THE NEW WORLD – IMPOSSIBLE ODDS
Yakuza HQ
It is the Yakuza headquarters where Honda is patiently waiting for a variety of things. These things include various of his subordinates to carry out tasks, various of his subordinates arriving, sightings of Yaru and Sakura and of course for Sawada Tsunayoshi to attempt training once more.
Honda is waiting in the dining room as he usually does, the delicacy of today is Italian cuisine, a variety of pasta dishes. 'If there is one good thing to say about the mafia it's that their homeland has good food'.
Looking out the window has brought an ever changing view for Honda, it has changed all the time ever since he became god. Initially for ease of management the view out of the window was of a horrific slave encampment. He would laugh at this, showing all those around him just what a sick man he was. As the years went on the camp was moved and replaced by various marvellous sculptures, the land terraformed to match the seasons and please 'god's' eyes.
A few faint footsteps can be heard near the entrance to the room. Honda recognises these footsteps as those of an old man. There is only one man in the world who shares Honda's great age, only one man in the world whom he has shared his secret of immortality with. This is the man walking into the room, the second strongest amongst the Yakuza, old man Gon.
"You wanted to see me" Gon points out as he looks at his boss.
At this point it makes Gon sick to his stomach that he still supports Honda despite all of the latter's crimes. Yet Gon still feels that he has a point to prove, not Honda, not to the Mafia and not even to himself. Gon is trying to prove a point to Vongola Primo.
Honda smiles sadistically as he turns to the old man. "Yes, it's time for your favourite job". Sarcasm is thick in his voice as he tosses a long thin object to Gon.
Gon examines the object in his hands, it's been a couple of years since he last saw it used yet he has been made to use it himself many times throughout his life. This is the modified cane Honda has developed over his lifetime, laced with rusty spike designed to peel skin away as it is pulled from its victim's flesh.
"Oh… this" Gon mutters.
Right on schedule two young women enter the room. One of them is very composed with tied blonde hair and well-ordered clothes. This is Kara, who clearly puts great emphasis on presentation.
Gon determines that the young lady with her is to be the victim this time. It is the nearly crazed Lucy. Gon knows that Lucy has just been maintaining her sanity for a long time now, he was heartbroken when Yaru and Sakura left because he truly believes that those two are the only ones who can save Lucy. They are the only ones who could have saved her from going down the same path Varon did all those years ago.
"Lord God, Lucy has tried very hard to carry out your will, can't your spare her the cane" Kara asks. Though the plea sounds considerate and good-hearted it is clear to everyone but Lucy that she cares little whether the punishment is issued or not.
"Well I would like to" Honda begins, "But I've got to give humans their free will, isn't that what makes me a merciful god".
"I suppose so". After acknowledging Honda's sentence Kara turns to Gon with a faint smile, "Then Gon, is punishing Lucy something you have decided with you own free will".
Gon looks into the eyes of Lucy, looking fearfully towards him. He is the kindest man in all of the Yakuza yet he is forced into situations such as this.
The old man sighs, "Yes, it is".
"Very well" Kara steps to the side, leaving Gon with a free path to Lucy.
Gon does as he knows is intended. He approaches Lucy and hits her with the cane, he hits her again and again while doing his best to ignore the blistering screams. He screams to himself internally, this sort of work is damaging to the soul he concludes.
"Come on Gon, that's enough" Honda says with mock concern.
Gon stops hitting Lucy causing the raven-haired Yakuza to immediately run over to Honda and hug him. The fact that she is accepting him as her saviour a clear indication that she has lost all perspective over what is going on.
"You can go now Gon and take that thing with you" Honda says with a flick of his wrist.
As Gon leaves Honda gently strokes Lucy's hair, as if a father tending to his daughter in hospital. "Don't worry Lucy, god looks after all of his subjects, so you just follow god and everything will be alright".
"Follow god… follow god… follow god and everything will be alright".
The self-proclaimed god smiles, "That's right Lucy, god will look after you from now on… you just drift off to sleep".
As if in a trance, Lucy does just that, she drifts off to sleep.
As Honda begins laughing Kara looks down her nose at the sleeping Yakuza. "This is what happened with Varon?".
