Riight… My dipshit of a main internet provider (who shall remain nameless but they have six letters, started with S, ended with Y, and sounded like Speed, Indonesians may know and curse them, if they be so kind, please) has decided to be real sons of bitches, and their latest and stupidest idea for their so called Healthy Internet; one of a long list of stupid dumbfuck ideas, now includes banning and blocking Fanfiction. Great. That's just about the stupidest piece of shit-crap they've ever served to me on silver platter, compounding their pitiful excuse of shitty internet service which isn't worth the money I paid to those god damn daylight robbers. They blocked porn, I get that, then they blocked Mangafox, really, really piss me off… but I still TRY to understand that… but this… this load of bull of blocking Fanfiction is a whole new level of recipe for road rage. Luckily found a way to bypass that… Otherwise you might not get this chapter. But that doesn't make me any less angry. Here's hoping they'll stop being a fucking dick-headed bitch by the time I uploaded my next chapter and maybe I'll stop cursing every. Single. Damn. Day.

Sorry about the profanity laden rants. Very angry right now. I need something to redirect my hate and anger, because I'm one breath away from smashing my monitor apart when I found out what happened to my favorite website. So very… VERY… ANGRY!

Moving on!

Big smile…

Anyway… on a lighter side of things, I'm not a cook. But I've watched and read a lot of Cooking Manga. Also had many seasons of Masterchef and the entire Ironchef series. I like cooking, I like watching them being prepared… regrettably I don't have much talent in it. I still can't cook my steaks right… XoX. That being said… some of the recipe entering this story may work… or not. And I believed Onetruthprevail had said it and I enforce it: this is a war fic. Not a cooking fic.

Fixed most of the grammatical error. Which is why I took down the last chapter and replaced it with this one. Enjoy

Kira is Kage

Lacus is Hikari

Except when they're together.

NOTE:

"Doryaaaaaaaaaa!": normal talking

"Charge!": special case

'Darn!': thoughts

GWA HA HA HA! : Giant creature speech

DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING!

Please… read and review

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Kage knelt down over the fainted Yoon and start to lightly slapping her awake. "Wakey, wakey…"

"Don't slap her too hard you brute! (Koff) She's scared to death! (koff)" Hikari pouted as she gave Kage's head a light knock.

"Don't worry, I didn't slap her that hard… But… we need to sort the matter of this thing Athrun created… she need to keep her mouth shut about it." True enough, Kage changed the light slap to gentle nudge, and finally Yoon woke up. But the first thing she saw was Kage's scary ass face… and she fainted again.

Hikari scoffed. "You're freaking her out! (koff)"

"I doubt it take much to freak her out."

"Move over! (koff) Let me show you a woman's gentle touch! (koff)" Hikari took over and gently buoyed Yoon, shaking her slowly until she opened her eyes again…

She looked up… and she saw Hikari's scary bone white helmet with the elaborate breathing and all… and she fainted again.

"Ah…"

"A woman's gentle touch… Rii~ight." Kira had to stifle down a snicker… "You do realize with that mask on, you got a face that only a mental hospital escapee can love right?"

"Mental hospital escapee had more manners than you!" Lacus growled. "It takes one to know one eh?"

"What was that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what it means!"

And one thing led to another and the two sworn enemy started their umpty-umpth fistfight… again…

When Yoon woke she saw Hikari was choking Kage while getting ready to slam a basket ball sized jawbreaker to his face and Kage is struggling to pour Tabasco on Hikari's face and jammed an entire pot of pepper right into her mouth.

"Hm?" Yoon tilted her head.

Kage and Hikari looked at Yoon.

"Eh? Why am I here? Who are you two?"

"…heh?" Kage and Hikari finally stopped trying to kill one another for once and blinked.

Moments later…

"Oka~ay… what's the last thing you remember? (koff)"

"Well… a pair of scary looking soldiers dragged me out… and blank."

"Apparently… repeated shocks to her psyche caused a loss of memories. (koff)" Hikari finished her checkup on the absent minded Yoon. "She… probably doesn't remember about the most recent events… (koff) particularly her latest conversations with us."

"Hmmm…" Well, that's one way to keep secrecy. But still… "Ms. Yoon!"

"H-Haai!" Yoon fidgeted in panic.

"I'll forgive you for what happened with my brother. Under one condition." Kage jerked his thumb to the Steamsphere. "This stays with me!"

"B… But… that's…"

"It's dangerous, young miss. A very dangerous bomb! You'll be better off without it." Kage said so gently.

"You mean… I BROUGHT THE FLAWED ONE!?" And Yoon fainted… again…

"…" Hikari had no choice but to slap Kage silly.

At any rate, Kira decided, for the sake of everyone involved, Yoon must stay under his watch at all times until he can figure what to do with this bomb. So he assigned her under Murdoch as an assistant.

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Chapter 47:

Shadow's City

Part 2

The next morning, the next phase of Kira's plan unfolds… as all soldiers of the 7th division looked on in horror as the Shadowguards grimly brought the first person who had dared to disobey their oh-so-scary-lord-help-them captain.

And to their shock… it was the Captain's very own brother.

Kira was tied to a pole where everyone can see him. And then, approaching him was Kage, katana at the ready.

Everyone gulped. Kage looked at Kira angrily. "So… I heard from Saber and Archer…" Kage grabbed Kira's cheeks and pulled him up to see him face to face. "I honestly expected more from you. I did not expect you of all people to disobey my orders first thing in the morning."

"I… have to do it." Kira smirked. "I have no regrets."

"Then you're ready for what comes after, yes?" Kage pulled out Shiki, and everyone gaped. The captain is seriously going to gut his own brother!?

As the Katana is about to reach Kira's stomach…

"WAIT!" a giant shuriken flies in and slapped the Shiki away. Kage glared at the culprit, Mwu. Mwu immediately stepped in and glared at Kage.

"What are you doing, Captain Mwu?"

"What are YOU doing, Captain Kage? I don't recall a captain from one division has the right to punish soldiers from another division without the corresponding captain's permission!" Mwu growled.

"He's my brother." Kage argued back. "He disobeyed my orders. This is a family matter!"

"But before he's your brother, he's my men. And as such, he falls under my jurisdiction." Mwu glared intensely at the black clad captain. "If anybody's going to punish him, that would be me."

Everyone tensed as the two captains glared one another, their will clashing through their eyes. And finally, Kage back away. "Fine. You punish him. But I expect some martial discipline from you, Captain Mwu! If not… I'll take things to my own hands."

Mwu nodded. "Fine. Kira… for disobeying a direct order from a superior officer… you're hereby punished… 30 lashes."

A Soldier timidly came in carrying a whip. But Kage stopped him. "Mwu… you do it. And don't spare your arm."

"What?"

"If you let him get away lightly with it, it'll set a bad example to the rest!"

"But…"

"If you don't do it, I'LL do it! And I will whip him twice as much, and I assure you, I'll FLAY the flesh OFF his bones!"

Everyone winced at Kage's dark declaration.

Mwu of course, understand what's happening. He knew well just what exactly Kira had in mind. What he disagrees upon… are the parties involved in this all too real charade. "Fine." He grabbed the whip, looked mournfully at Kira… and start whipping.

1!

Kira grunted as the first lash tear through his body. 2! 3! 4! Kira's clothes were torn apart with each lash, and red bloodied marks marred his body. 5! 6! 7! And Kira looked like he's one foot away from the grave already… and yet Mwu doesn't let up and kept lashing under Kage's stern gaze. Everyone looked in horror as Kira's grunt steadily turn to screams of pain… by the 15th lash, Kira looked like he almost lose consciousness. Everyone knew he was never that tough. Mwu looked in horror at Kage, as if asking him to stop this… but Kage doesn't let up. He insisted that Mwu continued. And the Captain had no choice but to continue. 17! 18! 19! And so on… and so forth.

Hikari, Simca, Tolle and Milly looked on in horror as Kira's public execution continued with each bloody lash.

"My Goodness… Kage really is ruthless… even to his own brother…" Simca frowned. "…but… why did Kira do it though…? If he knew his brother…"

"Of course he knew. (koff)" Hikari looked mournfully at Kira's ravaged being. "They knew each other so well, both clearly grasped the why and the what. (koff)"

"The why and the what… You're trying to say Kira-san accepted that challenge on purpose so that… oh my…" Simca gasped as she finally grasped the full picture.

"The soldiers who had followed Kage from Archangel, (koff) the veterans, knew that Kage was a man of his word. (koff) They've experienced it firsthand (koff) so they knew better than to doubt his words (koff). But all those new soldiers that joined recently… (koff) they probably wouldn't even lend an ear to a word that Kage says… (koff) until today. (koff)" Lacus frowned as she bit her lips. Kira wasn't faking it… his screams of pain reached her ears all too clear. "Now that they see that even blood ties will not stop Kage to show he means business… (koff) well… dare they to disobey him now? (koff)" It was then Hikari and Simca noticed someone else is coming in. A familiar pink haired girl, face marred in fear and horror as she accidentally witnessed this brutality taking place. "Oh… Simca… It's Setona and Nahe. (koff)"

"Oh…" Simca immediately jumped and rushed down to meet with the horrified girl and brought her away from this terrifying sight.

30! At that point, Kira is a piece of ravaged meat tied to a post, bathed in his own blood. Some of the soldiers' teeth clattered in fear as they looked at Kira's bloodied figure, some even vomited in horror. "Leave him there, as an example for the others." Kage send one cold glare at the cowering soldiers and left without a word. Leaving a horrified Mwu and a near to death Kira tied there for everyone to see what it means to disobey their captain's orders. Gambling with your life, that's what.

Kage coldly left his brother behind and meet up with Hikari and the other Shadowguards. Kage looked at Hikari and the Shadowguards. "Sheesh… Kira… you're a bit harsh." Tolle chuckled. It seems he had yet to understand what's going on. "Where did you find that poor bastard of a body double?"

To everyone's shock, 'Kage' suddenly vanished and split into two grey colored Haro balls and they landed gracefully on Hikari's hand. Hikari explained glumly at the gawking Shadowguards. "The twins… Lea and Rea. (koff) Together they are the Greater Daemon of Doppelgangers. (koff) Lea can transform into anyone, Rea can transform into anything. (koff) Together they can impersonate anyone and anything." She explained short and quick… and everybody suddenly realized who is that 'poor bastard of a body double' really is.

Swimming between consciousness and unconsciousness, the tied and battered Kira coldly looked at the cowering soldiers before him, and now he knew for sure no one would dare to question his orders. And he lightly smiled amidst the pain. Good. With this, there's some worth in his pain. 'Now then… about that other body-double of mine…' Kira fidget slightly as he began to feel Lacus' spell runes forming at the back of his neck. Kira calmly concentrates and empty his mind.

Lea and Rea twitched again. "Lacus! Lacus! Transform! Transform!" They chirped. And once again, the two grey Haro merged and became a body double of Kage. This 'Kage' cracked his neck and looked at Hikari. "So… this is just like the other summons you have right? I'm controlling them with my thought right?"

"Ki… Kira?"

Kage looked at Tolle and Milly.

"I'm gonna have to be like this for a whole day." Kage frowned as he awkwardly looked at his own battered body from another point of view. It felt strange… it's like half of his view is that of his wounded self, and the other half is watching his wounded self from Kage's point of view. Kage flexed his fingers. He felt odd… there's a few millisecond lag in-between what his brain told his body to do… and when his 'body' followed what his brain says. What's more, he can see and know that this body moves by his will, but he can't feel it move. However, it's better than none. "This is a pretty useful summon… you know… all those time you fuss over me using my body so recklessly… you could just let me borrow this body while you fix my other body."

"No way. (koff)" Hikari hissed angrily. "It's precisely because you're so reckless that I refuse to let the Twins to stomach being you for even a day! (koff) For all I know, you could just get turned into beehive or bisected in half! (koff) I will give you a leeway just this once! (koff) And even that, under the condition that you must remain where I can see you! (koff) Any funny business and I'll cut the connection immediately! (koff)"

"Hmmm… yeah, you're probably right. Using other creature's body as a shield doesn't sit right with me either." Kage nodded. "But… what's with this… lag…"

"It's probably because of your injuries. (koff) The connection between your real body and this body is a bit… off. (koff)"

Kage sighed. "At any rate… this will have to do…"

Kage looked at Hikari, and then to Simca and Setona down below. In particular, he noticed the convoy Nahe and Setona brought with them. "What's going on down there? And what is that?"

Moments later, Kage and Hikari descended down and meet up with Setona and Nahe. "We found all this on our warehouse… we thought it'd be best if we give it to you." Nahe gestured at the carriages behind them.

Kage took a peek inside and his eyes widened in surprise.

Guns. Lots and lots of guns. Hundreds upon hundreds of Dagger rifles. And many, many other guns of every caliber and size. "Where… did you get this?"

"There are many more where that came from, Master Kage." Nahe explained. "Master Winter once had a connection with some Squadrons, and he managed to amass quite a stockpile of weapons and military grade equipment. This is barely a fraction of it."

"Hmmm…" Kira nodded as he grabbed one of the rifles. Judging by its weight, it's locked and loaded. The condition of the muzzle showed that it's brand new. "Okay… I can somehow see how we can use this… but… do we have the right to use this?" Kage looked at Canard.

Canard snorted. "Sure we fuckin' do. 7th division rule of a thumb: we can keep what we salvage. We just…'salvaged' all these weapons from a fucking Mob boss who no longer needs it. Perfectly justifiable." Canard also glanced at Simca. "The only problem is, on the very rare occasion that we do salvage them, we have trouble with maintaining them. We're not that handy with guns. But with the Genesis with us, that won't be much trouble this time, no?"

"No problemo!" Simca gave a thumb up.

"Oh there's gonna be a problem alright!" Suddenly a stern but laidback voice protested.

Everyone turned and Simca as well as Milly instantly hissed like angry cats. It was Orga Sabnakh, Sergeant of the Calamity squad. Kage immediately recognized him from the teal Kevlar vest and the bazooka strapped on his back. The corrupt Sergeant who nearly killed Milly. "…I don't recall giving you permission to get aboard my ship."

"And what the fuck is the problem?" Canard glared.

"Those firearms are mine." Orga smirked. "And by rights you should return it."

"Funny you mentioned they're yours." Simca chided. "We confiscated them from the Mob. Care to explain to Captain Kage how did the Mob get their hands on military grade equipment?"

"They stole it. Obviously. Now I would like to get them back."

"You forgot to mention the check he left behind in your damn armory." Simca snorted. "These weapons are 7th division property now. Rule of a thumb: we keep what we salvage." Quoting directly from Canard, and seeing she's now a 7th division, it gives Simca great pleasure to do so.

Orga's eyes rolled upon hearing that declaration. He smirked mirthfully at Simca. "So the rumors were true? You really throw in your lot with the 7th now?"

"And proud of it."

"How the mighty have fallen." Orga snickered, as do his subordinates as they looked at Kage, clumsily holding a rifle in his hand, a sign he was not used to firearms. "Look Captain, we can do this the easy way or the very easy way. Your choice."

Kage snorted as he tossed the gun away. "You're forgetting one more option."

"Oh…? And that is?"

"The 'No' way." Kage cracked his knuckles. Time to give this body a field test.

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Alejandro Corner made his career in the military by never giving up. It worked well for him… and he's not gonna change a good behavior. That cook… the taste he can produce… he carried it even to his dreams! He must have that cook! Though he refused the first time, Corner had yet to find someone who can reject him after some convincing. Now… the problem is, he needs to convince his brother first to spare his little brother's life. But he had heard that he's quite stubborn… well, that's his job.

Right now however, he delegates the easy and brief job of convincing the guard of the Archangel's gates to let him in to Johann while he marveled the giant dreadnought that, as he heard it, was Orb-made, whose shipwright skills had reached legendary level. "Mikhail… have you ever seen anything like this? Orb's ship engineering… as awe inspiring as ever…"

"That's some serious amount of cannons…" Mikhail counted at least a hundred cannons on a single broadside row. A single full salvo from all these boomsticks can level Shanghai in an eye blink. "If Kage really stole this monster right underneath Orb's nose, then he's really as crazy as they say. I can somehow see he may have gutted the boy cook!"

"I hope not." Nena chuckled. "He's kinda cute."

And then, Johann returned having convinced the guard to let them in. "Good news and bad news."

"Good news first?"

"We're in luck. It seems Captain Mwu had intervened in Captain Kage's judgment. The boy cook is still alive after all. Although he was beaten halfway to death, he's in no immediate danger of dying."

"Oh!" Corner nodded in excitement. "And the bad news?"

"The incident had left the Captain in a rather foul mood. A state of mind which his men seem to fear greatly."

Corner chuckled. "Don't worry Johann. Despite his foul temper, I hear he's also a pragmatist and man of reason. I'm sure I can talk with the good captain just fine."

As soon as he said that, they heard a scream from above…

…And a moment later, a totally brutalized and half dead Orga and his men were thrown overboard from the third floor of the Archangel, all of them were tied to a pole, crashing straight into the dock's floor, right in front of Alejandro Corner and his entourage, who were just a few steps away from entering the gargantuan ship.

Mikhail eyes went wide as he saw the groaning and moaning half dead Orga and his men and smirked as he examined their injuries, courtesy of Kage's field testing his new body. "…okay… the rumors are now officially a fact: this Kage is batshit insane."

Johann is now quite concerned for the safety of his charge if he's to step into this heavenly lair of the demon himself. "Mr. Corner… I'm… I'm very worried now. Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"It's worth a try." Corner smiled as he looked at Kage's latest handiwork. "Besides… is it wrong for me to meet and greet this… much talked successor of Harlbarton?"

But before Corner can continue, another scream came from behind.

"GANGWAY! GANGWAY!"

It was Prayer, Lockon, Setsuna… and somehow, Bushido, Toudou and his Shiseiken, Taka, Kamina and Simon, and even Sven were added to the mix… and don't forget Sanosuke! All of them were being chased by apparently half the town of Shanghai, all angry and rive with hostile intentions.

The Trinity siblings immediately stood ready to defend a bewildered Corner.

And just when the commotion was but a breath away from reaching the doorsteps of Archangel, a blood splattered Kage appeared out of the gate along with Hikari and Canard.

Upon seeing their boss bathed in blood, the Juppongatana plus one former and two extras immediately grinded to a halt and stopped a few steps away from their Captain. All of them were somewhat out of breath, especially the very first three who had started this mess.

Kage looked at them and then to the flood of angry mob at their backs. They're closing in, shouting murder and hangings.

Kage immediately step forth and raised his palm.

The rioters at the front immediately saw and recognized the black clad figure in front of them, and as his full identity hit home, the frontmost rioters immediately stopped. The rioters at the back hit the ones at the front when they suddenly stopped, and so on and so forth, the angry mob stopped when the frontline rioters were but 3 millimeters away from Kage's open palm.

"What is going on here!?" Kage calmly but firmly asked. The silence magnified his whispery voice for everyone to hear. He first addressed to the leaders of this massed marathon AKA his own men. Almost everyone pushed Prayer, Lockon, and Setsuna.

"Umm… this is a…" Lockon tried to explain in-between pants and heaves. "Our… (pant)… selection… (gasps)… process…"

"Selection process?" Kage flatly repeated.

"Yes…" Prayer chuckled. "Though… it kinda got out of hand… from one outpost to another… and then it… urh… snowballed." Prayer pretty much summed up how the entire Juppongatana get dragged into it.

Kage looked at the crowd. Somehow, the crowd understands… and they parted, singling out a large batch of men, all of them are rudimentarily armed with old salvaged weapons. A minute ago they were angry and ready to bring out the pain… as Kage closed his distance… they looked like they shrank to the size of children the closer the scary ass blood splattered Captain get. "So… you're the new recruits?"

One was pushed forward by the other shirking recruits as a representative. "Y… yes." He stuttered.

"Okay…" Kage then looked at all these crowds… some of them are definitely NOT soldier material. "So… why is there half of Shanghai here?"

"M-m-my apologies… b-b-but these men… wreck all sorts of havoc in town!" Another man in his thirties stuttered. He seems to represent the civilian portion of the crowd. "They've been pillaging as they ran across the street."

