably…" Hiroshi said, "But that won't exactly do wonders for your health either."

Mature verbally played his earlier words, "In that case, just what do you picture yourself doing, hmm?" She took on an exaggeratedly feigned fear, "You're not going to take our poor little lives, are you?"

Hiroshi , now frigid and unflinching, answered, "Kill you? No. I do, however, know that I have to go through you to get to Ash. That scenario along with the fact that you two are the ones I have a problem with … means I won't have any qualms about blasting you. I might even … enjoy it a little."

"Watch it." Vice said, her anger peeking out, "Remember who we are before you write a check…"

"What's the matter with you two?" Hiroshi interjected, bluntly pointing out, "Normally, you both jump at the chance for an all-out brawl, let alone one this important. Now, you seem downright reluctant. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to psych yourselves up."

"Don't be so impatient," Mature calmly said, "We're getting to the good stuff in a moment…"

Suddenly, she squared up and fired an 'Ebony Tears' at Hiroshi's back. The Amaterasu Scion just as suddenly spun around and blasted the cross-shaped projectile with an 'Angel Spark'. Trying to take advantage, Vice lashed out her arm with 'Deicide', but Hiroshi countered by quickly stomping on her hand, pinning it to the ground. He formed a flame in his hand, ready to scorch his capture, but she pulled away in time to save her hand.

"Now do you understand?" Hiroshi said as they started to circle him again, "Are you convinced of how motivated I am now?"

Vice allowed, as she rubbed her wrist, "I'll admit: your reflexes are still pretty good."

Hiroshi then said as he finally started to look at them both, "Listen. Before we get started, you should know. There's a reason I chased you two here, one single reason why I've been waiting so long for this confrontation… I need to know why."

Mature replied, "You're gonna have to be a little more specific, love."

Hiroshi spoke honestly, as his tone became slightly gentler, "I need to know why you did it. Why did you attack me when you did? Why did you side with him of all people? Why … why did you betray me?"

Both let out soft malicious laughs, and Vice spoke first, "Why? … Because we're evil, that's why. We did it because you're a good guy and we're not, so betraying you was really our only option."

Mature smiled, and said as her voice lightened and took on a tempting tone, "Come on, Hiroshi; be honest. As well as you know us, was it really that surprising? I mean, did you really think that you could take us in, shows us some kindness, and just get away with it?"

Hiroshi looked away at the callous comment, saying, "I never expected you to change. But I did expect that answer, and I might have accepted it…" He turned back as he revealed, "If I didn't know you were lying."

Vice responded, "Tch. What makes you think we're lying?"

His voice bristling, Hiroshi explained as his anger began to surface, "As well as I know you, you think I can't tell when you're speaking lies?" Both of them stopped walking and looked at him as he continued, "This may not have occurred to you, but I actually listen to you when you talk. Come on; I know when you're trying to deceive someone. Mature, when you lie, your voice turns seductive, and since you're considered physically attractive, most men won't catch it. But, since I see you as my sister and I'm more than ticked off right now, that has no effect on me. Vice, you're actually quite terrible at lying; being straightforward and unapologetic as you are tends to do that. So, it's not that hard to tell with you. You haven't looked at me since I asked the question…"

Mature and Vice stood silent, caught in a shower of different feelings. They were angered by how much knowledge he had on them. They were frustrated because, though they wouldn't say it aloud, deep down they knew he was right. They were lost because the answer they gave was the easiest and most obvious answer they could come up with. They were even a little afraid of what the real answer could be…

Hiroshi continued, his voice now simmering, "So, let's try this again, the truth this time: why … did you betray me?"

"Who knows, kid?" Mature finally responded, "Your guess is as good as any."

Again, Hiroshi found himself about to lose it; his fists clenched again as he looked down to hold his rage and took a deep breath to calm himself. Finally, he looked up with burning resolve and electrical intensity…

"Have it your way." he chillingly said, "If you don't answer then I only have two options… I'll have to help you find an answer or I'll have to give you a reason."

