Author's Note:

I really, really need to hasten my updates. It feels like the climax to this arc is going on forever, and according to my planning, there is still a few chapters to come. I hope the ending satisfy all of you readers out there. It is an essential part to the whole story and most importantly, the man named Amato Zanna himself!

Chapter 63: Impact Howl

"This is it." Aria spoke out, her tone monotonous, completely different from her usual self. Her voice lacked the emotion she had. "This is the moment I saw." A glance to my side showed her clasping her hands together, a daze in her eyes as her voice boomed from my side.

"The true power of the the Legacy Arm known as Fenris." Within that one sentence from Aria, I could feel uncertainty, cautiousness as well as a hint of awe.

Blocking a blow from those mechanical arms sent be flying a few feet towards her, but despite all the pain and ache in my body, I managed to land on my feet, my knees scraping the ground as I did. The bleakness of the night seemed to seep into the lobby, only lit by the moon hanging above us.

How long has it been? It felt as though it's been days...

"What are you talking about, Aria?" I can't possibly believe that she actually predicted this situation before us, and so I toss out my question, not really expecting an answer. The sound of metal scraping against the rubble along the floor struck my ears as Verde, in his mechanical suit, came pounding for me. One crushing strike after another. Faced with such strength, I could only dodge to the sides. It's not that I'm afraid, but I had the feeling that the lucky breaks granted to me early on in the fight had disappeared. The power was already seeping back into Fenris in an alarming rate.

But now, Fenris itself is the very power I need, the strongest I've ever wielded.

My eyes dart up to see the pistons primed, pumping down from my right. Tossing my body backwards, I used my left arm as a fulcrum, twisting my being as the ground just a few feet to my side shattered, stone and sand blown into the air. With a heave, the momentum pushed my body around in an arc, my two legs kicking the arm away side by side. I could feel my two feet cracking as a sharp jolt of pain spiked as my muscles struck metal, resonating through every part of my body.

"Kuh!" A cough forced its way out of my mouth despite my efforts to push them back down. A glance showed my body landed itself in quite the position, my two legs stretched to the back while my left arm supported the weight of my torso. Shooting my eyes up, Verde was already in front of me. Twin metal arms comes crushing down, the air hissing as the speed of the attack ripped through.

"Clank! Thunk!"

With a slight breeze, Kiera appeared above me, leaping forth with her weapon in hand. Pulling back her serrated shield with ease, the hunk of metal shot at Verde like an oversize nail, breaking the pistons off their trajectory. In mid flight, I watched as Kiera gracefully twirls her already battered body in mid air, throwing another huge arc with her weapon. Metal clashed and from the relentless assault, Verde and his mech was driven back, stumbling as the arms broke to the sides. The joints cried out sparks and electricity as if they were at their limits, the sound shocking the atmosphere in the lobby.

Staring at the pulsing weapon at hand, I felt myself drawn at its edges as thoughts raced through my mind. How should I use the attack, and when exactly is the right time?

"Kiera, we'll need to snare him down! Make sure he takes the brunt of my incoming attack!" My head snapped up, and the words came pouring out, my voice raspy and hoarse. Her emerald eyes flashing towards me, she gave a sharp nod before turning back to face Verde. Although its movements slightly broken, Verde, within his mech, stumbled forth with great speed, smashing his way at Kiera. Bringing her shield over her, the girl who is my caretaker barely dodged the attack by kicking at the ground, leaping back.

My role was barely reduced to one of a distraction. When I saw Verde coming towards me, the gigantic machine closing in and striking at me, with only a slight tremor as an indication, there was little I could do. Barely bringing my leg up at the machine's speed, it would become the shield to protect me, thought I was worried if that was all it takes.

"Crack!" The sound of bones snapping hit my ears, it could be felt from within the whole of my body. Forcing myself not to flinch, I grit my teeth and raised my other leg, stepping up on the arm and raising myself off the ground.

"Hah!" I have no idea why I yelled, but it seemed to help keep my focus intact. In the air, my hips twisted as the whole of my body turned, my leg coming around in an arc. The kick flying straight at the mech's cockpit!

"Krik! Crack!"

Cracks split across the surface of the glass at my attack, much to Verde's shock, disbelief plastered over the whole of his face. Then, worry exploded as he began to sweat bullets, annoyance and frustration in his big, baby eyes, hidden behind a pair of tiny glasses.

Shifting my eyes a bit to the left however, another blow came for me before my feet even touched the ground. The lump of metal, so finely designed, pushed through the air with little to no resistance, flying down at me in deadly silence.

