Hey guys, Alito Here! I'm sorry this has taken so long to upload. With college kicking my ass right now, I haven't had a lot of time to get on this in a while. But I am glad I found time here and there to write it.

SOOOOOO what's the deal with all these DAMN COSTUMES? Like WOW! I haven't seen a game throw out this many costumes since Batman Arkham Knight. However I must say, I'm enjoying the High Society costumes. I'm a sucker for that refined look. All they have to do now is go "OOOO HO HO HO HO HO HO HO HO~!" and that'd complete the look. I'm also REALLY loving the BlazBlue costumes as well, but dissapointed that we didn't get Blazblue costumes for the guys!

Also WHERE THE HELL IS DEVIL MAY CRY AT CAPOM? We've been dying for SOMETHING for a while now. An announcement or at least acknowledgement that you ARE in fact thinking of making another one would be nice. Please don't Megaman us here. Yes, we're happy Dante's in MVC4 (yet Vergil or even Nero aren't and will probably be DLC) but we could really use that announcement or confirmation please and thank you.

But enough ranting about nothing. As Wonder Woman said in the Justice League Trailer

"Shall we?"

DISCLAIMER I OWN NOTHING. DmC: Devil May Cry and Dead or Alive 5 belong to their respected owners.

Chapter 35
Sacred Truth

UNKNOWN LOCATION

LIMBO CITY

8:13 am, Monday

After what felt like hours of searching, and scouring familiar areas, the small group of the Nephilim, the konoichi, the wiccan, and the two famous wrestlers had finally found a path that lead to the outskirts of town while driving in Bass Armstong's inconspicuous 2009 Hummer H3. And by inconspicuous, it was more like the title Mr. Strong slapped onto the side of the neon yellow truck that stuck out like a soar thumb. They were all genuinely surprised that Bass even had ownership of a car dealership in Limbo city from the time he did a match in town. He recalled it being unsettling and dirty, which was just what Dante expected him to say.

But now they were right on track as their truck took a smooth path of tiles through a forest of trees that lead to an opening far ahead.

Dante looked out the window at the passing trees, as he was beginning to recall coming through there once upon a time. It was coming back to him in bits and pieces, but he did recall taking many a drives through the path.

"Dante."

The black-haired man turned back into the car to see all eyes on him from the girls, while Bass peeked in the rear-view.

"Are you okay?" Kasumi asked with a worried hand to place on his shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm good..." Dante said, "Just wished we would've found this place sooner." His eyes turned towards Kat. "How come Vergil never told you about where this place is?"

"He told me about it, and once transported me there, but I never got actual directions on how to get there." Kat explained, "In fact, this'll be my first time inside the house itself."

"Man, I can't believe you ain't never got ta' see ya own house in years. That's pretty sad..." Tina said solemnly. "I mean, if I was gone from ma home with no memory of who I was before, I'd be pretty twisted on the inside."

"Wow, thanks for the compliment. I love hearin' about my broken home." Dante spat.

"Now, now, why don' we ease up on the boy." Bass intervened. "I get where ya comin' from, Dante. Back when I was a youngin' I had to leave ma home too, in order t' get out there, n' pursue my dreams t' be a world-class wrestler. After years a' bein' away, I found out that...well, ma dad had finally kick th' bucket due t' all that smokin' a his...I decided ta go back home after so long that I felt like...I d'know I just couldn't recognize the ol' place anymore...But I knew I needed t' go back."

"Bass is right, Dante. This is big deal." Kat said, "It probably won't be easy for you to take it all in. You're returning to a home that was ruined and forcefully removed from your memory, not only to keep you safe, but to erase the tragedy that took place...I hope you're prepared for whatever's waiting for you in there."

Dante didn't need to mull it over for long. He had prepared for this since Vergil spoke to him about it. And just by the look of the long path finally coming to an end, he took a deep breath before nodding.

"I am."

