Opening song: G-Eazy & Carnage – Gimme Gimme
Time: 4:50PM – Underworld
Liu donned new clothes he received from Rin as he walked down the streets of the underworld. Some may call it paradise or a playground with no rules, but in the end, the hub is simply known as underworld. It's a criminal center that was made by crooks all around the world for common interests of money, power, and respect.
Worst villains, criminals, addicts, mercenaries, killers, psychopaths, and misguided people compose the population of the underworld. Liu knew the inside out of the underworld because not all people are trustworthy to work with. Even though they appear nice on the outside, some can be snakes to stab each other for many reasons. People get killed over small disputes, selling their souls for a pot of gold, or beefs to settle. Then again, it's a daily routine at the underworld.
Why would Liu be at the underworld? Oh yes, Liu has to confront the sender, aka Lion Heart of the anonymous text message he received. Some people eyeballed Liu's attire, but he could care less about them as he approached the meeting place, The Central View restaurant.
The Central View restaurant is one of the criminals' favorite places to relax. It's a disreputable place that the worst criminals of the underworld pass time between missions. The restaurant was packed as usual with crooks minding their own business with firearms on the table. Liu was about to arrange a table, but he saw a boy with a silver lion chain necklace already ordered one with an extra seat for Liu.
Liu walked towards the mysterious boy as he sat on a chair, staring face to face. For starters, the boy had long silver hair that stretched down to his shoulders. He wore a black blindfold as he could not see, but there are ways to see than just his two eyes.
The Japanese boy wore a black leather bomber jacket with a fur trim collar, V-neck white shirt, and black pants with two interconnecting belts, black boots and gloves. Cuffs of fur decorated on his wrists, back, and right waist. The pants held a lion belt buckle, and top it off, his lion necklace that described the blind boy.
The boy's attire was almost similar to Liu's, but he begged to differ because Liu's clothing was subtle approach, minus the fur and belts. Liu put his QSZ-92 on the table with the safety switch off as the latter gently laid down his customized M9 Beretta. Their pistols pointed at each other to show that they are not here to fuck around.
"I have always loved the stars. They give such clarity yet their light is so dim from here in the underworld."
Liu was confused at the boy's greeting as he cleaned the fine China and silverware with a napkin.
"I assume you're Lion Heart, what do you want from me?" Liu questioned.
"Patience, we can still achieve what I promised. I am Raiden Hataru. You are more than just an IS pilot or a member of the Righteousness Union, Liu King-Sang. To call you either is to ignore your true self. It is why you have earned my respect. I called you here so that we might speak undisturbed."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean? I don't even have time to talk to someone as suspicious to wear a blindfold, Squall Leonhart," said Liu in disgust.
Raiden chuckled at the insult Liu hurled. To Raiden, Liu was no threat, and he could have his head served on the platter in an instant. However, Raiden isn't here to fight, he was here to make a deal with the dragon.
"On the contrary, time is all you will need. Besides, you focus too much on the past. All things evolve."
Liu did not like Raiden the moment he talked philosophical. Was this supposed to be an insult to Liu, or to show off his intelligence?
Raiden revealed a hologram and, to Liu's shock, it is the gang, including Chifuyu.
"Your companions. You keep them blind to that of the real world from which you are born."
Raiden pointed out each of the girls and Ichika as Liu stared at the projector.
"The prideful samurai…a naive brother...the arrogant noble...a deranged animal...the angel of wrath...a flawed creation...the mischievous trickster...a fearful child...and a old relic."
Raiden's descriptions of the gang were about right, but Liu did not understood what Raiden really want from him.
"One feeds my passion more than all the others combined," Liu referred to Rin. "We've shared our love together."
"Passion fades with distance. Love withers when it is neglected. Left alone too long, love will seek another."
"I will always be with her, no matter what is thrown at us."
"Each day, they drift further out of reach. Without a center to hold, without us, Tabane's world and all within it spiral into chaos."
"Her fate was already sealed the moment you stepped into each other's lives. The book is already complete."
Liu frowned at Raiden's remark like he was a fortune teller. Raiden, on the other hand kept his cool to continue the conversation.
"They outlived their purpose to you long ago. Yet still, you permit them to live."
Liu thought for a while that he spends most of his time with the gang, but he did not abandon them for the sole purpose of getting Three Dragons.
"They belong together ever since they heard Three Dragons' wrath," Liu replied. "We shared mutual interest of stopping his tracks for good. They are not meant to be thrown away since they are the Academy's best students."
"At least you admit the truth."
The boys stared at the menu for a minute before the waitress came to their table.
"Nǐ hao, nǐ xiǎng chī shénme?" (Hello, what would you like to eat?)
