A/N: Now it's time to face the music, Lord Hazanko has returned from beyond the grace and now that things are really cooking a new kind of battle arises. How will the Great Master of Senjutsu be defeated if as before he proved immune to even the Mana Caster? Come and bear witness to the final battle in this chapter.

Now enough chatting, here we go!

(End A/N)

--

Chapter 21: Hazanko's Revenge and the Shriek of the Leyline Sera

As Hazanko's ship cut off the XGP, his many weapons fired off in union, all under control his will; from his command chair he commanded all with his Senjutsu, which was a menial effort, but he would have none of his 108 stars mess this up.

"Surrender your life to the fate that has chosen you Starwind! You have escaped death for the last time, you and your companions will all submit to death as they should have from day one of their birth." He granted them the honor of hearing his word, no transmission...had he really become so powerful?

Though he gave them no time to respond, he raised his illustrious left hand and blocked an onslaught of several missiles aimed for his ship. While his flagship was nothing truly special, his magic was more than enough to bring an end to this battle.

The Great Hazanko having to raise a hand to protect his ship? The thought of such a thing angered him that much more, but it would be fine if they would be dead in the end. He'd had enough of this defiance, these fleas fought against a fate greater than them; it was his judgment that made this decision for them, they should have been honored to meet death by his hands!

--On board the XGP—

The sudden surprise of Hazanko's attack had caught the crew off guard at first, but it was nothing that Gene hadn't been prepared for; he knew it was never over with this evil alive. They had to destroy him once and for all; he knew that the bastard might come back around.

"Move it Gilliam! All of those upgrades better come into full use, hear me?!" he said as he took the pair of advanced grappler arm controls and went to action.

Gilliam boosted the ship around violently, with movements that would've jerked the crew around, but due to Melfina and Jim's attentive purchases (And Fred's generous contributions); the XGP was still the best in the Galaxy.

The XGP effortlessly avoided the vast amounts of firepower wielded by Lord Hazanko's larger ship, while Gene and Hilda used the sets of Grapplers to defend the ship by destroying those numerous cannons on the assaulting Flagship; in all honesty it seemed too easy. Hazanko's power deflected any missiles or firepower aimed for the vitals of the ship, so why let his guns get destroyed?

Hilda knew of that man and knew better, he had ensured that she died in the past for knowing too much, for stealing something so important to his plans, and yet in the end he had his wish; he was destroyed for wanting too much. No...Now wasn't the time to think about the past! She focused now, she and Gene were here now; she would see Hazanko killed once and for all this time.

"No mistakes Starwind, he dies and this time he won't come back." She knew about his being taken out before, but obviously his will was greater than that; as much the way she returned, so had he.

There was something indeed lurking beneath the surface and clear was what it semed to be; the way that the powerful Kei Pirate Lord was wielding the ship with not even a fragment of his innerstrength, eyes set on the ship that was once a prize that he would have used. Now he had no need for it, Starwind, or the beings on the ship as they were all mere insects to him now.

"You all died years ago! Especially you Starwind, its time for old ghosts to get expunged and this time remain dead." his booming echoing voice sent a shiver down even the bravest of individuals, since his voice meant death incarnate.

How did you beat the Will of the Leyline? The XGP Crew was attempting to do so.

Lord Hazanko had long since decided that his playtime would end and the lives of those within his palm would be extinguished in a meager effort, he wanted Starwind and his crew to try and stop him one last time. As his face shifted into something of a cruel smile, with a simple effort of Senjutsu and expression of his will did all matter cease to move.

Just like that did the mighty will of Hazanko stop everything, all movement within the space he deemed his territory. The impossible was happening once Hazanko walked on space...walked on the solid space as if it were ground.

--On board the XGP--

Gene slammed his fist on the console, attempting to make one of the Grapplers move, what the hell was happening?! They didn't have time to be stuck still.

"You'd better give me a damn good reason that we're not moving Gilliam! Speak the hell up now!" his anger was one thing that Gilliam had grown used to, but the dire situation prompted a much swifter response.

"To respond plainly Gene, we are paralyzed by Hazanko's power, there is no technical reason why we should not be moving, understand that his will is absolute; he has been marked by the Leyline and none of us may stop him at any time with even this ship." the words were cold and calculated in response which meant one thing more; Gilliam was frightened and had shut off his emotions.

