"They went in." Shinji said as he looked through his binoculars. "We ought to pull back now."

"What kind of entrance do you think that is?" Gabriella said as her bats swarmed around them. They would keep the enemies away, but that would only last for a few moments. Not to mention that there were still Purebloods who could respond immediately.

"I don't know." Henry said as they began to retreat into the shadows. "But from the way they were apprehensive about it, I can only be glad we aren't with them right now."

"Alright, pipe down." Emi answered. "We've done our job, so let them do theirs."

Ganju now slammed his axe into the ground, splitting it open and forming a massive hole. "Get in!" He said. The minute all of them had entered, Ganju covered them up, trapping them in the dark of the underground.

The stench was atrocious. Ichigo was now certain that anything alive down here must have lost their sense of smell ages ago. As he and Akira went in deeper, the passages grew larger and larger till they were now within a complex maze of sewage pipes and plumbing. Though the water only reached up to his ankles, he was certain that the smell would persist for days to come.

"Any idea where we should be going?" Akira asked from behind. Accounting for his link with Yuki Kuran, it was decided that Ichigo would lead them down into the bowels of the castle in the hopes of finding her. However, Ichigo had yet to see the apparition of the ancient vampire princess, which annoyed him all the more.

"No, and it sucks." Ichigo growled. "I would've thought she'd have come to us by now."

"Perhaps there is something else going on." Akira said. "She may not believe it safe to approach us the way she would at this time."

"At any rate, is there even a way out of this place?" Ichigo asked. "This whole area looks abandoned. I don't want to go through every inch just to find out we have to go back the way we came."

"I am prepared for that possibility." Akira said. "We merely need to find a way into the main castle grounds. From there, I can get us in."

"Assuming we even get there." Ichigo said. "We've been wandering aimlessly for over ten minutes now. By now we should have been able to…" Ichigo stopped his sentence midway. Akira looked to him, concerned about his silence.

"What is it?" Akira asked. Ichigo looked back to him before reverting his gaze down the tunnel he had turned into. Sat upon the floor was Yuki Kuran. However she didn't look well. Her breaths were ragged and she appeared exhausted.

"I see her." Ichigo said as he walked forward. "But it's different this time. She looks bad, like she went to hell or something." Akira's fingers clenched at the explanation, but he did not pry further as he accompanied Ichigo. As he could not see the form of Yuki, he started forward till Ichigo knelt down and faced the wall. Only then did he have an idea where his grandmother's projection was.

"What the hell happened to you?" Ichigo asked. At this, Yuki looked up, her tired eyes a dull red as she looked up at him.

"Oh my…" Yuki chuckled with raspy breaths. "Are you worried about me Ichigo? That's a first."

"Shut it." Ichigo frowned. "What is going on up there?"

"Well, let's just say this whole plan has taken quite a toll on me." Yuki gasped. "I've done all I can to ensure that Anju felt as little of the effects as possible, but well there is only so much you can do before you start feeling the burn yourself…"

"And that's why we are here." Ichigo said. "So tell us where to go and we can enter the castle."

"Hah…" Yuki breathed. "Take a left turn about four metres down. After that, go for about ten metres and then turn right. You should be in the perfect place to infiltrate."

"Alright." Ichigo nodded. "We'll get this done quickly."

"Wait…" Yuki gasped again. "Before you proceed, there is something you should know. Project Paragon has undergone many developments here. The initial subjects are already active."

"Wait, subjects?" Ichigo asked. "What is Project Paragon anyways?"

Yuki moved to answer, but then she slumped forward, exhaustion taking over at last. "Sorry Ichigo… I can't… talk much now… Just be careful."

"Hey! Wait!" Ichigo cried, but it was too late. Yuki now flickered and vanished, leaving them both alone in the hollow tunnels.

"Trouble?" Akira asked.

"Lots it seems." Ichigo replied. "She said that Project Paragon has been developing and that its subjects are active. I have no idea what that second part meant."

"That is indeed disturbing." Akira frowned darkly. "Whatever Project Paragon is, we truly have much to be wary of, perhaps fearful even. I hope my mother is well-prepared."

"Well, we shouldn't waste time." Ichigo said. "We have to get to Anju as quickly as possible."

"Agreed." Akira nodded. "Now, let us hope we aren't compromised yet."

