Opening Song: "Almost Easy" by: Avenged Sevenfold

Grey light outlines the bottom of the window blinds as my eyes slowly open. I look at the bullet casing resting on the window latch. It hasn't been disturbed or moved in anyway. Despite it being an uneventful night, I slept with one hand on my revolver all night after Asuka laid her head on my chest and fell asleep.

Occasionally, she would consciously squeeze me with her arms to make sure I was still close. The entire night, neither of us moved from the position we fell asleep in. My back is aching from how long I've slept on it. However, it was the only way for me to draw my weapon effectively if anything were to happen.

Asuka squeezes me again and wakes up. Sleep mixed with happiness coats her eyes as she yawns and smiles, "Good morning Alan…" Asuka says as she rolls over on her side. Since she's facing away from me, I put my gun back underneath the mattress and lean up next to her. Several parts of my spine pop back in place, and the soothing relief of getting off those bones rush through my entire body.

"Good morning Asuka." I reply as I put my arms around her and scooch closer.

Right now, I can feel Makaria's presence below us. Before too long, she's going to ask the concierge to call the room. Until then, we'll just stay here and take in the moment. Asuka sits up and dangles her legs off the edge of the bed. She folds her hands together and kneads them together.

I sit up behind her and put my arms around her again. My left hand softly grabs her right breast as I kiss her shoulder and neck. Asuka picks my right hand up and presses it against her lips. The feeling of her tears roll down the huge engrained scars that snake all over the top of my knuckles. She pulls my hand away from her lips as I kiss her on the cheeks.

She places my hand on her face and turns her head. Our lips make a connection, and the both of us revel in this moment we are sharing. No matter how many times this happens, it always feels like the first night Asuka and I slept together.

We pull away, and I lay my head on her shoulder as she continues to stare down at the ground. Right now, she is hurting over what happened back in Tenalbrum. I tried my hardest to shield her from this life, but now it's finally caught up.

The phone in the room begins to ring, and the memories I made with the Hanzo girls play out one by one. Katsu and I reading books and watching television together like a brother and sister sharing similar interests. Those times Yagyu and I argued over the stupidest things. Yet we became inseparable siblings.

Having the honor to train with Ikaruga and watch her grow as a shinobi as well as a strong, independent person. How I got the privilege to take Ayame on her first mission. Despite it being a failure, I consider it a success because I got the opportunity of being her guardian. Not only that, but her and Gehrman certainly enjoyed each other's company. Learning about one another and forming a friendship similar to what me and Hibari have.

The thought of Gehrman and Ayame rejogs my memory, and I think back to when Hibari and I left for Hebijo. The girl didn't know anything about the outside and was forced to face things bigger than she could have ever imagined. Yet, Hibari remained strong and determined because of her pure heart. A heart so stainless that it was able to see beauty in eight flawed individuals; Lawrence, Amber, Hikage, Mirai, Haruka, Yomi and Homura as well as a monster such as myself.

"That's probably Mr. K." I try to say in the clearest voice possible.

"Alan, are you okay?" Asuka asks.

"Yeah… I'm fine… it's just…I failed to keep my promise to him, and the Hanzo girls…"

"It'll be okay Alan. I promise." Asuka replies as she stands up and kisses me on the forehead.

She reaches out and helps me stand. We both walk into the bathroom and pick up our clothes. Asuka puts her bra on and turns around. I grab a hold of both sides and cinch it up for her. She picks up my gauntlets and motions for me to hold out my hands.

Asuka puts them on me and latches it up. I throw the rest of my clothes and armor on as Asuka finishes putting her dress on. Since she's still putting her skirt on, I pick up the empty bullet casings and put them back in my side satchel.

"You ready?" Asuka asks as she grabs her wakizashi and revolver from under the mattress.

"Yeah." I reply as I throw my duster on and collect my lever action pistol from the nightstand.

We double check the room to make sure we didn't lose anything. Oktitohbi is in the satchel, there isn't any casings lying around, Asuka's got her swords, both guns are in the holster. I think we are ready to go.

We leave the room and head downstairs. Makaria is sitting on the couch with her legs crossed. I figure Makaria knew exactly where we were the entire time, and she offered to bring us to him. Asuka walks up to the desk and checks us out while I sit down in the couch across from Makaria.

