To CodeDweller: Shiro is the weak link, isn't he? After all, he has no abilities of his own, and he's injured…

To Lyger 0 and Butterfly: I can't take full credit for the Japanese accuracy; I've had a lot of help with it from Mr_Bluesky on AO3 (w997725904 on FF)… though occasionally that means making corrections after the fact! The explanation I got on asking them was that if Shiro still respects Okamura (or is in awe of him), then the honorific makes sense.

"Second Chance!" As Viperion twisted his bracelet to begin the time loop, he grimaced. All he could do for now was watch the scenario play out. And hope that it wouldn't take too many resets to find the best solution.

1. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. Viperion followed them through the doors at a slower pace, just in time to watch. The four Kami-gumi members stood in a loose semicircle in front of their leader, who sat calmly at a table against the wall, watching dispassionately, sipping tea. Ryoku zeroed in on the enormous man with the hammer – Kamiyama.

Kamiyama's weapon was already in his hand, and he grinned, his eyes lighting up with excitement as Ryoku neared. "A challenge for once!" He raised the hammer above his head with both hands and brought it down into the hardwood floor, shattering it with a single blow and sending a crack across the floor at Ryoku.

Ryoku, however, was no longer there. The moment before the hammer had struck, she had leapt to one side. Landing and balancing precariously on the back of a chair, she flipped away from his follow-up strike which smashed both her chair and the table in front of it. "You'll have to be quicker than that!" she taunted, dropping to the ground behind Kamiyama.

However, as Ryoku landed, a wind gust picked up from her side, blowing her across the room to slam into the wall. She pushed herself to her feet, shaking her head. Before she could draw a breath, a storm of shards from the smashed floor flew across the room, slamming into her and burying themselves in her unprotected face. Meanwhile, Shiro fought Kamisenshi on the other side of the room, near the table at which Okamura still sat, sipping tea and watching them impassively. Suddenly, Kamisenshi feinted to the left and slashed from the right, catching Shiro off-guard.

Furrowing his brows in contemplation, Viperion reset his bracelet.

2. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. Viperion hustled through the doors after them and watched Kamiyama strike the floor as Ryoku went airborne, pirouetting to land behind Kamiyama. Viperion scanned the room, looking for Kamikaze. As Kamikaze raised his tessen, Viperion muttered into his communicator, "Neutralize his wind… now!"

"Wind Dragon!" shouted Ryoku, swinging her sword back toward Kamikaze at the same moment that he waved his tessen. Two wind gusts blasted into each other, connecting in the center of the room between them and spreading out in opposite directions, tearing through the entire café, ripping the wall paneling and sending furniture in all directions. Viperion cringed as the air pressure in the room fluctuated wildly before the entire structure burst apart, the roof collapsing as the walls exploded outward.

Moments before a roof beam could land atop him, Viperion rewound his miraculous.

3. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. Viperion followed them into the café, watching as Ryoku fought Kamiyama. This time, as Kamikaze prepared to send a wind blast at her, Viperion called, "Brace yourself!"

Ryoku stabbed her sword into the wooden floor, crouching down to ride out a wind storm that seemed to carry on for hours. No sooner had the wind died down than she pulled her sword back, ripping a chunk out of the floor and holding it up as a makeshift shield to protect herself from a hail of spoons, several of which stabbed halfway through the hardwood. And before Ryoku could dislodge the planks from her sword, Kamiyama slammed his hammer down into her shoulder with a sickening crunch. Her sword dropped from her slack grip. Ryoku screamed.

His hands shook as Viperion reset his miraculous this time.

4. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. Viperion watched as Shiro attacked Kamisenshi, their swords dancing around each other in a complicated pattern. Shiro held his own better this time than he had the night before, but he steadily lost ground against Kamisenshi's speed and reflexes, pressed back against the café wall. Meanwhile, Ryoku had evaded Kamiyama's first attack, spinning around him and striking at his unprotected back. Kamikaze flicked his tessen and at once a gust of wind whipped through the café.

"Try absorbing his air power!" Viperion called.

