For whoever is reading this, thank you for coming this far. I hope you've enjoyed this current arc so far.


I remember it like it was yesterday…

A moderate day in the underground of Octaria, the location is a small garrison on the outskirts of the big city. Far before their relocation into the heart hidden what would become the sanctuary, Captain Jonah started his campaign from a humble beginning in a small village. Together under a tent with his two pupils, the captain was bouncing some ideas off the two young followers in hopes they could share in his thinking or offer something far more spectacular, however...

"Attack Queen Candice Octavio? Are you serious?" A younger Veronica spoke holding a clipboard in her hand and biting on the end of her pen with the other with a bewildered expression, looking at her captain like he'd had a little too much in his system. She wore a military cap and donned a black undershirt that exposed her toned arms-the trims of her triceps bulging without even needing to flex, her baggy pants and boots complete her outfit.

Captain Jonah chuckled a little with his hands at his waist, "I don't mean so soon, but I believe a time will come that this nation needs a select few willing to bite the bullet for the greater good." proudly nodding his head with conviction in his smile; one day, they'd wage war against the queen for the fate of Octaria. A grandiose revelation, it was his destiny to clash with her for the sake of the country and even if he might be outnumbered, he believed the hallowed few who stood by his side would lay witness to their feat.

"I understand where you're coming from but that doesn't change the fact that it's a huge gamble. We're just a freedom fighter group making headway thanks to them not taking us seriously. If we act too rash and provoke her, she'll squash us." A younger Porter spoke with reasonable concern, wearing the same outfit as Veronica except instead of an undershirt he was coat slinging his old jacket he wore when he was serving the military, showing the scars decorating his chest and abdomen that he got from his years of service.

"Squash us…?" Jonah's questioning tone rises with a surprised expression, never imagining Porter to be the type to worry about the enemy in such a sense.

"I don't mean any disrespect, sir. I'll follow you to the end-I just meant that it'll be difficult to fight her when she's serious...Er, uh-" he begins scratching his cheek struggling to piece together an explanation that wouldn't get on the captain's bad side.

Veronica raises her eyebrows with an annoyed look at Porter-miffed that she had to translate his fumbled sentence and clarify for the captain, "He's just being cautious about the queen. We're aware of how far she'll go to prove a point-even putting the country at risk in doing so. He's worried about the greater good of the people."

"He has every right to be so." Jonah guffaws, noticing the pair of nervous pupils staring at him; "Look, if someone who I trust with my life started spewing nonsense about such an idea that was clearly illogical, I'd be worried too." he walks over and pats the young pair on the back with a laugh, but as quickly as is to smile and laugh-he's able to shift his expression to a serious one with a solemn tone. "I'm not saying we'll be invincible. As we are now, we're powerless in her eyes, sure. But what if we gain ten more followers? How about a hundred? A thousand? What could we do with ten thousand or even a hundred thousand? There are people out there who share our cause but have no outlet-no voice where they can latch onto and voice their cause. I want to reach the voiceless and extend a hand, and give them the opportunity to fight for the place they love and call home. Deep down I wish the queen would change her ways so that this can all be avoided, but as it is a the moment, she's heading down the same path as the king...there will come a time that we have to bring her a fight, and I hope that when the time comes, you both will be at my side." At the time, the only response his trusty duo could give was their silence-unaware of how greatly he valued them. But as the years went by, and they grew larger, the pair began to understand where their captain was coming from. Indeed he had a vision, and with the more people coming together, they could see it too. A family established by their bonds from sharing a common cause, the faces got younger and younger and diverse, the 8 Legs were established with the arrival of big names like Hatu who was a former Elite guard, and Sigmund, a young warlord. Year by year, the conflicts with the crown increased and boiled. Sure enough, Queen Octavio began to take notice of their existence, and thus began her long standing battle against them. After years of antagonizing her, they finally arrived at their end goal, even if some important people were lost along the way, their legacy would live on once they accomplished this mission. The Resistance reached the climax of their long awaited battle!

After all these years, we're finally attacking them. Hatu, Abraham. Please lend me your strength... Veronica thought as she returns to the present. Surrounded by the remaining members of the 8 Legs, they were on their march to the palace of Candice Octavio, the setting of their final stand. Ready to attack thanks to the preparations made by Felix who stayed behind at base with his sector, the resistance were before the massive domain armed and ready. The surface was already breached by the first wave of Octavio's forces, all they could do now was damage control the situation and the best way to do so was to prevent the march of the second wave. They knew the waves got stronger and that the following wave would pose the most problematic for their allies if they allowed it to reach the surface, so instead of making Inkopolis fight them, they'll intercept.

