Previously on Heart of the Melting Blood RELOADED…
"There was once a story of a knight serving the Holy Orders who betrayed the orders and turned his back away from humankind in favour of the most dangerous enemy the earth had ever faced. The knight was called…"
"The Black Feather! You're the lone wolf of Holy Orders!" Ky exclaimed in utter shock. "I can't believe I'd meet you in place like this!"
Alex responded to the nickname with a grim laughter. "So, what is your next plan, Holy Knight Ky Kiske? I bet that after meeting the humankind's most unaccepted traitor, you want to punish me. Isn't that right?"
x-x
At a certain temple back, a man in brown gi opened his eyes and stared up at the blue yonder. "So, the Black Feather has finally taken his steps," he whispered and closed his eyes. "Whatever you're doing, please think of yourself first, Alex."
Silent as he was, he later sighed and opened his eyes. "Kliff, were you doing the right thing of adapting him as a knight? He's still too young of killing people and such. I'm afraid… his very fragile soul has been darkened already."
x-x
The ex-leader of the Assassin Guild grinned. "After my acquaintance finishes questioning you, you are free to do whatever you want to do. That, I can promise you."
Alex slowly put back the kodachi into its sheath and breathed out. "Fine. But don't expect me to cooperate with you or anybody else."
Slayer laughed again and made a taunt. "If you feel like you want to challenge me, I will gladly become your opponent anytime."
x-x-x-x-x
Guilty Gear
Heart of the Melting Blood RELOADED
Written and conceived by: Lone Wolf NEO
Lone Wolf NEO does not own any of all the games or anime or manga featured in this story, but he owns the copyright to all his original ideas in this fiction. Lone Wolf would really appreciate it if readers do not plagiaries everything inside this story without his knowledge.
Chronological Note: Heart of the Melting Blood RELOADED takes place scarcely half a year after Guilty Gear versus SNK 2: Battle Revolution, and currently runs roughly in parallel with Guilty Gear: The World Within and Without written and owned by Sheo Darren.
Chapter 14
Nothing Else Matters: The Unknown Past
"Alright," Lone Wolf NEO spoke. "It seems that everybody has returned from their task. Well, except for the Jellyfish Pirates who are still occupied with their works." He breathed out and stared at the people inside the conference room. "Now let me check the list… Ky Kiske and Dizzy Kiske."
"Present," Ky answered.
"Rock Howard and Hotaru Howard," the author called.
"Haii," Hotaru replied, lifting her hand to the open air.
Lone Wolf nodded and continued to check the attendance list. "Slayer, Arcueid Brunestud and Tohno Shiki."
"Haii, haii! I'm not absent!" Arcueid excitedly answered.
"I am here as needed," Slayer spoke.
"I'm here," Shiki answered, enviously staring at Slayer.
"Hmm…" Lone Wolf mumbled and looked around, "now where are Elde and his friends? They told me that they would come here and…" Hibiki interrupted with a whisper at the author's ear. He nodded in acknowledgement and leaned against the chair. "I see. Now the only people I haven't said their name are… Alexander Hahn and Sion Eltnam Atlasia." The two people who owned the name did not reply to the call, much to Lone Wolf's concern. He noticed that Ky was glowering at Alex, seemingly having a grudge against him. "Whatever. Alright, people. Would you please leave this room? I need to ask Mister Hahn and Miss Atlasia some questions." All the people save for Alex and Sion left the room before Lone Wolf called out a name. "Slayer, will you help me?"
The Nightwalker just grinned. "Sure. Why not."
x-x
Outside the conference room, the people were restlessly waiting for the interview session to end. Ky, especially, was the most restless. Already furious at Slayer's interruption when the battle between him and the fallen soldier was reaching its peak, he now grumbled in annoyance as Lone Wolf NEO treated Alex as if he was just a regular person. "Why can't he just stop with the interrogation and charge that traitor as guilty?" he mumbled.
"Ky, what's wrong?" asked Dizzy, noticing an unknown anger emerging from his eyes.
Ky grumbled and clenched the hilt of Thunderseal very tightly. "That traitor… his existence is nothing but a threat to the humanity. He had despised the Holy Orders and turned his back away for the favour of the Gears."
"What… what are you talking about, Ky?" she asked again.
"You wouldn't know what happened between us, Dizzy," Ky spoke.
"Aw, come on, Ky," Rock insisted and shrugged his shoulders. "It's not that bad to tell us your past, you know."
"I don't know what happened between you two back at Cairo, Kiske-san," Arcueid uttered. "But if you don't tell it out, well, you know what will happen if we hide our problems for too long."
Ky breathed out in uncertainty. "Look, I don't want to involve anyone else in this matter. It's between us knights, and only those who had served the Orders will understand." He, then, left the people and walked out of the room.
