Sorry for the wait. Life got hectic. This is about the third or fourth hiatus I've taken in this fic's tenure... but I swear we're gonna get there, people. We are gonna get there. I intend to have this done by 80 chapters, so help me god.

The hospital "afterparty" was once again relocated... this time, to the parking lot of the premises, where Heidern and most combat-capable fighters were now looking at the sky... watching Adelheid's home fly away without him. It was almost comedic, the sight of everyone standing there, dumbfounded looks on their faces, if not for the tragedy that the man who owned it was standing right there.

"Dude... that sucks." Malin sympathized. "You lost your Star Destroyer."

Adelheid ignored her, his eyes still up at the sky. "I've got to get airborne. Now."

"You're in no condition." Heidern chastised.

"We are!" Yuki boldly proclaimed, Ai beside him, her nose stuck in a game.

"Now everybody just hold their horses." Heidern shut down any foolhardy initiative. "We can't just go blindly rushing into things, or it's Magaki Part 2."

He looked over at the bee-like ninja, who had witnessed the act. "You. Tell us what you saw."

Nagase grinned sheepishly. "So uh, I was stalking Lien and Hyena on their date, and I saw a group of armed men, about 20 or 30... and some guy in a hat and blue jumpsuit. Curious, I followed them all the way to... the LZ... where your ship was. And it was unlocked. Eheheheh~"

"Damn, Rose..." Adelheid cursed. "I told her not to let things run so loosely..."

"Ello, Bernstein... lose something?"

A posh, but rude voice made itself known, as her long legs clacked to their position... several faces curled in disgust when her sneering face and voluptuous body jiggled over to them, very uninvited. At her side, flamboyant in his own right, thanks to his giant pink nose and extravagant hair, an annoying windbag too welcomed himself to the commotion.

"Great, who ordered Ho Express Delivery?" Mary snarled at her. "You got some balls showing up here."

"Stow it." Lien shot her down without even looking. She glared at Nagase. "And fyi... it wasn't a date."

"B-but I bought you dinner!" Hyena stammered. "And I didn't even try anything! I was a perfect gentleman about it!"

"Enough with the shenanigans!" Heidern's voice surpassed them all. "The clock's ticking. We need to get some recon up there before making any moves. I could order in a drone, but..."

"We don't have time for that, right?" Joe interjected. "Let's just shoot the thing out of the sky!"

That earned him a slap from King. "There are people onboard, imbecile. And we can't just crash Adelheid's home into a heavily populated area."

"Before we do ANYTHING," Heidern cut in. "We need to know who's on it, and what their motive is." He turned to Adelheid. "Who could have gotten access to your ship, and is knowledgeable enough to fly it?"

Adelheid scratched his head. "Rose had let that janitor on the ship a few times, to clean it. She was even paying him for it. But he couldn't have gotten access to the ship controls. They're password protected, and the only people who know it are me and... Rose..."

Adel's voice trailed off, as if a terrible thought entered his mind... one he was afraid to utter.

Yuki picked it up. "So the only two people who can fly your ship are you and Rose. You're here, and Rose is in a bed. So how...?"

"...Botan."

That name drop produced a collective gasp from the fighters who recognized her, and that ugly business with Those From The Past for all those years.

"That psycho puppetmaster bitch?" B. Jenet questioned.

Terry nodded. "I think I'm starting to put two and two together..."

Adel grit his teeth. "That time Rose was under her control, she must have learned about the Sky Noah. How to login, how to fly it..."

Heidern nodded. "And she no doubt is using her abilities again to manipulate innocents into doing her bidding. But what's the motive? If she wanted to cause a calamity or get revenge, she could just drop the ship on top of us right now."

"But she's heading west, so clearly she's got a destination in mind." Mary noted.

"Well, what's west of Germany?" Andy inquired.

...Somehow, most of them were able to put together the thought at the same time, as if they were a collective Borg of startling revelation. The only ones who remained ignorant were those with less geographical knowledge, or who hadn't heard the stories of Those From the Past, and a confusing time in KOF history where one boy foiled their plans, and then ceased to exist.

It seemed so obvious, even though the answer could have been anything. They all knew it, and shouted it from their lungs.

"She's headed for...?!"

PARIS, FRANCE

"Tea's readyyy~!"

