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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8 years ago…

Harlbarton, the current captain of the 7th division grieved when he heard that Donald Anderson, the current Captain of the 10th division and his last living friend from the previous generation of captains was killed when a Tristan cannonball smashed half of his body clean. His grief was quickly replaced with joy when he heard that succeeding the captain of the 10th division was none other than an old student of his, Rena Imelia. And so, Harlbarton made a note to congratulate Rena when he visited China on the next ship. He did so bringing some of his best soldiers: Murrue Ramias, Natarle Badgiruel, Mwu la Flagga, and a talented 14 year old Canadian boy he found a little earlier, Canard Pars.

As soon as he arrived on Shanghai, Xingke, then a mere sergeant of his own squadron but effectively Rena's right hand man, welcomed him. Xingke told him that Rena sent for him, and without a fuss, Harlbarton departed to Beijing on the hour. As soon as he arrived on the Forbidden City, the troopers brought him before the 10th division Headquarters, straight into Rena's office. And there, she saw her. She held her office for only a few days, and already it was obvious that the troopers had learnt not to mess with her.

"Well, well, well… Rena Imelia. A captain at last." Harlbarton stretched out his hand in an offer of handshake, Rena completely ignore it as her eyes never left the report in her hand. Harlbarton's outstretched hand was left floating for a few seconds until he get the message and put it down.

Rena's eyes finally left the report and looked at her old mentor coldly. "You know me, so I'll be simple and blunt. Lewis Harlbarton, I ask that you resign from your post. Immediately."

Xingke winced at Rena's unforgiving remark while Harlbarton looked indifferent. "Wow. That is simple and blunt."

"You're 65 years old. The fact you can swing Glamm around is quite something, but that's that. Your time of glory is long past. You're all washed out, save what little respect you can muster from other captains who respect you. Quit while you still have that respect. Do it quickly, before Azrael and his Logos cronies took in to micromanage your soldiers."

"Ha ha ha…" Contrary to everyone's expectations, Harlbarton take this in his stride. He knew full well of Rena personality. She never let anyone belittle her just because of her gender. She managed this by being the toughest nail of her generation. Blunt and stubborn but brilliant and necessarily unforgiving both to herself and other people. She hasn't changed a bit since that time she was still under his wing. Thus, he knew well what to expect. "I'll be honest with you. You're right. I've been making plans to do just that actually."

"Then do it. ASAP."

"It's not that simple." Harlbarton shrugged. "I've been looking for suitable candidate… but… I'm not sure about this…"

"Not sure?"

"7th division is tricky." Harlbarton chuckled. "I need someone that everyone can follow. Someone quite earthly, one that can connect with everyone-"

"Wrong." Rena spat. "Cease your childish belief of connecting with people. There's only one thing men will respond to. And that is strength."

"Oh Rena… still following your ruthless principle of Strong devours the weak?"

"Once again Harlbarton, you always misinterpret. The Strong doesn't need to devour the weak. The Weak will be devoured anyway. We have no place for the weak in this war." Rena snorted. "In fact, what I learn is… when the strong devour the weak, what they get is decadence and decline."

"The 7th Division is not weak." Harlbarton argued back. "It's just that… most of its members were so varied, it's bloody hard to get them focused on a single goal. You would know this… you were once a member of the 7th division too, Rena."

"I am aware." Rena retorted. "Which is why, having tasted what it's like under your leadership, I can firmly say that your method of leadership no longer works, Harlbarton." Rena glared sharply at Harlbarton's aging eyes. "Molly coddling the weak will only waste your time and made them even weaker. It will only degenerate them and you."

"The weak needs nurturing and care if they are to grow strong, Imelia."

"They don't need to be spoon-fed, they need to be led." Rena barked. "Weed out the weak and sort out the strong. And the Strong will follow that which is the strongest. That's how 7th division should've been done."

"That's YOUR way of doing things, Rena." Harlbarton argued back.

"That…" Rena glared at Harlbarton's calmer eyes coldly. "…Is the reason why your division will leave China today bereft of their greatest soldiers. You are weak, Harlbarton. You lack the strength needed to keep the strong to follow and respect you. A mistake your successor should not repeat."

"Hmm…" Harlbarton continued to receive Rena's unforgiving remarks in his stride. "Then what, pray tell, is your recommendation for the standards of my successor?"

"What we need… is a superhuman." Rena stated. "Set your standards to absurd inhuman level, Harlbarton, for that is what is needed by this army."

"Why so?"

"We are an army made of differing types of people. We got Orientals, we got Caucasian, we got Colored, we got Christians, we got Muslims, even Animisms… forget Naturals vs Advanced, Naturals are as varied as it is, each with its own problems and vendettas. And we are assembling all those different people together into one army. To fight together, to achieve a single goal: WIN." Rena glared at Harlbarton. "And last I checked, there's one thing this multiracial, multinational organization answers to: strength. To bind and control all this differing aspects together into a single cohesive force… it's not a task a normal human can handle, you need someone with superhuman qualities."

"People with your physical strength don't grow on trees, Rena." Harlbarton chuckled jokingly.

"For the record, I didn't gain my strength in one day either." Rena was not amused. "Besides, it's not physical strength per se. More important than that… is the superhuman strength of will to bind and tie all these differing people together. Directing them to follow a single vision and purpose." Rena bent her head forward to emphasize her point. "That's the strength you no longer have Harlbarton. So I'll say it again. Quit the force. ASAP."

Harlbarton smiled and nodded kindly as he stood up, ready to take his leave. "I'll put it at the corners of my mind."

That was the last time Harlbarton ever set foot on China. Also, when he left, Murrue and Natarle were drafted into the 10th division. Mwu chose to part away with Halrbarton then and there, but for some reason, he refused to join the 10th. A short while later, Mwu was promoted as a captain of the 9th division. And a year later, Harlbarton recommended him to go to the Shinobi training academy. Only Canard sternly refused all offers (and demands) to join the 10th and loyally followed Harlbarton back to Archangel.

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Chapter 49:

Shadow's City

Final Part

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Present day…

It's still dark, but it's nearing dawn.

The roads of Shanghai were immediately cleared. Mothers and fathers pulled their children away from the streets, merchants hastily closed their shops, citizens closed the doors and windows shut, daring only to peek what little they can from the seams. Living together with gangsters in one city, the civilians are used to this routine. Gang wars are an everyday event. Staying indoors helped increasing their chance of surviving the violence that'll surely follow.

But today… today of all days, as they peeked through the seams of the window, the people of Shanghai were welcomed with a sight they never thought they'll see:

Yakuzas, Mobs, and the Army, marching forward… side by side.

With the amount of hardware they're carrying, it was obvious they're here to kick somebody's ass. Funny thing is, judging by how friendly they are with one another (well, as friendly as they can manage), the asses that are about to be kicked are not one another's.

In front of this most bizarre if not awe inspiring band, the head of this procession, Kage.

Following behind him are his officers, the Juppongatana, as well as the other two captains and their lieutenants; Mwu and Murdock, Murrue and Natarle. Tip toeing slightly far behind, are a rather out of place Jess and Kaite.

After a while, Kage raised his hand, a signal for his small army to stop their march. Balling his fist and then waving it forward, the whole army immediately broke apart and rushed to different directions, as if rehearsed. Mwu and Murrue also gave their young friend a gesture before they depart with their detachments. As men ran to different direction, Jess finally had the chance to close in on Kage, who remain standing where he was, observing his men's departure.

When the last of the soldier finally moved out of his sight, Kage had yet to move an inch. But his head tucked up, sensing a presence.

Master Bull seemingly appeared out of thin air, calmly approaching him. Kaite was a bit tense and move in Jess' defense, but the Master doesn't seem to have any ill intent.

"We're going to do it." Kage started. "That kid of yours had made it personal."

The Master merely nodded in understanding. "All I ask is… spare my men, if you can. Cut off the head and the bull cannot charge."

"As long as they don't get in my way."

0000000 About four hours earlier… 0000000

In the Wu Hu Xing Tavern…

"Well, for what is worth, it's been fun." Mr. Bushido's meeting with his former teammates had just finished. Billy accompanied his friend off.

"We'll think about your offer. Truly. We will. Daryl and Howards seems to be plenty interested already."

"The guy's fun." Daryl snorted. "Almost too much fun for Howard's taste…" Howard playfully glared at his dark skinned friend. "Still… if it meant fighting side by side with you again sir… well… maybe we can stomach it."

No sooner than he said that, the clamor of people's scream immediately arise and quickly drowned by the loudest mooing they've ever heard, coming from the largest bull they've ever seen, trampling through the street. Bushido and Billy barely got out of the way. Billy fixed his glasses to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. "…what's that?"

"This one hasn't the faintest idea…" Bushido was as puzzled as he can be… but he can sense urgency in the creature's gait. "It's heading straight to Archangel… so Kage's definitely involved… Somehow."

Billy looked at the scale and size of that bull… and almost sympathetically, he looked at Bushido. "…need a hand, old friend?"

0000000

Simca's heart literally stopped beating for a second when the newly arrived Mechanical bull opened up, and Hikari and Kage burst out, followed by Kaite and Jess. The latter two carried a worse for wear but still alive Xingke, but the former two had a severely injured Clotho Buer in their arms. "GURNEY!" She screeched. "What happened to him?" She looked in horror as Hikari placed the weak limp boy on the prepared stretcher.

"A severely damaged spinal cord… among other things." Hikari answered. "Emergency room! We need to get him stabilized before we can operate on him. And someone take Xingke-dono to the ward and lay him down to rest!"

Leaving Xingke to Jess and Kaite, Kage can only follow and watch helplessly as Hikari and Simca dragged the boy to the direction of the medical ward with all haste, earning more and more curious onlookers, and stopped as they brought him to the closed wing of the emergency room.

And there Kage stood transfixed, staring at the blank silent door leading to the emergency room. For some time, he was completely unsure on what to do. This continues for over an hour. Other soldiers who saw the commotion looked at the dark captain… and they knew well enough to stay the hell away. Kaite also make sure that Jess didn't get too close, not that the journalist needed any warning. He understands the situation and kept his distance.

Only ranked officer would dare to close their distance, namely, Prayer and Mwu. "Kid? You're okay?" Mwu asked and gently patted Kage's shoulder.

"…Mwu-san…" For the first in what seemed to be a long while, Kage finally noticed presences of other living beings in his vicinity.

"It's not your fault, kid."

"I should've been more prepared. I should've been more careful."

"No. Kid. I'll say again. It's not your fault."

"I made the decision to go in there without any thought it can turn into such a dangerous situation-"

"KID!" Mwu forcibly turn Kage around and angrily looked at him in the eye. "IT'S NOT your fault!" He roared in Kage's face. "You're good. You're a genius. You're not like me, you can read two or three steps ahead of everyone else. But that doesn't mean you can't afford to slip up every now and then!"

"People get hurt every time I made a mistake."

Mwu hold Kage's shoulders and looked at him like a big brother consoling his shaken little brother. "Even the best guys make mistakes. After all you're only human. And when you're in position of power, such mistakes will hurt others under your command. The reality of command is how you live with those mistakes, learn from it, and move on."

Kage was still somewhat bewildered at Mwu's heartfelt railing when Prayer called him. "Captain."

Kage looked at Prayer, and the younger la Flagga gestured him to look around. And Kage quickly understand what Prayer wanted him to see. His men. He's been standing in front of Emergency ward, worried sick, he didn't realize he was essentially making a scene, and the soldiers are gathering around him, all looking at him. And what he saw in their eyes are concern, pity and sympathy… but above all, he also sensed some form of encouragement and even relief in there. The soldiers finally realized that while there's cruelty and ruthlessness, there's also kindness and compassion beneath that emotionless mask. They're not being captained by a heartless machine… but a flesh and blood human being with emotion and feelings. They're looking at him, as if hoping that by doing so will help him in some way. As for distrust and doubt… he saw very little to none at all.

Just as Kage was in the process of digesting this revelation, the door of the Emergency Ward was opened. A pale faced Simca and a rather exhausted Hikari walked out. Kage asked the boy's condition with a look.

Simca had not the heart to speak, and so Hikari took over. "…he's stable… for the moment… and but we have to put him on constant painkiller drip."

"Why?"

"His spinal cord… is in pieces. Literally." Hikari choked. "I can fix his broken arms… I can make it so that he can stand and walk again… but… splinters of his spinal cord are lodged on his nerve endings… and it's beyond my skills to pull it out."

"…so what happens to him?"

"The shards of the broken vertebrate are constantly puncturing his central nervous system. Every neuron of his sensory nerves is lit up, literally, like Christmas tree. If he's not on morphine drip, he'll be wracked with constant seething pain through every inch of his body. I fear… he's going to live with that for the rest of his natural life… We have yet found a way to safely remove those shards… That medical knowledge could be lifetimes away."

Kage's eyes widened in disbelief at Hikari's horrible verdict. Simca angrily punched the metal wall, causing it to dent in her rage. He glared at Kage. "Honey… you're going to tell me who did this?"

Kage glared darkly at no one in particular. "I know who did it. I know where he'll be."

Simca growled and start readying her arsenal gear.

"You're not coming, Simca." But Kage quickly ceased her preparation.

"WHAT!?" Simca roared in protest.

"You stay here. Tend to Clotho."

"But I-!"

"Simca! It's not your fighting skills that are needed right now! It's your surgery skills!" Kage argued back. "You're the most skilled natural doctor here, and Hikari cannot operate on that boy without undoing her armor. She needs you. Clotho needs you."

Simca looked defiantly at Kage for a moment… but finally she realized Kage made a sound and correct judgment of the situation. She tucked her head down, heavy with sorrow.

Kage patted Simca's shoulder and tucked his head to Simca's. "Save Clotho. Save his life. That's what you can do right now. As for me…" Kage's sorrow was quickly drowned with anger which gave him clarity of mind and purpose. "You leave that little veal to me!"

Before Kage can leave, Hikari yelled. "KAGE!"

Kage paused for a moment, wondering what Hikari will say to hold him down. "Don't even try to stop me."

Contrary to what he expected, she didn't try to stop him. Instead, she threw Shiki to his hand. Kage looked questioningly at Hikari. "I just knew I won't be able to stop you anyway. 20 minutes. Given the overall improvement of your health." Hikari warned him. "And don't misunderstand. I gave Shiki back to you not because I agree with what you're trying to do. With that in your hand, I can at least hope this fight will end significantly faster."

"Oh, it'll be much, much, faster than you think, young lady." Mwu suddenly barged in and wrangled Kage in a brotherly shoulder lock. "I'm coming with the kid. And don't even think about trying to stop me either. This sort of thing pissed me off too." Mwu ruffled Kage's squirming head.

"Brother?" Prayer looked questioningly at Mwu, as did Kage.

But Kage knew better than to argue back. Stubbornness is among the few things Mwu had successfully taught to him. "Then leave your badge at home. This is personal."

Mwu grinned and let Kage go so that he can be about to prepare his vengeance, whatever it is.

The still fuming Kira went to the armory and then he start arming himself. Kunais, shurikens, explosive tags, steel wires… between Lacus prohibition of him fighting, and how incidents always happened when he was the least prepared, now seeing he's going on the offensive for the first time in a while, it would be good if he can go in well armed. When he looked for something he can use as a body armor, he found that Prayer had gone ahead and prepared something for him.

Captain Kage, what you see before you is a new prototype of body armor developed by the Genesis team. It has multiple layers of defenses. Beneath the leather covering is Kevlar fiber armor, braided atop steel armor plates interconnected by chain linked mail as the core layer. They're trying to create a new type of hybrid armor that has the defensive capability of a heavy plated armor and yet make it as light as a leather armor. They call it the Specialized for Tactical Rapid Intervention and Kinetic Extremes AKA S.T.R.I.K.E class body armor. Simca said It's not yet in production, because it's too expensive for the army and it was designed to… handle stray shots that often happened around Arsenal technicians, all of whom used kinetic weapons. Still, she managed to have this one tailored to your size.

Features aside, Kira rolled his eyes seeing the fancy coloration of the armor, with the blue chest-plate and red side skirt armor and all… and then he continued to read the letter and found, to his chagrin…

P.S: We asked them if it comes in black. Sadly, it doesn't.

'Beggars can't be choosers…' and so Kage put the chest plate on. It was firm, and yet so light… Kira found it very comfortable to wear. It's like he's just wearing another sheet of clothing. He knocked it several times, and he heard the unmistakable sound of metal beneath that blue leather covering. 'Then again… I could get to like this…'

Just then, he sensed Jess looking at him. "You're coming?"

"Of course. It's my job."

"Hmm… Mr. Madigan… I'll be counting on you to keep him out of my line of fire."

Kaite smiled coolly. "So you say but… this guy had given me a run for my money plenty times already…" Kaite jokingly ruffled Jess' hair.

Jess grunted and pushed Kaite's hand away. "Are you going to do it? Spread more destruction and murder? All for the sake of satisfying your ego?"

Kage merely shrugged. "Jess… I read your article. You called me a man who inspire others with the illusion of power that violence brings. Care to elaborate on that?"

Jess remembered his own writings and nodded. "Men followed you because they fear you. They fear the sort of violence you will bring upon them if they disobey. How would you be any different than a thug who press gang others to gain their obedience? And one more thing. As you are now, you teach others of the power violence brings. You lead by example, and now they've seen examples of how violence can you get you what you want. They in turn, will become more eager to practice such power, seeing the benefit it brings. What will happen, you imagine, when these people began to abuse that power. What happened when you weren't around to curtail these excesses?"

"In maybe you're right." Kage started. "…but… these people… junkies, thugs, troublemakers, brawlers… the violent acts they've committed. Tell me. Do you think they do it because that's what they want… or is that the only way they know?"

Jess didn't answer. He waited Kage to continue.

"Way I see it… I can speak in that language. I can communicate with them. Directing them to do something useful for a change." Kage glared at Jess. "But there will come a time… when that language will become obsolete, but that time is not now. Because as you can see, it is needed. Now." Kage sighed. "…Jess… do you know why… I wanted to see you in person in the first place? Despite knowing what you've written about me?"

"Because… I wrote badly about you?"

"Exactly." Kage turned to face the journalist. His eyes were kind and gentle, in stark contrast with his current murderous mindset. "There's no good in what I have done. I don't want people to get the wrong idea and portray me as some kind of hero… If it's bad… then it's bad. Maybe they won't understand it today… but there will come a time when people who wished to know the truth will look to that writing."

Jess frowned. "If you know what you're doing is wrong… why still do it?"

"Because I have to. Because no one else would want to. The world I came from is a world who took comfort in averting their eyes from that which they don't want to see. Tossing away that which they judged useless or of no value."

"And you think you'll change that by… doing all this?"

"You tell me Jess." For a moment, Kage's gentle glare turned confrontational once again. "I've read your papers down there. You've been uncovering disturbing facts, showcasing crimes and atrocities performed by both sides, all the while you endure the harsh harassment of the people you've exposed… why do it? Because you don't like what you see. You try to change the world, your world, do you not?" Kage closed his glare at Jess increasingly nervous figure. "So? Did you do it? Did you manage to change the world with your articles?"

Jess was somewhat unnerved… and finally he averted his gaze down, declaring his answer with his silence. Kage nodded and smiled. "Yeah. I don't know if I had managed to do so either." Kage tapped Jess' shoulder a few more times before he went ahead. "Get ready. I'll give you a glimpse of the kind of shit-storm I jump into."

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Two and a half hours later…

In Shanghai Sewers…

After a long while, the Normandy finally began to change course. The stale, stink air began to smell less foul as the smell of ocean were mixed in. "We're getting out?" Joker nodded to Tolle.

"At this hour, the Coast guards are changing shifts. We bribed one of them to leave a 5 minute opening. We have exactly 5 minutes to rendezvous with your captain's giant ship." Maria explained.

"Okay."

But then, Milly asked something that has been bothering her. "Umm… Maria-san… after you've made the exchange… and then what?"

"?"

"I'm just wondering… are you gonna keep fighting? Protecting your mother's city after all this? The Triads? And then after that… the war?"

Maria glanced at Milly's questions, and she merely smiled. "Well, that's what we do. From a military standpoint, what we're doing right now is fortifying a strategic position. When the war comes, we will defend it."

"…and… what about Kyle-san? What will he do?"

Maria didn't answer beyond a gentle kind smile. Perhaps she was thinking a more elaborate answer, but her train of thought was cut when Joker signaled the crew.

"We're reaching the end of the tunnel, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for sailing with Joker and Co shipment."

Indeed, the smell of the ocean grew stronger just as everyone can see the night sky waiting at the exit. The Normandy sail forward with all due haste, and pretty soon, the dark and damp surface of the sewage tunnel was replaced by the view of night sky. They've entered open water at last.

"Ahh… Fresh air…" Tolle inhaled deeply, taking in as much as fresh sea breeze as he could… unfortunately he also smelled something else. "Sniff, sniff… heh? Is it just me, or this place stink of fish oil?"

The Shepards twitched in alarm. They looked at the dark murky ocean… and that was when they realized that the sea was coated by a thick layer of oil… Both immediately understood that they just walked into a trap. "Oh no…"

Just then, a streak of firebolt zoomed in from the darkness and hit the dark ocean. Within a span of an eye blink, the whole sea was set alight. A vast ocean of fire spread and towers over the Normandy. The wave of fire burst forward, threatening to swallow the Normandy whole.

"HOLY SMOKES!" Joker slammed the wheel to the starboard side, and the Normandy quickly slides to the right, barely avoiding the flames from swallowing them outright. "What was that!?"

"It's an ambush! How did they know about where we'll come out?" Milly grunted, slightly choking under this heat.

And while the Shepards are trying to get their ship under control, Tolle looked around the ocean of fire surrounding them. In particular, he narrowed his eyes to where the firebolt originate. And sure enough… he saw the culprit.

It was him. Black clad, with a mask and a katana strapped on his back… the Fake Kage that has caused them all so much grief these last few days.

At first, it's like the man was standing atop a sea of fire. But a closer observation revealed that he was standing atop a small boat… leading at least a dozen more of such boats, all filled aplenty with fully armed Dark Axes elites. Behind them are a fleet of 5 battlecruisers, their positions had been lined in a blockading encirclement, closing their way out. And though he may not be able to see it, he just knew the bastard was smiling wide behind that mask. He turned to Kyle, who also saw the one responsible. His expression showed a mixture of horror, shock, fury… and above all else, recognition. "Tolle… that fake you told me about… the one you say has been cracking on our operations… it was HIM!?"

"Yes. You know him?"

"Yeah." Kyle gritted his teeth tight. "If it's him, it's no wonder he knew this trick."

"Kyle! What should we do?"

"First we have to get out of this death trap! Joker! Get ready to charge through the flame! Everyone, prepare to repel all boarders!"

"Won't that flame burn this ship altogether!?"

"The hull of the Normandy is armored. It's a pretty thin armor but if we can get out the flames fast enough we should be safe!" The black ship began to pick up pace and as it pushed through the wall of flames.

"But… aren't we heavier than usual?"

"…we'll have to unload some… if not all of our cargo off the ship." True enough, some of the crews had already begun throwing anything that can weigh the ship down.

The ship tried to sail out of the death cage. The bow barely sneaks out of the wall of fire when a barrage of shots and shells rain down upon them. "Oh shit! Avast!" Joker squealed and the rowers of Normandy rowed back for all their lives worth. The black ship is now back where they started, trapped in that ever closing burning cage.

"Shit… he's definitely not going to make this easy will he…" Kyle growled.

Tolle groaned under the scorching heat, frustrated and singed, he yelled angrily at the fake. "You coward! Come here and face us one on one if you dare!"

As expected the fake didn't comply and merely watched.

Tolle was so angry, he so wanted to see this fake dead, even if they are to burn together with him. "Do something! Snipe him or something!"

Milly took the initiative and loosed an arrow. The projectile flew straight and true to the Fake's head, but he easily sliced the arrow midair so fast, none see his sword left his scabbard.

Milly gaped and she quickly wanted to take another shot, but Maria growled. "It's no use. Not this close. If he can see us, he can block the shot."

"So what should we do?"

"I'll go." Kyle volunteered.

"Brother!"

"I'm close enough to barely make it to his boat with a charge. If I can kill him, his men will disperse." Kyle knelt on his knees in preparation for his Charge.

"You know he doesn't play fair!" Maria protested. "You'll play straight into his tricks and cheats!"

"Not if I kill him first before he pulls off anything funny." Such was Kyle's last words before his legs stomped the ground so hard, leaving behind a crater of shattered wood and the Vanguard trooper's body became a blur. Said blur moved past the wall of fire in an instant, cut through across the water, its air pressure left behind a trail of split water. Two Dark Axes were at the ready at Kyle's landing spot, but they did not take into account just how hard the Vanguard will land. When the blur hit them, it hit them with the force of a freight train. Their necks snapped when Kyle slammed his Charge enhanced fist, using the instantly dead Dark Axes as his landing cushion.

The Other Dark Axes quickly opened fire with their rifles, but Kyle, having expected the warm welcome, used the two Dark Axes as shield. The two corpse shields withstood the barrage and Kyle waited for a brief pause inbetween the barrage. The moment came and it was only a second. But in a second, Kyle brought out his super-shotgun and fired. The storm of shrapnels and explosions engulfed the boat and its occupants before they even had the chance to scream. When the explosion died out, only burnt stumps of their ankles remained standing atop the charred boat.

Kyle checked all that remains of those that fell to the destructive power of his Claymore Shotgun, but he was hardly surprised when he saw his main prey landed hard and firm atop the singed boat completely unscathed, having just jumped out of the way mere moments before the blast hits him. The Fake exchanged knowing looks with Kyle. "It's been awhile, 'brother'."

"I thought you were dead. I wished you were dead." Despite his calm tone, Kyle's eyes speak volumes of his anger and hatred.

"Aw… Come on now. You're still not upset that one time I left you for dead now are you?"

For his answer, Kyle cocked his Claymore again, ejecting bullet casings the size of a man's arm and then loaded another pair.

"Ah." The Fake nodded. He pulled out his sword. It is a unique sword. Its handle is Chinese jian sword handle, but the blade was unmistakably a samurai blade. "Let's make this a little more civilized shall we?"

Kyle snorted. "Since when you do civilized?"

"Come now. Seething hatred is maybe what I feel mostly about you… but that doesn't mean I don't respect you."

Kyle rolled his eyes in complete distrust. Nevertheless, he shouldered his Claymore. Cracking his fists, he swing his arms down, and from his bronze gauntlets, a pair of blades sprang out. The Fake smirked. "Hm. Now we're talking."

Kyle started with a blurring charge straight at the Fake. A loud ring resounded when the Trooper's twin switchblades clashed with the Fake's katana, and the Fake didn't budge an inch. They break off, and Kyle went into a flurry of offensives, sending slash after slash, all of which were either blocked or dodged by the Fake. A horizontal slash was dodged when the Fake knelt deep to the floor, before he spring back up, sword pushed in an upward slash. Kyle backed away to prevent the blade carving his chest. The Fake then began launching a series of stabs at such speed, his hands blurred to the point none can see them. And yet Kyle was able to dodge every stab, his upper body moved as fast as the stabs coming. Until finally with one load roar, Kyle swing his blades and slammed the sword away with a powerful roundhouse slash. But before he can do anything, a punch landed straight on his face, courtesy of the Fake. But mere moments before the punch sent him flying, Kyle's leg reacted and sent a straight kick at the fake's chest. Both attacks hit one another and pack enough power to send normal men flying off the boat, but the two had enough fortitude and skill to prevent it. The Fake stabbed his sword to the deck floor to nail his flight down, just like how Kyle nailed his twin blades to do the same. Both fighters ended up standing atop the edge of the boat end on end.

CRACK! Kyle fixed his broken nose with a snap. The Fake's facial features did not suffer any damage, but his chest is hurting. That kick cracked one of his ribs. "Heh…" He smirked, and then it turned into full blown laughter. "Ha! Ha! ha… you didn't forget… you still remember everything they taught you."

"And you're still a murderous asshole, Kai Leng."

"Oh, you would know." Kai Leng, the fake Kage, smirked. "You're my best partner… until you gave me up." Kai Leng's jovial tone disappeared. Replaced with grim anger and rage.

"How many times have I covered for your god-damn stunts? You brought it on yourself, Leng." Kyle growled.

"That's what partners do. We all have our little problems, don't we?" Suddenly, Kai Leng assumed a different, more refined fighting form. He also pulled out a second jian-katana sword. He entered a very low stance, crouching very close to the ground.

