Author's Note: We're back to the two Japans again. This time, I ended up doing something a bit different. I like how this development turned out. I think I am going to enjoy seeing where this goes this season. I also can't wait to introduce 2P!Okinawa this season. You are going to have to stick around and see. I have the next two weeks planned out. For now, enjoy this week's match.

Match Three: Hashihime:

He's all but taken over his home. Japan was folding up in the palm of his hand. Ikebukuro was the first to fall. It wouldn't be long before the rest of Tokyo would fall into place. There just needed that little push to make things go faster and smoother. However, Kuro still had a minor hiccup in his plans. (Well, there was another one. We will get into that one later.)

Kiku is part of him, but he still fights to get free. His voice was still loud in his head. Kuro tried to ignore it at first. But now, it was getting worse. This will not do. Kuro clicked his tongue.

"Now you listen to me," he growled in the mirror. "You and I are one. I refuse to have you defying me!" He looked up to see a frightened look on Kiku's face. Kuro shook his head. This was going to take some work. He clicked his tongue.

"Look," Kuro said. "I don't want to hurt you. It doesn't have to be like that. So make this easier for all of us. Be a good boy and play along. Otherwise, I will have to resort to… well… unsound methods. You don't want that, do you?" Kiku didn't respond.

"Heh," Kuro said. "That's what I thought." He straightened up his clothes and walked out of the room. His counterpart watched him from the mirror. His stomach dropped.

"You can't do this to me. You are ruining my life. You're going to hurt my friends! You have to stop doing this!" Kiku pleaded.

"I said, shut up!" Kuro snapped back. His voice was so loud it shook the room. Kiku coward back in his prison. His other self bowed his head.

"Do forgive me," he said. "I didn't mean to yell. You pushed me to do that. Now, please. Behave yourself today. I am meeting with some rather important people. I refuse to have you go and fuck it up. So don't get in my way, okay?" Kiku went pale as he stared at him.

"Okay?" Kuro asked with his voice dripping with acid. There was a cold fire in his eyes. Kiku lowered his head.

"Yes," he said in a whisper. Kuro smirked to himself.

"Good," he said. "I'll see you in a few hours." He walked out of the room and shut the door behind him. Kiku was left alone in the dark. He sank down to his knees. The Japanese clutched his chest as tears ran down his cheeks. He started to pray to himself. However, Kiku knew that it would be pointless.

Just like the rest of the world, he had no idea how bad it was going to be.

-Kuro-

He's got some business to do today. Kuro straightened up his kimono. He called up some really powerful friends over the past few weeks. The Japanese man gave them an offer they couldn't refuse. Some of them were skeptical.

"Why should we trust you?" one of them asked. Kuro smiled over the phone.

"Why do you come by and see?" he asked. This man had everything set in place. It was time to play the game.

But first, he had an uninvited guest to deal with. Alfred sat across from him with a curious look on his face.

"Who exactly is Juzo Oze?" he asked. Kuro gave off a dry laugh.

"Heh is that all you want to know?" he asked. "Are you asking about the man or his art?" The American man shrugged.

"Both, I guess," he said. Kuro could just rush him out of the house if he wanted. However, that would raise too much suspicion. Best to humor the man for now. In the worst-case scenario, Kuro could use him as a prop in his discussion with the men he was meeting with.

"Come on, you have to get specific here," the Japanese man said. "Why do you want to know about that guy? You an art collector or something?"

"No," Alfred said. "It's just my neighbor. She restores art and she got like a huge sum of money, dude."

"Ah," Kuro said. "Let me guess. You got curious and had to know. And the Google search was too intense. So you came here. Is that right?" Alfred didn't speak at first. His eyes shifted away from him.

"How did you know?" he asked in a quiet voice. Kuro chuckled.

"He has that effect on everyone," he said.

"But who is he?" Alfred asked. The Japanese man gave him a smirk.

"How much time do you have?" he asked.

"I don't know," the American man said, shrugging.

"Heh," Kuro said. Allen's counterpart was an interesting person. This guy wasn't the brightest one out there. Still, he could provide some uses. The trick was figuring out how and where. That was going to have to come later.

"Oze is part of an underground art movement," Kuro said. Alfred raised an eyebrow.

"What is that?" he asked. The Japanese man made a face as he shook his head. Not really that bright is, he?

"Do you really need an art history lesson?" he asked.