"Now look at that," Rock commented. "He's never been acting like that before. That's not the Ky I know." Dizzy looked back and forth between Rock and Ky before she frowned in concern.
"I… I wonder what's happened between the two of them," the innocent Gear uttered.
Several minutes later, Lone Wolf NEO and Slayer walked out of the room. The people quickly approached the two and asked them about the session. All the author replied was a long sigh; surely it meant something not good had happened. "It seems that Mister Hahn refused to cooperate with us. It doesn't matter, anyway. We'll continue questioning him tomorrow, or when he's fully prepared." He, then, looked around him and noticed that Ky was missing. "I thought he was the one who eagerly wanted to ask me about this."
"He… he left," Dizzy told him.
"I see." He excused himself and left the room with Slayer walking beside him. The people watched at them before peeked into the conference room, seeing Alex being consoled by Sion. Dizzy wanted to enter the room as to ask Alex whether she could do anything to help before Shiki told her not to.
"It's best not to disturb a person when he's in frustration. Let them be," the scion of Nanaya family said. Dizzy could not do anything but to agree with him and slowly closed the door, leaving the conference room with Hotaru. The rest of the people followed the suit, and soon the only one who remained at the building were Alex and Sion.
x-x-x-x-x
"Lone Wolf, I would like to remind you of the dinner invitation," Slayer said as the two of them passed by the cemetery. "As you had told me when me met at this garden of remembrance, you would consider the invitation once our path crosses again. Isn't that right?"
Lone Wolf NEO coughed and corrected his trench coat. "I almost forgot. So, that means I will accept the invitation to your dinner, isn't it?"
"And be grateful to have your friend Arcueid Brunestud coming along. I had told her about the dinner and she was very excited to hear that you'd be joining us," the Nightwalker told him. "Oh, yes. It'd be a pleasure if you could come for the dinner with your partners."
Lone Wolf laughed. "You mean, I'll have to take Hibiki-chan and Arc-chan will take Shiki along? You've never changed at all, Slayer. Always inviting couples to whatever you're doing." Slayer laughed as well and patted his shoulder, telling him how impressed him was at him. "Don't mention it. And besides, you're always curious of how I'm called Lone Wolf, right?"
"You can read my mind, Lone Wolf," Slayer commented. "Now I'm getting more curious at you."
"Go figure. But before that…" and the author immediately snatched an incoming blade thrown at him. He examined the blade and cringed in concern. "This is the Black Key…" He and Slayer looked at the attacker who was standing next to an oak tree inside the graveyard. The person in black uniform stared at the two of them before threw more of the blades at them. Slayer teleported to safety, while Lone Wolf repelled all blades with NEO Dagger. The attacker jumped toward him and tossed hundreds of blades at him en masse. Lone Wolf easily evaded the attack and jumped toward the attacker, knocking the person off the air with a downward kick. He landed back on the road and waited for the attacker to stand up.
"Ittai…"
Lone Wolf blinked in surprise when he heard the voice. He watched as the person corrected the uniform and swayed her hair left and right. "Ciel-senpai?"
The woman looked at him and blinked in surprise, as well. "Lone Wolf-kun?" She quickly rushed toward him and bowed in apology. "I didn't know that you were with the Nightwalker. Gomennasai," she uttered, helplessly bowing before him.
"That… that's fine with me, Ciel-senpai," Lone Wolf insisted.
Slayer approached the two and grinned. "Ah, we meet again, Vatican Agent." Ciel stood back and deeply glowered at Slayer, causing him to laugh. "I didn't expect to meet you, and I am curious of whether you and Lone Wolf are… friends."
"Yes, we are," Ciel spoke and grinned. "And you know what, Slayer? I'll show you the price of underestimating a Vatican Agent, and I could do that right now."
Slayer laughed again and corrected his necktie. "Be my guest."
"Oh, great," Lone Wolf uttered and slapped his forehead. "Not at this time…"
x-x-x-x-x
Motel, Kiev.
Alex was alone inside his room. Well, he was alone at the motel. The girls of Melty Blood (except for Arcueid who had gone to Slayer's castle at Transylvania with Shiki as to join the dinner with Lone Wolf NEO and Takane Hibiki) were having a gathering at the Falken Mansion, altogether with the girls of Guilty Gear and Mark Of The Wolves. The guys were absent as well; Ky had an errand to do with Rock outside Kiev. The only other people who stayed behind were Sol and Kagura, although Sol decided to leave the building not long after. "Che, I don't want to spend my time alone at the inn," the Corrupted Flame commented before he took his leave. Alex didn't mind whether there were people or not. He preferred it if he was left alone.
