Disclaimer: I do not own the anime, manga, novels, and most importantly the characters of K. K is officially owned by GoRa/GoHands.

K: Preserving the Blaze of Your Red

BY: TCOOKIES777

Chapter 21: The Setting Sun

"Who are you?" Anna said slowly.

"The ferris wheel was always your most favorite out of all the rides in the amusement park." The man spoke with a trace of wistfulness in his young voice. A soft breeze blew through, rustling the blood red cloak he wore with a hood that shadowed most of his face. But the sun was still setting and it cast its golden rays upon him, showing silver bangs that outlined the edge of his hood. His thin lips were tilted up slightly in amusement as if he was in mid-chuckle. "You often said it gave you a gorgeous view of the sunset. When I was little I didn't understand what you meant because you always looked… sad as you gazed upon it."

She tried to resist the urge to walk towards him but her feet took several steps forward on their own. "Who are you?" Anna demanded again, fighting herself from gravitating closer to him.

"Would you like to take a ride with me?" The stranger also asked once more, reaching over to pull open the gondola's door. He swept his arm out in a welcoming gesture.

Since none of Anna's instincts were screaming 'danger alert' she decided to read his mind a little. Unconsciously taking another step closer to him, Anna mentally reached out to the man only to meet a solid wall. However, his mental shields didn't push back or retaliate against her probing, unlike most people she read. He simply blocked her. Somehow, he'd been trained how to armor his mind—and he'd been taught well.

"I'm sorry but I can't let you in." The man shook his head apologetically. "Would you still believe me if I said you could trust me though?"

"Why?" Anna narrowed her eyes in suspicion though her body yearned to be nearer to him. "Why should I trust you?"

"Because it'd be a damn shame to miss a good view of this gorgeous sunset, don't you think?" He chuckled deeply, shifting his arm to her. He continued smiling as he held out his hand, waiting expectantly for her to take it. "And I promise, Anna, I would never hurt you."

With her marbles, she might just be able to break through his shields and get a quick look at his mind. But, somehow, Anna knew that this stranger was being sincere and honest with her. Somehow, she knew that he could be trusted. Still, Anna hesitated for a moment, remembering how Honami had drilled into her head that she should never go with strangers. Yet, there was something about this man… something familiar…. It called out to her, tugging at the very fiber of her soul.

Anna took several more steps until she stood directly before him. He was a lot taller than he'd appeared to be when she'd been farther away. He towered over her and it reminded her of Mikoto for some reason. However, while Mikoto stood with a lazy slouch, this man stood diligently at attention like a prince. In fact, he almost seemed to give off the austere air of a priest and it wasn't just because of the strange power Anna sensed with him. From this angle, she could see some of his face better. She caught glimpses of a strong jaw and the small end of a narrow nose. His skin seemed beautifully pale but the dying light cast a dewy glow on him.

He was undeniably a very young man, looking no older than Tatara's age.

"Please." He whispered after Anna still refused to take up his offer.

It was the pleading in his voice—the small quiver on his lips—that persuaded Anna to finally slip her hand into his. His mouth tugged into a soft smile and he helped her up onto the gondola before slipping in right behind her. She sat on one bench and he chose the bench opposite of hers. It seemed he had meant to give her some space instead of sitting beside her but the gondola was smaller than it appeared. Her knees pressed with the knees of his long legs and although it should've been cramped for him, the man had the most excited grin on his face.

Despite no one being at the controls, the gondola started moving up as their long ride began.

"I never realized how young you were." The man seemed to murmur more to himself than Anna. Although his hood covered most of his face, Anna felt him staring intensely at her. Normally, she would have felt uncomfortable with someone looking at her for too long let alone running their eyes all over her but he didn't do it in any way that felt gross or inappropriate. It was more like he was studying her.

"Will you ever tell me who you are?" Anna asked gently this time.

He shook his head again but his lips were twisted into a playful smile.

"But you know me?"

He paused briefly, and then he chuckled, although his laugh seemed sad instead of happy. "You could say that."

