Loneliness during the heat seasons was a recognized problem on Terra. The genes of animals in their blood kept a legacy of nature with these seasons. While some species could pride themselves on not having them, like the sanktas or most of the aegirs, others went completely mad and desperate to reproduce, like the dracos, the lungs, the vouivres or the sarkaz. This is one of the reasons why modern medicine had developed anti-heat treatments. For a large part of the population, the treatment was perfectly compatible with their organism. But for the other part, depending on the race, taking the treatment will have the opposite effect than the one expected.

These different periods throughout the year for the different races were often the occasion for people to start relationships with the partners they had found.

Irina didn't have any of that. She didn't have medication for her heat, or the chance to barely feel it, or even the immense pleasure of having a partner on hand...

She was lying on her bed, feeling as if her body was burning from the inside with the most biting fire she had ever known... She was clenching her teeth with all her strength, squirming, not being able to even close her eyes in this hotel room so comfortable and luxurious...

There was only one thought that crossed her mind, to get up, go to the room just next door and make love to its occupant. Whether he agreed or not...

This man who not so long ago was still her enemy, now Irina wanted him as her lover. But a tiny part of her spirit was holding her back the other one to leave to quench this thirst of carnal pleasure.

The little of her reason which remained, knew that her body played her a trick. Putting herself to desire a man a little attractive just to be able to perpetuate her genes, like an animal... This man whom she knew for what, two, three days...

She was losing track of time as she swayed between the idea of getting up to taste the flesh of the man in the next room and staying here waiting for her heat to pass.

Her mind was brought back to reality when she heard the knock on her door.

She blinked several times before she saw that it was already morning outside. The ursine took a deep breath rubbing her eyes from exhaustion, her mind keeping that background of libidinous chaos.

Sebastian: Irina, are you awake?

She gritted her teeth.

This was perhaps the worst moment that could happen...

She stood up and quickly put on her t-shirt, not bothering to wear anything else. The simple piece of fabric already felt like too much for her. She reached the door, took a deep breath and unlocked it slightly, revealing the doctor's face.

Immediately her heart leapt in her chest and began to speed up. She began to claw at the wood of the door and the muscles in her thighs tightened. She had to redouble her self-control to avoid opening the door wide and catching the doctor on the hallway floor.

Sebastian: Are you okay?

he asked worriedly.

Irina: Slept badly...

The good doctor nodded, he already knew what was wrong with the young woman, and could smell how the room was filled with sexual pheromones.

He held out a paper bag through the opening, with a medical symbol.

Sebastian: I have a treatment for your season. One pill every eight hours for the remaining week, or more if need be...

The young woman's eyes widened, and she immediately snatched the bag from her hands, feeling her deliverance coming.

Irina: Thank you...

Sebastian: Take the rest of the day to see if it works. I have to go.

He stepped away from the door, leaving the young woman to her privacy. The ursine watched him turn to leave, but when she saw his back. Her instincts took over when she could see him while he was vulnerable, she opened the door a little more and was about to jump on him. Maybe it had only been a few days... But she had never felt this way about a man... And maybe this was also an opportunity to see if a relationship other than a colleague was possible...

The rational mind of Irina's brain was beginning to abdicate in favor of the beast.

She avoided the situation of catastrophe with a single second of delay that allowed the doctor to move away and get out of her field of vision.

Immediately Irina slammed the door of her room and tore the bag to take a pill which she swallowed without delay before going to throw herself under a cold shower.

In the hallway the doctor sighed.

Sebastian: I thought I was going to get done for...

He had rarely seen anyone who had so much desire to fuck written on her face...

The good doctor arrived at his car, the city of Lungmen being immersed in a mix of mist and light rain. Annoyed by the weather he turned to the weather control tower in the center of town and promised himself that if it continued he would fix it himself.

Perhaps one of the most emblematic places of Lungmen, the second largest tower of the city, in the middle of the city, the complex being separated by an artificial lake serving as a water reserve for the city, separated from the rest by a huge and beautiful bridge. Normally, rain, snow, fog or temperature were perfectly set to appear at certain times, originally to imitate the climate of Yen in the middle of the wasteland. But now the rain fell several times a day, unannounced, at irregular intensities, durations and intervals. Just annoying...

He got into his car and took a deep breath as he drove off. By reflex he looked around to see that there was no one there. He looked again in front of him, and cursed himself.

Maybe he shouldn't have asked everyone to rest this morning, because God only knew how lonely he felt right now... And how much he hated it...

The doctor's belly began to make an infernal sound.

It was quite early, maybe he could afford to have some breakfast somewhere before throwing himself right into a fight that would leave him in pieces.

And so he found his place in a kind of diner imitating the retro columbian style of some street where his instinct had carried him. It was not very busy at that time of the day.

He chose this place because of the many windows that looked out on the street, giving both a pleasant view and the possibility to see if assailants were coming. An old reflex from his days as a Russian spy... The good old days... When he feared bullets and stabbings...

The waitress watched him enter, the giant giving him his best smile and hello, the poor young woman starting to blush profusely.

He ended up settling on a seat a little behind, having taken with him a newspaper that he had kindly asked the young woman who quickly came to bring him a coffee, with scrambled eggs and bell peppers.

He looked through the window, the rain falling outside refreshing the streets, making a very light condensation appear on the edges of the windows and making these soft volutes appear above the cup of hot coffee.

There was no need to say, even for him there was no better feeling than the quiet, the rain, and being warm while outside was cold...

His eyes turned to her journal. News about Victoria... The Sarkaz force in attendance working formidably on this state-of-the-art weather control tower. Sebastian bit his cheek. He was well aware that Kazdel's military commission was taking the place of the Victorian government. And no matter what nonsense he might say for the papers, after meeting Clovisia, and Siege and her gang he was sure that his destiny would take him there at some point... Especially to that bastard Theresis.

Sebastian thought that he probably knew him from before his amnesia. Because otherwise he would have had no reason to hate him as much as he does now. This usurper...

Infiltrate a country, make the population rise up, assassinate the leaders in contention, establish a favorable government towards Rhodes Island...

All in a day's work for a spy.

He turned his page and sighed.

News from Kazimierz.

The major was coming soon. In a short time, the announcement of the candidates would be made, and Sebastian would have to reroute Rhodes Island to Kazimierz. His task with the L.G.D. was taking far too long... It would be ideal if they could even set out before next week to arrive in time...

Of course, that meant bribing half of the companies in Kazimierz to show support for the docking of Rhodes Island, doing the same with the newspapers to make sure that they presented their excuse for dealing with the infected knights in a positive light to the public... He would have to build himself a full suit of armor by then on top of that. Lying to everyone on Rhodes Island that their operation was only humanitarian, and for what?

To save Maria Nearl from certain death.

Just by saying that, Sebastian had no doubt that what he was doing was worth it. In no world would he allow himself to question this. He wouldn't let Margaret's sister down because she believed in a country and a system that was rotten from the inside.

Just the thought of the Chamber of Commerce revolted him.

Kazimierz was a country of honor, the land of an admirable and powerful warrior people. With a history more inspiring than any other nation on Terra. And today this beautiful country was reduced to what?

A sham that was even more rotten and hateful than Columbia... Where everything revolved around the economy, an economy that was not even impressive compared to its neighbors.

An economy that ran on corruption, and the pleasure of watching people fight for money, or just a chance to live in the real world in the case of the infected knights. Fights and fighters that had nothing of their former nobility. They were either used to promote stupid companies, or companies that manufactured weapons for neighboring countries.

Like an economy that functioned on boxing fights, three quarters of which were rigged, and on the sale of boxing gloves, while trying to pass it off as something much more noble, complex or honorable than it really was...

A mess...

A people for whom greatness was in the genes, reduced by corporations to the state of brainless larvae only wanting to consume.

This idea made him completely mad. If Victoria's situation made him want to come and cause a real massacre to overthrow the government in place, the situation of Kazimierz almost made him want to climb on the throne of the country to show them what they really were.

But he began to laugh to himself while drinking his coffee.

Even if three quarters of the Kazimierz population didn't know who the heir to the throne was at the moment, most of them didn't care at all, the buffoon in place being nothing more than a social network starlet and nothing more, the good doctor knew that the Kazimierz throne would never accept a king again. Or even if he would manage to change the population.

If he used his reputation as Yuri of Ursus, maybe some Kazimierz would remember their roots. But Sebastian told himself that he was not ready to reveal his past identity for a foolish bet. And he had no way to prove it, except for what the starik said. And even if he did, there was not much chance that he would be accepted, even though this was not his land.

Finally Hellagur.

Half of his soul wanted to do this for him. The other half wanted to do this for Nearl. The good doctor knew that the kuranta's soul and mind was occupied with her country and that it tortured her to think about it. If Sebastian saw an injustice before him that he found repulsive, it was even worse for Margaret, who felt the same way but had grown up in this country.

Margaret...

God, how he missed her...

He would kill to see her smile again.

Well, maybe he wouldn't kill just anyone, but he was looking forward to seeing her again. Maybe he felt it was an exaggeration to say that he felt like a part of himself had been taken out of this world... But that was how he felt.

He missed his favorite kuranta terribly. So did the rest of Rhodes Island.

But he wondered if he was ready.

He'd made it this far in his battles.

Wonderful.

But he knew very well that most of the time, he either ran away, or it was luck, or his anger got the better of him so that his previous beast could take over...

That Saria had managed to beat...

It was all stupid to express for him. But there Sebastian, in front of his newspaper, his coffee and his empty plate, he felt weak.

Not really weak, but at least not strong enough.

He knew perfectly well that his confrontations would only increase in terms of difficulty. And he didn't want to use his transformation anymore.

Of course it made him stronger.

But this part of him, as deep as it was, even if it was the very core of his soul, disgusted him to the core. He hated to become this ferocious beast for no reason, blinded by hate and hunger.

This was not the person he wanted to be, and the day his opponent did not piss him off enough, he would lose, for good and this time, unlike his fight with Saria, it would not be possible to get out of it with a smile and a hug.

No, if he really wanted to progress, to be able to protect Amiya, Nearl, Kal'tsit and all those other people he cared about, he had to get stronger.

He had to sharpen his muscles, his weapons and his mind, and even his arts. He had to progress further and further to make sure that nothing in this world would take away those people who had believed in him. One of the reasons why he had done more and more research on these famous arrows of white originium... Maybe a way to get this coveted power if they really existed.

But in the meantime, he had to give more and more to see if he could still exceed his limits. To go further and further each day. That's why in the last few days, by dint of overusing his arts, his strength and his energetic abilities, the doctor was fainting on his bed as soon as he touched it.

Going beyond 100% every day to set new limits for himself.

He finished his cup of coffee, asking the waitress for another dose. Meanwhile, he was busy looking at something on his phone...

His latest purchase, a suit of armor that could withstand almost anything... A small fortune and not like Sebastian preferred, that is to say, steel and custom made, mostly by himself...

The door of the diner opened, as the waitress had just filled the doctor's cup, ringing the bell, Sebastian looked up at the person who had just come in curious to see a person when it was still quite early. The doctor frowned a little...

Here was a very strange woman who had just arrived. The first thing he noticed was the way she was dressed... Even by Terra's standards she was an oddball. A young feline wearing a kind of khaki dress, brown at the same time short enough to look almost a bit vulgar, but also wide and long in some aspects, her outfit giving contradictory signals revealing the body and hiding it at the same time. The second thing he noticed, was that she was rather small in size... But yet, he found this young woman quite dashing.

A good little break from all his heavy and depressing thoughts. The young woman met his gaze, his emeralds, and her beautiful little eyes oscillating between gray and hazel.

The young woman immediately after passing her order to the waitress, the doctor returning to his occupations. The waitress left to take care of her order in progress, the feline looking around before looking again at the good doctor and seeing the newspaper on his table. She walked over to him and asked him the question.

?: Can I borrow this for a moment?

Sebastian: Sure.

The young woman sat down on the bench in front of him, looking at the paper for a few moments before sighing and putting it down.

The intrigued giant could see that she had stopped at the page about Victoria.

Sebastian: Is the news that bad?

The feline looked at him. She could understand that he was intrigued that she would react like that.

?: It's all smoke and mirrors for the papers. That's all it is... The Shard conversion is taking up most of Londinium while the entire population is not allowed to leave the city.

Sebastian: I thought the work on the shard was coming because the weather tower was dated...

?: Londinium's control tower is the oldest in the world... It's so simple in its operation that it's virtually unbreakable and unregulatable.

Sebastian: You know a lot...

?: I'm from Victoria...

The young woman surprised herself by talking so much to a stranger.

Sebastian: Oh... The situation is really as bad as the rumors say...?

?: It's even worse actually.

The giant lowered his head in compassion.

Sebastian: I see... it must be hard...

?: You look familiar, you haven't been to Victoria by any chance, have you?

Sebastian: Not as far as I remember.

The waitress signaled to the feline that her order was ready.

?: Okay, thanks for the paper, and please don't repeat what I said.

Sebastian: Don't worry, I'm used to keeping secrets...

She raises an eyebrow.

Sebastian: I am a doctor.

?: Really...? You put yourself in a place where it is impossible to attack you by surprise, I can hear the clanking of your holster under your coat, and your hands give you away - they are those of a warrior.

The doctor's smile faded immediately. He saw experience in front of him, it took him only a quarter of a second for his eyes to analyze every detail of the feline before him, using all his senses.

Sebastian: Because you think I have no idea who you are? That ring you wear as vanity is gargoyle made, you still have fresh blood droplets in your clothes that you didn't manage to clean up from your last fight, along with various fragments of rocks and soil. Add that to the oripathy lesions you hide on your forearms and I can safely say that you are a caster of an unofficial military organization adept at geokinesis that you learned from a gargoyle sarkaz.

It was the feline's turn to feel bad.

Sebastian: Should I also mention that Taran-inspired medallion you proudly wear? Which would allow me to conclude that this military organization with little regard for its soldiers of which you are a part would be this famous ghost squadron in formation in the south of Victoria.

He crossed his arms as the feline struggled to maintain a calm facade.

How?! Was it magic that he had used to find out all this on such short notice, or did he already know who she was before this conversation started? No one was supposed to know about Dublin's formation but the most ardent draco loyalists and those sarkaz bastards... She was going to kill him... She was going to slaughter him right there and then to make sure that this man didn't hurt her life's work. She was going to tear him into hundreds of little pieces like all those vermin of nobles in Victoria...

Sebastian: Everyone has their own garden of secrets and it is only polite not to reveal the one of the person in front of you, Miss. I may be a warrior, but I did not lie, I am a doctor. So now you can leave, and pretend this conversation never happened. Because I don't want you to try to kill me... Just as I have no desire or interest in hurting you.

The feline blinked, instantly calmed by the doctor's spiel.

Sometimes his words had a way of having the effect the doctor wanted without them making much sense. That kind of supernaturalness was part of the doctor, like his ability to get people to confide in him.

The feline stood up, thinking she had spent enough time here.

?: You are a strange man.

Sebastian: And I think we both have much better things to do with our days than to dwell on my strangeness.

The giant looked back at his phone, pretending the feline didn't exist anymore. She left, hurrying to get a bag and a cup that the waitress had left for her, before paying.

As she left, the intimidating and imposing men turned to their leader.

Soldier: Are you done, boss?

?: Let's get the hell out of this place, you maggots!

Soldier: Is something wrong?

Animated by the only desire to get away from here and to forget this stressful interlude the caster crossed the road thinking just to finish the business for which she had come to this city and to stay away from any kind of weird doctor...

Soldier: Boss!

She felt every hair on her body stand on end, her eyes barely had time to look to her right to see a car driving straight towards her.

She thought to herself, so obsessed with the idea of leaving, she hadn't even noticed the car speeding down the road.

Was this really the end for her...?

She didn't have time to close her eyes when the car stopped dead.

The strange doctor had appeared out of nowhere in a split second so short that she didn't even know he was there until the car twisted into a pile of steel.

The giant had pulled the driver out of the car through the window, and grabbed the frame with his hand to stop the vehicle.

The momentum of the vehicle and the doctor's strength was enough to cause the car to buckle as if it had crashed into a tree.

The giant put the driver on the ground who was looking around trying to figure out what was happening to him.

The doctor threw his business card between the legs of the man who only now seemed to realize that he had just been taken out.

Sebastian: Send me the bill.