The truck had emerged from the trees, and drove up to an old, rusted gate that had surrounded an acre of land behind stone walls. The only way through was an opened entry way with the word "PARADISE" in big, rusted letters hung over it. The moss had overtaken it's once regal splendor, while the vines and leaves were entangled into the letters. The truck drove through the entrance and had parked within a wide area of weeds and dead grass that covered the land. It was still a wonder how trees of green and even pink were able to flourish in such a left-alone state; not to mention the fact that the grounds were so close to the polluted airs of Limbo city. What sat within the confines was a lowering and decrepit old mansion that was run down from abandonment and looked as if it were ready to fall apart. Its upper right side had given way to time as it must have fallen in on itself due to rain and winter being so harsh. Like the wall surrounding it, nature had begun to reclaim to home as mosses and grass had grown apart of its concrete walls.

Once parked, Dante was the first one out of the car; he could no longer be able to hold back the anxiety of seeing the towering spectacle of a mansion that he once called home. The rest watched him as he stood there in silence, looking up at the abandoned domain with birds chirping on by. He was so still in his amazement that one could confuse him for a wax statue. It was beginning to worry the others.

"Dante...?" Kasumi called with a hand to his shoulder.

It startled Dante for a moment before he turned to see a worried Kasumi by his side.

"I'm fine, don't sweat it..." Dante assured her as he removed her hand.

He did not wait for the others to follow, and simple jogged up the old doorsteps, and found himself face-to-face with the door already busted open.

He took a deep breath and let out a long-winded sigh before taking his first step in. He could feel the ground below creek something fierce, but was otherwise safe enough to enter into. Once through the door, Dante stood in a long hallway that was filled with pillars leading down, what felt like, a maze. Though the outside was in shambles, the inside of the mansion still seemed rather preserved for its years of loneliness. The floors still preserved a designed pattern of yellow and brown, and the small murals that were painted above barely showed any chips. Of course, that didn't stop city residents from pillaging and spraying graffiti on the walls. An undisputed fact that Dante couldn't stand to see. Instead, he focused on the very magnitude of returning to such a run-down, shallow husk of his former home after so many years. The rooms he could partially remember, the moments he shared with his family, the many times he had probably run down these very halls...it was all beginning to become too much for Dante to immediately comprehend.

He stood idly by as he looked around the hall. It was as if something in him could barely get him to take anymore steps into the mansion. Whether fear or anticipation was unknown to the red Nephilim.

"So...this is it, Dante?"

Dante looked over his shoulder to the girls and Brad stepping in through the broken door. He also noticed Kasumi standing beside him while looking around as well.

"Yep...but I barely remember anythin'..." Dante mused. "It's somethin' else, ain't it? I lived here for probably seven years and now...heh, I don't even remember where the damn bathroom is in this place..."

"But that's why we're here." Kasumi said, "We just need to help you retrace your steps."

"Yeah...so, where to start?"

"Not here." Kat said as she walked past them. "If you really want to remember, you'll have to dive deeper then this realm."

"Wait! You want 'em ta actually go to Limbo on his own?-!" Tina exclaimed. "Have y'all lost yer minds?-!"

"Limbo? But we's in Limbo already." Bass said in confusion.

"It's a long story, pa, I'll fill ya in later." Tina brushed off. "But anyway, you really think this a good idea?"

"I'm positive." Kat said.

She took a knee and reached over her head to pull out her large stencil she kept in a case on her back. She rolled it open flat on the ground to reveal a strange sigil placed on it, similar to the one in the forest near the Mugen Tenshin village. From the side of her belt, she pulled out a spray can and began to spray across it.

Bass looked in confusion while everyone else seemed to have just been use to whatever it was she did.

"So, uh...that's the thang that got us here, right?" Bass figured.

"Close." Kat explained while finishing off the painting. "The sigil that me, you, and your daughter used to get here was a part of an already existing rift that connects others together. Without me to open them, they only work once. It was a special precaution me and Vergil developed in case a similar situation to the one that happened back there were to occur."

"I get it; so it's like a...back door of some kind." Bass simplified.

"Yeeeah, that's one way to put it..." Kat accepted. "Okay, all done with the first one. Now for the second."

"Second?" Dante questioned.

