Hello again, peeps. I... am... so tired of this. I admit it. The "Square War" got too big for my britches and I burned myself out on it. Now here we are, months later since the last update. I present to you this sloppy, rushed, ass-ugly thing that can't even be called a "conclusion" because I have to do an Aftermath chapter next to piece it all up. So I essentially lied to you. Sorry.

At least try to enjoy it.

"Wake up Iori... wake up... we have work to do. You don't want to miss this. Death is in the air tonight. You know your duty... you're a disciple of apocalypse, one of my chosen children. My presence lingers powerfully tonight... go enjoy the full moon. Wake up... wake up... WAKE UP!"

"AH!"

Iori's torso shot upwards, his hair damped by a cold sweat. His mouth hung open, sucking in mouthfuls of air. His hand shot to his chest, fingers curling around his breast bone so fiercely, he threatened to crush it under his skin. "Nghh... hrrrgh...gurkkk...gaaakk..."

Mature and Vice, who had been sleeping atop Iori's massive pectorals, were appropriately knocked aside like swinging double doors when the man shot up in the bed. Their slumber disturbed, they had some choice words.

"What the f***, Iori?"

"What's your problem?"

"Ngh...my heart...!" Iori squeezed out strained words. "Urgh...it feels like it's gonna... rip out of my... chest...!"

They quickly went from displeasure, to interest piqued. They shot each other a slight look, their eyebrows lifting with brevity.

"Hmmm... now that I think about it, I DO feel something..."

"Interesting...very interesting..."

iori's fingers curled deeper. "It...feels like... NO!"

Before any further explanation could be given, Iori was out of the bed, shirtless and in boxers, racing out of his hotel room.

Mature and Vice turned their attention back to each other.

"You know what that is, don't you?"

"Of course I do."

"Should we get dressed and follow him?"

"...Nah. I'd rather sleep. Scoot closer."

OUTSIDE THE SQUARE...

"Come on guys, hup hup hup! Anyone who's got arms and legs, use em!"

The night air was alive with a wailing orchestra of groans and whimpers, as Big's Crew left a trail of blood behind their cowardly tails. They were all cut, slashed, diced and skewered in their own special ways, and it was only by the wise and responsible choice-making of their charismatic leader, that they all got away with their lives.

Jack was supporting John and Mickey's weight, Raiden doing the same for Hwa Jai, and Chang was appropriately carrying Choi on his back, the rough ride making the small Korean cough up blood all over the larger man's soaked garb.

"He cut my achilles tendon!"

"Hwa, if he cut your achilles tendon, you wouldn't be walking right now. Shut up."

The exodus from the square was proceeding at a slow, but sure pace, Big and Yamazaki being the main leaders shepherding their wounded masses, as they were the only two that were unscathed.

"Come on, keep it moving, keep it moving, keep it... Ryuji?"

The black-clad thug was suddenly stalled, his eyes looking upwards, like something high above had caught his attention, or he just had a feet-halting epiphany.

Nonetheless, Big was curious. "Dude, what's wrong? Why'd you stop?"

Yamazaki's left eye slightly twitched. His right eye went upwards.

"...My pants feel funny."

ODEONSPLATZ

There were few things in existence that rattled someone of Heidern's impregnable nerves. To see the commander, as he was now, with a face that shared only the same trauma of when his wife and daughter were taken from him so many years ago... it spoke a true testament to his feelings towards Leona, and the rash decision she was making: a choice in which he would take ANY other alternative.

"Leona!"

She was beyond hearing, for all he knew: her eyes closed, body hunched, her hands squeezing her top so fiercely, she nearly tore the fabric. Sharp, violent shudders, as her lungs uttered guttural growls.

"URGGH! GUUR...RRGH...GRR...GAA...GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

All at once, the power seemed to EXPLODE from her: a green aura, to replace her blue, coursing through her entirety. Her hair, also no longer its natural pigment, now shone with a terrifying red. Her eyes no longer bore any color: two blank, white voids gave her the appearance of a feral beast, stripped of cognitive functions.

"LEONAAAAA!" Heidern cried out her name.

"I... I...!"

