Opening song: "Until The World Goes Cold" by: Trivium

Asuka and I make our way through the busy city streets. Even a month before the holiday, people are out in force. Almost every store has some kind of Christmas decoration. Green wreathes dressed with ornaments and red ribbon hang on every door.

"Alan, do you still believe in Santa?" Asuka asks.

"I sure do. Why else would people be celebrating his arrival?"

Asuka giggles and shakes her head. She thinks I'm crazy that I still believe in Santa Claus. That man is real. I know he is, and no one can tell me otherwise. Even though I never seen him. The man has to have sneak skills far greater than any shinobi. Even more so than my instructor Sayuri, and I didn't even think that was possible.

"Have you decided what you wanted for Christmas?" Asuka asks.

"You and the Hanzo girls gave me a place to call home. What more could I want?"

I can sense that there are a lot of shinobi and hunters here in town other than the Hanzo girls. Returning warriors, male and female trainees, I can even feel a presence that matches mine, but I don't know anyone other than Oliveria that could take me on directly.

We make it outside the city walls, and Asuka pulls out Oktitohbi's (White Frost) stone. In a burst of light, he appears.

"Alan! You've returned!" Oktitohbi cheers as Asuka and I pat his painted face.

"I sure have. How have you been?"

"Better now that I know my master is still alive."

I figure Asuka is going to want to be the one guiding. She usually does when we ride together. Mainly because Asuka gets more exhilaration when she's leading. I knew the moment I taught her how to ride a horse, Oktitohbi would eventually become hers. That's just how it goes.

I step in the stirrup and scoot to the back of the saddle. Asuka places her brown leather shoe into the stirrup and stands. I reach out and Asuka grabs hold of my hand and balances herself before throwing her leg around.

The sole of her shoe brushes against the black leather stirrup with a crisp sound. I put my hands on her hips. The fabric of her skirt touches the pads of my fingers, and a feeling of happiness comes over me.

This is something I haven't felt in a while. Even though Asuka and I have ridden together countless times, every experience feels just like my first when her and Astoreth chased Hades off in the wasteland. Nothing like the refreshing memory of Asuka saving me from drowning and protecting me while I was vulnerable.

Asuka gives Oktitohbi a gentle spur and he starts walking. She spurs again and he moves into an escalating gallop. His hooves dig into the snow and throws up a cloud of white dust that gently falls in between the rays of sunlight that is able to pass through the grey above.

Oktitohbi takes us through the very edge of the forest and into the shallow woods. Most of the branches have been stripped bare and coated in a thin layer of frozen rain. Asuka manipulates the reins and Oktitohbi hops over a fallen tree and gets on a path. A path Asuka and I used to teach Hibari how to ride before my deployment.

"How's training been going?" I ask.

"Good. Astoreth has been showing us non-traditional ways of fighting, and I think we've certainly improved since you and Daigon have been gone."

"Non-traditional as in?"

"She works one on one with each of us for a week and then we fight her. I knew she would be difficult, but that word doesn't even compare to what Astoreth can really do." Asuka states.

"Well she is a fallen elder god that was a yoma general at once."

"One night, me and Astoreth were talking, and I mentioned you coming for me in Ursania. Astoreth shared her past and showed me what happened as a direct result from living a life like her's."

I close my eyes and try to forget the horrors Astoreth had faced. She spent centuries committing unspeakable atrocities. Many times, Daigon begged her to stop because he learned that if humanity was punished for their sins, it would be triple for a god. What she dismissed as a myth humans used to give one another hope came back in full force.

Astoreth's husband and child were both eaten alive by Kagura. When Shen found out that Astoreth failed, she was captured, cut open, mutilated and defiled multiple times by Shen. Even though Daigon, and the Honored Elders came to her rescue, they were too late.

Astoreth lost her dignity, the ability to have children, and the bones of her husband, her son as well as Daigon's family were forged to make the current set of armor Jonathan wears when he goes out to hunt. Armor that will eventually befall his son, Octavian.

