And picking up where we left off.


Chapter 20 Part 2: Gatecrashers

When Vali and the others arrived at the Sun Mansion, they were warmly greeted by friends and family members of the Sun and Bu Clans. However, Vali knew they were just being polite. She could see through those fake smiles. They would just throw fake praises and make gestures of friendship, hoping to expand their influence, or to just insult others.

"Welcome to our humble home. Please, make yourselves comfortable!" Sun Jian, Sun Quan's father said to Bu Dingwen and company, breaking through the crowd.

Sun Jian had a large and muscled frame with dark brown hair and brown eyes. He wore a red traditional suit for the wedding, though it did nothing to lessen his imposing figure. He was like a walking statue.

"I apologize for my family's lack of tact. I didn't expect them to push for the wedding to continue after what happened several days ago." Dingwen sighed.

"It's no problem. This marriage will show the perpetrators that we won't bend so easily." Sun Jian grunted.

"Are you going to just stand there and block the doorway for our guests?" A new voice said.

Vali looked to see who it was. It was a woman with long black hair tied into a bun. What struck her was the long streak of white in her hair. She had a floral hair-pin tying her hair together while she wore a purple dress. She was Chuang Xin-Lan.

"Lady Sun." Dingwen and Yuyan regarded her.

"Welcome to our home, Lord Bu and Lady Bu. I hope that you all are in good health." Lady Sun said.

"Yes, thanks to your guards and son, we were unharmed during the chaos."

"Yes, I do hope we find the perpetrators soon. That Beast managed to claim many lives from the Sun and Bu families. Please, come inside and let us proceed." Lady Sun gestured for everyone to enter.

When that was done, Lianshi and Sun Quan were taken to separate rooms in order to rest for bit before the ceremony could begin. It was no short trip from the Bu Mansion to the Sun's.


Coming to terms with himself, Bikou was going to make his move while everyone waited. Bikou entered the home, crossing paths with Dingwen and Yuyan. As he'd hoped, nobody paid attention to him when he came in. His history with Lianshi wasn't particularly known since the incident with his banishment had been largely kept under wraps.

"Lord Bu, Lady Bu." Bikou regarded them respectfully when they walked up to him.

"Mei Hou, we're glad to see that you've returned home. Your parents were relieved to hear that your sentence had been lifted." Dingwen smiled.

"Lianshi is in a guest room. Perhaps you should…talk some sense into her." Yuyan looked around to make sure no one was listening.

She never said it, but she'd always hoped that Bikou would do something like this. The moment she heard he came home, she'd hoped he'd talk Lianshi out of her set ways.

"Don't worry, Auntie, I'll make sure that if anything happens, my family will protect yours." Bikou swore.

Even if he got banished again, his family would still be around to protect the Bu family.

He entered Lianshi's room, knocking three times before entering. Of course, he had to slip past guards, posing as Sun Quan through his transformation magic. That, and he got lost 4 times along the way.


Bikou's breath was immediately taken away when he saw Lianshi. She was in a red wedding qipao that was ornately decorated with golden embroideries. She had golden bands around her wrists with her hair tied up into a bun with clips and pins. She had little make-up on, with only blush and lipstick. It wasn't like she needed any, anyways. To Bikou, Lianshi was the epitome of refined beauty.

When she saw him, she retreated as if he were a disgusting pile of waste that she'd ever seen.

"Mei Hou?!"

The two let a short silence pass between them. It felt so awkward right now, but Bikou made himself focus.

"Why're you here?" Lianshi asked.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm here to respond to your feelings."

Lianshi turned around, not daring to look him in the eye.

"Mei Hou, there's no need for that. We're done."

Bikou knew this was going to be hard. Taking a deep breath, he spoke.

"Lianshi, I know I hurt you. I'm really sorry for that. I know that when I became a Devil, it looked as if I was giving up on you. I did it because I thought I'd never get to come back to Kunlun. I never thought I'd see any of you again. I was in despair. I thought I'd blown my chance to be with you and because I decided to be a stupid bastard, it cost me my only chance to stay with you. But, I won't throw away my second chance. That's why I'll just come out with it." Bikou said as he walked closer towards her.

(Jay Chou – Chrysanthemum Terrace – Instrumental. Play Song.)

"I love you." He declared.

Lianshi went wide-eyed as she heard those 3 special words. She steeled herself, doubting this was reality. No, she couldn't let herself be fooled if this was some sort of illusion.

"I gave up in a moment of weakness and out of panic, I ruined it all. That's why, I just kept making poor-choice after poor-choice. I know things have come a long way, but I never stopped thinking about you when I was thrown out of Kun Lun. Sure, things didn't go as we planned, but that never changed the way I felt about you." Bikou sincerely said to her.

"Mei Hou, it's too late. My mind is made up. Please leave. You don't know just what is riding on all this." Lianshi coldly said.

Bikou only chuckled.

