"There – look at that!" Tony screamed as he slammed the evening's edition of The Ghost-Zone Times down on Luchesi's desk.

It had been a hectic night in The Ghost Zone. News that the Order of Afterlife had been completely wiped from existence by the same menace that been lurking in the shadows for five years had spread like wildfire. Walker, though he had never allied himself with the Order and had in fact opposed them, called out every available unit he had, from SWAT teams to riot police to the ghosts of Cossacks and torturers of the Middle Ages. The Order's former territory split and fell into panic as the underworld that the Order had kept at bay sprung up and competed amongst itself for power. The entire Ghost Zone seemed consumed with fear.

A mass demand had gone out for weapons and protection, and the Family was quick to capitalise on the situation. Hundreds of goons had been loaned out as bodyguards and security in exchange for exuberant sums or special favours. For shelter, ghosts were allowed to hide out in buildings and businesses owned by the Family – after they had paid, of course. Ghost-guns were being bought up by the thousands, and any loose real-world item that could work as a weapon was quick to go out of stock.

For Tony, however, profiteering the last thing to worry about. Forcing this meeting upon Luchesi and the other advisors, he had already read the newspaper allowed and was waiting for a reaction. He had gotten stunned looks from his fellows and a raised eyebrow from Luchesi.

Luchesi calmly picked up the paper. In big, bold text was the headline "ORDER OF AFTERLIFE DESTROYED – FORCES BEHIND DISAPPERANCES RECEIVE BLAME!" He scanned the article quickly, lifting a magnifying glass up to help his weak eyes read the fine print.

"Yes," he sighed after a few minutes, setting the glass and paper down. "Yes."

"'Yes' what?" Tony hissed. "Maybe old Tony isn't so crazy now! Maybe it is you who worries too little!"

"Watch it, Tony," Luchesi looked him sharply in the eye. "I will concede to you on this – Vlad has become too dangerous. If he can do them in, he can do us in, and I am not in a hurry to be done in. We will act."

"How?" Tony asked excitedly. "It couldn't be hard to find his portal. We can send out some men and –"

"Tony, Tony," Luchesi made a motion with his hand as if asking his man to calm down. "You know me by now. I am not a heartless man. This boy is a traitor, but he once did us good. He once saved your life. I will not look past this. We will leave him to Walker."

"Walker?" Tony screeched in a ghostly tone that cracked the glass of the office windows. "Are you mad? He knows too much to be kept alive! Where we are, where many of our key businesses and markets lie, where…"

"Markets have changed. And I have been feeling that it is time to move. Walker does not know Vlad is with us. Vlad may sell us out, yes, but by the time Walker acts, we will be gone."

"So how do you plan on getting rid of him?"

"There is our company, Central Supply. A front for selling real-world items. I will send him there to clean the place out and leave Walker with an anonymous tip. We will have him out of the way and be safe."

"How do you know he won't get away before Walker can get his hands on him?"

"Because you, Tony, will take some men and make sure he stays there."

"Me?" this was more than the nervous ghost had bargained for. He had no desire to deal with that monster personally.

Luchesi put on a smirk to show he knew this.

"You've worked for this moment, Tony. It's your business."

---

Common knowledge among samurai was that the code of bushido allowed no outward signs of emotion. Joy, anger, sadness, and reflection were to be held within. No groaning or crying was allowed in the face of tragedy. Death and loss were to be looked upon by a true warrior and taken in with stoicism.

But Katou could not prevent his eyes from letting a single tear roll down his cheek.

The once beautiful sanctuary was a ruin. Consumed by fire, the walls, temple, palaces, castle, and library now were nothing but blackened support beams and heaps of charred rock and ash. Scorch marks and holes from blasts littered the ground and what little remained of the buildings. Fallen swords, crossbows, arrows, clubs, and knives lay scattered everywhere. Not a sign of life appeared throughout the place. It was a dead and bleak as a graveyard.

Katou swallowed his sorrow and floated over towards the remains of the Chinese palace. Though he had not visited the camps of the search parties, his heart told him what had become of them. He was the last of the Order. He knew who had done this. He threw his personal hurt aside to avoid vengeance. It was his duty as part of the Order to stop Vlad Masters before he could harm another.

Throwing some collapsed boards out of the way, he found that the Order's cauldron still remained intact. The samurai had told Vlad long ago that if he ever wanted to find him, he needed only to submerge the stone at the bottom of his sword's handle into this cauldron or the one in Katou's cave. It worked the same for the sage's blade. He drew the weapon and lowered it into the green liquid of the cauldron. The surface rippled for a moment, and slowly, a transparent image seemed to project onto the liquid from the bottom of the pot.

Vlad stood in a dark office. He was in full dress, with hat, gloves, and overcoat. A sly grin was plastered over his face, as though he had just done something to please himself. Across from him was a figure seated at a desk. Vito Luchesi.

"Central Supply," the don was saying. "Front company. I'm a bit nervous about it. I want you to clean it out."

"I trust there will be a reward for my services?" Vlad inquired, arching his eyebrow.

"You will be paid."

"Then I would be happy to handle the situation."

Katou lifted his sword from the cauldron and placed it in its sheath. Raw determination poured from his eyes as he raised his hood over his head.

Central Supply was not far from the sanctuary ruins. And he knew Vlad well. He knew what to expect.

Slowly rising from the ground, Katou suddenly gathered speed and took off towards where Vlad would soon be.