I do not own Infinite Stratos nor do I own Rurouni Kenshin. All rights respectively go to Izuru Yumizuru, the author who created Infinite Stratos, and Nobuhiro Watsuki, the author of Rurouni Kenshin.

DREAM BEGINS…

Kyoto, Japan. It was a young night, but one of blood. The moon was crimson red, signifying something of a omen that will happen tonight. And yet it all summed up in one word: blood. Blood that will be spilled.

A war was spilling over in Kyoto, one covered up by the Diet and speculated by the media. One that was occurring only at night within the small corners of the city, where not many dare to look. A war between gangs to be exact, or rather a war of chaos between gangs.

"The news just came in…" A yakuza gang member said. "Apparently, with help from Phantom Task, their forces are pouring into Kyoto, mainly from Satsuma and Chosin."

"Seems like we will finally be able to defeat Omicron thanks to the help of Phantom Task," Another gang member said.

"We will move as well!"

"Yeah!"

Unbeknownst to the group, men and women stationed outside wearing black jackets with gold trimmings and pants. Officers have a cravat and a vest as well and their jackets also have these golden rectangle patterns where their buttons would be. Every single one of them carried a katana on their back, along with a small firearm on their right hip.

"We will first attack and take control of the Kyoto Shoshidai!" One member suggested.

Footsteps though were heard from outside the door.

"Dear customers on the second floor…" The door opens revealing an old man but with blood coming out of the right side of his mouth. "The Wolves of Mibu are…"

*THUD*

Falling to the ground, the assassin behind the dead man reveals to be one of the same people wearing the black jackets with gold trimmings and pants.

"S-Shinsengumi!" cried one of the yakuza gang members.

But one of them didn't care as he drew his blade. "They're just wolves hungry for blood. No matter how you may struggle, the era of Siren's rule of Omicron is about to end!"

"Is that all you want to say?" The Shinsengumi assassin who killed the man said, revealing her to be female with narrow eyes and black hair pulled back in a messy updo where her hair sticks out in a ponytail-like style.

"What?"

"No matter how the times change, nothing about our truth ever will," She said. "Evil will be slain immediately. As we say, Aku Soku Zan! That is the creed of the Shinsengumi of old and the Shinsengumi of today."

One of the gang members charge in with a sword but is swiftly cut down. Soon, a blood bath follows as the Shinsengumi cut down their opponents with ease, not caring if blood splatters over them or all over the interior of the place.

Throughout Kyoto at night, the Shinsengumi were everywhere, dealing with Phantom Task hitokiri and the gangs that were associated with them. Blood poured over the streets and while there were a few gunshots, they were inaudible due to silencers attached so as to not alert the police.

"L-Leave me here and run…" One of the injured said while being carried.

"Stop being foolish!" His friend said. "What's the point of dying here? The new era we dreamed of is finally about to begin!"

But soon they were spotted by Shinsengumi forces.

"There they are!"

"Over there!"

This was not good for the gang member and his dying friend. "Dammit! Is this the end of us?"

"Leave everything to me," Another voice spoke from behind, one that even the gang members knew.

Out of the shadows emerged Hitokiri Kingslayer. Raiden Hataru, as his days as a hitokiri of Phantom Task.

"Hataru-san!" The relieved yakuza saw as the Kingslayer appears, ready to take on the Shinsengumi with his sword.

The three Shinsengumi before him were stunned to see the infamous hitokiri before them.

"That's the Hitokiri…" One of them said.

"Kingslayer!" Another finished the phrase as he drew his sword.

The yakuza member drags his friend through the alley to safety. "Thank you!"

Then, the Shinsengumi charge in. "Don't let them escape!"

The Shinsengumi charge in just as Raiden does before he gets up close and draws out his katana.

*SLASH*

Raiden cuts down one member…

*DING*

*SLASH*

Then deflects another's sword and kills him right on the spot. And like a lion eyeing in on its prey, he sees the third member petrified with fear but wastes no time in plunging his sword through his head.

*GLISH*

Right between the eyes, with blood filling his vision as he falls to the ground lifeless. As he does so, he sees Raiden covered in the blood of his enemies, bearing no emotion of regret or satisfaction. A cold blooded killer he had become, meant only to kill his enemies that threaten Phantom Task.

Then, appearing before him just as he cleans his blade, a man with a very youthful appearance, looking several years younger than his actual age, appears with a confident smile and holding a Sakura flower in his hand. He has straight brown hair done in a short ponytail and large brown eyes. He was wearing a traditional Shinsengumi uniform.

Not many know but this was Okita Sōji, named after his ancestor, the captain of the first unit of the Shinsengumi from the Meiji Era. Because of his position and ancestry, his swordsmanship was equal to none. But like his ancestor, he suffered from tuberculosis.

"We meet again, Hataru," greeted Okita as he grips the flower. "It seems as though your skills as a hitokiri get more and more impressive."

Raiden however remains silent like a lion, up against another Wolf of Mibu. Okita though, seeing this chance to face his formidable adversary once more, tosses aside the crushed flower and draws his sword out, ready for combat.

"Okita…" A female voice called out, revealing to be the same woman that killed the yakuza gang members from earlier. "You stay back."

"No need to worry," Okita reassured. "I still am the leader of Shinsengumi Squad One."

But the woman behind him said otherwise, "However, you are feeling ill today."

This shocks Okita, his eyes widening with a gasp as he learned that his best friend could tell of his condition.

"You can't fool my eyes," said the woman as she begins approaching Raiden ad drawing her sword. "That man, Hitokiri Kingslayer, will be killed by me, the captain of Shinsengumi Squad Three… Akari Saitō!"

The woman named Akari Saitō, named after Saitō Hajime, charges in with sword drawn just as Raiden charges in. When they meet in the middle, their blades clash.

*DING*

*CLANG*

Both back off yet find that their strengths were equal. However Akari, a master swordsman, decides to unleash a technique that had been passed down to her family for generations.

By dropping into a partial crouch, both knees bent, left arm drawn back and right arm extended forward; she grasps the kashira (endcap of the tsuka, or hilt) of her sword with her left hand and rests the tips of the fingers of her right hand (usually the thumb) on the blade near the kisaki (blade's tip).

"Die, Kingslayer!" She cried out as she charges in with her Hirazuki stance.

As if time slows down, both Akari and Raiden charge in, right underneath the blood red moon. They soon meet in the middle again, where their blades touch.

*CLANG*

But upon meeting contact with their swords, Raiden was surprised to learn what this was.

'This is Gatotsu…'

DREAM ENDS…

*BOOM*

The sounds of thunder and lightning echo off in the distance as a huge storm overcomes the IS Academy in the middle of the night. Pouring hard and fast onto the windows, making them rattle. Normally in Japan, this was considered not unusual and everyone was already fast asleep, the teachers included.