And just as Kyle was wondering what will come next, Leng disappeared and an image of a charging bull briefly appeared right in front of his face. Kyle quickly crossed his blades and the bull's horns rammed his blades and immediately send him flying overboard. A distant sound of splashing confirmed the man fell and sank into the ocean.

That bull horns are in fact Leng's swords. "Bull Style: Steel Bull Charge." The Chinese Swordsman smirked. "I learned a few tricks since the last time we met."

No sooner than Leng said that… he sensed a fierce murderous intent coming fast and hard… from below. He jumped back, and as expected, the spot where he stood a little earlier burst open. The culprit… a hand in claw stance.

"This is…" The hand retracted, and soon, another strike burst out, followed by another series of such attacks in rapid successions, ripping multiple holes on the rickety boat in its attempt to tear Leng's feet apart. Leng continued to back away, avoiding the claw from rupturing his legs. Until finally, he was about to run out of space, the murderous intent grew fiercer, and more enormous. A big attack was coming. And to emphasize that point, the water began to swirl around with the boat as the center. "Oh, fuck!" Leng jumped, and the whole boat burst forth as it was being pushed from below by a ferociously spinning and roaring Kyle, whose blades whirred through the boat. In a blink of an eye, the boat was shred to splinters. Amidst the fragments of the wrecked boat, Kyle roared and charged straight at Leng, not only with his blades, but also his very claws. Leng blocked the claw with his sword, but not only his blade can't pierce Kyle's skin, when said fingers tightened its grip, he can actually see his sword crack slightly under pressure. Leng roared in anger and stabbed his sword forward at Kyle's head. He tilted said head to the side and at the same time he launched the other claw at Leng's head as well. He dodged just as said claw snapped in. Both fighters are aiming for the kill, no mercy given.

"RAAAAAAAARRGGHHH!" The two archenemies trade slashes and blows midair at frightening pace. In a span of a few eyeblinks, Kyle had sent hundreds of slashes with his claws and blades, whilst Leng had launched countless stabs at blurring speed amidst occasional heavy slashes. But insofar, the two had hit everything but each other, both were equally fast in their reaction speed and movements that they can dodge each other's attack at paper thin margin and even sent back attacks with frightening speed, power and precision. The larger fragments of the boat didn't even have time to fell back into the ocean, the combatants' stray attacks torn the wreckage apart to even smaller shreds midair. Leng's stabs crushed and pulverized the larger pieces, whilst Kyle's slashes cut them down to size. And finally, once the last boat fragment has been reduced to oblivion, Leng clashed away and landed on one of his subordinate's boat with a splash. Some of his men was thrown overboard when their boss make his violent landing. But then he looked to see how his rival would make his landing, and he was surprised, and annoyed, of how graceful Kyle's landing compared to his. He actually used the still floating tiny pieces of the boat to 'bounce' lightly and descended calmly. Unlike Leng's fall, Kyle gradually glided down and he finally landed elegantly on the largest boat piece available… which is essentially nothing but a single small plank, in sense it shouldn't be able to support the weight of a fully grown man like Kyle… and yet there he stands.

Leng narrowed his eyes seeing that impossible feat… and he understands. What's with this image of falcon he makes when he glided down so gracefully. "Impressive Qinggong. (Body Lightening Technique) And that iron hard slashing claws of yours… if I didn't have my Iron Shirt on, my chest would be confetti by now…" Leng growled as he looked at the state his armor in: shred down to its insides, the result of being brushed by the air burst from Kyle's claws. His bare hand claws are actually sharper than the blades jutting out of his gauntlets. Putting all these together and Leng recognized his opponent's style: "Eagle Style: Ying Zhao Pai (Eagle Claw Style)… That damn one armed Geezer taught you that?"

"You'd do well to show Master Condor a modicum of respect he deserves." Kyle's clawed fingers twitched dangerously. "Maybe your father will let you off with you badmouthing him, but continue insult my master at your peril."

0000000

Tolle saw their battle gaped. "W… What was that?"

"That's Kung Fu." Maria explained calmly. "My brother is a practitioner of the Eagle Claw Style."

"But… they're Naturals… how can naturals move like that? That speed… it's inhuman!" Milly gulped. "And how did he glide down like that?"

At this, Maria was less informative. "Well… my brother had trained for an extensively long time… He's not exactly Master Class…" the Azure haired woman looked at her twin brother with pride. "But I can certainly say, as far as Experts goes, Kyle can be counted amongst one of the strongest of them all."

0000000

"I see…" Back to the duel between these two bitter archenemies; Leng entered another low stance, his feet scraping the boat floor like a bull getting ready to charge. "You came prepared for me… I'm flattered."

Kyle didn't reply, instead he narrowed his gaze and veins popping around the pupil of his eyes. He threw away all his firearms bar his Claymore shotgun to lessen his load. He cracked his claws and swiped his arms the second time, and all the sudden, three additional pair of blades fanned out from his gauntlets, creating an array of blades in the shape of wings. They blade feathers began to shake eerily, coupled with a weird humming sound.

Leng smirked. "Alright… the Bull Style is composed of multiple forms (Kata)… let's see how many forms you can last. Bull Style: Raging Bull Kata!" Leng stomped the floor hard to get into his stance, generating a massive shockwave that blew away all occupants of the said boat. His swords were suddenly alight with flame, just as seams of fire coursed through the surface of his shredded armor.

Kyle started the attack with a swing of his right hand. The blades on the said hand were launched at booming speed, straight at Leng. The goggled swordsman blocked the barrage at incredible speed, smashing each piece to a direction. One piece was parried towards a group of boat, and it packs enough force to obliterate through said boat and another two behind it, occupants included. Leng smashed away the last blade and to his shock, Kyle is right in front of him, claw swinging to claim his head. Leng ducked just in time, and Kyle landed on his boat. The elder Shepard began attacking again, using mostly his left arm where its blades are still attached. Leng blocked the first two swipes and send a powerful stab as soon as he dodged the third at point blank. Kyle used his left arm to parry the stab to redirect the attack away from his gut. To his shock, the air pressure coming from that stab is the sort he usually felt when one stand too close to a roaring cannon fire. The air pressure travels on, generating massive heat that pulverized and burnt a couple of boats caught up in its path. Just as Kyle recovered from such close call, he saw Leng retracted his other sword, preparing for the next stab. No dodging or parrying this time, Kyle lifted his left arm as the stab came. A massive destructive shockwave burst forth when the two sets of weapons make contact with inhuman force. And while other nearby boats was rocked violently by the impact shockwave, the boat they were on was ripped apart. And yet, it still managed to barely float carrying its two occupants deadlocked in a death match.

The Gangsters had even forgotten that they're in the middle of a siege. They're now watching two Kung Fu warriors duking it out with one another in all out fight to the death. Nothing hold back.

Kyle's left wing blades somehow survived the powerful attack relatively intact. Even better, Leng's blade was stuck in the spaces in-between the array of blades. Leng tried to pull the sword back, but Kyle's smirk told him he would not let him have his way. His right arm suddenly jerked back and tensed. Leng saw this… and he heard a menacing ringing at the back of his ears. He dared himself a quick peek to the back, and he saw the blades that Kyle shot out earlier are now shooting back towards them, towards him. Leng abandoned his effort to pull his sword out and instead he step on it and jumped up to avoid the barrage of returning blades. Kyle blocked the incoming blades with a swipe of his right gauntlets. As he did so, through some mechanism, the blades were reattached to the gauntlets exactly as they were before they left the apparel. Having reclaimed his full bladed arsenal, Kyle waste no time and continued his assault. Leng was also on a descent, and carefully timing it, with his body as a central axis Kyle swing both arms in a furious spin, turning himself into a gigantic buzzsaw.

Leng didn't panic, and he slammed his sword against the whirring blades in a counter direction of the spin. It was powerful enough that the slash halted Kyle's spin. Leng's blade grinded briefly with Kyle's left arm blades. As he stepped on said left arm, he grabbed his locked sword, and this time he can wrench it free. Using Kyle's left arm as a stomping ground, Leng launched himself up again, and crossed his sword together, revealing a unique mechanism. The blades were conjoined together at hilt, back to back. The two one sided sword blades joined together into a single into a much wider doubled edged and forked pointed sword. The joined blade burn ever more intense, glowing brighter until the very air around it burst in flames, forming a mass of fire with the image of a bull's head at the tip of the blade. Leng roared as he punched the mass of fire down. The flaming bull head descend down upon the boat like a blazing meteor.

To Kyle, it's as if the sky above him was ablaze and it's falling down fast right unto his head. Roaring in deviance, Kyle stomped the boat floor and charged straight into the fire. His arm blades were thrust forward and he whirred up. The same move that rip the first boat apart. Said move easily plow through the mass of flame and shred the flaming bull's head in a heartbeat. But as soon as the mass of flame disperse, Kyle's eyes widened. Leng had readied another move. He thrust his forked sword rapidly, each thrust send forth a salvo of fiery spikes. Kyle barely managed to block some few spikes with his arm blades, but the rest barraged him rapidly, piercing him in multiple spots, sending him falling to whatever's left of the boat. Kyle choked as he tried to bear the pain of being stabbed and burnt at the same time. Several smoking holes reeks of burnt flesh now marred his features.

"KYLE!" Maria shrieked seeing how his brother is being beaten down beyond this damned wall of flame. If only her Qinggong is as good as her brother's…

Just as Kyle tried his hardest to get back up, Leng landed violently before him. Seeing the downed and injured Kyle before him, Leng smirked. Knowing his old friend, he'll get back on his feet soon enough. Still, at least he had time to gloat as the fire dies down from his being. "Well, I must say, I'm impressed. It's been awhile someone managed to push me that hard… didn't think I was that out of shape… I am unfortunately." At that time Kyle had almost get back on his feet. But before that happens, Leng is already on his face and planted a knee to his head that send him back down. He put a foot on his chest to keep him on the floor. "No, no, no, old friend. Stay there. Otherwise you'd miss the fireworks."

Kyle grunted under the weight of Leng's boots, he could see what he meant. Behind him, Normandy is still trapped within that wall of flame, and to make things worse, the five encircling Battlecruisers had moved into position, with their cannons protruding out, preparing to blast.

Kyle knew immediately what will come next… and there's nothing he can do to stop it. He glared at Leng. "My only regret is I didn't realize how full of shit you are a little earlier."

"You're never too late to learn."

The Crews of the Normandy can only stare in horror seeing all those ships lining, taking their aim. The Normandy is literally a fish in a flaming barrel. Leng smirked and raised his hand, signaling the ships to fire on his mark. "Don't worry. I'll send you to your sister soon… once I'm finished playing with you a little bit."

"Fuck you…" If looks can kill, Kyle would've killed Leng a thousand times over by now.

Leng found that murderous look enjoyable. He didn't bother seeing the fleet of Battleship behind him. With proper aim at this range, and with the Normandy unable to dodge or move anywhere, sinking the Destroyer will be the simple work of a salvo or two. He flicked his arm down, and the sound of cannon roar quickly filled the night. Battleship after battleship unleashed their broadside barrage of 16 inch Gottfried cannon, sending a rain of shells towards the trapped Normandy.

Pillars of water rose up with every shell that landed, but insofar, they hit nothing. And then the second barrage followed… and this time, not only they all missed horribly, the barrage grew more erratic. One even landed dangerously close to where Leng and Kyle were standing. Instead of being properly aimed, they look more like being fired randomly at the same direction.

Leng immediately noticed the oddity at the ships floating behind him… and that's when he noticed the problem. The Battleships began to move allover the place. Their lined up formation are falling apart, and with it, their aim. Some even crashed unto each other uncontrollably. Leng roared at the nearest battleship. "OI! What are you playing at!? Get back in your formation!"

As it turns out, the crews of the said Battleship is also at the loss. "We don't know what happened sir, our ship just moved on its own! It's like there's a massive current down there, and our rudders won't respond!"

"What?" Leng frowned and then he finally noticed the problem… is the ocean. It's swirling. A whirlpool suddenly emerged right at the center of the fleet, throwing the ships caught in it in disarray. 'That's impossible. How did a maelstrom appear in a blink of an eye?' As Leng tried to think this through, the swirling current grew more rapid and fierce, the giant ships above, already at its mercy, dragged into crashing with one another, one ship was even thrown at Leng and Kyle's boat.

Leng saw the danger, but Kyle was the first to act on it. Having recovered his hope and strength, he quickly swung his blades at Leng's head. Leng dodged death and in the process let Kyle go, thus allowing him to use his Qinggong to glide away from the ship with speed. Leng had to ignore his escape when he saw the bow of the out of control ship is already right at his nose. No time to choose his escape method, he jumped into the water instead. The giant battleship crushed the already shredded boat to smithereens.

Underwater, Leng looked wildly, searching for the cause of the chaos above.

Seeing from below through his waterproof goggles, he saw all the rudders of all Battleships has been torn to shreds, hence why the crew above cannot take the wheel. But there's also a whirlpool. A pillar of unnaturally strong swirl of water right at the center of the fleet that are escalating in strength and size. Of greater importance… there's this streak of red light constantly spinning around in the same direction of the whirlpool, at an incredible speed, accelerating the whirlpool, increasing its size and strength. 'Who is that!?'

As if reading his inward scream, the red light suddenly stopped. Leng quickly realized that red light is a man… and he just caught sight of him. In a breath, the red light is already closing in on him, growing larger and larger as the distance between them shrinks. 'He's…!'

By the time the Fake realized the identity of the storm maker, Kage is already right in front of his nose. His Shougeki-ken landed on his chest fast and hard, bursting through his armor, hitting Leng's bare chest in full. Leng choked and felt like all the air was squeezed out of his lungs.

The ocean exploded and Leng erupted high to the air, vomiting blood. The uppercut hit him so hard, his mask was torn by the shock, and his chest hurts like hell. An imprint of Kage's fist was plastered on said abdomen. For a minute Leng seemingly lose consciousness, but he quickly recovered and finally concentrated as he employed his qinggong. Lightening his body, he glided away, using pieces of the ships floating around him as his stepping stone and finally landed on the Battleship that nearly crushed him. When he landed on the ship's deck, his attacker had also ascended out of the water.

Kage, donning his Kurenai Shiki, floated calmly in the air. Unlike Kyle and Leng's gliding technique, this is true flight. Regardless, the way Leng survived his fall and even directing it properly in such a controlled manner hooked Kage's interest. 'Interesting… very interesting. Did he use Chakra to lighten his body to featherweight somehow…? The Chinese Kung Fu has a way to use chakra like that? And not only that… when I hit him… I propelled Shougeki Ken with Kurenai Shiki's speed… that would've skewered a fully armored man… and yet I felt like punching a brick wall…'

Were it not for Leng's Iron Shirt technique, Kage's fist would indeed pierce through his chest. Leng held his hurting abdomen as he gritted his teeth, gazing vengefully at the red clothed figure above him. This is definitely Kage. The very same Kage he had left behind to burn in that building. Somehow, that fact did not surprise him. He had heard that Blacklist Captains are warriors who had survived worse. "So… you're here."

Kage looked at the situation and decided to descend down to where Kyle stood. He was standing on a piece of wooden plank using his Qinggong, and likewise, Kage decidedly use his water-walking to stand atop the ocean surface next to him. Kyle and Kage observed one another, studying each other's measure. This is the first time they physically meet face to face. Kage quickly noticed how Kyle is only a few years older than him. In retrospect, it can be said they came from the same generation. "Kyle Shepard, is it?"

Kyle also came to more or less the same conclusion, after studying Kage's youthful feature. "Sir." Nevertheless, he respectfully nodded to the superior officer.

"My Shadowguards?"

"They're aboard the Normandy. They're fine… though I don't know for how long with all this fire…"

"Leave that to me." Kage put his hands together and began making handseals. Once the seals are done, he knelt down and both of his palms were lowered to slowly touch the surface of the ocean. "Suiton…" And suddenly, the ocean roared and swirled. "Sou-Suiryuuudan! (Twin Water Dragon Blast)" When Kage lifted his hands, a pair of gigantic water dragon swirled out of the ocean.

Leng, Kyle and the other spectators gasped seeing that phenomenon. Kyle was less shocked than his peers. 'This must be… the infamous Japanese Ninjutsu!'

Controlling the two dragons, Kage directed them to the burning encirclement. The Dragons plummeted straight into the fire, generating a massive tidal wave upon impact. The wave dispersed the oil in addition to dousing the fire. The dragon splashed down into the ocean one more time, literally swallowing the last spark of flame and the Normandy can sail safely without fear of being burned.

"Wow! Okay!" Joker waste no time to quickly sail away from the encirclement and the Normandy quickly moved in to pick up the two officers. Kyle immediately jumped back to the ship, but Kage remained on the ocean. "Captain? Won't you come aboard?" Maria offered, but Kage shook his head.

"I can do a lot more damage when I'm here." Now that he finished his destructive introduction, the dark captain stand on the ocean, ready to unleash more Hell.

00000000000000

In Archangel's medical ward, shortly after the army left…

Simca sighed in relief as soon as the operation was over. She never sweated that much. Hikari performed her finishing touches on Clotho. She planted multiple acupuncture needles on Clotho's spinal cord area, while Simca placed a long apparatus on his back that will keep those needles in place. "There. (koff) We've done everything we could. (koff)"

Clotho is still in his chemically induced coma, calmly sleeping without a care in the world. A stark contrast to how he was scant minutes ago. Screaming violently at the gentlest touch the two doctors gave him.

"But… he's not going to recover is he?" Simca tried her best to hold back her tears. "He'll never be normal again… will he?"

Hikari sorrowfully tilted her head. "(Koff…) Medical science had yet to advance that far. (koff) And they may say I'm ahead of the curve but… (koff) I'm afraid I'm not ahead enough… (koff)"

"I only pray Kage honey made the bastard who did this to him suffers slowly and painfully."

"Don't hold your breath. (koff)" Hikari flatly stated. "He found no fun in torture. (koff)"

Simca was much calmer than she was before Clotho passed his critical hour. Some of her mischievous streak came back with some of her propensity of teasing. "Oh my… you really do know Kage-honey in depth aren't you? Are you sure you two haven't tied the knot already?"

Lacus blushed furiously beneath her mask. Thank god for it. "Shut up. (koff)"

"Tee-hee-hee… Hikari-chuwaa~an you're so funny!" And Simca took the liberty and romp her armored love rival in a cuddle, burying her head in her ample bosom. "Whoa! (Koff) Simca be careful! (koff) Whow! (koff)" For her part, Lacus is just glad Simca is back to her usual cheerful self.

With a bit of a difficulty, Hikari and Simca exited the emergency room, hoping for some R&R…

"LAY HIM OVER THERE!"

Instead… they walked right into an overcrowded hospital ward. The number of patient in there, the sense of thick urgency in the atmosphere, as if suggesting their base is under heavy attack. Except the fact none of the patients showed any signs of bloody injury, rather… all of them are lying limp on the gurneys, pale skin flooded with sweat, coupled with occasional violent cough, some are even vomiting.

"What… happened?" Simca blinked several times.

"Dr. Hikari!" Michael was there, tending to a patient. "You're finally done with the emergency case? I'm terribly sorry to immediately impose this after such taxing endeavor, but could you help us?"

The helping goes without saying as the two surgeons immediately prepared themselves to give whatever aid they can offer. But that doesn't change the fact they still don't know what happened. Sai wasted no time and immediately fill them in. "Food poisoning! All of them!"

"I don't know what happened. Everyone was having a meal… and then suddenly someone fell off, his body shivering, he even have a hard time to breathe… before long everyone collapsed, having the same symptoms."

"Food poisoning!? What on earth did that Kira cook?"

"The cook is not Kira." Sai answered. "He was… indisposed at the moment."

"If I hadn't seen them side by side, I'd say I find it very odd that whenever Kage honey is away on an errand, the little brother disappeared as well." Nevertheless, Simca shelved her curiosity and immediately began working on a patient.

And while Simca had already busied herself with her task, Hikari hadn't moved an inch, though she's hardly idle… She calmly examined the symptoms. "Feverish… to the point of unconsciousness… unnatural coughing… vomiting…" And just as Lacus pondered this train of thought, one of the surgeons came in bringing a barrel of water the patients desperately needs. "Water's here!"

Lacus immediately halted the doctor on the spot. "WAIT!" Hikari tasted a handful of the water… she immediately spat it out. "Where did you get this water!?"

"From our water supply, the water tower!"

Hikari's eyes widened. "EVERYONE! Listen up! Don't use this water! Someone put rat poison in it!"

The life saving activity in that ward stopped briefly in full horror when the doctors registered the news. Hikari has no time for bewilderment. "Sai! Go to town and buy some water! Someone get to Murdock-san, tell him to check his water tower, I think someone sabotaged its purification system! Dr Koast, get some castor oil! Simca! Go to your medicine shop, get me everything on this list! Detoxification treatment is a battle against time! MOVE IT!"

"R-Right!"

"Let's go!"

And as the Medical teams followed her instructions, Hikari can't help to think something is seriously wrong. That this food poisoning isn't all there is to it. What's with the timing with Kage's absence… Lacus shook her head. No. Now's not the time to play detective. Now is the time to uphold her doctoral oath and save lives.

Unknown to Lacus, her suspicion was on the money…

Simca stared in disbelief as the Genesis insignia crumbles while the fire consumes every inch of her beloved workshop…

00000000000000

Leng growled in anger seeing his quarry are getting away. Fortunately for him, when Kage used that jutsu, the whirlpool he created began to disappear. "Pull out the oars!" The Battleship crew understood and a series of oars extended out. The trained crew rowed and rowed, once again bringing the ship under their control. The battleships began to take formation once again, lining up their sides to aim their broadside battery. Without interference from the whirlpool, the crew can now aim at the Destroyer without problem. The loss of the fire cage did nothing, the Destroyer still can't leave that easily with the five Battleships encircling it.

But Kage maintained his calm. Instead, he roared loud and clear: "Let us go, and I'll pretend this never happened. Keep fighting, and not one of you will walk out here alive. You have my word!" If other warrior of some repute said it, the last statement represents the honor of the warrior in question. But for someone of Kage's reputation, it also serves as a death threat. By now, the whole of Shanghai had learned of Kage's reputation to always do what he says, no matter how impossible it may sound. Such simple statement reinforced by such reputation caused all opposition who heard it to tremble with fear, more effective than a simple warning shot.

Leng, the veteran amongst his man, growled in anger when he saw how his men became unnerved and fearful from such a simple statement. In anger, he approached the closest subordinates and cut off his head. The crew gasped in shock. "Anyone who dares to retreat will die!"

Leng's threats allowed the crews of the five ship fleet to overcome their fear of Kage's promise of death. That and they were reminded how they outnumber their target a hundred to one, they were better armed. Once again they take aim and prepare to open fire. Kage closed his eyes in annoyance. "Idiots." He batted both of his hands to the side, and all the sudden, the two water dragons returned as they rose up from the ocean. They were larger and more ferocious than before. The remaining small boats that carried the Dark Axes were trounced instantly.

"Ah!?" Leng gasped.

Kyle blinked in surprise. 'oh I see… even after dousing the flame wall, his Jutsu is still alive down there…'

"It's even bigger than before!" Milly pointed. Indeed, the two water dragons were twice as large as the first ones… and interestingly enough, the waters that composed them are murky black.

"What's with that… black color…?" Maria frowned.

Kage immediately directed the black water dragons towards the encircling fleet. He pushed his hands forwards, and the two black water dragons roared as they split up and, following Kage's hand movements, flanked the encirclement, one approaching from the left, the other from the right. The twin giant dragons obliterated the encirclement from both sides, passing through, as well as severely damaging, one ship at a time. And finally, both dragons are converging straight at the last ship at the center; the ship that Leng boarded. Leng immediately jumped away just before the dragons descended. Hammered by two dragons composed of tons of water from both sides, the battleship was instantly reduced to splinters.

The surviving Dark Axe crews were horrified as they watched the wreckage of the unfortunate ship sinks. For the Chinese, Dragons are sacred Divine creatures that they should worship and its fury must be stayed. And now the sight of two of these divine creatures from their very own myths and legends raged at the beck and call of this dark warrior immediately paralyzed them with fear, and, in fact, when the twin dragons emerged just now, more than a few of them even drop to their knees and beg for mercy. But Kage had given them his warning, and seeing they chose to ignore it the first time, the mercy was denied.

Leng looked at Kage with a newfound fear and wariness increased hundredfold. 'Blacklist Captain indeed… hm?' He sniffed the air… and suddenly he realized his ship reeks of oil. In fact, all the remaining battleships were soaked in oil as well, surviving crew included. 'That bastard… this is…!'

Maria gawked in understanding and admiration at Kage. "When his water dragon doused the firewall, it also scooped up the remaining oil. The two water dragons Kage used just now were laced in it. And when those dragons rampaged amongst the battleship, they drenched the ships with oil…"

"One spark and kaboom!" Joker roared in triumph. The oil that had threatened to roast them alive is being used against their tormentor. "Now that's what I call Backfire! Ha! ha!"

Kage didn't show any expression, but he quietly created another set of seal. His lips blew out a mass of fire, and his hand pulled it away from his mouth, holding a small ball of fire in his hand. "I'll say again! Surrender now, or else!" Kage extended the fireball in a threatening gesture. Now that the Axe Gang had sampled the fact that such destructive power literally lies in his fingertips, he gave the survivors a second chance to reconsider his offer.

The oil soaked crews of the remaining battlecruisers finally realized they're really out of their depths. To challenge a man who is like a wrath of nature incarnate is to court death. Almost in unison, they dropped their weapons and bowed down till their heads touched the ground, all genuinely begged the captain for mercy.

Sensing they've lost the will to fight, Kage calmly put out the flame in his hand. 'Phew… and I thought it's gonna take a while…' He rubbed his head as he sighed in relief. Of the allotted fighting time of 20 minutes, he managed to end this in 10. Lacus had also warned him that for every minute he spent fighting, he must at least spend another five minutes to recover. But just as he began to relax, he noted a missing detail:

Kai Leng was nowhere in sight.

The answer came when a loud crack resounded from one ship. To everyone's shock, the ship was lifted off the ocean. 'Wha…?' And then everyone saw the culprit. It was Kai Leng. Lord knows how, he had stabbed his two swords into the hull of the ship and using sheer brute force, he uplifted the whole ship from bottom up.

Kage was as shocked as the rest. He had only seen such feat of strength once. While the fact an Advanced can do it is hardly surprising, to see such feat from a Natural was even more unexpected.

"Young master! Please let us go!" The crew of the uplifted battleship screamed in horror.

Their screams reached Kage, who quickly noticed their plight.

And yet Leng pay their scream no heed. "Take this… the third stage of the Bull Fist Style… the MAD BULL CHARGE!" Kai Leng roared. The fiery glow of his body turned purple. The swordsman suddenly unleash a torrent of chaotic stabs, slash, punch and kicks, all of which were focused on a single point: the ship's stern. That barrage of chaotic attacks pummeled the giant battleship and propelled it towards Kage. Kai Leng intended to smash the ship atop the Blacklist Captain.

That is… if only he was that nice.

Leng's attacks suddenly lit up like fire, and with it he ignited the oil soaked ship. The crew's screams of mercy and horror were immediately drowned by the roaring fire.

Kage's eyes widened in utter disgust. "You disgusting wretch!" Kage quickly made a series of handseals and slammed the waters. "SUITON, SUIJIN HEKI! (Water Element Wall)" The ocean waters quickly rise up like a mountainous tidal wave and turned into a thick giant wall of flowing water. The giant battleship splashed into said wall, but Leng mercilessly continued to pummel the ship, wrecking it even more. With Kage's stamina, he could not actually create a thick wall of water strong enough to hold back something as big as a battleship, but he never intended to stop it. The ship burst through the wall of water like it was inexistent, but the water had slowed down its coming, and more importantly, doused the flame.

Kai Leng's rampaging attacks continue to tear through the ship and it finally penetrate through the stern, obliterating the ship inside out… and finally, the charred ship exploded, and burnt bodies, wreckages as well as wooden shards rain down upon Kage.

Kage didn't have time to create a new seals, fortunately he didn't have to. Kyle jumped in and spin furiously before him, slicing and dicing any object that is falling towards Kage.

Amidst the spin, Kai Leng burst through the falling wreckage, a mass of chaotic and unbridled destruction, heading straight at Kyle's unprotected waist.

