I do not own Infinite Stratos nor do I own Rurouni Kenshin. All rights respectively go to Izuru Yumizuru, the author who created Infinite Stratos, and Nobuhiro Watsuki, the author of Rurouni Kenshin.

A manmade spaceship of unknown design that is crewed of 8000 personnel, IS pilots included, roams between the stratosphere and the mesosphere of the earth. This ship mostly lies in areas of space where satellites cannot detect its presence. Equipped with five powerful engines, two hangars, energy and kinetic shields, stealth system, long-range sensors, and more turbo lasers than an admiral could ask for, it is a ship of enormous design yet also very alien-like.

Very few know what this massive spaceship is. But they have given it a proper codename for it.

Revenant.

Deemed more a fortress of a warship, it is Phantom Tasks' primary and mobile headquarters as they could not afford to be in one place at once. Even going underground was not an option due to limited room to maneuver about.

But in space, there was plenty of room to move through.

Within its halls, a beautiful woman with flowing midnight blue hair that reaches her waist, with a large wing-like ornament attached to the left side of her head and behind her ear, walks over to the bridge. She is tall with a feminine figure, and her hair is pinned back on the side with a wing shaped hair pin. Her pale skin is contrasted by piercing emerald, green eyes. Her attire is very formal, wearing a white dress with gold and navy detailing. On her belt was a small wooden sculpture of what looked like a Norse goddess attached to her left hip, along with a Nordic knife, and a Sig M17 holstered on her right.

At the front of the bridge stood Edea Crownsworth, ready to greet her guest. And behind her was Kikiyo Inazumi, or as she is codenamed by the name of her IS, Sound Wave. The communications officer of Phantom Task and one of the Archon's first followers. Her background is a total mystery, but everyone knows that she has taken up a vow of silence and her face is completely obstructed by the visor in front of her. The reasons for them are a complete unknown.

The woman walking across the bridge kneels before Edea and greets her master. "Archon Edea Crownsworth. I live to serve."

"Rise, Sigrun," The Archon commands as the woman named Sigrun does so. "Loyalty such as yours is a rare commodity."

The woman named Sigrun agrees proudly. "Mine runs deep and true as the Valkyrie Queen. Yet it is not loyalty alone that brought me here."

The Archon was curious. "Oh?"

"I seek confirmation of one of our sisters whom you sent on a mission and was captured by the enemy as a result."

"How did you learn of these events?" asked a curious Edea.

"As the first of the Valkyries - those who survived Project Valkyria - it was my duty to ensure the status of each and every one of my sisters. When I had learned what became of Olrun, I learned she was sent to the IS Academy on your orders, only to learn of her defeat at the hands of the Kingslayer and of her capture by the JSDF. All of us, including myself, have grown furious at such an atrocious act."

The Archon, aware of what had transpired, turns to Kikiyo Inazumi who displays footage of the events on her visor. It showed the battle footage from the IS Academy long ago, taken by Kikiyo who was in the air and spying on events from high above the stratosphere. The battle footage that showed the Mark III IS Golems led by Olrun, one of the Valkyries.

"It is true Olrun was defeated at the hands of Hitokiri Kingslayer and his accomplices," Edea confirmed watching the footage before it ends with Olrun held prisoner. "Though not in the outcome I had anticipated."

That information though was enough for Sigrun to be convinced. "Then, by all the nine realms, Hitokiri Kingslayer and all those who follow him on this accursed world will pay."

Edea agreed to her loyal officer's words. "The Kingslayer and his allies will indeed be punished for their crime, and many others against us… how and when I see fit."

"But My Lady—"

"Conflicting agendas will only result in chaos and failure. You would be wise to remember that, Sigrun. You and your sisters are under my command now and as such, you must follow my lead."

Sigrun was forced to accept her master's commandment. Being denied the opportunity of vengeance by her own choosing did not sit well for the Valkyrie Queen. If her master will not grant her the vengeance she seeks, she will do so alone.

OP song: Suara – Hikari (For reference, look up on YouTube Utawarerumono Futari no Hakuoro trailer)

Kimi e no omoi wasurenai you ni (The first scene begins with a pair of hands grasping a red and black ribbon divided by a white line adorned with a pair of gold and silver bells. The camera soon pans out to show the said person grasping that ribbon)

mune fukaku kizamikomu kara (The person holding the ribbon is revealed to be Houki, underwater and in her IS suit as she closes her eyes, keeping the ribbon, revealed to be Akatsubaki in its standby form, close to her heart before the bubbles cover the screen)

(Opening title is introduced as Infinite Stratos 2)

Arifureta hibi wo tobikoete yukeru (Chifuyu watches from the balcony of the IS Academy the sunrise before a gentle wind blows her hair.)

habataku yuuki wo motteru (The sun's ray hits her eyes before she adjusts her sight)

Mada minu sekai ni tobidashite yukeba (Tabane Shinonono travels via a carrot-shaped airplane, colored in orange with a green tip, as it travels across the skies and she heads towards the moon)

nanika ga kitto matteiru (The camera pans over to the moon before it shifts down to Houki in her IS Akatsubaki, facing forward as her hair is blown by the wind)

Tamerau hodo no kizu wo oottemo (A blue meteor-like object falls to the arena of the IS Academy, creating an explosion of water, before revealing Tatenashi Sarashiki in her IS, Mysterious Lady, as she twirls her spear as the lake water falls like rain)

akiramenaide subete ukeireyou (Kanzashi Sarashiki appears in a holographic world in her IS, Uchigane Nishiki, while holographic data surrounds her)

Kimi e no omoi wasurenai you ni (Camera zooms down to a battlefield just beginning between IS Golems and the gang. Laura is the first to attack as she descends and slices a Golem with her wrist blades before using her cables followed by her rail gun. Rin parries a Golem with her Souten Gagetsu before taking off its head in a spin)

mune no naka fukaku kizamitsukeru(Ichika appears to take out one Golem before he dodges an incoming attack and dismantles another. The next scene cuts to Charlotte and Cecilia prepping their sniper rifles to fire.)

mezasu mirai wo yasashiku terashite (Raiden and Madoka, without their IS, engage in a close quarters weapon combat, Raiden using the Sakabatō and Madoka using the Mugenjin. After a couple of hits, Raiden is thrown high into the air from another hit from Madoka before he backflips and deploys his IS and fires his ion blasters at Madoka. Madoka, in turn, dodges while activating her IS, Black Knight, and flies up to Raiden to engage him again with her fusion cannon on her right arm deployed)

hikari hanatsu hoshi no you ni (Madoka and Raiden clash, creating a violent explosion before the next scene switches over to Luxembourg ten years ago, where Hitokiri Kingslayer stands by the steps to the destroyed Royal Palace, his back to the camera as Luxembourg is enshrouded in flames by Phantom Task, with a massive warship looming overhead as its IS pilots are deployed like a squad of fighters)

(Miriam Walker is shown in front of the CIA headquarters building in Washington DC as the camera moves upwards. Akane Fujimoto is shown on Omega, overlooking one of the poor districts from her apartment, with a cigarette in her mouth. Squall Meusel is shown in her bath robe sitting on the edge of her bed smirking at the camera, with Autumn sleeping naked in the background. Edea Crownsworth, the Archon of Phantom Task, sits upon her throne overlooking the world within a spaceship. Chifuyu is then shown in the deep recesses of the Academy, looking at the White Knight IS kept in storage and locked down, her hand on the glass)

(Raiden is shown next as he turns around with his Sakabatō before sheathing it before he is replaced with the title of Infinite Stratos 2.)

Kyoto, Japan. An ancient city that has remained the same as it was for centuries. Once he capital of Japan long before ethe introduction of the Infinite Stratos, today it serves more as a cultural tourist attraction for both tourists and natives. But for Raiden, Kyoto holds a lot of memories, both good and bad.

As Raiden is dropped off by the taxi, he arrives in front of a large corporate yet military-like building. Entering inside, he finds a large foyer with only a few waiting chairs and a receptionist desk that he approaches.

"Name and ID," The receptionist asked.