Gene shot out of his seat and raced to the weapon room, even while his mind brought back the painful weapons before him of how he died the first time, he was damned sure that things would not happen that way again. He would not allow them to rest in the hands of nothing.

"Damn it, Gilliam lock everyone inside their rooms...some old spooks don't know how to die, I'll finish this one myself. I have an old score to settle with this new one..." he held out the special shell that He'd found while on a space trek. He thought of it as fate and laughed, this caster shell was something else, nothing he knew for sure; this would be the peace maker this time.

As he geared up and turned to get into his space gear, he'd heard several sounds of shuffling. Without turning he spoke seriously, he had no time for this.

"I'm the captain around these parts, get your asses back into your rooms and bunker down, I've got this." though as he turned, he found himself eye to eye with Hilda; who pushed him back to the wall and gripped his collar.

"...Stupid Rookie, sacrificing yourself means what? You can't fight him now, alone or together we stand only so much of a chance. If he can freeze this ship, there's definitely no way some idiot's sacrifice is going to make all that much of a difference." she tossed him to the ground effortlessly and moved to gear up.

The C'tarls had without a word been ready since before the start of this, in particular Haomaru was geared up with special face paint and using a new hilt that he'd put on his blade; dressed in a strange but fitting ceremonial kimono and hakama. Aisha stood next to her lover and was just popping her knuckles, there was nothing more necessary than just going out there and ripping Hazanko's throat out while he was tied down.

Gene laughed softly and said nothing, he just got up and resumed putting on his gear; one way or another this was going toe nd if he had anything to say about this. That was what it seemed could be assured, he was going to let nothing go in his life, the only sacrifice he planned for would be the death of Hazanko.

--Back with Hazanko--

Lord Hazanko was amused by what he sensed, thoughts of resistance and murder, did they think they could cause him harm? It was rather pathetic when one's bait attempted to grow a brain or some will to resist. He raised his hand and transformed the very essence of space into the impossible. His great power had generated one vast and wide plains region within the blackness of space, physical land became as real as any asteroid floating within the region.

Without warning, Hazanko's voice boomed over the region, loud enough for the XGP crew to hear as that was all he required.

"Emerge Crew of the XGP, I have created this landmass by my will. By now you've come to understand there is no escape, there is nothing you can do to harm me; but for my amusement I will give any willing to face me a death equivalent to the suffering you deserve. One pass is what you shall receive, then you will be incapacitated and left to watch as your friends and loved ones try. When all of those who resist me have fallen, then...I will kill you all slowly and leave this landmass as a statement to any in the universe who would dare to resist or defy my power."

His voice had stopped but one thought passed through each of those who listened to hear him out, one mention of the word that caused Hazanko to cackle. 'Madman' did they foolishly believe him so little of a person? It was pathetic that they would not acknowledge their place.

"How pitiful that the bait worms wish to fight back, I am no madman as you see I am the Sovereign Lord of this Universe, the true master of all!" spoken with equal confidence, there was no one who could cause him harm.

He opened the port space on the ship and waited for his foolish opponents to emerge, he would allow nothing to close and needed no underhanded gifts to deal with any foolish insurgents to his rule, he would merely send them to Oblivion and close the door on his past once and for all; then he would destroy the Tendo King and assure his absolute rule.

---On the open field---

As the group emerged from the XGP, the words had come to an end; this was going to be the end of this Derelict Poltergeist of a lousy past. Hazanko was standing at the center of the field awaiting the attacks of these fools, the final attacks that any of them would have, he would give them past and then put them down, how could they expect to survive?

As Gene stepped forward to make the first move, he was stopped quickly by Hilda who stepped forward. Her body shivering with rage...what could have set her off? but the man who had been responsible for her original death, this man who brought her to death. She gave a simple gesture and then let her fingers do the speaking, gripping the holster on point was picking up.

"This has gone far enough Starwind, let me go first; this scum owes it to me." she said it clearly since he did owe this to her, she did her best to destroy this master of senjutsu, and would be just what she had in his mind; with the prototype explosive that she'd had there.