But the sound of thunder was enough to wake Raiden up. He slept with Houki, whom both were wearing their yukata pajamas and cuddling. Luckily, the fox was still peacefully asleep with her head on his chest, and another wrapped around and resting on his shoulder.

'A dream about the past… But, why am I feeling so restless?'

Raiden could not help but wonder if this was an omen of things to come. A bad one at that. It has been years since he dreamed of anything related to his past days as a hitokiri. But that one dream alone was enough to prevent him from going back to sleep.

OP song: Suara – Hikari (For reference, look up on YouTube Utawarerumono Futari no Hakuoro trailer)

Kimi e no omoi wasurenai you ni (The first scene begins with a pair of hands grasping a red and black ribbon divided by a white line adorned with a pair of gold and silver bells. The camera soon pans out to show the said person grasping that ribbon)

mune fukaku kizamikomu kara (The person holding the ribbon is revealed to be Houki, underwater and in her IS suit as she closes her eyes, keeping the ribbon, revealed to be Akatsubaki in its standby form, close to her heart before the bubbles cover the screen)

(Opening title is introduced as Infinite Stratos 2)

Arifureta hibi wo tobikoete yukeru (Chifuyu watches from the balcony of the IS Academy the sunrise before a gentle wind blows her hair.)

habataku yuuki wo motteru (The sun's ray hits her eyes before she adjusts her sight)

Mada minu sekai ni tobidashite yukeba (Tabane Shinonono travels via a carrot-shaped airplane, colored in orange with a green tip, as it travels across the skies and she heads towards the moon)

nanika ga kitto matteiru (The camera pans over to the moon before it shifts down to Houki in her IS Akatsubaki, facing forward as her hair is blown by the wind)

Tamerau hodo no kizu wo oottemo (A blue meteor-like object falls to the arena of the IS Academy, creating an explosion of water, before revealing Tatenashi Sarashiki in her IS, Mysterious Lady, as she twirls her spear as the lake water falls like rain)

akiramenaide subete ukeireyou (Kanzashi Sarashiki appears in a holographic world in her IS, Uchigane Nishiki, while holographic data surrounds her)

Kimi e no omoi wasurenai you ni (Camera zooms down to a battlefield just beginning between IS Golems and the gang. Laura is the first to attack as she descends and slices a Golem with her wrist blades before using her cables followed by her rail gun. Rin parries a Golem with her Souten Gagetsu before taking off its head in a spin)

mune no naka fukaku kizamitsukeru(Ichika appears to take out one Golem before he dodges an incoming attack and dismantles another. The next scene cuts to Charlotte and Cecilia prepping their sniper rifles to fire.)

mezasu mirai wo yasashiku terashite (Raiden and Madoka, without their IS, engage in a close quarters weapon combat, Raiden using the Sakabatō and Madoka using the Mugenjin. After a couple of hits, Raiden is thrown high into the air from another hit from Madoka before he backflips and deploys his IS and fires his ion blasters at Madoka. Madoka, in turn, dodges while activating her IS, Black Knight, and flies up to Raiden to engage him again with her fusion cannon on her right arm deployed)

hikari hanatsu hoshi no you ni (Madoka and Raiden clash, creating a violent explosion before the next scene switches over to Luxembourg ten years ago, where Hitokiri Kingslayer stands by the steps to the destroyed Royal Palace, his back to the camera as Luxembourg is enshrouded in flames by Phantom Task, with a massive warship looming overhead as its IS pilots are deployed like a squad of fighters)

(Miriam Walker is shown in front of the CIA headquarters building in Washington DC as the camera moves upwards. Akane Fujimoto is shown on Omega, overlooking one of the poor districts from her apartment, with a cigarette in her mouth. Squall Meusel is shown in her bath robe sitting on the edge of her bed smirking at the camera, with Autumn sleeping naked in the background. Edea Crownsworth, the Archon of Phantom Task, sits upon her throne overlooking the world within a spaceship. Chifuyu is then shown in the deep recesses of the Academy, looking at the White Knight IS kept in storage and locked down, her hand on the glass)

(Raiden is shown next as he turns around with his Sakabatō before sheathing it before he is replaced with the title of Infinite Stratos 2.)

On one sunny afternoon, everyone was out and about in town but not so much for pleasurable reasons. In their hands they were carrying some bags filled with various items but none of them were for their own.

"So, our punishment is to buy the personal stuff for the school personnel," Ichika sighs.

Rin concurred. "To think that it would turn out like this just because we were hanging out in your room."

Houki looks at the list. "Magazines, cosmetics, food, stationaries. I admit this is quite convenient."

"We're still fortunate," Laura tries to be positive. "If the Instructor was the one who found out about that, we'd probably be roasted alive in the fires of hell by now."

"You say that but it's excruciating to carry this much baggage," Cecilia complained.

"Yeah, and I'm hungry," Ichika said. "Why don't we have a bite and get some sukiyaki beef at Akabeko?"

"Good idea," Rin said. "Haven't been to that place in a while."

The Akabeko is a popular restaurant in Tokyo specializing in Sukiyaki beef and other "Western-style" dishes. It is owned by the Sekihara family and managed by the owner's daughter, who was the 9th generation of the family. The store has been around since during the Meiji Era times and has remained largely intact, being one of the few original Japanese restaurants still in existence. In Kyoto, it has a twin restaurant called Shirobeko owned by the same family and the owner's daughter's twin sister.

Everyone decides that they can afford to spare the time and get some lunch before heading back to the Academy. But farther back from the group, Raiden kept a fair distance from the gang as his gaze turned towards a river, adorned in sakura flowers. Then, the scent of blood fills his nostrils as his mind reminisces back into the past.

Red. That was all he saw. The color red. His sword dripping with it from his left hand as he holds it up.

Houki, noticing something or someone is missing, realizes that Ichika was the only boy in the group. "Oh? Raiden?"

She looks behind to see Raiden distracted by something. Everyone else follows her gaze and also see Raiden at the river's edge.

"Where is he straying off to?" asked Rin.

"It's odd to see him distracted by something," Charlotte noticed.

"I'll go fetch him," Houki said as she takes off. "You guys can go on ahead."

"If you don't come quickly, I won't guarantee you'll get any meat!" Rin said.

Houki rushes on over to a rather distracted Raiden, still looking at the river. It was very unusual, in Houki's eyes, that Raiden is distracted like this. Usually he keeps a calm and collected head and is focused on the present but today was abnormal. The dream Raiden had yet told no one must have been making him restless as of late.

"Raiden?" called out Houki as she approaches him. "Hey, Raiden."

Her call made Raiden snap out of it and hear his girlfriend's voice. "Oro? Oh. Oh, Houki-dono,"

"What's with this 'Oh'?" She asked worryingly. "Hey, is something wrong?"

Raiden knew he couldn't hide this from Houki. To do so would only make her worry more. So he decides to come clean with the truth of his dream.