"Raiden Hataru. IS Academy."

Raiden then introduces his ID over to the receptionist who takes it and has it scanned in the system. While a normal ID would've sufficed, an IS Academy ID was acceptable in places like FEISAR. After all, every female employee working at IS corporations, at least to public knowledge, came from the IS Academy.

"Alright. Someone will be here to get you," The receptionist said as she hands back Raiden's ID.

And right on cue, someone did arrive to retrieve the blind lion. A fourteen-year-old girl who has light red eyes and somewhat tanned skin, along with shoulder length salmon pink hair that is tied into a half ponytail on the left side using a ball with the same winking skull and crossbones motif as her glove. Because she was at a different school, she wore a school uniform including a blazer, as well as a glove that has a winking skull and crossbones logo on the back of the hand. She has very curvy hips, and short but rather shapely legs.

"Ah, Sayaka," The receptionist greeted. "They sent you?"

"Directly from the top," The girl named Sayaka answered. "Maverick and Trixie said to have our guest here meet them at the office."

"Well then, he's all yours."

"Okey dokey. If you will follow me, Mr. Hataru, we'll take the elevator up to the top floor where the boss is."

Sayaka beckons Raiden to follow her into the elevator where the car takes its time going up to the top floor where the CEO was waiting.

While in the elevator taking them to the top, Raiden asks Sayaka, "So, how long have you been with FEISAR, Sayaka-dono?"

"Well, for a while now. Years more like. I've been here since my brother and I were little."

"You have a brother?"

"Yes. His name is Jake. Jake Jackson."

Upon hearing that name, Raiden stiffened. He never thought he would meet the little sister of the one whom he destroyed his entire squad years ago. Nor did he ever imagine that Jake had any family.

"Jake and I were found and cared for by Trixie and Maverick. We've been working for FEISAR ever since to repay our debt. But after my brother's previous mission where he lost his squad to Hitokiri Kingslayer, it has not been the same."

"And… you haven't heard from your brother since?" Raiden asked cautiously.

"Not since he disappeared off the radar. After the last mission which very nearly killed them, my brother went mad with PTSD and developed an obsession to find the Kingslayer and kill him. There's been no word from him for years. Not even rumors."

This was even more troubling for Raiden. Last semester, he heard from Laura Bodewig that Jake Jackson went missing after the decimation of his squad. And it has been an exceptionally long time since then. Not to mention that Raiden has had no run-ins with Jackson even before attending the IS Academy. But he gets a small feeling that in meeting with FEISAR, fate will draw Jackson to him, and an old wound will resurface for both men.

And whoever comes out of the next fight will either live to tell the tale or take the darkness to the grave.

The two soon came in front of the door leading to the CEO's office. Sayaka presses a button on the comm next to the doorway to ring and communicate.

"I've brought him," Sayaka said over the comm.

"Thank you, Sayaka. You are dismissed," A male voice replied.

Sayaka then turns around to say to Raiden, "Alright, I'm gonna go head for a bath. See you later, Raiden."

Raiden waves goodbye as Sayaka takes off.

Once inside the office of the CEO, Raiden finds at the desk a man in his fifties, Russian, and wearing a formal, blue-collared suit with a navy jacket and no tie. The two buttons above him were open, expressing an openly honest man but also intimidating to say the least.

Right next to him was a young woman in her twenties, with grey eyes and black hair with two strands running down the side of her face. She also wore casual military clothing, with pants in camouflage colors and her shirt being army green.

"Good to meet you," Maverick greeted Raiden. "My name is Maverick. I run FEISAR. And before you say it, I know who you are, Raiden Hataru. No, Hitokiri Kingslayer."

Raiden tenses briefly, somewhat surprised that the head of FEISAR knows him. Then again, he did leave quite a mark on their best squad years ago.

"They say that you were actually coming," The woman said as she steps into the room. "But I didn't think they would be true. My name is Trixie, by the way. Head of a military recon squad closely associated with FEISAR."

Raiden stands down as he relaxes. "Seems as if you have never forgotten, that you have not."

"Even if you come back to Kyoto discreetly and protected by the government, people who know, know," Maverick stated. "Please, take a seat."

Raiden does so as Maverick continues. "Now then, during your solo trip, did you run into any sightings with Phantom Task?"

"No, I haven't. But the fact I haven't means…"

"It's just as you suspect. Phantom Task is here in Kyoto, their Monochrome Avatar Direct Action Cell to be precise. To that end, I fortified and enhanced our security and defenses in case we were ever attacked by them again. But so far, they have not made a move on us. For now, I have recon units across the city looking for any sign of them and to ensure that the IS Academy students are protected once they arrive."

"The Academy students?" asked a perplexed Raiden. "What do you mean by that?"

"One of our contacts at the Academy told us of a field trip planned by the Brunhilde," Trixie revealed. "They're expected to be here in 36 hours."

Raiden's reaction was filled with mixed feelings. On one hand, he anticipated that Chifuyu learned of his sudden departure and organized some sort of field trip to Kyoto with the class to get him back. On the other hand, this was the last thing he wanted from his friends at the Academy. With them on their way to Kyoto and into enemy territory, it will put their lives in danger. And when Phantom Task strikes, it will make it difficult to protect them and engage the enemy.

But to have any hope of survival for them means Raiden must secure an uneasy yet necessary alliance with FEISAR and complete his training in Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū.

Maverick then gets straight to business. "Raiden, as one who has not been in Kyoto for the past ten years, the reason why you came now… Could it have something to do with your former handler, Squall Meusel?"

Raiden nods. "And my former partner, whom you know publicly as M."

"I knew most about the structure of Phantom Task before the Archon took control and modified it. I did then, and I still do now. Even though the Board of Directors was destroyed by the Archon's hand, some of their original structure remains. When I heard rumors of a supposedly dead American Special Forces in league with terrorists, and of how she had a hand in creating Hitokiri Kingslayer, I couldn't believe it. But now that you've shown up, it's a completely different story. It's no coincidence that you've arrived at the same time Squall Meusel has."

"Then that means you heard of the assassination of the Minister of Defense, then?"

"Everybody has. And the world right now is thrown into complete chaos thanks to this turn of events. But for those of us in Japan, the deciding factor will happen here in Kyoto of where everything goes once the fires have died down. For the time being though, you have special access to this facility and its resources until Phantom Task is out of the area."

Raiden understood and accepted. "If there is one thing I wish to ask of you in exchange for your gratitude…"

"Of course," Maverick nods.

"I want you to find a couple of people for me. Arai Soka and Hiko Seijūrō. I would like you to find the two of them as soon as possible."

"I understand. I will have my people get on with this immediately. In the meantime, I want you to see something for yourself regarding your actions against us. Trixie, if you would…"

Trixie complies as she walks to the door and beckons Raiden to follow. "Follow me."

With that, Raiden bows and leaves with Trixie, but the head of FEISAR watches intensely as the former hitokiri leaves. He had just scored a major and risky opportunity here to have the Kingslayer here in his HQ. But he knew, as did Raiden, that this alliance with FEISAR is temporary at best and there are no illusions otherwise.

It's only a matter of time before their interests diverge.

Back in the elevator, going a few floors down, Raiden and Trixie stand side by side, watching the level numbers change as the elevator car descends into the building.

"Where are we going, if I may ask?" asked Raiden.

"The medical wing. Like what Maverick said, there's something you should know about."

Once they exit the elevator, they make their way down what seems to be an endless route of hallways and corridors. The silence between Raiden and Trixie was not so at all awkward but rather the fact that at FEISAR, everybody is on high alert with the Kingslayer here. As such, as they walked by some of the staff, many of them were looking at Raiden, recognizing who he was.

To take his mind off of the stares, Raiden breaks the silence to his escort.

"How close were you with Jackson?" asked Raiden.

"I am an old friend of his and Sayaka's mother," Trixie explained. "I found him in Sierra Leone long ago when on tour and took him in. I then trained him and helped to clear his mind of the horrors of the past. Except for your involvement with his squad."