During the brightest, hottest hours of the afternoon, a steaming pot was placed on the round, white table, a parasol protruding from the middle. Ash Crimson gently lifted the pot, pouring a cup for himself, before setting it back down carefully. With one free hand, he reached over to grab a small, sugary petit four, encased in white frosting, with a delicate red rose bud design on top. He bit into half, savoring the insatiable sweetness packed into such a tiny square.

"Mmm...mm-Betty... come try one of these before I eat them all. They're good."

He popped the other half into his mouth, chewing while he reached for the cream and sugar. About that time, a shadow further blocked out the sunlight, approaching closer, before the figure it belonged to plopped into the adjacent seat at the table. Her curvaceous body dripped on the stone patio, a cotton robe wrapped around her white one-piece, a towel gently scrubbing her soaked blue hair.

Ash, clad in an open white shirt over red trunks, finally finished stirring the contents into his tea, bringing it to his lips for a test sip. "Mm... I swear, Jacques gets better and better at that."

Elisabeth smiled sweetly at him. She was nearly entranced by those beautiful sapphires... but she snapped back long enough to prepare a cup for herself as well. "I'll be the judge of whether this an improvement for Jacques or not. I've been drinking his tea longer."

Ash pouted. "Now that's not fair Bettyyyy... I've had plenty of it myself over the years. I may have disappeared, but I didn't lose my memories."

Elisabeth applied some sugar, gently circling the spoon in the dark amber liquid... she looked over and found his eyes capturing her every curve, the water droplets still drizzling down her neck and chest, to whatever destination befell them.

"...What?" Betty cocked a coy eyebrow.

"You're so beautiful, that's what." Ash grinned, an blush forming on his face at his own sappy words. "I'd give anything to get back that lost time."

Elisabeth smiled, her face slightly flushing. She watched him grab a slice of sachertorte (his favorite) and dig his fork into the rich, chocolatey cake, becoming almost an animal upon the first taste touching his lips. Her smile seemed to grow wider and wider.

As she watched him eat, capturing the joy in his eyes... she found her expression gradually wane to somber. Before she knew it, a spontaneous, regressed, inevitable question escaped her lips.

"Ash... what was it like?"

His eyes darted to her, and his face teased only a flicker of seriousness... before returning to his usual carefree, jovial demeanor.

"Dark, lonely, but enlightening." Ash casually responded. He set aside his empty dish and reached for the custard eclair. Properly clutching a knife and fork, he carved off a piece of the pastry, the thick Bavarian cream oozing from the fresh orifice. He forked it, placing it in his mouth, chewing to completion. "They say one doesn't truly appreciate life until faced with the presence of death."

He didn't continue until he had well-torn into the eclair, nearly finishing it from one end to the other. He curved his fork across the flat of the dish, capturing the escaped cream... bringing it to his lips, he dragged his tongue across the grooves, lapping up the excess sweetness. He set it down, took another sip of his tea, and continued.

"I remember one thing in that black void... always present, always looming high above like some... omniscient symbol. A pair of hands, belonging to some higher deity or gatekeeper of my destiny. Perhaps a symbolic metaphor for a mere grasp of hope, the possibility of freedom looming a mere hand's reach away. I remember the other voices crying out, probably reaching for those same hands... but I saw nobody else. At that moment, I realized fate had not finished with me; I had life still left to live, people to come back to. I reached for them, and bid my freedom... never felt the touch, but I woke back up in a distant land, from what felt like a long-running dream. From that moment on, I vowed to be the greatest I could be, to drink in every drop of life's riches. To put myself on a grand pedastal, never to fall again into the depths of the abyss."

"Perhaps you enjoyed yourself a bit too much last year." Elisabeth firm but honest in all things. "To live life to the fullest is a respectable virtue... but like all things, moderation is necessary."

Ash chuckled nervously, setting aside his nearly-eaten pastry. "I... may have gotten drunk on life a bit. Perhaps I was too... immature... to handle the overwhelming sensation of being granted a second chance at living. My thirst, my avarice, nearly drove me to revert back to the old ways..."

"...And I was there to pull you back." Elisabeth almost unconsciously swirled her cup.

"That you were, my dear. That you were. I feel remorse for what happened to the Asamiya girl, but am equally grateful for it. It was an outstanding measure of the generosity fate has had for me. I could have easily been punished: maybe damned to a second oblivion. It was a lesson hastily and auspiciously learned... I'm not taking those chances anymore. I made you a promise... and if my fate is to spend the rest of my days in this comfort, then when my time comes, it'll be a life well spent, with no regrets and zero loose ends."

