Difference between revisions of "Beyond the Gods - The Strongest Hinokami"

Revision as of 21:49, 7 September 2023

The Thirteenth Hinokami

I watched the last offering go up in flames in the shrine at Arii.

"Rest in peace, all of you," I muttered, as I turned my back at the keepsakes that I had given to Squad Four.

My second family, that I had lost.

I made my way across the town, gazing at the distance.

"Hey! Old Man Yeling! Hello? Are you listening?" A girl's voice called out to me.

My gaze darted around passively, as my subconsciousness created an image of a young high schooler with unique purple hair who was waving, trying to get my attention.

"What are you spacing out for?" Shia pouted, crossing her arms.

"We're supposed to be picking out groceries for tonight, you wanted to eat curry, right? I can't make curry with only rice you know!"

I slowly raised my hand to the hallucination of Shia Megumi, one of my closest friends, only for her to disappear in the blink of an eye.

The image of my friend was replaced by another girl who was calling out to her boyfriend, as he rushed to her location.

The girl began scolding him for taking too long at a nearby shop and that they would be late for the coach.

I ignored the stabbing sensation that was welling up in my chest.

Forget her, Yeling. Forget them all.

They're all gone.

You need to forget about them.

This is your life. You're not someone who belongs anywhere anymore.

This is what it means to be liberated.

I continued walking down the trail until I reached a spot in the corner, the Shadows were huddled around, concealing a Mercedes-AMG sports car.

I was about to open the door but hesitated.

Last Son? Are you not returning to Lady Harriet's residence? The Shadows whispered in my head.

"No... there's something I need to do. Give me a few minutes."

Very well.

I turned around, following a wispy blue trail up a hill.

As I continued walking, the more my body was telling me to stay away, as if the Hinokami inside me was instinctively telling me to run away.

But there's no outrunning her. She wanted to talk. If she wanted to, she could slaughter me instantly as I was now.

I needed to play it safe.

I continued walking up the hill, the sounds of the village echoing like a drone in the background.

Until I reached the top, to see a ghostly blue apparition of a woman sitting on a bench.

She looked exactly like Anna, but I knew it couldn't possibly be her.

She manifested in the form I would expect: someone who would fill me with hope.

"First it was Loyce, now it's you. I don't understand what the point is for two of the Black Legion's biggest enemies to try and do a one-on-one when we're going to end up slaughtering each other in the end," I said to the apparition.

Vala smiled, turning around and resting her chin on her hand.

"Do not misunderstand my intentions, Hinokami. I wish to destroy you as much as I say. However, you are vital in Demon Lord Loyce's personal agenda. And with me being incomplete, I must rely on his intervention as my Vessels have yet to acquire the reasonable strength in bringing about my revival."

This was bad.

Vala had now manifested to the point where she could take physical form.

"Why are you here, then?" I asked, cautiously.

Vala tilted her head.

"You have gotten far stronger. Mahyako's blood runs prominently in your veins, much more than your sister's."

A surge of rage flooded my chest.

"Are you gonna attack me like you did with Hakah?"

"No. That fight against your sister and Outer Shadow Dainsleif was simply to gauge the strength of the enemy. As it stands, Loyce alone will be enough to crush you all. My intervention was never needed."

Vala spread her hands.

"After all, my purest nature is not to harm. I am Hope. To hurt others would go against what I stand for."

What you stood for?

The "hope" you stood for caused the divide between people who were blessed by things they didn't deserve and true, kind people to be punished to the point where they gave up, and became the scum that society despised.

I kept this to myself, but there was no hiding what I felt in front of someone like Vala.

"You believe you stand for something complex, but in reality, what you stand for is very simple. Your psychology is very simple, Yeling. In the end, you want to be accepted. Am I wrong?" Vala asked.

I made a fist.

Don't tell me...

Don't you dare tell me what I want and what I...

Vala's smile dripped with vile sympathy.

"My dearest Yeling. I want to see you destroyed. But that's the thing... as a Spirit of Hope, I don't need to worry,"

Level 1 Hinokami

Don't let your emotions overwhelm you... Yeling!

This isn't like any enemy you've faced before!

"There's no need to try and fight someone..."

Inverse

Don't do it!

"...who's already destroying himself..."

I lifted my hand at the ghostly figure of Anna.

Tsunami Rele-

"After all," Vala whispered in my ear, as my eye went wide in shock.

Vala had suddenly disappeared from my line of sight, appearing behind me.

"You were always correct, Yeling. My greatest enemy has always been one who stands opposite to Hope. Opposite to kindness. Opposite to warmth. But what can you do? When you yourself are burdened with insurmountable levels of depression, loneliness, trauma, and jealousy? Twenty-six years old and counting, you've never been loved by a woman. Every group of friends you've ever made abandoned you. And as you fall deeper and deeper into that hole of yours, the more society and everybody condemns your pain. You cannot do ANYTHING."

"VALA!!!" I roared, spinning around in a feral rage, my hand inches away from incinerating a young African American teenager.

"DUDE!" Auxiliary Shadow Hellsing yelped, stumbling back.

I breathed heavily, my eye still wide in rage.

My ragged breaths were akin to a cornered animal, my stance and body language.

This world...

Everybody will die.

Everybody will die... they will all die! I'll kill them all! I'll-

PAT.

I felt a hand against my shoulder.

"Bro, you good man?"

I blinked, my rage suddenly subsiding. The horns on my head retracted back into my skull, and the rage that was overwhelming me, slowly transformed me into my Anarchy Form faded away.

"B- Bryce... what are you... where's Vala?" I clutched my head.

Bryce looked at me, confused.

"Vala? Dude, did that fight against Grond knock out a few brain cells or something? You were talking to yourself the entire time."

"What..."

I took another deep breath, ignoring the pain in my chest.

Twenty-six years old and counting, huh...

Ever since Loyce had transplanted Shenlong's Celestial Dragon physiology in my body, I felt myself being able to do things I never thought I could do. My strength and physical prowess increased substantially.

But if only being a god could have made me lose my hormones.

Because I really... truly... can't stand what I was feeling.

"Bryce, why are you here?" I asked.

"Well... see here, Sarah and Aaron went to go look for Siggie in Master Jun's world. So ion got nothin' to do other than to check up on Shiki. Figured since you're waitin' on Vicki to recover you could help me out."

"Hmm..."

I couldn't say I was really looking forward to dealing with this idiot's shenanigans.

I already had to deal with Aaron's goofball personality, and the number of times the moron had forced me into a non-consensual hug was more times than I wanted.

I heard Bryce Jackson Jones was even more of a loose cannon than his dolt of a boss.

"Hey. Why do you look like you're staring at a piece of trash right now," Bryce grumbled.

"I'm not."

"Yo eyes could have fooled me."

"Eye," I corrected him, lifting up the hair on my right side and showing him my empty socket.

Bryce flinched.

"JEEZU- I mean, I knew that. Yeah. I ain't scared. We don't get scared in the hood. Nah."

"Yeah, sure," I smirked.

Maybe hanging out with Bryce and dealing with the whole Shiki situation was a nice change of pace.

Anything had to be better than wallowing.

"Come. Just show me the way," I beckoned Bryce to the car, as Bryce made a squeaking sound.

"AYO... this yo ride?! That a MERCEDES?!"

"Yeah, why?"

"That shit is hella expensive, dude!"

"You drive an SRT Hellcat, you moron!"

"Yeah, but a Mercedes?! Bruh you stacked. What do you do for a livin' outside Auxiliary Shadow business? You a doctor or sum shit?"

I sighed, sitting in the driver's seat.

"Yeah, just because I'm Asian means I'm a doctor. And what? You stole your Hellcat?"

Bryce choked.

"The hell you just say?! That's rac-"

"So it's okay for you to mock me for being Asian but it's not okay for me to mock you for being Black."

Bryce turned to the side, pouting. I resisted the urge to smile.

Maybe being with Bryce wasn't such a bad idea.

We continued driving down the distance, as the Shadows began to warp us to another version of Earth. Shosuke Shiki's Earth. The sides of the car windows began to turn dark, and the interior lighting of the car illuminated our faces.

We were silent for a few minutes until Bryce piped up.

"By the way, isn't your name a girl's name?" Bryce asked.

I choked.

"Wha- What are you talking about?"

"Yeling. Ain't that a chick's name?"

"And how in the hell do you know that?"

Bryce puffed up his chest proudly.

"I'm into Asians."

"I'm not interested in guys."

"Not you, jackass! I meant I'm into Asian women. Or you know, women who look Asian. Like Sigur-"

Bryce suddenly paused, putting his hands to his mouth.

As if the cat wasn't already out of the bag.

I leaned back in my seat, looking out into the distance of the horizon. There was really nothing to do as the Shadows transported us. From what Aaron had told me, ever since Vala was regaining her essence, the Shadows were becoming weaker and weaker.

Which made moments like these that much more awkward.

I glanced at Bryce, who looked like he was about to explode from embarrassment.

"My name is a unisex name. Guys and girls can be named that way, but the name has been used for more girls than guys in Canaan. My parents thought I would be a girl before I was born," I said, breaking the silence.

Bryce glanced at me.

"Oh, I see."

More silence.

Great.

I was never really the social type anyway.

And Bryce always seemed to be the more vocal of Aaron's gang. It was only natural for things to be awkward between us.

"You know, Bryce is a Scottish name?"

I raised an eyebrow.

"Really?"

"Ye. My ma's Scottish. My pop is African American. So I'm a mix. I just take after my pop a lot in appearances. 'Cept for the eyes."

Bryce winked at me, causing me to recoil in disgust.

But focusing in detail at his eyes...

They were...

"Green eyes?" I asked.

"Yeah. I got bullied a lot for it. Back in school, my classmates would always call me 'Sweet-ass Scotty'. Because I was technically half white and, at least in my version of America, we as minorities are kinda jaded."

I looked at Bryce.

I never expected... him to experience something like that. Bryce also struck me as someone who was very talkative and liked by everyone.

I guess... everyone had their own demons.

We finally arrived at the spot, only the place... wasn't exactly...

"This isn't a village," I remarked.

The entire place looked heavily modernized, just like my version of Japan. Cities and buildings that reached the skies.

And above all else...

"MAIDS! MAIDS EVERYWHERE! YELING!" Bryce screamed, jumping up and down.

Of course.

"Bryce, we need to locate Shiki's village. We don't have time for-"

"What would you like to have on the menu, Master?" A high-pitched woman's voice said from the corner of my vision.

"I'd like you, miss," Bryce replied.

"Oh jeez! You!"

What the hell was this idiot doing?!

I dragged the next heir to Count Dracula by the collar after he had finished paying the bill for the maid cafe.

"Stop! Hey! I'm not done enjoying this!"

"You've enjoyed plenty!"

"Let me at least try going to a love hotel next!"

"With who?!"

"I'll find someone."

"Like hell, you will. I heard you've been single your whole life," I grumbled.

Bryce stared at me, his face betrayed.

"Who told you that? Did Aaron tell you that?! That little SNITCH!"

I let go of Bryce, as he got to his feet.

"I'll find a girl, just you wait. I'mma lose my V-card I swear on MA LIFE."

My hand clenched into a fist.

"Do you really believe that?" I whispered, turning around and walking in the other direction.

"If you're looking for a girl, I can fill in the role," A girl's voice said behind us.

Bryce spun around like an animal.

"For real?!"

I smacked the Auxiliary Shadow over the head.

"You can't be serious!" I snapped.

Bryce clasped his hands together like a prayer.

"Come onnnnn, gimme a chance to lose my v-card man! I'm touch starved!"

That shouldn't even be something to say out loud.

Bryce turned back to the girl, who was wearing a kimono and had her hair braided back. She looked like she was in her early twenties.

"So, missy, what's yo name?" Bryce asked.

I resisted the urge to incinerate this vampiric idiot on the spot.

The girl blinked, causing me to narrow my eyes.

Well.

My eye.

"My... name...?" The girl whispered under her breath.

"Yeah, what's yo name shorty?" Bryce asked.

Something felt off.

"Hey, do you happen to know Bryce by any chance?" I asked.

The girl quickly shook her head.

"N- No! No... S- Sorry. I must have mistaken you for someone else. I'm sorry."

"Say what?!" Bryce squeaked, stepping forward until his face was inches from the girl's.

"You was gonna go to the love hotel with me now you wimpin' out? You're not scared of black guys are you?"

...

What the hell did race have to do with this?

"Bryce, that's enough. She doesn't want to do it with you, respect her boundaries," I yanked Bryce away from the girl, who looked like she was about to cry.

The girl began running off into the distance, and I caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a patterned bow that tied her hair back.

It sort of reminded me of Hakah's earpieces. Maybe I should buy her something while I was still here.

I shook my head vigorously.

Focus, Yeling.