Heidern's heart skipped; she was... responding!

"I'm... in control!" His daughter called back to him. "Protect the wounded!"

Much as he loathed seeing her like this, he couldn't deny himself the slightest feeling of relief to see that she was still lucid enough to respond to him. To know she was still HER...

"Heidern! Heidern sir, please help us!"

He wanted to keep his eyes on her, and never look away... but when he heard Nakoruru's pleading voice, he knew he still had a duty to perform. On the secure half of the square, Nakoruru and Iroha (with the assistance of Hein) had gathered the wounded, and were trying their best to crudely patch up their injuries. Yuki and Ai tried to help as well, best they could, but none of them had Heidern's expertise in the medical field, as he was trained in everything from bomb defusal to wetwork.

He knew he didn't have time to worry about her. She could take care of herself. He had his own duty... to keep his unit together, and keep casualties to a minimum... no... ZERO.

With one last look in her direction, as she charged the fearsome Genjuro... he uttered a simple prayer.

"Leona... fight, and win. Come back alive."

Grnjuro didn't appear fazed by the sudden alteration, and the subsequent influx of aggression and power from the girl... his smile spoke only of desire, as he relished a challenge worthy of his blade.

"Now we're talking... let's see if you can keep up now-"

Before he even finished the last word, Leona sprinted at him with unholy speed and was on him. She got a spinning start, as if throwing a discus, and her feet left the ground as she propelled towards im with a momentous thrust of her hand. She struck steel, hard enough to produce sparks, and the shockwave sent his feet skidding across the square... until he felt his back hit a solid object.

...They were nearly half a football field's length away, after one blow.

Yet he smiled. "Good... good!"

Leona closed the distance between them at inhuman standards, and Genjuro had to juke hard to avoid a destructive slash: one that cleaved through the foundation of the building behind him, and left a huge gash in the concrete. Genjuro got her backing up with an upwards diagonal slash, and he spun around to gather momentum for a vertical slash behind it. Leona was light on her feet and avoided it, but was forced to duck and roll to avoid the next decapitating horizontal she left her back to him, and Genjuro lunged, poised to cut right through her spine...

...But he witnessed just how abnormal her reflexes had been honed, as she limbo'd under it... her knees bending, her torso dipping so impossibly low, she was looking into his eyes from below. He saw nothing in them.

The next thing he knew, she did a handstand and her feet became offense, springing upwards and kangaroo kicking him into an erratic stumble. A quick spring kick and she was back on her feet, and he felt her ferocious power a second time, in the form of a high-flying sobat crashed into his sword and again uprooted his feet... he tried to keep himself up, but lost balance and hit the ground.

Genjuro looked above, and saw the face of Death... in the form of Leona coming down towards him, hand drawn back, a violent howl in her lungs.

"RRROOOOOOOOAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Genjuro only smirked. "You've gotten faster!" he complimented as he rolled aside, just in time to avoid the catastrophic impact... but could still feel the shockwave from the blow, that left a meteor-sized crater in the concrete ground.

Leona didn't let up. Every chi-fueled swing was with killing intent. The throat, the heart, the lungs...if he hadn't dodged even one, he would have been ended in a flash.

She thrust at his head and he dodged, but the second spinning attack forced him to block with the sword... Leona's tremendous power continued to nearly put him off his feet, as the mere impact was enough to send him on ice skates, sliding backwards. He used his blade as a brake, eventually skidding to a halt, and shot forward with death-dealing swings of his own. Leona's hand stopped it, and he pulled back and swiped at her head. She swayed back just enough to avoid the tip, and he spun around with a more aggressive vertical slash that she was forced to bring BOTH hands up to stop.

He was enjoying this.

He wasn't the least bit concerned about the prospect of his demise. He either knew nothing about the terrifying mythology of the God of Destruction and His disciples... or he saw it only as another welcome challenge.

"Come on..." he beckoned, brandishing his steel. "Come on, 400. Defend yourself! Make it last! The kill is only as satisfying as the struggle!"

Leona, lucid to hear his words, fought back. "There's more at stake than you understand, you ignorant fool! I don't have time to explain to an ignoramus... so I'll have to kill you quickly."