Elisabeth took a sip of her own. "Though we forget and move on... others are not so forgiving. There may be some who feel you haven't served your penance, that there are matters left... unsettled... from your previous tenure."

Ash gave a dismissing wiggle of his fingers. "They mean nothing to me. While perspectives are a full circle, and their sides of the story do bear legitimation...I choose to discard them. I choose to be selfish, to consider my interests and mine alone. I've earned the right to. And I say... the power of love overwrites all outstanding debts and balances~"

Elisabeth chuckled softly. "Perhaps you're right."

As they reflected on the words shared, Ash overheard another body emerge from the water. He smiled. "Monseiur Duo! Surely you have an opinion on this philosophy of the moral finances of rewritten life, and the taxed transgressions of old."

Duo Lon, still dripping head to toe, especially in his long, unrestricted mane, spread out a towel across the foldout chair, before laying down on it, stretching his long legs out, not bothering to cover up, as he basked in the warmth of the sun to dry his droplet-riddled body. He found his favorite pipe and lighter nearby, igniting it, pressing it to his lips. After a deep inhale... he spoke, the words expelling smoke through his lips.

"Like most things, I think there are nuances to how to judge a human being. To look at ones past actions as a sum of their moral fiber theoretically can determine a life worth forgiveness or punishment, but there are cases where the lines aren't so clearly defined. I use Ron as an example, a man I once adored and respected, who showed great kindness and wisdom to his youngers... to betray my love and trust the way he did is something I swore I'd never forgive. But as you're discussing now... what if he'd been destroyed, and yet granted a second chance? What if he cast aside his past sins and lived a new life of recompense? I'd be forced to measure my own soul, what I'm capable of... but at the end of the day, such hypotheticals are meaningless. Ron is an evil person, who murdered the people he was supposed to guide, and sold out his believes and traditions for what he thought was an easier path to personal gratification. That's him. But that's not you... at your core, you have a kind soul, who attracts companionship and the affection of others. What you did was... complicated... but even then, I saw the eyes of Ash Crimson, and they weren't the eyes of a murderer, a betrayer, a madman. Just as I see you now... I find comfort and trust in your presence. And because I do, that's the answer to whether you're worthy of amnesty in the second life you're granted."

Ash grinned wide, almost goofily with his teeth. "Awww Monsieur Duo~" He got up from his seat and loomed over to where Duo was laying... wrapping his arms around the still-dripping man, he leaned in and planted a rather slow, sensual kiss on the cheek. "There are reasons we keep you around, and not just because you're attractive." His fingers appeared to linger on Duo's chest for a moment after saying that last line.

Duo said nothing, just continued to smoke... but the tiny smile on his lips couldn't be hidden, as he watched Ash stretch out a few times, and approach the water.

"Wellll I think it's about time to go for a dip myself~"

Elisabeth eyed him warily. "You've been stuffing your face. Shouldn't you wait a while?"

His back still turned, Ash's face cocked around just enough... that Elisabeth could see his sly, charming smile.

"Well as you said, my darling, moderation is key... I'm just going to soak my feet a bit."

After having come to that startling, disturbing conclusion, two people among them began appropriately freaking out.

"You're kidding me, right? YOU'RE KIDDING ME RIGHT? TU DOIS TE FOUTRE DE MOI!" King cursed aloud.

Hyena was blubbering against Lien's chest, his face crammed between her bosom. "WE CAN'T LET HER DO THAT LIEN WE GOTTA STOP HER W-WE GOTTA GOTTA GOTTA GOTTA-"

"Get that giant schnozz out of me!" Lien crushed his nose between two fingers, bending it at an upward angle, as she forced his head backwards.

Hyena rubbed the afflicted area, as he whimpered with tears. "Don't let her crash a ship into my home, Lien! Pleeeeeaseeeeeee...!"

Lien groaned. "Will you SHUT UP!"

Joe lifted his hands. "Okay, this is gonna sound bad, but... at least she's only trying to take out one guy-OOF!"

Mai elbowed him in the gut. "Joe, so help me god..."

"Even if its an isolated incident, the damage would be severe." Adelheid explained. "And not just the destruction or the lives at risk... the Bernstein reputation. We'd get blamed for the incident, regardless of who was at the controls. Our name would be shamed, disgraced... Botan will get her wish, twofold."

