Leon fired swiftly, hitting the guard in the head. Redirecting his aim at the second guard, he fired again, managing another perfect headshot.

Both creatures stopped in their headlong rush, but instead of collapsing as Leon had hoped, they paused, their bodies shuddering.

Leon lowered the gun, watching dismally as the guards simultaneously doffed their masks and cast them aside. Their bodies quivered violently, and they hissed loudly as they reared their heads backward.

The B.O.W.s chittered and growled then snapped their heads forward to glare at Leon. Their faces tore open, six more eyes sprouting beneath the first pair. They dropped to the floor, convulsing frenziedly.

The convulsions ceased as suddenly as they had begun. The creatures' backs arched upward as large humps began developing. At last their flesh burst apart in a rain of blood and ichor as red-splotched spider abdomens developed on each of them and their bodies elongated. From the monsters' thoraces sprouted six large spider legs covered with thick, hair-like trichobothria.

"Aw, shit…" Leon muttered.

Uttering loud, guttural humming noises, the B.O.W.s scrambled toward Leon at a disturbing speed.

Without hesitation, Leon fired four rapid shots to the creature on the right which was advancing faster than its companion. The bullets struck one of its eyes, its mouth and one of its pedipalps.

The monster screeched and dropped, twitching for an instant before going rigid in a spreading pool of blood. Undaunted, the second monster ran on, humming furiously as it charged forward.

Leon huffed and fired yet another round, wounding the B.O.W.'s foreleg. It screeched and balked, its eight eyes glaring at him fiercely.

Leon prepared to shoot again, but before he could pull the trigger, the monster raised its rear and ejected a net of webbing from its spinnerets.

The sticky silk adhered to Leon's waist on contact. Almost before he realized what was happening, the creature yanked him down to the floor and began reeling him toward it with frightening speed.

Still clutching the gun tightly, Leon struggled to free himself from the webbing, but the silk was too strong. Forcing his body into a sitting position, Leon managed to fire off a shot to the monster's face. The B.O.W. halted its tugging and shrieked.

Thinking quickly, Leon drew the knife from his pocket and began stabbing desperately at the sticky spiral threads. Having weakened the line, he gave it a final slash, severing the webbing at last.

As the monster worked at rallying itself, Leon scrambled to his feet. Thrusting the gun into his pants and pinning the knife between his teeth, he took a running start and made a jump for a ceiling beam, leaping onto the B.O.W.'s body for propulsion.

Leon swung himself behind the creature, landing in front of a window. An idea struck him.

Behind him, the monster scrabbled halfway up the wall, turning about to face Leon with a hideous snarl.

Leon stood erect, his back to the window. He narrowed his eyes at the B.O.W.

"You want me? I'm right here. C'mon," he taunted.

The creature hummed loudly and sped toward Leon. Hissing, it flung another web net at him.

Anticipating this, Leon ducked.

The webbing hit the wall beside the window, narrowly missing him. Leon rose again.

"You missed."

The monster hissed again, this time launching itself at Leon bodily, using the webbing to hurl itself forward.

Leon dropped to the floor as the enormous spider body sailed over him right through the window. The webbing tore off the wall as the creature fell.

Leon stood up and looked out. He started in surprise as a line of webbing latched onto the exterior wall. The monster was climbing back up swiftly, glowering at him as it ascended.

"Sorry, Spidey. This is where you get off," said Leon.

Aiming carefully, he shot at the creature's left spinneret.

It screeched loudly as the silk line broke off. Leon tried to shoot again, but quickly realized the gun's, slide had locked back. The magazine was empty.

Leon flung the gun at the monster's face. It roared furiously as the weapon struck. Leon quickly began sawing at the remaining lines of webbing with the knife as the creature began to lose its grip in its agony.

At last the severed line gave way. The B.O.W. fell, snapping and shrieking as it plummeted to the ground where it exploded into a mass of blood and hemolymph.

Leon stood staring at the scene for a moment before turning away. Heaving a weary sigh and wincing as sweat poured into his open wounds, he returned the knife to his pocket.

As he racked his brain for his next plan of action, he suddenly became aware that he was being observed by someone nearby.

He turned abruptly to his right and glowered into the shadows. A figure stood between the windows, silhouetted against the pale rays of light pouring into the corridor.