Gathered together before the palace, all that was needed was a catalyst to kick off the attack. They were hurting after suffering painful losses in the departure of two brothers, the destruction of a few villages and the frustration at having allowed their enemy to get the best of them. This is their moment for retaliation. Captain Jonah had several goals for his resistance but that he wanted to accomplish in this battle but above all, he wanted to dethrone the queen and put DJ Octavio back in charge, trusting in the former king's vision for the future. But before they could bring about change for Octaria, they had to handle the Grand Elites guarding her and if that wasn't all, there's the concentrated number of soldiers guarding the second and third waves of machines-too. They had a considerable force from these numbers alone without adding in the Grand Elites and forces inside the palace, but with the new information they just collected from the late Abraham and the rushed handiwork by Felix along with Abraham's crew, they were on course to put up a fight with the newly created weapons that'd deal a heavy blow to the enemy artillery. On the other hand, all goes well at the palace. Candice Octavio is surrounded by her most important people: her Grand Elite soldiers and Charles, who she wanted to be by her side the moment she made history. She already sent away her other faction members to safely hide away in Octaria until the invasion was over, promising to give them nice lots of land when all was done, and for her citizens who had no clue what was going on, she hoped to surprise them with a new place to call home. But there was one spoiler of news she received as thanks to spying on the surface world, which was that she no longer had a point in worrying what the rest of the world thought of her surprise attack or what her former allies would do since her daughter exposed her to the entire world and forced her allies into submission before they could make a move. She wasn't too upset about that however, as she had a legion at her command and plenty of powerful weapons at her disposal, including her ultimate weapon that she planned to unveil on the surface. Her throne wears her in comfort as she sinks into the cushion, receiving word from her Grand Elites that they successfully breached the surface of Inkopolis and were some distance away from the capital but were spot on for the most part. Pleased to hear of the developments, she inquired what became of the resistance and of her guards she sent to handle them after last hearing that they caused heavy damage and confronted Hatu. Anzi reassured her of Abraham's death and believed the resistance were devastated by the major losses and that they knew where to attack the sanctuary if the need by, but that it would be best to focus their original plan of conquest. Despite the reassurance of Anzi, Candice couldn't help but wonder if they had given up. All those years of being a nuisance for this? One other nagging question ate at her that she preferred not to ask her since it might raise tension, but what was Agent 8 doing underground and why was she on the side of the resistance? The once legendary soldier that served her husband now made a surprise return and even gave a solid fight against two of her Grand Elite guards. It was only a few hours ago, but it felt like days with how quickly things were developing.

"Thanks to everyone's work, we can do this. The weapons forged, the map gathered, and their forces already preoccupied. We can take them down in one fell swoop! Our allies on the surface are doing their part, so we must do ours. Today, this isn't just about reaching a milestone nor is it about satisfying our personal grudge. No, today is the day we stand with arm in arm and our chests held high as we enter our last war. This is the final time any of us shall ever fight under the name of the resistance, let's make sure our lost brothers and sisters smile on us from the heavens as we fight in their name!" Jonah declared to his thousands of followers. They felt rambunctious after such a message, but they gave a confident nod and smile with eyes full of life; Sky and Pastelle are also there, though they carried the looks of young warriors ready to kill. Pastelle saw this as just another mission for her to wear the guise of Agent 6, but for Sky, this was vengeance. Her intense gaze that oozed hatred with a thirst for revenge, it almost looked like Pastelle was looking at somebody else. The green inkling rests her hand on Sky's shoulder, concerned about her mental state. In a time like this, the last thing she wanted to see was her beacon of light lose its shine. Sky looks to her and could see that though they were supposed to be rivals, Pastelle really did care for her as a friend-a concerned expression much like what Shiva would give if she was there to see her like this. Regaining her focus once she saw the octoling in her eyes, she holds her emotions and instead looks a the weapons entrusted to her by her late friend Hatu.