We need to find Shiki.

I put my hands into my pockets, walking in the direction of a village with a depressed Auxiliary Shadow Hellsing behind me.

"Stop wallowing you idiot. The mission was to check up on the Devil Monk not get laid," I scolded him.

"My once-in-a-lifetime opportunity... in shambles bruh!!!!"

"Besides," I glanced at Bryce.

"Aren't you gonna save your first time with Sigurd?"

Bryce blinked.

"Wha-"

I smirked.

"So all that talk about getting it on with girls, but the moment I mention your crush you start stumbling all over your words. How adorable."

"AYO! DON'T CALL ME ADORABLE! I'm a hard baller, ya hear?"

"Yeah yeah. I hear I hear."

We finally reached the doors of a dojo and knocked on the door.

"Hello? Anyone home? It's Auxiliary Shadows Tidalflame and Hellsing!" I shouted.

"Intention?" A voice answered back.

"We're here to check up on Outer Shadow Devil Monk."

I heard the ruffling of sounds.

"Huh. You would have thought they would be more welcoming to us colleagues at work," Bryce muttered.

That ruffling...

No.

"Bryce! Get dow-"

SWISH SWING.

Bryce yelped, as I shoved him out of the way and deflected a katana strike with Tatsu, blue sparks from my Hinokami enhanced blade illuminating the garden of the dojo.

"What the hell?!" Bryce complained as I coursed the Fire God through my veins.

Level 2 Intangibility - Hellfire Embrace

I spun mid-air, unleashing a wave of blue flames which caused the attacker to retreat.

"Yeah. It's him." The hooded figure whispered into his coms unit.

"That's Loyce's Auxiliary Shadow. Calling for backup."

Backup?

Did these guys not know that I had defected from Loyce along with Vicki?

"You came here to attack us, didn't you? We're not afraid!" A man wearing a visor shouted, powering up.

A beam shot from his mask, but I had already anticipated it, appearing behind him.

"What the, he predicted my attack!" The Visor yelped.

"Of course, I've worked with someone who had powers similar to yours," I replied, raising Tatsu, but before I could do anything, a large hand appeared from a dark puddle on the ground.

"Wha-" I exclaimed when suddenly, Bryce appeared behind me, stopping the strike with his bat. Red electricity arced across his body as his fangs began to elongate. His red aura and my flames turned the dojo purple.

"Yo! Visor! Oni Emperor, it's me! Bryce Jones! He's on our side homies!" Bryce seethed.

You came to transpire with a Shadow of Inner Shadow Empire. Your transgressions shall be answered through death! A demonic voice rumbled all around us.

"Stop the cap, you old man! You just here cuz you think we comin' after Tokiko! Well, we ain't!" Bryce growled, swinging his bat and disintegrating the arm, causing the voice to growl in agony.

The two of us landed on the ground, narrowly dodging a katana swipe from the hooded figure.

"Bryce, you know these guys?" I asked.

Bryce positioned his bat, and his green eyes turned red.

"These three are Auxiliary Shadows to Outer Shadow Dagrun. Aux Shadows Visor, Oni Emperor, and Iaian. We gotta clear up this misunderstanding," Bryce replied.

Visor glared at us, his mask glowing with energy again, but I deflected the strike with Tatsu and raised my hand.

Level 1 Hinokami - 2% Inverse Tsunami Release

"YELING! DIDN'T YOU JUST HEAR A SINGLE WORD I JUS' SAID?!" Bryce screamed.

"Yeah. But sometimes, we just gotta use force to make em' listen."

"What kinda advice is that?! Bossman was right! You a straight-up arsonist!"

I fired the blast, which was sliced in half by Iaian but with great difficulty.

Iaian's katana melted into a puddle of goo.

We were in control of this fight.

A SS Rank and a S+ Rank, we were about as powerful as it was. I alone should be more than enough to take-

SWOOSH.

"What the-" I gasped, clutching my side. I took a step back, suddenly feeling extremely cold.

Bryce turned around to see a man in a dark blue yukata stand between us, his foot cocked back, which launched Hellsing away.

The man then spun back to me and tried the same thing, but I raised Tatsu.

Rain Style Kenjutsu - Form 1: Surface Slash

Green rainwater swirled around the blade, slashing at the man point blank, but to my disbelief, the attacker leaned back, dodging the slash with incredible dexterity, and aimed his fist right at my face.

I instinctively went Intangible, a blast of wind completely decimating my head.

I materialized through the opponent and took a step back.

That technique... those movements...

Everything was calculated.

Almost like everything was set up for another-

SWIFF

The man appeared in my vicinity again, this time in my blind spot.

Shit!

I didn't even have time to exit my Intangibility!

Another punch ripped my wispy form again, smashing and leveling an entire field of trees.

All the kinetic energy was directed at my fire avatar... but to have the residual shockwaves do this much damage...

This had to be-

I took another step back.

One Strike Kill.

"SHIKI YOU LITTLE SHIT!" Bryce growled, red electricity booming from his body.

"Perfect matchup, bitch! I'm all fired up!"

Bryce shot forward, as Shiki materialized away with that same blinding speed.

I watched as The Devil Monk's fist connected with Bryce's face right away, causing his eyes to roll into the back of his head, but Bryce hung on, clutching against Shosuke's wrist and shedding blood.

The blood began entering his mouth, making his red aura glow more violently.

Shiki seethed, twisting and turning out of Bryce's hold with unparalleled fluidity, then launched another punch that caught Bryce square in the head, smashing him into the ground and leveling it.

Shiki raised his fist again, as I shot forward, but Shiki didn't flinch at all.

As if he knew I wasn't gonna make it.

KABOOM.

I yelled in pain, my eye enlarged as I stared at my side.

A red patch had formed.

"What-" I smashed into the ground, clutching my side in agony.

No way...

That hit he had landed earlier... that chill...

It was a delayed response!

Shiki swung his fist again against Bryce's face, but suddenly, the Devil Monk recoiled, his body wracked in pain.

"Ya like that, don't cha'. Eh. Shiki?!" Bryce snarled, getting to his feet. Blood poured from his head, but a violent grin plastered his face.

"I call it the Blood Link. Hit me all ya want. The damage gets split in two. I take half, you take half. You can't take hits can ya? Yo little frail ass body!"

Shiki limped back, bracing himself again for another punch.

"Ya got better fighting skills than anyone in The Black Legion. But yo durability is weak as shit!" Bryce chuckled, putting his bat against his shoulder.

"Aight. Fun's over. We gotta talk, homie. Yeling ain't on Loyce's side no more so-"

"No. You traitor. You die. Shi-ne!"

"The hell you on about?! Just listen to me, dude!"

No. Oni Emperor grumbled, towering over the dojo and glowering at the two of us.

We cannot take that risk. My daughter... I cannot risk anything else.

"That's right. Loyce's Shadows have destroyed the Black Legion beyond repair! We're all on our own now! We can't take any risks, Bryce. You just being with the Tidalflame is already bad enough news!" Visor shouted, appearing by the Emperor's shoulder.

"As long as Tidalflame is here, we can't let anyone near our Lady!" Iaian said.

Shiki raised his fist at me.

My blood began to boil.

"I'm not with Loyce... did Aaron not tell you idiots nothing?"

The Shadows maintained their hostility. Vala's words began resonating even stronger.

Every group of friends you've ever made abandoned you. And as you fall deeper and deeper into that hole of yours, the more society and everybody condemns your pain.

No...

"You can't be serious... I can't believe it..."

I've been shunned again.

Rage began coursing through my body, my aura growing more violent.

"Wa- Wait, Yeling! Lemme talk to them! Don't do anything drastic man!" Bryce pleaded, but we were far beyond bargaining.

"SHUT UP!" I roared, the flames causing everybody to recoil.

Level 1 Hinokami Stage Two - COBALT ASSIMILATION

A horn sprouted from my head.

"I will show you just how powerful I am. You didn't listen to Bryce. Maybe you shouldn't need to listen again."

Visor blasted a beam right at me, but the beam instantly disintegrated from my flames.

"Did he just... incinerate light???"

Oni Emperor growled, launching a punch at me, but his fist melted on contact, causing him to roar in agony.

I turned to Shiki, who appeared in front of me, but his stance became weaker, and his breathing suffocated from the intense heat my Stage Two was emitting.

I raised my hand in front of The Devil Monk.

Level 1 Hinokami: Demon's Prison

Shiki became trapped in a blue and purple fireball, suffocating and retching for air.

"I'll kill... I'll kill..."

"Yeling, stop!" Bryce shouted at me, but the voices began to fade away.

I'm never allowed anything.

Never.

And as you fall deeper and deeper into that hole of yours, the more society and everybody condemns your pain. You cannot do ANYTHING.

If I'm not allowed anything.

If even living is considered a sin...

Then no one is allowed to live anymore.

The Attack

"I made some tea," I brought the cup to Hakah, who was resting on a bed.

Hakah took the tea and sniffed it, frowning.

"These aren't the tea leaves Mama used to use."

"I missed the part where I'm supposed to give a shit!" I snapped, putting the tray to the side.

Hakah glared at me.

"You're the only person in this entire organization who can speak to me like that and you're milking it way too much!"

"Says the brat with Princess Syndrome complaining about the tea I spent so long steeping!"

"You literally just put a tea bag in and played on your phone!"

"How in the hell would you know that?"

"The Shadows? My Hachi? Are you stupid?"

I brought my face close to Hakah's as we continued seething at each other.

Ever since I reunited with my little sister, we had become used to each other's company. And from then on, we had returned to being normal siblings. I suppose I had Aaron to thank for bringing her back, but part of me missed the time when Hakah was actually docile.

Now we were bickering like siblings just like so many years ago.

"Stop stop stop! Come on, guys. Really?" Twilight Bolt said, exasperated at the two of us.

"You're brother and sister, It hasn't even been a month and you two are already going at each other's throats!"

I turned away.

"Whatever."

Hakah relaxed in the bed.

"I am still in disbelief that my fight against Vala has rendered me in this state. I would have thought I would still be able to fight."

I glanced at my bedridden little sister.

"What were you honestly expecting? That you would be able to fight for hours on end when you spent pretty much your lifetime never exerting yourself? SSS Rank or not unless you train those muscles you're not going to have god-like endurance out of the blue like that."

Hakah clenched her fist.

"I know that... but... part of me wants to fight again. So I can help Aaron."

A vein popped on my forehead.

Carlton sighed, sitting by Hakah's side.

"Lady Hakah, I understand your desire to help Dainsleif, but you can't overexert yourself like this. That fight against Vala has caused immense muscle degradation in your body. You need at least several months to recover that strength, and even then, when you battled the Spirit of Hope at full power you were barely able to get a hit in. Let's assess things again once everybody has regrouped."

Hakah pouted.

"Hang in there Aaron, I promise you I will be by your side-"

I spun around.

"You can't be goddamn serious, sis. Really? That guy?!"

Hakah glared at me with piercing purple eyes.

"Huh? Do you have a problem with that? He's hot. He's sweet. And he's over six feet! Everything he has that you don't have."

"NO! I won't accept it! I already moved past the fact that you had a bunch of dudes who've made moves on you, this I cannot accept! The guy's married for Chrissake!!!"

"Well, I can't help it! Didn't you have similar feelings to that Berserker girl?!"

The auras of Susanoo and Hinokami began to clash violently in Hakah's Barracks, causing Vicki to convulse in her comatose state.

"Guys! Harriet's gonna go into cardiac arrest if you keep this up! We're already down a bunch of people as it is!" Carlton pleaded as we calmed down.

I glanced at Vicki.

"Our chances to beat Loyce are about as good as they are to beat Vala. Aaron went to rescue his Auxiliary Shadow from Aran, he's seriously underestimating the power of that Supreme Primordial Demon."

Hakah pursed her lips.

"And you will go after him?"

"No. My help is needed elsewhere."

I kept the rage from overtaking me.

"Besides, he has his wife. He'll be fine."

Carlton tended to Vicki, wiping her down. He looked like he was intentionally concealing the space between his legs.

Hormonal idiot.

I sat next to Hakah, swiping through my phone.

"Goh goh, how are you feeling?"

I sighed.

"It's gotten worse. In layman's terms. But whatever."

Hakah brushed her hand over my hair.

"The way the gods of The Great Akuma operate is through exchange. It limits our power so as to not keep it from going out of control. But your Hinokami is unbound. The flames are tearing your neurons apart. Fits of psychological rage and paranoia are just the start."

"Thanks, Miss Sunshine."

"I'm serious, Yeling. I know the path you and I have taken... it'll end in our destruction. But... I still don't want to see the only family I have left work himself to death."

I closed my phone.

"I know that..."

I know that.

I knew it all along.

While I was saved from the fate of being consumed in reviving the Great Akuma...

I knew all this time.

