Opening Song: The Setup by Jesper Kyd

Octavian stands guard at the rear of the campsite while Ryoki and Gehrman keep an eye on Lawrence's little guardian Shiryo. Dusk's dark grip creeps in and chips away at the orange gaze of the setting sun. It won't be long until nightfall.

"How's it looking?" Lawrence asks.

"It's sealed up pretty tight." Yuyaki replies as she hands the binoculars to him.

"What do you think Hikage?"

"If you're expecting a raid like that time at Hanzo Academy, you can forget it." I reply.

"Hmm… I hate to say it, but it looks like you are right." Lawrence replies as he turns his head and looks directly at Homura. "Wow…that wireless bra really suits you!"

"Quit it asshole!" Homura yells.

"Ah come on! I giving you a complement!"

"You're oogling!" Homura twists her body away from Lawrence.

"I wouldn't be if you were ugly!"

I tune out the quarrel and continue my observations. Almost every possible way into Gessen Academy is either sealed off or heavily patrolled by Gallowglass. Yuyaki couldn't even send her crow in to survey for us because our contact told us they have infrared surveillance watching the sky. Lawrence had some ideas that involved the crow so we could get information faster, but they were risks Yuyaki and I didn't want to take.

This normally wouldn't be a problem if our job was just an ambush or straight combat, but Gallowglass aren't the only ones running around school grounds. Students from Gessen are helping Gallowglass keep the area locked down. Not to mention there are regular people and contestants walking around which pose a serious threat.

As of now, the shinobi council is using all the mercenaries and private contractors we killed as leverage against us, but the worst they can do is tack another zero onto our ever-growing bounty. Something that causes the money to lose its value and become more for bragging rights. A trend we want because the bigger our bounties, the more ruthless and sadistic we come off as.

To the regular student with bills or shinobi father trying to feed his kids, it gives the impression that they won't survive an encounter against us. Therefore, hurting the council and preventing them from recruiting anyone other than Ange's gang. The only mercenary group crazy and capable enough to bring us down.

However, if an innocent civilian or someone completely unrelated to our conflict were to get hurt or die, then they could label us as an international threat and end up making us a common enemy to hunters, shinobi, mercenaries, and the everyday people.

"Lawrence, this is so stupid. Not to mention dangerous." Homura paces back and forth.

"You're just mad because I'm the one that thought of it." Lawrence pokes back.

"Probably because I'm not the one who asked Haruka to collect intel! What if she gets into trouble!?"

"She won't." Lawrence quickly snaps back.

"Gallowglass is all over the academy!"

Lawrence takes a deep breath and lets out a series of mock snoring noises. Homura grabs her hair and tugs in pure anger and frustration towards his insubordinate attitude.

"Why do you treat everything like it isn't important!? That's our friends down there, and you act like they don't even matter!"

"Haruka matters to me. Mirai matters. Yomi matters. All of you do because if you didn't, then I would have sent someone that's got a bounty on them. Nor would I have listened to Yuyaki and Hikage's advice regarding the crow."

"Somebody has to gather info for us, and there's nobody more qualified than Haruka." I state.

"I know the answer, but please, reassure me." Homura politely asks.

"Haruka has a particular way of handling things, and she does it so well that she can seduce anyone with little effort. Men can't resist her because she's beautiful, and women can't say no because she's so charming."

"Alright. Hearing Hikage say that makes me feel better than when Lawrence does."

"Of course it would Kinky Kunoichi."

"Fuck you!"

Lawrence snickers at Homura's rage as he climbs up to the top of the cliffside for a better vantage point. I continue to look for a gap in the patrols, but it doesn't appear there is one big enough for us to exploit. For the time being, we'll just have to sit tight until Haruka arrives with some information.

What bothers me is the tournament. What's the prize, what is there to prove, and more importantly, is it possible to kill someone on the shinobi council tonight? My eyes trace over the academy and snap back to the entrance of the arena.

"Haruka is coming our way." I say.

"Finally! This espionage stuff is boring!" Lawrence sighs with relief.