"Wind Dragon!" Ryoku shouted, brows furrowed in concentration. The wind died down around her.

Viperion let out a relieved breath.

A saucer launched off a table and smashed into Ryoku's face. She gasped in shock, blood pouring from her nose.

Pursing his lips, Viperion reset Second Chance.

5. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. Viperion forced himself to breathe normally. He could do this. Clearly Ryoku could at least hold her own against Kamiyama and Kamikaze together. Where her problems seemed to arise was when Kamikangae joined the others in attacking her. So if he could keep Kamikangae occupied, perhaps Ryoku would have a chance against both Kamiyama and Kamikaze.

A new plan in place, Viperion entered the café, just in time to watch as Kamiyama approached Ryoku. "Go left now!" he shouted.

Ryoku obeyed instantly, dropping her sword and rolling away moments before Kamiyama's hammer came down exactly where she had been kneeling moments before. The wooden floor splintered as Ryoku sprang to her feet, fists held in front of her face in a boxer's stance. Kamiyama swung his hammer in an arc over his head and slammed it down again. Ryoku, however, evaded the hammer blow to land a solid punch to Kamiyama's chest. Kamiyama huffed once, shaking his head, and massaged his chest with his free hand.

Behind her, Kamikangae raised his hand to shoulder height and clenched his fist. The table he stood next to began to rattle. Objects rose off the table. Viperion took aim and threw his lyre between Kamikangae and Ryoku, striking Kamikangae in the fist. The tableware fell abruptly back to the table. Kamikangae spun around to find his attacker, his lips curling into a smirk as Viperion strode further into the café. While Ryoku ducked and weaved to evade repeated attacks from Kamiyama and Kamikaze, Viperion closed the distance to Kamikangae, catching his lyre as it ricocheted off the wall.

"Do you think that you can match wits with me?" Kamikangae asked, raising an eyebrow at Viperion.

"We will see…" Viperion dropped in to a fighting stance, his lyre lying along his forearm as a shield. Kamikangae raised an eyebrow and raised both arms. Out of the corner of his eye, Viperion saw a teacup fly at his head and stepped forward–

–into the path of a teapot. Wincing, he reset his miraculous.

10. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. Viperion ran out hard on their heels, cutting between them as Ryoku moved to face Kamiyama and Shiro zeroed in on Kamisenshi.

"Move left now!" Viperion called to Ryoku as he aimed a punch at Kamikangae, who dodged away from it and flicked his wrist. Viperion dropped low and rolled backward, avoiding a hail of dished that struck the far wall, followed by a ceiling fan that would have fallen on his head. Rising to his feet he sidestepped around a flying chair and spun his lyre around one finger to block a cloud of spoons before twisting his wrist and throwing the lyre at Kamikangae. Kamikangae ducked beneath the lyre, which ricocheted off the wall behind him. He ducked again as the lyre shot at his back, only for Viperion to punch him in the gut.

Viperion let out a breath. Before he could knock Kamikangae out, however, a cry from the other side of the café drew his attention. Shiro knelt on the floor in front of Kamisenshi, cradling his wrist, his severed hand lying in front of him, still clutching the handle of his katana. Kamisenshi raised his katana and cut off Shiro's head.

Viperion groaned and rewound his timer.

11. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. Viperion narrowed his eyes, racing out on their heels. Fighting Kamikangae on his own hadn't worked; when he did that he couldn't guide the rest of the fight. But if he could just neutralize Kamikangae early, they would have a chance. No sooner had he cleared the doors than he threw his lyre backhanded at a high arc, looping around Kamiyama's bulk. One arm of the lyre embedded into the ceiling, bringing down a fine layer of dust onto Ryoku, who coughed.

"Oh, come on!" he groaned, resetting the timer just before Kamiyama could take advantage of Ryoku's distraction.

15. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. Following the others closely, Viperion threw his lyre even before he was out the door, deflecting it off of the wall behind Okamura and into the back of Kamikangae's head. Viperion sprinted past Ryoku and Shiro, ducked under a slash from Kamisenshi, and slammed into Okamura, knocking him to the ground. The phone fell out of his hand, just as the voice on the other end announced, "We found the neighborhood where someone saw the car last night."