Hakah was never once spared. Her role, as The Devil's Fury.

Even if I got what I wanted, that is, the revival of The Great Akuma to create a fair and just world by destroying Vala's twisted concept of Hope, I still lost.

Hakah would be consumed, along with the rest of the Akuma Grade Dogma holders.

I had tried my best to ignore this and to move forward.

But each time it came back it came back like a massive iron rod poking my heart.

I looked at Hakah again, who had fallen asleep.

If Hakah dies...

I have no one left to live for.

Aaron had Sarah.

Sigurd had Bryce.

Vicki had Carlton.

Kon had Rya.

In the end... I would be left alone, to watch everybody be happy, and to indulge in things I could never have.

Hakah placed an object in my hand.

"What is this?" I asked.

"I figure you're too stubborn to do anything about your situation. If you ever feel like you're losing control, take this talisman and squeeze it. I injected a bit of my Susanoo into it. The shock should send you back to your senses."

I bit back my lip.

"You act like I still have something to live for."

Hakah shook her head.

"There's always a reason to live, Goh goh. Always. And even if you can't find that reason, then think of it this way. There are still many people out there like us, oppressed by Vala's ideal. Are you going to die before you can stop Vala for good?"

To die before I could stop Vala...

Was something I could not accept.

I fought back my bloodlust and reached into my pocket, pulling out my talisman and squeezing it. A purple jolt of electricity ripped into me as I roared, throwing my head into the sky.

I stumbled backward, the grip I had on Shiki loosening and releasing the Outer Shadow. Bryce broke free of the holds and ran up to me, grabbing me before I could collapse.

Steam rolled off my sleeves while my Stage Two transformation dissipated.

"Get out of there, Bryce! You just saw what that monster could do!" Visor shouted.

"SHUT UP, ANDY," Bryce growled, shielding me from the Shadows.

"You're right. I did see. So did you. The guy's SS Ranked and could have slaughtered us if he wanted to. Y'all serve no purpose in this fight against Loyce so if he wanted to he coulda just killed y'all for shits and giggles and he didn't! He's on our side!"

Andy hesitated, glancing at Oni Emperor, who began to shrink into the size of a tall muscular man with a large bushy beard.

"Wh- What should we do? Absalom?" Andy muttered.

Absalom/Oni Emperor regarded me.

"We don't have a choice. If we choose to battle Tidalflame we will lose, even with the assistance of The Devil Monk. There's also the matter of him being a relative to Inner Shadow Apocalypse."

I tried to bite back the resentment that was growing inside me. These guys...

These guys wanted to ostracize me from the get-go.

Bryce sighed with relief.

"Can't believe you jokers got me to be so goddamn involved! Bein the diplomat is an Aaron job, not a Bryce job!"

Shiki and the others disarmed themselves, as Bryce and I stepped into the dojo.

"Ayo, my man Shiki. So how's training comin along? That was kinda the reason we showed up, was to check up on you," Bryce said.

Shiki inspected his hands.

"Technique incomplete."

"Technique? Oh ya, you did mention you were working on your technique," Bryce commented.

"You saw. Earlier in fight."

Bryce raised an eyebrow.

"I did?"

I put a hand to my chin.

"You hit me with a blow that had a delayed response. Was it that technique?"

Shiki nodded.

"Strikes that hit before sending a strike. Zero Strike Kill."

Zero Strike Kill...

As if One Strike Kill wasn't already overboard enough.

"And this Zero Strike Kill thingy is gonna help us how?" Bryce asked.

I raised an eyebrow. As stupid as Bryce always made himself out to be, had a point.

Loyce wasn't the type of enemy that could be beaten through brute force alone.

Martial artists like The Devil Monk relied on brute physical strikes to fight.

Even if he somehow increased the speed of his punches, there was no point in using them against an enemy that could completely bypass physical damage.

Shiki sighed.

"I no speak English too good. I speak my tongue."

"What?! We won't be able to understand you bro," Bryce protested.

"I can though. As a Celestial Dragon all tongues of communication come together. I'll translate it for you later," I suggested, causing Bryce to cross his arms.

"And what the hell am I supposed to do here?"

"Maybe catch up with those Shadows who tried to kill me? And their whack boss?"

Shiki suddenly shifted, his face looked solemn.

Did I say something wrong?

Bryce shrugged.

"Whatever. Imma catch up then. You better listen well man. I don't need Aaron up my ass once he comes back for havin' a shitty report."

I watched Bryce leave the room until it was just me and Shosuke Shiki.

Shiki cleared his throat and began speaking in Japanese, which my mind instinctively began to translate.

"We were attacked," Shiki said, causing me to look at him in surprise.

"Attacked?"

"Yes, a few days ago. Vessels of Vala struck my dojo while Outer Shadow Dagrun trained with me."

The Vessels of Vala...?

As in... like Metron and Guardian?

But those guys were long dead, and even if they were alive there was no way they could have been strong enough to impart this much damage.

"Are you sure? The Vessels of Vala shouldn't be strong enough to leave Black Legion members this critical in condition."

Shiki eyed me.

"I do not kid you, Mah-san. It is as I say it is; several marked people attacked us with strength that rivaled my One Strike Kill style. And though the Auxiliary Shadows of Marin-chan had come to aid their Outer Shadow... she..."

Shiki's voice cracked, and I could feel the surroundings turn dark.

"Where is Dagrun?" I asked quietly.

Shiki closed his eyes.

"She is comatose. She has been comatose ever since the attack."

Vala...

So it was true. Shadows of the Black Legion were being hunted down, and not just that, but the Vessels of Vala that were initially fodder had now grown strong enough to contend against the same threats who made Danny look like a cakewalk.

"I apologize for attacking you, Mah-san. However, you must understand. Our circumstances."

"Because I am technically an Auxiliary Shadow of Loyce?"

"You are half correct."

Shiki got up and walked to a nearby cupboard, taking out a piece of fragmented metal.

My heart began beating faster and faster, but I had no idea why.

Looking at that metal...

"When you were in the Contingency Initiative... you fought alongside them. Yes?"

"Them?"

Shiki approached me with the piece, which caused images to flash in my mind.

Of a man...

With one eye.

And one arm.

He can defeat his enemies from both power and wits. He is the most complete operative in this organization. Learn from him, Tidalflame, and you will see yourself grow in ways unimaginable.

Taras's voice boomed in my mind. I clutched my head, stumbling back.

"Wha- What the... you're... you're kidding..."

Shiki continued regarding me with empty eyes.

"The Leader of the now deceased Squad Four. Your Squad Leader. Matthew Vistara was the one who sent Tokiko Marin into a coma."

"No... that doesn't make sense," I grabbed the mask fragment. Memories of my time in Squad Four flooded my mind.

"Loyce had said that everybody had their minds erased. He used Alogigenesis on them. He created... he created..."

Shiki sat back down, peering out of the window of his dojo.

"Dogma Holders... are immune to reality warping and destroying abilities. This is common knowledge. And Matthew Vistara is no exception."

Meaning this whole time...

Loyce had been using Squad Leader Matt as a puppet.

As Vala's puppet.

"When you entered our premises, Marin-chan's Auxiliary Shadows were not familiar with you, aside from three things: you were the older brother of Inner Shadow Hakah Mah, you were the Auxiliary Shadow of Loyce's faction, and lastly, you were the subordinate of Matthew Vistara, an artificial vessel of Vala. Given the circumstances of their Outer Shadow, do you now understand why we did what we felt compelled to do?"

Squad Leader Matt...

What did Loyce and Vala do to you?

"Using One Strike Kill, I could not defeat him. Vala has enhanced his body far beyond what was imaginable. This prompted me even further to develop the Zero Strike Technique. It may ultimately prove useless against Loyce's Infinite Regeneration, but perhaps it will be enough to serve as a distraction. But among those reasons..."

Shiki clenched his teeth.

"I don't want to see what happened to Marin-chan happen ever again. When The Mirage brutalized her, rage overtook my body, and I became increasingly reckless."

I sat in silence.

"Leave Squad Leader Matt to me. I'll deal with him."

Shiki blinked.

"The power you displayed earlier was strong, but it won't be enough to defeat Mirage-"

"Trust me," I smiled sinisterly.

"I can manage far more than just Stage Two Hinokami."

I left Shiki's room, but not before being stopped by the Outer Shadow.

"Mah-san."

I glanced at the Devil Monk.

"What's up?"

Shiki regarded me.

"If I leave The Mirage to you, do you promise to eliminate him?"

My heart stopped.

Kill Matt?

Did I have it in me to do something like that?

Images of my time in Squad Four flashed in my mind.

Matt was like an older brother to me. The only family I thought I had.

The thought of even trying to kill him...

How could I even look myself in the mirror after doing something like that?

"I-" My voice caught against my tongue.

Shiki got up and approached me until we were face to face.

His lizard-like green eyes contrasted with my glowing blue iris.

"Family is a bond pivotal in one's judgment. I know, because I lost mine. It was through the death of my older brother and father was I forced into pursuing martial arts. I never asked to be a martial arts practitioner. My dream was to be a carpenter like my Uncle. But even so... there are things that we cannot control. Even if every fiber of our being objects to our decision, we as members of The Black Legion must recognize this urge to be the will of Vala."

I clasped the edge of my shirt, glancing at my missing ring finger, from when I had it amputated in my fight against Danny.

A lost finger and a lost eye. Both of them were nothing in comparison to losing Lewis that day.

"I sense that you are still in disarray, Tidalflame."

"No," I cut Shiki off, recollecting myself.

"I know what needs to be done. You can count on me."

I made my way to the entrance and found Bryce standing outside of an infirmary.

Absalom was sitting beside a young bedridden little girl, who was covered in blood-stained bandages. Her Auxiliary Shadows surrounded her, worry lines marked their faces.

"To think Tokiko ended up like that... the fastest damn Outer Shadow in the whole Black Legion! Dammit... dammit!" Bryce whispered.

I watched as Bryce kicked a rock across the garden of the dojo in frustration.

"Bossman and Sarah are in Master Jun's world, God knows what they're going through. Your lil sis is out of commission, Vicki's comatose, and Shiki's loli crush is comatose as well! This is fucked! What are we supposed to do??? And... Robbie..."

Robbie Fernandez...

Auxiliary Shadow Assault, who was under Aaron's command, had tried to sacrifice himself in a last-ditch effort to weaken, if not kill Vala, to no success. I knew his death had shattered Aaron, but it never occurred to me just how much turmoil it must have caused the other Auxiliaries.

And it was clear as day, that it had affected Bryce just as much as it had affected Aaron.

I was used to hopeless situations.

And I could tell a hopeless situation when I saw one.

"Get up, Bryce," I said, standing before the Auxiliary.

Bryce mashed his teeth together.

"For what? This whole mission is messed up! We should never have agreed to accept Vicki's request! We're so boned it's not even funny! Goddammit Aaron. This has got to be the craziest mission you've given us!"

A wave of anxiety crashed into me, as Lewis' voice echoed what Bryce had said.

God dammit, Matt. This has got to be the craziest mission Taras has given us.

I clenched my fist.

"You call yourself a Hero of Philadelphia?" I whispered, causing Bryce's eyes to widen.

I stepped forward, passing him.

"From the very start, I've always made it clear to Aaron and all of you. None of you were equipped to fight Vala in the first place. You all have your place in this world."

I glared at my reflection from the waters of the koi pond.

The bangs of my hair parted away, revealing a missing eye, my reflection momentarily flickering to Matt's.

One eye.

But enough to emit the animosity needed to destroy our enemies.

"I will take her down."

My voice mixed with Matt's in my head.

"Alone if I have to."

Bryce scraped the ground with his fingers, getting up.

"Can't believe I had to get a pep talk from someone like you of all people."

I turned to Hellsing, in surprise.

"That... was fast."

Bryce smiled, baring his fangs.

"You're right. You're the only one qualified to fight Vala, but that doesn't mean I get an excuse to watch you handle everything yo-self. I worked my ass off to reach S+ Rank. I ain't gonna just sit on the sidelines. Once Bossman rescues Siggie, I gotta impress my girl."

A smirk appeared on my face.

"Since when was she your girl? As far as what Aaron had told me, she still sees you as a shut-in nerd."

"Just wait, she'll see just how much of a badass I am!"

Our little exchange didn't last long, as Andy suddenly appeared before us.

"You don't have to wait any longer, Bryce. The chance is up for grabs. I used my evo and pinpointed Mirage's location."

I narrowed my eye.

"Where is he headed?"

Andy's face turned grim.

"He intends to slay the Akuma Grade Dogma holders. He's going after the Warp Collider at Harmon Industries."

Bryce scratched his head.

"Huh? Ion get it."

Andy gave Bryce an irritated expression. I guess Bryce's reputation as an idiot extended far beyond Aaron's cohort.

