"Welcome to Impel Down."
She jumped, spinning around to face the person who had spoken and saluting smartly.
"Sergeant Tashigi, overseeing transfer of the Short Juan Bronze pirate crew, ma'am!"
Behind her, she could have sworn she heard someone snicker.
"Sergeant…"
Tashigi gave a start.
"Who are you talking to?"
Abruptly the bob-haired swordswoman realized that she had neglected to put her glasses back on when she stepped indoors. Maybe it had been an unconscious reaction, not wanting to get too clear a look at what went on behind the gates of Hell, as this place was widely reputed to be. But as a female sergeant in the Navy, she knew from long experience that it wouldn't do to comport herself in a timid manner. You had to face your fears head on. Hurriedly the blushing young officer dropped her eyewear down from its place atop her head, and everything around her sprang into picture-perfect clarity.
Standing before her (somewhat further to the left than the Marine had initially presumed), the guard captain of this legendary prison might have been in the same position as herself. She had introduced herself as Domino, and while sporting a notably feminine figure in her tight uniform, her bearing let everyone know that she was not to be taken lightly. Whatever she might think of Tashigi was hidden behind her own reflective sunglasses and unsmiling yet still lovely features. This lady certainly wouldn't allow an unruly mob of prisoners to have a chuckle at her expense. Even if she hadn't intended to, Domino's cool professional demeanor served as an example to the younger woman, and she strove to ameliorate the damage from her previous lapse.
"As Captain Chokehold's acting subordinate, I am officially handing over charge of these prisoners to you, Domino-san." She held out the transfer orders, which her counterpart accepted. Glancing quickly through the documents, Domino handed them off to one of her junior associates and gestured to the prison guards standing behind her. They moved in to take control of the shackled ne'er-do-wells huddled behind Tashigi's complement of Marines. The blonde beauty then saluted Tashigi, boot-heels clicking together in her parade-style military dress.
"We acknowledge your efforts, Sergeant. The staff of Impel Down swears that this rabble will no more trouble the peace of the seas you Marines fight so fiercely to defend."
"HAH!"
At this, Tashigi's gloved fingers tightened around the hilt of her katana Shigure. Staring straight ahead, she found it harder to emulate the casual aloofness embodied in Domino. Something like this was bound to happen eventually, but she had been hoping to be back aboard the ship by the time he saw fit to start up again. Not for the first time today, she dearly wished to have been the sort of Marine who abused prisoners. But such foulness was exactly the sort of thing she worked tirelessly to drill out of the soldiers placed under her command. Some of them seemed to be under the impression that as representatives of the World Government, they were permitted to behave however they pleased, especially in regards to prisoners. Such thoughts were best eradicated while they were still low-grade, before it transformed into a behavior set that would besmirch the reputation of the Navy.
On the other hand, viciousness and cruelty were characteristics that pirates encouraged in their brethren. And Arnold 'The Benediction' Berinholtz, former Marine lieutenant turned savage cutthroat, had clearly found the mantle of an outlaw more suiting to his sadistic ways.
Dressed in ragged finery, notably stained with blood and dirt now, Berinholtz rattled his shackles and sneered at them. "Lord, it's such a relief to find that even after everything that's happened, the old self-righteous jibber-jabber hasn't changed a bit. You're both so full of that good ardent Marine love, aren't you? Why don't you give each other a kiss, hmm?" he sneered, gesturing towards the two women. "Come on, let's have a show, now! We won't tell if your superiors don't ask!"
The other wretches, all seemingly high-strung at the prospect of being incarcerated in the world's most lethal prison, took up his taunts. Apparently they felt it wouldn't matter if they behaved badly now or not.
"Yeah, don't be shy, missy! Lay the lips to her!"
"C'mon over here, we'll give you Sallies what you need!"
"That's right! The Marines couldn't take my most dangerous sword! I'll tickle you with it later!"
"Slip outta those clothes, Sergeant, let's see that treasure chest! I been thinkin' bout yer booty this whole voyage!"
At a gesture from their commander, the prison guards moved in with their staves and cudgels and proceeded to roughly corral the foul-mouthed brutes. While disliking the idea of brutalizing chained captives, Tashigi found herself disinclined to comment. They were out of her hands now, and she was glad for it. This sort of crude talk was nothing new to her, but it still made the valiant young woman furious. Were there no boundaries of decency these men wouldn't cross? She glared at Arnold furiously as he stumbled by, her face flushed from ire, but he took this to mean something else.