"Does Sayaka know the truth?" asked Raiden. "Not of her brother but of who I am?"

Trixie shakes her head. "No. It'll be too much on her. And no-one here bears any thoughts of resentment and aggression towards you for that day. We all know that Hitokiri Kingslayer was a tool, and that Phantom Task and their cooperative partner, Raven Head - our true enemy -was the one behind it all."

"Raven Head? I never heard of them."

"A shadowy group. They control the PMC that we are rivals with. That's all you need to know."

They came at last to a room where it was an empty space with a two-way mirror attached. A mirror that was covered by curtains electronically.

"We are here," Trixie said as she then opens up a two-way mirror, one that looks inside the medical wing. But what Raiden saw was a complete shock.

There were four patients in the wing, lying on their medical beds and fitted with not just bandages but also IV tubes filled with bags of nutrients, medication, and one other substance that was black in color.

"Are those…" he asked hesitantly.

"Mimi, Lola, Synatra, and Freya," Trixie revealed in that order of which they were lined up. "The members of Jake's squad."

Raiden was absolutely stunned. The squad he thought he killed years ago was in fact still alive. Recovered and cared for by FEISAR since.

"They live? How is this possible?"

"Perhaps you should ask them," Trixie points to the door to the side, which led inside to the patient room.

Once they step in, the atmosphere immediately becomes tense. All four patients looked to see Trixie, and then behind them was Raiden, whom they all kept an eye on since they recognize him by the blindfold and long silver hair.

"Hitokiri Kingslayer…" Synatra greets with an expression neither warm nor cold. "Have you come to finish us off?"

Raiden merely responds humbly, "I am not here of Phantom Task's bidding nor that of any other government agency, that I am not. I am here of my own will."

Lola however grunts, "As expected of Laura Bodewig. She told us you were coming to Kyoto, and we happened to be here."

"Laura-dono informed you?" asked a surprised Raiden. "I didn't think she knew anyone outside the German military."

"We go a few ways back. All of us here do, including our captain."

"I didn't come to apologize. Not that I think you were looking for one, that you are not."

"If you did, it would be an eternity before we would be able to forgive you," Freya answered.

"Here, here," Mimi concurred. "Nobody at FEISAR is very happy to see this."

"I am surprised though that you four live," Raiden said. "Last I heard you were dead."

"Almost," Synatra stated. "If it weren't for this stuff given to us by the captain. Call it a gift, if you will. Nova 6, distilled and synthesized to create a healing product."

"Nova 6? You mean the same stuff coursing through Jackson's veins?"

Freya nods. "Like Syn said, it's been distilled, synthesized, and experimented to create a healing product for us. Instead of burning us, it heals us of our extreme wounds. Nova 6 was purified to separate the healing properties and formed into a super concentrated bi-product compound that gives an adrenaline and enhancing boost."

Raiden takes a closer view of the IV Bags that contain Nova 6, the chemical inside Jake's blood, distilled and synthesized, in its trial phases as a healing product, along with nano repair paste for their larger wounds. While experimental, the results so far have been healing the squad of their grievous wounds from years ago. This compound is what had essentially saved them from death.

But soon Raiden asked a rather critical question to Trixie. "Who else knows of their survival?"

"You're the fourth to know," Trixie said. "Maverick and I were the first ones to know. Sayaka was second."

"You haven't told Jackson about this?"

"After the incident, Jake disappeared. We have not heard a word from him since."

He then turns to address the four pilots. "Well, I wish for the four of you for a speedy recovery. From one victim to four others."

"Just for the record, Kingslayer, this changes nothing," Lola informed. "And we wouldn't have it any other way."

Raiden nods in agreement as he takes his leave with Trixie. There's enough bad blood between him and FEISAR and neither he nor them would want to encourage it any further. If he was ever going to be forgiven by them, much less trusted, he would have to prove that he is no longer of Phantom Task and not the same assassin he was years ago.

Once Trixie leads him to the guest room, Raiden sees that it merely contains a twin-sized bed, small bathroom, refrigerator, and desk.

"These are your guest quarters. Modest and small but it is the best that we can provide."

"It will serve, that it will," Raiden acknowledged with a smile. "Thank you, Trixie-dono."

"Don't thank me yet," Trixie reminded. "This is just day one. Now get some sleep. Sayaka will be there to pick you up in the morning."

Raiden enters his quarters as Trixie closes the door. Once settled, he takes his sakabatō out and lays it on the table before taking a seat on the bed.

'So Chifuyu and the others will be on the way. Along with the rest of the class. This fight has become more complicated now. But if we are lucky, and we usually are, we'll drive Phantom Task out of Kyoto.'

Laying down on his back and pulling the sheets over him, Raiden grabs some shut eye. But as sleep takes over for the lion, he cannot help but feel he is being watched. And not by FEISAR no thanks to a security camera in his room.

But high in the skies above FEISAR HQ, the Valkyrie Queen Sigrun watches Raiden from the window.

THE NEXT MORNING…

"Wake up, Raiden, it's morning!" Sayaka said upon entering the door loudly. "Oh, you're up already? I wanted to see your sleeping face for once!"

Raiden was already up, adjusting his non-Academy outfit consisting of a navy-blue kimono with a light gray umanori hakama, zori, and white tabi. His sakabatō is worn tucked under his obi at his left hip.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, that I am, Sayaka-dono," Raiden greeted. "Maverick has called for me."

"Perfect. I was sent by him to retrieve you. Sounds like your talk with him isn't finished?"

"Something like that."

Once the two head over and enter Maverick's office, they find both him and Trixie waiting for them by the former's desk.

"Good morning, Raiden," Maverick greeted. "I'm sorry about waking you this early over the comm, but I have some news you would want to hear."

"I'm listening," Raiden said sitting down at the seat.

"We've found the whereabouts of one of the two men you are looking for. Or rather, we found that one is no longer alive."

"What?" asked a stunned Raiden.

"The swordsmith who created your sakabatō, Arai Soka, has already passed away from asbestos."

This was a giant bombshell dropped onto Raiden. Just months ago, he spoke to Arai Soka and received the sakabatō from him. He never knew that the blacksmith was dying of asbestos, a severe cancerous disease commonly found among blacksmiths.

"Uh, Maverick?" asked Sayaka. "Why does he need to see a blacksmith?"

"We've both noticed that his sakabatō has taken some severe damage, both as a regular sword and as an IS weapon," Trixie revealed, pulling up a hologram of the weapon and highlighting how bruised and scarred the sakabatō has been through. "And because of its unique construction, no IS engineer could ever repair the weapon. It was why he asked us to search for him, to have it be repaired."

"But if that swordsmith is already dead, then a sakabatō will never be repaired."

"But there is hope," Maverick said, perking up Raiden's gaze. "Soka has a son, Arai Komada, whom he taught all his skills. How about it? Do you want to visit him now? I can have Trixie and Sayaka accompany you since his shop is about half a kilometer away from HQ."

"Are you sure you wish to travel with me?" asked Raiden. "With Phantom Task in the area, won't it be dangerous?"

"They'll make their move sooner or later, even if we run and hide," Trixie said. "The sooner we get your sword repaired, the quicker you can prevent your old handlers from inflicting harm on your friends, yes?"

Raiden nods in acceptance. "Very well. We should set out then."

No sooner said than done did Raiden, Sayaka, and Trixie head out, walking down one of the many pathways of the Higashiyama District over to the location of the blacksmith shop. About one of the few left in Kyoto anyway that make authentic katanas.

Trixie proceeds to speak a history lesson to both Sayaka and Raiden regarding the blacksmith. "Arai Soka. His family are swordsmiths that date back to the Edo Period. At the time the Infinite Stratos was coming around, he was approached by some Japanese IS companies for his swordsmith abilities to create katanas for the Uchigane. While he began with top-notch skills, he began designing unusual swords to kill well, rather than just to cut well. So, he became an outcast from the swordsmith industry."

"So, a swordsmith who makes sword that kill made a sakabatō that cannot kill?" asked Sayaka. "I don't get it."