"It means, he's going after the Fujin. The one that Inner Shadow Empire had created a world for. We know James Harmon had been experimenting with alternate worlds before, that's how he accessed Multifaria."

"But why Fujin? We have a Susanoo, Suijin, and Hachi right here," I asked.

Andy adjusted his sleeves.

"Only one Akuma Grade Dogma holder needs to die for the ritual to be broken. Though assembled, Jay Hellion's Suijin hasn't developed enough for the ritual to happen. But every single one of the Akuma Dogma Holders has unlocked at least Stage Three... except for Katsuya and Marcela Greene, the latter having already been replaced. Meaning..."

I gritted my teeth.

"Urca is the weakest Akuma Grade Dogma holder now. If he dies, it's over. The Dogma will need to search for another Fujin amidst the awakening of Vala."

I turned to Bryce.

"My sister's Shadows have weakened a lot, I don't know if they can even port us all the way to the Champions Universe. How are Jun's Shadows?"

"Master Jun's state is critical cuz of Ar-"

Bryce stopped himself, shooting Andy a glance.

"I already know about the situation of Loyce's broken Outer Shadow. The Apocalyptic, right? Lady Dagrun's mother, Toyotama blessed us with divine resistance already."

"Oh. Great. Wait not so great. Wait, not so-"

"Basically, because Jun's been affected by Aran's power, his Shadows, by extension, have been weakened too," I answered Bryce for him.

The three of us stood in silence until Shiki broke it.

"Shadows you need. Shadows I have. I come to avenge Dagrun, alongside Tidalflame and Hellsing."

Andy blinked.

"But Shiki, if another attack happens... Absalom, Iaian and I won't be able to-"

"You must protect my dojo, Roy-san. For Dagrun's sake."

Absalom appeared by Shiki's side.

"We will do whatever is necessary to protect my daughter and this dojo. And for you, Shiki, I entrust that she is avenged. The Mirage is to be disposed of."

Shiki nodded, glancing at me and summoning the Shadows. Headed straight to Millennium City.

"The Mirage will die."

Darkness surrounded us, as Shiki's last sentence resonated in my head.

The Mirage will die.

Squad Leader Matt will die.

I will be the one to destroy Squad Leader Matt.

The Mirage

The skies of the destroyed universe that housed the Champions cast a dark shadow across Millennium City.

It may have been a few seconds, but just that was more than enough for the Supreme Primordial to doom the reality to destruction.

When I had my narrative reset by Loyce, the Hinokami flames that came out of my body had neutralized the effect of Aran's power, but the damage had already been done.

The very fabric of its reality was already weakened. And the universe was dying.

"It's gotten worse, huh," Bryce muttered.

"But the people have evacuated though, right?" I asked.

"Not all. Outer Shadow Frigg could only convince so many with her Charmspeak. Many who stay, refuse to abandon their home," Shiki replied in Japanese.

"And Defender?"

Bryce made a fist.

"Defender was among those guys who evacuated against his will to Master Jun's world. But judging from how Aran had chosen to invade it, I don't know which world is safer. I'm prayin' that Aaron and Ultear are keepin' em safe."

I glanced at the building of Harmon Industries.

Amidst the dying world, there were still people patrolling it.

People who remained loyal to Defender even after knowing that their hero had left this reality.

But these machine golems could only do so much, and against a Vala Enhanced Matthew Lam... I couldn't imagine just how brutal this would be.

"What's the plan, Temporary Bossman?" Bryce asked me.

"Don't call me that again."

"HAHA! You said the same thing Aaron said when I called him that!"

I scratched my head.

"Simple. We find Matt..."

Bryce and Shiki leaned closer. Their faces were focused and determined.

"...and we kick his ass."

Shiki blinked.

"Ch- Chotto..."

Bryce grabbed me by the collar.

"The hell??? No tactical takedown? No scopin' him down? Nada? What happened to think before-"

I pried his hands away from me.

"What plan is there? If I come up with anything, Matt is gonna figure us out right away. Even when I still worked under Squad Four, Matt was always the one who had the plans and strategy, and after that was Lewis. I was probably the dumbest one in the entire squad, minus maybe Whitney."

I smashed my fist against my palm, producing blue sparks.

"We find him and defeat him. It doesn't matter how we do it. The moment he gets to Urca, it's game over for us, right? So the priority is to stop him. Nothing else."

Shiki wrapped his hand bandages, glaring at the building entrance.

"Files of Contingency Initiative Mirage show that he was single-handedly the most tactical fighter of them all. In terms of combat intelligence, he ranks among the likes of Outer Shadow Onyx. How certain are you that a full-frontal assault will be sufficient, Mah-san?"

Flames surrounded me, as my enhanced Dragon senses picked up the smell.

A familiar scent.

"I knew Matt for many years. And among all things... Outer Shadow Onyx is my mentor, just as she was his. I know his tactics like the back of my hand."

Bryce's fangs elongated.

"I smell his blood."

My heart began to beat faster, as a dark comet shot from the clouds of the sky, like a fallen angel.

Squad Leader Matt.

"Bryce."

Bryce perked up.

"Wazzup?"

"Shoot the black comet with your Uzi. The moment you fire, we use Shiki's Shadows to warp to the other side of the building."

"Huh? Uhhh okay."

Bryce knelt down and picked up a stray twig, the stick glowing red and transforming into a submachine gun.

Bryce took aim, red energy swirling across his body, and fired a red bolt.

"Now, Shiki,"

Shiki released the Shadows, porting us to the other side of the building.

I closed my eyes.

Aspect of the Rain God - Divine Amplification

Green electricity sparked across my body.

Just as I predicted, that comet was a decoy. And another figure was headed straight for the back entrance.

"Let's get hi-"

A shadow loomed over us.

A large one.

"Wha-"

SHOOM.

I dove out of the way, as did Shiki and Bryce, and we were met with a tall, muscular man with a buzz cut. Blue energy swirled around him, and a familiar-looking helmet shone in the moonlight.

And next to him, was a woman with purple hair tied back, demonic horns protruding from her forehead, and golden glowing eyes.

Bryce blinked.

"What the-"

The girl smiled evilly, drawing her sword and clashing against Bryce's bat.

"So you're the one my elder sister spoke of. The vampire,"

Bryce clenched his teeth.

"Sarina Ultear! How the hell... what happened to Sarah you bitch!"

Sarina chuckled.

"Elder sister also mentioned you had the most explosive temper out of all of them. So let's see just how explosive it really is. The fate of the Hero of Kalidas..."

Sarina pushed Bryce back as Shiki closed in, but was stopped by the man, who appeared before him, his spear inches away from piercing the Devil Monk's throat.

"I will be your opponent."

Shiki leaped back, winding his fist back, and launched a punch from an unorthodox angle, catching the Hero in the jaw, but to everyone's disbelief, the Greek Legend didn't buckle.

Bryce stared at Achilles in shock.

"What the fuck?! One Strike Kill didn't work???"

Achilles glared at Shiki, who was also in disbelief.

"I have fully awakened. As Vala's Shield."

Shiki disappeared, materializing on top of Achilles and launching another blinding punch at the top of his head, but to no effect. Achilles grabbed The Devil Monk's wrist and launched him back.

"A fighter who specializes in wielding unstoppable strikes is useless against someone who is invulnerable. Lady Vala's influence grows further. And as her essence grows, so shall her Vessels. I am the first, and will not be the last."

Vala's essence had now grown to the point where one of her Vessels had fully awakened!

Bryce and Sarina continued exchanging strikes.

"You ain't so tough, shorty. Ultear was way tougher than you!"

"My name is Ultear too, dipshit!"

"Oh."

Sarina breached Bryce's defenses, slashing at his chest, but Bryce simply smirked, brushing his hand over the wound which rapidly began to close.

"Come on, you wannabe Ultear. This the best you can do?"

Sarina gritted her teeth.

"You act like you have an advantage, but I haven't told you yet... what I did to elder sister."

All the color suddenly left Bryce's face.

"Wha-"

SMASH.

Sarina kicked Bryce, sending him into a nearby building and leveling it.

All the while, Shiki continued dematerializing and appearing all around Achilles at hypersonic speed, launching strike after strike, the aftershocks widening the crater around the Vessel of Vala with each punch landed.

But Achilles continued standing, unfazed.

Achilles launched a jab at Shiki, who narrowly dodged it, but as I watched the strike go through, Achilles shifted his weight, moving forward and managing to graze the Monk by the side, causing the Outer Shadow to slip and fall.

Achilles towered over him.

"Every force has an echo. Devil Monk, you boasted your striking strength, said to be so unrivaled that you became undisputed among those of The Black Legion. The God Eater has The God of Warfare, and The Unbound Hinokami has The Current Hinokami. Each enemy we have has a contingency, and I am yours."

Shiki got to his feet.

"Do not mock me, fool. We are not on the same level. One who chooses defense is a coward!"

Achilles raised his spear.

"The defense you mock was enough to viciously wound Dagrun."

The air suddenly turned tense.

"You wha-" Shiki said, before being cut off by Achilles, who thrusted his spear into his abdomen.

The Devil Monk coughed out blood, stumbling back.

"Shiki!" I growled, bringing up Tatsu and slashing as hard as I could, but the blade deflected off Achilles' neck, blue sparks spraying everywhere as Achilles launched a punch at my stomach, throwing me back.

Shiki clutched his abdomen, staring at Achilles.

"Those cold... dead eyes. Apathy that you shall wield no longer,"

Shiki clenched his fists.

"Tokiko... this entire time... I let you get hurt... and I blamed it on the wrong person?!"

Something seemed off.

The Devil Monk no longer had the same poise as he had when I encountered him earlier.

Shiki roared, bringing his foot back.

"ACHILLES!"

SHOOM.

Shiki blasted forward, launching a punch at Achilles, who also charged forward, the fist slamming against his face but to no effect.

Achilles followed through, jabbing his spear right into Shiki's leg.

Shiki coughed out blood, trying to fight back, but his movements had become sluggish.

"Tokiko... how could I..."

Achilles grabbed Shiki by the face.

"You failed to save the girl you love. Just as you failed to learn the Exalted Taijutsu of the Shiki Clan from your brother in time. A father. A brother. And now a lover. And you will fail once more,"

Shiki's eyes glowed with hatred.

"No! I will stop you-"

SLICE.

Shiki's eyes went wide, as his body was lifted into the air, an arc of blood exploding from his chest and staining his yutaka.

I watched as Shiki fell to the ground, staring at the sky.

Achilles planted his spear on the ground with one hand, and the blood-stained sword in his other.

"Hatred... vengeance... gaining strength from such things never work, especially for fighters like us. And especially for a martial artist like you. Your hatred for me, and ultimately, the hatred you harbor deep in yourself will be your downfall."

SMASH.

A whirlwind shook the corner of my vision, as Bryce continued clashing with Sarina.

"What the HELL did you do to my friend?!" Bryce snarled.

Sarina continued cackling.

"Do you really wish to know?"

Bryce growled, trying to get a hit in, but his already reckless fighting style was enhanced by Sarina's mind games.

For some reason, this entire time, I wasn't able to move.

And I had a pretty good idea why.

Level 3 Senkaku - Umbral Prison

A man approached me from behind.

"Your comrades are no match for us. Vala's awakening has reached critical levels."

I gritted my teeth.

"I never expected someone like you of all people to support Vala. What, so you finally got what you wanted with Rui and now you wanna support the person who ruined the lives of all the people who worked under you?!"

I forced myself to face my old Squad Leader.

Nothing had changed, except that the red markings that had lined his artificial arm were now blue. The color of Hope.

"The Great Akuma is not the answer to this world's transgressions, Yeling."

I spat in Matt's face, the years of kind memories that once occupied my mind had suddenly turned sour just from hearing him say that sentence alone.

"Who the hell are you anymore?!" I snapped.

Matt regarded me.

"I am what I need to be."

KABOOM.

Bryce smashed into the ground before me, face first.

Sarina appeared behind him, her sword outstretched.

Bryce wasn't making an effort to move anymore.

His pupils were dilated.

"Sarah..."

I narrowed my eye.

"Bryce, what happened?"

Bryce stared at me with an expression I never knew he had.

Pure disbelief, shock, horror, and grief, all combined together.

"Sarah's dead... Yeling. Sarina killed my friend."

Sarina appeared above Bryce and smashed his face into the ground.

"That's right... and your precious Aaron is now so broken... all alone in a world ravaged by Aran Sol. There's no hope for someone like him. Isn't that a treat? So where did all that bravado go, Mister Scarlet Uzi? You wannabe gangster?"

Bryce made no effort to fight back, his eyes void of life.

"Bryce... Bryce! Get a hold of yourself!" I shouted, but Matt appeared before me, kicking me in the chest as I flew back and smashed into a column.