"Wǒ yào zhájiàngmiàn, wǔxiāng yú, báijiǔ, gòngjú." (I want fried sauce noodles, fish cooked with five-spice powder, white alcohol, and Chrysanthemum tea.)
Raiden was somewhat surprised that Liu can also speak Mandarin as he placed an order for his meal. Liu preferred to speak Cantonese, but he will sometimes speak Mandarin depending on the people he is having a conversation with.
"Bento, bonito sashimi, sake, ocha."
The waitress wrote down the orders before she send it to the kitchen. Raiden craned his neck while Liu rested his hands on the table.
"Zhēn yǒu nǐ de," (You're really something else.) Raiden complimented. "Qǐng nǐ duōduō bāohan." (Please bear with me.)
Liu did not take kind at the lion's compliment. "Wǒ bù shì shuō nǐ, wǒ méi shí me yìn xiàng. Nǎr gēn nǎr?" (No offense, I'm not impressed at all. What's that got to do with it?)
"Bù yào fàng zài xīn shàng, Liu," (Don't take it to heart, Liu) Raiden replied.
Liu wished Raiden did not address him in Mandarin as their conversation was a rocky start. The boys took a glance at the criminals chatting with their accomplices as a few patrons stared back in curiosity before diverting their own attention. They know better not to interrupt the Righteousness Union dragon and the mysterious lion.
The waitresses set the food and drinks down for Raiden and Liu as they grabbed their respective dishes. Liu ate his bowl of noodles while Raiden ate his scrupulous traditional bento box.
"Can you sense the predators around us? They smell your weakness, your fears..."
Liu glanced at the criminals again that minded their own business, and he did not believe Raiden's word at all.
"I had always intended to visit the Academy," said Raiden, dipping the sashimi with wasabi and soy sauce. "I thought I would have the time. Delightful."
"Hold up…you were a student from the Academy?"
As Liu ate his seafood dish, Raiden wiped his mouth with a napkin.
"More than you think, Liu," Raiden gestured with his finger. "In the early days of the IS, I alone was the first to pilot them. But I was kept a secret because the politicians believed me to be too...dangerous with my powers. If only the Brunhilde was not so compliant."
Liu appeared somewhat surprised when Raiden mentioned the Brunhilde. "You knew her? Then how come you couldn't have mentioned you and Chifuyu were acquaintances?"
"I wanted to see what Chifuyu would do. In the end, Chifuyu chose to place her trust in you."
"Oh is that so?" asked Liu. "That must have been the reason Rin enrolled me in the Academy to keep my ass out of trouble."
"I granted Chifuyu the freedom to make her own decision. Just as I have with you. I did not force you in my message to meet me."
Liu drank baijiu while the lion ate the remains of his sashimi before downing with hot sake. The Triad gangster was fed up with Raiden still talking philosophical.
"You claim you want to help, but you are still playing the same old head games, Valkorion."
"You ask for a simple answer, yet you look to only the surface and not to the roots or the core of the apple tree."
Liu did not like the conversation that's been going on as they drank their respective beverages. Raiden can tell Liu still has a long way to improve his IS skills as he gave him some useful tips, or so it may be.
"You have mastered the basics of the IS. It is not enough. It never was because you will never be able to beat Three Dragons, even with your IS."
The moment Raiden mentioned the Triad gangster's IS, Nightmare, Liu felt offended that it struck his nerve.
"I'm warning you…you better watch your tongue, Raiden."
"You think secrets grant you power. That striking from the shadows will be enough to stop Three Dragons, you are wrong."
Liu's eyes flare open with sheer incredulity. "... I must have misheard you. You better hope I did, otherwise you're a dead man."
"Nightmare is with you, Triad, but it will not defeat Three Dragons. It never could."
"Do you want me to teach you how to smoke through your forehead?"
Raiden puts his ocha down ominously. "Your IS, weapons, and instincts are not enough to secure victory, Triad. You're nothing more than a common criminal hiding behind a gun. While you have survived many battles, you are merely human, and you have not ascended."
Liu was frozen in pure rage, but it's abruptly gone as he gave a cold dead look in his eyes. "That's a goddamn shame. You just stepped on the edge of a big-ass minefield."
Liu drew his QSZ-92, cocking the hammer and aimed at Raiden's forehead. Those that heard the sound of the steel stopped the commotion to watch the event unfold. Upon closer look, Liu's finger was off the trigger with no intention to kill Raiden. Liu simply gave a warning to Raiden.
Raiden was cool as a cucumber that he did not flinch from being held at gunpoint by Liu.
"Like I said, a real shame that you made do this to you. This is my last warning, Raiden. Don't ever do that ever again, got it?"
