("…Gotta get back…back to the past…Samurai Jack.") There's nothing but a black screen.
("I've finally returned to the past and defeated Aku.") The scene then goes down to reveal Jack. His silhouette all white with a white shadow behind him, standing in the dark with his back turned towards the viewer.
("But, I still feared for the future.") Jack is then shown looking out at the horizon from the balcony of his castle, pink Sakura leaves falling all around him and his empire. The scene then changes to show an opening in a snowbound forest with towering trees.
("Though he's gone, his shadow still remains.") The camera turned slowly to the right and stopped when it shows Jack meditating on the snow covered ground, with his right side facing the viewer. There's then a close up of the sheathed Sword, as the blade is pulled from the scabbard.
("Though I will not be around, I will not let the nightmare return.") The scene focuses only on the Sword's blade, as reflection of Jack's eyes was shown in the metal for a moment, before Aku's eyes replaced them.
("With a simple goal, the Sword was passed down to eldest child of the eldest child.") Jack's silhouette, with the sword in hand, stands on top of a hill looking at his home from a distance. But then the scene changes to where there was a woman standing in Jack's place, looking at another city of the in the 19th century.
("To be passed down throughout the times.") The scene fades into another one, this time to a man looking at a city set ablaze in the night, as American bombers fly overhead during World War 2.
("So that if Aku does comes back, there's hope.") Again, the scene changes. But this time shows Kenny's silhouette looking at Kuoh. The city lit by its neon lights in the night atmosphere.
("I've placed my faith in him, and those around him.") Kenny was now sitting on the ground and leaning against a tree while looking up at the silhouette figure a familiar young woman. The screen suddenly goes black.
("His name is Kenny Kurosawa, the Red Dragon Samurai.") Then the title burns itself into the scene, glowing red as it shines in the dark.
The Red Dragon Samurai
Episode VIII
"Three Conflicted Maidens"
"…Hello?"
"Hey Karen, it's me," Kenny said into the phone, as he held it up to his right ear. He was currently sitting on a stone bench, right outside of Future Robotics. The shinai bag containing the Sword lay in his lap, as he lets his feet swing back and forth.
"Kenny? It's late at night. Where are you?"
"I'm downtown." Kenny scratched the back of his head. "Something came up that was really important."
"What do you mean? Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Listen, I probably wouldn't be coming home tonight."
"Why not? Are you in trouble?"
'In a way, yes.' He caught himself from saying that part. "No, it's just a strange client's request. I just wanted to call you to let you know and to not worry about me."
"…Easier said than done. B-but anyway, just…come home safe and sound, okay?"
"I promise." He paused for a second. "I love you Karen."
"Me too, Kenny."
The call ended and Kenny slipped the cell phone into his right pocket. He sighed to himself. He didn't like the fact that he had to keep his own sister in the dark. After the death of their parents and grandfather, the two always strived to honest with one another, even over the smallest of things. Nevertheless, this was one of those times that he's forced to tell a little white lie.
All to keep her safe.
It's been almost five hours since he volunteered to perform Asia pact. In that time frame, Kenny's gone from watching anime with a strange, buff, crossed-dressed, cosplayer, to running for his life from nine killer robots at that were designed and tasked to hunt him down and kill him.
With nothing better to do, he shifted his body to the right and laid back down on the bench. Letting out a calming breath, Kenny looked up at the stars above. Even with the neon lights of the city not too far from him, he was still able to see them shining in the night sky. His mind then retreats into itself and he began to think of a conversation he had a few minutes ago.
(Flashback begins)
Sona stared at him with a hand on her chin. "Are you sure about this?"
Kenny nodded from his side of the table. "Yes."
"It's idiotic!" Karlamine exclaimed with a stern look. "Only a moron would use himself as bate."
"Even so, I'll have to agree with his logic," Kiba said. "These assassins are programed to hunt and kill him. It's not a crazy idea that they'll have some way of tracking him."
"Well, they are equipped with a state-of-the-art tracking system," explained Exdor as he rubbed his chin. "When they scanned you, they've taken in all the information gathered to identify you and insure that you were the target" He turned towards Kenny. "But there is a way for them to track you easily. Tell me, have you come in contact with any of their weapons; not on your weapon, but on your body?"
"Yes, there were a few times." Kenny said, remembering when he was pulled by the chained-sickle and shot through the wings.
"Where?"
"On my right ankle and wings."
"Then let me see."
Kenny stared at him with a raised brow for a second, before opening his wings and lifting up his right leg. Exdor walked over to him and grabbed his leg, before pulling out a handheld magnifying glass. Scanning his ankle, the scientist then spots what he was looking for. "Aha!" He reached into his pocket and brings out a pair of tweezers.
"What have you found?" Rias walked over to them with Akeno. Exdor plucked off something from Kenny's pant leg and holds it up.
"This is how they're tracking you." Exdor brought the magnifying glass to the tweezers, enhancing the size of what it grabbed. They were surprised to see it was a small,l black bug with one red eye. "It's a micro-bot that some X-Model in the X-series weapons have." He then crushes it with the tweezers. Exdor then moved to the wings and scans them as well. "Once one was able to get a bot on its target, all it has to do is pass that information to the others."
"That'll definitely explain why they keep finding us so quickly," Sona commented. After Exdor was done examining Kenny's wings, he moved to Kiba. Unbeknown to the black-haired teen, Rias and Sona stared a serious look with each other. The smaller girl nodded to the redhead, causing her to take in a deep breath and nodded too.
Rias turned to Kenny and said, "You should head outside, Kenny. We'll be ready soon, so don't worry."
He looked a little hesitant at her, but eventually nodded and turned around.
"Also", Exdor said abruptly, causing Kenny to stop before he could begin his way to the exit, "there's something you should know. I'm not sure how this could help you, but I feel it should be mentioned." Even though his eyes were blocked off by the large green glass, they could tell that his expression turned serious. "During the creation of the nine assassins, there was a colleague of mine who was responsible for creating the killer chips for them. He was one of those guys who liked to be funny for no apparent reason; always pranking and joking around. For the last X-Model, X-9, he decided to give it an experimental emotion chip. Why? Because he thought it'd be…funny."
(Flashback ended)
"A robot with emotions," Kenny questioned as he rested the back of his head on his arm, continuing to stare at the sky. "I wonder what's going through his head. If he has feeling and emotions, then that means he must know right from wrong; but does he even know how to tell the difference?" Many more questions popped into his head. What does it mean for a being that was not supposed to feel now with feelings; especially without being able to grow up and understanding these feelings?
He sighed and sat up. "The Tin Man has a heart now, but doesn't understand his new feelings." He smirked a bit at the irony.
His attention was caught by the sound of cars approaching. Turning his head and looking down at the street, Kenny saw the same three black cars stop in front of the building. He narrowed his eyes.
Three doors from each car opened, and stepping out from they came an assassin. They shut the doors, and faced him. Kenny stood up from the bench, pulled the Sword out from both the scabbard and the shinai bag, and then placed the bag on his back.
Kenny stood there for a moment, before swiping his left hand along the Sword's blade and achieved the Boosted Gear.
[Boost!]
The silence rounded into the atmosphere. The X-series stood side-by-by, while Kenny stood alone with the Future Robotics' building behind him. His gauntlet hand clenched and his right hand's gripped the Sword tightly, as he watched closely for the robots to attack and hopped the others inside were ready. The nine X-Models stared at him with their eyes glazing red.