"Alan."

"Makaria."

Asuka turns the key in and walks over to us. There seems to be a lot less hostility between the two of them now.

"Hello Asuka."

"It's good to see you M."

"It's okay to call me Makaria now." She replies.

Makaria stands up and walks outside. Asuka and I follow her through the courtyard and out the back exit.

"So Asuka… is it all water under the bridge now?" Makaria asks.

"Yes."

"I never meant to be hateful towards you…"

"It's okay. Even gods hurt." Asuka replies.

Makaria suddenly stops and clenches her fists to the point that her palms begin to bleed. She spins around and grabs a hold of me and Asuka. The both of us are somewhat shocked at what is going on. Makaria breaks down and collapses to her knees in front of us, "I don't know where Kagura is…"

"What?"

"I've looked everywhere, but I can't find her! Father doesn't know where she is, Maria didn't find anything and Gehrman can't sense her anywhere! Have you seen her by any chance!?"

Asuka and I shake our heads and answer, "No."

Makaria's head droops and the snow around her turns to water as she cries, "All I wanted to do is… tell her how much I loved her…"

Instead of passing judgement and rebuking her by stating if she had just stopped when Kagura had enough, this wouldn't have happened, I bend down and touch her shoulder. She looks up at me with sorrowful eyes as Asuka and I wipe the tears and fluid from her face.

"We'll find her." I say.

"That's our promise." Asuka adds as she picks up Makaria's left hand. I take a hold of her right one and clasp them together as the both of us completely wrap our fingers into Makaria's hand.

"Even after…Everything I did?"

"You saved Ikaruga and Alan. It's the least I could do." Asuka states.

Some hope and happiness refills Makaria's spirit, but it still isn't enough to put a stop to crying.

Asuka and I hook Makaria under her arms and help her stand back on her feet, "The ground is no place for a goddess such as yourself." Asuka says as I straighten her black cloak out.

Makaria wipes her face clear and takes a deep breath, "Okay. Let's go."

She leads us down a set of stairs. Halfway down the mountain is a bench that rests on the outside of an empty children's park. Mr. K is sitting there with his head buried into his hands. The disappointment in myself increases to the point that my blood freezes.

"Mr. K?" Asuka softly asks as the three of us approach him.

He pulls his head up and slowly looks at us. As upset as Mr. K appears, some relief fills his red eyes as they focus on both me and Asuka. He stands up without hesitation and grabs us at the same time. Asuka and I are pulled into his grasp as he silently stands there with his arms around us both.

"I'm so glad you two are okay."

As much as I want to make a joke to try and cheer him up, now isn't the time. Nor will I ever get another chance to tell him something stupid so he can sigh and call me immature. Then he'd say something like; "You need to be more mature like your sister Yagyu," and I'll reply, "Yagyu is just a scrub." Then Yagyu would but in, and say "No, you're the scrub that needs to git gud," and the three of us have an argument where we call each other immature names before realizing that all of us were acting immature.

"Mr. K? What's going on?" Asuka asks.

"What happened in Tenalbrum made national news this morning."

I let out a huge disgraced sigh. I didn't even have to see the headlines to know just how much trouble this was really going to cause.

"And all the shinobi and hunters?" Asuka says in a certain tone.

"You two spilled blood, and it doesn't matter if it's justified or not. I have no choice but to expulse you both. Any services related to Hanzo and Gessen academy are now closed."

A grimacing feeling causes Asuka's eyes to sit on the white ground in front of us. The news I was so reluctant to hear hits me right in my emotions, but what is even more traumatizing is seeing Asuka's reaction. Perhaps I should have told her before, but I didn't know what to say. My heart aches for her as she clenches her fist.

"I'm sorry Asuka, but you and Alan are liabilities now."

Mr. K is trying to say this as kindly as he can, but in reality, there isn't a kind way of putting this. Asuka is being stripped of her honorable title, and I'm being slapped with the bad word "evil shinobi." Once word gets out that I'm actually a hunter, it's only going to get more difficult.

However, Mr. K has to do this. Everyone we once called family will now be forced to resent us if they wish to keep the lives they currently got. Why? Because once they confirm that it was Asuka, Hanzo Academy is going to be the first place they go for answers. Even if they don't, Ange knew it was her back in Tenalbrum so either way, it's only a matter of time.