Raiden narrowed his senses. "Talking is your greatest talent. It is time I teach you to listen."
Liu cursed in his mind as he calm down his nerves to put his pistol to the table. Liu regretted meeting Raiden, but it's too late to turn around. Liu sighed to give in as Raiden maintained his composure.
"Until you embrace your full potential, you will only be a pawn to fate, never from the master itself."
Instead of talking back, Liu finally listened to what Raiden has to say.
"Your goal is not to survive. It is to rule. There is nothing else."
To rule is something some people can't resist, but Liu did not jumped up and down to beg Raiden of how to achieve it. The boys finished their alcohol as they drank tea.
"Do not mistake a simple machine crafted by a prey of a predator for its potential. It is within the core, the very heart of the IS, where the truth lies, something the both of us have discovered. Not even Tabane can comprehend what she had created."
The Central View was still packed with criminals going in and out of the eatery as more people wait in line to get a table.
"The future is not a river to carry us. It is an ocean in which we drown if we are not prepared."
The more Liu has to hear Raiden talking philosophical, the more he has the urge to draw his gun again. But Liu cannot do that, or he will get nothing out of it.
"The IS Academy. You were always superior to the power hungry fools in charge here. I never understood how you could answer to these naive younglings and their masters, especially if one of them is a foolish, pathetic little brother of a sister."
Liu had his right arm rest behind the chair. "Sometimes I ask myself that question too during my stay at the Academy."
"This Academy is not worth saving and the Righteousness Union is not worth destroying. There is a greater purpose waiting for both of us."
"Yeah I don't agree with you saying the Academy is not worth saving," Liu replied. "I'm not on the same boat as you to have a greater purpose, especially with you."
"The glory of the IS Academy has been tainted by fools who seek power and recognition through the IS itself, but it can be restored. Even now, I have spies within relaying every information to me they can about their superiors, the Brunhilde included."
Liu felt like Raiden wanted to pry him away from Ichika and the girls he lived with. Sure, Liu had some issues, but he felt the connection hanging out with them. There's no way Liu agreed with the comment.
"For years, you survived with your will alone. You slaughtered all those who stood in your way, and never cared for the consequences."
Liu tensed, and then looked at the lion. "That's how criminals function every day. What are you trying to say?"
"You are driven by revenge, but you require fate's compliance." Raiden pointed. "You are above such negotiations. Destiny is merely the conduit of your will."
Liu pretended he understood another philosophical talk while he was getting sick of him talking nonsense. In reality, Raiden talked in English to make Liu comprehend it by himself.
"Three Dragons believed there is no greater power than destiny. And he would do anything to ensure you are swept away. But you know better than him..."
The boys finished their meals, which was the appropriate time for Raiden to discuss the deal.
"I assume that from your recent scars, you must realize that your last tactic will not work again."
Liu's day could not get any worse. First was meeting the philosophical blindfold lion. Second was Raiden's knowledge of Liu tortured by Three Dragons like he was psychic. Liu was really feeling it to show him equal.
"The fuck? How did you know I was…bullshit!"
Raiden remained emotionless, indifferent to everything, yet seemingly genuine.
"The long-lived bird and dragon knew you escaped from their grip when they attempted to extract information out of you about Nightmare. In the end, their pawn was nearly broken into pieces."
"The next time I see that pok gai, I will turn him into mince meat."
"Pitiful. Why did I ever believe you could do anything?"
"You have no idea what I am capable of," Liu replied in a cold tone.
"And neither do you," Raiden retorted. "Therein lays the problem. What Three Dragons did to you is only a fraction of the pain he can cause, and that small scratch pales in comparison to his true power. If you do not finish your training by then, become something greater, you will feel the full weight of your fall."
"Yeah I get what you mean," said Liu. "I have to finish my training in order to defeat Three Dragons."
"I alone know where Three Dragons headquarters are, but every demand comes with a price."
Liu wanted to get to the bottom of this, and Raiden granted the wish by the demands he wanted. Liu sighed as Raiden began the negotiation. Before Raiden began, Liu thought of something he did not like to predict.
"Don't even think about using Rin at all, or I'll slice your sorry ass into Nigiri," Liu warned Raiden.
"At ease, I'm not using anyone but you for the deal."
Liu shook his head while Raiden poured ocha. A waitress set a plate of Daifuku for dessert as Liu took a bite of the mochi stuffed with anko.
"What do you know about Titan –M5?" Raiden questioned, drinking ocha.
Liu remembered the mission he and Laura went to retrieve a sample of the stimulant drug. Not only they found one, they found a whole batch of them that's sitting in the Academy as evidence.
"An illegal stimulant drug made by traitorous scientists made specifically for IS pilots," Liu responded. "They conducted several tests of Titan –M5 to the point it does not show side effects at all."
