Welcome to chapter 28 of Pocket Monsters: Shattered Souls! Thank you for reading the story up to this point and I hope you enjoy the chapter! I know that this chapter is extremely late and I do apologize for that. We had a family member hospitalized and that really threw us all for a loop. Thankfully, she's doing a lot better and recovering nicely. Again, I'm really sorry for taking this long. I hope you all enjoy the chapter and please view the message at the end. Thank you.

CHAPTER 28

Mari and Dai, along with the other journalists, stood in shock as they reacted to the explosion from the Silph Building.

Mari stood in front of the camera, fixed her hair, and cleared her throat. "Moments ago, an explosion could be heard from one of the top floors of the Silph Building. No one knows the source of the explosion, but one can anticipate a fierce battle has taken place. It could be the last bit of hope for the employees of Silph, who are still being held captive by Team Chaos. The last we heard of any type of rescue was of several eyewitnesses claiming to have seen kids running into the building. No word as of yet on their current status, but we can pray that they are all right, and that by some miracle, they'll turn this dark moment around."

Sirens blared in the distance, and everyone turned to see police cars pulling up to the building. Officer Jenny and several of her men exited their vehicles and proceeded with crowd control.

Officer Jenny commanded her men in a fierce voice and gained complete control of the area in a matter of minutes. "I want this area blocked off! No one gets in or out without my approval!" She pointed to a few of her officers. "I want you all to go check on the officers in the front of the building and call an ambulance; and you all to apprehend all the Team Chaos members! Let's go!"

Mari smiled. "Just now, reinforcements have arrived in the form of the Vermillion City police. Officer Jenny has quickly taken over the situation and it looks like everything will be okay."

She turned toward the building as the crowd around her shouted in excitement. She saw several people in business suits running out of the building and toward the crowd.

Mari gasped and turned back to the camera. "A new development! As you can see behind me, several employees of Silph have come running out of the building! No doubt, they are the hostages from earlier. They all appear to be okay."

Officer Jenny walked up to the employees. "What's going on? Are you all okay? What happened?"

One of the employees wiped her brow. "We were rescued by two kids. They're still inside fighting Team Chaos now! Please you have to help them!"

Jenny placed her hands on her shoulders. "Don't worry. We have everything under control. We'll get those kids out and take Team Chaos down. You have my word." She turned to her men. "All right! I need squads B and C to come with me!"

Ayden breathed heavily as he sat in the corner of the hallway gripping his sides. The punch from Mashira made it difficult for him to move. He wasn't even sure how he was sitting on the floor. He felt as though he blacked out for a moment. He looked up at Nami who, from what he could gather, seemed to be talking to Mashira.

He tried to stand up, but his injuries forced him to stay where he was. All he could do was wait and watch the exchange between them.

Nami stared at Mashira while keeping her guard up. She knew he was fast, but to get around her defenses and strike Ayden like that was beyond her anticipation. She couldn't afford to underestimate him anymore. Any slip of her concentration and he'd take her out. "What do you mean he ruined your life? You're not making any sense! My dad would never do anything to ruin anybody!"

Mashira shook his head. "Your dad was a self-righteous bastard! Going on and on about respecting your opponents and all that shit! Made me sick listening to his stupid preaching! Then he goes and humiliates me at the world championships."

Mashira thought back to his fight with Kiyo. It was a summer day in Saffron as a large crowd of martial arts fans gathered to witness one of the most anticipated fights of the year, the final match of the World Championship tournament. Seats quickly filled up and those unable to attend watched with eager anticipation from home.

The fight consisted of Mashira against Kiyo. Both men wore white gi with black belts, but Mashira sported a black bandana and matching gloves.

The first round of the match consisted of a pokémon battle, with Kiyo taking the win. The second round would be hand-to-hand combat of the trainers.

Both fighters prepped in their respective corners and sized each other up. The referee brought them both to the center to bow. Kiyo bowed, but Mashira grinned and walked back to his corner.

Kiyo furrowed his brow. "I've heard about you, Mashira, and how you fight. I find it amazing you consider yourself a martial artist."

Mashira's grin turned into a smile. "Why, I'm honored. My reputation precedes me to even the renowned Master Kiyo knows about me." His smile faded. "Then you should know that if you valued your life, you'd quit while you can still walk properly."

