Opening Song: "Until The World goes Cold" by: Trivium

"So where is Ryoki?" I ask as Octavian and I wait for the stoplight to change colors.

"She's back at Gessen."

"Why didn't she come?"

Octavian shrugs his shoulders and sighs, "I don't know. That woman is a mystery."

Deep down, I'm really upset Ryoki didn't come. When Jonathan told me I'd be watching over Octavian, I was certain I'd see her again. The last time I truly got to see Ryoki was when she carried me in her arms out of the burning inferno that consumed Hebijo Academy.

I was resisting because I wanted to help Haruka, and the others save the lives of the students attending there, so Mr. K jabbed me in the arm with a syringe full of sedative to stop my struggling.

When I finally woke up, I was in the infirmary at Gessen. Days went by and there was no sign of Ryoki. One day, I sensed her presence, and I raced to find her. Only to see that Ryoki wasn't my guardian anymore.

When I killed Roger, his guardians became my own, and the promise Ryoki and I formed was broken. For the weeks to come, my heart hurt so bad that I refused to eat because it felt like my throat was swelling itself shut. Not even the agony of those shots I take could ever come close to losing her, but it was for the best.

"Well I was looking forward to seeing Ryoki. I really miss her."

"Why? You have Astoreth and Daigon. Aren't they better?" Octavian asks.

"I wouldn't say better. Sure, I love Astoreth as much as I do Daigon, but Ryoki will always have a place in my heart. Whether she's my guardian or yours."

"But aren't guardians nothing more than servants?"

"Even masters have to be servants to those that serve him. Between me and you, there were thousands of times Ryoki, Astoreth and Daigon had me do things I didn't want to, and there were countless times they had to do things they didn't want to do for me, but we did it out of love."

Octavian has a shocked look on his face like this is the first time he's ever heard something like this. Then again, the boy is only fifteen. I remember when I was fifteen and Roger was telling me this stuff, I was just as surprised. Especially the time he hit me in the back of the head with the flat end of his sword for the way I was arguing with Ryoki.

Even though Sayuri was an amazing instructor, she wasn't a father figure, and there was really no way for her to teach what's expected of me considering there are different standards between males and females. Not that I didn't listen to her, but I was more inclined to listen to someone like Roger or Jonathan because they were men and older than me.

The light signals that we can cross safely, and a crowd of people pushes us to the middle of the group. We get to the other side of the street and make our way towards the place Octavian is talking about.

Ahead of us are two distinct looking girls. Both with grey hair, grey uniforms, white collars and black stockings. Almost like sisters, and they look like there're from Gessen. That must mean Yumi is around here somewhere.

Octavian catches a glimpse of them and immediately grabs my arm and leads me down an alley away from the approaching girls, "I just remembered, this is a shortcut."

"What's the matter Octavian?"

"Nothing. It's just this will get us there quicker. Oliviera only gave us ninety-six hours and every second counts."

Something within my mind is telling me that whoever those girls Octavian is trying to avoid are bad news. I've never seen those two before, but I could tell they are potentially a danger to him. Their aura combined is certainly stronger than his or any shinobi I've been around.

Even my sister Miyabi's aura can't compare to the power those two were putting off, and Miyabi is probably the strongest out of all the academies. It certainly wouldn't be anything I couldn't handle if something were to happen, but those girls looked like they were younger than Shiki, and she's the youngest one in Yumi's group.

"Octavian, who are those…"

"What girls? I didn't see any girls." He cuts me off.

I yank my arm back and take a stance while Octavian stops and turns around to see what I'm doing. Judging by the look in his eyes, he wants to fight, but knows it's not possible right now.

"Who are they?"

Octavian runs his hand down his face and lets out a heavy sigh laced with fatigue, "I don't want to talk about it. Let's just go see Lawrence and figure out how we are going to sort out Oliviera's problem."

Whatever is happening, it certainly has Octavian on edge. I've only been around the kid for thirty minutes and I can tell he has anxiety.

Octavian leads me to the other side of the alleyway, and we are back on the streets again. On the other side is the grocery store he was talking about. In front are all of the girls. Homura, Mirai, Yomi, Hikage, and Haruka. All which are dressed in red Santa outfits and waving signs promoting the act of giving. It appears they are taking up donations for some of the local charities so that the orphans can have presents Christmas morning.

Haruka looks in our direction and her eyes light up. For a second, I'm taken back to the moment I watched burning rubble trap her, and the others underneath flaming debris. Hikage notices the look on Haruka's face and looks too. Suddenly, all of the girls see me.

"Alan!" They all shout at the same time.

"Girls!"