Then the assassins pull out their firearms and aimed at him. Kenny was about to run back into the building when Sona's Queen, Tsubaki, came down from above and land in front of him with a naginata in her hand. "Stay behind me," she instructed.
TAKATAKATAKATAKATAKATAKA!
Right before the robots opened fire, Tsubaki quickly summoned a large full body mirror in front of her and Kenny. The rounds hit the glass of the mirror with a giant amount of force, that the Student Council Vice President gritted her teeth, with her hands on the back of it, as she struggled against the bullets. Kenny could only stare in amazement, as orange lights flashed from the corners of the mirror.
"This is my Sacred Gear: Mirror Alice," Tsubaki proclaimed loudly over the shooting. "It has the power to take on an enemy's attack and reflect it back at them two times as powerful!"
The guns stopped firing and the red hot barrels smoked. Tsubaki serious expression formed a smirked. Suddenly hundreds of bullet tracers erupted from the mirror and flew towards the robots. The machines saw this and jumped to the side. The rounds ripped into the cars and caused them to explode.
In the air, about five yellow cans that seeped pink smoke were launched high up before falling. They landed near and around the robot before releasing a large amount of smoke so thick it covered the whole area. In the smoke, the X-Models turned their heads all round them. Their vision was partially blind by the mist, as their scanners were affected by it.
One of the robots stood there. But then it was grabbed and taken away in a nanosecond. Then another one. And another. Outside of the large pink smoke, Rias and Asia flew out of it while holding a robot by its arms and flapped their wings high above the ground. Then Sona came out, with an X-Model in her arms, followed by a few from her peerage. Low to the ground, they held the machine by its limbs and speed away. Then Kiba, Koneko, Xuelan, Karlamine, Isabella, Akeno, and finally Tsubasa. All of them flew away in different directions away from Future Robotics with a robot in their hands.
When the smoke finally started to clear, Kenny runs out into the street and looked around. There were no X-Models left. He was confused by this, as the plan was for him to also fight against one of the assassins when the other got them separated.
"Do not worry, Kurosawa." He looked behind him to see Tsubasa, Ruruko, and Reya. "This was a new part of the plan," said Ruruko.
"What?" He turned his body towards them, making the Gear disappear. "What new part?"
"The others felt that due to the fact that you've been chased around by the X-Models and are the one they're after," Reya explained with her hands together, "Lady Sitri and Lady Gremory agreed to not have you fight and to allow you to rest. Everyone but us will do the fighting."
"How can I rest?" Kenny argued indigently, after being shocked by what he heard. "They're out there fighting and I'm not with at least with one of them."
"Even so, you're the target and the only way they saw to keep you safe is to get them away from you." Tsubasa said, walking up to him and placed an assuring hand on his shoulder with a smile. "Have faith, Kenny. My master isn't one to go down so easily. Besides, you should rest for a little bit. It's late and you must be tired from everything tonight."
"That's right!" Ruruko joined in with a cheery and confident attitude. "You have friends and allies here to help you. Let them and take a break."
Kenny glanced between the three girls before looking down a bit. After a few seconds of thinking, he lets out a sigh and smiled at them. "Okay."
"H-Hey, hey, you guys!" They turned their heads towards Future Robotics to see Exdor running towards them, hurriedly. When he reached them, he quickly grabbed Kenny's left sleeve and pulled. "Quick, follow me," the scientist said in a freaked-out tone and a terrified expression. "You need to see this!"
"Exdor," Kenny exclaim indigently as he tried to pull back, "what's the matter with you?"
"No time to explain! Just come with me!" The small man was surprisingly strong as he dragged the black-haired teen towards the building. The girls looked confusingly at one another before following too. As he was being pulled, Kenny looked back behind.
"Good luck, everyone."
The new plan Rias and Sona came up with was similar to the original. Take each robot away to any location away from the Future Robotics' building, keeping them separated by a great amount. Once at their random location, they'll fight the assassins and keep them from regrouping.
High above the ground, Kiba carried his robot by the foot as he flies at breakneck speeds. Scanning around himself, he finds a nearby office building with its lights office to his left. He heads towards it. About half way there, the blonde spins himself around and throws the heavy machine at it. It began to arch down and fall, but the X-Model made it and smashed into through the window.
Kiba went down and enter the building through the broken window. His feet touched the ground and he closed his wings. Looking up to face forward, he saw the glowing eyes of the robot. The two side-by-side red circles stared at him, as the limited light proved from the outside showed little of the two fighters; as well as the large room they were in, with only a few desks.
Kiba smiled at his opponent and pulls out his sword from the scabbard on his left hip. Seeing this, the X-Model reached over its shoulder and pulled out the katana.
"Well, it would seem we meet again," Kiba said politely. "Looks like it's time from round two."
"Negative," the robot said, "this is only the continuation of you prolonging your death."
"Oh?" Kiba raised a brow.
Further away from Future Robotics, on an empty sheet with dozens of shops and stores closed for the night, Rias stood with Asia behind her as they face their X-Model assassin. The robot stands a few meters away, with its dual pistols in its hands.
"Despite you being created for a single propose, X-Model, I will not allow you to continue hunting and hurting my cute samurai," Rias proclaimed with a glare.
"You know of our series?" It asked. "Then you should know that there's nothing that'll stop us." The assassin raised up a gun and pointed at her. "Not even you and the girl."
"Is that so?" Rias smiled confidently at the machine. While deep inside of her, she hoped that she was enough to stop it. But then again, she's the next head of the House of Gremory and the Crimson-Hair Ruin-Princess. Nothing was going to stop her. Rias lets some of her crimson power leak and radiates from her hands and her face turned serious. 'This is for you, Kenny.' "Alright then." She lifted her right arm to the X-Model. "Show me what you've got, machine."
"With pleasure."
High up over the city, Akeno floats a few feet above the roof of a building in her miko outfit. Standing on the roof, staring up at her, was the X-Model she grabbed. Its trench coat and flutters in the wind, as the hat somehow managed to remain on its head without having to hold onto it.
"Ara ara. So you're the one I picked out, huh." Akeno said with her sweat, but scary smile with a light flush. "I've been hearing a lot of things from Kenny. About how you and your friends keep messing with him. That's not very nice of you." She raised her hand to the sky. Dark clouds collected around her, rumbling with thunder. Slowly, she aims her arm at the robot, before flicking her hand and pointing her finger at it.
BOOM!
A massive amount of yellow lightning shot down from the heaven towards the robot. The resulting explosion caused a large dust cloud to form as rubble and debris flew everywhere. The pieces that were able to go off the edge of the roof fell a few meters before suddenly disintegrated and turned to dust. This happened because of the barrier Akeno placed to prevent the assassin from escaping.
"Fufufufufufu." Akeno giggled to herself with her eyes closed and a hand on her cheek. She opened them half way and give her middle and pointer fingers a lick. "Come one," she said in a seductive tone. "Surely that's not all you've got."
WRAP!
She gasped and looked down at her ankle. Only able to catch a glimpse of the whip wrapped around her, Akeno was suddenly yanked downwards towards the dust cloud as it clears up. The X-Model was uncovered by it, with the handle of the whip in its left hand.
As she rapidly approached, it cocked its right fist back and sent a punch at her face.