"True, I'm not the most knowledgeable about these things. Still, I know you. I know when you're pretending to be okay. We both know you're far from it. When your left fist is clenched, it means you're upset. When you lower your head and bite your lip, you're sad."

Lianshi bit her lip as she looked down, hiding her face. Bikou gently raised it, wiping away some of her tears.

"And your point?" Lianshi huffed.

"Stop pretending. Stop being someone you're not. Stop holding yourself back. Be who you want to be. Don't be who your parents want you to be. Don't be what the Sun Family wants you to be. Don't be who society wants to be. Be who Lianshi wants to be." Bikou said.

"And what makes you think I'm not already that?" Lianshi asked.

In her heart, she was desperate to refute Bikou. He was hitting the nail on the head over and over now. It was resonating so strongly with her but she just had to force herself to endure.

"Because if you were, you wouldn't be crying to yourself." Bikou softly said.

Lianshi tried to compose herself as she accepted that this was indeed real. Bikou really had just confessed to her. Even without seeing her face, he knew every verbal tic and form of body language she exhibited. She couldn't hide it anymore, not from others or herself. Her defenses were broken. She hadn't made a sound and he knew she was crying. That already made it clear that her lies weren't going to work anymore.

"Do you know just how long I've been waiting for you to finally confess?" Her voice quivered as she turned around.

"Too long." Bikou answered as he wiped her tears.

"When you got that peach for me…I blamed myself for all that happened to you. That was also when I realized how much you loved me and how much I loved you. When everything snowballed, I didn't know what to do. I'm so sorry for lashing out at you that night. It wasn't your fault and you had plenty of reason for transforming." Lianshi sniffled.

"Will you run away with me?" Bikou asked out of the blue as he held her to his heart.

He knew that he was asking for too much with this, but this was probably the only way to get out of this without the two families turning on each other. Lianshi was silent for a few minutes before nodding.

"Yes. I don't care about myself but my family…"

"Don't worry. Gramps said he'd take care of the politics. We just need to get out of here. But…are you sure about leaving your life here behind? Right now, it isn't too late to turn back, if you want to." Bikou asked.

"If it means I get to be with you, then it doesn't matter where I go." Lianshi smiled happily as she wiped happy tears from her eyes.

"Then you'd better get ready because it's going to get messy." Bikou said.

"But won't you get banished again? Where would we run to?" Lianshi asked

"We go wherever we want once we get away." Bikou smiled.

Freedom. That sounded nice.

(Jay Chou – Ju Hua Tai/Chrysanthemum Terrace – Instrumental. End Song.)

"If only such a thing were true." Someone said.

Bikou and Lianshi's heads snapped to the side as the door was blasted down. Standing there was Huang Xing and Sun Jilin, along with countless other guards that supported the Sun Splinter Faction.

"We've heard everything, you filthy mongrel." Sun Jilin sneered.

"I had a feeling that you'd try to do this, you foolish little girl." Huang Xing glared at Lianshi.

"Arrest that monkey." Sun Jilin said.

Bikou materialized his staff, but before the guards could close in, a blast of energy threw them flying away. Looking out the broken doorway, it was Vali and the Peerage.

"I must apologize, but if anyone intends to harm my Peerage, then they'll have to answer to me." Vali sternly said.

"You don't understand the situation you've put yourselves in, child."

Sun Jilin snapped his fingers. Metal walls slammed down from the ceiling as magic circles fortified their defenses.

"We've spent a long time building our family up from the dust. The Sun family was left with nothing after the Warring States Era. Qin won and the other States were culled into subservience. Even now, after thousands of years, people have tried to cull us again, trying to tie the noose around our necks. I refuse to let this family be reduced to rags, imprisoned, or be executed. If I must eliminate all witnesses and force our idealistic dog of a grandchild and this wench, then so be it." Huang Xing sneered.

"Screw you!" Bikou extended his staff.

Raising his fan, Sun Jilin created a barrier from a magic circle, repelling the attack.

"'Boy, you don't understand what you're getting into. Our family specializes in stealth and assassination. You'd already lost the moment you got locked in." Sun Jilin leered at him.

"If you had only stayed away, things would've gone swimmingly. Yet, here, you had to come. You forced our grandson and his prospective bride to waver. Freedom? Ha! What use is it when you've been raised to obey?"

Vali, despite still being wounded, spread her wings of light. She had to take special care not to kill the enemy or damage their surroundings. That was her mistake.

Huang Xing snapped her fingers. Hundreds of dark-clad assassins dropped from the ceiling, brandishing weapons. Vali whirled into the air, slamming them away but when she stopped moving, she felt shortness of breath, with some sweat trickling down her face. That was weird. Such a small movement was like child's play for her.

"Tell us, is your breath getting shorter?" Huang Xing asked.

Now that they all thought about it, it was indeed getting harder to breath. They felt prickly, with their sense getting thrown off and wonky.

"What have you done?" Bikou asked.

