Author's Note:

Sorry! Sorry! I'm really, really sorry for such a late update!(Again.) It's like I'm losing the feel of my characters! It's getting harder to mold out the events of each chapter unlike before, when I could just write a whole piece in an afternoon! I know the climax had been dragged to oblivion, so these last few chapters has got to be the best ones ever! Now let's see this arc resolve!

Chapter 65: Promise.

The same orange flame, bending to her will, devoured the space before me, around me! Instincts screamed louder than ever as I kicked the ground, jumping back and reaching for Fenris from his holster. As my fingers fumbled, grazing against its jagged edges, the flickering flames chewed on my clothes before the wave of force sent me flying! From the shadows of the fire, a silhouette appeared. Amidst everything happening, there's one thing I needed to do! I must do!

"Ack! Fen-"

Crack.

I couldn't even finish the word before my jaw were forced shut, teeth gritting down so hard I thought they would crack and bleed.

"Graugh!" I fell to the ground the next second, landing smack on my chest. I must have smashed against a wall, as it felt like a concrete slab slammed me on the back. Every bone in my body creaked as my muscles leaked a wave of fire. Pain surged through my already numbed body and spread like wildfire.

Jab. Smash. Crack.

And yet, it seemed little compared to the debris crumbling down on me, crushing on my elbow and my knees. My mind blanked out from the pain, and the next thing I know, my consciousness started to fade...

"... Amato!"

Their voices cried out my name, shocking my eyes open. As my vision got clearer, so did my hearing, and I could hear worry, fear and frustration. Darn it, I need to get up! There's no need for Kiera and the others to get agitated like this! However, even the slightest move sent a crushing, swallowing pain throughout my body as my bone and muscle clamp down on each other. No good, nothing's working! Darn it, is this it? We finally reached the top and this is the best I can do?

The questions screamed out in defiance in my mind, and as despair inched ever closer, a certain memory flickered pass my thoughts...

"Hee Hee!"

It's her laugh. That childish giggle that's been nothing more than a thing of her past...

Suddenly, feeling returned in a violent blast as a familiar force surged through my veins, pulsing and blowing away the weight crushing down on me. Fenris's howl rang past my ears...

"Nooooo!" When my voice returned, the first thing I did was scream out as I got up to my feet, tossing the many debris away. Light blinded me for a second before the usual words flashed across the Tear of the Fang. That's when I realized Fenris was already in my hand. "Ah... Hah... Hah..." Still, sweat poured forth and stung my eyes while my panting breath kept churning out even as I stood in my Awakening. I guess I can't escape my exhaustion that easily.

"He got back up! He's okay!" Sergio signaled the others from way in the back, his voice filling the room. I couldn't quite make out the words from the others after that, but I swear I heard more than one sigh of relief.

Standing in the corner of the charred office tinted by the glare of the dancing flames, I watched as Hinata appeared. Dressed in her bloodstained uniform, she had her eyes turned to the ground and her hands clenched tightly into fists. Great, the plan worked! She came out of hiding! Even the object of desire was present; Kujaku dangled around her neck from golden chains, giving off the same bright, shimmering light.

"Hinata.. I..." It was difficult to speak, to give my reasons. I knew what I had to do. I needed to reclaim Kujaku, but... to Hinata, it's so much more than just a simple jewel, a precious treasure. The thought haunted my mind and the words just disappeared as I put one step in front of the other, inching ever closer to Hinata. Her light brown hair was thrown all over despite how short they were, and in the contrast of the orange flames, Hinata's face came into my sight.

"Why... Why must you come?" With tears flowing, Hinata never looked more meek, more vulnerable as she spoke. "Your goons can't kill me off so you're here to finish the job?" As her gaze fell even lower, she muttered out that comment as if she didn't want to believe it.

"Wha-what?" Hinata's words were a bit too much. I never wanted to hurt her, let alone kill her off! Surprised, I turn towards Kiera and the others only to catch the look of confusion on their faces.

"...Boss! Hah... Hah.. It's those guys, Koenig, Innocenti and Verde! ...Hah.. They gave her misinformation!" From the back, Dante forced himself forward, yelling out the words despite how horrible he looked. Drenched in sweat, he barely held on to his rifle for support, the very sight reminding me of how much everyone was hurt tonight!

