WELCOME TO THE FOOD CHAIN

Well hello all of you! I'm so sorry this took so long to update. I actually got my last USB stolen and now I had to rewrite all of this. SUCKS SO MUCH that I had to redo all of this, but I think it actually turned out way better than my last one. Anyway to recap, Minato is the deadly PARIAH, Heller and his Sekirei are battling a Redlight infected Minaka, and Mercer's group are on their way to Minaka's tower. What will be the result of all this now? Well let's not waste time!

LET'S GO!

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing

Chapter 11: Remembrance, The final battle awaits

I remembered it…I remember all that had happened…

It was as if I could see through another set of eyes…the eyes of someone dead. With those eyes, I saw peace, happiness, joy, and harmony amongst these eyes' owners and the people around her. For a few minutes or so, it felt as though I lived a in a world of complete paradise in this small community of people who were all so kind and welcoming to me. No other emotion was within me except blissfulness…or maybe that was blissful ignorance.

This blissful ignorance, however, did not last long.

Soon I saw men dressed in army suits—guns at the ready. They had tugged at my vessel's arm harshly, and even made her drop to the ground. As she laid on the ground…I saw it through her eyes…that same small community of peace and harmony was now a battle field of fire and death, consuming all possible life that breathed.

-SSS-

Minato grabbed his head tightly as he was forced into his own mind once again. He had felt as though his own head was trying to constrict any rational thought he once had and forced him only to remember these odd memories. But despite this, he didn't have time for walking down this uncertain memory lane; he had to go to the source of this calling that begged his name.

Minato stood before Minaka's tower, looking up at this towering edifice of a tower in astonishment.

"Wow…This is the first time I was actually able to see the tower up close like this…" Minato said, gazing at the tower. He was then met with a trembling that seemed to resonate throughout the part of the city he was in. He once again looked back up at the tower and knew that whatever was going on, it involved he top of this tower. "I gotta hurry!"

-SSS-

Mercer and his squad of Sekirei had finally stood before a building that had a clear view of Minaka's tower right in its sights. They could see from here that the tower seemed to have suffered a bit of damage but was otherwise still standing arrogantly over the rest of the city.

"There it is." Alex confirmed with a sinister grin. "That fool's tower."

"My that's quite the size." Kazehana, the wind Sekirei smirked, "Might he be over-compensating for something?"

"I don't think now is the time for such dirty humor…" Yashima, the hammer Sekirei said uncomfortably.

"Over-compensating or not, all I hope is that there are some worthy opponents to test out my new blade on." Karasuba, the black Sekirei grinned, holding her katana tightly on her waist.

"Aren't we anxious?" The hooded Mercer said, "I hope you don't plan on hogging them all to yourself."

"Only if you're too slow to keep up." Karasuba said, smiling her false kind smile that she would use on Mussubi. "I mean since you gave me this new power, you can't just expect me to hold it all back for you now do you?"

"Good point." Alex agreed.

"Awww, look at you two hitting it off like a married couple!" Kazehana cooed with a large smile on her face, "That's soooo cute! Isn't love just so wonderful~?"

The two could only stare at their wind companion with a look of both discontent and irritation.

"A-Anyway, we got a job to do." Yashima intervened.

"Yeah, we do." Mercer nodded as he looked off at the tower, smirking sinisterly once more. "Get to that tower, kill everything that moves around it, and finally take that asshole's head once and for all."

"And Heller?" The raven haired wind Sekirei asked.

"I think Heller understands how much of a threat Minaka really is as I do." Alex said, "So I'll simply give him an offer he can't refuse. Now then, let's get to that tower!"

The three women nodded, and with that, they all leaped off the building, onto the street to continue their way to the tower on foot!

Not long before touching the ground, they were met with a large crowd of people running the opposite direction as they were going. However these people weren't any ordinary people, and they certainly weren't trying to escape this part of town!

