A/N: Listen...after the bombshell dropped in previous chapter I know I should cut you guys a break. So I did and took roughly three months to update. XD I shouldn't joke about my whack update schedule. Sorry guys. At any rate, I hope all of you are doing well and that you will enjoy the madness contained within this new chapter. Thank you for your patience and God bless you all!

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Code Geass do not belong to me. Be glad that they don't. All the craziness you've seen would be the result.

Warnings: Just like previous chapters, this one contains some intense depictions of blood and gore as well as severe mental decay from the main character. I believe this is one of the more tame chapters, but reader discretion is still strongly advised. The story is rated M for a reason. Proceed with caution.

Chapter 51

Promises

The mountain city of Narita was once a flourishing site of tourism and romantic getaways in Japan, but after the war that stripped the Japanese of their nation, the city became a center for trade more than tourism. There were certainly plenty of Britannians who visited for sightseeing purposes, but the atmosphere of the place changed dramatically. The unnatural landslide that occurred in the battle between Viceroy Cornelia and the Black Knights added to the eerily quiet nature of the city. It served as a massive graveyard and little else at this point.

For these reasons, E.E. chose the underground military fortress beneath the city to serve as her base of operations a few weeks after the landslide occurred.

And so, on the night of December 21st, 2017, it became a battlefield.

Infected by the venom of E.E.'s snake monsters, Sailor Uranus attacked Sailor Mars. Later, Sailor Neptune stepped in and saved Sailor Mars with the unexpected help of a member of the Amazon Quartet, CeleCele. While Sailor Neptune stayed behind to fight, Sailor Mars and CeleCele departed on a flying bicycle for the cable car station where one of the three entry points to E.E.'s underground lair was located.

Elsewhere, two more members of the Amazon Quartet, VesuVesu and JunJun, finally overpowered Sailor Mini Moon, who had also been infected by the snake monsters. With groans of frustration, the two girls began to drag the pink-haired teen by her ankles up the hill where ParaPara, the final member of the quartet, was waiting. By her side, Sailor Jupiter lay on the ground, her head soaked in blood.

Sailor Moon, having given instructions to ParaPara, took off in the general direction of the memorial site and tried to get in touch with Sailor Mercury, who was fighting her own battle against a series of phantoms E.E. sent out as a last line of defense. Though faring well, she was unable to answer any calls.

And so, roughly twenty minutes before Joey Wheeler called out his final attack against D.D., Sailor Mars, a.k.a. Rei Hino, saw a vision of his future. In the immediate aftermath of this vision, she made desperate attempts to contact Sailor Mercury to the point she got distracted and stopped peddling the magical bike entirely. This ultimately caused the vehicle to crash to the ground about mile away from the cable car station. CeleCele wasn't very happy about the destruction of her precious bike, but opted to mostly keep quiet about it as the two girls extracted themselves from a messy, undignified heap on the cold ground.

Getting up as quickly as she could, Rei made several more attempts to call Mercury and even tried getting in touch with Sailor Moon. Neither of them answered, which made the senshi of fire all the more anxious as the minutes ticked onward.

"Come on," she muttered, pacing in front of CeleCele's destroyed bike. "Please, someone answer!"

"What's all this about anyway?" CeleCele asked with an irritable huff as she placed her hands on her hips. "It better be important considering the damage to my property."

Rei didn't reply in a rare show of self-control. This wasn't the time to entertain petty arguments.

After another ten minutes, Sailor Mercury finally answered, allowing Rei to reveal the vision she'd seen and the means needed to stop it from happening. Sailor Moon was added on to the call early on, allowing her to hear the gist of things as well, but as they were talking, an unexpected ally started his slow approach toward the senshi of fire and her acrobatic companion.

It was during the creation of this slow alliance that Joey Wheeler secured his victory over D.D.

However, what came next was beyond anything the young duelist could have anticipated.

Joey: 400
D.D.: 0

With a loud and powerful roar that shook the ground beneath my feet, Red Eyes Slash Dragon ascended through the falling snow toward the heavens above. The remaining embers of its brutal attack floated along the wind as the dragon swiftly disappeared from sight.

This beast...this mesmerizing force of nature sealed my victory over D.D., but the fleeting sense of accomplishment does nothing to ease the anxiety crawling through my skin.

I'm smiling. I'm laughing and cheering at the top of my lungs, but...

I'm not happy.

What joy is there in winning this one battle if despair and death lie in wait for me? Winning this Duel Monsters game only ensures I'll see Mina one more time, and that's assuming D.D. won't act like a sore loser and just kill me now out of spite. I honestly wouldn't put it past him. He looks pretty irritated as it stands because I'm overdoing the whole victory celebration thing, but I can't help it. This might be the last Duel Monsters victory I ever have. Beyond this, I have no idea what's coming, and whatever hope I felt a few minutes ago started fading the instant Red Eyes disappeared.