Asuka leads Oktitohbi to a patch of undisturbed snow and slides off, "I hope you still remember how to ride a horse."

"Well it would be rather unfortunate if something were to happen."

I slide up to the front and Asuka climbs back behind me. Her arms wrap around my waist as I grab the black reins and let out a distinct whistle. Oktitohbi slowly rears up on his back legs and lets out a powerful neigh. Asuka clings to me as she nearly slides off the back of the saddle. He blasts off and jumps back onto the main path heading back to town.

"You did that on purpose!" Asuka sneers.

"Me? No. I'd never do something like that. Oktitohbi was just excited to see me. Right boy?" I snicker as I pat his side.

"Certa res ducem. Propterea tradidi Asuka tempus agere (Sure thing boss. That's why I gave Asuka time to react)."

"I heard my name in that statement! What did he say!?"

"I was just doing what Alan trained me to do." Oktitohbi answers.

"I knew it!"

"I was just telling him to speed up!" I giggle.

Asuka tightens her grip around my waist, "If you wanted me to hold on tighter, you should have asked."
"Yeah, but where's the fun in that?"

The both of us laugh as I lead Oktitohbi over to where there is a small chasm. Down below is a frozen river that has carved out a small, eroded rut. Oktitohbi speeds up to a very fast pace and jumps. Asuka squeals from the thrill of slightly coming off the horse and landing back in the saddle.

"Mom and dad should be home now." Asuka says.

"Alright then."

That's enough fun for one day I guess. There will be more to have later. The war is over, and I can reject any contracts offered to me. Even after I gave all my money away to ensure that kids in orphanages didn't get trapped in this lifestyle, I still have more than I know what to do with.

Bills, generous donations to feeding the poor and keeping Minori in school barely does anything to the amount of money I'm still making. I'm even making more than I did as a hunter because a majority of what I do is considered legal now, but that's not the real reason why I switched sides.

When I decided to trade my hunter title for a shinobi one, I did it with intentions of not only protecting Asuka, Minori and the Hanzo and Gessen girls, but to protect what's left of the good hunters as well as the only two people left in my clan, Jonathan and Octavian.

It was a decision I didn't want to make, but it is easier to gain intel when you are within a certain circle of people. When I knew of someone receiving an assignment that involved killing a family of good hunters, I made sure the person giving the contract didn't hold up to their end of the bargain. Dead men can't sign paychecks. Therefore, there was no reason for the shinobi to complete the mission.

Oktitohbi takes us to the other side of the city and stops. I let Asuka slide off first before I get down. She holds up his stone and Oktitohbi returns to his seal in a small flash of blue light and snow.

"It's good to have you back Alan." Oktitohbi radiates from the stone.

"It's good to be back."

Asuka takes the lead and we both head back into the city. Various scents and aura's of different shinobi and hunters permeate this part of town. Even though we are several miles away from where I first starting detecting them. One in particular is extremely strong.

I know for a fact Oliveria is somewhere in this town along with the rest of Hebijo, but even with all the power she has, it still can't match this. The thought of not knowing who this is drives me crazy. It isn't Astoreth's because I'm accustomed to the amount of power she has now, but the aura is nearly identical to her's.

"I forgot to tell you; Jonathan wants to see you as soon as possible. I was talking to him yesterday and he asked if you could come by when you get back." Asuka says.

"Yeah. I'll go by and see him."

I'm guessing Jonathan wants to give me some kind of post war evaluation to make sure that the power I gained from all the killing isn't messing with my soul. If that's the case, then I may have to go back to taking a shot every day. Hopefully my body will be accustomed to it now, and the shots can be in intervals of every four to five days.

The house Asuka's parents live in hasn't changed much since the last time I've been here. Other than all the Christmas decorations that dress the house. Multicolored bulbs of light outline the roof, and a green wreathe with red ornaments rest on the front door.