POW!
Koneko's body was sent flying backwards and then slammed into a tree, bending it. Her fight was in a park not too far from Future Robotics, with luckily no one around. She would have gone farther, but the gauntlet equipped X-Model swung its body around and caused her to lose control and crash land.
Now she's here after being punched by the more power machine. Luckily she was able to block the attack with both of her arms. Lowering her arms and reopening her eyes, she saw the X-Model walking towards her.
"This is pointless," it said, stopping a few feet from her. "You and your comrades are no match for us."
Koneko didn't say anything except frown at the robot. She then said, "That's up for debate." She then charged at it and jumped forward to deliver a kick to its head.
POW!
Xuelan's midair flaming kick was blocked by the staff, as the two fought on a basketball court underneath a bridge. The Rook launched herself off the weapon and landed on the ground. Rushing at it, she unleashed a series of punches at it. The attacks were blocked easily by the weapon, before the robot swings the staff at her head, but Xuelan ducked under it. She jumped back to dodge another whack to her head.
The Chinese girl charged again. The assassin sees her coming and jabbed the staff at her. Xuelan reached like it was second nature, due to having sparing matches with another one of her fellow servants: she jumped over the staff, before using her speed and momentum to land the flaming kick.
BAM!
Or so she thought, as the assassin brought its arm up just in time to block the kick. Xuelan was first shocked by this, before growling and gritting her teeth in frustration. She quickly launched herself off the arm and backflips in the air before landing back on her feet.
The X-Model then jumped up high, with its staff raised above its head, ready to bring it down on her, and fell down to her.
Karlamine looked up at her opponent for a brief moment, then jumped back before the daggers stabled into the ground.
KLANG!
They were in an alleyway that was wide enough to provide enough space for them to fight.
The blonde Knight landed and then charged at the assassin with her dagger in a reverse grip. 'I can't fool around. I have to get to that weak point.' Karlamine then used her boosting speed and appeared on the left side wall. Then the right. She then reappeared behind the robot and lunged at it.
KLANG!
To her frustration, the X-Model blocked the stab with the flat part of one of its daggers. Placing a foot on the assassin's back and launching herself away from it, she lands a few feet away and glared at it, as its back faced her. The robot then turned around and stared at the armed girl. "You seemed to have discovered our weakness," it commented. The statement seemed to surprise Karlamine. "Yes, we've known of our own intentional weak points, and know what they'll result in."
At a public soccer field, Isabella was facing the X-Model equipped with the chained-sickle. She raised an eyebrow at what it said a second ago—basically what Karlamine's X-Model said to her—after she was able to get close enough to forehead and reach to pop out the killer chip. However, she was intercepted when it grabbed her arm and threw her away.
"If you know about it, does it make any difference," Isabella asked.
"Negative," the assassin responded, "the only thing that is certain is that you must be destroyed. Then the target is to be eliminated." The sickle end of the chained weapon was tossed into the air and then yanked towards her. Isabella sidestepped to the right, dodging it as the sickle flew past her, then charged at the X-Model.
The assassin pulled the sickle back by the chain. The weapon halted in the air, before coming back in the direct it came from. Isabella noticed the metal links of the chain retreating and looked back with wide eyes, as the scythe blade rushes at her.
Tsubaki ducked her head under the swinging kanabō, as she and the X-Model fought in an indoor basketball court that was a part of a workout center. She then raised her naginata up to block a downward swing, feeling the force and strength of the attack. Pushing against the war club, Tsubaki managed to push it to right and thrust the blade of the spear towards its face.
The X-Model swiftly angled it head to the right, letting the blade pass by. Tsubaki was then kicked in the stomach by the machine and was sent back. She stayed above the floor for a few meters, before coming down, and processed the rest of the way sliding on her back. Gritting her teeth from the pain she felt, she fires a blast of blue demonic energy at the robot. However, it bashed the attack with the war club, destroying the blue energy.
After coming to a halt, Tsubaki struggled to her feet on wobbly legs. The kick she was given was indeed painful and on par with a veteran Rook. She looked up at the X-Model as it just stood there. "Damn." the young woman panted with a scowl. "He's a brute, and yet he's still able to counter me. I'm going to need some kind of strategy."
In the center of a construction site, Sona stood a few feet away from her own opponent; the flamethrower X-Model. The ground around them was scorched with a few wet spots from the fires and waters thrown around.
"I can't get too close to it," she said to herself, remembering how close she was to being burnt as she carried the robot to this place, "and the thing always seems to match any and all attacks I sent and turn it to steam." With was true. Sona decided to test the X-Model's strength by laughing water attacks at it, but all resulted in it shooting its flames and blocking them.
Behind the small young woman was her peerage, hiding in a ditch dug up for pipe work and maintenance. Popping their head out, they watched as their king faced off against the X-Model in what seemed like a standoff in a spaghetti-western movie. The tension was starting to rise, as they waited for one of them to make a move.
"What the hell is that thing waiting for?" Saji whispered. "And why is Sona just standing there? She can easily take it."
"She's trying to think of a way to win the fight," Momo answered. "All of Lady Sitri's attacks were proven futile, as her water attacks were turned into vapor."
"You can do it, Sona!" Tomoe cheered. Sona paid no attention to them and only stared at the assassin. The robot then started to approach her. The holes in its hands released a small amount of blue flames.
She sighed. "Either way; they're away from Kenny."
Back at Future Robotics, Kenny, Tsubasa, Ruruko, and Reya looked down at something in horror and disgust, all while turning not to vomit. Exdor took them to the top floor, where in front of them was the headless corpse of the CO laying in a massive amount of his own blood. The served head wasn't too far away, and carried a terrified and agonized expression.
On the other side of them was Exdor. "I came up to this floor to see if there was any possibility of finding out the identity of the people who ordered for the X-series to become assassins," he said grimly, kneeling down next to the corpse. "And if possible to find and get information from the CO. I guess we were too late."
"But who could've down this?" Asked a frightened Ruruko. "Why something so horrible."
"The last time I saw this guy was after I knocked him out." Kenny looked up towards the threshold that was once the doorway leading to the CO's office. "He most have awakened before his room collapsed and tried to escape."
"Then why is he died," asked Tsubasa with a hand on her chin.
"I think the important question is who killed him," Exdor said.
CLASH!
Kiba's sword and the X-Models katana came together violently, with a flash of light coming of the weapons. The blonde then brought his sword back and slashed diagonally at it, but the robot blocked it easily. It blocked a vertical slash, then parried a horizontal chop and then an upwards cut.
The Knight then used his abilities and disappeared from sight. He reappeared behind it and swung at the back of its neck. The slash was blocked when the robot brought the black katana over its shoulder and placed it in front of the area. The assassin turned around and slashed vertically at his head, but Kiba ducked under the blade. He was then kicked in the chest, sending him colliding into a desk.
Groaning and placing a hand on his back, Kiba looked up to see the X-Model in the air and falling towards him. Kiba quickly kneed down and leaped out of the way before the katana chopped and the destroyed the desk.
It turned its head to the right to see him a few feet away. The robot turned its body to face him. Kiba panted a bit and grinned lightly at the machine. "You strong, I must admit." He lifted his sword up and held it to where the blade was pointing upwards. "But it's time to get serious!" The blade suddenly ignited into flames and changed form. Soon the flames stopped. The blade became one-sided and turned to a red color, as the edge was made into a gold-like color; the hand guard looked like a dragon's foot, with a gold d guard and white handle. This was his Flame Sword.