Dante's question was answered in the form of the konoichi standing to his side, looking up at him with a bashful grin on her face.

"Heh heh, I-It's a bit too small for the both of us..." Kasumi said, "I-I guess I should focus on loosing more weight, huh?"

"First off; bitch, what weight? Your thick like a bowl of oatmeal, own that shit. Second; you can't really think you're comin' with me."

"Why not? I made a vow to help you find answers, and I will keep it!" Kasumi insisted.

"Yeah, but...shit..." Dante turned his gaze with a hand brushing against his hair. He became rather reluctant to the situation as he let out an irritated sigh.

Kasumi was at first fed up with Dante's ill-mannered personality, but quickly came to a realization that put a snide grin on her face.

"Oh, I see~" She said as she came up close to whisper to him, "Don't fret. I won't say a word of the tears you might shed while in there~"

The moment Kasumi said that, a small vein appeared on Dante's temple, yet his expression was a perfectly calm and cool smile. "You are this close to makin' me throw you outta that window. And it's my house, I don't give a fuck."

"Hmm..." She gave a reserved chuckle, until her smile fell, and a look of sincerity replaced it as she locked eyes with Dante. "...but seriously though...if you feel anything...anything at all..."

Dante didn't wait to let her finish, and turned away with a simple nodded. "I gotcha...thanks."

"Okay, I'm done."

Kat removed the stencil and stood back to marvel at her own masterpieces. On the floor were two perfectly painted sigils that were ready for departure.

Dante took the first few steps forward and stood on the fist sigil, while Kasumi did the same towards the second one next to it. Both looked down on them to make sure they didn't smudge anything. The last thing they needed was for a trip to Limbo to go horribly wrong because of their mistakes.

Within a matter of seconds the sigils began to glow under their feet and a small cylinder of light began to form around them.

"Once you both are in, all you have to do is retrace your steps back here to escape." Kat explained. "Because Mundus currently isn't in Limbo City, there shouldn't be any demons to get in your way."

"Ah, thank fuck..." Dante said with a sigh of relief.

"Wait! Is there also a chance we might find people in Limbo?" Kasumi asked.

Dante knew she was referring to Ryu, who was still lost in the world of Limbo. Dante himself wondered if he was still alive in there somehow. He didn't put it past the super ninja if he was.

"I...I don't know." Kat confessed. "That's just something you'll have to see for yourself. After all, Limbo is connected."

It wasn't the answer she was hoping for, but it appeared to have given the konoichi a slight glimmer of hope that she could still recover her master from the hellish world.

Within seconds, the world around them had begun to shift phenomenally. The colors began to look like a saturated painting. However, what came with it was Limbo's usual muck and corroding atmosphere to ruin the decor of the decrepit hallway. The light surrounding them had vanished as they looked back at the others to find them in ghostly forms. Tina and Bass were the most awe struck as they looked around the hallway for a trance of Dante and Kasumi. Dante found some amusement to watching their confused faces.

"So...this is it..."

Dante looked back at Kasumi, who was still captivated by how much Limbo seemed to strengthen the entire hall's once illustrious beauty. Dante followed in the admiration as he too looked around for a moment. He wondered what the home was like before the attack though. He was sure it was beautiful.

However, now wasn't the time to reminisce.

"Well, we didn't come here to stare at a hallway all day." Dante said to Kasumi as he mockingly allowed her the way through with a phony British accent. "She we proceed, M'lady?"

"Oh, why thank you, sir." Kasumi replied with the same mocking accent and a bow.

With that, both proceeded down the bright red halls, towards the entrance into the central passage ahead.

As they continued on with Dante leading the front, Kasumi eyed him from behind with a troubled look on her face. It had nothing to do with what secrets they would find in his old home, but rather something that has been on her mind for a while now. It was what her evil uncle, Raidou, told her back at The Order's base. Of course she was still perplexed as to why he had risen from the dead, but what really weighed on her was what he had to say.

"W-What?-!"

That was the first word to appear in Helena's head upon hearing what the giant of a beast had to say.

"It is as I said; the man named Vergil unsealed me and the other Knights of Hell from our prison. For what reason, I do not know, nor do I care." Raidou said with crossed arms.

