Buso Renkin
Chapter 21 – Ningen

In the heat of battle, they had not noticed that the fog that covered Ginsei City had lifted with Warrior Hanako Busujima's falling. The sky was clearer now, and the sun shone down on the school. But hidden in the light of the sun was a tall man with long black hair that was spiked up on top. He wore a long black open robe that exposed his built chest. As the wind in the air blew on his robes, a red light shone from the left side of his chest.

As Sakuya brought down her Grand Gaia, the Arachne's wires wrapped around the blade. Once the steel wires had hooked on, Gumo brought down his arms, swinging the Grand Gaia out of the air. Sakuya held on to the hilt and was brought down by the heavy weight of her Buso Renkin, slamming onto the concrete roof. As she struggled to get up, she saw the unconscious Busujima near her; she had sustained little damage, but she was definitely hurt somehow. The girl gritted her teeth and glared at Gumo. "Did you do this to her?" she roared, concerned for her senior.

"Who knows?" Gumo shrugged as he detached his thin steel wires from his gloves. "What would you do if I did?"

Sakuya stood up. She held her Grand Gaia back, and she took a step forward. "I'm gonna break your skull in!"

Kaworu was surprised by this strange development by his partner. "…Sakuya-kun?"

She launched herself forward, propelled by the sheer force of her steps as she swung down her giant buster sword Buso Renkin on Gumo. But Gumo raised his arm and took the hit; the Grand Gaia wouldn't break his skin. "I'm surprised that you were the one who defeated the XI Philosopher, Kabuto." The name brought forth a pain in Sakuya's heart. "Despite being under the Senshi Juu, he was strong in his own right. If not for Tora's Buso Renkin ability, he could have easily been one of us. But…XI and VIII is a big jump, you know." He pushed back the Grand Gaia with the back of his hand and slammed his other into Sakuya's stomach.

"Agack!" she gasped as she hunched forward. Gumo then raised his long leg and slammed his heel onto Sakuya's back. As she fell, Gumo proceeded to stomp on her.

"But if you are here, that must mean you defeated the IX Philosopher, Sasori." He grinned as he kicked Sakuya's stomach. "He was the last of us, you know. We salvaged him when you defeated him before. Born from death, we granted him a Crimson Kakugane and gave him new life. You saw how he was, motivated by his innate desire for revenge, he immediately became one of the Senshi Juu. But to defeat one of us…you must be something special." He turned his head to Kaworu mockingly. "Isn't she, Kaworu?"

Kaworu glared at Gumo, struggling to move. He could feel the steel wires sink into his skin. "Don't you touch her!" he growled.

"Sorry, but those who go against Kami-sama must die." Gumo looked down at Sakuya and raised an index finger. "How do I execute you here? Should I make you suffer? Or kill you instantly? Or should I eat you here and now?"

There was a fear in Sakuya's heart. No one would deny being afraid when faced with death. But there was another feeling inside her, something overwhelming that fear. It was taking over slowly, granting her the will to fight. That feeling was…

"You bastards…" she growled, planting her palms firmly onto the ground. "You play with people's lives…you monsters make us humans fear for our lives…but even worse…" She remembered Ouka's face when she found out Sasori's identity. "You…give us a false hope like we mean nothing to you! Unforgivable…you Homunculi…" Her yellow eyes widened as she pushed her back up under Gumo's foot. "…ARE UNFORGIVABLE!"

She forced herself up from the ground, knocking Gumo back a little. As the Homunculus staggered, Sakuya grabbed the hilt of her Grand Gaia and swung it to Gumo's side. Unprepared for this attack, Gumo attempted to grab the blade, but it pushed against his arms and onto the side of his stomach. As he flew towards the gate on the roof, the cloth at the hilt of her blade glowed and burst into light, like a match that had just been lit. "Break through and crush him, Buso Renkin!" She raised her Grand Gaia high into the air. "Gaia Crusher!" Slamming it down, the roof began to split, sending concrete chunks at Gumo.

Gumo caught himself on the gate, sticking to it like a spider. He then jumped of and released his Arachne's wires, cutting up the rocks soaring towards him. But behind the rocks came Sakuya. She pulled back her fist, and as Gumo's eyes widened, her fist free fist slammed onto Gumo's face.

'This can't be…' he thought to himself as he slammed onto the ground. 'She wasn't this strong when we started fighting…' As he got up, he shot his wires at Sakuya. But Sakuya dodged to the side, a stray wire cutting her cheek. She stepped forward and grabbed Gumo's face. 'Is she getting stronger with each fight?' She slammed her knee onto Gumo's forehead. As he staggered about, Sakuya raised her Grand Gaia again, slamming it onto Gumo's back. 'This strength…it's similar to…'

Sakuya picked Gumo up from the collar of his loose shirt. Her golden eyes radiated with anger. "You hurt my friends…my family…you took my father…" She then picked her Great Gaia up, the blade slowly rising. "I will make you pay…for everything!"

Before she could do anything, she felt her arms grow heavy. In fact, her entire body began to feel heavy. She slowly let go of Gumo as she fell to her knees. It wasn't a gravitational force pressing on her, but the feeling of her strength being zapped away.