She'd been veteran an outlaw to know what Senjutsu was and yet alone see what it was when devastating users were busy with their incantations and she well knew that she had no such chance; the old memories went out the window since she had only one thing in mind: Be rid of Hazanko so that life would go on for her, she would keep on living for the sake of her daughter and bring out the best in her foolish child. She would see her grand children and to her amusement she was even looking forward to the odd moments they'd have, she passed off a little breath and pushed those thoughts aside since she had to focus. That little idiot had better not throw his life away, that was one thing she thought before focusing on the task at hand.

Hilda stepped forward and set her good eye on the creature still hidden behind a doll's mask, she opened up with a few plasma charges that she launched at him from a small sack she had; a bad of tricks in one way. She knew they'd do nothing but the instability they caused in temporal space? It was brilliant, the blasts resounded like music to her ears and without waiting she threw several more charges, though this time they were incendiary and set fire to the smoke around Hazanko. She knew he thought it was a waste of time but this would be wonderful...once she finished the trick.

Indeed she was right, Hazanko sat there as he effortlessly protected himself from the fire and the initial plasma charges; he'd let her little trick finish and then put her lights out, though no...she wouldn't die this way, they'd all die at once after knowing that they failed to even cause him harm. He laughed vilely as the flames did nothing and the discharges seemed worthless, what could she be hoping for?

Hilda launched three more sets of charges, nitro vapor charges, hyper flare charges, and the coup de tat to the set up; Ether fume flares set on a 4 minute delay.

"Time to finish this Hazanko, Adios!" she knew that it would do nothing, but they had only one chance at this.

As she fired off missiles from the body frame she was wearing, she also fired off each of her laser pistols, well whatever it took to get this started. All struck on impact and exploded into a violent whorl, however the result was just what both she and Hazanko expected; absolutely nothing happened.

"That's one down." he said calmly as he looked in her direction, Hilda's body jerked violently as she let off a cry; exploding into a mist of blood before she crumpled like a marionette to the ground.

"Hilda!" Gene almost ran to her, but was immediately stopped by Haomaru who grabbed his shoulder and held him still; keeping him in his tracks while he looked ahead at the remnants of the blasts around Hazanko. These filaments and such destructive remnants left no marks on the Kei Pirate Lord perhaps...but he knew that she had left them an opportunity and he would not see it wasted by Gene's haste.

"Hold on Gene, do not let your emotions get the better of us, she is not dead yet." Haomaru said calmly.

"Get the hell off of me cat, before I blow your fricken skull in!" he didn't want to hear it, he was going to see if Hilda was alright.

That is until a blow to the stomach lifted him off of the ground, he doubled over on the fist before he was dropped to the ground; in shock from the sudden surges of pain that knocked all the wind out of him. As he looked up he saw an annoyed Aisha looking down at him, standing beside her lover and mate; what the hell did she do that for?!

"Get a hold of yourself Gene, listen up and listen good. Though there's not any time to talk about it, understand...Hilda is leaving a chance open; you are going last. We all will do something to increase your odds of victory, I don't know what Hao has in mind but I know not to doubt him. So sit there and try not to whine too much." Aisha was as assuring as ever, she left it at that and followed Haomaru onto the field of battle.

She cleared her mind of any worries, as Hao had been showing her to with a single breath clear her mind and soul. She was going to focus everything that they learned together, and for her moment she thought about two things: Their child within her, future together, and how wonderful it would be to ravage him after they won. She was going to make sure they both knew how alive they were. She rubbed his arm and looked him in the face.

"You hear that Hao? I've got my faith in you, you'd better have a plan." she said with a growl, as her body shifted partway and her tail rubbed against his once more.

While both Ctarls approached Hazanko, their focus was direct on their prey; Haomaru let himself over and his body began to grow with flexing muscle, bones shifting as he transformed...he felt suddenly the heat of the full moon. Aisha smirked more, there was a full moon? She felt the power growing that much more and her focus and confidence picked up; they were going to rip him to shreds.

Haomaru's focus had become that much greater as he focused all of that energy into one place; the edge of his blade as his body began to glower...visibly his ki was a radiant bluish color, much like the array of the moon a small halo formed around his body as he stood to Hazanko's left. Suddenly Hazanko was surrounded by three forms of his opponent and on the forth corner to his west was the other Ctarl, Aisha.