Cassandra breathed as she faced herself in the mirror. She then fingered the ruby necklace she wore, the same one her mother had when she was still alive. Without a word, she slipped her bathrobe off. She breathed as she examined her naked figure, her mind also now thinking back to the visions Yuki Kuran had shown her. As much as she wanted, she couldn't deny it at all.

She had already told Beatrice to make herself scarce and to escape the minute trouble started. She would not have any more innocents wrapped up in what she was planning.

Cassandra now took out a plain white dress and put it on. She then ensured the necklace was draped over the dress. Catching it in the moonlight, it reflected the gleam as faint red rays around the room.

Mother… Cassandra prayed to herself. Please give me strength…

With her resolve and determination now set, she left her room.

The floor buckled, bulging upward from some form of invisible force from below. It cracked and buckled a few more times before it finally burst open, spewing gravel and crumbled stone all around the room as shadowy creatures burst forth from the breach. The creatures disappeared as soon as they had emerged, allowing the two men below to climb upwards.

"A wine cellar?" Ichigo frowned as he observed the large barrels.

"It appears to be such." Akira nodded. "Though I doubt alcohol storage is the primary purpose of this room."

"True." Ichigo agreed as he drew his pistol. "Alright, let's get going. Hopefully we don't get spotted too quickly."

Holding up his pistol, Ichigo slowly inched open the door. Its hinges creaked slightly as it opened to reveal a dimly lit corridor. Ichigo peeked out, scanning the area to find only a single path to the right. Slowly, he opened the door further and stepped out, training his pistol to the left path before turning to the other corridor as soon as he confirmed they were clear.

Akira now stepped forward, sword drawn and ready for battle. "Lead on Ichigo. I will bring up the rear."

"Alright then." Ichigo nodded as he ran down the corridor. He kept his footfalls as light as possible to avoid giving him away to any potential guard that may be lurking farther down. Despite not seeing them, an enclosed space like this would cause any sound to reverberate and alert anyone who could be there.

"Now, Emi said she would be in one of the towers. Any way for us to head upwards?" Ichigo asked.

"Won't my grandmother's apparition help?" Akira asked. "Isn't she around now?"

"Doesn't look like it." Ichigo said. "Besides, if I did, I wouldn't be asking."

"Fair point." Akira nodded. "Well, our first step would be to know where we are in the castle. Either we can find a map, which I assume will be highly unlikely…"

"Or we could attack a guard and make him talk." Ichigo concluded.

"Precisely." Akira nodded. "Though it risks us getting spotted, right now I doubt we have time to ponder on such things."

"Alright then. Seems like we know the next move." Ichigo said. "And I have a good idea on how to set this up, though it might take a while…"

"Whatever works." Akira nodded. "We should make haste with our plan. It wouldn't be long before the castle guard mobilises."

"And hopefully he hasn't destroyed anywhere we need to reach Anju." Ichigo said.

"Fret not. Ganju's aim in that regard isn't the best, hence why he usually sticks to close combat." Akira mused. "I doubt anything important has been destroyed as of yet."

"I do remember seeing him break a tower though…" Ichigo deadpanned.

Akira remained silent for a rather uncomfortable amount of time before speaking. "Not to worry. I'm sure Ganju is still adept enough to not hinder our mission."

"Sometimes I don't know whether you guys are incredibly competent or amazingly stupid…" Ichigo muttered to himself as he continued moving on.

Katarina surveyed the damage done to the castle, frowning as she looked at the massive boulder that now lay atop a crushed car. The wall above had crumbled into bits, demolished by the power of the massive projectile.

She had commanded as many of the Death Bringers she could spare to scour the surrounding landscape for any sign of the aggressors. Already she had her suspicions on who had the gall to assault the fortress so brazenly. Still, even if the attack had not damaged any vital points of the castle, it was still astounding that they had made it past the fog barrier.

Therefore, Katarina wasn't taking chances. She had mobilised the entirety of the guards and immediately set up more sentries on the walls and the grounds. Everyone else not involved in anything else was ordered into the main building to strengthen security.

"Lady Katarina." A Death Bringer knelt before her as he began to report. "We have found no signs of any attackers. However, we are continuing the search for any trace of their presence."

"Very well." Katarina nodded. "Keep a close surveillance on the barrier, make sure nothing comes through."

"How could they have entered milday?" He asked. "It kills all who approach it."

"They must have found out about the weaker areas of the fog." Katarina surmised. "But how? The only ones who know about that are us and our personnel. Be as it may, that is of little importance. I want this castle secured against any threat and all our warriors stationed for immediate combat!"