Kage looked at the man. "And you are?"

"I-I-I'm the mayor of Shanghai, Captain Kage. I-"

"The mayor? Oh…" Kage rolled his eyes. "Sorry. I was surprised there's actually a living breathing mayor in a town this bent. Though I don't know if you're functioning or not…" He spat.

Kage shrugged off the stuttering incompetent Mayor as he turned to the recruits. He easily spotted various items on their being that clarifies the Mayor's accusations. "Alright… I don't know what sort of selection process my men used on you to the point they pissed off everyone en-masse… but on their behalf, I formally apologize. As for your pillaging however…" Kage glared. "I don't know how they say about you keep what you salvage, but we do not tolerate pillaging from civilians. You're soldiers now. If I hear any more of this shit…" Kage gestured to his back, and everyone at the back parted so that everyone can see what becomes of Orga and his men. "…and unlike these lucky bastards, I'll tie you up and toss you into the ocean. You feel me?"

The Recruits gulped.

"Now fall in line, get in there, and join the rest." At Kage's words, the recruits just instinctively had an instant crash course of military discipline and they line up before marching obediently into the ship. Kage turned to the gawking mayor. "You. My office. Now!" Kage jerked his thumb to the Bridge Tower.

Alejandro Corner gulped. The dark captain was so soft spoken the entire time, and yet all his orders carries more force than an infinitely louder screams often done by sergeants or other older more veteran captains. He sweated slightly as he hastily steps in. But before he can say a word, Kage glared at him: "You, waiting list. Wait by the door, I'll call you when I'm done."

"Excuse me? Do you have any idea who this guy is?" Mikhail was outraged, but before he can take another step, Kage raised his 'talk to the red blood splattered hand' right in front of his face.

"A Logos minister /slash/ minor distraction /slash/ waste of my limited time. I'll deal with you as soon as I'm done putting my house in order. So if your problem is really crucial, spit it out now. If not, I think you can see I'm pretty busy here. Please wait." Kage hissed. His dark murderous glare managed to keep even Mikhail's temperamental antic in the line, much to Johann and Nena's surprise.

"Why… You…" Mikhail flabbergasted, the words won't come out of his throat.

Corner nodded. "Very well. I shall wait."

"Wise choice." Kage nodded. Yesterday's farce had taken all his time, and many of his deskjob would be piling. He looked at all the gathered Juppongatanas around him. "I want a detailed report on what happened yesterday from you clowns! And I want them yesterday!" Kage grumbled as he walked into the Archangel. He looked at Orga, glaring at him. Kage scoffed and put a foot on his face as he whispered murderously. "Downtown you're the law… in here, there's me. If I see you anywhere near my ship again, I'm going to use your corpse as target practice. Now beat it."

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The Mayor looked like a snowball that just gets thrown in the furnace. The very pressure of going face to face with the black devil himself is way worse than having a gun pressed on his head.

"What exactly is the use of you?" Kage started with a murderous but calm hiss.

"Why… I… I'm the mayor of this city. Democratically elected by the people to-"

"-to accept bribes from the highest bidder and let crime ran free." Kage surmised in one breath. "I've met your type before. They last quite long unfortunately. So I'm not gonna go against the flow. Not yet anyway." Kage sighed. "My question is, do you have power? Do you have… any bit of power at all over your God Forsaken city?"

"Well… I have control of the Local law enforcements but-"

"You know what's coming do you?" Kage cut him short.

"Y… Yes…?"

"Shanghai is undoubtedly a strategic primary target. It will doubtlessly become a battleground. With invasion imminent, I'm still kinda surprised that there are still so many civilians linger around in this city."

"I… I understand sir! I will ask the law Enforcements to enlist the citizen into the army-"

"No!" Kage banged the table. "You will begin the evacuation right now."

"But sir… it's not so simple of a task! Some are willing to stay and fight for their home to the death!"

"I understand." Kage kindly noted. "I understand the feeling of wanting to defend your cradle till the grave takes you. And that's just fine. Your job is to meet up with these kinds of people… but sort out the fighters from the civilians: woman… children… the elderly… the sickly… these ones had to go. To those who wants to fight and can fight… they are more than welcome to join my forces to defend their homes. To those who don't want to fight… they have to go. They'll just be in the way."

"I… I understand." The Mayor nodded. Maybe this Kage isn't so bad after all. "Umm… Mr. Kage… do you have some… umm… 'wheel greaser'?" The Mayor made a hand motion: rubbing his thumb on his forefingers, asking for some money. "It'll ease things up on my end."

Kage grunted darkly. He rummaged his pocket and tossed a bag on the table. The bag's content spilled on the table: gold pieces donated by Lacus. The Mayor's eyes widened. His hand immediately reached out for the gold, but when his fingers nearly reached the gold pieces, Kage slammed a kunai right in the spaces between his two fingers. "You take this money… and know if you fail me… if I see even a single civilian in my field of fire… I will find you… and when I'm done with you, only your dentist can identify the corpse. Understand?"

The Mayor finally walked out of Kage's office seemingly having 10 years of his lifespan shaved off. Kage looked around and saw Corner… and nodded. "Come in."

Corner smiled and entered the room. Only Johann accompanies him inside while Nena and Mikhail waited outside. Kage motioned him to take his seat right in front of him. "Alright… let's cut the chitchat and get straight to the point. Now that you know my brother is still alive… albeit barely, you want my brother's cooking, yes?"

"Ah, straight to the point indeed. I like that." Corner chuckled.

"Mr. Corner…" Kage murmured. "…are you hungry?"

"?"

"Give me a minute." Kage vanished to the back… and then he returned with three bowls and a steaming hot pot. Two he presented to Corner and Johann.

Corner opened it and he saw a ball of fried rice. "Eh?"

"Here." Kage demonstrated it by pouring the hot tea from the pot into the bowl. A moment later, the riceball cracked and the content spilled out. That of meat, mushroom and others. "Tuck in."

Corner studied the dish before him… and then he nodded. "Then… I shall help myself." Expertly using the provided chopstick, Corner easily devoured the dish. "Hmmm… very fragrant and delicious! The aroma of greentea enhanced the flavor of the fried race, and the meat synergize perfectly with it. It's delicious."

"It's more than that." Kage explained in a calm civil tone. "The rice was fried, thus it can be stored for a long time. Far more nutritious than the usual army ration gruel that soldiers often ate on the field. What's more, it doesn't have to be tea. Hot water would do. Pour it, and the food is ready. Very useful for long campaigns."

"For… campaigns…?"

"You're a former soldier… then… have you heard the term: soldiers march on their stomach?"

"Yes."

Kage pulled out a paper. "The one who come up with this recipe is my brother. He wrote it down on this paper… it's very easy, even idiots can do it." He gave it to Johann. "Give it to your army cooks. That should help you guys in the long run."

"Much appreciated, Mr. Kage… but… that's not what I…"

"I understand. But my brother… is more than just a simple master cook now."

"Oh?"

"Zaft burnt his home to the ground. And then he witnessed the torture and eventual murder of one of his friends. He went through places that will make your belly go puke. All that had left him with somewhat… a darker mindset." Kage shrugged. "As his brother, I'm quite concerned."

"As a brother should be." Corner found a leeway. "Then… if you would allow it… I can provide your brother with a much safer working environment-"

"Ha… I knew it. You completely missed the point." Kage snorted.

"Eh?"

"I said before my brother has become more than just a normal Master Cook." Kage smirked. "You can tell with the way this dish's recipe being tailor made for the army, he has become an integral part of this army's arsenal. A weapon that strengthen the army as a whole."

"You treat your brother as a tool?"

"Hardly." Kage pointed at the fried riceball. "This dish was prepared by my brother yesterday night, thinking this will be the last dish he'll ever make. He never does things uselessly, and this holds true in cooking as well. This dish… is HIS answer for you, Mr. Corner."

Kage was trying to say that his 'brother' refused Corner's offer no matter what. His place is WITH the army.

"And I respect my brother's wishes." As he said this, Kage suddenly make to the door, opened it, and aimed his Midori Shiki and let loose. The arrow flew across the sky and accurately landed right on the pole where Kira was tied, missing and scaring the soul out of Nena by the millimeters while she was trying to discreetly untie and took Kira away while no one was looking. "So… please… I must insist that you respect it as well." Kage looked back at a shocked Corner. The man's eyes widened.

Nena gaped. The Bridge Tower is so far away, and yet the captain was able to spot and shoot her accurately over such a long distance… That guy's a monster… Suddenly she was surrounded by multi colored near transparent balls. She looked around and saw an armored woman, owner of these spirit balls, glaring at her as she seemingly appeared out of thin air and landed soundlessly atop the tip of the pole. "Away with you (koff)."

Corner turned and saw Kage staring at him gently. He stretched out his hand, offering a handshake. "Thank you for your visit."

"I…"

Kage took another step and put pressure on his words. "Thank you… for your… visit."

A moment of hesitation, and Corner had to reluctantly accept the offer and shook Kage's hand. And soon, he left without another word, escorted personally by Kage until the exit of his Bridge Tower office. There in the distance, he also saw Lacus had sent Nena away and untied his real comatose body. She's going to put it in the Angel's bath, no doubt.

As Kage looked at Corner's slowly disappearing back, he turned to Nahe and Setona. "The weapon cache you spoke of… how many more are there?"

"Plenty more, stored in various hidden warehouses across Shanghai. I don't think we can bring them all here in a single trip. It'll take a few days and a few convoys."

"We don't have the time to empty them one by one. If Orga was the one who gave them to you, he'd do well to know the location of your so called hidden warehouses." Kage measured his options.

"The girls and I will help you! We can divide our forces as to cover several places all at once!" Simca volunteered.

"That's two teams… we need three… or… better yet…" Kage suddenly had an idea. "How soon can you start?"

"This afternoon. I believe."

"Very well…" Kage turned to Prayer, Neil, Setsuna and Simca. "You four take care of the escort detail. Nahe, you know where the weapons are kept… I want to know where and how much! Simca, sent some soldiers to other cache, secure them before Orga can get to it."

"Roger that boss!" "Gotcha." "Understood."

"And just in case…" Kage looked meaningfully at Tolle and Milly. "Tell our mutual friends of an anonymous tip… a convoy of army weapons and supplies will be attacked by the triads."

"Got it." Tolle saluted coolly.

He then turned to Bushido, Kamina, and Sven… "I'm guessing… you three don't have much luck in gathering the recruits?"

"This one is gambling on a possibility and humbly asked for your patience." Bushido bowed.

"It is given. And you two?"

"No luck." Sven answered short.

"Well… no luck." Kamina copied Sven.

"Aniki test them to an arm wrestling challenge and then went into an all out brawl, most of them were sent to the hospital as the result!" Simon peeped.

"It was FUN!" Sano, one of the participants, snorted.

"SIMON! SANO!" Kamina screeched in horror at the two whistleblowers.

Kage shook his head, obviously less than pleased. At least now he knew who he can trust to do this job the next time. "Well, whatever. Go help Canard train the new recruits. He's getting a bit overwhelmed, I think."

"Yes sir."

"As for you lot…" Kage looked at Toudou, the Shiseiken, Gino and Sano. Toudou is still holding Harlbarton's white kodachi. Obviously, they all have something to say. "Inside. All of you."

00000000000000

That afternoon, a convoy of six caravans departed from the Mob's warehouse where they stashed their weapons. The wagons were loaded to the brim with arms and ammunition. Soldiers of the 7th division, now using the confiscated mob weapons to good use, escorted the convoy, led by Neil and Prayer.

On another part of the town, another convoy, also as heavily guarded by members of Genesis. Most of them are girls, led by Simca, aided by Setsuna. Girls they might be, but make no mistake, they're loaded with enough lead to bring down any opposition.

On the other part of town, another convoy is also making their way across the road, lead by Tolle and Milly. Like the rest, they run with heavy escorts, with fewer men at arms… but their convoy also included three Iron clad Battle Wagons with Igestellung Gatling gun totting, ready to blast at the first whisper of trouble.

Three caravans loaded with the most explosive of cargoes, run with a very heavy escort. The amount of firepower used to protect these caravans should be more than enough to discourage even the most insane and foolhardy of lowlifes from attacking.

But… well… in a city with all sorts of crazies like Shanghai… there are always more than enough desperate men to make an army with the right incentive… like how there's a rumor stating that said convoy was filled with Kage's so called personal effects that would fetch a very high price on a black market…

"WHOOOHOOO!" On cue, a swarm of thugs and gangsters suddenly poured down into the streets screaming murder, money and rape, among other things. Three convoys, all three were attacked.

However, Neil spotted the incoming attack miles away and his warning shot: a hail of destroyer spears quickly scared the shit out of the attackers before they even take another step.

Same story with Setsuna and Simca. Setsuna heard their footsteps even before the attackers even get a glance of the convoy and Simca's expectant snipers gave them a hail of warning shots as soon as they turn around the corner.

And yet it was Tolle's convoy who received the brunt of the attack. The massed thugs poured in through every nook and cranny into the streets, and among the attackers, Tolle recognized one of them. "Oh. You."

Yep. The thug chief who nearly killed him and Milly the other day.

Tolle slashed the first thug in his reach by the arm and then he immediately finished him off with a slash to the face. He immediately moved to the next target and stabbed him by the thigh. That brought the man down to his knees, allowing him to hack his head down the middle. However, this time, Tolle had learned his lesson and immediately back away instead of recklessly chasing the next target. Also, he kept his arms and stances close to his chest while putting his swords over critical body parts like chest and neck, he also aligned his sword in a diagonal angle, so he can quickly spin the sword to use its surface as a shield or use the sharp edge to slash around. This technique was taught to him by Kyle. A thug charged at him with a spear, Tolle dodged the spear stab to the side, and then he immediately dive back in, slicing the spear and stand right in front of the surprise thug before he stab him by the neck and then gut him. With the thug's dead body right in front of him, the long range enemies can't get a clear shot. But they take a shot anyway… imagine their surprise when the bullet grazed Tolle's steel shoulder armor and it bounced away harmlessly, it merely knock the boy slightly off balance and made him even angrier.

Armguards, heavy padded shoulder armor, heavy chest armor… the kid's a tank! Tolle growled and promptly target the shooter. Using the corpse as a shield, Tolle stand his ground, taking aim… and then he threw his Skygrasper and nailed a target. Everyone thinks he had thrown away his weapon… but then, a rope was pulled and the Skygrasper flew back to Tolle's hand. Yet another trick taught by the Shepards. Standing behind Tolle is Milly's long range support with amazingly accurate shots in a tightly knit formation. Tolle would concentrate on defense, protecting Milly while the archer concentrates on long range offense, sniping strategic targets, particularly, she's to snipe snipers.

The Thug chief gaped. Suddenly, the two children he nearly killed just a while ago becomes an even tougher target to take down. He immediately used an old tactic. He grabbed one of his squirming underlings and charged forward using him as a living shield.

"This again…" Milly grunted.

"This time we're ready." Tolle stabbed both swords to the ground and his hands rapidly made a series of handseals. "Doton, Doryuu ken! (Earth Flow Sword)" Tolle slammed his hand to the ground, and the earth suddenly snapped open, sending forward a stream of rampaging razor sharp earth chunks that sprang out of the ground, heading straight towards the mass of thugs, smashing the whole street apart.

"Are you fucking kidding me!?" The earth blast blow the mass of thugs away like ants.

"Payback's a bitch, ain't it!?" Tolle roared.

And then, the other soldiers also regained their bearings and immediately came to the two Shadowguards' aid.

"Lock your shields!" Tolle instructed. "Place the gun in between the openings of the conjoined shields! Shoot when they fell into your ironsights!"

The Soldiers clumsily do as instructed. They still haven't fully grasped the principles of disciplined firearms combat. But their enemies are naught but undisciplined thugs. A single salvo from a hastily formed firing line was more than enough to break them apart. When the first salvo ended, the soldiers are still struggling to handle the deafening noise that came from their rifle shot while the charging thugs were screaming in horror and pain.

Meanwhile, as Tolle and Milly oversee the forward attack, a sniper managed to sneak in on their rear. He carefully aimed his sniper at the back of Tolle's head… "Your head is mine…!"

BANG!

The shot grazed Tolle's shoulder guard instead. "?" He looked back… and saw that sniper blinked in confusion as to how can he miss from such a close range. Blood run down from his temple and then he realized he had been shot from the back. He turned around only to meet face to face with Shadow Raider's arm mounted twin wrist blades. The Kage copycat gutted the sniper by the throat and tossed his body to the ground, signing his arrival to Tolle.

"You!"

"Saber! Here to help!" Raider happily chirped and start firing at the thugs from his twin linked rifles as he charged forward across the roof.

Tolle gaped. It's him. The Copycat again, and he emptied his rifle to every thug heading his way, wasting many of them. But more are pouring in and after several more shots, his rifles ran out of bullet, and soon the Raider was surrounded.

Tolle grunted. He's too preoccupied with the front to help. "Raider!"

The Shadowguard copycat smirked beneath his mask, and suddenly aimed his crossbow and fired his grappling hook to a nearby higher position. "Later, losers!" The grappling rope pulled him up just as the thugs charged in for the kill… until they noticed the raiders had left behind a present: a lit dynamite handled dagger stabbed to the ground.

Mid swing, the Shadow Raider opened up his birdlike glider wings just as the explosion set off, the wings caught the shockwave and lift him higher. Using that, the Raider glided away and flew straight at the charging thugs. "Fire in a hole!" The Raider suddenly revealed another explosive tool: belts of dynamite daggers.

"DUCK!" Tolle immediately turned around and cover Milly while the other soldiers immediately ducked beneath their shields.

The dynamites rain down across the streets and a series of explosions followed, taking out many of the thugs as the Raider flew past them. Using the shockwave from the carpet bombing, the Raider glide above the inferno, circle around and finally landed back to a pole near the escort team. He looked in satisfaction at his handiwork. "Yeah! Take that! Booyah!"

Tolle however, was less than pleased. "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND!?" He screamed angrily at the bomber glider. "You almost blast us all to stone age!"

"Damn straight!" Milly also grumbled.

"Relax! I know what I'm doing! I aimed it perfectly so as to only hit the bad guys!" The Raider cheerfully replied.

"Good god…" Tolle gasped in near disbelief. It's the same as yesterday. This copycat seems to enjoy a great proclivity with explosives and pyrotechnics! Problem is… he seems to have little consideration as to who or what will be caught up in his explosions… either that or he just doesn't know. The Raider glided down and easily landed on the ground on his two feet. He pulled back the glider and folded it back to his backpack, becoming his cape.

"I heard you guys are escorting Kage's personal effects! I thought I can lend a hand!" The Raider cheerfully noted.

"Actually, it's arms and ammunition for the army!" Tolle immediately his pointed as he jerked his thumb at the carriages behind him. "If your aim is any bit off, you would've blown us ALL sky high! Just like yesterday!"

"Yesterday? Ah, that's right!" Suddenly, the Raider took a step back and his excited tone turned sincere and humble. He even bent his head down. "About yesterday… I'm truly sorry. Really. I truly am! I had no idea that Kage's elites were also targeting the meeting of the three triad bosses! I should've known better! How did it go?"

"It didn't work." Tolle answered. "The three are still alive and kickin', and you nearly killed Kage's brother to boot!"

"W… WHAT!?" The Raider's eyes visibly widened in shock. "Kage… has a brother… he's in there!? Did the Triad capture him or something?"

"Yes! We were trying to stop you last night because we were trying to rescue him!"

"Oh… my… god… I… If I had known I…" The Raider become somewhat dejected and bent his head down in regret. "Is… is he okay now?"

"Okay shit." Tolle growled. "But seriously… please. Your help has done more trouble than good!"

"…I… I'm sorry." The remorseful Raider aimed his grappling hook, take his shot, and then pulled himself up before he start jumping across the roof, immediately leaving the infernal battlefield.

"Don't you think you're a bit too harsh?" Milly commented. "He means well… though he didn't do well about it."

"Hrmm… he nearly killed us both." Tolle groaned.