"Last night in the dream…" Raiden began. "I bore witness to flashbacks of my old life as a hitokiri."

"You mean…?" asked a curious Houki.

"In the days after Luxembourg, I continued my assassinations all over the world on behalf of Phantom Task. None were able to find me nor stop me. Except for the Shinsengumi."

That word perked up Houki's ears, knowing what that term was thanks to her samurai lineage and knowledge of history.

"Shinsengumi?" asked Houki. "Like those of the Meiji?"

Raiden nods. "It's been a while since I had a dream about those days."

"If I remember, the Shinsengumi were renown archrivals of the Tokugawa Imperialists. What made you bring them up?"

"Their descendants are actually still active, mostly on Omega. They formed their own organization under the Pirate Queen and stick by the same rules and traditions their ancestors followed. I have crossed swords with them many a time as Hitokiri Kingslayer. They were my strongest opponents. I have fought a few times with the leaders of the three squads, those leaders being the descendants of the same three from the Meiji era. However, never was there a clear cut victory or loss…"

Raiden can clearly remember each and every one of his battles with the Shinsengumi. At the time, they did not possess an IS and mostly relied on their swords and guns when battling their opponents. Raiden had killed many of their members and even faced their leaders firsthand. But like he said, there was never a clear cut victory or loss on either side.

"Now, those leaders… I hear many of them are already dead. One of them passed away from tuberculosis. Despite the fact we were enemies, there were no grudges involved. We were on different sides, but we all fought with our lives and our beliefs entrusted to our swords."

"I see…" Houki understood.

Raiden then smiles as he turns his head towards Houki, "A strange thing to say, isn't it?"

But Houki shakes her head. "No, not at all… But, I'm just amazed because you are saying so much about your past, Raiden."

This however surprises Raiden. Indeed, he never spoke much of his past to anyone, not even to Houki. Houki for her part didn't really much care for Raiden's past as she believes it not to be relevant to the present considering what she had seen with Raiden and how much he had been through. But with news of him as his identity of Hitokiri Kingslayer and the fact he was once of Phantom Task now public to the Academy, there may come a moment where he must confess everything.

"Well, let's hurry up, Raiden," Houki urged. "Everyone is waiting for us."

As Houki rushes on ahead, Raiden reflects on what Houki had said about him opening up his past.

'Having dreams of the past for the first time in quite a while… Why is that? I hope it's just my mind wandering…'

At an apartment somewhere in Tokyo, Liu sits by his couch while looking over the components of a new pistol he had bought in the instruction manual and drinking some water on the side. It was a Heckler & Koch P2000 that fires a .40 caliber round. He begins loading hollow-points in the spare mags he has, enough to defend himself.

"First gun I bought with my own money," Liu said as he looks at it. "Best not show it to the others lest I scare them. Rin told me they were getting some beef hot pot for lunch before they drop over."

Liu goes over the manual and schematics of how to assemble and operate this gun. While he has all the components, bullets included that he bought separately, he needed to know which part was which and how to handle them correctly. It was more than just simply loading a magazine and unloading it when it was run out of bullets.

After finishing loading up, he does a press check to ensure the chamber was loaded, pulling the gun chamber back to look to see that the bullets are inserted right.

*CHINK CHANK*

With one careful motion, he sees that the magazine is loaded in correctly and on point. He lets go and beholds his product that was money well spent to buy.

"And there we go," He said, holding the gun up to him. "That's one loaded firearm. Thank goodness I have a firearm license which was not easy to obtain."

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*

A few knocks on his door distracts from his work, making him turn his head to it.

'Odd. Rin and the others won't be here for another hour or so. Who could be at my place at this time?'

Feeling cautious, Liu press checks his pistol and tucks it behind his jeans as he approaches the door. He opens it and is greeted by the sight of a woman in formal clothing.

The woman had shoulder length black hair, with no obvious hair ties or clips in it. She wore a black pantsuit over a white dress shirt, black high heels, and wears a silver chain necklace with a wolf pendant around her neck. She also has a small beauty mark below her right eye.

(Author's Note: For reference, her appearance is Kaoru Sayama from Yakuza 2 and Yakuza Kiwami 2)

"Hello," The woman greeted.

"Who are you?" asked Liu.

"I'm a detective of the Osaka Police Force. My name is Fujita Hana. Would this be the apartment of Liu King-sang?"

"Who wants to know?" asked Liu.

"Someone who just wants to ask a few questions. Not to worry. You aren't in trouble or anything and I am not here to suspect you. I just have something that needs asking."

Liu really didn't like this almost immediately. A detective coming into his apartment. Did she somehow find out he is a Triad of the Righteousness Union? A gang member at that committing some illegal activities that were covered up?

He could turn her away but doing that would only draw suspicions from the detective and perhaps force his door down. He wasn't that stupid as to draw his gun immediately and start firing out of fear. At the same time, he couldn't help but feel cautious over this person, like he was looking at a wolf up close and personal.

"Alright, come on in," Liu invited, allowing the detective to enter before closing the door. "Sorry about the mess."

"Not to worry," Hana reassured as she takes a seat at the table. "Were you expecting someone else to come by?"

"Some friends of mine actually," Liu said as he takes a seat across from the detective. "They would meet me after they had their lunch."

"Oh, I see," Hana exclaimed with pity. "That is a shame."

"Hey, you," Liu called out, which makes the detective look up. "You sure have narrow eyes."

"I was born with them…" Hana took it as a jest.

"I see, but…" Liu soon grabs Hana's right hand and flips it, revealing something. "These blisters from holding a sword are unfitting for a detective. You couldn't have been born with these!"

"You are pretty sharp," Hana complimented before her eyes open. "Nothing less from a Triad of the Righteousness Union."

That statement made Liu let go of Hana's hand and jump back in defense. "What? Who the fuck are you?"

"I see, the Kingslayer hasn't arrived yet…" Hana realized. "I must have come too early then. Perhaps I shall leave a gift for him then."

Liu, sensing that Hana was about to draw her pistol, which was a Sig P226R that carried 15 rounds of 9 mm bullets, flips the dining table at Hana and flees before hearing shots.

*BANG BANG BANG*

Three shots were fired as Liu gets to cover and pulls out his P2000 from behind, firing back at Hana who took cover in the kitchen with her Sig P226R.

*BANG BANG BANG*

Liu too fires his shots, but they all missed and instead, only destroyed the kitchen and made it a mess.

'Fuck. How the hell did this detective bitch find me? And what does she want with Raiden? Hopefully I can get this sorted out before Rin arrives.'

Liu sneaks to look out into the kitchen yet sees no sign of Hana until…

*BANG BANG*

Two more shots were fired from Hana as she takes cover behind a wall on the opposite side, now with her in the destroyed dining room and Liu in the bedroom, both of them at opposite sides of the wall back to back.