"Oh no you don't!" Kage jumped up as he generated a red beam saber and performed an upward thrusting Dragon Stinger. The powerful drilling stab pushed up and struck Leng's form. It didn't manage to hurt him, but it managed to smash him away. Leng splashed away and managed to land on a large piece of wood.

Kyle and Kage landed atop the deck of the Normandy, catching their breath. Kage's a bit heavier than that of Kyle's. But as he see the floating charred bodies surfacing the ocean, the results of what Leng had done, Kage's anger immediately overwhelm the discomfort of his unhealed injuries. "I don't care if he's your friend from Akuze… he's already beyond help."

Kyle blinked. "…you knew? About Akuze? About everything?"

"Who do you think lead me here? Left breadcrumbs for me to get the whole picture? His own father wants him dead." Kage looked at Kyle. "I'm going to kill him now. Are you going to help me or stop me?"

"Captain." Kyle readied his Eagle Claw again as he glared at Leng. "It'll be my genuine pleasure to give you a hand."

"Kage, what about us?" Tolle asked.

"Stay here. You two are not equipped for this."

"He's right." Kyle immediately followed before Tolle can protest. "Leng isn't the sort of enemy normal people can handle."

Tolle winced at the word 'normal', but he reluctantly rests his case. Kage quickly flew forward and Kyle also charged in closely behind him.

Kage flew faster and get to Leng first. Kage started with a flurry of kicks from above. Leng barely blocked them, and Kage followed with a roundhouse slash that barely missed his head. Without trading another word, Kage and Leng finally began their rematch and immediately traded slashes, dodging attacks at narrow margin.

Based on what Kage has seen, Leng's Bull Style is a style used by power fighter. It seeks to overwhelm and suppress targets with overwhelming brute force. But more importantly… they specialize in stabs and direct thrust. Concentrated strikes on a single target. There aren't many slashes or swipes in its movements. As for Kage however… Japanese katana are good at one thing: slashing.

Leng had a hard time adapting to deal with Kage's attacks. His movements are incredibly fast, he strikes hard, quick, and precise, going for the kill or severely debilitating strikes each time. He's clearly a speed type, but unlike Kyle's eagle claw style that focused on multiple rapid strikes, Kage concentrate mostly on single concentrated strikes. His slashes are not only fast, they're strong. The power packed in each stroke is almost comparable to his stabs, but the worst part for Leng… Kage has no problem with the terrain obstructions.

Leng was limited with this sizeable plank he's standing on. The Bull Style has very limited Qinggong capabilities in exchange for its power based moves. In contrast, Kage, using his Water Walking, can fight on water as easily as he fights on a firm ground. To make things even worse, he has true aerial superiority: he can actually fly. That special flight capable red cloth he wears is just cheating.

When Kyle finally reached them, he decided to stay clear for now. The two combatants were fighting at such intensity, he had yet to find any opening for him to intervene.

Kage flew acrobatic circles around Leng, launching slash after slash from every angle. Leng can barely perceive much less block half of the Captain's incoming strikes. What he can do is maximizing his iron shirt technique to keep the shinobi's beam blade from ripping him to shreds. But what the hell is that sword!? Even with his iron shirt on, the blade can still cut through it and actually left behind increasingly deeper cuts. Gritting his teeth, Leng roared. 'If that's how it is, then!'

Leng finally began to counter attack… but his counter attack is something Kage didn't expect. Leng's body blurred and unleashed multitude of strikes to every direction. The Swordsman suddenly became a chaotic mass of punches, kicks, stabs and slashes that plow through everything in its way. Kage slashed into that mass, and much to his surprise, Leng's chaotic attack welcomed the slash head on with incredible speed and power. The multitudes of attacks blew apart his energy blade and in a span of seconds, Kage's whole body was battered with some few dozen strikes. His Kurenai Shiki cloth is what prevented his body from being pulverized. It also instinctively pulled Kage out of range from Leng's further attack. Kage choked out some blood as he floated in the sky. He looked at Leng's form… there's this purple aura of madness emanating from his being.

"The Third Kata of the Bull Fist Style…" Leng grinned wide. "The Mad Bull Charge Kata." The Steel Bull Kata is the basic of the Bull Fist style, emphasis on power strikes. The Iron Shirt technique that was mostly for defense was redirected into extreme offense. The second level, the Raging bull form added relentlessness and speed to the power, and the Mad Bull form add the chaotic and unpredictable nature into those two earlier forms combined. There are no ups or downs, no left or right, no forward or backward, punches mixed with kicks. Stabs can turn to slash and fro.

Leng roared and jumped up, immediately closing his distance with Kage. "MADNESS STAMPEDE!" Once again, he unleashed a chaotic barrage of attacks. And this chaotic unpredictability began to overwhelm Kage. Already he was barraged with a few dozen kicks and strikes. He managed to dodge most of the stronger attacks, but he can barely block such chaotic attack. Kage quickly entered a stance he inherited from Harlbarton: "G… Guard of the Hawk!" With it, Kage created a field of defense with his sword, blocking the onslaught. Alas, it wasn't very effective as some strikes still managed to get through. However, Kage persevere through the onslaught and waited. He waited and see… Finally Kage had enough and roared as he launched a powerful slash at a specific point of the chaotic attack. As expected, that one strike break off the onslaught and stopped the barrage.

Problem is, Leng got talents of his own. Just as the Madness Stampede was stopped, he thrust one of his swords at Kage's open guts. But before the blade can reach him a strong hand gripped the said blade. It was Kyle, who had finally managed to join in, grabbing Leng's left sword tightly with his iron palm and won't let go. Kyle swing his blade at Leng's chest, Leng blocked the attack with his sword, interlocking his sword with said blade. The deadlock lasted only for a moment as Kage quickly came in with a slash aimed to decapitate his Evil twin. Reacting quickly, Leng pulled his sword, pulling Kyle's arm mounted blade locked with it, and its wielder, right into the path of Kage's blade. Kage gaped and quickly retracted his sword, but he also quickly adapted by climbing Kyle's body instead to jump over him. Leng saw Kage rising over Kyle's body, beam blade raised high to bisect him in half.

Leng quickly twist his other sword wielding hand, the one whose blade being gripped by Kyle, furiously whirling his sword. Kyle had no choice but to let go his grip, allowing Leng to move away from Kage's vertical chop. The Dark Captain has no intention to let up and immediately changed to a horizontal slash to Leng's gut. But the Swordsman quickly back away, and at the same time, he also dragged his other sword, still interlocked with Kyle's armblades and attempted to block Kage's attack with it. Kage's beamblade easily chopped the whole thing: Leng's sword as well as Kyle blade arrays. Leng let go his ruined weapon and charged back by sending a sideway somersault kick that bludgeon the masked Shinobi's face to the side that momentarily dazed him. Leng immediately used this chance to unleash a full on assault of Madness Stampede to every direction. Both fighters were struck by several dozen whirling punches, kicks, stabs and slashes to their being. It was powerful enough to send them both flying to separate directions; Kage being launched all the way to the decks of one of the remaining battleships, Kyle was sent splashing into the ocean of the opposite direction. The terrified crew move away as said dark captain crashed into their deck, and he immediately tried to get back up.

And while Kage is still in the process of recovery, Leng had already jumped aboard. On this deck, there are plenty of spaces for him to move around. Kage had just returned to his feet when Leng closed in to cut his head… but Kyle managed to get there first with a Charge and rammed him from the side, knocking him away.

Kage pulled out a new beam sword as Kyle get into his fighting stance. "Captain? How are you doing?"

"I can still fight… But…" Kage groaned. "That guy's tough. However we're going to do this… we better finish this in five minutes."

Kyle blinked. He heard rumors of the Captain's severe injuries limiting his combat presence… "That… might be difficult. I never saw Leng entered this stance, but I have yet to hear anyone survived his father's third stage. It is the reason why Master Bull had an epithet of 'Mad' in his title."

"Not so." Kage smirked despite running out of breath. "Call it what he will, the Mad Bull kata is being performed by a sane man. Unless the practitioner is truly insane, there won't be a pattern in the movements. It's unpredictable, but it's far from being random. Observe it carefully and you'll see a flow."

Kyle blinked. Even to his trained eyes, he saw no pattern in Leng's wild movement. He only saw a mass of attacks with no rhyme or direction. "And you can crack it?"

"I don't know Kung Fu… but I know crazy." Kage smiled manically behind his mask.

Kyle rolled his eyes. "Okay. So…" He bent down his head as Kage whispered what needs to be done. As words and epiphany entered, he nodded in understanding as he exchanged looks with his adversary. "Okay. I got it."

The two fighters then split and slowly approached Leng from both flanks. Screw the gentlemanly conduct of one on one; both combatants wanted the enemy dead, no matter what others would think of their methods. Worse for Leng, one of his weapons has been destroyed. He looked wildly all around, glaring meaningfully at the terrified crew, demanding them to give him aid.

The crews are torn when trying to decide which one they fear more. Their ruthless leader… or the terrifying dark Captain. That decision was immediately made easier with the Captain's statement. "You can help him if you wish. Give him a sword or a weapon… but I expect you to vacate the premises immediately. This fight ain't gonna be pretty. Dying by getting caught up in it is not a pretty way to die."

"Kage soaked you all in oil, but you just saw how it was Leng, not Kage, who burnt your comrades alive. How long do you think you'll last under his inexistent mercy?" Kyle added.

The Dark Axe finally saw sense, and as one, they widen their distance, leaving their murderous leader to his ignoble fate. One has sufficient respect, or pity, for Leng, and saw fit to toss him a sword. His final act of service. Leng grunted thanklessly as he took the sword.

Seeing his opponent is properly armed, Kage and Kyle no longer held any reservation and charged in unison. Leng roared as he once again became a mass of insanity. "ALRIGHT! COME AND GET SOME!" The Dark Axe master once again became a whirlwind of madness and devastation. As rehearsed, Kage was the first to meet the attack head on with Kyle following closely behind. Kage strained his eye as he tried to read the attack's pattern. He found an opening, and he quickly took the advantage. "KYLE! TO ME!" In unison, the two fighters attacked as one. "DRAGON STINGER!" "Qīng gāng yǔmáo fēngbào (Light Steel Feather Storm)!" Kage plunged in a powerful and concentrated drilling stab, while Kyle's arms moved swiftly like a bird swinging his wings, unleashing a tirade of slashes with both his intact arm blades and what remains of the other one.

Kage's drilling Dragon Stinger plow through the wave of attacks, whilst Kyle's Storm of feather blades protected the stab's weak flanks. Both techniques complement each other perfectly, and it easily blew away Leng's attack. Leng gaped in disbelief as he saw Kage's Dragon Stinger stab through his technique like it was inexistent, finally reaching its target, the thigh of his left leg. Leng still managed to dodge, but he didn't manage to dodge far enough. The drill brushed a bit of his thigh's sides, and it tore it into bloody shreds. Leng roared in pain and jumped away to make some distance between him and the two fighters as he observe the massive damage inflicted by a simple brush. Blood poured out of his partially torn thigh. But the scale of the damage isn't the issue here, what matter is how Kage and Kyle worked in perfect concert, specifically targeting this particular limb.

Kage growled seeing how he missed. If anything, it has proven that his theory was on the spot.

Flashback:

"One limb?"

"That's right. The Mad Bull looked chaotic and seemingly doesn't make sense. He's attacking with arms and legs all at once… but… as messed up as it can be, I saw that their movements are centered around one pivot of power. It's not like he grew extra limbs, Humans only have four limbs, and the Mad Bull used only three of them at a time, because one limb must remain connected to the ground. I'm guessing that he can use any limb as a pivot, and even changed what limb he used as a pivot mid technique. But…" Kage made a gesture to Leng's sword.

"His arms are preoccupied with using his two swords… that limit the target to his two legs…" Kyle immediately understands the folly of using weapons in this Bull Style. A proper user of the Mad Bull form like Master Bull would've eschewed arm mounted weapons for the flexibility of switching between four pivot limbs. "I guess that's why they call it Bull Fist style, not Bull Sword…"

"Exactly."

Flashback ends…

But now that the enemy knew that he knew, things will become even more difficult for them. "What an incredibly fast reaction. We literally attacked him point blank and he can still dodge a clean hit!?" Kage groaned. What's even more amazing is that how Kai Leng can still stand so firm even with a small portion of his thigh ripped apart.

"You hit one limb. That leg won't be able to serve as a pivot anymore." Kyle barked confidently at Leng. "If we have to, we'll rip you apart one limb at a time!"

"Hear hear." And once again, Kage charged ahead of Kyle.

Leng, still in disbelief that someone can actually crack his technique, welcomed them with an onslaught of the Madness Stampede. A wall of attacks once again stands before Kage and Kyle. But this time, Kage took the protective role. He quickly used an improvised guard of the hawk to defend and push through the barrage of strikes as he tried to find the opening. His hands had begun to go numb from blocking some few hundred strikes or so, that was when he finally cued Kyle. "THERE!" Kage slashed through the barrage, creating said opening. Kyle jumped over Kage and pushed forward. As expected, one limb remained connected to the ground as a pivot, and this time, it's his right leg. "Zhòng jī huì (Heavy Beak Strike!)!" His clawed hand changed to a two finger jab attack, plunging deep at blurring speed straight at the target. The fingers were coated with energy, it was as strong as iron. Kyle may not be as fast as Kage, but he was able to score a hit. Leng roared and immediately ended his technique so as to move his vulnerable leg out of the way, but Kyle still managed to jab him a couple more times, drilling some deep wounds into his right leg.

In anger and desperation, Leng sent a kick using his injured left leg to Kyle's side stomach that sent him flying away. But Kyle quickly landed firmly on his feet, and without wasting his breath, he charged at the now injured Leng. Kage thought the same and made a dash for the finishing blow as well. Leng became even more enraged seeing how far he was pushed into this corner. Tightening his grip on his swords, Leng roared: "BULL FIST STYLE: FINAL FORM…" Both Kage's and Kyle's eyes widened and they instinctively hastened their pace, trying to prevent the technique from being unleashed.

Kage would've make it… if not for a stinging headache that made his knee lost their strength midway. "No!" Kage immediately willed himself to get up but it was too late.

"…DEMON BULL FIST FORM!" Leng declared just as Kage's Shiki was brought down and Kyle's remaining Wing blades were thrust forward.

Both suddenly felt like their weapons just sank into a glob of sticky glue. Something dark and black is enveloping Leng's being, creating some kind of protective aura around him. "HRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGHH!" Leng screamed to the sky as the dark aura engulfed all three of them. Suddenly they saw an image of a demonic bull headed monstrosity enveloped Leng and both attackers quickly felt they just lost control of their body. They were involuntarily thrown against each other by some unseen force, and everything became chaos. Up becomes down, left twisted with right. Backward turned forward. They've lost control of their perception; everything is chaos… except for Leng, who once again unleashed a full barrage Madness Stampede, infused by that dark aura. They managed to dodge some of the attacks, at first, but the part that was hit by the attack began to move against their wish. Struggling to take back control of their disobedient body, the two fighters were unable to dodge the subsequent strikes. Kyle was stabbed multiple times and his leg was almost torn off its socket when one stab penetrated through his feet. Among other things, Kage's bones make weird cracking sounds when half a dozen kicks knock the air out of his lungs, and a knee bludgeoned his throat. They were thrown far back worse for wear, bathed in their own blood.

Choking and gasping, the two fighters struggled to get up, using their weapons to help themselves up. Kyle barely made it, but Kage almost failed and remained on one knee. A familiar pain had finally begun to stab his head. His time is up. Blood trickled out of his nostrils. Kyle saw this. "Captain… you should go."

"No."

"This fight is not worth your death! Shanghai needs you! If you die-"

"NO!" Kage bashed his fist to the floor and willed himself to get back on his feet. "This guy is too dangerous to be left alone. We end this here and now!" Kage still managed to summon enough strength to stand and pulled out another beam sword.

And despite Kyle being so close to death himself, he cannot help but to share the captain's desire for a resolution of this conflict. This is the one score he wanted to settle, and it's been long overdue indeed.

And yet, despite their resolution to continue to the end, Leng had other ideas. Though he's seemingly ready for more, the pain in his legs is telling him otherwise. He always thought that under the heaven, only his father can bring him this close to death. Now there are two more. His animal instinct tells him that even though both of his prey are now wounded and driven to the very edge, a cornered prey is one that is most fierce. He may be able to win the day, but at this rate, he must pay dearly for it.

And no. He has no intention to pay that price, not if he can haggle his way out of it. He pulled out a small firecracker and fired a signal flare up to the sky.

And then suddenly, out from the darkness behind Leng, Kage and Kyle saw shapes forming that crossed the oceans. Ships. Black ships bearing the flag of the Dark Axe. 6 Black Battlecruisers sailed out of the cover of the night's sky.

"Oh… We're fucked." Joker peeped.

Kage was hardly surprised at the coming of a secret reinforcement. But… what surprised him was when the 6 ships part ways, allowing a distinctly different ship to enter his sight.

It's noticeably bigger than the other battlecruisers, at almost 1.5 times as long, twice as wide and it was heavily modified. It's a catamaran design, with twin hulls and all.

Whoever's the designer, he had a bright idea of adding a lot of additional superstructures atop its center deck. But they're not of militaristic nature, more like someone tried to put an actual brickmade Victorian era grand manor atop a ship. The frontal bow is also designed to look like a Galleon, complete with a built in ram, and there's this giant golden metallic Cycladic sculpture of what approximate as an angel, what's with the humanoid statue and the massive wing. Added with other various sculptures and other features of non military nature like… is that a swimming pool in front of the manor?

Kage rolled his eyes. This is no military ship, it's a pleasure cruise ship… or he would've said that if he did not notice a glaring feature of this ship: of how it was completely ironclad. It's hardly surprising. Ironclad is not an exclusive idea to the Orb, though Orb is the one who is most successful in putting the concept to practical use. Granted, this iron plated ship is still being dwarfed by his larger than life Archangel. What's more, he'll never color his whole ship gold with royal purple trimming.

Lavish decoration aside, said ships are bristling with firepower as well. It has three rows of cannons on both sides, a pair of cannons for a frontal chaser gun… and there's this surprisingly huge caliber but short barreled cannon fused to the frontal bow. This doesn't include the many gun ports on the super structure manor itself, all bristling with large bore rifles.

"What the heck is that!?"

"That's…" Shepard immediately recognized that ship. "…that's the Alvatore. Corner's personal Battleship/slash/pleasure barge."

Kage's eyes narrowed in deep thought. "…and so the curtain rises…"

"The hell is he doing here?" Surprisingly enough, Kai Leng doesn't seem to be pleased that help has come for him.

What's more, it seems that golden ship has taken charge of the remaining fleet. For some reason, they showed no indication that they will open fire. A small boat appeared from beneath the golden ship, quickly closing the distance with the wrecked ships where the combatants are dueling. As it turns out, Johann was on board.

He looked at the deck and saw how Kage and Shepard are worse for wear. Then again, so is Leng.

"Well… it looks like I'm on time." Johann saluted the three.

"Johann, the fuck are you doing here?"

"Mr. Corner requested your presence aboard his ship."

"Well, tell him to wait. Can't you see I'm busy?"

"Technically speaking, they're not just for you." Johann gestured at Kage. "Mr. Corner specifically asked for you, Captain Kage."

Kage and Shepard looked at each other questioningly.

"Fuck this! Look, let me finish these guys up and after that your boss can have whatever's left!"

"I'm sorry Leng… but I'm afraid my boss wanted to meet him intact. Way I see it, you're halfway done with him…. And he's already halfway done with you as well. Mr. Corner wouldn't want to lose two assets in one day."

"What?" All three echoed. Kage gruffly snorted, partly in annoyance. "I'm afraid I agree with Leng here. Just let us finish him off first, and then I'll see to your boss."

"My Master insisted. Worry not…" Johann gave a hand signal, and the broadsides of all ships visibly moved and aimed towards Kai Leng… or to be more precise, it was aimed at all of them. "Your safety is assured."

Kage and Kyle knew, with their abilities, they can easily dodge a cannon barrage… but their less skilled crew and friends will not.

Both Kage and Kyle realized that denial is not an option at the moment. Kage grudgingly dematerialized his beam blade in concord with that conclusion. Kyle looked disapprovingly at Kage's decision, but he nodded anyway, though he glanced heatedly at Leng, who also returned the favor.

"Just… give us a moment will you?" Kage spoke to Johann down below. "We're leaking and dripping red all over the place here. Give us a moment to make ourselves more presentable."

Johann agreed with a nod. "I couldn't agree more. Leng, pull back. Now. That's an order."

Leng glared grudgingly at Kyle, who looked like he would rather shoot his superior officer and continue fighting over obeying that order, and yet, Kyle obeyed it as he followed Kage back towards the awaiting Normandy.

As soon as Kage and Kyle returned to the decks of their ship, the two commanding officers were quickly swarmed by their subordinates' protesting voice. Some, like Garrus and Wrex, protested over Kage's seemingly intent on parlaying with one of the Triad Boss-Logos minister be damned, while others question what he had in mind.

"Sir, I obeyed you under the assumption you're not trying to find a diplomatic solution." Kyle wasted no time to sound his protest.

"I'm not." Kage immediately replied, silencing their protest. "The fight is not over yet. It's just postponed. You have a doctor on board?" Kage struggled to keep his nosebleed under wraps while his blood-bathed body continues to drip here and there. And while Chakwas and Mordin immediately tend to the two officers, Kage continue to explain his plan. "Pick up your best long range team. We may need some long range precision fire support when things get too hot." The snipers aboard such as Garrus and Milly immediately nodded in readiness. "I will go in there and beat the crap out of that Corner if he proves uncooperative."

But Kyle, finally realizing just how far the Captain is ready to take this vendetta, held him back. "Captain, wait." Kage turned to the Sergeant. "You realize of course… you're going head to head with a Logos minister? You realize what this means?"

The activity momentarily stopped as everyone suddenly realized the gravity of the situation. Of what they're about to do. One wrong move and this whole thing will go from worse to hellish. "To pick up a fight with son of the Twelve Masters is one thing… to pick up a fight with a Minister of Logos… that's a whole different story entirely.

"You're telling me to back down?"

"Captain, listen." Kyle quickly added. "It's not that I don't want to nail the SOB to the wall… But… you, of all people, don't have to do this. Me, on the other hand… I'm an outlaw. A deserter, traitor, pirate. I can do these things. I can plunge my hand into this filth and keep yours clean."

"He already picked up a fight with me the moment he started all this shit." Kage growled. 'and to think he started this shit because the minister wants a chef…' Kira added darkly in his head. "But in all honesty… I started this. I started this the moment I told my Shadowguards to get involved." He gently glanced at Tolle and Milly both are waiting for what comes after. "If I ever worried about plunging face first into the filth, I'd never get anywhere. Like I said, we finish this, here and now. Otherwise it'll bite us back in the ass in the future."

Kyle nodded. The captain's decision is final, and he's aware what he's getting into. "Then I'll go with you." Kyle turned to Maria. "Maria you stay. The rest of you too. I'll go in alone with the Captain."

Maria nodded. She knew her brother was many times stronger than everyone combined, so she's not exactly worried of his physical wellbeing.

"Hold your horses there, you two." Joker immediately followed. "Even if you're ready to unleash hell and fury upon them, Normandy can't take on that ship's firepower! They'll turn us into toothpicks within seconds!"

"Lay low, and stick behind these Dark Axe Battlecruisers and you'll be fine." Kyle replied as he just finished resupplying his weapons as well as replacing his blade gauntlet.

"And don't get too far." Kage added. "We're gonna need the fire support and the pick up. We can still win this, you know."

"We can?" Joker was right to be skeptic. But unfortunately, the Dark Captain took comfort in not explaining any further.

Jess and Kaite who was on the ship since Kage joined the fray made their presence known. For one thing, Kaite looked a bit more nervous than Jess. "Should we come?"

"It's our job." Jess unreservedly retorted. "As was said, we'll follow you anywhere, Kage!"

Kage sighed. "Fine. Do as you like."

Kaite slumped down and moaned in resignation. Following a captain who's picking a fight with a Logos minister? He prefers entering the jaws of death, thank you very much. "I need a raise…"

"I'll go with you." Tolle also offered. "You need some escort along the way-"

"No." Kage immediately rejected. "No. You stay here."

"But I-"

"We don't have time for this! If those guys attempt to sink the Normandy or disturb the support team while Kyle and I are away we need someone to hold the ground, and seeing we're outnumbered 10 to 1, every defender counts, yes?"

Tolle can only comply with a dissatisfied groan.

00000000000000

"W… What?" Lacus' nearly choked when Simca reported back on what becomes of her workshop.

"Someone burned my workshop! My girls are doing everything they could to put down the fire but… I'm afraid we won't be able to save much. Not enough for this many…" Simca looked around the still suffering crews of Archangel. There are roughly a thousand people remain on standby on Archangel while most of the army are away. The timing of all this… clearly someone bore his honey a terrible ill will… but to target his men…

Lacus also came to more or less the same conclusion. When Kage hear of this, his retribution will fill rivers of blood. Right now, even if Simca tried to go to other shops, even if they can afford to wait that long, it is doubtful those merchants would want to sell them any. At this point… she's left with one option.

"Ghienny… (koff)"

"Hikari, DON'T! Haro!" Suddenly, Ms. Pink turned into Lily and grabbed Hikari's shoulder. "There are currently over a thousand people in this ward that is poisoned. Haro. If you do that on this many people… Haro. Your body will… haro…"

"Eh?" Simca looked questioningly at Lily, then to Hikari. She had positioned herself far away from all other patients. Her other Haros made a circle around her, some sort of no mans zone at 15 feet radius.

"Lily… (koff) have you forgotten why I've done this to myself? (koff)" Lacus ignored Lily's protests as she removed her mouthguard and grabbed the light blue Haro. The Light Blue Haro turned into the Urn of Baghiennic. Lacus then poured its content to the ground. The water dropped and spread across the ground, creating an intricate pattern of circuitry made of water. The circuitry spread further and further and then they crept across the ward, coursing through the patients before they forcibly sank into their body through every opening in their bodies. The patients jerked in obvious discomfort, but after a while they calmed down. And then, slowly, the water circuits began to pulsate… draining something out of the patients.

Simca blinked as she take a closer look at one of the patient, and the substance that is being sucked out of them. "She's… extracting the poison out of the patient directly?"

"Yes." Lily mournfully confirmed. "Of course, the process also drained a bit of their blood."

"But… this method won't clean the poison completely. Even if she managed to clean out like… 80-90% of the poison this way, the remaining 10% can still kill them."

"Of course milady knew about that. That's why…"

A sphere of murky bloody water had formed above the urn. Lacus gently touched the sphere of water… and then, the water flowed into her mouth. And Lacus began to drink the poison, gulp after gulp, much to Simca's horror.

"She… DRANK IT!?"

Lily explained. "She'll take in the poison inside her body, and then used her own immunity system to develop an antidote for it."

Lacus fell on her knees when her body took in all that poison, but she knew what's happening right now. Her body, her virus like immune system had already developed an antidote inside her system. But she only had scant moments before her Miasma consumes it. Lacus immediately removed her chest armor. Removing her own suppressant tank and other hard-plates, she tore off her chest body suit, revealing her cleavages. Pinpricked some spots on her chest with some acupuncture to isolate that part of her body. "Do it." Once that was done, Lacus hissed to Baghiennic.

A watery appendage extended out of the sphere of water… and somewhat reluctantly, it turned a sharp stabbing tentacle. And finally, it punctured the Doctor's chest.

Lacus winced a bit. And then, as with the other patients, the water tentacle began to pump something out of her chest.

"T… This is…" Simca stared in horror.

"She's pumping the antidote from her own body to the patients."

"Antidote you say… but I can see her blood flowing out!" Simca noticed another detail. "It's… pink?"

"But of course…" Lily mournfully nodded. "Hikari's body has been so thoroughly warped by all the poison inside her, even the blood type system no longer applies to her."

"That's not the issue here…" Simca can now see Lacus' creamy skin began to pale and wan. In contrast, with each pump of the substance into their body, the patients' health steadily improves as color returned to their skin. "It's different when you're doing this to one to one… but… one to over a thousand…"

"Now you know why I'm against this, Lady Simca." Lily frowned. "Hikari-sama's bodily energy had been as taxed as it is to keep her miasma suppressed at this level… to do something like this… her very own life-force are being drained here…"

When Lacus finally collapsed on her knees, Simca quickly tried to close to offer some help, but Lily hold her back.