All of them rush over and surround me and Octavian in a sea of praise and hugs.

"I'm so glad you are all okay!"

"The same could be said for you. The last time we heard, you were at Gessen Academy in a deep depression." Hikage replies.

"Yeah, we were afraid with what happened to Roger that... you wouldn't be here anymore." Yomi adds.

"Well that wasn't far from a possibility, but Jonathan gave me a reason to live."

"Who's the boy?" Mirai asks as she pokes Octavian with her sign.

"Please stop it." Octavian politely asks as he grabs a hold of the sign.

"This is Roger's little brother, Octavian." I reply.

"Well he sure is a handsome one!" Mirai states as she gets into a little tussle with him over the sign.

Hikage and Haruka examine him and realize that this is one of the boys that would come over and spent the weekend with us. Back when Lawrence and I bought a house for all of us to live in.
"I remember you. You were that cutie Alan, Lawrence and Thomas would always tease." Haruka states as she plays with Octavian's brown hair.

"Oh yes. How could I ever forget all the rigged card games." He states as he tries to swat Haruka away while fighting Mirai off.

"To be fair, I warned you Thomas was a cheating bastard." Hikage says.

"But you didn't warn me about their magic tricks."

"You mean the pool trick with the coin and a cue ball?" I ask as if it happened yesterday.

"Yeah, fuck you, fuck Thomas and fuck Lawrence." Octavian chuckles.

"Ah yes. I remember that. I don't think I ever laughed that hard since." Haruka begins to giggle herself.

I reach into my pockets and pull out a paper hundred thousand yen. "Here, you girls give half of this to your cause, and use the other to get yourself some coffee and lunch on your break. I have to speak with Lawrence and Shiryo."

"They're inside. Lawrence's shift is almost over." Homura says as she gives half the money to the bucket. She then gives a quarter of it to Yomi since she is probably the most responsible with money because she grew up in poverty. Homura divides the rest of the money between the five of them.

"Thanks Alan. We'll be sure to put this to good use." Hikage says.

"Anything to help out those in need."

We say our goodbyes and head inside the store. Through a set of double doors, I can see a patch of red fabric sitting on top of a head of flowing white hair. She's sitting on a pallet of cheese boxes and kicking her legs back and forth to try and kill the boredom of having to wait for Lawrence to stock the deep freeze.

A thick black jacket with a beige fur hood covers her pale body, and some heavy-duty pants protect her legs from the chilly walk-in. A red beanie hat covers the horns that protrude out the side of her head. Just like Astoreth, she's wearing some makeup to help mask the white color of her face.

I open the swinging doors. The noise of the creaking hinge grabs her attention, and she looks over in my direction. Her blue eyes sparkle as she sees me, but that look quickly disappears as her gaze falls upon Octavian. Shiryo's face develops a scared look and she runs off. Shiryo dives to the ground and crawls under a set of pipes that obstruct the ability to completely see her.

"She's just a little shy." I state as I crouch down over by the pipes where Shiryo is hiding.

Really, she's deeply terrified of Jonathan's family. Octavian is wielding a broken sword that has cut down thousands, maybe even millions of yoma for nearly eight millennia. It's been in Octavian's family ever since the honored elders overthrew Lord Shen and contains layers upon layers of aged demon blood that has only strengthened the blade.

"Come on Shiryo. He's not going to hurt you." I say in a gentle, passive voice.

Shiryo refuses to budge and covers her face with her arms to try and hide from Octavian. I guess I'm going to have to do this the hard way. I reach into my side satchel and pull out a package of fruit flavored gummy rings Katsu sent me in a recent care package.

Shiryo uncovers her eyes as I shake the bag back and forth to force the package to crinkle and crack. I split the plastic open and hand it to Octavian. He reaches in and pulls out a pink ring, "come on…"

"Shiryo."

"Shiryo. I'm with Alan, and I'm not going to hurt you."

Shiryo wants to continue hiding, but she wants to investigate as well. Her curiosity gets the better of her, and she slowly crawls over like a wild cat trying to take food from a stranger. Shiryo moves a couple paces then stops to make sure Octavian isn't going to do anything.

She reaches out and takes the candy ring from him and sticks it in her mouth. I reach out and pat her back to try and calm her even further. I don't want to have to tell Lawrence that Shiryo got scared and hid.

"There you go. You're alright." I say as Octavian hands her another gummy ring.

Part of her horn slowly slips out from underneath her beanie as she chews. Octavian softly gasps but Shiryo doesn't realize what is going on in his mind. He hands her another ring and marvels at what he is witnessing.

"She's a… she's a yoma…"

"Not just a yoma. The daughter of a yoma general. Ryoki and I saved her from the Fracture and sealed her to make sure she'd never become one of them." I state.