All that's left is a horrible, sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

After a few seconds of silence, the magic keeping my deck afloat in the air fades. A small gasp of panic escapes me as I reach to grab it, fearful of the cards running off with the wind, but I realize all too quickly how stupid worrying about a deck of cards was in this situation.

Shouldn't I be more concerned with the whole, "I'm probably gonna die," thing?

That sense of self-preservation is taking its sweet time kicking in.

D.D. gently plucks his own deck from the air then stuffs it in the inside pocket of his coat while muttering, "Well done, Wheeler." His expression of irritation transforms into one that's completely unreadable. "You defeated me fair and square."

"Thanks," I answered back, placing my cards in my coat pocket. "Are you gonna keep your word?"

"Why of course, Wheeler," he replied, a slow grin lifting the corners of his mouth. "I'll take you to Minako. That was our agreement after all."

Before I can blink, D.D. is standing two inches in front of me. Acting on instinct I start to reach for the gun still in my pocket, but with one blindingly fast movement he's maneuvered the weapon out of my hand.

"Hey! What's the big idea, wise-guy!"

D.D. doesn't answer for a moment. Instead he chooses to point the gun at my face.

And with each second he stands staring at me with that gun in his hand, I hear my own frantic heartbeat ringing in my ears. Even with the slow terror choking me, my feet stay rooted in place as I glare at the barrel of the gun, daring D.D. to shoot.

A small part of me might actually want him to do it.

"You're a courageous and honest young man, Joseph Wheeler," D.D. proclaimed, lowering the gun after a long, agonizing period of silence. "However...people like you don't fare too well in this world."

"W-what's dat supposed to mean?" I asked, swallowing past the sudden lump in my throat.

D.D. let out a slow sigh, then motioned with the gun for me to take a step backward without answering. With no other choice left to me, I complied with the order, and watched him carefully as he stuffed the gun in his coat pocket. Then, with another movement too fast for me to react to, he flung me over his shoulder like I was some kind of rag-doll.

"I don't like where this is going!" I shouted, my anxiety doubling as the immortal took off running at a speed downright impossible for any normal person. We were in the air less than a second later. For a moment, all I could register was snowy terrain, but soon after I could see the tops of buildings...really tall buildings.

"NOW I REALLY DON'T LIKE WHERE THIS IS GOING!"

"Something wrong?"

My stomach was already churning with nausea. "I'm not sure if I do too well with heights..."

"Do you think you'll fare any better with gore, Joseph?"

My heart sank at the mere mention of it. Given my past, I'm no stranger to violence or bloodshed. I've beaten people bloody plenty of times out of anger. After all, I live with a man who makes a habit out of beating me senseless. Because of that, I was nothing but a walking bad attitude during those gang days. I was always ready for a fight. Whether it was with a rival gang member or someone within our own ranks, delivering a good beat-down was a primal sort of high for me. Knocking out teeth, breaking noses, or hitting people over the head with a metal pipe was euphoric and exhilarating.

It didn't fix anything at home where my dad waited, but it helped me feel strong outside of those walls.

At any point I could have gone too far, but Tristan was always there to hold me back. Even when we ended up fighting each other over something stupid, he never let things escalate to a point of no return. By the time I met Yugi and Téa, I'd made up my mind to leave gang life behind. It didn't take Tristan long to follow. Sure, we were still big bullies for a while, but even that came to an end once Yugi put himself on the line for us.

My life got a whole lot better after that, but the positive turn my life took doesn't erase the mistakes of the past.

I've seen some pretty terrible things in my life.

I've had blood on my hands from hitting someone repeatedly.

But until recently...I had never seen someone die.

If not for D.D.'s immortality...he would have been the first person I'd ever killed. Despite the fact that he's probably going to murder me later, I'm actually really, really happy he didn't die when I shot him before.

Frankly, I got enough guilt on my shoulders to last for a lifetime.

I feel like I'm ultimately responsible for what's happening to Mina now. Yeah, the more I think about it, the more I see this as a direct result of the stupidity rich-boy berated me for at Duelist Kingdom.

On a night very much like tonight, Mina killed two men to protect me. Just a few days ago, I put myself in harms way trying to find her and ended up in a situation where she was forced to save me again, only this time the person she killed was her mother.

No matter what way I look at it, I put her in those situations. Saving me has done nothing but cause her pain.

I don't want to die. I'm grateful to Mina, but it was a mistake for her to save me over her mother. After all, what am I to her by comparison? Nothing. Nothing can ever replace the love of a mother once its gone. I know that better than most, but in my case there's a chance of reconciliation someday. As bad as things are between me and my mom, I'll find it in me to forgive her, even if it's just for Serenity's sake.