Asuka's knuckles rap on the door and she steps back. While we wait, I check the environment around us. For some reason, I feel like we are being watched by an unseen force. Not like a yoma or a shinobi, but something similar to a fallen elder god or a nameless one.

The aura is absolute madness rather than a murderous one. Most fallen elder gods or yoma desire bloodshed, but this one feels like it has the urge to bring happiness through chaos. There's even a euphoric feeling deep down whatever is out there.

I look over at Asuka, but she isn't detecting it. If she can't detect it, then this thing has to be higher than SSS rated. The only way I can detect it is I recently became GG rated according to Jonathan when the field surgeon sent him some of my blood samples during the war.

Jonathan explained that he was working on an experiment that would help me out with my condition, but he needed to know where I stood on the rating scale. I was SS rated until I killed Roger, then I shot up to the highest ranking, G. Which is why my power was out of control to the point I was having to take shots.

Jonathan explained in a letter he sent me that the reason most shinobi can't sense extremely powerful beings is because of the huge gap in power. Asuka recently became an S rated shinobi, so she can sense anyone or anything within her ranking or below, but she can't sense anything higher than SSS. That's why back in Urasania, my sister Miyabi was able to quickly hunt Asuka down, but unable to sense me because Asuka was AAA rated, Miyabi was S, and I was G.

The front door finally opens and I return my attention to Asuka to avoid looking paranoid. Even though I know something sinister is out there.

"Mom!" Asuka yells as she wraps her arms around the woman standing in the doorway.

The woman is a spitting image of her daughter. Her hazel hair is long and free flowing. The only notable difference between Asuka and her mom is the eyes. Asuka's is slightly darker than her mother's. Body wise, they are built the same but her mom is a little bit taller.

Her father comes to the door and Asuka's mom backs off while he hugs his daughter. His hair is short and black, and his eyes are also a brown color but they are darker than Asuka's. I guess Asuka's eyes are a combination of both her mom and dad.

The urge to turn back around is overwhelming. It feels like whatever is watching us is standing right behind me. A cold wisp of air blows over my neck. Almost like someone taking a deep breath and exhaling on me intentionally. It isn't the wind because the wind is blowing from the east, and I'm getting hit with air on both sides of my body.

"Alan!" Asuka's mom motions for me to come over.

I ignore my desire to turn around, put my best smile on and give her mom a quick hug. Since she isn't detecting whatever I am, Asuka's mom has to be a SSS max. Her dad isn't even a shinobi so he's not going to feel anything. It's scary knowing that there is something out, and I can't tell anyone. Otherwise, they may think I'm mad.

"Madness solves everything." I hear a voice whisper within the wind followed by a demented giggle.

Chills rage all throughout my spine, but I keep my composure to avoid making a scene. There's no way someone couldn't hear that, but Asuka and her family continue onward with my return. I shake hands with her dad.

"Good to see that you came back. We worried everyday about you. It was always a relief when you sent a return letter." Asuka's mom says.

"Well it was very comforting when you and your husband would send me letters." I reply as I take my boots off and sit them by the front door next to Asuka's shoes.

The presence that was stalking us is now gone. Although I feel that it's just lying in wait outside until Asuka and I leave tonight. If that's the case, then I better be ready for anything tonight.

"May I be excused temporarily? I need to wash up before supper." I ask as I store my kopis next to Asuka's katana in the living room weapon rack.

"Sure thing Alan." Asuka's mother says as she points up to the next floor.

"Thank you."

I lock the door behind me and pull out a handful of hell shot cartridges I soaked in liquid mercury a couple days ago. On the battlefield, Daigon taught me that if you soak your hell shot in liquid mercury, then the rounds still retain all the strength of hellshot, but also gains the benefits and divine damage quicksilver is so effective at.