The feline remained paralyzed, but not her men, who had their fists on their weapons by pure reflex. The good doctor looked at her with a smile.

Sebastian: You should be more careful about yourself caster...

The giant went inside the diner. Without the feline or her men interfering. They were simply terrified. The man in front of them had just stopped a car with only ONE of his arms. Without a scratch. And with such speed, that he had managed to cross twenty meters, and get the driver out of the vehicle in just a few hundredths of a second.

In short, an almost monstrous skill, and enough to kill them all without a doubt.

So no point in attacking him according to their self-preservation instincts.

?: I said we're moving!

The feline left.

She didn't need a guardian angel...

After his interlude rescue of damsel in distress and breakfast Sebastian took his car and drove out of the city itself to arrive at its outskirts. The doctor found himself on a country road where he parked, in the middle of the fields that supply the city.

He looked further, his gaze stopping on a building to which a stone path led. The building looked like something between a temple and a Higashien-style mansion, though with a few chimneys that belched smoke from the forges.

The giant looked down at his cell phone and confirmed his coordinates. It was however from this traditional forge that came the astronomical quantity of quality weapons...

He shrugged his shoulders and walked towards his goal, but as soon as he put the tip of his shoe on the stones of the path, he raised his head and his pupils retracted.

A god...

Or at least a fragment...

Sebastian had just felt its presence and put his hand on 'purgatory' before starting to walk along the path. Even if he had a god in front of him he had a mission to accomplish and that was the only thing that mattered to him.

It was only a handful of minutes for Sebastian but the tension made it seem like hours as he approached the forge.

The white stones on the ground reflected the sunlight through the rain, making visibility difficult. As he got closer and closer to the forge he felt something strange... He analyzed every detail of the building looking here and there at the different accesses and exits. An old reflex.

He finally arrived in front of this manor and was surprised that there was no welcoming committee to welcome him. It smelled like a trap every time... He climbed the steps to the porch, and arrived at the door. At a glance he could see that it was unlocked. He gently turned the handle, making sure he didn't feel the tension of a wire. Once the door was open, he looked the other way, looking for a trap.

The advantage that his first experiences of war were in trapped places had given him was that now he was careful in this kind of figure. He passed through the door, his senses on the alert and he drew his sword.

He concentrated all his hearing and heard absolutely nothing, not a living soul, except for hammer blows further on metal, and a single heartbeat...

He walked cautiously towards the hammer blows, which seemed to lead to another part of the residence. His hand still firmly gripping the handle of his weapon, each step was careful.

It was quiet. Too quiet.

He-

Strange Cat: Meow...

Sebastian: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

The giant gasped in fear as he let out a scream light years away from his manly persona upon hearing the meow of a cat right next to him.

At least he had calmed his sword and not cut that cat in half...

He would have blamed himself for the rest of his life otherwise...

He looked at this black cat with blue eyes and a pretty red ribbon rubbing against his leg as if asking for caresses. Quickly the giant bent down and caressed the cat before walking away. His sword still firmly in hand and feeling happy that no one had seen this embarrassing moment in his life...

Sebastian: Wait a second...

He turned to look at the cat, because he was sure he had seen it somewhere before. But the feline had already disappeared into the darkness. Ignoring this awkward detail he started to move forward again, passing through a dark corridor to a walkway leading to another part of the manor, which seemed to be a huge roofed forge with open walls. The giant looked to the side and on the pavement of the forge he could see boxes, in doubt he opened one to see it filled with swords of sublime quality. He opened the one next to it to see shields, a third one and he could see that it was filled with crossbows.

All of the weapons were of tremendous quality, making the doctor grit his teeth. Just one bolt fired from one of these crossbows could probably take his arm off if he didn't took care of it.

Remembering to plant a bomb on the way out...

He walked through the forge, getting closer to the sounds of hammering. He reached the place where the furnaces were, and stood behind a corner of the brick wall. Watching the only person there.

A young woman.

A lung perhaps? or a draco.

She was working at the forge, hammering her band of steel with an unequalled strength and precision... In this world surely...

The young woman, despite her occupation as a blacksmith, had a pale white skin of great beauty, without the slightest flaw, which she seemed to enjoy showing with the few clothes she wore. But the way she worked betrayed her experience. Her tail had ivory white scales, and her horns were red, not like blood, but like rich soil or ancient pottery. But the strangest thing about her was her hands and forearms... It was as if her skin was covered or even made of clay... And yet supple. Of a sparkling red crossed with gray and green patterns.

Why had he just analyzed every detail of this woman?

Well, not only to rinse his eye by looking at her buttocks that were maybe not her greatest asset, but especially because it was in her home that felt the presence of a deity. He seized his sword firmly and went out of his corner. Making on purpose not to mask any more his noises of steps.

?: I still have not finished your daggers Julie, it will take me a few more hours for the work that you ask me...

Said she while working taking the steps of Sebastian for someone else, before quickly realizing that something was wrong, when she had no answer. Slowly and quietly her hand reached for a huge orange sword that lay next to her workshop.

The giant saw this and the next actions took place in a split second. Sebastian threw one of his throwing knives at the young woman's weapon to take it away, but just before his weapon hit her, a shield materialized behind the deity parrying the doctor's knife. Sebastian's eyes widened as the young woman ran towards him with her weapon in hand, a smile on her face as she imagined what a good fight she would have. The giant threw another throwing knife but the deity deflected the attack with her sword.

Fortunately the giant's strength was enough to send the young woman's sword backwards which seemed to surprise her, just enough time for Sebastian to run towards her and bring his blade down on the deity.

That mysterious dragon-headed shield materialized again right in front of the young woman, thinking that she would be protected.

Big mistake...

Sebastian used every muscle in his body, from his leg pressing the ground and breaking the rock, to every muscle fiber in his back and his left arm holding his sword. He struck with purgatory with all his strength, and the deity widened his eyes seeing that the giant did not abandon his attack seeing that she had a shield but on the contrary he went on with more strength. But anyway he had no chance to cut through her most beautiful shield thought the blacksmith-

*shink*

The black iridium sword sliced cleanly through the dragoness' shield.

She raised her sword before being sliced in half herself and the force of her opponent was enough to send her flying into one of the forge's chimneys, shattering the brick.

The deity got up slowly, stunned. She wiped a thin stream of blood from her mouth and began to smile. It had been a long time since she had had a fight worthy of the name.

She threw herself forward, weapon in hand, ready to cut this opponent to pieces, skimming the ground she gave a blow that was about to hit the giant's chin, but he dodged at the last moment with a side step and struck again with his sword leaving to slice the woman in two.

A wall of metal appeared out of nowhere right in front of the doctor, which he sliced again. His sword went through it but reduced the speed of his attack enough for the young woman to escape. The giant barely had time to understand what had just happened before he could hear a large rope being pulled, like the sound of a ballista coming directly from his right. He barely had time to look away before he confirmed his fears. A ballista had just appeared and fired at the other end of the forge. He simply pulled his sword away from the metal wall and put it in the path of the projectile that was normally intended to destroy light vehicles.

The bolt ricocheted, and Sebastian felt the air move behind his back. He didn't have time to turn around this time and felt a sword being thrust into his back, and soon he could see the tip of the goddess' sword going through his stomach and out. She had severed his spinal cord and thought she had won.

A fraction of second passed. The giant certain to feel the goddess smile in his back.

Then Sebastian dislocated his arms with the help of the pressure in his muscles, and turned them over in his back to grab the goddess who, in front of this more than supernatural scene, could do nothing because she was paralyzed. The giant grabbed her before throwing her straight towards her ballista. With force, the woman protected herself as she could before ending up embedded in her screation and so stunned that she could hardly move.

Sebastian, definitely pissed off, removed the sword she had planted in him and ran straight towards the blacksmith, screaming. Weakened, she invoked a wall of steel between her and the giant but he crossed it like air before arriving towards the goddess and catching her again. But he continued to run, passing through the debris and another wall, the goddess taking most of the damage. A free fall of a few meters where once again the goddess was the one who took the most. Breaking the rock where they had landed a place that seemed to be a training area.

Sebastian moved his fist back with the idea of hitting the face of the deity and smashing her skull, at the last moment she regained enough consciousness to move her head and dodge the blow that would have been undoubtedly fatal if it had hit.

Using all her remaining strength, the blacksmith pulled her legs back and pushed against the giant's torso, managing to send his 150 kilos away. The giant landed on the ground, quickly reaching for his sword and controlling the particles of his blood in the blade. Once the object in hand he got up, just like his opponent who had also taken her weapon, both being out of breath...

The doctor took a second to thank his god that the young woman had not hit him in the balls... His reproductive system seemed strangely often targeted lately... The two turned around like two boxers before exchanging their first blows.

The morning sun gently warmed every cell of the giant, always giving him a little more energy that he needed right now to regenerate his wound.

?: You're tough.

It was more a statement than a compliment.

Just with this short confrontation the goddess could see that in front of her was not just another good fighter, but a mountain of pure strength and brutality...

The kind of man you see once a millennium. If you could even call it a man.

A cloud shifted, bringing the sun's rays to the scene, and on the rain-wet white stone, the light reflected at just the right angle to blind the giant for a single second.

By the time he blinked, he knew that his enemy had just taken advantage of it, but fortunately he had fought this opponent enough to now guess the next attack. He raised his sword, using his other hand on the side of the blade to help deflect the next attack which ended up in the ground. His vision returned at that moment to see the stunned face of the goddess.

He gave an impulse in his left hand which was on the side of the blade and very quickly, put it on the handle. All this in a fluid movement and with a speed that only increased the power of the attack that was to come.

The deity thought at that moment that she was going to die. Unless she created a protection. That she exceeds herself, and that in less than one hundredth of second she manages to create a wall so solid that it would stop the attack of the giant.

Not before having reunited her brothers and sisters...

A new wall appeared before Sebastian. His sword, as if time was slowing down, moved closer and closer to the protection with the aim of cutting again.

But his senses sensed the trap. His eyes focused on the material in front of him and spotting the molecules and their arrangement he could see that this was perhaps one of the strongest materials Terra could ever create...

But nothing could match the millions of years of hundreds of thousands of worlds of blacksmithing knowledge that Sebastian had accumulated to create the sword he held.

He used even more of his strength than before, in addition to using both arms.

He would cut down any wall and opponent that stood in his way.

An absolutely phenomenal explosion sounded, propelling the blacksmith to a safe distance and sweeping a good part of the building. A good moment passed and the dust settled, the dragoness got up, exhausted and down.

The giant also got up in a few moments, impressing the goddess more and more, despite the fact that his fatigue caused him to lean on his blade...

A blade always intact...

The dragoness looked at him, then raised her hands.

?: Kay fine ! You've won !

She collapsed to the ground, as if she had just come out of a sporting event and was just thinking about relaxing and catching her breath. Totally relaxed.

?: Holy fuck, it's been ages since I've had a fight like that!

She said while letting escape her tongue reminding Sebastian that of a reptile.

He tightened his grip on his sword and approached.

Sebastian: this is not over... I can't leave you alive where you will give more and more weapons to this triad...

He looked ready to finish and the goddess frowned...

?: Wait what?

Sebastian: You're the one supplying weapons to the triad that's trying to ruin the city...

He paused, his sharp fangs appearing amidst his angry words.

?: Uh there must be a mistake in the person... Okay, I may make weapons for assassins here and there... But not to mafias... I have principles though. Even Kojui, I'm sending him away...

Sebastian: Lin Kojui ?

?: Yeah that folk, the big rat! They all know how my weapons are the best...

Sebastian: Stop lying!

His screaming sounded more like a roar at the time.

Sebastian: I saw the crates full of weapons! I saw the same weapons in the hands of the triad that is right now trying to kill Lin! So stop telling me your bullshit and come face your death goddess!

?: Wait wait wait! These weapons are for the Yan army!

Sebastian: As if I would believe you...

?: But I can prove it! I have the order with all the seals of the army on it! It was given to me by a real emissary!

He frowned.

Sebastian: Where is this proof?

He said with his sword pointed straight at her face. Ready to shoot a crimson lightning bolt as soon as the young woman would try anything.

Nian: In the pocket of my shorts wait... If it wasn't torn...

She took out a crumpled piece of paper and threw it to Sebastian, who caught it but did not release his grip on it.

He looked at the order.

The young woman was telling the truth... Everything was indicated on the paper... The number of swords, crossbows, shields. He looked at the various seals that attested to the authenticity of the paper and even saw one that indicated the accreditation of a general.

He squinted, his instincts alerting him.

He only noticed at the third glance that the seals had been imitated. They were so perfect. His eyes widened.

The blacksmith had been manipulated...

?: You see?!

Sebastian's eyes darkened. He had struck before he spoke. Raised his fists before thinking.

An indescribable shame seized him, a shame infinitely stronger than the one he felt when Siege saw him staring at her breasts.

One of the biggest shames of his life without doubt.

In a flash, he put himself face down and belly down, in a position of ultimate submission. His sword in front of him, out of reach of his hands.

Sebastian: Sorry ! I'm so sorry!

The dragoness stood up, and crossed her arms, a satisfied smile on her face.

?: Good! Apologize and kneel before the great Nian!

Nian: Heh... You were right. They really did imitate her seal...

The dragoness said, her eye still focused on the magnifying glass she was holding, the object turned towards the letter, and towards the general's seal.

She looked up at the doctor for a few moments.

Nian: Drink your tea, it will get cold...

Sebastian: But-

Nian: Hey, this was a mistake, right? And I'm not hurt and you seem to be healed, so nothing serious...

Sebastian: What about your mansion?

Nian: I could create a mobile city with a snap of my fingers, so a new mansion... But you were right about the seal.

She says, removing the magnifying glass.

Nian: Luckily I had only sent a few swords and not everything I needed... Otherwise we would have been in trouble... I can't imagine what a triad would do with my weapons... Even though it's my sister's seal, it still took me a while to see what was wrong...

Sebastian: General Ling...?

Nian: And yes, Yan has more than one deity up his sleeve...

The giant took a sip of his tea, his palate surprised by the deliciously spicy aroma.

Sebastian: Hm... Black tea, cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper...

Nian: Not bad eh? It's a home-made mixture...

She says, sticking her tongue out again.

Kinda hot to be honest if he had to say.

Sebastian: Wonderful...

The giant was in deep thought...

Nian was an exceptional blacksmith as well as a very skilled fighter...

She would be a great asset for Rhodes Island if they joined them...

At this point he was thinking more for the sake of his company than for the sake of the city itself and his little expert team. He definitely had to recruit her.

Sebastian: Would you be interested in a job...?

Nian: I don't care about the pay, even if it's several million LMD, I'm not interested in that. But what do you have to offer me?

She asked interested, that Machiavellian smile back on her face.

Sebastian: Nah. You know I work for a company-

Nian: Rhodes Island? I know, half the people in town know your face, Dr. Sebastian.

The good doctor coughed and blushed in embarrassment.

Sebastian: We could use a talent like yours aboard the landship... To arm us and help us in the field of operations or for material recovery...

Nian: So you want me to be your good little doggie?

Sebastian: Of course you would still have the freedom to manufacture and sell for whoever you want, but just to make Rhodes stand out from your customers...

Nian: Let me stop you right there. There's only one thing I respect, and that's talent. I've spent decades perfecting many talents, so I wonder if it's worth coming with you if I can't maintain them. If I can't improve them, if there isn't someone even better than me at what I do to teach me. And okay, I'll admit it, you're a better fighter than I am. But it will take more than that...

Sebastian: My sword. I made it.

Nian's eyes widened. She had told herself that her weapon was an artifact given by a more powerful god. Not the work of another smith, but Sebastian's hands did not lie. They were those of a man who wielded iron as if on his enemy, as if in the furnace.

Nian: And I'm supposed to take your word for it~? Let's have a contest to decide between us...

A great epic battle followed...

The two of them went to the forge that Nian had restored by making the matter of the void appear. After setting a timer, the two took their materials. The young woman thought that she was unbeatable, and better than any ordinary blacksmith, in a few moments she was already shaping a piece of metal into the rough shape of a sword...

She glanced at the giant who was hammering his simple iron ingot into a flat strip. She wondered what he was doing, and soon the doctor slashed his hand, and began to bleed, far too much for a cut of this sort, but where the abnormal was replaced by shock was when his blood began to fly in wisps towards the iron plate to coat it, turning in the process into a liquid blacker than night.