Mina won't have that chance.

She didn't lose her mother because of an accident, illness, or old age. She pulled the trigger herself. She severed the relationship permanently with her own hands for me, a nobody.

Rei told me I was the only one who had any real chance of helping, but I'm not sure if I believe that anymore. It was easy to hype myself up during the duel with D.D. It was easy to believe in myself and have hope in a conflict I knew I could handle...but what's next?

Death?

Trauma beyond anything I've ever known?

Right now, I'm not sure which one is worse, and that terrifies me.

"We're almost there, Wheeler."

I closed my eyes for a few seconds. It didn't feel right to speak anymore.

"I made a promise...but I..."

A shuddering breath escapes me as we plummet through the sky and back toward the ground. Opening my eyes, all I see is a blur of black and white until we come to a screeching halt a second later. Dizzy and confused, I try to glance around to see where we are only for D.D. to toss me into the snow face first.

"Gah! It's freezing!" With muffled grumbles I fought to get my head dislodged from a particularly vindictive layer of thick, slushy snow. Bad enough the guy plans to murder me, but to humiliate me on top of that? That's just freakin' petty!

After another few pulls, I finally manage to yank myself free of the slush and breathe. My hair is absolutely soaked from the snow, and my forehead and neck are sweaty from exertion.

"If I survive all this, it'd be ironic for a flu to do me in," I thought, shaking my head of excess snow while sucking in air through my nose to keep snot from rolling out of it. "Yep, I'm definitely gonna catch something nasty."

Once settled enough to think properly, I immediately fix a glare on the immortal standing behind me.

"Hey! You could have helped buddy!"

"Perhaps, but I'm feeling particularly salty right now," D.D. replied, brushing his bangs out of his eyes. "Your victory over me was...shall I say...unexpected."

"I didn't get second place in the tournament for nothin'," I answered irritably while dusting slush from the rest of my body. "But enough small talk. We had a deal. Take me to Mina." Now on my feet, I turn away so I can finally get a good look at the area.

"That's the entrance, Wheeler; however..."

As D.D. trailed off, it became clear I'd made the mistake of turning my back to him. On instinct I pivoted on my heel just in time to see the immortal reach for the gun in his pocket.

"Like her...you don't have what it takes to survive past this night. And so..."

The gun was pointed at my face again, but this time I didn't see D.D.

All I could see was Mina's mom.

And then...

"Mina..."

"SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!"

A fierce wave of ice crashed into D.D. from the right side and sent him flying out of nowhere, which scared me enough to send me stumbling backward into the snow again. For a long moment, I sat there staring at my feet as a sickening crunch echoed through the air, followed by muffled footsteps headed right for me.

Looking in the direction of those footsteps, I spot Serena running in a Sailor uniform and wings.

"Sere..."

"Sailor Moon," she cut in briskly while taking hold of my wrist. Another shout sounded in the distance. The gun D.D. stole skids along the icy ground in front of my feet then, and my fingers reach for the cool metal base long before my mind can catch up with the movement. Once the weapon is securely stuffed into my jeans pocket, I quickly tug on Serena's arm toward the large gap separating the patch of grass from the rest of the ground. That's gotta be the entrance.

"Down here," I muttered, looking back long enough to catch a glimpse of Ami in her Sailor Suit. She was waiting for D.D. to get up from the ground.

"Will she..."

"Mercury will be fine," Serena stated quickly, her fingers at my collar as she took over in our weird dance to the entryway. "Let's go."

With a nod, I bent down and lifted the door high enough for the two of us to slip through. Beneath the door was a creepy cavern of dark tunnels. A collection of torches lining the walls were the only source of light.

"I don't like it, but it's probably better than staying out here," I thought hopefully while racing down the stone steps, but about halfway down I realized there wasn't a second pair of feet following along behind me.

Turning around, I see Serena standing at the top of the stairway. Her back is to me, so I can't see her face.

"Sailor Moon!"

The Sailor Scout didn't respond, but a soft grunt escaped her as she flung out her right hand. A scepter appeared in that hand in a flurry of white feathers less than a second later. The sight would have taken my breath away had it not been for the shrill shriek that broke through the night.

"SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!"

A wisp of smoke came out of Serena's mouth in a silent gasp. I wasn't sure if she was in a state of shock or not, so I called out to her again.

"Sailor Moon!"

She didn't say a word, but her fingers tightened around the scepter.

"What the heck is going on up there?"

"What are you waiting for!?" Ami suddenly screamed. "Get out of here now!"

The next thing I heard was a guttural roar and a splatter of liquid and mush.

"Get Joey to Mina!"

Hearing Mina's name prompted me to act. Clearly Serena's gone into some form of shock, but if we hang around here we won't be able to help Mina at all.

