Chapter IV: The Verdict

"I thought only males can become Heads of your System," said Raitei calmly. His eyes narrowed and he could feel his head starting to explode. He could never kill a woman. Though she's an enemy, and not just an enemy, he was bound to the VOLTS' oath not to take the life of women and children whoever they may be.

"You are right Raitei," said Isan while removing her blood stained robe. For the first time, Ban saw what she was wearing beneath her outer cloak. It was a black turtle neck paired with black silky khakis that covered her feet. Ban noticed that a silver chain with a weird shiny silver pendant hung on her neck.

"However, the last Eclextia was not fortunate to have a male heir," she continued while pulling herself together with a hard effort. "For the first time in the fifth generation of Eclextias, Taki Eclextia, the emperor before me had a wife who bore him no male because of a curse."

"Curse?" asked Ban, who stepped out behind the pillar where he was watching the two fight. "You never mentioned to me your family was cursed."

"Why should I tell you such things Mido-san?" asked Isan. "Only the person capable of divulging my secret would have the honor to know these details. You knew from the start that I was a woman and I had you under my feet unlike now that the Thunder Emperor managed to put me down like this… I see you have not bothered to save your skin. I wonder."

"I came here to get back Ginji," said Ban, angrily. Anything related to cowardice that's attached to him made his blood boil. "I came here to take back my partner."

"Partner?" asked Isan unbelievingly without looking at Ban. "Thunder Emperor, don't tell me, you actually have a taboo jagan-user for a partner?"

Raitei did not answer. He merely glanced at Ban and backed himself on the nearest pillar for support. He could not think straight. This was not Mugenjyou. His strength and abilities drained faster here and they were not even at their highest point. There was something about the building's structure that seemed to purposely drain him of his energy. Even his wounds were healing up slower than the normal rate they would be in the open world.

"Don't call me taboo, witch!" retorted Ban. "You're the one who's taboo! You're not even supposed to be sitting on that throne behind you if it weren't for your---"

Ban… stop yelling… Please… wait for me… I'm doing my best…

Ban suddenly stopped and looked at Raitei. He thought he heard him speak as Ginji. But he was still leaning on the wall clutching his bleeding neck.

"Mido," was the word that came out from Raitei's mouth. A word that is very unlikely to be Ginji's. "I'm… I'm hearing this out. I told you Ginji's not coming back. You're destroying your life by staying here. You're just a nuisance. Leave me…"

Ban felt a pang of pain stab him as he heard those words come out from his partner, his best friend's mouth. No, Ginji would never say such things he told himself.

"They're blowing up the place! Shido is!" warned Ban. "We've got to get the hell out of here! Can't you hear those bombs? Are you deaf? They're getting closer and closer! Any minute now, we're gonna be fried humans so if you… if you value VOLTS, you have to clear out!"

"I'm deciding for myself Mido," replied Raitei coolly. "Please go ahead, if this satisfies you, I'll follow. I'm just finishing something that should've been taken cared of months ago. Eclextia, I'm listening. Go on."

"I'm not going anywhere," replied Ban. "Just get this over with! Kill her if you have to because you're just making matters terrible."

"Stay out of this, I said," glared Raitei with effort. Ban stood his ground and didn't move. If this is what Raitei wants, he won't have it. If he wants to die, so be it, but he's not taking Ginji with him…

As he thought this, he scratched his head. OK, it's alright for me for Raitei to die but I can't save Ginji that way because he and Raitei are one. This is so confusing. He decided to squat and listen to whatever Raitei wanted to know from the witch. He'll just have to pull everything off when the bombs explode, he thought.

"You heard him Thunder Emperor," said Isan weakly who leaned at the pillar opposite Raitei's. "If you want to save yourself, you can finish me but I tell you, this'll not be the end. Even if you don't do it, I'll still go down with this system. I'm not a traitor. I know most of my men had been taken down by your army but the worst is yet to come."

She waited for Raitei to ask her what the 'worst' is but the question never came. All she heard was his soft voice telling her to go on about the curse.

"I don't know why it interests you so much but since you insist," replied Isan, while looking up on the ceiling. She could see smoke and thunder up above them. "VOLTS is not only the group who's holding a grudge against us, you know. Years back, my ancestors had a family row with one of their heirs. The heir whom I'm talking about is my great-great-grandfather, Ayo, the 3rd Eclextia.

"Ayo Misaki?" asked Raitei. "He was the proprietor of the Nuclear Power Plant established 35 years ago in Nagasaki. He made himself enemies of the government because of his refusal to turn over the management to the authority's cronies. He was hated by many for that."

"I see you have heard a lot about him," said Isan with a grim smile. "He was hated alright. Even by my father. My father was 40 when Ayo died. Ayo died at the age of 120. That wasn't normal for a mere human being but everyone was made to know that he was just lucky to have survived for that long like Abraham and those people from before. But in reality, he was turned into a half-cyborg."