Sebastian resumed his work as a blacksmith, advancing at such a pace on this metal that had nothing of iron left, that the dragoness felt stressed...

After thirty minutes, Sebastian got up from the whetstone and finished his work.

Sebastian: Not the best, but it will do...

Such speed at work was impossible in the eyes of the dragoness, no one would have been able to forge a weapon, in about thirty minutes. After another thirty minutes, it was Nian's turn to finish quickly. She was right on schedule with the timer they had set.

She asked how they should test their weapons. Sebastian laid his flat between two stones and asked the dragoness to strike his blade with hers. She did so.

And to her horror, the dragoness' sword broke cleanly in two, while the giant's remained intact. She raised the handle of the broken sword in front of her eyes, her hand trembling...

A stranger had just beaten her on her favorite field. The forge.

She tightened her grip on the sword handle...

Nian: I have many other fields of expertise!

Sebastian: Really?

Nian: Yes, like martial arts!

A fight followed that Nian regretted. She thought she knew all of Yan's traditional martial arts, but the doctor proved her wrong by handing her another defeat in combat. In desperation she issued a new challenge.

Nian: Cooking!

Sebastian prepared a dish that was incomparable to hers.

Nian: The Weiqi!

The doctor was able to defeat her, in a number of rounds that she would have thought impossible.

This little game continued for about ten rounds. Nian stating a field where she was supposed to be the master, only to be beaten by Sebastian every time, even if she cheated, even if she distracted her opponent... He beat her...

As noon approached Sebastian was a little tired of it all while Nian sank into despair. She thought she was the best at everything she had challenged the doctor with.

But he had shown her that she was wrong...

Sebastian: You see? You still have things to learn... Rhodes Island would be a good place for that...

Nian drank in these words... She still had things to improve...

She looked at the giant... A perfect master to learn from... A master she could learn from and become even better than him...

Nian had an unquenchable thirst for something other than spice in her life. It was to learn and improve herself. Much more than any other human being with the natural curiosity that could harbor it.

Well after all, she didn't have many interesting clients here... So she might as well get a change of scenery, it would do her a world of good.

As they were back in the small room where they had both been having tea, Nian raised his head, trying to erase a little of the despair caused by the terrible disillusionment the good doctor had inflicted on him.

Nian: Rhodes Island travels?

Sebastian: A lot.

Nian: I'm in.

She says with a bitter smile.

Sebastian: But right now I'm stuck outside Rhodes Island and I won't have time to get you back in until the end of the week...

Nian: Too busy fighting that triad?

Sebastian: Yep.

Nian: So I might as well help out.

A nice surprise for the doctor, but this surprise was welcome. Although he figured that if it continued like this they would soon end up with more members in this little shock squad than in the whole triad they were facing.

Sebastian: Hm, then let's go to the world's end, the rest of the team must be waiting for me.

Nian: What about the rest of my weapons? I don't have time to melt them all...

Sebastian: How much do you care about this manor?

Nian: Not so much why?

Sebastian: You do the honors.

He said, handing a detonator to the dragoness, both of them looking at the mansion from the giant's car.

The goddess took the object in her hand. She had some knowledge of explosives, but she had to admit that she had no idea what the bomb the giant had dropped was.

Nian: Hey my builds are pretty solid doc, are you sure your stuff will do the trick?

Sebastian: Press the button.

The goddess activated the detonator, and in a fraction of a second the mansion was completely wiped off the map and reduced to dust. But strangely, the fields around the mansion were not damaged. The goddess was surprised that she had never seen a bomb with such a destructive effect on such a limited area. There was no doubt about it, the area had been cleaned...

Nian: And you carried this in your car?

Sebastian: I have many other surprises in my car. So let's go.

Nian: I drive?

Sebastian: I'd rather die than let anyone drive my car.

Exusiai had just arrived at the bar, seeing all these people she was slowly getting to know. The other members of this anti-gang squad... Everyone was more rested from having their morning off after fighting relentlessly for the past few days. But for the sanktah and despite a restful lie-in and a long sleep, the things that had happened to her last night were still fresh in her mind. Like being on the battlefield and a scratch hadn't stopped bleeding yet. As she began to greet people one by one with gusto, her eyes met Texas' and the lupo looked away not daring to face the sanktah's gaze.

But quickly after greeting Angelina who was a new friend she had quickly made she noticed something else.

Exusiai: Huh? Isn't Irina here?

Emperor: No, she hasn't arrived yet...

Angelina: She didn't leave the hotel this morning...

The door opened again, the bell drawing everyone's attention to the two people who entered. The giant went through the door first, a small laugh echoing in the air as Emperor saw the giant bend over to get through the door, thinking that he would have to make it bigger soon. But the second person who entered Emperor also recognized her as did FEater who broke out in a cold sweat when he saw the deity.

Sebastian: Hi everyone...

Nian: Yo Emperor!

Siege: New member...?

Sebastian: At this point there is no point in asking the question.

Yushia: When we have the numbers of a real army, so within two hours I think, we can finally launch a real offensive on the whole triad...

The doctor took his time to greet all the groups in his squad, paying attention to the infected and their condition like the good doctor he was. Before preparing his briefing...

Nian she went to harass Emperor and Feater, causing the doctor to raise an eyebrow.

Sebastian: Do you know each other?

Emperor: Let's just say that Mrs. Nian is a film director in her spare time...

Nian: And a great screenwriter!

Emperor: B-movies that don't make any sense... And she's been bugging me to do a soundtrack for her ever since...

FEater: I was once in one of her movies... Worst mistake of my career.

Nian: Oh it's ok, it was a very good movie !

FEater: "Death kung-fu vs. robot mutant inquisitors?" was a good movie maybe?

Sebastian could tell this movie stunk of shit just by the title. At least she was a better blacksmith than director...

What didn't surprise him more was Indra approaching with a piece of paper and a pen for an autograph while her tiger tail wagged frantically.

Angelina: Doc, do you know where Irina is?

Exusiai: Yeah she's still not here...

Sebastian: She wasn't feeling well this morning, I think she was sick so I told her to come when she felt better...

The doctor lied as he breathed. But he would rather lie than just say doctor-patient confidentiality, or tell them clearly that her ovaries were on the verge of exploding because of her heat.

Sebastian: Okay, everybody settle down. The triad can kiss ass for their next shipment of weapons. I also found out that they were falsifying the authority of some of Yan's top people. Which puts us in deep shit...

Emperor: I know most of the counterfeiters in town, I could get into that.

Yushia: Doc I just thought of it but maybe you could visit Mr. Lee if you haven't already.

Sebastian: Great idea. I'll probably go this afternoon...

Exusiai: Tonight's the opening gala of the casino, right?

Sebastian: Yeah, so that gives us some time to kill until the big event. And that's good because I have no idea what to do until then...

He says, scratching the back of his head.

Sebastian: Conduct the investigation on your own or just hang out for the afternoon, I don't know.

Croissant: No orders for once?

Sebastian: Hey, remember, I never give orders, just suggestions. If you don't want to be a part of it, nothing and nobody forces you to participate in the missions. That goes for everyone.

Croissant: Don't be offended doc... I didn't think you cared that much.

Sebastian: We're not an army, I'm not your superior, I don't have to give you orders.

Texas: Of course…

He frowned at the lupo. Feeling a little offended by her remark but pretending he hadn't heard her.

Angelina: Doctor, do you need a hand...?

Sebastian: I don't think that would be necessary, unless the members of Lee's detective agency were to shoot me on sight...

Angelina: I just thought that-

*Cheap empty stomach sfx*

The two stopped talking, before everyone turned to Sora.

So did all the rest of the squad members in the bar.

And maybe even the people outside, as it had been so loud. The lupo began to blush quickly as she clutched her stomach.

Sora: I-I forgot to have breakfast this morning...

The good doctor gave a hearty laugh, while Sora blushed even more.

Sebastian: Hey Emperor, is there a kitchen here?

Emperor: Yeah, why?

Sebastian: I had a warm-up this morning so I thought I'd maybe get in the kitchen. Nobody's eaten anyway?

Yushia: Nah...

Emperor: There's a dozen of us doc, you're not going to-

Mostima: I want that !

Exusiai: Me too!

Emperor: Then the fridge is empty...

Those who did not know the doctor as well as Exusiai and Mostima remained doubtful...

Sebastian: Luckily there is a store nearby... I'm going to do some shopping...

Sebastian left the bar in a good mood, because one of the best experiences for him was to cook for someone else and bring happiness with one of the simplest things possible. Food.

Emperor: And he left...

Mostima: Oh my, a doctor's meal~... Best day of my week hehe...

Exusiai: That's why I volunteer as his secretary every Saturday... He cooks me lunch...

Mostima: Lucky you...

Emperor: Uh... Are you sure he's going to be okay...? I mean, he's got a lot of skills but...

Mostima: Don't worry boss... If there is one person who can make a meal worthy of the gods in no time and for a dozen people it's him...

Nian: Ah, I had the chance to see it from the front row... I'm pretty confident...

While the giant was gone, the discussions between the various members of the group went on well, Exusiai and Mostima waiting impatiently to see what dish the giant was going to prepare that was tearing...

But he seemed particularly happy about the idea so they could only imagine what kind of dish he was going to make. After a surprisingly short time the doctor returned with his hands holding shopping bags to a room that Emperor pointed out. Texas and Lappland frowned when they saw the bags he was holding, those from a local Siracusian gourmet grocery store. Of course for them, as for all good Siracusians, their food was sacred even more than religion. And it was not uncommon to see it slaughtered in their opinion.

Texas: Tch. If it's disgusting I'll throw the plate in his face for the affront...

Lappland, who was right next to her, felt Texas' hand tighten on hers. She knew that the other lupo's words were a bit more bitter than necessary because of this animosity and jealousy that animated her towards the doctor. And even though Lappland didn't want to trust the doctor on the kitchen floor, she wasn't as upset with the Rhodes Island doctor.

A handful of minutes passed, the different subgroups getting around the tables and sitting down, the giant made a quick round trip to get plates and ask Exusiai to give everyone cutlery which she did willingly. Soon the doctor returned, carrying three plates per arm before setting them down delicately.

There was a first dubious look from the members of the squad... For he really must not have had the time to prepare something grand in such a short time.

There was silence for long enough for him to go and get the other six plates.

A heavy silence, no one daring to say a word.

Emperor: We're supposed to eat this...?

The plate they all had in front of them was a work of art.

Beautiful wouldn't have been enough, it would have taken all those words from pompous art critics.

On the plate were finely chopped tomatoes and mozzarella alternating in a semicircle on the plate with a drizzle of black vinegar on top and some pine nuts. Two croutons on which were placed a kind of white cream ball, with a leaf of arugula and a finely worked rose of parma ham in which was a single pine nut in its center.

Sebastian: Why are you allergic to something...?

He asked with fear in his voice and face.

Emperor: N-no it's just like seeing a beautiful gift wrapping paper... Everyone wants to tear it up to see the gift but it's a pain in the ass to ruin something so beautiful...

Sebastian: It's by not tasting that you will spoil this dish...

Mostima (of course) took the initiative and started to taste her face lighting up with happiness. Quickly there was a consensus. The doctor was a fucking chef. Even Lappland was simply impressed. Her nose immediately spotted something when she tasted the tomato salad.

Lappland: Truffle oil...

Sebastian: Hehe one of my secret boots to add a little more taste I put some drops...

He disappeared into the kitchen while the plates were being devoured. Wiping her mouth, Lappland turned her gaze to her lover who had not yet finished her dish, but was well on her way and was pouting...

Lappland: So, it's not so bad?

Texas: Edible.

Lappland: Tch...

The white lupo was rather amused by her lover who was so bad-tempered that she didn't want to assume that she liked the dish.

The doctor returned in a short time with the second dish...

The smell was already attractive but strange. When the two Siracusans were served they did not recognize the dish. It was pasta, with a purplish red sauce, but without the smell of tomato and with olives. Texas recognized after a while, not one of the most traditional recipes.

Lappland: What is it...?

Sebastian: Linguini al vino rosso.

Lappland: Original...

The part of her Siracusian soul returned but she tasted the dish and was once again impressed.

Indra: And so you eat like this every Saturday...?

Exusiai: Yeah... Although he's really giving into it now...

Indra: Lucky you...

The third course arrived once again when everyone had finished their plates and were recovering from the taste experience. This time it was a breaded veal cutlet. The feast fit for a king continued when suddenly the giant turned to Lappland. For the lupo was crying with a smile on her face.

Lappland: It reminds me of my grand-mother's cooking...

She said as she continued her meal while the giant began to smile satisfied with the compliment. But there came a moment when Emperor noticed something.

Emperor: And you don't eat...?

Sebastian: I ate my share while I was cooking yours hehe...

Emperor: I feel like I'm in a restaurant... I'm a little embarrassed doc to be honest.

Sebastian: So think of it as another form of payment for me occupying your bar. And then the urge passed because I think some people here haven't had a mean worthy of them in a while.

When he said this he glanced at Siege with a smile, the aslan meeting his eyes. Humility could define the doctor. He had prepared an exceptional meal, the best she ever had in her life with all those royal cooks working to prepare dishes worthy of kings. And despite Dagda's undeniable talent for cooking, although she liked to hide it, it had been a long time since the aslan had had the impression of having a feast worthy of her rank. Then this small intention warmed her heart and made her blush.

Seeing her partner blushing for perhaps the third time in her life, Indra began to smile.

Sebastian: Was it good?

Indra: Fit for a queen doc...

He smiled slightly understanding.

Emperor: You could have been a chef instead of a doctor, or the thing you are for Rhodes Island...

Sebastian: I could have been many things Emperor. A doctor, an engineer, a soldier, a researcher, a chef, a politician, a blacksmith, a teacher and many other things... And yet I chose to be what I am, for Rhodes twice. Because no matter how many hats I put on I know that Rhodes needs every one of them.

Exusiai: Isn't that also one of the reasons why you work twenty hours a day?

Sebastian: Details... Here you are reminding me that I almost forgot the dessert.

If she had animal ears like most of the people here, they would have been perched on the top of her head, the sanktah already having an idea of what this famous dessert could be. Once again the giant slipped away into the kitchen before returning with two dishes whose smell activated Exusiai's nose.

Exusiai: Appuru pai!

She said, getting up suddenly, making the giant laugh heartily once again.

Sebastian: Especially for the lady... Even if it's not in keeping with the Siracusian theme...

The doctor ate his dessert with Angelina Mostima and Exusiai. After an hour the feast kindly prepared by the doctor was finished while the discussions continued. In spite of the heterogeneity of the group, it is in these moments that one could realize that all got along well. And it was especially the occasion for Nian to introduce herself to the rest of the group.

Considering her personality, the giant was praying that she would not start shouting that she was a goddess. But fortunately she didn't...

When everyone had finished, Angelina devoted herself to washing the dishes, but she was surprised that Sebastian had already cleaned up everything he had used.

The giant thought that it was time for him to join Lee's detective agency instead of staying here and wasting time... Despite the little danger that his mission represented, Angelina insisted to come with him and with the adorable face that the vulpo gave him he found himself unable to refuse.

So they both got into his car and drove off, some of the squad members left behind were a little confused at not receiving orders for their next mission. As the giant drove through the streets of the city, a certain silence had settled in. The girl didn't have the courage and imagination to find a topic of conversation... Like the girl not daring to approach the boy she had fallen in love with... Except that Sebastian was older than her but she didn't care.

Sebastian: Are you still sure you want to stay with us?

The giant's words snapped her out of her slumber.

Sebastian: It's a change from being a messenger. We are warriors at heart. Even that actress I heard about made a mess of the last mission...

Angelina: I...

Sebastian: You are young Angie. I wouldn't blame you if you didn't want to risk your life against gangsters for a town you spent three days in.

Angelina: Irina is young too...

Sebastian: Irina has killed many people and seen her fellow soldiers die before her eyes. She may be a girl's age, but the battlefield has given her the soul of a woman.

La vulpo looked away, at the same time she felt offended that he considered Irina a woman and not her, and the other part of her knew that the good doctor was right. Irina was much more mature than she was...

Angelina: I just want to prevent what almost happened to me from happening to others...

Sebastian: Angelina give me a real reason instead of a lie. I know you wanted to stay for me.