"Crack. Krugh." The feeling of bones cracking shot me louder than before, and my muscles squelch as if they're being mashed. The piston arm went right into my chest, breaking my rib cage and smashing everything else. My vision blackened out for a split second before reality hits me, and everything began zip away from my sight, real fast. Blown off my feet by the attack, my body was sent hurling a few meters away. The feeling of pain and nausea overwhelmed my senses, and I could only wrap my arms around myself tight and brace for impact.

"Thud!"

My back slammed against the ground with a loud hit, my bone grinding against the rubble on the floor while sand and stone scraped my skin. When my blurred vision sharpened, convulsion wrecked the whole of my body as my arms pushed my up. The next thing I knew, Verde was already throwing his arms at me again, the pistons pumping down, looking to crush the life out of me.

"Thunk!"

The sound of metal hitting against metal rang off after a bout of shambling footsteps. In the next blink of my eyes, Kiera now stands at my side, her stance absolute as her shield is stretched out, blocking Verde's attack. Beads of sweat flowed down the side of her face as Kiera struggled for a second, holding the two arms in place with just one hand. It must have been a great burden, even for someone as strong as her. The fact that Kiera's size is smaller than my own did little to help.

"Hrah!" It was one of the few time I saw Kiera screaming in defiance, a hint of desperation in the light of her eyes. Empowered for a second, she threw back Verde's machine, surprising us all. With ease, Kiera brought her shield swinging towards Verde's mech like a wrecking ball, in a graceful arc from her right. Her presence grew from her determination alone, as her weapon slammed at the mech with unbelievable fervor. Looking at it, it seemed as though the fights hours before were nothing but a warm-up session for Kiera.

"Shank!" The impact only aggravates whatever damage the joint of the mech's leg already had, sending waves of spark and electricity bursting out every few seconds. Before Verde could even react, Kiera shot out another attack, the shield flying towards the arms. With a heave, she cleaves at them as like hot knife through butter.

I wonder if them being made of metal actually mattered, they were tossed about just as easily as any other opponent Kiera fought before.

"Another anomaly? Why can't either of you stay down?" Verde panicked, pushing down as buttons as he could find, twisting the levers behind the cracking glass. The mech's right arm pummeled at Kiera, crushing towards her. With a flick of her shield, Kiera deflected the blow, hurling the lump of metal back. In swift motion, Kiera leaped upwards, grabbing down on the edges of Verde's machine. Hanging at the front and staring down into the eyes of Verde, Kiera jammed the sharper end of her shield down into the two joints of the arms. The air hissed as sparks blew forth, electricity shooting out into the air, flying wild.

"How much more can your machine take, Arcobaleno?" Leaping back, Kiera broke her silence with a taunt, her stance suggesting she could still go one for another few hours. In contrast to that, Verde's ARS seemed to be at its very limits, a creak to its steps with fumes and sparks coming out everywhere.

"Just you wait...!" Behind the glass, Verde had all but lost his composure. Fear is now obvious, spilling onto his face. With a flick of another lever, the machine lunges at me once more, even ignoring Kiera as the bigger threat for some reason. Like a pincer, the arms fly to the sides, all stretched out, before closing in on me, looking to snap my body in two. All the while, strength was being drained from my body. If I had to make a guess, it's probably backlash from locking up Fenris for so long. It certainly didn't feel this way the first time I entered my Awakening.

With my agility no longer fast enough to dodge, I could only raise my arms to block the incoming attack.

Except, it never came.

"What? A malfunction? The whole mech is struck with paralysis!" With my shaky vision and a constant throbbing in my head, Verde's words was like an angel's song, with its light and choir. Standing with my legs apart and a crouching back, Verde could only stare at me from behind the glass of his frozen machine. This is exactly what I was waiting for.

"Lord Amato, now!" With a grunt, Kiera's commanding voice shook the very air around us as she yelled at the top of her voice, her shield laid down at her side. Her skin was getting pale, sweat flowing down the side of her face. Anyone could see the exhaustion taking over her body. I guess the showcase before could very well have been bravado.

Darn it! With my fingers tightening around Fenris, I raise my right arm, getting a clear shot with my Legacy Arm. The weapon in my hand was different from what is was before, so much more savage than what I've used to. The appearance itself, white plates shooting out like the mane of a wolf, filled me with a certain hint of unease. Suddenly, it felt as though the winter wind got that much stronger, the gust freezing the warmth off of my skin. Pushing whatever thoughts away, my finger slipped onto the trigger.

