Masaki's gold eyes gleamed in the low light, as bright and hard as the precious metal they resembled. Her keen Angel senses picked up Composer Soul and she turned around to face the pale, slender form of Joshua.

"Kiryu. "

"You didn't think I'd be here?" Joshua sighed. "The Highground's become rather blind to intentions, haven't they? Or is it just you?"

The Angel with the blood-stained wings smirked coldly. "Blind is walking right into a trap. Sho," she called into the shadows.

Holding up his hand, Joshua pinned Minamimoto against the far wall with ease and turned back to Masaki. "No, blind is having someone I already killed- twice- as backup." He then returned Masaki's smirk. "Now to business. I'm here to play a little Game with you."

Masaki gazed idly at the deadly red energy that pulsed under her wing feathers, ready to destroy at any minute. "...All right. I'm curious, Kiryu. What kind of Game?"

"How about hide and seek? You let me leave Shibuya, wait three days, then you have 4 years to find me. If you win, I will accept oblivion and you and your Highground can do what you want with Shibuya. If I win, we switch places. "

"4 years? That arrogance will be your downfall, Kiryu. But fine. Go. Run, like a little bitch with your tail between your legs. Shibuya is the Highgrounds until you return... but you'll never return alive. "

Masaki drew a symbol akin to a small Taboo refinery sigil in the air with a red glowing wingtip, then Joshua was freed, and teleporting faster than the eye could follow. But not faster than Sho.

Joshua's grip on the half-Noise monster lessened as he fled, leaving him totally vulnerable for a moment, and that was all that was needed.

The mathematician laid into the fading form with all the dark energy that pulsed through his Soul like blood, smirking as Joshua crumpled then snarling as his foe escaped. "Damn it! " He roared, lashing the air with lion-claws. "I almost had the son of a digit, Masaki! "


"Oh, boo-hoo, Minamimoto. Trust me- we can make him suffer more this way. " The red-winged Angel crossed her arms. "We'll play his game, all right, and win. I can wait to make my move- let him think he's won. Then we'll strike at what he values most."

"Himself? "

Masaki flashed Sho the image of a young blonde girl. "His heart. "