Hidden in plain sight, they watch the remainder of the first unit finish their breach and mark down the approaching second unit for their surprise attack; gathered like a wave ready to crash the shore, they watch in patience. Since the first wave reached the surface, the second wave already mobilized to pile onto the chaos created by the previous team, and as such they made haste to make their departure. Led by Gnarby with the likes of Darwin and Finn in the march, there were hundreds of octolings and octotroopers marching besides massive weapons that ranged from tanks and sweepers to the other sorts of machinations of octarian might of old like the octostomp, octozeppelin and others. Updated with newer designs and greater durability from the same material as their special weapons of conquest, they had no fear of defeat. As their targets show themselves, Jonah gives the signal with the raise of a hand. Porter lines up a slingshot and catapults a single shot-one so small and undetectable it was the size of a stone. A single projectile flew through the air, reaching the apex of its flight before descending and creating a massive response with an impact so spectacular that the soldiers were frozen in response, stunned by the sudden attack. Their "indestructible" weapons caught fire instantly and deteriorated like a spoiled fruit, alarming the soldiers piloting and accompanying the mechs alike; at this moment the leaders aren't fazed by the blazing sight, but they all were suspicious at how no one saw this coming. In a heartbeat, thousands of members in the resistance emerge in silence, starting their declaration of war with a bang. Led by their captain, the resistance break the formation of the second wave and chaos unravels. Soldiers are killed by the dozen in an instant as the resistance swarms them, hoping to dwindle the numbers swiftly before the likes of Gnarby and others can interfere. Jonah's looking past this fight though, preparing for the fight to come instead. Now that they ambushed the queen's forces, there wasn't any chance of turning back-now or never, they had to bring the fight to her while the element of surprise lasted. Within the resistance there were only a few members capable of standing up to higher ups of the Royal Guard and one of them already perished in battle, leaving only captain Jonah and the 7th and 8th Legs as surefire equals to battle the Grand Elite guards, although in this alliance they have the help of Agent 8 and Han. Problem is, Gnarby, Darwin and Finn all pose a threat to their efforts if they left it in the hands of the remaining Legs only. Though they had youth and skill on their side, when it came to battling seasoned fighters like Gnarby and Finn, they needed experience-which Roujou and Ayumi still lacked. It would hamper their progress for fighting the queen, but Veronica and Porter chose to remain and preferred for the seasoned Han to take their place instead while they work with his apprentices. If they failed to stop the second wave, it would spell doom for everyone-underground and on the surface; Agent 8 pledges to cover for them citing since she had unfinished business with the Grand Elites. Sky was hesitant to leave, since she knew one of the names Hatu uttered with his final breath was Gnarby's. She wanted vengeance, but her selfishness would do more harm than good. Stuck between a rock and a hard spot, Sky didn't know where to swing her support now that Jonah placed this decision on them. So far, everyone aside from Captain Jonah, Agent 8, and Han opted to stay behind and stop the second wave as a collective unit. A split in power, Sky's forced to choose between fighting the Grand Elites and ultimately Queen Octavio-the root of everything, or going after Gnarby in a personal score; the choice should be obvious, but Sky couldn't ignore the helplessness she felt while holding Hatu before his death and especially the weight he carried in his final words, passing the torch on to her. With the spear and dagger her gave her, she needed to plunge it into the hearts of the most deserving people. Everyone's eyes turn to Sky on what her decision will be, but she can't make a decision.

"There's not a lot of time. You need to make a choice: stay here and fight the second wave or go with me to take down the queen. Whichever choice you make I will respect."

Time is ticking, and a decision needs to be made.

"Uhhhh…" Sky mumbled, still stuck. There was a possibility that she could fight Gnarby first and then join up with them later, but the problem was that Jonah and Agent 8 couldn't fight that trio by themselves. Even if it was her, they'd have a significant boost in help than having none at all.

Agent 8's eyes narrowed, understanding that though it's a difficult decision that needs to be made this is what it meant to be responsible. Veronica felt a little responsible for all this, since she decided to stay behind, she in turn made it difficult on Sky, especially since she knew what Sky must be thinking. A couple seconds pass and the trio leading the second wave near, Sky still hasn't made her decision; Jonah can't afford to waste any more time and is about to leave her behind. "I'll fight them in your stead!" Pastelle raised her hand with an encouraging look; Jonah smirked, appreciating what Pastelle was thinking by making such a move on her friend's behalf. Sky froze for a moment in confusion, but once Pastelle came over and reached for the dagger Hatu left behind and gave her a wink, she almost fell to tears. At the commitment she was willing to make despite starting off on a rocky relationship as rivals. "Don't go carrying all that burden by yourself...we're friends, aren't we?" she grinned, holding the dagger firmly and nodding her head; Sky slowly nodded, appreciative of Pastelle. "Leave Gnarby to me." she said in a serious tone, confirming with Sky that the last target Hatu was after was a Grand Elite.