"At first glance, a man's life may sometimes contain many contradictions. According to our sources, Soka passed down all his secrets to his son. There were hopes for him as the next great swordsmith, but there are now few orders for IS swords to be made since the katanas are not only replicated, but also preserved for training purposes. Now it seems his son, Arai Komada, makes a living by making knives, farm scythes, and other daily tools. Maybe he can repair your sakabatō or create a new one…"

By the time the trio arrived at the blacksmith shop called the Arai Knife & Sword Company, it was a simple shop that showed an array of kitchen knives on display. All of them authentic and all of them hand forged. The family of blacksmiths goes back to the Sengoku period, having forged katanas for samurai for generations. Those samurai include but are not limited to daimyos and shoguns.

"Excuse me!" Raiden called out. "Is Arai Komada around?"

Suddenly, a child, no more than three years old, pops out behind the counter. "Yes!"

"ORO?!" All three of them went wide eyed at seeing a child at the front of the house selling knives.

"Komada?" asked a bewildered Raiden to an equally puzzled Trixie.

"Well…?"

"Here, shak hanz, shak hanz," The child cries out with his tiny hands toward them.

"Shak hanz?" asked Raiden.

"Does he mean shake hands?" asked Sayaka.

That made Raiden realize, "Oh, shake hands, that it is. Here!"

Raiden brings out his hand to shake the hand of the child. A gentle grip and shake were needed just to keep the kid entertained.

"Now, Naoto, don't mess around," A motherly woman soon appeared from the doorway. "Oh, welcome. My name is Tsugumi. What are you looking for?"

Raiden then asks, "May I look at one of your kitchen knives? Would it be alright if I tried cutting something, that it is?"

"Of course," Tsugumi replied while holding her son, Naoto.

As Raiden takes one of the knives in his right hand, he then picks up a large piece of branch with his left. And then he makes a cut onto the branch, perfectly slicing it down. But what was next was beyond shocking, perhaps mystical.

Taking the two broken pieces of the branch, Raiden fuses them back together and the branch is made whole. The scar of the cut faded away and was practically nonexistent.

Sayaka was jaw-dropped. "What the?! What just happened? How did that—"

"Modoshigiri, the return cut," Trixie surmised. "To cut something without destroying any of the cell structures, one can put it completely back together. It's an advanced technique that requires a great sword and a skilled swordsman. To be able to do with this with a kitchen knife. As expected of the Arai family."

"That's amazing! Then Arai Komada can make a new sakabatō!"

Raiden then asks, "Tsugumi-dono, may I speak with your husband, Arai Komada?"

Tsugumi, however, was hesitant, knowing of her husband and his family reputation. "Well, I—"

Another voice soon calls out from the side of the house. "Dear!"

A thin man with a bob cut wearing a blue kimono and pants with a black sash around his waist appears. "Pleased to meet you. I'm Arai Komada."

"You're Komada?" asked Sayaka as she gets a good look. "You don't look like I thought you would."

"Actually, I get that a lot," he sheepishly responds. "I overheard your conversation. You said you needed to speak to me?"

Raiden then turns to Trixie and asks, "Trixie, will you and Sayaka keep Tsugumi and her son company? I want to speak to Komada-dono alone."

Trixie nods in understanding. "Of course."

Once alone with Komada, Raiden speaks first. "Let me say first that I'm sorry about your father. I had no idea he was dying the last time I met him."

Komada gives a small smile. "Thank you. Nobody really knew it was asbestos. He kept it private from everyone, even his own son."

"You never knew?" asked a surprised Raiden.

"By that point, our relationship became estranged. Though he still lived with me and my family, he mostly resided in his workshop working on his craft. One day, we just found him slump over by his forge, already dead."

Raiden felt a mix of sadness and peace. To see the blacksmith slumped over at his forge would either mean he died alone, or he died at peace and with content. Either way, he would never get to fulfill the promise he made with Arai Soka.

"I never got your name by the way," Komada said.

"Raiden Hataru. I was an acquaintance of your father, and he gave me this weapon: the sakabatō."

Raiden then pulls out the sword for Komada to examine and already, true to his blood, Komada could see his father's handiwork in it.

"Yes. This is indeed one of my father's experimental works. But he labeled it as a piece of scrap and sought to get rid of it. Seems like you've been using this katana a lot."

"Indeed. Your father told me to meet with him in Kyoto should this katana be in such disrepair. But it seems like I arrived too late."

Komada responds, "Yes. My father passed away about three months ago. We had him buried just recently but I haven't visited his grave since then. I've been more focused on making a living for my family to help us get through these tentative times. Especially with my son."

Raiden, feeling sympathetic to the family situation, humbly responds. "Then I will not indulge you of my request to repair my sakabatō."

Komada was surprised. "I'm surprised. I thought that's exactly why you came here."

"It was. But seeing as how you are now living peacefully with your family and making a decent living, even a sakabatō that cannot kill is an instrument of violence and war. I couldn't bear for you to make such a thing. I'm sorry to have brought you a futile request."

He breathes a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Hataru-san, for your understanding."

The two men smile as they return to the girls. Raiden then addresses Sayaka and Trixie, "Come on, you two. Let's go back to headquarters."

Sayaka, confused, asks, "Huh? Already? What about your sword?"

"Komada-dono desires peace with his whole heart. My request to him was selfish, that it was. The search for a sakabatō with either must begin again or be forgotten."

And so, the three departed, returning to FEISAR HQ. As they do though, Arai Komada and his wife look at the three's backs, reminiscing on this latest encounter.

"That swordsman…" Tsugumi noted. "I wonder why he came all this way? You didn't think that perhaps you could give him your father's last katana."

Komada shakes his head humbly while smiling, "No, that's all right. In this new era of peace, there is no need for katanas."

HOURS LATER…

A Rolls Royce Ghost, colored in black with a gold outline, suddenly pulls up in front of the blacksmith shop. Once parked, the driver opens the door and steps out, revealing none other than Sigrun, dressed in casual attire of a formal blue suit, walks into the shop.

Arai Komada, while checking his stock on the shelves, turns to greet his newly arrived customer.

"Hello, may I help you?" asked Komada.

"Arai Komada…" Sigrun greeted. "The blacksmith whose father made the sakabatō."

"Ah, y-yes, that is my name. To whom may I have the pleasure of speaking to?"

"My name is Freya. Freya Högnisdottir," Sigrun introduced herself, using her birth name. "It is an honor to finally meet you."

Sheepishly, Komada replies, "Ah-haha, forgive me, but uh, unlike my father, my reputation is not that outstanding to begin with."

"Of course. No offense intended. I merely spoke of what was already common knowledge."

"So then, what can I do for you?" asked Arai.

"Forgive me for saying this but there is only one thing I wish to buy," Sigrun said as she pulls out a Sig M17 and points at Komada. "Your life."

"Wh-what?!" asked a stunned Komada as he raised his hands up in fear, which was then witnessed by his wife from the other room.

"Honey, wh-what's going on?" asked a fearful Tsugumi, hiding her son away.

"Tsugumi, stay back!"

"Do not worry. I didn't come for your family. I only came for you. And not to buy one of your products of which I respect its craftmanship. But if you come with me, I promise to leave your wife and child alone."

"H-How can I be sure you won't just shoot them?"

"Because the only way to get you to comply with my demands is for you to either come with me, or they suffer a non-lethal injury to the shoulder. And besides, I was hoping for your wife to go to FEISAR and inform them of these events, along with the location of where I will be taking you as hostage."

Komada then realized, "You're trying to draw someone out…"

Sigrun confirms, "Indeed. Your most recent customer, Hitokiri Kingslayer, who came here looking to reforge his sword but decided to revoke it."

"If you come with me, I will leave your family alone and ask your wife to bring the Kingslayer over to Maizuru Port. No one will be harmed, not even you. You will merely be held prisoner by my hand without injury, because the Kingslayer is the only one I want."

Komada, fearful for them as he looks to his wife, asks, "You swear not to harm them?"

"I am a woman of my word. So, what will it be?"