"We nearly killed ourselves many times when we started this Shadowguard deal." Milly noted… and then she had an epiphany. "I guess this is exactly how Kira feels every time he saw us in battle."

"…" Tolle was also getting that epiphany, and thus he couldn't argue with that.

00000000000000

Meanwhile, the other two shipments of arms and ammunition have arrived, Tolle's caravan arrived last.

"This is called the Mobius Battle Wagons." Simca happily explained the 7th newest hardware acquisitions. "Very versatile and the pride of the Regulars' land forces. 4 Igestellung M60 Gatling gun to cover four directions. Or, if needs be, the modular chassis easily allow the Gatling cannons to be moved from one side to another, providing a focused broadside of Gatling guns. You can replace the guns with any other equipment. For example, you can replace the Gatling gun with flamethrowers, heavy shotgun, or even rocket launchers… or, replace two Gatling guns with a single Gottfried Cannon turret." But… as Simca studied the condition, she noted the Wagons have some battle scars from explosives. "But what happened to it?

Kage easily guessed. "Him again?" The captain shrugged when Tolle nodded. "But you did get to the drop off point, yes?"

"Yes we did… but…" Tolle said exasperatedly. "You gotta talk to him, Kage. His enthusiasm is hazardous! To everyone! Even… himself… eventually."

"I will… but not now."

"What?"

"I have other… things I have to attend to." Kage hold on to a certain white cased kodachi tightly. "This one… can't wait."

Tolle suddenly noticed that Kage seem utterly preoccupied with the kodachi in his hand. Kage shrugged and looked at Canard and the Juppongatanas. He handed a paper filled with his written instructions to everyone. "Anyway… I'll sort out this matter with the Yakuzas… and for that, I have to make some preparations. You guys… continue with the weapon delivery. I wrote some instructions there. Canard, I'll leave it to you."

"Roger."

00000000000000

"What the fuck is this!?" The Thug chief survived the bombardment to lodge his complaint to his intel. "You told me it's a milkrun! You never told me about that crazy bomber-"

BANG!

The thug chief's ranting was cut short once Orga unloaded a bullet to his forehead. "What is this? Our intel indicates that Kage only has three Shadowguards under his employ… who is this fourth one?"

"Well, Kage may have expanded the membership of his elites. It's not uncommon in war." Corner calmly sipped his tea.

"That's not the impression I get. I had a feeling this one is fighting on his own. No semblance of unity with the other two at all." The third figure remained in the dark. But judging by his Axe Gangster escorts, it was clear who he was affiliated with.

"A loose cannon eh? There's always one in every army." Corner rubbed his lips, chuckling, remembering his time in the army. "Still, that also makes him a wild card. Quite a danger to the overall plan, no?"

"Hardly." The third figure argued. "A loose cannon is nothing but a wild dog. Easily dealt with. At any rate… now we know where the weak link is. We will capitalize on that. Understand that, Trooper?"

"Roger." Orga groaned.

00000000000000

The next day, as instructed by Kage, the escort teams take a different travel route than yesterday, with multiple checkpoints. What's more, the travel routes now incorporate multiple seemingly randomly decided turns and even feints. Kage set their itinerary not only by measuring the most efficient route, he also incorporated factors such as road density, busy hour timing, traffic flow, even working hours and break time… The Bad guys had difficulty of anticipating their route and setting a trap or ambush, and that was just putting it kindly.

For one second they looked like they're about to take a certain route, but no, they take a turn on the previous intersection. They chased the caravan to an empty street, and suddenly, as if pre-planned, a horde of people just showed up out of nowhere and the empty street was filled to the brim with people in a blink of an eye and the caravan is lost in the ocean of suddenly emerging people. "What the hell!?" The frustrated gangsters looked around a fleet of caravan. They chased 6 carriages here, and suddenly a whole bunch of carriages just showed up, and now it's like looking for needles in a haystack. "FUUUUUUCK!"

"Did you ever wonder how our captain managed to do all this in his head?" Neil gloated in satisfaction as he and his team of escorts arrived safe and sound on Archangel's magazine.

"No…" Prayer smiled wide. Unlike yesterday, they managed to get here without firing a shot. "I tried to ask but somehow I expected it'll be difficult for him to answer. Even more difficult for us to understand. But… until we can… let's just enjoy the fact we are benefiting and learning from his genius."

"Yeah… sure." Tolle chuckled. But… somewhere in his heart… he began to feel… something… is overwhelming.

00000000000000

Shanghai suddenly trembled in fear. 2 days ago, the dark captain of the 7th division was a limping and sickly, juicy target for bounty hunters and killers alike… Today, he walked calm and tall, draped in his signature tattered black coat, with minimal escorts right in broad daylight: Toudou, the Shiseiken, Taka, and there's Li Xingke and Zanza the brawler. But… it was clear now he barely needs protection. Every blood thirsty killers, armed to teeth headhunter and cold blooded murderer who tried their chances with the captain yesterday suddenly have second thoughts. The sickly captain was enveloped in this… dark and murderous as well as imperious aura. No one dared to get close to him, and in fact, the worst thing any assassin can do was to glare at him murderously from a safe distance… and also when they're absolutely sure that Kage won't suddenly turned their way. Kage made his way to the gates that lead to the Kabuki palace like he was in a no man's land.

The Yakuza gangsters saw him coming from miles away, one immediately scurry back into the gate, no doubt to inform their master of his arrival. They do so with as much haste as possible, as if not wanting the human demon to wait when he arrived at their gates. Fortunately for them, Kenji immediately joined them to welcome the Captain moments before the captain's arrival. Kenji looked meaningfully at Kage.

The Black clothed Captain raised the kodachi. "Captain Kage." Kenji bowed his head down. "We've been expecting you. Please, this way."

Kage nodded without a word.

Kenji brought Kage and his entourage deep into the Palace. Inside, Kage saw how the Palace was quite massive. There are parts of the building which still have construction work in it, and yet there's no sign of progression. The building was not finished and it seems the Yakuza intended for it to remain unfinished. However, the parts that are finished were used effectively. It's part Brothel, part restaurant, part black market… but a heavily armed fortress through and through. Everywhere he looked, he saw at least a dozen armed gangsters. Cannons of every make and caliber protruded here and there behind well fortified walls. And they weren't just littering around, they were strategically placed on critical spot, allowing them to defend their base of operation with impunity against any attack.

Yet despite all this firepower, none dare to direct so much as a hostile glance at the dark captain any longer than 5 seconds. In fact, if anything, as soon as Kage placed one foot in the floors of the Palace, all activity seems to have stopped.

Kenji led them to a pulley elevator. "Please."

As soon as everyone went inside, Kenji nodded to the elevator's operator, and the operator nodded in response. He signaled the other thug in the distance and he pulled a hidden lever. Suddenly, the floor beneath the elevator opened up. And the elevator starts descending down deep underground.

"Underground huh?"

"Well… not really." Kenji stated. Not long after, the elevator stopped, and the entourage do some more walking. They soon reached the end of the tunnel, where a carriage was waiting for them

Kage, Xingke, Toudou and the others were indifferent… but a rather nervous Sano has some issues.

"Ah well, this is as far as I go. See you la-" But before he can leave, he felt a sharp nudge at his back. One of the gentlemen is pointing a katana, threatening him at blade edge. "Oh come on…"

"I'm sorry uncle Sano… but you're also 'invited'." Kenji shrugged. "It should be obvious given the fact we let you come this far."

"Really? You're gonna use force to get to me?" Sano smirked. "You realize I can whoop your ass six ways to Sunday?"

"Not just me." Kenji shrugged.

"Sorry dad."

That voice shocked Sano like nothing else. He looked back and lo and behold… his son is pointing a shotgun at his back. "Sousuke!? What…!?"

"I'm truly sorry dad." Sagara Sousuke, in a tone that completely contrasted his father's laidback and wild voice, responded firmly. "But there's a warrant for your arrest for all the riots you've caused… and not to mention a formal complaint from a ranking officer regarding a serious case of army fund embezzlement."

"Army fund embezzlement!? Who reported on me!?"

"I did."

Sano looked only to see the whistleblower, Kage, blew a well prepared tranquilizing dart at his chest.

"Kage!?" Sano roared in disbelief as he plucked out the tranquilizer dart that instantly sent him to his knees like a champ. He still have a few seconds of consciousness left to receive the explanation for Kage's 'betrayal'.

"You reap what you sow really." The explanation was given when Kage pulled out the bills that came from all the complaining restaurants that Sano had eat and run'ed. "And I'm so not going to pay for this. Really."

And at that, Sano fell flat on his face as the drug knocked him out for good, frothing and gasping… also vomiting.

"Alright, make sure he doesn't choke on his own vomit." Just the same, Kage helped Sousuke as he helped his father up.

Sagara Sousuke immediately restrained his father and put him in another carriage. He then turned and formally saluted a superior officer, Kage. "Sir, On behalf of my father, I truly apologize, sir!"

"And you are…?"

"Sir, Sergeant Sagara Sousuke of the 11th Marine division, Arbalest Squadron, Mythril Fleet, sir!" The Sergeant introduced himself.

Kage could only stare in disbelief at the manner in which Sousuke carries himself.

The similarity between father and son is merely on the physical appearance. Sousuke inherited his father's spiky hair, albeit shorter and of different color, seeing his was black and Sanosuke was dark brown. He did inherit his father's eyes. And that's the end of the similarity.

Unlike Sanosuke's wild appearance and behavior, Sousuke is tidily dressed in his black Kevlar jacket as well as standard trooper attire. Apart from a small cross scar on his left cheek, unlike other sergeants he had seen so far that carries customized equipment, there's nothing fancy or different in Sousuke's appearance, with all his weapons are of standard issue. What's more, Sousuke's disciplined and formal behavior towards a superior officer speaks volumes of how different he is with his father. Like night and day.

"C… Carry on soldier." Kage was a bit taken back. But Sousuke's presence suddenly spoke volumes of the gravity of the situation. If the Navy was involved somehow, then the ones he's about to meet is more than just a bunch of Yakuza bosses.

But then a gentleman welcomes them with a smile. "I'm sorry sir?" He stated as soon as he came face to face with Kage.

"Hm?"

The gentleman showed a black bag.

"Hrmph…" Thus, Kage and the others reluctantly put the black bag over his head and silently entered the first carriage at the front. Sousuke and his men boarded the second carriage at the back, together with his unconscious, and vomiting, father, as well as Li Xingke.

Once everyone is aboard, Kage and the entourage went into a very uncomfortable journey in the dark.

The journey seemingly went swiftly… until the blindfolded occupants suddenly felt their carriage slowed down to a halt, while they can hear the other carriage moved on, leaving them behind.

Kage took a whiff of something… fishy… White smoke start to burst out from hidden holes. Sleeping gas!

A tad bit too late, everyone aboard that carriage fell asleep in a matter of seconds.

After an indeterminate amount of time, they woke up again, they're still in that carriage, but they can feel that they were bound tight. In fact, it would seems Kage woke up earlier than expected, startling Kenji who was tying him. "You…" He can barely make out Kenji's red hair through his black bag.

"I'm sorry Mr. Kage. But this is the only way you can meet my master." Kenji's voice flowed. "As a prisoner."

"Yeah. Sure… thought as much." He glared angrily at Kenji.

And for a moment, Kenji was tempted to undo his mask… but that would mean he had to remove Kage's black bag… The reason for the black bag is that, Kage's reputation for his terrifying prowess precedes him. And they just can't risk the captain to backtrack to their masters in case the negotiation went sour. Tying him up like this… now that's a step to sour.

00000000000000

With the morning shipment a success, the afternoon shipment was expected to also be a simple milkrun. Kage also didn't give any funny instructions in his itinerary. Just his usual well thought and ingeniously planned travel plan. However, he does make a special note of caution. After this morning's success, Kage suspected that the opposition will be fed up with the constant failure, and they will attempt something rather… desperate. In anticipation, all teams are to double their security and vigilance. In particular, seeing that there are only a few caches remaining, he gave written instruction to double the guards on each cache.

Following that instruction, Canard had sent Bushido to help Simca's squad in guarding one of the caches early this morning. Simca and Setsuna now head there to empty that cache and therefore relieve them of their duties.

Imagine their horror when they get there, all they found was ruin and inferno. The cache has been blasted apart, and many of Simca's squad members have been brutally murdered. Some she found to her horror, were displayed for everyone to see, hacked apart and even planted with many axes. "Axe gang." Simca noted the familiarity of their MO. "Extreme violence. This is their signature."

"This is brutal…" Setsuna's nose wrinkled as the heavy smell of blood and gore assault his senses, amidst the smell of flame and gunpowder. "This happened recently. Wait… someone is still alive. It's Bushido!" Setsuna caught the faint sound of the masked man's heartbeat. Judging by how weak it is, he's wounded… badly.

Soon, Simca and her squadron had found Bushido. The poor man was buried under the rubble, halfway to death.

"What happened, Mr. Bushido? Did the Axe Gang attacked?"

"They did." Bushido choked as he lay weakly on the stretcher. "But they did not come alone… they were… lead… by Kage."

"WHAT?" Setsuna and Simca were clearly in disbelief. "That's impossible!" Simca shrieked. "Kage honey will never do this!"

"This one… believes you…" Bushido sighed. "But one of the girls… welcomed him… they didn't recognize him… not until they brought the impostor before this one… and that is when he removed his duplicity and attacked us…"

Setsuna frowned. "Saber Shadowguard spoke of a copycat with predilection for aerial combats and explosives… could this be… him?"

"This one read the reports too… it doesn't match… the description… this copycat shows incredible skill… with a sword… as well as… a strong affiliation… with the axe gang." Bushido choked. "The axe gang… obeys him… and… and…"

"I get it." Simca had her answer as she produced a black axe. "These black axes… they are used by the Axe Gang elites, the Dark Axes. Personal guards of Master Bull. They answer only to him." Simca nodded. Bushido had told him everything he could. Now he needs medical attention. "Take him to the infirmary."

Setsuna frowned. "So it finally happened. Someone is making use of our Captain's identity… and in the worst way possible."

At any rate, they've lost this cache. Now, how should they save the other caches?

00000000000000

Finally, the carriage arrived at its destination, and the occupants were dragged out and the black bag removed. The other carriage had arrived before them. Likewise, Sousuke had also given his prisoner, still partially paralyzed with smears of vomit on his face, to a beautiful woman in purple, with a very lengthy straight hair, color matching that of Sousuke. As it stands, the woman is in the process of giving Sanosuke a new meaning of getting domestic.

"Meg-" Sanosuke barely spoke; his wife smashed his face with a medical box. Again ("Sorry!") and again ("Mercy!") and again ("Heaaalp!") until he's a shitstain on the floor. Kage somehow found the scene strangely familiar.

Leaving his father safe and secure at the mercy of his very angry wife, Sousuke joined Kenji and escorted Kage and his team inside. Unlike the limping Kage, Sousuke and his men struggled somewhat as the other captives won't stop struggling and mumbling. But nothing they can't handle. Passing through the gate, they arrived at a very large and pristine Japanese style manor. The escorts dragged them until they arrived at the center room. Inside, there are multitudes of people, sitting atop a series of podiums, covered with dark curtains, so everyone can't see their faces. The one stand at the end of the room sat at the largest and the most intricate podium also covered by a black curtain, obvious, the lord and master of this house and the head of the meeting. Standing beside the podium, is Li Xingke.

"Master, I have brought them here." Kenji bowed before his master.

All eyes turned to the bound masked man.

"So… it is you?" The man at the center podium wasted no time with the pleasantries. "The bastard who dares to flaunt around the name Kage?"

Kage winced… but he didn't say a word.

"I don't think you understand the significance of the name you're using so haphazardly. Kage is a national hero in the nation of Orb. Your actions are besmirching an illustrious name with a long history synonymous with honor and bravery!"

And still Kage didn't say a word.

And the man at the center is swiftly running out of his patience. "Don't you have anything to say for yourself!?"

Kage merely tilted his head.

The other participants of the meeting growled in anger at this fake Kage's impudence. Finally, the man at the center delivered the verdict. "So be it. You there, Sagara Sousuke is it? Remove his mask."

"Sir, yes, sir." Sousuke knelt down and looked at Kage's despondent stare. "Sir, sorry, sir." Sousuke finally removed the dark captain's mask… but as soon as he removed that dark piece of cloth… "Ergh? Kenji!?"

Beneath the mask was a very unconscious and bruised Himura Kenji, his mouth plastered shut.

Everyone in the room was clearly shocked at this unexpected revelation. "W… Wait… but… Kenji brought them here…" the realization came too late, by the time they were looking for the 'Kenji' that brought the captives here, they found that 'Kenji' had already unsheathed his sword and pointed it at the man at the main podium.

And yet, while everyone in the room went into panic, the hostage hardly felt any sort of intimidation. "…you…" The man frowned in realization.

Kenji smiled… and then slowly, his skin peeled off into smoke, revealing the masked man underneath as he removed the Henge no Jutsu, wearing Kenji's stolen and obviously, somewhat undersized attire.

"May I ask… how exactly did you pull it off?"

"You're a smart man." Kage shrugged. "Why don't you go figure it out?"

The man pondered for a moment… and then he pieced it together. "Oh I see… your third bodyguard… Lancer!"

Flashback…

Just as Kenji finished tying Kage up and left him in that gassed out carriage, he heard a whistling sound… of something coming at a very high speed from above. He looked up… and saw Lancer Shadowguard falling from the sky and landed right on top of him, leg first, instantly knocking him unconscious.

With their top fighter beaten down in an instant, the other caught off-guard entourages were easy pickings for the anti demon and super humanly strong Zoan knight in disguise. Once the last escort was knocked unconscious, Gino untied his sensei and then Kage. "Now what?" Gino asked.

"Get changed." Kage answered short.

Flashback ends…

"I see…" The man nodded in understanding as one by one, the 'escorts' undo their disguises and revealing to everyone that the captors and captives had switched places. With Toudou, the Shiseiken and Gino shrugged as they undo the disguise on their beaten down and moaning captives, the people who had escorted them here, Kenji's subordinates. "Impressive… You're no slouch after all."

"And you're slipping old man. Not good. A man in your position can't afford to take any risk… right? Head of the Kirihara Foundation… Mr. Kirihara Taizo?" As Kage said this, he swing his sword and cut the curtain off, revealing the man's elderly visage to everyone.

This time, Kirihara Taizo's eyes widened. "You…!? How did you know…?"

"I didn't." Kage laughed lightheartedly. "At least… not until I get to hear your voice. Yesterday I sent Toudou and the Shiseiken to investigate who the master really is… they don't get much… but they did get their hands on pieces and clues as to what the Yakuza really are." Kage smiled as he playfully held the white kodachi in his hand. "But this thing you gave me really screams it doesn't it? Gentlemen from the 105th squadron?" Kage gleefully looked at all these assembled Yakuza bosses before him. All of them were probably senior members of that squadron. They all looked at him angrily. "Self exiled Samurais, hiding yourself from the sights of the Alliance by swallowing your pride and degenerate yourself to lowlifes as a form of loyalty to your country. Admirable. Really."

The Samurais in that room are just a breath away from leaping forward and lop this impostor's head. Now if only he just remove that damn blade from their lord's neck by an inch…

"That's how I kinda anticipated that we won't be getting any VVIP treatment." Kage glumly stated. If he's to be welcomed by Samurais, it would be a welcome full of hate and anger, just as he had suspected. "…but… is it wrong for me to ask for some civil conversation?"

"You talk of civil talk, yet you would threaten an old man at blade's edge." Kirihara replied.

"This comes from the person who gassed someone you invited for a 'civil' talk in the first place. Seriously?" Kage shook his head. "If your way of treating your guest is any indication of your standards, I'd consider that a compliment."

Kirihara merely glared at Kage without saying a word. Likewise, Kage returned the glare, and it seems their willpowers are butting heads with one another. But then, Kage ended the intensity with a chuckle. "Really. If you want to know who I am… you only need to ask." Kirihara's eyes widened in curiosity as Kage removed the blade from his neck. The Samurais immediately rushed for the kill, but Kirihara stopped them.