"It...it can't be...!" Kasumi said in disbelief. "You're lying!"

Raidou scoffed. "It does not matter whether you chose to believe me or not. The truth still stands. He is responsible for the boundaries of Hell being completely decimated. Now, the ravages of the underworld will bring about the end of mankind, with Mundus to rule over them all."

None of the girls were able to respond right away. Kasumi had a horrifying image of the world in ruins and her village completely decimated with corpses lying in the fields; including her own brother and half sister. Just the thought alone brought shivers down her spine and almost brought her to the brink of tears.

Kokoro didn't want to think about the possibility of humanity being slaughtered by demons. Instead, she chose to not believe a single word Raidou had said about Vergil. Call it denial, but Kokoro did everything she could to convince herself that the Vergil she once knew along with Dante couldn't have done such a horrible thing. Raidou had to be lying...right?

Rather then mule over it, Helena spoke out.

"Say we were to believe you; why would you tell us this? We are your enemies in this battle. What purpose would it serve to you?"

A small moment of silence passed before Raidou spoke again.

"Because once he is done with the humans and the Earth falls to the demons...he will come after us next."

"Us?" Kasumi questioned.

"The Knights, you simpleton." The great demon ninja spat. "He will insure that nothing disrupts his new reign and will proceed to seal us away. We will neither be alive nor dead; forever tortured and kept as trophies on Mundus's mantle as he brings forth an age of tyranny and suffering to us all. The other Knights are prepared for their eternal imprisonment, but I refuse to be trapped a glass jar for that bastard's amusement."

"And that's why you're telling us all this..." Kasumi figured. "You want us to kill Mundus to save your own skin...a selfish old man through and through—"

Within those quick seconds, Kasumi's words were snatched from her mouth. She was lifted off the ground and held by her scarf; practically choking her in the process. She looked directly into his red, beaming eyes and could practically see all traces of humanity had been removed from his core.

"Kasumi-san!" Kokoro yelled as she was about to strike him out of instinct.

"Kokoro! Stop!" Helena yelled as she rushed to stand before her. "He'll kill you if you attack him! Stand down!"

"But Helena-san—"

"DO AS I SAY!-!" Helena yelled in French.

This startled Kokoro for a moment, before filling her with rage once more. She may not have understood what Helena had said, however she could take a guess. Her fist trembled to slam across the monster's face with her eyes only seeing red. With everything she had, she slowly put her fist down in defeat.

Meanwhile, Kasumi could only stare into her awful uncle's eyes, while trying to break free from his clutches before she slowly choked to death.

"Heed my words, my foolish niece..." Raidou said viciously. "I have allowed you and your allies to live this long so that you and that brat of a Nephilim can destroy Mundus. I have heard the legend that only a Nephilim may slay the Demon King. If it is true, then the other Knights will do what it takes to destroy him." He brought her in threateningly close as she could practically feel his nostrils flaring at her. "Take consideration of this small act of courtesy to heart. For the next time we meet, I won't be as generous."

With his other hand, he snapped his fingers, and from out of nowhere, a swirling black portal had formed before all of them that was threatening to suck Kokoro and Helena in. They both had to hold their ground as the portal was slowly pulling them in. Meanwhile, Raidou stood his ground without budging an inch, while still holding a struggling Kasumi.

"Oh, and one more thing..." He said with a toothy grin. "Tell my daughter I said...hello."

The experience in that dark realm Raidou had sent her and the others into was draining enough, but hearing all of that made her constantly be put on edge. It was all coming at her so fast considering she had only gotten back into the world just yesterday. She only hoped her training in the Hayabusa village would be enough to prepare her for the coming battles ahead.

Now the question remained; does she tell Dante about this, or does she keep it to herself for now? She knew at some point Dante would figure it all out and she could possibly lose his trust. She could tell he had terrible trust issues from his harsh past, so she needed to take his feelings into consideration. On the other hand, the truth could devastate him, and make him do something he might regret, like fighting his brother and destroying the relationship they were building. It was hard to tell with Dante sometimes.