"How do you know me?" Anna struggled to remember the faces of the significant people she'd met in her life. She was pretty sure she had never met this man before though. He was definitely a stranger. And Anna was positive that she would never forget such a mysterious man like him. So then why did he feel so familiar to her? Why did she want to touch him—to hear his voice and see his face so badly?

He sighed in response. For a moment, he didn't do anything. Then he looked to her hands which were neatly clasped on her lap and pointed to them. "May I?"

Anna was more puzzled than hesitant but she unlocked her hands and held them towards the man. He reached over and enveloped her hands with his own. Again, he reminded her of Mikoto with the way his hands were so large and comfortably warm but, at the same time, calloused. She faintly wondered if his hands were rough because he was a fighter—and, if so, then for how long had he been fighting and why?

"Your hands…" He muttered but continued holding onto her, "they're so small."

Anna didn't say anything to that because, again, he seemed to be talking to himself rather than her. After a while of letting him hold her, she slipped her hands out of his only so she could flip his own hands over. They were heavily calloused as she suspected but she never expected his palms to be so badly scarred either. Thick silver lines crisscrossed the skin and a fresh red cut topped them off on both palms.

"Did you do these to yourself?" Anna asked softly.

He nodded quietly but then sucked in a breath of surprise when she gingerly brushed the tips of her fingers against the marks. "I did them to survive…. You taught me how."

Anna frowned, not understanding what he meant. "I taught you to do this or to survive?"

"Both." He whispered and when her hands started shaking he wrapped his own hands around hers once again. He shouldn't have been able to affect her so much like this since he was definitely a stranger no matter how hard Anna tried to remember. But with just a touch from him and Anna already felt so calm—even safe. No one could ever make her feel that way save for her King.

"I don't understand." Anna tightened her grip on him slightly, holding onto him as if he was a lifeline. "Who are you?"

"I don't remember much of my father before he died." The man said suddenly, turning his head to gaze out the large window of the gondola. The sun was halfway past the glittering waters and its rays streaked onto his figure. His silver hair glinted from under the hood but the shadows still hid most of his face. "But I do remember he was quite the idiot—a charming and loyal man, but an idiot nonetheless. I must have caught his stupidity when he dropped me on my head like the clumsy fool he was. My sister, on the other hand, took after our mother a lot—practically the spitting image of her. She was beautiful, kind, and amazingly too clever for her own good. The only difference was that I inherited our mother's patience while she possessed our father's temper. That's why we're two sides of the same coin…. That's why he killed her."

"Your sister?" Anna was afraid to say anything lest he clam up but she was too curious to keep quiet.

"And my mother." He turned back to her and she felt the burn of his stare again from the shadows of his cloak. "I was born two minutes ahead of my twin sister. I always felt like it was my duty to protect her… like how my father protected my mother. However, while my father died protecting mother, it was my sister who died protecting me."

"From who?" Anna asked, tightening her hold on his hands as reassurance. "Maybe I can help you."

"My sister is the reason I'm here." The man distractedly rubbed his thumb against Anna's knuckles, ignoring Anna's inquiry. "And I'm here for HOMRA…. For you."

"I don't understand!" Anna cried out, resisting the urge to grab at his hood and throw it back if only to gaze upon the face of this man. "Why me? Please, tell me who you are…"

The man remained silent at first but then Anna saw his lips twist into a wry smile. "Would you believe me if I told you I'm a prince?"

"I know you." Anna leaned closer to get a better look at the man but although the gondola was near the top already, the sun was nearly gone by now. "I know you and you know me. Why won't you tell me who you are?"

She pulled her hands out of his grasp and quickly reached for his hood. He was quicker, however, and already easing his hands around her wrists to keep her from throwing back his cover. At first, Anna thought that she'd perhaps angered him but then he simply muttered, "It doesn't matter. I don't have much time left anyways. Yuki would've wanted to see you too but… it wouldn't be fair if you saw me but not her too."