Ami was still screaming, but I didn't pay attention to it as I raced up the steps to Serena's side. My hand reached for hers...

But I made the mistake of looking beyond the meatball head.

With a sharp icicle already stained red, I watched Ami stab D.D. through the shoulder. The immortal's face contorted into a look of pure agony, and the way his blood dripped down to the ground reminded me of the leaky kitchen sink at home. I've tried to fix it more times than I care to count, but every attempt I made ended in failure. Eventually I was left with no other choice but to set a pan underneath the drain pipe to catch all the water since we didn't have enough money to pay a professional to do the job. While I could pay for that now, I'm only just remembering that it's something I'd planned to take care of before I agreed to go to Japan. The pan was about full too, so I have no doubt the kitchen is flooded because I didn't think to replace the full pan with an empty one before leaving.

The thought has me trembling...trembling because I see blood instead of water in that pan under the sink.

Remnants of snow still cling to my hair, but its melting quickly. I feel the liquid sliding through my scalp as it mixes with the sweat sticking to my forehead. Another bead of sweat slowly drips down the side of my face. It feels strange.

It's just a mixture of snow and sweat but...

I was grazed by a bullet before. Did my head start bleeding again?

My knuckles are still wrapped in makeshift bandages from when I'd slammed my fist into the headboard over and over at the estate. I didn't think about it while dueling, or even while driving, but now I'm all too aware of the dull ache in the joints, brought on more forcefully by the chill in the air. My left leg is throbbing near the knee...the place where the glass shard...

For a split second, my breathing completely stops.

The next time I see snow, I'll remember how the bright crimson color stained it.

The frigid winter air robbing me of breath now...when it comes around next year I'll remember all of it. The blood, the screams, the bullets shattering the windshield, the glass piercing my leg, the dirt beneath my fingertips, the soft voice of the woman who should have killed me, and...

"Mina..."

I'll remember all of it.

Up until now I've chased away the image of watching Mina's mother fall. I didn't want to remember how her eyes clouded over in pain and surprise, then nothingness as she fell with a deafening crash into the lake.

Looking at D.D. now...I understand what he meant when he said I didn't have what it takes to survive this night.

Just seeing Ami, a girl who seems utterly incapable of anything violent, run D.D. through with a makeshift blade of ice slams the full weight of everything that's happened straight into my chest.

Eventually, breath breaks past my lips in a shaky rasp.

"I can't do this."

"I mean it, Serena," Ami called out, tears springing to her eyes as she plunged her crude weapon through D.D. again. Her white gloves and the front of her Sailor uniform were completely soaked in blood at this point.

Mina's mother looked like that too...before she fell.

"It should have been me. This wouldn't be happening if it'd been me."

Ami shouted again, telling Serena there wasn't much time. Her fingers pressed against my palm as she took my hand, but I too stuck in my own personal Hell to register the need to move.

"It should have been me. I don't want to die...but I don't want to live with this either."

Serena eventually manages to drag me to the steps leading into E.E.'s lair. My movements become mechanical as we pass through the threshold. With barely a thought I pull the door closed behind us.

"It's going to get worse."

I don't answer Serena at first. A heavy sigh leaves me, and I only manage to reach the bottom of the stairs before sinking down to the stone floor. My breathing quickens. Images from the past flash before my eyes.

Most of the images are of Mina during Duelist Kingdom where we fought for our loved ones with cards.

Duel Monsters wasn't going to be any help here. Not now.

I would have to rely on the gun in my pocket.

Serena said nothing, only watched while I dug my fingertips into my wet scalp. In vain I hoped to chase away the image of Mina's beautiful smile, the warmth of her hand in mine, the taste of a caramel latte I never would have tried until I met her...everything.

It's going to get worse.

Serena's words finally registered as my breathing slowed.

"How...can it get worse than that?"

"I think you already know the answer, Joey." Serena let out a soft sigh, then continued, saying, "Mina told you her intentions...didn't she?"

"Yeah, but I didn't believe she actually meant it," I thought, shaking the shock away. "Maybe I should have though...considering what lengths she's gone to just to save someone as worthless as me, but why? I don't understand."

"Joey..." Serena started to say something but stopped, probably because she was lost in her own thoughts. Can't say I blame her for that. I understand all too well what she must be thinking. After all, Mina is her friend too. Regardless of what's happened, Serena cares deeply for her friends.

I have no doubt this is killing her just as much as it's killing me if not more.

"I don't...I don't know if I can do this anymore."

Saying the words aloud wasn't my intention, but the second they were out, there was no taking it back.

Words are powerful. Words can bless or curse depending on how you use them.

With words, I make promises on a whim, but now I see promises as dangerous things.

"Joey Wheeler never breaks a promise to a friend," I mused, hanging my head in shame. "I promised Mina I would always be there for her when she needed me. She needs me now, but I don't...I don't..."