"I didn't think I'd ever be playing with one. This is actually kind of cool." Octavian softly chuckles as he reaches out and pats her. His hand runs down the side of her head and brushes against the horn. Shiryo let's out a small giggle as she snatches the bag of candy out of Octavian's hand.

"Well some want to live with decency."

Shiryo looks up at us and smiles. Bits of sticky candy coat her white teeth which forces Octavian to laugh.

"I'm glad you're okay Alan. Last time I heard, Haruka said you were really sick. Everyone was worried about you." Shiryo says.

"I was sick. Very sick, but I'm better now."

Shiryo continues to eat the candy as Octavian and I hold a general conversation with her. There's no need to rush to questioning since she needs to feel comfortable with Octavian around. I'll just save the questions for Lawrence.

"Lawrence has been letting me play with Minori." Shiryo says.

"Is that so?"
"Yup. Minori and her friends came here to Christmas shop for the next couple days. They're staying in a hotel Murakumo's parents own. Plus, Minori wanted to surprise you since you have been gone."

Minori came all the way from Gessen just to see my return from war? My heart fills with joy as I try to hold back feelings of happiness. I honestly wasn't expecting to see her until the week of Christmas.

"Well I might have to arrange a time where I can take you and Minori on a ride with Oktitohbi."

"Really?!" Shiryo jumps with excitement.

"Sure. I think you two would really enjoy it."

The freezer door opens, and a rush of cold air fills the room. Lawrence is dressed a heavy coat. Underneath that is his armor. Much like mine, it's just blackened leather laced with some kind of metal. His gold eyes resemble the kind my sister and Hikage have.

At one time, his eyes used to be normal, but because he is a third, their eyes develop a unique shaped iris after a certain number of yoma kills rather than changing red and black like a half blood.

"Alan. Octavian. What are you two doing here?" Lawrence asks as he takes his gloves off.

"Well I have received a job and Octavian said you and Shiryo might have some information pertaining to my case." I reply as I stand up.

"What kind of case?"

"Oliviera."

"Say no more. Shiryo, will you excuse us."

"Yes Lawrence."

Shiryo runs over and hugs the both of us before Octavian leads her out of the room. Lawrence folds out a chair and sits down, "So what is it?"

I pull out the document regarding the object that was stolen from Oliveria and hand it to him. His eyes trace over the words and images on the papers. As he scrolls further and further down, Lawrence's eyes fill with more and more dread as he realizes the true extent of what this thing is capable of doing.

"Damn."

"Oliviera is positive Asuka is the one that stole it."

"And let me guess, Oliviera is up in arms about losing the stone that she's beyond reasoning?"

"She gave me ninety-six hours to find it. Now I'm not asking for you or your group to get involved, I just need some information about what Shiryo saw at the train station."

Lawrence hands the documents back, "Homura and I were going on a walk with Shiryo and Minori about two days ago. Minori insisted we go to the train station because she was hoping you were going to make it in. So, we waited, but your train never came. Right when we were about to leave, this fancy, three car train pulled in. The platform manager told the person commandeering the train to pull into storage so that all the people returning from war could be on schedule."

"What platform?"

"5-S."

I pick up a pen from a nearby clipboard and make a quick note on the document about the stone. So right now, I know where to begin my search.

"When we were leaving, I happened to look back because there was this massive aura of power. I honestly thought it was you, but all I seen was two girls with white hair walking out of the storage shed. They had on Gessen uniforms so I just assumed they came here with Yumi. I've never seen them, but judging by their size, they looked like they were in middle school." Lawrence adds.

I write that down and start trying to piece together what I have. Altogether, this doesn't add up. What would Yumi need with that stone? Not only that, why would she send middle schoolers to steal it? There's no way they could have survived the onslaught only Oliviera can bring.

My gut tells me that Yumi couldn't be behind this, but at the same time, that doesn't rule her out. I mean, the grey and black uniforms, Octavian leaving Gessen, all signs point to her. But that still doesn't explain these middle schoolers.

Could they potentially be a cover up? Because as cruel as she is, Oliviera would never suspect people that young to be suspects. I guess since she's in town, I'll have to pay ole Yumi-chan a much-needed visit.

"Thank you, Lawrence. This is exactly what I need to start building a case."

"Are you sure you don't need any help?"

"No, you and the girls have it hard enough as it is. The last thing you need is Oliviera coming after you."

My right pocket violently rumbles. I reach down and pull out my gold talisman. It's never a good thing when this happens because Astoreth and Daigon never try and reach me through the talisman unless it's an emergency. I flip it open: "Yeah?"