"Call them off!" Viperion ordered, glaring at Okamura, planting his foot on the gangster's throat.

The floor rumbled beneath him, knocking him to the ground, moments before a wind storm built up around him. Moments before his back slammed into the wall, Viperion reset his miraculous.

16. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. Viperion gasped on finding himself back on the ground in the back room, but he couldn't allow the last try to distract him. He could hear the sounds of fighting in the other room, but that couldn't be his priority right now. He had to know if the danger was real. Quickly he brought up the footage from the security cameras on his lyre. As he watched, two cars parked in front of the building and a number of men exited them, fanning out to all of the nearby apartment buildings.

"Dammit," Viperion muttered. If they had found the apartment building, then it was only a matter of time before they might find Miki and Kimiko. There was no disengaging and coming back later: they had to finish this now. His mouth set in a thin line, he twisted his bracelet.

17. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. Viperion launched his lyre through the opening just before it could close, striking Kamikangae in the back of the head. The lyre returned to his hands as he reached the main room, and he watched as Ryoku fought Kamiyama, dodging all of his attacks.

"Watch for Kamikaze," he instructed her, turning away to watch Shiro's duel against Kamisenshi more closely. Unlike last night, Shiro seemed to be fighting better. While his movements were stiffer thanks to his injury, he moved more quickly, anticipating his opponent's actions before he could land a blow. But then Kamisenshi flicked his wrist and slipped his blade inside Shiro's guard, cutting halfway through Shiro's arm.

With a grimace, Viperion reset his Second Chance.

18. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. Viperion launched his lyre through the opening just before it could close, striking Kamikangae in the back of the head. The lyre returned to his hands as he reached the main room, and Viperion watched as Ryoku fought Kamiyama, dodging all of his attacks.

"Watch for Kamikaze," he instructed her, turning away to watch Shiro's duel against Kamisenshi more closely. Although he could keep up with Kamisenshi for the most part, he couldn't anticipate everything. But with some help… "Block left… now!" Viperion ordered.

Shiro cocked his head in confusion, moments before an attack from Kamisenshi's right struck Shiro, slashing into his side. Shiro fell to the ground with a moan as Kamisenshi withdrew his katana, spattering the wall with blood before turning his sword on Viperion.

Viperion flinched on feeling the spray hit his face, and reset his miraculous.

19. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. Viperion launched his lyre through the opening just before it could close, striking Kamikangae in the back of the head. The lyre returned to his hands as he reached the main room, and Viperion watched as Ryoku fought Kamiyama, dodging all of his attacks.

"Watch for Kamikaze," he instructed her, turning away to watch Shiro's duel against Kamisenshi more closely. He wasn't imagining it: Shiro did seem to be fighting better, anticipating his opponent's actions. Unfortunately, he couldn't anticipate everything; he needed help. But he didn't trust Viperion enough to follow his commands – not as precisely as Ryoku. If he was going to help Shiro, he would have to actually help. Kamisenshi flicked his wrist, bringing his sword up inside Shiro's guard, and Viperion punched him in the side, moments before he had killed Shiro on the previous try. This time, however, Kamisenshi's attack missed and he stumbled back a pace. His eyes lit up mischievously as Shiro advanced closer. Kamisenshi flicked a wakizashi out of its sheath under his robes.

"Do you like this?" he asked maliciously. "You can thank that father of yours!"

As Shiro froze, staring at the wakizashi, Kamisenshi buried it up to the hilt in his gut.

Viperion resolutely turned the dial on his miraculous, just as Kamikangae shook his head and stumbled to his feet.

24. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. Viperion launched his lyre through the opening just before it could close, striking Kamikangae in the back of the head. The lyre returned to his hands as he reached the main room, and Viperion watched as Ryoku fought Kamiyama, dodging all of his attacks.