I tried to summon Hinokami, but Senkaku was absorbing it all.

I could hear the booming sounds of Shiki's fight against Achilles.

There was nothing he could do.

And while Shiki would keep chopping at Achilles, all Achilles needed to do was keep wounding him.

As for me...

Matt knelt in front of me.

"Yeling... after all these years, you don't mean to tell me you're still trying to form friendships?"

My heart stopped.

The Devil's Flames burns alone.

Only I can stop Vala.

If I gave in now...

That would go against everything I stood for.

I glared at Matt.

"Squad Leader Matt," I muttered.

Matt returned my glare with a look of pure condemnation.

"Your Hinokami isn't going to work, and with how your Intangibility is linked to your flames you-"

Level 1 Hinokami

FWOOSH.

Blue flames surrounded me, the flames instantly getting sucked up.

Matt's look began transitioning to rage.

"Stupid kid! After all these years and you still brute force everything? Has your time with me really been that worthless to you?!"

I stomped on the ground.

STAGE FOUR

"GRAAAAAAH!" The flames began ripping and tearing the dark threads around me, pushing Matt back.

You taught me plenty.

Like how I shouldn't bullshit things.

I reached out and grabbed for Matt, who switch teleported with a stone. My hand brushed against the rock, melting it into blue lava.

The binds became undone, and I could make out my demonic form from Matt's one red eye.

"I'll come after you with what I do best, through brute force," I seethed, horns ripping out of my head.

Matt's arm began expanding, turning into a large black blade.

"You ran from Transplant, and let your own Squad members die. You then let Loyce kill Marcela, the last member of your Squad. And as I watched you, I watched as you made friend after friend, as if our deaths had no impact on you,"

I growled, unleashing a shockwave of flame in Matt's direction. As I suspected, Matt switch teleported with a pebble at my feet, completely bypassing the flaming radius and clashing his black blade against Tatsu, the force of my Hinokami counteracted by the absorbent nature of his Senkaku.

"And that was enough for you to serve Vala? To serve the enemy? You're a goddamn hypocrite, Squad Leader Matt!"

"And what have you done? Pandering to our deaths, by visiting that shrine. Sending Flint, Maika, Whitney, Lewis, and Marcela those stupid GIFTS? Moving on... You don't get to move on when you were responsible for what happened to them!"

Matt pushed me back, creating mirages from either side.

I held out my hand and fired a blast of flame that disintegrated all three Matts, but my Dragon senses spiked.

I instantly went Intangible, unaware of what was going on.

The blade of Matt's Senkaku passed right through me from behind.

I spun around, growling like an animal.

Grand Ultimate DEVIL'S MONSOON

Matt teleported again, this time appearing in the distance.

His red eye had now turned blue, glowing in the darkness.

"There's no Contingency Initiative. The whole organization was destroyed by Transplant. Aelienne had burnt me to a crisp. Did you think you could fool me when you cut off her head? Those flames in your Stage Four... they're part HERS."

Matt closed in with blinding speed, as I dropped Tatsu, the blade dissipating into red flames.

I held out my hands.

Arsenal of the Rain God - Chain Sword

Two large chains appeared in my palms, and at the end a sharp blade glowing blue with Hinokami flame.

I swung, wide elegant blue arcs which soared to Matt's location, but Matt's eye flashed.

Level 1 Prophecy - Gladiator's Foresight

"Wha-" I shouted, startled, as Matt suddenly appeared in front of me, having dodged every single attack at blinding speed.

Matt grabbed my face and smashed me into the ground, the two of us leveling buildings left and right due to the shockwaves of our attacks.

"GRAAAAH!" I roared, blasting flame outwards in a frenzy.

But Matt was far too calculating.

Matt landed on the ground at a distance, as I stumbled out of the crater, my blue flames melting everything in its vicinity.

My one eye, glaring at his.

"How... Level 1 Prophecy... your Dogma... it could only sense prophecies through cryptic messages... how..."

Matt's face was irked with intense disgust and rage.

"So even my fight against Urca has escaped your memory?"

I paused, recalling my memories back to that day.

How Matt had defeated Urca...

How he had dodged all of Urca's attacks.

I hesitated, and Matt took full advantage of it, disarming me instantly and jabbing a black projectile right through my right arm, causing me to howl in pain.

"How can you even put yourself in a state of mourning when you can't even remember something like that? Huh? Your own Squad Leader, Yeling."

I tried to grab at Matt, but my hand passed right through his body.

My eye widened in shock, as a blast of Senkaku hit me from under the ground, Matt emerging from the earth and raising me up high.

Higher and higher.

Then he let go, watching me free fall from the atmosphere.

"GRRRARRRR," I tried to regain my bearings, but I watched my surroundings distort.

Alternating over and over again from the ground to the sky.

Over and over again.

As I built up momentum, the ground of the Millennium City was approaching me at hypersonic speed.

My brain and cerebellum were no longer functional from the sheer velocity my body was experiencing.

Senkaku and Amplification - Slingshot Backbreaker

I clenched my teeth.

Too disoriented to go Intangible...

Too packed to unleash Hinokami without hurting Bryce and Shiki...

Matt and his clones were closing in faster and faster.

There was only one way.

"RAIN DRAGON SUMMON!"

My body began glowing green, blinding the entire city as the construct of a massive rainwater silhouette emerged from my aura, a torrent of water smashing into Matt and his clones and cushioning my fall as much as it could.

Matt leaped back, as I towered over him on top of a projection of Shenlong, which roared at my opponent.

Thunderstorms and green lightning crackled around me.

No words left our mouths.

As we charged each other again.

Matt summoned clones left and right, slashing and hacking away and decimating the dragon to bits, and from the chaos of the rainwater, I emerged, my fists held up.

Fight an enemy with long-range up close. If your enemy fights up close with a long-ranged weapon, he is at a disadvantage. Vicki's words rang in my head.

Matt glared at me, his eye dilated in response to the adrenaline of our fight.

Shuiquan - Six Harmonies Rain Boxing

I launched a volley of strikes at Matt, who began to evade using his signature fluid technique, but his strikes were no longer able to breach my stance.

"Another stolen technique? That shit isn't going to work, Yeling!" Matt roared in malice, throwing a punch at me.

My body instinctively rolled with the strike, but suddenly, it hesitated. Confused.

The punch that it was supposed to slip... my body had gone through it.

Matt had feinted with a Senkaku mirage!

The real punch slipped out of nowhere, catching me in the jaw as my head snapped back.

Matt then proceeded with more and more punches, followed by a flying kick which sent me flying. I flew across more buildings and landed at the docks of Westside, where civilians and Maniacs were sent in a panic left and right.

I slowly got to my feet, but from the reflection of the water, I realized my Stage Four had become undone.

Matt landed on the ground behind me, his body glowing blue from Vala's blessing.

I turned around.

Level 1 Hinokami: Inverse Tsuna-

Matt suddenly appeared in front of me, the blade of his Senkaku aimed right at my face.

I froze, my hand still trailing blue flames.

"S- Squad Leader Matt... are you really gonna... kill the last member of Squad Four?" I seethed.

Matt regarded me with an empty expression.

"There is no Squad Four. And I am not your Squad Leader. Everything that once was, is all in the past. The future is Vala. For what it's worth, kid. I regret teaching you all about The Great Akuma. She was never the solution to any of this."

I clenched my teeth and grabbed the blade with my hand, setting it ablaze and shattering it.

"For Chrissake- SNAP OUT OF IT. Matt, this isn't you. Loyce has changed your whole ass character! Vala has messed your psyche up! There's no way The Mirage would-"

"And?"

I stared at my former superior.

"Wh- What do you mean 'and'?"

Matt tilted his head.

"And that's a problem, why? No more pain. No more suffering. My entire existence in Stormwatch was suffering. My entire existence in CI was suffering. Fighting for an ideal that never came to fruition. Missions after missions for Taras with no end in sight. Under Vala, at least I can feel her warmth, even if it is just her power."

I took a step back.

"What are you-"

Matt regarded his clothes. The combat darkwear of Squad Four. From within the folds, he pulled out his Mirage mask and put it on.

"Join Vala, Yeling. There's no reason to fight anymore. In the end, it was humans who wanted Vala. We were the ones who asked for her. I never understood it before, but even if Vala's sense of justice is twisted, as long as you are chosen by her, then you will live in sanctuary. It's that easy. Just join her, and she will promise you salvation. What are you even fighting for, Yeling? Fairness? None of that really exists. Bringing back the Akuma would be the last thing you would want right?"

I tried to summon flames, but my feelings were keeping me from manifesting anything.

"Bringing back the Akuma will kill your sister, would it not? How is that fair?"

Suddenly, everything I had been doing up until now made no sense.

Was this Vala's power?

Or Loyce's?

Or was everything I was doing fundamentally wrong?

I had no idea anymore.

I didn't...

"Outer Shadow Devil Monk and Auxiliary Shadow Hellsing have been defeated," Achilles' voice said, as four figures emerged in a flash of blue light.

Shiki's unconscious body spilled before me, as did Bryce, whose face was bloodied.

Sarina laughed from behind Achilles, appearing in full view.

"Oh my god, how quickly the 'Hero of Philadelphia' became the 'Bitch of Philadelphia' after I had revealed what happened to my elder sister! He completely crumbled! I thought you were Aaron's strongest Auxiliary Shadow. What happened to all that, Tyyyyyrell?"

Bryce stared at the sky, his head listless.

Achilles glanced at me.

"The Devil's Flames has also lost the will to fight. Let us finish what we came here for, Mirage."

Matt gave me one last look.

"Yeling."

I glanced up.

"One last chance," Matt said.

"Excuse me?"

Matt held up his hand, and the tattoos of his Dogma Bargain... the symbols on it... were completely modified.

As if Vala had somehow overridden the nature of his Dogma powers.

How was that even possible?

"One last chance to join us. Those two are full-fledged soldiers of The Black Legion, but you were forced to join against your will, right? Loyce commanded it. Under Vala's protection, Loyce can pardon you for good. The reason she despises you is because of what you can do against her, but if you are on her side? There's no reason to resist anymore."

I glared at Matt.

"So what you mean to say, is after everything that has happened to Whitney, Lewis, Flint, Marcela, and Maika, you're just gonna shit on that to join Vala? I may have gotten them killed, but at least I didn't give the enemy a goddamn blowjob!"

Matt's eye twitched in irritation.

"I take that as a no?"

I swatted Matt's hand away.

"Hell no. You're not the Matthew Lam I knew. You're a husk. You're a goddamn disgrace to everything he has worked for. For everything that Squad Four stood for. I'm no better. But at least I wouldn't fall this low."

Matt clenched his fist. Something seemed to try to claw its way through him. His blue eye momentarily flashed red.

"Do not say their names. You don't get to say their names."

"Or what? What are you gonna do, Vistara? I'll say their names all I want! You don't care, right? It's all in the goddamn past for you, right? So what's the harm?! WHAT'S THE HARM IF I SAY THEIR NAMES?!"

Achilles and Sarina stared at Matt, who lowered his head.

"Do you know what I can do to you, Yeling? When you were still in CI, I could kick your ass a thousand times over. Stage Four or not, I've become enhanced by Vala. To the point where I have reached a 75% awakening."

I stomped forward, smashing my forehead against his.

The two of us scowled at each other.

If our empty eye sockets still had eyes, they would be glaring at each other as well.

"Whitney, Lewis..." I whispered.

"Stop. Yeling, I-"

"Flint, Marcela..."

"I swear to god, Yeling, if you don't stop, I will-"

"MAIKA NAGUMO."

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Matt roared, unleashing a blast of darkness at me, but I went Intangible, flying into the sky, the shock jolted Shiki back to consciousness, who stumbled back.

Shiki...

You didn't have the tools to defeat Achilles, but you had to have something against Matt or Sarina.

Use that power...

On the biggest threat right now.

I drew Tatsu.

Rain Style Kenjutsu - Form 4: RAINBOW MIRAGE

Shiki roared in hatred, his eyes darting toward Achilles.

"I WILL AVENGE DAGRUN. I WILL AVENGE EVERYONE," Shiki yelled in Japanese, bracing his foot back, assuming the same stance he had used when he first struck me.

That delayed response.

"I will complete the technique... in battle if necessary!"

Matt suddenly turned to Shiki, who's body started vibrating violently, distorting the space all around us.

VORPAL BREATHING TECHNIQUE

Matt gnashed his teeth.

"What the hell is this guy doing? His sight was on you, Achilles!"

Achilles reached forward, but I stopped him.

Level 1 Hinokami - Demon Prison

Achilles became suspended in mid-air, as Sarina leaped in front of me, her sword reeled back to strike.

But I went Intangible.

All the while Matt continued glaring at me.

