Author's Note:

All right, no time to lose. I've wasted weeks already trying to churn out chapters for both The Boy, The Fang and The Gun as well as /Fate Dream Coma, and I really hope things don't drag on longer. With The fight with Koenig settled, we shift to the others. Hope you guys are ready, the ending is nearing!

Chapter 62: I'm Removing The Chains.

Shadows encroach around us everywhere, the scene in the lobby now silent except for the minor tremors shaking down from the higher floors. The extreme heat rushing within my veins clashed painfully with the harsh, winter cold now apparent after the hand of the clock neared its midnight chime. Sergio... Johann... darn it, they didn't have to come with me to Japan! They didn't have to join me on any of this! Then they wouldn't have fallen through the crater, crashing a few stories down, they wouldn't have...!

"Wuargh! Hargh!" Feral instinct mixed with my raging emotions, I moved at a speed so fast my eyes could barely keep up, sending only blurred images to my mind. Like a motor, my body was doing all the work, maneuvering through the many fallen debris. Swiftly, I found myself dodging whenever Verde's machine threw out its attacks smashing towards me, before finally closing in on him and his wretched piece of technology.

Before I knew it, pulsing veins throbbed around my clenched fist as I sent it smashing towards Verde, ignoring all warnings of pain that would come.

"Clank!"

It wasn't the sound of my bone cracking that went off immediately after the attack. My eyes caught sight of where my hands struck just as I pulled it back, the metal now dented, its edges twisted, gnarled, as if pounded by a dozen hammers already.

"You face peril everyday, and I didn't know anything about it.." Sergio's tone now changed to one of sadness and regret.

"Well, I won't just stand by and do nothing anymore. According to the Code, my life now belongs to the man who saved me."

"Clank! Crank! Thunk!"

"Argh! Gragh! Hhhrrraaaggghhh!" I can't stop myself screaming! Fenris's fury seeped into me more potent than ever before. The memory in mind, Sergio's words from before, only riled up my emotion to their peak! Like anvils smashing against a metal wall, my arms never relented in their assault. Whole craters formed where smooth surfaces were, as sparks churned from every corner of Verde's machine.

I told him not to join! I told him not to help! And now he's...!

"Ngh..." Behind the cockpit's glass, Verde flashed us a worrying look, his eyes in disbelief as despair slowly filled its light. His arms flailed about in every direction, clacking down on buttons and levers alike in a desperate attempt to regain control of his machine and the situation. As my fists rained down on Verde's machine, the twin piston arms came for me from above once more, each strong enough to smash through concrete!

But, I saw the attacks coming seconds before they've even begun.

As the twin machine hammers came smashing, instincts took over. Instead of dodging with speed and agility, I surprised myself my arms were brought up, crossing them as a shield. The next thing I knew, I was going against the attack head-on, taking the full brunt of it! My left hand griping down on the jagged edges of my Legacy Arm, I could feel power seeping in and rising way past what I thought was the peak. The taste of the power reminded me of one other time I felt like this. The only one...

And it was when I Awakened for the first time ever.

"Crack!"

The sound rang out like a wave, shooting out into the night as solid metal tore at my skin and flesh. As the force traveled from the impact and through my arms, fire shot out from every pore of my skin, slicing away at my muscles. Pain unlike anything I've ever felt erupted as my bones were stressed to their limits, close to the point of breaking. Vision shaking despite having Awakened, I could only grit my teeth and shake it off. Force pulsed out from my feet, blowing away the sand and dust in an instant! A split second later, craters formed from where I stood!

"Uuurrraaaggghhh!" My screams became more and more feral. An excited, hyperactive compulsion throbbed from my veins. With a surge of strength, I threw off the twin pistons that was on top of me like they were nothing more than pillows, stumbling Verde back despite the strength of the suit he had on. Eyes locking down on Verde, my nose twitched as I glanced towards the corners on reflex. There I saw Kiera lunging forward, with shield in hand, armed and ready.

But as Kiera passed me at my side, I could have sworn I saw a look of concern from her eyes in the split second.

In silence, Kiera shot out her attack in an arc before her, swinging her weapon like a wrecking ball as she came smashing down on Verde!

"Krank!" With her usual grace, precision and extreme strength, her shield wailed down on Verde, whose machine now seemed to have lost quite a bit of the speed and agility from before. With the push of a lever, the mechanized suit took a stance, and with spark shooting forth from its joints, the arms went for Kiera, coming down at her with haste, almost as fast as before. One arm flew for Kiera's head, looking to crack her skull in a fatal attack, only to fall before Kiera's now slightly superior speed.