"Look at her, she's blushing at the thought!" Berinholtz crowed gleefully. "I knew you had feelings for me, you randy cabin-whore! Why don't we go into that room over there and I'll give you something to remember me by, eh? I'll even let you lick the little love-bite you gave me earlier, what do you say?"
He was referring to the failed breakout that Benediction and some of the other prisoners had attempted on the way here. While she had personally disarmed him of his purloined cutlass, apparently this in no way endeared any respect for her in his heart. Tashigi glared daggers at the turncoat as he went by, but this proved far less effective against him than her sword had been. He continued to spew crude slanders at her and Domino as they were manhandled over to the lift that would transport them to the lower levels of this underwater fortress, most likely never to see the sun again. Perhaps it was this threat that spurred the vicious vagabond to such creative invectives.
"I overheard your men talking! It's lucky for you you're being transferred to the East Blue, eh, you little bed-warmer? The Grand Line would have eaten you up! Get yourself settled in nice and cozy over in those weak waters, Sergeant. You know in the East they promote you based on how well you can lick your commander's brass? I can tell your mouth was made for that sort of work, explains how you got where you are today, you nasty knob-polisher!"
Several of the Marines under her command bristled at this relentless assault on their valued officer's character, but they kept themselves in check, following her example. The matter of her transfer had nothing to do with perceived inadequacies, she had told herself often. It was simply that many new recruits had their first posts in East Blue, in order to condition them to a sailor's life. Whatever the public perceptions about the World Government, it wasn't so inconsiderate of its soldiers that it arbitrarily dropped them off in dangerous locales like the Grand Line fresh out of the academy. And Tashigi was one of the most adept fencing instructors currently in the service, regardless of her admittedly naïve tendencies. Therefore she had been assigned as an official master-at-arms for the up-and-coming Marines at the base in Loguetown, considered to be the most dangerous spot in all that relatively peaceful ocean. It wasn't an indication of dissatisfaction with her work. Simply a solid assessment of where in the military hierarchy her talents could be of the greatest benefit.
That was what she had been told. And she believed it, she truly did. But the fact remained, Tashigi was a woman, and some people had openly expressed the opinion that she was treated with greater care by the authorities as a result of her gender. To combat the appearance of sexism, they said. After all, it wasn't as if there were that many female Marines, much less officers. And despite her conviction to disregard such ill-conceived notions, their words had a way of coming back to her at the strangest times.
Drawing over to stand beside Tashigi, Domino crossed her arms as they both overheard this tirade. "It's just a desperate man's talk. Pay it no mind." She appeared unperturbed by Arnold's theatrics, most likely having seen its sort hundreds of times a week. "He thinks he knows what awaits him, but rest assured, we'll show him torments his imagination could never have conceived of before today."
Tashigi understood she was right, and certainly this wasn't the worst treatment she had ever received. But damned if it didn't still smart. Even if you considered yourself far superior to someone in terms of morality or lifestyle, it was never pleasant to hear yourself spoken of in unflattering terms. For a moment the idea occurred to her that she should have been less merciful in her duel with Berinholtz, and perhaps relieved him of his tongue, along with other body parts.
But once more she mastered herself, resolutely turning her back on the ruffian and saying, "Thank you, Domino-san. I wish I could take satisfaction at the thought, but just having him locked away forever would be fine with me." The elevator had ascended, and the portcullis began to rise behind her with a rumbling squeal. In just a few moments, this lot would be nothing more than a memory. "And besides, I'm not about to let some ill-tempered rogue rob me of my self-respe…"
The barred door lifted, and beside her, Domino gave a small gasp, stiffening noticeably. Surprised, Tashigi turned to regard her. The woman's formerly collected face now bore a distinct look of trepidation. Upon realizing this, the drill instructor realized that silence had fallen over the chamber, its previous cacophony replaced with an almost eerie quiet.
The sergeant came about, and immediately saw the reason why.