The trio of guards leading the unit finally arrive in response to the cry from help from their subordinates that were under attack, also noticing the formation got disrupted. Disgust fills their faces as they identify the members of the Resistance and their leader. Looking to one another with bewilderment and at a loss at how to handle the sudden ambush, they all agreed that that no matter how annoying the situation, they couldn't fail under any circumstances. Should they fail the grand plot of taking Inkopolis, their queen would likely go on a tirade and probably punish them severely. Giving orders to their subordinates, they make their way to Jonah and the others-weapons drawn; Jonah nods to the remaining Legs and leads the way for their ensuing battle. Gnarby looks ready to finally cross arms with Jonah and fight, but instead he's met by Porter, who intercepts him-backed up by Veronica and Pastelle who point their weapons at Gnarby. Finn also finds his hands full with Sigmund and Faye, who target him especially, and lastly is Darwin, who finds his opponent to be Denise based on how she seemed to block him from reaching Jonah and the others. Jonah salutes to his beloved Legs and vows to make sure to accomplish the long awaited goal; Sky also took a final glance at Pastelle and made her swear to come back alive, to which Pastelle told her to do the same. With the main force of the resistance split, Gnarby saw what they were up to and delivered word to her highness, prepared to handle the dense numbers of the resistance that so foolishly confronted them on their turf.

"I'll take Gnarby. Veronica, you in?" Porter announced, directing the remaining resistance members to go wild and cause mayhem.

"Of course." She nods; "Hey Pastelle, this is it. Are you up to the task?"

"Yeah." Pastelle nods, her concentration matching her calm tone while she grips the dagger that once belonged to Hatu. Unable to lend her strength to the former 6th Leg and Sky, the least she could do was carry out their wishes and share in their burden; as a fellow sibling who understood the pain of losing a sibling, she felt empathy towards Hatu after hearing his life story from Sky. Watching the pained inkling retell the story of a man she admired despite knowing him for less than a month, drove home to her that time had no hold on a strong bond-Sky and Hatu's friendship was proof of that. Guilty for never attempting to befriend him, she felt that this was the next best option-all for the sake of her friend who made a vow, she would help her.

Sigmund shrugs his shoulders, "If the three of you are fighting Gnarby, then I guess Faye and I will take Finn. Hopefully he'll be stronger than he looks."

"Huh? Does this mean I have to fight Darwin by myself? Oh my~I don't know if I'm cut out for combat." Denise giggles innocently.

"Don't worry, you'll have us at your side!" Roujou assumes his battle stance guarding the 5th Leg.

"While our master helps your leader, we'll support you in any way we can!" Ayumi adds, also assuming a battle stance; Denise can only giggle at their naivety, but she's glad that she'll have company to assist her.

"Do they, know us? How do they know our names?" Finn yells to Gnarby.

"Who cares. Just neutralize them." Gnarby responds.

Darwin looks worried, "Pretty hard to do when we're facing at least a couple of opponents simultaneously. Worse thing is their numbers are clogging our formation, and is it me or…?"