Mr. K reaches into his pocket and pulls his vibrating cell phone out. He clicks the side button and puts it on silent, "Judging by the circumstances, you only got a day. After that, I won't be able to delay it any longer."

He reaches out and places his hand on my shoulder, "Alan..." Mr. K clears his throat and tries to keep his voice from cracking. He takes a deep breath and clears his head, "I wanted to tell you… that you're…a good man…"

"That's probably the nicest thing you've ever said to me…old man…thanks…" I try to playfully reply through all the sorrow that's weighing me down.

"Defend Asuka with your life venator (hunter)…"

"I will."

Mr. K looks over at Asuka, "Take care of Alan for me. God knows he can't do it himself."

"I will uphold the commitment I made."

"And be sure to smack him around for me." Mr. K jokes.

The three of us laugh as Mr. K slowly backs off and pulls his cell phone back out. He waves his hand and implies that this is our head start. Makaria puts her hands on the both of us and pushes us along as Mr. K returns the call.

"You two need to get going." Makaria states.

"What's going to happen to Hanzo Academy?" Asuka asks.

"They will be alright. Maria is going to watch after them."

"What about Astoreth and Daigon?" I add.

"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on them. It's best if we kept y'all separated for now. It's bad enough you're going to have the country after you. You don't need Shen coming too." Makaria answers as she hands me the chiseled yoma tooth, "Gehrman will keep you both safe."

I reach out and take the koukla, "Don't worry boy. I'll see that you succeed." Gehrman says.

"What are you going to do?" Asuka asks as I put Gehrman on my utility belt.

"I'm going to go get dad and we're going to look for Kagura. I just hope she's okay." She states as she places her hand on her chest and let's out a trapped breath of uncertain hope.

"Don't worry Makaria. We'll find her." Asuka says.

"Thank you…"

I take out Oktitohbi's stone and drop it on the ground. The outline of his body takes shape, and he appears under the flash of a blue blanket of light. Makaria reaches out and grabs my shoulder before I can step into the stirrup.

"Alan, Asuka, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"Will you…accept my blessing of power?"

"Why would the god of the hunters…"

"It seems I was wrong about you Asuka, and I owe you an apology." Makaria interrupts. "Accepting my mark will grant you great strength, but once you accept it, you shall reap the persecution heretics receive."

"As for you Alan, your covenant with Kagura shall be broken, but your service under me will be for her benefit. Your mind and body shall be safe from the corruption that destroys those that renounce Kagura. However, your motives will not protect you from the laws which bind you to society."

"I accept your offer." I say.

"And I do as well." Asuka adds.

"Once branded, there will be no going back."

I take both my gauntlets off while Asuka grabs my unmarked arm. We fold our fingers into each other's hands, and we both kneel before Makaria.

"Very well then."

Makaria holds out her hand and Gehrman takes form. He reaches underneath his wheelchair and pulls out a cast iron brand that has a unique emblem on the end. Two pairs of wings surround a shield that has four crooked arrows. In the middle is a twin-bladed spear that rests between the crooked lines.

Makaria takes the brand and touches it with her left hand, "In the beginning, there was only formless dark, but then light came into the world, and the light and dark were set apart. Day and night, morning and evening, midday and midnight."

The brand bursts into a blue flame that turns the iron molten orange, "One cannot exist without the other. Fire and ice, shinobi and hunter, Makaria and Kagura."

The tattoos and scars underneath Makaria's cloak begin to glow an azure color as she finishes her incantation and removes her left hand from the brand. A mystic looking fluid trickles down and lands on the ground. The snow immediately turns to water as the drop burns its way into the ground. Asuka's grip on my hand tightens as Makaria holds out the brand.

Since Asuka seems a little hesitate, I'll go first to show her that it's not going to hurt. Or at least give her the impression it's not. I hold out my hand and Makaria plants the brand right onto the top of Kagura's old marking.

My entire hand goes numb for a moment, and the scars from Kagura's marking feels like it's trying to rearrange itself. The smell of burning flesh radiates off the evaporating bloody smoke that's erupting with my hand. The brand finally sears itself deep into my palm and Makaria removes the brand. As bad as it looks, it didn't hurt.