A man was stepping out of the lift. His height was so great that he actually had to duck his head beneath the overhang, and when he rose up fully, it was apparent that he stood almost twice as tall as an ordinary person. As he stepped onto the landing, all the prisoners, as well as the guards, drew back from him, giving Tashigi a clear view. This new visitor was dressed in a long black overcoat, with a white officer's coat further draped over yard-long shoulders. His hands were encased in black leather gloves, and a sword as prodigiously proportioned as its owner swung at his belt. There was a crest on his belt buckle resembling a winged crown, and this same motif was repeated on his peaked cap. Ear flaps descended to his neck, effectively encasing that broad face inside the collar of his coat. The clean-shaven chin boasted lines so sharp it looked like he had cut the razor before it ever cut him. His nose was broad and pointed, practically triangular, framed with small, heavy-lidded eyes that had an air of bored malice in their depths. All in all, those features reminded her uncomfortably of a bull, possessing a flat, brutal menace to them.
A cigar was clamped between the towering behemoth's jaws, and he withdrew it to exhale a stream of smoke, smacking his lips. Dangerous eyes drifted over the assembled masses. He spared barely a glance for Tashigi and her men, for which she was immediately thankful. The way he looked at the prisoners, though, combined with the manner in which he fingered his sword's hilt, left her certain that she was looking at the official executioner of Impel Down.
For once even Benediction seemed too overwhelmed to speak, and Domino seized this chance to quickly make her way over to that imposing figure.
"Head Gaoler Shiryū, sir." She saluted him with strict efficiency, but there was a note of unease in her voice. "I thought you were occupied on the lower levels."
Shiryū didn't bother looking at his associate. Instead he focused in on the face of Arnold Berinholtz. "I heard this one all the way down on the Third Floor," he breathed, tucking the cigar back in his mouth and letting smoke drift between his teeth. "Such atrocious things to speak in a lady's presence," the giant chided the prisoner softly.
At this, Arnold seemed to find his tongue once more. "Are you going to rap my knuckles with a ruler, Hell-Ogre?" he snapped, glaring with wild eyes up at that soaring peak of martial menace. "With a beak like you're boasting and that white coat, it makes you look like a chicken! Go cluck at someone else, or better yet, scratch me up some food! I'm starving over here!"
It was a testimonial to the horror the Head Gaoler had imbued in her on sight that Tashigi found herself sincerely wishing that Berinholtz would shut up, for his own sake and possibly hers as well. But in response to these comments, Shiryū only exhaled another stream of smoke and continued to gaze steadily at the offending party as though Arnold were a bug he was considering squashing. After a few more moments of silence, he shifted his shoulders and spoke once more.
"My apologies. It seems my underlings have been lacking in their duties as hosts. Please allow me to tend to your needs."
With that, he took a step forward and snagged Berinholtz by the collar, dragging him out of the mob and marching him towards a door off to one side.
"You want to try your luck, Corporal Punishment?" the pirate yelled crazily. "Take off these shackles and I'll snub that cigar out in your eye!"
"Sir, what are you doing?" Domino protested, hurrying to catch up to them. Tashigi admired her bravery. She certainly wouldn't have felt comfortable following that man, much less questioning him outright. "We have to process the prisoners before anything else, the Chief Warden said…!"
"Magellan's taking care of his business," Shiryū growled without breaking stride. " 'Til he gets out, we're handling things my way."
"I'll handle you, you can be certain of that, Chimney-Stack! The bigger they are, the dumber they be! I hope you've enjoyed having functioning legs, because when I'm through with you, you'll be…!"
This last sentence was cut off as Shiryū shoved Berinholtz through the open portal, slamming it shut behind him. Apparently the room they entered was sound-proofed, as no further noises came from within. Domino hesitated for a moment outside, then walked over to where Tashigi stood mesmerized by this scene.
"Please excuse me, but I think it would be for the best if you and your men took your leave now. I have to go rouse the Warden. I hope you have a safe journey home, Sergeant Tashigi."
The guard captain saluted and left, brusquely giving orders to her fellow guards to continue bringing in the new prisoners as she did.
One of the soldiers under Tashigi's command approached hesitantly. "Ma'am?"
She didn't answer.
"Er… Sergeant Tashigi, ma'am? Captain Chokehold is waiting. Shall we… return to the Jury-Rigged?"
Standing with her back to him, he saw her head turn slightly, blue-black hair gleaming in the torchlight. "Yes. Board the ship." Then she went back to staring at that closed gate. "I'll be with you shortly."
The Marine hesitated, but firmly-entrenched discipline, combined with something in her voice, prevented him from questioning the order. A few moments later, Tashigi stood alone in that cold stone hall.