What was Kasumi to do? What was the right choice?

"Holy shit..."

Kasumi's attention was brought back to the twisted reality, only to find her and Dante standing in, what appeared to be, the massive entrance hall that had dual flights of stairs going up in opposite directions, leading to upper floor balconies that surrounded the room. They also lead to other doors that lead deeper into the mansion. Despite its regal stature, much like the hall they walked through, the entrance hall was also in shambles. The walls were eroding with Limbo's mold, the floors were ripped apart by the black muck, and the only chandeliers had collapsed on the ground. In the middle of the floor was a large sun insignia, while above, the roof had been broken into; allowing some of Limbo's fabricated, sunlight shine into run down old home.

"What happened here?" Kasumi wondered.

"Dunno..." Dante said, "But that's what we're here to find out."

MUGEN MAIN TEMPLE

MUGEN TENSHIN VILLAGE, JAPAN

8:20 am, Monday

The former leader of the Mugen Tenshin clan usually began his mornings with light training of hand-to-hand combat, swordsmanship, and some of his more powerful ninjutsu techniques. However, due to the circumstances of last night, he couldn't feel it in him to be bothered to pock up his sword. His body was still recovering from the strain he put it through after last night's brutal attack on the village. He was told by the medical ninja to keep himself rested so he could make a quicker recovery, but nothing could keep this old warrior down.

Instead, he escaped the confines of his room, and sat on the rooftops of his own dojo to watch the rising sun from the horizon of the mountains. He took in the sun's rays and felt the light breeze through his grey hair, while deep in meditation.

"Father..."

Shiden opened his eyes in the presence of his son, who was dressed in simple robes and his copper hair down.

"Hayate." Shiden addressed in Japanese with a nod.

"You requested to see me?"

"Yes. I would like to speak to you once we are all gathered."

"We?"

Suddenly another presence had appeared onto the scene—also dressed in a simple robe, only it was purple.

"Hayate-sama. Shiden-sama."

"Ayane?" Hayate said. "What are you doing here?"

"I've called her here as well." Shiden answered. "This was an important matter that involves our bloodline."

"B-But Shiden-sama...I-I am not—"

"nonsense, Ayane." Hayate interrupted. "I will not hear any of that anymore. You are a part of our family, no matter what." He turned to face his half sister with a sincere smile to give. "You are my sister, and that's final."

Ayane was speechless for a moment, before she regained her composure and bowed deeply. "I-I do not deserve such kind words, Hayate-sama."

A cleared throat from Shiden had snapped the two back to attention. "That aside, there is still the matter of why I've called you both up here."

"Whatever could it be, father?" Hayate asked.

Shiden took a moment to gather his thoughts. What he was about to share with the two young ninja will challenge their devotion to the ways of the Mugen Tenshin for years to come. He knew this revelation was risky; given the tragic raid that befell the village only last night, but in Shiden's case, this was imperative for Ayane and Hayate to know for them to have a full understanding as to why their village was attacked in the first place. Not only that, but the guilt of keeping secrets from his own children has been eating away at him for years. It was time to lay himself bare once and for all.

"Ayane...Hayate...what I'm about to tell you both will...come as a horrifying surprise to both of you, but...I wanted the two of you to understand..." He took a deep breath before he spoke again. "The reason Victor sought to attack the Mugen Tenshin Village...and why he has such an intense grudge against us."

This certainly gained the half-siblings' undivided attention. Just as Shiden expected it to.

"What reason could he have to come after us? I thought Donovan had sent him!" Ayane said in confusion.

"Unfortunately, it's more than that..." Shiden became dismal; head cast down to try and avoid their glances, with his fist anxiously clenched. "He attacked us...because of me...because of what I, and many of the old ones of the Mugen Tenshin Village had done to him...to the villagers..."

"What do you mean, father?" Hayate asked.

Shiden kept silent for a moment. Possibly to try and regain what little strength he had in him to reveal the truth to his children of which he's done his best to hide for years. Or maybe he wanted to keep what little self-respect he could hold on to once he had told them everything. Either way, he knew he could loose both Ayane and Hayate for doing this...but there was no other choice.