"Fortunately, you all are still too wounded to put up too much of a fight. This poison gas around you has been weakening your bodies and blocking the pathways for your body's chi, or mana. That means, no circulation of mana for any special techniques to be used and your muscles are probably giving out right now. You've been breathing this gas since you entered the confines of this mansion in case someone thought of something funny. So, just sit tight until we're ready to dispose of you." Sun Jilin scoffed.

Just then, the walls that bordered them off from others was sliced apart. Behind the falling wall was Arthur, who was panting. Lefay was struggling to draw a magic circle with her wand, having failed to fully recuperate from the battle with the Avitur.

"How'd you know?" Bikou asked.

"We got ready as soon as Vali felt something wrong." Elaine explained.

"To think you'd go for all of us." Arthur scowled.

"But of course, you outsiders came into Kunlun on special notice. How would we not watch you? We saw your battle with that Beast the other day and we know you're all still too weak to win. This poison will work on anyone aside from us, who've already taken the immunity drug."

"And what'll you do when the others hear of this?" Kuroka panted.

"Then they will be silenced. If it means the survival of our clan, then anything goes." Huang Xing said.

"Then you've got a long list of people to go through."

Rushing out of the halls were dozens of Bu and Sun family members. Sun Quan and his parents along with Dingwen and Yuyan were all accompanied by the people amongst the people that were loyal to them.

"I'm not surprised at all. I knew we should've just done this from the start. However, I figured I'd try something new. Perhaps it was just another mistake made because of age." Sun Jilin sighed.

"We heard the commotion so we had a feeling that something was going wrong." Dingwen explained.

"So, despite everything, it was all just a sham?" Yuyan asked the two elders.

"I thought we'd agreed that bloodshed wasn't the way?" Guo Ping asked his in-law.

"You thought wrong. There is no way to have peace while under the boot of the Bu family. Only a fool would believe they'd give it to us with no cost. That's why we'll ensure our safety by force. That's the only way to ensure that nothing befalls us." Jilin snapped.

Snapping his fingers, his loyalists began their attack, clashing violently with the opposing side. Magic and combat erupted all across the estate as Jilin's faction attacked everyone that wasn't an ally. It was so chaotic that one could hear the turmoil erupting from downstairs.

"You want survival, but is this the way you want to survive?" Sun Quan's halberd slammed against Jilin's fan.

"You have yet to taste despair and suffering. You grew up eating from the palm of our hands with a silver spoon. You lived comfortably and never tasted fear. A spoiled child like you would never understand!" Jilin backhanded Quan.

"A wise man makes his own decisions, an ignorant man foolishly follows the crowd." Jilin sneered with an old Chinese proverb.

"He who sacrifices his conscience to ambition burns a picture to obtain the ashes." Sun Quan quoted another old Chinese proverb.

Sadly, he had also failed to fully recover from the Avitur's attack. Not only that, but Jilin and Huang Xing were flooding the mansion with even more poison gas, weakening everyone quickly and rapidly. All around them, their allies were beginning to drop to the ground out of exhaustion and overexposure.

"You two are absolutely mad." Lianshi growled.

Huang Xing haughtily walked over before backhanding her across the face.

"Sit down and be silent, whore. To think that the prestigious Bu Family would have such a disappointing daughter. I knew you would be useless the moment we chose you. It's only due to your connections that you were selected by the two of us." She spat.

Everyone was now in another predicament. They were still sore, bruised, and tired from the fight with the Avitur. Whatever it did, they were all afflicted with long-lasting effects, such as some sort of weakening effect. Vali didn't know what was going on, but she just couldn't fully recover as quickly as she was supposed to. Not even Phoenix Tears could do the trick completely.

The situation was already rapidly going downhill. The miasma that the Sun Loyalists used was beginning to take effect on everyone, weakening them, making them easy prey for the enemy to take them down. As Arthur fought off 8 assassins, he was kicked to the ground by 2 from behind. Bikou was trying to fight his way to Lianshi, but he was chained from head-to-toe by a cluster of Sun assassins, who were about to draw and quarter him. Soon enough everyone else followed suit.

When everyone had been suppressed, Jilin and Xing were now free to do as they pleased.

"Now, then, we'll start by getting rid of the princess. After that, it's only a matter of using magic to alter memories." Sun Jilin placed his boot on top of Vali's head, pressing down on it.

"How dare you?! Get your hands off her!" Kuroka yelled.

Vali tried to get up but she was kicked into the ground

(Once upon a Time in China OST – Man of Determination – Instrumental. Play Song.)

"You annoying little demons just keep interfering with the business of others. That's why I'll make you disappear. We have ways of making sure nobody knows who killed you."

'Goddamnit, Issei, you need to wake your ass up and get over here!' Bikou growled.

(Author's Note: Sorry, I really couldn't resist recommending this song, lol. Anyways, the real song that I wanted to recommend couldn't be found anywhere. The song is called, "Last Hero in China 1993 – Main Theme" If you do manage to find it, then I'd play that song at this point. It's just an alternate version of "Man of Determination".)