But Komada would protect his family from all harm without the need for violence. So long as his wife and child were left untouched, then he would have no choice but to go with Sigrun. It was either that or let him and his family suffer.

Arai Komada then made his decision.

AT FEISAR HQ…

Sayaka was frustrated. And she directed it all to Raiden. "Arrgh! You're too nice, you know?"

"Oro?"

"If you leaned on him a little, he would have done anything for you. You could see it in his eyes, in every word he said – that guy was a wuss."

Raiden however disagreed. "No. I have no right to force myself into Komada-dono's peaceful life."

Trixie agreed. "Even if he forced the blacksmith to make a new sakabatō it would be poor work. If he faced Phantom Task with a blade that is a rushed order, then his death would be certain. The new sakabatō has to surpass the old one and even then, chances of that are down to the wielder's skill and mindset. Besides, I think we have an alternative to this."

"An alternative?" asked Raiden.

"We've had a good scan at your IS and much of it is severely outdated for being a generation 2.5. With your permission, we can have our engineers retrofit and modify it to your needs. Including a few new weapon systems considering the upcoming battle you will eventually face."

Raiden did not take any time to consider the options. "Agreed. This battle with Phantom Task will no doubt test my limits and morals, especially if they will try to kill me."

'This is the best. If Komada had agreed to make my sakabatō, then Phantom Task would have eliminated him and his family. I don't want this family living in the Reiwa era to be involved in this struggle. Nor FEISAR here. No matter how much hospitality they offer me, there is still bad blood between us for what I did to them. Once I am finished here, there is one more person to visit, and then I will take my leave.'

By the time the trio head back to the headquarters of FEISAR, they were hearing a voice from behind.

"Hataru-san! Hataru-san!"

The three turn around and see Tsugumi, holding her son Naoto in her arms, running at full speed. Her facial expression was one of panic and worry, not to mention the exhaustion of running for so long to get help. By the time she meets up with them, she collapses to her knees in exhaustion.

"Tsugumi-dono?" asked a surprised Raiden as he kneels down to her level. "What's happened? What's going on?"

"Hataru-san, m-my husband… He's been kidnapped!"

"What!?" exclaimed Trixie and Sayaka.

But Raiden gasped in shock from those three simple words of hearing that Arai Komada has been abducted.

A SHORT TIME LATER…

Once Tsugumi calmed down and was led to a guest room, she had explained everything that had happened at her home. Of her husband's kidnapping by the woman who held him at gunpoint and took him to Maizuru Port. Her unique description of her, from her face down to the clothing she wore, made Raiden realize who it was.

"Sigrun, the Valkyrie Queen."

"You know her?" asked Sayaka as she plays with Naoto.

"Not personally," Raiden revealed. "The Swedish gave her the code name Valkyrja, meaning 'chooser of the slain'. She was commander of a naval fleet with the Swedish Navy before being discharged due to her compatibility with the IS. However, instead of attending the IS Academy, she went rogue and joined Phantom Task. As such, like the rest of her sisters from Project Valkyria, she is fiercely loyal to Phantom Task's cause. Sigrun has no doubt returned to Phantom Task's headquarters to pay allegiance to her true master: the Archon."

"Hope she's enjoying the visit. Because it's going to be her last," Sayaka said.

"Hold it, Sayaka," Trixie calmed down her subordinate. "Any strike we make against Phantom Task must be carefully measured as a team. Lest we risk endangering civilians."

"But we can't just sit here while the blacksmith is kidnapped and held hostage!"

"Which is why we will put out a call of evacuation of the town first before going in. It will help reduce collateral damage."

Doors open as Maverick soon enters into the guest room with a datapad in hand. "Ah, there you are."

"Maverick," Trixie greeted. "This is Arai Tsugumi, wife of Arai Komada, the blacksmith we recently visited. Her husband has been kidnapped and taken to Maizuru Port."

"I know. We just received a message from the kidnapper. Directed to you, Raiden."

"It's from Sigrun, that it is," Raiden deduced. "What does it say?"

With a few beeps of the datapad he was carrying, Maverick plays the message from Sigrun.

"Kingslayer, I know you are out there listening. I have a proposition for you in exchange for the safety of the blacksmith. Meet me at these coordinates… if you have the heart."

The next screen showed an aerial map of Maizuru Port, with a red dot beeping and indicating who it was referring to.

"That must be where the blacksmith is being held at," Trixie said. "But where's the kidnapper's location?"

"That we have yet to determine," Maverick said. "All we know is that she is somewhere in the port. Raiden, your thoughts?"

"Considering this is the Valkyrie Queen, it is likely she will be on a high perch watching us. Valkyries are like birds of prey; they observe and strike where we least expect it. And Sigrun will not have placed Komada-dono in such a location without some form of indemnity."

"Agreed. Which is why, Trixie and Sayaka, you will accompany Raiden to Maizuru Port and rescue the blacksmith."

"Finally, some action!" Sayaka was excited. "Raiden, how do we defeat this Valkyrie Queen?"

Raiden however was somber. "We cannot. She is more powerful than me, that she is. The best we can do is for me to keep her busy while you two rescue Komada-dono. Once you have him, get him out of there and I will be right behind you."

"What? That's suicide! You just said she is more powerful than you!"

Maverick intervened. "He's right. He will have to keep the Valkyrie Queen busy while you two get the blacksmith and run. His family will stay here until the situation has been dealt with. But the question then is, how exactly will you keep her busy, Raiden?"

"These shipping containers stacked around the bay are like a maze. I can lead her on a cat and mouse chase, that I can. Once I disable her wings."

"Then we have a plan. Get ready, you three. You'll leave in one hour tops."

Raiden then goes over to Tsugumi who holds her son Natoo in her lap. "Tsugumi-dono, I promise I will bring your husband back alive, that I will."

"Thank you, Hataru-san," Tsugumi nods. "And please, come back alive for yourself as well. My husband would feel miserable if you were left behind."

Raiden nods in understanding. He'll get Komada back to Tsugumi and Naoto alive or die trying.

MAIZURU PORT…

Once the three arrive at Maizuru Port via one of FEISAR's trains, they arrive to see the town in the process of evacuation. Thanks to FEISAR's warning, everyone was able to hop into the next town over at Takahama to the east. They didn't have any time to pack their belongings as they were forced to drop whatever they were doing and leave immediately. Not everyone left though as the town was about 90% evacuated.

Sayaka takes point with a signal tracker in her hands while Trixie and Raiden cover her back and front. While Raiden had partially deployed his IS to bring out his ion blasters, Trixie was carrying a custom M16 Carbine complete with reflex sights and silencer attachments.

"We are close to population," Trixie stated. "Remember, not everyone has evacuated yet so check your fire."

"Understood," Raiden said.

"Komada is just up ahead," Sayaka said as she looks at her datapad map.

After making a left turn, the signal soon becomes stronger and stronger and the three soon find who they are looking for.

"Ahh, Hataru-san! Help me!"

Arai Komada hands were held up and magnetically strapped to one of the abandoned houses, with a vest strapped to his chest. A vest that carried an improvised explosive device with a timer on it.

"Crap…" Trixie muttered. "Sayaka, get to work on disarming the bomb. I'll see if I can get these magnetic clamps off him."

"Will do!" Sayaka said as she takes a look at the bomb vest.

"Have you diffused one of these before, Sayaka-dono?" asked Raiden.

"No. But let's see what we got." Sayaka gets a good look at the bomb on the center of the chest, she realized that this was no ordinary improvised explosive device. This was carefully designed to make it complicated. "Fail safes, dummy leads, booby traps… it's a work of art."

"C-Can you get it off of me though?" asked Komada. "I-I don't want to—"

"Don't worry," Sayaka interrupted. "I'll do whatever it takes. I am a bomb specialist after all."

"P-Please hurry!" pleaded a distressed Komada. "The timer started as soon as you got here! We've only got about five minutes left!"

"Just stay calm and let me focus," Sayaka said. "We'll get you free!"