Kiyo shook his head and took a fighting a stance. He soon started tapping the mat with the heel of his foot. "Yeah, no. I'm not going anywhere. I'll make sure to win this match, and show you the proper way to fight. You dishonor your opponents, and that's something I cannot and will not tolerate!"

Mashira laughed and got into his fighting stance. "That's hilarious. Honor your opponents? There's only one thing a fighter needs, and that's power. Those dumb enough not willing to take it while they can, aren't worth being called martial artists."

The match began and Mashira found it difficult to end it like he had done in his other matches. Kiyo matched him for every attack and the match dragged on for longer than anyone could've imagined.

Mashira soon grew tired of playing by the rules. He realized the only way to win quickly, was to force it.

He went in and broke Kiyo's ankle, knocking him to the floor. Before the ref could go over to him, Mashira charged and attacked Kiyo. He broke his shoulder, knee, and arm, before the ref pulled him off.

He pulled out a red flag. "Contestant Mashira, you're disqualified for-,"

"Wait!"

The ref, Mashira, and the audience turned their attention to Kiyo as he writhed on the floor.

He took in deep breaths and calmed himself down. "Don't disqualify him. I'll defeat him myself."

Mashira stared at Kiyo as he looked up at him. The strong determination in his eyes irritated him to the point he wanted nothing more than to break him permanently.

The ref went over to Kiyo. "Contestant Kiyo, are you certain? Do you need any medical assistance?"

Kiyo shook his head as he stood back up. "Nah, I'm fine. Continue the match. It won't take long."

The ref stood up and raised his hands. "Contestant Kiyo has asked for the continuation of the fight as is! The fight will resume in one minute!"

Mashira laughed as he watched Kiyo. He stood on one leg and had his arm hanging by his side. "You look pathetic! What the hell do you think you can do in your condition?"

Kiyo smiled. "More than enough."

Mashira stopped laughing and furrowed his brow. He thought to himself Kiyo had to be bluffing. In his state, a child could take him down.

The ref raised his hands. "If both contestants are ready… let the fight continue!"

Mashira charged at Kiyo. He just had to finish him off with a few more hits. He stopped when he saw Kiyo had closed his eyes and moved his hand around in a circular motion; tracing the yin-yang symbol. "What the hell is he doing? What is that?"

Kiyo continued to move his hand. His breathing matched his movements as he felt sparks of energy pop around him. The more he traced the symbol with his hand, the calmer he became. The sparks of energy popped faster around him as he muttered to himself. "Rin… pyou… tou…sha… kai… jin…"

Mashira became annoyed watching Kiyo stand there waving his hand around. This was his chance to end the match. He charged at him with a round-house kick.

"Retsu… zai… zen!" Kiyo opened his eyes and thrusted his hand in the path of Mashira's kick.

The two collided and Mashira felt a rush of energy enter his body. It traveled through his leg up to the knee, breaking every bone along the way. The force of Kiyo's attack sent him spiraling out of the ring, landing on his back. His vision blurred and he could barely make out the ref as he held the flag up before passing out.

Mashira stood trembling as he begrudgingly remembered the fight. "I don't know how he did it, but he pulled some voodoo bullshit and stole the championship title from me! He called it 'aura' or something."

Nami's eyes widened. She remembered Tsuyoshi talking about how her father could utilize the energy in his body. He said it was one of the reasons he was so powerful. For years, she tried to use aura, but to no avail. Tsuyoshi kept telling her she needed to have the right state of mind for it. Not bothering to understand his meaning, she eventually gave up and just developed her physical prowess. Her attention fell back on Mashira as he continued his story.

"I lost it all after that; my sponsors, my money, everything was taken from me! And just when I was at the end of my rope, an opportunity came through. Like a sign from God, I ran into some fellas from Team Chaos. They said they heard of me and how fierce of a fighter I was. They offered to get me back up to full strength along with power I could only dream of. They gave me a prosthetic leg and helped me build my strength again. It was thanks to them I could walk again.

"Then, as if things couldn't get better, I saw your dad fight Sabrina for the right to be the official gym of Saffron. You have no idea how gratifying it was watching him lose so pathetically. But that wasn't enough. I needed to make sure he suffered much more than that. So, I started telling people how pathetic Kiyo was for losing to some unknown so easily."