The vulpo jumped and turned red with embarrassment. In fact she had joined this squad because she thought it was a good opportunity to get closer to the doctor... With all the logic that her high school brain undergoing her first love could use. And he'd figured that out without talking about it for days. But noticing the doubt she felt since her first confrontation the giant wanted to hear her forge a reason stronger than a crush.

Sebastian: Please think about it.

She looked away. What she was doing with the rest of the squad was difficult for her, after all she was not a great fighter... Or so she thought. The lie she had told to make herself look credible...

But was it really a lie?

Of course it wasn't the primary reason she wanted to be on this team. But it was the first thing she thought of. What her heart had told her... And it wasn't that far from reality... at that moment she remembered why she wanted to be a messenger.

Angelina: No I want to stay with you all... And with you Sebastian...

The giant, surprised by the girl's courage, opened his eyes and glanced quickly at the passenger.

Angelina: I could help people by being a messenger... It's what I always wanted...

He said nothing, letting the young woman speak, thinking it was better for her.

Angelina: It's kind of ironic, isn't it... I was banished from the town I used to live in because of an incident that wasn't my fault, and it's slowly destroying my body... And yet, the first thing I thought of when I found myself in the middle of the wastelands, with nothing but a barely filled canteen of water, and no destination planned was that I had to find something to help people... I think that's what I've been living for ever since...

Sebastian: That's noble...

Angelina: Exusiai told me everything... You woke up with no memories in Chernobog and you decided to help Rhodes Island as best you could... If I am noble then what are you?

Sebastian: Nothing Angie, I just grabbed the first reason to live that I was given...

Angelina: So I became a messenger. Because my arts were handy for that and it was relatively safe. As well as a good excuse to see the world. But... the fate that awaited me that day was horrible. And you helped me. So I want to stay on this team, because by fighting these gangsters I feel like I'm helping. People will always have a messenger to tell a mobile city fragment that a catastrophe is about to strike. But people don't always have a hero that falls from the sky to save them from being attacked by gangsters. With you I can help that...

Sebastian: We're not heroes. I'm not either...

Angelina: That's not true. You are my hero doctor...

She said with a smile looking at his eyes, the giant returned that look with a smile and a slight pink on his cheeks a little embarrassed.

Sebastian: Stop saying that before my head and ankles start to swell... And Angie whatever you decide on this team, you have my support.

The vulpo smiled at the reassuring and charming face of the good doctor and sank further into her heavy jacket. Then suddenly she started to blush even more as she remembered the beginning of this conversation. And the fact that he knew she was in love... Her fox ears twitched frantically in embarrassment until she felt the car slow down.

Sebastian: this is not normal...

The vulpo pulled herself together and looked down the street to see a number of black cars with tinted windows, parked randomly, and all of the same model. Centered around a building that had a facade on which was written Lee Detective Agency.

The two looked at each other and both immediately got out of the car, the giant not even bothering to park properly.

He started to run straight to the entrance of the building, the vulpo following him at the pace. Just outside the entrance he could see a gangster holding his throat, his neck torn by what appeared to have been a kick. The man was still alive despite the pain but he didn't seem to have long to live.

The gangster, blinded by pain, simply pointed inside the building where the two companions could hear shocks and objects being knocked over as well as screams of pain.

Angelina charged one of her fireballs as the giant entered the building, opening the door with a 38 magnum revolver in his hand as his only weapon. A temporary replacement for the grizzly that Dobermann had given her, but also something more maneuverable in buildings than his two-handed sword... Kindly borrowed from Exusiai before he found a viable alternative.

And despite the positive side of this, Sebastian told himself that next time he would definitely take his sword no matter where he went.

The two walked through a hallway littered with corpses and guys beaten up enough to make it look like they weren't going to live much longer anyway. They stopped in front of a door, the giant glancing at his partner who nodded, preparing for battle. In a flash he lifted his leg, and the heavy door was kicked in allowing the giant to walk in with his handgun ready to take down whoever it was. But before his brain could fully analyze the room around him, a table was thrown at him.

A heavy, wooden table. In that split second, he didn't let the surprise get to him, he had already been hit with this move to avoid the shots and block his field of vision... Guessing his opponent's next move, Sebastian lowered his weapon, preparing himself for his assailant to slip under the table still moving in the air to attack.

But then he was taken by surprise.

A kick came over the table, directly towards the giant's skull and shattering the table. Not having the time to dodge, he decided instead to take it, with the most resistant part of his skull.

Quickly what looked more like an animal's paw than a foot made contact with the skull of the giant who in doubt reinforced his epidermis using most of the iridium in his blood and his magnetism.

*CLUNK*

The giant fired six times as fast as his weapon would allow in the general direction of his opponent falling dry...

Unlike the Grizzly who hid his ammunition, Sebastian knew perfectly well how many bullets there were in this gun, the self-hypnosis effect he used to be able to shoot without ammunition thanks to the weapon's originium not working anymore. He put the gun back in his pocket and began to hear fireballs being fired. A split second of attention on his hearing and on Angelina allowed him to know that she was watching the entrance where other members of the triad had arrived and that the vulpo was fighting against them to cover the doctor's back.

The second thing that caught his attention was the frazzled breath in front of him. It was coming from a young? Woman. It was hard to tell from the first part because she was covered in black and white and orange fur all over, probably a tigress. She was posing like a martial artist and seemed to have surprisingly dodged all the bullets. It had to be said that her coat had a rather nice pattern to it. But if the woman was beautiful or not, Sebastian had no idea.

Elders with more bestial features like Wei Yenwu or antros as they were called were really not to Sebastian's liking... To put it that way...

As for many inhabitants of Terra.

Coming out of this split second of reflection Sebastian threw a punch directed straight at his opponent's skull, having the idea to end it quickly by breaking a skull. But of course it would have been too easy with a disconcerting easiness, the woman made a jump with a relaxation and speed surprising once again the giant, then she used this arm as if it was a branch or a beam, to hold on to it and to give a kick right towards the face of the giant.

Despite the surprise that the talent of the tigress inspired him more and more, the giant remained the man he was, he seized the paw that was directed towards his face, and contracted all the muscles of his left arm to send his target towards one of the walls of the room.

The giant aimed correctly, but his opponent, instead of becoming a jelly of red fruits and pieces of bone as he shattered against the wall, went through a door that led to a stairwell.

The martial artist slipped on the tiled floor before getting up with difficulty still stunned by the phenomenal attack she had just taken from the behemoth that had stood right in front of her. Hardly had she got up that the giant looked at her left arm to see that her bones had been dislocated and broken.

Surely a blow from the tigress that he had not noticed. He looked at her with anger, his bones rearranging themselves with the careful control of his muscles. that all the adrenaline and testosterone his body was producing before he began to charge her, running straight towards her. Of course he could finish the fight right away... Strike with a speed of 50% of the speed of light and be sure to finish it quickly. But the giant knew better that he had to conserve his energy at all costs, even if it meant taking a few hits and making the fight a little longer.

He went through the door, its frame, and the wall, not bothering to bend in half to get through, but he went through, the plaster and wood slowing him down as much as the air.

His right fist recoiled and he brought it down right in front of the young woman who dodged with a leap to find herself on the railing of the staircase. The force of the giant created a real explosion, worthy of military machines. Breaking the wall at the back of the room and a good part of the stairs.

The shocked tigress tried to jump back up to the top floor, but her eyes widened even more when instead of taking off she felt something holding her down.

She looked down to see the giant grabbing her leg with one of his hands. Stressing intensely, like a predator with its back to the wall, or a cat with its paw firmly grasped, the tigress drew out the claws of her other paw and with a lightning fast movement, sliced the tendons of the giant's hand. The adrenaline gave her just that little bit of speed she needed to have the upper hand on the giant. The force in her hand loosened a little, the feline was able to escape and reach the top floor after a leap against the debris. Entering the room just past the end of the stairwell, she closed the armored door behind her and threw a cabinet out of the way.

She looked behind her, thinking she'd better join her colleagues in the counter-offensive against this monster that-

*CRASH*

She turned quickly toward the door. Less than a second had passed. An arm went through the concrete wall above the door before coming down and tearing everything away, the rest of the concrete, the cupboard, the armored door, everything was torn away with incredible brutality and strength.

Exhausted, the feline still found the strength to raise her fists once again. Taking her martial artist's pose. Through the dust the giant walked into the room, his steps due to his heavy weight being the most terrifying thing.

He analyzed the fighter in front of him. She seemed to want a duel, fair and square... Like a good martial artist...

The giant recognizing the talent of the fighter could not but accept. He raised his arms and seemed to take what appeared to be a boxing guard, but his palms were open and he seemed ready to use his legs. From experience, the tigress didn't let her opponent take the initiative and went for a clawed strike with her hand. She realized that it was a mistake only when she saw the smile on the face of the enemy.

With surprising fluidity Sebastian's palm made contact with the young woman's, he grabbed her hand, and pressed, making her fingers move back and her claws retract naturally. His wrist rotated, making the young woman's whole arm turn, immobilizing her. Then Sebastian pulled, not enough to dislocate or tear the arm. But he had just raised his left leg to kick under the ribs, aiming directly at the liver.

The tigress widened her eyes and almost lost her glasses because of this blow. He released the arm of the young woman, to keep his and thus keep his balance while he gave another blow with the tip of his foot, the angle of his joints allowing him to strike at a surprising speed, and gave as a whip to the face of the feline.

Between her liver and her brain which had taken two nasty blows, the young woman could not parry in time the new attack which was directed to her. The giant gave a new blow of palm at the level of her face, while sweeping the back of the legs of the tigress with a sweep.

The tigress fell heavily to the ground, and tried to roll to the side to get away from the giant but he was able to kick her again under the ribs when she was still on the ground again with her liver.

She tried to get up, but because of all the pain and incapacitating damage she gave the giant plenty of time to finish her off.

She had wanted a pure martial arts fight...

It had been a terribly stupid idea...

She couldn't quite figure out what martial art was being used in front of her, but as she stood up and raised her arms again, the doctor launched a new assault that left the young woman no chance to fight back, she could quickly tell that it was a mix of several different martial arts but all seemed to come from a form of boxing.

In the end, she got up one last time, exhausted.

The giant put his hands in his pockets. Beginning to be tired of his opponent for a mobster she was fighting formidably well, but at the same time he felt that something was wrong. She didn't really have the look of a killer...

Sebastian: You can always turn yourself in. But I wouldn't be sure to spare you...

The tigress grabbed something from her pocket before throwing it straight at the giant.

Alarmed, he felt his environment slow down and shifted his head, dodging...

A bunch of keys...?

A perfectly normal bunch of keys, with a little figurine on the key ring that came from one of those series he watched with Exusiai...

Which meant that...

Sebastian: Blya-

Thanks to her distraction the feline was able to gain half a second, which was enough for her to get closer and give a blow. A big kick, right into the balls. Sebastian, not having blocked his nerves for the impact, felt all the pain and screamed before collapsing to the ground.

He clenched his teeth paralyzed by the pain.

Why the fuck were they always aiming for his balls...

The giant cursed his god for a moment and thought that if he would still be able to have children after all this it would be a miracle...

He raised his head, and immediately the many hairs on the body of the feline bristled. For what had just raised its head was a ferocious beast. In a fraction of a second and so quickly that she did not notice it, the opponent of the tigress had his jaw widened, his features refined, but also huge teeth, similar to the fangs of a beast and seeming sharp as razors. Eyes that had become two blood-red globes, a gray skin covered with black veins. And a growl, more frightening than any of the infected beasts.

She got into position ready to fight and the giant got up running towards her screaming with rage not caring about the kick she had just put in his face.

In fact the tigress with her attack had just had the impression to have kicked a train that was running on her. The doctor grabbed the feline and ran, carrying her through a door and then another while continuing his angry scream, until he came across another door that led to a final room. Seeing a table on the way he tackled the feline against the furniture and grabbed her neck with his hand to slam her head against the surface before pulling back his right fist preparing to bring it down right on the young woman to decapitate her with a single blow.

?: Hm hm. Hello doctor...

The giant raised his head to see that sitting in an armchair, on the other side of the desk was a man who interested him.

Sebastian looked at him without moving, blinked once or twice, and by the third time his eyes were back to normal, and his skin slowly returned to its normal color, a smile even gracing his face.

Sebastian: Lee! Old fart glad to see you!

Mr. Lee: Could you please not kill one of my associates?

Sebastian: An associate?

He looked at the young woman he was about to kill before releasing his grip and slowly backing away.

Sebastian: Oh...

The tigress coughed and sat up, leaning on the desk.

? ?: Boss you know him?!

The giant looked around the room to see two other antros in a corner, a rather large perro with a riot shield who seemed to be preparing for battle and a... Thing... With a stupid face, and piercing eyes, smelling of harmful chemicals and alerting the doctor's instincts...

Sebastian: Uh hi...

?: Yo.

?: Good evening?

Mr Lee: You see Waai fu I owe my life to this man in front of us...

The giant bowed to the feline who was still rubbing her throat.

Sebastian: I'm sorry for what happened, I didn't know you were on my side, seeing all those gangsters I thought you were among them..

She raised her hand/paw? Honestly even I don't know anymore at this point and I'm sick of talking about furries...

Seriously why did I have the stupid idea to include them in this arc...

So I was saying.

She raised her hand to stop the doctor.

Waai Fu: It's okay, I'm the one who attacked you without trying to find out anything... I also thought you were a mafioso...

Mr. Lee: I must admit doctor, you look a little... 'a psychopathic mercenary...'

Sebastian: Gruff?

Mr. Lee: I couldn't have said it better!

He turned to the feline and held out his hand.

Sebastian: No hard feelings?

Waai Fu: None. It's been a long time since I've fought someone so strong...

She said with a smile and shook his hand. The giant seemed to remember something and put a finger on his earpiece and whispered something.

Mr. Lee: Well, that's settled... I take it your visit isn't just a courtesy, doc?

Sebastian: It was mainly about your guests... What do you know about them?

Mr. Lee: Red Dragon Triad. Newcomers to the game, but already pretty well established. Ready to take down everyone here, and with a couple of nasty drugs they're handing out. I also know about their high quality weapons and the opening of the golden purse which must have something to do with them...

Sebastian: It's not bad. I'm putting together a team right now to look into it. We've got some extra information, we know who the big shots are in the organization, a few extra things, and we've already hit a few things in the balls, including most of the drug labs. And we're planning to hit again and even harder tonight.

Mr. Lee: A team? Can I ask who's on it?

Sebastian: Hm, Penguin Logistics, the Glasgow gang, Lin Kojui's daughter... And the blacksmith...

Mr. Lee's naturally amused, unserious face immediately took on a much more serious appearance.

Mr. Lee: Are we talking about the same one?

Sebastian: With a love for red, spices and fireworks? Yeah.

Mr Lee: I should think you already know who she really is...

Sebastian: I do... Hard to hide that kind of stuff from me.

?: Um... Boss...?

Mr. Lee: What is it Hung?

?: Who is this guy?

?: Don't you ever watch the news?

?: Nah...

Waai Fu: Seriously Hung...

Said the feline while rubbing her eyes.

Mr. Lee: I think our guest can introduce himself.

The giant nodded and turned to the perro with a smile on his face.

Sebastian: Dr. Sebastian, Commander of the Rhodes Island Security Branch, pleased to meet you.

Hung: Oohhh Rhodes Island pharmaceutical company? Are you in Lungmen?

?: Seriously man...?

Waai Fu: Hung you live in a cave or how is it going? And Aak, could you at least talk to him once in a while about the important things in town?

Aak: What?! I thought he had heard about it...

Hung: Did I miss an episode?

Mr Lee: I'll make it short. Infected revolt, Rhodes Island comes, defeats all the infected bad guys with the L.G.D., including Patriot who was defeated by this gentleman you see here...

He said, pointing to the giant, who suddenly looked towards the aegir.

Sebastian: Wait, the news of how I beat Patriot that day has already spread?

Mr. Lee: Nope... I said it the other day internally but the gentleman must have been out of it... it would have been useful to add a picture to avoid the incident with Waai Fu...

Waai Fu: And now I understand that I was just lucky... But the question I'm wondering is how you met?

Mr. Lee: Do you remember that mission to get information about a group of sarkaz mercenaries? Well, they captured me... It was the doctor who rescued me then.

Sebastian: And then I turned to you when I wanted to get information about Lungmen and its underworld...

Mr. Lee: And so you still need my services?

Sebastian: You are a well of information Lee. Of course I wanted to ask you some questions...