Genjuro brandished his sword with a high stance, tip facing forward. "Strike me down if you have the balls!"

SALVATORGARAGE

Adelheid felt himself being slowly pushed back by the masterful sword strokes of the Chinese weapon master. He moved his body best he could... but the blades seemed to come closer and closer.

Shion's face never broke its intense fury as he swung and swung; one stroke nearly came across Adel's shoulder, and the Bernstein man had to spin around to avoid it, while also ducking at the last second to dodge the second sword. Shion dipped low, sweeping a wide radius, and Adelheid leaped back, but Shion kicked a leg out to sustain his balance and spun a perfect 360, swinging the blades once more with grace and fluidity, and Adelheid literally had to dive backwards to avoid it, his back hitting the side mirror of a nearby car and breaking it off.

The way Shion moved the swords was with masterful practice; any dual wielder was taught to move the swords not of their own individual accord, but of one cohesive unit. As one sword moved, the other follows... Shion didn't miss a beat.

Shion twirled both blades with a rending whirlwind of swings, slowly approaching... Adelheid's back was the against the car! He had no avenue! His only chance was to...

...NOW!

Shion swung; Adelheid dipped low and evaded, but took one of the blades across his side. He didn't have time to check the wound...

"Shit!"

One of Shion's swords went partially through the steel of the car door, and got stuck. Adelheid ignored the pain best he could and seized the moment to fire a sapping knee into the Chinese fighter's stomach, stunning him hard and forcing him on his back foot. The sword was left where it resided: lodged in the car door.

Shion, desperate, tried a wide backhanded swing... but the momentum had already shifted. Adelheid easily timed the motion of the arm, and delivered a kick below his elbow, knocking his sword arm off track. Shion gasped as the weapon went flying from his hands... leaving him defenseless.

The next blow- a spinning back kick- sent Shion for a brutal ride across the parking garage, as Adelheid's foot launched him an impeccable distance and sent him crashing into another vehicle, hard enough to cave the door inwards. If Shion's eyes looked distant for a moment... they were.

"G..guh..." he choked out whatever wind he had left.

Adelheid kept his leg up; an extra flair, to really drive insult into the already-painful blow he had struck upon the man. His eyes bore that same determination; one that spoke of indifference to villains and plots and schemes... but only a gentle fury that sought punishment to those who wrong his family.

Shion was stumbling around, still on shaky legs, his arms reaching out into the darkness, shouting for people who couldn't be seen. "S...Sssss...SHROOM! RIMELO! N-need a weapon..!"

...No response.

Shion's bewildered eyes fell upon Adelheid again... he snarled, slipping hands underneath his leggings, and found two ankle holsters, drawing a pair of sai from the leather hilts.

"DIE ALREADY, YOU SCUM!"

He twirled them simultaneously in his hands, going up, down, before inverting side to side, and he rushed Adelheid with the short-range, stabbing daggers.

"He just never quits..." Adelheid muttered under his breath, as he prepared to do battle with a man whose affinity for vengeance borderlined on suicidal.

ODEONSPLATZ

Genjuro sprinted at her, tip still forward, intending to run through her... Leona jumped aside at the opportune moment, and Genjuro stopped on his heels. He tried to re-adjust and follow up with a wide swing... Leona caught the flat of the blade in her hands.

"There! Disarm him!" Heidern coached.

Leona swung him around to try and get the sword out, but he clung to it stubbornly and she settled for letting him loose into the nearby wall...

...But he turned the tables on her quickly, as instead of running headfirst into it, he planted a foot, sprang off it... and he rocketed into Leona with a slash across her shoulder, drawing the first blood between them.

"LEONA!" Heidern cried out her name.

"Damn, this son of a bitch just won't...!" Ralf cursed.

Leona showed no reaction to the fresh wound, as if she didn't even feel it. Without even a passing glance, she sprinted towards Genjuro and spun, gathering huge momentum for a backhanded slash; when it connected, Genjuro barely clung to his sword. before Leona followed up with a second slash, that bounced it the other way... finally flying from his grip.