From far away and keeping an eye on events unfolding from a perch she set up, Sigrun watches in her IS, Nemesis Angel. The design of it was unique and imposing, sporting a palette of red and black. It sported a claw-like weapon on its right wrist and a whip on the left that could be deployed at any time. On the center chest piece was a green emerald-like jewel and its head piece was crowned like an imposing helmet worthy of the Valkyrie Queen. The most intimidating factor are the wings, red for its main color with a black outline that looked more akin to that of a devil rather than angel.

(Author's Note: The IS is designed based off of OZ-13MS Gundam Epyon)

Just then, as Sigrun continues watching, her comm link turns on, indicating a call from the Revenant that was above Earth's orbit.

"Sigrun, where are you?" asked the Archon Edea Crownsworth over the comm.

"Merely pursuing my vengeance, Lady Archon," Sigrun responded immediately.

But the Archon, standing at the bridge of her warship Revenant with Kikiyo Inazumi behind her, was displeased at her Valkyrie Queen and second-in-command going AWOL. "Did I not order you to stand down?"

"Forgive me, my lady, but it is my hope that vanquishing Hitokiri Kingslayer will earn your approval."

"A former hitokiri like the Kingslayer is not so easily killed. And I will not allow you or anyone else besides Madoka to terminate him."

Sigrun persuaded her master otherwise, keen to exact her revenge. "I assure you, Master, in but a few moments, the Kingslayer and four others will lie broken and defeated before me."

Edea relents, with a mix of reluctance and annoyance. "I will allow it, Sigrun. In honor of your defeated sister Olrun, but only this once."

With that said, Edea cuts the comm link and turns to speak to Kikiyo. "I will be quite surprised if we ever set eyes upon Sigrun again."

Back at the ground, Sigrun looks to see Trixie and Sayaka trying to disassemble the bomb and free Komada. But as she looked through her scans, Raiden was missing.

"Where is the Kingslayer?" Sigrun asked herself.

Then she heard a voice call out in the distance. "Sigrun, if you are anything like your Valkyrie sisters, I know that you value loyalty and honor above all else, that you do."

"Is there a point to your bluster, Kingslayer?" asked Sigrun out loud.

Raiden, hiding behind a container nearby, replies, "Only that the Archon and Madoka know nothing of those principles. They live solely for destruction and conquest, that they do. But there is another path: deactivate the bomb."

Instead of heeding his offer, Sigrun conjures up an M-179 Achilles, hops off her perch, and fires at the Kingslayer's position. But Sigrun soon realizes that Raiden predicted her move and was now on the run. This was going to be a cat and mouse chase between the blind lion and the Valkyrie Queen.

Back at Komada and the bomb, Trixie manages to disable the clamps holding Komada's wrists to the building he was attached to. By passing electric current to demagnetize it, she is able to break the arms free of their holdings.

"Magnetic clamps are off. How's it going over there, Sayaka?"

"Not good. This IED is so well designed I can't tell which wire to pull without killing all of us."

Komada, however, was more concerned about his would-be rescuers. "Just go. Get out of here and take care of my family!"

"Not a chance! We made a promise to your wife to bring you back alive and we're not breaking it."

"But if you cannot disable this thing, then only Sigrun can."

The sounds of the battle between Raiden and Sigrun were getting louder and louder. While the blasters were nowhere near the trio's location, the fight was starting to get intense.

"Blaster fire is getting closer," Sayaka said in annoyance, "I thought Raiden was going to keep that Valkyrie busy!"

"It's more than that, Sayaka," Trixie said. "He cannot kill her, and not because of their difference in power. Rather, he won't."

"No, he probably cannot," Komada bitterly agreed.

"What? What do you mean?" asked Sayaka.

"Raiden has sworn to be a rurouni who does not kill. It's forbidden for him to draw any katana other than a sakabatō."

"But… that doesn't matter at a time like this! I don't know what kind of killer Raiden was before, but he has to kill one more time…"

"That one more time is the problem. When you set him against a strong enemy like the Valkyrie Queen, the scales become balanced. Raiden is teetering on the edge between the rurouni who does not kill and Hitokiri Kingslayer."

But that statement sent a shock to Sayaka's eyes. "Trixie… what—what did you say?"

"You never knew this because Maverick and I did not want to tell you. But Raiden is the one FEISAR holds a grudge against. The one who took down Mimi, Freya, Lola, and Synatra."

"But that means—"

"Yes. He IS Hitokiri Kingslayer. If he draws his katana now to kill Sigrun, his heart will break its bonds. He'll slide down into the violent nature of the hitokiri and he will never be a rurouni again."

And there it was. The revelation that came down on Sayaka like a massive wave. She had only heard the stories of how the infamous Hitokiri Kingslayer took down her brother and his squad years ago. Of how one assassin from Phantom Task had managed to take down the most elite fighters of FEISAR and severely injuring them. Of how her brother went missing since that terrible day and has not been heard from in years.

But she did not think that all this time, she was standing right next to and talking with FEISAR's worst enemy. In the moment she learned of Raiden's real identity, feelings of shock, fear, betrayal, and pain ran through her. She realized that within FEISAR, six people knew the truth.

Mimi, Lola, Synatra, Freya, Trixie, and Maverick. And quite possibly her brother as a seventh.

And they all kept her in the dark about it. Phantom Task's presence in Kyoto may have been the excuse at the present but it does not justify the years of silence she had prior to meeting Raiden.

She will have to deal with her own emotions and confront both FEISAR and Raiden for keeping such a secret from her. But for now, she realizes that there was one thing that needed to be done. The timer on Komada's IED vest beeps louder at the one-minute thirty second mark. She tries to take off, but Trixie stops her as she grabs her wrist.

"Where are you going?" asked Trixie.

"To tell Raiden that we are out of time! We've only got one minute and thirty seconds left on that timer!"

"Sayaka, wait! Sigrun is the only one who can deactivate the bomb. And Raiden knows it too."

"What?"

As the three watch Raiden climb up a steel structure and stays hidden, Sigrun comes out from the maze and scans her surroundings, wondering where her prey was located. Around her, there was nobody. But from above, she heard a noise as Raiden comes down from above with his sakabatō drawn.

"Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryū – Ryū Tsui Sen!"

*SHINK*

And with one cut of his sword, the steel girder falls right on top of Sigrun. By the time Sigrun looks up though, it was too late.

"Ugh!"

Sigrun is soon crushed and held beneath the fallen steel girder.

Everyone soon surrounds the incapacitated Sigrun, with Komada and the bomb still attached to the vest, and Sayaka and Trixie pointing their weapons at the Valkyrie Queen's head.

"Sigrun, defuse the bomb or fall victim to your own device!" Raiden demanded.

The countdown was now reaching sixty seconds remaining as Komada began to panic.

Sigrun refused, still blinded by revenge as she glares at the former hitokiri. "I will gladly sacrifice myself to avenge my sister!"

"If you do that, then all you have accomplished will be for nothing. Phantom Task will lose a valuable asset and your soul will be beckoned not for Valhalla but for Hel for your dishonor. Along with ours."

"And the best part is…" Sayaka added to the point. "You'll never shake us."

This was ticking time bomb of a dilemma. Sigrun either swallows her own pride and pursuit of revenge to disarm the bomb, or she allows it to go off and kill her enemies along with herself. Among Phantom Task she was deemed the most honorable of the bunch, but even she had shown her dark side. But everything she dedicated in recent years was to find the Kingslayer and kill him in revenge for her sister Olrun. But would the cost be worth it in this situation?

The timer on the bomb keeps ticking down as fifteen seconds pass.

Finally, Sigrun yielded. "Very well."

Removing the steel beam crushing her, Raiden helps Sigrun up to her feet while she looks at the bomb strapped to the blacksmith's vest. All that needed to be done was a simple pull of the wire. But with so many fail safes, booby traps, and dummy leads, there was only one correct wire to be pulled and each wire was distinctively different.

But Sigrun, the bomb's designer, finds the correct wire and pulls it out, deactivating the explosive device and sparing the blacksmith and everyone's lives. The timer stopped at just ten seconds left to spare.