"It's not just that, either!" Nakoruru chimed in, her face fearful. "This catastrophe... what if its enough to upset the balance again? After our hard-fought battle against darkness... this could plunge us right back in. We can't let that happen!"

Heidern nodded. "You're all correct. The death of Ash Crimson, the disgrace of the Bernsteins, the risk of innocent lives, lawmen among them... this could shape up to be particularly ugly."

Mary stepped forward. "Then its time we stop standing around gawking at it, and take action! Now let's get up in the sky!"

"We still don't know what we're dealing with." Athena tried to introduce logic among the passion. "How many are onboard, their positions... if we go in blind, we could get starched."

"I can help with that." Nagase grinned, adjusting her spectacles. She reached into her yellow coat pocket, and pulled out a tiny... it looked like a...?

"Is that a..." Joe started.

"Dead bee?" Terry scratched his head.

"It's a surveillance drone, idiots." Nagase held the tiny yellow bug up in the light. She gave it a small tap, and the device suddenly sprang to life, hovering out of her hand, buzzing with a life of its own.

"Alright Bumblebee, go!" Nagase sent the insect into the sky, where it flew off into the distance, very quickly becoming a speck that vanished.

"Okay, so you keep a robot bee in your pocket." Shingo stated the obvious.

"I also have a little froggy for ground recon." Nagase nonchalantly stated, as she looked at her wrist attachment, pressing a few buttons and knobs... apparently she could use this to screen the bee's optics.

"So we've got eyes in the sky." Heidern announced. "Now we need a boarding party. Ai. AI!"

It took two shouts from the commander to snap Ai out of the game she was playing. "Y-y-yes!"

"We're gonna need you for this. Get as many people into your balloon as you can." Heidern turned to the fighters. "As for the rest of you, my men are in no shape to take on this assignment. I'm gonna need volunteers."

"If Ai's going, I'm going. No way around it." Yuki raised his hand first.

Heidern nodded. "That's two. Who else?"

"I don't suppose you're gonna let me up there." Mary assumed.

"Mary, seriously..." Terry argued.

"Let us handle this, Mare!" Mai stepped up. "You've done enough. Me and Andykins can tackle this one. Infil, neutralize, exfil... sounds like a job for a couple of ninja."

"M-Mai!" Andy objected. "I didn't agree to this! And I don't think you should either!"

Everything seemed to pause. Mai turned to him slowly... her mouth agape, like he had said something crazy.

"Andy... you... how could you even... I can't believe what I'm hearing right now."

Andy seemed firm by his ideals, folding his arms. "Mai, we've been through all manner of threats and dangers this week. It's the last day of this cursed tournament, and you're still intact. I want to keep it that way! I don't want anything to happen to you now of all times, when we're nearly free of this nightmare! Just let the others handle it!"

Mai gave him the most fearsome of frowns. "Andy... that's incredibly selfish of you."

"It's anything BUT selfish!" Andy countered. "I'm just looking out for your safety!"

"Well maybe I don't need you to!" Mai fired back. "And if you really want to look out for me, you can get on that ship with me."

"Maiiiiii..."

"Andy..." Mai closed her eyes, took a deep breath. "I never thought I'd have to play this card."

"Oh no, you're not getting me with your feminine wiles."

"Andy... if you quit being stubborn and volunteer with me... when we get back to Japan I'll give you a Soapland Special."

"...A Soapland Special?" Joe echoed.

"...A Soapland Special?!" Athena gasped.

"...A Soapland Special?" Terry inquired.

"Oh, I've seen those." Shingo casually started to describe. "That's where a Japanese girl covers her naked body in soap and-URRFH!" Benimaru slapped a hand over his mouth before he could continue.

Andy's face was red as fresh marker on a whiteboard. "...Alright, lets just get this thing done."

"Yeeeee I knew you'd come around, Andy~" Mai glomped him, pressing a huge kiss on his lips.

"So that's four." Heidern nodded. "Athena... we could really use your Psycho Power up there."

Athena saluted. "Then consider me there." She looked over at Chin, as if to receive some kind of silent consent... a nod from the old man was all she needed, and a smile spread on her lips.

Adelheid stepped forward. "I have to go."

"Adel..." Heidern quickly disapproved. "Son, there's no way you can take them on in your condition."