The trio were shocked by the sudden sight before them; what follows is a chain of rumbles and a display of flames that confirm the fears of the guards and fellow soldiers forced to defend the formation: they found the weakness. Panic erupting behind them as many of the soldiers broke formation to attend to the damage, Jonah, DJ Octavio, Agent 8, Han and Sky were on their way to infiltrating the palace in a bulldozing fashion. Taking down anyone that stands in their way with as much swiftness as possible, the captain of the operation laid out the plans on how to fight against the Grand Elite Guards. With their current power, they weren't enough to handle them comfortably, but it'd be close enough. Luckily, the idea was that if the others could finish the rest quickly they could all surround the queen and force her to surrender, but that was wishful thinking. So, to prepare everyone for what lies ahead in their final boss fight, Jonah highlights what everyone's assignments should be. Among the trio of Grand Elites guarding Queen Candice Octavio, each guard had a unique trait that sets them apart; Jonah wanted to expose that in battle. First up is May, the newest of three Grand Elites. Earning the illustrious position a couple years following the vacancy of the position following Nali's betrayal and death, May was the closest to a doppelganger Candice had of the late prodigy. Absolutely loyal to her queen, May was known for her pace above all else-one strike from her was as good as lethal based on her quickness alone. Then there were the veterans of the Grand Elites, Weiden and Anzi. The two strongest octolings in Octaria that enforced the regime of their queen, their lacking of the breakout speed in their young colleague was balanced out by their unwavering resolve and mountainous years of experience. As they round yet another corner and into a corridor, he laid out the assignments: Han would face May, Agent 8 would face Anzi, and Jonah would take Weiden on with the help of Sky. Since Weiden was a swordsman, it'd be helpful to have a sharpshooter on support, and for Agent 8 and Han, it's helpful to have a hand like Sky on deck; For DJ Octavio, he was responsible for negotiating with the queen and giving her a chance to escape with her life-if she refused to surrender, she was to be killed.

"Since we are about to face my wife and her most trusted guards, may I be allowed to address you by your name? This is your homecoming and you're about to play a huge role in history. I'd like to call you bythe name you had from the days of old." DJ Octavio asked while tailing the others, his gaze on the focused Agent 8.

"I don't like my name." she responds.

"Please! You were one of my finest soldiers back then, and losing you was-"

"The only name I accept is the one given to me by Cap'n Cuttlefish. Thanks to him and the others on the surface I was reborn and given another chance live under my own freedom."

"Please!"

"Your highness, with all due respect, my old name brings back terrible memories."

"I understand why you still resent me. After all, I robbed you and many others of their basic rights by brainwashing you to fight enemies you didn't even consider, but-"

"I'm curious, what was the name you were given by Cap'n Cuttlefish?" Sky interrupted, knowing that though the king meant nor harm he was pushing the envelope, and also because she knew Agent 8 would tell her.

"When I awoke with no recollection of my past, I was given the name "Agent 8" by him. There was a more personal name that only your mother and my late friend Luna called me by, and one that I refuse to let anyone say that was my name back when I served the king."

"Interesting." Han muttered, also curious about the legendary warrior.

"Hachigo." she said plainly with her gaze ahead, concentrating on the battle she'll fight in the coming moments.

"Hachigo…?" Sky repeated, surprised by how Ikayuman it sounds.

"Hearing that name out of your mouth...reminds me of your mother. You might not have the same hair color or eyes as her, but you really do look like her." she smiled with warmth, wondering what her late friend would think if she saw how big Maya's youngest daughter grew.

"But it isn't your true name. You're an octoling!" DJ Octavio professed, oblivious of the moment being shared by the aunt and her niece.

"My king, please don't overstep your bounds." Hachigo sighs, looking over to Sky with a giggle with a smirk that told her how annoyed she was.

"We're almost there!" Jonah interrupts, preferring to keep the chemistry strong between everyone.

While Jonah and the others steel themselves for their final battle against the queen that quickly approaches, and elsewhere in Inkopolis are their comrades hard at work to plug up the attack by the first wave of Octaria. As for the third team carrying out Rapture, Team Ravia were locked in several key battles at the moment. As it stood, the scene of the battle looked like this from the eyes Fuchsia who held Azule in her arms watching with vigilance: off to the side a little bit away from the main crowd surrounding the entrance of Spyke and Annie's home is the battle between Cobalt and Cameron-a clash of two youth swordsmen, a little bit away from that battle is Tangie and Ueru who are about to have a rematch from the Fall festival, in front of the couple's home stood Luke and Lance ready to battle the Tower Bridge Unit and a few urchins led by Spear with the help of Violet and Santiago supporting them from the distance. She wanted to help them more than anything, but she knew the most important thing was Azule's safety; She wouldn't dare leave his side as she watched him breathe faintly, his eyelids shut and his mouth open. He looked peaceful lying unconsciously on her lap, so much so that she wished things were different-that it was instead a hot summer day in the countryside, they were together on a porch overlooking a field with the only breeze they got from an old air conditioner next to them. Instead, they're in the middle of a war zone with blood getting shed from left to right.