"So you little cats want to play a game? Do whatever you will, just know that I will be finishing it for you." he said cooly, though he had to admit the lightshow was impressive. Someone who used his inner-energy and used it not only to cast an illusion but also increase his strength? It was impressive to see.

Haomaru looked to Aisha, it was just like they'd practiced in the gymnasium, they had only one time to practice and they could make it count here; the true secret of the sacred dual technique he'd created with his lover was to leave their energy illuminating in the air as a false lens; the true might would come...when Gene used his caster; he and Aisha's focused energies would linger alongside Hilda's earlier attacks, at a very subtle level.

"Now Aisha, Sacred Shoreline Ougi: Lunar Halo Crossroads!" the illusions and Aisha moved at once, both Ctarls completing their transformations in part; Haomaru becoming something of an anthropomorphic Tiger; his body lined by glowing white stripes and black markings.

As Aisha's transformation had become complete and her mind in focus...she was able to hear Haomaru's attacks...and in perfect reflection to his move; performs the immediate opposite slashing motions with claws. It was a beautiful line of symmetry that both had cut along the barrier of Hazanko; enough to point out that Aisha's claw gashed his hip hard. It was enough that even as the attack ended, Hazanko had already begun retaliating.

His spell had found Aisha and sent the transformed white tiger-like Aisha into a violent whirling spiral of blood. His eyes were bloodshot in his anger, she broke his barrier and dared to touch him?! Though another slice along his adjoining side, had him react twice as violent. A literal slash of a spell had swatted Haomaru into opposite direction from Aisha, to Gene's horror both Ctarls landed as blood began to shower from the gravity heralded hulk of landmass; was it really this hopeless?

"Pathetic...but I must applaud their efforts, causing me physical distress however will only intensify your pain. Whoever of your crew is next had better come now, my patience is wearing thin after that little stunt." Hazanko had taken some damage and for that he would destroy them all very slowly in the end of this mess.

--On the ship--

Having been held inside by her mother's sleeping gas, it was the worry within her mind and that awakened her first, she was laid out next to her new mate, who was sleeping soundly. Did her mother get them both? She found a note next to where she had been laid down. it was from her mother:

"Elise,

Understand that I don't want you involved in this battle going on as you wake. No matter what you do what you want and what I don't say. but listen and listen good sweetie, you'll not like what you see when you come outside. If I'm right, then Hazanko will have caught up to us and left all of us bloodied up good. He doesn't know about you...if you want to get upset about the sight that you will probably see; do me a favor and focus it on Hazanko. You have a special power sweetie, more than you'll ever know. Bring that useless moron next to you outside as well, let this snap the both of you into one last rage; if Starwind fails your our last bet.

Don't waste time finishing this, go!"

she dropped the letter as soon as she read that last part, her mother knew how to plan ahead apparently even on short notice.

"Wake up Y'tue! Quickly!" she shook him violently and picked him up by the side, worriedly shaking him. To her relief he woke up quickly and looked at her with a sobering face as he awakened.

"What happened..? Elise where is-" she cut him off with a soft kiss and then drew back before he could return it.

"Let's go, we have to get outside, things are really bad."

She tugged him to his feet and started taking him outside, it wasn't, long before both of them were racing down the halls of the XGP and making their way out to the open to reach the outside. They didn't have any time to linger onboard, it was worse as Y'tue no longer felt his master's strong presence, nor did he sense Aisha or Hilda's indomitable wills there.

--Outside, on the battlefield--

Elise was first to get outside and it was just as her mother thought, the sight...was a horrid thing to behold. First Elise sank to her knees, she spotted her mother unmoving and in a pool of her own blood. She caught sight of Aisha's tattered body upon her own rags of clothing and her blood and glanced at Haomaru's downed body...what...did her mother write that as a joke?! Everyone was dead!

"No!!!! No no!!! Mother!!!! Aisha!!!! Haomaru!!!!" her face had exploded into tears, they were dead...dead just like that? She felt something inside tugging at her. Something wanted to escape her, she wanted to flee this feeling of something gnawing around inside of her, what could it be? Something that was growing and growing more, faster...her heartrate began to pick up. She looked up at the moon and her eyes were cast aglow; her transformation had begun.

