They faced off from opposite sides of the crumbling street like enemy gunslingers; the Eidolons, lead by Orochimaru, and their opposition, lead by Itachi and Kanda, the latter wielding a weapon glowing a multitude of colours in the night.
"Quite the motley band you've assembled here, Itachi," the snake called out with a crooked sneer, loping forward in his characteristically predatory manner. "Fugitives, elementals, assassins and crime lords, all coming together to dismantle my life's work." He shook his head, a high, almost girlish sounding laugh reverberating through the air. "Why?"
The panther had to exercise a visible effort not to snarl, stepping out to the forefront of the queue and brandishing the weapon in his gloved hands furiously.
"Your life's work has destroyed everyone else's lives; including the people on your side," Kanda declared acidly, eyes blazing electric fire. "And it ends here."
He beckoned to his companions, the entities Tekla had said were the keys to defeating the ghosts: Hiwatari, Itachi, Zero, Kaname and the sorceress. They surrounded him, the storm clouds overhead swirling and darkening as if in response.
They formed a ring in between the streets, Kanda raising the shimmering staff he held high above his head, lips moving in a soundless chant.
Appearing unaffected by the obviously threatening motion, the snake let out another mirthless giggle, serpentine gaze still fixed on Itachi, clearly about to make another sneering comment.
Before he could open his mouth again, however, the Reaper interrupted, voice as soft and sibilant as ever.
"You shouldn't be surprised by this, Hebi. I told you once before: all the terrible things you've done and made others do have consequences."
"Oh, but I am surprised, Itachi-san," Orochimaru cut him off this time, adding a distinctly mocking inflection to the Japanese honorific while rain began to fall above him. "After all, the Eidolons were the solution to tall the world's unrest. With all the complaints about politicians and the governments' bureaucracy, you would think the people would be happy under a new regime."
Tekla snorted derisively, and Kanda put a stop to the banter.
"No more talking," he snapped impatiently, thunder clapping. "It's time to be done with this."
Without further preamble, he plunged the staff into the now-damp asphalt; as he did so, his five companions each summoned up their powers, casting more different coloured strobes of light into the curved metal, their mouths beginning to move as well, joining Kanda in his soundless incantation.
As the light made contact, the staff began to glow even brighter, to the point where the metal could no longer contain it and it exploded out, washing out over the street and consuming everything in its path.
At the same time, another clap of thunder rang out, lightning racing down from the sky to strike down the ghosts directed by the others' words. Their uncharacteristic screams rang out through the night, the power from the staff blasting them off their feet and burning away their flesh like a cleansing fire.
Their enemies watched without remorse as they fell to the ground, writhing and thrashing in obvious agony, the light and heat almost blinding-but not blinding enough.
When it finally faded, every single one of them was naught but ashes, being washed away by the pouring rain.
Kanda withdrew the staff from the hole it had made in the asphalt, striding out toward their previous positions and casting out his senses for traces of life or deception. He could hardly believe it when he found none.
"That's it, then?" he quipped skeptically, eyes narrowing in disbelief.
Itachi inclined his head silently, confirming Kanda's assumption. It seemed far too simple, but that was it. It was over.
That big group meeting was still on his mind, just as it had been ever since they'd had it earlier that evening-especially what Tekla had said about how to defeat the Eidolons.
He supposed he should have seen it coming; Itachi wouldn't have engineered it so Hiwatari would recruit him if he wasn't crucial to defeating the ghosts-and Orochimaru wouldn't have such a hard-on for keeping him in his clutches. But he was still surprised by what Tekla had revealed about his part in things.
Kanda pursed his lips in contemplation, leaning back against the wall outside the rear of the compound, eyes closed against the rapidly worsening storm. He could feel electricity crackling at his fingertips in response to his emotions, which were roiling at this recent revelation-not that he was showing it on his face.
He wondered what had finally made the Reaper decide to let them al know what his big game plan was; had it been something Tekla or his brother had said? Had he had some sort of epiphany that made him realize it was time to stop letting them all stumble around in the dark?