The person stepped forward into the light of the next window, revealing the silver mask of Oiwa. Her silver-streaked hair was disheveled, wisps falling over her face and shoulders. Her lab coat was gone.

"You are still alive. Good!" she said. "You are more resourceful than I imagined."

"Sunako!" Leon exclaimed in some surprise. He chuckled mirthlessly. "Sometimes I'm a little lucky. But what are you doing here? What happened to you?"

Oiwa tilted her head slightly at him. "Why do you call me 'Sunako'?" she asked.

Leon blinked. "Because that's who you are. You're a victim of greed and betrayal―not some legendary demon spirit," he answered matter-of-factly.

Oiwa regarded him silently for a moment. "Osakabe knows I betrayed her," she said at length. "She gave orders for my arrest while I awaited her judgment. I was forced to fight my way out. Now I will take you to your friends."

Leon inclined his head gratefully. "Thanks."

"Come. There is little time," Oiwa urged.

Leon quickly went after her. "Where the hell are we, exactly?"

"We are on the first floor of the small keep within Deddoraito Castle. The others are on the third story being held separately," replied Oiwa.

"What's Osakabe doing to them?" Leon asked gravely.

"I cannot say precisely. I only know that she is researching them in the keep's facilities."

Leon's jaw tightened. Jake and Sara were once again being used as lab rats.

He remembered Sherry's chilling account of the tests she and Jake had endured for six months at the research facility in China after having been kidnapped during the fateful mission that had crossed their paths. Leon then recalled Sara's harrowing ordeal at Halcyon Isle where she had suffered a slew of experiments before ultimately being infected.

"I've gotta get to them," he said aloud.

"You must get to the Security Room on the second story to release the electronic lockdowns on their rooms," Oiwa explained.

"What about our gear? Where is it?" Leon inquired.

"In the Security Room, I am certain," answered Oiwa.

Leon then remembered the imprisoned children Osakabe had shown him on the monitor.

"Why didn't you mention the kids Osakabe abducted?" he demanded, his brow furrowed deeply.

Oiwa turned to face Leon abruptly. "What?"

"The kids she abducted to repopulate humanity after she 'purges' it. You never told us about that."

Oiwa murmured something in Japanese. "I did not know. There is much Osakabe withheld from me. This was her revenge; not mine. She only used me to further her plans. Those poor children… Osakabe truly is mad."

"Yeah, that's duly noted," Leon remarked. "Once I get to my friends and we stop Osakabe, we'll call for support to get them out."

Oiwa nodded. "How I wish I could undo this horror," she whispered.

Leon gazed at her gravely. "We can't change the past, but the fate of the future depends on what we do next. That's all that matters now."

Oiwa's eyes hardened. "Hai. We will save the future tonight, yes?"

Leon bobbed his head.

Oiwa walked on, quickening her pace. She led Leon up a long flight of stairs.

"Should we expect interference up there?" he asked, looking up at the landing warily.

"Unlikely. Osakabe is preoccupied with her work. It is not yet known that the keep guards are dead. But when you shut off the lockdown system, more will come."

Leon sighed. "We're gonna have to move real quick, then. I just hope Sara and Jake are okay."

At last they stepped out into another broad corridor flanked with several shōji sliding doors which led to a balcony.

Glancing about cautiously, Oiwa walked past two traditional fusuma doors toward a room with a bright amber light over it. Unlike the other rooms, this one was sealed off by steel double doors. An electronic keypad was installed on the wall beside it.

Leon remained several paces behind Oiwa with a strong sense of foreboding, distrusting the perfect silence. He glanced over his shoulder, half expecting a guard to appear by the staircase.

A loud tearing noise, followed by Oiwa's sharp cry, made Leon turn around suddenly. His eyes widened at the sight of Oiwa gripping her arm, blood streaming over her trembling hand. A shuriken protruded from her flesh, gleaming brilliantly in the corridor's dim lighting.

The torn fusuma door beside Oiwa was flung aside swiftly and out leaped Kuroki himself, clutching a kunai dagger in his hand.

Before Leon could react, Kuroki grabbed Oiwa and thrust the dagger into her stomach, burying the blade up to its hilt.

"No!" cried Leon.