"Many years ago, back when I was still young and in my prime, the Mugen Tenshin village was not as brimming with smiles and filled with life as you both usually knew it...it was dying, merciless...it was not expected to last much longer in the condition it was in."

"You've told me this story before." Hayate remembered. "The village was at a point of desecration, and you and the old ones of the village fought tooth and nail to build it up to what it is now...or was."

"Yes...but I'm afraid that I have only just begun to tell you the whole story..."

The two got in closer to hear what Shiden's tale.

"For you see; in those days of absolute destruction of our village, we ninja began to accept our own demise, and would die honorably through seppuku*...however before that option was put onto the pedestal, there was another plan that was considered...it went against all that we had wanted to build the Mugen Tenshin clan's foundation upon, but...we had no choice."

Shiden swallowed hard before he came out and said it.

"We...we kidnapped people."

A collective silence filled the air as the birds began to sing their morning song in the distance.

"You...kidnapped people?" Ayane repeated in disbelief.

"Yes...You see, one of the ways we believed we could build our village into being a stronger one, was by increasing our numbers. As such, we only went after those who were homeless—who were outcast to the rest of the world. Men, women, and even children were taken off the streets of Tokyo or withering villages, and we brought them to our own. At first, we believed that to be the answer...

"we were wrong...

"though we had the numbers, what we truly procured from the lower crevices of the Earth were nothing but drunkards, fools, and idiots who had no will to even stand. The women were harlots who had been conditioned to open their legs rather then their minds. The children were illiterate brats who found more comfort in stealing from one another. They were pigs in the dirtied rags they called human clothing. It felt as though our village's pristine, if we ever had it, had fallen lower then when it began...so disciplinary measures had to be instituted..."

Shiden massaged his temple. It was as if the words desperately wanted to escape his mouth but he just couldn't let them go out of fear. However something deep inside him knew that now was the time.

"We were able to make it work with some, but...others...others were much too difficult to handle..You see, back then, the Mugen Tenshin clan had a...stricter punishment for those who...who couldn't keep up with assisting the growth of the village...and that is where...everything went horribly wrong..."

"You...you tortured them..."

Shiden could not dare to look Hayate in the face once he had uttered that from his mouth.

"You abused them...you treated them like slaves...didn't you?" Hayate said in dismay of his answer.

Shiden took a deep breath. "Worse...we killed them."

Neither could say a thing. It took them a moment to contemplate it.

"You must understand, we had no choice...I didn't take part in the savagery though...they sliced...they burned...until nothing was left...And then they would...feed the remains to the rest...And then we'd go out, find more on the streets, and...do it all over again..."

Shiden began to tear up—forcing himself to power through.

"And the old ones...at the end of it all, they'd...offer me a position to do the purges...and every time, I would tell them to go to hell...for ten years I told them...until I met Ayame..."

Both stayed silent as Shiden wiped the tears from his eyes. They could only look down in dread. Hayate was speechless, while Ayane could barely keep her eyes from welling up.

"Ayame was...she was my world. She brought about happiness in me that...I didn't know still existed...She was truly my world...but she did not fit into the Mugen Tenshin's ways, and...she was going to be next for the purge..." Shiden said tearfully. "And so...I made a deal with them...ten years I told them no, but I...I just escape it anymore...I ripped them apart...men, women, children...I lost count of how many I ripped apart...I-I just..."

Finally the tears fell down his cheek as he took a deep breath. But he still fought hard to keep himself composed.

"Finally...finally, I decided to...do what needed to be done...the things I did to the old ones...the throats I slit and...the hearts I crushed in my palm...and the look of absolute terror in Ayame's eyes was...I couldn't bare it..."

Shiden was finally able to stop the flow of tears, and speak clearly.

"We worked through it, her and I...and so did the village. It began to flourish and grow under my rule. It was slower then before, but...it was working...not long after, you were born, Hayate...and then Kasumi...and then, well...you know the rest, Ayane..."