Genjuro uttered the slightest curse as his sword hit the ground with a clatter, and he didn't have time to put eyes on it, as Leona's hand was seconds away from piercing his heart...!

He acted fast. Both hands clapped together, stopping the wrist just before the fingers could pierce...

...But he felt her uncanny strength, as he found his feet lifted up, leaving the ground... and he was suddenly above her head, being hoisted by that one arm.

Holding him up, Leona drew the other hand back and prepared to thrust... Genjuro threw a well-timed kick to the bridge of her nose, stunning her just enough to throw her off mark.

"RRAGHHH!" She snarled as she took a different, angry approach: throwing him like a shot put, his body rocketed across the square and hit the ground with a harsh, lengthy tumble, his bare skin rended by the sharp teeth of the asphalt, as his body never lost its motion until he hit the nearest wall.

When Genjuro got up, he was finally starting to wear the effects: his torso and arms bled in multiple places, where the asphalt had ripped his skin. Dark red bruises littered his body, slowly making the transition to purple. His mouth began to hang slightly, as his chest rose more prominently with deeper breaths... Leona was wearing him down.

And yet he smiled.

"What's it gonna take... to bring you down?!" Leona growled. Somehow the wound on her shoulder had already come close to healing... though the blood that soaked her clothing still remained.

"More than what you've got." Genjuro retorted, swinging his sword through the air... and slinging Leona's blood from the sheen.

SALVATORGARAGE

Adelheid had to time his opponent's hands a little trickier, to dodge each of the thrusts as they came... they were small, but dangerous weapons, with slender blades, hard to see. He moved left, right, left, the fourth one aimed at his pectoral, and he had to juke left, the fifth and six ones went high towards his head, then to an extreme low to stab at his thigh.

Shion spun around with a swipe; at least one broke through, and nicked Adel below his eye. Thankfully, the blood wasn't any higher than it was.

The Chinese fighter mixed hands and feet; he stabbed at Adel's eyes, and the man swayed back, but a kick to his stomach softened him up, and Adel winced as he was slow to dodge a quick swipe across his neck... any deeper, and his windpipe could have...!

Adel knew what his best bet was; utilize the terrain, just like last time. Shion continued to come forth with a vengeance, stabbing with the left sai, swiping with the right, twirling the left sai in his hand and fluidly backhanding it, to come across his throat, and Adelheid had to dodge it while also avoiding a sharp downwards thrust from the right. Shion brandished both sai at once and tried to run Adel through; a quick sidestep from Adel set them up in just the area he needed.

Adel took a deep breath, relaxed his muscles... it was hard to ignore the sting of fresh wounds, but he did his best. He awaited Shion to come at him... the left!

Shion charged and thrust at him; Adel juked... and Shion's face again twisted with displeasure as he felt his dagger run through the door of the nearby car, to the handle, and he found himself unable to pull it out.

This earned Adelheid a free hit, and he backhanded Shion in the nose, sending the Chinese fighter into a retreating stumble.

"Ngggh!"

With just one sai, Shion was practically powerless. Adel had his range timed easily now; Shion tried to charge in, but a side kick to his stomach dropped him to his knees. He struggled to his feet and tried to circle a few times... he rushed in again, and Adel threw a leg kick that drilled through his knee and hobbled him.

"Nggaaaaaahhh... you goddamn... bastard!" Shion crawled back up, spitting curses.

With no other offense to offer... Shion threw the sai at him, like a speeding dart. This proved to be his BIGGEST mistake of the fight yet... at the dagger hit Adel's reflect barrier, and went right back at Shion.

The next thing Shion felt was a pain so intense, his face dropped... and his body went flying backwards, to hit the nearest vehicle once more. He almost didn't want to look down, but he had to confirm it... sure enough, his own sai was lodged into his thigh.

A man whose constitution was on the weak side... the pain was excruciating. He reached a trembling hand towards it, struggling to not let the shock set in... with the most unceremonious of screams, Shion ripped the weapon free of his body. The blood immediately started flowing, like an oil leak.

His eyes turned back towards Adelheid... whose eyes bore on him condescendingly.