"I have to fly the Sky Noah." he justified. "There's no choice in the matter."

Heidern frowned. "Just leave the fighting to the others."

FLUTTER!

They all recognized that sound: the flapping of wings. A few black feathers rained down, and it was a quick giveaway as to who was once again making their unwanted presence known...

A black crow poofed in mid-air, suddenly taking human form, landing on his feet... at his side, two colleagues touched down, one red, one blue.

"I'll take part in this assault!" Jyazu declared heroically. "Getting up to that ship will be no problem for me... and I'll show no mercy to whoever threatens the Bernstein noble. My talons will stain with their blood-"

"Cool it, Bird Brain. It's not that kind of mission." Mary shot him down. "We don't need you for this."

Jyazu spun to face her, offended. "What? Don't need ME?!"

Heidern tried to join in. "This is strictly non-lethal, we can't afford to have you slicing up-"

"DON'T NEED ME?! I'm the only reason you're alive right now!" Jyazu ignored them, rambling. "Don't forget who it was that helped you defeat that abomination at the Stadium! Don't need me... ha! Fine then! Consider my debt to the Bernsteins repaid! You'll not seek me out or take aggressive action against my clan in the future. I trust you ALL to honor this agreement. Come! Gozu! Mezu! We're leaving for good!"

As quickly as he showed up to make an ass of himself, so too did he leave just as quick, morphing back into a black crow, flying off into the distance. Gozu and Mezu kept up with him as best they could.

"I don't know who I hate more, Silber or that guy." Mary grunted.

"...I'll join you up there."

Another dark figure nudged his way to the front of the line... it was Lin, the fallen Hizoku deva...a man who, just days ago, had taken a contract to eliminate the siblings.

"Lin?" Beni questioned.

Lin faced Heidern, then Adelheid, bowing humbly. "I'll protect Adelheid with my life. It's the least I can do to atone for my crimes... and for Seth, my friend I betrayed. Please, grant me this chance."

Adelheid approached him warily, intense eyes focusing on Lin's... he saw unwavering conviction in the Hizoku assassin's eyes, and the man nodded. "I see sincerity in your eyes... I trust you."

Lin bowed. "I thank you."

"Anyone else?" Ai called out. "I can probably fit one more."

Lien initially seemed indifferent to the whole fiasco, but her eyes narrowed more and more with intensity... she cut her eyes to Hyena, who was staring her down with the most pitiful puppy eyes ever mustered, two streaks of tears trailing down. She sighed wearily... and stepped forward.

"Fine, I'll go."

This was somewhat of an atomic bomb of a reveal; all eyes flocked to her in a flash, some gasping, some mouths dropping. Hyena's face changed instantly to pure joy, as he tried to fly at Lien with a glomp, his face aimed at her breasts... an extended fist from the blonde quickly put that notion down.

"And exactly what stake do YOU have in this?" Mary was the first to give absolutely no benefit of the doubt.

Lien gave a small one-shoulder shrug, flipping her poofy hair. "I've been a bit of a cunt this week, no ways around it... might be worth my while to have some karma going in the other direction."

"You're full of it!" Mary went on. "Heidern, we're not seriously gonna buy into...?"

"Look. I'm just offering to help." Lien snarled. "But if you want to be ungrateful, then you can all get tossed. Means cack-all to me."

"You know what? You CAN go." Mary bit back. "I'd rather you risk your life than one more person I actually like!"

"Fine then. Shut up and sod off." Lien turned away and approached the other seven on standby. She was immediately getting some hateful looks from the group.

There was one in particular, however, who had a more curious face than anything... a man she interacted with the nights prior. Someone she had talked to, briefly fought alongside... ultimately betrayed.

Though they appeared calculating as ever, there was no malice in Lin's eyes as he spoke. "How ironic that we'd be meeting again so soon, much less fighting together again."

Lien retained her usual expression. "Hopefully our motivations are more in tune for this one."

"I don't know why you're coming along... but I trust that you have no reason to be on the wrong side." Lin calmly responded.

"I have my reasons." Lien turned away as she said this: a visual cue that the exchange was over. Left with her own thoughts, a menacing smile curved on her lips.

My days of being someone else's chess piece are over... a lesson I intend to teach that puppetstring-pulling twat personally.