Or was it something he had done?
Kanda had said he would find a way to earn Itachi's trust; had he finally done it? He couldn't see how. He reckoned the first notion was probably the most likely.
Whatever had lead to this new bit of knowledge, Kanda couldn't help thinking this strategy could not really be so cut and dried; this ritual they were supposed to perform with their powers, it definitely had to have some requirements that neither Uchiha nor the sorceress had mentioned.
We may no longer be guaranteed a victory but failure is not an option not when we've come this far
That said, that didn't mean he wasn't going to try. If he was going to earn Uchiha's trust, he had to prove that he really did trust him. He had to prove that he wouldn't just question everything Itachi said.
No matter what you think this is your calling you do this and succeed all your problems vanish
Don't turn your back
He exhaled heavily, breath condensing in the night air and the rain continuing to beat down a tattoo on the stone around him. He wasn't thinking about getting out of this-he was just…taking a time out after that meeting to think about this ritual and what the specifics of it were going to be. What was he going to have to do next in order to finally get his life back?
What lines are you going to have to cross next
His thoughts were cut off by a sudden flash of something inside his head, and a terribly familiar deep, mellifluous voice.
"I wouldn't worry about that."
Kanda huffed out another, sharper breath as the easily recognizable dark-skinned, sneering face of the Noah of Pleasure bloomed before him. He knew he wasn't really there, but it was still startling to see him at all. Tyki wasn't supposed to be able to reach him here. This place was supposed to be protected-so what had changed?
He didn't know if he even could respond-and he didn't have long to figure it out because, barely a moment later, the elder man spoke again, voice ringing out inside his head.
"You won't be there to help your new friends end this war," he continued as if knowing exactly what Kanda had been thinking, smiling with feigned cordialness. "At least, not if you consent to my proposal: how about we settle our score formally, once and for all? Meet me tomorrow at noon at the former Black Order headquarters; come alone and you might even discover the truth about your family."
Kanda's forehead wrinkled darkly, his heart rate speeding up slightly at that last statement there was no way Tyki could actually know who killed his parents. No matter how much more transparent Orochimaru was with his followers than Itachi, he wouldn't know that-unless he was the one who'd done it.
The panther gritted his teeth. He already wanted to kill the Noah of Pleasure-he didn't need another reason after what had happened with Allen-but Tyki knew that that was the one thing he could dangle that would pretty much guarantee he would accept his challenge.
As Tyki's face vanished from his mind, he opened his eyes and let out another huff. He knew consenting to this proposal wasn't a good idea, but he wasn't going to pass up an opportunity to take out Tyki. However, in the spirit of their new, more trusting relationship, he probably should discuss this with Uchiha and the others.
With that in mind, he unfolded his arms and scrubbed a hand down his slightly damp face before turning around and heading back inside to do just that.
In an uncharacteristic display of weakness, Zane suddenly double over as a sharp, knife-like sensation ripped through him out of nowhere. And he wasn't the only one he felt it; through his involuntarily fluttering eyelids, he saw Chazz having the same reaction.
When the sensation was followed by a sudden deep, consuming emptiness, the Cyber heir knew instinctively what it meant: they'd lost one of their fellow Legacies.
They'd lost Aster.
"Zane," Chazz breathed harshly, clutching at the wall in an effort to steady himself, also uncharacteristically anguished as he struggled to straighten up. "Did that mean what I think it means?"
Zane let out a heavy, trembling breath, fingers flexing at his sides before responding.
"I think so," he replied slowly, his tone forcefully neutral as he leaned back against his desk. He could feel the impressions of his friend's murder dancing through his mind and his body and he felt more grief than he had in a long time; Aster had been more than just a fellow Legacy. He'd been practically like a brother-which was ironic, considering he'd hated him when they first met.
But when they'd been forced to work together after finding out they shared a destiny, that had changed everything. And now that he was dead, it was like he'd lost a part of his family.