Mr. Lee: Well, too bad for you, we're no further ahead than you are...

Sebastian: Then we'll have to work together...

Mr. Lee: More exactly, you'll have to work with them...

The doctor frowned as the aegir antro grabbed his hat and a briefcase that was lying under his desk.

Sebastian: Excuse me...?

Mr. Lee: One good thing done, with you at least I am sure they are in good hands...

Hung: Boss?

Mr Lee: You see, I have an important trip to make to Yan, and sorry kids, but I can't take you.

Sebastian was getting more and more afraid to understand where Lee was leading the conversation.

Aak: Are you going to leave boss?!

Hung: We'll come with you!

Mr Lee: No. I have to go alone-

Waai Fu: Boss, we won't let you go alone-

He closed his briefcase hard. His face took on a serious look that he rarely had.

Mr. Lee: I am serious. The future of Yan and maybe the world is at stake.

The doctor rubbed his temples in front of the aegir and took a deep breath.

Sebastian: Very well... I believe you...

Mr. Lee: So please, Sebastian, keep an eye on my employees while I'm gone, okay? At least until the triad is taken down...

He glanced at the feline.

Mr. Lee: If they try to eliminate anyone who gets in their way, then I'm sure Waai Fu will get into trouble, and I'd like you to be there to defend her...

Sebastian: You'll owe me a fucking favor...

He said, a little annoyed.

His anger was not because he had just been given three people he didn't know from Adam and Eve to take care of. No, that was his duty, but what he didn't like was that he did it without telling the people involved and without worrying about whether they agreed or not, and they obviously didn't agree.

Mr. Lee: I know. And I'll get back to you.

Aak: Boss!

Hung: Waai! Say something!

Waai Fu: I...

The feline lowered her head and took a deep breath.

Waai Fu: I trust you boss.

Mr. Lee: Wonderful!

And once again he was back to his amused face. He started to leave but Sebastian stopped him.

Sebastian: Wait Lee, I really need all the information you can get for this operation, can I call you?

Mr. Lee: Probably not. But ask Waai Fu anything. Consider that she knows everything I know.

He said with a smile and pointed to the young woman.

The feline startled and made a strange expression when she saw the look of the two men on her.

The giant continued to stare at her, raising an eyebrow until Lee began to speak.

Mr. Lee: She's blushing.

Sebastian: Oooh... Sorry I'm not used to antros...

Mr. Lee: Oh really? But I heard that you are friends with Princess Fumizuki...

Sebastian: Shut up...

He said with a murderous look at the aegir who had a mocking look.

Sebastian: We just had a drink and it's much easier to see if she's blushing because she's not covered of fur…

Mr. Lee: Come on, I'll leave you, I should be quitting the city in a little while...

The aegir left through the broken door, while an exhausted vulpo passed by him.

Mr. Lee: Good evening Miss...

Angelina: G-good evening...

She was using her sceptre as a cane as she was having trouble walking.

Angelina: It's okay doctor... I beat all the remaining mobsters...

The girl gave him a smile and a thumbs up, but Sebastian was not fooled and immediately felt bad. He should have stayed with her so she wouldn't have to face her enemies alone, but at the same time he began to concentrate on his photographic memory, remembering how many times he had heard heartbeats going off outside. And immediately the giant was both surprised but proud of the vulpo for being able to take down thirty mobsters on her own...

But plunged in his reflection, he was brought back to reality by seeing the knees of the young woman shaking and her eyes closing. Whereas it started to fall, Sebastian disappeared to reappear right in front of the vulpo, taking it warmly in his arms.

He looked at her for a second, and when he heard her breathing, he confirmed that she was asleep.

Waai Fu: Your partner...?

Sebastian: You could say that... She's still a novice she must be exhausted with the use of her arts...

He found a sofa in the room next to the bookcase where Waai Fu was leaning and put the vulpo on it. Then he turned to the three antros.

Sebastian: Well... Waai Fu, Hung and Aak right?

The three nodded.

Sebastian: I have only three questions to ask you. First, do you agree to accompany me in this adventure? Secondly, what are you capable of?

Waai Fu: I will trust Mr. Lee's judgment, if he thinks we are in a good situation with you, then I will follow you.

Hung: Me too.

Aak: I have to follow the other two bums...

Waai Fu: You have seen that I am a martial artist... And I have retained a lot of the information that Mr. Lee has... And if ever, I have some knowledge of Yan and Lungmen legal code...

Hung: I worked as a riot guard in the imperial capital... If you ever need someone to keep a crowd of enemies at bay I can be there... I can also handle first aid and some medical arts.

Aak: I can do drugs.

The giant frowned, and though he held back from tearing the throat out of the thing in front of him, his animosity was still present in his eyes. The other two colleagues of the unidentified antro turned violently towards him.

Hung/Waai Fu: Aak!

Aak: What?! I'm a biologist, chemist and doctor, so if you need combat drugs, or some chemical expertise I can handle it...

Sebastian: Hm... Your combat drugs. Do they have any effect on DNA?

Aak: No...

Waai Fu: Don't trust him too much either, he doesn't have a degree.

Sebastian: Then you can be useful.

Waai Fu: That's only two questions doctor?

Sebastian: I know. Thirdly, can either of you drive? The World's end is far and my car has only two seats.

Hung: I have my license...

Sebastian: Well, take as much time as you want here but you should be at the World's End before 9pm, we are going to launch a big operation in the evening.

Hung: And for your friend...?

He says while looking at the vulpo on the sofa.

Sebastian: I take her with me... She will have time to rest during the trip...

The doctor arrived at the World's End just after sunset. Angelina was still asleep next to him, so once again, he took his princess in his arms and brought her inside the bar, after reassuring most of the team members that the vulpo was alive and well, Sebastian began to put together his plan for the assault on the casino amidst various discussions with his squad members.

Mostly Nian, who seemed to be the most curious about the doctor and Rhodes Island.

Until the clock hit 9pm when they could all hear a car pull up outside. Of course, the doctor had given a quick briefing on the new members they were expecting and what he had gone through at Mr. Lee's private detective agency.

The three antros quickly mingled with the rest of the team to get to know each other, their integration taking place without the slightest worry, and it is at this moment by chance that Angelina woke up, the giant made her a summary of the situation, congratulated her for the great fight she had given and stroked her head and ears to reward her even more...

This last gesture however did not fail to raise some feelings of jealousy from Siege who was the only one to really know how nice the doctor's touch was...

And after having taken care of the last details, Sebastian took a deep breath and came to the board to quickly draw a map of the area around the golden purse casino.

Sebastian: Well, ladies, and now I can say gentlemen...

He said while looking at the two antros who had joined them because now Sebastian was not the only man in this team...

If you consider that penguins who speak and sing Tupac songs are not considered men...

Sebastian: Tonight may be our biggest operation yet. We're going to be hitting the golden purse on its opening night. Given that this is going to be the biggest place for the triad to launder their money, you'd think that security would be rock solid, armed. And it will be. But it's also because there's good reason to believe that the big triad bosses will be there to celebrate the opening. Another opportunity to take them out won't be coming anytime soon. And even if we fail, we'll still manage to give the triad a huge kick in the balls, and on top of that we'll be able to get information about their leader. In both cases, we win by attacking.

Yushia: So what is the plan?

Sebastian: I'm getting there. I'm going to sneak in through an invitation among the guests, and get as close as I can to the leaders. Once things turn sour because they do, I'll detonate a bomb that I've planted in the casino beforehand, and boom. No more casino. I want the rest of you to wait in the surrounding buildings to handle any reinforcements and escape attempts. Any questions before I continue?

Waai Fu: Do you even have an invitation...?

The giant grinned and picked up an envelope that was lying next to his belongings before sending it straight to the young woman, who caught it on the fly before opening it to check.

Sebastian: Okay.

He took out a marker and wrote some things on the board.

Sebastian: The Golden Purse and mostly served by Thirtieth Avenue. On one side of the road there is the casino and its gardens and on the other side there are the posh residential buildings. Exia, I want you to stand on top of this billboard and pose as a sniper, to cover these two alleys on the sides of the casino. Those are the emergency exits, if you see someone with an earpiece or a gun running away, shoot them.

Exusiai: Copy that, doc.

Sebastian: Feater Lee's agency and the PL's you will position yourself in these buildings here and here. As soon as I give you a signal, you will block the road because this is where the triad forces will mainly come from. I have a tire harrow for their cars that you will drop fifteen meters ahead it's in the crate near Sora's stool.

The members of both Penguin Logistics and Mr. Lee's agency nodded in agreement, not even thinking of questioning Sebastian's decisions, so confident were they in his charismatic leadership.

Except for Texas, who was biting her lip, tired of hearing him say what she should do...

Sebastian: Then, Nian, do you see that alley?

He said, pointing to another end of the road.

Nian: Yeah?

Sebastian: It goes on in a perfect straight line for almost 2.4 kilometers.

Nian: Yeah, and?

Sebastian: Could you make a wall that long and ten meters high and strong enough to not go through?

The goddess started to smile while the other members of the team didn't really understand what they were getting at... Surely the young woman didn't have arts powerful enough to make a barrier of more than a kilometer, huh?

Nian: I could materialize an entire mobile city...

She said, having confidence in her divine abilities.

Sebastian: Well you'll have fifteen seconds to do it when I give the signal.

Nian: I'll only need ten...

Sebastian: The remaining danger should only come from the south. Probably the police force and the L.G.D. coming in, but their H.Q. is far away so we'll have some time. Angie, the Glasgow's, Yushia you will take care of it and no killing anyone.

Siege: Doctor... You will go alone in the casino...?

Sebastian: Yes. I wouldn't risk someone accompanying me and in close combat like that, I'd have every chance.

*ding* *ding*

Irina: And what part do I play in all this?

All the members of the group turned to the young ursine who had just arrived.

She looked rested and perfectly normal.

Angelina: Irina!

Sebastian: Welcome back for the living.

Irina: Hi everyone. We have some new faces again...

Sebastian: Feeling better? You looked really sick this morning...

He says while giving a discreet wink to the young woman to help her understand.

Irina: O-oh yes. The medicine you gave me finally kicked in, so I thought I'd help out.

The girl gave a smile, embarrassed.

Of course she was, it was embarrassing to say in front of everyone even in an indirect way that she didn't feel like a sex-hungry beast anymore. Who only thought of jumping on a man in this world and procreating with him...

Sebastian: Cool. I think it's not a luxury if you go with Siege Indra and Angie, but don't kill any L.G.D. members. Even if you want to... it'll cause us more problems than anything else.

Irina: What about the mobsters?

Sebastian: They were already dead when they agreed to join.

Irina: Well...

Sora: By the way doctor, we have received some goods for you.

She slid a small box on the bar to him, which the doctor grabbed.

Sebastian: Ah, I was wondering when it would arrive...

Sora: The other crate in the alley... It's much too heavy to put anywhere else.

Sebastian: Good.

Crescent: Seriously, what was in there? A tank?

Sebastian: That's for the end game. But yeah. It'll make me a mobile fortress...

Mostima: More than just now...?

The giant opened the box, which was separated in two parts, brushing with his fingers with a smile what was on the left, before grabbing what was on the right, he took in his hand a revolver, the carcass was black, undeniably made of polymer. He took Exusiai's gun and threw it towards her, the sanktah catching her weapon as if her life depended on it.

Exusiai: There you go doc you found a replacement for your gun.

Sebastian: Hm hm. And this one I get to keep...

He opened the cylinder and to the astonishment of everyone who knew anything about firearms here, slipped some buckshot into the gun.

Emperor: I'd hate to get shot with that...

Sebastian: I like my guns to have some punch. Okay. If no one has any more questions, let's all get ready to fight-

Waai Fu: Huh... Doctor...

The feline's voice broke the giant in his sentence.

Waai Fu: Your invitation here... It is directed to, and I quote, "one of the most important men in Lungmen and his wife..." So, as much as we are lucky that there are no names...

Exusiai: That means that...

Angelina: One of us...

Lappland: Will have to accompany you...

Immediately the tension in the room soared. The doctor, who looked uncomfortable, grabbed his case and his gun before pulling something out of his wallet.

Sebastian: Oh no, I've got some last minute stuff to take care of, I'll have to go quickly, anyway, whoever comes with me can take my card and go buy something nice to wear, see you all!

In a flash he had disappeared, leaving the little golden plastic card on the bar. Leaving a dead silence behind him.

Irina: He was completely aware...

Nian: Surely...

Irina: Who are you?

Nian: A goddess.

Said the dragoness while sticking out her tongue.

Irina: Yeah right and I'm the queen of Victoria.

Siege choked on her drink, before the staring match resumed.

Waai Fu felt every hair on her body stand up as she saw the murderous looks that three quarters of the young women in the room were exchanging.

Waai Fu: What's wrong with them...?

Aak: Are you asking me if I know what goes on in a woman's brain?

The martial artist gave a blow to the back of the head of the thing.

FEater: I think the problem is that many women want his heart...

This staring match ended when Mostima stood up and took the bank card.

Mostima: Well, since I'm the one who has known him the longest, it's only natural that I should be the one to accompany him...

In a flash Exusiai stood up and took the card before Mostima had time.

Exusiai: Hey wait a minute! I'm the one he's known the longest here since he lost his memory!

Emperor: Here we go, damn it...

A glass from the bar suddenly turned into a thread of dust that grabbed the card and brought it to Yushia's hand, who had already gotten up to leave.

Yushia: I think we are wasting time here, Sebastian needs to go with a woman who is famous and already elegant...

When she opened her eyes again at the end of her tirade the card she had in her fingers disappeared to reappear in Sora's hand.

Sora: You are already a mafioso that they tried to eliminate, they know your face! And I'm also quite elegant, I'm used to this kind of luxury!

Right above her Sora saw a shadow flash and the card was snatched from her, everyone turned to Lappland who was holding it.

Lappland: Nah you don't understand, the doc needs someone to cover his ass in case things get out of hand...

Texas: Lapp!

Lappland: What ?

As she responded to her lover's fury, Lappland felt the bank card slip from her hand. She turned to see Irina holding the object firmly in her hand, looking determined but also blushing very slightly.

Irina: I am more than capable of helping him! And without me the doctor would never have stayed in Lungmen, so it's kind of thanks to me that this is happening-

The young ursine floated up, startling her, and causing her to drop the card, which Angelina grabbed with a jerk.

Angelina: But it's because he rescued me that the doctor stumbled upon the triad and this team was created so it's because of me that we're all here, so I'm the one most worthy to accompany him-

A small steel ball tapped against the nerve of her hand causing her to drop the card and another person grabbed it.

Nian: Hm I think I'll go.

Irina: What are your reasons then?!

Lappland: You've been here since this morning!

Nian: What? I think it would be fun. And I like the idea of him being my husband.

The second part of her sentence shocked all the other young women because it was Nian who was the most courageous with her words. The goddess let out these words while thinking out loud. A simple and short thought that crossed her mind for a split second. After all she never had a relationship before so why not to try now.

Nian: Then it would be good for me to have a real beautiful dress...

In a flash a last hand grabbed the card.

Indra: Hey this is for me! I never get to wear anything nice!

Waai Fu: You're going around in circles...

Aak: It's kind of fun to watch...

Hung: Do you want me to get some popcorn?

Emperor: Ladies! Ladies, damn it! Why don't you settle this like civilized people?

Indra: What do you propose?

Emperor: A rock paper scissors tournament.

Indra: I...

She looked at the card, and all the young women exchanged glances.

Indra: I think you're right.

She placed the card on the bar.

Indra: Right, Siege?

...

Indra: Siege?

*ding* *ding*

Indra: You traitor!

Lappland: Damn it!

Emperor: Where it works too...

After a good hour the doctor's car stopped again in front of the World's End, and out stepped a giant in a black two-piece suit that looked to be exorbitantly priced. His tie and the handkerchief he had in his jacket pocket were emerald glass to match his eyes.

He entered the bar, leaning to pass the door, once under the glance of the others, he felt some glances on him. Exusiai and Sora, who were the only two to look at him, started to blush, as the doctor seemed even more beautiful now that he was so elegant.

But soon Sebastian realized that all the people in the room were gathered in an arc and prevented Sebastian from seeing beyond.

Sebastian: Whoever is with me, I hope they are ready.

The sort of stupor that gripped the team members broke and most turned to Sebastian before stepping aside.