The X-Model looked at the phenomenon with a slight peak in interest. "Quite unusual."
"You like?" Kiba holds the sword in both hands and readied it for attacking. "Since you can't be killed by any normal weapons, I'll have to use my best moves against you." He then charged at the machine. The assassin does the same.
CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!
Both black katana and fire sword blocked and struck against one another. Almost every strike of metals would create sparks to fly, as the clanging and clashing sound echoed throughout the room.
Kiba blocked a slash, but the force of the katana caused him to take a few steps back. Backing up to a desk, the blonde panted a bit as he looked up to see the robot making its way to him. He needed a new strategy. The X-Model stopped and handed the katana to its left hand. It then pulled out its light-machine gun and aimed at Kiba.
"Damn."
TAKATAKATAKATAKA!
Kiba quickly zoomed out of the way, before the round of deadly silver tore up the desk.
With the Knight's speed, time seemed to have slowed down for Kiba as he was in the air. Still look at the X-Model, something out of the bottom corner of his eyes caught his attention. Looking down slightly, Kiba saw it was the brass casings rapidly ejecting from the gun. They flew out the chamber, having already fired their silver heads, and landed on the floor a few feet away. They bounce on and off the carpet flooring before coming to a stop.
'That's it!' Kiba said in his head, having thought of a strategy.
The X-Model stopped firing as it's' opponent disappeared. It then looked around to find the blonde.
SHINK!
Whipping its head towards the sound, the robot was shocked when the front half of the M60 cut off, indicated even more when it fell to the ground, with glowing orange burn marks on the severed edges.
"Well, now that that's out of the way." The X-Model snapped its head to the right to see Kiba standing near the window. The Knight then became a blur as he sped towards the assassin. The robot raised its blade.
CLASH!
Kiba's attack was blocked by the katana. He then disappeared from in front of it, appeared sideways on the window on the opposite side, and then vanished again. The assassin turned its body with the katana before it and…
CLASH!
Again, Kiba's Flame Sword was stopped by the X-Model's own sword. Again the blonde disappears in a blur and then stops at a wall, before launching off with his super speed at the robot. But the assassin sees his form coming to him and blocked the sword. This continued on for about three more attempts.
On the fourth attack, Kiba's attack was blocked yet again, only this time he didn't retreat. He and the X-Model locked blades as the taller blue machine looked down at him. Kiba stared at its red eyes with seriousness, all until he smirks. The robot appeared to be confused by the sudden change of expression, but was then noticed Kiba's left hand holding another sword. This one had a straighter blade, but was a very light blue color.
"Say hello to Flame Delete," Kiba said, pointing the tip of the sword to the floor beneath the robot. With half a second, the floor, the most of the assassin's legs, and anything except Kiba within a meter radius was frozen. The robot tries to slash at him again, but the blonde blocked it with the Flame Delete, freezing the black katana and arm, all the way up to its shoulder.
Kiba jumped back a bit. "Well, now that that's done," he said, walking around it, as the robot remained still, and stopped behind it, "it's time to end this."
The X-Model looked over its left shoulder towards him. "You may have beaten this unit," the robot said in its cold metal tone, "but your comrades still have to defeat the others."
The Knight's Flame Sword disappeared and the Flame Delete reverted back into a normal sword. Then, in a quick motion, Kiba spun 360 degrees to the left and cut through the high collar and the weak point, without severing the neck.
The head jerked back as sparks and electricity came out of the gash. The robot arched its back, trembled and shock heavily, and its eyes flashing from red to yellow. Sensing danger, Kiba blurred away to the window they've entered and dived through it.
KA-BOOM!
Kiba opened his wings and flew away, as a massive expulsion erupted from where they were. Stopping and turning around, he saw dark smoke bellowing out of windows on the same level, with fires being visible. He sighed and slumped his shoulders. "When Exdor said that they'll be destroyed completely, I didn't think he meant a self-destruction." Kiba then placed a hand to his left ears, where a communicator rested. "Rias, I've destroyed one of the X-Models," he said. "Also, just to let everyone know; destroying them by the nape of the neck will set them to self-destruct."
"Good job, Kiba. I now want you to head back to Future Robotics and await further instructions."
"Copy that." Kiba then heads back towards the place Kenny and the others were still at.
ZAP!
The lightning came down from the sky and consumed the whipped equipped X-Model in a flash of yellow. Once it was over, electricity surged all over the machine's form, as it stood paralyzed. Once it was all done, it turned around to face Akeno.
The black-haired beauty stared seriously at it, while panting lightly from the amount of magic she's been using. Her left cheek swelled a bit and turned slightly purple from the punch she was given earlier. Her outfit had a few cuts, with bloody lash cuts on her body in those areas.
For the past five minutes, Akeno has done everything within her might to destroy the X-Model. The best she's been able to do was paralyzed the X-Model for a couple seconds. She used that to her advantage and would try to get close to the nape of the neck. However, the robot would always recover and attack her, forcing her to keep a distance from it.
"It would seem that one of your comrades was able to destroy one of us," the X-Model said. Akeno was a little surprised by the quick defeat of one of them, but was happy nonetheless.
She smiled defiantly at the machine and said, "Well then, I sure they'll be more than happy to share some insight."
"It wouldn't work." Akeno was now troubled by that statement. "As you must have learned, when one of us is destroyed, the rest will be alerted," the robot explained. "Which also means that all other units learn about how they were defeated. The same strategy wouldn't be successful."
Akeno narrowed her eyes. That meant everyone was going to have a hard time defeating them without copying each other. She shook her head to clear it. That didn't matter now; she needed to focus on the robot before her.
A whip coming at her aided in getting her back on track. She quickly dodged to the left before it could strike her face. Akeno then took to the sky to avoid the second whip lashing at her. Hovering over the roof, she used her elemental magic and unleashed a massive amount of fire on the robot. The X-Model jumped back before the flames hit on the roof. After landing back on its feet, it suddenly jumped towards her.
Her surprised increased when the machine started spinning around with it whips out. Becoming like a propeller blade as it flies towards her. Akeno stopped the fires and flapped her wings to send her backwards, avoiding the assassin. It then halted its spiraling and lashed both whips at her, grabbing her by both legs. She gasped in shock.
The X-Model then angled itself on its side and spun around. Akeno was left helpless as she was pulled straight up, past the robot, before circling around, and released to be sent plunging down towards the roof. She let out a scream of pain when her back slammed into it and created a small crater.
Akeno moaned in agony, while shifting her elbows to bring her upper body up.
STOMP!
A dress shoe stepped down on her stomach.
"AHHHH!" Her agonizing cry echoed in the magic doom. Akeno then shut both eyes, as she grabbed the leg, and struggled to get it off her. Opening one eye, she looked up to see the X-Model's own eyes staring down at her. For the first time in a long time, fear was entering the black-haired beauty when she saw the blue face assassin's red circular eyes that blared in the night at her.
It didn't say anything and retracted the whips up into its sleeves, reached behind its back, and pulled out the machine gun. The fear in her increased as she tried to electrocute its leg. It became paralyzed again. Akeno continued to send waves of electricity through it to keep it still, but felt her stamina depleting. She then noticed a small slit opening on its head.