Gumo observed this phenomenon and smirked as he stepped back. "It seems that he's arrived," he chuckled, looking up at the sky. Sakuya tried to stand, but the feeling in her the arms that supported her slipped away as she collapsed.

Down at the front grounds, Phaléne sat on the dirt, panting. She was holding on to her crackling Buso Renkin. "Hmf…how long has it been since those two got inside?" she asked herself as she looked at the broken remains of what used to be a Crimson Kakugane and the shattered faux Homunculi created from the Kakugane's wielder, the X Philosopher Tora. "I hear a commotion up on the roof, but as it is, I can't even muster the energy to get up. Heh…if I am complaining about my lack of stamina, that means I require more training from my darling Papillon-sama…"

The thought of Papillon training her once more made her fidget her legs, and she rubbed her hands along her body and breasts. "Ahhhn! Papillon-sama! I will do anything you tell me to, just pay attention to meeee!"

As she was lost in her fantasies, she felt a huge force press down on her. "Ugh! There it is again!" she exclaimed as she placed her hands on the ground to support herself. "But…it's much stronger than before…what is this…is this the rumored…Energy Drain?!"

I hate Homunculi.

Sakuya thought to herself as she felt the force press on her back.

They are nothing but monsters who treats humans as their play things. They will do whatever they want at their own expense. Selfish and unforgivable monsters…

She turned her head upward as she felt the force grow stronger. She could see Kaworu, slumping forward and eventually collapsing from the same phenomena.

They've hurt everyone I've ever cared about. Ouka…Yumi and Mihoshi…Souta…even Kaworu…But worst of all…

She heard the sound of footsteps touching the ground. She saw a pair of black shoes standing in front of her. As she looked up, she could see a tall man with long black hair, spiked up on top, shadowed by the sun. He wore a long black open robe lined with a crimson hue that showed off his bare chest. There was a crimson hexagonal mark on his upper left chest.

She could barely see who it was, but she felt a sort of familiarity with him. As if she was reunited with someone she had lost for many many years.

They took my father from me…

The force faded. Sakuya felt weak at first, but strength was somehow slowly returning to her. "Ugh…I feel like I was hit by a truck…" she groaned as she held her head. She sat up and looked at the man standing before her. He bore crimson eyes behind his bangs. "You…who are you…"

"Oh Kami-sama," worshipped Gumo, "this ground is not worthy of your presence. But here you are, in the flesh, gracing this meat in your glory." As he bowed, he revealed a toothy grin. "For you are the strongest warrior in all of existence. Human, Homunculi, or Philosopher. May you breathe your name and instill fear to this pitiful worm."

Kaworu's eyes shook. He dared not speak his name. In fact, if he did, it would reaffirm the reality standing in front of him. It would shatter the very theory that had plagued him, Tokiko, and all of the Alchemist Army. But he couldn't hold back. The name Gumo called him was "Kami-sama", the name of a god, and the name that the past Philosophers he and Sakuya have faced chanted to their dying breaths. But Kaworu knew very well what this man's name is. And his name is…

"Kazuki…Mutou…"

Disbelief formed onto Sakuya's face. The name of her father, who she always thought had died until recent events revealed that he had been taken, rang in her ears. For the first time in ten years, she has seen the face of the man she would call "daddy" in her sleep. For the first time in ten years, she felt a great weight lift from her shoulders. But that weight was replaced with an unknown dread.

"D…Dad?" Sakuya slowly stood up to the man in front of her. He looked different than the pictures or the video footage of his last expedition. But she knew, even if it had been ten years, it was him. "Dad…is it really you?" Tears slowly welled up in her eyes as she reached out to her father. "Da-"

The man called Kazuki grabbed Sakuya's wrist. She felt a pain from his tight grip. "Human," he said to her, "do not touch me." He then swung her arm outward. She felt something like a pop. As she howled in pain, Kazuki turned to Gumo. Kaworu only watched on in shock. "Gumo, what is the status of our warriors?"

"My lord," Gumo replied, "there are no signs of Tora's attacks in the front lines. And proof of the little princess being here, that may also mean that Sasori bit the dust as well."

"Then it is as I thought." Kazuki placed his hand on his chest. "I felt their life energies vanish and brought myself here. I did not think these…pests will actually cause us trouble, reducing us down to eight Philosophers." He turned to the crouching Sakuya, who held her arm. "I must rectify that." He began to walk towards Sakuya's Buso Renkin and picked it up. Despite its size, he wielded it with ease.

"No…stop…" Kaworu called out weakly to Kazuki and Gumo. "Please…don't hurt her! She's your own daughter! Don't touch her!"

Kazuki halted and averted his gaze to Kaworu. All he said was, "I'll deal with you later," and returned his attention to Sakuya. "Get up."

"Wh-what?" Sakuya looked up at her father, who looked down at her with a glare. But it wasn't that of murderous intent, not like that of a Homunculus. "Why…dad…why would you hurt me…"

"Get up. You are an Alchemist Warrior." He tossed her Grand Gaia onto the floor in front of her. "I am your enemy, am I not?" He narrowed his crimson eyes at her. "What happened to your ferocity that I felt a time ago? Come at me. Fight me."