Liu moves in and a fight between two handguns, using them as bashing weapons, is engaged. Hana tries to reload her weapon, but Liu bashes her chest with the butt of his pistol three times. He is then grabbed and thrown to the side of another wall, destroying a small table and a few pictures on it.

As Hana stumbles and falls to the floor behind, she reaches over to grab her pistol and its magazine, intent to load it.

But a charging Liu roars and grapples Hana, taking her for a spin before throwing her to a corner of a wall. Recovering quickly, she grabs a desk lamp and swings it to bash Liu on the head but misses.

Liu then grabs a bigger lamp and swings it at Hana.

*BAM*

The lamp breaks immediately, making Liu drop it before charging in again. But Hana breaks out of his grip and punches him directly in the stomach. Hana then grabs him by the head and pushes him towards a shelving unit. She then brings him around and decides to use her head for a head-butt.

*POW*

With Liu now disorientated, Hana pushes him to a wall and then flips him over to crash onto another table, breaking it. Liu's back was in pain as he sits upright in a corner of the room, with Hana grabbing a splintered stick of a leg of a table and ready to bash him.

But Liu then grabs a small electric oven and hits Hana on the knee.

*BAM*

Then the head…

*DING*

And then with one mighty swing like he was a baseball player, he hits Hana on the face.

*POW*

Bloody and beaten, both fighters stagger to the floor in pain as they struggle to stand up. Liu crawls over to grab a small pocketknife lying on the floor but his entire body felt like it just got run over by a train. Even with his back against the wall, he struggles to stand upright. Hana too was wounded badly but it was nothing she could not handle. She stands up at the same time as Liu does, ready to fight.

With the knife in hand, Liu attempts to slash at Hana but his moves were sluggish because he was tired. Hana too was exhausted and was aware of the knife in Liu's hands.

But after stopping Hana's right punch with his left, he jams the knife under her right tricep muscle.

*STAB*

"Aahh!" Hana yelps, feeling the knife stuck in her. However, she had an advantage in this situation.

Dragged over to the wall behind Liu, Hana gets around and holds Liu in a choking manner.

*BAM*

With one elbow blow to her ribs, Liu breaks free and then grabs Hana and throws her behind him into another pile of destroyed junk.

Liu needed a minute to catch his breath as he slumps his back to the wall. His breathing was heavy and his injuries, while treatable, were also serious. Hana meanwhile grabs the knife out of her right tricep and throws it away.

"I see…" Hana coughed as she regains her breath. "Not bad. That explains those rumors of the Righteousness Union having a male IS pilot around."

As Liu tries to regain his breath, he couldn't move his arm at all due to the nerves being badly damaged, like from their scuffle when they were bashing each other and throwing each other against the furniture of the now destroyed apartment.

'Who the hell is this bitch?'

"However, your skills as a fighter are only good for a peaceful life like here in Tokyo. On Omega during Spring Madness, a fighter as good as you would have been totally useless."

With those words said, Hana drops into a partial crouch, both knees bent, left arm drawn back and right arm extended forward; she grasps the kashira (endcap of the tsuka, or hilt) of her sword with her left hand and rests the tips of the fingers of her right hand (usually the thumb) on the blade near the kisaki (blade's tip).

Liu had no idea what this stance was but only one other knew of it. The Gatotsu, used only by one person of the Saitō bloodline. And with Liu incapacitated, Hana prepares to put the icing on the cake.

*SCHLINK*

With one leap forward quicker than the eye could see, Fujita Hana performs a Gatotsu and stabs Liu right in the right shoulder, cutting into the subclavian artery.

"Gaah!" Liu screams as he is thrusted back like he was hit by a spear.

*BOOM*

Together, he and Hana go through a wall of the apartment, breaking through it just as Hana's sword snaps.

*SNAP*

As Liu tumbles across the floor, Hana zooms past him, sliding across the floor. Once she stops, she straightens herself up and looks at her broken sword but was nonetheless satisfied.

"Oh well…" She said. "Hidden swords are useful to carry around, but they are as flimsy as toys. I guess the only good swords are Japanese ones after all."

Tossing her broken hidden blade away, Hana looks behind to see Liu standing up. Despite the blade embedded in his shoulder and piercing an artery, the Triad was stubborn as a nail and refused to give in. Sweat pours down his face as his heart rate accelerates beyond normal.

"Where are you going, bitch detective?" asked a pissed off Liu. "I'm still alive!"

"It would have been better for you to stay down," Hana mockingly advised. "Although that's not a fatal wound, it still is a deep one since your artery is cut."

"Shut up!" Liu shouted despite the blood dripping. "I may be all messed up, but you've lost your gun and your sword is broken! I can still take you on!"

Liu charges in with a punch from his right arm but Hana could already see that it was a weak punch thanks to the broken blade in his shoulder.

*PUSH*

*SLAP*

With a deflection and a slap using her right hand, Hana's left soon pushes the blade in Liu deeper into him.

*SKLISH*

"Gaaaagh!" Liu screams as the blade goes deeper, out and through the back of his shoulder. His face is soon grabbed by Hana's right hand and her left hand grabbing his wounded right arm.

"Go to sleep!" Hana sternly said.

*BAM*

And with one slam of his head to the ground, Hana knocks Liu out. The blade embedded in him is also pierced into the floorboard, making his body permanently stuck

Hana gets off of the unconscious Liu and slowly stands up. Despite the bruises and blood she got from fighting him, she did not suffer any significant injuries and they would heal in time. But the same could not be said of Liu given of his current condition.

"You'll recover, Triad," Hana said to the unconscious and bleeding Liu as she left a card with the image of kanji character sincerity. "For now, I'll let you and your buddies clean this place up. If you can that is."

Grabbing her coat and shaking it off, Hana places it back on and walks out, leaving Liu in his already trashed apartment. Hana may have had some bruises and blood pouring out of her, but she was otherwise content with how the fight turned out. The thing is though, she was not even using half of her strength. And if it was a real fight, Liu would already be dead.

Liu was lucky to be alive but whether Hana spared him out of mercy for being a Triad or simply of being a waste of her time is anyone's guess. But once Raiden comes and finds the scene, he will know of her existence.

And yet, she could not help but smirk at that fact.

After having lunch, everyone reconvenes back outside by the front. And all of them were feeling rather full of the hot pot they all just had.

"Wow, I sure ate a lot!" Ichika exclaimed, feeling stuffed of the hot pot.

"That was rather pleasant," Cecilia said. "I enjoyed that rather much."

"So did I," Laura agreed. "I should try cooking this some time."

"Well, I got to go to a friend's apartment with Houki, Ichika, and Raiden," Rin said. "Wanna come with?"

"Actually, Rin, I invited Cecilia and Laura out for some shopping so we're going to go the other way," Charlotte revealed. "We'll see you two tonight back at the Academy."