Not a single sound came from the room into which the two men had entered. But somehow, that made it all the worse.
That man… Shiryū. Her skin crawled at the memory of the look in his bright black eyes.
Of a sudden she was moving towards that dire portal, so ordinary-looking, but still harboring a very real peril at this moment.
Why am I doing this? Tashigi thought as she drew closer. 'Benediction' Berinholtz… he was a traitor to their cause, and a first-rate villain, responsible for rape and murder on the outside world. I haven't received any orders, and Berinholtz has been officially transferred over to the jurisdiction of Impel Down. I don't have the authority to interfere with anything that goes on in this facility.
But some things in life aren't about orders, she finally decided upon. It's my duty as an officer of the law, and as a human being, to ensure that prisoners in our custody are treated with humanity and dignity. We provide medical relief to wounded pirates, after all. And the thought of a shackled prisoner being treated badly, no matter their character, left a bad taste in her mouth.
She reached the door and gripped the handle, finding it unlocked. Feeling a drop of sweat gliding down her spine, the swordswoman took a deep breath and opened it slowly, peering inside. The room was dark, and the brightness spilling in from outside made it hard to distinguish anything.
There came a long, low groan.
"What's that? Is our cuisine not to your taste?"
The sound of boot-leather scuffing over stone came to her ears.
"Perhaps you shouldn't have spoken up, then."
And then Tashigi saw it.
She was looking into a small chamber that resembled a coatroom. The Head Gaoler was standing in the center of the room. Berinholtz was down on his knees before the hulking prison guard, twitching and struggling faintly. Shiryū had one huge hand wrapped around the pirate's neck. His sword was out of its sheathe. At first Tashigi couldn't really conceive what her eyes were telling her, and she actually reached up to make sure her glasses were in place and this wasn't some kind of awful mistake. But then it became frightfully clear.
Shiryū was feeding the man his tremendous sword.
Inch by inch the steel blade went into that gagging mouth, past the foam-flecked lips and down his throat. It was like a circus performance, although clearly the person swallowing the blade had no control over this event. His fingers clutched and beat futilely at his torturer's grip. Shiryū didn't seem to notice this, any more than he was swayed by the tears flowing down that dirty face, or the frightened, half-mad eyes begging him to stop. Instead he continued to coax the weapon into Berinholtz's gullet with all the care and precision of a surgeon performing an operation.
"You should be happy, you know." His voice was soft and lethal as a serpent's hiss. "I could have gone in from the other end. But that's something you can look forward to later. Now tell me: are you still hungry? Is my sweet blade enough to fill your rumbling belly? Come now, give us an answer. She's a tasty thing, isn't she? I've had reason to sample her before, but never to the extent that you're undergoing."
An animal whimper was his only response.
The demented maniac bent in a little closer. "What's that, you say? Speak up. I can't hear you."
"YOU INHUMAN MONSTER!"
That shout was so loud it made Tashigi flinch. Even more so when she realized that it had come from her own lips. Just as surprising was the realization that her sword Shigure was clenched in her trembling grip. She didn't remember drawing it, but now that she had, the reason was obvious.
This right here, this… abomination. This is what I fight to keep from happening. It's not justice that he's doing. It's torture. Sick, twisted, unbearable torture designed for no purpose except to break a human being down into a frightened beast.
And it has to stop.
The Marine sergeant was standing in the room with them now, her weapon trained on Shiryū. He slowly turned his head to regard her, a look of surprise evident on his blockish features. Perhaps he was unaccustomed to anyone interfering with his amusements. Or maybe he was just trying to figure out who she was. His feral eyes locked on her pale, sweating face.
Then they dropped lower.
"Oh. What a beautiful blade."
The maniacal prison guard rose to his full height. His own weapon withdrew from Arnold's craw with a sick slithering sound, and the traumatized seafarer collapsed to the side, apparently unconscious. For her part, Tashigi felt all her senses growing more focused. There was bloody saliva along the other man's sword, causing it to gleam faintly in the light pouring in from behind her. She could smell the burning tobacco from his cigar. And something else, something that she could have sworn was the scent of rain. The sound of her own heartbeat was heavy in her ears, and the feel of her wool-lined coat was rough against her arms.
He's absolutely enormous, she thought. But what was it Berinholtz said? The bigger they are, the…
"So lovely."