"And whose idea was that?" asked Ban crossing his arms, cynically.

"My father's," replied Isan. "Everyone knows my father worked for the government. It was only now that I did something against the government after 10 whole years. He was under them; or rather the authority was under him. He was able to get whatever he wanted from those guys.

"What's his purpose?" asked Raitei.

"He loved the government so much he'll do anything to make them happy in return for everything he gained. He didn't want fools like Ayo to get away easily. Father wanted him to suffer and turning him into a cyborg would be the best way to do so. As a cyborg, he won't die and they can make him feel hell in his entire life by taking away everything from him."

"Like what?" asked Ban. "Treasures? Properties?"

"Yes, the entire system was taken by the next Eclextia, the fourth one. He was older than father but he feared his power. He was also a puppet of the govt. But what really tore Ayo's heart was when they took his wife, Nagure, his son, Anomi, and me. Anomi was the younger brother of the 4th Eclextia."

"But he's only a half-cyborg," said Ban. "He was bound to die, wasn't he?"

"It wasn't supposed to be that way. The operation went drastically wrong that's why. During the operation, half of his body was paralyzed when it rejected the medicine they injected. They can't turn the part of his body which was paralyzed into a machine because it won't be able to bear its weight and energy and if that's the case, it'll just hasten his death."

"How did you operate him? I mean, you just dragged him from his house and turned him into a machine?"

"He met a car accident while he was on his way home from Nagasaki. The operation they made was supposed to be the operation to save his life."

"I suppose the car accident was planned," said Ban, while removing his glasses and wiping them on his shirt.

"Exactly. So, except for the fact that Dad wasn't successful into turning him into a pure cyborg, everything went smoothly well. Ayo could even die because of the pain he was experiencing emotionally but he was conceited. His arrogance overtook him. He never wanted to be the loser. Well, at least that's what he said before he passed away. Though only half of his body died, his mind totally shut down after his death. Eventually, nothing was left to control his cyborg body."

"How did the curse come into action?" asked Ban. He was angry now with all of this nonsense. Didn't Thunder Emperor realize that he was wasting time listening to this cursed woman? He wanted to get out with Ginji once and for all. Who cares if this woman's cursed anyway in the first place?

"He cursed my father three times in his death bed by wounding his own arm. As he did, the wounds transferred to my father. There was one wound for each curse. The wounds would never heal as a sign of the curse. All Eclextias that have these wounds carried the curse. If it healed, then the curse's broken, though it'll on no account happen. These were his three curses," said Isan while unwrapping her heavily bandaged right arm.

"First, he said that he wouldn't have an heir to his throne, meaning a boy for a child. Second, he said that he'll never have an heir to continue his evil deeds. Third and the last, he said that I'll be the last Eclextia to ever exist after him." Isan laughed. "He was not even half-right."

Raitei noticed that she started to stand on her legs. The bandage on her right hand fell on the floor and to his horror, saw a triangular wound on her arm, which was bleeding heavily, soaking her long sleeve. Though wounded and bleeding, she stood up and leaned on the pillar for support. He also stood and was already on his defense stance when Isan started to talk again. But before she could start, the left part of the building, leading to the weapon store room in the left chamber of the System exploded as the bomb whipped by Shido fell on it. Smoke filled the room and Ban could see nothing. He ran through the smoke and tried to find Raitei and Isan. When the smoke slightly cleared off, he could see Isan over Raitei and a dagger was gleaming on her hand. She was yelling and Ban tried to come closer to hear what she was saying.

"I gave you the chance Raitei," said Isan. Raitei felt warm blood fall on his face as her right hand held the dagger above him.

"Don't tell me I didn't. I gave you the chance to finish me off but you chose to hear my story. And as part of the ending, to our tragic story, I'll tell you why he wasn't even half-right. Do you want to know? Or do you prefer to die now?"

"Damn this!" glared Ban. "Isan! Stop your silly games! Raitei, you too! We have to go!" Another explosion was heard, this time, coming from the south chamber. They were lucky Shido was not targeting the main chamber yet. Maybe he knew they were still there and though he said Raitei would not die in just explosions like those, he still feared for his boss's life.

"LEAVE!" he shouted to Ban while trying to get the hand of Isan off his throat.

"I'm not going anywhere without you," answered Ban. "Get off him, Isan!"

"Don't interfere!"

"Stop being so cool," shouted Ban. "That heats things up!"

Raitei, who's other hand was busy trying to keep off Isan's hand used his free hand to conjure enough electrical charge to keep Ban off, producing a shield between them and him.

"What the--" muttered Ban when he felt the electrical shield prevent him from saving his partner. He tried to get his hand through the shield but as he did, he felt so much pain that it was almost like dying, maybe even worse than that when he tried to exactly go through it.