"It seems as though I'll be able to try out my new blade after all!" Karasuba said ruthlessly, as she drew her sword from her sheath and ran ahead of all three of them. Of course Alex decided to slow his speed to let her run ahead of her, if only to see the full extent of this grey haired beauty's power.

Once Karasuba got close enough, she quickly planted her foot into the ground and brought her bio massed katana to her side! The zombied infected were ready to eat the woman to bits, but were only met with a shining whirl of death, as Karasuba had swung her sword upward, and within seconds, the ground of infected were completely sliced into pieces with not one limb uncut on any of them! The body parts all flew in random directions as blood painted the ground and walls around where this bloodbath proceeded.

Mercer and his three Sekirei stopped to see the grey haired Sekirei simply standing there, apparently taking in all that she did In only a second…she then began to chuckle to herself as she looked at her blade intently…finally she broke out into a full on laughing fit, her laugh reaching the heavens with a slight maniacal twisted feeling to it.

Yashima was quivering fearfully at her terror that was her laugh, and Kazehana had a troubled expression that was mixed with her caution towards the same woman who, recently, was a killer of her own kind. Alex however held a different look in his eyes; a look of a man who has been truly impressed by what he has just witnessed before him.

Finally, the swordswoman's laugh slowly lessened and she was once again calm. She turned back to her comrades only to smile kindly and say; "Well that was fun."

"S-Scary…" Both Yashima and Kazehana thought.

However, Mercer could only chuckle rather sinisterly and say, "I'm starting to like this woman."

-SSS-

There is was again…the closer I get the more the memories pop up…This time it was different.

After the woman I was in saw so much bloodshed, she was taken by the arms into some white hallway, the sound of yelling and the feeling of struggling were all around her. I didn't know what to do or how to react to all of this at all, but…I just felt a strange sense of…déjà vu. Like this has all happen before. But I had no idea why. I could see an older man who was dressed like a military man come in contact with the woman…only to have his arm bitten by her and it bleeding harshly. He quickly ran to a table where a large butcher's knife was and quickly lopped off his own arm.

Once again this woman was dragged down the halls.

Finally we were in a strange operating room and the woman was laid on the operating bed, looking up at the shining light above her as there was blood going everywhere; on the operators, and even her eyes. Finally, I heard it. The blood-curdling scream of the woman and finally something came out of her, drenched in blood and crying…

It was a baby…and the second I got a good look at it…I saw it's eyes…it's yellow glowing eyes…

-SSS-

Minato once again grabbed his head in pain, trying to get over the intense headache he was feeling once again. The closer he got the more worse these headaches became…but why…why was this happening to him? Why was he being forced to remember this past…could this be what he real mother saw…?

Either way, he had to continue on.

He finally reached a large office room with a very high ceiling and an almost wealthy and wide area. However, all the desk and computers have been turned over and destroyed. The stench of blood was almost chocking the life out of Minato as he saw the few dead scientists sprawled across the floor; their blood painted on the walls.

"T-This is…awful." Minato said shockingly, "Who'd do such a—?"

"Do you really have to ask?"

Minato quickly turned around in startlement! He had put his fist up, ready to defend himself, however those fist lowered once he finally got to see who greeted him, holding a cigarette between her fingers and holding a rather troubled expression on her face.

"M-Mom?" Minato answered.

"Mom…funny... I would've thought you'd stop calling me that by this point." Takumi said. "After all…you and I both know the truth."

"Y-Yeah…I do." Minato said gravely. "But…what I want to know is that…why didn't you tell me?"

"Minato…you must realize what you truly are." The white haired smoker warned him. "You see… you're a dangerous being bent on destruction and chaos...You were born solely to cause the end of time." Minato looked at his foster mother in shock. But nevertheless, continued listening. "Now then…do you know of a woman by the name of…Elizabeth Greene?"

Minato tried to remember someone by that name. It sounded so familiar…but it quickly hit him along with the strange and almost haunting images of a woman's face, staring evilly at him.