He hands the binoculars back to Yuyaki and walks over to a wooden crate he got after we broke Asuka out of Caligula. Lawrence's friends claim they couldn't secure us a decent boat, but they had some gear they'd give us as a way of saying sorry. After Homura and I talked about it, it was safe to assume Lawrence intentionally settled for that piece of shit boat just for the supplies.

"You and that damn box." Homura sighs.

"Still mad about that boat trip to Caligula?"

"I'm happy I survived so I could be pissed off at you."

"Oh come on! They got us some good stuff! Ancient artifacts that hunters and shinobi could only dream of having!"

Rusty nails snap off into the old wooden boards as Lawrence pulls the lid up and sticks his hand down. Metal and leather scrape against the crate with a dull sound as Lawrence crawls into the box and closes the lid.

"Oh boy. Just what I wanted for Christmas. A dick in a box." Homura snaps.

"Oh shit! I hope the cannon doesn't go off!"

Octavian twists his head in pure shock, "Did you just say there was a fucking cannon in there?"

"Yup, and it's mine. There's a lot of other cool stuff in here for all of you too."

The top of the crate creaks up, and Lawrence's golden eyes are the only things visible. He tosses a lever action calvary rifle onto the ground along with some mercury bombs. The crate shuts back and Lawrence rummages around in secret.

"Homura, what's Lawrence doing?" Shiryo asks.

"Being immature. Like always."

"I heard that Kinky Kunoichi."

Homura's face turns bright red as she makes a strangling motion directly towards the crate. Lawrence throws some more stuff onto the ground and sinks back down. My curiosity gets the better of me, and I walk over to the pile of random stuff laying on the ground.

Giant throwing kukris, wrist mounted shuriken launchers, bloodletting blades, white flame grenades, cast iron cannonballs, chains, and powder canisters litter the ground. Lawrence climbs out of the box with a miniature cannon and looks it over.

The brass barrel is slightly longer than his forearm. Leather straps reinforced with chain link form a device where it can be attached to an arm. Underneath the barrel is a small cage that can hold extra cannonballs and canisters. Unlike a traditional fuse lit cannon, this model has been modified with a doghead hammer, and a powder pan.

"Listen up, Haruka is on her way so load up." Lawrence states as he shoves a canister and ball into the cannon.

I grab a couple of kukris and mount them to my back. Yuyaki grabs the bloodletting blades. Octavian picks up a couple white flame grenades and some mercury bombs. I pull my knife out and drive it in between the shuriken throwers, and the hands of Gekko and Senko.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Gekko and Senko back away as I take the shuriken throwers away and hand them to Homura. She straps them onto her wrists and picks up the lever action rifle. I don't know what she's going to do with that, but it would be better if it were in Homura's hands over the runts.

"Hey Octavian, how good is your one-handed skill?" Lawrence asks as he hands the cannon to him.

Octavian strains and drops the thing on the ground, "Goddamn! That's way over two hundred pounds!"

"It's just a little three pounder. It's not that heavy." Lawrence chuckles as he hoists the cannon back up with little effort.

"Bullshit!"

"That's what the naval services would classify it."

"Then the Navy needs to learn basic math because that's not three pounds!"

"The only reason I can carry this around like it's nothing is because I lug Homura up over my shoulders on a regular basis."

"You know, there's a special place in hell for you because of that comment." Homura rages.

Octavian fights the urge to laugh out loud and quickly returns to watch duty. Yuyaki scoops the rest of the bombs and vials up and distributes them to everyone except Gekko and Senko. The both of them sigh in disappointment, but neither of them make any kind of comment about mistreatment. Even if they did, they have no right complain.

Lawrence feeds them, I water them, and we risk our own lives for their safety. Despite his renounces and protests, Octavian thinks Gekko and Senko can be saved. That's one of the few reasons I haven't run my dagger across their throats in the middle of the night. There is another reason why Gekko and Senko aren't dead yet, but that is on a more personal level.

"Lawrence! Haruka is here!" Octavian says.

"Excellent!"

Octavian remains at his station as Haruka makes her way to our campsite. The Gessen uniform Ryoki gave her was a size too small, but it works out because Haruka's already massive chest seems bigger than it was before.

"Anything worth noting?" Homura asks.