I pull out the gun that replaced my old revolver and open the golden tube at the end of the barrel. One by one, the glossy black shells slides down and fill to the maximum capacity of fourteen rounds. I stick my middle finger in the lever and flick my wrist.

The momentum forces the gun to swivel around my finger, causing the lever to chamber a round and pull the hammer back in one clean motion as it returns to the original firing position in my hand.

Since the lever has to be pulled every time, I installed a small crank off to the side of the frame that allows me to rotate. Every crank equals one extra bullet fired. Crank it six times, the weapon will fire six times in rapid secession before stopping. I stick it back in my holster and wash my hands.

Asuka, and her parents are all sitting at the dinner table. Almost like every time I eat with Asuka, it's futomaki old man Hanzo made. Which I don't have an issue with. On the battlefield, rations and water got old really quick, but it was all we had. The only good part was the peanut butter, honey and instant coffee, but there wasn't a lot of that.

Every once in a while, Daigon and I would patrol around and come across a fairly good sized yoma that made for a nutritious meal, but we had to eat fast before someone seen us. The heart was all I would eat. The soul was for Kagura, and the vital bones went towards upgrading my equipment. Daigon liked the ham, and the both of us would half the backstrap. Best eaten when raw. Although we did make sweet jerky and instant regeneration elixirs (I.R.E) whenever we could.

I sit in the chair between Asuka and her mother while her father sits across from me. My plate has already been fixed, and there is some kind glass of green, bubbly fluid. Three rolls of the futomaki sit on the plate. Red sriracha sauce spiderwebs all across the rolls and even decorate the plate.

I wait until her father starts eating before I begin. I honestly don't know much about their customs so I'm just using the basics of what Roger and Yumi taught me when we would eat with Kurokage at Gessen. Roger didn't start eating until Kurokage took the first bite. Even if we sat there for ten minutes talking.

I pick up a piece of the sushi and take a bite the same time Asuka does. Although this stuff has never had a real taste to me, it's certainly more flavorful than those rations on the battlefield.

"Thank you for the food." I state.

"You are welcome Alan. By the way, who made your equipment?" Asuka's father asks.

"Yeah. It's got a very unique design." The mother adds.

"My guardians made it for me. One was from the region of Gaul, and the other came from Sparta. They made my equipment by mixing metals from the country they called home." I reply as I take a sip of the soda. The green liquid doesn't have much zip to it, but it does taste fairly good. Almost like a green apple lolipop except in liquid form.

"How did you get those guardians?" Her father asks.

"They were passed down to me when my best friend was killed in action. The guardian I currently had went to his little brother while I adopted the two new ones."

"I'm sorry Alan. We didn't know." Asuka's dad says.

"No, it's fine. I get asked that all the time."

I don't dare say their names because that may cause problems later on down the line. The good thing is with Asuka's mom being a shinobi, she knows when to quit since she's more than likely lost people she cared about.

There is a small awkward pause in the conversation. Asuka and I continue eating like nothing happened.

"So what was it like out there?" Asuka's mom asks.

"I worked twelve hours on, twelve hours off, seven days a week. Ikaruga's step father was our commander, and he would give me and this man named Daigon the day off occasionally. His son Murasame would come by and visit us."

The real reason Ikaruga's father had us sit battles out was because of the notoriety Daigon was gaining with the new recruits as well as the veterans. Because of the number of evil hunters Daigon was killing on the battlefield, plus his rousing speeches, people looked to him for strength and guidance rather than the commanders. If the leaders gave him too many battles, then all the men would forget who was in charge, and we can't have that. God forbid anyone look up to anyone other than those in charge.

"On our down time, Daigon and I would spar with the new recruits and Murasame for fun. That's if I wasn't trying to sleep or write letters to send back home."

We all finish our food around the same time. Since I'm their guest, I'll clean the plates and cups.

"Thank you again for the food." I say as I stack Asuka's dishes on top of mine.