"Y-Yeah…I know her…she's my mom…my real mom." The black haired young man remembered. He looked back up to Takumi and had a pain-filled expression on his face. "S-So…you really aren't my mother at all…and Yukari? She's…?"

"I'm sorry…but no, she's not your real sister." Takumi said, "And to answer your second question; no, she doesn't know that you two aren't related. She's been brought up, believing that you were always her big brother but you were gone for quite some time after she was born."

"T-Then…the time I went looking for her in the forest…those many years ago…"

"Ah yes, that…well you see the day you found her in the forest…was the day you escaped." The white coated explained. "After you were born, we had to take precautionary measures to ensure you didn't go off, killing millions. Gentek had you sealed in some room for a long time."

"How long?"

Takumi hesitated for a few seconds, however she felt she's already telling so much…she might as well speak more on it. "Almost 40 years."

Minato's eyes went wide in both shock and confusion. He couldn't possibly believe that this was the truth…but then again, there's so much about himself that he didn't even know. Could he really have been sealed away from the world for 40 years?

"F-Forty years?" Minato uttered, sweating profusely and trembling. "H-How? I don't look any older!"

"I don't know…" Takami said, "Apparently, you…just stopped aging after you turned about six years old…We figured you had stopped your genes from allowing you to age any further as a coping mechanism. The older you got, the more your powers grew…thus, the more experiments you had to take part in. So you possibly stopped yourself from aging, and that stopped the experimenting."

"I-I can stop myself from aging?"

"Most likely. However that didn't stop any other experimentation from occurring." The white haired woman said, "You had to go through genome experimentation, psychological rehabilitation, and other horrid operations that…I just…" She looked very troubled and was even biting her bottom lip in frustration. Just remembering all the horrible events that her poor son, or foster son, had to go through was enough to make her sick. "A-Anyway, after long years of constant pain, you finally decided to escape from the facility and somehow ended up in Wakayama where I currently lived, whipped of all memory and living as my own son…" She then inhaled and exhaled her cigarette. "Of course, Minaka found you and decided to keep your whereabouts a secret from Gentek while replacing you with a copy of you from his latest work; genetic cloning."

"Genetic…cloning?"

"In fact, that's what he did on Heller's own wife as well…the bastard…!" Takami thought angrily. But she tried to keep calm and continue on. "Yes…anyway, what matters now is that you stop Minaka."

"Me?-!" Minato exclaimed frantically, "B-But what can I—?-!"

"Minato, don't you get it?-!" Takami said, grasping Minato's shoulders tightly and starring him directly in the eyes with such intensity and authority that he had no choice but to look her in the eyes. "YOU can do anything you want to! You have the power to save not only the city, but your Sekireis, and possibly the entire world! It's all in your hands! You can change the fate of this world! You! Are! PARIAH!"

Minato said nothing. His mind had gathered what his foster mother had just said…Could he really be as powerful as his mother said. He felt no powerful than before, and certainly didn't see himself as such…but still…he felt something within him after her mother said that name again…something slowly growing within him…choking him…corroding him…corrupting the rest of his body like a toxic that burnt his lungs…however he felt no pain…he felt no literal reason to, as if he had evolved from the concept of pain entirely…He then felt it…the source he needed…the power that has been held within him for so long, only needing to be triggered by…memory…memories…he needed more memories to reawaken his…

"Minato…do it."

Minato did not respond. He said nothing with those saddened eyes that looked back up to her past mother…

"Yes…Takami…"

And with a single fist clenched…he sent it right into the white haired woman as her cigarette fell to the floor…along with the crimson rubies of blood…

-SSS-

Heller was breathing heavily as he was now on one knee, his arm sword on his side as he panted with heavy breaths and sweat dripping down his head. He looked to the sides to see his comrades were in the same state as he in exhaustion as the pink haired Benitsubasa was on one knee with her hammerfist planted on the ground, and the grey haired Haihane whose claws were dragged on the ground as well. Both were just as exhausted as Heller was as they all looked before the white haired mad man before them, who had his arm blade on one arm and the tendril arm on the other. Nevertheless the dastardly evil smile still held on his glasses wearing face was all too full of arrogance and confidence.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! This is becoming too easy!" Minaka roared triumphantly, "I never thought I'd have such a ball in reducing you to one knee, James Heller! Quite an accomplishment for me!"

