October 2066

The next morning Ryuko and Satsuki awoke and packed there things with a vigor that surprised them both. They felt ready to take on whatever the world threw at them, so long as they had each other. But they had no idea what they were driving back into…

Alarm sirens shocked Nonon and Houka awake. They had bedded down for the night in Nonon's office amidst stacks of paperwork that they'd promised Satsuki they'd take care of. But now something much more urgent was happening.

Nonon had just enough time to wipe the drool from her lips and rearrange her hair before a general rushed in, clearly frightened.

"Commander Jakuzure, Ma'am!" He shouted, "Tokyo is under attack. It's REVOCS. Ultima uniforms, suicide bombers, everything."

"Show me," She said flatly, and at the press of a button the wide TV in her office flashed up a map of the city with five points highlighted. Shipyards, central train station, police base, hospital, hydro plant, "They're going after the infrastructure," She declared. A sudden rush of vigor had come on her. This was what she'd wanted when she accepted Saiban way back when. She was calling the shots, and she had the tools to take care of this.

Any thoughts of the uncomfortable revelation she'd had the night before were banished. She'd make Satsuki proud.

And Saiban was humming too. This meant fighting. Real fighting, not just practice.

"I'm already calling the rest," Houka said, and soon enough the city map was joined by a chat log with everyone's faces appearing – Aikuro and Tsumugu, Uzu and Ira, Shiro, even Rei, ready at attention. She wasted no time.

"We all knew this was gonna happen. They're back, and it looks like they're trying to cripple us with an early strike to city infrastructure. I've got all your locations, and I'm routing each of you to the nearest attack. Power up and go on foot, you'll be faster that way."

~"Right!" ~ They all shouted in unison, flooding the office with sound. They'd all just woken up too, but just like Nonon the severity of the situation wasn't lost on them. Lives were at stake here. And it was a chance to do some real fighting.

"Uzu! You'll head down to the waterfront and clear out the shipyards. My map says they've got at least one Huskarl model there, stay on your toes!"

~"I'll bring you back a pretty trophy, my lady,"~ He smirked, and in the background you could hear his feet already pattering.

"Aikuro and Tsumugu, you'll be heading to the train station and police base respectively. Lots of people there, so I'm counting on you to minimize collateral damage."

"~Huh, never thought I'd hear that from you, 'little miss blew up half the stadium fighting Ryuko',"~ Aikuro quipped.

"Y'know, we'd work better as team if you guys didn't give me attitude at every chance," Nonon hissed.

~"You've got nothing to worry about, commander Jakuzure,"~ Tsumugu replied, serious as ever. Apparently his Kamui hadn't made him any less of a true soldier. ~"Citizen safety is our number one priority"~

"Very good. Houka, you and Shiro will take the hospital. I want one of you doing the fighting, the other handling the evacuations."

"I call fighting!" Houka shouted quickly, and Shiro groaned.

~"No fair, just cuz you're in the room with her…,"~

"Tough. And Rei, you're fastest what with your high compatibility and all, so you'll do the hydroplant. This city doesn't handle blackouts well, so we're counting on you."

~" Already on it!"~ Rei had started running as soon as the call began. It felt good to finally be doing something that got her mind off Ryuko.

"And lastly, Ira, I'll come join you at the prison. We'll head to wherever needs reinforcements from there."

~" Commander Jakuzure!"~ He nodded in affirmative. Nonon and Houka left together, storm down the halls as cleks watched them go like a loose bear was wandering the halls.

"Five locations… Mostly one-stars. They know that's too much for the police, but we can take care of it easily. This must be a diversion."

"Yes, keep us separated so they can hit their real target. But where?"

But then the answer hit them both.

"Oh no, the prison.

"Oh fuck, the prison."

Down at the supermax, Takamori was awoken from fitfull sleep by an unusual sound. A crash, the clunk of falling masonry. The sounds of fighting in the hallway, drawing ever nearer. He could make out the firing of needle guns, the scraping of metal through narrow concrete corridors, and screaming. Lots of screaming, and the wet sound of people dying.

He grinned, chuckling giddly and leaping up to stand in the dead center of his empty room. It was happening. It had always been inevitable. He would never have let them do this to him if he didn't know it was only temporary. That he would have his vengeance.

The sounds of fighting were just outside now, and Takamori could barely contain himself. He dropped to one knee at just the right time. And –

Thud. THUD. THU-CRASH! The thick metal door, strong enough to withstand artillery shells, was pulverized by something greater than strength. A power born of fury and the scratching of ravenous red claws

Smoke billowed through the hole, filling the air with rays of red light, and through that smoke, a silhouette.

A women wrapped in red cloth, so tight her ribs were showing. Great rounded pearls on her shoulders, in the center of which lay eyes with the serenely cruel gaze of a god. Her face contorted into a snarling, predatory grin.

Tears of exhilleration ran down Takamori's unshaven cheeks. Inevitably, they had been drawn back together. His Minazuki, and now so much more. She was part of something greater now.

"I have come for you," The words escaped what had once been her mouth, and he felt them wash over him like a wave. Who could doubt now, the primordial truth of destiny?

"My Lady Rosuketsu… You're more beautiful than I ever imagined."