"The girls! The girls! They've been attacked!" Daigon yells.

"What!?"

"All of them are bloodied and bruised! I don't know where Asuka is!"

"Okay, you get the girls back to the Academy! I'll go find Asuka!"

I shove the talisman back in my pocket and blast out the back door. A huge ache hits my heart that nearly cripples me, but my senses ping and tell me she's somewhere to the left. Possibly a block away.

I take a deep breath and draw some power from my soul. Just enough to black out one eye. Darkness eats the sclera, and my iris burns with the intensity of yoma blood. My senses ping again and this time, I can smell Asuka's scent trail.

"Alan! Wait!" Octavian yells.

I use one hand to cover my blackened eye and take off running in the general direction of Asuka. The smell of rusty iron overruns my nose and concern grips my mind. Asuka is bleeding. Heavily. Whatever attacked her dealt some damage.

"Excuse me people!" I say as I gently shove people out of the way with my free hand.

"Alan! Wait for me!" Octavian yells again from a distance.

The smell of a fledged yoma starts to obscure my trail of Asuka, and I lose visibility of her scent. However, I have a good idea where she is. As I get closer, it's not the yoma that's causing this. No. I've felt this aura once. I don't know who they are, but I think I'm about to find out.

Small drops of blood from one of the attackers speckle the ground leading to a back alleyway. Glass, overturned trashcans, and the side of a van that's been caved in litter the scene. The decaying carcass of a reborn lies in pieces. I can tell Asuka killed this one because of the delivery of the strikes. They are nice and clean rather than hard, vicious and bloody like what a hunter would deliver.

Conglomerated legs, arms and various other body parts mixed with busted eyeballs all leak black fluid that seeps into the cracks of the broken concrete. As tempting as it is to eat this right now, I need to focus on helping Asuka, but one little bite shouldn't hurt. I reach down and pick up an eyeball that's still intact and pop it in my mouth.

A taste of expertly crafted chocolate over runs my senses, and I nearly lose control of myself in the ecstasy of raw yoma. My power feels like it's sky rocketing and my mind relaxes as my teeth grind the gummy tissue into a wet pulp. I wipe the small stream of aqueous fluid that dribbles down my chin off and press onward.

Asuka is laying on the ground in a small puddle of her own blood. Her armor has been obliterated and a kunai blade sticks out of her left leg. She's struggling to draw breath and tears combined with drops of her own blood roll down her face.

"Asuka!"

I slam my kopis together and form one blade as I crouch down where she is. The entire torso of her armor has been ripped clean off. Almost like someone just grabbed and yanked it. Although I doubt that's what happened.

"Here. Drink this." I say as I reach in my side satchel and grab an instant regeneration elixir (I.R.E).

I prop her up on my knee and put the glass vial in her mouth. Asuka sips some of the green fluid and coughs. Her breathing returns to normal, but she groans. I reach down and grab hold of the blade lodged in her leg. If it were to sever the femoral artery, I'd have to get her to Jonathan immediately, but it didn't go far enough to hit anything vital.

Asuka whimpers and cries as I pull the blade straight out and throw it to the side, "I know it hurts, but the worst part is over."

I take the I.R.E and dab some of the sticky fluid on my gauntlets. Asuka grits her teeth and violently throws her head back and forth as I rub the stuff on her leg. The open gash on Asuka's leg seals itself shut and she relaxes.

"There. It's almost over. Now just slap on some Neosporin, and a Hello Kitty band aid, and you'll be ready for the trip back."

Out of instinct, I put my kopis behind me. The sound of demon stained steel splicing through regular metal rings out as the edge of my kopis splits an incoming kunai down the middle. Halfway through, I twist my wrist and force the kopis to break it in half.

Two shards off metal zip by me and Asuka and dig into the white van that's had the side caved in with such force that it lifts the vehicle up onto two wheels before slamming back down with a huge thud! The tires nearly explode from the impact and air hisses out of the rubber knobs. I pull the power back into my soul, and my eye reverts back to normal.

"Well I wasn't expecting that! How about you?" Some girl from behind calls out.

"Absolutely not." Her friend replies.

"You know, it's not very nice for two SSS ranked girls to beat up on a small S."

I gently lay Asuka back down on the ground and stand. Asuka reaches out to try and stop me but I turn around and walk forward. Standing in front of me are the two girls Octavian was trying to avoid. Both of them have transformed.

One is wearing a dark yellow outfit with some kind of black trim. On the back of her cape is a gold incrusted moon that flaps back and forth in the wind. Her eyes aren't as shiny as mine, but they are similar. Almost like an unpolished emerald.