Kuroki wrenched the dagger out of Oiwa, causing a spurt of blood to shoot forth. He shoved his unfortunate victim aside and turned to face Leon, staring at him coldly from behind his devilish black mask. He stepped over Oiwa's bleeding, quivering body and advanced slowly on Leon.

"Obstacles must be hewn down," he said sinisterly. "Defectors must die."

Moving suddenly, Kuroki hurled the blood-drenched dagger at Leon with stunning speed.

Leon ducked aside, narrowly evading the deadly projectile as it whizzed past his face. He turned back to Kuroki and glared at him, his blood simmering with fury.

"Damn it to hell, Kennedy," Kuroki said, shaking his head. "The DSO could've sent any one of their dipshit agents, and this would've been over by now. But no. They had to send you; one of the agency's biggest pains in the ass."

Realization struck Leon coldly. He stared hard at Kuroki, remembering Ada's clue about the DSO traitor, Marcos Queiros, and the information Hunnigan had relayed regarding his presumed death. The pieces snapped together immediately.

"You're Queiros, the DSO's mole," he averred disgustedly.

Kuroki laughed malevolently. "Well done. Smarts were listed in your files," he answered.

He tore off the mask and flung it aside, revealing his face at last. Leon recognized the swarthy visage and dark, menacing gaze from the photo Hunnigan had sent.

"No need for that now," Kuroki said with a satisfied sigh. He smiled sardonically at Leon.

"That explains everything―how Osakabe knew everything about us, how she was aware of our every move; why there was a B.O.W. waiting for us at every turn."

Kuroki nodded, glaring at Leon. "That's right. But you're just like a damn cockroach, Kennedy. You spray 'em, you swat 'em, you even try kicking them away. What do they do? Run right back in the direction you push them from. You've caused me a lot of grief, you know that?"

Leon ignored Kuroki's contemptuous monologue. "How could you do it? Why?" he asked tersely.

Kuroki guffawed. "Why? Think about it, Kennedy. We bust our asses fighting freaks year after year. What recognition do we get, eh? A pat on the back and a shitty paycheck at the end of the week. If we make it to retirement, what's our reward? A lousy pension, a piece of shit medal, and a plaque that says we were good little government puppets.

"I saw the score. The handwriting was on the wall, man. I was bleeding and slaving away for nothing. Osakabe offered me a real deal: some serious cash and a freakin' beautiful retirement. No more cleaning up for the government. I play by my own rules now."

Leon scoffed. "No; now you're just a puppet to a bioterrorist for some extra cash. Did Osakabe happen to mention her plans for a global purge?"

"I know about it. I'm all taken care of," Kuroki replied complacently.

"I wouldn't bet on that. You're just a tool―a gullible asshole and a traitor who's standing at the edge of Armageddon," Leon answered flatly.

Kuroki snorted. "Oh, here we go. Boy Scout Kennedy's gonna lecture me about how I betrayed my country, became a sell-out… blah, blah, blah."

Leon shook his head slowly. "I'm not gonna waste my breath," he replied, assuming a fighting stance. "I've got a better idea."

Kuroki guffawed, clapping his hands in amusement. "Boy Scout wants to throw down! Okay. I read in your file that you're 'competent in mixed martial arts'. Let's put that to the test, shall we?"

Kuroki mimicked Leon's stance and beckoned to him tauntingly. "C'mon, pretty boy; show me what ya got!"

Leon began inching in slowly, assessing his opponent as he strategized his first offensive attack.

Kuroki broke his stance, shifting into a dance-like bob and weave movement as a mocking smile spread over his face.

Leon immediately recognized the movement as the ginga steps of the Capoeira discipline. He eyed his opponent stoically, remembering Hunnigan's report on Queiros: 'mastery in the martial art of Capoeira'.

In an open field, facing off against a Capoeirista was considerably easier, though no easy feat. In the close quarters of a corridor, however, it was going to be a rough battle indeed.

"Lady Luck, don't fail me now," he muttered under his breath.

Leon followed Kuroki's movements carefully, keeping his distance as Kuroki continued his dance.

In a flash, Kuroki struck out at Leon with a lightning-fast kick. Dodging the assault deftly, Leon responded with two swift punches and a quick side kick.

Kuroki bent backward to evade Leon's attack, launching himself into the macaco backflip.