"All of this could have been avoided." Adelheid spoke with harsh hindsight. "Look at you... blood gushing from your leg. For what? Why would you pursue some... some stupid vendetta? You could have lived your life. Done whatever you wanted. But you crossed me... you crossed my sister. NOW LOOK AT YOU!"

Shion hissed at him through gritted teeth, cold sweat on his temple. He limped forward.

"You don't understand what I came back from... I escaped oblivion! I escaped a life of eternal nothingness, for this purpose... to finish what we started! Everything happens for a reason! I could have spent my life wandering the void... aimless... but I'm here now. I'm here because I was meant to END THIS!"

His words carried him, with resolve... all the way to his spear... with his last strength, he tore it from its planted position, twirling it aggressively.

"I AM HUMANITY'S RECKONING! I'LL DELIVER OROCHI'S WILL, WHERE ALL MY BRETHREN FAILED!"

Adelheid had nothing but pity... with eyes closed, he shook his head, before returning to combat stance. "Deluded fool... I'll give you the courtesy of making this quick."

ODEONSPLATZ

Blow after blow after blow. Neither backed down, as their offense cancelled each other out, and neither backed down from the onslaught.

Leona had lost a lot of her initiative. She still stepped in and swung with explosive might... but her punches felt a little slower. A little weaker. The taxing strain of the Riot, always strong out the gate, had finally begun to weigh her down... pretty soon, she'd find herself unable to maintain the form, and ultimately lose consciousness.

She had to win before that.

"What's wrong? Slowing down?!" the ever-aggressive Genjuro taunted, even now. "I thought you were going to be the one! My 400th mark! But as it stands now... your head might not even be worth keeping on my mantle."

"SHUT UP!" Leona howled, and rushed him once more, summoning her Baltic Launcher. Her green version was quicker, and carried a much larger slicing turbine... but as it approached, Genjuro's impeccable swordplay allowed him to parry the individual slices, and he found his opening to step in and cut through the ball of chi, reducing it to nothing.

He lunged with a killing strike, but a check left hook from Leona busted his lip and sent him stumbling back with a trickle of blood down his lips. She leaped at him with a furious follow-up, and he rolled to evade. She pounced and connected on his cheek with a left, then a right, another left behind it... roaring all the way.

"RRAGH! RAGGGH! RAAAAGHHHH!"

Genjuro's blood flew from his mouth with each punch, but he only laughed. "Hahahahaha! Your blows have lost their power!"

Leona attempted a slash, and that's when Genjuro parried her hand and spun her body away, delivering a sharp kick to her ribs that felled her... she looked up and saw him coming down with a killing slash, and rolling was the only thing that saved her.

The two closed in once again... hand met steel, and they were officially deadlocked in a standoff of pure will and stamina.

"Huff...huff...huff...huff..." Leona willed herself onwards with persistent breaths, trying to push back with the last of her strength... but everyone could already see the de-transformation take place. The fluctuating of hair color between red and blue, the reduction of prominence in her bulging veins and muscles... the twitching of her body, as the color of her eyes returned...

He had outlasted her, until she burned out.

"Oh god, no...!" Rose gasped.

Finally, with one last push, Genjuro took the stalemate and shoved her to the ground, the blue-haired girl hitting the ground with a labored groan.

"Sorry. Not enough."

"Dammit..!" Heidern cursed. Their one trump card, their last hope... even SHE wasn't enough.

SALVATORGARAGE

Shion charged forward with his signature weapon, with the wailing cry of a man making his final stand. His first strike went low, a downwards thrust towards Adel's feet. Adel was wise to it and evaded, but Shion kept his momentum by twirling around, and his next blow was much more lethal, with a massive overhead swing. His spear struck asphalt, and Adel tried to punish his whiff with a kick, but Shion turned the flat of the spear and absorbed the kick, using the force to roll to safety.

Shion spun around with a horizontal swing; Adel leaped back to dodge it, and Shion came all the way around, spinning the spear above his head and aiming it straight, to thrust into Adel's chest. The blonde just BARELY dodged it, and Shion quickly swiped the spear low, tripping Adel off his feet and causing the blonde to hit the ground. He tried to scramble best he could... the window was NARROW, as Shion's spear was headed towards his chest once again!