The other one is the exact same height. Same eye and hair color. Except she has a more pissed off look in her eyes than her somewhat arrogant counterpart. Not only that, but her armor is more similar to what a hunter would wear rather than a shinobi. Her black pinstripe girdle justly barely reveals her bust. An armored visor of solid yoma onyx rests on the brim of her forehead.

Okay, maybe it's a cross between what a hunter, and a shinobi would wear. The bottom half of her armor is a dark violet color. Short black plate leggings protect her all the way down to the middle of her thighs. She's even got an armored fauld that protects her waist. All of which is secured by a gold belt. However, she's got a small stab wound in her stomach that's still bleeding.

"Aside from the chastity belt, I have to admit that's a pretty cool setup you got there." I chuckle as I point at the girl that has anger in her face.

Wait, two white haired girls in middle school, Octavian leaving Gessen, powerful auras and Gessen uniforms combined with the fact that Yumi is in town must mean one thing. My mind finally clicks, and I can't help but feel a rush of relief.

"You know, I've been looking for some girls that fit your description, and I was wondering if maybe the both of you would be so kind to spare me a moment of your time to answer some questions." I smile as I twirl my Kopis around in my hand.

"Hmm… What kind of questions?" The one in gold teases as she places her hand under her face.

"Questions regarding the naughty behavior you and your friend here have been exhibiting. You know, Santa Clause doesn't bring gifts to those who have misbehaved."

"But he does know where the naughty girls live." She replies with a cheerful tone.

"Ha! Excellent! You're much more energetic than your friend here! Now would you be interested in answering some questions?"

"Only if you answer some for me first. Would you happen to be the Spartan?" Goldie asks.

I place my hand under my chin and sarcastically think out loud, "Spartan, Spartan, Spartan… Does he have a sword like this?" I hold up my kopis and show them the Lacedaemon etching on the blade. "And does he have a suit of armor that turns him invisible when he's in the shadows like this?" I step into an area that's dimly lit and completely turn invisible.

"Does that fit the description of the Spartan?"

"It certainly does." Moon replies with a giggle.

I step out of shadow and reappear, "I've never heard of him."

"Oh, is that so? Then who are you?" Gold asks.

"Just a guy who's a shinobi for fun."

"Oh, come on Gekko! There's no way this idiot that still believes in Santa Clause is the Spartan!" Chasity belt states as she grabs the wound on her stomach. "I wasn't expecting pinky to have a hidden blade in those gauntlets of hers! God, this hurts!"

"Wait, you got stabbed by ole pinky?" I let out a stifled snicker.

"That's it!

There is a flash of light and she takes off after me. She turns invisible halfway between me and the other girl. Swirls of wind throw up paper, and candy wrappers soar through the air. I break my Kopis apart and sidestep.

Her fist flies right by me. I twirl my sword and ensnare her arm in between my arm and body. The back of my sword scrapes against the exposed metal of her black vambrace. Orange sparks fly off the metal grinding against metal as I drag my sword up the side of her arm and throw her off balance. She staggers and trips over her own feet.

"Be gone… THOT! Otherwise known as… VIS MITTERE (Emit force)!"

A huge shockwave erupts from my body and the girl is launched back. She rolls across the dirty alleyway and slams into a dumpster. The back of her head leaves a sizable imprint in the side of the rusty metal.

"Taking out the trash!" I taunt as I clap my swords together before swinging one behind me and blocking an incoming attack from the one called Gekko. She swings again, and I swat it down and retaliate with a stab. She dodges to the side and the both of us lock up in a battle.

"What did this fine young woman ever do to you?" I ask in the middle of battle.

"We were simply showing her the path of a shinobi. Mindsets like her's are a threat to true justice."

I cross my swords and catch her fist. We both kick one another but our boots meet at the same time, and we push each other away. She flips backwards while I use my hand to catch myself and roll back. My weight shifts over and I land on my feet.

"Jesus Christ girl. Do you know how many times I've heard that one?"

"I guess you are going to tell me." Gekko snickers as she tries to catch her breath.

"Too damn many."

This girl is nearly out of energy. In my opinion, someone should have passed all their endurance challenges before taking someone like me on.

Then again, being a middle schooler, I have to admit she's got some skill. Unrefined, but skill nonetheless. As for chastity over there, she's probably good too, but her anger gets the better of her, and it is way too easy to capitalize on exploiting it if someone knows what they are doing.

"So what did this incredibly sexy shinobi here say that offended you so greatly?" I ask as I point to Asuka.

"She made the foolish claim about being a sword and a shield." Gekko says.