The two women were easily alarmed by Hiroshi's words; they were surprised by them, and the power of them seemed to burn against their skin. Not just his threat but his very energy was palpable at this point. Not wanting him to get any more riled up, Vice and Mature attacked. Mature rushed and slashed at him with 'Metal Massacre'; Hiroshi, being prepared however, ducked under the blow and blasted her in the gut with an 'Angel Spark', propelling her backward into the ground. The Amaterasu Scion leapt into the air as he saw Vice coming, but she quickly changed direction and chased after him, attempting a 'Misanthrope'. Again prepared from an assault, Hiroshi fired off a mid-air 'Angel Spark' right into Vice, propelling her back to the ground. Both women lay where they had landed as they coped with the new pain that had been thrusted upon them; that pain came from being hit with Hiroshi's fire for the very first time.

As the duo slowly stood, Hiroshi said as he went into fighting position, "You two come up with any answers yet?"

Ash slid up in his chair, and giddily exclaimed, "Oh, this going to be good. It just needs the right music…"

The Sneering Blaze gave a single clap as he called upon the power of the Yata Mirror again. A moment later, a mournful and ominous guitar chord rang out like a funeral dirge. One guitar soon broke into an equally gloomy requiem-like riff before the main tune started. In passing, Hiroshi recognized the tune from the 13th tournament as 'Diabolosis', and its beginning served one purpose: the opening knell to the upcoming collision…

Vice and Mature again attacked using their own individual tactics, sometimes fighting in tandem but mostly just complimenting each other. Hiroshi, however, wasn't having it; he knew them all too well including their weaknesses, and proceeded to cut them off at every turn. When Vice would lift him into 'Blackened', Hiroshi would use the momentum to flip out of it before she could even force him back down. He would sidestep out of the way of her 'Mayhem'. In the air, Vice would chase after him with either 'Misanthrope' or 'Tranquility', but like the first time, he simply blasted her backward as if it were perfunctory. Vice would use her most effective tools in 'Outrage' and 'Ravenous', but in a show of real familiarity, Hiroshi would grabbed her leg at just the right moment in the attack to stop it.

Mature didn't fare much better. Like before, Hiroshi would duck right under her 'Metal Massacre'. When she flipped after him with 'Despair', he knew to dash forward into the arc and avoid the attack all together. Mature's 'Ebony Tears' was offset by 'Angel Spark' almost automatically. Being uncannily erudite on Mature as well, when she attempted 'Death Row', he used the right opening, the brief window after the second slash, to put an end to her momentum. Mature even tried her most damaging move, 'Sacrilege', but Hiroshi would knock her out of the air. As for the shared 'Deicide', he would actually grab a hold of them, and when they threw him, he would stabilize himself and yank them towards himself; for 'Deicide Slayer', his 'Divine Dive' simply crushed it, even gaining extra momentum from being forced down.

Having no success, Mature and Vice switched their tactics and began to fight in true unison. Vice would slam Hiroshi with 'Blackened', and when she tossed him into the air, Mature would juggle him with 'Sacrilege'. Mature would rush forward with 'Metal Massacre', and Vice would rush right behind her with 'Mayhem'. Vice could hop forward right into 'Outrage, and Mature would finish it off with 'Death Row'. Vice then dragged and tossed Hiroshi with 'Gore Fest' and Mature slashed him back down with 'Despair'. The tandem offense worked quite well for a short time, but not for long… Hiroshi was barely deterred by the combination assault, and simply got back up every time he was knocked down. Soon, he began to recognize their team tactics and quickly started interrupting them midway through. He would counter them in rapid succession one after the other until it got to the point that he was stopping them before they could even set up.

It wasn't before long that the tide of the fight began to shift. Vice and Mature were going through an odd, troubling experience; Not only were they being rendered ineffective by the highly-motivated Hiroshi and taking a thrashing all the while, but they were losing their mental edge as well. Their innate desire and thirst for brutality was rapidly dwindling, and, in fact, they didn't have a lot to begin with this time. Instead, they were beset with reluctance, and it was growing. Soon, it became virtually impossible to deny how much they didn't want to fight him or ever did in the first place. Hiroshi, however, was now absolutely zoned in on this fight, intensely focused almost to the point of being possessed. After a while, he was chasing after them, cutting off their defense and punishing them. Hiroshi soon knocked Vice down with an 'Angel Rush', and knocked back the charging Mature with a 'Heavens Flare'. It was just about over…

Hiroshi stood upright as Vice and Mature struggled to their feet, and said, "How about now? Are you two ready to answer my question now?"