Bursting through the floor, completely shattering a hole there, a fiery blue aura shone through the dust. Leaping out, someone smashed their foot into Xing's face, bashing her into a wall, shattering several of her teeth.

"What the hell was that?!" Sun Jilin wondered.

Bikou couldn't believe that worked. Standing there was Issei, standing right as rain. He was changed out of sleeping clothes and was wearing an ancient navy Chinese robe that reminded him of a classic folktale hero.

"Is that dude Wong Fei-Hung or something?" Bang Hou wondered.

"Issei?!" Vali gasped in surprise.

He was bedridden and locked into sleep when they left.

All at once, dozens of Sun Assassins went charging at him. Equipping his Sacred Gears, Issei met them. Creating blunt swords, he whirled around like a hurricane, spinning with his swords like a human weed-whacker. None of these weaker enemies were going to be able to touch him. Swiftly, he tore his way through the sea of enemies to get to his real targets. No matter what, he had to take down Sun Jilin and Huang Xing as soon as possible while they knew nothing of him. Thanks to Sun Wukong, he knew who he was going after since he'd had his guards relay all of what went down here.

Unfortunately, he wasn't in tip-top condition, so his weapons were fare more brittle than usual when he made them. Dropping his blades, he jumped, kicking away a cluster of armed assailants. Whirling around, he blasted back another group of enemies.

Jumping into the air, he rapidly kicked away scores of assassins. Grabbing one's staff, he blocked someone's sword from above. Kicking backwards, Issei spun on the ground, generating shockwaves with his legs. By the dozens, Issei was pulverizing the enemy's ranks.

When Sun Jilin came charging, Issei punched him back with both arms, using the power of his greaves to emit a shockwave from his feet. Flung away, Jilin's barrier cracked when he hit the ceiling. However, before Issei could take him down, ranks of assassins cut him off. Jumping into the air, Issei spun with a spears and swords, clearing them all away.

Huang Xing ordered another group of reinforcements when she saw her husband whirling in the sky.

"Take him down. Let no one escape the Mansion."

Issei dug his feet into the ground and amassed his aura. Pushing both hands forward, he blasted the onslaught away, spiraling them into the air or through floors and walls. Lunging forward, he did a continuous series of kicks that bashed his enemies away as he made his way towards Huang Xing and Jilin.

"Why isn't the poison affecting him?" Xing asked.

"It's because of the hole in the wall. There's not enough miasma concentrated in here to inhibit me. Another thing is that my body is also very resistant to weaker venoms and poisons. It's one of the perks of my Sacred Gear." Issei explained.

"If that's the case…" Jilin stood up.

Jilin and Xing threw thousands of paper talismans into the air, plastering themselves onto walls and floors.

"Detonation talismans?" Sun Quan realized.

"Well, that does it." Issei sighed.

Gathering his mana, he decided to use the power of his Greaves, the [Abyssal Echoes], for their intended purpose. With these added to his arsenal, Issei could create multi-direction shockwaves and bursts of power that could come from any point of his body. It wasn't particularly powerful at the normal level, but with increased charging, it could be deadly. Thanks to this ability, he could clear away crowds with greater ease.

Stomping his foot onto the ground, he collapsed the floor, sending everyone flying downwards through the lower levels.

"The heck is wrong with you?!" Bikou screamed.

Landing first, Issei held up both hands to fire a weak pulse of energy to slow down everyone's fall to a gentle landing. It was like having a soft cloud break their fall.

(Last Hero in China – Main Theme/Once upon a Time in China OST – Man of Determination – Instrumental. End Song.)

"What would you have done if we hadn't landed safely?" Elaine asked.

"I try not to think about it." Issei shrugged.

"I can't believe this is the guy that killed an Avitur." Albion groaned.

Vali, Lianshi, and Issei immediately looked up as the explosion talismans began to go off. Forming a barrier above them, Issei then noticed that the entire building had been rigged with explosives. Paintings, pots, carpet designs, everything was rigged to blow. The Sun Loyalist Faction must've been planted them when everyone went rushing to help Vali and the others.

"Shit!" Issei cursed.

"Not a problem!"

Looking around, dozens of people formed barriers around each cluster of groups, shielding each other from the explosion.

"Hold on!" Issei said.

All at once, the entire building went up in an explosion of fire, creating a blast so large that rubble was blasted miles into the sky. Smoke covered the air above as the oxygen was besmirched with dark clouds and embers.

When everyone emerged from the rubble, Issei found that everyone had made it out alright. He had assumed the worst when the explosions went off. There were just too many exploding talismans for everyone to have made it out alright. Yet, here they all were, safe because they'd protected each other. He wasn't sure if it was coincidence, but he was grateful all the same. He'd hated to have gotten here, only to fail.

"Well, at least everyone's okay." He confirmed with himself.

"Honestly, how'd you get here? I thought you were bedridden?" Vali asked.

Now that they had the chance, she wanted to know everything.