Her eyes widen a bit more, realizing it was where the killer chip was.
The finding distracted her and cut off the electrical waves. The X-Model started to point the light-machine gun to her head. Thinking quick and fast, Akeno grabbed the barrel with one hand and tilted her head away, right before using her other hand and pointed two fingers at the opening.
ZIP!
The X-Model's head jerked back when the lightning from her fingers hit the opening. Akeno then felt the foot leave her stomach and watched as the robot fell backwards and on its black, lifelessly sprawled on the floor. She quickly stood up while holding her belly, coughing a bit.
Moving to its left side, she looked down at it and saw a burning hold in the forehead. The red eyes flicker a bit, before completely going out. Akeno continued to stare down at it with a rare frown. She couldn't believe these things were so powerful and brutal. However, she let out a sigh of relief; not for just being able to destroy it, but for making sure it wasn't going to hurt Kenny again.
And also for not having to call upon a power from a certain part of her being.
Knowing where to go, Akeno opened her wings and flew into the air.
One normal fist flew forward. One large, black Adamantium metal gauntlet's fist flew forward.
BAM!
Koneko's small fist and the large fist of the gauntlet collided, sending out a shockwave that shook the trees and rustled their leaves, and created a ring like dust cloud around them that expanded a bit before disappearing.
The X-Model sent its other fist at her, but Koneko dodged under it. She then delivered a powerful kick into its stomach, sending it back. The robot's feet dragged in the dirt, before it bumped into a tree.
Koneko rushed towards it and jumped up, with a fist brought back and ready to punch the machine. However, it saw her coming and sidestepped.
SNAP-CRUNCH!
Her power and strength of her fist caused it to dig into the bark of a tree and snap the trunk apart. As the poor tree tumbled over her, Koneko's head turned right to see the assassin ready to swing at her again. She quickly pulled her fist out of the trunk and jumped away to the left, right before the tree fell on her head. The gauntlet punched the tree and disconnected it from any piece of wood attaching it to the stump as it was sent flying.
When she landed on the ground, Koneko saw the flying tree coming right at her. She luckily caught it with both hands. The white-haired girl then easily raised it over her head and threw it back at the X-Model. In one move, the robot back hand the tree, scattering it in half.
Koneko was shocked by this, but quickly got into a fighting stance. The two just stood there now, staring at one another. She narrowed her gaze a bit, trying to figure out the best way to beat it. The two were both equal in brute strength and would charge head on at each other. What could she use against it? Her Evil Piece gifted her strength and durability, and that's equal to the robot's armor and powerful strength coming from it being a machine.
However, there is…
'No!' She instantly shut her eyes and shook her head, banishing those ideas out of her head. She reopened her eyes and glared at it with gritting teeth. 'I'm not using that power. I'm not becoming like her.'
Before she could think of a plan, the robot pointed the gauntlets at her and changed them into their mini-gun mode.
Her eyes widened.
TAKATAKATAKATAKATAKATAKATAKA!
The small girl ran right, avoiding the hundreds of rounds being sent at her. Koneko rushed into the tree line and disappeared into the forest.
The X-Model didn't stop and continued to fire hundreds upon thousand rounds of silver bullets into the forest. Wood and bark scattered and flew everywhere, as many trees were shredded and torn apart. Some were even broken apart to the point where they tumbled over and fell. Soon, dust clouds formed and covered most of where the shots were aimed at. The barrels flashed in the moonlight, as many brass casings collectively dropped on the concert walking path of the park.
TAKATAKATAKATAKATAKATAKATAKATAKAzzzzzzzzzzzzz…
The mini-guns ran out of rounds and rotating barrels, red from the endless shooting, slowed down to a halt.
X-Model stood there as it stared at the destruction it caused. Scanning through the thick cloud, it looked for any signs of life. The girl was still alive, as her heart beat was still going; however, she wasn't showing up on its vision. Converting the guns back into fists, the robot marched forward into the forest.
Entering into the dense forest, the assassin looked to the right, and then to the left. No one was to be seen. Soon the dust settled and uncovered the area. The robot found itself standing in the middle of many destroyed, torn up, and even fell trees that were unfortunate to be in the way of the bullets, with bullet holes almost everywhere.
Step! Step! Step!
The machine turned around and thrust its right fist at Koneko, who had laughed herself off the ground at it. The small girl was able to avoid the punch and goes over the gauntlet, before delivering a kick in its face. The X-Model's head jerked back as flies back. Landing back on the ground, Koneko rushed towards it, after it landed on its back.
As it picked itself up, the robot noticed the white-haired girl coming at it and quickly charged too. The two fighters ran at each other at equal speed. When they were about three feet away, they stopped, cocked their arms back and launched their fists forward.
PAT!
Koneko's small hand stopped the large gauntlet.
This surprised the robot a bit. The girl then grabbed a hold of the large wrist and flipped the X-Model over on its back. She then spun around with it still in her hold, before stopping suddenly and releasing the machine to let it fly towards a tree.
The X-Model slammed into the tree's trunk, face first up against it, with its back facing Koneko.
The Rook charged with all the speed she could muster, and then jumped at it with a foot out in front.
CRUSH!
Her foot rammed into the back of the neck, crushing it in an instant. The X-Model trembled and shook, as its eyes started to flash. Koneko's eyes grew a little wider, remembering what Kiba warned them about. Opening her wings, she grabbed the back of its trench coat and launched into the air.
At a decent high, the Rook spun around two times, before using most of her remaining strength to throw the doomed machine high up into the sky. Half a second letter, the X-Model exploded, sending a shockwave that pushed Koneko away and to lose control of flying. After a few rotations, she righted herself and halted in midair. Staring at the cloud of smoke that was once the gauntlet equipped X-Model, she softly sighed in relief, before heading back to the revue point.
"GAH!" Xuelan cried out in pain when her back slammed into the pole of the basketball hoop. She leans up against it while holding her stomach with both hands, groaning and moaning in agony. The battle with the assassin was one of the toughest she's ever had. Her arms and legs had many red bruises, her left eyebrow was swollen, and the qipao was torn in a few places, with the chest area cut over the white sash (A/N; from her fight with Kenny).
Opening one of her closed eyes and panted, she glared at the staff wielding X-Model, who stood a couple meters away on the opposite side of the court. "Is that the best you've got?" She exclaimed in anger.
"Three units have been destroyed," it said making its way to her. "But six still remain. You and the rest are still struggling to find a way to win against us." The robot stopped before her. "Your head on attacks aren't going to stop this unit." The staff swung diagonally at her. Xuelan quickly dodged to the right and sent a flaming kick in its stomach, making it back away a few steps.
"You don't know who you're fucking with, machine." The young Chinese woman stepped away from the basketball hoop and brought her arm down to her sides. "I'm a Rook of Riser Phoenix, heir to the House of Phoenix."
"What difference does it make?"
Xuelan was stopped by the question. What did it mean? Her master was one of the best. She, Karlamine, and Isabella were at almost every Rating Game he's been in and have never been defeated in a single one. Their master has never defeated by a single person.
Unbeknownst to Xuelan, her closest friends were simultaneously having the same conversation.