"Watch for Kamikaze," he instructed her, before flicking his wrist, bouncing his lyre off the ground and knocking away Kamisenshi's next attack. Viperion turned his full attention to Shiro and Kamisenshi, adjusting his own blocks to Shiro's fighting style. Slowly the two of them pushed Kamisenshi back across the room, toward where Okamura sat. Kamisenshi had his back against the wall. Suddenly, a scream from the far side of the room stopped Viperion's heart. He turned just in time to watch Ryoku sail across the room, eyes wide, and slam into the wall. The scream cut off abruptly. Following her path back to the source, Kamiyama stood with his hammer over his shoulder, watching her with a triumphant look on his face.

Glaring furiously at the mountain, Viperion reset his miraculous.

25. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. Viperion launched his lyre through the opening just before it could close, striking Kamikangae in the back of the head. The lyre returned to his hands as he reached the main room, and Viperion watched as Ryoku fought Kamiyama, dodging all of his attacks.

"Watch for Kamikaze," he instructed her, before flicking his wrist, bouncing his lyre off the ground and knocking away Kamisenshi's next attack. Viperion and Shiro steadily pushed Kamisenshi back across the room, toward where Okamura sat. Risking a glance across the room, Viperion called, "Go water!" Ryoku obeyed just as Kamiyama swung his hammer directly at her. As she reformed behind Kamiyama, Kamikaze threw one of his tessen, striking her in the head and distracting her for a moment – just long enough for Kamiyama to turn and punch her across the room to sprawl across a table directly in front of the revived Kamikangae.

Viperion stared in horror as Kamikangae slammed a tray down on Ryoku's face and her neck bent in the wrong direction. Taking advantage of his distraction, Kamisenshi chose that moment to body slam Viperion to the ground. His breath forced from his lungs, Viperion quickly reset his timer.

26. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. They were getting close; Viperion could feel it. He launched his lyre through the opening just before it could close, striking Kamikangae in the back of the head. The lyre returned to his hands as he reached the main room.

"Take Kamikaze out of the fight," he instructed Ryoku, before focusing on the fight with Kamisenshi, the moves of the fight fully ingrained. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Ryoku battling Kamiyama, who continually blocked her attacks with the head of his hammer. Suddenly, Kamikaze was there again, shaking his head. Wind built up through the room, a tight column shooting straight toward Ryoku. Before Viperion could say anything, the wind struck her, launching her across the room, punching a hold straight through the wall and severing one of the supports.

As the building shook around them, Viperion quickly twisted his bracelet.

27. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. If removing Kamikaze from the fight hadn't worked, what about Kamiyama? Viperion launched his lyre through the opening just before it could close, striking Kamikangae in the back of the head.

"Take out Kamiyama!" he ordered Ryoku urgently, before she could reach him. The lyre returned to his hands as he entered the main room. A bolt of lightning split the distance between Ryoku and Kamiyama, struck his upraised hammer, and coursed through his body before finally grounding into a nearby table. Kamiyama fell to the ground senseless. Viperion joined Shiro in fighting Kamisenshi while Ryoku fought Kamikaze, neutralizing his air with her own, matching his speed. Viperion dropped to sweep Kamisenshi's legs out from under him… and as he turned he saw Kamikangae rise to his feet and flick a knife at the back of Ryoku's head, lodging at the base of her neck, just above where her suit ended.

With a sigh of frustration, Viperion rewound Second Chance.

28. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. Viperion launched his lyre through the opening just before it could close, striking Kamikangae in the back of the head.

"Take out Kamiyama!" he ordered Ryoku before she could reach him. The lyre returned to his hands as he entered the main room to fight Kamisenshi with Shiro, waiting for his moment. As he followed the steps of the fight he had already memorized, he watched Kamikangae out of the corner of his eye until he finally rose to his feet and lifted his hand. Without hesitating, Viperion threw his lyre to deflect the knife. Behind him, Shiro let out a gurgling scream.

Viperion turned to find Shiro on the ground in a puddle of blood. Staring down at the growing pool of blood, he reset the miraculous just as Kamisenshi hurled the wakizashi at him.

33. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. Viperion launched his lyre through the opening just before it could close, striking Kamikangae in the back of the head. The lyre returned to his hands as he reached the main room, and Viperion watched as Ryoku fought Kamiyama, dodging all of his attacks.