"You lie!" That was Hinata's response, the one that pretty much drew my eyes back on her. As she screamed, I watched as her pupils widened in shock. Taking a stance, her arms flew up each sides as her hair became tinted with a mystical red glow. Runic symbols flew all around her before focusing around her fists. My body was frozen, right where I stood. I couldn't even take another step closer. What am I doing? I need to get Kujaku, that's the whole point of us coming to Japan, but...

"Hinata, listen-"

"Shut up!" In the end, I guess I decided to turn to persuasion, but my words were cut off by Hinata as soon as they were spoken.

"Phiew, zuuoo!" Flames erupted from her fists, charging up into glazing fireballs. I can't believe it, the flames flicker and burn, but they wrap around Hinata as if they're protecting her! Suddenly, they were pulled right at me, the orange glare piercing into my eyes and the loud humming ringing into my ears!

"Your words hold the same weight as the rest of them!" The flames were angry, stoked by Hinata's frustration.

"Fwoosh!" As her voice died down, the fireballs shot forth from the tip of her knuckles in a wave of light and sound! Force pulsed from where she stood, sending tremors all around us. Yet, Hinata stood there the same as before, unaffected by her massive display of power!

No time to be impressed, I gotta move! Instincts screamed at the back of my head and my legs kicked to the ground just as the light of the fireball blinded my eyes!

"Whoa! Guh!-" As the heat seared my skin, the wave of fire chewed my back as the fireball zoomed passed.

"Move!" Kiera's shriek came half a second after my scream, as she and the others scrambled into the different corners of the room. As a gust of air blew against me, the wave of pain spilled forth, tearing ravenously at my back!

"Gu-Gragh! Kuh!" As my sight blurred from the speed of my pounce, my cough threw up blood, the taste of iron staining the inside of my mouth. The only thing I could do was grip down on Fenris, his sharp edges piercing through my palm so that the pain would keep me conscious. The burns throbbed with every passing second, driving weakness through every inch of my body.

I land on the floor, my palm and knees scraping against the cold surface, only to lunge forward without thinking as another flare of light lit up from the corner of my eyes!

"Augh!" I thought I managed to dodge the searing flames but a sharp jolt throbbing at my left shin and ankle told me otherwise. I land once again to Hinata's left side, already down on all fours. The pain is too much, and mixed with the exhaustion and fatigue felt through every one of my muscles, my bones, I can't think straight! Before my wavering vision, my Awakening slowly overpower my senses bit by bit. That's when a feral growl slipped out my mouth.

"Something's wrong..." Kiera's yell shot out from behind me, a stern tone to her voice. "He's not as fast as he's supposed to be!" Is she talking about me? By that point all my mind cared about was retrieval of the Legacy Arm, amidst all other conflicting emotions and memories. The pain just made it easier to ignore everything...

"Grr..." I couldn't see clearly, even with my eyesight enhanced, but my other senses were there. I could pinpoint where Hinata was by smell alone, and when the illuminating warmth resonating from Kujaku touched the surface of my skin, I leaped in its direction! Too fast for her to react, Hinata's eyes widened when my steps took me right to her side. But, as my fingers closed around the jewel, I saw not anger, blame or frustration in her eyes...

I only saw fear.

That snapped me back, and all the uncertainty flooded right into my mind. I was still holding on to the jewel, but it felt as though my sub-conscious prevented me from ripping it off her neck right there. Instead, I just held on to it as my eyes pinned on Hinata's. There, a wrenching feeling hit my gut. Darn, she looks so shaken. Suddenly, Hinata brought up her right arm while her entire being seemed to shrink. Shutting her eyes, the symbols appeared again, encircling her hand as she drove her fist down at me!

"Thud!"

Unfortunately, I saw the attack seconds before it struck, and so the hand gripping down on Fenris moved on its own, and blocked with great force. Before my eyes, Hinata winced in pain from that small gesture alone, the sight tearing me on the inside.