"I don't know if I can do this anymore either, Joey."

My gaze immediately drifted to Serena, and as our eyes met in the darkness, I knew she understood. There was no condemnation in her expression. She considered, just as I did, the option of running away from all of it. We wanted to run away from all our promises and the damage they were about to do to our souls.

Every promise made should be kept...but some promises shouldn't be made in the first place.

It's too late for me or Serena to escape. We promised our friend we'd be there for her no matter what. This is the price.

Besides, even if I hadn't uttered those words to her, I would still be here.

The first time I left Tokyo General to find Mina, I felt like I would be back there in a body bag. What I didn't know is that, while I survived, something inside of me died that night. Something else is dying now, but it's not clear what.

Exhaling a sigh, I rise to my feet and close my eyes for a few more seconds.

"If things are going to get worse, I'll know soon enough."

D.D. is right...there's a part of me that can't survive through this, but the rest of me will have to. Joey Wheeler never gives up. As worthless as I feel right now, I'm still here for a reason.

Right now, that reason is to save Mina from herself.

Opening my eyes, I turn to Serena and smile.

"Let's go. I have a promise to keep."

Picture it. Azabu Park, December, 23rd 1999.

Two lost souls meet in the quiet chill of the morning and exchange a few words.

"So what now?"

"You have orders to carry out, don't you?"

"I do."

"Then let's hurry this along, shall we?"

Toshido Aino says these words with a smirk that doesn't reach his eyes. In response to this, Cecelia Ashford hesitates with indecision clouding her features. For a few more seconds, the pair remain silent, but as the seconds tick by a nervous laugh escapes from Cecelia, prompting an expression of complete bewilderment from Toshido, which launches Cecelia into an explosion of giggles. It wasn't long until they were both laughing, the tension in the air having disappeared if only for a moment.

"How about we take a walk, Toshido?" Cecelia asks in between giggles. "Orders or no orders, I can't do anything without finishing my coffee."

The Japanese man nodded. "Sure. Frankly I haven't had coffee yet today."

"Seriously?" With another short laugh, Cecelia begins gathering her books together. "I'm shocked. Last time we talked you were complaining about how you couldn't simply inject the stuff into your veins."

"These days I'm wired enough to not need the extra caffeine," Toshido answered, narrowing his gaze on Cecelia as he touches the metal of his gun within his coat pocket. He wasn't sure if she genuinely wanted to go for a walk or if she was just baiting him so he'd let his guard down.

What Toshido didn't know was how in tune he was with Cecelia's intentions. A month earlier she fled to Japan under orders for a "secret mission" with no intention to ever return, but she wouldn't be able to hide for much longer without someone catching wind of her deceit. Even with the Geass she used to significantly alter her appearance, the Order had ways of finding their own no matter where they went. After all, it was because of this very network of intelligence that she chose Japan as her safe haven.

She'd always felt comfortable in this land even though she was born to Britannian nobility where there were virtually no outside cultural influences. Cecelia couldn't say for sure why she felt at home in Japan, but of the places she'd ventured to, the island nation was one of the few neutral locations in terms of international politics, making it an ideal location to hide from anyone working for family members who rightly assumed she had to be alive somewhere. Japan was also a weak spot in the Order's expansive network for one reason or another. There were members of the Order around, sure, but most of them were low-level operatives Cecelia could dispatch in her sleep.

But it came with one major downfall.

Japan was the homeland of Toshido Aino, which meant he would inevitably return to it. Even if this hadn't been the case, Cecelia knew he would come to see her today. The man was adamant about keeping any promise he made, especially if the person he made the promise to was special to him. It was an admirable trait Cecelia respected, but right now she loathed it.

After Cecelia realized she was pregnant, it didn't take long for E.E. to catch wind of it. To protect the child, she claimed it was Toshido's. The immortal demon probably knew she was lying given her array of Geass powers, but let her go after forging a new contract. Two weeks later, Toshido reportedly released classified information about their operations to the E.U. This was obvious treason, which meant each operative under E.E.'s command had orders to kill him on sight. Cecelia had no reason to believe he actually betrayed the Order. More than likely, the immortal demon made the man a target as a means to punish her for lying and for getting pregnant in the first place. After all, their original contract forbade it.

And so, with E.E.'s message ringing loud and clear, Cecelia arrived in Japan a week later.

She's been waiting for this day ever since.

Because unlike other operatives in the Order, Toshido Aino made a promise to meet her in Azabu Park for coffee again.

Loathe as she was to betray her closest companion, killing him and reporting his death to E.E. would keep the demon off her back long enough for her to have the baby and come up with a more concrete plan to get out of E.E.'s clutches for good.

Other operatives would make him suffer. She'll make his death as quick as possible.