Nami's shoulders dropped and her eyes widened. "What did you say? You mean… you-,"

Mashira laughed. "I couldn't believe how quickly people turned on him because of what I said! It was better than I'd hoped for! Oh, you should've heard some of the shit people were saying about him! It was priceless! He deserved every word!"

The more he talked, the angrier Nami became. She clenched her fists so tightly she drew blood. All this time, she blamed Sabrina for what happened, but now the real culprit was right in front of her. "You mean… this whole time-,"

Mashira continued to laugh. "And then, the dumbass went and offed himself like a little bitch!"

Nami couldn't take it anymore. She let her anger control her and she charged at him, not caring about anything else but getting revenge. "I'll kill you! I'll friggin' kill you, you sick son of a bitch!"

She attacked with a high jump kick and then moved to a roundhouse, but Mashira easily avoided them. She continued with a barrage of attacks, but Mashira calmly blocked and dodged them all.

He grinned. "You've got spunk, kid. I'd even say you've got talent, but…," he punched her in the stomach, freezing her on the spot. Her eyes bulged and she vomited. "I went toe-to-toe with your dad, and you're nowhere near his level. You're twenty years too early to try and fight me."

He elbowed her in the back of the neck, kneed her in the face, and then slammed her to the floor. Before she could recover, he brought his elbow on her stomach, causing blood to spurt out of her mouth.

She lay on the floor, dazed and unresponsive. She could barely lift her head as it took all she could to keep herself from passing out.

Mashira grinned, satisfied with the state he left her in. "Now, I have a mission to complete. I'll be taking your friend. If you don't want to die, I'd suggest you stay there, little girl. Now then, let's move onto you, Carrier."

Ayden writhed in pain as he watched Mashira advance toward him. He tried to move, but his injuries prevented him. He tried to reach for a pokéball, but Mashira stopped him by stomping on his ribcage. The pressure from Mashira's boot in addition to his already broken bones caused Ayden to scream.

Mashira grinned. "Nice try, Carrier. You're not going to worm your way out of this one. You're coming back with me to headquarters. So, let's put you down for a nap."

Ayden's screams grew louder as Mashira increased the pressure on his ribs. Ayden clenched his teeth and tried to endure the pain, but he felt himself losing consciousness. All he could see was the arrogant grin on Mashira's face before passing out.

Mashira breathed a contented sigh. "Well, that took longer than it needed to. Time to go, Carrier."

"Stop… right… there!"

Mashira froze as he reached to pick Ayden up. He turned around to see Nami staggering back onto her feet. She held her stomach and wiped blood from her mouth. "I'm not… done with you yet!"

Mashira clicked his tongue in annoyance. "You're just as stubborn as your old man… and just as mouthy. So, how about this? Why don't I just send you to where he is? I'm sure he'd appreciate the company."

Nami grinned as she watched him get into a fighting stance. "Fine… go ahead… but if I'm dying… then you're coming with me… but not to the same destination."

She took off her hoodie, revealing her red, short-sleeved T-shirt, and then got into a fighting stance, tapping the floor with her lead foot. "One way or another, you're gonna pay for what you've done… and I'm gonna enjoy beating the hell out of you."

She charged at him, but he blocked her incoming punch, to which she moved into a kick. He blocked that as well as her other attacks. He ducked beneath her roundhouse kick, and then moved to sweep her leg. She evaded him with a backflip, but he caught up to her and punched her just as she made an 'x' with her arms. The force of his attack knocked her on her back. She lay on the floor breathing heavily before getting back up.

As he watched her get back on her feet, he noticed she moved faster than before. Despite her injuries, her attacks were faster and stronger. The longer he spent fighting her, the more she reminded him of Kiyo.

Nami rolled onto her hands and knees and propped herself back up. "I'm… not… done! Gonna… kill… you!"

She glared at him, causing his eyes to widen. The look she gave reminded him of Kiyo and Sabrina. A look of determination that got under his skin every time. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. The defeat he suffered that day still haunted him, but now he had a chance to rid himself of it. He just needed to kill the girl.

He walked up to her and smiled maliciously, and then knelt down until he was at eye-level with her. "Here's what's gonna happen… I'm gonna break every one of your limbs, then I'm gonna kill you. Your dad has been a pain in my ass for way too long, so I'm gonna end the bloodline."

Nami glared at him before spitting in his face. "The only one who's gonna die today… is you!"