"I'll say again, Ban, this is my fight, stay out of this. If you really want to help me, save yourself, go help Kadsuki and the others."

"Tear this off, will you?" asked Ban heatedly. "You're so stubborn. I said I'm not leaving. You and I perfectly know that Kadsuki, Jubei, and the others are out of harms way by now, unlike you! So stop being a moron, and hear me out!"

As Ban felt his temper shoot up, he heard a soft calming voice coming somewhere. He looked everywhere, at Isan and Raitei, but no one seemed to be opening their mouths to say something until he realized…

Ban,… Ban… can you hear me?

Ginji?... Is… is that you?

I know you can hear me. I'm in your thoughts Ban-chan. Please listen. You know, Raitei's right. Go help the others. They need you. You don't know… I'll be fine. Please…

I can't. I just can't. Remember what happened last time? I lost you because… you let Raitei overcome you… no… because I was stupid enough to let you go… and now, I won't let that happen again. Never… and that's a promise Ginji… that's a promise.

Yakusuko… Thanks Ban-chan…

Raitei heard Ban's voice echo somewhere in his head. He didn't want to hear it. He wanted to shut him up completely. He wanted to save him, for Ginji. He knew, from Ginji's past experiences that Ban always came to save him. He was always his hero so now, even just once, even as Raitei, he wanted to do the saving. He wanted to become his savior. Ginji would worry, he knew. And he could not let that happen. He went back to business and looked Isan in the eye, wearily. He was feeling terrible; his strength was starting to go negative.

"Why then?" asked Raitei, now turning to Isan, slightly choking. Her grip was so firm he felt that she didn't need the dagger to cut it open anymore.

"He said that he wouldn't have an heir to his throne, right? Yes, the curse did work there. No boy for an emperor. How about the next? No evil deed-doer? Guess again. I'm the heir who does all the evil deeds. I know Taki would kill me because I'm a woman so I had to do what we Eve's like to do the most."

"What is that?"

"Get rid of the snakes… and you my lucky friend will end up the way my father did!"

As she said this she plunged the dagger down on Raitei but he managed to get her off just in time by kicking her abdomen. If he was stronger, he could've killed her with that one kick but he wasn't in his best shape after everything.

"Well, how do you like that?" mocked Raitei. "I guess you aren't just as precise as your Ayo."

He was trying to set an electrical charge on his right arm at the exact amount to just knock her down and not kill her but with his temper now beyond the boiling point, he was finding it hard to do so.

"Kill me now?" asked Isan. "I thought you wouldn't kill women?"

Raitei knew that he was the one being derided this time. The tone of her voice was not that of a woman who pleaded for mercy. Well, he thought, even if she pleads for her life, he guessed it was too late. He decided to play along. He walked towards Isan to freak her out and get the hell out of her. He was able to calm down a little bit so he could already muster just enough electric shock on his hand.

"Do me a favor before I kill you," ordered Raitei.

"What?" asked Isan, coolly. Raitei noticed she held the pendant of her necklace as she asked him.

"The third curse. How come it's fake?"

"Oh that," laughed Isan. It was a mirthless and horrible laugh that made the hair on Ban's back stand up. Raitei didn't flinch though. Isan suddenly stopped laughing.

"Why should I?"

"I could make your death less painful if you did."

"I decline the offer."

"You choose to suffer?"

"Suffer rather than to be pitied."

"Do you think I pity you?"

"Quite so…You're insulting me."

This time it was Raitei's turn to laugh. As he did, the left chamber collapsed and smoke again filled that part of the building.

For a short moment, while Thunder Emperor was shocked by the happening, Ginji, with all his combined efforts, managed to overcome him. He swiftly looked around to where Ban was and gasped when he saw that the floor where his partner was falling down.

"Ban!" he cried. "Believe in me! Believe in the barrier shield made by Raitei…!"

As he said this, Ban closed his eyes. He can feel the barrier which stood like a wall separating him and Ginji melt away. In his mind, he saw that the barrier has turned itself into a shield, protecting him from the falling debris and containing him in it, preventing him from falling below. Well, he could have just run to save himself but he would never leave his partner like this, not now that he made a very great effort to overcome his counterpart.

When he finally opened his eyes, he saw Ginji lying on the floor. He was breathing very hard and taking in large amount of air. He looked to his right to see what happened to Eclextia. She was kneeling and Ban could see she was clutching her pendant again. There was something special about it, he could sense it. Like Ginji, she was also breathing hard but compared to him, she looked wearier and more helpless. He looked at Ginji again, then her, and then did a double take.