"No," Alfred said. "Can you give me a TLDR version?"

"TLDR?" Kuro asked.

"Too long, didn't read," the American man said. The Japanese man took a moment to think.

"Too long, didn't read," he repeated. "That's interesting." He might have to use that for later.

"Okay," Kuro said. The whole time, he kept his eyes on the clock across the room. His potential partners were going to be here any minute. It didn't look like he was going to get Alfred out of the house without raising any alarms. Alfred was going to have to be a prop in the meeting.

"You've seen the art, haven't you?" Kuro asked.

"Yeah," the American man said in hesitation. He shifted in place with discomfort. Kuro smirked at his reaction. This is going to be more interesting now. The Japanese man leaned in closer with a hungry look in his eyes. Now this was what he could work with. Kuro had the power to win over people for connections. One skill for this to work involves talking. From there, he could turn on the charm. Alfred looked like an easy mark for his plans. There was only one way to test this out.

-Kiku-

He's stuck in here. Kiku can still hear the voices. His captor wasn't alone.

"That sounds like America," Kiku said to himself. He tried to look out in his glass prison. All he could make out were shadowy figures. They looked to be sitting around a large table. Kiku strained his ears for a listen. He could barely make out what they were saying.

First, there was something about Oze Juzo. Something that name put a shiver down his spine. He didn't want to think about what brought him up. However, that was nothing compared to everything he could gather.

Twelve voices were in his living room. Eleven of them were Japanese. Alfred barely spoke in the group. In fact, he sounded confused. Probably because everyone else was talking in Japanese so fast. Kuro did most of the talking. Kiku's stomach turned at how smooth his counterpart sounded.

Please… Don't listen to him. He's lying to you.

They cannot see the truth. Kuro tells his guests a funny story. They laugh. Alfred doesn't get it. Wait… Alfred is still here. Could it be possible?

Alfred! Alfred! Alfred, can you hear me? Alfred! Alfred!

There was no response. Kiku's heart sank but he couldn't give up. Sena was gone for the day. This had to be his only way to reach out.

Alfred! Alfred! Alfred!

There was a pause. The American man said something before he got up. Kiku's heart pounded in his chest as he ran to see what was happening. To his surprise, he could move in this prison. Standing was work but the running came easily. Kiku spotted another opening up ahead. He made it in time to see Alfred looking into the bathroom mirror.

"Kiku?" the American man asked.

"Alfred!" his friend shouted. He started pounding on the glass. Alfred had a confused look on his face.

"What are you doing in there?" he asked.

"He trapped me in here!" Kiku said in desperation. "I can't get out of here!" Alfred tapped on the glass.

"Why did he do that?" he asked. The Japanese man dropped his head.

"He's trying to take over my life," Kiku said. Alfred didn't seem to put the pieces together. There came a knock on the door.

"You okay in there?" Kuro asked. Kiku held his breath.

"Yeah!" Alfred shouted. The American man turned on the faucet. The other Japanese man could breathe.

"Just give me a minute!" Alfred shouted. Kuro didn't say anything as he walked away. The American man waited before turning down the water. Kiku bowed his head.

"Thank you," he said.

"So… what do you want me to do?" the American man asked. Kiku dropped his shoulders.

"I don't know," he said. "Please don't trust Kuro! Do not believe his lies! He's going to take over everything about me and erase me. I'm not crazy! You have to believe me!" Alfred gave him a sympathetic smile.

"I will be careful," he said. "And I will find a way to get you out of there." Kiku looked down at his hands.

"I don't think you can," he said in a quiet voice. Alfred was about to speak when there was another knock on the bathroom door.

"Are you finished in there?" another man's voice asked. Alfred turned off the water.

"Uh… yeah! Just a second!" the American man shouted. He opened the bathroom door. A Japanese man in a black suit and glasses looked up at him.

"All yours," Alfred said. He walked away as the Japanese man stared at him. Meanwhile, Kiku found himself alone in the bathroom mirror. He sighed and walked back to the mirror in the bedroom.

However, there was one more threat he should've thought about. That particular threat was making her way toward the house.

In fact, she was just outside now.

-Kuro's Wife-

The elegant woman walked up the stone pathway. She could sense her husband nearby. The house looked giant compared to her. The other her still wasn't back yet. Good. The woman took a breath and made her way up to the house. She knocked on the door with a graceful smile on her face.