Arai Komada takes a deep breath of relief. "Thank you."

Sigrun kept her face remote, her left hand behind her back as she pressed a button she procured from her sleeve pocket.

Suddenly, a series of explosions goes off in the distance, catching everyone's attention. All the boats in the bay suddenly exploded one by one, loaded with enough ordinance to set fire to the nearby brushes on the shores.

But in the chaos of those explosions, Sigrun deploys her wings from her IS and takes off immediately. She was too far to be shot down nor tracked as she suddenly went supersonic once she got high into the air. And the Valkyrie Queen retreated back to her master's side.

"So, who do we call for cleanup?" asked Sayaka as she and the others looked to see the boats in the bay on fire and sinking.

Luckily, nobody was on the boats when they exploded but the destruction of such vessels will lead to a severe impact on the fishing industry in Maizuru. A problem for another day though.

Back at the Arai's family home, everyone was gathered in the family living room, sitting down and having some tea. Sayaka and Tsugumi were playing with Naoto while Trixie and Raiden had some tea prepared by the wife.

Arai Komada however was not present in the room. After being addressed to his wounds and reporting his traumatization to the police, he requested Raiden's sword and departed to the one place at his residence he thought never to set foot in: his father's workshop.

The blacksmith was hard at work at the forge. Fires burned hot, metal was being grinded, hammers were pounding metal on the anvil, and the sound of waters quenching hot burning metal ringed throughout the forge.

But a few hours later, Komada emerges with the sword in hand. The work was reflected by his sweat and soot plastered over his face.

"Sorry it took me so long," Komada apologized. "But I've done it."

"Done what?" asked Raiden.

"When last I examined your sakabatō, it was worn out and very close to breaking. Completely unreliable for a weapon to be used again. I was going to do a simple repair job but then I looked into my father's old works. And it turns out he had a blueprint made for a second sakabatō, complete with ingots and instructions."

Raiden was surprised. "You… reforged my sword?"

"Well, I had to do more than reforge it. I had to melt it down completely and reforge it into something new."

"I'm surprised you still remember those skills despite your vow never to make swords again," Sayaka said.

"Well, it was because of something I discovered in my father's instructions regarding the making of this sword. Look at the hilt."

As Raiden turns the blade, he sees an inscription written on the steel hilt of the blade behind the guard. On it was a Japanese inscription, a poem of sorts, written by Soka but instructed to engrave by his son.

'Slashing myself, I have trained countless blades. My son reviles, but for my grandson, I bleed.'

"Arai Soka spent years forging those swords, and it hurt as if he was slaying himself," Trixie noted. "And he did so even if it meant his child hating him for it, because it was going to do some good in his grandchild's generation. I supposed that Arai Soka engraved that on the ingots as his own epitaph and as a message for Raiden."

Komada replies, "I guess my father realized it somewhere along the way, that it was just his ego saying that swords created new eras. But, hoping that peaceful days would someday come, he had to betray his own emotions and keep forging swords that kill. Such a man as he was, my father left, with deep regret and a bit of hope, he entrusted me to forge this holy sword, Sakabatō Shinuchi."

"Shinuchi?" asked Sayaka.

"Yes," Tsugumi confirmed. "When you forge a holy sword, it is part of the procedure to make two identical swords. Kageuchi and Shinuchi."

"I see," Trixie understood. "So, there were two sakabatō swords to begin with. The second one simply needed the first blade – the Kageuchi – to begin the process."

"And this one is the Shinuchi!" Sayaka realized. "In other words, it's the sakabatō that surpasses the other one!"

"Please accept this, Hataru-san," Arai Komada offered. "You saved me from a terrible threat. And I'm sure my father would want you to have it as well to pay you back."

As Raiden ponders the new weapon before him, his mind flashes back years ago to meeting Arai Soka, the blacksmith who created all kinds of Japanese blades. Soka was infamous for forging period made swords and was even given an invitation to create IS katanas, but he declined. His reason? He would never make a sword for a weapon that was already a league of its own.

A fair reason, one might say. But Arai Soka was a man of pride and humility and always favored the more ancient and traditional ways of fighting and forging of weapons rather than let technology enslave him to the unknown future. It was that kind of attitude that Raiden had respected him for, even if their last meeting was not exactly an emotional farewell.

FLASHBACK BEGINS…

As the sun began to set over the horizon, giving way to an orange-colored sky, Raiden meets up with Arai Soka, unaware that this was their last conversation. The blacksmith carried a sword in his right hand and rested on his shoulder, with a low-cut hairstyle befitting a blacksmith.

"I heard you're heading to the IS Academy, Hataru," Arai Soka said. "They just announced the existence of the first male IS pilot, Ichika Orimura. The world is gonna enter a new age soon, and you're selfishly going to be part of it. Besides, you don't even have a sword! Where are you going? To do what?"

Raiden replies, "Soka-dono, I'm going to find a path where I can save those living in the new age without slaying men."

But Soka scoffs. "If there is such a path, I would like you to tell me. Don't run away now, after killing so many people! Live by the sword and die by the sword. There shouldn't be any other path for you, right?"

Soka soon unceremoniously tosses him the sword he had been carrying to Raiden, making him catch it.

"My parting gift to you," he said as he turned around. "It's a piece of scrap, but it's more than enough for you as you stand now. Try being a swordsman with that thing on your belt. I'm sure you'll find out the hard way, what an idealist you're being right now. If you can still say those sweet words when that thing snaps, come to Kyoto and find me once again."

As Soka leaves, Raiden examines the sword by pulling it out of its sheath, and sees it is a sakabatō. The first blade he had: Sakabatō Kageuchi.

FLASHBACK ENDS…

'Soka-dono… I still want to wager on those sweet words, just like you. So…'

"I will gladly accept this Sakabatō Shinuchi," Raiden said, taking it into his hands and feeling the weight of it.

"That it is!" cried the five-year-old son, surprising the former hitokiri.

But Raiden smiles upon seeing the child's face. Soka's grandson will never have to live a life of violent times. Not with his parents preaching for peace and not while Raiden fights to preserve it. And if taking this latest work of the sakabatō, created by the son of the blacksmith Raiden knew, will help him defend his loved ones and those he seeks to protect, then he will gladly wield it.

ONE DAY LATER…

On the Shinkansen, the IS Academy students were only a stop away from arriving in Kyoto. While for all the students this was an exciting trip to be planned, for a particular group, this was a personal mission to retrieve their friend Raiden.

Nevertheless, they kept themselves occupied with a myriad of activities. For Houki, she was busy in a card game of Old Maid with Cecilia, Laura, and Charlotte. And she was already on the verge of losing yet another.

"It appears victory is mine," Cecilia confidently smiled as she looks to the right to see Laura.

"I'll have the last laugh!" Laura retorted as she brings up the middle card and smirks.

"What!?" Houki is shocked at first before she looks at her deck, uncertain whether the middle card of her six cards was a bluff or the joker. If she pulls the wrong card, it is her loss. If not, then she will stay in the game, for now.

'I need to win this so that my honor remains intact! I don't care which group I end up with so long as I see Raiden today!'

"Here goes!" she cried as she grabbed the middle card.

Laura smirks at her tactic, while the samurai vixen groans at how she lost. Again.

Ichika, in a seat across from them on the other side, pulls out from his bag a camera. He figured that if he was going to be on a field trip, he should take some pictures while at it.

"Is that your camera, Ichika?" asked Charlotte.

"Yeah, I brought it from home so I could take commemorative pictures during the trip," Ichika replied.

"Commemorative pictures?" asked Houki.

"Yeah. Since I'm the class representative, I'll be off on my own taking pictures of scenery and stuff."

Houki was concerned. "On your own?"

"You mean you're not going to be with a group?" asked Laura.

"I can't believe you didn't say anything about that!" Cecilia cried.

Ichika though was confused. "What'd I do wrong? Why are you mad?"

An eavesdropping Yamada-sensei sheepishly smiles before she turns over to her fellow teacher. "I hope this will be a great trip!"