Raiden acknowledged the answer as the lion asked another question, eating the dessert.
"Do you know where they are produced?"
"A two-story building five miles away from here produced the drugs. Not too long ago, two criminals bought them from a dealer."
Raiden sought interest of Titan –M5 not for consumption, but he wanted one for evidence to catch dangerous crooks easier.
"Very well then, I would like to have one as well in exchange, I'll grant your family, Righteousness Union out of eyesight from law enforcement. Also, I know someone that got a location of Three Dragons' operations."
Liu blinked in confusion at the lion's request.
"You're kidding me, right?" Liu questioned. "You can actually grant immunity to one of the biggest Triad of all?"
Raiden nodded his head that he was serious about it, but Liu sensed distrust from the lion.
"I doubt that you will live up to the end of my bargain."
Raiden responded. "This is not an offer of trust. It's merely a revelation to open your eyes to the truth."
The dragon groaned in disgust that he has no choice, but to accept the deal. "Fine, I'll give you a sample of Titan –M5, but remember the agreement."
Liu already sold his soul to the devil. More like Liu sold his soul to the lion for making a deal with Raiden.
"The Righteousness Union and their consultations in too many ways, you remain bound to that order...as you rightfully should."
"Of course," Liu scoffed the obvious. "That's my family that raised me on my feet to stand."
"We are of one purpose. But your mind is your own. Use it well and you will succeed."
A waiter set the bill, and before Liu could take out his wallet, Raiden already pried his money.
"No need to pay me back," said Raiden, giving the money and the bill to the waiter. "This is my treat for you."
"Fine by me."
Raiden and Liu retrieved their pistols as they leave the restaurant to took a stroll at the underworld. So far, Raiden got Liu cooperating to set a deal with him, which was finding a sample of Titan –M5 for Raiden, and information about Three Dragons. In exchange, Raiden will give Righteousness Union out of trouble from law enforcement, along with revealing Three Dragons' whole operation. A black Toyota Vellfire and Crown Majesta with occupants inside the luxury vehicles observed the boys from the side.
"Target Liu is out in the open. Ladies, you may engage when you're ready."
What the boys did not realize was the occupants inside the black vehicles are gunmen associated with Kaori. Seven gunmen loaded their Glock 22 while the other loaded a Brügger & Thomet MP9, and performed a brass check on their firearms. The two women in the Crown Majesta remained silent as the vehicles drove to the other side for better observation.
"You have two destinies, Liu King-Sang. One, you defeat Three Dragons, claim his resources, and rule the Righteousness Union as Dragon Head. In the other, you die alone, and forgotten. I brought you here to taste that defeat."
"Yeah right, two destinies pain in my ass," Liu scoffed at Raiden. "Get off my dick, bitch."
Raiden looked at Liu indifferent as he glanced at the black Toyota vehicles. Raiden was aware trouble would be brewing, but he did not warn Liu. The boys walked through the nicer part of the underworld filled with several high end stores, cars, cleaner streets, and rich criminals. However, that only meant it's a lot more dangerous than the projects itself.
The two luxury vehicles that spied on the boys sped up, and blocked their path. Without warning, seven gunmen hopped out, and fired their Glock 22, taking cover behind the cars. The boys' fast reaction saved them from being shot at as they dove behind a car, readying their pistols.
"Who the hell are they?" Liu shouted.
"We're here to fuck you up!" said the gunman.
"They speak of envy. Three Dragons' weakness," Raiden replied, opening the passenger doors. "Do not let it be yours."
As the boys open fired their pistols at the criminals, the crowd dispersed immediately upon hearing the gunshots. While they have firearms and unconventional weapons to defend themselves, they know better not to interrupt the battle, or they will end up getting killed in the process, especially Raiden and Liu. The gunmen's .40 S&W pierced through car windshields and metal, shattering the peaceful afternoon with hail of bullets and gunpowder.
Raiden and Liu exchanged fire with Kaori's gunmen, but they were not mere street thugs because they are professional. Kaori's gunmen used the environment to their advantage by firing through windows as they crept at various cars to confuse the boys. Raiden's M9 Beretta ripped through the opposing car doors, but its marks did not hit one of the gunmen. Liu fired his QSZ-92 at the gunmen taking cover behind a pickup truck. The gun battle was a stalemate because none of the gunmen or the boys got shot while the two women in the Crown Majesta calmly watched the shootout, ingesting Titan -M5.