"Yuki?" Anna echoed. He still held her by the wrists but his grip was gentle as was his response.

"My twin sister."

"That's a beautiful name." Anna sincerely agreed.

His hood dipped as he nodded. "My mother named her that because winter was her favorite season of the year. Supposedly, it means 'good fortune' and 'snow' but I never really understood that because… a lot of sad things happened to my mother whenever it snowed."

"Then what about your name?" Anna tried to coax another answer out of him.

"I told you," His voice lightened with teasing, "I'm a prince."

"If you are a prince," Anna tried to tease back, "then surely your face is too handsome to hide?"

"I assure you," he chuckled, "I'm not hiding any deformities if that's what you're concerned with. And, unlike my father, I'm quite the lady-killer. Or so I am told."

"Then," Anna said with a depth of seriousness and pleading to her voice, "at least let me touch you."

His grip tightened slightly on her wrists briefly as he thought about it. Then, he nodded and released her. Anna wasn't sure what he would've done had she chosen to betray his trust and reveal his identity but she wasn't the kind of person to do that sort of thing anyways—and she was aware that he knew that too.

Slowly, she reached forward and laid her hands against the sides of his face. She heard him sighed from under his hood but he didn't stop her as she blindly traced his features. She smoothed her palms against his sculptured cheekbones, grazed her thumbs against the sides of his narrow nose, brushed her fingers against arched brows, and outlined the thin lips that suppressed a wide smile as she continued to map out his features. Thick lashes tickled her knuckles as he fluttered his eyes close and he raised his hands to cover hers as she finished tracing the hard edge of his jaw.

He was definitely handsome. Anna didn't need to see to know it.

"It's been so many years." He sighed, still trapping her hands against the sides of his face. "You don't know how much I've missed this."

"I know you." Anna whispered as she stared intensely into the black shadows of his ruby hood.

"Look." The man turned away from her to gaze back at the dying sun. They were at the top now and had the perfect seat to see the sky which was swathed in shades of indigo and violet and glowed at the edge like golden fire. "You often came here when you needed to find the strength to do something."

She was still confused as to how he knew her so personally. Only the closest people in her life—and there were few—knew her well enough to that level. Otherwise, no one could read her blank stares or understand the cryptic sentences she'd utter at random times. Anna nodded in confirmation and was about to say something when the gondola rocked as it started its descent down. The motion caught the man off by surprise and, since the space was too cramped for him to hold onto anything, he was thrown forward against Anna.

His face would have knocked into hers had he not braced his hands on the wall behind her just in time.

"Sorry!" He pulled back and Anna's eyes widened as she took in his appearance—finally without the hood which had fallen off from the motion.

His silver hair was short but tousled and it was bright like the moon under the darkness of the sky. His skin was so pale and translucent, giving him a mystical look to add to the powerful aura he already radiated. Light brows slowly rose up as he came to realize his cover was gone. He touched a hand against the edge of his strong jaw as if he couldn't believe that his identity had been revealed so carelessly. Handsome was not the right word to describe him. No, he had a rugged beauty—a perfect balance of effeminate and masculine. Ultimately, it was his sharp, burning red eyes framed with snowy lashes that mesmerized Anna. They were as bright and intense as flames themselves.

"Like what you see?" He started teasing again but Anna saw the panic that flitted in his burning gaze.

"You…" Anna struggled to say the words, "you look like me…. Who—who was your father?"

"I told you," he brushed a scarred hand through his messy silver locks, "he was an idiot."

"And… your mother?" Anna hesitated.

"My mother… was a great ruler. Yet, she was also a sad King." Before Anna could say anything in response, the man nodded to something outside. "Look, they're coming."

Peering out the window to see what he meant, her eyes widened at the sight of Izumo and Tatara running over to the ferris wheel.

"I just wanted to bring you over here… to give you the strength to do what you need to do." She looked back at the man but he continued gazing out through the window, this time studying the colorful sky. There was a glint of nostalgia in his bright eyes and Anna suspected it had always been there since he first laid eyes on her.