Chifuyu merely responds, "Yeah."

The Brunhilde continues looking out the window of her seat, watching the scenery but also reflecting. Where she and the class are going now is a huge risk, with word of Phantom Task in the area. The Minister of Defense is dead, and the world is in uproar of the assassination, with America plotting to send whatever aid they can to Japan to find the killers. But Chifuyu knows that they will come up empty-handed.

In her mind, everything will be decided here in Kyoto. A big storm was coming, and Phantom Task will be the one to be at the forefront of it. Even though Chifuyu cannot fight in an IS without overexerting herself, she will have to prioritize student safety and once again depend on her little brother and his friends to defend them. She just hopes that they will survive through the night, even if they are unprepared.

By the time the Shinkansen stops at Kyoto, and everyone departs to the ryokan, Chifuyu needed to get the other part of the planned trip into action. The other part being to find a certain missing student of hers that has come to Kyoto alone. But first, Yamada-sensei had to make an announcement to the students.

"Everyone, listen up! For now, you have some free time with your group."

"We're scheduled to make a visit at Kiyomizu Temple this evening," Chifuyu said. "Be sure to get there at the appointed time. Understood?"

"Yes!"

"Orimura, Shinonono, to me! The rest of you, dismissed!" Chifuyu called out, making the two meet up with her. "Head into the city and look for Raiden. Bodewig told me her contact is in the downtown district. That's where Raiden was sighted."

"What about the others, Orimura-sensei?" asked Houki.

"Leave the rest of the students to me. Finding Raiden is your priority. Stay low and out of sight should Phantom Task be here."

"And what do we do if we find him?" asked Ichika.

"Report to me your findings and what he is doing now. Don't try to force him back. I suspect he will be here a while longer yet. Once you've confirmed where he is, return to the rest of the group."

The two nodded as they disembarked and headed into the downtown district of Kyoto, where it was the busiest at this time of the day. But as Chifuyu watches them leave, she could not help but feel uneasy.

'Stay safe, you two. Phantom Task may already be here as we speak. Whatever game they're playing, we're going to be forced into it.'

MEANWHILE AT FEISAR HQ…

"Just as you asked, we looked everywhere for Sigrun, but it seems she has returned to Phantom Task," Trixie revealed before she then hands a note. "Also, we have located Hiko Seijūrō's whereabouts. I didn't think it was a pseudonym, so it took some work to find him. He now goes by the name of Ryuuin Shinonono."

"Thank you very much, Trixie," Raiden thanks. "And I will leave my IS here for you and your team of engineers to retrofit it per your recommendation, Trixie."

But she later deduces, "So, you are going, after all."

"Give my regards to Sayaka and the other four," Raiden asks. "And tell them I'm sorry I couldn't say anything about Jake. Also, if you meet the Brunhilde, discreetly inform her where I am, and she will understand."

"Leave it to me," Trixie nods. "But Raiden, I want you to remember one thing. From now on, all FEISAR will be on your side always. Maverick is in full support of this decision. And don't try to talk us out of it. You're not affiliated with us, remember?"

Raiden, perhaps reluctantly accepting it, gives a small smile. "Thank you very much."

Raiden soon walks out of Maverick's office and makes his way out, with Trixie keeping an eye on him ever so. He soon passes by Sayaka holding a flowerpot in her hands.

"Ah, Raiden. Ready for breakfast?" asked Sayaka.

But Raiden walks past Sayaka without even acknowledging her, as if he was giving her the cold shoulder.

"Wait. Where are you going, Raiden?" asked Sayaka before she sets the pot down. "You aren't going to leave here now, are you?"

"I don't want to put any more people in danger," Raiden said. "From now on, this fight must be mine alone, that it is."

"Raiden, you're being so distant all of a sudden. Is it because we found out you were Hitokiri Kingslayer who nearly killed our best squad years ago? That doesn't matter at all! No matter what you were, I met you as a wanderer, not as a hitokiri!"

Raiden could not help but chuckle though, but that seemed to piss Sayaka off.

"What's so funny?" She demanded.

"The person I parted with, in Tokyo, said the same thing, that she did," Raiden said before he turns to face a surprised Sayaka. "I never thought I'd hear that back in my old home of Kyoto, that I did not."

Raiden then continues his walk down the stairs, snapping Sayaka out of her flabbergasted expression.

"Raiden, wait!"

"No, Sayaka!" Trixie stops her. "He is not an average kind young man. Get carried away by a half-baked notion of justice or superficial sympathy, and you'll only get yourself hurt. This is the way it should be."

Sayaka, however, wasn't willing to listen. She races down the stairs to try to catch up to Raiden, who was already outside and walking in town by this point. Trixie did not bother to stop her, knowing this would happen.

'Dammit, Raiden. You always put everything on your shoulders. I won't be satisfied if you end up suffering alone!'

But as Sayaka chased after Raiden, the crowd of people was getting more packed. And not just in the form of tourists but also the fact that it was now rush hour traffic in Kyoto. Cars would be held up in the streets, sidewalks filled with people either walking or waiting for the bus, bicycles going up and down, and not one person bothering to make room considering the limited amount of space.

And running through this kind of traffic was a bad, bad idea. Especially if going the other way were Ichika Orimura and Houki Shinonono, unaware that Raiden walked past them from the other side of the street.

*BAM*

"Uwagh!" Sayaka screams.

"Aagh!" Ichika collapses from being hit.

"Ouch! Watch it, you shrimp!" Sayaka screams behind to Ichika.

But Ichika replies, "Hey, you were the one who bumped into me!"

"Ichika! What kind of language is that towards girls?" asked an admonished Houki before she turns to Sayaka and says in concern, "I'm sorry, but we were in a hurry…"

Sayaka though didn't care as she looked in the crowd. "But anyway, I lost sight of him! Raiden, you idiot! You selfish bastard!"

Sayaka was about to get up and go but her dress was caught by Houki's hand who pulled her back.

"Wait! What did you just say?" asked Houki with tears of excitement beginning to form in her eyes. "You… You know about Raiden? Tell me! Where is Raiden?"

Sayaka's eyes widen though, realizing a startling truth about what Raiden told her not too long ago.

'Could it be that this person is the one Raiden was talking about? The girlfriend he parted with in Tokyo?'

Okay so this one took a very long time to do and for a very good reason. Not only did it exceed 10k words, which isn't really a surprise since I have written chapters in stories with 20k words, but also of the fact that I was introducing some new OCs borrowed from a good friend of mine on FanFiction with his permission. And I wanted to ensure I do justice with it.

But enough on my excuses. We get to see a new Valkyrie named Sigrun, the Valkyrie Queen who is the leader of the Valkyries of Phantom Task. Now for those of you who play God of War, yes I do know that I am borrowing some elements from the Valkyries of that game and not using Freya. I am well aware of that so you haters can all shut up about it. She kidnaps the blacksmith who Raiden sought to repair his sword in revenge for Olrun back in chapter 23. And Raiden seeks the assistance of FEISAR to not only locate the blacksmith but also one another: Hiko Seijūrō. After a long and somewhat difficult rescue, Raiden's sakabatō is reforged into Sakabatō Shinuchi as a reward for rescuing the blacksmith.

Chapter ends with both Sayaka and Houki meeting each other by coincidence. With my first chapter of the Kyoto Arc out of the way, I can finally concentrate on the next few chapters of the arc. The next one will focus on Hiko Seijūrō and Raiden's reunion just like in Rurouni Kenshin. Speaking of Rurouni Kenshin, a remake of the anime is out and a season 2 is already on the way in October of this year. And season 2 will delve into the Kyoto Arc of that story.

Credit for the creation of OCs Jake Jackson, Mimi, Lola, Synatra, Freya, Maverick, Sayaka, and Trixie, along with the organization FEISAR, goes to I-S-X-C-S Storm-Ghost. Check out his story called The Devil among the Angels: Return of the Ripper. Yes I did gain permission from him using his OCs for this story, and not just for this chapter but also for subsequent future chapters to come.

Like, favorite, follow, and review at your leisure. If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me.