Raiden quickly reloaded his M9 Beretta before he returned fire. A lone gunman fired his MP9 at Liu ducking against the fully automatic fire that lasted two seconds before it ran out of ammo. To draw Liu out of cover, he threw an M26 frag grenade. The small bomb bounced along the sidewalk, and exploded with a 75m range, destroying nearby stores. Smoke erupted from the crater while the gunman reloaded his gun to burst fire.
Raiden shot the gunman in the right arm and collarbone as Liu gunned down the other in the chest. The gunman moved in slowly to get a shot at Liu crouching behind a van. He fired his MP9, however, Raiden found an opening, and fired underneath the car. The bullets shot him in the ankle twice as he stumbled sideways, and fired one handed, but Liu shot him in the right shoulder. The three wounded gunmen did not give up that easily as they fired relentlessly while they dragged themselves behind the cars.
One by one, they found themselves outmatched against Raiden and Liu when their ammunition was depleting. They stopped firing while Liu advanced forward, and Raiden stayed behind cover. This was a costly move for Liu because he was wide open to get shot. The injured gunman reloaded his gun one-handed, since his arm was hurt from the gunshot wound. A stray bullet grazed Liu in the left shoulder that he winced in pain. Liu tried to kill him, but the gunman crawled behind a van to avoid Liu's barrage. Another gunman released the pin of his Mk 2 grenade, and hurled towards Liu. Five seconds before detonation, Raiden dragged Liu behind a car, and the pineapple grenade exploded with shrapnel while the latter continued to fire his QSZ-92.
Once the smoke cleared out from the grenade, a gunman saw the two women exited the vehicle, and he emptied his Glock 22. The gunmen retreat to let the young women finish the job. One woman walked towards the boys, deploying her .61 caliber sub machine gun, and sprayed up the cars with a burst of weaponfire. Liu materialized Nightmare right on time, but he was shocked to see Raiden in his personal IS, Lion Heart.
Raiden was coated in silver fully armored from head to toe. The helmet was shaped like a lion with the lower jaw exposed. The leg armor has some slight telltale signs resembling Rafale Revive Custom II, but it's thinner and more rounded at the knees to give it an aerodynamic look. The armor was angled to counteract melee weapons thanks to its two large smooth spike-like tips that passed the wrists and elbows. Hands are fully claws like that of a lion, but more human. Waist armor had shallower angles to guard crotch and spine. Wings are like Byakushiki, but it's thinner and less bulky.
"Hold up…you didn't tell me you had a personal IS," said Liu.
"As I've said, I was a student at the Academy. Did you not hear me?" Raiden responded, flying upward to engage his opponent.
In response, the rogue IS pilots materialized red Fang Quake as one of them deployed her .81 heavy caliber battle rifle. She cocked her rifle, took aim, and rained down blazing red projectiles. Liu zigzagged across the street, avoiding her semi-automatic fire that destroyed private properties instantly while he fired back with Venom Slug. Liu and the pilot exchanged fire at each other as the former flew over his opponent to get a better kill shot.
Liu's foe pursued him while firing her rifle as projectiles blew past each other so fast one would not be able to see it. The pilot fired her last shot, and she realized her rifle ran out of ammo. Liu saw an opening to turn the tables around. The pilot tried to reload, but Liu swiped it away with his Heavenly Emperor, forcing the latter to draw her katana.
The pilot grunted in frustration, viciously swinging her katana at Liu while he deflected her barrage. Sparks flied from the clashing blades. Liu parried the overhead swing before he countered with a left diagonal cut, followed by a right horizontal slash to the chest. The pilot winced in slight pain as she used her strength to hurl a bus at Liu. He sliced the bus in half, but she launched into the air, and struck Liu in the collarbone with her katana, who then hit her so hard her helmet visor shattered. The pilot swung her katana wildly as Liu sidestepped, and cleaved off her weapon. She tried to draw her wakizashi, but Liu slammed her into a store.
Smoke and debris erupted from the ruined store. The battle ended with the pilot heavily damaged, but she was alive and dazed.
Up in the air, Raiden exchanged fire at his opponent with his twin gunblade, Blazefire Saber while his foe fired relentlessly with her sub machine gun. Raiden ducked under from the hail of bullets and shot multiple times, only for the projectiles to explode at each other. Raiden evaded the pilot's rain of fire with a twirl motion.
Raiden's foe jumped over him and onto a wall before Raiden charged forth and sliced her gun in two. She seemed to have submitted defeat, only for her to pull out her katana, catching Raiden by surprise as he nearly dodged the attack. She then takes to the skies with Raiden in pursuit before their blades, flying in all directions.