"Hinata, please, listen to me! I didn't send those bastards after you! It's all just a mis-" With the chaotic torrent of thoughts, memories and emotion hindering my mind, my voice came out yelling before I know it. Hinata, however, seemed so stricken that she started sobbing. At the sight I realized nothing I say was actually even getting to her at all.

"Why.. Why can't you just leave me alone...?" In between her crying, Hinata looked to me with a fear stricken look on her face. From her reddened eyes, the tears just kept flowing out.

Alone. That one word sparked off another memory from my mind, and the images starts to roll. The same as before, the experience was so immersible I found myself drawn into the memory almost completely.

She had always been alone.

They called her the accursed one. There were quite a number of families who lost their loved ones to the fire, but she was the only one who survived. They hated her for that. Others avoided her. Some even put the blame on the poor girl. And then there were those who turned against her, and those that sought Kujaku. Even as a child, she had to fight them off. Killed them. It became too much. Trust blurred before her eyes. Who is friend, and who is just hiding a knife behind their backs?

She could no longer reach out of her shell on her own, and turned away as it slowly closed...

In the end, it was always her, her mentor and the warmth of Kujaku. The memory of her parents was all she needed, present in the light shining forth from the jewel.

But then why is it that the strongest, most recollected memory she has is the one where she cried to herself in a corner of the house?

"Phiew, shing!"

The ear-splitting noise snapped me back, as Hinata jerked her free arm forward. Light and pulsing force swirled and hissed around her fist until another fireball came into existence! The last thing I saw was Hinata's eyes still tightly shut, her teeth gritting before she forced it against my open chest!

"Kaboom!"

"Gragh!" Again, I was thrown off my feet, reeling as the lingering burn sent waves of pain to every inch of my body, every bone, every muscle. My vision darted all around me, the sights slipping away from the edge of my eyes for a bare instant.

"Thud!" I did all I could to brace myself for the crash, but I still slammed my back against the solid floor with a loud crack. At all sides I could hear muttering, snippets of voices here and there. I don't think my current predicament is a pleasant sight to watch for Sergio and the others. Slowly, my senses sharpened again, and Hinata came into sight. As she stood, now a few meters away from me, she was wrecked with a myriad of emotions. All while her tears kept trickling down the side of her face.

"Hah... Hah.. Hah.." With winded breaths, I pushed each step forward. The burns grew hotter and hotter as my muscles grind against each other, burning pain into my body with every passing second. Hinata got even more agitated when she saw me stand up again, conflicted even. "Hah.. Hinata... You..." I waste my breath. She didn't react the slightest to my words, my voice. She had shut me out completely. With troubled eyes, the energy began swirling around her hands again as I started moving again.

"Phiew, zing."

"Swoosh!" Even without saying anything, Hinata started shooting another fireball in my direction with no hesitation! Darn it! Again my body screamed, and everything clicked. My legs broke into a dash as my body twisted away from the roaring flames. Huh, there something strange about this particular toss! It's as if it's off by a tiny bit! Stumbling forward from the sudden thrust, I ended up dodging the fireball completely. I look up only to see Hinata primed with two more fireballs, already aiming them right at me. Shutting her eyes again, she resigned herself to her instincts and launched the balls of fire with wild fervor.

I need to get closer, to lock her arms down and get her to listen! Whether she believes me or not, Hinata will need to hear me first!

"Fwuuoo!" The second fireball chewed through the floors like a shark, splitting the concrete apart as it ravaged towards me.

"Hup!" Using the momentum from before, I put all my strength into my legs, jumping over the wave of fire. My body dropped, chest forward to the ground and legs flying up as my body tumbled. With my one free hand, I drove my claw into the concrete floor, supporting the weight of my entire body.

Throb.

"Gack!" Seared muscles and charred skin pulsed, the scraping pain throbbing from all over. With every wave I couldn't help but yelp out a reaction, my senses fluctuating ever so slightly. Following the pain, my bones would creak and crack from the sheer pressure around me, a sure sign saying that I probably can't be doing this for long!

"Fwoosh!" Like a mortar, the next fireball came crashing. As it flew, the very air around it hissed and burned. Ignoring all the aching, my legs drifted forward as I mustered up all my strength into my right arm. With a single throw, my body flipped over the crashing fire! The first thing I saw, as I landed wobbling on my own two feet, was a close up of Hinata's face. The blank look in her two eyes.