The sound of ringing metal echoes as the pair cross swords, sparks dancing on the grinding blades each time they clash. A dance of two differing styles, it was the calm and refined technique of Cobalt handling the brunt raw power of Cameron. One dueled with a clear mind and an unchanging expression while the other fought with haste and sloppiness. Throughout the fight, they gathered onlookers from the other battles and were soon surrounded by an audience entertained by watching Cameron work harder than usual; within the ranks, Cameron was the one disliked by many because of his unfriendly nature and as such, many of the subordinates who didn't participate in the attack at the conference or weren't lending a hand inn battle instead found interest in watching him work for his kill. As the pair exchange another set of strikes with Cobalt mostly on the defensive of an aggressive lunge from Cameron that gets blocked vertically by Cobalt, who put up his blade in time to get Cameron to recoil from the attempt. They pause for a moment and stare down one another, surrounded by cheers and jeers from a crowd that could easily be wiped out with a single strike.

"Not very popular, are you?" Cobalt catches his breath, calmly controlling the tempo to ready himself for battle again.

Cameron's hands twitch furiously-a grimacing look present on his face as he stares down at the ground catching his breath as well. He looks up to Cobalt and shakes his head slowly, "They aren't even worth it."

"Yet you fight for them? I don't understand why you've chosen such a path, but I do know one thing."

"And...what is that?"

Cobalt's crimson irises shine like a flare as he points his blade, "You will die at this rate."

Cameron plants his feet and grips the hilt of his blade with both hands wearing a glare, he already knew his fate a long time ago and now it looked as though he finally reached the end of the road, "Not everyone is lucky enough to be born into such a blessed life like yours: A prestigious family, gifted at swordsmanship, even somebody that loves you. I have nothing."

"I'm not very interested in sob stories. If you have something to tell, then do it through your blade."

Once again, they go at it. Cobalt battles him with a single arm stance while Cameron does his hardest to make an extra push with a two arm slash; each time they connect, they repel. Cobalt fights with his lower body, contorting at every terrible angle to fight off the aggressive upper body strength of Cameron, who fought with more valor than previously as if not receiving any sympathy allowed him to cast aside any doubts and prepare for death. Cobalt meets him at every strike and slash and counterattacks them. Like watching to playwrights exchange words with one another, whenever Cameron looked to inch closer to a critical strike, Cobalt slice down that opportunity swiftly. Elsewhere on the battlefield, Tangie and Ueru are in the thick of their battle as seen from the bruises sustained on both parties. A puff and a pant-knees clenched by their hands, their glares exchange fire. Tangie's arm looked purple and blue, her face concentrated with blood; one solid hit and she'd bleed profusely. Ueru wasn't looking so great either with bruises and cuts all over his legs and arms, sweat covering his body like a coat of armor.

"I'll be damned if I'm outdone by a girl missing an arm." Ueru muttered under his ragged breath, struggling to breathe properly due to the tempo of the fight.

Tangie smirks with her finger rubbing under her nose, "Widdle bad man is mad? Don't worry, I'd be pissed off too if I got my ass handed to me by someone with only one arm." she winks with a giggle afterwards.

"You got a lot of mouth for someone for who got beat by me once." he taunts, hoping that'll throw her off her game but instead, he's met by a serious gaze from her instead of the playful one she just gave.

"You're right, I was a fool at the time and had no clue of the power I carried. It took losing this arm and realizing the strength of my love for a dense country boy to understand that my potential is limitless. I might be missing an arm, but I'll make up for it by polishing everything else so that they won't be a weakness! I won't lose to you a second time!" she shouts, resuming her battle pose with her knees bent, torso facing Ueru, and her one arm up with her palm open. "If my kicks weren't enough to have you wailing, then the Citra Palm Strike will do the trick."

"What in the world do you think one palm is gonna do to me?" he sneered, finally catching his breath and ready to fight again, only hoping to throw her off guard.

Tangie's beaming expression turned serious, "Sometimes, one can turn to ten, and from ten to a hundred. I'll show you a thousand palm strike strong enough to send you to the deep sea!"