"You're welcome Alan." Asuka's mom replies as she stacks her dishes.

I gather all the plates and cups. Above the sink rests a window overlooking the back yard. Since her parent's place is close to the city walls, it's a lot darker in this part of the area. Shadows completely shroud everything in a cloak of darkness. Even the snow looks like black vapor as it falls from the sky. Dusk arrived way too soon for my liking.

This ominous feeling comes over me as I scrub the left-over sauce off the plates with some soap and steel wool. My senses are flaring up, and my nerves are through the roof with anxiety. I know there's something out there, and it's waiting for me and Asuka to leave.

Asuka's parents are both in the living room while Asuka is cleaning the table off. Now's my chance. I close my eyes and draw some darkness from my soul. A stream of power flows from my chest and up into my eyes.

The sclera of my right eye forms a black lens, and my iris turns red. The darkness outside the house turns orange, and the outline of the backyard fence is highlighted. My eyes trace the wall as I try and find whatever is hiding in the dark. Several sets of footsteps mar the snow, but I still can't see anything. Asuka approaches me with some extra dishes.

"I'll help you Alan." She says as she dumps them in the sink of bubbly water.

I pull the power back, and my eye turns back to the normal white and green color. Should I tell her that there is something out there? Or would she think I'm just mad and I need another shot? No. Asuka is happy, and I'm not going to trouble her mind with this. At least not yet.

"Is something wrong Alan?" Asuka asks.

"No, I'm just trying to take in the fact that I'm finally home for now." I reply as I hold a plate and she scrubs.

The fibers scrape off the debris into the water. I dip it under the surface and rise the suds off with some running water.

"Hey Asuka, you got something on your face."

"Where?"

"Here."

I cup my hand into the soap and touch the tip of her nose with the suds. A huge bubble pops and splashes all over her face and chest. Asuka squeals and wipes her nose. She grabs the sink sprayer and blasts me in the face with a stream of cold water. All the nerves in my cheeks go numb for a second as the cold water's hand slaps me across the face.

"Stop it! Before your mom sees!" I whisper as I try to wipe the excess water off the floor with a towel.

"You started it!" She replies as she puts the sprayer up and helps me clean the floor up.

In the living room, I can hear Asuka's parents laughing at our small quarrel. Asuka grabs some more towels, and the both of us finish wiping up all the water that splashed in the floor. I grab the towels and throw them in the washing machine while Asuka finishes putting up the dishes.

"I was hoping we would have some time to visit, but it's getting dark and we don't have a place for you and Asuka to stay." Asuka's mom says.

"Well I'm back for good now. Asuka and I will definitely be back, and the four of us can celebrate before I head to Gessen to visit my step sister for the holiday."

Asuka and I grab our weapons, put our shoes on and prepare to head back outside. Because I'm pretty sure whatever it was is still lingering around, I'd prefer Asuka and I get back to the academy fast. Asuka steps out into the bitter cold and puts her mittens on. The moment I step outside, the chill of the snowy wind slaps the water on my face.

"Bye mom! Bye dad!" Asuka yells as the both of us wave goodbye.

"Bye Asuka! Take care of my little girl Alan!" Asuka's dad shouts as him and his wife wave back.

"Sure thing Boss!"

The both of us exit the front gate and start walking in the direction of the school. Dim street lights above radiate an eerie blue color that occasionally flickers. The streets are abandoned and all the shops are closed up. The icy wind picks up and lets out a mighty howl. Reflections from the full moon are the main light source since the street lights are unreliable.

That feeling comes back that we are being watched. I look up on the rooftops and try to find whatever is stalking us. Nothing. Whatever this is, it's not a shinobi, or a hunter. The desire for blood isn't even aimed at me. The moon is full, but this thing isn't a lycanthrope. Lycanthropes don't hide, or wear high heels.