She swung at him with her left arm, but he caught her attack. He then flipped her onto her stomach and twisted her arm until it snapped.

Her tear-filled eyes widened as the pain erupted through her until it burst out of her mouth in screams of agony. She gripped her arm and rolled on the floor as she cried out.

Mashira watched and smiled. "That's it. Keep screaming. It'll make it that much better when I kill you. You never should've interfered with our operations, little girl. You might've lived longer. Now then, which limb should go next? How about a leg?"

Nami clenched her teeth and squirmed to try and get away, but her attempts only amused Mashira as he walked up to her and grabbed her ankle.

He pulled her back as she continued to get away. "Now, hold still. This will only take a second."

Nami's eyes widened in horror as she watched Mashira raise his hand for the attack.

Mendy, Jin, and Nathan ran up the stairs as fast as they could with Mendy leading the way. Halfway up the stairs, Mendy froze.

Jin looked back on her as he ran past. "Mendy? What're you standing around for? Let's go!"

Mendy's heart raced as a sense of dread consumed her. She asked herself if it was her imagination, but she knew it was something more.

Nathan turned to her. "Hey! What's the deal? You coming or what?"

Mendy took in shallow breaths as she came to the conclusion she hoped wasn't the case. "You guys heard that, right? That scream?"

Both boys looked at each other and shrugged. Jin shook his head when he looked back at Mendy. "Nope, didn't hear a thing."

Mendy shook her head as she knew what she heard. The feeling in the pit of her stomach told her she couldn't ignore it. "I know this is gonna sound crazy, but I know I heard Nami just now! I think she's in trouble!"

Jin and Nathan's eyes widened. Jin took a step toward Mendy. "Wait… you sure?"

Nathan shook as he tried to process her words. He tried to tell himself Nami couldn't be in trouble. She was the best fighter around. There had to be some mistake. "There's no way Nami could be in trouble! She's too tough for that! You must've heard something else!"

Mendy shook her head. "No. It was definitely her. I… I can't explain it, but I just know it was. It's like something's in my gut telling me to go to her now."

With that, she ran past both boys as fast as she could with only one thing on her mind. "Nami, please be okay."

Nami held her broken arm and gazed at Mashira's sadistic grin with widened frightened eyes. Her heart raced with fear and anger as she watched him gear up for an attack to break her leg.

She hadn't felt this way before. He was going to kill her and she couldn't stop him. His strength was frightening and the fact she couldn't beat him frustrated her even more. She closed her eyes and thought about her dad. She apologized repeatedly to him, wanting nothing more than to be a little stronger so she could take Mashira down.

"Hey."

She heard a voice, opened her eyes, and found herself in an endless white space. She looked around to see who was talking to her. "Okay, this is getting weird. Who said that… and where am I?"

"That was me."

She turned around and her eyes widened as she gazed upon a muscular man in a white gi. She lowered her shoulders and her voice diminished into a whisper. "Dad?"

Kiyo smiled and walked up to her. "Hey, kiddo, long time no see, am I right?" He placed his hands on her shoulders and looked her over. "Wow. Just look at you. All grown up. You look just like your mom. Ah, listen to me, getting sentimental and all. Guess every parent says that!"

She stared at him as he laughed. She couldn't believe it. He was right in front of her. A tear fell down her cheek and she hugged him. She dug her face into his stomach and cried. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I trained so hard… and got really strong like you… but… I couldn't… I couldn't…,"

Kiyo relaxed his shoulders and hugged her back. "It's okay. You've nothing to apologize for. I'm very proud of you. I'm the one who should apologize. I felt like I let you and everyone at the gym down, but I wound up causing you more pain. I never should've left you alone. I'm so sorry, Nami."

Nami clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. The moment left a scar too deep for her to forget. She always wanted to scream and curse at him for leaving her like that. However, even with the perfect opportunity in front of her, she couldn't find the strength for the anger. She just wanted answers.

"Why? Why did you have to go? Why did you have to leave me? First mom, then you! Just why, dad?"

Kiyo closed his eyes and held her tighter. "I'm so sorry, Nami. I can only imagine what must've gone through your mind. I have no excuse for what I've done. I just want you to know that I'm truly sorry, and it's okay for you to be mad at me."