"Alright, so that's settled." Heidern got their attention back. "Bee girl, do we have eyes in the sky or not?"

"Keep your beret on, old man." Nagase grumbled. She started fiddling with her wrist panel. Okay, accessing the live feed..."

A screen flipped open on her wrist gadget, revealing a POV shot of the beautiful skies above, almost completely blurred out by some big, dark contraption. "Yup! Bumblebee's in position. Activating infrared..."

Up in the clouds, the tiny yellow drone's eye glowed red; beams shone from the optic sensors, painting the exterior of the Sky Noah.

Back on the ground, Nagase's camera now had a unique interior view of the airship: everything a dark crimson hue, while anything that breathed with a pulse would glow with their body heat. They all waited diligently, for Nagase's next report... like waiting on test results from a doctor, an anxious bite gnawed at their stomachs.

"Hurry it up, data whore." Lien jabbed.

Nagase rolled with it and gave one back. "You're the last one who should be using that word. Okay, multiple heat signatures onboard, all over the ship. Fully armed. Definitely some kind of special forces. Maybe GSG9."

"Damn..." Terry cursed. "Doesn't matter how powerful a fighter you are. A bullet's the ultimate equalizer."

Nagase continued to play with her wrist device, perhaps remotely commanding the drone to change positions as she willed. After several seconds, she spoke again. "I'm seeing two more weird signatures on here...one male, one female, unarmed. Exquisitely dressed. They don't look like law enforcement."

Adelheid's hand found a weary forehead, and a sigh grunted out. All eyes fell on him for the answer.

"Oh god...Rose was planning a victory banquet. She already had my name on the cake."

"Well, it should be an easy fix." Joe chimed in inappropriately. "I mean, Iori's only four lette-"

"Shut UP, Joe!" King elbowed him.

"If those two are onboard, could complicate things." Mary worried. "8 might not be enough now."

"We did alright against them the first time." Lien made a distasteful reply with a sly smirk, earning the ire of some eyes.

"See if you can get eyes on the main deck." Heidern commanded. "We need to see who's flying this thing."

Nagase nodded. "Alright, adjusting..."

Adelheid bit his lip intensely, in anticipation... this was more personal for him than anyone else could possibly understand. A violent, vengeful, suppressed side of him wanted to hear a certain name be uttered.

After several minutes of controlling the drone, Nagase finally spoke again. "Alright, i got on the eyes on the deck! There's a guy with a hat controlling the ship... some long-haired person standing right next to him. That's the only two signatures on the deck."

"A hat?" Heidern questioned.

"Looks like a blue-collar type uniform."

"The janitor?" Mary echoed the absurdity. "How would he know how to fly the ship?"

"...Because SHE'S controlling him." Adelheid growled. "Where is she?!"

Nagase shrugged. "Dunno man, I haven't seen her."

"FIND HER!" there was a desperate, angry tone in his voice.

"Adelheid!" Heidern's sharp voice snapped him out of it. "There's no time... we know what we need to know now."

Adelheid breathed to calm his nerves. The situation was getting to him; a combination of the circumstances, plus the fatigue of the week. The desire to crash onto the bed of his home was immense... and here it was, being stolen. It made him anxious, impatient, borderline reckless.

Regardless, he calmed his mind long enough to take a few steps forward, turning around, to face the other 7 that had agreed to go with him. "Everyone... a word please."

Silence filled the air, and all eyes fell on him, as an intense sincerity shone on his face. He spoke.

"It's not fair what I'm asking of you... for that, I am sorry. A gun's quick, easy... one bullet can take you away from the people you love. And yet, these men are innocent, not in control of their actions. They're my countrymen. We can't strike them down with prejudice, and we can't murder. Only ONE person on that ship must be brought to justice... and I'll be the one to do it. I know the circumstances are extreme, and difficult... but I beg you. Help me one last time. Help me get my home back. Help me get my... OUR lives, back to normal. I promise I'll repay you all accordingly. Are you with me?"

He stood there in silence, awaiting any facial suggestions, any deterring signs. He was pleased to see that not one of the seven was looking like quitting... a small smile tugged at his lips.

"Thank you all. Ai... we're ready."

That was the gamer girl's cue to finally get things started. "Alright, here we go! JOY JOY BALLOON!"

Using her mysterious and brilliant technology, the gamer girl again wowed the spectators by materializing aerial transportation right before their eyes, in the form of a large red hot air balloon, this one extended in size to compensate for the extra passengers.