"Wait!" Kirihara raised his hand, and they all stopped mid run. The elderly man looked at Kage's eyes. Unlike the cold ruthless eyes from before, his eyes seem to have warmed a great deal. "You're saying… you will show me your face?"

"To you… and you only. After that… do what you want, I won't try to stop you."

Kirihara was greatly intrigued. He motioned his retinue to back away and for Kage to get closer. He also gave Xingke a look, telling him to move away. Xingke was initially somewhat reluctant… but the thought that Kage had such a trust with one of the prominent member of the Logos intrigues him. And so he respectfully back away, waiting and watching with great interest how this will unfold.

Kira calmly climbed the podium and knelt in front of the sitting Kirihara and then unmasked right in front of him. Kirihara's eyes widened in surprise of the impostor's youthfulness… and then he narrowed his eyes, catching something… kinda familiar… and then he remembered. 8 years ago. 8 years ago, to repay an old favor, he financed a near suicidal extraction operation from Terminal… from that operation, the Yamatos managed to pull out a single traumatic and broken child from the sewers of Terminal with the life expectancy no longer than a year… that broken boy who was as good as dead now stood before him, alive and all grown up. "…you…! You're that… it was you!?"

"I wasn't aware of it then… and quite frankly, once I figured out who you are, I was afraid I never get the chance to say thank you, Kirihara-sama." Kage knelt down and bowed his head in gratitude before his other benefactor.

Kirihara's eyes widened in disbelief. "…I didn't even give that operation much of a thought… helping them was a whim. Nothing more!"

"Just the same… if it weren't for that whim… I won't be standing here today."

Kirihara looked at the boy, frowned in deep contemplation, and eventual understanding… and finally, he ended it with a chuckle… which immediately escalates to a full blown laughter at the wonders and irony of the situation before him. "Hahahahaha! …I don't believe this… that broken and shattered boy succeeded my old friend's post? Hahaha! Hahahahahahaha!"

Everyone, including Toudou, Xingke and the other Yakuza Boss grew curious and bewildered at the situation. Their master's gloom and angry atmosphere was gone. Instead, now there's amusement and surprise in the echoes of his laughter. The laughter continues a little more and Kirihara finally looked at Kage with a friendly smile and pat him reassuringly on his shoulder. "Put your mask back on. Your secret is safe with me."

"Thank you." Kira nodded as he once again assumed his disguise.

"I see now why you put on that mask… the question is… why did you have to bring Kage into this?"

"It's a long story." Kage shrugged. "But if I am to surmise it, it's an out of control inconvenience." The masked captain explained short. "An inconvenience which consequences I'm well prepared to bear."

Kirihara nodded, noting the determination in Kage's eyes. "That's just fine. I'm not here to arrest you either." The bald elderly man was more relaxed than before. "I wanted to see who you really are underneath that mask… and I wanted to know what you were going to do." Kirihara chuckled sinisterly, as he can easily identify the bloodlust and the thirst for revenge burgeoning beneath Kira's calm and stiff purple eyes. "But now I know that is no longer necessary. I already have my answers." Kirihara looked at Xingke. "Xingke-dono… you stay at Kage's side to assess his loyalty and commitment yes? Tell your superior this… I gave my word for it. He will not stop until Zaft is dust."

"…yes." Xing Ke blinked in awe. An endorsement from a Logos member will go a long way…

Kira smirked beneath his mask.

Kirihara then turned to the still tied and gagged Kenji, who had regained consciousness, and as angry as hell. "Release him?" Kage motioned to Toudou, and he cut the fuming boy loose. As soon as Kenji got back on his feet, Kirihara spoke. "Kenji, I hereby reinstating the 105th squadron. And I'm assigning you under Kage's command, effective immediately."

"WHAT!?" Obviously, the boy was less than pleased as he angrily looked at the impostor shinobi. "WHY!?"

"And why not?" Kirihara chuckled. "Enough with the trouble making and the yakuza thing. Let Kage make use of the excess strength of those gangsters. Maybe they'll accomplish some good in the end." He looked at Kage and explained. "The 105th formed the core foundation of the Yakuza. The Squadron recruited many gangsters and lowlife from the streets that show some promise and make a militia out of them. In short… control the 105th… and you control the Yakuza."

"Assuming I would even want to follow you!" Kenji protested. Like he would lower himself to serve under some copycat.

"Not even when I gave you an order?" Kirihara chuckled. "An order from a Logos minister?"

"With respect sir… shove it up your ass." Kenji snapped.

At that point, Kage snorted rather loudly as he shook his head, much to Kenji's further irritation. "I like him." Kirihara smiled solemnly, as if expecting this. Kage began approaching the boy. "So what do you want me to do to prove myself to you?"

"…" Kenji looked at Kage heatedly… Thanks to this fiasco, the shame on his ego was almost unbearable: to be captured, hogtied like some game, and then his likeness used for such trickery… worse, this was done right in front of his lord and master, and also before the eyes of the entire board of leaders of the 105th. He looked angrily at Gino, the Lancer shadowguard that beat him down… no… he won't accept it. That was a fluke. There's no way he can be beaten like that… and there's only one way to make sure. "I challenge you, Captain Kage!"

"Challenge game? You do realize what that means right?" The challenged party has the right to decide the first rule of engagement; he can decide what kind of challenge they'll be having.

"Yes." Kenji glared fiercely in opposition. If he can defeat the leader of the Shadows, then his honor is redeemed. "If I win, I won't have to answer to you or anyone! If you win… you can do whatever you want! Winner takes all!"

"Okay." Kage nodded. "In that case, it'll be a duel. One on one." Kage looked back at Kirihara. "Kirihara-sama, it would honor me, if you're willing to be the judge."

"Gladly. But are you sure?" Kirihara asked as he gestured at the board of leaders of the 105th. "The 105th is composed of almost entirely of swordsman. Just as there are plenty of martial arts in China, each swordsman in the 105th are learned in various schools of sword styles, all of them are pretty strong. And the board of leaders you see before you are Shihandais (AN: primary instructor, second to grandmaster) of each school. And yet… of all these schools, Hitten Mitsusurgi Ryuu reign absolute and unchallenged. Leadership of the 105th is based not on age or lineage, it's based on skills. Modestly speaking, schooled in the Hitten Mitsurugi Ryuu, Kenji is the greatest swordsman of the squad."

"That's just perfect." Kage throw Kenji's borrowed katana back to its owner as he unsheathed his own. He also returned Kenji's Yukata that he appropriated earlier for his disguise. "Which means no one will have a problem with me taking charge if I can beat their best fair and square, yes?" Kage looked at the board of leaders. And they all firmly nodded, and some even looked apprehensively at Kenji.

Kenji's face turned red in anger and shame as he clearly took offense to that comment. That and the fact Kage returned the clothes, HIS clothes which the captain used to infiltrate the base. That's like he was pawn in his schemes, albeit an unwilling one. It's humiliating. The glares from the assembled Shihandais seem to scream that this is his last chance to redeem himself. He rudely snatched back his Yukata and also threw Kage back his coat.

"So be it then." Kirihara nodded. "My rule is simple. Kage, you must relinquish your Hanzou blade." Kirihara stated. "For it to be a fair fight, your weapon must be of equal quality."

"Agreed." Kage nodded and tossed Shiki to Toudou. One of the Yakuza gave Kage a normal Katana. Kage pulled it out and checked it for any faults and cracks, giving it a few swings to test its weight. It was surprisingly lighter than Shiki. Satisfied that everything is in order, Kage nodded to Kirihara.

Kirihara stated further rules: "In the case of which your sword is broken in the middle of the match, you're allowed to replace your sword three times. After which, you're to fight with whatever you have left. Kenji, by way of the Challenge game, you're entitled to set your own rule."

"I don't need to set any rules!" He declared. "My swordskill is all I need!"

"Suit yourself." Kage chuckled.

Now that the two fighters are properly dressed and armed, the match earnestly began with a handswipe from Kirihara. "HAJIME!"

Kenji immediately went into battle stance, with both of his hands firmly holding to his katana, his feet firmly planted on the ground. In contrast, Kage merely stood calm and composed, with his katana held in right hand rather loosely, and his other hand is just being left hung uselessly. To outside onlookers, the Shinobi's stance looked off focus and sloppy, full of openings in comparison to the more imposing and disciplined Kenji.

And yet, none of them make a move. Or to be more precise… Kage was waiting for Kenji to make the first move… a move the boy cannot make. 'W… What is this!?' Kenji's eyes widened. He observed Kage's laid back form, full of opening… and yet… 'This… looseness… he's not even in a proper stance… and yet why do I feel such thick substance in his form?' And then he caught it: his eyes. His purple eyes were glaring at him, straining, studying every inch of him, as if they are swallowing him whole. Kage didn't even bother physically protecting himself; the sheer pressure from his all encompassing glare was more than enough shield.

"What an amateur!" Kenji's ears caught a whisper from one of the Shihandais. "Look at that Kage… holding a Japanese sword with one hand… he won't be able to cut deep with one hand slash!"

True. Japanese swords are properly wielded with two hands, because they were made almost specifically for slashing. A bit different with the western sword which often used for stabbing. Seeing Kage loosely wielding his Katana with one hand like that, it's like screaming an invitation for his opponent to just charge in and break through his defense. Kenji gripped his katana tight. Fine. He'll accept that challenge. The boy suddenly blurred and charged straight from the front, sword raised up above his head for a powerful overhead slash. Moments before the blade reached, Kage's loose grip on the Katana suddenly tightened.

CLANG!

Kenji stared eyes wide at the stump on his blade.

Kage met his overhead vertical slash head on, with a single hand upward slash, and the slash cut through his katana mid swing.

The broken piece of the sword flew across the room and landed on the floor inbetween the two fighters. Kenji grunted and immediately backed away. He looked at his broken sword in shock. 'His one hand sword slash can snap steel!? What arm strength!'

"Hoe?" Kage blinked in surprise upon seeing the sword snapped clean. Apparently he didn't expect that to happen. "I could've sworn I was trying to block your sword, not cut it in half…"

"Anoo… Kage?" Toudou replied. "Need I remind you, you're not wearing your weight suit?"

Kage blinked in amusement. "My weight suit." Just to be sure, he checked his armguard, his leg-guard, his vest… no chunks of weighing iron in there… and his coat are all cloth, no chain mail. "Oh… right… Hikari confiscated it…" Seeing that today he's using his still somewhat injured real body instead of a doppelganger, Hikari does made it a point that he must not restrain his body by carrying too much weight. If he removed all his weight suits, he can walk just fine without limping… but… now he had to be careful and control his strength. "No wonder everything felt so light…"

"Weight suit?" Kenji gaped as he looked at Toudou.

"Kage often wears a weight suit that is five times his own weight to the point he no longer realized he's wearing it." Toudou shrugged. "This is the first time in a long while he took it off. Be very careful, young master Himura… you might die…"

With a newly added dose of fear and caution, Kenji turned his frowning glaring eyes back to Kage, who now seem to have taken to fiddling with his gripping of the katana. "Hmmm… let's see… it was like this? No… more like… this?"

One of Kenji's subordinates immediately gave him a new katana. Kenji readied himself again. That first strike was a test after all. The way Kage gripped his sword, the way he swings it… that one stroke spoke volumes. He was not schooled in any sword art. His slash was definitely strong… but it was amateurish and no style whatsoever, only power. That being said… that power was skillfully concentrated on a single point. He definitely has talent. Nothing short of a combat genius. No big deal. Kenji is also a genius in his own right. 'I can do this…' His confidence regained, Kenji steadied his stance and calmed his breathing.

This time, it was Kage who charged as he swept down the floor before rising up and sent a one hand overhead slash at Kenji's head. Kenji blocked the descending sword with both hands, but rather than defying the strike with force, he angled his blade, causing the enemy's katana to slide away to his side. Kage was caught slightly off balance and his body flailed forward past Kenji, his back wide open. 'I got you now!'

Kage hold his blade on the right hand, and Kenji is standing on the rear left arm side of his body. The part that is virtually unarmed. In order to block the next attack, Kage would have to turn his whole body around in order for his armed right hand to block. That's a lot of movements, during which, any attack can easily came in. Kenji wasted no time and sent a full powered horizontal slash to his back. If he tries to block this with his left bare hands, his sword will cut it off!

CLANG!

To his surprise, that attack was blocked. Kage only slightly shifted his left shoulder and blocked the blade with another blade protruding from his bleeding left hand. 'What!?' To be precise, the blade is the other half of his first katana that Kage had snapped. He grabbed it from the floor when he swooped down earlier and now he's using it as a shield, holding the raw blade with his bare hand. Grunting, Kage swing the naked blade, pushing Kenji back. Kenji was startled but kept his calm as he readied his stance. The enemy has two weapons now. And with each arm holding the same power, Kage would mostly likely attempt to overwhelm him with a flurry of strikes…

NOT. In another shocking move, Kage tossed the broken half of the sword towards the opponent, and while Kenji is still wondering what's going on, Kage directed a pinpoint kick right at the butt of the naked blade, accelerating it straight at Kenji at blurring speed. Kenji clearly did not expect this move and instinctively raised his sword to block the attack. 'Wh… what kind of fighting style is…' Kenji looked back at his opponent and to his horror, he's right in front of him, his form filled his vision.

'He's going to strike me again just like before… then I'll… huh?' At the last most critical moment, Kenji noticed an alarming sight: Kage was holding his sword with two hands over his head. 'Huh!?' The two hands blurred, and Kenji barely managed to block. The deafening ringing of the two swords colliding masked the sound of cracks. Kenji was pushed back, and a small part if his sword was chipped, as do Kage's.

Kenji quickly recovered and looked at Kage in disbelief. 'That just now… was a perfect two hand katana slash!' And for a moment, doubt wormed its way to Kenji's heart. 'Was I wrong? Could it be that Kage was not entirely unschooled after all?' Kenji is now under the allusion that Kage is attacking him using some unknown school of sword art.

"Uh? No… not like that… more… like this?" Kage once again began fiddling with his grip. And then it hit Kenji like a brick. Kage is studying him! He's learning how to wield a katana properly by watching him!

"You…" Kenji gulped, as he finally understood. "You really had never been taught by anyone in any school? At all!?"

"I wouldn't say I'm entirely unschooled…" Kage chuckled. "It's just that… all my teachers are not Katana users like you… and I've never faced anyone who used a proper katana… I'm used to fighting Knights and all… The closest thing I ever get was with Veia, and even then, he's still using a broadsword to complement his nodachi attacks."

"Fighting? Then…"

"Battlefield is my dojo." Kage smirked. "My enemies are my teachers. Bound to me by respect… and hate."

"Urkh…" An unnerved Kenji gritted his teeth. He steadied his stance again, and like a mirror, Kage copied his stance. "HRAAAAHH!" Kenji started with a charge and Kage silently respond in kind. Kenji swing his sword, and Kage retaliate by swinging his sword, in an identical fashion with that of Kenji's. Their swords clashed, and Kenji was easily thrown back. Kage controlled his strength this time, but he was obviously the stronger of the two, being bigger than his younger opponent. Kenji roared and aimed his slash to Kage's head, but Kage immediately blocked the slash, and before Kenji can do anything, Kage's foot found its way to his chest, kicking/pushing him back. Kenji fell on his back, chest completely open for the killing blow, but Kage didn't continue. Instead, he calmed himself and remained on standby. Kenji didn't waste this chance and immediately get back on his feet. He looked at Kage, and his eyes remained fixed on Kenji's entirety even as he lay on the floor.

Kenji kept holding on to his sword, but his fingers are trembling with pain, and his katana was chipped here and there. Likewise, Kage's katana was also chipped. But unlike Kenji, his grip remained constant. Kage make note to further reduce his strength. All this time fighting enemies vastly stronger than him, this is probably the first time he fought someone who is actually… physically weaker than him. Had to be very careful not to accidentally kill the boy! But still… the boy's technique is sublime in comparison to Kage's copycat style.

"Kinda one sided isn't it?" Toudou jerked in surprise as he turned around and saw a youthful man nearing his thirties with black spiky hair, wearing a black yukata and white trousers is standing right behind him. Curiously, he's carrying wooden sword on his waist, and a normal katana. "Judging by the state of their kenki… it's kinda obvious who is more superior… one trying to raise it as high as possible… the other is trying to suppress it as low as possible." The man commented calmly.

Toudou gaped. He never thought anyone could blindside him like that… approaching him from behind without him noticing it until he get that close.

The man smiled in approval seeing Kenji struggled so. "Anyway… this is quite an interesting sight. That kid is too arrogant for his own good…"

Kenji heaved and gasped as he held his sword tight before him. At first, Kage also assumed the same position, but then, he began to take his own stance. That is… his one handed sword style. Kage had absorbed all that he needs from Kenji and know how to adapt it to his own. He knows just how strong Kenji is… and how strong he should be. One thing that hasn't changed is that his near unblinking eyes remained fixed on Kenji, paying attention to everything he does. And it unnerved the hell out of the boy. "You know…" Kenji nearly jumped in horror when Kage break the tension as he spoke calmly. "I'm kinda glad we do this. Truly. Now I have a chance to return the favor for what you've done to my Shadowguards."

"Oh, really?" Kenji groaned. "Okay… why don't you try!?" Kenji roared and dashed forward at blinding speed. At a critical distance, he suddenly disappeared from everyone's sight. Everyone but two. The man behind Toudou… and Kage, whose eyes remained fixed on Kenji, wherever he went.

"Hitten Mitsurugi Ryuu!" Kenji declared. "Ryūtsuisen: Zan! (Dragon Hammer Flash: Disaster)" Kenji turned into a glimmering pillar of light as he began to descend. Unlike the one Ryutsuisen he used to bring down the whole mansion, instead of merely slashing down, Kenji descended with a sword stab. Focusing and amplifying the power of the attack.

SLINK!

To his shock however, he suddenly met with Kage face to face just as he was about to drop down. "Wha…" Kage had pre-empted his technique by jumping to the sky to meet him mid air before he can descend. What's more, Kage forcibly sheathed Kenji's katana with Kage's own scabbard, dulling the boy's attack before it even began. Kenji's surprise had yet ended; Kage's katana holding fist bludgeoned his cheek, sending him crashing to the ground with a bruised cheek and blood trickling from his mouth.

Kage landed calmly as Kenji struggled to get back up. He's holding his swollen and bleeding cheek, gritting his teeth tight to prevent himself from squealing in pain, tears even began to form on the corner of his angry eyes. He looked back and saw Kage is approaching him, holding sword in one hand, and his sheath, containing Kenji's sword in the other. Kenji spit the blood from his lips angrily. But that's just bravado. Fear wormed its way into his heart. 'What kind of fighting style is this? He hardly used his katana… instead… he's using punches, kicks… he's no swordsman!?'

The man behind Toudou also came to the same conclusion. 'That man is no trained swordsman… but he has ample experiences in real life and death combat situation that he can think on his feet, coming up with unconventional methods that someone like Kenji wouldn't expect…'

Kage withdraw the sheathed sword, and then suddenly, he thrust it forward with such force, he launched the katana towards the caught off guard Kenji, the pommel of the sword hit the surprised Kenji by the shoulder. Again He did not expect such an attack. Though he quickly grabbed the sword and immediately tried to get back to a proper combat stance. But now his shoulder was hurt, and his fingers could barely grip his sword as tight as before.

'He's not thinking of what technique should be used in which situation…' the man frowned… 'If nothing else… he's a hunter killer… he's seeing a prey, a target.' The man further deduces… 'And his mind is set… on how to best injure, weaken, and eventually… kill… his… prey …'

This time, Kage has no intention to give him the chance and he went on a full all out attack. By the time Kenji barely reformed his combat stance, Kage is right at his doors, sword swinging for a thrust. "Hitten Mitsurugi Ryuu!" Kenji sidestepped Kage and let him pass. At the same time, he rolled and spin his whole body and he send a roundhouse slash aimed at Kage's back. "Ryuukans-" But before he can complete the back spin, Kage's firm left hand caught Kenji's right arm by the elbow and locked said arm in place. Again, before Kenji can react, Kage slashed the opponents' sword, destroying the already cracking and chipped weapon to pieces. Barely recovering from the shock, Kage yanked Kenji's arm, unbalancing him and forcibly turned him around. Kage immediately reached out for the disoriented boy's collar and dragged his head close, giving him a swift and hard head butt with his forehead protector right on Kenji's temple.