"I guess I'm next…" Asuka says as she squeezes my hand as tightly as she can.

"For your safety, I'll put yours elsewhere so no one can associate you with me." Makaria replies as she looks for a place to put the brand. "Are you okay with your left side? Here?" She asks as she touches where Asuka's ribs bend around and connect into her chest bone.

"Do what you must." Asuka replies as she reaches down and pulls up her shirt.

Makaria touches the area she's going to put the brand and Asuka casually nods. Makaria presses the iron into her side. Asuka let's out a small whimper of pain before realizing that it's not that bad. I personally thought I'd be cussing and knocking trees over, but no. Other than my hand still feeling numb, it wasn't all that bad.

The brand buries deep into Asuka's flesh before Makaria removes it. Because she's never taken an oath of any kind, cauterized blood slowly seeps out the brand and drips down her waist. She reaches over and touches the tattoo as Makaria hands the tool back to Gehrman. Asuka looks over at mine and implies she wants to touch it.

I hold my hand open and her fingers slowly trace over the new marking. The tattoo Kagura gave me still exists, but it's been covered up by Makaria's. Shiny water from Kagura's marking leaks from the charred blister. However, it feels as if there is salt in the fluid because it's agitating the new blister.

"Paenitet soror mea. Ambo te ignosce me (I am sorry sister. Please forgive me)." Makaria says as she clears the unwarranted sorrow from her throat.

Asuka and I stand back up. Makaria picks up my gauntlets and puts them back on my hands while Asuka tucks her shirt back into her skirt. Gehrman folds his hands together and transforms back into his koukla. Asuka picks the koukla up and hands him back to me.

"Don't worry. We'll find her. Promise." I say as I put Gehrman back on my belt.

"I know, but it doesn't matter how many times I hear it, I can't bring myself to believe it…" Makaria takes another deep breath and looks me and Asuka in the eyes, "I'll be in touch, my praetorians."

Makaria turns around and slowly walks away while I climb up onto Oktitohbi and slide back. Asuka steps into the stirrup and readies herself. I reach out, and Asuka grabs my hand. She swings her leg around and takes a hold of the reins.

"Well…What now?" Oktitohbi asks.

"We go get Octavian, meet up with Lawrence and them, then we keep our promise to Makaria."

"But how are we going to find Kagura? She could be anywhere." Asuka states.

"She'll show up sooner or later."

"And what about Octavian? Mr. K clearly said Gessen won't be helping us anymore?"

"Who said they have to help us? All we do is sneak in after the sun goes down, get Octavian and the two Gessen hoes, then split before Yumi notices. So easy, the Beverly Hills Ninja could do it!"

"But isn't that deceiving?"

"Asuka, shinobi work is nothing but deception. Now do you want to help me find Kagura, and the stone or not?"

"Yes! It's just…I don't like the idea of plotting against my friends…"

"We aren't plotting. To put it simply, we are protecting what matters to us, and sometimes the hardest tasks require the strongest wills. Besides, do you really think Yumi is going to associate with us once word gets out we killed a bunch of people in the north? NO! she's going to turn on us, and that's not because she's a liar, it's because Yumi is trying to protect herself as well as the school she's responsible for."

There is a small silence between the both of us. In fact, it's so quiet that I can even hear the nails in Oktitohbi's horseshoes click against the packed snow below. Just by her natural reaction, I can tell that it never occurred to her that something like this would happen. Which is why I tried so hard to deter those girls from becoming shinobi in the first place because situations like this aren't taught in a classroom.

People like me? People who never really had anything to lose. People who spent more time killing one another over money and never had anything other than ourselves to worry about? It was perfect for us, because the consequences could never outweigh the decisions. You didn't have anyone to answer for other than yourself when trouble came.

"Which way is to Gessen?" Asuka asks.

"Southwest. If we hurry, we can get there a little before midnight."

Asuka grabs a hold of one of my hands and urges me to hold hers while Oktitohbi changes course and begins heading southwest. I reach around with my other arm and hold both of Asuka's hands. She leans her head back onto my shoulder and let's out a heavy sigh of uncertainty…

Ending Song: "Point of No Return" by: Starset