Desperate to know, she started, "Are you my—"

"I can't answer that. I'm sorry." He cut her off without sparing a glance in her direction. "I have to go now…."

Don't go! She wanted to cry out—to hold onto him—hold him in her arms and never let him go. Because she felt love for him too.

Instead, she asked in a shaky voice, "Will I ever see you again?"

He reached over and wrapped her small hands in his once again. "I don't know. Perhaps in another time."

And perhaps never.

"What if I don't want you to leave?" She dared to say.

He finally met her eyes and then smiled sadly at her. "You have to let me go, Anna. You're the one who taught me that too."

She knew.

She knew the truth deep down and it was about as painful for her just as much as it was beautiful as well. And that's why she didn't want to let him go. This was probably why he didn't want her to see his face. Because once she did, the goodbye would be so much harder to say.

"I'm sorry it took Yuki and I so many years—though I guess it hasn't exactly been as long for you." He shook his head but a small smile tugged at his lips, crinkling his beautiful bright eyes. ""The Slate never responded to me or Yuki like it always did with you. When Yuki died, though, I wished for a miracle and it finally answered me. Unfortunately, I have to pay the price soon."

"Price?" Anna repeated, remembering that she had yet to uphold her end of the bargain with the Slate as well.

"It doesn't matter." He sighed with a mix of sadness and bliss. "Because all of it was worth it…. It was definitely worth it."

"What was worth it?" The tears threatened to spill over her eyes but she kept them back for as long as possible.

"This." He looked around them in gesture before nodding to her. "You."

"Please…" She begged despite knowing that it was impossible for him to stay with her. Her hands began trembling at the knowledge that she would soon be left all alone, once again. "Please, don't go."

He squeezed her hands and a rush of loving warmth filled her soul. "Don't be afraid. You're a king—you wield power one can only imagine. And I understand that that in itself is frightening. But don't let that fear control you… because it is you—and you alone—who controls that power. It's all a matter of will. And you, Anna Kushina, have a will of fire that burns brighter than anyone else's."

She sensed the small flame within her flicker and brighten in response to his words.

"I'm just so happy" he whispered to her, grinning softly as his red eyes burned fiercer than ever, "that I was able to see you again. Thank you, Mo—"

"Anna!" Izumo shouted as he and Tatara ran over to their gondola. She glanced at them before turning back to the man but the bench opposite of her was already empty. There was no sign that anyone had ever been in the gondola besides her. Yet, her hands still felt so warm and, when she opened them, she found a dark red marble nestled in between. For some reason, it reminded her of the vision she had in which she had been trapped with that sentient, slimy darkness until a marble, just like the one in her hand right now, showed her the way to the door of light.

"Anna!" It was Tatara who opened the door and she was still in shock when he hugged her against his form. "I'm sorry, Anna! I'm so sorry!"

"Tatara?" She blinked in confusion, wondering why he was here in her vision. She had not seen him since the night of his death. Photos could not do him justice. Seeing him in person like this, even if it was just in a vision, had Anna tearing up already.

"Are you okay?" He pulled away to give her a proper look over. "Are you hurt?!"

"I'm fine." She answered him, still drinking in the handsomeness of his young face. Her hands grasped the soft material of his warm, long-sleeved shirt. "How—how did you find me?"

"Anna, I know you." Tatara smiled wryly at her. "There's no other reason you would run away like that unless you were upset. And you always come here when you're upset."

"But that was years ago the last time." Anna commented.

"Some things never change." He responded back. He sighed before climbing into the gondola with her but he didn't close the door. She wanted to bury her face against his chest and breathe in his clean smell. She almost did.

Izumo remained outside, talking on the phone with someone. "We're not mad at you if that's what you're worried about."

"Mikoto?" She was scared to ask. This was surely a vision but she couldn't help but wonder.

"He's not mad." Tatara said. "He's just worried even though he won't admit it. He wanted to come but... he wasn't sure if you were ready to see him."