"Well, about that…"


Flashback Start

Issei was asleep in his room, still healing from the battle with the Avitur. However, his mind had been a different story. In his subconscious, he was pulled into conversation with Rexis. There were no warnings whatsoever. It just happened.

"So, is this going to be a regular thing?" Issei asked.

Even now, Rexis only looked like a humanoid silhouette. There were no clues as to who he was or what he wanted. The only thing Issei knew was that he was a previous host of Bahamut that dwelt within the Sacred Gear.

"Perhaps. Now that you have the left gauntlet, the greaves, along with the core and right gauntlet, my connection with you is strong enough for me to talk to you now. It's the same as how Vali can talk to Albion. I'm just another consciousness inside the Sacred Gear. However, since Bahamut is sealed away, I'm taking over the support role." Rexis nodded.

"And just how can I trust you?" Issei asked.

"Well, what would I have to gain from harming you? If you die, then it just throws me back to square one. I can't possess your body for long. My soul isn't as strong as Bahamut's and it's not the intended one for your own body, so that makes it tremendously difficult. It'd be a waste of time in any situation that isn't desperate, so I'm not eager to try. Also, I've already lived my life and have no desire to try it out again under any circumstances. My consciousness is merely permanent residue left inside a Sacred Gear meant to help you when you need me." Rexis explained.

"Fair enough. So, what now? I'm assuming you pulled me here?"

"Yes, it's time we talked. To be honest, without the other Sacred Gears of the arsenal, my entire recollection of memories isn't the best. It's foggy, missing some pieces. That's why I wanted to advise you to go to Heaven and talk to Michael. If my memories haven't corroded any more than they already have, then I think he has something that'll shed more light on the situation."

"I'd already intended on it. Still, what else can you tell me about the Aviturs?" Issei asked.

"Not much at the moment. Like I said, my mind is still all sorts of foggy. What I told you that night is all that I know for now. That's the tricky part of Bahamut's Sacred Gear when it comes to residual minds like me. Parts of our wills and minds are printed onto the Sacred Gear as support and guides that can awaken under the right circumstances. However, they are separated along with the pieces of the Calamity Catalyst. So, the more you have, the better of help I can be and the more I'll remember because there'll be more of me put together."

Issei still felt suspicious. It sounded like Rexis was trying to convince him to complete the entirety of the Sacred Gears for him. Given the fear and dangers surrounding Bahamut, it made him hesitant to even consider the idea. What if Rexis persuaded him to complete the set, only for him to lose ownership of his body? Anyone can lie, after all.

"In the mean-time, let's talk about what I can tell you. First of all, your body is in tatters but Bahamut's power [Battle-Born Regeneration], is taking care of you. Even if you lose a limb, it'll reform your lost appendages. Muscles will resew and bones will reform. However, that power isn't unlimited and if it's ever worn out, you will lose the ability to regenerate, and during that time, you will be vulnerable. What's more, you will feel the pain from that regeneration if you use it too often too quickly. Now, another thing, your body is still human, so you must allow yourself a period of time to adjust to the new imbuement of power. Each time you absorb a piece of Bahamut's Sacred Gears, you will receive a massive boost in power but to avoid damaging yourself, you need to adapt to it."

That wasn't new to Issei, but he still appreciated the refresher.

"Since you lack the power to amass abyssal energy effectively, I will fulfill that role. I will also take care of regulating your regeneration. Along with that, I can help speed up the function of your left gauntlet to make weapons faster." Rexis added.

"I understand. However, what was up with my regeneration that night? How come you told me I was able to use it on Kuroka?" Issei asked.

"Sacred Gears and their abilities are dependent on the wills of their users. You wanted to save that girl, and so, you granted some regenerative powers to her for that time. Bahamut had many powers and could use them in many ways. The gift of healing is one of those powers and it was your desire to save that girl that allowed you to share it. Your emotions were on high that night and emotions are the key to utilizing all of a Sacred Gears potential. Honestly, I can't say you can do it often since it expended much of your strength to even share some of that power with someone else. Even then, it's weaker when you share it with others since it's not exactly an ability meant to be divided. It's like giving a blood transfusion. That regenerative ability is meant for you, not others, so it's less effective. Still, it worked that night and you saved the girl from certain death." Rexis proudly noted.

"Alright, is there anything else I need to know?" Issei asked.

"Well, I get the feeling that I should talk to you more, but my senses are picking up on some 'd best wake up right now. Your friends are in need of your help." Rexis urgently said.

"How do you even know that?" Issei raised a brow.

"When you're a spirit like me, your senses are sharpened and widened in range to compensate for a lack of a body. In a way, I can kind of extend my vision and sense what's going on around me, like Merlin, only, I can't see as much or go as far. To be more accurate, I can sense vibes around me."

"And what's going on?"