"As you will." The Death Bringer replied before leaving to continue his assigned task.

Satisfied with the security arrangements outside, Katarina now strode back into the castle. She knew that above all, the strongest guards were needed to be by her grandfather. It was imperative that his safety was assured above all.

And yet… Something nibbled at the corner of her mind. Something told her that there was more to this than meets the eye. The assault upon the castle felt a little too superficial to her liking. Although its appearance was quite spectacular, the damage it had inflicted upon the castle was meagre at best. If anything, it was only suitable to serve as a very good distraction to cover for an infiltration force. And why would that be? Katarina asked herself. Her answer was obvious almost immediately.

She immediately turned towards the direction of the prison that lay in the higher towers of the castle, licking her lips in anticipation of possibly what was to come.

"I won't ask again, where is the girl being held?" Akira said coldly as he addressed the guard before him. It was quite fortuitous that they had encountered this lone sentry. It was quite an easy job to ambush him, though the same couldn't be said for the interrogation. Akira had to admit that he wasn't prepared for how tight-lipped he would be.

Of course, from his own experience, a stubborn lip rarely worked well with the other person who now accompanied him. This was evidenced by how the guard was now bleeding from a wound on his forehead. The culprit for this had a gun pointed to the head of their captive, thumbing the hammer just as Akira had asked his question.

"It will be in your best interest to answer." Akira continued. "I have no idea how long more I can contain my friend here."

"I'm not your friend, let's be clear on that." Ichigo growled as he turned to face the guard again. "But he is right about one thing, he won't be able to contain me for long, so you best spill it now."

The guard frowned, defiance still showing on his face. However the combination of the pistol Ichigo had trained on him and seeing Akira finally unsheathe the sword was enough to crack his stoic demeanour. "The highest tower, the girl is kept there."

"And how will we be getting there?" Akira asked, his red eyes flashing in the darkness.

The guard gulped, pointing shakily to the corridor on the right. "Down there… Take the first staircase on your left…"

"Very well done." Akira nodded as he withdrew the blade. Then he raised it and slammed the pommel of his sword into his head.

"Kuran, come on…" Ichigo growled as he stood up and kept the gun.

"I didn't want him to sound an alarm." Akira justified as he sheathed the blade.

"I know. But I was the one who was going to do it!" Ichigo snapped.

"I see. Well, I'm afraid we have no time for dawdling. Anju's rescue comes first." Akira answered.

"Whatever. Just let me do my job." Ichigo grumbled as they headed down the hallway and then taking the stairs as the guard had said to do so. As they ascended, the spaces started to get narrower and narrower. Soon enough, they reached a point where the stairs begun to spiral upwards.

"We should be close…" Akira said. "At the very least, we are in one of the parapets of the castle now."

"We are." Ichigo replied. "I feel… something. Like an ache in my chest. I think she's close." He increased his stride, taking the steps two at a time while holding the walls for the extra support. Soon enough, the stairs ended and made way to a circular room. There, he saw a rusty iron door that was barred shut.

"Anju!" Ichigo cried out, banging on the door. "Anju answer me dammit!" However, there was no response from her.

"Ichigo! Stand aside!" Akira said as shadows gathered in his palm. Ichigo watched as a macabre and tested claw formed from Akira's hand. Drawing it back, Akira crashed his dark construct into the hinges of the door. Once it had held fast, Akira began to pull, grunting as he strained against the heavy door. Within seconds, the bolts and hinges of the door creaked and groaned as the metal splintered and the door was finally pried open. Once the entered the cell, their eyes widened the minute they saw her.

Anju was slumped in a corner, her body appearing lifeless and still. Closer inspection revealed strange marks upon her arms. As Ichigo looked her over, he suddenly realised that the marks were in fact puncture wounds.

"What the hell have they been doing to her!?" Ichigo snarled. Akira couldn't answer, but Ichigo could hear his teeth grinding in rage.

"Hey Kuran, what do we do?" Ichigo asked.

Akira shook his head. "I-I don't know… But we must get her out of here now."

"Well, her being unconscious really complicates that!" Ichigo yelled. "How the hell am I supposed to…" At this however, Ichigo saw Akira's eyes widen with shock. Turning around, he saw that Anju's eyes had opened, crimson orbs staring straight at him. Without warning, Anju pounced upon Ichigo, twisting his head to his left.

