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Adrian stared at the repairs. They were making fast progress, but there was a lot of damage. And all for a single, basic Infernal. Benimaru had singlehandedly destroyed three blocks by hurling flaming matoi poles, which resulted in enormous explosions. After he'd killed the Infernal, Obi had agreed with Shinra that they should help rebuild, so here they were.
"Hey, Adrian!" a member of the Seventh called out from below him. "Mind flying these boards up to him?"
He pointed to a man on a nearby scaffold, and Adrian nodded, dropping to the street and picking up the dozen-odd boards, then took off again, quickly flying up to the scaffold and hovering there while the man arranged the boards as needed. Then, while he got to work, Adrian left, scooping up a man from another scaffold who had to hit a nail just out of reach. He held him where he could reach it, then set him back on the scaffold once he was done.
"Thanks," the man smiled.
Adrian nodded, looking around for another place to help.
Adrian sighed, leaning back against the wooden fence and staring up at the stars. It'd been a long day of repairs, but the Seventh seemed a lot more friendly now. More so toward Tamaki, who'd somehow lost her bikini top twice during the day, and in front of the same group of men. Adrian sighed, beginning to pick out all the constellations he could.
"That's a pretty heavy sigh," Maki said, leaning beside him.
"It's peaceful here," Adrian said noncommittally.
Maki nodded, glancing toward the Seventh's guard house. "It may not have been our intention, but after all the help with repairs, we're on much friendlier terms with the Seventh."
"Yeah," Adrian said. "That'll change if the White-Clads decide to frame us for something. If we show up and suddenly there's a major attack, we won't be able to avoid suspicion."
"True," Maki nodded. "But Benimaru's smart enough to understand that we're not behind it."
"I suppose," Adrian sighed, sitting down and leaning back against a vertical post. "If we're right about them being here, it'll happen by the end of the day tomorrow, if not tonight."
Maki nodded in agreement. "It'll be fine. They have an angel defending them for tonight."
"I don't recall Iris doing that much actual combat," Adrian said.
Maki laughed. "And why is she an angel if I'm not?"
Adrian raised an eyebrow. "You're the Eighth's Fire Witch. Plus, to be an angel, you have to not hit someone when they annoy you."
"I don't!" Maki said.
"You slapped me for coming back alive," Adrian reminded her.
"That proves nothing!" Maki huffed.
Adrian chuckled. "Fine. Fine. Suit yourself."
Just then, an explosion erupted into the air in the distance. Adrian swept Maki into his arms instantly and took off, stopping to hover over the others just long enough for Maki to tell them to wait there while they investigated. Adrian took off, streaking through the air after the explosions. There was a break between blasts before one more went off by the water. A moment later, Adrian dropped to land between Obi and Hinawa behind him and Benimaru before him. Benimaru was angry beyond words, his flames raging around him, and his glare was directed past Adrian and Maki to Obi and Hinawa.
"What happened?" Adrian asked as he set Maki on her feet and stepped forward, spreading his wings.
"The captain ate their daifuku and now he's attacking us!" Hinawa said.
"Shut up, Lieutenant," Adrian said. "Captain Shinmon, what happened?"
"They turned Kantaro into an Infernal," Benimaru said, just as a dozen random objects caught fire around him and shot through the air like missiles, only for Adrian to flap his wings, bolts of fire shooting out and blasting the objects.
"Maki, you can beat me later for jinxing us," Adrian said. "We didn't do it, Captain, but I can understand how you would think we did."
"I don't think," Benimaru said. "I heard those two talking about it!"
Adrian's eyes widened as all of the others, barring Iris, who was at their cathedral with the Fifth, arrived, standing with Obi and Hinawa.
"I saw your captain and lieutenant plotting how to turn this town's people into Infernals!" Benimaru said.
"I believe you," Adrian said, everyone staring at him. "However, I know that that's not what happened. We were with you when Kantaro Infernalized, but the process of creating an Artificial Infernal is to introduce a type of insect from a bottle to a victim directly. Infernalization then happens instantaneously. We couldn't have done it."
"I HEARD THEM!" Benimaru roared, hurling more flaming objects, only for Adrian to again block them.
"If you won't listen to reason, I will fight you," Adrian warned. "This is the last chance to end this peacefully."
"Then we can stop wasting time," Benimaru growled, then swiped a hand, sending out a massive blast of flames.