"Ah!" By the time Hinata reacted to me presence, my arms were already around her in a bear hug. My left arm went around her back while my right clamped down on her left shoulder. "L-Let go of me! Let go!" Snapped back to her senses, I felt convulsions running through her body as she broke out into a scream. Her shoulders were trembling so violently I had to tighten my grip just so my arms won't risk getting flailed off! This is it! If she's not gonna listen to me this way, then I don't know any other!

"Yoko! Please, listen to me!" The mention of her name must have calmed her down a bit, as the movements began dying down.

"As I suspected, Lord Amato knew..." In the now quiet scene, only broken by the cackling of mild fires here and there, Kiera's voice spoke out from the back once more. She must have already known way before, when she started digging up info on Yoko.

"What? What the heck are you talking about?" Johann cried out in protest, and in a short glance I saw his eyes focused on me, as confused as they can possibly get. Sergio and Aria had the same look on their faces as well. As everything seemed to simmer down, I loosened the strength in my grip while waiting in anticipation to Kiera's answer. Even then, I could feel Yoko's wild heartbeat beating every second, the faint sound of her sobbing behind my ears.

"Hayashi Yoko. That's her true name." As calm as ever, Kiera recited her answer with her eyes closed, the shield at her side. "Hinata is just her pen name." As her eyelids opened, she continued, with a hint of sympathy in her voice.

"...Stop." Suddenly, Yoko's short mutter pierced through everything else. "...Stop it! Stop saying my name!" Her frustration skyrocket, and her willpower came back surging as her arms started thrashing again.

Throb.

"Guh!" Lingering pain swelled back up, shooting its way through every part of my body. Before I know it, a faint tremble came into my touch. With it, my senses dulled and my vision blurred. Darn, I can't hold on much longer! "It's just a misunderstanding, Yoko!" Stressed by worry, the words came out yelling. With a slip, I watched as Yoko pulled her right arm free, her face wrecked by torment, confusion and disorientation.

"Phiew, shing." The next moment, her fist reignited in in a ball orange flare!

"You still lied to me! Just like the others, you're still gonna be taking Kujaku away from me!" In a desperate tone, Yoko poured out her reasons as if trying convince herself. The same humming tune shot into my ears and the fireball came crashing down!

"Ack!" Heat ran across the surface of my now opened back, my shirt long seared to a crisp. Like a thousand needles, the pain pierced into my skin and tore at my muscles, leaving its mark in the form of a lingering, gnawing pain. What's worse, the wave of weakness that came after robs me of my strength, my will and my thoughts. Slowly, I felt them being drained away...

"You lied about who you are!" Yoko's voice screamed into the air, her tone wallowing. In her distress, light and sound exploded as another wave of fire was slammed against my spine!

"Gragh!" The pain of fire chewed on my skin and bones, the feeling so jarring it drove waves of shock down my body. To keep myself conscious, I grit down on my teeth and shut my eyes! Still, Yoko trembled in the embrace of my arms. She must have been really scared... Strange, I should be more concerned about my own injuries, but I can't help but care for Yoko's well-being. In silence, I tightened my grip around her. Perhaps venting out her thoughts would help...

"Y-You lied about being my friend!" Giving her all, the air around us seemed to grow that much warmer as she brought up both arms. In an instant, they light up with the same mystical symbols before morphing into raging fireballs! I could only close my eyes and brace myself as they were plunged down upon my shoulders!

"Uragh!" As the fire punctured into my back, splitting skin and flesh, my howl shook the air. My vision faltered violently, slipping into mists of white. Strength all but escaped from my body. In the end, my grip on Yoko became nothing more than a desperate attempt to support myself as my knees gave way. As if noticing the change, Yoko's outrage grind down to a halt, her shoulders still shaking. The only images left in my mind was Yoko's memories, nothing more.