Rising to her feet, Cecelia internally wishes he would have broken this promise.

How ironic is it when a man's greatest strength leads to his downfall?

Promises are dangerous things, especially for those who always honor their words.

Once more, Cecelia stared into Toshido's cobalt-blue eyes. There was a weariness to his gaze that she knew her own gaze reflected. Neither of them were ready for this.

The orders were to kill him on sight, but Cecelia was never one to follow orders to the letter. She made promises and broke them on a whim. Even when saying her vows to Pegasus on their wedding day, she knew she'd ultimately break his heart in one way or another. Keeping promises just wasn't her strong suit.

And yet, there was one promise she absolutely had to keep...no matter what harm it did to her or anyone else.

The instant she discovered her pregnancy, she promised to do whatever it took to protect the life inside of her. It was her last link to the man she loved...to the husband she ultimately abandoned.

"I don't want to kill you," she mutters after a moment, hesitant to move even though she suggested the walk. "But..." Her hand drifts to her stomach.

Toshido's cold expression softens as he watches her.

"I don't want to die, but we all have to go sometime, don't we?"

Cecelia forces a smile. "Yes, we do. But no one should die without having one last cup of coffee." Turning away from him, she starts walking along the path. "Come on. It's my treat."

Toshido remains still for a moment. He's tempted to shoot her now that her back is turned, but he knows before even touching the metal that he wouldn't be able to bring himself to do it. It wasn't because she was pregnant. He once assassinated a woman much farther along than Cecelia currently was. If she were any other woman from the Order, he wouldn't have hesitated. It would have haunted him for years to come, but he still would have taken the shot to save himself.

But Cecelia was a loyal comrade he depended on throughout their days under E.E.'s command. He refused to betray their bond of friendship, even if it meant he would die.

Redemption was far beyond his reach as far as Toshido was concerned. He had spilled too much blood, had hurt too many people beyond repair for the sake of meaningless desires he could barely remember

Those old dreams were replaced by things entirely out of his reach.

He wanted peace. He wanted a simple, monotonous desk job where there was virtually no risk of ever getting shot at or having to shoot somebody. He wanted to laugh and enjoy more cups of coffee with the woman he'd been in love with for years.

Azabu Park would be the place of Cecelia Ashford's death, but not by his hands.

Loving her changed him in ways he still didn't fully understand. The only thing he knew for sure in this moment was that he was done playing E.E.'s game.

And so, as he gradually fell in step behind Cecelia, Toshido Aino made a promise to himself.

What he didn't learn until much later is that promises made to oneself are the most difficult to keep.

A roar retches out of my throat as I lunge forward with the golden sword raised above my head. E.E. retaliates quickly with another block, but the momentum from my lunge sends her crumbling to her knees. She can barely hold my blade back with only one arm to work with on top of the bad angle, so I use my left hand to put more pressure against both our blades. By slow increments the two blades inch toward her neck. My muscles are aching horribly, and at some point a fire erupted, which added an ungodly amount of heat to our already heated exchange of blows.

"C-come on!" Gritting my teeth, I throw more of my weight into the attack. "If I can just..."

E.E. grunts lowly as she pushes back against me. Even on her knees she's a force to be reckoned with. I can literally feel the bones in my wrists beginning to crack from the amount of force we're exerting against one another.

But the injuries I sustain at this point don't matter. I don't have any intention of getting out of this alive, not now after everything I've done. My mom is dead. Joey is dead. E.E. isn't giving up the paperwork so it's obvious that my dad will inevitably meet his doom too. On top of all that, the Sailor Scouts have abandoned me, Bakura has pretty much been absent from this entire battle aside from a burst of power here and there, and worst of all, I have this awful, unrelenting voice in my head demanding I give into the blood-lust and just murder everything in my path.

Kill! Kill! KILL!

Without warning, E.E. suddenly pushes back with newfound strength, immediately putting me on the defensive as she forcefully gets to her feet. With another sharp rasp of breath I break away from her, then blink once to clear my vision a bit. The smoke from the fire is going to become a problem if I don't hurry up and finish this somehow.

For a few more seconds we both stand in our respective spots breathing harshly. E.E. stopped speaking to me altogether a few minutes ago, shortly after the fire started. More than likely she's trying to conserve as much breath as she can so she doesn't pass out from smoke inhalation before me. Thanks to her immortality, she can survive it even if she does pass out, but...

If you keep resisting my power you'll die before you can kill her. She's responsible for everything! EVERYTHING! LET ME OUT! I CAN FINISH IT! I CAN FINISH THEM ALL IN A BREATH!

"Stop it," I mumbled fiercely, clutching the hilt of the golden sword more tightly."I can't lose control again. I will kill E.E., but I'm not going to do it for the sake of revenge anymore. There's no point to that. Right now...I only need to kill E.E. so she never hurts anyone again. That's the promise I made to Joey. Nothing will get in the way of that. Nothing!"