"The tournament is being conducted by a guy named CV. He's offering an otherworldly prize that promises unending power, so Gessen has guards everywhere. They have a shift change around every twenty minutes that's heavily reinforced, but there is one place you can sneak in undetected."

"Where's that?" I ask.

"The west side of the academy. There's a narrow burrow some ex-Gessen students made to sneak in. It's in the patrols weak spot, and it's got good coverage."

"How did you find out about it?" Yuyaki says.

"I interrupted a recon mission and threatened to put an end to their little escapade unless we cooperated." Haruka reaches into her shirt pocket and pulls out a Gessen Academy map that has all the patrol routes and high value targets marked in red ink. There is also some blue mixed in, but it's sparsely used.

Lawrence examines the map, "can they be trusted?"

"No, but the routes marked with blue are things I verified myself."

"There is also a well behind the lake that leads into the old archives building." Ryoki adds.

Lawrence lays the map in the middle of the group for everyone to see, "Alright. Here's the plan. Ryoki and Gehrman are going to stay here and take care of Shiyro. If anything happens, take her to the outskirts of Frambosta. That's where we will meet up after this is done."

"Homura, Octavian, the two runts and I are going to the well. Hikage and Yuyaki? You two take the burrow and find a place to hunker down. Once inside, we'll stay low and wait for more info. When we get a bit more accustom to the routes, we'll ease in and try to find out what this CV asshole is up too."

"Understood." Everyone replies.

"Alright. Let's get to work."

Haruka dismisses herself and heads back to Gessen. I lay down and burrow underneath the snow. The freezing powder dusts my red sweater and seeps through. The nerves in my stomach lose all sense of heat, and the rest of my body slowly follows. Yuyaki digs a hole and covers herself up too. Lawrence, Homura, Gekko and Senko follow our examples.

"Alright. What is going on?" Octavian asks.

"We're sapping the heat from our bodies so we don't show up on infrared imagery." I answer.

"Makes sense."

Octavian falls face first and covers himself up as well. I reach underneath my sweater and feel around my stomach. Every bit of skin is completely chilled, and the snow is almost warm in comparison.

"You ready Yuyaki?"

"Yeah. Let's get going."

The both of us scoop up a handful of snow and shove it down our undershirts to help us stay as cold as possible. We drop down the cliffside and make our way to the west side of the academy. Yuyaki leads the way and takes me down an eroded rut that provides a lot of coverage from the academy. Headlights from an approaching vehicle comes our way. We pick up the pace and take cover underneath the bridge that separates Gessen, and the surrounding city.

Brown snow tainted with oil slips through the wooden lats above as a car slowly approaches the front gates of the academy. Yuyaki breaks the barrels of her shotguns open and does a quick ammo check. I pull a round tin out and pack it against my palm. Blade shaped objects pound against the metal and break into smaller pieces.

Broken fangs shed from vipers and rattlesnakes form chunks of enamel that glisten like tarnished gold. I pinch some out and line my entire mouth with the rocky shards. Liquid flows out of the grinded fangs and gives off a flavor similar to unrefined arsenic. The saliva in my mouth grows hot, but I hold it in and wait.

"You know you can just cast a spell." Yuyaki states.

"True, but a spell gives your position away to anyone capable of detecting magic. Not to mention it leaves you open."

The saliva in my mouth comes to a boil, and I spit out a huge wad of sticky purple. The poisonous gel vigorously bubbles on the ground and emits a toxic mist. I rake the fang fragments out of my mouth and press my tongue against my knife.

A trail of purple gel follows my lips and evenly coats the entire blade with one lick. I flip the knife around and deliver a series of blows to demonstrate my point. The poison clings to the bubbling blade and refuses to drip despite the amount of force behind each swing.

"I deliver the full strike of a viper with nothing to waste."

"What if you accidently swallow some of that poison?" Yuyaki asks.

"As long as it comes from my own mouth, it isn't dangerous. There is a tiny amount of toxin in those molted fangs, but when it seeps into my salivary glands, it gives me the venomous bite of a rattlesnake for nearly an hour."