"Hah... Hah.. I didn't lie, Yoko." That's right, I wanted to protect her, that was the truth. The feeling was real. By now, convulsions tore and ravaged the insides of my body, worsening with each throb pain pulsing from the wounds. Arms grasping down on Yoko's body, her warmth overpowered the cold chill spreading all over. I still need to do this! I must! "I'm sorry... I'm sorry for all that's happened to you... It's been hard on you..." In the silence of the ruined office, I forced each word out of my mouth. Emotions clouding my thoughts, the feeling choking on my throat.

Suddenly, a painful grip clamped down on my shoulders, pushing me off and breaking the my hold on Yoko.

"What do you know?!" She screamed, her piercing eyes of disbelief staring right at me only aggravated the feelings crushing down on my heart. She didn't let go of me, though. It's as if she wanted one final look; she wanted to look straight into my eyes... There and then, I saw her face softened before my vision went blur...

"Sob... Sniff... I've seen all you've seen. I've felt all that you've felt..." My eyes got watery as the tears started flowing. The sadness and sorrow overwhelmed me, the trembling so much it wrenches away my breath. "I'm sorry! Your family died because of mine! It's so unfair..." So enthralled by my heart, I couldn't focus on what was happening. All I could think to do, was to voice out the thoughts of regret in my mind. When my eyes blinked and I realize Yoko frozen with indecision, I force my arms to move and wiped away my tears, despite the creaking of bones and the sting over my muscles.

"Ugh... Hayashi Yoko!" Holding back my tears and the clutching feeling in my chest, I called out her name in the most stern voice I could muster. A crimson jewel wrapped by a single metallic wing. Before my eyes, Kujaku's power resonated, the light shining off in all its glory. "I asked that you present the Legacy Arm to me, and you did..." Gritting down on my teeth, my words continued as the out burst of emotions calmed. It became easier to say the words that I've been holding on to in my mind, the decision I made...

"And now, I, the Zanna Decimo, bestows this treasure upon you. All is as it should be." The words got easier as I spoke. Getting these words out of my mouth seemed to rid away all troubles. Before long, I found myself being able to smile again.

"...What?" My actions didn't quite match my objective, so it wasn't so strange when Yoko muttered out her surprise. Behind us, the myriad of voices did the same. I could hear how shocked Sergio and the others were. When the heavy thoughts in the back of my head cleared, so went all the strength I have left. Suddenly, my vision, my body, everything just started falling...

Thud.

Huh? I'm up against something... soft? Confused and disoriented, I shift my eyes and focused my vision, only to realize I'm leaning against Yoko. With neither of us moving, her soft, warm breasts nudges against my face. Gah, It's kind of an obscene sight, but I have little strength to move! The best I could do was turn my flustered but tired face to the sides. Even then, I could hear her intense heartbeat. The previously erratic pounding was slowing down...

"I'm not taking Kujaku away, Yoko." When my pounding heart calmed itself, I began to speak, breaking the awkward silence that had plagued the office. "Obviously, it's much more important to you than any stupid reason I can come up with. And I'm sure my Famiglia can do less with one Legacy Arm..." Slowly, talking became easier, despite the creaking of my jaw and the small ounce of pain that carried with each word and the burning of my lungs.

"Um, no matter what you think, you're still my friend, Yoko..." That particular line took the most effort. I couldn't actually afford another fireball to the face, to be honest. "I know this isn't gonna help much, but how about coming with us back to Italy?" That's right, the stupid duty placed by my Ancestor may be history, but Yoko's family was lost to her. I... I needed to make up for it!

"I promise... I'll never let you get hurt ever again..." With that said, my voice trailed off, and gravity finally pulled me down to the ground. With blurry eyes, I was left staring towards the direction of the elevator. My muscles don't follow my commands anymore. They couldn't budge no matter what I did...

"Sniff.. Sniff..." A soft, gentle whimpering broke off into the air.

"Thud." The sound of something falling to the ground could be heard. I think it came from behind me..

"I-Idiot..." A soft mutter shot into my ears, the tone holding none of the hate. "... Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!" The one word became a chant, sadness pouring out. Suddenly, something wet splashed against my cheeks, followed by a trembling touch nudging against my right arm.

"Idiot! Waaaahhhh! Uuuwwwaaaaahhhh! Waaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!" Yoko's... crying? It's true, behind my back, away from my eyes, Yoko fell to her knees, bawling her heart out after throwing her little tantrum. In between her cries, her hands continued rocking me on my sides as if doing so would curb her sadness. Lying there on my side, I didn't know how to react. But eventually, I came to the conclusion that perhaps crying was exactly what she needed.