Shiryū was standing right in front of her, examining the tang of her sword. Wet steel pressed against her cheek, warm from blood and saliva. The young woman stared. She hadn't even seen him move. Granted, they were fighting in a broom closet (this was a fight? If so, I think I just lost), but all the same, there should have been some indication.
"Shigure, I do believe," the man holding a naked sword to her neck continued in a musing rumble. "A Meitou, one of the Wazamono Grade Swords. What an absolute treat to see it."
His gleaming eyes came over to meet her own frightened brown orbs.
"You should be thankful to have wielded such a treasure in your lifetime."
The next thing she knew, Tashigi's hands were empty, and she was shoved face-first down onto a wooden bench. A heavy hand splayed over her back kept her down. She coughed, unable to breathe for a moment, much less think.
"But you've seen something you weren't meant to. Why do you think I broke the Den-Den Mushi camera in here? I don't like an audience when I work."
She tried to rise, and was slammed down hard for her efforts. The pain was nothing great, but the feeling of helplessness that came with it… now that was what could really break a person. Above her, Shiryū continued talking in a conversational vein.
"My sword is somewhat put out. You interrupted her fun, but I must admit I am partly to blame. She doesn't like it when I admire other weapons too freely. Makes her somewhat cross with me." There came an admonishing sigh. "There's really only one thing I can think of to set matters right between us."
Horrified, the young woman felt the bare wood pressing into her cheek and against her stomach where her shirt had ridden up. And then, she experienced something much worse, as his free hand gripped the back of her jeans.
"I'm going to have to let her get a feel for your insides. If you hold still, I'm certain I can do so without causing much in the way of internal bleeding. You won't have anything to worry about afterwards." He paused, apparently considering something. "Are you a virgin, by any chance?"
Her tongue wasn't working, perhaps in shock at the thought of what he meant to do to her, else Tashigi would have protested this treatment. She felt him begin to tug down on her pants. No. Stop. You can't do this. It's wrong. Someone help me. Please stop him please…
"PARDON MY INTRUSION, SHIRYŪ-SAN!"
Her impending violation halted, and a strange knocking sound came to her ears then. Looking up, the terrified young woman saw an absolutely bizarre-looking person standing in the doorway. It appeared to be a man, only with yellow skin and horns coming out of his brow. Bare-chested, he stood almost as tall as Shiryū, with lean ropy arms and an enormous pot-belly that lent him a somewhat comical appearance. This person was wearing a loincloth and baggy pants, along with what seemed to be the traditional royal headdress normally associated with the ancient civilization of Alabasta. His face had a particularly fearsome cast to it, teeth bared in a grim frown. In spite of this impression, it quickly became apparent to her that the rattling sound from before was his knees knocking together, which was a weirdly obvious sign of discomfort on this otherwise imposing figure. He also seemed a little out of breath, as though he had been running to get here.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, I just came to fix a problem. I ran into Domino coming upstairs, and she told me that there might be some trouble with the Den-Den Mushi for this room. Since it is my duty as Warden… I'm sorry, Vice-Warden, to see that all maintenance is done swiftly and without fail, I took it upon myself to bring a replacement."
Both Tashigi and Shiryū glanced at his hand. Sure enough, an active snail-o-camera was alert and recording everything that was going on between them.
"Hanyabal." Shiryū murmured the name in a way that could only be described as quietly murderous.
"And just in case this one was damaged, I had the officers outside bring three more!"
Her assailant seemed to consider this information, while her possible savior was clearly striving with all his might not to turn around and flee for his life. The two men stood facing one another down.
Then the Head Gaoler rose up and stepped away. Immediately Hanyabal bent over and hooked Tashigi by the arm, dragging her upright.
"If there is nothing more that needs to be done here, I'll have the guards escort that prisoner behind you to my processing center so that you don't have to. Please excuse us now, Shiryū-san."
Hanyabal then turned and marched the stunned sergeant into the main hall, past several armed guards who rushed in after him. He led her over to the doors leading back out into the open air, then stopped and turned to face her.
"Are you hurt?"
Tashigi stared up into his weird, ugly face framed by blue sky and sunlight, and swore she had never seen anything more beautiful in her life.
"No."
"You were very brave to do what you did, but honestly I wish you hadn't," Hanyabal continued. "I saw what was happening in my control room for this floor, and I got here as soon as I could. We try to keep Shiryū clear of incoming prisoners because of their tendency to mouth off on the first day, but sometimes he just shows up anyway. Please accept my apologies for what you had to witness."