"That's never not impressive." Benimaru grinned with awe.

"Um, how exactly are you all gonna fit in there?" Malin questioned. "Some of you take up a LITTLE more space than others, if you catch my drift." She seemed to eyeball Lien as she said this, before cutting eyes to Mai as well.

"Stuffing you in here wouldn't take up an extra square meter." Lien insulted. "You little half-pint midg-"

"DON'T... say...that word." Malin had her knife out in seconds.

"Will you all chill out?" Mai stepped in, calming the situation. She got a bright look on her face, and abruptly DIVED into Andy's arms, the ninja extending his arms to catch her on pure instinct. "I'll just sit in Andy's lap, that'll free up some space~"

"Y-yeah... eh...hehe..." Andy chuckled nervously, Mai in his arms. He now had something else to worry about taking up more space.

"Everybody in, let's go." Yuki urged them all into the balloon, where he was the last one to hop aboard. Miraculously, the eight of them were indeed able to fit, with the assistance of Andy sitting down, and Mai straddling him. She made sure to take advantage of the situation, hanging her arms around his neck and pressing herself against the flustered man as seductively as possible.

"How are we gonna catch up to the Sky Noah in this thing, pardon me asking?" Athena politely questioned.

Yuki got a bold smile. "That's where I come in... EVERYBODY BUCKLE UP!"

"B-but there's no seatbelt-EEEEK!"

From Yuki's wrist cannon, he fired a massive blue beam into the atmosphere, jettisoning the balloon into the sky and giving them essentially the same effect as afterburners on an aircraft. In the span of seconds, Ai's balloon had launched forward with turbo speed and was well on their way to meeting the massive flying fortress in the skies above.

"WOOOOOOOOOOOOO HERE WE GO!" Mai whooped, flailing her legs, enjoying herself perhaps a bit too much. "MAI SHIRANUI TO THE RESCUE! NIPPON ICHI!"

"D-d-don't move around so much!" Andy pleaded, for multiple reasons.

"Welp, there they go..." Mary spoke with a hint of malaise, a disappointment that she was coaxed to sit this one out. She breathed a loud, fatigued sigh...

...It was then that she noticed a big, black thing in her peripheral vision. She turned her head and nearly jumped at the surprise of who was standing next to her, casually, one hand in pocket.

"R-Ryuji!"

"Hey Blue." he nonchalantly greeted, not even turning his head.

Mary's shock wore off in seconds, replaced by a more static, frowning expression, indicative of her current feelings towards his presence.

"Got a lot of nerve showing up here. What have you been up to?"

"Ah, just helping Big skip town with the prize money. We stole it."

"You're very... forthcoming with that information."

"Yup."

A moment of awkward silenced passed, neither of them looking at each other. Mary at last broke the silence again, figuring that he wouldn't make the first word.

"And you thought it a good idea to come back here... why?"

"...I had to make sure they're dead."

For reasons she didn't quite understand, she got an unsettling pit in her stomach when he said that. She knew his affiliation, though it went largely unspoken, and it was always an awkward and unpleasant subject to discuss.

"They ARE gone, right Blue?" there was a particular emphasis of desire in his question.

Mary's expression intensified. "Yes... they're gone."

A cheesy, yet diabolical grin spread wide. "Perfect. Hehehehehe... you f***ing dumbass Yashiro. I told you fools I'd come out of this the winner. I always do. At the end of the day, only one of us gets to keep on living and breathing... and that one is Ryuji motherf-"

"Hey Ryuji?"

Yamazaki turned to answer her, and the next thing he felt was 53 million volts turn his muscles to jelly. The last thing he heard as a conscious man was the clicking of handcuffs.

Shoutout to illyrilex, and her 53 million volt taser lol. Love ya, girl. Also shoutout to Writerperson, who loves to have Duo Lon smoking fancy pipes.

Don't look up Soapland, it's NSFW. And its not very female-friendly.

NEXT CHAPTER: A motley band of 8 heroes are on their way to stop the Sky Noah's path of destruction. Will they be able to find a non-lethal solution to the situation, while also hunting down the one actually guilty? FIND OUT NEXT TIME!

I meant to put in a Bonus Scene, with the Sky Noah, and the janitor being all possessed and going "mwa ha ha ha" but... I just don't feel like it. See you later.