Leon grunted loudly as Kuroki's left foot struck him beneath his chin, knocking him backward several paces and dazing him momentarily. He rallied quickly, however, and took his stance once more.

Watching Kuroki's upper and lower body alternately, he attempted a low kick and a middle kick.

Again Kuroki eluded the blows, returning them with the bencao high front kick. Even as Leon stumbled backward from the impact, Kuroki followed up with a low sweeping kick that knocked Leon to the floor.

Despite the jarring shots, Leon managed a sideways roll and quickly recovered his footing. Narrowing his eyes at Kuroki, he wiped away a small trickle of blood from a laceration high on his cheek with the back of his hand.

Kuroki laughed boisterously. "Uh-oh. I think someone needs a refresher course!" he jeered. "Come on, cadela! Make me work for it!"

Disregarding the gibes, Leon focused on his adversary. He had to find a way to defeat him soon; time was short, and he was tiring quickly.

Kuroki danced toward Leon who retreated some steps back, doubly vigilant. Maintaining distance was key.

Weaving backward, Kuroki feinted a kick, attempting to draw Leon forward for another attack. Leon played along with the maneuver and advanced as if to throw a punch.

Kuroki immediately struck out at him with the open-palm blow, the galopante. Anticipating such a move, Leon dodged it and seized Kuroki's arm. Pulling it down hard and grabbing hold of Kuroki's uniform, Leon twisted around sharply and flung him over his shoulder in a seoi-nage Judo flip.

Leon tried to follow up on the attack, but Kuroki did a backflip and jumped to his feet.

"All right! That's the spirit, pretty boy!" he shouted.

Setting his teeth, Leon squared his shoulders. He stared hard at Kuroki, his eyes smoldering with anger and determination.

"See? Just like a damn cockroach!"

Kuroki charged at Leon, and the fight began in earnest.

The men traded blow after blow, landing hard kicks and punches on each other as they skirted the narrow confines of the keep's corridor.

Leon strove to evade Kuroki's assaults, but his ever-fluid motions made it difficult to get the upper hand. In an effort to avoid a series of punches, Leon moved back, but Kuroki flipped toward him, delivering double kicks.

Leon dropped to the floor, briefly dazed.

Chuckling maliciously, Kuroki pounced on Leon.

Quickly regaining his wits, Leon raised his leg, connecting with Kuroki's abdomen and flipping him over his body.

Swearing in Portuguese, Kuroki rose and spit out a mouthful of blood.

Leon returned his baleful gaze with one of stern triumph, preparing for the next attack.

It came quickly, Kuroki's rage driving him harder. As he charged forward, Leon ducked down and kicked his leg out from under him.

Kuroki dropped and fell on his back, but he sprung back in a kip up, striking Leon who had advanced on him.

Leon stumbled into a shōji balcony door at the impact. An idea suddenly occurred to him.

Time to take this fight outside.

Leon stood with his back to the door as Kuroki rushed at him again. Leon countered the attack, grabbing Kuroki's arm as he swung then dealing him an uppercut punch.

As Kuroki reeled backward, Leon seized him and whirled him into the door. Leon leaped around and struck Kuroki from behind with a hard back kick.

Kuroki crashed through the door face first and fell onto the balcony. As he scrambled to his feet, hastily shaking off his daze, Leon stepped over the splintered door.

He was met by another frontal kick that sent him crashing into the balcony railing. Leon managed to grab hold of it before going over. He stood for a split second, staring at the ground below and panting in momentary relief. It was short lived, however, as Kuroki came at him yet again.

Leon dodged him, landing some hard punches to his ribs. Kuroki kneed him in the stomach, but despite having the wind knocked out of him, Leon ducked another incoming blow and got around Kuroki. Grabbing him by the waist, he suplexed him.

"Filho da puta!" cried Kuroki as he writhed on the floor.

Leon leaped to his feet with a kip up and turned to face his opponent again.

Kuroki rose, glaring at Leon with a bloodthirsty gleam in his eyes. He returned to the ginga dance motion, preparing to strike again.

Leon stifled a frustrated sigh.

Kuroki broke into another series of wheeling kicks. With more room to move, Leon evaded them successfully. Growling, Kuroki followed up with several punches.

A mistimed counter resulted in a stunning blow to Leon's jaw. Before he could recover, Kuroki grabbed him in a chokehold.