The two of them crashed through a building during which a chase was given while dodging debris. Landing on a roof of another building, the pilot clenched her katana before Raiden appeared from behind, and fired two lascannons from his shoulders. The impact shot her in the chest, but she managed to avoid Raiden's vertical strike. The pilot was overwhelmed by the lion's sheer force as she tried to evade the hail of lasers. Raiden broke her defense with a shot to the stomach. The pilot clutched in pain before she was pummeled by the lion's slash before he delivered a knee to the face sent her flying and crashed against a wall.
She slashed away the sword pointed at her neck and swung her katana in a frenzied pace at Raiden, only for him to dodge, and punched the pilot. In a fit of rage, she launched forward with a last resort stab until Raiden disarmed her katana. Raiden threw the pilot into the air, unleashing a series of slashes at the pilot, destroying her energy shields with blood being drawn out. After one last stab, Raiden threw her to the ground so hard she created a giant crater. She couldn't move due to her wounds as Raiden descended and pointed his gunblade to her neck.
The boys deactivated their personal IS, dragging the pilots onto the sidewalk to begin the interrogation.
"Who sent you here?" Liu said, grabbing the IS pilot by the collar.
"You're never going to get answers from me," the IS pilot replied, gritting her teeth.
Raiden nodded at Liu to make her talk as Liu pressured at the enemy pilot. The other IS pilot was in no better shape because she was out of energy to fight back. She tried to get up, but her body said no.
"Bring in the table."
Liu dragged the pilot onto the electric saw table as Raiden turned the machine on. The jagged saw spun at high rate of speed as Liu continued to grab the pilot's collar.
"Stop, stop!"
"Let me ask you this question once again, who sent you here?"
The pilot had her hands up as fear drew close to her face. She tried to resist, but every time she did, Liu slowly pushed her head near the saw. The once defiant pilot turned into a harmless scared puppy while the back of the head was inches away from being torn to shreds.
"I don't know, I don't know because I'm not allowed to ask the order I was given!"
"What do you mean you don't know?"
Liu was getting irritated from the pilot playing dumb while in reality, she was being honest.
"I was supposed to break you in exchange for large sum of money."
Liu growled as he pushed her head again when she resisted. A small strain of her hair was sliced into ribbons while Raiden kept a stoic face to watch the interrogation.
"It is merely a simple question to answer. Do not make this worse for yourself than you already have," Raiden warned the pilot. "You're making this worse for yourself."
The pilot tried to speak, but her words won't come out of her mouth due to the immense fear that clouded all over. Liu has the upper hand to end her right away, but he won't get anything out of it.
"I-I...I-"
"Well?" Liu questioned. "Stalling will not work on me."
"Ok, ok! Three Dragons sent me here to give you warning shots when you escaped from his captivity," the pilot pleaded. "Three Dragons gave me Titan -M5 to complete the job. I received my IS from Kaori's supplier, Riichi."
Liu growled like a dragon as he pushed her head a fraction of an inch against the spinning saw. He got what he needed, but Liu and Raiden were not completely finished yet.
"How do I get to them?"
"I only talk to him by phone."
Liu was pissed at the pilot that continued to be defiant, and gave one final push at the saw as small strains of hair were chipped away. One more push could mean having her head turned into a modern art masterpiece.
"Tell me, and I might let you live, you stupid fucker."
"I only talk to him by phone. Here, take it!" The pilot yelled in despair, throwing Titan –M5. She hoped it would ease off the raging dragon.
Liu thought momentarily to make his decision. Either Liu can end the pilot right away, or spare her to not bring unnecessary body count. Liu initially thought of the first choice, but he will not be satisfied by the outcome. Instead, Liu spared the pilot's life as he was done with her. Liu threw the pilot face first to the ground, snatching her iPhone 7 that contained Riichi's contact information, and Titan –M5.
The other pilot's hands were encased in chains, each side holding her arms up. She was on her knees, beaten and bloodied up. Yet ever so, she remained defiant. Unlike her comrade who became fearful of her death, this one claimed she feared nothing. But that will be put to the test.
Raiden approached his prisoner in chains and merely stared at her. When she looked up, she sneered at him. With her teeth showing and her face angry, she tried to lunge at Raiden, but the chains held her down. Raiden was unmoved, keeping his composure as Raiden asked a question.
"Do you know what the secret to life is?" asked Raiden in his usual voice. The pilot remained silent. Walking back and forth, Raiden continued.
"A man can have anything, if he is willing to sacrifice."
With that, Raiden moved his hand gently onto his prisoner's face grasping her head. Then, her eye opened up as flashbacks of her past are seen within her vision. The first vision was of her happy memories, her birth and her parents.
"With your birth came a solemn vow from your parents."
She then remembered playing in the fields with her father and mother before they lay down on the ground looking up to the sky. "You would have nothing. Your privilege is the dirt."
The pilot struggled against Raiden as images of her good life came about.