"Don't."

"But!"

"Hikari-sama's miasma is now full exposed. At this state, you won't last one minute in her presence."

Thankfully, after one last pump, the water orb pulled back her tentacle from Hikari's chest, and Lacus finally limped down, being the closest she's ever been to actual death. Lily immediately hovered down and encased her downed mistress in a quarantine barrier that also closed her from view. "S… Simca… san"

Simca blinked. This is the second time she heard Lacus' actual and extremely beautiful voice without the distortion of her breathing mask. Even her weak voice is beautiful and melodous. Simca could barely see her removing her helmet and she can make out a silhouette of a petite face with beautiful flowing hair.

Inside Lily's dome, Lacus had just finished suturing her chest. "Oh dear me… this is the second time my chest gets punctured." She weakly chuckled to herself. "Well, at least it's manageable."

"LOSING ALMOST HALF OF YOUR BLOOD IS BARELY MANAGEABLE! HARO!" The pink barrier that is Lily roared angrily. "And you call Kage-kun suicidal! HARO!"

"Yeah, no kidding." Simca snorted.

At that, Lacus blinked several times in surprise. The thought of her own survival didn't even cross her mind when she helped all these people. All she cares about is to save them, no matter what. And that's it. But then, Lily and Simca pointed out that she's acting like Kira… "So… this is what he felt…"

"What?"

"Nothing." Lacus sighed. "L… Look after the patients." The silhouette behind the pink barrier spoke more cheerfully this time, to allay Simca's concerns. "I'll… be fine. Just give me some time to lay down a bit."

"Okey-dokey! You tell me if you need blood transfusion okay?" Simca quickly rushed to the care of other patients. 'Hikari-chan, don't die!'

Inside the barrier, Lacus finished resealing her armor, but she didn't undo Lily's barrier just yet. The chances where she could remove that suffocating helmet are few and in-between; she'd happily relish any opportunity as long as allowed. But as she lay down on the floor, the train of thoughts that plagued her mind once again raced in her head now that the medical urgency is gone.

One by one, she assembled the sequences of events. She was never that good in deduction game… but if one to spend every night sleeping (As in sleeping with all the snoring and the buzzing) and occasionally arguing with a master of deduction like Kira… one picks up a few things. And Lacus did a good job at it if she could say so herself. Somehow… she managed to deduce the whole picture. "Oh no…" Lacus quickly put back her helmet as soon as the realization struck home. "Lily (Koffsh…) We have to go to the engineering! (koff)"

Lacus was in such haste that she didn't even spare the seconds it took to warn Simca that she's leaving.

Little did she know, she's about to bring forth an incident the likes of which the world has never seen before…

00000000000000

Too lax.

That's what Kage surmised as soon as Johann lifted him and Shepard up to the lavish decks of the Alvatore. The security of the ship was too lax. Of course, there are troopers manning the guns. But they didn't seem to care that a blacklist captain just entered their midst. Kira would never flaunt it, but he's gotten used to bring about people's attention by his sheer presence. That the troopers didn't even so much as to bat an eye at him either meant that they just don't care, or they're too used to it.

Whichever the reason, Kira found this ignorance a welcome change of atmosphere.

That is, if he's not walking into what is obviously a deathtrap. Another reason for these guards to be this lax is most likely because they were ordered to. It infers that there is something else afoot.

Johann led Kage, Kyle, Jess and Kaite into the main manor at the center of the ship, past the swimming pool. As the door opened, Kage and Kyle were momentarily blinded by the room's brightness. Like the ship it was built upon, everything in there seems to be colored of gold – made of gold. Kage had heard that the Mob Boss, Setona Winter's father had a house coated with gold. One must repeat: Coated, not made. Kage would have to guess that the Mob Don didn't have the resources to go that far. Apparently, Don Winter grudgingly do so out of envy for Corner, who clearly has sufficient fund to turn that glamorous fantasy into actual reality.

Putting aside Corner's overt fondness of gold, Kage once again found something is really weird here. The laxness of the guards outside is one thing… but there's absolutely no guard inside the manor. No hidden traps, or, as far as his keen observant eyes can see, no hidden elite squad or anything alike. He would expect the Trinities would be at Corner's side to protect him, but clearly, he should've known three sergeants would not be enough to hold Kage at bay. So what exactly is he up to?

As the group finally reached a large hall with overlooking balcony at the edges, a massive stairway lead to a large royal door on the second floor stretched up from the center of the hall. At the end. Standing next to the door, much to Kage and Kyle's anger, is Leng. All patched up, but by no means he's in a better state than he was the last time they see him. All three are still eager to finish what they started, and yet, Leng still find it in him to not immediately attack them on sight. "Mr. Corner is waiting for you inside." It was easy to see that it took every bit of self control he had to keep his tone polite.

Quite frankly, it also took every bit of self control they had not to try and slice the impostor Kage to shreds right then and there. "Let's get this over with." Kyle began to reach for the doorknob… and suddenly Kage grabbed his arm tight. "Captain?"

Kage's eyes were wide in shock. His keen advanced sense of smell just sniffed something remarkably familiar… something he had smelled frequent enough that he just knew there can't be two things in this world that have the same smell, and thus he was horrorstruck as to why he can smell it here. "Kyle… on second thought… I want you to wait here." Suddenly, he finally realized why there are no guards in this house. He turned to Jess and Kaite. "You two stay here as well."

"What?" Kyle looked at the captain incredulously. "…you're serious? You want me to wait here… with HIM?" Kyle pointed his fingers at Leng, who also rolled his eyes at the captain in disbelief of his own ears.

"YES!" Kage exclaimed a tad louder than he usually would. The sense of urgency in the Dark Captain's eyes also demanded no backtalk or argument. "Wait here. And try not to kill one another… for 10-15 minutes or so."

And with that, Kage opened the door and went in, leaving a very nervous Jess and Kaite in-between the two beings who can't breathe the same air under the same sky without trying to hack each other apart, much less the same room.

As Kira entered the room, all his worst fears are realized…

00000000000000

An Hour ago…

Back in Archangel…

It was with great effort that Hikari actually managed to drag herself to the place where she needs to be. As it turns out… she was right on time. "Let her go. (Koff)"

Michael and Nena was caught by surprise when the bone white armored doctor appeared right in front the two, just as they were about to leave the ship carrying the unconscious Yoon in their arms.

Piecing together the chain of events, Lacus immediately realized the plot behind it. Whilst the army left, the defenses of Archangel were paper thin, allowing the Trinities to infiltrate Archangel's pantry, poison the food with some slow acting poison, and when everyone is screaming and wailing in infirmary due to indigestion, they would come in through the now undefended base and kidnap the Orb Engineer. Of course, Yoon is not their true target. She's just a would-be bait. Having witnessed the lengths Kira had gone through to during his impromptu challenge game to save her life, Corner must've thought that the girl was of some importance to Kira. He didn't know exactly what the fuss is all about, but he quickly assumed if he had her, Kira would do anything to get her back. Hence this whole incident.

Lacus inwardly laughed, patting herself in the back for having deduced all this by herself, even when many people often called her an airhead when it comes to this sort of thing. Kira would (probably) be very proud of her. "Let her go. (koff) She had nothing to do with all this. (koff)"

"Oh, and you know this?" Michael smirked. "Well I don't know about that… Kage's brother seems consider her worth risking his life in a cooking death-match with Master Bull… so… there's gotta be something here."

"You know nothing. (koff)" Hikari scoffed. "Kage's brother rescued her to keep her close to his brother's chest. (koff) If he can't keep her, the other option would be to kill her. (koff) And trust me… (koff) That would not be a hardship. (koff) Not for these two brothers. (koff)"

The siblings rolled their eyes. Somehow, they believed the doctor's opinion. The guy had enough steel to kill his own brother, killing some girl seem like an easy ordeal. Suddenly, they're starting to have doubts of Yoon's value as a hostage. "…and what do you think, Doc?" Nena asked.

"I'm not my boyfriend. (koff) I'm not that complicated. (koff)" Hikari calmly reiterated. "I'm a doctor. (koff) I'm here to save lives. (koff) Sometimes it also means preventing my patient from being killed by my boyfriend because of ridiculous circumstances. (koff)" Hikari shook her head.

"Ridiculous?"

"Your boss incited gang wars against us, causing so many casualties on both sides… (koff) Half of Shanghai a smoldering wreck… (koff) just now a young boy was crippled for life… (koff) and now you two poisoned his men… which they barely survived… (koff) Risking destroying a strategic point and wasting away precious lives and resources on the eve of a great battle (koff) all for what?" Hikari snapped. "Because your boss wants a new cook and Kage says no. (koff) Honestly… I expected a minister of Logos would behave more mature than this. (koff)"

Lacus' words, though her tone is ever soft and soothing, but her choice of vocabulary was sharper than the finest sword. Alas, her two audiences today are not exactly the listening sort… nor can they be counted among the very bright. "Bla, bla, bla… You gonna bark all day?" Leaving Yoon in Michael's arms, Nena marched forward, her hostile intention evident as she pulled out her combat short sword. "Missy, you're a real blabbermouth aren't you? Ever since we met on day one I don't like you already!"

Lacus narrowed her eyes, though she hardly takes issue with Nena's insult. "First I'm gonna rip that helmet off you!" In a sudden spurt of speed, Nena suddenly closed the distance between them and her hand reached towards Hikari's helmet.

If Hikari was but a normal girl, that speed would've probably caught her off guard. But in the eyes of a fully fledged medical Shinobi like Lacus, the ferocious girl trooper might just as well approached her in a speed of a wingless fly. When Nena's fingers clenched in, she only managed to grasp thin air. From her point of view, the armored doctor just disappeared. Golden strands of spiritual strings suddenly filled her vision. "W… What…" When she realized that the armored doctor is right behind her, Nena didn't have time to squeal anymore.

Michael roared in rage, but it was too late. The golden string quickly wrapped itself tight all around his red haired sister, robbing her of her freedom just as she was involuntarily lifted off the ground, and then hanged tight in air, helplessly squirming at the center of a golden web, like a caught prey ready to be feasted upon.

Lacus didn't waste time marveling her work, she immediately focused on Michael. Her strings at the ready.

"YOU BITCH! LET MY SISTER GO!" Michael angrily dropped Yoon and pulled out his great sword.

Hikari remained where she is. Seeing an enraged Michael came at her intending to fight, Lacus attempted to threaten him. "Look… Kage must've already finished his affairs by now. (koff) He could be on his way back here. (koff) You've heard what he does to people who hurt his subordinates? (koff) You two have done this to his men, do you have any idea what will happen when he heard of this? (koff) On the personal level, I have no quarrel with you two. (koff) Don't make this more difficult than it already is. (koff) Your sister's fine. (koff) Take her and go! (koff)"

"Nena was right, you really are a blabbermouth!" Michael roared, very much bloodthirsty and almost manic. "I'm gonna rip that helmet off your head, then I'll make you sure you watch when I gouged your tongue out and make you swallow it!" Nena snickered sadistically upon hearing Michael's idea.

Lacus merely shook her head in bewilderment. Both the brother and sister have a very foul temper, and a sadistic streak to go with it.

Roaring like mad, Michael swings his sword at Lacus as he charged forward. Unlike her sister, having seen that the doctor is not as helpless as initially thought, Michael came with full intent to fight and kill. Lacus unleashed a wave of strings, but to her surprise, with a wave of Michael's sword, he easily cut the strings apart and easily close the distance between them.

As soon as Lacus entered his range, Michael's sword swings down, heading straight to bisect Hikari's head. Much to Michael's surprise, his sword suddenly was halted by something… immensely hard. "Gah?" And then he noticed his massive cleaver just struck a thick kite shield… made of strings. Lacus flexed her palm forward, and the shield bashed through, knocking the hot headed trooper back.

Lacus had weaved a large gold shield construct made of her strings. Said shield floated in front of her, guarding hard before dissipating without a trace. Michael growled and this time he leapt up to bring his sword down, but Lacus instantly generated another thick shield construct, bashing the boy's face flat. Michael recoiled and quickly tried to get her from another direction, this time he tried to flank her, quickening his pace so as to outpace Lacus' string construction pace. But it was no use. Honed by her high speed surgery practices, Lacus armored hand moved in a blur, weaving string constructs faster than one can blink. Michael tried to attack her again and again to no avail, Lacus kept blocking his attacks with his shield. Michael even tried a trick move at one point, halting just inches away from the suddenly generated shield, and immediately moved in and approach her from another direction, but he barely put one foot into sword range, the string shield instantly appeared on his face, bashing him back. It was as if Lacus had prophetically predicted he would do that. 'What's going on here? Rather than keeping up, it's more like she can predict where I'll be? Isn't she just a god damn Witch Doctor?'

What Michael didn't know is that he's been biting more than he can chew. Lacus isn't just a Witch Doctor, she's THE doctor. Other surgeons may still struggle to even understand human organs and what they're for; Lacus had memorized the working inside out knowledge and every detail about the way human body works by heart with exacting and unsurpassed clarity, from brain stem to muscle strand, from the edge of one's hair to the tip of one's toes. With a single glance of a slightest muscle shift, Lacus can immediately tell what a man will do. Whether it'll be a feint or a direct head on assault.

Michael grew angrier by the second. What's with Lacus kept generating shield after shield to block his advances without herself taking a step forward or backward, he finally realized Lacus has no intention to attack back, she merely wished to defend and defend until her opponent tires. And to his further fury… it's working. His great sword is starting to feel somewhat heavier as beads of sweat formed on his face. "BITCH! I'LL RIP YOU APART!"

Lacus pay it no mind. Empty threats with no substance to back it up. But the mass scale blood transfusion and detoxification she had performed had shaved almost all of her strength, and her stamina was never that high. It was all she could do to stand, much less fight. Sweat began to pour over her face behind her mask. But if she keeps doing this, she might yet prevail…

"Now, now, this is very interesting…" Lacus jerked back and saw the third brother of the Trinities finally made his presence known. Johann walked in, brandishing his sniper-rifle with a spear tip at the end.

"Johann!" Michael grinned viciously. Finally. Some help.

Johann looked at Nena hanging up there and Michael panting… "So… why are you wasting your time fighting the Captain's girlfriend? We're going after his brother's girl, are we not?"

As soon as Johann said that, Michael was immediately reminded of the engineer he dropped behind. He looked back and found the girl was no longer where he left her. The Target is now being carried by a strange unnatural looking girl, with wings allover and her long pink hair had flowers growing out of it. He didn't even notice her presence until now, but it was easy to see that she's not human.

Hikari smirked. "Lily, you take care of Ms. Yoon please. Her protection takes priority, understand?"

"You got it. Haro!" Lily nodded.

Johann shook his head. "Michael… I always told you to not let your temper get in the way of the mission!"

"Umm… Johann… newsflash… I don't think they have that kind of relationship." Michael immediately tried to defend his case by updating his brother on the latest breaking news. "They brought her here so that they can kill her whenever they want."

Johann rolled his eyes. "Indeed?"

Lacus had a somewhat mixed feeling. On one hand, Johann is clearly here to help his siblings… but on the other hand, he's the more reasonable one of the three. "…please." Lacus pleaded once again. "Listen to reason. Your employer's interest is not exactly a worthy cause."

"That maybe, ma'am. But orders are orders." Johann answered nonchalantly.

"That's it? That's your justification?" Lacus replied gently. "Are you not human? Surely you can think for yourself and see that what your employer is asking you to do is wrong and dishonorable?"

"Oh enough talk! Let's just butcher her and be done with it!" Michael barked. But Johann was much calmer than his siblings, and just like what Lacus had hoped, he has a more elaborate reply… though it was not exactly what she was expecting.

"Ma'am… we… I appreciate your concerns. But… before we are what we are today… no one has ever give a damn about us." Johann glanced at Nena. "My sister Nena has been dodging bullets over her head when she was 6." Johann turned to his younger brother. "Michael was taught to slice off people's left ears as killcount trophies." Johann turned back to Lacus. "I learned how to shoot before I learned how to talk. Since the day we were aware of our own existence, that's what we've been taught to do. That's all we knew."

Child soldiers. She should've known. "And Mr. Corner freed you from all that?"

"Free?" Johann smiled coldly. "We don't even know the meaning of the word. We don't know any other way to live. Quite frankly… Fulfilling our orders is the only reason we exist. Now, Ma'am. We have our orders. And the orders are to find any leverage we can get on Kage. And we cannot return empty handed. Our orders are absolute. Whether it's right or wrong… is not our concern." Johann is finally getting ready to enter the fight. Behind Lacus, Michael is also eager to kill. "It's what we were trained to do. What we were bred to do."

And for a moment, Lacus began to falter. She misunderstood them completely. A child soldier raised to know no other way of life. Raised to be unable to differentiate right and wrong, their whole existence was brought up from scratch just to follow orders. A malignant brainwashing from childhood so thorough, they never even consider any concept to live and decide for themselves. No wonder nothing she said gets through.

When Lacus is still trying to recover from her shock, she felt something is coming at her, fast. She ducked her head just in time when a commando knife flew past her face, missing her head by the inches. Lacus frowned a gaze at its thrower. A grinning Michael… who immediately squealed: "FANG! Back!"

Lacus had yet to absorb the meaning of those words… and then her ears caught something coming from behind. She instinctively tilted her head and the commando knife that flew past her earlier scraped her helmet from behind as it flew back to its owner. 'What was that!?'

"Hoo… you dodged that? Not bad. Not bad." Michael suddenly pulled out another ten. "DODGE THIS!" A hail of gleaming steel flew towards Lacus. The armored doctor dodged them all by jumping in a beautiful roll jump. She counted the knives midair as they flew past beneath her currently upside down head… there are only 7 of them. As she continued to roll and descend, her gaze finally fell upon a grinning Michael, who, with a triumphant screech, threw the remaining four knives at her. And to make things worse, he suddenly roared: "FANG!" He raised his great sword, and Lacus can hear the sound of those 7 knifes behind her turning around midair and zoomed towards her unprotected back. 'Oh no…'

CLANG! CLANG!

Suddenly, when she landed, Hikari was surrounded by two things: knifes harmlessly falling all around her, and her helpers, the multi colored Haros bouncing all around her happily, having just deflected all the evil daggers that were about to skewer their master. "Girls?" Lacus didn't remember asking their help but boy was she glad they're here.

"Hikari! Hikari! Haro!" "We help! We help! Haro!" "Beat rude bluehead in the ass! In the ass! Haro!" "Knock the moleface silly! Haro! Silly!" Now that they mentioned it, Johann does have a small mole under his eye. The Haros chipped all around Lacus, turning some of her disappointment into glee.

"Hikari, you can't pick methods this time, Haro." Lily spoke as she gently buoyed the still unconscious Yoon in her arms. "People who had lived their whole lives without being able to understand any other way of life… Haro. Sometimes words won't cut it, you have to beat it down to his body. Haro."

Lacus pouted in annoyance. A Clyne family's main weapon is the force of voice in the weight of their words, is it so wrong for her to be a blabbermouth? If things can be solved with words, why uselessly spill one's blood? Then again… if things were so easily solved with talking… this world would not have descended into its current poor state. Not that she's fond of doing this… but she had no choice.

Lacus took a deep breath and suddenly, she's no longer so chatty. The innocent and bubbly headed streak that she was fond of for so long had to be shelved today. Her eyes hardened. So intense was her glare, even the bloodthirsty Michael can actually felt the gaze from behind the mask, and became unnerved. Johann suddenly realized they have roused a beast.

Lacus picked four haros: the red Megi, the yellow Barbara, the blue Levi and… the purple Asta. The four haros, bar Lily, circle around Lacus, and her golden strings began to gather around them. Weaving, interconnecting, covering each Haros as the mass of strings take shape. "Battle mode! Battle mode! Haro! Haro!"

'W… What… you're kidding right?'

Lily smirked with pride as the spectacle unfurled before her. When one study the dynamics between Lacus and Lamia, the common misconception that is often perceived is that Lacus was the helpless one of the two, with Lamia is always there to protect her. Even if Lacus showed incredible skill with her medical knowledge, she's still need to be protected. Lamia's over-protectiveness of her sister further adds to the illusion. Everyone thinks that without her sister, Lacus is but a defenseless lamb to the slaughter.

Nothing can be further from the truth.

Stand ready at both of her flanks, two pairs of ornate swords, composed of glowing golden strings with a haro at their core. But then the golden color of the four swords transformed to correspond with the color of the Haros that formed their core: Megi becomes red, Levi becomes blue, Barbara becomes yellow, and Asta becomes purple. Lacus armored form is now surrounded by four colored framework of ornate swords, floating menacingly.

As expected, Michael was the first to answer that challenge with a head on frontal charge. He swing his sword, but Lacus, or rather, her swords, immediately responded. Without their mistress lifting a finger, two Haro Swords crossed and blocked the slash. At the same time, the other two swords launched themselves at Michael. One unerringly aimed at a spot in-between his eyes, the other ruthlessly jabbed at his balls. Michael's rage immediately disappeared, replaced with sheer horror. He jumped back to dodge while he also threw his magnetically controlled fang knifes again, but Lacus, or rather, her swords had expected this. With blurring speed, the four swords sliced through them all midair. "FANG!" Michael lifted his sword again. The knives littering around Lacus sprang up and zoomed towards Lacus. But the sword of Asta angrily spun around her mistress, and the attack failed.

When Michael landed, he also noticed that the swords didn't chase him, but they floated menacingly between their master and her opponent. He also noted that all his commando knifes were stuck on the purple blade. The Purple Haro inside it glared angrily at him. "The fuck!?"

"Magnets." Suddenly, said Haro spoke. "That's how you control these knifes. They're magnetized. Somehow, you were able to turn your chakra to have a magnetizing effect, which you directed to that specialized sword of yours." A near transparent apparition of the steampunk Lacus appeared holding the sword. "Not gonna work on me though."

"Asta's real name is Astaraoth. Lord of the Labyrinth. Greater Demon of Steel Taurus." Lacus followed suit. "None can master steel and magnetism better than her."

"JUST SHUT UP AND DIE, BITCH!" Michael roared angrily and recklessly rushed back in. Lacus didn't say a word and idly stood without moving a muscle, but her swords are hardly silent. As soon as Michael reacted, they sprang to life. Michael launched a horizontal roundhouse arc, but one sword blocked the blade at a specific point, it stopped the blade dead in the air. Three other blades went straight to his head, throat and gut, from three different directions. Michael couldn't dodge in time, but Lacus merely tilted her head slightly, the blade tilted their attack. Instead of being bisected, Michael was bashed in three different locations by three sword surfaces. Seeing his brother is being turned into a punching bag, Johann finally entered the fray, fittingly using his spear sniper rifle as a polearm weapon.

Lacus had expected the eldest trinity would come eventually. The spear thrust was fast and strong. One sword blocked the thrust and it was slightly pushed back. But at the same time, the other sword swing directly Johann's gut at speed. Johann dodged by a hairbreadth. As he did so, the other two swords immediately flocked upon him and bludgeoned his chest with the blunt edge of their sword handle, pushing him back. Michael immediately rejoined the fray. Johann quickly recovered and together they came at the doctor from both sides.

Being flanked by these two warriors, Lacus instead closed her eyes. When it was one on one, her expert doctor Kinetic eyes had served her well, now against two, she'd have to rely on something way better than eyes. She's a Sensor Logia. She's descended from a family whose bloodline limit is considered the greatest sensor in history! She didn't have to see them, the slightest sound of their own bodily movements will betray their intention to her ears.

She quickly divided her blades, a pair for one person. And the two troopers were quick to find out that even though their opponents had been reduced by half, by no means does this mean things are getting better. In fact, if anything, things just got worse. The blades are moving faster, more accurate, anticipating all their moves and counter appropriately. This isn't like Michael's magnet knife trick, each of these blades are moving and weaving with a will of their own, dancing and flurrying in an elegant strokes as if being wielded by an invisible master swordsman. The most frightening part is that each of these blades moved incredible different with one another. Four swords, four completely different sword styles, but they moved together in harmony like a symphony orchestra.

'T… This isn't a trick…' Johann immediately surmised as he dodged a swing to his chest while ducking a sword thrust that shaved a bit of his hair. 'She's controlling the swords with her mind… But… how can one manage four swords and four sword styles all at once in one's head?'

Lily grinned with pride. When Lacus battered the entire occupants of the Winter manor to submission, she barely used a fraction of what she's capable of doing. Yes, right now Lacus was greatly weakened by the surgery she had to perform. So weak that she can't summon her Greater Daemons. And Michael had shown earlier that her weaponized surgery skills are no match for fully trained elite trooper. Hence why she was left with no choice but to unseal the talent she had buried for so long.

A true pacifist, Lacus understandably despise fighting of any kind, including sword art.God can be so fickle. Her sister had practiced tirelessly until her soft beautiful hands roughened by blisters and scars… and she's still just an 'above average' knight. Lacus never practices, never showed any interest in the way of the sword, her advanced muscle atrophied to the point she can no longer physically lift a sword, preferring to play and goof off all day like a child… and yet… Goud Veia, lauded as the greatest swordmaster in Zaft lamented the fact that she unreservedly and purposefully let her once in a century talent to rot.

But it's still there. And right now… it's more than enough.

Nena watched in horror as her brothers are getting their asses kicked by four disembodied flying swords. Even more infuriating, not only the doctor didn't even bother to move a muscle, she didn't so much as to glance at what's happening. She just stood there; staring blankly at the ground… or something… she wouldn't know. The mask kinda makes it hard to see her expression, though she imagined her smiling. She immediately squirmed harder and harder, desperate to give her family some help.

Behind her mask, Lacus was hardly smiling. Her body suit is swelling with sweat. Her knees are trembling, screaming at her to stop this now, end this quickly so that she can rest. Lacus had to comply with that. Her eyes blared open as she swiped her hand, and as one, the four blades swing in a powerful whirring roundhouse arc. Johann and Michael were thrown off to the back with their weapons in pieces. The swords immediately closed in and locked their head in place with a pincer lock. But the sword strings quickly break apart and wrapped the two Trinities in strings, binding them tight. And the battle was over, and finally Lacus earned the luxury to fell on all fours in exhaustion.

"Hikari? Haro? Are you alright?"

"So… tired…" Lacus sighed in sheer exhaustion. She nevertheless spared enough strength to gaze at the pinned brainwashed child soldiers before her. She had long days of psychological therapy ahead of her for these three poor souls. But right now… "I wanna sleep forever…" She earned this… right?

But one of those poor souls disagrees. Somehow, Nena managed to break free of Lacus' binding, grabbed her rifle and opened fire at Lily and Yoon. Lily reacted quickly by protecting Yoon, slapping away the bullets… but one wrong hand swipe… and the bullet ricochet straight to Lacus' head.

Lacus can do nothing when the hot lead punctured her helmet from the back. It ricochet off her armor, flying right above the upper nape of her ears, slightly scratching her cheek right beneath her eye, as well as ripping her face mask off her face. But Lacus didn't realize the latter predicament yet as she squealed in pain at the sudden sensation of seething pain at her cheek. Compound said pain with her mounting exhaustion, and Lacus fell unconscious almost instantly. The last thing she said before darkness took her was a name: "Ki… ra…"

As soon as that happened, the strings and their constructs dissipated. With their master unconscious, the Haros were once again a harmless ball who can do nothing but bounce up and down. A horrified Lily was the only one who curiously enough retained her human form.

And as soon as her mask was off, Lacus' miasma was once again in full spread. The Trinities who just regained their freedom immediately realized something was wrong when they felt their strength is leaving their limbs. They immediately back away. "What is this?" Michael growled.

Pink blood spurt out of her slightly wounded cheek, anything but lethal. But from Lily's point of view, it looked like a serious and possibly fatal head injury. Panic rose up down her throat and without thinking, Lily screeched: "LACUS!"

"Lacus?" Johann blinked in surprise.

"The fuck is this? Poison gas!?" Michael was as furious as he can be. Finally he can start gutting this damn doctor, but now he can't even get close to the doctor without getting poisoned.

"Is it some kind of defense mechanism? Sheesh…" Nena glared at Lacus downed figure in annoyance. The Trinities think this 'poison gas' is a feature of the armor.

Johann calmly analyzed the situation… "…hmm…" He nodded. "Michael, I brought some gas mask with me. Pick em up will you?"