"You've talked about beginning a servant of your master," the dagger equipped X-Model said to Karlamine, as she leaned forward a bit with a hand on her knee and panted exhaustingly. Most of her armored pieces had cuts and dents in them, as the white clothing she wore underneath was cut in a few places and exposed some skin; including the right side, above her breast, her midsection, and shoulder. Where the cuts were, red cut marks where the daggers slashed, but luckily weren't deep. "However, it doesn't mean his strength is yours alone."
"What do you know?!" The sandy blonde charged and started slashing at the robot, as it easily dodged the attacks. "Are you X-9; the only one in your X-series that as emotions? If not, then who are you to talk about us?!" Her anger ignited the blade of the dagger. She jumped at it with the weapon over her head, prepped to stab into the machine's head.
CLASH!
One of the daggers blocked the attack. After that, the second one came at her in a right vertical slash.
On the soccer field, Isabella jumped back from the vertical slashing sickle before it could cut or stab into her body and landed a few feet away. She stumbled a bit back before regaining her balance. Just like the other two, she's taken a beating; the sleeves of the leather jacket had five cuts on it, her midsection, legs, and arms had red marks from when the chain wrapped around her tightly, along with a few cuts from the sickle here and there.
"You don't know a thing about us," she said, glaring at her robot opponent. "We three are grateful to Lord Riser for giving us a home and a purpose. He is the reason why we're here!"
"Then where is he?"
"What?" Was her only capable responses as Isabella was shocked and confused by the question. The same could be said about the other two at their respective battlegrounds, as they were asked the very same thing. The three Phoenix servants weren't prepared for its suddenness and how much they were without an answer.
"As we're speaking, the units fighting your friends are in a debate similar to this ours," the staff equipped X-Model told Xuelan. "This unit may not be X-9…"
"…but by the events of tonight," said the dagger equipped X-Model to Karlamine, "and by the advanced intelligence give to us, we are able to know that the target's master came to him in his time of need."
"You too were—and are—in a time of need," the chained-sickle equipped X-Model stated to Isabella. "Where is this master of yours?"
"I-I sure that he's very busy with important work and family matters," Isabella responded, but with the least amount of confidence in her tone than before. "He's going to be married soon and must—"
"What difference does it make?" The robot interrupted her with its same cold tone. "You asked before whether or not your knowing of us X-series' weakness made a difference; the answer still remains; it does not."
"If that was your response to Isabella, then what does it had to do with anything happening now," Karlamine asked.
"Simple," the robot explained. "We were created for one purpose and one purpose only; to eliminate Kenny Kurosawa. That is why we X-Models of the X-series exists. A goal that is not ours, but to kill is all we know. Do you have a purpose as what you are, other than serving a master who's absent when you most need him?"
"Lord Riser may not be here," Xuelan exclaimed as she trembled a bit, with her eyes on the verge of tears, "but he gave us a home when everything was taken from us! When we had nothing!"
"Then are you like us then," asked the robot, surprising her. "Are you ones who've been given a meaning in this world, only as tools and nothing more?"
"SHUT UP!"
Xuelan, Karlamine, and Isabella charged at each of their opponents.
The staff blocked two flaming kicks from the Chinese girl. Xuelan then jumped up and sent a straight kick to its face, but it too was blocked. Coming back to the ground, she tried to punch instead, only the machine to sidestep out of the way and bring its staff down on her back. She screamed out in pain from the impact and was sent down on her stomach.
Lifting her upper body up with wobbly arms, she was suddenly forced down a bit when the robot placed a foot on her back. Xuelan looked over her shoulder and her eyes filled with fright by the sight of the large blue robot looking down at her.
CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!
Karlamine slashed and hatched violently at the X-Model, who effortlessly blocked and parried the attacks. After about five seconds she leaped back a bit, before rushing at it again with the flaming dagger point outwards at the assassin.
The robot didn't move until…
SHATTER!
She completely halted herself, as she stared in both horror and shock at her dagger, after the larger blade of the X-Model's dagger shattered hers in a swift move. Pieces of the metal flew everywhere and fell to the ground. Bringing it closer, she stared at it with a devastated expression. "No…" she whispered softly before dropping it. Looking up and gaining an expression of fear, the Knight backed away from the robot as it approached her. Karlamine was soon backed up against the wall.
SHINGLE~!
The metal ball end of the chained-sickle wrapped around Isabella's left arm, before the robot tried to pull her towards it. The masked Rook dug her feet in the ground and grabbed the chain, as she struggled to pull back. Gritting her teeth and sweating down her face, Isabell groaned and moaned. Feeling as though her arms were going to get pulled out of its socket, with the metal ball hanging down, while the chain grew tighter around her.
Then suddenly, robot yanked her off her feet and towards it. Expecting from the sickle to stab in into her, the orange-haired girl braced for the end. However, the assassin delivered a powerful kick to her stomach, causing her to cough up some blood in wide-eyes shock, and sent the second Rook straight up. The X-Model then pulled her down, slamming her into the earth, before swinging her around and hitting her into one of the metal goalies.
Isabella sat there in her agony, unit she felt a shadow loom over her. Looking up, she saw it was the assassin.
The sickle was raised up over its head. One of the daggers was in a reverse grip as it too was held up. The staff was left up, ready to bash down.
Xuelan, Karlamine, and Isabella looked up at them in pure fear; with their pupils dilated in their widened eyes and their hanging jaws trembling.
"It's over. No one is coming for you."
For the girls, time seemed to slow down as they await their fate. They were going to die where they were, and that was that. In the back of their heads, they began to realize to Riser wasn't coming for them. Despite how much they tried to remain loyal to him, the fact was that he was somewhere in the underworld, and they were here, trying to survive the longest night of their lives, was surprisingly made it difficult for them.
However, it was then that they remember Kenny and what he said back when they fought him.
—(Flashback)—
Xuelan was the last one to stand, holding her lightly injured stomach. "How did you do that," she demands. "We outnumbered you, and yet you were still able to fight, even with all those blows."
Kenny simply stared at them before speaking. "After all the things I've been through in the past." He said with his determined filled eyes. "Having all those close calls, only to come back stronger and more determined. I not one to just let myself be killed so easily." He points the Sword at them. "My name is Kenny Kurosawa, and I'm a Pawn."
—(Flashback ends)—
Who's to say they couldn't too? But then again, from all the Rating Games they've fought and won in, what's there to be stronger than before for? From what Kenny said, he's been on the razor's edge of danger for a while and on multiple times. This was the first time they've ever had to fight to stay alive.
Better late than never.
The staff, dagger, and sickle all came downwards on them.
With the little amount of strength left in them, the girls took action; Xuelan blocked the staff with one of her arm braces, Karlamine grabbed the arm holding the incoming dagger, and Isabella pushed the hand holding the sickle with her foot.
Xuelan, using all the powers of her Rook piece, planted a foot on the ground and pushed the robot off her and stood up. Quickly turning around, she got into a fight stance.
Karlamine kicked the X-Model away from her, and caused it to release the dagger. As it fell, the armored Knight snatched it out of the air. She too got in a fighting pose, with the new acquired weapon in her right hand.
Still pushing against the fist holding the sickle, Isabella grabbed where she presumed was the middle of the chain. Luckily it was made from normal metal; so when she pulled it apart, the links snapped. With a quick shove, the masked Rook forced the assassin away, giving her enough time to unwrap the chain from her arm and wrap the severed end in her left fist with the ball dangling near her foot.