"Take out Kamiyama!" he ordered Ryoku, moving around Shiro to join the fight with Kamisenshi. As Kamikangae rose to his feet and lifted his hand, Viperion kicked a table across the room to absorb the hail of wood. Without waiting to see the result, he spun around to deflect Kamisenshi's next strike.

They were going to do it! They–

A sickening crunch from the far side of the room. He turned just in time to watch Ryoku fall to the ground senseless.

"No!" he yelled, twisting his bracelet.

34. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. Viperion launched his lyre through the opening just before it could close, striking Kamikangae in the back of the head.

"Take out Kamiyama!" he ordered Ryoku. The lyre returned to his hands as he entered the main room, following Shiro and fighting Kamisenshi around him. The moment Kamikangae rose to his feet and lifted his hand, Viperion kicked a table across the room to absorb the hail of wood. Without waiting to see the result, he kicked backward to deflect Kamisenshi's next strike and threw his lyre at Kamiyama, knocking him off balance long enough for Ryoku to evade.

Shiro gasped sharply. Viperion turned in time to watch his headless trunk fall to the ground. "Oh, dammit," he groaned, twisting his bracelet with less than fifteen seconds to spare.

35. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. Viperion launched his lyre through the opening just before it could close, striking Kamikangae in the back of the head.

"Take out Kamiyama!" he ordered Ryoku. The lyre returned to his hands as he entered the main room to fight Kamisenshi with Shiro. Matching Shiro's moves, Viperion readied his lyre, blocking one of Kamisenshi's strikes just as Kamikangae rose to his feet and lifted his hand. He kicked a table across the room to absorb the hail of wood and in the same moment threw his lyre at Kamiyama. Without waiting to see the result, he spun around to deflect Kamisenshi's next strike.

A sickening crunch from the far side of the room. Viperion's heart stopped. He reset his miraculous.

45. Shiro barreled through the swinging doors, katana upraised. Before Ryoku could follow him, however, Viperion grabbed her arm. She froze, staring at him in surprise that quickly turned to understanding. "How many?"

Viperion shrugged, collapsing against the wall and sliding down to the floor. Ryoku dropped to her knees next to him, taking his hands in hers. He squeezed her hands tightly, shutting his eyes. He could hear the sounds of fighting from the café beyond, could imagine what was happening to Shiro. But at the moment he couldn't bring himself to care.

Ryoku pressed her lips to his palm. "Luka," she whispered, caressing his cheek with her hand, "how bad is it?"

He shook his head.

"Do we need to pull back and regroup?"

"I – I don't…" He swallowed hard and hit a button on his lyre to pull up the security camera footage, turning it to show her. Two cars parked in front of the building and a number of men exited them, fanning out to all of the nearby apartment buildings. "That won't solve our problem. Okamura's people are out looking for Shiro. They find the build while we are fighting, and the only way we can be sure to stop them is if we can take him down now. We have to cut off the head."

"But if we can't–"

"No! I–I think I know how we can do it," he insisted, his fists clenching. "We can beat the Kami-gumi. I know that now; I have the right sequence, right up to the end. But someone's going to get hurt. Either Shiro gets killed or you get injured. Every time. And there's no way for me to stop it." He looked up at her, tears in his eyes. "I can't save both of you."

Ryoku nodded, gulped, and pulled him into her arms, hugging him tightly, pressing his face against her chest. He hugged her waist fiercely. "It's going to be okay," she told him, placing her hand on his cheek. "I know you'll make the right choice."

"You're sure?" he asked weakly.

She raised her eyebrows in surprise. "I trust you with my life, my heart – my everything. I'm sorry if I ever made you think anything else."

He nodded, letting out a breath, and covered her hand with his own. Pulling her close, he pressed his lips to hers, taking in the scent of her, wishing this moment could last – the two of them together in the middle of a sea of destruction.

"I love you," she breathed against his lips, resting her forehead against his.

Viperion nodded and closed his eyes, resetting his timer for the last time.