Nami shook her head. She looked at him with tear-filled eyes and sniffed through her words. "I… I was mad at first, but… then sensei and the others at the gym… helped me a lot. And then… I met Mendy… and the pain started going away. I'm not mad at you… I just miss you. I want to stay with you!"

Kiyo smiled. "I wish I could come back, too, but I have to stay here. You're still needed. Everyone at the gym, your friends, they all need you back. They're all in good hands. I did train you myself, remember?"

He held her by the shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "Just remember, I'll always be there for you. Don't let anyone or anything get you down. There may be times when you're outmatched, and that's okay, but don't ever let them see your fear."

Nami wiped away her tears and nodded.

Kiyo smiled. "That's my girl. Now, get back there and show them why you're my daughter."

With that, her eyes shot open and she glared at Mashira and grinned.

Mashira raised his eyebrow. "What's with the look? I'm about to kill you and you're smiling?"

Nami took in several deep breaths. "Yeah… I don't think so. You can break my limbs all you want… but I'll still find a way to kick your ass. I'm the daughter of the world's greatest martial artist, and I'll be damned if I let some has-been rattle me."

Mashira scoffed. "Okay, then. I'll just have to beat the fear back into you. Give my regards to your old man!"

"Nami!"

The voice echoed throughout the floor, drawing everyone's attention. Nami couldn't believe it when she heard it. Her eyes widened when she saw Mendy, Jin, and Nathan standing in the doorway. She cracked a smile as a tear fell. "Mendy."

Jin reached for a pokéball. "Don't worry, guys! Help's on the way!"

Nami looked back at Mashira and noticed he was distracted by them. With a single move, she launched her other foot up and kicked him in the face. The hit forced him to let go of her leg and she ran toward the others. The fatigue and stress caused her to collapse in front of them.

Mendy, Jin, and Nathan ran up to her and examined her. Mendy held her by the shoulders. "Nami, what happened? Are you all right?"

She backed off when she noticed she held her arm and winced at the slightest touch. "Let's just say I've had better days. Don't know exactly what's going on, but this guy wants Ayden for some reason. We gotta get him outta here."

Mendy's eyes widened in horror as she saw Ayden passed out in the corner. "Ayden! Hang in there! We're coming to get you!" She turned her attention back to Nami. "Jin, get your first-aid kit and tend to Nami, okay?"

Jin nodded, but Nami shook her head. "No! All of you get Ayden and get out of here! I have a fight to finish!"

Jin adjusted his glasses. "Nami, what're you talking about? We've gotta get you patched up! You're in no shape to fight this guy!"

Nami clenched her teeth. She knew she could use medical attention, but there wasn't any time. She had to finish this fight now or it would never end. "He's the one… the one who really said all those things about my dad." The news shocked all of them and they all understood why she wasn't going to back down from this argument. "It was him the entire time. I have to beat him and put an end to all of this."

Jin sighed. "Nami, I get how you feel, but you're too banged up. Let me-,"

She glared at him. "What did I just say? Get Ayden and get out of here now!"

Jin straightened up and saluted. "Yes, ma'am!"

Nathan clenched his fists as his rage boiled over. All this time he'd thought Sabrina was to blame for her father's death, but now the real culprit was standing in front of him, and he even hurt Nami. He couldn't let this slide. He had to take things into his own hands.

Nathan stepped forward and took a fighting stance. "How dare you? For hurting Nami and causing her pain for all these years, I'm gonna make you pay!"

Mashira cracked his neck. "And who the hell are you supposed to be, kid? Get out of here, boy. Come back when your balls drop."

Nathan flexed his muscles as he clenched his fists. "I'm gonna make you regret everything you've done to her, you bastard!"

Nami turned to him as he dashed toward Mashira. "You idiot! Get back here!"

Nathan fired several fast punches and kicks, but Mashira easily blocked them. Before he could attack again, Mashira took his arm and flipped him over his shoulder. When he landed on the floor, Mashira elbowed him right below the ribcage.

Nathan's eyes widened as his body froze from the pain. He'd never taken a hit like that before. His entire body felt empty.

Mashira sighed. "Well, that was a waste of time. And where do you think you're going, boy?"

Jin froze mid-step as he tried to sneak past Mashira to get to Ayden. He laughed nervously and lowered his shoulders as Mashira walked up to him. "Um… um… I was just… you know… um… gonna… gonna… this is gonna hurt, isn't it?"