I put my arm around Asuka's waist and pull her in. She puts her arm around me and lays her head on my shoulder. I pullout my handgun and gently hide it behind my back. It's charged and ready to go. If something does go sideways, Asuka can use my gold talisman to teleport to safety while I deal with the threat.

Not only that, there's no one around. Which is extremely rare in this city. Even late at night, there's always a crowd somewhere.

"I need to stop by the convenient store and use the restroom." Asuka says as she points at the only place on the street that appears to have some kind of interaction. All the lights are still on, and the neon sign pulses with vibrate colors.

"Alright, I'll be waiting out here."

Asuka heads into the store while I brush a huge blanket of snow off the bench and sit down in the darkness. Now's my chance to see what's after us. I close my eyes and draw full power. Darkness swallows both of my eyes. The irises become slightly irritated but finally succumb to the power and change color.

Standing on the other side of the street is a black figure shaped like a woman. She smells of tea, and a freshly baked cake. I can't make out the details of what she's wearing, but she doesn't look like a very friendly being. I return the power back to my soul and revert back.

She's still invisible, but the imprint of her high heels leave a marking in the snow. One of her shoes touch a grate free of snow and she slightly appears for a second. The moment she steps off, she completely disappears. The small glimpse I caught of her was a menacing smile full of saw shaped teeth.

"Enough of the ghost bullshit! What do you want!?" I say as I stand up and step into the street light.

"Well, Milady wasn't joking when she said you're straight forward." The voice from earlier states.

The outline of her psychotic smile appears first. Shark like teeth protrude out her somewhat evil, but joyful smile. Red streams down her mouth and stains the white ground below her feet. Two purple dots burst out from the darkness. Inside those purple irises are unique etchings that resemble small hearts that wrap around the entirety of her pupils.

Parts of her body start to flash, and the woman finally reveals herself. Her skin is more pale than a yoma general's, and her white dress is stained with blood that has faded over countless years. White teeth inside her mouth are drenched with crimson and reek of yoma. Judging by the fresh blood that stains her hands, she just finished dinner, now she's looking for dessert.

"I have strict orders not to kill the little Hanzo kitten yet." The woman says as she licks all the blood off both of her hands. "But milady didn't say anything about taking a finger or two from her, or maybe a leg…"

I pull out my pistol the same time she does. The barrel of her pepperbox pistol is only an inch away from my face while my pistol barrel kisses the white skin of her forehead. We stare into each other's eyes with a gaze that cannot be broken.

"You may out rank me, but you will not lay a finger on her." I state as my demonic tentacles slowly drape over my shoulder and coil themselves up into a striking position.

"Oh, we'll see about that, but for now, milady gave me explicit orders not to harm the little girl for your sake."

She holsters her weapon and pulls out an elegant looking letter. I already recognize the initials, and the gold seal on the back. This woman must belong to Oliveria. That would explain how she knew me and why she keeps calling Asuka the Hanzo kitten.

The woman pulls something out from behind her back. A decorated kitchen knife with a heavily stained black blade is staked all the way though the middle of a flickering red yoma soul. Crimson slowly drizzles down the razor-sharp edge and onto the handle forged out of human bone and teeth. Probably from a shinobi or a hunter unfortunate enough to cross paths with this thing.

She opens her mouth wide and clamps down. The soul bursts inside her jaws like an over inflated balloon, and a red mist exits out of her lips as she pulls the soul off the blade and chews. Her teeth clack together, and the sounds of rocks being crushed under her biteforce is loud enough to hear even when she has her mouth closed.

I tear open the letter and begin reading what Oliveria wants. It's never a good thing when she leaves Ursania and comes here because she never leaves unless it's a serious matter. According to her, she just wants me to tell this woman what time I want to meet tomorrow. Since it's a matter that concerns Oliveria, I'll honor her request.

"Tell Oliveria I'll meet her at this restaurant downtown around noon since I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow morning. She knows which one I'm talking about." I say as I fold the letter up and put it in my pocket.