Maki stepped forward, dispersing the blast, only for the flames that were beginning to disappear to all rush toward her, exploding. She narrowly escaped, and as she rolled to her feet, Adrian reached Benimaru, punching, kicking, and slashing with his wings, never stopping. Benimaru kept up perfectly, fighting him just as well as Burns had before. Finally, Adrian leapt backward, flapping his wings and sending the dome of fire blasts inward at Benimaru, only for them all to halt, then launch themselves at Adrian instead. Adrian spun out of the way as Benimaru slammed a strike into Maki's gut, then hurled her at Adrian. Adrian caught her and spun, hurling her back at Benimaru, feet first, only for him to deflect her slightly by pushing her feet, sending them crashing into Shinra's gut instead, both of them splashing down in the water. Suddenly, Hinawa opened fire at at Benimaru, only for the bullets to stop, light on fire, then reverse direction, Hinawa shooting them out of the air as Tamaki leapt at Benimaru. He slammed a kick into her, hurling her away, then caught Arthur easily, using the bullets he'd stopped from Hinawa's most recent volley to slam into Arthur's torso at a nonlethal speed, though the dozen shots did drop Arthur to the ground. Then, Benimaru spun, leaning back from Adrian's wing, narrowly avoiding it before Adrian spun even faster, swinging Arthur's limp body around at Benimaru. Benimaru ducked, deflecting Arthur's legs up over himself, only for Adrian's foot to graze his cheek, leaving a streak of mud without landing an actual hit, Benimaru having jerked his head away at the last moment. Adrian hurled Arthur at Tamaki as he finished his spin, deflecting a punch at his gut, only for Benimaru to use his block to hurl him into the river with Maki and Shinra.
As they pushed themselves out of the water, Obi was ready. He'd gotten his armor on and had gotten his shield. Then, he charged. Benimaru started by trying blasts of fire, but Obi's shield made them useless. Benimaru was caught off guard by Obi announcing that he had no fire powers, but didn't let it deter him. Instead, he used matoi instead of a fireball, knocking Obi's shield out of his hands before scoring a hit on his helmet. Obi didn't stop. He hurled extinguisher grenades and kept going. He tried to fight Benimaru barehanded, but Benimaru was too powerful. He managed to hit Obi's face shield again, so Obi used more extinguisher grenades. Then more. he used a club, but Benimaru used his flames to slash it off. More grenades. Then, finally, just after he was blasted in the facemask again, he managed to slam his helmet into Benimaru's forehead, drawing blood before casting the helmet aside.
"You're not one to shy away, are you?" Benimaru asked.
"There's no way I could possibly shy away," Obi snarled. "I've taken being the captain of the Eighth on myself!"
"Is the captain really that strong?" Shinra asked as the two captains continued to fight fairly one-sidedly, Benimaru no longer using his flames.
"What, did you think he was weak?" Hinawa asked. "But still, I can't stand to see him fight so recklessly. Both Captain Obi and Captain Shinmon have an innate knack for drawing others to them. We cannot allow them to keep fighting."
"Is there anyway we can stop them?" Maki asked.
"One," Adrian said, extending his wings again, his clothes hissing around them as the water evaporated and his clothes dried. He flew forward, landing beside Obi. "I'd ask permission, but I don't really care if you want me here or not."
"Waka!" one of Benimaru's company's twins shouted from their place on the Eighth's Matchbox.
"Let him have it!" the other twin shouted.
"What's all this ruckus?" Benimaru's lieutenant asked.
"Word is the Eighth folks are the ones who turned Kantaro into an Infernal," one of the twins said.
"Waka snapped and started this huge fight," the other said.
They took a bite of a candied apple together.
"What?" the lieutenant asked. "That's ridiculous!"
"Someone as strong as you?" Benimaru asked. "I'm not buying it!" He struck at Obi using a flaming chop, but Obi blocked it, then threw him back, Benimaru ducking under a swipe from Adrian's wings before Adrian retreated ahead of a counterstrike. "You won't go down without a full-fledged attack, will you? Then I'm done playing around."
Obi tensed, but Adrian stepped in front of him, his wings burning more intensely. Benimaru moved his hand in a circle, forming a ring of flames, which then flipped backward over him to hover at his back.
"Iai Chop, Form Seven, Sun Wheel."
"Waka!" Benimaru's Lieutenant shouted, stepping between them. "Don't!"
"Don't stop me, Konro," Benimaru ordered. "Did you know that these people are trying to turn the people of our town into Infernals?"
"That's ridiculous!" Konro snapped.
"I saw these two plotting it out!" Benimaru shouted, using his head to gesture between Obi and Hinawa.
"How many times do I have to tell you, you're mistaken!?" Obi shouted.
"Take this!" Benimaru snarled, pulling his arm back and lighting it on fire, only for Konro to catch his arm.
"Konro, let me go!" Benimaru shouted.
"Waka, cool your jets!" Konro shouted back as a hissing filled the air, the shoulders of his kimono shirt beginning to char.
"You dumbass!" Benimaru yelped. "Why the hell are you using your pyrokinesis!?" He gasped as Konro fell to his knees. "Hikage! Hinata! Bring me a cooling blanket!"
"Roger!" one cheered.
"Wilco!" the other cheered, both running off.
"Waka," Konro groaned, "why don't you at least hear out what the Eighth has to say."
Benimaru sighed, extinguishing his flames as Konro's bandages began to burn. Adrian stared at the burns, frowning in sympathy. It was Tephrosis. Overuse of an Ignition ability to the point of damage to the wielder. He sighed and they all followed Benimaru back to the Seventh's shrine.
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