Adel had to tumble to the side, remaining on his hands and knees, and the best offense he could muster was a sort-of donkey kick, while on all fours, to back Shion up enough. Shion barely stumbled, as he used his spear as a crutch to stop himself.

The Chinaman's eyes grew sadistic, as he slipped his spear under the downed Adel's stomach... and used the leverage to flip him like a hamburger, splaying him on his back. Adel tried to roll... but a foot on his knee stopped him.

This was one of the rare moments Adelheid saw his life flash before his eyes... in the form of the flash of Shion's spear, as it descended at high speed towards his heart!

"DIE!"

Adel pulled the only move he could, to save his skin; he used his one free foot to kick Shion's ankle out, causing the Chinese fighter to stumble off-track and miss. Shion's tip struck down on the asphalt, and he had to use his weapon as a pole-vault to regain his balance, launching himself forward into a somersault.

Having both escaped the precarious situation, they turned and faced each other... eyes locked, in a way that only two combatants fighting to the death could look.

"This is the end for you, boy..." Shion promised, grabbing his spear and twirling it back into his grasp. "I'm just a little faster. A little longer. Your body's been worn down, from a week of combat...you won't be able to dodge this next one. I can see the fear of this reality in your eyes. You're about to die... right here, right now."

Adelheid locked eyes with him... but they slipped lower, scanning the wound on Shion's thigh. He could tell it was working on him. Even now, standing was a chore, and Shion was trying his best to play it off with overblown threats...

There was no way he was going to win this fight. There was also no way he'd back down. Adelheid knew there was only one way out of this... he'd have to end him.

"I've given you enough chances." Adelheid delivered a final decree. "To protect myself and my sister... this is the end for you."

Shion brandished the tip forward and charged, with a yell that signified everything he was willing to throw into this blow. Adelheid rushed him in part, with an equal cry...

...and everything went stiff.

"Ngh?!"

It started as a tingle, in the base of his brain stem... then came a coldness, enough to make his body shudder. He felt his motor functions start to wane: his legs, his feet, his arms... even his fingers began to feel the sensation of swimming in thick caramel.

His body had stopped moving willingly.

"Wh...what's... happen...ing...?"

"This has gone on long enough." a voice spoke from the darkness.

Shion recognized the female voice, and it took Adelheid all but a fleeting second for it to register in his ears as well... he felt the nerves in his body start to scream out more aggressively, his will fighting against his immobility.

She emerged from the shadows, those heartless eyes focused on his. He recognized her, down to every unpleasant detail... she was right here! In front of him! If he could... just...!

"Y-YOU...!" Adelheid's lips could barely move, but it didn't stop him from addressing her.

"Botan?! Why did you interfere?" Shion called her out. "I almost had him!"

Botan gave him a less-than-convinced gaze. "Psssh... I sincerely doubt that. But no worries... you served your purpose perfectly, Shion. You distracted him long enough to give me the opening I needed to sink my sutures in."

Her lips curled into a cheeky smirk, as she approached the sweating, struggling Adelheid. She brazenly placed a forceful hand on his cheek, and he used every MOLECULE of his being to try and break free to attack.

"Now look at you... under my control. Just like your sister.

"...!"

He strained until he burned. He wanted to be free... so badly... even a couple fingers, to reach out and defy her any way he could.

"This is ridiculous." Shion snarled. "Get out of the way, Botan! I'm going to end this!"

"Oh no you're not." Botan dismissed. "This is my show now... I'm the one holding the strings."

She turned back to Adelheid, who was now visibly exhausted from his physical efforts. "Done trying to break out? Heh... your physical strength does you no good, when your mind is at my mercy. Now... let's begin. You're going to do exactly as I say."

"Nggggh...hnnng...guuh..grrrr...!" Adelheid grunted and strained, even now.

"I don't need you to fight my battles!" Shion argued.

Botan turned back to him, her face more fierce. "You've had plenty of chances, and failed. Now SHUT UP!"

Shion recoiled at the intensity of her voice... but his fingers gripped his spear even tighter, as his teeth began to bare...