"Splendid! Don't keep us waiting!" The woman says as she takes off walking down the street. "By the way Alan, Ou est ma chatte?"

"What cat?" I reply.

The woman giggles and completely ignores my question. Before I can follow up with another question, she snaps her fingers and disappears. Suddenly, people are walking up and down the sidewalks, and the streets are buzzing like they usually are.

The immediate jump to reality startles me as I look around and try to take in what just happened. Why did these people just come out of nowhere, and what the hell is she? Asuka finally comes out of the store.

"You ready to go?" Asuka asks as she puts her arm back around me.

"Yeah, let's get going." I reply as I put my arm back around her and walk down the street.

The presence of that woman is finally gone, and I feel a lot better knowing she isn't stalking Asuka anymore.

"Strange, there was no one on the streets a couple minutes ago. Now it's back to normal again." Asuka states.

"Yeah, weird."

So Asuka did notice that when she came out. That everyone was gone, now they are all back in the blink of an eye. Of all the things I've seen, that was a new trick.

"By the way Alan, we aren't heading back to the academy. I know a place that's closer since Mom doesn't want us out too late." Asuka says as she points to a nearby hotel a couple blocks away.

Judging by what just happened, I don't want Asuka out on the streets at night either. The academy is still a good distance away, and I'd feel a lot more relieved if we stayed here for the night. The world is already rough as it is, but now that we have Oliveria and that mad woman running about, nothing is safe. Asuka and I head into the hotel and order a room.

"We would like a one-night stay on the top floor." Asuka says as she pulls out some money.

"I'll pay."

"No Alan. You just came back from war. It's the least I can do." Asuka answers as she pays the concierge.

He hands us two key cards, and the both of us get in the elevator and ride to the top floor. It takes a couple seconds to register, but I finally realize that this was the hotel Asuka and I stayed in almost a year ago. The night I thought was going to be my last on this earth.

I know why she brought me here. Well there's two reasons, but the main reason is when Jonathan allowed me to live in exchange for taking care of Asuka and the Hanzo girls, I came back and laid down with Asuka.

The sun was just starting to break over the distant horizon. The medium snowfall combined with the way the gold light bathed everything in its path was truly breathtaking. Asuka and I cradled one another and watched the sun rise until it was time to leave.

I stick the key card into the lock and the door opens, "After you." I say as I open the door for Asuka.

"Thank you, Alan."

Asuka kicks off her shoes and sits on the bed. I sit down beside her and she lays her head on my shoulder.

"I really missed you." Asuka says in an emotionally strained voice.

"I missed you too Asuka."

She leans in closer and closer until our faces our only inches away. I keep looking forward and act unmoved to toy with her. Although feelings from both sides of my soul, human and yoma rage like fire.

Asuka places her hand on my face and slowly kisses the corner of my mouth multiple times. She nudges me to turn my head so we can properly greet each other. I loosen my neck up and Asuka turns my head to where the both of us are making eye contact.

Her eyes shine bright with desire. A feeling of anesthetic comes over me and my eyes feel like they are going to shut on their own. I lean over and press my lips into hers. Before my eyes completely shut, some tears slowly roll down her cheeks. We wrap our arms around each other and she pushes me down.

The feeling of her smooth skin and breasts pressing against my heavily scarred body feels just like it did our first time. It takes my breath away every time. Asuka runs her hand down the scar on my stomach. The one Roger inflicted and kisses it. I immediately flinch and let out a small whimper.

We roll over and Asuka reaches up and wraps her arms around my neck as I kiss both of her breasts. She gasps and kisses the scar on the side of my face that runs at a slant down my cheek.

The both of us finally lock lips and let the rush of ecstasy overcome us. My mind starts to fade and the only thing I can think about is how much I love Asuka, and how there isn't anything I wouldn't do to protect her…

Ending Song: "When Two Are One" by: Atreyu