"Almost exactly, it's quite funny isn't it" Honda answers, "It's funny to watch how a grown woman can fall to this mental state, how can she fall to this level huh?".
"It's amazing how pathetic she is" Kara replies.
The observation is perfectly correct, despite all the strength she possesses, despite all of the years that Lucy lived through poverty and strife she still did not have the mental strength to resist this plan. For those who have never experienced that pain it is hard to understand. Only one man has gone through it without eventually becoming insane, that man is Kosuke Yaru.
Honda's expression turns sour as he thinks to where Kara and Lucy have been. "Speaking of pathetic, what are you doing here before me while the mission is incomplete… go back to Australia, you have some killing to do".
Kara bows her head, "Immediately sir".
Arcobaleno Hideout, Melbourne, Australia
In the Arcobaleno hideout there are only two people currently. This pairing consists of one of the seven great mafioso, the red-haired Shimon family boss Kozato Enma and the martial artist storm Arcobaleno Fon.
The pair are currently engaged in a sparring session. Fon throws a full force punch straight towards Enma, confident that even if the punch were to hit it would be unable to do anything to the mafia boss.
Enma dodges the punch while maintaining a perfect vertical displacement with his hammer. It would seem to an observer that he uses his hammer as a mid-air anchor to control the path of his flight.
Fon throws another punch which misses before Enma starts to swing his hammer before stopping it. This is a perfect dummy, a dummy so perfect that even martial arts legend Fon attempts to dodge sideways.
As Fon loses his footing Enma raises his hammer high into the air and swings it downwards as hard as he can, there is no disputing that this is going to hit Fon.
Fon tightly closes his eyes as he prepares for the impact of the hammer but it never comes. He opens his eyes once more and looks around, Enma managed to stop heavy weapon just an inch short of his head.
"You… you've got it" Fon notes excitedly as he offers a bow to Enma, "Not only were you comfortably throwing feints but you also have the ability to wield the hammer effortlessly and stop it at the last minute".
Fon makes a few more observations, noting how Enma could improve his posture here and how he could hide habits in his body language there but the two smiles throughout the conversation. It seems all is going well.
"So…. Did I do it?" Enma asks as Fon finishes his observations.
The storm Arcobaleno gently nods, "Yes, this is, this is wielding the heavy as if light".
Enma smiles widely, the greatest smile he has had since the war started. This is a huge breakthrough for him, an enormous step forward for the world itself. The Shimon family boss celebrates by doing a brief flurry, it serves no purpose other than showing off however there is not another in the world who could do it with such skill and finesse as himself.
"This is progress but it comes during a dark time" Fon frowns.
"The plan is ready, hey". At that moment Colonello and his wife Lal-Mirch enter.
"What plan" Enma asks with wide eyes, he is technically the highest ranking mafioso here, he should be aware of any plans.
Fon answers on behalf of the Arcobaleno, "Enma, we're leaving for Africa, there is a truck waiting for us outside".
Enma momentarily questions the need to leave but then recalls the central Melbourne assembly and nods. Remaining here is not only a danger to himself but also to the Arcobaleno and the population of Melbourne, leaving is essential.
A Port, Northern Australia
Here is where the Arcobaleno have planned to steal a boat. One of the lesser guarded ports on the northern border of Australia. Fighting through the guards is still necessary but is not difficult for such elite fighters. One of the great seven is among them, there are very few left within the Yakuza who could deal with them.
After fighting through the guards Enma hops onto the boat. He treads carefully as the night sky makes it difficult to see even with the light from the stars and the moon. The boat is small, it will be hard to fit so many on it but minus Lal-Mirch they are all below average human size, it is doable.
"Come on guys" Enma says as he turns to those standing on dry land.
Virgo hops onto the boat with Enma and starts the engine, "The others won't be coming with us".
Enma looks at Virgo and hangs his gaze there for a few seconds before shaking his head. "What… what are you talking about, not coming, of course you are".
Enma looks at the Arcobaleno on the land. Skull, Fon, Colonello, Lal-Mirch, not a single one of them shows any sign of moving. The Shimon family boss looks at them with an ever saddening gaze, if nothing else trying to guilt them into coming with him. If there is one thing he cannot bare it's losing even more friends.