"Klank! Krink!" The attack skidded across the surface of Kiera's shield, as she pulled it up before her and countered Verde's opening move in its mid-flight. In Kiera's tranquil eyes I only saw the light of fury, empowering her every strike as she slammed her shield at Verde's Armada: Reconnaissance Substitute. The ear-splitting sound of metal slamming and creaking against metal filled the night thereafter, as Kiera's deadly arcs flew towards Verde from every direction.

"Hup!"

A gigantic sweep from the bottom left, smashing into the suit's leg joints, sending even more sparks flickering out. A huge jab coming down from the right, impaling itself into the mech's left shoulder joint. The structure and pattern was difficult for me to follow, and totally impossible for Verde's eyes to keep up, leaving him stunned and disoriented back there in the cockpit. As flustered as he was, Verde surprised me when he quickly recovered from his panic, his hand stretching out to his machine once more.

When he did, however, I had already begun moving again.

"Enough!" The arcobaleno declared, clicking down a myriad of buttons. That was when the mechanized suit moved unlike anything it had done before. Life breathed itself into its joints, as he dodged Kiera's incoming swing of her shield with ease. As my steps hastened, my open hand smashing and clawing at the ground to push myself faster, the piston arm came crushing down on Kiera once more. But, as the shield was raised overhead to block the attack, I saw the other piston arm primed, smashing at Kiera from below. This time, way faster than before.

"Guh!" The arm, the appendage rumbling like a jackhammer, struck Kiera by her chin, the attack so intense Kiera was knocked right off her feet, her fingers still wrapped around the handle of her shield. My eyes widened when I saw Kiera's expression of intense pain, suffering. However strong she was, a smash at one's chin could very well be fatal. With lightning speed, the two pistons came together, and smashed against Kiera's body just as she was brought up to the air.

"Eyargh!" I stop before Verde only to see Kiera screaming as she was sent reeling, flying to the far end corner of the lobby, opposite of the floor that broke away where the elevator stood.

No! Kiera! My thoughts screamed but no words could form from my lips, only a feral howl followed by the constant, monstrous growling. That was when I also realized my teeth was showing, I was flashing my canine tooth to my enemy like an animal.

"Gggrrraaaggghhh!" Turning my feral eyes at Verde once more, I threw my arms at him, fist and claw, screaming out even as my voice turned hoarse. The instinct before had become somewhat of a compulsion, and it was almost too much to handle. The power seemed to grow with my slew of raging emotions. I was angry, furious, worried, despaired, threatened. But among all those feelings, one kept shying itself from my mind, dodging into the shadowy depths...

I was afraid. I was losing myself to my Awakening. I didn't need anyone to tell me, my body made it obvious. This was the consequence of a choice I made long ago. When you chain a beast down for too long, it'll only grow more wild when you release it.

"My name's Amato Zanna, Boss of the Zanna Famiglia." I declared with as much formality as I can.

"You're a very interesting guy, Amato Zanna." Johann exclaimed, giving me a friendly slap on my back. He certainly looks happy because of the decision.

"Clank! Crack! Clank!"

"Uragh! Hah! Aaarrrggghhh!" Metal bending mixed with what seemed the sound of my own bones breaking apart. This time it was the memory of Johann that fueled my every strike, each one wild and completely devoid of any control. It was just a display of pure, primal power, the strength pouring forth from my Legacy Arm and into my body. It was as if whatever spirit, whatever power that had possessed the weapon from before is now furious, demanding vengeance and retribution, with my body becoming its medium.

The hold on my mind is barely hanging on.

"Oof!" And yet, with all my ability, I could barely touch Verde's machine, whose speed has now surpassed whatever it had moments ago. My eyes could barely follow his movements now. A strike against the side of my face sent my vision reeling, my mind going completely white for a second before rapidly coming back because of my Awakening, the inertia itself unbearable. My left arm flew towards Verde in a sharp jab, only to have his mechanized suit slipped right past its trajectory, as if the mech was dancing. Next instant, the piston drove itself into my right shoulder.

"Guh! Ack!" The immunity to pain from before had vanished completely, and even as taken over as I was, I found my body flinching over in pain, grunting and coughing out. The snarl never left the side of my face. Why did I bring Johann over? What benefit did I see in that exactly? Even if Kiera insisted, I should have downright declined instead of going along with her decision! Now... He's... He's... Without even finding out who he is! The thought themselves seemed to poison my mind, burning it with the weight of stress and the pang of guilt.

That was when one of those gigantic, piston powered arm came towards me with insane speed. Swing to my right side, my body reacted by bringing my two arms up and putting them together like a shield to block the attack.

"Crack!"