"Oh, was she not WOKE enough for you? Can you believe this bullshit?" I ask as I look back at Asuka, "You get assaulted for simply telling the truth."

Especially when those assaults are directly aimed at my bride.

"Alan!" I hear Octavian yell from the distance. "Alan! There you are!" Octavian takes off towards me and suddenly stops as his eyes catch a glimpse of Gekko.

"So, your name is Alan! Oh yes! Alan-chan! This explains everything now! You rushing to the aid of this pathetic excuse of a shinobi! It all makes sense now! The Spartan and his little kitten!"

"Hmm… wrong. She's more inexperienced and under leveled, but no. I just happened to be passing by and decided I'd uphold core values by being a good Samaritan. Now quit stalling and answer my questions!" I reply as I point one of my blades at Gekko.

"I'd love Alan, but Senko and I have other things to attend to!" She helps Senko stand and they both pull out a bronze talisman. "The Spartan and the Hanzo kitten, how funny!" Gekko teases as she sticks her tongue out at me.

"Senko!" Octavian charges forward with his sword drawn.

"Octavian! Stop!"

"Get out of my way Alan!"

Senko pulls her visor down over her face and meets Octavian halfway. He swings at her, and she deflects his attack with her vambrace. She throws a solid punch that bites into the side of Octavian's sword. The both of them press back and forth as they violently glare at one another.

"Have we taught you nothing?" Senko calmly says as she keeps a straight face.

"Come on Senko! Right here! Right now!" Octavian grinds his teeth and presses against the raw strength of Senko's arm.

"Heal up from our last engagement. I wouldn't want the fight to be over the moment it started." Senko wraps her leg around Octavian's while she is talking and sweeps him up into the air. She brings her arm around and grabs Octavian by the face. Senko plants him into the ground with so much force that it causes the concrete around him to crack like glass.

"OH SHIT!" I exclaim as my mind goes into shock. I never thought I'd see something like that happen! If she did that to Octavian, then Asuka, and the others didn't stand a chance!

Octavian angerly gets back up but Senko and Gekko flash and warp to a new destination. "Damnit!" Octavian sputters as he puts his sword back. I check the area where Senko planted Octavian for blood or missing skull fragments.

"You alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. She likes to talk while she fights and it's distracting." Octavian replies as he rubs the soreness out of his head.

As much as I want to chase after them and demand answers, I need to attend to Asuka.

"You going to make it?" I ask as I crouch down beside her.

"I'm fine." Asuka states.

She grits her teeth and tries to use the van to stand on her own. I wrap my arms around her and help her stand. Asuka violently squirms around, "I don't need your help."

Okay then. I thought I might have touched a sore area but no, she's mad about something. I back off and let her stand on her own. Well this is a first. Asuka has never pushed me away when she needed help.

"Why did you hesitate?"

"What?"

"Those two! Why did you hesitate?!" Asuka snaps at me.

"Well… they are kids…"

"Do you have any idea what they did to me!? No! What they did to all of us!?"

"I'm not understanding."

"Who's to say they won't come back?!"

"Asuka, they're kids."

"How could you be treating this like it's a joke!"

"Treating what like a joke?"

"You and them two!"

"You mean the girls with the face, and the eyes?" I tease.

Asuka screeches in frustration and pulls at the white laces in her hair. I don't see what the problem is. I'm always like this. How can I take a couple scrubs from Gessen seriously? For God's sake, the only person I have to take seriously is Oliviera since she has an Apocalypsis mode like me.

"Sounds like someone's…"

"What was that?" Asuka snaps.

"Nothing…" Octavian quickly answers.

"That's what I thought!"

"It would be best to keep our mouths shut." I say to Octavian as we walk behind Asuka.

I'm giving her a huge area to cool down in. What is her problem though? Asuka's never acted like this before. Even when Homura would destroy her in the past, Asuka never got an attitude like this. Maybe it's like Octavian said. On top of beating up on her, Gekko was clearly trying to get under Asuka's skin. Apparently, it worked.

"Asuka?"

"What?"

"I'm sorry."

She ignores my statement and continues walking. I shouldn't be apologizing in the first place because I didn't do anything wrong, but I thought maybe it would make her feel better. Guess not.

Should I tell her that I couldn't kill those girls because I need them for questioning? No. There's no need to get her involved with this. Just talking about the encounter is enough to start an argument.

I also didn't want to kill them because it appears to me that they are misled since they were babbling about the true justice nonsense. Much like many shinobi. I'm not saying I haven't killed misguided shinobi before, but I think they do deserve a chance to learn about Kopano before they taste the bite of my sword.

"Well this is it. Home sweet home." I say as the three of us enter the building where the dojo is.