"I see." Anna muttered, fingering the orb she still held in her hand. It was near identical as hers, save for the difference in power she sensed from it. It wasn't hers. It wasn't made of her blood and it didn't contain her power or intentions. Nonetheless, it was soothingly warm and assuring.

"Izumo nearly lost it—I had to stop him from drinking out his own bar. He's been worrying about you ever since you left home without any explanation. He thought it was his fault you left."

"I'm sorry." Anna's lip quivered at the thought of the Izumo back in her timeline… all by his lonesome. I'm so sorry for leaving you behind, Izumo. He must have been tortured over the idea that she had chosen to run away… when she hadn't wanted to leave him in the first place.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Tatara gingerly asked.

Anna didn't say anything for a while. When she did, what came out was something neither of them really expected. "Do you believe in reincarnation?"

"Reincarnation?" Tatara scratched his head, completely caught off guard with the question. "What brought this up? Did something happen?"

"I…" Thinking deeply, she rolled the marble in between her fingers. Even though it was nearly pitch dark by then, the marble seemed to contain a light within its crystal—as if it was a beacon to guide her. "I see myself…. Well, different versions of me. But they're all younger…. They're all weak."

"And you want to be strong?" Tatara concluded and she nodded in response. He dipped his face closer to hers, peering at her intensely. "Hm! You're just like me when I was younger—though I was only a few years older than you are now."

"Huh?" She blinked back in surprise.

"I was barely in high school when I became Mikoto's clansman." Tatara explained. He turned and looked out the window to gaze at the moonlit waters as he spoke. "In the beginning, it was only King, Kusanagi-san and I. We… we struggled a lot when we first received our powers. King didn't know what to do with a power he didn't even want in the first place. Kusanagi-san and I were about as lost as him but we tried to support him as best we could. King was… amazing! And Kusanagi-san was so calm and smart about everything… I, on the other hand, was the youngest of the group and couldn't really do much. I didn't know how to fight and they had to save my skin so many times because I kept telling everyone how Mikoto was a King and, well, the other gangs heard me at school and didn't like that.

"I wanted to be strong." He sighed. "I was the third executive and the clansman of a great King! But I only ever got in the way because I was weak. At least, that's what I thought at first. It took me a while but then I realized that I was actually giving Mikoto a purpose. With a power he never wanted, King was tempted to just give in and destroy everything… including himself. But with me, he had something to protect—someone he could use his fire to save—not destroy. It's not exactly how I'd pictured supporting him but it helped prove that his power was meant to protect. I'm still called the weak one to this day but I know better!"

"Tatara isn't weak." Anna said quietly in agreeance.

He chuckled in reply. "Now I'm going to tell you this, Anna. You are not weak."

"But I saw—"

"Younger versions of yourself, right?" He smiled reassuringly at her. "But you're not the same person as you were then, are you?"

"No." She answered slowly.

"That's right. They're younger and weaker but that's only because you're older and stronger now." He slid off the bench and climbed out of the gondola, turning around to hold out his hand for her. "Are you strong, Anna?"

Staring at his hand, she remembered the cloaked man from earlier.

"I just wanted to bring you over here… to give you the strength to do what you need to do."

"I'm strong." She said loudly—firmly—stepping off from the gondola on her own. Tatara smiled at her proudly in return.

"Well, then, to answer your question from earlier," He held his palm up and a golden butterfly sprouted from a cloud of sparkling embers, "yes, I do believe in reincarnation. What a strange question to ask though…."

Hand in hand, she stuck close to Tatara's side, saying, "Let's go home."

And as the two walked, joined by Izumo, the world behind them disappeared. With every step she took, she erased parts of her vision until she was walking on a blank canvas. Izumo was the first to disappear from her vision. Then, when Anna looked up, she caught Tatara smiling down at her before he too disappeared. Her hand was still raised to the side but she could still feel the warmth and security of his grip. She could still feel the reassuring squeeze he had given her at the last second. She closed her eyes as the whiteness of her world ebbed away and she was carried back to reality.