There was a dead silence between the three of them, save the sniffing from Ayane as she tried to hold back her tears. Hayate, however, had no tears to shed. He could only stare bitterly at his own father, who couldn't even dare to look at them like the man they believed him to always be.

"I am truly sorry...I wish I could have told you both the truth before, but...I just couldn't...not then..."

"So...Victor...that is why he hates this village so much..." Hayate said somberly. "because of what you and the old ones did..."

"Hayate, please—"

"NO!" Hayate yelled with a bitter fist slammed into the roof. "I...! I don't...! Our home...everything the village has prospered with...the people...all of it is lost now, because of what the old ones of the village, and YOU have done in the past! This all falls on your damn shoulders father!"

"Don't you DARE speak to me in that manner!" Shinden roared as he stood to one knee against Hayate."I know full well what we did was dishonorable, but you must abandon this childish sense of morality, and understand that in those days, honor was a questionable morale! One that the Mugen Tenshin Clan could not afford to uphold if it meant the end of our legacy!"

"At the cost of so many lives?-!"

"We had no choice!-!"

"There's always a choice, and you made the most horrid one!"

"Watch your tongue, boy! You inherited this title as leader, not earn it! You are years behind before you can speak to me with such disrespect!"

"Can you not hear yourself?-! You are such a feeble old man! It's no wonder Kasumi—"

"THAT IS ENOUGH!"

Suddenly, all went dead silent. The men were brought to a startling halt at the ear-splitting roar that originated from a new female voice to appear on the roof with them.

Ayane, Hayate, and Shiden all gazed towards where the sun had risen to see a beautiful woman who looked as though she had barely aged past her late 20's. Her dark brown, long hair was similar to Hayate's , while her appearance bared a striking resemblance to both Ayane and Kasumi. She was dressed in a simple blue kimono that wouldn't make you think much of her. The moment you look into those beautiful green eyes of hers, you would have to be foolish to not be captivated.

"Ayame..." Shiden uttered.

"Mother..." Hayate said meekly. "You should not be up here. You could get—"

Hayate was quickly silenced by a single hand from Ayame the moment she looked at him with her scolding expression. It even forced Hayate and even Shiden to sit back down.

Ayane, even through her tears, was still amazed at the power her illegitimate mother had over the two men. She almost wished she herself could be that demanding without saying a word.

"I had believed you both to be mature enough to speak about this to one another in a dignified and respectful matter..."

"Ayame, please—"

"BUT...it appears I was mistaken."

Though the anger in her voice was subtle, it was more then enough to silence Shiden and Hayate. Both knew there was nothing they could do or say to make an excuse for how foolish both of them realized they were for even beginning to argue with one another.

Ayame released her anger into a deep sigh as she sat down besides her husband in the most dignified way one could imagine; a regular Yamato Nadeshiko, or dignified woman.

"Please listen to me..." She asked, as all attention was given to her. "Our village has faced a terrible time this day...so much has been lost to us, and so many lives have been taken in one foul swoop...It could take days, weeks, months, or even years before we may be able to truly move forward...but what is important is that we start somewhere."

Her eyes settled to Hayate, who couldn't have it in him to even look her in the eyes.

"Hayate...what happened in the past is just that; the past. What your father has told you was nothing short of a revelation...I too must share the blame of keeping such a dark secret hidden from you...from both of you. But realize that what was done was for the sake of the village. Of course we despised it, we hated it to our very core and there is not a day that goes by that I am not eternally grateful of your father for finally putting an end to those horrible days of old...however we must never forget the sacrifice, and where it has brought us today. No foundation of prosperity is built on a land without bodies to lay it on...please...I hope the both of you may understand this."

A few moments passed of silence. The sounds of birds chirping in the distance was the only solace the four could enjoy as an incomplete, and horrible family.

Finally, Ayane rose up and could not even look at any of them. Instead she walked towards the edge of the roof where the sun was rising.

"Ayane...?" Ayame sorrowfully called out to.

"I...I'm sorry...I-I just...I have to go..."

Without another word, Ayane leaped from the roof top, and descended to the ground...as her tears fluttered in the air.