Asuka activates the hidden switch underneath the table, and the hideous picture Mr. K painted opens up. Asuka hops in and slides down the tunnel.

"I'm gonna do it quick and get it over with!" I dive in head first through the hole and slide down. There's something I'm hoping to do when I reach the bottom but that entirely rests on the success of the imposing situation.

Asuka is still at the bottom. YES! I hold out my hands and get into position as I hit the bend of the slide. Asuka is brushing herself off. I launch out of the slide and collide with Asuka. My hands wrap around her and the both of us fall onto the floor. Each finger kneads into Asuka's oversized breasts as I give her a quick grope.

"Quit it Alan!"

She throws an elbow and busts me right in the lip. A pulse of black fills my eyes, and I let go of her. Well I certainly wasn't expecting that reaction from her. Jesus, Asuka is really playing hard to get. Usually Asuka's begging for me to grope her as hard as I can.

The taste of rust fills my mouth and I step off to the side. Octavian squeals from the joy the slide and hits the ground. His body rolls a couple times across the living room. He's softly giggling as I help him stand up.

"That was really fun." Octavian notices that I'm holding my bleeding lip, "What happened there?"

"Oh Asuka. She's intentionally being difficult right now."

Asuka rolls her eyes and heads down the hallway to her room.

"Something tells me she didn't enjoy the foreplay." Octavian says.

"Oh, Quod non est dicere quid est nocte illa (That's not what she was saying last night)."

Octavian and I laugh and head down the hallway towards Mr. K's room. The rest of the girls are inside. Astoreth and Daigon are patching everyone up while Mr. K paces back and forth to try and kill his anxiety. This really has him rattled right now.

"Hey Mr. K! I'm back! Oh, and Octavian is here as well!" I say as I knock on the door and walk in.

"Alan! Are you okay!?" Katsu asks as she jumps from her seat. Her arms wrap around me as she looks for any potential injuries. "What happened here!? Who did this to you!?" She asks as she points at my busted lip. I lift my hand up and do an over embellished gesture that points towards Asuka's room.

"Wait…Why?" Ikaruga asks.

"Because I was trying to play with her and she drives her elbow into my fucking mouth. Enough about me, what about all of you?"

"We got jumped by two girls from Gessen. Even with the five of us, we didn't stand a chance." Ikaruga says as she finishes wrapping up a cut on her arm.

"I saw these girls. They threw Asuka a serious beating, but I stopped them before they finished her." I say as Katsu dabs my lip with a cotton ball soaked in alcohol.

"Anyone you know?"

"Never seen them until now." I answer Mr. K.

"Yeah, they came back for us, but Daigon ran them off." Yagyu says as she flexes to try and work some feeling into her right hand.

"Yeah, if it wasn't for him, we'd either be prisoners or dead." Katsu adds.

Hibari is sitting next to Ayame. The both of them are giggling and waving their hands back and forth. They each have a stick with a feather tied to the end. A fat, grey tabby colored cat stands up on his hind legs and claws at both feathers.

"So, when did all of you decide to get a cat?" I ask.

"That's something you are going to have to take up with the youngest one of the group." Yagyu points to Hibari.

Katsu lets me go, and I walk over to Hibari and Ayame. The both of them are hysterically laughing as the cat tries to clasp the feather in his white paws and bite the string. He's constantly opening his mouth and struggling to pull the feather down. I look closer and see that for a cat, this thing has some pretty muscular jaws.

I know it's not a yoma because it doesn't smell, but a normal cat wouldn't have a jaw like that. It suddenly stops and looks at me. Like he just heard what I was thinking. I don't know if it's just a defect, but it looks like he's actually trying to smile.

"Hibari, where did you get this cat?"

"Oh, Ayame and I found him wondering around the school. We've had him for about three months or so. Oh yeah Alan, watch this! Okay Mojo, sit!" The cat obeys her command the instant she gives it. "Lay down!" The cat lays down. "Now stand!" The cat jumps up and stands on the back of his legs.

"He does it every time! Every time!" Ayame says as her and Hibari both pet the cat and shower him with praise.

As convincing as her story is, I don't know if this is a very good idea. With all the bizarre stuff that's been happening here lately. Gessen hoes beating up on Hanzo Academy, the appearance of that pale looking woman that's been stalking me and Asuka, not to mention Oliviera accusing Asuka of stealing that stone.

This thing clearly isn't a yoma, but it isn't necessarily a cat either. Personally, I would just get rid of it, but if it hasn't attacked anyone or tried to eat any of the girls, then I guess it can stay for now. Just until I figure out what it is.

"Okay, I'm cool under one condition, you and Ayame keep a close eye on it."