"Red King."

Upon opening her eyes, she felt an old, familiar fire within her rekindle. It had always been there in her, subdued into a dull ember. But now that she had fully accepted its power—her power—it sparked into a raging inferno. A silent roar to all who had dared to leash her.

She knew her eyes were ablaze with power as she flung her arms out and swept them aside. White-red fire, almost pink looking, erupted from her feet. The force of it blew the cage bars to pieces and debris flew across the room as the mountain of fire continued building and rising. Anna stood atop it all, holding her hands up commandingly.

"What?!" The mercenary managed to say as soon as the blazes dispelled the illusion. Then they too were consumed by the licks of the flames pouring out from the young girl.

Izumo, who held up Yata against his side, did nothing to shield himself from the sudden eruption of power from his comrade. Neko simply yelped, jumping helplessly around to avoid the flames until she realized she wasn't affected at all.

"I will not run away any more." Anna murmured, yet her voice seemed to echo across the large expanse of the room. She raised her hands up high above her head, closing her eyes as she did so. "And golden bird cages will seal my fate no longer!"

The two clansmen and the Strain stared in awe and stupor as they witnessed the true power of the King of Fire and Fury, the Red King. A thick column of pinkish-gold fire shot out from the girl and pierced through the tall tower's ceiling. Debris began falling only to be burned away before it could reach the young King. The pillar of fire continued rising high into the sky until it broke apart to reveal a polished Sword of Damocles. Rose gold scales embroidered the swirl-like grip as well as the twisted cross guard. The irregular-shaped blade bent slightly at the tip, but a pristine red orb sat in the middle of the cross guard, shining brighter with than any star.

A blaze of fire gathered around it until it exploded from the blade to release a large bird of flames. Its burning wings spread to the sides as it raised its head to the heavens and let out a piercing war cry that shattered the glass of nearby buildings. Flapping once, then twice, the phoenix continued to circle around the young King's Damocles Sword several times before it suddenly dove down like a fireball.

"Anna!" Izumo yelled when the bird shot straight down upon her, breaking apart to become an explosion of fire that bathed the girl who kept her eyes closed, soaking it all in.

When she opened them again, the force of the fire pulled into her body and then extended from the back to become her own pair of wings. She was no longer just a King.

She was an angel of fire and fury. And she held no mercy for those who foolishly fueled the flames of her pyre.

"Caw! Caw, caw!" The parrot flew in from the hole of the ceiling. It screeched before landing on the leather shoulder of Yukari Mishakuji, who had seemingly appeared from out of nowhere. "Yukari! Yukari!"

"Yes, yes, Kotosoka." The flamboyant swordsman purred, standing on the broken edge of the upper floor. "It appears a celebration is in order for the lady's royal coronation."

"Ah! Glitter guy!" Neko's eyes widened as she saw how her friend was nowhere to be seen. Her bells tinkled while she whipped her head side to side. "Where's Kurosuke?!"

"You mean Ichigen Miwa's disappointment?" Yukari chuckled before reaching for something by his feet. He threw the Black Dog's limp form over the edge. Neko yelped before she leapt into the air to catch her fellow clansman. His dead weight, however, caused the two to land hard. They rolled across the ground awkwardly as the impact and her friend's weight shook the young woman off her nimble feet. The violet-haired swordsman smirked. "And I thought cats were supposed to land on their feet?"

"Kurosuke…" Neko cradled the man's pale, bloodied face against her breasts.

"Are you satisfied, Yukari?" When Kotosoka spoke again, the parrot's eyes were eerily alight, and his voice had become humane but emotionless. "Please return, you have done enough. The one who stands before you is no longer a clansman targeted for capture. She is the Third King, the Red King."

"But Nagare," The JUNGLE clansman protested, "I won't be satisfied unless I return with one head, at least. She's a newborn and can barely control her power. I can handle her easily."

The glamorous swordsman had barely just finished speaking when his eyes widened and he whipped around only to meet Anna's burning gaze. He had not seen her even move.