Xuelan stood there facing the machine for a second before charging. The X-Model swung vertically at her, but the dress-wearing Rook saw this and grabbed the end of the staff. For about five seconds, the two struggled to force and pull the weapon away, unit Xuelan smirked and kick the robot. The force and power behind the attack was enough to send it off its feet and release the staff.
BAM!
The machine slammed into one the basketball hoops, denting the pole majorly. Looking up, it saw that the Chinese girl was gone. Walking away from the hoop, the X-Model pulled out its light-machine gun and scanned the area around itself, looking for any trace of the young woman.
"Up here, tin-head." The X-Model looked up to see Xuelan jumping down on it with the staff in hand. Falling towards it, she saw the gun raising upwards, aiming right at her face. The Rook quickly held the staff out with both hands and forced the robot on the ground, straddling it as she held it down with the weapon. Placing a foot on the arm holding the gun, Xuelan grunted and growled through her gritting teeth, while struggling to hold it down, as the machine used its free arm to push against the staff.
Glaring into its red eyes as it simply stared up at her, both fighters put in all of their strength into pushing back each other. A few seconds later, however, Xuelan noticed the slot opening on its head. She realized it was the chip slot. Xuelan broke from her thoughts when she felt the X-Model lifting her up more and more, and felt the arm she held push against her foot little by little. Thinking quickly, she shifted her dominate hand to the middle of the staff and resumed pushing by placing her weight on it.
Her free hand quickly pressed the opening, causing a red chip to pop out.
The glowing red eyes of the X-Model soon went out, and went completely limp. Shutting down forever.
Moving off to the side of the robot, Xuelan lay on her back and looked up at the underside of the bridge they were beneath. Her breaths were long and heavy as she tried to settle down.
"Fuck…"
CLASH!
Karlamine's slashing attack was blocked. She jumped back a few feet, then speeded at the X-Model. The robot sidestepped to let her pass, but was suddenly knocked back into the wall by a powerful force, created a crater the shape of it.
The blonde came to a skidding halt and looked back at her opponent, smirking at the result. She knew that the assassin was able to read her Evil Piece's speed, so planned to use her other power besides fire, controlling winds. When she passed the robot, Karlamine thrust her hand at its stomach, creating a vortex to send it flying.
She stared as the X-Model pulled itself out of the wall and turned to face her. Karlamine faced turned back to serious and readied herself. It then charged at her, with its remaining dagger in its right hand. The robot stopped before her and tried to chop down on her head, but Karlamine blocked the attack and disappeared in a blur. Reappearing behind it, she stabbed at the neck, but the assassin ducked down before her diagonally slash could cut into it. The X-Model then turned around and slashed horizontally at her face, but the Knight speeded back, now standing a bit away.
She then rushed at it again. About a meter away, Karlamine jumped at it and stabbed the dagger forward.
CLENCH!
The dagger suddenly stopped when its tip was an inch away from its face.
The young woman's mouth gaped open in shock and her eyes widened, as she felt the larger, cold, and stronger hand of the X-Model caught her by the neck. The machine held her up with her hanging feet off the ground. She swung her legs back and forth, while using both hands to try and pry the fingers around her off, as the Knight felt her lungs and windpipe burning for air. Gritting her teeth with her eyes shut, Karlamine opened one of them to see the assassin staring at her. She tried to slash at it, but the longer arm of the X-Model made it to where the dagger was a four inches from it.
It brought its blade up and placed it to her throat, ready to slit it.
"Any last words," it asked. Karlamine didn't say anything, as her terror-filled eyes looked at it with the fear returning to her, two times stronger. She then spotted the chip slot.
In one last final attempt, Karlamine grabbed the arm holding the dagger, hoping it was enough to prevent it from moving and give her so time. The female Knight turned the dagger around to hold it normal, and quickly threw it at the X-Model's head.
STAB!
Whether it was luck or prefect aiming, the dagger found itself stabling straight into the chip slot, jerking the head of the X-Model back.
Karlamine felt herself being released from its grasp and fell to her knees, before coughing heavily and about three deep breaths. She looked up to see sparks and electricity out of its head for a few seconds, its body trembling and shaking. A second later, the assassin fell backwards and died.
She sat there in the alleyway staring at the robot, feeling the relief soon come over her body. Karlamine sighed and said, "That was too close."
Wah! Wah! Wah! Wah!
Isabella swung the metal ball around over her head, before swinging it at the X-Model a few feet away. The X-Model leaned its head back to avoid the passing ball. Isabella then swung the chain above her head and brought the ball down at the robot. The assassin dodged it, causing the ball slammed into the field, and charged at her. It threw the sickle at her, but Isabella twisted her body right to avoid the scythe-like blade. The masked Rook pulled the chain off her arm and charged at the machine. The X-Model pulled the flying sickle back. The orange-haired Rook saw this and jump into the air to avoid the blade, before it the blade could cut into her back.
In the air, she twirled around a bit like an acrobat before coming down at the robot. She sent a punch to its face, but the X-Model caught it, so she brought her leg swinging up and sent her foot into its chin.
POW!
The X-Model was lifted off its feet and Isabella placed her feet on its chest and launched herself away from it. Landing after doing a back flip, she looked to her left and spotted the metal ball. Running over to it, Isabella swung it around and then threw it at the assassin, releasing the chain as well.
To her surprise, the robot grabbed the end of the chain after the ball passed its head. Swinging it around over its head, while swinging the other half vertically on its right side, the X-Model sent both metal ball and sickle at Isabella. She turned her should towards the assassin, allowing the chained weapons to go pass, with her between them, and rushed at it. She saw the robot pull back on the chains, and so she grabbed the metal chain links, and yanked both back simultaneously.
Due to her being stronger than Xuelan as a Rook, the X-Model was sent off its feet and fell face first on the ground. Running at it again while picking up her speed, Isabella leaped into the air, came down from above the X-Model, and sent a killing punch to its neck before it could stand up.
CRACK!
Not wasting time, Isabella ran away from the doomed robot's body. Running off the field, she reached a downwards slope a few feet away and slides down.
KA-BOOM!
The explosion caused her body to jump off the ground and roll the rest of the way down. Isabella soon came to a stop at the bottom. Looking back, she saw the rising smoke and orange flames at the on the top of the hill, where the soccer field was. She sighed in relief, before placing her fingers to her right ear and contacted her friends on a line private for the one the Gremory and Sitri Devils were using. "You okay, girls," Isabella asked them, panting a bit.
"Yeah," Xuelan said, standing up while looking down at the destroyed machine, "got him only a few seconds ago."
"Same over here." Karlamine pick up the dagger the assassin dropped. "It was close, but I was able to defeat it," she admitted while looking to her left at her destroyed X-Model, as the other dagger remained impaled in its head.
"Then I guess we're all done here," Isabella said with a sincere smile. "They were quite fierce fighters, I'll give them that."
"True," Xuelan said with a confident smile and a hand on her left hip. "But they were no match from the servants of the House of—" She stopped a held the sentence there. Her expression saddened.
Isabella and Karlamine were the same. The words of the X-series dug deep into their minds and clenched their hearts, depressing them even more than before. They don't want to, but they couldn't help but feel a shred of doubt and neglect in their souls. Was everything the X-series robots said true? Were they nothing but robots to Riser? To be used for his own gain? The more they thought about it, and remembered some other things, the less positive light their master seemed to be in to them.
