Though highly trained in the art of swordplay, Len ignored all basic principles of combat and charged Karakuri all at once, his hatred over-riding his self-discipline. Karakuri continued to display a careless smile all the while, her blood-stained revolver still at her hip. Her red fingernails tapped out the rhythm of the insane on the gunmetal while Len's footsteps resounded through the rain-scented air. Len raised his sword to strike Karakuri down, slashing it down at her head.

Karakuri had the reflexes of a cat. She brought the revolver up and caught Len's blade with it, locking the two weapons and forcing them into something of a stalemate. Len hissed and jumped back, freeing his weapon from hers. Karakuri giggled again, lowering the gun again.

She's just like a girl playing with a new toy, Len thought with disgust.

"Come on," Karakuri simpered. "I'm waiting."

Len snarled. "It'd probably be more fun if you took things more seriously," he muttered.

Karakuri grinned. "Oh, but your anger is proving to be more than amusing," she replied. "You're quite adorable when you're mad – quite unlike my mistress."

"You mean Hatsune Miku?" Len asked, seizing the opportunity to glean some information from her. If he was going to break orders and kill her here, he may as well cushion the general's inevitable blow by having something to offer her.

Karakuri nodded. "I think she's ugly anyway," she snickered. "but when she's mad she looks more like an ogre than a woman." She thought for a moment. "and she doesn't try to kill me. She's a childish little bitch for being the head of the military's most wanted resistances. She just torments and beats me whenever she doesn't get her way."

"I'm tempted to make you live with that," Len spat. "But you've slaughtered too many of my allies to be left alive."

Karakuri smiled – a smile bordering on sanity. "…I'd like that," she murmured just before her grin turned dark and bloodthirsty. "But I'd also like to have a bit more fun with you, Lieutenant."

"You'll have plenty of fun in hell!" Len shouted, taking a step toward her. "I'm sure Satan has plenty of games for you down there!"

Again, he charged her, but stopped short when the barrel of her handgun was just inches from his forehead. His sword pressed into her shoulder, and Len smirked when slight pain flashed across her face and blood began dribbling down her shoulder. She smirked.

"Well, this could be problematic," she deadpanned.

"Maybe not," Len shot back, pressing his sword deeper into her shoulder. Karakuri hissed in pain and took the safety off.

"Don't you know that problematic is the same thing as fun?" she asked. "Because you have to get creative when you don't know what to do."

"I'm sure I could fix that."

Karakuri lunged forward and pushed Len as hard as she could, sending Len of-balance.

"Don't be so sure of yourself," she growled. "I told you before that I wouldn't be as kind to you if you ever crossed me again. The one thing I can say of myself is that I'm a woman of my word."

Len regained his balance just as Karakuri rushed him and raised his sword to ward off any blows. She either didn't know how a gun really worked or she was out of ammunition, because she apparently intended to bludgeon him to death with hers.

As steel met steel, Len got his first good look at Karakuri, despite their struggle. She was more than thin. She was bordering in emaciation. Permanent bruises littered her upper arms and peeked out from under the low neckline of her dress. Her bandage had begun slipping, revealing more of the scar left across her face.

Light from the television flashed on the knife blade as it dug into and across Rin's face. The scream she released curdled Len's blood.

"Get away from her!" Len screamed, running at the masked woman holding the knife. He shivered when her cruel teal eyes turned on him, ducking when she swung the knife at him. From then on, all he saw was black. He felt the blood flowing down his face, through his fingers. He heard Rin screaming his name, and with a metallic slam and the squealing of tires, all fell silent.

Len grit his teeth and fought to overthrow Karakuri, suddenly wanting to kill her more than ever for bearing Rin's face. She had the lips he'd longed to taste since his childhood, the hair he wished he could run his hands through. She had one of the eyes he'd spent so much time looking into…

Time stopped as both locked eyes in the same instant. Both eyes, one blue and one crimson, widened as happier days ran like film through their minds.

"Lenny~!" Rin sang, skipping up to Len's tree. Len sat up in the tangled, twisted mess of branches, having been nearly lulled to sleep by the sound of rustling leaves and the pleasant summer warmth. "Want to take a walk with me?"

Len grinned. "Coming!" He was something of a show-off whenever Rin was around, and so far it hadn't been his downfall. It was bound to happen someday – and today seemed to be the day.

As he navigated his way down through the spiral of tree limbs, he realized that he was moving faster than he could judge his steps. That was when he slipped and fell the remaining several feet with a sharp thud as his back met the grass.

"Len!" Rin cried, kneeling next to him. "Are you alright? Len!"

It took several seconds for Len to regain the breath he'd lost. "I…I'm fine…" he groaned as Rin helped him sit up. "Just…got the…wind knocked out of me…"

Rin sighed in relief. "Know what…let's just stay here," she said, seating herself on the grass cross-legged. "I don't want you getting hurt."

Len frowned. "I'm not gonna get hurt walking," he complained.

Rin looked him up and down. "Are you sure?"

Len nodded. "Why are you so worried?"

Rin looked down. "I just…don't want anything to happen to you…not again."

Len smiled and reached out, grabbing her hand. "I've got you. What could possibly happen to me?"

Rin giggled and pressed her forehead to Len's. "You're adorable, Len."

Len felt the strength draining from his body. His knees threatened to fail him and his desire to kill Karakuri was suddenly gone.

Karakuri was Rin.

His Rin.

She had apparently had a change of heart, as well. Her blood-red eye glittered with crystalline tears and her jaw had dropped.

Her only word sent warmth flooding his body, and it took all his remaining strength to resist the urge to engulf her in his arms.

"…Len?"

It was Rin, alright. Len couldn't help the smile that turned up one corner of his mouth. She sounded sane. Like Rin. He finally had her back.

But just because they'd remembered each other didn't change the fact that they were standing in the rain-diluted blood of twenty-two dead soldiers. It was a strange way to protect her, but Len leaned in close to Rin, never taking his eyes from hers.

Before either one could say anything more, Len knocked her out.