"Did you just decide one day to shove a bunch of poisonous fangs in your mouth and see if you could mimic a snake?" Yuyaki asks.

"I had a habit of licking my knife when I was excited. I don't know why, but it was an impulse I could not control. As you know, Alan and Lawrence had their wide array of lewd jokes every time I did. And I can still remember when we lived together, they'd 'volunteer' to buy me a popsicle from a nearby ice cream stand just so they could snicker and poke fun. In order to turn that impulse into strength, Octavian's father told me about this old handmaid's tale. So I tried it, and he was right."

"Well that makes you one of a kind because I never heard of that, and my whole life was founded upon old teachings." Yuyaki replies.

I hoist myself up and carefully peek over the bridge's edge. It looks like the car that passed earlier is being held up by the gate sentry. We seize the opportunity and run towards the west side of the academy. I lift my heels up and run on the tips of my toes the moment we get out of the tree line. Yuyaki skips along and minimalizes the size of her footprints.

There is a series of dips and holes where someone else has been running on the tips of their feet. Which means someone else has an idea similar to mine. Yuyaki makes it to the wall and looks for the burrow. I dive over the leafless hedges and run my hand against the ground. The tips of my fingers catch a patch of loose snow that's been packed into a sizable hole.

I wave to Yuyaki and slide right between the ground, and the wall's foundation with little effort. Yuyaki rolls by my side, and we repack the burrow. There are people perched in both obvious and blind spots. The tracks of the infiltrators get harder to follow as the constant snowfall is filling the prints they left behind.

The trail goes cold, but the general direction points toward the main tower in the middle of the school. Yuyaki and I duck down behind some bushes and cover ourselves with snow. Some of the patrols from the Gessen students are easy to exploit. Yet the patrols from the Gallowglass members overlap them in a way that it could draw anyone impatient out into a trap. Damn. Ange is really getting a grasp of how we shinobi operate. If it weren't for those beatings Hebijo dished out for failure, I would have been busted by now.

We don't have any way to communicate, so hopefully everyone else will take a step back and think this through because this is turning out to be way more difficult than we thought. Yet, that must mean whatever CV is offering as a prize must be priceless. Something so enticing that it will cause a lot of problems for everyone if I don't destroy it.

Catoooon!

The sudden rush of noise causes me to flinch. All of the patrols look back toward the direction that explosion came from.

Catooooon!

Another small explosion rocks through the academy and causes some people to panic and scream. A small group of students and Gallowglass members rush towards where the explosions went off. I don't know who it is, but it's providing just what we need.

Yuyaki and I get up and take off toward the main tower. Gallowglass, and the Gessen students regroup and make arrangements to their routes to compensate for the lack of coverage, but there is enough of a gap in the modified patrols that we can slip through without being noticed.

Three silhouettes leap across a rooftop and attempt to hide. Behind them are a group of students being led by a Gallowglass member. I take aim with my crossbow and fire a stray bolt at the woman preparing to leap across. The hooded girl stops in her tracks and traces where the projectile originally came from. Yuyaki and I break to the left and charge in between the dormitory and classroom building.

"I swear to God if Gallowglass doesn't kill those runts, I am going to after this."

"They're just kids Hikage."

"Kids that are making this job more difficult than it already is."

I glance over my shoulder and see the outline of someone coming around the corner of the dorm. The attention is on us now. Whatever those three were doing, it better be worth it because Yuyaki and I might have to abandon the mission after we raise enough hell. The both of us wait for Gallowglass and the students to catch up.

I reach down my sweater and feel around. There is a node on my left breast, so if worst comes to worst, I can transform. Yuyaki undoes her jacket and feels around her breasts. There is a node on her left breast, but she runs her fingers around the black sutures that zigzag over a stab wound indention. Yuyaki pokes the tattoo over her heart a couple times and sighs, "Someday, but not today."

I peek around the corner of the building, "They're closing in."

"Alright. You head right." Yuyaki zips her jacket back up and sprints across the gap between buildings.

A throwing knife sticks into the thick leather padding on her arm. She rolls forward and avoids the shower of pointy steel. I poke out and shoot low. The hooded Gallowglass member steps to the left and avoids the incoming silver bolt. The object strikes a student behind her and causes him to stumble. He falls forward and trips up the group running behind him.