When he could see the aslan, he was struck by lightning. Unable to speak a word or even think of anything.

Except maybe one thing.

And again, to say that she was beautiful was like saying that the sun was hot, that the ocean contained a lot of water, or that there was more than one inhabitant in terra.

To say that there Siege was beautiful, was to understatement what a grain of sand is to the beach or a word in a language.

A tiny part.

The doctor did not even pay attention to the signs of jealousy coming from the other young women caused by his rather clear reaction to the aslan. The exiled queen stood up, taking the doctor's credit card and a small, expensive purse and walked straight towards him, her walk showing a glamour and class she didn't usually display.

Siege: You look like you're ready, doctor...

...

Siege: Doctor?

Sebastian: Oh yeah, I'm ready to go... Is everyone ready?

He says, taking back the invitation envelope to Waai Fu, confirmations from several members of his team.

Sebastian: So let's go. It's time to show these bastards what we can do.

He left the bar, the aslan being the one who followed him the fastest before getting into his car with him. The giant started up, the other vehicles that the team he had assembled leaving shortly after him.

Siege: Do you think we can get it over with tonight?

Sebastian: I don't know. I hope so, but part of me can't help but think it would be way too easy.

The giant grabbed a strange device from behind his seat, keeping one of his hands on the wheel before handing the object to the aslan.

Sebastian: Can you put that in your purse?

Siege: Yes. What is it?

She said as she took the object that looked like a metal and glass tube, the glass showing a white energy ball with blue and purple reflections.

Sebastian: An antimatter bomb.

She fell silent when she realized that what she had in her hand was a bomb. Even though she had no fucking idea what antimatter was.

Sebastian: A real pain in the ass for me to make on my own... But it should destroy every single particle of matter in the area. And thanks to the stable field generator the explosion will be contained just for the casino...

Siege: I am not a scientist doctor...

Sebastian: Huh, sorry Verna.

The aslan felt strange when the doctor called her by her first name again... But she did not complain.

Sebastian: It would just be nice if you could find a place to hide it while I go after the leaders...

Siege: Hm.

The only sound that could be heard was the sound of tires on the road.

The giant looked at his passenger.

He had to admit that Siege was never really talkative, but on the one hand he was surprised that she had decided to accompany him. He would have expected more the kind of Sora, Exusiai or Mostima who clearly showed affection towards him. And not the exiled Queen of Victoria...

Siege: There will be cameras...? Maybe it's better if they don't record my face.

Sebastian: I have a device in one of my pockets that will jam the cameras and metal detectors. We'll be safe.

The aslan took a moment to look at the man next to her, indulging in the pleasant silence as always. The doctor also looked good in that suit, sublimating his charisma.

Sebastian: That dress suits you very well.

Siege: Thank you... Between this and the lunch, you're giving me more and more luxuries that I haven't had in a long time.

Sebastian: If it makes you happy...

He turned his gaze quickly to her.

Sebastian: After all, my happiness resides in the one of the others...

And here he was again, with this helpful and devoted aspect of his personality... It was perhaps one of the things the aslan appreciated most about him. After all, she had been confronted with selfishness many times and for long nights during her exile she wondered what had been the mistake of her predecessors on the bloody throne. And again and again she came to the same conclusion.

The selfishness and neglect of the people was what had paved the way for so much misery...

Yes, that was why Siege admired the doctor, the fact that he was totally devoid of this selfishness.

Some might have found it ironic that a queen would admire a man who described himself as a mere doctor. But she couldn't help but find things to admire behind Sebastian's surface of humility.

But after all, he was the only man who could make her forget that she was a queen, but that she was Verna, a young woman, while strangely reminding her of who she really was, and that being a queen was an integral part of her person.

Well, if she were honest with herself, she would admit that for the last few months, she has not known moments as pleasant as forgetting this part of her person while her lioness ears roll under Sebastian's dexterous fingers.

Deep in thought, Siege was brought back to reality when she felt the car pull to the side of the road.

The driver placed a finger on the discreet earpiece he had before giving one to the aslan.

Sebastian: Is everyone in position?

The confirmations came one by one over the radio.

Mostima: What are we waiting for?

Sebastian: Just tying up some loose ends.

The giant turned to the aslan and took out another object from the crate in which he had received his sidearm, a kind of cloth, similar in appearance to a kind of jelly. It seemed to imitate the shape of a back.

Sebastian: You will not have a weapon...

Siege: My fists and feet will be enough until I get one.

Sebastian: You should take this... Trust me, it will come in handy if several enemies surprise you from behind.

Siege: What is it?

Sebastian: It's a kind of defense device, you put it on your back.

Siege: Can you help me?

The giant nodded and the aslan turned around, pushing aside the fabric of her dress a little, showing the doctor more of her bare back.

He could also see that she wasn't wearing a bra this time, but decided to keep quiet. He put the thing on the aslan's back, who jumped when she felt the doctor's cold hands.

Sebastian: I know I have cold hands...

She felt the object clinging to her back like a second skin in a strange feeling.

Sebastian: It will sting a little but you will understand right away.

She felt like a needle in her neck and she felt a whole bunch of strange sensations coming over her. She turned her head to look at her back and could see that the fake skin began to change color to become like the real aslan's back, the object disappearing completely. And yet...

She frowned, and spikes rose from the second skin.

Siege: But how...? It's like...

Sebastian: A new member? It's connected directly to your nervous system...

The spikes were put away and the aslan put her dress back on. Indeed, like a new limb, she already knew how to use this new part of herself as if it were her arm or her leg, without really being able to explain it.

Siege: But where did you get this...? These are not arts...

Sebastian: Nah. Purely technological... Some people think my real area of expertise is oripathy. But I'm a better engineer... it costed me a small fortune to make it via a Columbian lab but you really should take it.

She was so caught up in her thoughts by this new object that had merged with her, that she didn't even notice the gesture Sebastian made.

When her attention finally returned to the giant she could see him holding out a small box containing a ring.

A very slight, almost imperceptible tinge of pink tinged Siege's cheeks instinctively.

Sebastian: Remember we're supposed to be married.

He said, sliding the ring onto his finger. And strangely enough...

He felt as if this was not the first time he had done this, as if his body was used to it...

He ignored this strange feeling and started again as the aslan put the ring on his finger, the red returning to his cheeks.

Main Tower of Lungmen, Penthouse of the Wei.

In these luxurious apartment one could see and hear a lung antro looking for something in some drawers, looking quite annoyed.

Wei Yenwu: Where the hell did I put that invitation?

The giant continued to drive along the road and at one point he turned off to the side, approaching the casino.

Exusiai: Ah, I see them coming.

Soon the doctor's vehicle joined a veritable parade of luxury cars and limousines, all stopping in turn in front of the casino's entrance, which was of unparalleled vanity, the red carpet being a marvelous tool for the rich not to walk on the same ground as those beggars a few meters away who were taking pictures as so-called journalists. Seeing all that gold, marble and money thrown in the air gave the giant a huge and deep feeling of disgust, even more when he remembered that on the other side of that city, people were dying of cold, hunger and disease in fucking slums.

God, he was happy to blow up this loathsome symbol...

They arrived in front of the red carpet, the giant glanced at the aslan to see her clenching her fists, stressed.

Sebastian: Hey. Relax.

He opened his car door and stood up, a doorman coming towards him to take the keys, the aslan also got out of the car and quickly found himself at the giant's side, walking on the red carpet, he gave his arm, a confident smile on his face.

The aslan took his arm, like the other couple who had just returned, and the two began to walk along the red carpet, doing her best to look like a bitch full of money like the giant at her side. The two companions immediately attracted all the attention of the paparazzi while the previous couple was still in the middle of the red carpet.

It was necessary to admit that after all they were really breathtakingly beautiful. Siege had a smile on her face even if inside she was beginning to regret her choice bitterly, she was afraid that they would recognize her or remember her message and describe her. And all this for what? An impulse she had had to throw herself after the doctor...

But as if he sensed this hesitation, and even if she didn't dare to admit it, Sebastian grabbed the queen's arm firmly, to reassure her of his presence.

And it worked, the aslan was reassured and quickly the couple returned to the casino passing the metal detectors without encumbers, giving the letter of invitation and to be again dazzled by all the wealth exposed.

Amidst the smells of luxury cigars and even more expensive alcohol, various gamblers from Lungmen and the surrounding area were squandering their money amidst the laughter at the wheels, blackjack tables and slot machines. The giant analyzed in a second the whole building, locating where he could go.

He quickly spotted a staircase at the back of the gaming room, guarded by two men in suits and earpieces, obviously gorillas who hid weapons in their jackets. The staircase led to a sort of mezzanine camouflaged behind decorations and a two-way mirror. Presumably the best possible place to observe the entire room.

Or an ideal villain's lair...

His brain paused the world around him for a moment. The two guards seemed to be there for show, but surely if Sebastian approached he would be spotted. His eyes managed to spot a strange box on the wall and some cables, those of a security system...

He recognized this model by chance. A Columbian automatic turret model, shooting all those who entered a given area and who didn't have an access pass, probably in a card with a microchip. And the turret had to be installed in the staircase, judging by the cables. So he had to find out who had the access card so as not to make a racket.

First step, check the room master.

He looked at the aslan after those two seconds when they had just entered the casino without doing or saying anything and with a smile.

Sebastian: I'll take a look, see you at the roulette my love?

He said with the most beautiful smile she had ever seen.

The aslan widened her eyes and started to blush a little.

Despite the fact that she was a dignified queen, and that she had this cold attitude at all times... She was still a young woman...

She stopped blushing as she remembered that it was only a role...

The two separated and the aslan remembered that she had a mission to accomplish. Her gaze was inevitably drawn to the open bar because of her immoderate taste for liquors. Then her gaze fell on the door leading to the ladies' toilets...

Perfect to avoid any surveillance...

Ignoring all the glances of men who surely thought only of taking her to bed and those of their jealous wives.

She entered the toilets and verified that there were no cameras. Once the danger had been averted, she began to look around to see where she would place the bomb... Before her eyes landed on a changing table.

She raised an eyebrow.

She had seen changing station in the ladies' room of a restaurant...

But in a casino...?

Without hesitation she walked over to the baby changing station and opened it, placing the bomb that was previously in her purse inside, closing the object that was out of place and praying that the hiding place would work and that some moron wouldn't open it for fun...

Siege came out of the bathroom after a few moments, before looking at the wheel tables. She noticed that a bunch of chips had appeared in her purse and wondered how that was possible. Then she remembered something Exusiai had told her...

"The doc would have really made an excellent burglar... I think he would be able to empty or fill anyone's pockets without them realizing it is almost scary..."

Probably a little attention from the giant in case she got bored...

She approached the bar though, after all... There would be no harm in her just having a drink...

She approached the bar man who quickly approached her, forgetting most of the other customers as he was so absorbed by her beauty.

Siege: A scotch. Dry.

The bartender was surprised by her tastes, but served her without delay.

The aslan quickly took a sip of her drink and turned to the casino.

Praying that the giant would succeed in his mission.

The giant kept his gaze on the master of the room who was making sure that the evening was going well, deciding to distract himself he approached the slot machines, stealing some chips between his fingers, to the gamblers who passed by him. He sat down in front of one of the machines.

Luckily, he had researched all the slot machines and other games of chance in preparation for this operation, one of the advantages of having a photographic and almost unlimited memory was to be able to prepare for anything.

He inserted the chips, in a particular sequence, before turning to someone who was coming up to his slot machine row, instead of inserting his last chip.

Sebastian: Hey you might want to try this one, it's pretty lucky...

The man thought, why not, using the chip Sebastian had left on the machine and pressed the lever.

The giant walked away, but he heard the various noises that signaled that the jackpot had been reached. Immediately the rats ran towards the new lucky man, as did the master of the room who frowned, knowing full well that a jackpot should not come so soon. The giant passed right by the man in charge of the room in a flash, the access card ending up in the giant's pocket.

Now all that was left was to get the two gorillas away.

Sebastian approached one of the roulette tables and noticed a man stressed and angry about his losses, next to a man holding a glass.

The giant approached the man holding a glass behind his back, and tapped him on the left shoulder, making the man look in that direction, but the giant continued to walk, giving the glass of liquor a single finger tap, spilling its contents on the skull of the angry man. All this with a fluidity that, unless one was really trying to do it, would have been impossible to see.

The violent argument the doctor caused attracted the attention of the two gorillas, and in the middle of the crowd he passed between them, straight to the stairwell which he climbed without hesitation. In the middle of the staircase a turret came down from the ceiling, but she went back in after pointing at it with the access card.

Sebastian arrived in front of a door that led into the room. He counted the number of heartbeats... 8... and loaded the buckshot cartridges into his gun.

He took a deep breath and kicked the door open, pointing his gun inside the room and towards the place where he had heard the heartbeats.

?: Well boss, when you said he would come I didn't believe you... And yet...

The giant scanned the people in the room. Two armed men pointing crossbows at him. And each of the big shots in this triad.

Starting with the woman who had just spoken. Liu Yandong a liber who was sitting at a stool in the room's private bar, dressed in expensive and rather revealing clothes and chic furs. Closest to him on an armchair was Wang Huning, a veteran-faced lung who was smoking a cigar with a young man right next to him surely a pythia. On two armchairs and a small table with a chessboard the Leiji twins were sitting.

Everyone was looking at him.

No one looked surprised.

The last man was at the back of the room with his back to the doctor as he seemed to be inspecting something.

?: Of course he would come. He wouldn't miss an opportunity like this for anything... Please, Dr. Sebastian, make yourself comfortable, I think we have a lot to discuss.

The giant looked at two sofas opposite each other, one of which had his back to what was definitely a two-way mirror, which overlooked the playroom. The giant sat on that sofa, putting his handgun behind his back. Making the leaders of the triad take confidence.

?: You have a reputation that precedes you doctor. Despite your amnesia, you are already known as a reasonable man, and an advocate for peace...

The man turned around approaching, two flutes of champagne in his hands.

?: Then I'm sure we can find some common ground.

This mysterious man on whom all eyes of the other leaders were focused sat down in front of the doctor.

The giant was finally able to take a good look at this man who had just sat down in front of him and handed him a glass of champagne.

A man, a little more than one meter eighty, rather thin in a simple suit. Short white hair in disorder, as well as eyes of a blood red. Feeling no psychic presence in the man in front of him Sebastian was able to determine that this was not an Aegir like Specter but a raceless like him.

?: I can understand your hostility towards us, but what I'm asking for from you doctor is only peace... We probably both got off on the wrong foot... But I'm like you, a simple businessman, who only wants to see his business grow. With what you did to Rhine Labs, you must understand that I had to eliminate those who want to harm me.

The giant didn't say anything, nor did he let on, but he was beginning to feel a little stressed that the man in front of him knew about Rhine.

The giant took the glass of champagne. Smelling the cyanide from here.

Sebastian: You'll need more than poison to take me down.

He seemed to surprise the big shots of the triad, but not the raceless man in front of him. What shocked everyone in the room, however, was that Sebastian swallowed the entire flute of champagne, before opening his shirt with a sharp blow.

On his chest was hung with tape, two green boxes.

On which were marked, front toward ennemy.

Everyone in the room recognized the infamous Columbian claymore mines, and the two bodyguards raised their crossbows towards the giant.

Sebastian: I wouldn't do that if I were you.

He said as he pulled on a string in his sleeve, showing that it was connected to the mines, and that as soon as he pulled on it both bombs would explode.

?: What a pity that it happens this way...

Sebastian: I won't let you insult me by thinking you can make a deal with me.

The two opponents silently assessed each other.

Sebastian: If you really had any idea of politeness, you would have introduced yourself.

?: Who am I? Oh me... Hard to say... I come and go from many countries. But if I had to define who I would be in terms of someone else... I would say I am just your opposite... When you want to fight and live for others in a ridiculous do-gooder spirit, I want to crush everyone in my path for my happiness. I have been called all sorts of things... Demon, criminal... I think my favorite is that old man from Minos, who decided to call me Phobos.

In an instant, the giant clenched his jaw.

He had heard a bit of Phobos.

And that was the whole problem.

Just heard about it.

Some rumors, as discreet and weak as breezes, some letters here and there.