Mature tried to brush the question off, "You're not gonna let this go, are you? Did you ever consider that being with you might be the problem?"

Hiroshi chuckled out of exasperation, and replied, "Now, you're insulting me. You both are proud and strong, but most of all, you're smart. No matter what, you two always have your heads on straight, and you always come up the practical solution."

He stopped for a moment, trying to compose himself, but he still started choke up as he continued, "I took care of you. I gave you anything you wanted. But most of all, I respected you. I gave you the respect you deserved, and I treated you like my equals, like the equals you are. I always gave you the best I had."

He clenched his fist as he began gathering power for an 'Infinity Overload'. Meanwhile, his forlorn tone turned to fury as he continued, "And you traded that for what; to side with him? You chose to come to a ransacked, filthy, terrible excuse for building to be with a guy who belittles you, humiliates you, and treats you like his attack dogs… And I'm supposed to believe, knowing how much you two hate being sneered at, that you actually prefer his company… BULL!"

Mature and Vice, not partaking in the confrontation any longer, charged at him again, but in their hurry, they failed to notice the small streaks of light forming and converging into Hiroshi's body. Finally, they suddenly realized their recklessness when the lights stopped and the area around Hiroshi instantly became utterly frigid. They abruptly stopped and dashed backward just the right distance at just the right time… The Amaterasu Scion slammed his now-ignited fist into the ground, and a titanic column of white flames erupted up around him, almost reaching the huge room's ceiling! Hiroshi instantly disappeared behind the wall of fire, and the figure of the Mysterious Woman became visible amidst the flames, rising skyward … pointing at both Vice and Mature like she was acknowledging them!

The two women were knocked to the ground by the sheer force of initial impact, and were completely astonished by this attack they never knew he had, incredulous to its power, to its size, and to its heat. Then, they noticed the Mystery Woman, and had the chilling experience of her addressing them directly. This attack was just different from his others; this one wasn't for suppression but complete immolation. In sight of this terrifyingly powerful attack, the two were struck with genuine fear, and couldn't hide it.

The flames soon waned, the Amaterasu Scion soon becoming visible again, before finally extinguishing. His attack done, Hiroshi stood back up, when he was slammed by an intense feeling. His 'Maiden Sense' had actually activated some time earlier, but stayed subtle and low. Now, it was blaring! His temples throbbed like someone was playing the drums on them. His heart pounded wildly in his chest. His vision even began to tunnel. Whoever it was triggering for was in real danger, but Hiroshi had more pressing issues at the moment and decided to overlook it for the time being…

Ash, breaking the sudden silence, clapped enthusiastically and exclaimed excitedly, "Splendid! Simply incredible! What a flawless display! I don't think I could be enjoying this anymore than I am!"

By this point, Vice and Mature's desire to fight and actual ability to do so had greatly decreased. They couldn't fight much longer, and the end was very clear now. The three collided again, but Hiroshi was having a very particular problem: he couldn't deal a final blow. He had several opportunities with the two women hurting and weakened, but, every time, he just couldn't bring himself to execute. Right after, every time he stopped himself, his 'maiden sense' would go berserk, to where he could barely stand a few times. While trying to figure out what to do, Hiroshi began to dodge and parry their attacks.

Eventually, he caught them off-guard with his hands inches from their faces with fireballs prepared for both. Vice and Mature could only stare and wait in fearful anticipation, but Hiroshi was frozen. His arms trembled as he struggled with himself, his face twisted into a grimace from the difficulty. Part of him wanted so much to just pull the trigger, but the rest of him just … couldn't … let it … go. Ultimately, he leapt backward away from them, and fired both fireballs harmlessly off to his sides while Vice and Mature could just stand there. As he did that, Hiroshi felt his 'sense' cool slightly, and that's when he realized what was going on: Vice and Mature were the ones in trouble, and he was the one endangering them! Shaken by this comprehension, Hiroshi, adhering to his personal code, let go of his anger before he did something he'd regret. Unfortunately, that left other feelings fill him up, ones he'd been trying suppress.