"Yosh!" Michael run to the back and returned with three gas masks. He handed the other two to his siblings while putting one for himself. As soon as he did, he immediately marched towards Lacus. The Haros tried to get in their way, but without their mistress, there's little they can do. Lily already had Yoon under her care, and so she can do nothing but watch.

Michael slapped the annoying balls aside, and he violently yanked Lacus' hair, and beheld her face. "Hoo… she's pretty cute."

"Nee, nee, Michael Nii! I changed my mind. Let's rip her face off first!" Nena smacked her lips.

"NO!" Johann suddenly stated firmly. "No. Don't touch her. Don't hurt her." Johann immediately knelt down and observed Lacus' unconscious face even closer… and now, he no longer doubted her identity. "We'll bring her to Mr. Corner. Unharmed and unspoiled."

"EH?" Nena was as disappointed as she can be and Michael's protest is to let Lacus head drop, but Johann will not be swayed. He gently lifted Lacus' face to get another better look at her.

"Nena, Michael… what are our orders?"

"To find any dirt on that scary ass dark captain, right?"

"Well… we just found one." Johann smiled in triumph. "The biggest dirt there is."

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Now…

Kira's purple amethyst eyes stared unblinking and in utter disbelief at Lacus mortified and dejected blue ones. She was sitting right there in the table… with her mask off. She didn't say anything, but her current state immediately spoke volumes of the event that transpires in the Archangel while he was away.

"I've dealt with various kinds of captains before. When I served as a trooper in the Alliance army… I learned that the best way to bring down an opposition, is not by trying to brutishly overpower them using overwhelming force." Corner's triumphant voice came from several floors above them. "The key… has always been pressure points. No matter how stern they are, they always have a pressure point. A price they're willing to pay. Or in some cases, a soft spot."

Kage glanced up and now he saw Corner two floors above him, standing smugly in-between his two bodyguards, Nena and Johann.

"The key is to know the soft spots. Hit them at key location and you own them." Corner leaned forward so that he can gloat further. "And you… well… I must admit… you do not make it easy. At first I thought it was your brother. A pretty thin line and it took a bit of a thinking process and a bit of guessing. My first target was that Korean engineer. Your brother risked his life to save hers, and though you ruthlessly tried to execute him, it was obvious that he is your soft spot. I get the girl, I get your brother, and through him, I'll get you too… that was the original plan…"

Kage didn't say anything.

"And then my boys told me that your brother took her so that you can keep watch on her or kill her when needs be… and down goes the plan. I even thought of giving up. My compliments for managing to push me that far by the way. But then… they come up with something… even better than anything I can imagine. Your lover." Corner's grin no longer hid his maliciousness. "And of all the woman in the world… it has to be none other than the first princess of the house of Clyne… Lacus Clyne herself."

Kage didn't say anything to refute or support Corner's sentence. Lacus gritted her teeth in anger at her blunder. But her anger was quickly replaced with worry and fear. In particular, fear of what will happen next.

Corner treated the couple's silence as a confirmation that he was indeed on the money. "If Wang Liu Mei was here, she might faint in excitement. I can already imagine tomorrow's headline… The Young Up and Coming blacklist Captain having an affair with the Princess of Zaft… delicious, wouldn't you say?"

Kage still didn't say anything. But everyone can suddenly felt something is choking them. Kage's bloodlust rapidly skyrocket so much so that even Johann and Nena were put on alert. It was easy to see what Kage intends to do. Now that the secret's out, he'll have to kill everyone who finds out about it.

"My, my… that is some bloodthirst. Send chills down my spine." But Corner hardly budged. "Reminds me of my days in the army." He snapped his fingers, and suddenly, at least two dozen snipers sprang out from the floor just above Corner's. All their sniper rifles are aimed at Kage.

But Kage pay them no heed, what's even more troublesome is that another person just appeared behind Lacus. He couldn't see his face because of the gas mask, but given the fact he's aiming a blade at Lacus' neck and that the Trinities are a sibling short… that could only be the absentee brother, Michael.

Upon seeing the situation, Kage's bloodthirst faltered instantly, enough that Johann and Nena can calm down, but the snipers above them kept the captain at their crosshairs.

"Do you really think, just because your predecessor and some other captains liked you and then you can just stay in command forever? You came here, with all your achievements and glory and you think that put you in a… semi divine stature. But for Logos… for me, the world's most divine Alliance Captain… is no more than the world's most divine termite. You put so much as a scratch on my being, and all that will be nothing but dust."

"You think that rabble you call army is your army? Did you think that gargantuan ironclad ship is your ship? Who do you think pay their salary? Who pays for the arming of that giant ship? All your effort, all your work to build that army of yours, I can undo it in seconds. I don't even have to swing a sword or fire a bullet, I can do all that with but a flick of my pen and a wax seal."

Corner finally held the final show of his arrogance, he actually unzip… and began to shamelessly pee from the balcony. The foul steaming liquid drenched Kage's head. "Shepherd king is a dime a dozen, Captain Kage. Be wise enough to remember that the next time you even think of going against an enemy you can't beat."

Lacus looked in horror at Kira's pee drenched head, and the yet boy didn't say anything, his eyes hidden beneath the bangs of his drenched brown hair.

"…" Through it all, Kira awkwardly didn't say a word.

"I think from now on, Ms. Clyne will stay here with me. Ah, I also would like a weekly report from you from now on. And perhaps you can prepare a VIP room in that stupendously huge ship of yours in case I want to come and visit."

Kage twitched in annoyance at Corner's demands.

"Oya? What is that I see? Disapproval?" Corner snapped his finger again, and Michael unhesitantly cut a strand of Lacus' hair.

"…" Kage's eyes widened. He glared at Michael, and then to Corner, smugly looking down at him with that arrogant smile. But after a moment of stalemate, Kage closed his eyes and walked away, in defeat.

Corner chuckled in triumph seeing the 'mighty' Dark Captain turned his back. "If you blame anyone, blame the mistake you made in keeping her in your possession. Ha! Ha! Ha!"

"Yes."

Corner's laugh was stopped. Kage stopped his pace and spoke for the very first time.

"It was a mistake." He slowly turned around to look at Corner and his peerage again. His purple eyes glowing with viciousness, enough that Corner's smug smile vanished slightly. "Fortunately…" His look softened slightly when they meet Lacus'. Somehow, in that instant, without Kira having need to say a word, Lacus understood what's about to transpire, but before she was given a moment to ponder on its consequences, Kira made the decision when a fresh red beam blade extended out of his hand.

The Shinobi instantly turned into a red blur of light. Johann and Nena moved to Corner's defense, but they've made an error in judgment… because Kira's target of desperation is not Corner…

"That's a mistake I don't have to live with."

Michael's jaw was open aghast as he saw his gut was punctured by a red glowing blade that extended out of Lacus' back. A moment ago that slender back was pressed against his body… until that Kage stabbed him through Lacus' chest.

"MICHAEL-NII!" Nena shrieked in horror.

The blue haired boy coughed up blood, but then… that was just the start of his agony. He's starting to feel… weird… His vision began to blur. He found it very odd. He's been stabbed before… but he never felt this weird. He looked again at where the blade pierced him. There's this… pinkish blood like substance coating the red beam blade, flowing out from Lacus' punctured armor. 'What… is… this…?' Suddenly he felt incredibly weak.

Lacus is now coughing her pale colored blood through her lips. "K… Kira… Y… You…"

And without another word or a shred of remorse, Kira pulled his blood-clothed blade out of Lacus' chest. He looked up and saw all those horrified stares up there. "Gurren… SHIGURE!" Kira throw the Gurren Shiki blade upward, and they split apart into tiny feather flakes, all laced pink by the poison. Johann and Nena reacted in a split second and managed to pull Corner to safety just in time. The two dozen snipers above though, were not so lucky. Everyone invariable get a little cut somewhere in their hand or fingers. But a little cut was more than enough. Everyone start screaming in agony, holding on for their dear life at the seemingly insignificant injury.

Lacus fell on his knees, just as Michael finally began to understand; as will everyone up there; that the sharp pain of having his gut stabbed by a beam blade or being scratched by pinprick beam shrapnel are the least of their worries as he began to feel the full effect of having Lacus lethally virulent blood coursing through his veins. He began to choke and gasp; with every beat his heart takes, his veins are burning him inside out and yet freezing at the same time. Every inch of his body is wracked with pain, foams spill out of his mouth. Sickly green boils began to appear on his paling skin and rapidly bursting apart, releasing a red liquid of foul stench. The hall was suddenly filled with screams and shouts. One of the snipers was holding to his arm, screaming in hysterical agony that he fell off the railings. A few more snipers also suffered the same fate, all falling to their deaths.

0000000

Kyle and Leng still stand ready, but they can hear all the chaos just beyond the blessed door. The two arch enemies immediately can guess what's happening. That bat-shit insane dark captain had just unleashed hell on the other side of that door. "Oi."

"Hm?"

"We both know I have to start trying to kill you now." Leng murmured.

"I know." Kyle replied almost half heartedly.

Kaite immediately grabbed Jess by the back and dragged him away before the hell in this room starts.

And it starts milliseconds after the two bring out their weapons and swing them towards each other's neck.

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Nena screeched in horror while she watched helplessly at his brother's screaming down below.

"Wh… What?" Corner arrogant face gasped in horror as he saw all hell break loose. "What is going on here?"

"Why do you think we draped Lacus in that ridiculous looking armor?" When Kage break his silence again, his tone was dripping with cold flat anger.

"Eh!?"

"Do your research you idiot. Long story short, she tweaked with her immune system, and in the process she turned into a walking biological hazard that will kill anyone close to her… bar me, mysteriously." Kage couldn't care less as Lacus fell on her knees and her pale red blood gushed out into the floor. "So you see… She's not my girlfriend. We just pretend to be. Out of convenience. In fact, she's quite a burden. If not for her medical expertise I would never even brought her aboard my ship… but that was a very thin line. And as of right now, her upkeep cost had exceeded her worth. Hence… a liability… which I can easily… dispense with."

There's no pang of regret… not one shred of emotion that Corner can sense from the cold ruthless words of this unfeeling demon. Suddenly he realized he just made a terrible, terrible miscalculation. This guy isn't cruel… he's a true psychopath!

"Anyway, that's the least of your worries right now." Kage smirked. "As I said earlier… she's a walking bio hazard. Everyone but me is at risk… But… as you might've guessed… when her blood is actually exposed, it was even more potent than before… I wonder… can I survive direct exposure… Can you?" Kage looked at the nearest victim, Michael. The poor sod had sickly boils allover his skin. Limbs swelling up as violent cancerous tumor exploded uncontrollably. Blood run out of every opening and broken crevices, boiling mush that was his melted inner organs seeped out in-between his cracking boils… by the time Michael Trinity gasped his last, he's but a mass of flesh that doesn't even resemble human anymore.

Corner looked and saw that all the snipers he had posted had also suffered the same fate. Their body was deformed and misshapen, releasing noxious fumes of death and decay. Without batting an eye he quickly ran away from the premises before gambling his chance of surviving this plague. Johann quickly followed, dragging the more reluctant Nena behind him.

Kira merely watched Corner's disappearing back, but he didn't give chase. He had a far greater concern right now, right here in his very arms. Kira quickly came to Lacus' aid. "I'd say you lose a pint… or two. Just close those wounds again! Hurry!"

Lacus understand what Kira had done. She began re-suturing the old stab wound she received a while back from Marco, refreshed when Kira stabbed her again at that exact spot. Kira actually missed her heart by a millimeter. She's an Advanced. And Kira's surgical precision is flawless. They both knew this feat would not kill her.

But what Kira DIDN'T know, is that Lacus had just performed a mass blood transfusion to over a thousand people. Her current blood supply is at an all time low and at such, she was virtually powerless. Her fingers that should've sutured that chest wound within seconds could barely move. All of her Haros popped out of nowhere and quickly tend to their master.

Seeing Lacus' fingers trembling helplessly, Kira immediately realized something was off. "What… what happened? Hurry up and close that wound!"

"She just underwent a blood transfusion. She even fought her kidnappers fiercely… " Kira's heart plummeted when Ghienny explained what happened in Archangel during his absence. "Then Lacus is… no!" Lacus finally lost consciousness and her fingers fell limp. Worse of all, the wound on her chest were left untreated.

"She's very weak." Ghienny immediately diagnosed. "She needs fresh blood transfusion, immediately."

"But we have to close that wound first!" Barbara chirped in panic.

"No, no, no! We have to… we have to… Aaarggh!" Megi was even more so.

Without Lacus to consciously supervise them, the Haros were at lost on what they should do to save their mistress. Kira watched helplessly as life bleed out of Lacus' chest wound. A wound he caused. "First, give her my blood." Kira quickly unfurled his sleeves. "Ghienny, was it? I know you can control liquid. Well, drain my blood and put it into her. If I recall, she once said my blood can be used to replace blood of any type. Do it now!"

"Kira! You can't! You're injured!"

"JUST DO IT!"

The Haros looked at each other, not really sure if it's the right thing, but they don't know what to do either. Ghienny reluctantly transformed herself in preparation for blood transfusion. Kira's blood began to flow through the tube interconnected his vein and pumped into Lacus.

"Meanwhile… Barbara, you can suture her wounds right?"

"I… can produce the strings… but I can't suture it."

Kage turned to the twins. "Lea, Rea. Can't you two transform into Lacus and fix her up?"

"We can't!" Lea moaned. "She was good." Rea followed. "So good we can't copy her skills perfectly." They moaned in unison.

"30% of her skill is okay. Just close her wound! QUICKLY!"

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On the other room, Kaite covered for Jess as said journalist witnessed the two archenemies, Kyle Shepard and Kai Leng began their second round of the day. Hardly caring on what's happening on the other room, Kyle and Leng's enmity with one another was already too deep, they wouldn't even care and they'll keep fighting even if the word is ending all around them.

But both had lost the element of surprise. Previously, they still hide their hand, keeping the enemy guessing of what will come next. Now, all the cards have been shown, both had known and take a sample of each other's measures and now they've made suitable counters. Against Kyle's fast paced multitude of claws and strikes, Leng used his rapid Mad Bull stance to defend while occasionally attack back. All of Leng's forms had been laid bare, Kyle also decidedly became more patient and lessen his strikes, concentrating on avoiding rather than blocking and occasionally struck back with a hit that counts. But every attack Kyle launched at Leng was parried away, and Leng had to watch in anger at how Kyle danced through his onslaught of attacks.

Jess quickly understood that the martial arts of these two Experts are of equal footing. They've traded several hundred blows with one another, landing hit after hit but none are decisive. Unless one side developed a major breakthrough right then and there, it will be a complete stalemate that will go on forever. Both sides hate each other too much to admit it, but they are indeed an equal match.

When martial arts failed, they turned to modern firearms. Kyle and Leng sent a kick at each other, and their feet met and clashed. Both were thrown back, but midair Leng unholstered a pair of hand-guns, as did Kyle. They opened fire at each other, and Jess can hear the sound of lead colliding with lead in the air. 6 pair of collided bullets fell on the ground as the two combatants landed on the balcony railings.

"I'll never understand what were those geezers in Akuze were thinking." Leng roared as he threw away the empty firearms and bring out an Assault Rifle with an underslung rocket launcher. "We both know I'm better than you in any way!" And he fired the rocket at Kyle.

Midway, the rocket exploded midair after being quickly shot down by Kyle midair using his own rifle. "That's your problem right there Leng." Leng's face grew darker with rage seeing Kyle still look so calm and composed. "You never could see things beyond yourself." Almost simultaneously, the two fighters stomped off the railings to jump towards each other. Both quickly unloaded their rifles at point blank range. The bullet met midair. As they flew past one another, Kyle turn around and fired a shot at Leng's blindside. Relying on the sound of the gunshot alone, Leng, without turning around, blindly fired his rifle and accurately shot down the incoming bullet. Kyle landed on the stair's railing whilst Leng hanged calmly on the balcony's railings.

Leng growled sinisterly. "You won't be able to escape this time!"

"You're the one who always did the running!" Kyle roared back. "You ran on Akuze! You ran on Glasgow! And on Torfan too! You always ran!"

"Shut up! SHUT UP!" Leng's screech was immediately accompanied by another shot out of his rifle. Kyle easily shot the bullet midair. But while he's still focused on the sight when his bullet collided with Leng's, said trooper had already ran horizontally across the balcony's railing and flanked Kyle from the side. When Kyle noticed Leng's position, he already unloaded his last two bullets at Kyle.

In a quick mental-count, Kyle realized he's short of one round. But what he lack in ammunition he make up in skill. For his last shot, Kyle carefully aimed the bullet and timed its fire at such angle, the last bullet hit Leng's fourth bullet from the side, it knocked the bullet away while bouncing off the said bullet to meet Leng's fifth. Kyle's bullet bounced off Leng's fifth bullet and headed straight at Leng's head. But leng immediately unsheathed his sword and sliced the bullet midair. The two halves of the projectile flew harmlessly away from its intended victim.

Both took a moment to send a hateful glare towards each other. Firearms had failed to so much as to tilt the balance; they immediately threw away their now useless firearms and returned to their hand to hand combat.

00000000000000

Lea and Rea transformed into a carbon copy of Lacus and tried, to the best of their abilities, to close the wound. Then again, as they themselves had testified, they're not Lacus. Their medical skill is vastly inferior to the person they impersonate. But they tried anyway…

Alas, despite their effort, the bleeding won't stop. And Kira can feel Lacus grew weaker and weaker by the minute. Lacus coughed awake for a moment. "K… Kira…"

"Lacus!" Kira cried. "Lacus… I… I… I'm so… I'm sorry! I…"

"I… It's okay…" Lacus grinned weakly. "I finally knew… why you always did… what you did."

"L… Lacus…! Stop talking…!"

"Because… it's worth it." Lacus smiled… "…tee-hee… it's funny…"

"What?"

"This is the second time I'm going to die by your hand… but this time… I'm strangely not afraid…"

"Don't say that! You're gonna be okay! Ghienny pump more blood!"

Ghienny does so… but it was no use. She's slipping.

"Kira…" Kira grasped Lacus weak hand. "…I kissed you back in Junius… because I still want to die at that time… and seeing… the most beautiful face I've ever seen in my life right in front of me… kissing it seems like a good idea."

"I… ah…" Kira gawked.

"So…?" Lacus chuckled. "What happened to that… dog…?"

And she fell limp right then and there. In unison, all Haros screeched in horror.

Kira's world went dead in that instant. Time stops. He couldn't hear anything, couldn't feel anything, couldn't smell anything, couldn't taste anything, couldn't see anything. Everything just… vanish. As the Haros screamed and squealed their master's name in vain, Kira's mind raced beyond the limits of his sanity to comprehend what's happening.

Who's to blame? Was it Lacus who recklessly fight against armed warriors when she's still weakened by her operation, thus compromising her own secrecy? Or is it the Logos Minister who acted like a five year old and caused this mess? Or the psychopathic idiot who stabbed Lacus in the first place?

In normal case, Kira would've tossed away such notion of blame in an instant and focus on the now… of how to deal with this situation. But this time, he's failing. His mind just can't seem to move on beyond these three lines of thought. Kira tried again and again to break out of this cage… and he just can't. His minds keep snapping back into these three absurdly stupid questions, trying to make sense of them.

But one last look at Lacus' lifeless body…

…and he just lost it.

Shiki shot out of her sheath in an instant, flying erratically allover the place before going straight towards her master's heart.

"Slaughter all creation…"

And the blade sinks into his chest…

"Ankoku Shiki."

In that instant, thousands upon thousands of chains burst to every direction, slithering here and there, swirling all the way up, obliterating everything in their path. Outside, the guards were still wondering what happened when the floor beneath them collapsed in an instant, and their bodies were instantly ripped to pieces by countless hundreds of black razor sharp chains.

Leng and Kyle was about to swing another hit at each other when the entire side of wall were ripped asunder and innumerable black chains burst through it. The shockwave knock them both off their feet, and the resulting rubble immediately engulfed them.

Kaite grabbed Jess and vacate the room immediately as soon as the walls fall apart around them and black chains ripped apart the place where they stood a while ago.

Corner had just arrived on an observation spot only to witness slithers of chains bursting out from the place where he left the dark captain, and it's tearing his ship apart. A giant mass of chains formed right on that spot.

"What in the world…"

Corner's question remained unfinished as the black mass of chains finally breaks apart. The chains were absorbed into a center human shaped mass… That center of the pandemonium happens to be Kira standing atop the ruin, screaming, his beastly knight helmet enclosed a pair of eyes as black as the armor he wears. This is nothing like the one that appeared on Junius. Denoting his utter and complete fall to insanity, the armor no longer gradually covered his whole body, the True Ankoku Shiki appeared in full set of black armor that encapsulated his entire being. No roars. No growls. Just a thick killing intent that send a paralyzing chill down everyone's spine.

When the crew of the Alvaatore saw a monstrous dark knight caped with chains and a sword stabbed through its chest, their first response is to obviously shoot first, ask question later.

"FIRE!" Bullets and cannons rained down upon the monstrous knight from every direction. But the chain cape swirled around and blocked the bullets. Knowing that the target was hardly injured, the troopers fired again and again, vainly trying to penetrate that defense. Before long, they've used all of their bullets, and the target was covered in smoke. "Did it work?"

One swirl of chains, and the smoke was blown away. The troopers were quick to realize their mistake. While they've failed to draw any blood from the Dark Knight, they've succeeded to draw one thing they shouldn't have:

His attention.

The mute Dark Knight silently batted his hands, and his chain cape flared. Four mass of chains suddenly burst out to four directions. Four guard towers were obliterated, its occupants ripped to shreds.

And he barely started.

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From the outside, Garrus and Milly gasped when an entire section of the manor aboard the Alvatore exploded inside out.

"W… What exactly is going on in there?" Garrus checked and rechecked his eyesight only to find he's not hallucinating. There's a monstrous black knight going on a rampage aboard Corner's ship.

The situation aboard the Alvaatore instantly devolved into a massacre. The Dark chains slither to every direction, ripping apart everything in their way. The elegant architecture of the ship was immediately torn down. The golden architecture was instantly marred with the red of blood. Milly wasn't sure where it comes from or how… but somehow, she just knew this creature slaughtering everyone on board is Kira… in his worst mood imaginable.

Now the question is… what could've started this?

And more importantly… how will they stop it?

Meanwhile, unnoticed by everyone, a sliver of pink light descended from the sky and quickly made its way into the ship.

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The first thing Kyle felt when he woke up was the sheer pain wracking his whole body. He moved the rubbles burying him away, dazed and confused, he still don't know what's happening. "Wh… what is going on…?" His vision quickly cleared… and he saw the sight of hell.

The 85% of the superstructure on the Alvaatore's deck has been flattened to the ground, and every inch of it was drenched in blood. He quickly found the black monstrosity of a knight that is the architect of this slaughter, commencing it with singular focus of destroying everything in sight, and he did so in a surprisingly systematic manner. He easily ripped open every fortification that bar his way, slaughtered everyone inside, and then move on to the next section. With a swipe of his clawed hand, a swarm of chains burst out from every direction, tearing apart brick walls, metal plating, flesh and bone all with equal ease. His chain cape has been caked with blood, as do the deck where he threads. The troopers were under order from Corner to stop this monster at all cost, but at this point such orders are hardly necessary. They will all die if they don't kill it first.

It's not like they didn't try. But every time they opened fire, the chain cape flared to life and protected their master. By the time they attempted a second shot, the chains get to them first. The troopers had to retreat from their position by abandoning entire sections of the ship. They resolved to barricade a narrow alleyway and bunker down at the very end of the pathway, readying Gatling gun emplacement and even cannons, waiting for the Knight to arrive at that narrow corridor.

That moment arrive when the barricaded door was dented from the other side with a bang. The troopers gritted their teeth in horror and duck down, getting ready to fire. Another bang, and the barricaded iron plated door was dented even more. One soldier, his teeth already clattering and his knees buckling in fear finally opened fire in panic. Others quickly followed, firing everything they got. They knew the enemy must be behind the barricaded door, and said door was quickly filled with holes. And the troopers didn't stop, dare not to stop. They keep firing and firing, using up every bullet they can spare. Eventually the last arsenal in their possession clicked empty, and there were barely anything left of the beehive-like door. And when said door collapsed, to their horror, the monster knight was nowhere in sight.

"What?" The Sergeant frowned. "Where did he go?"

As if answering that question, a chain suddenly stabbed through the wall and ripped the man's head off his shoulder. When the other troopers had just registered the scene before their eyes, dozens of such chains quickly burst through the concrete walls from every direction, and the fortification instantly turned into a bloodbath, accompanied with screams cut short by the ripping of flesh and the breaking of bone. When the Dark Knight himself descended through the torn walls, only one blood drenched trooper remained.

Said trooper is on the floor, holding a gun to his head and vainly clicked the trigger multiple times, but nothing comes out. He had wasted his bullets in vain and didn't spare one for himself to be saved from this terror. His teeth clattered as he pleadingly looked upon the monster up close, begging for mercy…

But this monstrosity has no concept of mercy or compassion. The wrath-born creature exists to do one thing and one thing only…

Slaughter. Unfeeling and indiscriminate slaughter.

"WAAAAAAAAAHH!" The trooper scream was cut short as soon as hundreds of blood stained chains engulfed him. Blood splattered over Kira's unfeeling helmet as he continued his slow and murderous march across the field of disembodied corpses. Perhaps some form of lingering sentiment that remained created some kind of homing instinct, the creature that was Kira is heading straight slowly but surely towards wherever Corner was hiding, destroying one portion of the ship at a time.

"What is that… thing?" Kyle hadn't the faintest idea, but he knew he needs to stay the hell out of its way.

But Leng doesn't think so. Punching his way through the rubble, Leng rushed straight at the monstrous knight. The distance between them quickly closed and his blade stabbed the knight through his cape of chains. The Dark Knight stumbled a bit…

Leng twisted his blade, but then he quickly realized…

He missed through the knight's armpit. The Dark Knight finally noticed there's a straggler who just tried to gut him from behind, and let loose a mechanical angry growl as he turned around and his blank dark mask is staring right at the said straggler. Leng was slightly unnerved… until said knight head-butted him with that helmet…

…and as a reminder, Ankoku Shiki helmet had a sharp horn protruding out of it.

Which is quite fortunate for Leng that he had his iron shirt coated his forehead. But it didn't stop the blood bursting out that now injured forehead. "You… sonnova… the hell are… you!?"

The Dark Knight didn't answer… because speaking is already something beyond him. Leng immediately jumped away as the Knight retaliated by launching multitudes of chains towards him, each breaking the sound barrier three times in half a second.

Leng moved his body in a blur to barely dodge the chains. But the chains went on and on, pulverizing their way straight towards a shocked Kyle. "Whoa!" Kyle jumped high to the air and watched the chains obliterated everything in their way. "That… thing… he really just blindly attacked everything?" Kyle quickly realized that was not case. It simply reacted instinctively to everything that bears it hostile intention with murderous response. Put it simply, it will kill anything that attacked it and right now, thankfully, it is limited to everyone aboard that ship.

As if things weren't bad enough, Leng yelled at the escort ships. "OI! You MORONS over there! Stop gawking and start shooting!"

The crew of the Escort Ships finally snapped out of their paralyzing fear upon hearing Leng's voice from the half wrecked Alvaatore. "R… Right! Take aim!" The Escort ship crew began to move to battle station and make ready to fire. Kyle immediately realized that this is a disaster in the making, and yelled. "IDIOTS! DON'T SHOOT! YOU'LL PISS HIM OFF EVEN MORE!" If they attack him, the dark knight will turn their attention to them.

Alas, his yell was ignored, and the escort ships had fired the first few shots.

Droplets of water showered the ruined deck of the Alvaatore as towers of water erupted where the shots landed, some punched a few hole on the deck, sending splinters. And yet, even though he was drenched and sprayed with wooden shrapnel, the Dark clad Ankoku Shiki Kage remained completely still. He didn't seem to realize that those cannonshots were meant for him. Not yet. They're just testfire. The gun crew quickly made adjustments, the next fire won't miss.

"LENG! TELL THEM TO STOP! IF THEY FIRE-"

But Leng didn't have time to give the order when: "FIRE!" Too late.

The broadside cannons of the escort ship finally fired, and 6 Gottfried shells are heading straight at Kira. This time, the Dark Knight sensed that some of the attacks are coming his way. "…" A purple gleam shined beneath the fanged visor when those cannon shells are just inches away from said face.