For Sebastian it was easy to find any information with the network he had created for himself since his awakening from the sarcophagus. In fact, he knew far too much for some people to think. Whether it was about the apparitions of the Stulifera Navis off the Iberian coast, the unification of minds project of Dr. Franks, the demons that the Emperor of Yan was trying to bring back to reality, or the smallest and most insignificant things, like the ones that Emperor Fyodor ate for breakfast, or the serial numbers on the cybernetic implants of President of Columbia...

And yet...

He knew that this man existed.

That he was dangerous.

And yet, trying to get information on him was like catching smoke.

Catching smoke with his hands.

Which only made the fear grow. For the man in front of him had the power and intelligence to erase any trace of his existence from the giant's eyes.

In other words, it was as if they were stuck in a never-ending game of chess with no one able to gain an advantage over the other...

Phobos: I had a lot of fun while you were trying to pull my leg, but I think it's time to stop this little game.

Sebastian: If you knew what I'm capable of, you'd know that I have no reason to give up.

Phobos: Oh, but I know what you can do. For example, take that sword technique you used against the Patriot. It's amazing enough to have a sword with a single-molecule blade, but to be able to make it shake to the point where it's capable of causing molecular breaks...

The giant frowned.

Only the Rhodes Island operators had access to the videos of his fights against Patriot. And so the famously raceless one had been able to see and analyze a phenomenon that would have taken this world at least a century to understand.

Phobos: Or your fight against the reaunion leader that you decided to spare. It is simply out of this world to be able to create so much energy with a simple combustion that the electricity that is released is enough to deregulate gravity.

He was beginning to understand more and more how his body works.

Phobos: So yes. I know what you are capable of, doctor. And you don't scare me anymore.

Sebastian: You should...

Phobos: Oh please, so far you've been lucky... Shooting a scientist and destroying a few shipments has the same effect as throwing pebbles at us...

Wang: You must be really stupid if you thought that killing the scientist would prevent more drugs from being made...

Phobos: Wang, show some respect for our friend.

Immediately the mercenary wiped the smile from his face and fell silent.

Phobos: But he's right in a way, if we hadn't targeted your little group of friends at the penguin, you wouldn't even know we were here. And everyone on your team would be dead by now-

Sebastian: So it comes down to the fact that you failed to kill anyone who could oppose you because I'm here. It's just as if-

*click*

The giant pulled the string with a loud bang in the middle of his sentence, letting a thunderous explosion sound.

Some might have expected a great dialogue between opponents, but the giant took his enemy too seriously to let him speak. And he was right. His action made all the eyes in the room widen in pure surprise...

Random: You know, I think this is the first time I've seen a woman as charming as you... And it's rare to see an aslan.

The aslan was sitting at the roulette table, playing a little without paying much attention, with yet another drink in her hand. Just to pass the time. Of course she was attracting attention... And the attention of men. Some of them had come to make advances to her, which she rejected without hesitation. But none had been more persistent than this man...

She had forgotten his name. But he did not stop talking...

She on the other hand could not prevent herself from looking at the top of his head, his baldness trying to be camouflaged lamentably by long locks on the sides folded on the top.

His glance switched between the thighs of the queen and her breasts...

And it disgusted her deeply, if she didn't have a mission to accomplish, she would have already knocked out all his teeth.

She didn't know why, but it disgusted her deeply. After all she could think she was used to it, because she would sometimes catch the doctor doing the same thing.

Siege: Sorry but I'm already taken...

She said as she raised her left hand showing the ring the doctor had put on her finger.

Random: Oh please. Like marriage means anything...

She looked into his eyes and had to restrain herself from killing him on the spot or breaking the glass in her hand.

This man didn't seem to know much about aslans.

Like the fact that they married and had sex with one partner for their entire lives...

Damn but something in this world is taking this man out of her sight.

*BOOM*

A monstrous explosion resounded just above, a body being thrown from the mezzanine wall above, going through the decorations and glass before crashing into the roulette table right in front of Siege. The explosion caused all the customers to scream and run away.

Exusiai: I think that was the signal!

It took Siege a moment to recognize the body. The man's face was gone, and his skull was bone white. The rest of his torso was badly burned and still smoking.

Sora: What's going on inside?!

Irina: Everybody do what you have to do, Doc, everything okay?

Siege: Oh my God, the doctor just took a huge hit! His face is gone, Lord, I think he's dea-!

It had been years since the aslan had panicked like that...

But here, the peak of stress had taken the best of her.

A spike that only got worse when an almost skeletal hand came to rest on the wrist of the hand that was pressing on her earpiece.

The aslan let escape a cry of fear. When she realized that Sebastian had just put his hand down, as if to reassure her...

His hand, which was little more than a lump of coal wrapped around his fingers. He had even turned his face towards her. A skull looking at her, in the orbits that seemed to absorb all light as they were black, not of ash but of emptiness two small red dots looked at her.

Exusiai: it's okay the doc has seen worse... Oh shit there's a helicopter that came closer to the roof! I think they want to evacuate the leaders, I'll shoot it down-

Outside, the sanktah on her perch brought up the rocket launcher from the dimension given by her arts and aimed at the device, feeling happy to use this object for the first time.

Unfortunately for her, she began to be shot at by crossbows from the gardens. Some members of the triad had escaped and seemed to already know where the sanktah was. The young woman took cover to avoid being turned into a sieve.

Exusiai: Shit! I'm getting shot at over here! Somebody give me a hand.

Texas: I'm coming.

Sora: Wait, the triad reinforcements are already starting to arrive... It's too early... How did they get here so fast?!

Irina: Doctor? The orders?

Siege: I don't think the doctor can answer... He doesn't have... what it takes...

Irina: Damn it! Texas stays with the others, we need you to guard this place, I'm going to help Exia, if the triad could foresee our attack the L.G.D. could not do the same. I can afford to leave Angie and Indra for a while.

Indra: Go ahead, save the angel, we'll be fine...

For his part, Texas clenched her teeth in anger.

When it was not the doctor who gave orders to everyone, it was his pet... Seriously this girl had already almost killed them, and now she wanted to save them? Please let this be the last time she was put in this kind of situation because of this man...

She prayed that he would not get up this time.

Inside the casino, Siege noticed that all the customers had left, and she began to hear a dozen footsteps approaching her at a run. Soon she was confronted by a dozen armed triad gangsters who were aiming at her.

Gangster 1: Hands up!

The aslan complied, having no way to defend herself in this way.

Gangster 2: Stand up and turn around!

Now she could do something.

She turned around slowly.

With her back to all her enemies.

In one fell swoop, she used the thing on her back. The fake skin disappeared, revealing spikes, Siege didn't even have to aim, like a series of darts, the projectiles went off, all flying towards a target to take it down before they had time to react.

The augmentation Sebastian had given her began to spark, and the part attached to her neck snapped off, the aslan felt a drop of blood trickle down her neck as the object fell to the ground, its purpose accomplished.

Siege heard more footsteps approaching, however, and ran and threw herself behind the bar as crossbow bolts began to be fired at her, exploding the bottles above her.

The men stopped firing when they realized it was useless until they got around their opponent.

One of the men approached the giant and looked at him slightly.

Gangster 1: Are you sure he's dead-

*bang*

The pieces of his skull and brain splattered onto the man next to him.

Gangster 2: Holy shit!

The giant had drawn his revolver and the round of buckshot had decapitated his enemy.

All the other gangsters turned to the charred giant who had suddenly come to life, despite all his wounds. He pointed his gun at a man on the left and shot him in the head as well.

His left hand was used to get up, in a movement worthy of the agility of a feline, Sebastian used his hand to propel himself, his kick crushing the skull of one of his enemies. A small impulse in his arm, and the giant found himself ten meters away. Dodging the various shots that were aimed at him while he was on the ground.

He approached one of the gaming tables, kicking it hard enough to send it flying and hitting four of the mobsters, reducing them to flesh and blood flying all over the place and finally crashing into a wall.

In this second of shock, the giant fired four times, killing two of the mobsters and reducing them to pieces.

There were still about ten gangsters left. But the nameless massacre that Sebastian had just made in such a short time terrorized them all. He ran straight towards the rest of his enemies, his left hand opened the chamber of his revolver and dropped the smoking cartridges on the floor, his other hand grabbing the cross at the top of one of the wheels to pull it out and throw it at one of his enemies in front of him. One end of the object stuck in his chest, making him scream in pain. The doctor's right hand emptied his right pocket with a loud bang, cartridges flying and allowing him to reload his weapon.

He passed by one of the soldiers and simply shot him in the gut so that he collapsed in pain and added a little more to the psychological effect. He arrived right in front of a gangster who was probably about to piss himself, and the doctor grabbed his skull with both hands before opening his skeletal jaw and ripping out his throat while shaking his head to the right and left like a predator finishing off its prey. Once the bloody flap was in his mouth Sebastian threw the corpse, who still had his machete in his hand, straight towards the shelf behind the bar, crashing all the bottles that had survived. As the man crashed behind the bar so Siege could grab his weapon, the giant looked at the few remaining men who hadn't fled, and he began to scream.

Not like a man, but like the fiercest of beasts found beyond the deserts of Sargon or the snowy tundra of Sami.

Demonic was the word.

The remaining few all tried to flee in terror, but the giant fired again, knocking two of the four survivors to the ground. He hesitated to kill the other two, but thought it best to instill fear in the opposing ranks for good.

Sebastian approached the bar, and tapped on it, with Siege looking at him.

He didn't expect to see fear on her face. Or at least a hint of fear, because the young woman's face still retained that icy look.

Siege: Your face...

The giant seemed to understand something, he took the two full bullets out of his weapon, and brought them to her face. The latter began to glow with a golden light before his face began to regenerate with his arts.

Sebastian: Satisfied now?

Siege: But how did you survive that...?

Asked the young woman who was confronted for the first time with the doctor's ability to survive. The giant put a finger on his earpiece, his ears having been spared by the explosion.

Sebastian: This is the doctor, I'm back in the race. Status?

Nian: I blocked the roads as requested.

Irina: I managed to- *slash* take out a lot of the people who were shooting at Exia, and at least I got their attention. *slash*

Exusiai: The chopper left... A group managed to get on board, I couldn't shoot them... I'm sorry doc...

Sebastian: It's not important. I doubt you could have done it with all the ammunition in the world, one of them was able to create a powerful barrier. Even I couldn't do anything. Team Lee and P.L.?

Sora: Doctor, it's a bit chaotic on our side! We're holding on, but I don't think we'll be able to hold on forever if another wave comes along!

Sebastian: Waai Fu, do you still have the object I gave you?

Waai Fu: Yes I do!

Sebastian: As soon as it gets really bad for you, hit the big red button, throw that thing in the middle of the bad guys and run. Indra, Angie, Yushia on your side?

Yushia: Hm, the L.G.D. reinforcements should be arriving in a short time. The first waves are all knocked out. We better get out of here before Ch'en or Hoshiguma get here...

Sebastian: I gave everyone a map of the subdivisions? Follow the route as soon as anyone retreats, we'll get their attention.

Sora: Are you sure, doctor?

Angelina: You want to attract the L.G.D. and the triad?!

Irina: That's a shitty idea...

Sebastian: I know what I am doing...

Indra: Bring me back Siege alive doc...

He looked at the aslan with a smile.

Sebastian: I was counting on it.

The queen stood up, pulling herself together after the roller coaster of action that had just happened.

Sebastian: Are you okay?

he asked, for a moment, his tone of voice deep and truly concerned for the young woman.

Siege: Hm. You had me worried for a moment...

She seemed embarrassed to say that.

Siege: Does this happen to you often? Getting hurt like that?

Sebastian: Too often. Did you plant the bomb?

Siege: Yes.

Sebastian: Well, then let's get out of here-

Every hair on the giant's body stood on end and his pupils contracted, sensing danger before he could sense anything.

He took the aslan in his arms and jumped to the side. Both dodged a club that had just been thrown at them.

The two of them got up quickly, the adrenaline inside the two wild beasts surging. The aslan immediately recognized that it was the same kind of mercenary she had fought yesterday. And this one also seemed to have taken drugs...

She gritted her teeth... remembering how hard that fight had been last time.

The giant reloaded his revolver in a flash.

Sebastian: I don't have time for this crap!

He charged the power of his shots with the originium as hard as he could, firing towards the mercenary's face, while running towards him, the projectiles being enough to immobilize the opponent. When Sebastian was close enough, he hit his opponent's skull, hearing it crack. A kick to the right knee to break it, a left fist to the throat to block circulation and breathing. And finally, a barrage of blows so fast that they were invisible to the sternum to fracture all the bones of the torso.

A final blow to finish off the torso, crushing the heart.

He swept the legs of his opponent, who kept a few sparks of temporary life, before hitting his skull suddenly. Shattering the ground and sending his enemy through, straight into the parking lot.

Overkill?

Maybe. But Sebastian really needed to vent all the anger he was holding after letting his enemies escape.

He turned to the aslan and beckoned her over.

Sebastian: It's time to look for my car.

He reached out, his keys flying from who knows where to his hand. Siege noticed a small glass capsule filled with what appeared to be blood on the key ring... She thought she remembered briefly that he was able to control what contained his blood from a distance so she was not surprised at what had just happened.

She walked to the chasm, her sensual gait that she had when she arrived in the place gone for a while. She looked around before jumping with a hesitant look on her face.

Siege: I have heels...

Sebastian: Let me help you...

She thought about just jumping off barefoot, but was surprised when the doctor carried her in his arms like a bride before jumping down to land a few feet below before setting her gently back down.

Siege managed to push the pink out of her cheeks this time, as the two of them started running towards the giant's car, the good doctor even allowing himself to show off by doing that cool slide thing on the hood of the car to get into the driver's seat.

The giant pulled a t-shirt from the storage compartment in his car door. Catching the aslan's eye to see that most of his arms had regenerated and that the flesh of her torso was still in bad shape though.

There she could not help but blush for a second when she saw how muscular his arms were...

After all, all women had their weaknesses...

The doctor sat down and started, putting a finger on his earpiece.

Sebastian: This is Doc and Siege, we're retreating. Is there anyone left in the field?

Nian: Just me... there's not really much going on, I can get home through the streets... Is there a place for me in the car?

Sebastian: In the trunk.

Nian: I'll just materialize one...

He took his finger out of his earpiece, and took a deep breath.

Sebastian: And no loss...

He said relieved with a big smile.

Siege: Did you expect anyone to die?

Sebastian: No, but it's always stressful with operations of this size...

Siege: It's more like expecting casualties in a desperate situation... it saves disappointment...

She seemed to speak from experience, lowering her head.

The giant gritted his teeth.

Sebastian: I'd rather die. I refuse to start an operation thinking that I'm probably sending my operators to their death. That's why I'm always the first to arrive at the front line and the last to leave. And... I'm afraid of that day when I'll start my operations thinking that someone will die...

The aslan was surprised. For many reasons, whether it was the idealism and altruism she admired so much in the doctor, or in fact, the simple fact that he was talking about one of his fears.

Who could honestly have suspected that the giant even felt fear...

That tiny little thing that the doctor never seemed to show.

Strangely enough, Siege could only feel the man in front of her as even more human... And it just made her want to hug him and tell him that everything was okay...

She shook her head, pushing these ridiculous thoughts from her mind as the doctor began to drive out of the parking lot. After only a few dozen seconds he began to accelerate and stopped at a street corner. Siege could see a veritable army of Triad cars. The giant began to honk his horn and do a burnout in a circle, attracting the attention of all the gangsters, before accelerating as he made for the open street, all the other cars starting up behind him.

The aslan was slammed against his seat because of the speed.

Siege: Won't they catch us?

Sebastian: I doubt it.

The car accelerated further, creating a good distance between itself and the triads, but still allowing them to follow.

The exiled queen thought she was going to be sick, she wasn't used to riding in a car, and this was the first time she was in one that was going at high speed, skidding around the city trying to lose their pursuers.

At one point, she felt her senses return to near normal as the car drove in a straight line for quite some time.

But all this to see that the two were approaching a railroad crossing for a freight train.

The gates began to lower, signaling the approach of the train, but Sebastian continued to drive in a straight line.

She looked back to see that they were still being chased, then looked at the giant's face to see a toothy grin on his face.

Siege: Don't even think about it!

she said, frightened like a child on a roller coaster.

The doctor accelerated, the train getting closer and closer.

They were going to get hit...

The aslan closed her eyes and heard the car speed up again, the train whistle, and the crack of wood.

She opened them again, and could see that the doctor was on the road, calm, she looked back. The train passing on the track...

Siege: We did it...