He fell onto the bed and tried to memorize what he had faced back at the conference room when the author detained him for questioning.
x-x
"State your full name and your nicknames if possible," Lone Wolf NEO spoke.
"My name is Alexander Hahn," Alex pronounced, "and I'm also called the Black Feather, Dark Paladin, Fallen Soldier and the Lone Wolf of Holy Orders."
"Those nicknames are very impressive, I must say," Lone Wolf said and nodded. "Now will you tell us who you were you working for."
"I served the Holy Orders as one of the Knights," Alex uttered.
"A Holy Knight. What was you duty back there?" Lone Wolf asked.
"To protect justice and humankind from all kind threats, inside and outside," calmly he answered.
The author nodded and checked the files. "I see. Then can you explain why did Ky call you a traitor? And what and is your relationship with the Gears, as Miss Atlasia informed earlier?"
"That… I…"
"And can you explain why you slain the thugs out there? For God's sake, you killed innocent people!" Lone Wolf snarled.
"They were not!" Alex replied. "They bullied the priest when they knew the old man could not defend himself!"
"Really?" Lone Wolf insisted, glowering deeply at the man-in-question. "Then you were telling me that you executed them because they stood against justice you were defending. Is that it?"
"I killed them because they hurt the people! And Laila… I couldn't save her from the explosion… I…"
"So you decided to avenge her death by killing more people who had nothing with you. Have you ever realized…"
"You don't know anything!"
"BUT I DO!" The author hardly slammed his palms on the table, promptly silencing the ex-knight. "Goddammit! You should've known your position as a Holy Knight! Don't you ever apply what you had learned from the Orders? Don't you!?"
Alex frowned. "I'm… I'm no longer a knight…"
x-x
Alex breathed out and covered his head with the pillow. "What's with everybody, calling me a traitor and such? They just don't know anything about me…"
x-x-x-x-x
The man was still sitting idle at the balcony. He was still concerned of the disciple and was unsure of whether he should deal with the knight or not. "It's been ten years since I met him. Still young and bratty, he was introduced by the old knight and requested me to teach him the kodachi nitouryuu. He… sigh, I shouldn't remember such occasions, but…" He breathed out and stared at the open sky.
x-x
"Please, Shinomori-kun, take Alex as your student even if it's only for a day,." Kliff begged. "It would be an honour to the Orders to have the leader of the Oniwabanshu group teaching the knight. I beg of you, onegaishimasu."
Aoshi sighed and sipped the tea the two of them were having. "Undersn-san, I don't mind if I were asked to help the Seikishidan, but why would you suggest Alex's name in the first place?"
"It was not my suggestion, Shinomori-kun," the old knight spoke, "Alex had been insisting me to be taught of the kaiten kenpou technique, and I couldn't help myself when he begged me for many times."
"I understand the situation you're facing, Undersn-san," he replied. "As a matter of fact, it would be my, no, the Oniwabanshu group's honour to have acknowledgment from a non-alignment movement as influential as the Holy Orders. My comrades would be happy to assist you and your soldiers… if they were still here."
"I'm very honoured, Shinomori-kun," Kliff answered.
"But…" the man who owned the ice blue eyes spoke, "it's Alex I'm worried of. There's a reason why I didn't teach the technique to your apprentice. Perhaps, you too have known the reason, even when I don't say it here."
"Shinomori-kun, please think of him. He may be young and inexperienced, but I'm very sure that he will gain anything beneficial from your teachings," the old knight pleaded. "And besides, Alex has been regarding you as his closest relative. He would be greatly disappointed if you take his request for granted."
"Naruhodo." Aoshi put down the glass and breathed out. "I'll see how I can teach him in excelling the sword technique. But I can't guarantee you to teach him everything."
"Thank you very much, Shinomori-kun," Kliff spoke and bowed before him. "The Holy Orders will highly appreciate everything you have done."
x-x
"Aoshi-sama!" Aoshi was startled by the high-pitched call. Makimachi Misao, one of the members of the Oniwabanshu group's members and the leading intelligence agents in Kyoto, rushed into the house and seized his neck. "What are you doing here, sitting under sun all the time, Aoshi-sama?" the girl asked, cutely staring at his eyes.
"I was just thinking," he said.
"What were you thinking of Aoshi-sama?" Misao asked after letting off his neck and took a seat beside him. "Ne, ne, can you tell me what was it? Ne?" Aoshi didn't respond to the question and kept on thinking of his disciple, while Misao helplessly tried to get his attention.
"Misao," he called her.
"Haii! Haii! What is it, Aoshi-sama?" excitedly she responded to the call.
Aoshi was silent for a while, seemingly to figure out a plan. Then he stood up and walked inside. "Pack everything. We're going."
"Going? Where are we headed to?" she asked.