Leon wheezed and heaved, his arms flailing wildly as he fought furiously to break free from Kuroki's unyielding grasp.

"I'm gonna crush you like the insect you are, you miserable son of a bitch!"

Leon gagged, his larynx on the point of being crushed as Kuroki increased the pressure on his throat. His eyelids fluttered as darkness began to close in on him. At that critical moment, he remembered the knife he had hidden in his back pocket.

Summoning his remaining strength and will, Leon reached for the knife, wrestling against Kuroki's deadly grip for a desperate gulp of air. His fingers brushed the skeletonized knife handle.

Relief and rage gave Leon a rush of vigor. He yanked the knife out of his pocket and plunged it into Kuroki's thigh. With a strangled cry of fury, he twisted the blade in deeper.

Kuroki roared in pain, releasing Leon at last. He swore foully as he worked to wrench the knife out of his flesh. The blade came free at last, followed by a jet of blood.

"Arghh! Shit!"

Leon dropped to his knees, gasping raggedly. He rose quickly, however, driven by sheer will.

"No more kamikaze kicks for you, buddy," he rasped breathlessly, turning to face Kuroki.

Before Kuroki could straighten himself up, Leon gathered his strength and pivoted into a powerful spinning back kick.

Kuroki cried out in surprise as he collided with the balcony railing. The aged wood gave way, and he fell over, disappearing from view.

Leon remained still for an instant, staring at the spot where his adversary had stood a moment since. He advanced cautiously and peered over the damaged railing.

To his dismay, he saw Kuroki clinging to a lower rooftop, a crimson streak tracing his path downward.

Kuroki looked up at Leon, hatred distorting his features. "This isn't over, Kennedy. You may have won the battle, but you'll never win the war. I swear to God, I'll see you dead yet!"

Having delivered this tirade, he swung himself down and vanished.

Leon exhaled sharply. "To be continued, then," he murmured.

He suddenly remembered Oiwa, who lay bleeding in the corridor. Mastering his weariness and the aches in his body, Leon reentered the castle, still working to catch his breath.

Oiwa lay motionless where she had fallen, outstretched in a pool of blood.

"Sunako…"

Leon ran over to her and knelt down, analyzing her for any sign of life. He was surprised to hear her draw a labored breath.

"Did you… send that demon… to hell?" she wheezed.

"No, but I'm sure I'll get another chance soon enough," Leon replied.

Oiwa tried to speak, but she broke into a fit of wet coughing.

"Don't talk," Leon said gently. He carefully removed the silver mask and chucked it away.

The sight of Oiwa's disfigured countenance tugged at his heart. He gazed at her compassionately as she inhaled shallowly. Blood streamed from her mouth, and her eyelid drooped.

"I must. I do not have… much time. The code to the Security Room is 0764. Once you have rescued your friends, you must stop… Osakabe. Her labors are nearly complete. She will, perhaps, have retired to her… room in the… main keep. You can reach it through the covered passage."

"Okay," Leon said softly. "I understand."

Oiwa seized Leon's hand unexpectedly, her grip surprisingly strong for a moribund woman. He wrapped her icy, bloodstained fingers in his own sympathetically.

Oiwa fixed her glazing eyes on Leon's face. "Thank… you for making me feel… human again."

Leon's brow furrowed slightly. "Me? How? What did I do?"

"For… the first time in so very long, I heard… my name. You reminded me of the woman I once was, and not the wretched, vengeful creature I became. That meant… so much to me. Thank you!"

Oiwa exhaled gutturally. Her hand went limp in Leon's grasp, and her eyes stared up at him lifelessly.

Leon gently laid her hand on her chest and shut her eyes, heaving a heavy sigh. "Find peace, Sunako," he whispered.

Shaking his head sadly, he started to his feet. Yet another life destroyed by greed and vengeance. Moments like this reminded him why he fought so hard and endured so much.

Leon stood erect and stepped around Oiwa's body to the door. He punched in the code. A low beep sounded, followed by the soft click of the lock as it disengaged.

The door slid open, admitting him into the Security Room. Leon stepped in, his face set severely as he took note of a control panel console and several camera monitors. Lying on a table beside the console were his weapons and gear along with Sara's and Jake's.

Leon exhaled with relief. "Okay," he said. "Now we're back in business."