She said with a huge sigh of relief.

Sebastian: Of course we did.

The aslan frowned and punched the giant who took the attack with a laugh.

Sebastian: Hey, stop hitting your husband, will you!

The queen stopped. Then she started to blush. Then she started to hit harder.

Siege: You're horrible.

She said before turning to face the night through the car window, a slight smile on her lips.

Sebastian: I know that Artoria.

Siege: What ?

Sebastian: Oh, sorry, I, i-it's just that my brain confused you with someone else for a split second.

The two of them drove down an elevated highway, the giant looking slightly to his right, before pulling a small fireproof bag from his left pocket from which he took out a detonator.

He pressed the button, and a huge flash of light illuminated all of Lungmen for less than a second.

Siege was dazzled and looked in the direction of the flash when her eyes calmed down.

To see a white sphere on the horizon, which disappeared after a few moments.

Not even a sound or a draft, just pure light.

Siege: That was your bomb...?

Sebastian: Yeah. And it worked well.

He took his phone, and quickly dialed Kal'tsit phone number.

Kal'tsit: Doc, you know what is the hour right now ?

Sebastian: Kal don't talk to me like you're usually sleeping at this hour, I got problems on my side and I think it's because we got rats. You know where is Ascalon ?

Kal'tsit: Hm, you're lucky she came back a few hours ago, she's right next to me.

Ascalon: Doc ?

Sebastian: Rats. Smoke them out, they had access to the recordings of me against Patriot and Skullshatterer.

Ascalon: Roger.

Sebastian: Oh, and don't kill them. I wanna talk to them myself.

Ascalon: Tch. I'll see for that.

Sebastian: Bye. Might be back here soon.

He finished the call and sighed.

Siege: It looks like problems.

Sebastian: A fucking shit load of.

The drive to the bar was smooth. The giant parked across the street and the aslan yawned.

Sebastian: We must be the first to arrive.

The two of them got out of the car, before entering the bar.

The giant took a deep breath and closed his eyes to think.

Sebastian: You can take a shower upstairs first...

Siege: Don't you want to go together?

The giant rose his head to look at her, before blushing furiously, the aslan herself having a little pink on her cheeks.

Siege: You're the one who decided to tease me earlier... I-I'm just getting my revenge...

Sebastian: Please don't do that anymore...

He says, embarrassed and looking away, hiding his mouth with his left hand, as if to hide his red face like Exusiai's hair...

Siege: I-I think it's better...

She had tried to get caught up in this little game that the doctor and Irina seemed to have, but when it was both of them it seemed to fail miserably.

The aslan took the door at the back of the room and climbed the small staircase before entering the bathroom of what seemed to be a small apartment.

The giant sat on a stool breathing deeply.

Phobos had just unleashed a fucking tornado in the doctor's mind...

He heard the doorbell ring and turned to the door.

He could see the different members of his team coming in one after the other, all exhausted.

Except Nian who had had it easy...

Sebastian stood up and looked worried for his whole team, asking for injured people and being reassured by smiles and the fact that there were none. Everyone went to sit down and after a few moments the aslan arrived too and Sebastian prepared to speak.

Sebastian: Okay. The mission is not quite a success. Those bastards managed to escape, and I was able to get some info on the one with the head.

Emperor: So?

Sebastian: A guy who calls himself Phobos. Some guy with a big brain... To sum it all up, it's poop.

Emperor: Really?

Exusiai: How big a brain?

Sebastian: Like I have to take it very, very seriously.

The doctor's intelligence spoke for itself. So it cast a pall over the group.

Sebastian: Emperor, do you have any cleaning alcohol?

Emperor: Under the sink, why?

The giant took two bottles out of the cupboard.

Sebastian: I've burned up a lot of energy that I need to restore... But alcohol is much more caloric than sugar or anything else, and I'm able to digest methanol. So...

He uncorked one of the bottles, and began to swallow its contents. He quickly finished the first one before drinking the second one in one go...

Everyone in the room looked like Nearl did the first time she saw him cooking noodles with boiling water in his mouth.

Irina: Doc... you're going to get drunk.

Sebastian: It's okay, I can filter the alcohol out of my system if I want to... why do you think I never had a hangover?

He says as he goes to throw away the empty bottles.

Irina: Not fair...

He grabbed the TV remote control and turned it on with a smile on his face, turning up the sound.

The news channels were showing the fact that a gang war had taken place and that a casino had been wiped out of existence.

Sebastian: But in the meantime we got a semi-victory, and we're not dead. So who wants a drink?

Sora was the first to stand up, a smile quickly appearing on her lips, then she jumped over the bar landing next to the doctor.

Sora: I'd love one, and someone has to give better drinks than you here...

She says while clutching an empty glass, and giving a little hip tap to the doctor from the side, with a light smile.

Exusiai: I also need to decompress after being ducked.

Irina: Blah blah blah, booze...

As more and more people started to get up to join the bar, including Lappland, Texas gritted his teeth and couldn't take it anymore.

Texas: One second!

She stood up looking almost furious.

Texas: We all risked our lives for this mission, and in the end the triad leaders still got away with it, the ones who almost killed us all here already!

The good atmosphere that was beginning to settle down was silenced.

Texas: And you, want to drink?!

The giant took a deep breath, his face taking one of the most serious expressions he ever had.

Sebastian: I guess you're right. If anyone here wants to hold me responsible for this failure, I'll take full responsibility. I could have made extra plans, done something extra to take down the big guys, or whatever.

Just look at his eyes when he was talking to everybody. He really meant what he said.

Texas: Seriously! You left Yushia Angelina and Indra to face the L.G.D. alone! Exusiai was alone and out in the open! And Siege was with you unarmed, wearing stilettos!

The giant lowered his head as the lupo unpacked his bag.

It was kind of like when Kal'tsit yelled at him after he did his job wrong, he took it in, listened and tried to learn from it. But soon, many opinions started to come up.

Yushia: Hey calm down, we had Irina with us, and even though she left, they didn't even get close to us and we didn't break a sweat.

Indra: My fists are tingling, that says a lot.

Exusiai: Irina was there for me, I wasn't in much danger... You're exaggerating a bit Tex...

Siege: And then I was the one who wanted to come with the doctor and he protected me all along.

Texas was looking around, her eyes slowly filling with hostility.

Sora: Texas... You're really exaggerating... The doctor keeps saying that if someone wants to stop everything, they can... He gave us all a way to retreat from the beginning... We were all there because we wanted to.

Texas: What about us huh? It was a mess!

Idol's face changed. She seemed to have some anger.

Sora: And because of whom? You kept fighting as if Lappland was there to take the blows for you.

Sebastian: What happened?

Lappland: I always take the hits and draw attention, but this is not what I did...

Waai Fu: So Hung and I had to watch her back and she had to be healed several times, Sora too.

The giant turned to the blonde lupo.

Texas: What, it's my fault now?

Sora: You knew we were fighting differently and you didn't change your style! If Mostima hadn't been there I would have had an arrow through my head.

Sebastian: Oh shit... You should have warned on the radio, Nian could have helped.

He said genuinely worried about his team mates.

Sora: Doc, it's not your fault, nobody could have known what was going to happen. Besides, we were all there on our own accord, right? We decided to team up, so don't take on the whole burden of responsibility alone.

The surprised giant looked at the team around him, multiple members nodding their heads.

Nian: The kid has a point. Don't torture yourself with this. And give me a drink instead! I want some old fashioned tequila with a splash of beer and a chili pepper!

He ignored the last part of the dragoness' sentence. But what she said went straight to the doctor's heart.

Waai Fu: Hm. The mission is partly successful. And if we are indeed working as a team, then the fault is shared.

He smiled, happy that the different members of the team were supporting him.

He may have talked about the fact that they were a team and that he was not the leader, but it still felt good when the others confirmed this fact.

In a flash the doctor prepared a cocktail.

Sebastian: Texas, when things don't go as planned, there are three options. Cry about the failure, laugh about it, or celebrate the slim part of success, so with everything that's happened, I think it would do us all a lot of good to laugh and celebrate a little.

Said he, handing the cocktail to the lupo with a smile.

A negroni, he had to hear somehow that it was her favorite.

The lupo looked at the drink. Then gritted her teeth.

Texas: That's it. I'm going home. There-at least it won't kill me.

The lupo took her lover's hand and wanted to leave but Lappland stayed.

The ice queen wolf looked at the other lupo.

Lappland: I want a drink.

Texas threw the hand of the other woman before leaving like a fury.

The giant seeing the scene like everyone else turned to Lappland and raised an eyebrow.

Lappland: No it's not that time of the month...

The doctor looked at the glass in his hand, frowning and angry.

He wasn't mad at the lupo for slamming the door, yelling at him, or blaming him for his decisions.

He was, however, really angry with her for refusing the drink.

For him it was a matter of manner, and it really made him mad inside. Even politely decline was fine with him.

As if she felt that way, Lappland took the glass and sat down on a stool right in front of the doctor, sipping the glass and giving a wink.

Once again the doctor's heart was warmed, as discussions resumed to end the evening.

Outside Texas reached into one of her pockets, feeling really angry, for once she didn't pull out a pocky but a real cigarette which she lit.

Having difficulty lighting her lighter, her anger reminded her of the scene that had just happened.

Before it was Exusiai...

Then it was her doubts about Lappland.

And now it was Sora and for good.

Still not being able to light her cigarette, Texas threw her lighter in the alley.

Before starting to walk.

The doctor was taking everything away from her little by little, and making her the bad guy to her friends...

God, she hated him...

That was the word, Texas hated the doctor now.

Shirayuki: Miss. How was your evening?

Fumizuki: Wonderful. Even if I had to restrain myself from drinking too much to be able to go home alone this time...

She laughed slightly thinking about her evening with Sebastian with affection. As she cleared the dust off her body after climbing the ventilation ducts.

Shirayuki: I'm glad to hear that...

Fumizuki: Did I miss something?

Shirayuki: The casino, which you charged the doctor with. It was wiped off the map.

Fumizuki: Ahahahahahha! Damn, Sebastian did it, I can't believe it...

Shirayuki: Ch'en and Hoshiguma are on the spot trying to find the people responsible.

Fumizuki: I'm going to make some tea...

She opened the door of her room and walked in the darkness to where the kettle was.

But she heard footsteps behind her.

She turned around and gave a flick of her palm, pushing the figure away from her.

It was her husband who had tried to take her by surprise in the back.

The lung breathed heavily, the fact that he was a smoker not combining very well with the palm strike in the diaphragm.

Fumizuki: What do you want from me...

Wei: Bitch... You're the one who took my invitation to the opening gala of the golden purse tonight...

Fumizuki: I don't know what you're talking about.

Wei: Liar... I demand compensation...

He raised his hand towards her, licking his lips, but she hit the lung's hand to keep him away.

Fumizuki: What do you want?

Wei: We have been married for thirty years now! I am more than ready to consummate our marriage and have children!

What he said made the kirin's eyes widen. She gave a big kick to the lung sending him to the ground.

The fact that he could lay his hands on her disgusted her...

Or the idea of her carrying his children, made her want to vomit...

She approached the man and crushed his throat with her shoe.

Fumizuki: You never put your lips on mine and you never will, you never put your hands on my skin, and you never will! Dirty street hound!

She kicked him and turned to go back to her room, feeling full of anger.

Wei: That's it *push* *push* go back in the streets to cheat on me with all the men that you encounter !

Fumizuki: I'm not you, spending millions in cheap brothels... Any man would be better than you anyway...

She went back to her room, locking the door. Then she collapsed on her bed, before rolling into a ball.

Slowly tears rolled down her face.

Shirayuki: Madam...?

Fumizuki: I can't take it anymore...

The kirin couldn't take it anymore. Since she was married to that man, she thought deep down that maybe it was only temporary.

But thirty years had passed.

And nothing had changed...

The thought that she could give birth to demons of HIS blood...

It made her despair, revolted her, made her angry, made her sick.

She wanted to avoid this at all costs.

She couldn't stand this "husband" anymore, she was ready to do anything to get away from here.

If only, if only...

She could just get the hell out. Or if only she could have had another husband...

She cried even more, she couldn't stand this golden prison, and she told herself that she would soon leave this place...

What if...?

Sebastian: *SNEEZE*

The giant sneezed loudly, staggering with Irina walking up holding onto his arm.

Irina: Are you allergic, to ursus hair *hic*~?

Both of them had been drinking.

Sebastian: I-I shouldn't have rubbed my nose, against your ears... W-wait I think my room is here.

The giant stopped, rummaging in his pockets for his magnetic key.

Irina, seeing him turn, started to look down at the doctor's back.

A Machiavellian smile appeared on her face.

If there's one thing she wanted to know about the doctor it was this.

Then she raised the hand.

And groped the doctor's ass.

The giant, who had just found his key, was startled and let out a scream...

Not very masculine.

A kya, worthy of these schoolgirls who fell to the ground by meeting their great love in those weird Higashi anime series that Exusiai showed him.

Irina started to smile stupidly.

Rather soft, but could be really firm at the slightest contraction.

Sebastian turned, at the same time furious but also furiously red, of embarrassment which added to the red of alcohol.

Irina: You've got a great little ass, doc... and I know all about it...

Sebastian: You dirty-!

He raised both hands to grab her and she backed away until she hit the door of her hotel room.

The giant however grabbed the ursine's hands and held them above her head. Placing the girl against the door his leg between the two legs of the young woman.

Sebastian: Will you ever stop that?! You don't even imagine what it does to me...

Irina was breathing heavily.

And when the anger subsided, Sebastian felt only one thing.

Appetite.

He could feel all the warmth of the young woman, her hot breath against his skin, the certain wetness he felt on his leg, or the smell of the powerful pheromones she had released lassively this morning, and still retained a little, the doctor's already foggy mind unable to eliminate those pheromones.

Holding her like that... She seemed so small... So controllable... So submissive...

The young woman herself did not feel so different...

Her two red eyes riveted on the doctor's emeralds.

She felt something pressing against her belly, and realizing what it was her breath began to race even more. She may not have felt the effects of her season, but to her it was as if they were back.

Her skin felt like it was on fire, and her lower belly hurt so much because it wanted to be used primitively...

In a way her day had ended as it had begun, with only one will.

That of seeing the doctor in her bed mixing their essences...

After all, all she needed was a little movement of her pelvis for the magnetic card in her pocket to open the door and for them both to be inside the room, to do what adults who really liked each other very much did...

She raised her head a little, standing up on tiptoe, holding out her lips. The giant was getting closer to hers.

The ursine didn't really know if this was going to happen...

Finally? After all this time? Like this? With this man?

And yes.

The answer to her questions was yes.

Their lips touched each other, in what was an explosion of sensation for the young ursine.

Her first kiss...

And despite all the alcohol in her system that night, she wanted to believe that she would always remember it.

She released her hands and put them on the giant's cheeks, this simple kiss that seemed to last for minutes and minutes stopped. But the ursine wanted more. Much, much more.

The next steps were marked in her genetic code, so the bestial instincts in her body knew what to do next.

She kissed the doctor, adding heat, and wildness.

She wanted it to go further.

The two would-be lovers were stopped in their kiss when they heard the elevator door at the other end of the hallway open.

Sebastian stepped aside, the taste of his lips still present for the ursine, who hurried to open the door of her hotel room, messily, her brain in a haze.

The invitation was clear. Simple, and honest.

She wanted one thing, and so did he.

But the doctor hesitated, as a cleaning lady and her cart came out of the elevator.

He looked at Irina.

A young girl, who wanted to know love.

But the doctor wondered, did he really have to do it?

He wanted to, he was sure of it, what was visible under his belt did not lie.

But should he? Irina was young, they were both drunk and she was looking for love and affection from him, even though they were enemies and had only really known each other a few days.

The giant took a step back.

Sebastian: S-sorry. Not like this.

Maybe some other time.

The giant changed his mind. Irina was great. But not after such a short time, and not drunk...

So fast that she didn't have time to realize the doctor was in her room.

She closed the door of her room too. She undressed and threw herself on her bed.

It took her what seemed an eternity to understand what he meant.

But it just made her feel… Empty...

Feeling her body still burning from what she had just been through.

She took a big gulp of her anti-heat pills.

And prayed that it would pass.

Her desire for sex with the doctor diminished as the hours passed. But not that little bleeding she thought she felt in her chest.

The pills could calm her horniness surely, but they couldn't calm her love.