"Alright," Houki acknowledged. "We'll see you tonight, then."

The one group soon becomes two groups as everyone go their separate ways. With Laura, Charlotte, and Cecilia going shopping, that just leaves Houki, Raiden, Ichika, and Rin heading over to an apartment belonging to Liu King-sang's, unaware of what had happened over there.

As the four walk though, three of them see Raiden rather far behind them, still stuck in his own world.

"Raiden sure isn't cheerful today," Ichika noted.

"Yeah," Rin agreed. "He didn't even eat much at lunch either. He must've lost his appetite."

"I wonder if he's feeling ill or something…" Houki asked worryingly.

But then another voice pops up next to her. "Hmm. Then it's my turn!"

The voice of a familiar figure caught Houki off-guard as she turns to see a rather surprising face.

"T-Tatenashi-san!" Houki exclaimed.

Tatenashi giggles, "What are you surprised about? This street is for everyone. Is there something strange about me being here?"

She then unfolds her fan that says, 'Just Kidding!' "I'm joking. Actually, I had just finished with work at the Academy, and I suddenly wanted to see Dear Raiden. So, I thought about going over to his dorm room later tonight."

As Tatenashi looks like she was day dreaming about Raiden, her words though pissed off a certain fox. "That isn't just Raiden's dorm room! It's also mine!" Houki reminded.

But Tatenashi, the mischievous cat that she was as her ears and tail pop out of her head and behind respectively, replies, "Oh, it doesn't matter whose dorm room it is. Ohohoho!"

"It does too!" cried a rather angry Houki, with her fox ears and tail popping out in response.

As Tatenashi dallies over to Raiden, Houki could only glare and growl like a fox while Rin and Ichika looked shocked at her expression, seeing her be so jealous. If it were not for Tatenashi being the student council president, then perhaps Houki would've taken out her bokken to chase after the cat.

"Dear Raiden, it's been a long time," Tatenashi greeted.

But Raiden does not answer back, which immediately kills Tatenashi's mood.

'You aren't cheerful today," Tatenashi noted. "If you don't mind, I can give you an examination? Perhaps appear to you again in a naked apron?"

That made Raiden snap out of his silence, making him chuckle, "Oh, I'm fine. It's nothing, that it is."

"I see…" Tatenashi said as she flips her fan open which says the word 'Suspicious.'

'I'll stop worrying about it. I'm just making everyone around me worry. Just because the past is coming back to me doesn't mean that there is anything to it. There's no way I can come to an answer…'

With that said and Raiden's mind clear for the moment, the group of five head over to an apartment complex that Rin knows of. Unknown to all except for Rin, it was owned by the Righteousness Union, with one of its members living on the top floor. Luckily the place came with an elevator that brought the five up to the top floor as they make their way over to the apartment belonging to Liu King-sang.

But gasps were heard next as they all look to see the front door was open and damaged, and blood covered all over it. They look over and see that the apartment was trashed and destroyed from what looked like a firefight.

"What's this?" asked Tatenashi, shocked of how damaged the apartment is.

"What in the world happened?" asked Houki.

"Who could've done this?" asked Ichika.

But Raiden then sensed something. "The smell of blood…"

Raiden then dashes forward into the apartment, with the others following behind him. Soon they come to the living room where it was badly damaged. But on the ground, bleeding and unconscious, and with a broken sword embedded into his shoulder…

"Liu!" screamed a horrified Rin.

Liu was now out of it for a full hour and a half, and he had already lost about three pints of blood.

LATER THAT NIGHT…

Tatenashi, Rin, and Houki had moved Liu over to the bed to begin giving him some treatment, with Tatenashi acting as the doctor to seal Liu's wound. Thankfully, they managed to safely pull the blade out of his shoulder but there was a lot of blood being squirted out in the process. Luckily though, they were able to put direct pressure on the wound to prevent more blood spilling out of the wound.

However, it would not be enough if they do not close it.

"Change the hot water!" Tatenashi directed as she begins applying basic first aid. "Bring me bandages!"

"Right! Ichika, with me! You get the hot water!" Rin said.

"Right!" Ichika replied as he takes the bowl of water and dumps it before filling it up with fresh warm water.

Tatenashi then directs Houki while she tries to stop the bleeding on the shoulder, "It's too dark. I can't see the wound properly. I don't care if it's candles or something else, give me more light!"

"All right!" Houki nodded. "Rin, where's the flashlight?"

"Look under the cupboard by the sink!" Rin said. "That's where emergency lights are!"

Raiden meanwhile was surveying the room like it was a crime scene. With the broken blade out of Liu's shoulder, he examines it while holding a piece of cloth around it to not cut himself. But his expression was grim, like he knew who this was that attacked his good friend. He even took notice of the card bearing the kanji simple of sincerity, which he holds in his other hand.

Eventually, Tatenashi manages to seal Liu's shoulder wound as best as she could.

"He's asleep for now…" Tatenashi said while panting.

"Tatenashi-san…" Rin called to her. "Thank you."

"How is Liu doing?" asked Ichika as he walks in from washing his hands with Houki behind him.

"His life isn't in danger. I've done what I can, but he may need to see a hospital soon. He will definitely need to stay put for a while."

"I'll stay and look after him then," Rin offered. "The weekend is coming up so I best stay with him."

"Really, considering how badly hurt he was," Houki sighed. "He's got a strong will to live."

"Tatenashi-san, you must be tired," Ichika observed. "You should head back to the Academy."

"Thanks, but I'll look after him a for a bit longer," Tatenashi politely refused. "What about Dear Raiden?"

"That's right, I have to let Raiden know!" Ichika said as he was about to get up.

But Houki stops him. "Wait. I peeked into the living room a few minutes ago, but he looked really scary. It wasn't like anyone could just walk in and approach him."

"Huh?" asked a concerned Ichika.

BACK IN THE LIVING ROOM…

Raiden sits on the couch as his mind reflects back to his hitokiri days. The pieces of the attack on Liu were now starting to come together. And already, his grim expression behind his blindfold made him realize who it was behind this event. The angle of the broken blade, the sincerity kanji card, and of how trashed the apartment was made him see the image of his old adversary years ago.

An all too familiar face that he remembers. And a scent like a wolf that he had never forgotten.

'No doubt about it. It's her doing. The fact that she left her card with the kanji character for sincerity is the same character the Shinsengumi of old used. Only the Shinsengumi of Omega, the direct descendants of the original Shinsengumi from the Meiji Era, carry such a card when disguised as spies. The parallel sword mark is from a move used only by the Shinsengumi, the Hirazuki. And this destructive power comes from the left-handed single Hirazuki… the Gatotsu, her favorite.'

Raiden clearly remembers his dream of his encounter with that woman, who showed him her Gatotsu. The same technique her ancestor used during the Meiji Era.