Botan turned back to Adelheid, a wider smile on her lips. She continued to put her hands on him, without his consent, to deliver even further humiliation. "Now... first, you're going to go and kill your sister."

"Nuh...n...NO!" Adelheid screamed. "NOOOO!"

Botan's grin turned maniacal as she waved her hands... and he felt his brain jolt, hard enough to produce a pained cry. She tightened the strings...

"You will OBEY! Now...you're going to go and kill your sister!"

"N...nggghh...aahhhh...!"

Her eyes grew to insane proportions. "And then... you're going to take your flying fortress all the way to France... and you're going to crash it on top of Ash Crimson. No matter what corner he hides in... you will find him, and end him. Am I clear?!"

"Nnngh.." Adelheid groaned.

"AM I CLEAR?!" she waved her fingers again, strengthening the mental bond.

"Ahhhhh...!" Adelheid's eyes nearly went inside out with the intensity he shut them, trying so hard to shut out the mental torture...

"Now...march."

Sweat poured down his head, as he willed with every inch of his body, to try and fight back...

"MARCH!"

...But it was no good. He felt his foot uproot... he shuddered, seized, his teeth nearly crunching to powder... but it still continued to move.

"There we go. Right foot... left foot..."

The second foot moved. The first one moved again. He couldn't stop it. All his physical strength, and he couldn't hold himself back! He... he was going to Rose. He was going to...?!

Botan cackled. "Hahahahahaha! What beautiful poetry. After all this time, this is how it will end... you killing your own, and ending your bloodline once and for all. I think you're my favorite puppet yet. I might even keep you for a while..."

"Ngggh...aahhh... ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh...!" Adelheid screamed with anguish, tears pouring down his eyes, as his body continued to move forward, out of the garage... back towards the square. Back towards his sister. No... it couldn't end like this. IT COULDN'T...!

"I...I... s...serve... NO ONE!" Adelheid screamed.

...For the first time, Botan felt her control slip, like a fish fighting hard against her line. "Wh-what the...?!"

Shion had officially lost patience. Botan may have been on board with this little game, but she was directly interfering with his personal interests. With a swing of his spear, he made that clear. "This is between me and him! Now GET OUT OF MY WAY!"

"You make a single move, and you'll regret it!" Botan threatened her own teammate, desperately trying to cling to her strings.

"Did you just...?!" Shion's face twisted. "Who do you think you're dealing with, you manipulative bitch?!"

"Just shut up! SHUT UP! I need to concentrate...!" Botan cried.

Adelheid felt his control start to return slowly... yes... the fight was becoming more bearable... winnable! His feet stopped moving. He felt his body become more responsive...!

"I made a promise... to my sister... to always protect her!" Adelheid barked. "And you... you dare... TURN ME... AGAINST HER?!"

Botan felt her control slipping away, little by little. "N...no... this can't be...!"

"YOU'VE MADE YOUR LAST MISTAKE!" Adelheid screamed with newfound fury, his eyes glowing silver.

"E...Eiji! Help...!"

Shion was officially done. "That's it. I'm going to kill him, even if I have to run through you, Botan! HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Shion got a running start, his spear aimed at Adelheid's chest.

Adelheid's body was almost back... he could feel his legs restored... his arms... he could walk... he could fight... he could exact justice...!

"BOTAN!" Adelheid screamed her name and charged at her, fist cocked back.

Botan officially gave up, recoiling in terror. "N-no! Not like this...!"

Adelheid ran up to her, his fist glowing with a fearsome silver power... but before he could swing, he sensed a purple blur come out of nowhere.

"Ah!" before his fist reached Botan, Eiji Kisaragi plowed into him with a flying kick that stumbled him back.

"Kill him! Kill him now!"

Eiji obeyed, placing his hands into his hilts, to draw his twin short blades... he was quick on the draw, but Adelheid was faster. As soon as EIji's hands flew from the hilts, producing his steel, Adelheid kicked him in the side, sending his body into a wild 180...

...And his blades plunged directly into the stomach of Shion, who was immediately halted.

"...A...gh...?!"

Everything went silent.

Everyone seemed to pause at that same moment. Adelheid, Botan.. Eiji... his blades stuck in the spearman.