"In the darkness..." Her vision suddenly became black. "Only death awaits you."
Suddenly, the pilot saw something truly terrifying that not even Liu would want to know. She saw visions of her house on fire, the blood soaking the ground, and screams of terror and death lurking around her as spirits of the deceased people she had killed come back to her, her parents included.
"The oath you swore, the promises you made...are now nothing."
The pilot struggled and then said "Damn you!"
"And when darkness finds you, you fear to face it alone."
Screaming in agony of the vision, Raiden let go of his hand and the pilot gasped for air. Sweat poured from her face as she tried to regain her current vision, her interrogator standing over her.
"You killed your parents with the IS, a weapon never meant to be used in war. And with that betrayal, you struggled alone."
"No! It-It was an accident. I never meant to kill them!" said the pilot with a hint of tears falling from her eyes.
"Now you only work for one who pulls your strings and denies you that which you seek. You are not even worthy to be among the living. But before you depart, I shall ask you of this: What was the purpose of this ambush? Confess and I will let go. Refuse...and I will still let you go."
The IS pilot was confused. What exactly did he mean to let her go? Was this some sort of trick? But seeking salvation, she answered,
"Kaori sent us…we were nothing more than mercenaries sent to rough Liu up as a warning we will get him. In return, we get our payment from Three Dragons."
Raiden was satisfied, but he did not show it. In his mind, this girl had been nothing more than a pawn, a puppet pulled by the strings of the handler. Kneeling down and feigning pity, Raiden says,
"You will have plenty of time to think of your decisions."
With that said, Raiden and Liu confiscated the pilots' IS, and walked away as sirens were getting closer. The pilot still in chains tried to break free, but her resistance was futile.
"You're making a big mistake, you hear? My people are going to cut you into pieces!"
The boys ignored the pilot's threatening messages that she was already defeated. By the time they were out of sight, cops showed up to clear the scene, not before paramedics arrived to treat the injured pilots with medical treatment. After they were cleaned up, officers placed black masks over the pilots' head to hide their identities from the media as they arrested them with ease. They were too tired to resist as they walked in shame with criminals spectated the incident before they were placed in the police cruiser.
By the time cops and paramedics disbursed, the eight gunmen were dazed and injured, but not before they were left standing by a crowd of pissed off criminals. Kaori's gunmen will be forced to pay the damages through labor for disturbing the peace, and pay the damages they caused.
Raiden and Liu walked far enough away from the scene as they entered a massage parlor. By the time the boys undressed themselves with a towel around their waist, the masseuses were star struck at their muscular bodies. As the boys lie on the bed, they applied massage oil on the boys' body, massaging their muscles.
"Your lack of progress is disturbing," said Raiden. "Your injury from that fight proves that your training is incomplete, for you will never be able to defeat Three Dragons from where you are now."
"You keep saying that I have to become something greater, but you never tell me what that means."
"You demand a simple answer, refusing to look for it within. That is the essence of your failure."
Liu frowned at Raiden's statement as he closed his eyes. Not only Liu did not like Three Dragons, he did not take a liking to Tabane for what she had done to him, primarily when she and Three Dragons held him captive to test out his new IS, Nightmare.
"Trix the dippy rabbit is a genius," said Liu. "However, that does not mean she can rightfully claim the throne to be God."
"The rabbit…I once thought she held the secrets of the IS that even extended to immortality," said Raiden. "Ultimately, I was wrong."
Liu was a little flabbergasted, but was immortality through IS really possible? The ability to stay eternal and live young forever?
"The search for immortality is a dangerous one." said Liu without providing any caution in his voice.
"Only to those limited by their own flesh. Or to those who seek it out of fear of death or of blind ego." said Raiden. "But the body is just a shell, a vessel for the spirit."
"Then who could have the secrets, someone from Phantom Task?"
"Precisely, however, Madoka was far more dangerous than the creator of IS. Unchecked, Madoka was a threat to everything I had planned. And to herself. Her power had to be contained."
"If Madoka was such a threat, you should've killed her years ago," Liu replied.
"In a way, I still felt a slight bit of pity for her. In her, I saw aspects of myself. I thought she could one day become something greater like her sister. But she failed in the end."
"…"
Time: 6:35PM – Academy
The trip to the underworld came to an end as Raiden and Liu walked on the outskirts of the IS Academy. The sun was down as the afterglow of sunset lingered on the horizon.
"The IS Academy. I clung to that place for too long before I cast it aside as a failed institution," said Raiden in displeasure. "I spent three years in that place. You cannot imagine the reality of what I went through."
Liu cocked his eyebrow. "Why did you call the Academy a failed institution?"
Raiden dodged the question. "This is the empty husk I left behind. But the students could still prove useful to help you take out Three Dragons."