Mashira picked him up by his shirt and threw him back over to Nami and Mendy. He landed on his shoulder and rolled to a stop.

Nami turned to him. "Jin! Are you all right?"

Jin gave her a thumbs-up. "No!"

Mendy ran over to Jin to check on him. "Jin? Hey!"

Her eyes widened when she saw a shadow hanging over her. She looked up and saw Mashira standing behind her. Her breathing shallowed and she shook.

Mashira grinned. "Looks like you're the last one left, little girl."

Mendy reached for a pokéball, but Mashira grabbed her wrist and pinned her against the wall by the throat. Mendy fought back as best she could, but he wouldn't budge.

Nami gasped when she saw what he was doing. "Hey! Leave her alone! I'm your opponent, remember? Let her go, damn it!"

Mashira ignored her and continued to choke Mendy to the point she turned blue in the face.

Tears fell as Nami tried to get on her feet. "Stop! Let her go! Please! Don't hurt her!"

Mendy opened her eyes and weakly reached out a hand to her. She mouthed Nami's name as the last bit of air left her. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and her arms dropped to her sides.

Nami's eyes widened as a sense of dread overwhelmed her. It was the same feeling she felt on the St. Anne, in the Pokémon Tower, and even when they entered this building and got separated. Now, a new moment had been added to her list. All the moments where she didn't protect her, wasn't there for her, couldn't help her, filled her up with so much rage and resentment, she felt it boil in her stomach and extend throughout her body.

She felt a rush of energy pour out of her body. She leaned back and screamed as the energy merged with her rage.

Mashira looked back at her and his eyes widened as waves of blue energy circled her as she screamed. The walls and the floors cracked as the energy around her continued to rise. He couldn't believe it. It was the same feeling when he fought Kiyo. "You've gotta be frickin' kidding me! This brat can do it too?"

Tsuyoshi sat meditating in the middle of the living room. He smiled and opened his eyes. "Yes, Young Master. You've finally done it."

Mashira stared at Nami as she stood back up. The energy surrounding her continued to rise. It continued to pop and caused her hair tie to snap, letting her hair fall past her shoulders.

She glared at Mashira with tear-filled eyes. She didn't know what was going on. She felt calm and tense at the same time. Her body radiated with so much energy she could barely contain it all, but she knew where it was all going to go. "Not again! Not this time! I've had it with you and everything else jerking me around and taking away people I care about! I've had it!"

Mashira grinned then laughed. "That's real cute, little girl. Maybe you should just lie back down on the floor and let me-,"

He suddenly felt Nami's fist deep in his gut. The attack was so fast, his body didn't realize it was in pain. He coughed up blood, and let go of Mendy before falling to his knees.

Nami caught Mendy as she fell to the floor. She distanced herself from Mashira, checked Mendy's pulse and her breathing, and breathed a sigh of relief when she found her to be fine. She eased her down and walked toward Mashira with her fists clenched. "That was for Mendy."

Mashira grumbled as he stood back up. He didn't know where that came from or where she got the energy. He chose to think of it as a fluke. He just wasn't paying attention. He just needed to remain calm. He knew he had more power and speed than she did. Nothing had changed. "Lucky shot, you little shit!"

He wiped the blood off his mouth and then charged at her, attacking her with lightning-fast punches and kicks. His eyes widened in horror as he noticed Nami, despite having a broken arm, easily blocked and dodged them all. "What the-? The hell's going on?"

Nami didn't know what happened, but the overwhelmingly fast strikes of his suddenly didn't feel like a threat. She saw a blue silhouette cast over him moving before he did, creating a path showing her where his next strike would be. She almost felt like she was reading his mind.

Seeing an opening, she broke through his attacks and elbowed him in the gut. He held his stomach and took a few steps backward. "This one's for me." She punched his knee, shattering his prosthetic limb.

Mashira fell to the floor and furrowed his brow when he saw her standing above him. It was just like when he fought Kiyo. She had that same aura as him. He growled and clenched his fists. He racked his mind on how he lost control of the fight. His anger rose. He couldn't lose this fight. He couldn't afford to lose again.

He grinned as he gathered up some dust off the floor. "You think you've won, little girl? Don't get cocky, you little shit." He threw the dust in her face, causing her to scream and back off. He took the opportunity to get up and balance himself on his leg. He then found a sharp metal rod on the floor and picked it up.