"No idea on the specifics. I just sense conflict near your friends. Now, you're in good enough shape to do some fighting, but don't go overboard. You're still not at 100%. You're not done adjusting to your new level of power and your body is still banged up from the fight with the Avitur. If you go overboard, you might invite some consequences on yourself. Your muscles might start tearing and you could bleed all over again. Anyways, Ezagyra and Sun Wukong are with you, so I'll give you a little push and help you wake up. They'll help you the rest of the way."

With that, Rexis booted him out of his own subconscious. By 'booting' him, Rexis literally kicked him out of the mindscape. Shooting out of bed, Issei shook himself back into sorts. He awoke to see Ezagyra and Sun Wukong in the room with him, so that proved that Rexis wasn't lying.

"What's going on? Where's everybody right now?" Issei groaned as he stretched his muscles. He felt as stiff as a statue.

"They're at the Sun Mansion. Based on the commotion on the streets and the guards rushing over there, I'd say things are going down like Game of Thrones. You'd best get over there." Wukong smoked his pipe.

"Excuse me?! He's still injured!" Ezagyra scolded him.

"He'll be fine, lass. I gave him enough medicine to make narcotics look tame. He's good enough to beat down whoever's over there right now. Now, here's a change of clothes. Get into this new outfit and I'll be over soon as I'm ready." Wukong handed Issei navy Chinese robes.

Issei looked at him in slight perplexation.

"Look, if you're gonna gatecrash with a hero's entrance, you might as well like heroic. Like Wong Fei-Hung."

Issei nodded, dashing out the window.

"What were those clothes for?" Ezagyra asked.

"They belonged to an old friend of mine…He passed away long ago in front of me, but he left a lot of stuff behind. I figured the boy might as well wear the clothes of a hero if he's going to make an entrance like one. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a battalion of law enforcement to muster up." Wukong chuckled as he walked out of the room.

"Clothes of a hero?" Ezagyra wondered.

Flashback End


"So, you can regenerate?" Vali remarked.

"Yeah, but I don't want to test the limits. Anyways, we need to make sure everyone is accounted for. Sun Wukong should be here in a few minutes." Issei explained.

"More like, right now."

Issei jumped when he the Monkey King appeared behind him, as if materializing from thin air.

"So, what took you so long?" Issei asked.

"I brought them." Wukong pointed behind him.

Turning around, Issei was shocked to see thousands of officers and soldiers rounding up and tying members of the Sun splinter faction together.

"What gives you the right? There isn't supposed to be any intervention!" Huang Xing spat.

"Yeah, that was true, but the Jade Emperor decided to rescind his words after some talking. I did some digging and found multiple cases of corruption in the Imperial Court. The Sun Splinter Faction has been extorting money, as well as performing many assassinations and high-level crimes within Kunlun. Not only that, but the supplies that you've been procuring have been shipped off to multiple foreign lands, some of them going to the Khaos Brigade. That night I was off Kunlun, I was helping out with taking down a Brigade base. Can't say I was proud when I saw shipments from my homeland there." Wukong showed a box of poison vials that had stamps of approval from Kunlun, specifically, the Sun Family.

"So, this was all a plan to get the Sun family to fall?"

"Not just you. Many members of the Bu family have also been apprehended. Multiple cases of corruption were filed with evidence to boot. I had to intercept them before they got here. Apparently, the Bu Family was going to frame everyone here and present fabricated evidence to the Emperor." Wukong pointed at the chained up people at the gates to the Sun Mansion.

"So, that's why so many of the Bu family weren't here." Lianshi understood it all now.

"And also why you were gone for so long." Issei added

"What?" Wukong raised both arms in inquiry.

"I mean, wouldn't things have been over instantly if you were there?" Issei asked.

"Yes, but I had faith in you, lad. Besides, you had the element of surprise, so you were sure to win as long as you did it quickly. I'm sure that if you dragged it out, you'd have been in serious trouble too. The Sun Family's not know for their amazing fighters anymore, so that should tell you that they suck in a straight-up fight. I mean, come on, they had to resort to poison before they pulled out their weapons." Sun Wukong bluntly said.

He then turned to Sun Jilin and Huang Xing.

"The sad thing is, you wanted to avoid being imprisoned or forced into servitude. You were even more terrified of being executed. Well, all the actions that you took just completed a self-fulfilling prophecy. Everything you did, led up to your loss and has completely endangered your own survival, not your Clan. What's more, you're still living in the past."

Wukong turned towards the younger generation. As of this moment, everyone was picking each other up, removing rubble, and helping one another out. Despite all that had happened in the past, these people certainly showed no genuine malice toward each other.

"They've got the backbones to fight back against filial piety and unreasonable stupidity. These children no longer have to live under the shadows of their parents and obey them without question. Even the more knowledged are not above reproach. Our word is not law. Sometimes, it takes the actions of others to make it known. In doing so, these young children of ours, have shown that they are more than capable of keeping our families alive because they've become capable of thinking for themselves. Our future is them and we need to nurture and prepare them, not control them according to our whim. That'll only cause problems that'll bring us to ruin like in ages long past. Your goals were completely contradicted by your actions." Wukong sighed.