"What in the f…!" Ichigo was about finish before Anju buried her teeth into his neck. He felt the sting as human teeth tore through his skin and into his veins below. His blood gushed out, every drop that spilled out now being lapped at by Anju.

No, this wasn't Anju. At least, Anju wasn't in control at this time. As she greedily gulped down every last droplet, Ichigo could now see the puncture wounds slowly fade away from her bare arms.

"My word…" Akira looked as she let go of Ichigo, standing back up on her feet. Her hand now reached upwards to her lips, gathering the leftover blood on her finger before placing it in her mouth and sucking the last drop down.

"Phew…" She breathed as she stretched her arms upwards. "Finally, just what I needed."

"You…" Ichigo stared upward in bewilderment. "You drank my blood…"

Yuki looked at him with a quizzical stare. "Uh, yeah. I am a vampire, remember?"

"Well, it freakin' hurt!" Ichigo snarled. "Maybe you forgot, but Anju's body isn't a vampire's! She doesn't have any fangs! Do you know how painful it is for a human to use their teeth and tear skin out?"

Yuki looked at him for a few seconds before she cocked her head left. "Was that good enough for you?"

Akira and Ichigo stared at her wordlessly as from within the mental landscape of the person in front of them, Anju gave a wordless reply. Yuki then tilted her head back to them again, signalling the end of the mental conversation. "Anju says, now you two are even regarding the alleyway incident."

"Seriously?" Ichigo gaped. "She was still going on about that shit?"

"If I recall Ichigo, you seriously pissed her off." Yuki frowned. "Poisoning you wasn't going to work considering your vampire status, but there were loads of other more sinister items on her payback list. However, things like burning you and dumping garbage into your room wasn't exactly the most subtle ways to get to it. Therefore, I went through a huge process of elimination before settling for this one being the best method."

Ichigo and Akira stared, obviously freaked out by the dark thoughts that could have emanated from a single girl.

"But anyways…" Yuki said, now taking a serious tone. "I think we agree that we ought to get going?"

"Right." Akira nodded. "This way grandmother."

Yuki nodded, now stepping out of the cell and taking the lead. As they continued on, Akira asked. "Grandmother, pardon my question, but what exactly have they been doing to you?"

"It's just a step for Project Paragon." Yuki replied. "They've been slowly draining my blood for it."

"Draining blood?" Ichigo blinked. "What the hell is Project Paragon anyways?"

Yuki began to answer, only for her to snap her head left, a sharp look crossing her features. Quickly, she summoned her butterfly creatures to form a protective barrier around them just as everything exploded apart.

"Shit!" Ichigo cried out as he was jostled around within the dark bubble Yuki had conjured.

"What happened?" Akira exclaimed, his sword drawn.

"Katarina…" Yuki frowned as she felt them settle down. With a gesture of her hand, her barrier scattered into hundreds of tiny butterflies. "I figured you'd know something was up."

Ichigo and Akira now looked up to see Katarina staring at them, her sword drawn. Armed Death Bringers surrounded them, their metal masks promising nothing but pain and death.

"Well, let's just say I had a lucky guess." Katarina answered. "Still, it is only right that such a superficial attack would serve only as a massive distraction. Akira, you ought to think your strategies out a little more. Flashy it may have been, but that was all it was."

"It seems I am still underestimating you." Akira frowned. "I never thought that you were this well versed in the art of war."

"You give me too much credit." Katarina said. "I merely have good experience in the art of deception."

"So what now?" Ichigo asked. "Even if we are outnumbered, it doesn't mean we intend of going down without a fight."

"By all means, go ahead and force my hand." Katarina grinned. "Times have been boring lately and having to deal with my sisters' stupid antics have become an annoyance. I'm in the mood for some excitement."

"No, we surrender." Yuki said, cutting off everyone else. Ichigo, Akira and Katarina stared at her incredulously as she offered them victory without hesitation.

"You certainly know how to kill my fun." Katarina scowled. "As if once wasn't enough…"

"Are you out of your mind?" Ichigo scowled. "We busted our assess getting you out of that cell!"

"And you will be killed trying to get through this bunch." Yuki said gesturing to the men surrounding them. "There is no point to this whole thing if we end up dying in the process."

Ichigo and Akira looked at each other, unsure of the ploy Yuki was currently making. However, without any other solution, both of them grudgingly agreed, placing their weapons on the floor and then putting their hands in the air.