The conversation ends abruptly as Ueru dashes for Tangie and brings up his right knee for a strike, but Tangie stops him with her left knee and returns fire with a high right kick to his gut; Ueru absorbs it and closes the space between them. Tangie has him where he wants him. Up until this point, Tangie's strikes stung but she always made sure to keep a distance, and to an oaf like Ueru, he saw that as an indicator that she was cautious about slipping in a close situation. However, Tangie's warning proved true. With her lone arm, Tangie channeled her strength and delivered a palm strike to his chest that nearly shot his eyes out from the impact. He's forced to retreat a few steps and catch his breath; Tangie knocked the wind out of him. Even though the others couldn't hear it, he palm slammed his chest like a wet slap and the remaining concentrated are of pain felt like steaming anvil pressed on bare skin-weighty and burning. Even if she only had one arm, that lone arm was practically an assault weapon.

"Want another taste?" She teases, flexing her bicep.

As the pair of martial artists duel it out, in front of the home of Spyke and Annie was there a sight to behold. Against disadvantageous numbers, General Garston and Lance held their own against the Tower Bridge Unit, Spear and the dozen urchins fighting with them. A painful battle for Landon and the others to endure, they chose to fight against their leader under the illusion that it was for his sake. The entire time, Lance tried to convince them to cease the foolishness and realize that it was better to accept whatever punishment will come later and do good rather than act foolish and help the enemy, but their mindset latched onto the idea that if they defeat them here and silence them, they can avoid any detection thanks to Kida keeping his word. Speaking of the Urchin's leader, he's entertained by everything occurring: From Cobalt and Tangie working Cameron and Ueru to the bone, to Spear and the others pushing Garston and Lance onto the ropes, and the misery of the Tower Bridge Unit forced to fight against their leader-all while Azule laid unconscious in a girl's arms unable to see his friends struggling-left him so overjoyed with a thirst for more; he wanted Azule to wake up paralyzed and witness the downfall of everyone. Engrossed with all the action standing proudly with his arms crossed, he's unaware that Spyke can move-though it was more of Spyke moving as slow as possible to avoid detection. While both sides fight it out with Kida's attention on them, Spyke laid on the ground hearing the sounds of battle, however, all of his senses were devoted to dragging his body across the ground to reach beside his wife. His heart aches now that he has come to terms with reality, the reality that the perfect life he envisioned with Annie was one he'd never reach. His past finally caught up to him, and though he knew and warned Annie of this possible outcome, it pained him that it actually came true. As he carries his weight on his forearms over to Annie, who's body poured blood along with her coughing up some as well, struggling to breathe. His eyes are locked on her crying face, the memories they shared coming back. Spyke knew he had to move in quick and be at her side-she was keeping herself alive for the sole fact that she didn't want to die before saying goodbye to him. So desperately did he want to hold her hand before she departs. Finally reaching her, it felt as if a massive weight filled the air and made it harder to breathe.

"Is this it?" Spyke asked, holding her trembling hand; Annie nods gingerly. His soft eyes watered looking down at his dearly beloved.

We've overcome so many obstacles to be together…

Their joint business, Spyke abandoning his old life to start anew, living in a struggle to make ends meet, moving in together and then eventually, moving to a new nation for a fresh start. The countless days of packing and traveling from city to city finding a home and the nights eating out, after finally getting settled into their new life devoid of drama, everything fell apart instantly.

No way would an outsider tear us apart, not in this life or any other…

"Right…?" he whimpered, reaching her for her hand and gently holding it with a pained smile, begging for her to look at him.

Annie slowly turns to him-body twitching and smiled softly, "You read my mind."

A long stare at one another, Spyke brought her head to his with a whimper at her last breath. Weeping in his final moments with Annie, clinging onto any last strands of hope that she can hold out, his heart shattered the moment he saw her coughing up more blood. Slowly shaking his head with falling streams from his squinted eyes, he leans in to her bloody lips begging for a miracle. Drawing her last breath, Annie sealed her life with a tearful kiss. Eyes turning dull and her skin running cold, he felt her soul depart the moment he lifted his head. Unfortunately, he couldn't mourn her with a wailing cry with Kida nearby so all he could do was hold her tightly until her warmth vanished. As one life exits this world, another is hanging by a thread. In a sea of darkness, nothing but hazy speech and murmurs exist. At moments it felt like not even sound existed. He didn't know his whereabouts, but he knew that wherever his location, it wasn't where he needed to be. At this moment, Spyke and Annie were in grave danger and he was nowhere to be found. Desperately, he wanted to go back to them, he wanted to fight, he wanted to protect them. A strange glow forms in the abyss, resembling a sunrise that pierces the darkness. A familiar warmth for his instinct yet absent to his memory at the moment, Azule looks out to the dark sea. A whisper was all he could hear, one that told him his time wasn't near...