Ba-dump.

And then there was silence. Apart from the constant beating of my heart, no one was making a sound. The wind howled as Kiera, Aria and even Verde waited in caution, fear, hope and anticipation. After the mech stopped moving, the sparks stopped exploding from the joints. Yet, a nagging feeling chewing in my heart holding my trigger finger in place. Why can't I fire?

Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump.

Of course, it's been a while since this feeling appeared. Only one thing could explain the breaking of sweat, and the grip going around my insides, tightening down slowly with every second. My heartbeat only got more and more frantic, feeling as though it would jump right out of my mouth. That few seconds standing there felt dreadful. And there's only one explanation for everything I'm feeling.

I'm... afraid.

The very first time I Awakened was... mind-boggling...

It wasn't so different compared to now. Pulses of energy and power blew out from my very being. Wind gushed around me as this strength filled my veins. I remember the feeling of my whole body turning as light as a feather, the sound coming into my ears becoming as clearer than ever before. My senses sharpened, I could see what was happening blocks away as clear as I was watching television, the smell from the many bakeries down the street filled my nose. The feeling of soft grass beneath my feet and the cooling wind brushing against my face felt that much more refreshing.

Freedom would be an understatement to describe the feeling coursing through my body. As my fingers curled into claws, my body taking a stance. It just felt really, really good. Kiera stood by my side with that cute, red ribbon on her head, still unfazed by what was happening except for a glint of interest in her eyes.

"Raah! Hah ha ha ha!" I can't rightly remember what happened next. I think I started pouncing, and clawing. With a kick of the ground, my body would bounce to the tree a few feet away. My grip dug into the wood as if it was made of paper. With another kick, the trunk was shaved right off its roots. Leaping towards a boulder in the corner, it fell to my swipes, nail, flesh and bone scraping into the rock with no pain at all.

"It's.. stronger than I expected." Kiera finally broke her silence from behind me, her eyes still observing my every move. "All right, Lord Amato. That's it for today, tomorrow, we're delving straight into control." She announced, as if everything happening before her was normal. The sight of her walking towards me made me wonder. But, the sight of her trying to take away Fenris triggered fear, caution, defiance.

I pretty much lost myself to my instincts right there.

"Guh!" Kiera winced as a hint of pain appeared on her face. The hand that reached out to snatch Fenris away was caught by my free hand without a slightest idea coming into my mind. Despite being quite skilled six years ago, Kiera couldn't break free of my grip no matter how much she struggled.

I remember staring at her confused face before something warm pressed against my lips. Immediately after, my arms tossed her blushing face aside, before aiming Fenris at the wall of the Zanna mansion.

"Arwuuuuuu...!" With an inhuman howl, my feral self pulled down on the trigger. And the blast shot out from the nozzle of my Legacy Arm, power from my very surroundings almost crushing my body as they gathered around me, seeping into Fenris. Light twist and turn around the wave of force, as if they were power given physical form. It was a gigantic blast of white with a hint of purple, looking like nothing I've ever seen before. It certainly wasn't any bullet that was shot despite Fenris taking on the shape of a gun.

"Hah.. ha.. Hah.. ha" For the first time in three centuries, the walls of the Zanna mansion gave way, stone and wood broken and thrown aside. The blast strikes its target area, and everything within the border of the blast is decimated, completely obliterated by pure concussive force. There, amidst the clouds of dust and sand blown into the air, I stood, panting with excitement like an animal.

My hands and feet scrambled into the mansion, breaking stone and wood alike. I couldn't control myself from leaping and pouncing on from one corner to the next. Within me spawned the urge to move, to jump, to do what I instinctively knew I was capable of. Within minutes, it had grown into a sort of compulsion, and I didn't want to stop. Most of the Zanna Famiglia recognized me, but some others pulled their guns at first sight.

It didn't end well for those.

Instinct drove me to shoot at those that felt like a threat to me, and the outburst of force sent forth from Fenris left them half-buried in rubble, the very ceiling crushing down on them. The next scene that filled my sight was that of the main hall, over looking from the grand staircase. The peace that had my feral self so enthralled was broken by a familiar voice.

"Lord Amato!" I turn to my back, from where the voice came from, only to have a crushing blow striking against my jaw. Kiera, with shield in hand, smashed into me in an attempt to calm me down and drive me back to my senses. So overwhelming was the force that I was thrown off my feet, my whole body sent reeling to the side, crashing into the stone pillars littered in the halls.