With that promise reestablished in my mind, I race forward again. E.E. sidesteps away and leaps to my blindside before I can blink.

"Too busy talking to yourself to pay attention, eh?"

Her fist slams into my already damaged ribs. Something breaks and suddenly it feels like all the air is being sucked out of my body, but that isn't the end of the torture. Before I can get to my knees I feel her foot against the back of my neck, pushing me to the floor so harshly that another rib breaks.

"Guess you should've listened to your imaginary friend." E.E. muttered, a rough laugh escaping her as she rips the ribbon out of my hair and kicks the golden sword away. A second later she's binding my hands behind my back. Making an attempt to escape proves futile when the immortal demon presses her knee against my spine, applying more force to my ribs. At this rate, I have no doubt my lungs are going to get punctured by one of them. The smoke is getting worse too. It's getting a lot harder to breathe.

"As much as I'd love to leave you here writhing in agony until you die of smoke inhalation," E.E. began, flicking her wrist to manifest her sword once more. "I'm gonna do you a solid and end your suffering here and now, Minako." Inhaling deeply, she raises her blade. "You see, that Millennium Sword of yours is an item I need to complete my plans. Now that I've drawn it out, all I need to do is plunge my own weapon through your pretty little skull, and then the sword will regard me as its new master."

KILL! KILL! KILL! GET UP!

"No...it can't end like this," I murmured, fighting to breathe past the pain. "I-I h-have to kill y-you, E.E. I p-promised..."

E.E. scoffed, interrupting my words. "Feeble-minded child. Someone should have taught you not to make promises you can't keep..."

"And someone should have taught you not to play with fire!"

With widening eyes I turn my head toward the entrance. Slowly walking along the carpet cutting through the room's center was none other than Rei as Sailor Mars. Fire magic was already spinning in her palms.

"You're too late to save her, Sailor Mars!" E.E. growled, shifting back in my direction. "I already won! Say goodbye to your friend!"

"MARS FLAME..."

KILL THEM! KILL THEM BOTH!

Squeezing my eyes shut, I wriggle my wrists in the hopes of reaching the mechanism for the working blade in my right glove. No one was able to save me from my fate before, so I don't expect anyone to save me now, but I pray Rei will delay my death long enough for me to break free.

"SNIPER!"

"Roll over you dolt!"

Opening my eyes, I heed Bakura's words and roll over just in time to avoid the edge of E.E.'s blade. It stabs into the ground mere inches from my face just as Rei's Flame Sniper attack makes contact. The fire senshi's onslaught sends the immortal woman flying straight into the raging flames surrounding her throne with a satisfying smack. An immediate howl of screams erupt through the room, but I pay it no mind as I force my body to roll back to its previous position. Rei is next to me a second later with stupid questions about whether I'm okay or not. Clearly, I'm not, but my physical state isn't even a concern worth thinking about at this point.

For a split second my gaze flicks over to E.E.'s silhouette crumpled over in the roaring flames...

And then, completely out of nowhere, another vision appears before me.

But all I see is an image of the golden sword piercing through E.E.'s chest in the distant past...through her heart.

"You got to be kidding me!" I roar mentally. "I could have killed her a solid hour earlier if I'd just stabbed her with the right weapon!"

Once the vision blurs from my sight my eyes begin darting about, seeking the sword as Rei gently raises me up so I'm resting on my knees rather than my stomach. My ribs absolutely scream from the movement, but I'm way more interested in spotting the sword before E.E. emerges from the scorching flames like nothing happened.

"Mina, you're gonna be okay now." Rei's voice is almost shrill with worry. "I promise, I'll keep you safe."

Unconcerned with that empty promise, I coughed. A bit of blood came up, which definitely isn't good, but I can ignore it long enough to do what needs to be done. If I could just find the...

"There it is!"

Pointing a little to the left I rasped out, "Sword."

Rei's eyes immediately fell on the weapon. She glances back at me, confusion clear in her expression, but it doesn't take long for her to get the picture. An instant later, she nods.

"Don't worry," she says, glancing at E.E.'s fiery silhouette sparking with volts of red electricity as she stands. Practically leaping into a run, she makes a beeline for the weapon on the floor. "I'll finish this!"

"W-what!?" I hissed, barely getting the word out. "No! G-give it to m-me!"

But Rei didn't hear me, couldn't hear me past the roar of the flames or E.E.'s sudden attack against her. Most of the immortal's clothes had melted into her skin, and what remained barely kept her covered at all. On top of that, her attack against Rei was irritatingly feeble. The girl blocked with the golden blade easily.