Katarina sighed. "How droll. But very well. I might as well bring you two before my grandfather. Also, he has been meaning to speak to you Yuki Kuran. I have a feeling it will be to thank you for completing his project."

Ichigo and Akira watched as the guards around them walked up and bound their hands in cuffs. Ichigo at once felt a slight stinging sensation followed by a weakness in his body as soon as the cuffs were locked. "Anti-Vampire cuffs? What the hell?"

"How did you acquire these?" Akira demanded. "Only the Hunter's Association should have access to this equipment!"

"I haven't the slightest clue." Katarina replied. "Grandfather likes to keep things close to the vest. Ask him if you'd like, but I doubt he will satisfy you. Now get moving, he awaits."

The small squad marched their captives down the dark hallways of the castle. Akira watched as two Death Bringers carted away his sword and Ichigo's gun. He was loathe to part with the blade that he had so carefully forged, but he knew that now was not the time to bemoan such details. He watched as they now approached an ornate door, upon which was carved horrific looking creatures.

"Wow. This guy really wants that evil villain vibe huh?" Ichigo snorted. This caused one of the Death Bringers to walk up and strike him in the head.

"Silence!" He growled as Ichigo recovered. The boy shot a glare back at him, but the Death Bringer didn't flinch.

"Enough." Katarina said curtly. "We are about to appear before my grandfather. I ask that you don't embarrass yourself before him." She now nodded at the two thralls who stood at the door, their faces an emotionless mask as they opened it to reveal a pitch black room. Katarina now gestured within, instructing the three of them to enter.

Akira, Ichigo and Yuki now entered the dark chamber, only Katarina following them while her squad waited outside. The light of the outside vanished as the doors closed. Akira strained to see in the shadows, but was momentarily blinded the minute candles around the room were lit.

At once, they beheld the face of Mortis Kraven. Akira's eyes widened the moment he saw the state of Mortis's body. He had been told of how badly decayed he was back when the Kraven clan had attacked Cross Academy, but seeing the badly rotted face and maggot riddled form of the Kraven clan leader was far more severe than he could have realised.

Still, Mortis didn't appear to mind. Instead, his eyes seemed to flash with glee upon seeing the captives brought before him. "Ah, at last. Yuki Kuran has finally decided to grace me with her presence. And she has also brought her grandson with her. I truly am honoured."

"Forgive me if I don't feel the same way Lord Mortis." Akira replied.

"Worry not young Akira." Mortis smiled. "I take no offense of your behaviour. After all, you have brought me someone equally as interesting as you both." He now stared at Ichigo, who looked back with malice. "Hello Ichigo. It has been far too long."

"You…" Ichigo gritted his teeth as he stepped forward. His advance however was cut short the minute the shadows warped in front of him and James Ridley appeared, his sword brandished toward his neck.

"Ridley…" Akira growled as he beheld the former knight. Ridley merely smiled as he continued to hold Ichigo at sword-point.

"Well, I must say this is quite the occasion." Mortis smiled as he stood from his chair. "Two generations of Kurans before me and the boy who survived my assault. Never did I think I would meet you all on the same day."

"Shut up!" Ichigo snarled. "I'm going to kill you, mark my words. I'm going to make you pay for what you did to my family!"

"Ah yes, I remember the day I attacked your family. It was too bad that they couldn't make it to my experiment table before they died." Mortis said, a slight degree of lament entering his voice.

"What?" Ichigo froze at this comment as Akira's face curled into one of disgust.

"The Kitsuke line of hunters is an extraordinary one." Mortis said. "I had intended for them to see how far they could push the development of Project Paragon, but it seems I went too far in the matter of satisfying my own thirst. Still, I doubt they could have helped bring forth success the way dear Yuki did. Thank you by the way Yuki, I never would have thought your contribution would bear such great fruit."

Yuki did not reply, she merely scowled back.

"You attacked my family to use them as materials?" Ichigo yelled. "What the hell is this Project paragon!? Why is it so important to you? Answer me dammit!"

"I'm afraid I have no obligation to tell you Ichigo." Mortis smiled. "Be as it may though, you will know soon enough."

"Hrraaagh!" Ichigo roared as he attempted to charge Mortis. However, Ridley intervened by punching him in the face before flinging him backwards toward the wall. Ichigo stared up, hatred burning in his eyes.

"I'll kill you." Ichigo vowed. "I swear, no matter what it takes, I will kill you."