A shuriken swerves around in the air and rolls along the building. I clamp my teeth together and take off running. Droplets of red fall from my cheek as I quickly evaluate the damage. A portion of shuriken broke off into my face, but it isn't deep enough to slice through the lining of my jaw.

I pull the small shard out and continue towards a reserved parking lot. The hooded woman rounds the corner after me but stumbles around. She yanks the throwing knife out of her ear and chases after Yuyaki for retaliation. I slide underneath a car and crawl to the other side. All the attention is on Yuyaki for the time being.

PATOOOF!

A massive wave of sound erupts above the volume of chaos that has embroiled Gessen Academy. This explosion is nearly four times louder than the ones from earlier. What exactly is going on? I knew we weren't the only ones trying to infiltrate Gessen, but this is just pure crazy.

This CV guy must have something everyone in the world wants. People make claims all the time that they can bestow this unholy amount of power to anyone willing to prove themselves. All of which end up being false due to the limitations of being human.

Back when Dogen promised me, Homura and the rest of our group power due to the yoke technique, Lawrence called him out because he knew it was bullshit. Yet we didn't listen to him because we were promised the very thing we were seeking. The power to destroy Hanzo Academy, and since Alan and that little Hibari girl were staying at old Hebijo for the time being, it only incentivized us to actively rebel against Lawrence's pleas.

Little did we know that Dogen had possessed Roger, and he had his sights on taking Alan's soul as well. Which resulted in Alan having to kill Roger and old Hebijo burning to the ground. On top of the hundreds of lives that were lost because of that entire incident.

This is absolutely no different than that time, and the fact people buy into this otherworldly power cliché like I did makes me hate myself. Sometimes I wish I could go back and fix all those problems before they ever happened. Roger and all those girls might still be alive if I could, but that's a curse me, Lawrence, Homura, Haruka, Yomi, and Marai must live with. A curse I refuse to allow on this academy, or any for that matter.

There is nothing going on in the parking lot. All the attention must be on Yuyaki, and the person that keeps causing these explosions. I ease around the various vehicles and wait for a good opportunity to rush the main tower. Lawrence said to wait for further instruction, but it's safe to assume that plan is F.U.B.A.R.

Chills run down my spine as the feeling of something stalking me grows evident. I roll underneath a nearby car and weave in between the vehicles. The warble of a nearby car roof catching someone's weight hits right beside me. I dive forward and hop over an incoming bolo snare. Something leaps over me and cuts the way forward off.

It isn't someone from Gallowglass. Nor is it a Gessen student. Judging by the way their chest is bulging out of their leather stealth suit, it's safe to assume it's some rogue shinobi, or one from Hebijo's new generation. The only sense of expression she holds is the distorted image of me reflecting off the visor of her helmet.

"Get out of my way before I bounce you off the pavement." I state.

The girl takes a katana out from the scabbard mounted on her waist and holds it upside down, "The job description called for no witnesses, and unfortunately for you, you're a witness with a sizable bounty."

"And you're in my way. So I'll ask you one more time, get out of my way." I point my bubbling dagger at her.

The helmeted figure flips her katana upright and presses the tip into the asphalt. A trail of metallic sparks and screeching pitch follow behind the blade as she shows no signs of backing down. The outline of a custom-made scabbard meant to hold a pronged sword is attached to her back.

The wind picks up and rattles the crossbow's pan magazine. I run my tongue down my bubbling knife and stack another layer of poison, "No witnesses then? So tell me, if you're such a skilled shinobi, why didn't you just sneak on by? I'm sure whatever your employer is paying far exceeds my bounty."

"I think of it as a nice little bonus. From what I've heard, not many people survive an encounter with the Konsai rattlesnake herself."

"And you won't either if don't carry out your mission. Now be a good little girl and leave this little rattler be."

"Such confidence. I'd expect nothing less from the best Hebijo elite had to offer. That was before I came along."

"Then allow this ex Hebijo elite to instill you with an old teaching. "Verere sanguine veteris" (Fear the old blood).