Growling in response to this turn of events, I force myself to stand and reach out with my hand, hoping for the blade to return to me, but it stayed in Rei's hands as a clear sign of defiance.

Let this be a lesson to you, weakling. Kill or watch others steal what's rightfully yours.

"No," I whimpered, falling to my knees again when the shaking in my legs proved to be too much. "N-not this too! D-don't take this from me. R-Rei...give it...b-back!"

There was no way for Rei to hear my pleas for her to hand the sword over. She's not only locked in combat with E.E., she's winning. The combination of the sword's magic and Rei's abilities are completely overpowering the weakened immortal demon. As if that weren't enough, Rei is moving with more speed and agility than I've ever seen her do before, and with the type of righteous fury that proves she's on the side of justice regardless the mistakes she's made along the way.

It makes my blood boil. What gives her the right to finish a fight I began?

That's right. It's her fault too. She's just as responsible for your misery.

Clenching my fists, I slowly push myself to my feet again just as Rei breaks out of an attack E.E. initiated. With a sharp flick of the wrist, she knocks E.E.'s blade away...

And then, the golden sword, my sword...goes through E.E.'s chest.

All at once, the immortal demon freezes, her flesh hand shaking violently before falling limp at her side.

After a few more tense seconds, Rei rips the blade out of my tormentor, the demonic beast that set me on this path...

But as she falls down to the stone floor, I realize E.E. wasn't the one who set me on this path. Yes, she took hold of my mother. Yes, I'm happy she's dead because she absolutely deserved to die. Vindictive and evil to the core, the world is much better off now that she's finally gone for good.

She was a villain. Villains are villainous, and to be honest, while I hate E.E., it's not like she did anything out of the ordinary for someone wearing the title of "Immortal Demon."

Her level of cruelty was absolutely brutal to deal with, but in no way was it a surprise.

That's not the case with Rei.

Looking at her now, I see that she didn't come out of the battle entirely unscathed. She's clutching her side, so I can only assume E.E. grazed her with her sword at some point during their brief exchange. Good. She deserves to suffer. It's thanks to her that I started losing my grip on who I was to begin with. She was the one who put the idea in my head that the only way to stop my mom was to kill her. She abandoned me, and allowed A.A. to get his hands on me.

Someone that stupid and self-righteous should be made to feel the weight of their actions. It's thanks to her that I killed my mother, mutilated her corpse, and ended up down here on a pointless crusade of vengeance that's left me with nothing but grief and anguish.

I killed ten people to get to E.E.

One of them was Joey. I didn't mean to do it. I didn't know it was really him, but it doesn't matter. Those excuses don't change anything. Joey is dead.

Everything that's happened could have been prevented if Rei hadn't pushed me that first night at Tokyo Tower.

She may as well have been E.E. herself with all the damage she's caused.

I can't even keep my promise to Joey now.

What was the point of all this? What was the point in spilling all this blood?

That's just it! There is no point! There's no point in anything anymore!

All I wanted was to destroy the demon with my own two hands, and Rei took that from me, just like she took everything else.

KILL HER!

Reaching out with my right hand, I allow the demonic thoughts of the voice spinning in my head to take hold. There's no reason to hold them back anymore. I have no interest in causing long-term suffering, but I cannot let someone like Rei continue living. She must pay. There must be justice for what she's done.

Geass was the force E.E. used to make a mess of my entire life. Geass revealed secrets about my family I never wanted to know.

She's the one who unleashed it.

All of this is her fault.

KILL REI HINO!

"Gaaah! What in the world..." Rei blinks rapidly as the Millennium Sword disappears from her hand. With confusion lining her features, her gaze falls on me, on the cruel smirk I know is on my face, and on the blade that's returned to its rightful owner.

KILL SAILOR MARS!

"I will. I promise."

A/N: So...I guess E.E. is gone, but now we're left with an even bigger problem as I'm sure you lovely readers can tell. Things just went from bad to worse, really, REALLY fast. You guys definitely won't want to miss the next chapter. We have now arrived at the final confrontation. Get ready! Also, part of what inspired the general theme of this chapter was actually Joey's section. Of all the sections in this chapter, his was the most difficult initially and took the longest to finish, but his section was the foundation of everything this chapter became. I kinda wanted it to tell its own story revolving the nature of making promises and how dangerous that can actually be, especially for people who have a reputation for always keeping their word. Anyway, that's all I need to say concerning this one. I hope you guys enjoyed it...even though it has gone to some severely dark places. After the next chapter, I think things will calm down significantly and everybody will be able to breathe more easily. So, until that next chapter, thank you for reading and God bless you all!

Also, if you guys ever get antsy while waiting for updates, feel free to check out my YouTube where I post more lighthearted content surrounding K-Pop, Anime, and Gaming. I'm Lillymu961 there! Feel free to stop by! See ya!