That's about the second time Kage hit him with such an unorthodox method. Kenji's shock of Kage's unusual and somewhat barbaric method of fighting was quickly washed away by the flood of seething pain coming from his bleeding temple. A feeling that Kenji seem to be quite unfamiliar with, considering the way he forgotten all dignity and screamed and squealed like a girl, holding on to his pained and bloodied head as he rolled on the ground. "AAAH! AAAAARGHH!" Kenji screamed for several moments before the splitting pain subsided to manageable levels. He glared back at Kage with teary eyes, rage evident… but this time, there's a healthy dose of fear in there. In his heart, Kenji began to feel the despair of defeat. But his pride won't let him say it.

Another one of his shivering subordinates immediately came in and handed him his last replacement sword. If this one's broken, he'll either have to fight his enemy bare handed, or try to grab and use the opponent's sword.

Kenji panted and gasped for breath as he fought through the pain to stay conscious. But he's failing. The tears swelling in his eyes are blurring his vision; his head spins as this aching throb stab his senses. "Grrh…" Kenji dragged himself forward and finally he desperately lunged at Kage.

Seeing the desperation, Kage grew more careful.

For a moment, Kenji looked like he gave in to the pain and was about to fall on his knees… until suddenly he stomped his falling feet and used the gravity to help him accelerate. At the same time, Kage stabbed his katana to the ground, seemingly using the blade as a shield. As expected, Kenji used the foot as a pivot for his next big attack: "Hitten Mitsurugi Ryuu…. KUZU RYUUSEN!"

In an instant, Kenji's sword split into nine, unleashing nine shockwave the shape of dragons, heading straight to nine points of Kage's body. This one, Kage could not dodge and he raised his sword and blocked Kenji's 9 attacks. Alas, he only managed to block 6 out of 9, one landed squarely on his right shoulder, the other one blow him by the gut, and one to his head, he barely managed to block with his forehead protector. But the force was enough to push him back a few steps. Kage hold himself up with his katana as he grunted in pain… which immediately vanished into chuckles. "That… actually hurt…"

And that's pretty much the first scratch Kenji ever landed on Kage. Much to his horror… they were nothing more but scratches. The wound on his shoulder and arm weren't even deep or life threatening. And to think he wiped out a squadron with one use, and now it couldn't even kill a single man… though he knew why this technique is ineffective. And it scares the hell out of him.

"W… WHAT IS THIS!?" One of the Shihandai roared in anger. "Kenji! You bring shame to your school! Why didn't you bring out a stronger technique!?"

"Oh shut it you old cock!" The mysterious man suddenly roared in Kenji's defense. "Instead of complaining, why don't you uncork those holes you called eyes!?"

"W… What?"

It was then Kage first noticed the peculiar man watching the match with Toudou.

"Look at Kenji's foot! The one he used as a pivot for the Kuzuryuusen!" The man pointed at Kenji's foot… it was then they realized on the spot where Kenji stomped the ground, very close to the imprint of his foot, there's also a small crevice created by a sword stab. One made… by Kage's katana. "At the crucial moment as Kenji was preparing for the Kuzuryusen, Kage stabbed the spot where his foot would be… messing up his footing, and therefore, the overall technique, drastically reducing its power." The man smiled in admiration at Kage. "To be able to do that with only moments to spare… rather than criticizing Kenji… I'd say some praise is due for the Captain."

"It's not just that." Kenji gritted his teeth. That last technique had drained him of his last reserves of stamina, and now he's using his sword as a support to remain standing, all so that he can look at the dark captain with damning eyes. "This… and before… you anticipated my techniques as if you've already seen them before! How did you do that? Have you faced Hitten Mitsurugi before?"

"No." Kage answered calmly. "But… you used it on my men yesterday. I glanced at their report. So I know what to expect."

"BULLSHIT!" Kenji roared. A wide eyed Kenji fell to his knees in despair and horror. "You're telling me you figured out the core of Hitten Mitsurugi ryuu techniques by only reading and hearing reports!?"

"No, of course not. I have you to provide me with the final piece of the puzzle." Kage scratched his cheek. "My men were very, very specific as to how you beat them. They described to me the end results of your techniques. From that end results I tried to put myself in your shoes: what would I've done in order to produce those same results. I experimented on several methods on each technique… I even managed to reproduce some of them with a rather admirable quality… except that Kuzu Ryuu Sen… that one proved… more difficult than I expected." Kage explained calmly in front of the disbelieving Kenji. "But in the end… nothing beats hands-on experience. I watched you. The way you move, the way you fight, the way you swing your sword, the footings required before you execute a technique… the rest is easy to figure out."

At this point, all desire to fight had been squeezed out of Kenji, only sheer outright fear remained. He looked at Kage, still glaring at him with that same unblinking observant eye that bores through his very soul, even when it was obvious that he had lost all will to fight. Only now did he realize… compared to his Shadowguards, Kage was on a whole different dimension on his own. And to this, Kenji only has one word to describe him… "…y… you… m… monster…'

"It's not just that, Kenji." The man finally stepped forward as he placed a comforting hand on Kenji's shoulder. The poor boy was shivering out of sheer fright. "You, fighting Kage at your current level is like a killer whale bred in captivity butting heads with a battle scarred shark that had wandered and survived the treacherousness of the ocean." The man gently knelt down and removed the katana from Kenji's trembling hand.

Seeing this, Kage also sheathed his blade.

"I read the report on your battle with the Shepards. Had it continued, you would've lost. Do you know why?" Kenji timidly looked at the man. "Because your sword… is too pure. Too clean. In the dojo, no one can beat you. Your current level is sufficient to bring Yakuzas to their knees. That much is certain. However…" the Man looked gratefully at Kage. "…The real world… the battle stricken world we live on is a much more brutal than a bunch of armed thugs who play bully in the neighborhood. The real world isn't like the dojo where if you fail you get to try again and start over. If you fail, you die. And that's a fact." The man smirked. "That's what you're trying to teach to Kenji, right?"

Kage merely snickered meaningfully.

"Teach?" Kenji growled. "He's trying to kill me! He said-"

"I said I wanted to return the favor for what you did to my Shadowguards." Kage laughed mischievously. "I never said anything about killing him."

"And what, pray tell, did Kenji do to your Shadowguards?" The man asked in amusement.

"He beat the snot out of them." Kage smiled wide. "Hammer into them a lesson I tried to teach them. They didn't take it at first, but after that experience, they finally get it… and it may well save their lives. So I want to return the favor by teaching him something that may save his."

"Ahahahaha!" The man laughed. "I see we both had our little problems with our students." He then ruffled Kenji's red hair. "Oi, Kenji, once you're all healed up, you better say your thanks properly." He then handed the dispirited Kenji to Sousuke before turning to Kage. "Now… I pretty much get the gist of what's happening. But before we get to the next step of this conversation… you mind if we trade blows? Just one bout?"

Kage blinked. "…umm… what for?"

"To better understands you." The man explained. "A single traded blow between two swordsmen can tell you more about a person's character than a lifetime of conversation."

Kage frowned in curiosity. "Just one bout?"

"Yes." The man smiled. "First to land a blow, wins."

"…sure… but let's take it easy okay?"

"Don't worry…" The man smiled as he pulled out his katana. "I won't be able to kill you even if I tried anyway…"

"That's not what I'm…" Kage's eyes widened when he saw the man's sword. The sharp and blunt edge of the Katana was reversed. A Sakabato. And that changed Kage's mind completely. "Okay. One bout."

As it happens, the man also gets into his combat stance. Just with a single glance, one can already see that this man's skill is worlds apart in comparison with Kenji. Not only he has perfect technique, he also has countless combat experience under his belt. All shown in the maturity of his stance.

Seeing this new enemy, Kage merely took a deep breath and readied his stance to fight in all seriousness. In fact, unlike his loose fighting stance against Kenji, Kage actually took a proper combat stance, showing his side as he holds his swords with two hands.

And then… silence… an unnervingly long silence. Both combatants just stood there, staring at one another. But these were not inaction. Though their physical body did not move, their Kenki burst out, clashing with one another, searching for signs of weakness and openings. Their minds are projecting techniques and movements in an imaginary combat. All spectators, all of them are veteran combatants, also held their breath. All parties thought that both fighters are concentrating and unleash the same force of will.

That's not entirely true…

The truth is, Kage was overwhelmed. This man is an entirely different enemy with that of Kenji, or anybody else he had ever encountered. There's something… serene… and overwhelming in the man's form. Most enemy he faced, all wanted to kill him… but this one… he sensed no murder lust… and any bloodlust he felt is his own. In fact, rather than bloodlust, he felt warmth. All-encompassing warmth that engulfed even him. And for some reason, it scares the hell out of him. The only thing that stopped Kage from turning tail and run in the face of such overwhelming enemy is the fact that he had faced far worse than this. It's not that the man is any stronger than other overwhelmingly powerful enemy he had faced, he's simply different. And in his experience, turning around and run before the unknown is synonymous to putting one step into the grave. And he will not give this enemy, or any enemy, that satisfaction. No. Instead of panicking, his mind calmed his nerves. It explains to him that the reason of his fear is that… this is an enemy that he does not understand, yet. One would fear something they don't understand. So, rather than thinking what the enemy has that he don't, one would be better served to stick with one's best weapon.

And what Kira has… is his observational skill. Kage concentrated even more, straining his will to the very limit, straining, squeezing everything he's got. Forget everything, don't think of anything… just the enemy, and nothing but the enemy. So focused Kira was in watching his opponent, it's like his brain even forgotten how to utilize every other vital body function, every other senses and even every other line of thought… everything but one: how to fight this enemy.

Kage held on his sword loosened as he lost focus with it, but his eyes locked with that of his opponent. The thing is, this man also returned the favor without fail. From this small gesture of evaluation, Kage came to the easy conclusion that this here is an opponent he cannot beat without giving it everything he's got. The man, eying his black clad opponent with great interest, also came to that conclusion. Pretty soon, both fighters entered a world of their own, their senses numbed by their heightened awareness of each other, their ears blocked off the sound of everything but each others, their skin numbed but they can feel slightest shift of wind caused by their breathings, and their eyes darkened everything but the enemy. Their will outpaced the physical range of their swords and they are clashing for dominance, engulfing both combatants in a struggle, searching for even a single flaw in each other's perfection of focus.

And then, in Kage's mind, he played out an image of how the clash with this man will play out. It will start with a forward charge.

CLASH!

The two swords collided… The Man attacked first and Kage blocked it. Recovering, he immediately returned the slash and the man blocked it as well.

CLANG!

Using the recoil from the clash, the two spin around and sent a horizontal slash that also collided midair. Kage was thrown off by the clash, but he used the force of the clash to spin around the man's charging back. As soon as the man turned around to face the enemy behind him, Kage sent a roundhouse slash to his stomach. But he blocked it and parried the blade away.

CLASH! CLANG!

He immediately lifted his sword up, and brought it down in a vertical chop. At the same time, Kage also swing an upward slash either to attack or block the attack. Once again, the clash was equal.

Swoosh!

The man recovered first and swings his sword to Kage's head. He knew he can't block it in time so he ducked down beneath the swing. At the same time, he bogged down and swirl forward, moving past the Man, and for a moment, the two were back to back. The Man, knowing an attack was coming quickly turned around to face the enemy as he sent a slash to his neck. Likewise, Kage also turned around and also sent a slash of his own.

Or at least… that's what Kage thought is going on… In his head…

Or so he thought…

Suddenly, his head stings, stopping his line of thought… and suddenly he became aware of his own condition. His focus breaks and every single thing his brain had ignored in its single minded focus rushed back in all at once. Suddenly, he became aware that he was standing, with his sword already raised, and his heart beat a mile a minute, his whole body covered in sweat after a heavy workout at such an intense swordfight. It was then he realized… that wasn't imagination… it wasn't what he will do… that was his brain, imaging everything he's DONE in the last 5 seconds!

And so, he also came to realize that… what seems like an eternity in his mind… is really only a flash of a moment in the real world. And that flash of a moment had stopped him on track, pausing him for the briefest of instant, making him forget that the duel is still going…

"HOGEK!"

Thus he was caught unprepared when the man's sakabatou suddenly landed on his neck and knock him out cold.

00000000000000

Meanwhile… Tolle and Milly are escorting their convoy… the situation is unusually calm. They haven't yet aware of the incident that happened with the other cache. "That Raider hasn't show up again, has he?"

"No… No signs…" Milly replied.

And then as the two made their way, someone was waiting for them mid way.

He was clad in black, with black mask, and black headband, wearing a black coat, and a katana rested on his back. His imposing figure made him somewhat similar with…

"Kage?" Tolle blinked. "…oh… wait…"

The Kage approached them and the convoy stopped. Everyone but the Shadowguards relaxed their vigilance when they saw it's just their boss.

"Good work everyone." The Kage stated. "There's a slight change of plans, boys. I'll take the convoy from here."

The two shadowguards looked at each other. Tolle shook his head. This guy's not Raider… but he sure as hell NO Kage. Did a better job at the outfit though. "Yeah. Nice try buddy. Get outta the way, will you? We have no time for games."

The Kage copycat barring their way perked. 'So that's how it is… others can be fooled… but the Shadowguards knew Kage on a personal level…'

"Keep moving!" Tolle beckoned the convoy to continue. "This is just another wannabe!" The Soldiers tilted their heads and obeyed anyway.

But Milly suddenly have a bad feeling. "Wait… Tolle…" She whispered. "I don't think this is just another… wannabe…"

At that Tolle also stopped, as did the convoy.

The Kage copycat snickered. "Cautious aren't you…" He raised his hand, and suddenly, from the dark alleyways axes flies out and hack some of the soldiers right on their heads. Just as the soldiers suddenly realized they're under attack, black blur rushed out of the shadows.

The soldiers tried to aim their rifle at the black blurs, but before they can get an aim, their heads were chopped off their shoulders or bisected in half. Two black blurs moved in towards Tolle and Milly. Tolle blocked the attack with his Skygraspers… stopping the blade of a black axe inches away from his head. 'Wha…' he also managed to get a good look on his assailant.

The man wear a black Kevlar vest with dark camouflage coloration. They also wear a full head balaclava mask with the same coloration, with only a hole showing their eyes. Their gear clearly shows they're meant for combat, with one particular armament: a large two handed axe with black blade.

Milly also blocked the same attack from the same weapon, wielded by the same outfit. But unlike Tolle, being a girl she had bigger difficulty in doing so. "Gr… grhhh!" The axe began slicing through her bow…

"RAAARGH!" Summoning whatever strength he had, Tolle pushed the axe man back and came to his girlfriend's aid. He swings his sword at the attacker, but he agilely dodged the attack.

Their convoys of 30 soldiers (take a couple of headless and eviscerated soldier casualties) and 6 carriages are surrounded by 10 of these axe wielders… and they're completely outmatched. The difference in quality between these two opposing parties is obvious. One soldier fired rapidly at one of the attackers, but hitting nothing but empty air until the black axe-man closed the distance and slammed his axe at his chest. Another tried to fire, but the man used his first victim as a shield. He yanked his axe from the dead soldier and charged forward, ramming his axe on the soldier's neck. It's the same story all around; the soldiers were being overwhelmed by the Dark Axes. One by one, they were killed off by the Axe Gang elite.

Tolle parried an axe and immediately slashed back. He managed a scratch on the enemy's shoulder, earning a grunt, but another one quickly came in, axe swinging. Tolle managed to block the axe with both sword and kneed the attacker's gut before he followed with another slash. Milly struggled to get one clear shot out. But they're closing in on her fast, not giving her chance to a take a proper aim. On the chance she do, they can skillfully dodge it. Milly had no choice but to bludgeon some of the attacker with her bow, breaking it in half after it has taken a beating too many. The Shadowguards were able to better push the attackers back… albeit they are overwhelmed as well.

Eventually, the last of convoy escort has been hacked apart, and all Dark Axes began to converge upon the surrounded Shadowguards. The fake Kage take no action throughout the fight and simply watched in triumph as he closed in on the two shadowguards.

The Shadowguards stopped fighting for a moment and looked at the situation. The Dark Axes also stopped and stood by, watching their preys.

"So… THIS is all that the famed Shadowguards of Kage amounts to?" the Fake Kage sneered beneath his mask as he approached the two. "Not exactly what I'm expecting… kinda expected more…"

The two Shdowguards said nothing and could only watch as an Axe gangster climbed their convoy to check its content…

It's empty. "There's nothing here boss!"

The Fake Kage's eyes narrowed in annoyance and then he turned to Tolle and Milly, the former smirked in amusement. But the annoyance immediately gone, replaced with calmness and dark bloodlust. "I see… Kage does live up to his reputation as a strategist… which is more than I can say for his choice of subordinates…"

"Yeah?" Tolle growled as he saw so many of his men died gruesomely. "Why don't you pull your goons and fight me fairly? Or are you too afraid to do it?"

"Hardly… I just don't fight fair." The fake Kage snorted. "Besides I don't find anything frightening from a guy who gets his position by being a friend of the boss."

Tolle twitched as the other Dark Axes chuckled audibly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I say that out loud?" the Fake Kage was clearly unrepentant. "Well then… you can either tell us where the weapons are and then you run with your tail between your legs to report back to your boss… or you can just stand your ground, keep quiet and let my men have their fun, and when your friends discovered your bodies they'll report back to Kage just the same."

Tolle and Milly wordlessly make their choice as they readied their weapons, preparing to make their last stand.

The fake Kage shook his head in a dark amusement. "Pride… another name for idiocy. Oh well. Kill them."

The Dark Axes readied their weapons and began to close in for the kill.

For a moment, the two think that this is it… until Milly caught a glimmer of light with her eagle eye…

The glimmer of a sniper scope.

"DUCK!" She screamed and both Shadowguards ducked down.

BANG! BANG!

Two sounds of gunshots, a Dark Axe gangsters suddenly a head short, and one got half of his face blown off when the bullet went through his head and cratered another one's face, standing behind Milly.

The Dark Axes gaped in shock as they looked around, searching for the shooter. But they couldn't find the sniper.

A very satisfied Garrus watched the confusion evident in the ranks of the Axe Gang elites through his zooming monocle from kilometers away, wielding a specialized gigantic sniper rifle. "Righto… hope you get that Wrex…"

Before the Axe Gang can recuperate from the shock, a series of thunderous roar exploded, and a whole section of the wall from one side of the street were immediately filled with holes. Bullets the size of a man's fist flew through and tore the Dark Axes apart until only 2 of them left, plus their leader.

Kicking the crumbling wall down, Wrex marched in with his gigantic gatling cannon in hand. "Time to take out the trash!" He cocked the Gatling cannon and start spinning its crank at the remaining Dark Axes. The barrels began to spin, immediately reaching maximum speed. The three Axe Gang elites lost their nerve and start running. As soon as that happened, bullets start flying from the barrels again, causing destruction across the street as explosion after explosion occurred, crater after crater was formed. One of the Dark Axes tripped and the bullets tore him apart. The trail of destruction continued to the next closest target, the Kage copycat. But moments before the bullets hit him, he grabbed the last dark Axe ahead of him and drag him back. He tossed him backward straight into the bullets path. The poor guy didn't even have the chance to curse his leader's betrayal when Wrex's bullets rip him apart.

At that instant, Wrex Gatling cannon start making clicking sound. "What… argh… Out of ammo!"

The Kage copycat smirked and began making his way back. Tolle, brandishing his twin swords charged forward while Wrex is busy reloading. Seeing the opposition, the copycat Kage merely smirked and pulled out his katana. A rather unique katana, though the blade is of Japanese sword make, the handle was that of black Chinese Jian sword handle. Unlike Tolle who put a stance, the man merely stand while loosely holding his sword. Clearly Tolle was being underestimated. Anger boiled, and Tolle rushed forward swords swinging.