Time passed, and Sergio and the others slipped into sight, relief plastered over their faces. As the threat of danger passed, they huddled closer to our sides.

"Our Boss has extended his hand, Miss Hayashi. We understand how surprising and difficult this can be for you, and so we humbly await your decision..." Kiera's calm voice brought a sense of relief washing into me.

"Wha-You guys still want me? Even after all the pain I've inflicted upon Amato?" Still half-crying, Yoko exclaimed her question in surprise. She sounded baffled; it's as if it was difficult for her to believe everything that's happening.

"Of course, Amato never abandons his friends. And you're still a friend to all of us, Legacy Arm or no." Kiera replied. I could even imagine a smile behind her words, and I couldn't help but smile to myself at the thought. Although... Shouldn't they be helping me up first?

Suddenly, my senses throbbed and then screamed. My vision sharpened and my hearing picked up a jabbing tone and sound. It's the sound of the elevator bell ringing! In the far end of my vision, the red, glaring light zoomed green, and the doors creaked open! Smoke poured out from the inside, and suddenly, I began to hear footsteps. From the shadows came Innocenti and Koenig, their eyes dead focused right at me as they slowly approached us. Verde stood atop Innocenti's left shoulder, and his smile had all but disappeared.

I wanted to scream, to jump up to my feet, but no matter how much my senses screamed, my body was near dead. Bone were close to shattering and muscles were cold and stiff. Darn it, at this rate, Kiera and the others are gonna be in trouble! Move body, move!

"Enemy!" Kiera's sharp, piercing command snapped me back, and before my eyes, Johann and Kiera lunged towards the three of them. With the two being the fastest among us, Johann raised his blade and Kiera primed her shield in an instant. But, Innocenti and Koenig moved even faster than before while Johann and Kiera were slower than usual. The crazed artist smashed away Johann by his throat and the merchant's kick drove through Kiera's stomach! Without a sound, the two were sent flying out of my sight, crashing somewhere behind the rest of us!

"I stopped your heart! How are you even moving?!" Vito screamed in both rage and disbelief, slashing forward with twin daggers before he was struck down as well, Koenig smashing his elbow into his shoulder-plate while Innocenti into his chest, sending him crashing down onto the floor! Vito was left sprawled on the floor, struggling to get up as the three of them got closer and closer!

"Dammit, what are we gonna do?! fight or flight?!" Sergio started screaming out as he moved in front of us, arms pulled up each side. I couldn't blame him for panicking, none of us were expecting this, none of us were prepared!

"Do you want to protect the Famiglia?" Breaking the tension, Dante dragged himself forward, pulling Sergio away from the three monsters to face him.

"What the hell are you talking about-"

"Do you want to protect the Zanna Famiglia, Sergio Endoh?!" Sergio's confusion over the question was cut off immediately by Dante's stern reiteration. From where I laid, I could see his steel gaze. Despite what was happening, Dante was beyond serious. Faced with little choice, Sergio calmed himself.

"Yes, I want to protect the Zanna Famiglia!" His answer became a declaration, his voice growing into a roar. At those words, Dante drew out a pistol and cocked the weapon in swift motion!

"Clink, Clink, Click!" The rain of bullets dropping onto the ground rang into my ears, but the sight that came next took my breath away! From his pockets, Dante whipped out a single bullet, crimson red, and loaded it into the gun. With a single click, he brought it up with precision, aiming it right at Sergio! What the hell?! As with my surprise, Sergio could only stare with his jaws dropped, his eyes drawing a complete blank! Casually, Dante gave out the signal...

"We're moving ahead of schedule."

"Bang!"

Yes, I'm finally done with this chapter! I was never good at writing conflict and emotion, so I hope this chapter is understandable and believable to you readers out there! Hopefully, you guys can get a better look at Yoko and her past! But, the danger doesn't stop there, and Dante surprises us all! What's gonna happen next?! Slap me a review on your thoughts if you want, and keep a lookout on my next update to find out!