'Saitō Akari, direct descendant of Saitō Hajime and leader of Shinsengumi Squad Three. Has she come to settle the score that was left unresolved? Or does she have a different objective?'

Standing up and walking towards the destroyed front door, Raiden takes a stance and runs towards the image of a charging Akari coming at him, like he was remembering their first clash. He draws the Sakabatō out from his sheathe in a flash.

*DING*

Raiden's Sakabatō hits and cuts the wall in front of him as the image of Akari dissipates from his view. He takes the sword out of the wall leaving a mark on it, but his expression never changed.

'Saitō Akari's sword skills have not decreased at all. They are the same as when she was called the Wolf of Mibu like her ancestor before her. With a Sakabatō, and my oath not to kill, will I be able to fend her off?'

AT NIGHT…

Saitō Akari, still roaming the streets as detective Fujita Hana, could only smirk as she feels like everything is going according to plan. By now, Liu must have been discovered, along with his destroyed apartment from their fighting. But for Akari, things were already progressing every smoothly. The Sakura blossoms continue blowing gently into the night, with the full moon in view in the sky. And also despite her wounds she sustained, they were not life threatening and easily treatable by herself.

'The peaceful days of Reiwa are about to become turbulent, like days long past. Now, child's talk about this wanderer who won't kill is meaningless. The paths before you lead either to your former self, or death. One or the other… Kingslayer.'

TWO DAYS LATER…

Two days have passed since the attack on Liu. He was still recovering from the ordeal and being taken care of by Rin. Luckily it was the weekend, so Rin did not have to worry much about missing classes. During the weekend yesterday, Liu woke up, but was in considerable pain. The Righteousness Union had been informed of the attack on one of their own yet their prioritized protection of other assets instead of seeking revenge as ordered by their chairman, Uncle Yuen. As for Liu, he never asked for a hospital, citing that Rin's care for him is better than what any other doctor or nurse could provide.

As for everyone else, life continued on at the Academy as usual. However, Raiden was running some private errands which took him far from the Academy. So for now, it was just the gang as usual but without Raiden. At the moment, everyone was in front of the Academy meeting up to discuss some rather strange events that had been happening the past few days.

"An errand? Raiden?" asked Houki.

"Yeah," Ichika said. "He said he might be late."

"Did he say anything else?" asked Houki.

"No," Ichika shook his head. "Although he did find some sort of note for him in his shoe locker. I figured it was just his thing, so I left him to it."

"I see," Houki said.

But the others had differing views.

"Something doesn't feel right," Laura was suspicious. "The Kingslayer's mood has been… odd lately."

Charlotte agreed. "Yes. He seems more distracted by something."

"I wonder what it could be?" asked a curious Cecilia. "When you told us of what happened to Rin's friend and of Raiden's reaction, he seemed to have been somewhat on edge."

"Well, maybe it's nothing," Ichika said. "It could just be stress from how everyone knows him for who he is."

"I'm not certain, Ichika-kun," Tatenashi said behind her fan. "But if it is, then maybe he just needs some time off."

"Excuse me…" The voice of someone else caught everyone's attention. They all turned to see what appeared to be a woman dressed formally,

Unknown to all, it was the same person who attacked Liu two days ago, Saitō Akari. Right now though, she was back to her disguise as Fujita Hana, a detective of the Osaka Police Force.

"I heard that the Kingslayer can be found in this Academy…" Akari stated.

That name though shocks Ichika. "Kingslayer?"

"How do you know about Raiden?" asked a suspicious Tatenashi.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Akari apologizes. "I am Detective Hana Fujita, and I just was assigned to the precinct where the Academy was located. And I heard about the Kingslayer from the JSDF."

"Are you here to arrest him?" asked Charlotte suspiciously.

Akari feigns ignorance, "Oh no. I'm just here for a couple of questions I like to ask him. Nothing more."

"Oh, you must have been told by Lieutenant-General Yamagata," Laura said.

But Houki was unsure. "Unfortunately, Raiden has stepped out for a bit. Do you need something?"

"Yes I do," Akari confirmed. "I'm here because there was an unconfirmed tip to the police that someone was after Hataru. Someone from Phantom Task."

This shocks everyone. First Liu, now Raiden. Who's to say Ichika would be next if Phantom Task was now targeting male IS pilots?

"If you don't mind, may I wait here for a while?" asked Akari.

"Oh, sure…" Houki agreed naively. "But you will have to get permission from one of the teachers to do that. Raiden might be coming home late, but if that's all right…"

"It's all right," Akari replied as she steps in. "And worry not about your teachers. I already got permission from the Academy to come here since they know I am a detective. If you don't mind, perhaps you can lead me to one of your arenas? I love to see how impressive it is."

"Oh, sure," Ichika accepted nonchalantly. "We can take you there."

Every other girl though was suspicious, including Houki. Now she was very worried for Raiden's safety. Whoever was now after him from Phantom Task made her quiver and remember the time she was kidnapped by Hina, a Phantom Task hitokiri.

'Raiden…'

As the girls lead Akari into the Academy, the detective smirks and narrows her eyes without anyone noticing. Raiden will indeed return to the Academy and when he does, the wolf will eb ready to face off against the lion once again.

The private errand Raiden was running was actually a letter addressed solely to him. It also contained latitude and longitude coordinates that led him to a remote forest outside of Tokyo. By the time Raiden got there, all he found was himself in an open field and surrounded by the woods. Nobody else was there but him.

Raiden had a feeling when he walked to the meeting place that this was a trap set by Saitō Akari. But it also did not make much sense. Akari was not one to send a threatening letter telling him to come to this remote location for a showdown. It was not her style. If anything, she plays a game of shadows, of using manipulation and indirect tactics against her opponents. So why use a letter for a trap to be placed for him?

He would have his answers though soon enough.

Out of the shadows emerged a white wolf. Male. It looked like the alpha of a pack, as noticed by a scar running down its right eye.

"Wayne…" Raiden said as he hears the wolf approach him out in the open. "Saitō Akari's pet wolf."

And the wolf was not alone. Its pack also emerges out from the woods, about five other wolves at least.

"Great," Raiden groans. "This isn't good."

Wayne soon howls and signals the other wolves to attack Raiden, with a couple of them charging in.

Raiden doges to his left as one wolf attempts to pounce on him before grabbing the second and throwing it away. He had no intention of killing these wolves because they are beautiful creatures and that life, to a samurai, is very precious no matter who the predator is.

The other three wolves rush into Raiden's side before he jumps over one and pushes down on another, his hand on its head and pushing it to the ground in order to stop it. As he lands the last wolf charges right before him and leaps, but Raiden holds it back with his arms before it could bite him and throws him away.

But just as when it seemed he was clear, he forgot that there were six wolves, not five.