FIGHT.

The word seemed to echo in Sakuya's head over and over. That's all she has done these past few months since she became an Alchemist Warrior. She fought, fought for her survival and the survival of her friends. She fought for the lives of many that did not know of her fight. And now she is being asked to fight her own father, a great warrior who disappeared ten years, only to reappear on the side of the enemy. The enemy is the Homunculi who took away her father. And now…her father is her enemy.

Sakuya grit her teeth as she placed her left hand over her right shoulder. She pressed up onto it until a loud pop was heard. Her arm mobile, she grabbed the Grand Gaia and, roaring with all her might, swung it down on Kazuki's neck.

Kazuki grabbed the blade with ease, much like how Gumo had before. His skin was not broken or torn into. Rather, it was as hard as metal. Only two other Philosopher Homunculi have exhibited this ability: Kabuto and Gumo. But her father is holding back a heavyweight Buso Renkin with the palm of his hand. He held the blade upward and lifted his foot, kicking into Sakuya's stomach. He let go of the blade as she stumbled back. Then she turned and spun her enormous sword at Kazuki's waist.

Kazuki this time used his index finger to hold back the Buso Renkin. This continued as Sakuya assaulted her father over and over, only to be parried and blocked repeatedly. She landed little to no hits while Kazuki stood tall, not flinching or moving from that spot. "Is that all you got?"

"All I got?!" Sakuya exclaimed. "You disappear for ten years, come back, dislocate my arm, order me to fight you, and then you ask me if that's all I got?!" The cloth at the end of her sword began to radiate. "I'M JUST GETTING STARTED!" With the reinforcement of the cloth, she swung downward onto Kazuki's head. Once more, he held it back with one hand. But the force was much different than before. He used his other hand to keep the blade up, but the Grand Gaia felt heavier. Finally, he jumped out of the way, the blade crashing into the concrete of the roof that made a second split. Gumo moved out of the way from the debris as he whistled.

As Kazuki moved away, Sakuya caught up to him. She pulled her fist back and slammed it against his cheek. This sent him bouncing to the other side of the roof and up into the water tower. Leaving an indent of his body, he fell off and bounced off the roof's doorway, crashing into the ground. Sakuya tried to catch her breath. "Had enough?!"

But she had hoped that he would stay down. Unphased, he got back up, brushing the dust from his shoulders. There was a bruise on his left cheek, but he seemed to be ignoring it. "Interesting," he said. "An abnormal power boost overcoming that of my Energy Drain. I have not put it away since arriving, but you and that traitor over there seem to be unnerved by it. This intrigues me."

Kazuki placed his hand over his chest. This action shocked Gumo. "K-Kami-sama! You wouldn't! Not here!"

"You asked me who I am, human named Sakuya Mutou," said Kazuki as he dropped his robe off his shoulders. His chiseled upper body now bare, he pointed to the crimson hexagon over his skin. Inside it was the Roman numeral clad in that same crimson hue, the Roman numeral I. "Remember this. I am the leader of the Tetsujin Juusan. The I Philosopher." A Crimson Kakugane formed from the hexagon and into his right hand. He then pulled back his arm, as if he was going to draw a sword. "Ningen."

He shot his hand forward, and the process seemed instantaneous. The Crimson Kakugane burst into light as a lance forged of black metal, the lance known to be Kazuki Mutou's signature weapon, placed itself into his palm. As he gripped it, the blade of the lance broke into four parts. From the hilt, the "mouth" of the lance spread out to form the back of the blade while the center floated in the middle and the tip shot outward. Inside the lance itself was pure black energy, a darkness as black as the void.

The tip shot towards Sakuya instantly. By instinct, Sakuya used the flat end of her Buso Renkin to shield herself. The force was tremendous, like taking a shot from a cannon. But the tip of the lance dug into the metal of the Grand Gaia. The Grand Gaia began to crack from the point of impact, and eventually, the blade snapped it half. Her Buso Renkin, her heart, broke from Ningen's attack. The tip then shot through Sakuya's chest, specifically where her heart used to be.

It was instantaneous. Sakuya felt cold as the blade left her body. She felt herself falling backwards as she looked up at the blue sky. She couldn't move. She couldn't stop. She just kept falling until her body fell. The hole where her heart used to be gushed with blood as the broken Grand Gaia reverted back into a Kakugane. Just as its weapon form, the Kakugane looked broken beyond repair, parts of it seeming to come off.

Sakuya's body laid motionless on the ground as she tilted her head to the side. Her bangs shadowed her eyes as her lips stopped quivering, and her hands fell limp.

Kaworu couldn't stand. He couldn't move. He could only watch as his partner and friend fell before him, felled by the man who he called his teacher and savior. "Sakuya-kun…" He felt the tears escape his eyes. He couldn't hold back, and he let out a blood-curdling scream.

"SAKUYA-KUUUUUUN!"