"Shut…! Your fuckin'…! Mouth…!" the black skinned male tried to yell, but was too exhausted to get it all out in one breath.

"I don't think so, Mr. Heller. For you see, you are in no position to be ordering me." Minaka smirked as he slowly strolled to Heller, who struggled to stand back up again. "Admit your fate and die at my hands…or do you want to come at me like your dear wife?"

"SHUT UP!-!" James yelled as he finally stood back up and charged at Minaka, his blade now his claws! He slashed these claws wildly and in wide arc slashes, but it made no difference for the white haired four eyes simply dodged the strikes and blocked some of them as well. It was simply folly for Minaka as the smile on his face never withered from his face.

"Deep down, you know it's all meaningless! I've gotten all the powerful genes within me along with your own wife's genes!" Minaka boasted, "In a way, I guess you and your wife are together after all! Hahaha!"

"Shut! Your fuckin'! MOUTH!-!" Heller shrieked bitterly! His anger was reaching a boiling point as his force was less like a man and more like rabid beast on a rampage! Finally with one last strike, Heller turned his arm into the giant blade and slammed it on Minaka with great force, however the white haired male jumped out of the way to the side, letting Heller's blade slam into the ground with heavy force!

"Gotcha!" Benitsubasa called out as she ran at Minaka and her hammerfist heading right for him from the side; however Minaka saw this quickly and blocked the attack with his tendril arm, causing an intense shockwave!

"Oh no you don't !" Haihane also called out as she charged at Minaka with her sharp claws ready to slash into that white suit of his, but it was only blocked by his large bladed arm with a loud bladed clash!

"Like hell we're gonna let you kill off our Ashikabi!" Benitsubasa exclaimed.

"Yeah, plus he was able to get us a new apartment as well! Like hell we're gonna let you kill him!" Haihane exclaimed as well.

"Wait, that's why you're saving him?-!" The pink haired Sekirei said in shock.

"Well, why not?" The grey haired Sekirei shrugged.

"Well as much as I'd love to hear you both argue, I'd like to simply continue my discussion with Heller, so…" Minaka then wasted no time to push both of the Sekirei back from him! "…It's time to BACK OFF!-!" Minaka slammed his tendril arm into the ground and suddenly the ground below them rumbled harshly! Suddenly, large white tendrils broke through the ground and rose under the two Sekirei! The tendrils wrapped around Benitsubasa and Haihane with such ferociousness that it completely prevented them from breaking free! They were both hoisted up in the air, unable to move at all as the tendrils tightened brutally around their bodies!

"GAH! Damnit!" Benitsubasa yelled in pain.

"Ugh! This…! This s not the kind of excitement I signed up for…!" Haihane struggled to say in pain.

Heller watched in horror as his Sekirei were caught in the terrible tendrils and instantly ran to them to save them, however, he was quickly stopped by and incoming blade slashing right at his side! Heller quickly ducked from its path and also blocked the follow up slash that came after! However this didn't allow him to stand against the power of that attack as it pushed him back a bit!

"Uh uh uh, not so soon Heller." Minaka grinned as he turned his arms into his own form of sharp white claws of his own. "Now I can't have you ruining all the fun now. I want to rip you apart with my own hands! Well, claws now, but you get my drift."

Heller stood back up and charged at Minaka once more with a powerful cry of anger! He slashed wildly once again, only to be missing with every slash he tried to make on Minaka! At this point he wasn't even trying to be strategic. He had used up all his plans to try and catch him off guard and now he had no plans left. All he could rely on was luck, strength, and a miracle.