*CHOMP*

"Aaahhhh!" Raiden screams as he feels his left arm get crushed by Wayne from behind. The wolf's teeth sinks into his arm like it was butter.

Using what strength he had, Raiden flings Wayne off of his arm, making the wolf let go despite the blood trail that followed. The wolf lands easily and keeps its eyes on Raiden who clutches his left arm.

'Not good. Now the rest of the animals know I'm wounded. Better wrap this up fast.'

Partially deploying his IS on his right arm, Raiden brings out his ion cannons and points at Wayne. Feeling threatened, the wolf charges right on in and leaps up towards his prey.

*BAM BAM BAM*

Three ion rounds were shot at the wolf, who took a direct hit. The rounds were not lethal as Raiden made sure of that, but they were enough to disorient the white wolf and push it back.

Raiden fires another two rounds into a wolf on his left, followed by bashing another away on his left. The rest of the pack backs away, seeing that their prey is well armed to the teeth. This lion was not so easy to take out.

And for Wayne, well aware that it is injured and that the pack don't stand a chance now against the lion, howls to the other wolves to stand down and back away. Raiden keeps his senses sharp and stands his ground as the wolves growl yet back away slowly into the dark. Soon, their forms disappeared either into the darkness or behind the trees and bushes where they were no longer found.

With the wolf pack gone, Raiden deactivates his partially deployed IS yet grits his teeth as he feels his left arm is injured from the bite he endured. Any other hunter would've had to get an amputation or a sling. But for Raiden, there was no time for that.

"I best get back to the Academy," He said. "If Wayne was here to either kill me or test me, then it's not safe for me out here. Not with her trying to look for me."

With that said, Raiden takes off immediately, leaving the forest and heading back to catch the last tram car leading to the Academy.

As Raiden returns to the Academy, his left arm still stings a bit from where Wayne had bitten him. Luckily, he was able to provide basic first aid and the wound was not too deep. But he had to keep it hidden from everyone lest they suspect what he had been doing as of late.

"Oh, Raiden!" Houki greeted her boyfriend upon seeing him.

"Houki-dono…" Raiden greeted warmly.

"I was worried about you!" Houki complained.

"Did something happen?" asked Raiden as he and Houki were walking towards one of the arenas of the Academy.

"Something? Just try not to go out like that for a while. Someone is after you, Raiden…"

But that made Raiden stop in his tracks. "Houki-dono… Where did you hear something like that?"

"The police," Houki answered. "Apparently, the Osaka Police Force sent one of their own on behalf of the JSDF over to tell us. The teachers had already given her permission to enter the Academy."

Houki soon leads Raiden out to the open arena where she introduces the policewoman in question. "This is Ms. Fujita Hana, a detective from Osaka."

But at the sight of what laid before him, Raiden gasps, sensing and confirming the presence. Akari Saitō, still using her cover name of Hana Fujita, though just stood there, her back towards Raiden as he dons a serious expression.

"To have a hard time against Wayne…" Akari said without turning around, aware of Raiden behind her. "You have grown much weaker."

Raiden keeps his silence yet glares back at Akari's back, seeing that his old foe and adversary had the gall to just walk into the Academy and await for him, like she knew he was coming.

"The last time we fought was, I believe… Toba-Fushimi?" Akari asked. "So it's been eight years…"

"Raiden, do you know Detective Fujita?" asked Houki.

Raiden did not answer as he was focused on what was in front of him. "I see. So you even changed your name to Fujita Hana, just like your ancestor before you."

"Eight years…" Akari reflected. "Just one phrase, but quite a long time to actually live through."

Raiden coldly agreed. "Yes. It seems long enough for one to turn rotten."

A concerned Houki asked her boyfriend, "Hey, Raiden…"

But Raiden ignores her as he takes a few steps forward. "Udō Hina had been a nutcase from the start, but you weren't like that. Before, you had an indescribable strength within you. When you entered battle, you preferred to fight fair and square. You never hurt people close to your target in order to shock them."

This makes Houki shocked, hearing Raiden's words of the implication of Liu's attack. Ichika too sees that the detective he thought was friendly was a threat and backs away.

"You never sent a dog, or took hostages while the dog was being chased off. You never resorted to petty tricks like that."

Akari however chuckles in amusement, her body shaking in laughter as Raiden soon delivers the final revealing fact of the opponent before him.

"The woman before me is not the one I acknowledged as a warrior," Raiden said as Akari chuckles and turns around. "Akari Saitō, detective of the Osaka Police Force as Hana Fujita. Direct descendant of Saitō Hajime, leader of Shinsengumi Squad Three!"

"Shinsengumi?" asked a stunned Houki.

"She's the one…" Ichika realized. "After Raiden…"

Akari stands up and faces her opponent from eight years ago, still bearing that smug smile on her face.

"I had thought that your sword had become rusty," Akari admitted as she walks forward. "But I didn't think your brain would be rusty as well. Wayne, a dog? I know that my pet wolf would not be enough to wound or deter you. The Shinsengumi know of Hitokiri Kingslayer's strength more than anyone. However, you had trouble today against my pet wolf, Wayne."

Akari soon stops in her tracks yet her face bears one of pure disgust of the man she saw before her. "Being a wanderer who won't kill has obviously made you weak."

Ichika was startled. "Raiden is…"

"Weak?" asked Charlotte as she turns to look at the blind pilot.

Raiden though was unmoved by Akari's threats. "The strength of a wanderer is enough to protect those around me. The wanderer no longer needs the strength of a hitokiri, a murderer, that I do not."

"If that's the case, then you fail even as a wanderer…" Akari stated as she drops down her pantsuit. "While you were having a tough time with Wayne, I was here. And none of them were on alert, just because I was a detective from Osaka. Therefore, if I had wanted to kill…"

Akari then draws out her sword in front of her slowly like a wolf showing her fangs. "I could have done so at any time."

But Raiden did not look convinced despite the threats Akari made. He knew she was trying to rile him up, to get him back into that mindset of the hitokiri that he was back then. Already he could sense Ichika being pissed off but is unable to do anything because of the aura Akari produced that forced him to keep his distance.

"Not just this time…" Akari said furthermore as she drops her sheathe in front of her, letting it go. "When you faced Hina, when you faced Autumn… You let these people around you fall into the hands of your enemies. On top of that, you allowed a Valkyrie such as Olrun to wound you so grievously!"

Houki, taking in Akari's words, could only bear the shocked expression of what Akari just said.

'Can it be that she's been watching Raiden all this time?'

"Mediocre strength is as good as nothing," Akari said as she lets her sword by her side. "Words of a hypocrite are empty and make me sick."

Ichika had enough and retorted back, "Shut up! Despite that, nobody died because Raiden was there! Raiden protected them, even us!"

"Oh, is that so?" asked an amused Akari as she recalls something two days ago. "That Triad of the Righteousness Union… If I wanted to, I could have killed him at will."