"Kiera! He's the next Boss, right? How can you even hit him like that?" Disoriented for a second, Sera's voice rang through the quiet hall.

"Right now, he's the strongest person in this room, and the most dangerous. He won't die from my attacks." Kiera's cold reply shot out, sending a shiver down my spine. Sharp, jabbing pain spiked from my veins all over my body, but my legs pulled me out of the rubble around me nonetheless.

That was when I saw Fenris already aiming for Kiera.

"Gragh! Arwuuuu...!" Another bone-chilling howl, and I was forced to watch myself fire on the girl who had been taking care of me. The same thing happened. Unbelievable power, molded in the shape of a blast, exploded from the weapon in my hand. Shock split into the light of her eyes, Kiera immediately pulled her shield over her instead of dodging to the sides. Behind her, Sera and the rest of my Famiglia could barely muster a reaction before the blast hit them.

"Ack!" Unable to withstand the destructive power of my attack despite standing behind her shield, the backlash knocked Kiera off her feet, hurling at an insane speed towards the stairs. In horror, I stood and watched as the smoke cleared, and a bruised Kiera appeared in my sights. Blood trickled out from her wounds, including a big one above her left eye, all gnarled and red. My Famiglia scattered around her to help, but with a blink of an eye, Kiera was already up on her feet.

Flinching at the what I saw, my distraction proved costly, as Kiera's giant shield fell on me, crushing me to the ground. When my muscles pulled on my bones, my tensed body almost pushing off the enormous weight, several other members of the Famiglia hopped on top of me, clamping down each of my limbs. All I remember from then is to get away from all those people as fast as I could. Yelling came from all sides, and I think the noise was what scared me the most.

"... He's not letting go!" A stranger's voice shot into my ears as I was struggling.

"... Then go with plan B, Fina. Do it, just as I explained... Hurry!" From under the pile of weight and sweat, I could hear Kiera's sharp, commanding voice, yelling out instructions.

"... H-Hold on, I'm moving! I'm not an engineer, you know..." Despite everything that was happening, Sera retorted back an argument. At the side of my eyes, I saw her and a number of my Famiglia tinkering on the Legacy Arm I had in my hand. With much effort, they twisted back the sharp edges protruding from Fenris, holding them in place with bolts and screws.

That was when the swelling power and the overwhelming compulsion began to die down, slowly inching away from my veins.

"Clack."

I awoke with all voice stolen from me, and tears trickling down my eyes. The Legacy Arm had been tossed to the sides the very moment I regained my touch, and I found myself chucked at a dark corner of the hall. Hugging my knees, convulsions wrecked my body as the feeling grew from the fear deep within me. Kiera and the others picked themselves up and retreated into the mansion. When my eyes turned to them, they only looked to the ground. But their injuries were still fresh, theirs wounds red and bloody.

I can't believe I hurt them like that.

"Lord Amato!"

Kiera's voice snapped me back to the present, tearing me away from the vividness of my memory. That few seconds felt like an hour in my head. With a blink of my eyes, Verde came back into sight, still unable to move. Despite the tremble to my touch, my shaking hand brought Fenris up once more. For that moment, every thought, every emotion, was thrown out of my mind.

"Hraugh!" With a scream, I pulled down the trigger. What happened six years ago seemed to replay themselves in the present. The wind grazed my skin as they grew into huge torrents wrapping around the whole of my body. From the Tear of the Fang hanging around my neck, a pale, almost mystical light shone forth in intervals, leaking out before the whole of my being radiated. Like a beast taking in it breath, power swirled just in anticipation of the incoming blast.

That was when I saw the piston arm of Verde's machine moving again, flying at my arms in a great arc.

Crack.

"Hhhrrrooonnnggghhh."

From Fenris burst forth a strange and horrible sound. A second was all it took for the wave of light to explode from the weapon in hand. Translucent light, similar to those of my Awakening, lit up the lobby in an instant. But, what it decimated was the ceiling to the second floor, completely crushing away everything in a diagonal line from where I stood. At the last moment, Verde disturbed my aim, smacking my arm to the sides. It was a miracle Fenris didn't get ripped out of my fingers. The whole building shook because of what happened, small debris and sand started falling down at us every few minutes.

"Ugh. Ack." Suddenly, my knees gave way to the insane spike of pain shooting out from my right hand. As the realization of failure surged onto me, my instincts cried for me to move. The stress of everything happening around me felt as though they would tear into three separate pieces, and as I pushed my eyes back up at Verde, I saw him towering in front of me already, the arms already coming down.