"Witness?"
She looked up at him, eyes filled with tears and sudden anger. "That… thing almost…!"
"Pardon me, ma'am. I believe this belongs to you."
Tashigi glanced back. One of the grim-faced officers was standing behind her, holding out her sword. Uncertainly she reached out to grasp it. Hanyabal dismissed his subordinate with a nod. As he did, they both saw Arnold Berinholtz being carried out of the room on a stretcher, followed by Shiryū. The deathly figure stood up straight and looked over to where Tashigi and Hanyabal were watching him, puffing on his cigar. He looked completely calm, but his minions gave him a wide berth as they went by.
The sight of him caused her stomach to clench. Fearing that she might throw up, the valiant young fighter looked away. She clutched Shigure to her chest and tried her hardest to keep her arms from trembling. For a moment Tashigi felt certain that the screams and cries of the people being castigated elsewhere in Impel Down were ringing clearly in her ears, and it made her teeth grit in frustration.
"It's evil," she whispered, fighting back a sob. "This place, what goes on here… it shouldn't be allowed, it should be walled up, filled in with cement and forgotten. It's monstrous!"
"No."
The Vice-Warden was gazing down at her sympathetically, standing with arms dangling loosely at his sides. His posture might have appeared slack, but there was no denying the resolve in his voice.
"Impel Down serves a purpose. It might not seem that way to you now, but there is a reason that we live our lives in the darkness of this prison, surrounded by fiends and killers. It's so that the rest of humanity won't have to. That is the sacrifice you and I share. We both choose to face the darkness, for the sake of those who can't bear to. Behind these walls, all the world's nightmares are kept safely locked away." His gaze came up then, and he looked angrily to where Shiryū continued to watch them in silence. "All the nightmares."
Hanyabal brought his attention back to her. He then gestured out to where her ship lay docked. "Our duties await us. I wish you good fortune on your voyage. Goodbye, my Tashi…" He caught himself in time. "Er, I mean, Sergeant Tashigi."
The girl blinked at him. Then military discipline took over, and she sheathed her blade while raising her hand in salute.
"Thank you, Hanyabal-dono." And she meant it.
He placed a fist to his heart in farewell, then stood by to let her pass. She walked down the dock, being careful not to trip or fall. Fortunately for her, the embarrassing clumsiness that usually marked her did not choose to appear at this time.
This was never a more welcome relief, for as she walked, she could feel the eyes of a killer boring relentlessly into her back.
Only when she crossed the gangplank and came back into the crowd of Marines did this feeling disappear. With that, Tashigi went to report to the captain before they cast off to her new home.
As they set sail for Loguetown, she found herself strangely hoping that her new commanding officer wasn't a smoker.
Back in Impel Down, Shiryū watched the woman leave. After she was gone, he turned and headed downstairs before that craven Hanyabal could accost him. The Head Gaoler lit a fresh cigar, but found that it did nothing to improve his mood.
Well, then. What would?
He gave the order for the cameras in a section of Level Two to be turned off.
He gave the order for the prisoners to be released from their cells.
He gave the order for all the guards to leave.
And then he killed.
"SHIRYŪ! What are you doing?!"
He turned, blood running down his blade, to find Magellan standing at his back. Well, hell. He had expected the Head Warden to still be busy trying to force out that bowl of poisoned corn mash. Seems that Fortune was not on his side this day.
All the same, the Head Gaoler smiled and said, "Do you really have to ask?"
Magellan bristled, then loudly proclaimed, "These inmates are not here to slaughter for your amusement, Shiryū!"
I beg to differ. Out loud, though, all he said was, "What does it matter if I skewer a few bugs now and then?"
His devilish comrade glared at him poisonously.
"Hanyabal told me what you were going to do to that Marine."
Nuts. He had been hoping the little weasel would be too cowardly to mention it to his superior. But apparently he had grown a spine sometime recently. I'll have to see about ripping it out. Well, no point denying anything now.
"I'll regret not being able to for the rest of my days," he sighed.
In response, Magellan's face began to glow with a toxic sheen. "You'll regret far more than that, I promise you." The Poison Man advanced on him, and Shiryū of the Rain raised his blade. A thought came to him then that made him smile.
Who would've known that his Goddess of Fate would need glasses?
FIN.