The Fake Kage blocked it easily as he calmly sidestepped and even tripped Tolle up. The ridiculed Shadowguard even heard something that is akin to mocking chuckle from his opponent. Tolle quickly got up and lunged towards him again, but the fake Kage easily dodged him. Toying with him. This only make Tolle angrier. His attacks became more predictable, more careless and thus the fight grew increasingly unfavorable for him.

A fact that Milly was all too well aware. "Tolle!" She wanted to help, but her bow has been broken in half. She looked around for anything she can use to help. She found a Dagger Rifle loitering around and grabbed it. Having never held a gun, she clumsily aimed it at the fake Kage, still easily dodging Tolle's angry attacks. 'Take aim…' the rifle is a lot heavier than a bow and arrow… '…and… FIRE!" She squeezed the trigger. But she herself was taken by surprise by the deafeningly loud noise that filled her ears, and even more surprising, the overpowering recoil that pressed against her arm, as if trying to bent her petite limb to the wrong direction and it even propel her backward.

Net result, she missed horribly, and the bullet flew a meter off the target. "MOOU!" There goes her motivation to try out firearms.

Wrex also noted the situation is dangerous for Tolle. He looked meaningfully at where Garrus were positioned. 'Can you do anything, Garrus!?'

At the far distance, Garrus gritted his teeth in frustration as he looked through his sniper scope, watching the fake Kage ridiculing Tolle. Not that he's unaccustomed to danger close situation, but that damn copycat kept cleverly dodging while putting Tolle right on his line of fire! 'Who the hell is this SOB!?'

Seeing the situation, Milly think quickly, and then she began noticing a different configuration for the rifle. She folded the receiver back, turning the dagger rifle into its pole glaive configuration. 'Good… now I got the bow… need the string…' She plucked out her spare bowstring from her supply bag and tied it to the pole, making an impromptu bow. She placed an arrow and took aim, letting it loose a moment later.

Unlike the clumsily fired bullet, this arrow was shot with a much greater expertise and would've landed accurately on the fake Kage's sword wielding hand if he did not notice the incoming projectile at the last second. 'Wha…! That little bitch!'

'S… Seriously?' Garrus was awed as he looked at not only the way Milly could create a makeshift bow on the spot, but also at how the Fake Kage can notice and dodge an arrow shot at virtually point blank range. '…who… is that…? At any rate, Milly pushed that guy right into the open!' Wasting no time, Garrus began providing long range sniper support.

As soon as the first shot of Garrus's renewed long range support was fired, the Fake Kage also noticed that Wrex had just finished reloading his heavy weapon. Things are getting to hot for his taste. He slammed something on the ground, and a mountain of smoke filled everyone's vision.

"I had enough fun today." The fake Kage's voice echoed in the smoke. "No thanks to you really, Sword boy."

And with that, the Fake Kage disappeared as soon as the smoke cleared, leaving Tolle, Milly and Wrex standing amidst the gore splattered ruin of a road, all three are fuming at the hollow and life costly result of the bout.

00000000000000

A minute later… or what he thought just a minute, Kage woke up facing the familiar ceiling of his Bridge Tower… and his neck hurts like hell. Though it was covered in a neck brace. "Felt like you drop a mountain on my neck… are you trying to snap my head clean off?" Kage just knew that the culprit is in the room and so he addressed him immediately.

"The best thing about this Sakabatou…" The man unsheathed his reversed blade katana as he cleaned it up. "…is that it can cut everything… except human." The man was sitting right next to him; apparently he's been waiting for him to wake up. Talk about waking up, Kage found he's locked to the bed. Someone, he can guess who, had a bright idea of tying him to bed with layers upon layers of ropes. Hint: the rope was pink.

"I don't… understand what happened." Kage rummaged his hair and hold his aching temple right after he relocate his dislocated thumb and shoulder bones. An act he had to perform in order for him break free of half a dozen ropes that give him full use of one of his arms. "I was only imagining what happened… I didn't even know it was happening for real, it was like… like…" Kage is still having a hard time describing what happened.

"Let me guess." The man smiled. "It's like your body moved first, and then what your mind thinks comes later. It's only when your body finally stopped moving for a second that your mind had a chance to catch up… right?"

"I… I'm not even sure how I did it, I just… I was just…"

"Watching me… right?" The man smiled. "You have an incredible power of observation, Captain Kage. I would even say… it was too incredible."

"What do you mean?"

"You think too much. That's why you lose." The man explained. "You think of your sword, you think of your mind, and more importantly, you think about me, your opponent… you see me… you observed me, so intensely… you even entered my mindset. You copied the state of my mind as you copied my movements… I wasn't thinking and neither were you. But the difference is you were unprepared. Your head suddenly get in the way; telling you to do one thing when your instinct tells you to do another."

"Me? Copying your mind?" Kage shook his head in disbelief. He felt like he's only observing the body. And that's it… or so he thought. Trudging to the realm of mind is not one of his repertoires. "How do I even do that?"

"You've learned to suppress your fear with logic and proper thinking, sharpened by your combat experience to support your courage. That's good. But the way of the sword is not science, Captain Kage. It's art." The Man explained. "It's not logic. It's something you feel. You don't think. And your main teacher is not just your enemy. In fact, the sword… and yourself… those two are the only teachers you need to understand the way of the sword. If you just listen as well as you have observed with your eyes… they will tell you everything you need to know."

"I'm not sure I… understand…"

"Oh, you will. You definitely will." The man smiled in excitement. "You've already had a taste of what it's like to REALLY use your sword as a sword. That is the first step towards the mastery of the sword. Once it learned, it stays learned." The man calmly tapped his head. And then he got up on his feet, preparing to leave. But before that, he left something on Kage's bedside, the white cased kodachi. "I have a message for you from Kirihara-san. He said that, if you ever need any help… you know where to find him."

Kage nodded. "Pass him my gratitude." But the pain causes him to groan. As he did, he then looked at the man. Awkwardly, like Sanosuke, the man also had the kanji Bad on his collar. Smaller, and it's inverted color of white kanji on black background. As he regained full cognitive functions, a lack of a certain crucial detail came to mind. "Umm… excuse me… I never catch your name?"

The man paused a few steps away from the door and answered. "Yahiko Myojin. Shihandai of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu… Sergeant of the 105th Squadron, and the guy who was supposed fill your current post right now."

Kage looked at Yahiko with eyes blinking in confusion. "Oh… sorry I beat you to it. Harlbarton kinda… shove it on me… uhh… if you want…"

"Nah." Yahiko smiled. "I'm just gonna ask one thing. I've heard that you punish your little brother harshly because he disobeyed your orders. Venturing further, I heard that order is to forbid anyone below a seated officer to participate in the challenge game… mind if I ask why?"

Upon hearing that question, Kage had already done untying himself and sat upright. "…because the rule where the challenged party gets the rights to decide the first rule of the game." Kage stated. "The only way of surviving the Challenge Game tradition, is to do whatever we can so that we are not the one who challenged first. Because when we do, we're playing right into their homefield advantage."

"Hmmm…" Yahiko nodded. "But if that's true… why…"

"Why would some of my men still tempted every now and then to challenge?" Kage sighed. "Well… that is to be expected. I spent hours trudging through my division's ledger… seriously… what kind of budget is that!?"

"Ehahaha…" Yahiko laughed nervously. "Allocation of funds for each division is based on their performance… and… well… Militia does have a rather poor performance record under their belt…"

"The point is… well… a lot of divisions got a LOT of things the 7th needs. Firearms, artillery, armor, food and provision… all those things cost a fortune and we can't afford it, because we don't have the money. It was all we can do to give the Militia soldiers some meager payment…" Kage groaned. "That being said… Challenge Game provides an alternative for acquiring military resources without funding." He quickly added. "Assuming we can win from time to time."

Yahiko also smiled meaningfully. "It's like a vicious cycle isn't it?" Yahiko recounted the experience of all former militias. "We need what they have in order to be stronger. But to play the game, we have to wage something of equal value. It took everything we have to scrape up something of enough value to match their wager. But every time we try to play their games, we lose… because we're not strong enough. And when we lose, we grew weaker because we lost that wage we've spent so much resource to acquire. Harlbarton endured that during his time."

"Ah. I know." Kage suddenly reached out beneath his bed and grabbed an old book. "I do my paperwork. Rummaged his office inside out and I found this stored beneath a case in the bed."

Yahiko took the book and read it carefully. "Harlbarton recorded every challenge game he ever played. Many of them are losses which results in long term deals that cost his division more than a penny or two. Fact is… so many of these deals made the 7th division so financially weak… his men could no longer amass any wager of enough value to enter any challenge game… ever since… But…"

"But… Harlbarton is dead now. And all those deals are off when he died." Kage explained to Yahiko, the other worthy claimant to the title of captain of the 7th division. "When he died, he didn't just give me his position, he gave me a clean slate. The 7th division is no longer bound by any deal that was ever made under his reign."

Yahiko's eyes gleamed in amazement. Harlbarton had prepared all this… so that his successor will not suffer as he did. "And your men knew this?"

"Well… based on what I've picked up in the last few days… yes. As do everyone." Kage smiled. "And the best thing is… My men now have a backbone to say no."

"And your brother letting himself being beaten to a pulp is the final piece of the puzzle." Yahiko finally get the whole picture of Kage's policy.

"The only thing I wasn't expecting is how Genesis decided to join out of wazoo. It's quite unexpected how things fell into place too easily." Kage sighed. "Not overly fond of everything going all too well."

"Simca seems to be incredibly enamored with you, head over heels." Yahiko chuckled. "And in my opinion, she seems to be sincere."

"Be that as it may…" Kage shrugged. "It draws a bit too much attention. Because for the first time ever, not only the 7th division is now in a clean slate… suddenly… we have something other division would want: the means and ability to not only manage our firearms… but the Master Tuner of all Arsenal Gears? Seriously? We just painted a target at the back of our heads… all our heads."

"That's why you gave that order. Only officers, those who are able to stand their ground can participate in the challenge game. Very well thought out." Yahiko nodded in approval. Harlbarton really picked a good successor. "Keep the job, kid. You seem to do a better job at it than I ever could. And while I'm ready to help you… the 105th already had our orders for the coming war… a critical position which we cannot leave behind… we must stay with the regulars. But… the Yakuza gangsters are yours to command. Mold them. Train them. Oh, and… I'm placing Kenji to enlist in your division. I had a feeling some time under your command will do him plenty good."

"I'll do my best." Kage thought for a moment. "Ah… actually… there's a favor I'd like to ask. It's nothing big…"

"I'm listening?"

A while later… "Rest well, captain." Yahiko nodded as he walked out of the captain's office. Out there, awaits Canard and Kenji.

Yahiko calmly saluted Canard. "Canard. Always a pleasure."

Canard also smiled. Yahiko nodded and give everyone a wave as he made his way out. Midway, Kenji caught up with him, his face clearly dying to sound his protest. "I don't understand. You clearly beat him. Why would you be so humble with him? You could just take over his position and all…"

"Ne, Kenji… did you notice?"

"Notice what?"

"His body… it was injured allover, head to toe."

"Eh?"

"He wasn't straining himself when he fought you." Yahiko shrugged. "But seriously… if he was in his prime, even I won't get out of it unscratched." As he said this, they've already reached the exit. The still bewildered Kenji had his orders and stayed at the gates. "Stay with him Kenji. Learn from him. As he will learn from you." And with that, the Shihandai left Kenji to his own thoughts.

And at that moment, Tolle and Milly had just returned from their disastrous run in with the impostor Kage. Both are clearly in the worst of mood, especially Tolle, so when they lay their eyes upon the boy who nearly buried them underfoot, things only grew worse. "What the fuck are YOU doing here!?"

"Saber? Archer?" Kenji blinked innocently. "What happened to you?" They looked like crap. Especially Saber.

"NONE OF YOUR DAMN BUSINESS!" Tolle roared. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE!?"

"Calm down will you?" Kenji frowned. "As of today, the Yakuza are joining the 7th division. Myself included."

"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEERGH!?" Tolle and Milly gaped. "A… And you're okay? Just like that!?" Milly peeped.

"I had no choice!" Kenji grumbled. "Your monster of a boss is actually an old acquaintance of my boss… and he steamrolled me silly in a heartbeat! Seriously, is that guy really human!?" To make his point, Kenji pointed his bandaged forehead, his swelling cheek, and his bandaged bruised stomach.

Tolle and Milly twitched in disbelief. The kid who can single handedly take on a small army of professional troopers, and Kira manhandled him in one afternoon!? Tolle in particular felt incredibly overwhelmed. 'Kira… just how strong is he… really!?'

"Wh… Where is he now?"

"He's…"

"OUT OF MY WAY! Why hasn't anyone told me!?" Before Kenji can answer, the angry roar from the man in question howled. It was Kage, already brandishing his Shiki in hand as he stomped his way while un-strapping the neck brace covering his aching neck. Following behind him was a fretting Sai, vainly trying to calm the angry captain down.

"Captain, please calm down! You're still injured!"

"My men are getting butchered left and right by a copycat and you tell me to stay in bed!?"

It seems someone had a bright idea of telling the commander what he had missed during his momentary absence. Needlessly to say, he was pissed. He looked at Kenji, Tolle and Milly's bloodbathed condition, and in particular, he noted the absence of Tolle's carriages… and his men. And he immediately get the picture. Kage's glare at Tolle demanded some explanation. "The copycat did all this!?"

"This one is a different copycat altogether Kage." Tolle reported. "He's using sword… and he's helped by a bunch of axe gang elite death squad or something… they brought black axes with them."

"The Dark Axe Elite." Kenji immediately recognized that characteristic. "Personal guards of Master Bull himself."

"…" Kage visible angered expression dissipates, replaced by a determined thoughtful look. "…Bushido? And the rest?" Kage looked at Sai.

"Hikari-sensei is looking after them at the moment."

00000000000000

In the Medical Ward…

The ward is filled with screams and moans of pain from the soldiers wounded. Amidst all that, Hikari and Simca oversee the medical team to treat the wounded.

"Administer the painkiller there!"

"We can't heal this one, amputate!"

00000000000000

"At any rate… there are a lot of critical… but with additional medical team from Genesis, we can manage."

And with Hikari and Simca's expertise, they're in good hands. That's what Kage calmly concluded. 'they beat us to it with Simca's team…' he looked at Tolle and Milly… 'They get Tolle's team as well… which means…' "Has Neil and Prayer reported yet?"

Sai shook his head.

"Actually, I was just thinking about catching up to them!" Setsuna came in. "I'm worried. Beat us to it on my cache, they attacked Tolle's midway… They knew when and where… Someone figured out your itinerary sir."

"It's not that surprising…" Kage shrugged calmly. "They have the intel on where are the caches are… and they know we'll be trying to bring them here… it should be simple matter for anyone with half a brain to simply post a watch on every road from the warehouse to here and then figure out possible travel route…" Kage nodded. "Fine. Setsuna, we'll catch up with Neil's team."

Tolle saw that Kage is about to enter into another action, and he looked eager to join. But before he can do so…

"Tolle, Milly, you two go to the Hospital Ward, and then stay here and await my orders."

"Kage, I can still fight!" Tolle protested, but Kage will have none of that.

"NO!" Kage firmly stated. "You'll stay here. You've done enough for today."

"I…" Tolle wanted to argue… but Kage's glare kept the words trapped in his throat. "…" And he bent his head down in resignation.

"But… Kage… you yourself are still injured. You need all the help you can get!" Milly protested.

Kage tilted his head to Kenji. "…Kid… you're up."

Kenji silently agreed with a shrugging nod as he holstered his katana.

And with that, Kage departed with his small team, leaving the Shadowguards behind. Tolle bit his lip in frustration.

00000000000000

Just like what Setsuna and Kage had foreseen, the third and final team, that of Neil and Prayer, are facing a crisis of their own. It started with how the convoy is making their way through a narrow alleyway and they had to briefly stop when an old beggar is crossing the street carrying junks and whatnot. The inexperienced militia soldier just felt compelled to urge the poor sob to get out of the way. Neil and Prayer, who knew all too well of the old school trick was too late to stop the soldier.

After that soldier became a head short, the Dark Axe ambusher fired his rifle to the convoy, screaming, followed swiftly by a whole army of axe gangs carrying their signature weapons, backed by others armed with guns and other salvaged military hardware.

When they tried to retreat, another ambusher fired a rocket that scored a convoy. Unlike Tolle's and Milly's, this one's loaded. The fireworks that ensued when all that ammunition and firearms exploded produced a conflagration that blocked their way back. Before they can do anything the second rocket blew up the forward convoy, and the remaining convoys are trapped, with attackers firing from every direction and no way out.

The soldiers resisted, aided by their commanding officers. They were able to hold on for some time… until another convoy blew up and two soldiers got injured badly. Injured… but not dead. And that means they can be rescued. Problem is, the attackers know that. So they left the half dead soldiers alone, knowing the soldiers will try to rescue them, during which it'll be shooting gallery.

Prayer and Neil are now being forced to bunker down, using the remaining carriages to create an entrenchment and can only watch helplessly as their men bleed to death. Some tried to create a wall of shields to push forward… that ended badly when the third firecracker rocket smashed the shield wall asunder, sending the soldiers flying with a few limbs blown off or/and on fire.

"And to think everything started so well early on…" Neil groaned as he sniped another bazooka trooper dead while Prayer dragged the soldier back into the safety of their perimeter. The poor half dead fellow screamed in agony holding on to the burnt stump where his leg used to be.

Prayer looked at the situation and he had to admit… it's dire. They've been holed up in this literal death cage for lord knows how long. They need help… and they can't send messenger to ask for it. Their only hope now is that someone in the base would help them out… "But… what are the chances they'll come?"

"Prayer… come on! What's with the pessimism? Don't you know our captain already?"

"Our captain is hip deep in negotiations with the Yakuzas. I don't think he'll be able to come and help right now!"

"I don't know about that…" Neil remained calm and cool as he rested his back on his wagon. "Our captain has a nose for detecting trouble…"

Prayer's eyes suddenly widened in surprise. He slowly glanced at Neil and frowned. "Neil… you…"

"He's one of them… isn't he?" Neil smiled. "You forget I'm the keenest eyed archer in our division. Took me a while to figure it out I grant you… That… unnaturally accurate nose for trouble…"

"Neil…"

"Everybody has their story." Neil sighed. "I'm gonna ask him, and I might gonna have to build enough guts to insist on an answer…" Neil takes a peek and his smile grew wider when he saw something that he liked. "Just not today."

CRA…

The skirmish momentarily stopped when everyone heard a rumble from a nearby vicinity of the alley. The ambushers at the front look behind them and saw a pagoda overlooking them. Well, that Pagoda is part of the landscape so they didn't care much. Fact is, the Dark Axes also posted a couple squads of snipers in there.

CRAAAACK-CA….

So… the fact there's a giant near transparent immaterial blade almost as big as the pagoda itself is halfway finished chopping the whole building down by the base is something quite out of place. One last swing…

CRASSHHH!

"TIMBEEERR!" Came the familiar roar of the dark captain as the towering structure tilted, and with a terrible creak, the building finally fell right into the alleyway, right on top of the shocked forward attacker, squashing almost all enemies at the front to a bloody pulp. Many tried to escape… but funneled in that narrow alley, few managed to do so, and the remaining survivors are horrified out of their wits. As a show of Kage's skill in calculated destruction, the uppermost tip of the fallen pagoda fell right on top of the burning and popping frontmost carriage that blocked the trapped caravan escort party, but they didn't touch the escort party.

Neil and Prayer quickly overcome their shock and horror and smiled as they saw a familiar figure trudging atop the collapsed pagoda amidst the smoke of destruction. As it cleared away, the figure's details cleared for everyone to see.

It is Kage, brandishing his Shiki in its Blue configuration riding atop his loyal Mare, Aile.

And boy, does he look pissed.

The walls of the collapsed pagoda crumbled in front of Kage and then three Dark Axe gangsters burst out of the wall. It seems some of them are tough enough to survive having a building collapsed over their heads. The gangsters brandished their axe and charged forward. One charged down and slide forward, the other two tried to flank the dark captain from both sides.