Meanwhile, Mature and Vice were left to wade through their own sea of emotions. They were beyond confused, completely lost, and hurting in more ways than one. In all, their minds were in a daze over the fight, over Hiroshi's still hanging question, over what had just happened, and especially over their own feelings. And it didn't go unnoticed that Hiroshi was stalling.

Mature tried to speak out of anger, but her question came out like a request, "W-What… What are you doing? Why don't you finish us?"

Anguish in his voice, Hiroshi answered even as his voice quivered, "I… I can't…"

Vice asked, also sounding more stunned than angry, "After all this time, we still can't get you, kid. It's killing us."

Mature tried to make a demand, but that also came out like she was entreating him, "Why? Why are you doing this to us? Why did you keep that promise to fight Yagami … for us? Why are you sparing us now … even after what we did?"

"Why do you think?" Hiroshi replied, barely holding himself together at this point, "It's obvious."

"Apparently… not to us." Vice replied, her voice inexplicably gentle, "We just … don't know. You have to spell it out."

Hiroshi's eyes began to well up, requiring him to quickly blink it away, and he replied honest and downtrodden, "Because even after what's happened and what you've done … you're still my sisters. And even though I've tried to stop and even though it hurts … I still love you both. I told you that all the time; you should know that by now. Now, please … tell the truth, not just to me but to yourselves."

The two ladies glanced at each other, Mature retorted not in denial, but as a sad and difficult admission, "We … can't…"

Mature and Vice gathered up the last vestiges of their strength and sprang forward once again, but Hiroshi simply opened his arms as if offering an embrace, trapping them when they attacked in 'Heaven Sign'. After seeing it used on others, the two women now experienced this reversal firsthand. The two were rendered completely immobile as the area went black. The kanji in Hiroshi's family crest appeared around them one-by-one. The Mystery Woman appeared once again, this time where Hiroshi once stood, but unlike times before, she was eerily silent. The column erupted from under them, and burned through their bodies. The flames burned them, even with transcendence as it penetrated to the bone. The pain was inconceivable and ultimately overwhelming, as they collapsed to their knees before finally succumbing.

The music stopped as Vice and Mature couldn't get up, even if they wanted to. Hiroshi approached them, and, once there, he grabbed them by the front of their jackets near the collar, bringing them close by lifting them slightly off the ground. They weakly grabbed his wrists even though there was nothing they could do…

His anger now passed and left with only despair, Hiroshi asked with a gentle request, "Is … is this it? Is this what you wanted? Did you want to make me mad, to see me angry? Did you just want to hurt me, to see me … like this? Is this … what you wanted?"

Unable to avoid the situation, held into position, Vice and Mature had to look at him and face those honest and expressive eyes Hiroshi possessed. Clearly, they could see that there was no hatred and disgust in him, simply being distraught and crestfallen. It was too much; they were too tired, too affected, and too far at their wits' end to deny it any longer: Seeing Hiroshi hurt this much actually caused them pain as well. The nagging feelings they had toward him and what they'd done … were regret and guilt. And he was the only one who could get to them like this; he was the only one they could feel empathy or anything positive for. Mature and Vice couldn't run from it anymore, and simply let themselves go…

In a shocking turn for her, Vice, her eyes and voice tender and filled with honest remorse, said, "We're so sorry, Hiro…"

Shocking for her as well, Mature, showing sincere regret and true softness, admitted, "We should never have done this to you…"

Hiroshi was understandably stunned by this, frozen in shock for an instance; he had never heard or seen this from them before, and he wasn't expecting it. A moment later, he slowly put them back down, and fell to his knees as he absorbed their apology.

Finally, he said, "It's … alright. It's over now."

End Chapter

A/N: Whew; it's done. There's one more battle to be had, so part 2 is coming soon. Thanks for reading (especially if you got through it all), I hope you liked it, and I hope you come back for more. Please R&R, and as always, Rant, Rave, and Review.