"You were the one who fought Liu?" asked a shocked Rin.

Akari ignores her though and says, "To not even realize just that… As you say, eight years is enough time for someone to turn rotten. Drowning yourself in the pseudo justice of a wanderer who won't kill… How can Hitokiri Kingslayer protect people without slaying others? Have you forgotten?"

Akari then recites those infamous words that her ancestor, along with the rest of the Shinsengumi, spoke so long ago as their creed.

"Aku. Soku. Zan! To slay evil immediately was the justice shared by the Shinsengumi and the Kingslayer," Akari said as she straightens her sword before her. "I cannot stand seeing you like this anymore."

Raiden however would not be swayed no matter what Akari said.

"No matter what you say…" Raiden stated. "I have no intention of taking another human life again, that I do not!"

Akari smiles, "I see…"

With those words soon said, Akari activates her IS, its standby mode in the form of a wolf pendant around her neck. In a flash of white light, she appears in an IS that was a mixture of blue and black with white and gold outlining. A large wolf pelt, perhaps the most intrinsic characteristic of her IS, was wrapped around her, its head on her right side of her shoulder. With wolf claws on its hands and feet, it was also armed with a traditional katana. No one knows though what other weapons this new IS that Akari had were installed.

For experts in the Infinite Stratos design, it looked like a Hell Hound, piloted by Daryl Cayce but instead of a fiery aura, it produced something cold, like the snow of Hokkaido. The two wolf heads on either side of the pilot that would normally appear on a reproduction model of Hell Hound were missing. Instead, they were replaced by traditional wing sets found on the Rafale Revive Basic. And speaking of snow, it had the ability to manipulate snow and ice, like Cold Blood which is Forte Sapphire's IS, due to its nanomachines installed.

The IS was indeed intimidating, dressed in colors that properly demonstrate the Wolves of Mibu from the Bakumatsu. And speaking of which, it was identified as Wolf of Mibu, a name Akari called her IS to honor her ancestors of the Shinsengumi.

(Author's Note: There is an IS called Hell Hound on the Infinite Stratos wiki, which is what I based Akari's IS off of but with some modifications)

"Then… I deny your existence," Akari decreed.

Taking a Gatotsu stance with her sword, Akari braces herself to charge forth at Raiden. But the Kingslayer does not respond back, almost as if conflicted with his choice. But slowly but surely, Akari could tell that even behind that blindfold of his, he was starting to remember events.

"What's wrong?" She asked. "Will you involve that girl in the Gatotsu as well?"

By that girl, Akari was referring to Houki. And Raiden knew it as well. This was now his fight and he does not intend to let anyone interfere, not even the other students or Chifuyu. Akari came to settle scores and Raiden must answer, regardless of what others say. He takes a few steps forward towards a duel that was to be reignited.

However, he feels himself stopped upon feeling the back of his uniform grabbed on by depressed Houki, silently begging him not to go. Her hands shake a little as she grips onto his uniform.

"Houki-dono…" Raiden calmly called out to his girlfriend. "I will be all right, that I will…"

Houki leans her head into Raiden's back, knowing that despite trusting those words, she was scared.

"But…" She said.

"She is after my life," Raiden justified. "I cannot avoid this fight, that I cannot…"

"But…" Houki tries to speak. "You know… I can't…"

Houki could only remember a few days ago when she and Raiden spoke to one another by the river on their way to lunch.

Unbeknownst to her, Raiden frees himself from her grip as he trots forward. Too late did she realize and see that Raiden was now facing Akari in his IS, Battousai. Having dropped her Gatotsu stance to change positions in the arena, Akari keeps an eye on her old foe.

Soon, Akari takes her Gatotsu stance.

And when the clock strikes the hour mark just as the sun disappears behind the clouds…

"Let's do this!" Akari yells as she charges in with Gatotsu.

*BOOM*

Akari's Gatotsu destroys the wall of an arena, having missed Raiden as he jumps up and draws out the Sakabatō halfway.

Ichika, recognizing that stance, yells, "Hiten-Mitsurugi-ryū – Ryū Tsui Sen!"

'Raiden is the strongest after all!'

Akari however had other ideas.

"Did you think you dodged my attack? Kingslayer!" She cried as she jumps up with Gatotsu in hand, ready to thrust upwards.

Raiden recognized what this next stance was.

'The overhead Gatotsu!'

*GLIISH*

With him in the air and in no way to dodge it, Raiden took a rather heavy hit as Akari's sword goes through his IS armor and pierces right through his right side, blood spraying everywhere.

"Guh!" He grunts, having taken such a massive hit at the start of the battle.

Just as everyone was shocked though, Akari took in satisfaction, the wolf claiming first blood and making the first bite onto the lion.

"Raiden!" Houki screamed, seeing massive blood pour out of his wound like a pipe had burst.

And so we start off the Kyoto Arc with one of my favorite episodes from Rurouni Kenshin, the introduction of Shinsengumi. I combined both episodes of Rurouni Kenshin into one just to give more time for Akari's appearance since the episodes only show indirect confrontation to direct confrontation. If you catch my drift.

Raiden is distracted by his own nightmares of the past, something that is rather odd to see from him. It gets to the point where he is so distracted that all it takes is one incident involving Liu that makes him realize that an old foe of his has returned. Involving the other girls into this is hard since in the episodes of Rurouni Kenshin, there are only a few who witness Raiden's duel with Akari. But enough on logistics. Now, let's look at the first antagonist for this arc.

Saitō Akari, descendant of Saitō Hajime. In all honesty, I prefer the Rurouni Kenshin version of Saitō Hajime than any other version like say Fate/Grand Order. But enough on him, let's speak of her descendant, whose personality is like that of her ancestor's i.e. her personality is that of Saitō Hajime from Rurouni Kenshin. Someone who lives by the code of the Shinsengumi, Aku Soku Zan, and who is rather morbid and arrogant. But is a through investigator and fighter who believes in peace and order. Anyone associated with a opposite traits of what she believes in, she kills swiftly. And now a heated rivalry between two respected does ignites once more, and this time, the arena will be coated with blood.

Next chapter will be a continuation of the fight, along with some cameos and references from Rurouni Kenshin. As I said before, this arc will combine with the last two episodes of season 2 of Infinite Stratos but with some modifications so as to focus more solely on Raiden than the pointless plot that episodes 11 and 12 provided. On another note, chapter updates will now go slowly due to the summer schedule of my work being so hectic, along with other plans life has installed for me.

Also, for the record, credit for the creation of OC Liu King-sang and his IS Zy-54 Alastor goes to PearlTapioca. Check out his story called Dead Machines and his current work Dead Machines: Reload. Yes I did gain permission from him using his OC for this story, and not just for this chapter but also for subsequent future chapters to come.

Like, favorite, follow, and review at your leisure. If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me.