Y'tue looked on with the horror and killing intent filling his body, had he been so useless as to let sleep hold him back? He watched the tattered form of his master and his katana stuck in the ground, is this all it meant? How could he do what his master could not? He gripped the sheath of his sword and yanked it out. His teeth and muscles bulging moreso as he gladly let his own rage pump him up, this was no transformation of the moon's...this was the despair and rage riding side of his other Ctarl half, the blood of the calm forest feline...began enraged and let it pump the body of said feline until he could take no more; then he lashed out. But the change began more...brutal, as bones began to shift and his eyes were aglow with the light of the moon...true change coming now as he began to transform.

Right beside her mate did Elise's transformation differ so dramatically, her body had become surrounded by a beam of the moonlight from the sky. Her body had ripped her clothing and her savage body was rippled with newfound muscle and yet...as she floated off of the ground she was lifeless. The change came without warning and it was sparcely done, she was also catatonic...nonresponsive to anything; there was nothing but silence surrounding her.

Hazanko seemed to be somewhat alarmed, he had the power of the Leyline, what did he have to fear of this girl? He was fine without bulked up moron trying to move at him. He saw the muscles and the glare from him, the rigid claws had become a fierce set that tightly gripped the sword; but this boy was not the worry he had. It was this girl that he was watching intently, what power he felt eminating from her was enough to make even the great Pirate Lord wonder...what could this girl do?

"Get as upset as you wish, I will end this here and now, both of you will die." he raised his hand to stop these two, before they'd even get started would he end it.

As he sent the shockwave at the both of them, the shockwave hit Y'tue hard and soon he was bleeding from every inch of his body. But those white glaring eyes focused on Hazanko and he did not go down. In fact, he began his charge from the edge of the ship...suddenly he was gone in a raised blur of speed as those powerful muscles only increased the haste of the pumped Y'tue. Rage fed his every inch and ensured one thing: that his fangs would reach Hazanko. Elise on the otherhand was unharmed by the attack, but...the feeling of warm heat on her body had her eyes refocus. This blood...she looked it over and sniffed it, then she tasted it.

"Y'tue...? Y-Y'tue..?" she said his name softly, but as she looked on, he was already gone from her side.

She saw him and his rage, the blood trail he left in his wake and most of all; the grip of his next attack. She was gone in an instant, suddenly vanished from that ring of light.

Y'tue was suddenly upon Hazanko and the blade already a blurred edge, jagged by appearance from his sheer rate of speed and power.

"Forest Shoreline Blade Ougi: Raging Lunar Fang!" a technique made up on the spot, he went on instinct to name it...and the attack hit with a violent set of sparks igniting the blade's edge onto fire. He passed through Hazanko's barrier and sliced the pirate lord's stomach with a fury beyond anything he'd ever known; with such force enough to spill the Kei Pirate Lord's intestines. Had the lord not already made his wish to heal every wound...after the attack was done.

Hazanko's left hand raised, his eyes were full of white-hot fury; now he would exact that pain 7x's fold and here he would claim his first victim of the XGP crew.

"You worm, whenever the dirt resists the heavens above it cannot help but become a pathetic example of the weakness spawned from below, now die!" he yelled as he brought his up in a whirling swing, at this point aiming to dismember him with some force that was greater than something that could be imagined by this beast, something that Hazanko had served up especially for him.

--Within the Leyline's Wake--

The attack hit...as so it appeared, but no more blood left his body, what could have hit with such a violence and yet left nothing to chance? He could not say what had come to pass just now. But the fool was still standing there quivering and Hazanko had not seen what had caused him to stop despite any great stress he'd put himself under just now.

A lyre sounded and suddenly the landscape had changed...it had become riddled with flowers...suddenly carnations, roses, tulips, bloody petals, all of which surrounded each member of the XGP crew. Around Gene a ring of Dandelions had gathered and seemed to remain steady...as the apparent unconscious form of Elise drifted down...strumming the lyre as bloody tears fell from her eyes; tear by tear did her eyes release as she looked beyond herself and down to her bleeding lover, whose body quivered with his own uncontrollable rage.

"...Calm." was all that was spoken from her mouth and suddenly, his body's over-muscular frame was suddenly gone...unceremoniously did he suddenly collapse, falling into Elise's tail and being lifted with an unshakable ease.