Much to Liu's confusion, Raiden did not answer the dragon's question.
"Fulfill your destiny, and perhaps one day I will return."
Liu shook his head. "I came to meet you because you had vital information. That doesn't meant I want to see you ever again. If you ever come back again, I'll be ready to finish you off."
"You have received all that I can give-for now. One day, there may be more, until then..."
Liu gave Raiden Titan -M5 as part of the deal while Raiden threw Fang Quake standby mode at Liu before he turned his back to walk away. "Just so you know I have never been your enemy. Remember that, and be victorious."
Liu sighed in relief that Raiden was out of sight as he did not want to see his blindfolded face ever again. Liu need a rest from meeting with the philosophical, dangerous lion.
Chifuyu stepped up to him. "Did you have fun going to the underworld?"
Liu nodded. "Better to go out for some fresh air instead of being caged up at this Academy."
The Brunhilde watched the amusement in his face as she kept her cool composure.
"You may be right on that," Chifuyu breathed. "But you did not go to bring us souvenirs. Tell me this, Liu. Did you happen to meet a certain blindfolded boy?"
Liu's eyes never left Chifuyu's serious stare as there's no point to hide. "I just did, and he was a headache to work with."
Chifuyu groaned that Liu struck a deal with Raiden because she had history with him. "I made a deal with him once. Let's just say that it didn't end up exactly how I imagined it would be."
"I assume you two had quite a friendship back then," Liu scoffed.
"A few years ago, I enlisted the help of Raiden to oversee and take out some dangerous crooks, Three Dragons among them before he found out about the IS. This was supposed to be a simple operation of kill or capture, but the methods and techniques Raiden used were...disturbing, to say the least."
Chifuyu had a flashback of her meeting Raiden at a parking lot to give him a list of missions to nab high profile criminals. Chifuyu thought Raiden would be a perfect candidate to complete the tasks, but Raiden had different ways to accomplish them.
"His superiors, though acknowledging he got the mission done, became unpleasant, especially me when I saw the images and videos of what he had done to obtain information. They suspected Raiden to have used advanced techniques derived from me, but I denied them whatsoever, never going that far. I did not expect a lion like him to be so unpredictable and so dangerous, two combinations never to be found in a person ever. Afterwards, Raiden went dark, retreating and plotting as he has always done. To what end or purpose, I do not know. Now he's shown up again, and who knows how much time had passed since I last saw him, not that I ever wanted to see him again. The moral of this story: never make a deal with someone who would achieve their goal by any means necessary."
Liu should have ignored Raiden's text message so he would not be in this predicament. Too bad the dragon struck a deal with a lion, though Liu got what he wanted the most; Three Dragons' location of his operations that will be crucial to Operation Exorcist.
"Raiden is nothing but emotionless and indifferent to everything. He doesn't even care of the casualties lost. He is defined by logic and philosophy alone and that makes him even more dangerous."
"I hate the way Raiden talked to me like he's Valkorion, but in the end, I gave Raiden Titan –M5 as he returned the favor of granting my family immunity, along with Three Dragons' location of his operation."
Chifuyu sighed that the lion went to the extent of giving Righteousness Union a shield to not get nabbed by the feds, which she has huge distaste against organized crimes. Liu received a text message from Raiden that contained the location of Three Dragons' operations. Liu revealed it to the Brunhilde, acknowledging the lion's honesty.
"This is important to begin Operation Exorcist soon enough," said Chifuyu, reading the map. "If I were you, take caution next time you ever see Raiden again. The lion is unpredictable because Raiden is not the type of person to make deals with him."
Liu nodded slowly. "I will be careful, Chifuyu. Until then, I need to get some shut eye."
Chifuyu walked back to her office as she read the files related to Operation Exorcist. The Brunhilde was almost done completing the blueprint as she wrote notes on the pictures of important key figures. Chifuyu poured a cup of Scotch whiskey, and took a full swing of it to ease her mind.
Every time Chifuyu stared at Three Dragons, Kaori, and Shen's name, she placed her hand on her chin ponderously. Chifuyu highlighted their names in blue marker as she took another cup of Scotch. In her mind, Chifuyu heard a chuckle from Raiden, knowing that he is in the shadows.
Gloat while you can, Three Dragons, but just so you know, you will collapse from the hands of the law, especially you…Shen.
While Liu was sleeping, he heard a demonic lion growl, indicating Raiden might strike again.
This chapter took me a while to write it out, though it was a fun one. Shouts out to TalonAlpha3 for contributing this chapter, and portraying his character, Raiden Hataru as a special guest appearance. Check out his story, "Lion Heart: Vengeance of a God."