"We promise!" Ayame states.

"Okay girls, you need to clear out. Mr. K and I have something to discuss." I say.

Ayame picks up the cat and leaves the room first, followed by Katsu and the rest. All that's left is me, Octavian, and Mr. K. Astoreth and Daigon keep a watch on the entrance to Mr. K's room while I shut the door.

Octavian pulls up a chair while Mr. K sits behind his desk. He is pressing his fingers into his aching forehead and trying to alleviate some of the stress. I figure what I'm fixing to say is only going to make it worse.

"What is it Alan?"

I pull out the document regarding the stone Oliviera wants back and hand it to him. He puts his glasses on and examines the paper. Mr. K then focuses on the words I wrote in pen.

"Mr. K, did you send any of the girls to Ursania to steal this stone?"

"No."

"That's what I thought."

"What's the issue?"

I place my hand on the wall and take a deep breath, "Oliviera is certain Asuka stole the stone, and her and Hebijo are currently in town."

Mr. K throws the paper on his desk, "Damnit. Just when you think things couldn't get any worse."

"She's tasked me with finding it. 11:45 this morning is when my ninety-six-hour time limit started. Now I have a lead, but it isn't solid."

"Well something is better than nothing." Mr. K states. "According to the information you have recorded, it appears the descriptions of your potential thieves are the same ones that attacked the girls."

"Do you think Yumi could behind this?" I ask.

"Well as of now, that's all we can assume until you gather more evidence. When do you intend on going to the train station?"

"Tonight around 22:00 nightfall."

"That gives you roughly seven hours to prepare. Okay, I want you to take Yagyu with you. She was the least injured out of the girls, and she's your best bet for results."

"Can I come?" Octavian asks as he slams one of his fists into his other hand.

"Grudge match?" I tease.

"Hell yeah. Senko needs to learn her place."

Mr. K and I laugh as Octavian gets riled up. I wonder what she did to him that's pissed him off so much? Octavian has always kept a cool head like his brother Roger, but just the mention of Senko's name gets him fired up. Of course, I'd be pissed to if someone plowed my ass into the pavement.

"I'll make a case file for your findings. Just promise me you will make it back in one piece. And for God's sake, don't kill anyone."

I throw my hands up and shrug my shoulders, "Well Mr. K, I've always been more of a hitman rather than some kind of ninja assassin. Anything between me and my target goes down."

"Oh, stop it. Now you better go rest up. You and Octavian have a big mission tonight."

Mr. K dismisses us and calls Yagyu into his room. Well this is actually kind of exciting. My first actual mission with Roger's little brother. Not only that, but Yagyu will be coming as well and this is my first real mission with her as well.

I walk into the bedroom Asuka and I share. Asuka is laying on the bed and staring into a mirror. She's uttering something under her voice but quickly rolls over and covers herself up.

"Hey Asuka."

She remains quiet.

I sit down on the edge of the bed but she tries to scoot me off. My euphoria kicks in and I grab her. She pushes me away and continues trying to push me off the bed. Okay, now I'm aggravated because she's not playing. I stand up and put my hands on my waist, "Okay Asuka, what is your problem?"

"My problem is I want to be left alone and you are intruding!"

"Well you didn't say you wanted to be left alone. All you did was bust my lip open, now you are trying to push me out of my own bed."

"Since when was it ever your bed?"

"Do I need to remind you why?"

Asuka rolls over and gives me the silent treatment.

"Well if you are going to be that way, can I at least kiss my bride goodnight? You know, before I go and sleep on the floor?"

She refuses to answer me. I really want to say something, but I keep my mouth shut and bite my tongue. I clench both of my fists to relieve some of the anger as I take a deep breath and release the frustration I'm holding onto.

"Okay, I see how it is."

Before I leave, I spot Oktitohbi's stone laying on her dresser. Good. When she's asleep tonight, I'll sneak back in here and take it back. You can have the bed, but I'm taking the horse. I gently shut the door and lay my head against the frame.

God, this sucks. I come back from war and this is the present I get. Another job topped off with an extra side of fuck you. Oh well, the sooner I get this done, the sooner I can fix everything. The first thing is getting that stone back. Once that's out of the way, Oliviera and Alice will go away and I can focus on dealing with Gekko and Senko.

Octavian is resting on a rollaway bed placed in the kitchen, so the couch is open. Thank God. I lay down on the couch and close my eyes. "After this job, everything will go back to normal." I say in my head. Although there's a feeling in my gut that this is only the beginning of this hellacious roller coaster…

Ending Song: "Sleeping Dogs" by: Zack Wylde ft. Corey Taylor