"Yeling... I swear to god, I will tear you apart. For everything you've done. To everyone around you. To the people of Squad Four, you would even disgrace their names to use as an edge in battle."

I returned his glare.

"You were my mentor, and you taught me that there was no such thing as honor. I'll do whatever it takes to win. That was what made you different than Urca, and now... THAT'S WHAT MAKES ME DIFFERENT THAN YOU."

Matt rushed toward Shiki, but the energy his body was emitting was slowing him down.

"Vorpal Style... you mean to tell me-" Matt muttered, as he shot me a glance, his eye flashing red.

Level 3 Senkaku...

Shiki's eyes widened into a feral state.

ZERO STRIKE KILL

Switch Teleport

"Wha-?!" I shouted, as Matt and I traded places, my body still Intangible, but now in the full sights of a blood-lusted Shosuke Shiki.

"DIEEEEE!" Shiki screamed, The punch had landed on me, but I couldn't even register anything.

Time had completely warped around me, and everything had become distorted.

And as everything began to rip and tear apart, I watched the fabric of reality around me change.

Faster and faster, just like when I had the Shadows transport me.

To another world, but for some reason...

Everything...

Everything was moving and transitioning in reverse.

Birds from the distance, flying backward.

And from the distance, I could make out a sign that said:

Welcome to New Ulysses!

"Where- what's-"

A force pulled me in a spiral, my Intangible wispy body undergoing spaghettification. I would have been killed instantly if my Level 2 Dogma had run out, but it persisted.

Suddenly, everything went dark.

Unforgiveable Pawn

Hinokami, Suijin, Fujin, Hachi, Susanoo, Shakujin.

Six gods that embodied the essence of The Great Akuma, an ancient spectral entity that was created by those who suffered long ago. Who prayed for fairness in the world. For a time, The Great Akuma brought humanity to its knees. Hierarchy and social class were shattered, and man was equal. No man was greater than another. Humanity saw one another as comrades.

But when the Great Akuma was killed by the Spirit of Hope, Vala, humanity returned to its original, corrupt state.

My eyes fluttered awake, the blaring lights of something in the distance.

A dark misty haze.

Flashes of my past flickered in my vision.

My mother and my father were consumed by a mass of blue flames.

Then the voice of a young man, screaming hysterically.

"You never said my family would be killed like this! You never said that! You liar! Liar! Give them back! Please give them back!"

Give them...

Back...

Your family for the Hinokami. That was the exchange. That was the pact. An eye for an eye. A leg for a leg. For your family, the price to pay, I have granted you, with the power of Hinokami. The flames of the Great Akuma.

An eye for an eye.

A leg for a leg.

For my family, the price to pay...

"ROAAAAAAAR," A massive beast appeared above me, as my Celestial Dragon Physiology dialed my instincts up to eleven.

Green electricity sparked from my body, jolting out of the way and narrowly missing the talon of the beast. I slid back, Tatsu already in my hand.

My body burst into blue flames.

The powers of the Fire God.

And on that night...

I brought the blade up.

DEVIL'S SURFACE SLASH

I swung, releasing a vicious blue line that cut the towering monster in half.

... I had become the thirteenth holder of Hinokami.

I stood before the ashes, struggling to the edge of a large cliff, overlooking the city of New Ulysses.

A city...

That was not in ruins.

How did I know this?

Because this was the state of New Ulysses before I joined the Contingency Initiative. I recognized it from the very bottom of my heart, from my memories.

This was New Ulysses.

Eight years in the past.

I looked around frantically.

Should I summon the Shadows? It wouldn't make sense, since I wouldn't have existed back then.

I would be on high alert.

I strapped Tatsu to my back, activating a safeguard spell that shrouded the sword into a tennis racket case.

I slid down the slope, entering the city, and putting on a magical disguise that shrouded my left side.

"Where the hell am I..." I muttered.

"Ayo facts," A familiar voice said.

I turned around and stared at Bryce, whose face was full of confusion.

The two of us stood there motionless for a good two minutes.

"Um... whuzz good, Yeling?"

I grabbed Bryce by the collar and shook him like a ragdoll.

"What's good?! We're in the past, you dumbass!"

"Well shit! I guess Shiki's Zero Strike Kill was useful after all! Mudafugga can rewind time!"

I let go of Bryce.

Goddammit.

So the two of us got hurled back in time.

There was so much to worry about.

The state of Shiki...

Hell, the state of Katsuya too...

But we needed to focus on the now.

"Bryce... how are you feeling?" I asked.

Bryce put a hand in front of me.

"Don't. I... I gotta... I gotta keep movin' forward. Sarah... I can't."

I sighed.

"Bryce, if you need to take a breather, we can-"

"Shut up, Yeling. I don't need to hear it from some emotionless husk who doesn't even care if his own comrades die!" Bryce snarled.

I took a step back.

"What the hell are you on abou-"

"You were the reason your Squad Four buddies were dead? Really dude? I knew something was off about you when you introduced yo-self that day. But someone who would kill his own brothers and sisters? The fuck? And you'd use their names to gain an edge over Mirage? I don't even know who I should have been rootin' for!"

I glared at Bryce.

The guy was definitely mourning for his comrade... but...

"You don't get shit. My circumstances were blown way out of proportion by that wannabe Mirage. What happened to my old friends was much more complicated than that!"

Bryce gnashed his teeth.

"Sarah was killed by her own little sis. And all you did was keep fightin' with no regard for what happened. You didn't give a single shit the entire time. And the same with Dagrun! What happened to Tokiko... I understand you ain't close with us, but were we all just tools to you? Aaron was a tool?"

A bead of sweat ran down the back of my neck.

"This was supposed to be my conquest at the end of the day. I did what I had to do to aggravate Matt."

Bryce closed his eyes, breathing hard.

"I... I need space. I..."

"Wait, you're not stable, dude. Stay close to me-"

"Get away from me!"

Bryce shoved my hand away.

"Look at you... still being... all objective n' shit. After everything that's happened. First, it was June... then it was Robbie. Now it's Sarah... I... I'm so goddamn useless... I'm so useless!" Bryce's voice broke, as he slammed his fist against the side of a tree.

Over and over again.

But his eyes were green.

And his canines were still human.

The rage he had...

I watched his knuckles begin bleeding.

But they were not regenerating.

"Why... why am I so fuckin' useless... when shit doesn't go my way... when shit don't go my way... How are you so used to death, Yeling... You're way older than me and Bossman... please tell me... please tell me it gets better man... please..."

"I can't just lie to you, Bryce. You know that."

"DAMMIT!" Bryce screamed into the sky, bashing his fist over and over against the side of the tree, the blood began pouring down his sleeves, staining the eagle on his varsity jacket.

"Sarah... SARAH... SARAH!" The Auxiliary Shadow began to sob, bashing his forehead against the tree.

Tears leaked down his face.

"What was the point... what was the point of growing stronger... if this entire time I've been losing all my friends. June... Robbie... I... I couldn't protect any of my friends... My family..."

I gritted my teeth.

"That day."

Bryce stopped crying, turning silent and listening to me. I continued.

"When I fought Danny... The Transplant, I had flown all the way to Fa Shan. I left my entire Squad because I thought I could kill him alone with just Stage Two Hinokami. I unlocked the Stage and thought it would be enough. I lost and had my hand cut off... my connection to the Hinokami dissipated... and the shock hit me so hard that I ran away."

I ran my hand over my wrist.

"I wanted to gain my power back. I walked across the lands of Yon, trying my best to physically grow stronger. By fighting the wildlife with the katana my Squad member gave me. But as I continued fighting... I realized there was no way I could get back to even a fraction of my power when I was still Stage One."

Memories of my time spent in those woods... hunting... filled my head.

"And that realization was what made me do it. I had failed. I lost my powers. A cursed world where the only thing I had left to compensate for all the misfortune dealt to me, was to be The Devil's Flames. One who would burn the world to the ground. I lost it all. And so, I gave up. There was nothing I had left to offer to the world. I wandered until I met her. A girl named Shia Megumi took me in. For four years, I lived with her and was her guardian."

A breeze ran across the two of us, shaking the leaves. The lights of New Ulysses illuminated the two of us under the starry sky. The past... Even amidst the situation we were now in, somehow felt more comforting than the present.

"Though the criminals who harassed the kid were nothing short of mere fodder, I fought them off easily. For the first time, I felt like I was needed. My four years with Shia... I felt like I didn't need to worry about how unfair the world was. I could at least share what little happiness I had with someone. I no longer felt... lonely."

Realizations began hitting me as I continued speaking.

Even if I tried to reject it.

Come up with as many excuses as I could.

Claim that the world was as unfair as it was.

Ultimately...

Ultimately.

The bottom line was just that.

I was... I am really lonely.

"All of a sudden, it felt like... my place in Squad Four was no longer needed. They didn't need a loser like me. I had more value with Shia. But I failed to realize what I had. And when Squad Four came to try to rescue me by fighting Transplant, that was when it happened. Over half of the family I never knew I had was slaughtered."

I looked into the distance.

"Let me take you somewhere."

Bryce and I walked along the side of an old pier, and nostalgia flooded my body.

My precious son, Mah Yeling. If you ever feel like you need a break from this world. Come here.

My mother's words... words that I always lived by, years past her death.

"This place... is pretty peaceful," Bryce muttered.

I leaned against the rail, gazing into the distance. My Dragonoid eyes allowed me to see far into the distance, as I made out the shapes of several seals.

"What the hell, are those seals?" A younger Yeling's voice said in my mind.

"Yes! Oh my god, they're so cute!" A girl's voice answered.

"Whoa! Check out its tail!" I responded.

I put my hand against the rail.

"As unjust as... the world is. There are still things about it that are worth preserving. That was what I believed. And I guess... maybe that in itself hadn't changed. If anything, it expanded. To not just scenic views... but..."

I turned to Bryce, who stared into the distance, tears running down his cheeks.

"To people too," I finished my sentence.

Bryce made a fist.

"I'm sorry."

I raised my eyebrows.

"Wha-"

"I'm sorry. Ion give a shit if you don't get it. I'm sayin' it now. I'm sorry for everything. For blamin' you. For accusin' you. For slanderin' you. For... for being a racist fuck about your Chinese heritage. For... for not puttin' an effort into knowing you. I... I judged you from the beginning without... without giving you a chance."

Bryce turned to me, forcing the tears off his face.

"And... thanks. Thanks so much for doin' this for me. I... I still feel like shit, don't get me wrong. But Imma heed your advice. I'll move forward. For Sarah. For everybody. No more feelin' sorry for myself. I gotta be better. We gotta do right by all the people we've lost. So let's start over."

Bryce held out a fist.

"The name's Tyrell 'Bryce' Jackson Jones. It'd be an honor to fight alongside you, Yeling Mah."

A smirk appeared on my face, as I gently fist-bumped the Hero of Philadelphia.

Changing our disguises was relatively easy, especially for me.

The Yeling Mah of this time was very different from the Yeling Mah now.

"Man... I wanna know what a seventeen-year-old Yeling is like!" Bryce said, excitedly.

My eye twitched.

"We're not here to mess around. We gotta find a way back. I don't know how drastic our presence in the past is, I don't wanna find out."

Bryce groaned.

"Come onnnnn, you party pooper. We got shunted back in time. If we return to the present, we might just return to the point where Shosuke threw that Zero Strike Kill attack. We got all the time in the world, technically."

I turned to the Auxiliary Shadow.

"Absolutely not. One misstep and this whole timeline could be toast."

Bryce pouted.

"My one chance to see a different version of you and you COCKBLOCK me, bruh."

I grabbed Bryce.

"No messing around. If I so much as see you try any of your antics in New Ulysses I will burn up your Gamestation 5."

Bryce's eyes widened.

"HUH?! You did not just threaten a man's console! Bitch Imma eat you!"

Bryce swiped his arm, causing me to dodge and leap on the railway.

"Dammit Bryce! I'm serious! The last thing we need is for someone to see-"

"DON'T DO IT!" A girl's voice shouted from a distance.

My jaw dropped.

"Heh?"

Bryce and I spun in the direction of the voice, and my heart nearly fell to the floor.

Black flowing medium-long hair. Desperate eyes.

The same exact scene...

From when I had my day off.

The day off right before that one mission...

Anna grabbed me by the arm.

"Life can get bad, but you can't end it! No matter what!"

I slowly got off the railing.

"I... uh... no. I wasn't trying to off myself..." My voice trailed away.

No.

This was bad.

This was very very bad.

This... this interaction wasn't supposed to happen.

It wasn't supposed to happen with this version of me!

I had to do something. I could use Bryce as a cover to try and-

"Ay shorty, the name's Tyrell Jackson Jones, but you, gorgeous can call me Bryce," Bryce leaned against the rail, clicking his tongue.

Anna stared at Bryce.

"What?"

...

