Chapter 3

That night, after Nui was released from her trial, she curled up in her usual spot, the blanket wrapped tightly around her body. She wasn't warm, but she wasn't entirely cold either. She was glad it had been provided.

As she felt herself start to fall asleep, she was shaken abruptly, and gasped out. She looked around frantically, the floor beneath rumbling.

The doors were slammed open, and two men ran in, wearing much different outfits from the usual One-Star uniforms. The clanking of the chains alerted her as the shackles were strapped around her neck and waist. The men were in a panic, breathing heavily as they forced her to her feet and ran out of the room.

"Sir! We have her!"

"Good, get to the docking ships! There are some holding cells there!" She immediately recognized one of the Devas in the hallway. Uzu Sanageyama if she could remember correctly. He wasn't dressed in a usual Goku uniform, however. He was mostly bare, wearing one of those Nudist Beach outfits.

As she was forced through the hallways, she saw other students and teachers run past them, the ground still shaking and rumbling violently.

"W-What's going on?" She finally decided to ask, but the men were silent.

Eventually, they came two double doors, and they were opened, being met with setting sunlight. This was the first real time she had seen daylight for days, and would've felt refreshing if it didn't smell like thick dust.

Around them, the courtyard and stadium were in ruins, the ground covered in rubble and craters. Here she thought the school had been rebuilt.

It turned out the entire island was sinking. People were being escorted at the docks, in which a ship had been waiting for her specifically. As she was about to board, the men leading her were stopped by two other Devas.

"We've been told by Lady Satsuki to board Harime on her boat," Houka Inumatu, the tech-savvy Deva replied, adjusting his glasses. Like Uzu, he and the smaller Deva next to him were dressed in Nudist Beach outfits.

What did Satsuki want with her now?

She was taken to a smaller boat, and she was forced to sit on one end as her shackles were attached to rings on the floor. The two men then left her there, sitting on that small boat as they ran back onto the sinking island to help others. Her eye looked over the island, it split in places as buildings came crumbling down and streets were ripped apart. Dust and smoke were everywhere, clouding up the sunlit skies.

What was once a ruling empire was now a crumbling castle.

"Nui!" A voice, oddly familiar broke her from her thoughts. A woman, a bit smaller than her and covered in dust came running onto the boat. She immediately recognized the owner of the voice.

"Rei..." She murmured before the woman came and embraced her, ignoring the fact that she was bare. When Rei broke away, she frowned at the fact that Nui looked much different from before. Her injured eye was barely open, the filmy white underneath running red from the scar. Dark bags were forming under her eyes, her face sunken in and her body thinner.

"What did you do to her?" Rei turned to Satsuki, who had come aboard the boat moments before. Nui noticed blood staining a part of her neck.

"We've done nothing to harm her, Hoomaru. She has simply denied our offers for care," Satsuki stated, and the dark skinned woman looked back at Nui. The blonde was looking away now, avoiding her gaze. She did have pride after all.

"Is it true?" Rei asked, but Nui stayed quiet.

"Nui, please answer!" Rei was practically begging at this point.

"Yes..." She murmured, hiding her face under her bangs. Rei didn't question her after that, but simply turned back to Satsuki.

"What will happen to her?"

"We're going to prosecute her to the full intent of the law," Satsuki replied, and Rei's eyes widened. However, she could not fight her. She had sworn under the woman's trust to be loyal to her. Even if she was loyal to the blonde, she couldn't break Satsuki's promise.

"Very well," Rei sighed before turning away from the longhaired woman.

The boats were soon off, the entire island finally at its peak as it disappeared into the ocean. Nonon had joined the boat the other three were on as Satsuki watched her empire sink.

"Are you sure about leaving your sister?" Nonon turned to Satsuki and the woman smiled.

"I can see her anytime I want to. I do not need to worry about her," Satsuki replied. Nui had stayed silent the entire time, seeing through her bangs to watch Honnoji sink in the sunset.

Suddenly, the blade that had previously wounded Satsuki in the neck shined. The sound of hair ripping broke above the boat's motor. Nonon and Rei gasped as Satsuki had used the blade to cut her long hair off. Nui looked up, but just barely to watch the tall woman release her hair into the wind.

"A parting gift for my soon-to-disappear altar mater," Satsuki spoke, watching the sunset. Nui's eye widened, her gaze traveling from the woman to the orange-glazed horizon.

She found revelation.

Satsuki hadn't taken her life yet because she wanted to prove that Nui was different.

She was leaving the past behind, and looking forward to the future.

In that moment...

As the sun disappeared behind the red sea...

Nui would prove her right...

...And everyone wrong.

Follow, Favorite, or Review!