Aoshi breathed out and stared back outside the house. "The place where I can meet my ex-disciple. Where, I don't know."
x-x-x-x-x
Castle, Transylvania.
"I'm hoping that I didn't steal any of your precious times for this occasion," Slayer uttered as he treated his guests with delicacies of both Western and Eastern, served ala Carte. "Sharon had prepared all the foods for today's dinners, and of course she didn't do all of these alone."
"Let me guess," Lone Wolf NEO spoke. "Sharon asked the two girls to help her in preparing the foods. Right?"
"My goodness," Sharon spoke in surprise. "How did you know I had asked their help?"
"Go figure," he said. "There are only two girls in this universe who can actually cook."
(Onboard Mayship, November was serving her friends with cakes when she suddenly sneezed, surprising all of the crews. "Anou… I think somebody out there was mentioning my name," November spoke while rubbing her nose.
"Nah," January said. "If that happens to you, I bet that it's the lone wolf."
At Falken Mansion, Hisui silently snorted and rubbed her itching nose. "I was very sure that someone had mentioned my name," the housemaid spoke.
"That's ridiculous, Hisui-chan," Mriya commented. "Unless if you're talking about Lone Wolf."
"Maybe you're right, Mriya-san," Hisui said.)
This time, the author had a very loud sneeze that echoed inside the entire dining hall. He grumbled and rubbed his itching nose, while Hibiki and Sharon giggled at his reaction.
"God bless you," Hibiki said.
"Please, no more quoting," he spoke.
"Gomen ne…" the iaijitsu woman apologized.
"Wow, look at all these foods," Arcueid spoke and began to drool. "They look so yummy! I can't wait to have a taste on all of them!"
"Arcueid, can't you calm down for a bit?" Shiki insisted.
The vampire princess stared at him and immediately gave him the feared Bambi eyes. "Aw, Shiki doesn't want to have a dinner with me. Hidoi…" she whined. It was Lone Wolf's and Hibiki's turn to laugh at Shiki, who was futilely trying to avoid from being affected by the annoyingly cute eyes.
Slayer coughed and corrected his necktie. "Well, ladies and gentlemen, let's serve ourselves."
"Haii! Ittedakimasu!" Arcueid exclaimed and seized the nearest plate, immediately filling it with as much foods as possible.
"Hey! Don't be too greedy!" Shiki insisted before he, too, seized all the foods in front of him.
"They're surely acting out of characters," Hibiki commented as she took a piece of sushi.
"I second that," Lone Wolf spoke while his hand aimlessly fetched the last piece of sushi, only to grab Hibiki's hand that happened to reach for the sushi. Both were startled and quickly pulled off their hands, blushing at themselves. "Err… sorry for that."
"Iie," Hibiki replied, trying to overcome the blush she had.
"Aw, look at them, honey," Sharon commented. "They reminded us of our younger years, when were still fresh and inexperienced. How nostalgic."
"I can't help myself but to agree with you, my dearest Sharon," Slayer replied. "Now I think I've missed someone right now…"
"Are we late, everyone?" All the people inside the dining hall watched at the door and saw a couple entering the room, whilst one of them was carrying a Siamese cat in her arms.
"Goodness, I thought you wouldn't come, honey," Sharon spoke.
Millia shyly giggled and released the cat off her arms. "Sorry to keep you and Slayer waiting, mother." Immediately, the couples of Shiki/Arcueid and Lone Wolf/Hibiki stared at them, as if demanding for explanation. "Err… you see, I…" Millia tried to explain, her face burning in bright red.
"I think they weren't invited to our wedding, Millia," Venom spoke and stared at Lone Wolf. "That's why they didn't know about you and Sharon while ago."
Lone Wolf just nodded. "Right." Then, the author stared at the ex-assassin, his eyes curiously staring at her from top to bottom. Hibiki noticed what he was doing and enviously (if not in an overprotective manner) poked his midsection with Moon Piercing Pounce. "Hey! What was that for!?" Lone Wolf demanded and choked the sushi he was eating.
"Serves you right, pervert," the iaijitsu woman spoke and stuck out her tongue at him.
Millia blushed again and tried to pull down her high-cut white/blue cheongsam. "I… I'm very sure I didn't wear anything revealing tonight, did I?" she asked.
"You know, Millia, you still have that kind of appeal-" and Lone Wolf got poked for the second time. "Gomennasai! I promise I won't do that again! I swear!" he begged, groaning in pain.
Hibiki jealously turned away from him. "Usotsuki." Liar.
"Hibiki-chan hidoi…" Lone Wolf uttered.
"Stop calling me with the suffix, Lone Wolfie-chan," the woman demanded.
"Aw, Hibiki-chan is mad at me. I'm so scared," childishly he whined.