The girl flicks the katana and hurls a piece of asphalt toward me. I sidestep and pull the crossbow's trigger. The pan rattles and fires a five-bolt burst in the direction of my opponent. She cuts all of them out of the air and lunges her katana at me. I kick the blade off course and stab back. The girl steps to the side and slashes overhead. The range forces me back as she holds her katana up in the air. Black fire pours out of her bandaged hands and slithers across her body. The flame imbeds itself into the blade and turns it a filthy yellow color.

I spit on my knife and twirl the blade between my fingers to keep the bubbling saliva from drying out. The girl spins the katana around and slashes. I flip over her attack and fling the purple coat on my knife at her. The poison forms a misty arc that sticks to her armor. Slime bubbles and drips off the girl's body as she wipes the helmet visor clean. Not good enough. She's too thick, and the only way to deliver a winning blow is from the knife itself.

I lick the blade again and apply another coat of poison as she comes after me with the black flame katana. I deflect an incoming slash and riposte. She slings the katana around and knocks my knife off course. The girl rams the blade into the asphalt and discharges. Several smaller slashes laced with black flame form an inescapable ball that tear through flesh. My red sweater catches fire, and the feeling of being burned alive eats me up. I retreat and rip the burning sweater off.

The wounds inflicted have been cauterized by the black flame slash but are heavily blistered and sore. I could transform and fully recover, but that's what the girl wants. She'll get to see my real spells. Not to mention I might need the scroll later since we're in the middle of a hostile academy.

She's got range to keep me back, the armor to nullify my poison, and a set of skills that are making me second guess the timing of the dodges and deflects. Now it's freezing because I'm in nothing but a bra and cinged stockings because she torched my outfit. Ditching the sweater has made me a bit more agile though. I pull out an I.R.E and take a quick sip to dull the pain.

"Feel like running yet?"

I rub some of the I.R.E fluid on my shoulder tattoo, "I feel like kicking your ass because you screwed up my ink."

"Admit it. You've been bested."

"I'll admit it when you muster up the courage to actually try."

I crouch down and wait. The girl charges after me and slices. I weave in and out of the attacks. She stabs her sword into the ground again. I roll under a nearby car and emerge on the other side. The girl jumps up onto the hood and dishes out another flurry. I deflect a massive blow and retaliate with a bait slash. She slides her feet around and prepares for a huge thrust attack. I ram my knife into the keyhole of a nearby car and fling the door open.

The katana stabs through the vinyl paneling of the car and gets stuck. I sweep my leg underneath the door and put my opponent on her back. I grab hold of the door frame and use it to vault over. The tip of my blade penetrates through the girl's visor but comes to a hard stop as she catches my wrists and presses her knee into my stomach. The girl launches me off her and sends a barrage of shurikens my way. I cartwheel backwards and fling a handful of crossbow bolts back to strike down her counterattack.

"Not bad for a Hebijo has been. Provided if we'd been anywhere else, you'd be dead now." The girl states.

"Now that I think about it, I might have had to try if we were."

I pull the katana out of the door and toss it on the ground between us. The girl sheathes the sword and takes off for the main tower. For the time being, it looks like this will just be a draw. I check around and make sure nobody was watching. Nothing. Good. With all the explosions and chaos going on around the academy, there was no attention directed towards that little parking lot brawl.

The red sweater I was wearing is nothing but a pile of burnt cotton now, and it's freezing cold. Yet, the silent anger swelling within me is enough to keep me going. That girl messed up the ink on my shoulder, and she will pay the price next time.

The light shining down from the street lamps, and the moon are making my boobs sparkle like a goddamn Christmas tree. I hop onto the other side of the academy's gate and use it to help me stay concealed.

I don't know what the plan is, but I've made up my mind. Lawrence and everyone else can find out what this CV is offering as a prize. I'm going to kick CV's ass and destroy this 'otherworldly object' of infinite power before it turns into a real problem. If it's what I think it is, then there will be no hesitation from me since it's the very thing that's put us, and the shinobi academies in this predicament…

Ending Song: Yamiyo Wa Otome o Hana Ni Suru BGM version by Ruka Kawada