"Even if that means you lose your cure?" Mortis asked. "Surely you realise that I am the only chance you have at becoming human again?"

"Bastard!" Ichigo yelled as he tried to get up. But as he did, the shadows coiled around him, holding him down to the floor.

"Now Mr. Kitsuke, there is no need for violence here." Ridley smiled. "Still, I would ask that you show the utmost respect for lord Kraven when he speaks."

"Fret not Mr. Ridley." Mortis said, waving his hand. "I am finished with him for now. I have more important guests to speak with." At this, he now turned to Akira. "Well then Akira, I've been looking forward to this meeting for a while now."

"I suppose I could say the same." Akira replied coldly. "Though forgive me, but I was looking forward to capturing you by then."

"A terrible mishap it would appear." Mortis chuckled darkly. "Still, I do have to thank you for helping with Cassandra. The awakening of her powers was only possible because of you. She will truly be the most powerful head of our clan for years to come."

Akira turned to see Katarina grip her sword tightly, a slight frown crossing her features. "It seems not everybody is buying that idea."

Mortis now turned a glare upon Katarina, who looked away immediately upon meeting his gaze. "True, such a decision was not taken favourably by all. Yet, it is my will, and so it shall be done."

"And what of Cassandra herself?" Akira asked. "Does she even know of what you are doing here?"

"She will see my designs in due time." Mortis explained. "That girl simply doesn't understand the need for sacrifices in this time. But she will change her mind when peace and security for our race is achieved."

"A peace that you wish to attain by standing over the corpses of humans and vampires!" Akira yelled, his eyes flashing an angry red. "How many more must die before you are satisfied? How many more lives and freedoms need to be sacrificed?"

"You don't see the big picture of things Akira." Mortis replied. "Your peace has bred complacency in this world for all of our kind. Do you even realise that an Anti-Vampire terrorist group exists?"

Akira and Ichigo blinked in shock. "What?" Akira gasped.

"They call themselves Helsing." Mortis frowned, his teeth gritted in anger. "They were formed long ago from the remnants of the old Hunter's Association. Simply put, they are vampire hunters who exist to destroy any and all vampires in this world, for the sole reason that they are vampires."

"No way…" Ichigo shook his head. "That has got to be a joke. Why the hell would Hunters break the peace treaty?"

"That can't be…" Akira growled. "That is impossible!"

"Is it?" Mortis asked. "Then tell me, who do you think killed your father?"

Akira's glare was now replaced with shock. "No…" He frowned as he tried to process this information. Completely shaken, he didn't know how to respond.

"It was they who also killed my daughter Verona, all because she was a vampire." Mortis fumed, his rage now causing the shadows around him to writhe. "It was they who turned me into this state, nothing but perpetual rot and decay. Do you see Akira, how your mother's desire for peace is naught but a illusion? Your peace was just a foolish dream since the beginning. Humans and Vampires can never co-exist. Even if you tried, there are still humans who despise you. Nothing can stop this. Your actions are pointless!"

"Are they really?" Yuki replied, all eyes drawing to her as she did. "Are the actions of our people truly pointless? Is peace really just a dream that can never come true?"

"And what pray tell do you have to say about that Yuki?" Mortis queried.

"True, peace is never an easy road." Yuki nodded. "It is filled with many trials and tribulations, among which is our inability to let go of our own prejudices and anger for each other. There will always be wounds that never heal, insults that can never be forgotten, differences and wrongs that cannot be put aside or left behind."

"And yet, there are still fools who believe that it is not a fruitless endeavour." Yuki smiled as she looked at the body she now inhabited. "Fools who look ahead with reason, compassion and hope. Fools like me…"

"If you think you will be able to sway me or anyone else in this room to your pathetic ideals, know that none of us will hear you." Mortis frowned.

"Of course not." Yuki smiled. "There are always people like you who will work toward continuing the cycle of hatred and discord. And that's why people like me exist as well. To end that cycle, for good."

Without warning, Yuki broke apart the chains binding her arms before slamming her fist on the floor. Instantly, shadows warped and tore through the stone beneath, causing the entire room to collapse.

Author's Note:

By my estimate, I should be able to finish this next arc within the next 2 months or so. I'm happy to be completing two-thirds of this story and I can only ask that you continue to give me your support and patience. It isn't easy balancing this out with University work, so please bear with me as I work toward finishing this story

As always, please read and comment on anything you feel needs improving.

Yours Sincerely,

Jdbl00d