0000000

When those troopers took her mistress right in front of her nose, Lily was conflicted. On one hand, she'd die first before risking any harm to Lacus. But on the other hand, she had been ordered, as in directly ORDERED, to prioritize the safety of Yoon Sefan over Lacus. She could try to rescue Lacus, but she can't do one thing without undoing the other. Thus, Lily had no choice, and she elected to honor Lacus' wishes. Granted, it's not a decision she made without thinking it through.

As soon as she assured that Yoon is safe and secure, Lily immediately took to search for Lacus. Easier said than done, those three really covered their tracks well, she could be anywhere, it'll took her forever to find her… that is… if she didn't get stabbed.

Lacus always knew there's no way she can live her life without suffering a single wound. When a single droplet of your blood had enough venom in it to kill an entire city block, that's kinda of a big deal. It was Lily's job to create quarantine barriers around Lacus so as to prevent an epidemic. However, there are those rare occasions where Lily wasn't around to do so. Hence, Lacus made precaution by placing a spell on herself. In the event that she's injured to the point where blood is drawn, no matter how slight, said spell will alert Lily of her current location, no matter where she is.

When Lily sense that the worst had happened, she went as fast as she could to where she felt Lacus' location. But… she's just wasn't fast enough… When she arrived and witness the scene of slaughter unfurling aboard the Alvaatore, she immediately assumed the worst. With Dark Knight Kira drawing everyone's attention, none saw her make her silent entry past the cracks of the ship.

Aboard she found her sisters, surrounding the now lifeless Lacus, mourning her passing. "L… Lacus…" Like everyone, she was utterly devastated when she saw her master's state. But unlike the others, she was the first to find something odd. "Wait a second… haro… are you sure Lacus is dead? Haro?"

"We checked her pulse, we're not idiots!" Megi protested.

"Okay… then, why are we still here? Haro?"

"Eh?" The Haros stopped crying for one second.

"Our existence in this world was one held together by the contract we made with Lacus. Haro. If she dies, the contract dies with her, and we wouldn't even be here anymore… are we? Haro? So if Lacus is dead… why are we still here? Haro?" Lily quickly pointed out, and the Haros blinked.

"But she had no pulse!"

"…" Lily knelt down and checked Lacus' pulse. She held her wrist a bit longer, and she nodded. "She's not dead you fools! Haro!"

"Not dead?"

"Her pulse isn't gone. It slowed down to a beat a minute. She was so exhausted, her body automatically entered a suspended animation… shutting down all bodily function but the most crucial one so that she can recover." Unlike her sisters, Lily managed to pick up some of her Master's medical skill and knowledge. Lacus now underwent the same thing that happened to Kira back in Junius.

At any rate, with this survival mechanism in play, Lacus is still alive… but only just. She checked the spot where Lacus was injured… she need to close that…first…? "Umm… girls… Where's the wound?"

"Eh?"

0000000

"NO! STOOOP!" Kyle yelled in vain to prevent the massacre. But it was too late.

With one swipe of a single mass of chains, six 180 pound cannon shells were slapped away like they were twigs. Kage eyed viciously at the three battleships on his right that just fired at him. His chains began to rise up, preparing to lash out… The crews were completely paralyzed in fear…

CRA…

"?" A loud crack caught everyone's attention.

CRACK! SWOOSH!

The crew atop the Escort battlecruisers can feel the sky darkens. They look up… and they saw a giant 5 story black pagoda falling from the sky.

With a loud booming crash, the falling black pagoda instantly pulverized the two battlecruisers beneath its bulk. The uppermost top of the pagoda snapped clean off upon impact and crushed the third battlecruiser.

Leng and Kyle gawked. "What!?" the former roared angrily. He wildly looked around, and there he saw, on a cliff overlooking the ocean where they battle, a humongous shape can be seen. At first glance, he thought it was some new towering structure he had missed… if he didn't remember it wasn't there a few seconds ago. And then he began to discern that the shape has a pair of arms, a head and a pair of legs… he's looking at the silhouetted form of Fuji the massive giant who stopped Archangel's crash landing. Fuji, the giant who just dropped a pagoda right on top of 3 of his battlecruisers.

Seeing the three battlecruisers that were his targets had been squished flat, the Dark Knight didn't react beyond tilting his head in either silent curiosity or amusement. Threat neutralized, and that's it.

"W… what is this?" Leng also became aware that the Pagoda looked awfully familiar… "…!" And then it hit him like a brick. "…the main Pagoda from the Dark Axe Headquarters!?" Another look at that giant and he finally noticed something else…

0000000

"…you're serious girl?"

"Yeah. That's Fuji… and we knew that he would never move out unless ordered so by Kage." Milly explained.

"Kage managed to find his way here… alone, knowing he'll be up against impossible odds…" Tolle followed. "In my experience, he didn't do something so stupid without a plan or two to back it up."

"So the fact that there's an army of Yakuzas beneath that giant is… part of the plan too?"

00000000000000

Some three hours ago before the whole incident even started…

After finishing the final touches of arming himself up, (the still sane) Kage called in his entire military staff for a briefing.

"There's another message embedded on the dish made by Master Bull. A map of Shanghai was written on the paper wrapping the dish he gave us. On that map, he pointed out multiple locations, all of them had the insignia of Dark Axe." Kage unraveled a map. Crosschecking the location given by Master Bull with the map, he marked the battle map, drawing operation plans on it as well. "If we're going to destroy the Dark Axe, we're gonna have to cut off their roots. We'll destroy their main headquarters."

At this juncture, Kenji rolled his eyes. "I don't mean to question your wisdom captain but… is it wise?"

Kage nodded. "Kenji. During your tenure as a Yakuza boss, I'm guessing you've had your share of raiding their base?"

All eyes turned to Kenji. "There was this one time when Boss Tanaka, one of my hotter headed associates brought his whole clan into the Dark axe headquarters." Kenji pointed at the dark axe icon at the center of the map. "They were massacred in 5 minutes. That place is a fortress. It was strategically positioned so that if that central headquarter were under attack, they can draw forces from other branch post. The same story if other post are attacked."

"How about if we rain shells right on top of their heads until they surrender?" Kamina suggested.

Kenji shook his head. "That place is a heavily fortified fortress made of a mountain of reinforced buildings. Granted, with the cannons from Archangel if we can rain down like… a thousand shells a minute, the whole thing will go down for sure… but…."

"Out of the question!" Natarle immediately argued. "We've scraped up every resource we have in preparation for the battle with Zaft. We can't waste it all just to deal with common gangsters."

"What's more, those buildings are located near civilian territory." Murrue followed suit. "We can't just fire off and risk hitting civilians!"

"But hitting them man to man will most likely incur casualties…"

Kage immediately jammed a knife on the map to cease all debate. "We'll hit them all." Everyone who heard it gasped. "Simultaneously." Kage further added.

"EEEHHH?"

"That means splitting our forces… but this is…"

"I'm gambling on my reputation." Kage smiled. "Kai Leng had undoubtedly heard of my reputation to survive anything. He locked me up in a burning office. But if he's to play it safe, he'll assume that I can survive even that. So… he'll be preparing some extra forces to anticipate my survival. Probably some hidden reinforcement."

"You're saying that he will leave his fucking homebase's defenseless." Canard nodded. A Blacklist captain's reputation is a weapon in itself. "But it's quite a risky gamble Captain… even for someone like you! Dividing our forces like this… what if the defenses in their homebase is stronger than expected."

"I like our odds now." Kage chuckled. "We have the Yakuzas and the Mob with us… and if I guessed right, the Dark axes will have no further support from other elements of the Axe Gang. We attack all points simultaneously, they can no longer ask for help from anywhere."

"What if he uses that secret reinforcement to reinforce his homebase instead?"

"That's why I'll be going after that scumbag's head myself." Kage jammed a kunai on the spot where he knew Kai Leng would be. "It's a gamble… but I say it's a win-win situation. If he assign most of his forces to take on me, he'll leave his homebase's defenses paper thin. If he use it to defend his base, I can easily take on what little he threw at me. My money's on the former though."

Kage's jovial calm tone makes it sound as if he was in a cheerful mood… but everyone knows it was but skin deep. For despite that calm tone, everyone knew he was suppressing a murderous fury. That's what makes him so terrifying of a strategist. The angrier he become, the calmer he gets, the greater and more terrible are the woes he planned to anyone who had brought him to this state.

"At any rate… this will also be a race." Kage still remained in his cheerfully calm tone. "When you've finished your respective targets, immediately rendezvous to me on this spot. If, however, I managed to finish him off first, I will send a signal and I will go straight to the Dark axe main HQ here… with Kai Leng's head on a silver platter."

"…so… who's going to where, boss man?" Neil asked.

"Hmmm… let's see…" Kage opened the door of his office… and beheld the sight of his whole army, armed to teeth and eager for some action.

Flashback ends…

00000000000000

Presently, somewhere in Shanghai…

Hordes of Dark Axe were bunkered down, suppressed by wave after wave of gun barrage and sniping arrows fired by 7th soldiers, led by Neil. That is, until Simca gave him a signal that all is in readiness. Neil motioned his team to prepare the special arrow. Half a dozen archers step forth and took aim. Said special arrows are arrows that they used during the Archangel siege: arrow with explosive tags embedded on them.

Learning the lesson from that same battle, the archers took their time to make their shot count, aiming their explosive arrows at the cracks and openings of the fortification. The arrows slinked into the wall, and when they exploded, the wall was torn apart inside out. And then, before the smoke cleared, before the horrified and shocked Dark Axes even figured out what happened, the ground shakes.

"CHAAARGE!" Blowing through the smoke are 4 sets of fully armed Mobius armored battle carriage pulled by 3 steel armored war horses. Two of the carriages armed with 4 Iggestellung gatling gun set on all four sides roared, unleashing a hailstorm of bullets to every direction. One was manned by Natarle, and she switched a pair of gatling gun with a Gottfried Cannon turret. Another one switched their pair with a pair of Helldart rocket launchers, unleashing snaking rockets upon a group of Axes.

Neil had begun to see some Dark axe lost their will to fight. "Right… I think we got this."

"Right then." Setsuna stated as he cleaned his blood splattered hand. "Then if you'll excuse me… I'll be off."

"Off where?"

"…toilet."

"Get lost!"

0000000

On another place in Shanghai…

While Murrue and Prayer lead the attack from the front as the soldiers formed a Phalanx formation, their rifles protruding out, firing to every direction as wave after wave of the enemy bashed futilely against the shield wall. At the back, Kamina get to exercise his talent in drilling…

Simon gave his brother instruction in drilling a network of tunnels underneath the outpost. And when he's done…

"RUN!" Kamina and his men run out of their tunnel just as the explosives they set up ignited.

The Dark Axe's five floor building became one in a towering cloud of smoke.

0000000

And on yet another location…

The Dark Axe outpost on that location had already been flattened to the blood drenched ground. Quite literally. They have the misfortune of meeting the most brutal of teams… the sort that had trouble taking prisoners… And on the case that they do, the trouble is keeping said prisoner alive…

"That was faster than I expected." Canard growled. He was drenched head to toe in blood. The only sword he has that is still intact was Harlbarton's Glamm. His men trudged through the ruins, seeing what they can pillage. Some are also rounding out the survivors… "Okay you Fucks! Let's finish up with these A-holes and rendezvous with the Captain! ASAP!" Canard signaled this by kicking Balsam off his skulking by the butt.

Sven nodded silently whilst cleaning his bloodstained Chain sword. "Affirmative."

0000000

Back to Kira's location…

"This is amazing…" Garrus grinned as he watched scores of Yakuza and Mobs appeared on the cliff, side by side, led by Kenji. Never, in his wildest dreams, he ever thought that he'll be rescued by these gangsters. And to think, that a few days ago, these Yakuza and Mob were working together to kill him and his team.

In truth Kenji didn't expect that he and his men would be the first to get here. Why, he got the biggest job on the line, to assault the Dark Axe Main HQ. What's more, he led the most unlikely combination thinkable: an allied force of Yakuza and Mob. It's a significant force, its combined firepower exceed the Dark axes by a wide margin…

But he was concerned that this particular combined force would be more eager to shoot each other over shooting the enemy… He stands corrected. They managed to stand shoulder to shoulder in the end. It seems, aside from fearing Kage will slaughter them all if they didn't get along, for once, the two sides were united in their grievances for years of spilled blood at the hands of the so called Axe Gang elite. So when Kage ordered that their target will be Dark Axe HQ, they were… eager/overzealous/starved for vengeance. Take your pick, but they were completely on fire as soon as the operation started. That and the fact Kage let him borrow his 80 foot tall walking fortress of a giant Fuji also helped. While he did say that the Dark Axe Headquarters can withstand artillery barrage for weeks; it seems they can't withstand having building blocks thrown right on top of them for five minutes.

And now that they actually got here, watching the unfurling situation, only the word bizarre can best describe what he sees down there. A ship torn to pieces, its occupants ripped to meat chunks, and what is that black creature? Somehow… he felt like he had faced that thing before… and yet he never saw something as repulsive and as sickening as that.

"Okashira! Let's blast them!"

"No." Kenji shook his head. Somehow, he had a feeling that if any of his men were to even so much as to throw a rock at that creature, it will be a whole new level of ugly. "Everyone stay here. Don't go anywhere near that thing until I say so! Understand!?"

Kenji jumped off the cliff after that final parting order. Using his chakra enhanced skill, he skipped through water and finally landed right next to Kyle and Leng.

His eyes immediately turned to Kai Leng. He had his fair share of encounters with the leader of the Dark Axe. Most of the time, he had a feeling the said leader was only playing around. But he had never seen him to be this frustrated. In normal case, he would never miss the chance to take him out… but this black knight demand a shift in priorities. "Would someone please explain the situation to me? Clean and simple? What is that thing?"

"Himura Kenji… seeing you didn't try to kill us all straightaway… am I correct in assuming you're here under… Kage's command?" Kyle choked. He's just beginning to understand who that monster knight is.

"Where's… Kage?" Kenji confirmed it.

Kyle looked at the monster knight for the answer.

"Seriously?" Kenji balked.

0000000

Aboard the abandoned ships, Milly had also discouraged Garrus from shooting as soon as she explained who that knight really is.

"We've… we've experienced something like this before… that thing will not attack you if you didn't attack it. But this is…" Milly had heard tales of Kage's shiki dark form… but this is… "This is way worse than before…"

Garrus were quick to deduce the creature's identity. "…that's your captain!?"

0000000

Kyle also came to pretty much the same conclusion. "The fuck did that Corner did to him?" Leng didn't answer, but he had to admit that Kyle made a very valid question.

The three looked at the Dark Knight eying them menacingly… or that's what they think. Apart from that fang like visor, there's no indication of anything that can function as normal sense of sight.

Kage looked blankly at Kyle, Kenji, and then to Leng… and then he turned around, completely disinterested, not considering either of them a threat. Instead, it chose to return to its primary objective.

Leng took that as a personal insult. "Don't you dare turn your back on me! Tàifēng Yāojiǎo (Great Mad Bull Horn!)" A Ki Projection of a purple demonic bull emerged from Leng and it transformed into a giant monstrous bull made of a mass of slashes and stabs that headed straight towards Kage's unprotected back.

"Idiot!" Kyle roared and against his better judgment, he unleashed his own technique to stop Leng's. "Ying Daoyu Bàofēng! (Eagle Blade Feather Stormwind)" An image of a giant falcon emerged from Kyle and sprayed countless razor sharp feathers towards Leng, Kyle also charged forward, both claws struck forward.

Though Kenjihad yet to fully understand the situation, he has no intention to let the enemy had their way. "Hitten Mitsurugi Ryuu! DORYUUSEN!" Giant shards of metallic plates burst from the ground in place of the earthen ones with a single swing. Kenji curved the attack and the shards turned into an impromptu metallic wall that should protect the unhinged captain's back from incoming attack.

The two kung fu techniques collided with one another at full force right in front of the wall behind the still unwary dark knight, causing massive explosion. Unfortunately it was too much power for the impromptu wall to handle and it collapsed in an explosion that engulfed all four combatants.

The dust quickly settles reveling Kyle, Kenji and Leng, all three blasted away by their own attacks… and a sphere of dark chains that quickly breaks apart…

…revealing a very angry Ankoku Shiki Kira who just considered that explosion an attack on his being.

One swipe from his hand, and a tirade of chains sprang out and rain down upon all three.

The three enemies momentarily forget their enmity with one another and focus on the bigger danger. They barely able to dodge a multitude of chains and blocked some. But the rest managed to carve their bodies here and there. "AAAAAAAAARGHH!"

"You piece of shit!" Ignoring his wounds, Leng rushed towards Kage. Kage tilted his head and launched a barrage of chains. Leng moved in blurs, avoiding and blocking some of them, ignoring a few that get through. Bearing through his wounds, Leng closed the distance between them. 'He keeps relying on those chains, so this form must be focused on long range!' Not knowing how wrong he was, Leng nevertheless unleashed his strongest form: "DEMON BULL FORM!" His ki exploded, creating a gigantic projection of a monstrous demonic bull that quickly unleashed a mass of wild attacks that engulfed the Dark Knight. Hundreds and even thousands of dark aura empowered attacks landed on Kage's dark armored being. Kage didn't budge an inch through it all. "THAT ARMOR WON'T PROTECT YOU FOREVER! EVEN IF IT DOES, THE DARK AURA OF THE DEMON BULL WILL BREAK YOUR SANITY AND-!"

-YOU CAN'T BREAK WHAT'S ALREADY BROKEN.-

The dark horrid voice echoed in everyone's mind, and suddenly they felt all warmth was sucked out of the blood in their very veins.

Kage finally reacted and a burst of purple light lit up from beneath the fanged visor. And in one breath, Leng's series of attacks were blown away when the Dark knight unleashed his version of ki projection. And what he unleashed…

A gigantic lady, easily larger than Leng's Demon Bull projection by folds of hundreds, clad in an elegant, unworldly beautiful white Japanese bridal gown, with long sleeves and white cloth that covered her lithe and beautiful body rose up from the dark Knight's significantly smaller form. Her long sleek black hair streamed down from beneath her white hood, gleaming beautifully like the dark night sky. Her gown decorated by beautiful golden flowers to further dignify the bride. In short… a beautiful Japanese Bride…

…except the fact that her face was that of a skinless, rotting corpse, with most of her maggot ridden flesh had been flayed off her blood-dripping skull. This alone unleashed a massive dark aura that knocked away what beauty offered by her royal garments, turning her entire visage into something truly horrid. Viciously torn dead bodies trailed behind her feet, and a pair of massive wings made of meshed up bloodstained skeletons stretched out of her back, worthy of Death herself.

The Corpse Lady screeched a blood chilling howl to the sky. Mere soldiers or Yakuza fell down on their knees, holding their hurting ears, some screamed hysterically, and tearing away their hair in panic. Fuji fell on all fours, gritting his teeth so hard that he bleeds, trying to calm himself down of this horror that suddenly weigh him down.

Kyle' ears are also hurting, so much so that he fell on his knees. But in that instant, his mind was filled with at least dozen ways that creature will kill him in the most painful and sadistic manner, and how there's nothing he can do to stop it. But he still managed to keep his sanity intact by sheer disciplined willpower. It seems his crew and friends are saved from the worst effects and suffered only hurting ears by virtue of their distance from this horror.

"It… can't… be…!" Kenji stabbed his swords to the ground as deeply as he could as if to nail himself up. His teeth gritted tight, his whole body trembling… and he felt his sanity slipping. And in its place… this… unreasonable rage that he can't explain the why or what are burgeoning inside him. "That… woman… impossible…!"

"W… who is that?"

"That… woman… that…" Kenji had only heard it in boogie tales told by Yahiko. That corpse face, that bridal clothing… "The woman who cursed our whole race… the Dead Goddess of the Underworld… Matriarch of the Samurais… Izanami no Mikoto."

0000000

At that time…

While other outposts had been largely taken over, Mwu had just begun with his…

"If you let me lead the way in the first place, we would already be done." Toudou groaned.

"I'm sorry! It's just… Shanghai is a big city and I didn't expect it to change so much since I last came here, and I got lost in this road called life and… well…" Mwu whined.

"JUST SHUT UP AND GET ON WITH IT ALREADY!" Uncharacteristically, Senba impatiently roared in anger.

"Senba!" Toudou calmed the Shiseiken with a look. And Senba realized his outburst and back away in shame.

"Hush." Bushido nonchalantly. "Finish your work, Captain. At this rate, Captain might've already finished off the enemy by the time we stormed the keep."

"No he won't." Mwu grinned. "Don't worry. I'll make up for our lateness. This will be over within seconds, I assure you."

"Uhhh… remind me again why we're coming with him?" Edward raised a hand as he moaned.

"This one remembers you all came to Kage." Bushido reiterated. "Wanting to have a taste of what it's like to be Kage's warriors, this one remember that you all told him to give you whatever order he saw fit. And he saw fit to assign us under Captain Mwu's command."

"And why did he do that?" Even Billy was skeptical.

"He said something about giving us a new meaning of Deep Insertion strikes." Daryl also pondered out loud. "Still… what's with this… weird line you're making?"

Bushido, Toudou, his Shiseiken and the entire Overflag squadron was told to be on horseback. After that, Mwu start running circles around the Dark Axe outpost, throwing kunais into the place. And after that was done, he drew this line, made of a series of seals some few hundred meters from where the cavalry were on standby, as if making some kind of starting line.

While they wait, Toudou addressed his Shiseiken, in particular, how the usually calm Senba exploded in that uncharacteristic rage just now. Granted, Toudou knew what caused it. It's not like they didn't sense Kira's dark awakening miles away from where they are now. It's a feeling Samurais always felt deep in the corner of their hearts, magnified exponentially that it blazed like beacon of darkness. "This is the worst… way, way worse than anything I've ever felt in my life." Senba explained. "Kira-kun's curse is… it's bursting out of its seams… like… like…"

"Like Izanami herself had risen up from Hell." Toudou didn't think something like that is possible. But Kira's temperament… it so closely resemble that of Izanami… "Death herself had courted Kira… we don't have time to linger here. We have to finish this quick and then catch up with the boy."

"Alright." As if on cue, Mwu nodded as he finished his preparation. "Now listen. You charge forward, horse, men, and all, and once the cloud settles, the first thing you'll see will be enemies. So you just go in there and… do what comes naturally when someone scream murder at you."

"If Bushido hadn't testified on what you and Kage had done… we would've probably called the man in white coats when you told us of this plan." Billy still found the concept of mass teleportation unbelievable.

"Thank you for the vote of confidence. Now… are we ready? On 3… 2… 1… CHAARGE!"

"YAAAHH!" The Cavalry army whipped their warhorses. With a loud whine, the horsemen galloped forward with all due haste.

When the horsemen is but half a meter away from the seal line, Mwu finished his handseals and slammed his hands to the ground. The seals lit up and exploded into a wall of smoke. The Overflags still have a time to wince and prepared for the worst as they entered that wall of smoke.

And a second later, they disappeared, men and horse and all.

At almost the same time, smoke exploded out of every opening on the building. And after that… it was the noise of chaos.

Gunfire, horse whining, and people screaming how a cavalry just popped out of thin air right in front of their noses.

"THE HELL?" A Dark Axe screamed in horror when a Samurai Ronin warrior on horseback all armored in black just charged out of the smoke swinging a giant cleaver hacking left and right.

In the public bathroom, naked men ran screaming as another four fully armored Samurai Ronin cavalry charged out of the shower's steam, their blades swinging furiously, reaping a bloody tally. One Ronin, a female samurai, was the fiercest and angriest of the four. "When we're done here, I'm going to jam my blade up Mwu's ass." A blushing Chiba growled.

In the canteen, chaos also ensues as a stampede of Dragoon Cavalry charged out; sending hails of bullets allover the place. Bushido lead at the front, swinging his swords left and right as his wards, Darryl and Howard covered his flanks.

Midway, Bushido practiced an old skill of his. He jumped off his horse mid charge as he threw his sword to a startled Dark Axe. He yanked the blade mid jump from the man's dead body and rampaged around on foot, slashing multiple enemies while his horse stomped and kicked every Dark Axes unfortunate enough to be caught under its hoof. Though separate, Men and horse attacked side by side and in concert as if of one mind, until said horse finally charged back towards his masked rider. Bushido elegantly jumped back to the saddle without his horse slowing down and continued the charge as if nothing happened.

"There it is! Graham Special!" Darryl cheered as he planted a bullet on another Dark Axe's head.

Edward merely sneered in silence while his other colleagues cheered.

Watching from outside, Mwu smiled in satisfaction seeing how well things are going on his end.

"Well I must say, Captain Mwu… this is indeed… an eye opener." Billy, the squadron surgeon nodded as he fixed his glasses. Their definition of deep insertion strikes was to charge into the enemy territory at speed before they can set up their defenses, causing massive damage… But to completely bypass enemy defenses and teleport straight to the inside… Well… new meaning to deep insertion indeed.

"Well of course it is! Now let's finish this in a jiffy and go help that stingy student of mine! That reward of extra ramen portion is mine!" And a thoroughly motivated Mwu charged in with wild abandon…

"…what?" Billy sweatdropped.

That's what he said… but contrary to what everyone thinks, he also felt that something is seriously wrong with his apprentice… 'Kiddo… hang in there until I get there, you hear me?'

0000000

Izanami screeched and screeched, sending despair and murder-lust to everyone, paralyzing them in insanity. Through it all, Kage took a step forward towards Leng with a single fist balled. He took another step, and the whole mass of darkness from Izanami were concentrated on that one fist, and what follow after was obvious.

A single, simple uppercut that sink into Leng's chest. But, an impact that produced a sound louder than the blast of the largest cannon, covering the sound of Leng's ribs shattering; the massive ripples of water that instantly rise up from the ocean beneath the Alvaatore upon impact; the gust of air that blasted away all rubbles off the Alvaatore's ruined deck; the burst of shockwave that blast through Leng's shattered back armor and pierced the clouds… they all showed just how powerful that strike just now.

"…!" Leng felt like his soul is trying to leave his body as he was shot out high to the sky with a cratered chest. The pain pierced through his body, so much so that he didn't have the strength to scream. That was when black chains filled his vision. "!"

When Leng had come to, black chains had tied all four of his limbs tight. Their sharp edges sank deep into the flesh of his arms and legs. By now, Leng had regained his senses and tried to break free… but he can't. The chains dragged him down, forcing him to meet face to masked face with their owner. "F… Fuck off!"

Kage merely tilted his head… and Leng began to feel that the chains are yanking him… to different directions. "G… GR… GRRRHHH!" the chains keep pulling… and pulling… he can already feel his muscle sinews tearing up… his bones cracking… "GRAHH… FUCK YOU…! YOU! GRUAAAAAAAAAAARGGHH!"

R… RII-IP!

Blood splattered allover Kage when Leng lost three out of four of his limbs. The only limb still attached to its socket is the right arm barely dangling on his shoulder.

Kenji closed his mouth to prevent himself from hurling. Kyle merely winced.

Leng seemingly lost consciousness from the pain of losing all three limbs and didn't resist when more chains wrapped around his mutilated being. The chains lift him up before they dived back dead vertical, propelling and then slamming their victim head first into the deck, burying him beneath a crater of rubble.

Kyle and Kenji stood stock still, completely paralyzed in fear. The projection of Izanami still looms over them, looking down on the two warriors like a dark god staring down at gnats at her feet. Kyle felt pain stinging every inch of his body when he also felt Kage's gaze is upon them. The images of gruesome death and brutality kept flooding his mind. All thought of fighting or even defending one's own life suddenly disappeared. Only absolute despair remained. But amidst that horror, he balked at what becomes of his younger companion.

While everyone is cowering in fear and terror, Kenji was the exact opposite… or rather, something worse. His eyes white and blank, foams forming on his gritted teeth, he clawed his disheveled red hair like mad, screaming incoherently. "Kenji… w… what…" Kenji let loose one last mad howl, and he pulled out his sword. "HITTEN MITSURUGI RYUU: KUZU RYUUSEN!" The youth became a blur, leaving sonic booms in his wake, katana slashing 9 times in the exact same time, nine dragons marched forth with him.