There behind Isan, stood a boy. He looked as though he was made of smoke but as Ban stared at him longer, his form became more opaque and visible. He was very white, whiter than any ordinary individual. He saw the boy slowly bend down over her and wrapped his arms around her. His head rested on her shoulder and Ban saw Isan touch his cheek and drew her lips close to his ears, as though whispering something. The boy gave a small nod and for less than a second, Ban felt the boy's eyes meet with his.

What he saw made his heart jump and the hair on the back of his neck stand. The boy looked exactly like him, but younger. His hair was down to his waist in a striking blue color. His nails were at least an inch long and in a dark shade of azure just like his hair. But what really crept Ban out was the boy's eyes. Their colors were mismatched. One was bloody red and the other was in metallic blue, just like his eyes. His jagan.

A string came from nowhere… Kadsuki managed to pull himself together. He looked around and saw arrows everywhere; over the dead bodies of his comrades as well as his enemies. Whoever was winning, he didn't know. Still, he hoped it was their side.

On his left hand he held a long thin silver string which glimmered in the darkness. He pulled on it hard and as he did, a loud thump was heard in front of him. At that same time, the darkness was starting to clear and he was starting to see who he had taken down. Though his knees were slightly weakened during the battle because of several dagger hits, he was able to move towards his enemy. He slightly bent over to remove the hood covering the man's face.

"You're…Rinube," murmured Kadsuki, wide-eyed. "You were once from Mugenjyou… weren't you? You used to play with the kids at the orphanage… You know Kaisshin, don't you?"

The guy named Rinube merely chuckled and spat near the foot of Kadsuki. He sat up while trying to break free from the bonds of Kadsuki's strings.

"Ri..nu..be..," muttered the enemy. "I'm sorry string boy but my name's Lukan Ri. That name sounds familiar to me however. Oh yes, I remember now! He was that man from Mugen City who was hated by everyone, except for the children he played with. I wonder where he is now?"

"I have never heard anything from him for almost 10 years."

"Is that so? He must've died. Poor guy, he was nice though… loved by kids."

"He didn't die."

"What makes you say so?"

"Stop pretending! Rinube, tell me, why did you leave? Why did you leave the kids behind, just like that… without even saying goodbye?" asked Kadsuki angrily.

The man did not answer. His eyes were set on the slightly shaking string between Kadsuki's fingers.

"They've all grown up you know," said Kadsuki, calming himself. "Kaisshin… you remember her?"

Rinube's eyes were starting to water. He looked away and wanted to say no but before he could, he had already said, "Yeah… Kai-kun…"

"Well, guess what? Though still young and recovering, she's one of my best archers. She's the only kid who survived the effect of your power plants."

"What!" he said disbelievingly. He started to stand but Kadsuki pulled his string, causing him to slip and fall on his right knee. "Neriko, Akatsu, Lin-Lin,… what happened to them?"

This time,it was Kadsuki's turn to look away while still maintaining his guard.

"…I know you would now understand my plea…Please order your men to stop this at once. Pull out your people from Mugenjyou as soon as possible. Don't you know that you are again endangering the lives of the citizens in that place by imposing on them the threat of your nuclear power plants?"

When Kadsuki thought everything was starting to go right, all suddenly went upside down. Lukan Li refused.

"Who are you to order me?"

"I was your leader! Your brother… your friend..," replied Kadsuki, tightening the strings binding him, making him close his eyes in pain. "But I tell you, all of that are about to go the other way around if you don't heed my words."

"Kill me if you want," said Rinube. "Eclextians don't surrender in a fight. We never do."

"You're not an Eclextian!" retorted Kadsuki. The bonds loosened up a bit and enabled the guy to move a little freely. "I know you have your family to go back to Mugenjyou so please listen to my, no, to our request. Do you really want more children to die again because of a stupid person's dream? Think Rinube, think!"

"Isan-sama's plans are for the betterment of everyone, of his people, and not just for himself… About the children, I'm sorry, but what's done is done. Neither you nor I can bring them back!"

"Do you think Eclextia will think about your future after everything? Look around you now. What do you see? Almost nothing. Rinube, open your eyes. Eclextia System is going down. And you're going down with it when you don't do what's right."

Rinube thought for a while. He looked away and Kadsuki could see his brows slightly contract. Behind a tree near them, one of Eclextia's men was already aiming an arrow at Rinube. He was ordering others to do the same. Kaisshin, who just finished 3 Eclextians at once, saw him and shot one of them but it was already a second too late for she knew they had fired and she was able to stop only one of the three. So there was only one option left for her…

Kadsuki sensed the movements behind making him turn around. He used one of his strings to destroy the arrows but because one of his hands was holding the thread that bound Rinube, his movements were slower. And this time, this split second of delay could mean everything.

"I won't make it! Blast it!... Rinube---!"

He looked back to tell the man to evade but before he can…

"KAISSHIN,… kai-kun… NO!" cried Rinube.

…his best archer had already fallen down.

To be continued…