"Amato!"

Kiera's voice came from beside me as her shield blocked the sight of Verde's attack. They smashed down on the piece of metal and the screeching sounds pierced into my ears. Immediately after that however, Verde's mech put his arms together and smashed the shield aside as if it was made of cardboard. It was as if Verde anticipated Kiera, that she would jump in to protect me. The very sight of the enemy managing to disarm Kiera was so unbelievable I was left stunned by what I saw.

"Thunk!" Kiera's gigantic shield scratched the against the debris on the lobby floor as it crashed, smashing at the wall. Verde's assault didn't slow down at all, and the arms flew towards us soon after. Kiera only raised her tiny arms in response. From the back, I couldn't even see her face.

"Crack!"

A blow to her ribs, I had to watch as the machine tossed her body off her feet just by landing a single punch. The other arm smashed into her hips as she flew, digging and ripping onto her shirt. In that huge swing of the arms, Kiera's body was sent hurling once again. My teeth clenched down on themselves as I got to my feet, the sight before me happening too fast for me to actually do anything, and that is the most painful part of all.

"Hrrraaahhhh!" In a burst of light, I felt every broken bone in my body sticking back together. Strength came back to me, nullifying the throbbing pain in my body. I actually felt my senses sharpening. Darn it! Verde! Verde! My mind screamed his name as I pounced on him just as Kiera was tossed. Anger was clouding and aggravating everything, but my body was still within my control. Kiera.. She got hurt because of me again! I kept getting her harmed, ever since that day! Darn it! Darn it!

I don't even know if my powers really came back, or my mind just used that thought as an excuse to sic myself on Verde. Unrelenting, I threw my punches, one after the other, my strength barely pushing the mech back. Verde would fight back, the mechanical arms smashing right at me from the sides, only to have them deflected when my punches collided with those hunks of metal. The skin on my knuckles split, and dark, red blood started bursting out. Soon, a numbing pain started spreading from my hands.

"Crack."

The sound came from somewhere. I think it was my ribs breaking. Verde's mech and its piston arms drove themselves into my flesh countless of times, that is the truth. I couldn't possibly deflected them all. After the third hit, a snaking pain running through my hips, all that was left was a hot sensation burning through my body. My joints ached before going cold completely, locking my movements. I couldn't jump to the side to dodge Verde's attack even if I wanted to.

It didn't take long before the sparks stopped spewing again, and Verde's mech stopped dead in its track.

"No! No! Not now!" Behind the cracked glass, Verde cries out in panic, as he glances at me with absolute fear in his eyes.

When everything stopped, my body felt... lighter. The pain slowly vanished, and a faint, warm light seemed to pour out of Fenris as well as the Tear of the Fang, enveloping my whole body. Unlike before, this light feels kind, accepting. Through my tired eyes, I could almost see the spirit of a great, white wolf, standing at my side. It looked to me with eyes of concern, and it nudges me with its fur, tickling my right arm. With its nose, it pushed my Legacy Arm into my sights. I understood instantly.

"I have no more mercy for you, Arcobaleno. I hope you die from this." The declaration came as I aimed Fenris at Verde, held steady by my two hands. In the corner of my eyes, Aria just looked back to me with a face full of relief, approving my action with a nod.

With no hesitation, I pulled down on the trigger the moment the aim locked on.

Right, there was no need for fear anymore. My body realized the risk of losing myself to the primal side of my Awakening is gone. Instead of the overpowering sensation I've always felt, the feeling seemed a lot warmer now. Kind, soothing light embraced my body as opposed to the wild, destructive surges that battered my being with power. As the power is focused, gathered within Fenris, the majestic beast at my side gave out the all familiar howl. That's right... The howl of the wolf always came with the blast...

As the blast exploded from the Fenris, the light and force focused into a powerful ray, I yelled out the words that popped into my mind...

"Impact Howl!"

"Giiiyyyaaarrrggghhh!" This time, the attack struck its Verde right on the dot. Stone and sand, even the pieces of debris littered on the floor was blown to the sides as the blast smashed into Verde and his mech, swallowing them whole within its radius. Glass shattered as Verde's scream filled the night, seemingly breaking whatever peace our surroundings had left. It was unbelievable, the sound of metal ripped apart came right after, as the force of the beam tore at the edges, digging a hole into the center of the mech where the blast was the strongest. I watched as the pieces of glass and steel knocked into the air got shredded into oblivion.

