Author's Note: This is a flashback.

Fei-Wong's little lackeys were falling fast.

That was the good part about the guys. They came, they fell. There really was no middle ground to it, no lasting spar or duel. They fell quickly by Kurogane's sword and Fai's magic; the two, fighting back-to-back, mowed them down by the dozens.

The bad part about them was less their, ah, quality and more their quantity.

Which was a lot. A very-fucking-lot.

Just as his sword slashed the head off of one of the bastards, another appeared right behind him. Just appeared. No flashy entrance, not even any walking, for God's sake. They were just suddenly there.

Kurogane was getting frustrated. Actually, 'wholly-pissed-off' would better phrase it. And it showed.

As he let out another dangerous growl and another enemy fell, he heard Fai laugh a bit behind him, a genuine, exhilarated laugh. The mage asked in a slightly breathless voice, "Are you not enjoying this, Kuro-rin?"

His pissed-off-level rising slightly, Kurogane growled, a bit incredulous, "You are?"

"Why, yes." There was a slight arrogant, matter-of-fact tone in Fai's voice. "I actually am."

Kurogane simply rolled his eyes, taking out yet another of the look-alike enemies. Two appeared to his left as he did so.

"These are just the henchmen," he muttered after a moment, turning his death-glare to the two newcomers. "I won't be satisfied with the fight until they break out the big guns."

"Or rather, big gun," Fai corrected.

Kurogane nodded minutely. "Fei-wong," he agreed in a very ominous growl. He lost focus for a moment, imagining driving Ginryu right through Fei-Wong's skull, but that little moment was enough.

In that moment, his sword lost direction, striking an enemy's blade at a perfect right angle. With a spark and a deafening clang, the blades deflected off of each other, wrenching away in opposite directions.

The lackey managed to keep a hold of his.

Kurogane did not.

He watched in momentary dismay as Ginryu soared high over the sea of enemies. It disappeared into the crowd, and he knew it was lost, if only for now.

"Shit," he snapped, only just grabbing the enemy's wrist as its blade began to descend towards his face. With a jerk, he had the guy's whole arm forced behind his back, and with a chilling swiftness he turned the enemy, grabbed it just above the ears, and snapped the neck.

"Nice," Fai commented with a coy smile, having stopped momentarily to watch the spectacle with an eyebrow raised. Returning to the fight, he queried only half-jokingly over his shoulder, "Do you need a weapon, or are you perfectly content with snapping men's necks from here in?"

Kurogane only grunted in reply, having already lunged for the next enemy.

* * * * * * * * *

The fight was long.

Kurogane didn't know when it happened, not really, but at one point, Fai was no longer fighting behind him. He found himself having to watch his own back at all times because the mage was no longer there to do it for him.

For a fleeting moment, he worried over what would happen now that he was no longer watching Fai's back.

But then an enemy latched its arms around his throat and he had to focus on himself, on 'here' and 'now' and selfish ideas like that.

If only he'd decided to investigate the mage's disappearance right then and there.

Author's Note: Gasp! But what happened to Fai?

Fei-Wong's real wish is for you to review. :)