"Then allow me to give you a taste of my power." The Red King said, her voice seemed to echo in Yukari's mind. His movements were suddenly sluggish, and he was still reaching for his sheathed Ayamachi when Anna raised a cracked marble to connect their gazes.

The parrot screeched in panic, flapping away from the two. The others below watched on in confusion as the swordsman stood still with a hand halfway to his weapon. And then…

"AHHHH!" Yukari screamed out, his brown eyes widened like saucers even as tears of agony streamed down his face.

"All of your memories… Everything. I see it all. I feel it all. I know it all."

"AUGH… STOP!" His entire body quivered, fighting against the psychic restraints on him but to no avail.

"You are a selfish narcissist, Yukari Mishakuji." The Red King spoke in a harsh voice, unlike the soft gentleness of the girl she once was. "I shall grace you with retribution."

"Yukari! Yukari! Yukari!" Kotosoka shrieked deliriously.

Anna then stretched out her wings before letting them encompass both her and the swordsman. A flash of golden light resonated from within the cage of wings. When Anna unfurled the broad blazes, a pile of glittering black ash lay at her feet. Ayamachi laid half buried under the remains of its master.

"Nyah!" Neko's face was scrunched up in confusion and worry. "What did Anna do? Where's Glitter Guy?"

"She burned him." Izumo breathed. "She burned him from the inside out."

"Anna…" Yata groaned out.

Kotosoka screeched again, circling around them from high above. "You have exceeded my expectations, Anna Kushina. I regret that I cannot greet you in person, but how do you do, new Red King. I am Nagare Hisui, the Fifth and Green King."

"Nagare?" Izumo exclaimed. "Nagare Hisui, the Green King?!"

"Th-that bird?!" Yata grunted out before letting out a wet cough.

"Nah, the bird is probably just a medium." Izumo continued to hold up the vanguard with his one good arm. His bloodied hand with the kunai, however, lay trembling at his side. "Those Greens are capable of all sorts of tricks."

"Please excuse me for having to leave so soon. As a gesture of my apology, allow me to send you a little birthday present."

Green electricity began dancing and jumping across the fallen debris and rocks.

"I don't think so." Anna's blazing eyes narrowed at his words. "I used to think the most beautiful thing in this world was this red… But now I know... it's vengeance."

She snapped her fingers and the ground lit up in a sea of blazing pink fire. Yelling. There was so much yelling and screaming on every single floor of the Golden Tower which had now become a flaming pyre itself. Her comrades on the floor braced raised their arms up to brace against the force of her power.

"Impossible!" Kotosoka screeched out, beginning to flap away from the hell and chaos below him. From the sky, a thin streak of lightning shot down towards the bird—his escape—but the fire in Anna's eyes brightened as she focused on the green flash. Just as the lightning hit the bird, a pink explosion of fire burst out of midair, right where Kotosoka had barely met its way of escape.

Black ashes and several emerald feathers drifted down upon the Angel of Fire and Fury. Her beautiful but cold face became streaked with soot as she continued gazing up at her polished Sword of Damocles, shining like a beacon high in the darkening sky.

"No blood, no bone, no ash."

She knelt down and retrieved Ayamachi, not bothering to shake off the ashes of its fallen master. Unsheathing the polished blade, Anna took a moment to study her reflection against the silvery surface. Then she muttered to the sword, "You are full of compassion and ambition."

Dropping the dark purple sheath, Anna caressed her fingertips against the silky metal. She could sense its fullness. Joy, anger, sadness, happiness, fear, hesitation, shock, madness, anxiety, pride, honor… even love. She whispered, "Yet, you are error. You are fault."

She raised the sword up, continuing to stare at her soot-streaked face through the cold reflection of the blade.

"Anna!" Izumo called out to her. Neko huddled protectively over Kuroh's body, gazing up at her with confusion and even fear.