There was nothing but a whisper to follow her words as her focus passed over the battlefield, this would be decided with or without Gene Starwind it seemed. Or...would it?

Lord Hazanko no longer cared, all of his attention turned to this girl who's heavenly appearance had him in awe...and suddenly fearful, he would have to dispose of her in order to see that his power base was not threatened.

"Girl upon your heavenly brow you have sealed your fate, as mysterious as your gaze is all the more meaningless, for your death is mutually assured by my decision. I control the Leyline and that means I control life, death, and all outcomes of man from here on in!" As Hazanko attempted to command the Leyline, nothing happened.

There was nothing in motion as space and time both became motionless, as long as this girl strummed her lyre. The Leyline Sera had emerged from her shell and cast the decree of the sorrows that had befallen her.

"...I wish that all destruction caused would return to its owner, all blood spilled would seek out the one who's destructive wish causes imbalance. Please embue Lord Hazanko with his wish to meet the many fates that rule men. His fear reeks of this spoken wish." her heavenly voice suddenly became like daggers, cold and cruel...yet not violent and not hateful. Her judgment past on the Pirate Lord, now his fate was to those who truly held power.

The Pirate Lord faded into shadows slowly, as if an actor being drawn behind curtains, and suddenly there was resumed peace.

"Let the others wake, as if but from a dream, refreshed and revitalized and let them save themselves. So this messenger will say, but...awaken this one now who has the heart of this messenger." her smile cast upon Y'tue who was cradled briefly within her tail and then her arms. This before she passed into unconsciousness and all space and time resumed.

The Song of the Leyline Sera had released her sweet melody and soothed the universe once again.

---With Gene---

In this blink of an eye it was all suddenly over, what the hell had just happened? He blinked and then suddenly Hazanko was gone, all of the blood that had been spilled did remain, but the others were...not moving? What was really going on?

"Hey, Hey you guys get up, move or something! Yo!" Gene felt that even after having seen this that calling to them would not be inevitable.

To his surprise Hilda sat up and rubbed her head, she seemed to be perfectly fine as if she were never scratched. As Gene suspected her face spoke of confusion and even a bit of concern, but she shot up to her feet as soon as she felt the ground shift; yeah...this thing was suddenly unstable right? It wasn't originally supposed to exist way the hell out here.

"Get your ass on the ship greenhorn! Hurry up and get the ship in gear!" she yelled at him while she started towards the ship, a little wobbly but no worse for the ware.

Aisha was next to awaken, on curled over Haomaru and yawning gently while her ears twitched softly. She was alright? While she hadn't gotten her bearings yet, her sense told her something was direly wrong. She shook her lover briefly and then cursed, shooting up to her feet and throwing him over her shoulder. While he was a great warrior, he woke like a stone trying to rise from a lake bed underwater.

While Aisha had Haomaru in tow, she noticed that Y'tue and Elise; who were the furthest out on the landmass had finally gotten into gear.

"Hey get your asses over here now! This thing is coming apart!" She yelled loudly, it was almost a cat-like yowl given they were under a full moon.

That much made Y'tue that much faster but as the mass began to come to pieces, he wasn't thinking about any of it. His eyes were on the ship but his mind and soul were with his savior, he was perhaps one of the few that understood what had happened to Lord Hazanko, he had been rushed off to be judged by those who's powers he vied for control over so badly. Those who truly lorded over the Galactic Leyline it seemed: The Leyline's creators.

Hilda had waited at that open bay, if this idiot made her life anymore dramatic she was going to taser the shit out of him later. She didn't hold her breath as he jumped one last time, the moron was going to make it; but why did it also have to make a fool like him seem so...heroic? As soon as he landed in the bay, she had already begun closing the door and yanked him in by the neck; so the vacuum didn't suck him out.

Of all that had come to pass, it was only through the sweet serenade by the sleeping songstress that swept solace through space. A Sera's Song.

(End Chapter)

Sorry this took foooreever guys. For all those who were waiting I finally managed to finish this chapter. This was by far the hardest to write for me, I wanted it to be done right, but here it finally is. As Outlaw Star comes to a close in a few chapters, you can expect the next one to be faster. What will happen next? Stay tuned...heh heh.

Till then I bid you adieu

-Quentix