"And what would you know? What makes you think you're so right? Here you are, marching on our land with your soldiers that were provided by the favor of Buddha and the Jade Emperor. You're only using your authority to trample on what you see as 'problems' because we don't fit into your pretty world." Jilin growled.

"Do you know who that boy is?" Wukong pointed Xing and Jilin at Issei.

"The Japanese outsider?"

"That's Jian Long's successor. Don't you think it's fate? Jian Long was always against injustice and oppression. The fact that his successor showed up, just makes it apparent that we went wrong. After all, that was what Bahamut himself was like before the Calamity. When Jian Long died, it was because of people like you all, who feared retribution and desired 'more equality'. Yet, now, Jian Long is hailed as a hero because all that he did, was meant for the good of others in the long-run while the people who cried out about injustice, were really only in it for themselves. If so many go against you in unity and in defense of each other out of 'idealism', then I can't tell you just how wrong you were. Not even I would refute this sight before me. It's not that we decide that we're right, it's the people around us and the ones that'll be affected by our decisions that will determine whether what we did was right or it was for their own good. At the end of the day, you weren't doing things for the good of your family. You were doing it for your sole survival. Honestly, I'm sure you two will stab each other in the back sooner or later."

Wukong waited for a response but heard nothing. Jilin and Xing only leered at what they were seeing, angry with themselves and the people before them before being dragged away.

Meanwhile, the family heads came together for a brief discussion.

"So, where do we go from here? It's obvious the pact won't go through after my parents treachery." Sun Jian sighed.

"Perhaps it's time we start paying up." Xin-Lan offered.

"No, it's not your fault." Dingwen shook his head.

"Someone has to pay for all this." Sun Jian pointed out all the injuries and destruction.

"Well, it's a good thing that I've got your 'get-out-of-jail' card." Wukong walked over.

"What?" Sun Jian looked perplexed.

"I managed to talk some sense into the Jade Emperor and Empress. After the Jian Long incident all those years ago, they withdrew from open politics and only did what was necessary to run the land of Kunlun. Today, however, I did some scolding and they finally woke up. So, they've decided to pardon the Sun Family." Wukong held up a written statement.

Before anyone could celebrate, the Monkey King had other things to say. Things weren't going to be as easy as they wanted. It should've been noted that he didn't say 'get-out-of-jail-free'.

"However, there are conditions. Take note, I didn't add 'free' into that sentence. The Sun Family cannot commit anymore crimes, period, no matter how minor. For the minor ones, it's a 5-year ban as a testing period. All major crimes are obviously forbidden and if just one is committed, then the entire protective pass on the family will be void. The ones that commit the crime will be punished in proportion to the deed that they've committed at that time and it will be added with any previous wrong-doings all at once. In addition, the Sun Family must donate a portion of their earnings to charity for the needy and restoration of this land to make up for all their crimes."

"What about the Bu family?"

"The same goes for your side. You will suffer the same punishment for neglecting your duties, largely, and you shall pay the same fines for the Bu family's corruption. Many ties that the family had to the government were corrupt and that was used to boost the standing of the Bu family. Both families will give their all in serving the people, just as the Jade Emperor and Empress do the same. So, they're not going to be sitting around anymore, either." Wukong declared.

Dingwen and Jian looked at each other, nodding. They had no personal animosity towards each other. That was all in the past that concerned their forefathers. They had no reason to hate the opposite family. Not only that, but they'd realized what this struggle had done to their children and all the emotional turmoil that it made them go through.

"I could live with that." Jian nodded.

"So can I." Dingwen smiled.

"That also means this stupid game of charades can stop now. No more political marriages, please. We've outgrown that crap." Wukong called out to Bikou and Lianshi.

The two didn't even register the others around them. The whole obstacle course was thrown away. The Family Elders who perpetrated this entire charade were going to be locked away and punished. The Jade Emperor and Empress allowed full-pardons with conditions that were so miniscule that it didn't matter. They'd also done their faltering in their connection but even through all that, the two knew that they had to be together.

The two looked at each other hopefully before they noticed Sun Quan. He only smiled while nodding.

"Don't worry about me, I've no negative feelings towards you two. I simply wish you two all the best. Since there's no more issues, I can finally look for the one on my own. Just don't go rubbing your romance in everyone's faces."

Bikou and Lianshi smiled gratefully for his understanding. They turned to look at each other before sharing a passionate kiss.

"Ah, young love. Those two don't even know what they're in for." Wukong chuckled.

"Still, it won't be easy. There're still people dissatisfied with this ceasefire on the streets. Not only that, but these conditions will make it that much harder. I honestly don't know just how accurate we can be to the letter." Sun Jian sighed.

"You'd better be ready to commit. You forced your children into an unsavory situation, so you better be adults and take responsibility. No more sitting back and watching. We also have our own duties to fulfill. If anyone steps out of line, they'll be answering to me." Wukong scolded him.