"Do you…do you think Lord Riser…would be happy or proud of us," Xuelan asked with a shaken tone of uncertainty. Like she was hopping that there was an answer to reassure her. The three of them, including two others, Yubelluna and Ravel Phoenix, were the only ones in the peerage to never lose a fight in and out of the Rating Games. The others would be punished by Riser many times, all because of them losing a fight. There were even times when their master was displeased by how long the three's battles took in the games.
Karlamine sighed and said lowly, "I don't know, Xuelan. I small part of me wants to say of course and return to him triumphantly for winning against the X-series." She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head down a bit. "But now…"
Isabella listened to her Knight friend, knowing what she was saying. They didn't feel like going back now, not when they felt the loyalty and admiration they had from their King slipping. And also due to them knowing what would possibly await them. "Let's stick around and help Kenny," she said before standing up. "We'll head back home tomorrow, when we figure things out."
"Right."
"Okay."
And with that, the three Phoenix servants flew off towards Future Robotics.
To Be Continued…
{Playing Shine by Mr. Big}
[Instrumentals] The opening fades into the inside of a dark room with the moonlight coming from the window. The light moves against the wall, turning the areas that become covered by it a light blue. As it gradually shifts, it soon reveals the handle of the Sword, as the weapon leans up against the wall. The light then touches the unsheathed blade, causing it to reflect and shine off the metal.
[I never really feel quite right] Kenny, wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans, was out at night standing in an open plain with a few trees behind him. His hair flying in the wind and his hands in his jean's pockets as he looks upwards, the green grass under and around him flowing against the wind as well.
[I don't know why, all I know is there's something wrong] The scene stays like this for a moment, before switching to present a close up of his face. Showing an expression that tells the viewer he was deep in thoughts, as his black eyes weren't focused and his lips were parted a small bit.
[Every time I look at you, you seem so alive] High up on a white balcony in the night time, Rias stands there in a white sundress, with her arms on the railing as she leaned on it while looking up at the moon. She face carries a bright smile as her vixen figure is seen slightly through the dress as it and her elegant crimson hair flies in the wind gracefully while glowing into moonlight.
[Tell me how do you do it, walk me through it] The scene changes to show different images. The first was of Akeno as she smiles sweetly at the viewer in a lovely kimono, holding an umbrella in her arms with her in a bun. The next image is of Kiba as he stands in a gym, wearing Kendo equipment and the mask tucked under his armpit, giving the camera his charming smile, while in the background were many girls smiling at him back with hearts in their eyes.
[I'm following every footstep] Koneko's next shown, sitting on the sofa in the clubhouse with a piece of chocolate in her mouth, looking at the viewer blankly as she holds up her hand in a peace sign. The final image shows Asia in her nun outfit, brushing a few stray hairs behind her right as she smiles brightly, while standing in the park with the playground behind her.
[Baby on your own you take a caution step] Returning back to Rias, the camera shows her up close from the left side, with twinkling stars shining in the background. Her bright expression turned to a sad look as her gaze fell. She placed a hand on her left breast and sighs with her eyes closed.
[Do you wanna give it up?] Her eyes opened, but only half way. Showing that she's hurt in some way and sadden about something.
[But all I want is for you to SHINE~] Rias then turned her head to the left and a surprised expression appeared on her face. The scene changes to a white surrounding and the camera moves upwards, showing Kenny in his average school uniform, with his back facing the camera, the Sword in his right hand, and the scabbard in his left as his long black hair flows in the wind.
[SHINE~ down on me] The camera zoomed out to show Rias, now naked, staring at Kenny's back with her right shoulder facing the viewer and her head turned towards him.
[SHINE~ on this life this life that's burning out] A side angled view, and Kenny now is seen facing Samurai Jack, whose ghost stands a few feet from him. The camera focused on Kenny face for a movement, before switching over to Jack's. The samurai gives him a smile and disappears. Kenny lets out a sigh with his eyes closed, as he was now standing on a cliff as the sky turns orange in the afternoon.
[SHINE~] Rias, now fully dressed in her usual school uniform, walked up to his right and places a hand on his shoulder. Kenny looks at her as she gives him a smile, then Akeno comes up and stand with him too. Then Asia, Kiba, and Koneko.
[SHINE~ down on me] Kenny smiles fondly at them for a moment, before his expression quickly turned serious and he faces forward. The others do the same, readying themselves for battle.
[SHINE~ on this life this life that's burning out] The scene changes to show their backs and zooms out to revival Aku's towering silhouette before them, with the setting sun behind his head.
[SHINE~] The image then changes into a watercolor-like painting. Then everything fades out, as the song comes to an end.
Narrator: "On the next episode of The Red Dragon Samurai…."
Tsubaki: "Such brute force."
Sona: "Fire and water against one another. This is truly interesting."
X-Model: "This wouldn't be pretty."
Asia: "Please, little one, you can't be here. It's too dangerous."
Narrator: "The Red Dragon Samurai. Updates coming soon."
?: "Come then, boy. Your fall will be my accession in the First Legion of Darkness."
Narrator: "Only on Fanfiction."
AN;
And that wraps up this episode.
I still can't be that it's happening. The final episode of Samurai Jack is here people! The story at started years ago is coming to a close. I've never missed an episode when they aired and I'm dropping everything for this last one. And so I wanted to get this out before that happens.
This was another tough one to write, but wasn't as difficult. The only hard parts were how the plan was going down, who was involved and which one of the X-Models they fought, how to keep the fight interesting, and how they gang was going to win their fight.
Normal stuff.
As you could see, I dedicated at least half of the episode to Xuelan, Karlamine, and Isabella's fights as they happened simultaneously (going from one fight to another was also challenging, because I didn't feel like repeatedly using the line dividers for same paragraphs). It felt a bit awkward to me that the X-Models' talking deep to them and them knowing how it felt to be used, but this was intended to help the girls' characters go from loving Riser to loving Kenny. This wasn't an idea I was going for them at first, as I originally brought them in to spice things up, but I thought that maybe it would be a good thing to have them start doubting their loyalty to that douchebag and to also warm up more to being around our hero. There was no backstory to these ladies that I could find, but I intend to give them one myself and further explain their close friendship. That is, if you guys want that.
There's no harem updates.
For those of you who wanted to know about Kenny's familiar, I've narrowed the opinions to two candidates, but only one will be chosen. I'm not giving him two, as it'll be complicated. These are the two;
—The Creature from Episode XXXIII: Jack and the Creature
(What can you say, the Creature is a cute and loving animal that looks a lot like a certain anime movie creature. Only this one can turn into a vicious and dangerous monster.)
—A chicken that knows martial arts
(Remember the episode when Jack was turned into a chicken, a badass chicken? Think that kind of chicken, only it's not Jack turned into one. Just a chicken, which knows how to fight. Imagine that for a familiar.)
Senior Finals are coming, so I wouldn't be working on The Red Dragon Samurai as much, do with having to study. It's not going on hiatus, I'm just going to be doing a lot of studying and less focused on fanfiction.
On another note, I've added the ending to all the other chapters.
And so that wraps up this episode. Only two more episodes of the Assassin Arc to go before the Rating Games Arc. Please feel free to review, favorite, and follow if you like the story and/or episode. Have a good day!