The new King flicked her eyes to the Dresden Slate which still sat in the center of the room. It was embedded into the floor under a thick layer of protective glass. Anna narrowed her eyes before her wings flapped once, then she dove towards the slab of rock with Ayamachi brandished before her.

The others instinctively moved away to avoid any collateral damage, for they saw the change in their comrade's eyes. What bright warmth they once saw in Anna's gaze was now filled with a cold fire. And that icy fire continued to burn as Anna glared down at the mysterious stone which she now knelt upon. Ayamachi was stabbed into the center, surrounded by large cracks as it had pierced through the thick, protective glass to touch the surface of the stone.

"Anna!" Izumo shouted, struggling to hold up an unconscious Yata. His face was pale as he stared at her but it wasn't just from the loss of blood. "Anna, what are you doing?!"

Neko's sharp eyes nervously darted back and forth between the two Reds. She silently cradled Kuroh's body close to herself.

It seemed the rock had the young girl's full attention, however, because she continued to ignore everyone else in the room. Keeping one hand gripped around Ayamachi, Anna brought forth her other hand and sliced her palm against the blade. She did not even wince as her blood slithered down the thin edge, trickling past the cracks of the glass to settle against the center of the stone's surface.

"Reveal yourself, Dresden Slate." Anna murmured.

For a moment, nothing happened. And then everything stopped.

Everything.

Her comrades stood still with their faces stuck in disorientation. Even the air and atmosphere itself seemed to be frozen.

Time had stopped for everything and everyone but her.

Beneath her feet, the Slate pulsed bright as it spoke in Anna's mind. "What a fine, young King you've become, Anna Kushina."

AYY, BET NONE OF YOU WERE EXPECTING THAT! Or, I hope not.

Ok, a LOT of things happened in this chapter so I bet there's a lot of questions you guys have. Please, feel free to ask me anything. I always respond to every review, even if you're anon!

I incorporated A LOT of info from the K Project Wiki (as I usually do) so there's a lot to take in if you're not familiar with miniscule details like Ayamachi and the emotions Yukari had filled it with. I didn't pull those details out of my butt it's really canon. And a lot of the conversation exchanged between Anna, Kotosoka, and Yukari are actual dialogue from the movie, K: Missing Kings.

Okay! About that vision with the ferris wheel! No, I cannot explain that. But you should already know who that mystery man is if you've read previous chapters. I've made it as obvious as possible without actually stating the obvious. Yes, his importance has already been shown—he is there to encourage Anna and motivate her. Motivate her to do what is the question but he says "to do what needs to be done" which is also another question. No, he will not appear in future chapters. This is the first and last time we see this OC. Partly because he has already finished his role in the story and partly because I want to keep things as canon as possible.

But TCOOKIES777! You're having Anna and Yata have sex! That's an alternate timeline so I can basically do whatever I want with those versions. Of course, as you can see though, our main Anna is no longer the shy little biscuit she once was. That's because of character development! I mean she's been through tough times… things she shouldn't be going through at her age. She was raped (no penetration though) for Christ's sake! I doubt anyone will stay sweet and innocent after painful, bloody ordeals like that.

ALSO! Remember, Anna has a connection with her blood. That's how she makes her marbles right? She has some manipulation over her blood, by use of her Strain powers. In fact, Anna's potential with her Strain abilities is more than what the anime lets on. She is a freaking BAMF in the novels so best not to get on her bad side.

NOW, about that vision Anna had in the last chapter where she was naked and alone in the dark and this creepy shadow monster was assaulting her. Yes, that was a vision and yes what happened in that vision foreshadows future chapter events.

REMINDER! Anna still has 3 of her marbles plus that new marble the mystery man gave her so now she has 4 marbles. HOWEVER, only HER 3 marbles have the power to reset her in a new timeline. So what is the purpose of the 4th marble that the man gave her? YOU WILL SOON FIND OUT.

YOU'RE WELCOME FOR THE EXPLANATION & I HOPE THAT GAVE YOU MORE INSIGHT ON THINGS.

Chapter 22: A Parade of Butterflies will be released tomorrow!