Issei, who was a bit farther away from the others, smiled. He managed to hear everything and rejoiced at the fact that everything worked out. Suddenly, he lost his footing as he felt light-headed. It looked like he had pushed himself too far after all. His entire body felt like it was going to fall apart again as his strength waned. Almost immediately, he fell over, his face about to smash into rocks. Before he could land, a gentle hand caught him.

"Hey, there, hero." Vali smiled at him.

"Always gonna catch me, I see." Issei chuckled.

"You know it. It goes without saying, if you ever need help, then you only need to tell me." Vali laughed.

Issei returned her bright expression but paused. He saw Kuroka and noticed the forlorn expression on her face. Perhaps things weren't going to go as well as he thought. He wasn't the only one to notice either.

"Lianshi…there's something you should know." Bikou muttered.

"Does it have to do with Kuroka?" She guessed.

"What?" Bikou looked at her, fearful.

Issei's jaw dropped, his emotional radar telling him that things were going to go down.

"I know that look she's wearing, Bikou. I wore that look too. It's the look of someone trying to let go of somebody that they love. That's why…if she's willing to share…then so am I." Lianshi said.

…..

'WWWWWWHHHHHAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTT?!' Everyone seemed to scream in their heads at the same time.

'How's she so open-minded?' Issei's jaw dropped.

'How'd she even know?' Vali looked gobsmacked.

'What're you going to do, Bikou?' Arthur wondered.

'This…might backfire.' Elaine looked troubled.

'I hope things go well.' Lefay fretted.

'Cat fight!' Wukong chuckled.

"W-Wait, don't I have a say in this?" Bikou stammered.

"Of course, you do. I'm just making my position known." Lianshi looked at Kuroka.

The black nekoshou didn't say a word. She only stared at Lianshi, as if analyzing her and thinking of an effective response. She knew things would come to this, but she didn't think it'd be so soon. On the other hand, she looked at Bikou. They were going to have to have a talk. However, this wasn't the time nor the place.

"But wait, how's this going to work?" Lefay asked.

"Simple, I'll make an application." Lianshi looked at Vali.

"Will you allow me to join your Peerage?"

'WHAT?!' Everyone screamed again.

"Huh?" Vali looked completely flabbergasted.

"I can cook, clean, perform, and fight. I assure you, I will earn my keep. If you'll accept me, then I will give all I can to your cause." Lianshi promised.

"Lianshi, what're you doing?" Bikou looked at her in utter surprise.

"You told me to be who I wanted to be, so this is my start." Lianshi smiled.

Vali was hesitant. This was so sporadic that it was border-line ridiculous.

"Vali, I say take her in." Issei said.

"What's gotten into you too?" Vali asked.

"This young lady was capable of attacking an Avitur and even cause it damage. That alone, is worthy of denoting her strength. Remember what I said, Aviturs are immensely powerful and stupidly durable. She could even break away at the Earth Avitur's stone armor and negate its attacks. You're also lacking in manpower right now, are you not? The Rookie Rating Games are coming and you're very understaffed. Take the deal before it flies away along with your only Rook." Albion noted.

"Besides, do you really want to keep those two apart?" Issei asked.

Vali froze. He was playing dirty. She knew he was trying to poke at her sense of sympathy. Albion too. She only had one rook and knight piece left after having made Issei her sole pawn. She had to think things through carefully. Still, they all made valid points. It'd be a waste to just let Lianshi go.

"Fine…" Vali sighed.

She couldn't believe she was being talked into this. Still, she wasn't going to keep Bikou and Lianshi apart anyways. Albion also had a point. She needed people with skill and strong abilities for what was coming up next. If she was going to have things work out, she'd need someone like Lianshi. That also reminded her that she had had enough of Kunlun now. Too much had happened too soon, too often. She wanted to go home and just lie down in bed.

"Let's go home now. I think I've had enough of Kunlun for a while." Vali declared.

Yes, they still had so much more work to do.

"Yeah, let's." Issei agreed.

If the Biblical Faction created the Sacred Gears, then that was where the most information on Bahamut could be found. The attack of the Avitur, Rexis' awakening, the mystery of the Calamity Catalyst, and the Khaos Brigade had made it now impossible for Issei to be so passive now. He had to find go to Heaven and find more answers, no matter how small or difficult. The next chapter of his life was waiting for him.


Alright and that's the end of this chapter. This was originally a one-part chapter but I decided to make it a two-parter. It was just seriously too long to make it into one. Anyways, I hope you had fun reading it. It kind of felt like a gag chapter, which it kind of was but it also wasn't. I just wanted to ease up on the action lever since Chapter 19 was so jam-packed with fighting.

I'm sure we all could've used a cool-down from excess fighting at this point.

Anyways, everyone's pretty much had their turn to be in the spotlight, so it's time to get back our focus and get the plot rolling again. Not that none of these chapters have been contributing to the plot, though.

Oh, and there's also another surprise I have for you all in this arc. You all loved it in the original story, so it's making it's way back in here. I hope you'll look forward to it.