"Bryce you vampiric idiot! I'm going to torch your whole damn NBA collection!" I snarled, but not before Anna yelped.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to cause anything! I... I just came here to enjoy the view!"

Bryce and I stood awkwardly in silence.

"Well, um. Would you look at the time, I guess it's time for us to go!" I said, with an awkward sense of enthusiasm.

Bryce gave me a blank expression.

"Go where?"

"Uh... the..." I glanced at the seals in the distance. A sunrise was starting to break, marking a new dawn.

"The zoo! Yeah, the zoo. To look at... seal... no. Penguins. And toads."

"Toads?"

"Yeah. Let's go," I grabbed Bryce and yanked him away, while the idiot continued making phone number gestures.

"Next time give me your number!" Bryce called out, as I dragged him away.

We fled to a nearby alley, catching our breaths.

Dammit...

We messed up already! No.

I messed up already! After everything I had just told Bryce!

Anna... this was something I should have seen coming a mile away. She always came here. And I did too. I had brought Bryce here to cheer him up, but I should have left immediately.

I had no idea what impact that had on the timeline, I could only pray it didn't destroy it too much.

"Alright, we hide here for the night," I said.

"AYOOOO PAUSE!" Bryce yelped in response, causing me to give him an irritated expression.

"What is it now, Cleopatra?"

Bryce gripped his bat.

"I ain't sleepin' in a goddamn alley! What if we get robbed n shit!"

"I've done it before."

"What?!"

"Come on, it's not the end of the world. As long as you keep warm and take a few sleep aids you should be able to-"

"Hell no! We bookin' an AirBNB STAT!"

Bryce pulled out his phone, but before he could even unlock it, I used the hilt of Tatsu and disarmed him instantly, wafting bits of the Rainwater clouds to propel the device into my other hand.

"Enough. We are not gonna stay in an AirBNB. We need to avoid making any more changes to the timeline. What happened with Anna-"

My chest suddenly started to hurt, invasive thoughts began to strike my mind.

If I save Anna in this timeline...

Would she still be alive in the present?

Would I...

"Yeling?"

"Nothing. Er... Right. No changes. What happens to Anna has to happen."

Bryce raised an eyebrow.

"I get it. Anna was yo shorty, wasn't she?"

I turned away, without answering.

What happened to Anna... has to happen.

It must.

"Just collect some garbage and toss it in the bin, jackass. We need a fire."

Bryce did as instructed until we had a nice assortment of sticks, garbage, newspapers, and pornography magazines...?

"Bryce."

"Yo."

"Where did you find those?"

"What? The New Ulyssian Daily?"

"Not that you idiot! Why are there porn mags in here?!"

Bryce cracked his fingers.

"I jacked them from this homeless guy across the block. He was givin' them away for free."

"Okay. Throw them into the fire pile."

Bryce snatched the magazines away.

"Hell no! You got me fucked up! These things are priceless!"

"You can't be serious."

"No! I ain't cappin'. Look, this one has Chiyo Tachibana from the Ero-Manga Series Chiyo-Chan Diaries!"

Bryce shoved the Japanese comic in my face, causing me to choke on my own spit.

"Get that thing out of my face! We need everything we can to form a fire!"

Bryce shoved the Japanese comic into his varsity jacket.

"I'll throw the other mags in, but not my waifu."

For a few hours, we continued to camp out. All the way to the following night.

"Yeling, you never mentioned you had a shorty. I knew you weren't a virgin!"

I remained silent.

"Come on... this is probably the only time I get to know more bout you, man."

"Anna isn't my love interest. Far from it," I finally answered.

"Really? What... what happened?"

"You'll see. Or maybe not. Not like it matt-"

KRA-KOOM.

Bryce and I jumped from under a stack of newspapers.

"What the-" Bryce exclaimed.

I got to my feet, my Dragon senses picking up the faint voice of a man's call.

"Come back here!"

My eye widened.

No...

We messed it up. This wasn't supposed to happen yet.

It happened too soon!

"Yeling, what do we do?" Bryce asked.

Divine Amplification

Green electricity surged in my body as I shot into the air, running across the side of a building. Holy Rainwater swirling and leaving behind trails of green wispy energy from my body as I rushed to the location of the chase.

Bryce followed from behind.

"That was Anna, wasn't it!"

I ignored Bryce, scaling the sides of the building with superhuman agility until I got a bird's eye view of the situation.

A group of operatives in black and green suits were chasing a girl who was clutching a suitcase full of something.

And I knew exactly what it was. And who she was.

Anna...

And the money she had stolen to try and pay for her mother's surgery.

"You're under arrest for robbery," The operative said.

Anna shook her head frantically.

"Please, sir. No one would give me a loan. I need the money. I need it-"

"That's what they all say."

"I need it! My mother is dying! I... I can't afford the operation. I'm already in debt with my college. She needs this. It's not for myself, I swear!"

Bryce appeared next to me, the two of us crouched on the top of a building overlooking the encounter like a pair of shadows in the night.

"Yeling... that's... that's Anna! That's Anna, dude!"

"I know."

THWAK.

The sound of the operative hitting Anna on the side shook the entire scene, as operatives swarmed her left and right, beating her viciously.

The cries of pain coming from Anna's mouth tore my heart apart.

Again.

Just like all those years ago.

"Yeling! They're gonna kill her! You didn't say she was poor and needed money! We gotta save her! We gotta-"

"We will do no such thing."

Bryce stared at me.

"The hell are you sayin'? Don't you love this girl?! You tellin' me you just gonna watch her get beaten to death?!"

"Yes," I replied with a stoic expression, ignoring the immense pain that was welling up in my chest.

The beating momentarily stopped. The Leader of the Groundwatch Brigade approached Anna, who was half dead from the beating.

"How much can she take? How about this? I'll consider this money as payment for entertainment."

Anna clutched her side, as she gritted her teeth.

"What will it be, girlie?" The Leader asked.

"What do you need me to do..." Anna answered.

I made a fist.

As much as I wanted to keep the timeline intact...

There was now too much of a deviation.

If things had gone the way they were supposed to...

The Leader would claim that I had torched an entire building holding Matt's diary when he was still Vision. But that never happened yet.

Tidalflame never existed yet.

What was the Leader going to say?

"Today has been a shitty day for us. Just earlier, some Chinese terrorist destroyed a building that housed an artifact for Stormwatch. My allies were in that building. My brothers and sisters."

The Chinese Terrorist?

How was that possible? Wouldn't that mean I had become Tidalflame already? But we were still a year early!

The Leader glared at Anna.

"You stupid girl. Ever since New Ulysses opened their borders to you aliens, it's just been an endless shitshow. If they hadn't opened the borders, this stupid Mirage would never have joined CI. He wouldn't have caused so much destruction to my people."

My heart skipped a beat.

No.

The timeline really did change! Matt had now been the one to destroy the building during the op!

Anna began to sob, but she kept a straight face, as she tried to reach out to the briefcase of money.

The leader glanced at it.

"Don't worry. You won't need it. Do it, Steph."

No. Yeling.

Stay out of it.

Steph took aim with her finger, right at Anna's forehead.

"Yeling... Yeling! Anna is gonna die!" Bryce growled at me.

For the betterment of this timeline, we can't meddle with it anymore! This needs to be done... It needs to! Ignore that pain in your heart, Yeling. Ignore it. Destroy your feelings. Let it burn up in ash!

Thunder began to boom, lightning crackled and rain began to descend from the heavens.

Hints of raindrops glowed green.

Steph smiled crazily, as Anna stared at the money, shellshocked.

Stop...

This world...

This world wasn't meant...

Hey. It's okay, Yeling. It's just how it is, you know? That's just how it is. Anna's voice spoke in my mind.

And suddenly, nothing mattered anymore.

Eight years from now.

Eight years in the past.

I won't let you bastards get away with this.

Hinokami and Shenlong - Devil's Beneficient Severence

Steph froze, slowly moving her finger to her face.

Her mouth opened, but no sound came out, as her body was split in half.

I landed on the ground in front of Anna, cyan flames surrounding my body. The bangs of my hair covered my face, but the glow of my murderous blue eye shone through the darkness, giving me a sinister appearance.

The entire Groundwatch Brigade stumbled back.

"Sh- Shit! What the hell is that?!" One of the operatives yelped.

"Doesn't matter! He looks Chinese... so another Chinese devil's come to protect a fellow devil! Kill them both!"

Two Groundwatch members charged me, but I glared at them, emitting a fierce, blue flaming wall of heat that slammed into them, blood squirting from their nostrils due to the sudden change in air pressure and lack of oxygen.

I then approached the Leader, standing before him.

The Leader clenched his teeth, panic filled his eyes.

"Who- Who are you..."

I slowly lifted my hand, hatred filled my face.

"My name is Mah Ye Ling. From the city of Canaan, China. The Thirteenth Hinokami of the Great Akuma. But to someone like you, a filthy, racist, piece of trash. You can call me..."

INVERSE TSUNAMI RELEASE

The man screamed as Anna stared at me with empty, dying eyes.

The silhouette of my body cast a dark, evil shadow in contrast to the blinding blue flames coming from my hand.

"...The Devil's Flames."

The flames died out, along with the man's shrieks.

Bryce landed on the ground next to me.

"Well. I guess we ain't gonna be doin' no more of that timeline preservation."

I slowly approached Anna, who approached me, limping on her last legs.

"The Devil's... Flames..." She muttered.

Bryce poked out from behind me.

"Yo. Anna, right? Let's get you to a hospital real qui-"

Anna instinctively turned guarded, picking up a broken piece of glass and aiming it at us. Blood trickled from her hands, and down the side of her head. Her glare trembling from rage, grief, guilt, and pain.

The same glare she had given me all those years ago.

In a way... the pain was comforting. At least... her hatred for me never changed.

From when I was eighteen.

To now, at twenty-six.

Anna resented what I did all the same.

"Killing... killing killing killing. Do you really think killing people will solve the discrimination we face?!"

Bryce held up his hand.

"Ayo. What did you think he was gonna do? Let you die? He didn't get no goddamn choice, lady!"

Anna gnashed her teeth, tears streaming down her face.

"Mah Ye Ling... Yeling. Was it? You're the reason why my mom had to die. You're... the reason why my kind is discriminated. You. You-"

Anna burst into a fit of coughing, her side was patchy with blood.

She was dying. And there was no saving her.

These were her last moments.

Bryce turned to me.

"Yeling, we gotta take her to a hospital! She gotta... gotta..."

I regarded Anna with an empty expression.

"No. You are wrong, Anna."

Anna stared at me with a look of disbelief.

"Wh- What...?"

My heart throbbed with pain, but it wasn't the heartbreak that I felt eight years ago.

This time, it was throbbing with a different pain.

"I didn't do it for you. I didn't do it for the Chinese people. I did it for myself. And you have every right to resent me."

I stepped forward and took the glass from her hands, melting it in my palm, then proceeded to hold out my other hand, aiming it right at her face.

"Yeling! What the hell are you doing?! What are you..."

The wind blew against my bangs.

My right side momentarily seeing Anna's face for the first time.

"Whether it is me. Or The Mirage. The outcome is the same for Chinese people like us. If it wasn't me, it would be someone else. This cycle of hatred will always have a Devil to make our kind be hated. That is the very nature of discrimination, Anna. And it is something that we have to live with. No matter how much we try to deceive ourselves."

Anna's lip quivered, but I continued.

"No matter what you say to me... I will continue killing. I will kill as many people as I need to... to get what I want. Hate me. Resent me. If it gives you peace in these final moments, then direct all that rage you have on me as much as you want. I will be the Symbol of Darkness that you so want. The villain of your story."

A sob escaped her breath.

"My mom... Mama won't live to see the next day. The money that I desperately tried to steal isn't even close to paying for her operation. My little sister will live knowing her big sister and mother died. So, please. You may be someone I hate... but make sure my sister doesn't go down my path. I beg you... both of you."

Anna... had a sister.

Bryce stepped forward, taking Anna's hand.

"Don't you worry, Anna. Your sis won't live a hellish life. As someone who is a person of color myself... I understand discrimination all too well. You got my word."

Anna sighed, as she smiled at us.

A bittersweet smile.

"Goodbye. Yeling."

I said nothing, as I released a torrent of flame which put Anna out of her misery, burning her into ash. With no traces behind.

Bryce lowered his head solemnly.

"Yeling... so this was why you refused to answer my questions about Anna... it was always gonna end this way, wasn't it?"

I dropped my hand and turned around.

"Let's go. Auxiliary Shadow Hellsing. We move forward. Always."

Bryce and I made our way into the distance, but as Bryce passed me, I glanced at a faint light from the corner, right next to the burnt suitcase and the remains of what used to be a mound of cash.

I knelt down and picked the phone up, noticing it was still unlocked.