All dragons and slashes converged on a single target. 9 explosions of dust and rubble happened simultaneously around Kage. But all that smoke were quickly blown away as a half dead Kenji were thrown out with deep gashes all over his body, blood trailing out of each and every one of them, courtesy of Kage's blood-clothed clawed hands. But the Dark Knight wasn't finished and launched a horde of black chains at the now helpless Kenji.

"Oh no you don't!" Kyle jumped in and grabbed Kenji out of the way. He also projected a giant eagle and protected the boy with its wings. But that was just a temporary measure, the dark chains quickly torn away the projection and barraged the two in full. "UWAAAAAAAAAARGGHH!"

The two landed on the ground bloodied and barely intact but alive. Kyle barely managed to hold on to his consciousness and got up when he felt a giant dark shadow is looming over him. The maddened Kage is approaching them one step at a time, his chains rising up behind him, Izanami leering, caressing her consort's weapons with her skeletal fingers.

With a screech from Izanami, the chains burst forth. This time, the two targets can't block or dodge. Black chains filled their vision… before a bone white blur get in the way.

CLANG!

Streams of black chains were halted by a massive golden wall made of glowing strings.

It was Hikari, firmly on her feet and visually unscathed. "Y… You're…!" Kyle recognized the armored doctor as the Captain's girlfriend. Her one hand stretched, erecting this massive wall that just saved them. When the chains were retracted, the walls were pulled back.

Lacus' calm blue eyes behind her helmet directly looked at Kira's purple ones behind his blank helmet. She took a deep breath… "Kage!" "KIRA!"She snapped. "I know you're in there!" "Kira it's me!" There are two voices in the air coming from one single pair of lips. One is a voice that everyone can hear… and the other… an underlying voice that Lacus directed just for Kira's ears. "Stop this madness and behave!" "Please! Come to your senses! This is not you!"

For the first time since its appearance, the Dark Knight actually budged. The projection of Izanami instantly vanished to nothingness. The Knight squirmed, either in fear or anger, and his chains pulsed and swirled in intimidation. He dogged his head left and right, as if trying to rid something that annoys his ears.

Lacus didn't stop and keep her approach as she talked. A Clyne's power is the strength of her voice and the weight of her words. "KAGE! I WILL NOT HAVE YOU GO LOCO ON ME!" "Kira… please… listen to me! Don't shut me out!"

The closer the princess, the more obvious it became that the maddened Kage was, quite in fact, afraid of her. He held on to his head, seemingly in pain, or just to block this bizarre voice echoing in his head. One voice is sarcastic and angry. "Some idea you have! Stabbing me through!? What? Is this your idea of you don't negotiate with hostage takers policy?" But the other voice is pleasing and loving. "This thing is not you! Open your eyes…!"

At last, Hikari is but a step away from the Knight's arm's reach, but at that time, Kage/Kira's madness, amplified by its fear of her, reached its zenith. His chains furiously burst to every direction, tearing apart everything. And yet not one of them came close to her. Kyle held the barely conscious Kenji in his arms as they keep their distance while they wait with baited breath on how this increasingly dangerous situation will end.

"Whose fault is all this?" "Kira, it's not your fault.""Was it my fault that I just couldn't let your men getting slowly killed in front of my eyes?" "You have and would've risked so much more for less… over and over…" "Or is it the fault of that stupid Minister who acted like a five year old?" "You were right. I was a burden. I have been, since the day I met you. And yet you came for me. With nothing to gain and everything to lose, you came for me." "Or the stupid psychopath whose brightest idea is to stab me in the chest!?" "You didn't hurt me… and you'd never hurt me…"

Lacus is now right in front of him, and Kira screamed in pain as he clawed his face, as if trying to desperately rip the suffocating helmet off his face. "So what are you going to do now!?" "You were always there for me… Now I'm here for you." Lacus removed her helmet in front of Kira, not caring how many can see her face. Kyle couldn't see, neither could Kenji but they only see the back of Lacus' pink head. "If you're going to kill me, now's your chance!" "Please… come back… come back to me! Kira!"

Kira reached the zenith of his insanity at that point and he screamed hysterically. His chains swirled furiously as they rise up before descending straight at Lacus.

Kyle and Kenji wanted to jump in and help her, but they halted midway.

The chains froze at the last moment. One chain was just millimeters away from Lacus' unflinching clear blue eyes. The rest didn't even take a single strand of her hair.

The sound of metal snapping and steel cracking echoed from Kage's dark helmet. The fanged visor finally slide open, its lower jaw receded into its neck guard, the upper jaw slide back, revealing a very disheveled and exhausted but sane Kage. He slowly lifted his head to look at the beautiful visage of his rescuer. "…L… Lacus…" And whatever strength that once kept him standing finally failed and he collapsed right then and there in Lacus' arms.

Lacus fell on her knees as she struggled to support Kira's massive weight, armor and all. But she smiled wide as she held the boy in her arms. "Welcome back." She whispered sweetly with tears streaming down her eyes.

Kira's tired eyes momentarily could only see pink, but then they immediately cleared and Kira was able to see the view behind the strands of pink hair. Ruin and carnage stretched across the deck. The magnificent ship that was once fit for royalty is now a charnel slaughterhouse. As he quickly came to terms with the environment, he wondered of its occupants, and found a field of disembodied corpses to answer it. He can only find two souls still alive enough to tell the tale with their silence. Kyle and Kenji, both halfway to death, both looking at him with horror and caution. And in that fearful gaze Kira understand what had transpired, a flash of memories of the horror that was unleashed, and who did it.

"I did this… didn't I?" Kage stared in horror of what he had wrought.

Lacus can feel his sorrow and pain in his words. She tightened her hug over him. "…"

But then, Kira found the strength to get back up, and he gently pushed her back… and saw her armor bathed in blood… it wasn't hers… the injury he gave her was nowhere to be seen. The blood came from him. From his armor, his chain cape, his hands… all of them were the blood of people he had slaughtered.

Kage frowned and then he began to approach the two survivors of his rampage while Lacus put back her helmet. At first, Kyle and Kenji grunted when they his closing, but then, they noticed the light of sanity in his eyes and how the good doctor giddily tiptoeing closely behind him. Both factor put them at ease, thus they allowed the now sane Captain to close the distance.

He didn't say anything… and it doesn't seem he could say anything. He merely looked in shame at their bloodied state and understands who's responsible. He glanced at Hikari who quickly checked his boyfriend's latest victims.

Kenji weakly watched as Hikari checked his and Kyle's vitals. Lacus frowned in concern as she ran her checks on Kyle, but she was slightly puzzled at what she found when it comes to said trooper. She gave the man a glare, and Kyle merely replied with a knowing look. "I know. It's confusing. But I'm okay, doc."

"…" Hikari leave it at that. "Kyle's okay… But Kenji's not. He needs intensive medical attention, but he'll survive."

Kage nodded. He quickly signaled the support team. They understood, and Kage can see from the distance that Maria had brought down a lifeboat to pick up the survivors.

And yet, Kage had no plan on leaving. Not just yet. "You're not coming." Kyle can pretty much surmise that, judging by how the Captain glanced intensely at the last part of the ship that he hadn't ransacked: the command bridge.

"No." Kage replied. "I started this. I had to finish it."

"Correction." Hikari suddenly retorted. "WE have to finish this."

"Hikari-"

"WE started this." Lacus replied back. "We didn't intend for it to grow to this proportion, but we have the obligation to bring an end to this! Here and now."

"You're a doctor, not a fighter! And you have two patients here in need of your medical attention!"

"But I have two more patients in there in greater need of medical attention than these two. I don't care about Corner, but I do care for the bodies he'll throw at you to bar your gait."

"You could get hurt even more!"

Lacus growled as she knocked Kira by the head. "Well thanks to a certain someone, I'm no longer a stranger to the brink of death."

That stabbed right through Kira's throat as his mouth hung open and yet he couldn't muster a word of reply.

Lacus immediately regretted her harsh choice of words upon seeing Kira's pained look. "Look… the way I see it, you have some errands to do in that building and so am I. But we both know that even though you've pretty much slaughtered almost everyone aboard this ship, who knows what that Corner will throw at us next. But I don't want to get hurt again and you certainly don't want to go on another black rampage. The only way we can ensure that neither happened is that we go in there and face whatever comes… together." She gently took Kira's blood-bathed hand in her hands.

Kira felt incredibly uncomfortable seeing Lacus' armored hand holding his armored hand. Hers were smooth and white, while his was horrid and spiky. Her gauntlet was clean and well maintained before it was smeared by the blood coating his gauntlet. It's like he's defiling her innocence with his bloodthirst. Kira tried to pull it back, but Lacus firmly held her grip.

Kage looked at Hikari's clear blue eyes behind that mask and realized she will not be dissuaded from this decision. He nodded as he turned to Kyle. "Be careful."

Kyle shrugged as he carried the injured Kenji on his shoulder and began to walk through the carnage, leaving the two able warriors to settle their personal affairs. Lord knows they had unwittingly helped him settled his. As Kyle half dragged Kenji across the deck, they inadvertently passed the crater where Kage smashed Leng into.

Kyle halted his pace, and he felt obliged to see what becomes of his former partner. Just in case. With some effort, the Trooper managed to get a closer look at the center of the crater. And there he is. The now one limbed Leng lay lifeless at the center of shattered rubble and splinters of wood. Funny thing is… while the literal one armed man should be drowning in his own blood right now… there isn't much… blood.

Kenji also managed a look at Leng's mutilated form in disbelief. The mighty leader of the Dark Axe… unbeatable in every skirmish… now… he's literally just a sack of flesh. "If he's not dead now, he's going to wish he is." Kenji balled his fist tight. "Shall we give it to him? For mercy's sake." He offered Kyle his blade.

Kyle looked at the offered blade… and to the shattered wreck that is Kai Leng. Observing his miserable state, and somehow, he still couldn't find it in him to feel the slightest bit of mercy. "You're right, killing him would be mercy." Kyle narrowed his eyes and strengthened his resolve. "And that is more than he deserve."

And Kyle turned his back and limp away, leaving Leng to his fate.

Kenji quickly recognized that Kyle and Leng had a lot of bad blood between them. Bad enough that the man saw fit to not spare mercy where even the most ruthless of men would've. And if he says he deserves this… then so be it.

The two wounded finally reached the edge of the deck where down below, Maria and her team is waiting. Kyle lowered Kenji first before he's getting ready for his turn. But just as he's about to make his descent, a terrible inhuman cry howled. An explosion later, and Leng, propelling himself through the air by unknown means with his one remaining arm stretched forward, heading straight towards Kyle's unprotected back, his hand set for the kill.

Kenji noticed a little too late, and roared a little later. "SHEPARD!"

Fortunately Kyle reacted just in time and raised his guard in time. But when Leng's palm strike hit him, he can feel his gauntlet cracked to pieces, along with the arm bone beneath it. When his legs left the deck floor and his body lifted to the air, Kyle was close to fainting, but he can still hear Leng's scream.

"YOU'RE COMING WITH ME, SHEPARD!" Leng lunged one more time. Somehow propelling himself midair towards the elder Shepard at an even higher speed, his whole body suddenly ignited, burning more fiercely than ever as he used his Raging bull style.

Kyle looked on and saw Leng's flaming palm of death is but an inch away from melting his face… and it stopped.

Leng's open mouth let out a gasping, angry retch. In the briefest of moments where his momentum still kept him aloft, he turned a glance over his shoulder and something stretching out from his back all the way to Kage's outstretched arm. It was not one of his chains, no. Kage instead opted to wield a familiar looking apparel to grab him with it instead.

Shadow Raider's grappling claw.

"His name is Clotho Buer." Kage hissed short before he yanked Leng away from the sight of Kyle splashing into the ocean and swing him up in a wide arc. "And he's a Shadowguard of mine." And in that name, Kage finalized his vengeance by completing the roundhouse swing by slamming Leng's flaming body to the battlecruiser's deck floor, head first. When Leng's flaming body disappeared into the rubble for the second time, a loud snap can be heard, followed by a terrible creak.

In that instant, the ship suddenly began to tilt. Maria immediately recognized that sound. That's the death rattle of every ship. "Umm… I think you just broke the ship's keel." Which means the ship will sink soon.

And Hikari's Harisen supreme made a comeback as she slapped Kage's head silly. "Must you make everything so complicated?"

Kage groaned. "Kyle! Maria! Take your men and get out! I'll finish up here!"

Maria immediately rowed the boat away as soon as her brother managed to climb to the boat's ledge.

0000000

Kage and Hikari then rushed into the last intact part of the ship. Alas, the entrance to that section was buried under rubble. Kage used his chains while Hikari used her Haro set and they began lifting rubbles to clear the way at speed. Trudging through the remnants of the carnage, Kage looked at the way Lacus carried herself… there's no trace of the injury he gave him. "How? How did you survive? Did the Haros…"

"No." Lacus answered simply. "Lily came to my help, but she doesn't have the skills needed to close that wound… no. Truth be told… I don't know how I survived either."

"…" Kira leave it at that as they clean up the rubble. If Lacus, the brightest medical mind available is also at loss, then it's no use to discuss it further. "So… who exactly are these two poor souls you're so intent on saving?"

"There were three. You've killed one of them."

"…the Trinities…"

As they trudged through the rubbles, Kage's chains lifted up a sizable chunk and found Jess and Kaite, miraculously surviving their experience without a scratch. The ruins that fell right on top of them managed to protect them from harm. "…aren't you the lucky one?" Kage merely shook his head and continued clearing the mess.

"Now wait a minute there!" Naturally, Jess was the first to explode. "We nearly died, thanks to you! Don't you have anything to say!?"

"You're still alive. Stop whining." Kage snarled. "I've warned you that this is the kind of shitstorm I jumped into. You're the one who elected to stay with the job and go on with it regardless."

"Ano ne!" Jess tried to say something but Kaite stop him with a shoulder grip. As a fellow warrior, Kaite can immediately understand, seeing Kage's dejected silence, that what happened is something beyond the captain's control. And nothing is more shameful than suddenly having your body outside your control. "Can it Jess. We're pros. We knew the risk when we took the job."

"This ship is sinking." Hikari immediately informed them. "Please evacuate."

"Sinking…? Then what are you two still doing here?" Jess asked.

"To put an end to this stupidity." One swipe of Kage's chain, and the rubble was cleared, the entrance to the last section of the ship was revealed. It was a door, barred and locked from inside. "Leave now. You've already risked your life enough times for the day."

Jess frowned. "No. I'm staying."

Kaite gulped at his partner.

"As you say: this ain't over. My job is to document your actions… so I will see it through all the way to the end!"

Kage glanced at Jess. His eyes seem resolute. "…do as you like." Kaite had no choice but to groan and follow through.

Kage's chain easily sliced through the door. But what welcomes them is complete darkness. "…what's this?"

As soon as Kage placed one foot into the room, an extremely loud noise reverberated allover the room. Enough that Kage, Jess and Kaite grunted as their ears ache at the noise. But Lacus screeched in horror and pain and fell nearly unconscious on her knees… the noise literally stabbed through her overly sensitive ears straight to her brain. Kage immediately catch Lacus and dragged her back. They can also hear the sound of something hits the ground where Lacus stood a moment ago amidst all that noise. It's a bullet hole.

"Impressive. I suppose it's not going to be that easy." Johann's voice echoed from every direction.

"What is that loud noise?" Kaite groaned.

Kage looked at Lacus' catatonic state. That loud noise… he had heard that noise before… "I see… that's how it is."

"Eh?"

"Reflect shot. They put a series of resonating forks and then this Johann fired a bullet that bounced from fork to fork, allowing the bullet to ricochet allover the place and hit us from unexpected angle. But that's not all. The impact of the collision vibrates the forks, creating a resonance effect that produces a high frequency sound in order to disorient us and mask the sound of the gunshot, making it impossible to pinpoint the Sniper's location." Kage looked at Lacus' catatonic state. Another reason to this setting is to seal off Lacus ability. Normal people can get away with aching ears… Lacus' ears are many times more sensitive than normal human… the damage goes beyond simply hurting her ears. The high frequency voice completely messed up her nerves from her ears, paralyzing her. A Sniper's main weapon is stealth. Lacus, being a sensor can detect sniper location in moments. So they used this tactic to neutralize her immediately. But then he can make out something gaseous inside…

"And that would explain why this place is darker than the hole of my ass." Kaite groaned. "Then let's just light some fire-"

"Do that and we're all dead." Kage stopped Kaite.

"What?"

"That room is filled with methane." Kage answered. "It's an odorless, colorless combustible gas. One spark of fire, and the whole building will blew up. It's to prevent us lighting a fire in order to gain visual."

"Splendid. Truly splendid. I couldn't explain it better myself. Your insights truly are to be feared." Johann's voice echoed in darkness.

Kage frowned. "…Hikari wanted to save you… for some reason. I've already killed one of her patients, your brother. I'd rather not kill another one. Even with this tactic, you can't hold us back indefinitely."

"Really?"

Kage responded by launching a multitude of chains. And in an instant, the room was pierced multiple times from the outside.

"What are you…"

"The Sun's rising."

A crack of bright light emerged from the horizon. And with it, bursts of sunlight streamed in from the holes that Kage had made, lighting up the room. The hallway was filled with massive steel rods which Johann used to ricochet his shots and produce that deafening sound.

"And there you have it." Kage calmly crossed his arms as he fearlessly stepped into the room. "And now… you can try ricochet your shot again… you can make us deaf… but once I can see the bullet's path I can immediately pinpoint your location. And once that happen, there's no escape for you."

"…"

"You've lost. Where's Corner?"

"…are you asking me to just let you pass?"

"You have more maturity than that overgrown five year old." Lacus suddenly entered the conversation. She had recovered from her paralysis. "Please… Johann. Your brother's death was unfortunate and tragic. Please… end this. Make his death worth something! Let me help you! You and your sister deserve better!"

"…"

Silence. And Lacus become somewhat more concerned. "Johann?" She called again.

"…Mr. Corner is no longer here." Johann's answer echoed in that hall. "He had already abandoned the ship when Captain Kage regained sanity. He took my sister with her aboard his personal evacuation vessel. It's a fast ship, but not that fast. You should still be able to catch up with it if you leave now."

"…Johann…" Lacus smiled.

"…thank you, Ms. Hikari." Johann continued. "You… you've given us more than anyone has ever done."

Kage noticed something's off with his tone.

"But still… I have a duty to perform." Johann smiled peacefully in his hiding spot. "And while I'm grateful for your sincerity… my duty comes first. Goodbye, Ms. Hikari."

Kage and Kaite realized what will come after, and they quickly grabbed the non-combatants and dragged them away. In his hideout, Johann pulled out a lighter. "…Michael… I'm coming. Nena… live on." And he lit it up.

"JOHAAAAANN!" Lacus screamed helplessly as the room was ignited in an instant and everything in it was reduced to a giant ball of fire. The massive explosion knocked everyone off their feet, but that was just the first explosion. Beneath that hall, is the Alvaatore's magazine. And seconds later, the next, more massive explosion erupted, and this time, with enough strength to consume the whole golden ship, instantly reducing it to a burning wreckage.

The crew of the Normandy watched in horror as Corner's ship reduced to a massive ball of fire.

"KAGE!" Tolle screeched in dismay.

0000000

Some few hundred meters away from that inferno, a significantly smaller but no less grand boat sailed away. It's a small two deck sloop with similar design to that of its mothership, and aboard it Corner watched the blazing flame through his wine glass in satisfaction. "…beautiful."

Nena only saw grudgingly at that flame, knowing that's his brother's funeral pyre, while Corner hardly cared and continue to sip his fine wine uncaringly. "Like I said, Captain Kage." He saluted to the burning wreckage. "The world's most divine captain is no more than the most divine termite. Stupid degenerate brute capable of only swinging weapon. Before this power that a Logos minister can wield… my power… there's nothing they can't do." Corner smugly stated as he took another sip.

Before Corner can gulp that sip, his ship made a violent jerk as it went to a sudden halt, causing everyone on board to lose balance. "What happened?"

"I think our ship just got snagged by… something."

"And that something is… WHAT!?"

The crew just checked… and they found the lower hull has been pierced by an innumerable number of black chains. Standing amidst that destruction was the culprit… a practically unscathed Kage, in his dark armor form. "Now… take me to your leader!" He hissed.

"W… WHAAAAAAARGH!"

Corner snapped when he heard that scream. And soon, more screams followed, coupled with occasional gunfire. "He's here…" Nena growled in anger, and without Corner's permission, she angrily rushed out to meet the enemy. Corner pays it no mind. In fact… he didn't seem to be the least bit worried as he continued to sip his wine calmly.

Just outside Corner's room, Nena waited impatiently at the end of the hallway, barring the entrance, with her finger placed on a Gatling Gun emplacement. The screams became increasingly infrequent, but they grew louder and louder. And finally, a series of gunshot can be heard just outside the door before they were silenced with a scream.

Nena gritted her teeth and readied herself. Her eyes fixed on the doorknob in front of her. The moment it spins, she'll fill it full of holes! She waited and waited… 1 second… 2 second… and just when she began to wonder what are that monster waiting for…

Chains burst out right beneath the Gatling gun emplacement in front of her. "Wha…" The Gatling gun was immediately shred to pieces and as the chains whipped around, she was blasted against the door. Nena's whole body ache but she managed a grudging glare as Kage ascended out of the hole his chains had made.

"Y… You…!" Nena lifted a sidearm but a chain quickly slapped it away.

"Instead of your weapon, I could've ripped you apart instead." Kage's glare was further reinforced with the threat of her chains spinning. "Lacus' goodwill is the only reason you're still alive. Beat it!"

"You… you killed Michael! And you blew up Johann!"

"…"

"I will kill you! I don't care how long it'll take! Days! Months! Years! I will kill you!"

"That's fine. You'll be one of many anyway." Kage quickly closed their distance. "Come and try to kill me whenever you wish. But come at me and only me. If you get anyone else involved, I will make you wish you were dead!" And with that, Kage decked the girl out cold.

Putting the unconscious girl's limp body aside, Kage glared at the door leading to the end of all this stupidity.

Corner continues to sip his wine as the doors before him were sliced to pieces, and more. Dark Chains continue to slither to every direction, destroying everything in that room. And yet, Corner didn't budge an inch from where he was seated even as the whole room was ripped apart all around him. That section of the ship's superstructure was completely destroyed in mere moments.

Amidst the smoke and destruction, Corner remained on his seat, his arrogant smile hardly shifted. He sits there, right in the open with no more walls or men to protect him. A dark silhouette of Kage appeared behind the veil of smoke… but then, the dark knight visage shrank. And finally, Kage walked through the smoke in his normal self, his Shiki in hand, completely phased out. He slowly approached Corner, who showed no sign of any attempt to escape.

And finally Kage stood face to face in front of Corner. The man is practically but a sword wing away. And yet Kira didn't do anything. "…"

"Well I must say Captain Kage… you really are a piece of work. You destroyed my ship, slaughtered all my bodyguards… you even got me fooled with that Clyne woman case… and now here you stand, with me at your mercy. I can literally feel your bloodlust thick enough to choke me…" Corner sipped. "And yet… you merely stood there, doing absolutely nothing. And I sit here, sipping my wine with no worries. Perhaps you were wondering… why?"

"…" Kage's silence as if telling Corner to answer his own damn question.

"Because in the end… there's nothing you can do." Corner tilted his wine glass towards the sunrise, and Kage saw something he already knew is coming.

A fleet of ships bearing the flags of the Alliance are fast approaching. The Navy 11th, Murrue's 12th, the 10th Regular, even his own 7th division… and yet… Kira somehow knew those ships weren't meant for him.

"You see… I tried to get leverage on you not because I was trying to control you… no, quite in fact, I was trying to educate you." Corner smirked. "See… I don't need to control you. You're already mine. This whole… war thing is merely a business, and you're an asset. Your men, your weapons, your resources, everything you own and will own, including yourself are our asset. MY asset. The moment you joined the Alliance, that's all you are."

As Corner spouted all this, the ships are closing in.

"…" Kage remained silent.

"And one thing about Asset, Mr. Kage, is that no matter how precious they are, they're ultimately expendable." Corner smirked at what he perceived to be Kage's loss for words. "I can order those ships to blast away all your friends aboard that silly Destroyer, or I can even tell them to take over that stupidly huge ship of yours for my personal use by killing everyone on board, and there's nothing you can do. Why? Because in the end, leverage or not… we own the Alliance. And by joining it, I own you as well."

One ship is now close enough, and Kage can hear Xingke speaking through a megaphone. "KAGE! STAND AWAY FROM THAT MAN! NOW!"

"Don't worry, he's harmless!" Corner yelled back in triumph. "See? There's nothing you can do. Even if you try to screw me over by telling them of the poison or even the gangster, a Logos Minister is not 'evil'. We can never be 'evil'. The whole world can be 'evil', but not us. We're the heroes. You understand?"

"KAGE! PLEASE STEP AWAY!" Xingke repeated. The fear in his voice is now more obvious.

Kage glanced up and saw an entire cast of Alliance officers on that fleet. Xing Ke aboard ship teeming with his men. And on the ship behind him is Jane Houston, and her silver haired Lieutenant Tessa at her side and what he recognize as Kenji's friend, Sagara Sousuke behind her. He saw Canard leading his men aboard the Achilles. Now he remembered he did order his men to rendezvous when they're done. Now he's quite grateful that he already regained his sanity. If they had come a little earlier… the death toll would be on his head.

Well… time to put an end to this farce.

"Are you done?" Kage asked calmly.

Corner, unable to read the true meaning behind Kage's cold flat eyes, merely replied with his contemptuous arrogance: "Yes."

"…heroes… huh?" Kage chuckled. "Well… you do know what Zaft called me… yes?"

"Hm?"

SLASH!

Corner gaped when red droplets of his blood filled his vision. Some are trailing behind Kage's blade, outlining the path that blade has taken when it sliced off Corner's chest.

"The Devil…" Kage sadistically smirked. "…is something inherently evil from the first place."

His Phased out Shiki no longer shined… but it's still sharp enough to cleave a man's chest just the same.

Corner stared in disbelief as he saw his fingerless hand and this giant bloody crevice in his chest. He looked up in horror at Kage's cold emotionless eyes. "I'm a Logos! You… You'll never… get… away… A… Are you insane!?"

"Insane?" Kage smirked. "I've been reliably informed often enough… of the many things I don't have… sanity is something I lacked the most."

Corner stared helplessly as Kage lifted his sword again. He tried to raised his remaining hand to do something, but the Mad Dark captain had already finished his second swing.

And in the blade's path to sever Corner's hand by the wrist, it also cut everything else caught in its path…

…Including his neck.

Every Alliance soldier and officer aboard that Fleet fell into silence as they watched thunderstruck as Kage contemptuously kicked Corner's dead body and his head fell off his shoulder. Xingke dropped his megaphone in utter shock, by that same token; Jane dropped his trident, ignoring Tessa who already fainted into Sousuke's arms. Canard's eyes couldn't be wider.

Kage knew he had drawn everyone's attention and so he began to speak. The silence amplified his voice for everyone to hear.

"I gave the men of the 7th division a very specific and simple order: they are forbidden to participate in the Challenge Game, for whatever reason. I forbid them to challenge or answer any challenge given to them. My intention is not that I don't respect the tradition and rules of ancient lands of China… but because of the timing. We are preparing for the greatest battle of our time. Thus, I need all my men to be in fit condition, unspoiled and unharmed. Engaging in that sort of activity just before a critical battle is nothing sort of foolishness that endanger not only oneself, but also the army as a whole. Therefore, I say that anyone dare to defy this order must learn to live without their insides!"

Everyone dumbly listened. Strangely they felt neither anger nor bloodlust in his words.

"However… it has come to my attention that apparently, for some people, a simple word of 'no' is not enough. For these people, I encourage them to come to me personally to question my logic in a respectful and polite manner. For those civilized enough to do this, I ask only that they allow me to try and convince them to accept my reasoning. But fair warning, if you try to sway my opinion by threatening those under my care, then there will be serious repercussion." Kage paused for a moment to grab something. "The price you pay for trying to fuck around with the men of the 7th division is: I collect your fucking heads." He then raised Corner's head in his arm. "Just like this motherfucker. Now… if there's anybody else who still wants to try and test me, spare me the trouble and DO IT NOW!"

The whole fleet just stared stupefied, wide eyed and in disbelief at the head and the guy holding the head.

"…I don't think so."

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Epilogue 1:

Shadowguard Raider

"How… do I put this?" Clotho watched calmly as Simca is mincing her words, trying to find the best way to explain his current condition.