"Haha! What's this James Heller?-! Are you getting weak?-! Are you becoming frustrated?-!" Minaka laughed, "How sad! To think I actually feared you! That I was fearful of what you'd do if I made the wrong move! But now I see that all that fear wasn't of you, but of your power!" Minaka had finally disrupted Heller's slashing combo to his shock, and allowed Heller to sink in his surprise, looking up at Minaka's devilishly evil grin. "But now…YOU FEAR ME!-!"

Minaka slashed right through Heller's chest as his blood came splashing out in a violent spill! The bald black coated man yelled in pain as he fell on one knee!

"Heller!" Both Benitsubasa and Haihane yelled out!

Heller grasped his injury in complete agony as his claws turned back into his regular arms again. The pain was unlike anything he's felt in a long time. It was almost as if he was a human again and pain like this was actually something to worry about once more. The wound wasn't healing at all and more blood was coming out of him! "D-Damnit…!"

"Aww, what's wrong Heller? Can't think of anymore comeback to offer?" The white haired man smiled as he stood over the black skinned Prototype. "I must say, this is quite the turn of events. Me standing over you like I'm some sort of god…I quite like this position very nicely. Maybe I should have all who oppose me be in this position as well."

"Screw that!" The pink haired girl struggled to yell, however her mouth was quickly covered by one of the white tendrils constricting itself around her mouth!

"I didn't ask for a comment." Minaka looked back at the defeated Heller and smirked even more. "I do hate monologing for too long so I'll simply state this; it must feel awful that you were so easily laid to one knee by someone like me who has only recently become something more than a human. And I must say, I'm very disappointed in you as well considering the fact that you are the one who defeated the, more powerful, Alex Mercer in a final showdown…he deserves better. And judging by the position you're in…" Minaka slowly raised his clawed arm and transformed it into his giant blade and held it in the air. The sun gleamed off the large blade as it cast a shadow over Heller. "…I will be the new god."

The blade quickly came down as Heller closed his eyes tightly, waiting for the final attack to ultimately end him once and for all…however he quickly heard the sound of another blade clang with Minaka's blade with a loud sound that ring in the black man's ears.

"Y'know Heller, when I said you're no longer part of the food chain, doesn't mean I want this fool replacing you."

Heller quickly opened his eyes only to find that Minaka's blade was indeed stopped by an equally large blade! Minaka was equally shocked as Heller was as the owner of that blade revealed himself so quickly.

"M-Mercer!" Heller said in shock of his own.

The black hooded man turned towards James and smiled sinisterly. "Well this is ironic, isn't it? Your worst enemy just saved your sorry ass. Oh, how the mighty have fallen."

Alex turned his attention back to the white haired male and swung his blade with a more powerful force, and pushed Minaka back quite a distance! This was a bit of a surprise for Minaka himself as he was on the verge of winning that he quickly forgot what a challenge really was.

The white haired man then heard the sound of a quick swipe from the side of him and quickly turned to see that the tendrils he made to constrict the two Sekirei were reduced to nothing but sliced up vine-like tendrils on the ground! The two Sekirei fell to the ground, but were able to take the fall with little difficulty.

"I'm a bit disappointed that those pathetic tendrils were easy to cut for my sword."

"Well aren't you just blood thirsty to cut something. Kinda scary too~"

"Well at least those two are safe from any more danger."

Minaka turned back to Mercer, only to find that he was not alone. He was accompanied by three Sekirei; a raven haired beauty with a sake bottle in her hand, an attractive young blond woman with a giant hammer, and a familiar alluring grey haired woman with a katana on her hip and a sinister smirk on her lips. All of them dressed in black, along with their Ashikabi's hood and jacket.

"Why, hello Minaka." Alex Mercer said with his arms crossed confidently. He smiled his evil grin as his eyes glowed a hue of red from the shadow of his hood. "Miss me?"