One aimed for his horse, the other two is flanking him. Kage tapped Aile with his leg, and as if reading her master's mind, Aile grasped what Kage wanted out of her. She whined and raised her forward legs up at the last moment just before the axe swing slice her legs. The flankers jumped and aimed for the slightly elevated Captain.

But Aile and Kage had predicted this too. Aile throw her head down, weighing her frontal part of the body, and her forward hoofs forcibly went down swiftly, crushing the Dark Axe underfoot before he can scream. At the same time, the two Dark axe flankers lost their target when Kage body goes down with his horse and they're practically still floating midair with their defenses wide open. Kage roared and swing the giant Aoiro Shiki in a powerful and wide circular roundhouse slash. The two dark axes couldn't dodge and they were bisected in half in an instant. Blood sprayed out of the stumps and rained down allover the street, the rider, and his mare.

Aile neighed and snorted, expressing her discomfort. Kage apologetically rubbed her mane. "Sorry. Wash you later." He then looked back at the state of his men, particularly the two wounded sodliers. Neil and Prayer were finally able to come to their aid and gave them some much needed medical aid. But they're still under attack from the enemy at the back. "You two will be okay son. Just hang on."

"Boss man… we still need to get the hell out of here! And… not that we don't appreciate the help… that building you brought down blocked our way out." Neil motioned the fallen pagoda.

"No…" Kage calmly shook his head. "It's a safe passage."

On cue, the uppermost roof of the fallen pagoda was sliced apart before it was blasted away. From the newly formed tunnel, a young boy with red hair carrying a katana walked out, followed swiftly by a familiar, bandaged, white haired and blindfolded young man. "Righto…" Setsuna smirked. "Good guys are this way."

Setsuna and Kenji had literally sliced their way through the floors of the collapsed pagoda, making an impromptu tunnel through the interior of the tower, a secure escape route for the trapped soldiers.

"Alright!" Prayer smiled. "Neil, cover our rear! The rest take the wounded and go!"

"Kenji, Setsuna help Prayer and protect the soldiers! Prioritize the wounded ones." Kage jerked Aile and the mare neighed as she jumped over the survivors and carried her master to the rear. "I'll hold the rear with Neil! Now GO!" With Kage pulling the reins, Aile charged forward stomping and rampaging amidst the panicking soldiers, kicking gangsters, breaking their skulls if they are unlucky. Atop her Kage swings his blue Shiki left and right, tearing enemies apart.

"But sir… what about the guns?" Neil asked a question he already knew the answer.

"Leave it." Kage grunted as he kicked a Dark Axe in the face and then stabbed him dead. "Prioritize on evac." He lifted the still slightly squirming soon to be dead body and tossed it to another group of attackers before he sliced another man's head off.

"Roger." And that's why Neil just love working under this guy, the fact he's an Advanced can go to hell.

With Neil and Kage guarding the rear, Prayer, Kenji and Setsuna urged the soldiers to go through the makeshift tunnel. Kenji had his fill of Dark Axes, so he has no difficulty dealing with these so called Axe gang elite. He sliced a spinning axe trying to kiss him, sending the two halves to hit two gangsters right behind him. He caught another flying axe before he tossed it back to another man's chest. At the same time, 6 Dark Axes charged at him from every direction just as he pulled out his second katana. "Hitten Mitsurugi Ryuu, RYUU KANSEN: TSUMUJI!" Kenji turned into a whirlwind of blades and his blade sliced limbs and hack body parts to a bloody mess. When he stopped spinning, his two katanas are soaked in blood, and the one dark axe who survived are screaming for his lost limbs. Kenji put him out of his misery with a katana stab to the head before he move on to the next. Just like Kage and Yahiko said, as far as gangsters business goes, he's still at the top of his form. In fact, now that Kage defeated him so easily, he began to think these gangsters are just too easy for him.

Setsuna caught an axe by the blade with his bare hand and his finger sank right into the axe, cracking it apart before he thrust his other hand straight into his chest, piercing through his heart with a single quick jab. Tossing the holed body away, a Dark Axe came in and swings his axe, but Setsuna cleanly sliced his axe wielding hand mid air and said limb fell right on top of the owner's head, axe first. Another attacker tried to sneak up on Setsuna's back while he was busy cleaving another Dark Axe in half. He lifted his axe getting ready to hack, until the blind but not deaf bandaged warrior turned around and casually slit his throat with a hand slash and walk away to find the next target, leaving the straggler to fell on the floor as blood flowed out of his wound.

A Dark Axe lost a couple of his teeth when Prayer bashed his buckler to his face. He fell flat on the floor only to have Prayer's lance gut him on the chest. He heard a clicking sound and noticed a sniper aimed his barrel at one of the wounded and he immediately jumped in. The shot hit him by the shoulder, but Prayer didn't even grunt and he merely shrugged before he hurled one of his lances into the man's throat.

At any rate, the Axe Gangsters are getting slaughtered left and right. The seated officers of the 7th division plus one Yakuza Boss is just too much for the opposition. And yet, the 7th are in full retreat. There are just too many attackers, more are coming by the dozen and their casualties are mounting. The 7th division has no choice but to leave their weapon cache behind. Trying to save the people and the goods amidst all this chaos would be problematic.

But then, as Kage cleaved another attacker he noticed something at the corner of his eyes. "INCOMING!" He quickly enlarged Aoiro Shiki blade to a massive enough size to shield the weapon caravan just before a rocket landed upon it and exploded upon impact with the impromptu barrier.

"What… was that!?" Neil gulped. If that rocket had struck their caravan, it'll blow up the whole street, its escort included.

Kage glared at where the rocket came from, the man who shot it just tossed his smoking bazooka.

Black mask, with black hair… at a distance, he's almost like a perfect replica of Kage. Except that he has longer hair that reached slightly beneath his neck, and while most of it is let loose, some were tied in a short topknot. Slightly taller than the original one, he nevertheless carried a Katana on his back

The Fake Kage looked at how the black clad rider quickly diminished the enormous energy blade to the size of a pole-arm. And he blinked in amusement. "Well I'll be damned… and here I thought that was just another Shadowguard…"

"You mean that's…" One of the Dark Axes gulped.

"The rumors are true… Kage doesn't take too kindly when one of his own are threatened." The Fake Kage smirked.

"Now what?"

"Now…" The Fake Kage pulled out his own Katana. "Now is where it's getting fun!" And the Fake Kage quickly rushed through the street to enter the fray.

Kage saw this and understand the impostor is trying to get up close and personal with him, mano a mano. Wish granted. "Okay…" He dismounted and revert Shiki back to its normal state. He slapped Aile's back to send her away. "Neil! Take care of things here!"

"Kick his ass Boss man!" Neil smirked as he took over the operation while their boss went on to his date.

Kage rushed across the street and the impostor was also closing the distance. The impostor made his way to a ramp at an elevated position above Kage's. The Dark captain knew what's coming. And as expected, the Fake jumped off the ramp and slashed his sword downward from above. Simultaneously, Kage's upward swing blocked and parried the airstrike away as the opponent jumped past him. Both quickly turned around and swing. Their blades clashed with a loud ring and grinded one another as their wielders get a close up view of one another.

"Captain Kage of the 7th division. Charmed to meet you at last." The Fake hissed excitedly.

"…" The real Kage has decided to be less talkative than his copycat, but his glare speaks volumes on what he thinks of his copy.

Alas, the injuries allover Kage's body gets in the way, and even without that, the fake easily overpower the original due to his larger physique. But rather than trying to resist, Kage let the attack to flow in as he purposefully fell and rolled backwards, throwing the fake off balance overhead. The Fake fell forward and Kage gave him a push in form of a hard kick to the chest and sent him crashing behind him with a bruised stomach. Kage swing his sword and went in charging. The Fake immediately recovered and pulled out a gun and fired. Luckily, Shiki was in the way of the first shot. Kage wasn't expecting this, and he quickly ran to the side as the fake unloaded another shot.

Meanwhile, Kenji had fought his way to the back, finding a spot where he can finally see Kage in action.

Kage ran to the side, attempting to flank the shooter. After the third and final shot that also missed, the Fake Kage tossed the empty gun away. As expected, Kage closed the distance with a shunshin and his sword is pulled back for a powerful thrust. "Dragon Stinger!" Using Harlbarton's signature move, Kage thrust Shiki forward at incredible force, and he also added a whirring spin into it. The Fake was barely able to block the drilling stab using the surface of his katana, but the force of the attack nearly shattered his sword and his feet sank to the ground trying to contain the power of the stab. "Hrgh!" The Fake grunted as his hands went numb due to the shock. His sword also became chipped and cracked. He looked at Kage and gaped when Kage is already forming another stance. His feet firmly planted on the ground, he pulled his katana back and prepared to use the entire force of his upper muscles for another point blank stab. "Gatotsu… ZEROSHIKI!"

"Hraah!" The Fake barely had time to dodge back and Shiki was propelled through his already badly damaged sword, shattering it. Shiki pierced through and hit the Fake squarely in the chest, sending him flying off the ground until he crashed through a wall.

Kage grunted as he saw the downed but alive fake Kage amidst the rubble. He needn't look at the slight blood smear at the tip of his sword to know he missed the mark. Just before the lethal impact landed, the Fake strategically jumped back and moved his body so that his sword misplaced the target. Kage cautiously but quickly closed in to finish it. But the Fake immediately get up, having acquired a new weapon: a Dagger assault rifle. And he quickly opened fire multiple times at the approaching Kage.

Kage quickly reacted by sliding down at blinding speed to dodge the first two shots. He finished a series of handseals and when the Fake fixed his aim and fired the last three shots, Kage finished the jutsu and slammed the ground with his hand. "Doton, Jisshin Zan! (Earthquake Cut!)" The earth rumbled and split apart, sending giant slabs of earth forward. The earthen construct blocked the bullets as it surged forward towards the shocked Fake. Said Fake finally realized the opposition has bigger guns than his and immediately jumped away from the earth element wave of destruction. He managed to dodge the earth attack, but before he can land, Kage had sent another attack.

"TETSUGA TENSHOU!" The horizontally swung Shiki unleashed a wave of white shockwave that will engulf the Fake in full in less than a second. Reacted quickly, the Impostor shot a cable to the side and using that, he pulled himself away from the shockwave's path.

Kage grunted as the Fake survived and landed on his feet, completely intact. Holding his bleeding chest, the fake finally realized he can't handle the original straight on. Not alone at least. "FIRE!"

That instruction was heard by a couple of Dark axes who are holstering multiple Gatling guns above. They quickly spin the crank and the weapon start firing. At this, Kage quickly rushed back as the rain of bullets are close on his heels. Kage moved at blurring fast speed, and the slow but rapid firing weapon can barely keep up with his movements, but unfortunately, it was all Kage can do to keep himself from being riddled with bullets. Worsening the matter, the Fake also come back in, leading a squad of Dark Axes, all firing their rifles in salvos of shots that the Dark captain can barely dodge. When the Gatling gun finally stopped firing for a reload, the salvo of bullets continued. Kage rushed back to the entrenchment, using Blue Shiki on his back to shield his retreat.

"Protect the captain!" The few remaining soldiers saw how their captain is in trouble and jumped out of their trenches to give some support fire for their commander. Alas, that was a mistake. One bullet landed on a soldier's head, one landed on another's thigh. "Argh!"

Kage saw this and immediately run towards the downed soldier. He lifted the moaning wounded soldier up. "Come on! Come on!" The other soldiers wisely stayed in their trenches and gave suppressive fire while their captain dragged the wounded soldier, still using his Aoiro Shiki as a shield. But as he made his way, his head is now assaulted by a familiar painful sting. 'Ah crap… I've used up my time…' His pace slowed because of it.

A hissing sound later, and an explosion suddenly occurred and sent Kage and the soldier off their feet. Kage looked back weakly through the dimming and fading Shiki's energy sword. The Fake tossed another empty and smoking bazooka while his underlings gave him a fresh new one. Correction, his underlings are also getting ready to fire another one… make that two! The three rockets were launched and Kage had to stop and drop his wounded soldier so that he cam firmly plant his giant energy sword to the ground to block the assault. The rockets barraged the sword's surface, covering Kage with a shower of fireworks.

When the explosion dies down, the Fake Kage and his men were astonished to find the target is still alive and kicking. But something's off with his sword.

Kage looked at Shiki. She's back to her original state and worse: she's phased out. That barrage of rockets had drained the last of her endurance, and with it, her chakra reserve.

"Keep firing!" The Fake ordered and the Dark Axes fired a salvo of bullets straight at Kage and the downed Soldier. Kage grunted. He can dodge this… but the soldier under his care will pay the price.

Suddenly, Kenji stepped in, and using his two swords, he speedily deflected all bullets, cutting them midair. The Dark Axes gasped when they saw the infamous red haired Yakuza boss. But more attackers are pouring in, pouring lead. Kenji calmly blocked all incoming projectiles with his twin swords. But then the heavy weapon on the roof had finished reloading and they're getting ready to roar.

"I can't handle that one!" Kenji warned Kage. He may have fast hands, but they're not THAT fast.

"I can." Kage quickly move forward and he already finished another Doton Handseals. "Doton, Sekijun Funka! (Stalagmite Eruption)" Kage slammed the ground, and the earth rumbled as a series of cracks slither across the street until they reached the base of the building where the heavy Gunners were stationed. On cue, a massive earthen spike just… spiked out of the building's foundation. The whole structure was tilted, pushed by the emerging earthen construct and the heavy gunners lose balance and their aim. But that's the least of their worries. A moment later the structure is in full free fall, collapsing right on top of the rear attackers.

The Fake was the first to notice the danger, but without bothering to warn his men, he ran first, and his men realizing the plight only when the building is already right on top of them. With a thunderous roar, the building finally fell and crushed the rear forces under rubble.

When the Fake finally recovered and looked at his surroundings, all he sees are massive destruction everywhere. And then he looked at where Kage and his men were… and they weren't there anymore, leaving behind the weapon cache on the ruined entrenchment. "What a crazy bastard, the original one is… he's like a walking destruction, obliterating everything in his way…" The remaining dark Axes quickly close in on their leader.

Some approached the abandoned arsenal cache, intending to salvage it as they had planned… But then, the Fake noticed something's odd… something is burning… And that was when he noticed… the surprise gift Kage left behind.

A whole stack of burnt and alight explosive tags buried beneath enough live arms and munitions to, as noted earlier, blew up the entire street.

The Fake quickly turned tail and run as soon as the explosive tags exploded.

The resulting 'fireworks' can be heard and seen from miles away…

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The victorious but battered 7th division soldier returned back to Archangel. Waiting for them were the medical team that had been expecting a new batch of injured soldiers, led by a concerned Simca and a very upset Hikari, as well as Mwu, Xing Ke, Murrue and Natarle. Upon seeing Kage returned with noticeable scars of battle, the armored doctor grew more upset. The Shadowguards were also there, and they, like Hikari, were worried, albeit less so.

Hikari quickly rushed at Kage and as expected, she quickly checked on his head. She rubbed his face, getting a feel around the nose… and as expected… she found blood stain on her finger. His blood. "You've been forcing yourself again? (koff)" Hikari grunted in exasperation. "What does it take for you to listen to what I say? (koff)"

"Not you concern right now." Kage motioned to the other visibly far more severely wounded soldiers behind him. "I think these people are in need of medical attention… moreso than me."

And while Hikari agrees that their injuries are anything but light, she knew Kage was even more so. But she relented with an angry scoff. "You are going to Angel's bath, first thing tonight. (koff) Understand!? (koff)"

Kage nodded. He then looked at Tolle and Milly. "Found the second copycat. This one is even way worse than the first one."

"What should we do?"

Kage closed his eyes in deep thought. "Issue general alert. From here on out, until we defuse this situation and deal with this… 'Evil twin' of mine… all soldiers had to be careful with anyone who looks like… me." A rather awkward Kage stammered slightly.

Mwu snickered, and Murrue nudged him.

Kage looked at Tolle and Milly. "Which also means… Tolle, Milly, you two had to lose the uniform."

"W… What?" Tolle stammered in shock. "Why?"

"Because Kage's identity is his outfit." Kenji spoke, drawing everyone attention. "With all these copycats roaming around, a clear chain of command needs to be reestablished. We can't have all sorts of Kage look alike everywhere, issuing false orders using stolen identity and authority."

"But we're Shadowguards! Without our uniform we-"

"Your skills establish your posts. Not what you wear, no?" Kenji calmly stated.

It was an innocent comment, but to Tolle that's like a deep jab to his pride. Especially after his disastrous loss of all his escort team. "Why you lit'l-"

"Tolle!" Milly grab hold of her boyfriend's shoulder before a brawl breaks out. "Tolle, Kenji's right. With all the confusion caused by this fake Kages running around, everyone might start attacking anyone who looked like Kage. That also includes the Shadowguards."

Tolle looked at Milly… and then to Kage, as if hoping he will refute this. To his clear disappointment, Kage made no attempt to say otherwise. Finally, Tolle shook his head and walked away, completely dejected, followed quickly by Milly, who nodded apologetically on her boyfriend's behalf and left. Kage frowned at Tolle's sudden outburst, making a mental note to address this later. Still, he looked at Kenji with amusement, the way he supported his decision, far cry different with how he was a little while ago. "So… you're okay to be under my command now."

Kenji sighed as he had to admit it. "You are… not a conventional fighter… to say the least. Style, non existent. Skills rudimentary. But I also see the reality. That fight with that Impostor showed everything. You have no style, no recognizable form… which means you can become anything. Bound by nothing, restricted by only your resourcefulness. Perhaps that is exactly why you're so dangerous and unpredictable." Kenji knelt respectfully before Kage. "I still have much to learn. I understand that now. I will follow under you. Learn from you. And maybe, when I've learned enough… I'll be stronger than you… and that's when I'll leave… after I beat you fair and square to prove it."

Kage chuckled. "Have it your way boy."

Kenji get back on his feet and with another nod, he joined the rest inside the Archangel.

Mwu shook his head in bewilderment. "Where did you find these guys?"

"Long story." Kage looked at the Alliance officers… Xing Ke in particular. "Looks like that copycat fad had taken a turn for the worse."

"We need a way for Kage-darren to identify himself, I suppose. Something unique that only he has it."

"Captain Kage does have a unique badge of office." Mwu followed. "Shiki. There aren't many weapons that can transform into different weapons now, are there?" As Mwu said this, Shiki had also phased in her natural and unique red and blue coloration of her hand guard.

"Indeed." Natarle nodded. "And unfortunately, we cannot mass produce such weapon."

"In this case, it is more fortunate that we cannot." Kage shrugged in disapproval at Natarle's opinion. "And I hope it stays THAT way. But… there are plenty enough of such weapons." This brings the issue of how the Alliance had so many of Hanzou blades in their possession to Kira's mind. But he'll have to investigate this later… "There's one badge of office that I do have that no one has."

"How are you going to deal with the Fake though?"

"I still don't know anything about him other than he's affiliated with the Axe Gang. We'll deal with him later." Kage shrugged. "For now, let's just deal with one that we already have in our grasp." Kage glanced meaningfully at Simca. Simca understood.

First target: Shadow Raider.

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The next day…

"It didn't work." Saber answered. "The three are still alive and kickin', and you nearly killed Kage's brother to boot!"

After hearing that from Saber, Raider just found it hard to find a reason to put his glider again. Yesterday, he heard all that chaos happening, and even Kage went into action himself…

'I should've been there…'

But… if he's there… he's not even sure how he should react if he were to meet face to face with Kage. And so, he spent his days holed up in his room, rethinking his life…

That was before he saw this happening from the window of his cubicle.

A convoy of firearms which he knew belonged to Kage just stopped right in his neighborhood. Its escorts dressed as gangsters and Yakuza. He frowned in suspicion. They were lightly guarded, only three people, some of them were injured and the convoy bears signs of combat. Pretty recent too, judging by the way some of the singes on the convoy's canvas cover are still fresh and burning.

The Yakuzas and thugs chatted, imbibe some beverages… and all that…

But what they did next really turned his suspicion into conviction.

They start unloading the weapons from the wagon, opened up a manhole… and they start dumping the stuff into the manhole.