No, more than that; since he'd felt Aster's death as if it were his own, it was as if he'd just lost a part of himself.
The Legacies are three parts of one whole they are bonded in ways that transcend human thinking; their souls all exist to strengthen one another
Without one, the others are not at their best
"Aster is dead," he declared, swallowing hard and not fully meeting Chazz's gaze. A muscle jumped in his jaw as he attempted to contain his anger. "He was murdered-and I'm pretty sure we all know who was responsible."
Chazz's jaw clenched, his breaths wavering as he also tried to suppress his emotions at this painful development. He nodded, though; Zane was right. There was no doubt in his mind who had done this. He was surprised, though-surprised that it had taken this long before the Eidolons had come after them.
He supposed they'd gone after the weakest of their opposition first and saved the strongest for last.
"We should tell Kaiba," he said, hands curling into fists, his tone one of forced calm.
"Tell Kaiba what?" the white dragon's voice cut in before Zane could reply, the speaker striding into the room at the mention of his name.
Chazz started, snapping his head around to face their leader and watching while he came to stand across from them, arms folded and one ankle tucked behind the other.
"Aster was murdered," Zane was the one who told him the news, not looking at either one of his companions, his arms crossed as well. He paused, swallowing again before elaborating. "It was Muto."
Seto didn't react at first, pressing his lips together so he appeared to process that; his light-skinned face remained typically blank so it was impossible to tell what he was thinking or feeling-if anything.
Zane's eyes slanted in his direction while he was considering, biting the inside of his cheek. He didn't know what he expected Seto to say: the relationship between the prophet and their leader hadn't exactly been the same as the one between him, Chazz and Zane since Kaiba wasn't technically another Legacy. But he was another part of the puzzle-and he'd still had a connection to Aster, similar to theirs. He had to feel something at this revelation.
It was nearly five minutes before Seto finally spoke, looking Zane and Chazz each in the eyes as he did so.
"I knew something like this was going to happen," he stated quietly, scuffing his boots on the floor. "Orochimaru told me about Itachi's deal with him with the intention of turning us against him; obviously, when that didn't happen, he decided he would take us out instead." He paused, inhaling deeply, then added fiercely, "But we're not going to let him and his pitiful organization get away with that. We joined this crusade to do something about their crimes-and that's exactly what we're going to do. We're going to show him that we're not going to take this lying down."
Chazz's gaze sharpened like daggers.
"What's your idea, then?" he queried, a hint of eagerness in his throaty voice.
Seto shifted his attention to Zane, and the Cyber heir met his gaze, both their faces characteristically blank. He knew what the younger was most likely thinking as he looked at him; this was not going to be a small thing. He wanted to know what Zane thought about this-what he thought they should do to get their payback.
Zane exhaled soundlessly, turning away before he voiced his opinion.
"They aren't the only ones who can kill someone," he said flatly. "Everyone else has gotten to take out one of the ghosts. I think it's our turn."
Seto inclined his head in agreement; the man they'd killed recently hadn't been a true Eidolon. And it just so happened that he had his own score to settle with the so-called King of Games.
They used their combined powers and the resources of Seto's company to track their target down; but as it turned out, they didn't really need to, for he wasn't really hiding. He had taken up residence in his family's old game shop-the place he had worked and lived before he had joined the ghosts.
He was sitting on the floor in what was presumably his old bedroom, long legs folded beneath him and hands clasped in his lap as if in meditation or something-but his violet eyes were wide open when the three cloaked men entered.
There was no talking-the Legacies were not known for impassioned speeches or pre-execution banter-just a wall of darkness slamming into the man with the multi-coloured hair. It encased him on all sides, keeping him from moving.
The powers of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh are nothing compared to those of the Legacies
The Millennium Puzzle around his neck twitched like it was going to try and combat the attack; the needle-like projectiles extending out of the center piece lifted, glowing virulent gold and beginning to shoot beams of light at the black wall-but they had little effect because, a second later, it was reinforced.