"...ule...?" a voice spoke in a muffled tone; he does his best to concentrate on the tone and identify who it was, but it was still difficult to draw any names. "..Zu...?" they spoke again, the tone still unidentifiable, but the darkness surrounding him was beginning to lighten and in turn brighten as the glow intensified. At first, it felt like the warmth he felt belonged to the radiant spirit of Luna, the ghost he spoke with that one time. The whisper he heard had to belong to her, for who else could warn him from the other side? Thy voice whispered, "I don't want you here, your time is not near. Come back to life, my dear and put up a fight, for I will guide you with my light." the glow growing stronger and hotter with each word spoken. It felt like a terrible rhyme he could've come up with at a poetry slam event, but the words they spoke were true. The hotter the glow, the clearer his senses and the faster the sea of darkness evaporates, now he could he feel his mind returning to him. The tone of the voice calling to him identifiable, and his body available for control again, he felt the warmth return to his body immediately.

"Azule...?" a girl's voice cried in desperation, her hand pressed against his chest. It's Fuchsia's voice. Her arms are wrapped around his body tightly like a rope, and his cheek felt warm-as if pressed against a body and able to hear her uneasy heart and feel her rapid pulse in sync with his slowed beat. The first thing that came to mind wasn't the first thing that he could say. So greatly did he want to tell her "Thank You" for being at his side, for worrying so much about him, but the first thing out of his mouth was "I can fight." in a mumbled tone; Fuchsia jumps, feeling the life return to the boy in her arms. As he comes to his senses, he can feel his face again-albeit it stained in his own blood-and his body didn't feel flushed like it did prior when he fought Spear. With a gaze upwards at Fuchsia, he saw everything in her eyes. She didn't need to say a word with an expression like that, her worrisome eyes shining like pearls with a returning light that told him that what he just said was on the same grounds as insulting.

She thought I was gone he thought, realizing that perhaps it was true. It didn't feel like he was unconscious, it felt like he was in another place entirely while he was gone. He was sure of it. That voice he heard, not the muffled one calling his name, but the one that appeared to be in the light...it had to be Luna rejecting his application of death. She must've returned him to the land of living, pledging that his time for death wasn't now and that he still had a fight on his hands. He couldn't leave his parents behind, nor his friends, and most certainly could he not allow Kida and these fiends get away with it.

"Fuchsia, please let me fight." he clutches her arm with a passionate gaze; "I need to fight."

"Azule, rest!" she cried, refusing to let him get himself get killed. "You're bleeding from your face. You were out just now. Please understand my feelings! I can't watch you hurt yourself again!"

Azule's eyes soften looking at her with a weak smile-the light in his eyes faint, it's no surprise she was responding this way. They've been together since the beginning of this journey and have overcome many trials since then. He'd been so focused on his own growth that he failed to realize that she was there too, and through all his failures she watched on with a biting lip. She's not willing to lose him, nor is she willing to allow any harm to him. They made a promise before they got here, but as he saw her maturity in this crucial moment, he couldn't help but admire her loyalty. "Please, Fuchsia. I need to fight."

Fuchsia clenches her teeth, reading his gaze and mind alike and blushing furiously with some frustration at how unbelievable he could be even in a situation as dire as this one. "Goodness...you're so stubborn!" easing from her annoyed look to a hopeless smile, bringing him in close for a hug, their hearts connected. "I love you. I really do love you." she says in a shaken tone, gripping the back of his shirt, thankful that he came back to her.

His cheeks turn red and he looks at her with surprise, but after seeing the conviction in her gaze he knew that the feelings she carried were mutual after all. The tightness he felt in his chest was somehow relaxing and satisfying. The anxiety of being alone to carry the burdens were all gone now that he has someone at his side. "Will you stand by me?" he asks, bringing his forehead to hers with a whisper.

"Always."

The pair look over to the sight before them and know what they have to do; the next time they fight, it'll be their last. As Ravia and Octaria's battles continue, so does the conflict brewing in another country. In the capital city of Inkopolis, cars are flipped over and on fire, the streets are rumbling, and there are indistinct screams and shouts of men. It's broad daylight, but the sky looks red from the flaming buildings and smoke replacing the clouds. The efforts of Team Inkopolis are put to the test as they taste the wrath of Octaria.