"Uuurrraaaggghhh!" With a heave, my cracking shoulders bend together and I tossed back that one arm with every strength I had in my muscles. The machine flinched back, its arm cracking with sparks exploding from its joints as the piece of metal is bent back in an arc instantly. Even as my fingers, stretched out in the shape of a claw, swung against the metal edges of Verde's machine, the frightening sight of my nails digging and piercing through metal, was both unbelievable and shocking.

"Aaawwwuuurrrraaaggghh!" Like a wolf reveling in the moonlight, my ravenous howl rang through the night, blood pumping from the light of the moon shining through the smashed walls and windows.

At that point, I felt as though I'm not myself anymore, losing it all to my emotions. It even made me feel a little afraid of holding Fenris in my hands. But I knew very well that the moment I let go, every bone, every muscle in my body would crumble there and then.

I will die.

The line of thought has passed through my brain many times throughout the fight. If anything, this power grants me the ability to defeat Verde and finish what the Zanna Famiglia came here for, what we came to Japan for! I... I'm not afraid. I don't care what happens to me, what happens to my body, so long as this arcobaleno before me pays for what he had done to Sergio and Johann! My humanity on the verge of extinction, my claws threw themselves at Verde, each arm wielding immense primal strength, my eyes piercing down on him like a predator.

The urge to rip out his throat with my bare hands coursed through my veins, I would only have to tear off the glass and steel between us.

"Ah!" Even when she's meters away, tucked in the shadows, Kiera's voice rang through my ears. With my enhanced sense of hearing, her voice was clear enough to prompt my head to turn in its direction, a sense of worry suddenly overcoming everything else. There, her outfit torn at multiple edges, swollen bruises here and there, Kiera pushed herself up with exhaustion, frustration and concern in her eyes. At her side, Aria did her best to help, supporting her by holding on to her shoulders.

"Hah... Ha hah... Hah..." Even from where I stood, I could hear Kiera's irregular breathing, panting with every breath. It pains me to see her so messed up like this.

"Amato, don't get yourself distracted! Look out!" Aria's voice came to me as a wake-up call, snapping me back to the reality of the situation. Turning my head, Verde's machine, with it's piston arms pumping, shot up to my face in a sharp jab. As fast as I had gotten, his machine was getting faster.

"Crack!" My chin shook, the bone of my jaw creaked as my head was thrown upwards, my vision failing me and my sight immediately blanking out. The whole experience was making me sick, stomach churning as the feeling dissipated. I tried throwing my claws at him like before, Fenris in my hand slamming at him with blind fury. It didn't work. The machine moved with almost human-like precision and agility, sliding away with mere inches from my every strike. Despite the sparks exploding forth from its joint with every move, Verde's menacing presence only grew.

The slight advantage I had from before was all but gone.

"Argh! Hragh!" In a panic, I sought to finish the fight as fast as it possibly could, using my emotions to fuel the strength of my attacks. Snarling, my right palm slashes across in a wide arc, aiming for the cockpit where Verde was. After all, with no pilot, the machine would be reduced to nothing more than a hunk of metal. Aside from that, the blood-lust inside of me was churning, growing, seeping out. My mind screamed for me to gouge his eyes and crack his skull. That is, until the scream was silenced by a crushing weight.

"Clank! Crack! Thunk! Crack"

"Yes... hah.. hah.. Get crushed under the strength of my creation! Hah.. hah.. Get squished like the bug you are in the face of the world!" Verde's rasping voice shuddered within its own high tone, as if he was trying to convince himself that victory was in his hands. Like anvils crushing down on my back, his mech pounded on me as he screamed and laughed, slamming down relentlessly, the rhythm only growing faster with each passing second. My back cracked like glass with each strike, the feeling resonating through the whole of my body as the concrete floor beneath my feet cracked and shattered from the impact.

"Ggguuurrraaaggghhh!" The annoying pounding had to stop, the stress in my mind festering, growing more and more with each slam. Back then I wondered if I wanted to kill Verde because of what he did to my friends, or just because my primal side detested him, looking at him with scorn. Amassing my strength, my arms forced back his attacks, throwing those thick, machine arms away, twisting the joints as another round of sparks exploded out.

"Hah.. hah.. How are you still holding out? What the hell are you? Your body should be dead already! It's just not possible!" By now, the panic had all but consumed Verde, as even he screamed and yelled in frustration behind the glass, the fear in his eyes shining bright.

And yet, the movements of his mech remained unhindered, the arms coming at me once more, slowly gaining speed and momentum, faster than anything alive. At Verde's command, the cold, metal appendage came low, the very air around it hissing at its speed.