Icicles shot through the blackness and the floor, pinning Yugi in place and cutting through his legs, eliciting an involuntary gasp of pain.
"This will achieve nothing, you know," the King of Games told his assailants, voice strained and sweat breaking out on his forehead, despite the frost beginning to surround him as well. A forced smile spread over his lips. "Whatever plan the Reaper has you believing will allow you to defeat us will not succeed, and you will all lose everything else you care about-just as you lost Phoenix."
He might have said more, but Seto stepped in, and bands of white covered his mouth and nose, silencing him and cutting off his oxygen.
His body seized, hands shooting up to clutch at his throat as frost wrapped around him as well, freezing his breath and the blood flowing through his veins.
A bluish tinge entered his skin, and he fell back, writhing as he struggled for air.
And then, his struggles stopped.
But his words still lingered in his killers' minds; the confidence with which he had uttered them gave the remaining Legacies pause. Had their friend's slayer just been spewing venom-or did he know something about this war that they didn't?
Who will be lost next?
When Orochimaru returned to his dimly lit office, his partner, Kabuto close at his heel, he found a surprise visitor waiting for him inside.
The Reaper's younger brother was standing behind his desk, leaning up against the wall with his hands in his pockets and a blank expression on his white features.
The snake's upper lip curled with a mix of pleased shock at the unexpected guest.
"Well, well, well, Sasuke Uchiha. To what do I owe this pleasure?" he drawled by way of a greeting, striding up to the other man, bemusement dancing in his yellow eyes.
Sasuke pushed himself fluidly off the wall, his own lips thinning as he met the snake's gaze without emotion.
"It seems we now have a common interest, Hebi; making my twice-cursed brother pay for all of his many sins."
"Oh?" Orochimaru arched a thin eyebrow innocently. "And what brought this on?"
Sasuke's onyx orbs flashed dangerously, pale face contorting into an uglier look.
"All the hell Itachi put me through may have been because he was under your influence; but he still had every chance-and every ability-to fight against it, and he chose not to," he declared harshly, jaw clenching with suppressed anger.
The leader of the Eidolons gave him a mockingly sympathetic glance, like he actually empathized with what he knew Sasuke had gone through when Itachi had been working for Orochimaru.
"But surely that doesn't absolve me for being the cause of all of his actions? After all, you know I am the one who ordered him to massacre your clan," the snake said sinuously, his other eyebrow lifting to join the first.
Sasuke didn't blink.
"I want him finished," the bluenette stated bluntly, facing giving away nothing. "And no matter how much I hate you, I can't deny that you are the only one who's proven to be able to subjugate my brother." He caught the elder's gaze without blinking before revealing what he really wanted. "Make me an Eidolon and I will help you get him back under your control."
Kabuto opened his mouth to offer his opinion on the subject, but Orochimaru held up a hand to forestall him, his sinister smile widening.
"Your desire for revenge is really so great that you would willingly surrender your soul in order to get it?" he questioned with mocking curiosity.
"You heard me," Sasuke affirmed with a rigid tilt of his head, unwilling to repeat himself.
Orochimaru's tone flicked out to wet his lips as he pondered. It was one hell of a tempting offer, he thought-but he knew better than to think the thief had really turned on his precious older brother so abruptly. Whether he accepted or declined the younger Uchiha's request, he was going to have to play this very carefully.
"You do realize that if you do this and we do manage to defeat your brother, you will still belong to me afterward? You won't be able to walk away like he did."
"I don't care," Sasuke said evenly, eyes practically glowing now. "I just want to hurt Itachi like he hurt me; after that, it doesn't matter what happens." There was no mistaking the conviction in his voice; he really meant every word he was saying.
That alone convinced Orochimaru of what his decision should be.
"Very well," he acquiesced silkily, his smile turning gloating. "Then, you have my word that I will punish your brother for all of his sins-as long as you tell me what I need to know to win this game."
A deal with the devil but not what it seems
"Deal," Sasuke agreed without hesitation, face hardening into stone.
The betrayal that hurts the most is always from the one you love most