Nami tried rubbing the dust out of her eyes, but she only irritated them more. "Damn you! You friggin' underhanded, cheating mother-!"

She stopped when she felt his presence behind her. Even with her eyes closed, she could still see the blue silhouette and the movements it made. She saw him lift up the rod to stab her.

Mashira chuckled. "I suffered a good amount of humiliation from your old man, and I'm not going through that again. So, tell him I said 'hello' when you see him on the other side!"

As he lowered the rod on her, she evaded at the last second, flipped him over her shoulder, and slammed him to the floor.

The force dented the floor, and Mashira lay stunned. He couldn't believe it. He'd been outmaneuvered by a little girl who was less than half his age.

She cracked her knuckles and channeled all her aura into her fists. "And this one… this one's for my dad, you friggin' son of a bitch."

She made sure every fiber of her being was in the punch. Years of anger, frustration, resentment, and sadness all came together in one final strike.

Mashira looked up at her and his eyes widened in horror. He could see Kiyo standing over her shoulder glaring down at him. He trembled and screamed. For the first time in his life, he was scared.

Kiyo turned his attention to Nami and smiled. He placed his hand on her fist, then disappeared.

The aura surrounding her fist intensified. She reared back and punched him in the stomach. "Enjoy your stay in hell!"

The force of the punch shattered several of his bones and blood erupted out of his mouth. The aura traveled through his body and blasted a hole in the flooring beneath him as well as all the floors on the lower levels. With his eyes blank and the wind knocked out of him, he fell to the ground floor.

Mashira's collision and the destruction of the floors drew the attention of the citizens of Saffron as well as the police.

Jenny ushered her officers to follow her and they dashed toward Mashira's landing spot. Jenny's eyes widened when she saw his body lying motionless in the rubble of the collapsing building.

She examined him and was shocked to find him still breathing. She looked up at the level he fell from and couldn't believe what she saw. "The hell? He's still alive, even after falling from that height?" She turned to her officers. "Get this man first aid and then get him in the car! I want this building cleared of every member of Team Chaos! I want to know who did all this, where they are, and why!"

Her squad saluted and made their way inside the building.

Jenny watched them enter the building and clenched her hands. "Just what in hell happened here?"

As she joined her squad, the figure in the black jacket and sunglasses kept a close eye on her and her team. They made their way through the crowd and kept eyeing the top floor of the building.

Nami took in deep breaths as she stood victorious. It took eight years, but she was able to avenge her father. All she had to do now was get her friends out and explain everything to Jenny.

She started to walk, but soon realized she could barely move. She had pushed her body past its limits and felt deprived of all her strength. Her broken arm dangled by her side and the pain had become unbearable, but she couldn't even find the strength to scream.

She swayed as she stood over the hole she made and she couldn't stop herself from falling in.

As she fell, a hand reached out, grabbed her wrist, and then pulled her back. She lay on the floor wrapped in a comfortable embrace. She couldn't open her eyes, but she knew who pulled her back in. She didn't even need aura to figure it out.

"Hey, Mendy… are you okay?"

Mendy smiled as she held Nami in her arms. "Yeah, I'm okay. You?"

Nami rested her head against her and let out a contented sigh. "Yeah… I am now."

Mendy sniffed back tears and held her closer. If she had woken up a second later, she would've lost her. "You reckless idiot! Why do you always have to do something like that? I don't know what I would've done if something really terrible had happened to you!"

Nami smiled as Mendy sobbed. She didn't mind being an idiot, if it meant she could protect her and keep her safe. She heard footsteps and voices as the police ran through the building. Feeling they were in good hands; she relaxed her body and fell asleep.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

*** I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thank you again for taking the time to read my story and I hope you've been enjoying it up to this point! As usual, let me know your thoughts and any constructive criticisms you may have. I'm trying to write my own original story and would like to hear your thoughts on my current writing style and what ways I can improve upon it.

*** So, I wanted to wrap up this arc with this chapter, but again, there were just too many things I wanted to include and this felt like a good stopping point. Chapter 29 will be the end of this arc.

*** Chapter 29 will be posted in due time! Like chapter 28, I don't know when it will be exactly. I will be working on it whenever I can. I thank you all for your patience and I hope to get the next chapter posted as soon as possible. So, look forward to it and I'll see you all next time!