'What the…' Raider blinked. No time to hesitate, he really have to stop whatever they're doing. And so, he put on his glider suit, his mask, all his equipments and armory and head out.

He climbed to the roof of his apartment and looked down from on high. They still haven't noticed him, and they keep doing what they're doing. At first, he thought he could just… drop down and start shooting… but… the memory of what Saber said made him more cautious. No. He can't just kill them blind. He might accidentally killed Kage's nephew by accident for all he knows. He had to be careful. So…

BANG!

One shot hit one of Yakuza at the tip of his hair. Everyone on the scene immediately looked around and take cover, searching for the shooter.

"THAT'S A WARNING!" Raider's voice echoed on the street. "I have my guns aimed at all of your heads. If you don't cooperate, you're all gonna be a head short!"

They looked around… and they couldn't see anyone. The shooter can be everywhere, what's with his voice coming from everywhere. One of them looked at the shot and find where the shell landed. Using that, he tried to take a guess where the sniper was hiding. He narrowed it down to a building to their left. He began whispering that to his friend… and suddenly…

BANG!

The second shot came and it grazed the nape of his temple. The thing is, it came from the building directly opposite of the first assumed location of the sniper. "…Eh!?" The shocked soldier looked at where that shot came from. 'What is the meaning of this? How many snipers are we dealing with here?'

"You're pretty lucky aren't you?" Raider's reply echoed once again. "You won't be so lucky the next time."

At this point, with no way of knowing where the snipers really are of if they are indeed dealing with multiple mere snipers, they had no choice but to concede. They all come out of their cover with their hands raised above their heads.

Raider nodded as he moved his lips away from his megaphone. This is quite easy… "Okay…" But before he took the next action, a bird landed right on top of his megaphone cone. "?" Raider tilted his head just as the bird looked at him, tilting his head as well. "Umm… Shoo? Shoo!" He shook the megaphone several times and the bird flew away. Ignoring the bird, Raider went back to the interrogation at hand. "Okay… now then. Step away from the wagon, turn around, and get lost!"

The interrogated party looked at each other. One of them answered. "Sorry buddy. Can't do that."

Raider flicked his right hand finger, and suddenly, another sniper bullet was shot from another angle from another building, landing a foot away from the man's leg. "Not a request, 'buddy'." Raider growled.

"We're not in a situation where we can give up on it either."

BANG!

The bullet that scratched the deviant Yakuza's cheek was the last of his warning shots. 3 out 6 of his remotely controlled musket sniper rifle he posted around the building. Each musket trigger was controlled by strings… strings attached to his fingers. At the flick of said fingers, the carefully positioned rifle will open fire. "I'm not asking anymore!"

The Yakuzas are now in a state of complete panic. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Look! We're only following orders! If we don't do as he says, he'll have our heads!"

"Whose order!?" Raider roared.

"Mine."

The whisper came from his back. Back, as in, right behind his ears. In panic, Raider turned around and opened fire several times with his wrist mounted twin rifles. He hit nothing but empty air.

"Whoa. Trigger happy. Trigger happy." The voice now came from the sky, and Raider looked around… until he saw a feather falling right over his eyes. He looked up… and saw that bird that landed on his megaphone a little while ago. He followed the bird… and then it landed on top of the welcoming hand of a black clad man, standing not three feet away from him. "Yo."

Raider narrowed his eyes… and then… as the details came to light, his eyes narrowed in recognition. "…Kage!?"

Kage shrugged calmly and nodded to confirm it. He can clearly see how wide Raider's eyes went. He walked past the surprised Raider to look down at the Yakuza's down below. "It's alright boys! Keep at it!"

The Yakuzas nodded and quickly returned to their job of tossing the firearms into the sewer man hole.

"By the way… I took the liberty of disabling the other sniper rifles. I think you kinda forget about it." Kage showed the still dumbfounded Raider the cut strings that controlled the last three sniper rifles.

Raider blinked and then he looked at the hand that supposedly controlled the other three sniper rifles, and true enough, the last three strings had gone limp as well. More importantly, in his zeal to shoot the sneaking Ninja, he yanked them pretty hard… by all accounts those snipers should be blasting, and those three Yakuzas would've been dead by now. "Uh… you're… they're…" He flabbergasted. Oh no. What have he done!?

"Yes, Raider. Those three are my men." Kage nodded, further horrifying the Raider. "And I'm grateful that the first three shots were warning shots that didn't hurt them… much."

"Oh god…" Raider paled. "I did it again!"

"If you're referring to that incident with my brother… well… I'll be honest with you; it was out of everyone's hands. Even mine." Kage smirked. "So you can stop beating yourself over it, Buer-kun."

Raider's eyes widened when Kage… the REAL Kage is addressing him by NAME. As in… his actual name. "You… how did you know… oh… wait… of course you would know…" And finally, Raider removed his mask and revealed his face. It was that of a young 15 year old boy, with bright orange red hair sleeked back.

Kage sighed. He didn't expect the person behind the Raider mask would be so young either. "Let's talk in your room." Kage pointed down on the floor, where both knew that a few floors beneath the roof of the building they're standing on is the Raider's base/room.

"You knew this was my house?"

"Yes. Why else would I order today's operation to be performed by yakuzas right in this particular neighborhood with myself in charge?" Kage looked down at his men down below, continuing what they're doing. The Shepards' crew should be down there, receiving those firearms. The same trick used by Saber and Archer the other day. "I was trying to fish you out. And with someone of your level of dedication, seeing a 'crime' occurring right in front of your nose, in your own neighborhood… would be pushing it."

Buer nodded and the two make their way down to his room. "It's… the glider… isn't it?" Buer started. "That's how you figure out who I am? Where I live?"

"That's where I started. Yes."

"The Glider was an experimental equipment designed for base jumping during urban combat. It's still in prototype stage. Which means… it's right up Tools Toul Too's alley. And recently you did acquire the whole squadron… including whatever data they have in their archive of experimental equipments…" Buer surmised.

Kage chuckled. "Hmmm… interesting. So you knew I'll dug into the archives?"

Hearing the encouragement, Buer continued as they descend through the stairs. "…well… yeah. I was kinda hoping that I would attract your attention that way. That's why I showed my glider to your elite guard. I just knew you'll chase after that lead…"

"Go on…?" Kage grew more interested with the way Buer had thought these things through.

"Having acquired Tools Toul To, their archive would easily gave you the specs for this glider. Such as its range and limits. I knew you'll try to use that information to net me… But…"

"But…?"

"What I didn't expect is that you… actually get here." Buer turned around and looked at Kage with puzzled and awed look. "I mean… I knew you'll try to track me by my glider. But… I didn't expect that you would be able use that to track me all the way to my home…?"

"Hmmm… not bad, Mr. Buer." Kage smiled. "That glider has a limit to how far it can go. In order for you to move from one place to another, you need to get to a high place in order for those wings to generate enough lift to glide effectively. That narrows the area for possible base of operation significantly. You already knew I'll do that. But I didn't just track your equipment; I tracked your fighting style and your use of said equipment as well. Your rather… liberal use of explosives caught my eye. You would need to be able to constantly restock blackpowder and other necessities. That narrowed the search area even further to areas near warehouses or places where you can store small caches of weapons. You're acting outside military jurisdiction so you can't use the army depot. You'll use ones that previously belonged to gangsters. Since I've already acquired Mob and Yakuzas, it's a simple matter for me to scroll through their archive of munitions storage facility. Both functional… and defunct. That narrowed the search area even further."

"…" Buer's mouth hung aghast. He heard stories that the Black Devil was sharp… he didn't expect he would be this thoroughly sharp.

"But in the end… there's one thing that really gives you away." Kage looked in marvel at Buer's apparel. All of them were clearly self-made, and yet they were made with such finesse, and the user also used them properly. "That ability of yours… that ingenuity… you're young, but your skills rival professionals older than you. That shows dedication and hard work." Kage went ahead and pushed the door before them open, revealing the way in to Buer's room. "All of them showed your determination. A determination born from motivation."

What he saw in there… he kinda expected to be there for someone with Buer's line of activity. Dumbbells, punching bag, some shooting circles painted on the wall with a few bullet holes on it. Maps to plan attacks. Photos of priority targets and locations. The standard setting for a vigilante. But… there are also a few things that seem to show that… this room was used for something else before all this. There are plenty of… intellectual toys around here. Rubric cubes, chess, Othello, even giant 3D puzzles. All of them however, showed signs of how often they're used.

"And what could motivate a 15 year old boy to do this? To build himself up like this? Excitement? Maybe…" Kage took a paper from the wall, showing the boy's training regime. "But you don't do 50 pushups every morning just to get excited. No. Love is a much fiercer motivator. For instance…"

And Kage showed Buer the file he had been keeping under wraps. "The love for your late sister… right? Clotho Buer?"

Clotho Buer winced.

Kage shrugged. "It was your sister. Steno Buer." Kage opened up the file. "She was a tuner. KIA recently when serving as Black Rock Shooter's tuner. 3 months before that, you tried to enlist with the regulars. They rejected you due to age, but Simca took notice and brought you into the Genesis Tools Toul To. She always said you're brilliant. But… many members complained about you being… anti social, reckless, loose cannon, had trouble with following orders, and just… don't fit with the team."

Clotho scratched his head and said nothing to deny all those accusations.

Kage snickered and took a seat as he placed another chair a distance away in front of him. "So." Kage smiled kindly.

"So?"

Kage chuckled. "You showcased your high tech gear and performed several well thought out, albeit ill performed intervention on several operations where my elite guards were involved to hook my interest." He gestured Clotho to take a seat. "Interest hooked. You wanna talk about it?"

Clotho finally took a seat. He took his time, but only for a moment. "…Da was the Sergeant of the Raider Squadron. And my Ma was an army medic for the 8th Medical Division." He shrugged. "Da had to retire when a cannon ball sliding through the ground knock his leg clean off. He couldn't cope so his retirement plan includes a lot of alcohol fueled rage. Ma caught polio and, between the abuse and the miscarriage of my youngest sister, she couldn't take it. Steno-nee-san remembered that one well… but I was too young to understand at the time. Some years later my crippled da hanged himself in the family room out of depression and some gambling debt… that… I understand just fine."

Kage nodded. He's starting to see where this is going.

"My sister and I were taken in by an army owned orphanage. Not long after, foster parents took us in." Clotho snorted sarcastically. "Family life suits my sister well. She knew how to… put things in the calm… but… as for me…"

"They understand at first." Kage sighed. "They 'understand'… but then their sympathy ran out and then they asked the angry kid to do something he can never really do… Let it go." Kira's foster parents, the Yamatos. They asked the same of him when they rehabilitated him after his traumatic experience in Terminal. He acceded… but… now he realized he never really could get over. "Because they don't know what it's like… when your anger seems to be the only thing that flows in your vein."

Clotho's face brightened when he sensed a kindred spirit in the dark captain. "My sister joined the army. I stayed behind because my foster parents reasoned I'm still too young. And indeed I stayed with them for a while, causing no end of trouble at daily basis. Then… I heard that my sister became BRS' tuner… I've heard stories of how all of her partners never last longer than a year. And I grew more desperate. So desperate that finally, my foster family won't tolerate it anymore and they kicked me out. I was accepted by the Tools Toul too because Simca and my sister seems to be old friend… but… I've never been able to really fit in. When I heard my sister died, that's like… the last coffin nail."

"Genesis and Tools Toul Too are generally support team. They stay at the back and very rarely do actual fighting at the front." Kage chuckled. "Kinda makes it a complete opposite to your… temperaments."

Clotho also snickered. But that snicker immediately stopped and turned into a hopeful look, precluding a question which both know were coming from a mile away. "Sir… please… I may not be able to make it under Simca… but maybe… under you…"

Kage sighed. "…you know… I've been studying your methods… and I have a few… concerns." Kage looked around Clotho's room, and as he had thought, there are more toys and games around here than military hardware. "…Clotho… I had a feeling you've been… likening all those operations as some form of a… game."

"Eh?"

To demonstrate his point clear, Kage took a chessboard on the floor. "You play chess? You know blitz chess?"

"Blitz chess… as in the chess where participants only have limited time to make their move?" Clotho easily produced a small hourglass. "Yeah. Played that a few times."

"Let's play. A 5 minute game."

Soon, the chess pieces are assembled and the two face one another in the chess game. Both have only the time it took for the sands above to fill the small glass below and then it'll be flipped when the turn changes or the time ran out. That means both players only have like… 60 seconds of thinking time.

However… Clotho showed he's not half bad either, even under time pressure. It took him an average of 10 seconds to come up with the next move. Just slightly behind Kage, who need an average of 8 seconds.

"I used to play games at chess dens." Clotho smiled in excitement as the game with his idol went underway. "I think chess is like Tic-tac-toe." He moved a knight over his pawn.

"Tic-tac-toe huh?" Kage move a rook forward. "Hm… Buer-kun… you knew that Chess is based on army deployment, right?"

"Yeah." Clotho, still smiling in excitement, moved his pawn forward again and then he flipped the hourglass. "I even heard top class strategist often used Chess as simulation to arrange their army."

"Hm." Kage nodded. "However… chess didn't encompass everything. It didn't count on the weather, the terrain, absence or existence of natural barrier…" Kage tapped the checkered surface of the chess board. "The world of a chess game is a flat monotone surface of black and white. Differences and problems clearly divided in ink."

"…"

"What's more… the pieces of the chess are even more unrealistic." Kage pointed at the rook without touching it. "They divide the army into classes whose capabilities are distinguished by their range of movements. But they don't take into account of the possibility of a real soldiers can move differently. Even more, they don't take into account of their physical conditions: their stamina, their weapons and skills, whether they're ill or healthy, well fed or starving halfway to death. Chess don't factor all that."

"Erm… sir… your time… it's…" Clotho pointed just as the last of Kage's sand had poured out into the glass below.

Kage sighed. "Pass."

And that's a move Clotho did not expect. The point of Blitz chess is to overwhelm the opposition at speed. To not make a move at all during one's turn, a pass is like a wrong move that can send one into defeat. Clotho looked at the situation… Kage's king is at the middle of the board, protected by rook, knight, and a small array of pawns. But Clotho's pieces are surrounding his position. Clotho went into the offensive and used his bishop to take out the rook. He flipped the sandglass and once again the turn turned to Kage…

And still the captain refused to do anything and kept talking. "Chess also don't factor morale." Kage showed this as he gestured at how his forces are surrounded by Clotho's pressuring units. "Imagine for a moment… that you are this pawn here… imagine you're in his shoes, surrounded by enemies from all side with no way out. To go anywhere other than staying where you are is certain death."

"Uhh… Captain?" Once again, Kage let his turn flows by without him making a move. The turn once again passed to Cotho. But Clotho was now so confused of Kage's strategy, unable to see logic in what he's doing. That confusion drove him away from his game and he half listened intently to his words.

"Imagine… that as a commander… you ordered that pawn to charge forward into certain death. How do you think he feels about that? Do you think he will be willing to just… step into the firing line and take one for the team?" Kage looked at the lone pawn as if watching one of his soldiers in its place. "You started with high morale, hoping for glory… But when you're seconds away from being killed… suddenly, your thoughts flew back to what you will lose when you die… and you lost your nerve in the process." Kage narrowed his eyes to Clotho, who now became more unnerved than ever. But he saw his clock was ticking and he hastily made his move. His rook take out Kage's bishop. One more of layer of defense for him to peel.

"The same story not only goes to my pieces… it also goes to yours as well." Kage continued. "You think soldiers choose to be soldiers? What choice do you have, when your families are starving and you don't have anything to earn money to buy the food needed to feed them? Or when the gang pressed you to serve them in order to settle your dead parent's gambling debts? Or when you're an addict, you're a desperate for a fix, and your parents were no longer around to tell you that joining a gang is not the right way, especially if it's to get another fix." The more Clotho hears this… the more uneasy he became. Suddenly, his thoughts were filled with all the people he had fought and killed over the course of his tenure as a vigilante. He never thought of that in such a way. "That… is something chess can never convey to you." And at last, Kage moved his piece. A completely unnoticed pawn moved to the end of the board. And Kage changed it into the Queen. Kage flipped the sandglass and the turn changes.

As it happened, Clotho suddenly realized the danger, and he tried to desperately cover his king… but it was no use. In his zeal to take out Kage's surrounded King, all his pawns are pushed forward, and none of his special piece (Knight, Bishop, rook) are in any position to turn back, leaving his King relatively defenseless. The sand almost ran out when he desperately and futilely moved his king away, under cover of a knight. But in his confusion, he made a fatal error.

Kage calmly moved the Queen to take out the knight, right next to the now vulnerable King. "Check mate."

Clotho panted and gasped at this sudden defeat. Of course… he kinda expected this to happen… he just didn't expect that it ends… with his minds are now filled with turmoil, conflict, and uncertainty… as well as horror.

"The greatest flaw of chess…" Kage calmly assessed. "…is the illusion of separating sides in black and white. In war… in real life… things are rarely so clear cut. It's intimate, grey… and ugly."

"I… I know…" Clotho said that… but he doesn't sound so sure of himself now. "I… I know… but… It's not like I…"

"Let's take example of what you did in Drunken Cattle. Let's just say my brother wasn't there. Let's just say the Shepards didn't intervene… you would've gone on with your plan of blowing up the foundation, would you?" Kage continued. "The main targets are the three heads of the Triads. And you blew up a whole building filled with people to kill those three. Doesn't matter if their allegiance are with the triads, they are people Clotho. People with families and friends like you. That's what worries me, Clotho. You don't see people as people. You see them as enemy chess pieces that had to be removed in order to get to your goal."

"But I… the Shepards… they were targeting them as well!" Clotho flabbergasted, becoming more unsure than ever. "And you… you killed a lot of people yourself."

"Strategies that were geared to achieve massive kill count are something I'm pretty good at… but that's not strategy. That's just genocide and murder. But I do what I had to protect people. So others don't have to endure what I've endured. And you think the Shepards didn't consider the idea of blowing up the whole building? I'm sure they do." Kage nodded. "But they know better than to go on with it. They have sufficient experience and the courage to not take the easy bloody way out. You, and them, are better men than that."

"You're saying that I lack self control." Clotho grunted. "But I didn't kill those Yakuzas straight away! I gave them warning shots, didn't I?"

"That you did. You learned from your mistakes. Which is why I believe there's hope for you yet." Kage finally got up. It seems he's about to put an end to this conversation. But somehow, Clotho had a feeling his answer will not be to his liking. "You have skills. And you are eager to learn. But you're not yet mature. Simca had expressed interest to welcome you back, keeping a spot open for you. Return to Genesis… to Tools Toul too. But you have to lose the mask. Join not as Raider… but as Clotho Buer. Either way… your hero play has to end today."

Clotho's expression soured greatly.

"Take a step back… return to your roots and relearn everything again. There's a saying you have to run before you can walk. But even when you already know how to run… eventually you also need to learn how to walk." Kage patted the still somewhat shaken red haired boy. "Take it slower, Clotho. Give it a few years."

"The war has been going on for decades!" Clotho protested. "And now with you on board, in a few years it might've ended then! I want to serve here. Now! In the most important field of the war!"

"I'm sorry." Kage mournfully shook his head. "But you're not ready for that. Not yet." And that's his final decision. Kage turned around to leave the dejected Clotho, but before he left, he circle back and add the most important bit. "The most important field of the war is not what comes during the war. It's what comes after the war. In times like that, people like you will be indispensable. That much, I can damn well guarantee."

Clotho still looked bitter at Kage's refusal. But the Dark Captain has nothing more to say to him and left without another word. He had said what need be said.

The rest… he had to figure it out himself.

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To be concluded…

I know that Batman reference was a bit too obvious… but I'm surprised no one seem to get the actual reference in the name to the related Gundam.

Oh, and originally I planned Sousuke to be Sanosuke's brother… but making him his son seems to be more… apt. Truth be told, I once read that Sousuke Sagara was based on mixing Kenshin and Sanosuke into one character. With the cross scar on the cheek and the dark spiky hair and all. The Sagara name also a dead giveaway, even though the FMP creator said it was based on Stephen Seagal.