"Gragh!" Another slam to the face sent my whole spine reeling, throwing my head back, blood spewing out of my mouth. Just as my jaws grit harder and ignored the pain, I turn back at Verde only to have a lightning fast impact struck my stomach, the piston arm driving itself into my flesh. My eyes widened as I was thrown off my feet. A blink of my eyes, and my vision was already turning, wind cutting through my skin and clothes.

"Whoa!"

Finally, words returned to my speech instead of those feral growls. As my sight turned, a familiar scene came into view, one that brought everything back. My fear, my anger, my grief, my regret. Only now, the fear was overwhelming the whole of my being. Upside down, my body flew towards where the half of the lobby fell away, the floor crumbled beneath our feet. The crater, filled with clouds of smoke, seemed no less than an abyss, a monstrous maw looking to swallow me whole. Before I knew it, I closed my eyes, and braced for impact, assuming I can still live crashing who knows how many floors down.

Yet, the impact never came. Only a soft hand locking with my own, pulling me towards its direction. Everything began to calm, the confusion of twirling through the air and the massive pressure I felt wringing throughout my body had disappeared, and I realized my feet touched something solid. Was it the ground? I think I remember kicking something hard...

When I opened my eyes, Kiera's face came into view. Her eyes full of worry with a tint of red, almost as if she was gonna cry.

"Kiera?" Dumbfounded of what just happened, I could only mutter out her name like an idiot, oblivious of everything else. Kiera's fingers were entwined with mine, even as I dangled above the crater where Sergio and Johann fell, my heel dragging at the edge.

"I don't want to see you lose sight of yourself, Amato.." Her voice was meek, her tone trembling as she pulled me back. Of course, I hadn't realized all my rage, all my madness must have been difficult for Kiera and Aria to see. With a tug, I escaped from nearly falling down through that gigantic hole. With a blink, the emotions disappeared and Kiera's eyes returned to their usual, serious glare. In that instant, I realized that all my pent up emotions had vanished. I'm my old self again.

When my eyes looked into Kiera's, I found myself looking downwards, with no words coming into mind. I had no idea what to say. Only seconds after when I peeked at Kiera do I realized she was acting the same.

"Gah! Ouch! Argh!" Suddenly, my knees fell to the ground, my arms clutching down on my torso as my screams filled the air. Pain and stress gushed back into my body, seeping through my every pore and chewing down on my muscles. I could hear the sound of my bones cracking resonating through my whole body. Ack, all the pain must be coming back!

"Amato!" Kiera's cried out my name once more, nearly dropping her shield as she stretched out her arms to help me, only for me to raise my hand in decline.

"No time, Kiera. Verde's coming." My voice strained with pain, I did my best to not show it on my face. Apparently, it failed, as Kiera's expression only soured. In the distance, Verde's machine creaked and rumbled as the flair of sparks kept shooting out. Despite the damage, Verde was still making his way towards us, smashing away all the rubble in his path, neglecting all the speed and stealth the mech possessed before. The next moment however, he was already behind us, bringing down his piston arms.

There was little time to react, and we found ourselves leaping to the sides towards the still standing walls, Kiera jumping with her shield in tow on her feet while I twisted and tumbled as my back struck the ground. Exhaustion was written on our faces. We could barely maintain a stance, the two of us constantly gasping for air. Kiera clung on to her shield for support, with her cuts still bleeding and bruises all swollen. Seeing her like this, it's too much!

"Kiera!" I called out to her, more of a yell than anything else. What happened next surprised us both.

The decision made in my mind, my free hand reached out for the multiple white plates adorned over Fenris. With my body wrecked with convulsion, I steadied my fingers for the task before me. Whatever strength from before still lingered in my touch, and with it I tore the hinges off the plates, twisting them backwards in a hundred and eighty degree turn. With each plate restored came a gush of hot air, pumping out furiously from the piece of Legacy resting in my hands.

"I hope I made the right choice..." I mumbled to myself, my hands still shaking. There is a total of ten pristine plates, white adorned over a pitch black surface. I can feel the weapon resonating power with every turn, sucking in the very energy from the air around me as my surroundings grew colder, as if it hasn't been fed for a long time. Kiera only stared at me with caution, and the look of uncertainty.

"I'm removing the chains."

Wow, sorry this came out so late! It certainly is quite difficult to write out a chapter when all I really had to work with was grief, emotions and building up for what is to come! What do you guys think of this particular update? Give me your views in your reviews! Amato grieves over the loss of his two friends, nearly losing himself to his Legacy Arm! What is going to happen now that he's planning on releasing it from the chains? Keep your eyes open for the next update to find out! I promise it won't too long to pop up!