The spear hit the ground.

Shion fell to his knees, and collapsed.

"Sh...Shion... Shion...?" Botan seemed to not believe it herself, as she called out his name, over and over.

Even Adelheid paused, as the circumstances surrounding the critical blow were... so unusual. He felt, even NOW... the slightest tinge of sympathy, as Shion lay there, blood pooling from three different blade wounds at this point. Botan was on her knees, the trembling man in her arms, borderlining on hysteria at the notion she took out her own man.

"Sh-Shion... Shion!" her voice started to break. "Y-you can't... you can't leave me like this... you can't...!"

Shion said nothing in response. His raspy breaths and fluctuating eyes suggested he was on the path to losing consciousness but despite this state, his eyes still bore enough lucidty to narrow at the sight of the woman holding him. His lips drooped into a scowl.

And finally... he spoke.

"G...go to hell..."

Shion's eyes closed.

"SH-SHIOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!"

ODEONSPLATZ

Their last hope against Genjuro fallen, the hope for a victory at Odeonsplatz had begun to plummet. All the adversity.. the nearly hours-long of constant battle, as they whittled down the assassins one by one, until the numbers were in their favor... would it truly end like this?

"Ha ha ha ha..." his footsteps clacked towards her slowly... his steel dragging across the concrete. "I will admit, you gave me some surprises... but even your so-called limitless power wasn't enough to match me." Genjuro sneered.

Leona stared up with fierce eyes... but the strength left her in a fleeting second, and those eyes became ones of submission.

"Urgh... LEONA! S-stay away from her you bas...arhhh!" Ralf tried to will his body upwards to protect her, but was too wounded.

"No... this can't be happening...!" Clark echoed the same sentiments, and he too was too injured to intervene.

Rose, too, was effectively freaking out. "Oh no oh no... she was our last card! W-we're done! We're screwed! WHAT DO WE DO!"

Genjuro approached, until he was nearly within blade length of the fallen girl. His eyes bore a different look than the dismissive pity he cast towards the others... Leona had been a worthy opponent. She fought him with all she had, and lost. Her death, in his eyes, was earned.

"Genjuro-san, please don't do this!" Nakoruru pleaded.

Heidern wasn't having it. Lunging at Genjuro, he fired his crescent projectile... only for Genjuro to easily smack it away.

"I won't let you take her!' Heidern roared as he ran at Genjuro, his hand drawn back, preparing to sacrifice his own life, to save hers...

"HEIDERN, STOP!" Leona called out.

He froze. Genjuro too ceased, and he turned back to find a Leona that had again regained some of her tenacity... but not enough to rise to her feet.

"I'm prepared to give my life." Leona stated. "But you must promise to spare the others. Take me... you'll have your prize. There'll be no need to threaten them any longer."

Genjuro nodded, raising his steel. "I will honor that. Now then... prepare yourself."

Nobody could wrap their heads around the reality of what was about to happen. To see Leona, such a pillar of strength and unwavering will... have her life be forfeit... it was overwhelming.

"NO! STOP!" Ralf was practically crawling towards Genjuro at this point.

"Don't do it!" Nakoruru screeched.

"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH...!" Heidern ran at him again, and this time, he was not stopping.

This got Genjuro's attention once more, as he spun around, a malicious smile on his face, and he readied his blade. "I won't let you deny me this, old man! If you get in my way, I'll make sure you die the 401st...!"

Heidern yelled with all his might as he thrust with his hand!

Genjuro met him in turn, his blade swinging without hesitation...!

FWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

...Both of their bodies were blown backwards by a combustive force: a flash of purple, exploding between them like a violent boundary line, knocking them several feet. Genjuro's sword flew from his grasp, sliding yards away. Heidern hit the ground, close to where Ralf and Clark had ended up.

...When Genjuro recovered, he rubbed his still-flashed eyes to capture the source of this newfound intervention:

A physically impressive red-haired man, standing in his boxers, a crazed look of perturbment in his eyes.

"What the FUCK IS GOING ON HERE?!"

NEXT CHAPTER: Aftermath. I'm so tired. Bleegh.