See, he woke up this morning, and the first thing he saw was Simca, half asleep next to him. Judging by the piling empty soldier ration packages next to her, she's been staying at his side for a long time… which also means he's been here for an awfully long time. Which also means he was in coma, one that lasted more than a day or two, for certain.

Weird thing is, he woke up, shifting his body… and he can't feel anything. Not even the sheet covering his body, not even the saliva on his mouth… he feel absolutely nothing. He thought its drug, but then as he began to get a feel… or try to anyway, he also noticed there's something strapped on his back.

When he tried to touch it, Simca chose that time to wake up and slapped him off it. And now Simca is about to tell him why.

"First make no mistake. The guy broke your spinal cord. And it was no easy fix. There are shards of your bones lodged on your central nervous cortex." Simca bit her lips. "Those fragments they… how did Hikari-nee-sama put it? It put your sensory system on overdrive. Your sense of smell, sight, touch, hearing and taste became overly enhanced. Technically speaking, you can now sense things way better than normal people could."

"So you say, sis… but I can't sense a thing-!"

"You can thank Hikari-nee-sama for that… that thing on your back held a series of acupuncture that stabbed right through your nerve cord, numbing all senses and down-tone some. Your ears and eyesight for instance, were somewhat reduced to normal levels… but your skin, tongue and nose were rendered completely numb. Otherwise you'd be overwhelmed by the bombardment of information from your overcharged senses."

"Overcharged senses…" That is to say, his senses are so sensitive it will drive him nuts if he used them. Now Clotho rubbed this apparel running along his spinal cord more gently. He can feel that apparel held a series of needles that are lining up his nervous system. He knew he's touching them, but he can't feel his fingers touching them. "I've never heard of an accident of someone having their spinal cord broken and ended up having super senses!"

"Well if you say there's one in a million chance of disaster turned to miracle than this is definitely one." And Simca immediately slapped Clotho.

He didn't feel it, he only felt like his neck was involuntarily turned to another direction, but he also noticed a droplet of tear spraying from Simca's angry eyes.

"Which is another way of saying that you're extremely lucky that it didn't end up worse than that you little rascal!" Simca shrieked.

"Simca-sis… oomph!" Simca immediately pulled Clotho to his embrace.

"You damn fool." Simca grunted as he muffled Clotho's red hair. "You're as much as my brother as you are Stheno's. If anything happens to you, how am I supposed to answer it to your sister in heaven? Idiot!"

"…" Clotho didn't say anything, but he understands who's at fault here. "I'm sorry, Sis."

"You damn well be."

"I truly am." Clotho tucked his head down. "Kage was right. I think of battles as a game. A game where if you die you can just restart and redo it again… I was wrong. This is reality. When you're dead, you're done. No replays, no continue." Clotho's gaze turned up to Simca. "You once said you'll have a spot open for me… that offer… can I take it up now?"

Simca frowned in annoyance. "…no."

"I… please! I will relearn everything back from zero! I know it's gonna be a bit troublesome losing some of my most important senses but-"

"No, means NO!" Simca repeated.

"Heh?" It was then that Clotho noticed that Simca was annoyed about something… but the reason of that annoyance was clearly something else.

As if on cue, the door opened, and Prayer walked in. "Ah. Clotho Buer. You've woken up."

"You're…" Clotho stared wide eyed, his heart threaten to jump out of his hung mouth. "…you're Prayer Reverie! Of the Juppongatana! The Light-"

"Yes." Prayer immediately smiled. "Now… I take it Buer-san had asked to rejoin the Genesis?"

"Yes, he did. Just like what Kage had predicted." Simca is still a bit annoyed. "Geeze! Everything always goes down exactly like what he said will happen, will it?"

"Kage predicted-?"

Prayer nodded. "He said that when you wake up, you would definitely try to rejoin back into the army in one way or another. So he said-"

"No matter what he said he'll do, sooner or later, he'll just gonna go back into doing stuffs like this, allover again. That's his nature. He just can't help not to." Kage explained. "No need to go against his character and stifle this very natural ambition. We'll just have to guide and nurture it."

Clotho's eyes gleamed.

"I was hoping, with every fiber of my being, that you would learn your lesson and chose to go for a quiet civilian life." Simca was annoyed but not angry. "Guess Kage-honey knew better."

"That being said, he instructed me… well… you, really…" Prayer smiled. "Clotho Buer, you're to relearn everything from scratch and he's assigning you under me. Seeing I'm the only person within distance who knew what it's like to live without having any sense of touch, smell, and taste, you are to train under me as soon as you're able."

"I…" Lord knows whether Clotho was going to argue or being thankful, but what Prayer said next ensured it would be the latter.

"After you've finished this retraining with me, and once Kage, and I, deemed you fit, you will promptly began your personal training directly under Kage so as to properly join his ranks of Shadowguards. That is all."

Clotho's smile was so wide, it threatened to tear his face in two. "Where's Kage by the way? I want to say thank you!"

At this, a sad smile formed in Simca's face. "Later. Save it for later, will you?"

Seeing that expression, Clotho's grin faded somewhat. "What's wrong? Was Kage hurt?"

"Oh no… no, he's not hurt… well, not much. He's fine! Virtually unhurt by now." Simca quickly added. "In hindsight, we've accomplished our goal. We've won this little war for this big turf called Shanghai… it's just…" Simca gestured at the ward, and Clotho finally noticed the many patients still under intensive care. "Wars, be they big or small will always have their casualties…" Simca added with that same sad and understanding smile. "One in particular, figuratively speaking, holds more value than others."

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Epilogue 2:

What Happened to the Dog?

Like a corpse. That's what anyone would say when they saw how Kage returned from this particular endeavor. And they can quickly see why. Hikari was unconscious in his arms. And she remained so for the last three days. Johann's last explosion apparently inflicted far worse damage than expected. Then again, between stabbing, blood loss and many more potentially fatal injuries inflicted upon that frail body, it's a miracle she still lives.

Kage refused to say anything of what transpired in this incident. Not even when Mwu cornered him and tried to beat an explanation out of him. The only person who was able to extract some form of confession was Toudou. And even that was just a rely of three short incomprehensible words: "You were right."

Beyond that seemingly puzzling remark, Kage completely shut himself out. What's more, all the parties that were directly involved in that incident such as the Shadowguards, the Gangsters, and the newest addition, the Normandy crew, were unable to fill in the gaps. In the case of the latter two because neither of them knew enough to understand what happened, and the former couldn't even begin to grasp what they saw before their eyes. Only one person can fully explain it, and he delights in not talking.

And said person elected to spend the next three days at the comatose Lacus side, covered behind Lily's near transparent protective bubble, and he hardly came out.

On the fourth day, Kira opened his eyes from his involuntary slumber and found himself still seated in his chair next to an unconscious Lacus.

"Awake at last. Haro."

Kira looked up and found Lacus' second in command: "Lily… was it?"

"Yes. Haro." She smiled. "You fell asleep in your chair. Haro. Good for you. Haro. You were so tense in the last three days. Haro. You'd catch your death of cold if you don't take a break every now and then. Haro."

"Wouldn't that be something?" Kira sighed. "Still nothing?"

Lily shook her head. "But her vitals are stable. Haro. She's in no immediate danger. Haro."

"…until the next time I came up with another batshit insane idea…" Kira growled in utter remorse. She looked sadly at Lacus, as if pleading her to wake up and scold him then and there.

Seeing and hearing that regretful tone, Lily felt she had to ask. "Can I ask you a question, haro?"

"…shoot." Kira muttered halfheartedly.

"Back then when Lacus was held hostage… haro… do you really have to stab her? Haro?"

"…" Kira didn't answer, but his eyes looked down to the floor.

And he kept his silence hanging for some time, and Lily began to think her question was way too blunt. "I'm sorry. Haro. I didn't mean to question-"

"13."

"…excuse me?"

Kira's eyes hadn't left the floor. "I can think of 13 plans to get out of that situation, none of them include stabbing her in the chest."

"…then why-"

"Because I didn't… couldn't… think of it then!" Kira looked straight at Lily. "In the 10 seconds of silence between us just now, my brain immediately formulated that many methods… but at that time… all those time Corner blabbered out all those horseshit… when I saw her being held at knife edge… my brain felt like they just… stopped. Nothing will come out. I used that plan because that was the first idea that came to my God Damn blank mind. Lord knows why I think of it as the best idea of the century…"

Lily blinked. "Well… you were under heavy pressure then… with snipers and the hostage taking-"

"You talk to me about heavy pressure? I once walked behind enemy lines where one misstep would be the death of me, I brokered a very high risk deal with the lord of the dead whilst staring down his legions of undead in the face… and not once have I let the pressure get to me when I formulate my strategies!" Kira's glare was tense and firm… but then they quickly mellowed when the subject turned to her mistress. "But when it comes to her… whenever she's involved I… I don't know… I feel like I'm losing my mind. I just can't seem to… think straight… whenever she's involved." Kira ruffled his hair, as if it wasn't messy enough.

Lily blinked several times. Now this… this is an answer she knew Lacus would not expect.

"I've faced down death in the face and never felt so much as fear or any depression… but… what the hell is this?" Kira balled his fists. "Why is it every time the thought of her crossed my mind I just… I just…" Kira glanced at Lacus sleeping figure… and the trembling stopped. Kira looked again… "I just…" and blinked… "I just…" and look again… his tone is steadily flattening… just to make sure he's not imagining things… "I just…" and then his tone rose sharply in anger. "I JUST WANT TO CHOKE THE LIFE OUT OF HER!"

An utterly embarrassed and, unknown to him, completely red to ears Kage got up and fumingly stride out of the ward, leaving his cheating conning bitch of a girlfriend to her fate.

Lily saw this weird behavior and fully understood why. "See? What did I tell you? I told you this is a bad idea! He worries!"

Lacus, having been awake for some time and had listened from start to finish, got up from her bed. "Uh… yeah… you're right."

Lily saw Lacus and quickly realized how Kira figured out that Lacus had come out of her coma for some time now. Her face was as pink as her hair. She… she really didn't expect that kind of answer… does she?

Kage walked out the ward, turned around the corner proceed to bash his head against the wall 16 times straight. And then he stopped, think about what he just said, couldn't make a sense of it, and then he returned to bash his head another 16 times… and then repeat the process again and again.

Passerby soldiers who saw this latest peculiarity from their Captain wisely decided to not ask.

Some time later, as the sun sets that evening…

Atop the roof of his office, Kira watched the red sun sinking into the horizon, illuminating his ship and the city of Shanghai. Everything he had worked for. Everything he had and would protect with his life. And then he felt someone is behind him. "You should be in bed."

"And you shouldn't have missed all those sessions in the Angel's Bath. (Koff)" The fully armored Hikari finally joined his so called boyfriend to enjoy the scenery.

And for a moment, all they're exchanging are silence. "So… my third missing patient. (koff) Where is she? (koff)"

"I didn't kill her. But… she disappeared. Nowhere to be found." Kage spoke truthfully. What's more, that girl was not the only thing missing. Well, that's not her concern. "…this sort of thing must never happen again." Kira directed this not just to Lacus, but for himself as well. Stabbing her was the worst thing he ever had to do.

"…I know." Lacus nodded as she removed her helmet. "And I don't blame you. From the beginning, we both know that this… path we take isn't without some bumps and turns along the road. I'll be more careful from here on out. I promise."

Kira also made a silent vow in his heart. But then he felt something tugging his shoulder. It was Lacus, gently resting her head on his shoulder. Kira don't have any reason to push her off. In fact, he quickly used that chance. "Lacus… I'm sorry about-"

Lacus cut him off by placing a pair of fingers on his lips. "Hush." She whispered. "I feel a little light headed just now. Please just… be quiet for a moment." Lacus made herself as comfortable as possible, holding Kira's arm as she used his shoulder as a pillow. It wasn't hard. Kira's surprisingly firm and broad shoulders made a very comfortable cushion for her tired head. Lacus resist the temptation to fell asleep then and there.

All this cuddling and Kira couldn't help to blush. And so he remained still like that for as long as she wished.

"Enough with the 'I'm sorry' routine." Lacus suddenly break the silence. "Enough with the blaming game already. Let's play the thanking game instead." Lacus glanced at Kira as she smiled sweetly. Her baby blue eyes shined brightly amidst the red background of the sunset. "Thank you for saving my life there."

"…I nearly killed y-"

Lacus closed Kira's mouth again. "Kira-kun!" She glared.

And Kira relented. But, Lacus was right. He did owe her a thank you. "…thanks for saving my men's life."

"Their life. Oh yes." Lacus snapped and pulled back her hug in annoyance. "Their life. Oh that's great. What about YOUR life!?"

"Aaaa… excuse me?"

"Kira, you nearly lost your mind, almost got killed lord knows how many times… and you still worry about others?" Lacus shook her head. "Would it hurt to think about yourself before you think about others!?"

"Hmm… well…" Kira became somewhat awkward, not knowing what to say for the answer.

Lacus sighed and chuckled sweetly. Putting others before himself… that is so Kira. 'And that's what I can't hate about you.' "Oh well, whatever." Lacus cheerfully spin around, doing a little dance as the sun continue to set at the background.

And for a moment, Kira found the scenery breathtaking.

"So…" Lacus suddenly looked at him again. "What happened to that dog?"

Kira nearly fell over the roof when she said that. "Oh my God, you really won't give up on me, are you?"

"Never." Lacus laughed.

Kira also laughed as he shook his head. Well, he did give her his word… "Well… about that dog-"

Author's Note: Go figure that out yourself, suckers. MWUAHAHAHAHAHA!

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Epilogue 3:

Final Debriefing

Excerpt from Jess Rabble's Log:

On the 5th day after the incident, Dr. Hikari made her return to full recovery public, and Kage finally crawled out of his slump, with his mood improved for the better, much to everyone's relief. Still, he continues to refuse to answer what EXACTLY had transpired aboard the Alvaatore. And thus, the curious parties had no choice but to be satisfied with what the newspaper gave them.

There's no sugar coating this one. No covering something this big. Even the most unreliable of newspaper are posting this in their papers with huge black written on white. Pretty soon every newspaper in town ran out papers and ink having to reprint this news over and over again for the last three days, so high was the demand.

It's just… seriously? A Logos Minister beheaded by their Crazy Captain in front of EVERY SEATED OFFICER OF THE ALLIANCE on site!? Such thing was unheard of in the annals of Alliance modern history.

Word has it that the reason their Captain managed to get away with it was because those officers were too shocked to act on it. Xingke had also disappeared after that and hasn't been seen since. But the biggest question that ran in almost everyone's mind is WHY. Those with simple minds and those who are truly loyal to Kage simply put it off as Kage's style in doing things. But others, those who are more critical of the Captain's action asked: Why. Why these extremes? Is it Kage's ideas to make an impression? To show that not even a Logos Minister can stay his wrath when his men are harmed?

But still, that's probably what the doctor ordered. On the 6th day after that incident, it became evident that Kage was more firmly in control of Shanghai than the Chinese government or the Alliance military ever did. Yakuza and Mob all bow down in obedience to their new dark leader, and the remaining Triads are running scared, their subservience to Kage a matter of time. People are already starting to call it…

Shadow's City.

Excerpt End.

Today, Kage decided to take a stroll across the streets of his city. And this time, no longer did Kage had the need to showcase a single drop of bloodlust; not even the craziest or the most desperate dared to lift a finger against him now. For the first time in its long history of violence and anarchy, the streets of Shanghai finally became a safe place for parents to let their children to run free without fearing a stray bullet. Or… they would've if there are any parents or children left. After hearing what Kage did to a Logos Minister, the inept Mayor had redoubled his effort and managed to evacuate the entire city of its civilians, leaving only combat capable volunteers to stay. With the concerns of civilians out of their mind, the Alliance Troopers were quick to transform Shanghai into a veritable city Fortress, armed for war.

Kenji glanced to the Kabuki Palace area and he also noted that same treatment is currently being carried out by his men, under Yahiko's leadership no doubt. "Well, at this rate… when Zaft came, we should be ready."

"There's no such thing as ready. There's only ready enough." Kage replied. "If you're able, always prepare for more right to the very end. If you limit yourself to what you consider 'ready', you'll be surprised what happened when they pull out something you weren't 'ready' for. And you might regret it later."

"Well, that's sagely." Kenji grumpily groaned in irritation. "How different you are when you're not going crazy."

Kage took that scathing remark in his stride, knowing he deserved it. Compared to the more mature and experienced Kyle, the incident that occurred on Alvaatore had a more lasting and traumatic experience upon the young Kenji. Not only how Kage nearly killed Kenji in his madness, but Kenji also showed that said madness could affect others. He had heard that the boy had expressed a desire to leave as soon as he was cleared by the medic. Even Yahiko came to visit and tried his best to convince him otherwise, but it seems the boy was resolute.

0000000

A day earlier…

When Kage came out of his stupor yesterday and met him personally, the boy had already done packing and was about to leave when he saw Kage was waiting for him at the door. But that doesn't seem to change his mind. "I'm not interested in following a commander with mental disorder."

"You and me both." Kage nodded. "But your men are going to need your leadership for what soon will come. We both know if you leave, your men will go with you. The 7th division needs their strength."

"I suppose they would. But they'll stay in Shanghai. They'll defend it. But they won't do it under you."

"Well that's the problem right there." Kage scratched his head. "I encourage freedom of thought and independence but we need to stand united if we are to survive. We can't have rogue elements moving with their own agenda of self interest in mind."

Kenji frowned. "Then what proof can you provide me to show that what happened that day won't happen again?"

"None." Kage sighed. "But I've been spending the last 6 days trying to think up a solution. If you could just wait for one more day, I will show you my answer tomorrow. If after that and you still wish to leave… I won't try to stop you."

"…?"

0000000

And so on the next day, Kage told Kenji that he will show him the answer, and he took him and Kyle for a stroll to downtown Shanghai, towards a certain restaurant…

Master Bull One Eye is sawing a plank when he noticed three people are coming his way. His Dark axe bodyguard, what few that remained after the slaughter, quickly stand alert, but the Master motioned them to stand down. Kage, Kyle and Kenji stood at ready, but the Master knew they've come to give him his report.

"You've started quite a ruckus, captain Kage."

"I thought that's what you wanted. Me taking out your… capitalist pig problem."

"Well, I didn't cut the pig's head." The Master chuckled. "I asked for the Veal. How'd that go?"

"There's someone you have to meet first."

"?" Master Bull turned around and saw Kyle… and he understood. He put down his saw and took a seat while pouring himself a tea, and he's ready to listen.

Kyle sighed. "Akuze was no ordinary Alliance outpost. For years, both Alliance and Zaft had looked warily over their shoulders in fear of Orb's army of Super Soldiers. At the present, they're the only country who knew how to make more of such an army. And so… the Alliance tried to create their own version of Super Soldiers. They started a project called Project Extended."

"With unlimited fund poured into it, it was enough for the project itself to be branched into multiple programs, each trying to create a super soldier using different methods. N1 tried to used hypnotic prep and acupuncture to create berserkers, N3 indoctrinate children and train them in an inhuman training regime to be killing machines from ground up, N5 apply high level surgery to reinforce human body with surgically grafted exoskeleton."

Master bull nodded in understanding. "…and what 'N' is my son?"

To answer this, Kyle opened his Kevlar jacket and revealed his chest to everyone. It was filled with stitches. Horrid stitches here and there. "Kai Leng and I came from the N7 program. We met and became close friends, and partners. The culmination of achievements and breakthroughs collected from N1 to N6 Program are accumulated in the N7, and then they were applied on the test subjects; that's us. Akuze was the main training facility for the N7 cadets that number in hundreds… and yet its survivors can be counted with one's hand."

Master Bull took a better observation at the stitches on Kyle's body and gently touched it, studying it. He remembered his son had similar stitches on his body. "These are not stitches from injuries, yes? You mentioned surgery… what kind exactly?"

Kyle looked at Kage.

"Hikari was pretty surprised when she checked your insides." Kage shrugged. "She said, and I quote, she found as much variety of organs as that of a zoo. And she meant that literally."

Master Bull blinked in confusion, and Kyle continued the explanation: "Dolphin's lungs, gorilla's muscle strands, eagle eyeballs, cheetah's muscle strands, rhino's skin, lion's adrenaline gland… they also had steel and ceramic grafted to my bones… numbing pain sensors… that sort of surgery."

"They put animal body parts inside you?" Master Bull balked.

"No… not exactly animal…"

"Half animal, to be exact." Kage reiterated his findings in Jess' archive. They spoke of a series of disappearance of Zoan in Africa, 5-6 years ago. "Zoans. They've captured a multitude of Zoans, cut them apart, and they surgically implanted the harvested organs on the test subjects. They have plenty of those poor bastards to cut apart in Africa. The whole place is crawling with Zoans after all."

"I had no idea that Alliance's medical knowledge had advanced that far."

"You'll be surprised what unlimited fund and a bit of madness and desperation can pull off, Master Bull." Kyle growled. He still remembered those hellish days in Akuze like it was yesterday. Piles of dead and broken children, tossed away like they're disposable chopstick. The bloody scalpel, and the demented look of the surgeons in that hellhole… "In Akuze, not only we have to endure that brutal surgery, we also had to survive an inhuman training regime. We weren't treated as human, but as hardware. Easily replaced when broken or faulty. Your son thrived. Kai Leng was amongst the best of the survivors… the strongest of us. All sort of dangerous experiments and surgeries were performed upon him, he accepted them all without rejection, making him stronger and stronger… but it also shaved away his sanity. The scientist deemed him mentally unstable and dangerous. They were planning to neuter him… but…"

"But then Zaft… the Zoans got wind of the place and quite obviously they were pretty pissed." Kenji surmised, but Kage snorted. "No?"

"It's not that simple… right, Kyle?"

"…" Kyle sighed. "My sister was an N6 subject and she was also slated for an N7 treatment. N6 program tried to amplify a human's physical performance by introducing them to various kinds of body strengthening medication. Many of them are unethical substance with dangerous side effects. My Sister barely survived it because our mother, Hannah, found out about it and rescued her before those doctors finished their work on my sister. She helped my sister escape, and then she found out about Akuze, and about me. She leaked the information about its existence to a local warlord in that area… and that's how Akuze got an army of angry Zoans knocking at the door." Kyle continued his story. "The Zoans came in and butchered everyone… every test subject until only 5 of us remained; your son and I among them."

Master Bull knew his son the most and somehow knew of what atrocity that follows.

"Kai Leng abandoned me and my friends to the mercy of those zoans while he escaped. I barely survived by hiding amongst the corpses, but all my friends were dead, torn apart, and feasted upon right in front of me. For seven days I was trapped underneath their corpses, until I was rescued by my mother. I was a shattered wreck then. So she took me to Glasgow Mental hospital for rehabilitation… and something else."

"I suspect Ms. Hannah was trying to sell the information regarding that inhuman Super Soldier experiment to Orb. But then, the Alliance found out about it and they tried to shut her up." Kage deduced it from the report he gleaned at Jess' office and Xingke's fabricated story.

"That's right." Kyle continued. "And so they sent an agent to kill my mother… he incited the local pirates and led them in an invasion to Glasgow. But that Pirate invasion was just a distraction… his true goal is to kill my mother. That agent… was your son, Master Bull."

The Old Master continues to listen to this tale of vendetta between his son and Kyle.

"He could've just killed my mother. Quick and simple… but no. He had to push it. My sister and I watched from 200 yards as he burned her alive, along with her ship, and then he left, laughing and gloating. We chased after him to Torfan mine. We wanted to end it then and there… but my sister wasn't strong enough, so I go in alone. And we fought, and I actually managed to corner him. But in his desperation he literally blew himself up and brought down the mine, burying everyone, including the mercenaries he hired, in his last ditch attempt to kill me. I was the only one who managed to escape… or so I thought. Until today." Kyle ended his tale of the grudge between him and Leng and looked at the Old Master to see his reaction.

"…when I found my long lost son wandering aimlessly in the streets of Shanghai some years ago… I always knew there's this inhuman sadistic part of him that had consumed him… turning him into this… abomination. I tried to suppress that monstrosity by teaching him the discipline of Kung Fu… but it didn't work." The Master mourned. "I was too naïve. So… I had the Alliance to thank for turning my son into that fiend, is that what you're trying to say?"

"If it makes you feel any better, last I heard, shortly after Akuze, the higher ups closed down the project because they deemed it too expensive to be practical. The program was put on ice, all scientist involved was 'fired', so to speak." Kyle followed.

"…hrmph…" Clearly, that didn't brighten the Master's mood by the slightest. "Then… what becomes of him now?"

At this, Kyle turned again to Kage. The captain explained short. "We sifted through the ruins of the Alvaatore with a fine tooth comb. We found his arm, his two legs, even his weapons… the only thing missing was the rest of his body."

"He escaped? With only one limb left?" The Master snarled sarcastically. "And you think he's still alive?" He turned to Kyle.

"If it's other person, then I say he's dead. But this is Kai Leng… in which case… Heaven knows."

"Heaven… hah!" The Master snarled. But then his expression soured to a sad smile. "Thank you, Kage. And I apologize for the trouble my son had caused you."

"I'm just glad we put an end to this as quickly as we did. When the enemy comes, we will need all the help we can get, Master Bull."

"The Axe Gangs are yours to command, Captain Kage. Shanghai is our home. We will defend it to the last man." Master Bull grinned. "Is what I'd like to say. But there's someone here you need to see first." Master Bull motioned someone to come.

"?"

That someone happens to be Xingke. But then, Xingke moved out of the way to allow someone to come in. A white skinned girl with uneven pigtails and clear blue eyes wearing a black bikini and a large black trench coat. But then the girl also stands aside, making a way for another person to walk past them to meet up with Kage.

Kage frowned. "Hey… aren't you…"

It was the Waitress Yoon crashed into. The Waitress who carried that Buddha Jumps the Wall soup. The Waitress who helped him in that cooking match with master Bull… and yet… the troopers saluted her, and even Xingke showed such reference. She was escorted by, judging by her characteristics, the leader of the Arsenal Five, the Black Rock Shooter. There's only one person that a first Lieutenant of the Regulars would show such respect. One person that a leader of an elite squad would go the trouble of chaperoning. She's a pure Chinese descent with pink blazing eyes, and her black brown hair tied up. Another distinct feature is this series of scars at her back that resemble Sakura petals.

"Welcome, Captain Kage." Rena Imelia crossed her palms. "To China, the land of the Strong."

"Rena Imelia… General Captain of the 10th division." Kage finally understand. "Waitress… should've known."

"Come now. I think that's enough with the disguises eh, cook boy?" Rena smirked.

Kenji and Kyle gaped and looked at Kira in shock. Master Bull merely rolled his eyes.

Kira frowned. "You've been watching everything I've been doing… right here on the front seat?"

"And I like everything I see so far." Rena chuckled. "But… I think you've overdone it a bit." She lifted the newspaper; with the image of Kage lifting Corner's still dripping head on the front page.

"…so what are you here for?"

"We both know why. Do we? That's why you leave your fortress… without your trusty sword in hand."

Kage shrugged and his fist balled. Indeed, for some reason, Kage decided to leave Shiki behind with Mwu… for safekeeping.

Rena moved aside and the next person to show up is a familiar red haired girl… with a giant mechanical prosthetic right arm.

Kage's eyes widened. "…Karren?"

The Former Sword Breaker said nothing. She pulled out a horrid red katana from the sheath strapped to her waist. The Katana has a rather weird shaped. For one thing, rather than a conventional katana, it looked like a half of a giant scissor… Karren gave a glare filled with hostility at her former Captain and aimed the red blade scissor straight at his face. "Senketsu. Execution mode." And the scissor blade transformed. Its length extended as a wicked curved blade folded out at the end. The armguard flipped open. The transformation is also accompanied by a series of bright red star that glimmered and blind everyone…

Moments later…

A battered and half dead Kage lay on the ground drenched in blood, face down barely holding to consciousness, choking and gasping for breath while Karren looms over him, one of her feet stepped over his head. But then she removed said foot as Rena approached him

Rena approached the downed boy and put his arms on handcuffs. And just before he lost consciousness completely due to his injuries, she still had enough time to read the verdict.

"Captain Kage… you're hereby under arrest for the murder of Alejandro Corner."

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To Be Continued…

Can you guys imagine the difficulty of writing about a character with a personality that you inherently despise? Alejandro Corner in this chapter was such character…