And then it was over. With no power holding it up, the mech fell to the ground, slumped at one side, smashing onto the broken floor. Verde's tiny little body rolled out slightly from the cockpit, his eyes flashing white. I can't really tell if he's alive or dead.

"Aria, you okay? Where's Kiera?" With light steps, I was already running towards their general direction, as if the injuries that had ruined my body tonight had disappeared. There was no time for me to suffer in pain. My friends have it worse!

"Amato, she's over here!" Following Aria's voice, my steps took me to a pile of rubble, a crater formed from the pieces of stone and cement. Kiera laid there still and unmoving, her body covered with cuts, bruises and wounds. Her clothes were dipped in crimson red, and the faint smell of blood lingered about from where she laid. The very sight filled me with guilt, sadness and worry. It's all my fault... Why did I hesitate? Darn it! My fists trembled as I bent down to my knees, my eyes still pinned on Kiera. What should I do? What can I do? Where's Vito?

At least, with her chest still rising, I could make out that Kiera's still alive. The very thought made my eyes all watery.

"All right, no time to stand around..." I called out to Aria as I looked around the lobby. The silence was particularly painful. Gently, I pulled Kiera's unconscious body up onto my back, and slowly made my way towards the edge of the lobby that had already fell through. Behind me, I could hear Aria's muffled steps, dragging along the floor. Looking down into the crater, I couldn't see anything beyond the smoke and darkness. Darn it, Sergio... Johann...

"Sergio! Johann!" The screaming in my head suddenly burst right out of my mouth. Before I knew it, I was screaming for my friends into the crater. "Is there... any possible way for you guys to survive?" I asked the question, as if expecting an answer. Darn it, it's all my fault! It's all my fault! Looking into the abyss, their broken bodies could be laying there for all I know... Suddenly, the urge to punch myself rose within me, as well as the wrenching feeling of tears swelling into my eyes. How can I even think like this? Having no real idea on how to resolve this situation, I could only hang my head on my shoulders as my tears began to trickle...

"Thmp. Clack."

The sound of footsteps kicking onto the stones blew my eyes open. Immediately, the image of my Sergio and Johann making their way out of the crater, having survived the fall flashed into my mind. Almost losing my balance on where I stood, my body turned towards the source of the sound, being careful not to put any unnecessary strain on the girl resting on my back. That was when my hopes were shattered almost instantly, the sight before me only bringing a sense of terror and disbelief.

The man that was with Verde before stood a few feet before me. Innocenti, clad in the same white lab coat albeit extremely torn and tattered, just stared at where Verde was before turning to me. His tired face filled with frustration and disbelief. What's he gonna do? Is he still fighting? If he's standing here, then that means Sergio and Johann is...!

Suddenly, he zipped away from my sight. Surprised, I twist my body around to see him darting towards Verde, picking him up without even stopping before heading for what looked like door to the stairs!

"H-hey, come back here! What happened to Sergio and Johann?" Desperation came over me, and I screamed at him while my steps chased behind his, with Aria trotting along. For some reason, my mind decided that he would have the answers to the status of my friends, whether they were alive or.. Refusing to accept such an outcome, I needed to hear from the guy to not only give me some idea about what happened to Sergio and Johann but also to curb this gnawing feeling of regret inside me.

But, with Kiera on my back, and the pain from the whole of my body slowly seeping back, I couldn't move fast enough, and had to watch as he slammed the door open and disappeared from the lobby itself. Kicking and shoving my way towards the door, I pushed myself onwards. I couldn't afford to lose sight of him, the desire to hear from Innocenti was the only thing driving away the chaos in my mind. Even more so if he was still after Hinata! With that in mind, my fingers gripped down hard on the old, rusted doorknob, and I gave it a powerful twist, yanking the door open.

"Huh?"

"Eh?" I couldn't help crying out when I heard a familiar voice spoke out when the door swished open. What came into sight was just... unbelievable. The tremble to my touch got way worse. A second passed and I could already feel the tears welling up again...

"Sergio! Johann!"

Finally, this chapter is done! I hope I conveyed the feelings well enough, and made the debut of Amato's attack grand enough to instill a sense of magnitude. Was the build up acceptable? Did it kept your excitement up as the attack was slowly unveiled? Tell it to me in your reviews! I know my updates have been coming slow... I do try to chock them up on a weekly basis, but sometimes I get stuck and rushing through those parts without planning them out feels wrong for me. I hope you guys don't mind the wait!