"I need you guys to help me start another resistance movement" the mafia boss proclaims.
"We're needed here, hey" argues Colonello.
Lal-Mirch draws her weapon, "We have to cover your escape".
Without any warning the boat begins to drift away from the port. Enma quickly flicks his head around to confirm that Virgo is steering him away. "You guys…".
"Go Enma, the resistance is your destiny, not ours" Skull declares.
Enma tightly clenches his fists and grinds his teeth, leaving even more people behind is unbearable yet as far as he knows he may be the last of the great seven, the last hope for the world. He would rather die yet fate has forced him into this cruel situation, where saving everyone is not his choice but his duty.
"I WILL NEVER FORGET YOU, ANY OF YOU".
Fon smiles, he knows Enma can't hear him as he speaks under his breath, "Go, your destiny is to finish this war, to go avenge Reborn and your family… we don't need revenge yet".
The Arcobaleno watch as Virgo takes Enma out of range. Colonello then turns around to face the mainland and takes a deep breath, using his gun's sights he has the greatest eyesight of the Arcobaleno.
"Here she comes, hey".
The she in question is the she who Honda ordered come here and resolve her failures, the she who has been ordered to kill Enma, the she who is the most mysterious amongst the Yakuza. The she in question is Kara, the one who wields Clarent, the one who defeated Yamamoto.
The flying Yakuza descends and lands before the group of four. "The spy did his job, so there is something I want to know before I kill you, which one of you is Enma".
Colonello doesn't satisfy Kara with an answer. "FIRE" he shouts.
All four of the Arcobaleno prepare their greatest ranged attacks and fire simultaneously. Four dying will flames combine in a brilliant combination of multi-coloured light, a small explosion engulfs Kara and some containers, this is the greatest attack the foursome can muster.
Despite the powerful attack Kara emerges with Clarent in hand, she is completely unharmed. This brings a huge shock to the doors of the Arcobaleno, how could Yamamoto have ever competed against anyone so strong, just how strong are the great seven mafioso, just how strong are the Yakuza.
"A pity" Kara decides, "I would have been interested to know".
After this declaration Kara raises her sabre high into the air, dark energy gathers on it. This is the darkness to Excalibur's light, the Ying to Excalibur's Yang and the evil to Excalibur's good.
As the four stand open mouthed at the power gathering before them Colonello is the first to move. He walks to Skull's rear and places his hands on the cloud Arcobaleno's shoulders.
The others look at him and he answers their looks, "Come on, let's combine our flames and gift them to Skull, we need to prepare our greatest defence".
Lal-Mirch's eyes are moist at this point, she knows that she will die but nods anyway. This is the defiance they are obligated to show; the defiance they must possess even when faced down by the Yakuza.
Lal-Mirch stands behind her husband and places her hands on his shoulders, Fon then follows suit and stands at the back of the quartet, placing his hands on Lal-Mirch shoulders. The Arcobaleno begin to ignite their multi-coloured flames and gift them to Skull. This is the ultimate defence they have against a head-on attack.
"We are going to show you why we were chosen all those years ago, hey" Colonello declares, "We've come so far that we will never die… we will forever live on in the dying will flame".
Kara ignores the emotional speech and sends her strongest flying sword attack towards the Arcobaleno, engulfing them in an explosion and a sea of flames.
The Boat, Off Shore
Enma watches as the explosion engulfs the port, had he stayed and fought he may have been able to stop that woman. He is after all one of the great seven mafioso, he has improved since the last time and yet the Arcobaleno didn't want to take a chance. Once more Arcobaleno have sacrificed themselves for him.
Seeing Enma's despair Virgo offers him some words. "They will be fine Enma, they have lived long enough to learn how to survive impossible odds".
Enma looks into the distance, the flames have still yet to disappear, something that causes him to doubt Virgo's words. He nods though, as if acknowledging the possibility will somehow make him feel better.
"Get some sleep, it will be a long journey before we reach South Africa".
"Yeah… sleep". Upon hearing the suggestion, the Shimon family boss realises how tired he is. He closes his eyes and immediately falls to sleep.