And what I saw made my chest tighten up.

A text conversation between Anna and someone else.

Hey Abi! Just texting you in case you forget about me! Just wanted to let you know that while I visited that pier, I took a bunch of pictures. Just wanted to share them with you, so whenever you feel overwhelmed, and you can't make it to the pier, you have these.

I scrolled down to see the pictures.

But I already knew what she had sent.

Pictures of the seals at the pier and other wildlife, followed by another text.

Sometimes, I come here too, when life gets tough. When I look at the distance with the binoculars, you can sometimes catch the marine wildlife there.

I took a deep breath, scrolling down until I reached the last picture she had sent before I killed her.

A picture of Anna standing at the pier, making a peace sign.

The angle of the phone, as I predicted, was positioned such that it was very obvious that she had taken the photo herself.

Because no one would take it for her.

"Anna..." I muttered, getting to my feet, and holding the phone out before me.

I closed my fist, shattering the device into hundreds of pieces, set ablaze in the blue inferno in the night sky.

Not a single tear ran down my face.

I already shed enough that day.

We move forward, always.

Always.

The Battle for Okan

Bryce and I managed to camp out on the roof of a tall building, away from society and people.

The frigid winds from the heightened atmosphere blew against us, but we were used to the-

"NOOOOO! I can't take this no more! It's too damn cold!"

I slumped on the side of an electrical room, watching Bryce complain over and over again.

We needed to find a way back into the present, but we had no leads.

Our best bet may be to just find someone with time-altering abilities.

I gazed into the distance.

Time altering...

My eye widened.

Shin.

Shin of Squad One had the ability to locally manipulate time, accelerating himself and shunting himself forward to deliver strikes from his sword at blinding speed.

Maybe Shin would know.

But I couldn't just tell him I was from the future. Even so...

I knew what I had to do.

I had to somehow affiliate myself with the Contingency Initiative's strongest squad.

If I could do that, there was a chance Bryce and I could go back to our timeline and stop Matt from killing Urca.

"Bryce."

Bryce stopped whining and turned to me.

"What?"

"How's your interview skills?"

For the next few days, Bryce and I scoped out members of the Contingency Initiative. But that proved a lot harder than we thought, since the way CI did things was through mainly stealth. Yes, we had Elimination Ops and Elimination Squads, Squad Four being an example, but these were typically well-calculated to some extent.

There was a reason why CI was nearly impossible to be stopped by government officials.

We were that recluse.

"Where the hell are we?" Bryce asked.

"Zip it."

I pointed at the distance.

The building was a massive complex, an architectural masterpiece of fourteen sub-buildings merged together. Each building had a distinct shape, and one stood out from the others.

A massive lightning bolt.

"Okan, One of Realmwatch Collective's facilities. An organization that was created to fight against Taras Pax. Their sworn enemy is Taras' organization, the Contingency Initiative."

Bryce raised an eyebrow.

"Taras huh..."

"You know him?"

"Yeah. Taras was an Outer Shadow... Inner Shadow John Crassman's Outer Shadow to be precise."

I looked back at the building.

Taras... the man who was shrouded with mystery. The only human being to have unlocked every single Akuma Grade Dogma, and was said to have had so many Dogma Bargains that underneath his hat and trenchcoat was a body that was so grotesque and unrecognizable.

I guess it made sense for someone of his caliber to be in the Black Legion. But ever since Danny had attacked, no one knew what had happened to him.

"So why we stalkin' out here? Is something gonna go down?"

"Yes. The Contingency Initiative will invade the Realmwatch Collective, This sub-base here contains the officials who would be delivering their speech and recruiting all the victims of the Pax Incident to join their side. From what Squad Leader Matt had written in his report, Squad One would be responsible for getting their attention. As they fight, we will pose as members of Realmwatch and try to gauge the strength of Squad One's Kronos."

Bryce cracked his knuckles.

"Gotcha. We gonna throw some hands."

"No, we're gonna hold back, obviously. Everybody here is less than C Rank. You'll slaughter them."

We watched the first explosion happen, along with members of Squad One descending from the skies amidst the chaos in an orderly fashion.

"I'll attack Shin. You try and get some damage in on random members. Don't make it obvious we're only aiming for him."

"Fosho."

The two of us made a break for it, Bryce running at top speed with his vampiric strength while I soared in the sky on a stream of Rainwater.

I landed on the ground, several feet away from the building, making out several soldiers of Realmwatch being torn apart by several members of Squad One.

Shin was nowhere to be seen, but the Squad One lackeys had locked down my position.

"Status, Breakdown." A voice buzzed in one of the operative's ear.

Breakdown glared daggers at me.

"One survivor remains, Deputy Leader Kronos. Dispatching soon."

Breakdown proceeded to spread his hands, emitting a green glow that disintegrated our surroundings.

So Shin wasn't here.

SHOOM.

I stumbled back, narrowly getting disintegrated by Breakdown's attack. His eyes, though murderous, were extremely calculating.

This was no ordinary terrorist.

This guy was methodical. Just like every member of Squad One.

Breakdown reached in again, but divine energy surged through me, and I instantly reappeared on the other side of the building perimeter.

Breakdown slowly regained his posture, whispering under his breath.

"Super speed. Martial arts background. Different from the rest."

I clenched my teeth.

He could gauge out that my fighting style wasn't like the other members of Realmwatch just from that.

I had no choice. If Breakdown ratted this info out to Shin, the timeline would be even more screwed.

But if I killed him...

I would mess it up anyway.

I had to hit him in a way that he would forget this encounter.

I drew Tatsu, swinging it around.

Breakdown irked.

"You're not part of Realmwatch. Why are you fighting us? We are not the enemies of those who deserve the new world."

I hesitated but did my best to regain my momentum. He wasn't wrong. But my mission was different from his. And the weight of it was much heavier than a simple joint Elimination Op.

Rain Style Kenjutsu - Form 5: Flashrain

I shot in, expecting to catch Breakdown on the side of the head, but my blade was stopped.

Shin.

I spun around violently.

Rain Style Kenjutsu - Form 7: Four Seasons

The attacker dodged the first swipe. Then the second. Then the third.

This was it.

Let's see just how strong your time dilation ability is-

SWOOSH.

I stumbled in disbelief, as Tatsu slashed at thin air.

This... This was impossible.

No one could dodge Four Seasons like that, certainly not someone in the Contingency Initiative! That move was designed to put someone in a position where dodging the third and fourth strikes was near impossible. It was enough to nick a Demon Lord of all things.

And to make matters worse...

"Huh. Didn't think RWC would hire samurai wannabes now."

A man with a black mask landed on the ground in front of me, his red eye glowing.

"Get the hell out of my way, Squad One scum. He's mine," Matthew "The Mirage" Lam snarled.

Breakdown took a step back.

"Understand your boundaries, Squad Four. Indulge in your ego as much as you want, but keep Squad One and the Contingency Initiative's endeavors out of it."

You've got to be shitting me.

Matt was the last person I needed to fight.

Where the hell was Bryce?!

I positioned Tatsu, circling Matt, whose glowing eye left behind a red trail.

I couldn't use Hinokami. He would probably recognize it right away.

I had to stay with using my Celestial Dragon powers.

Five percent...

That was as far as I could push my output.

But my technique was still at full power.

It had to be.

Matt closed in, slamming his fist against my forearm, completely bypassing Tatsu and my defenses, startling me.

Against this guy, if I didn't give it my A-game, he was gonna kill me. He was that type of person.

Matt began unloading punches after punches at me, fighting up close.

Just like how Vicki had taught us.

"Come on, samurai! Quit being a bitch just because your sword is useless!"

This guy was seriously pissing me off!

I dropped Tatsu and went low.

Shuiquan - Six Harmonies Rain Boxing

I slipped Matt's strike in a fluid manner, redirecting his attacks, and launched an uppercut which slammed into his chin, sending him flying back in surprise.

But before I could relish in that strike, Matt created a Senkaku clone, twisting in mid-air, and slammed his foot against my nape, nearly knocking me unconscious.

I instinctively leaped back, taking a defensive stance.

Matt growled.

Level 2 Amplification - Ultra Battle Senses

I rushed in, throwing another set of punches, but Matt had completely evaded them all, catching me in every blind spot imaginable. I coughed out blood, stumbling back.

Well.

Shit.

"You think a little Tai Chi was going to beat me?" Matt taunted.

"Grrrrr..."

I jumped up, summoning my Butterfly Knives, and retaliated, slicing at Matt and catching him in the legs and arms.

Eight years... Matt may have seemed unstoppable when I was younger, but now, I was twenty-six years old and more experienced. I started to see his flaws in his earlier years of fighting.

Matt created clones left and right, but I dropped my knives and summoned my Guandao, spinning it at lightning speed and generating a storm of Rainwater, pushing the clones back.

Matt shot in, a wild expression on his face. Just as I expected.

A green blast of lightning caught him in the chest, sending him into the roof and smashing into the ground.

"You... cheap... fuck..." Matt muttered, struggling to his feet. Blood was pooling on the ground around him.

Of course, ordinarily, I wouldn't be able to fight him like this.

But I had the advantage.

After all, now I knew that Matt's mentor was Vicki Harriet.

And Vicki happened to be my Outer Shadow.

I know all about her style.

Matt took a step forward but coughed, blood squirted from his mask as he stumbled.

Holy Rain Renewal

A swirl of Rainwater surrounded me, mending my wounds instantly.

Matt stared at me.

"Healing...? You've got to be shittin' me..."

Matt collapsed, but forced himself up, much to my surprise.

I tried to gain distance, but my body suddenly refused to move.

My feet were trapped in a pool of darkness.

Senkaku.

"What... you thought... I was gonna... fuckin fall over and die in front of you? Huh?" Matt snarled, glaring at me.

I summoned Tatsu, but a clone appeared by my side and yanked the sword away from me.

All the while, Matt struggled forward, hatred in his eye.

"I didn't... I didn't... go through all that hell... to lose... to some nobody like you. You don't deserve to win."

Deserve, huh?

"What do you know about who deserves what?" I said coldly.

Matt looked up, as a blast of power hit him point blank, smashing him into a column and causing him to vomit blood violently.

Divine Amplification

I ripped myself out of Senkaku and approached Matt, who generated a Shadow tendril, leveling the roof in front of me.

But I took my stance, swatting the debris to the side and decimating it.

"Forget holding back. I gotta be somewhere, and you're wasting my time."

I summoned Tatsu again, this time, the swirl of Rainwater and storm clouds blew Matt's clones apart.

Rain Style Kenjutsu - Form 1: SURFACE SLASH

Matt growled, refusing to back down, when suddenly a man appeared out of nowhere.

A man in a hat.

"Come now. Let's not fight. You are not with them, are you not?"

I stared at the man's hand, who stopped my full-power Surface Slash with his fingers.

An A Ranked Surface Slash... stopped just like that.

Only one person had power that potent.

Taras smiled at me.

"My... that is quite the resume you have there, young man. And that fight with The Mirage was no joke either. You are probably one of the only people who are still in business who has injured him to this extent. Look at you, Mirage."

"I WAS NOT LOSING!" Matt snapped.

"Ah... but you sure look quite upset!"

"I'M NOT UPSET!"

Taras laughed, as he let go of Tatsu's blade, but not before raising an eyebrow at it.

"What an interesting weapon."

I quickly concealed the sword.

"I..."

What do I do? I needed to get close to Shin. I guess... if I joined CI... I could get into Squad One.

But if I joined CI, I would make things even weirder. The timeline would get even more-

"By the way, your friend has also requested to join."

"Huh?"

A familiar kid's obnoxious voice suddenly broke the tension.

"YO! I just found the cutest woman EVER in Realmwatch dude! Please, let me join CI bro. I wanna fight her some more!" Bryce said.

I instantly covered my face with my hand.

"Would that woman happen to be Japanese and have a lightning bolt on her uniform..." I muttered.

"How did you know? You're one smart guy! You know that?"

Matt's eye flared in rage.

"Hey. You two aren't talking about Rui Iwatani are you?"

Bryce grinned.

"So that's her name er I mean I have no idea. Please let me join the Contingency Initiative."

"Why you little-"

Taras smiled, as a wave of force slammed into the two of them. The cheerfulness in his expression was unsettling. I still had no idea how powerful this guy was in Black Legion standards.

But to be an Outer Shadow...

It meant that Taras had power that far surpassed Danny's.

But... where was Taras when Danny had completely destroyed CI? Where was he?

If he had the power to easily destroy the Transplant, why didn't he do anything? And what had happened to him ever since then?

"Now now. Let's not get too agitated now. Two new recruits, with promising potential with that."

Taras approached Bryce.

Bryce's face paled.

I knew that he had become far stronger than before, but even so... Taras had seniority. If he was an Outer Shadow, Bryce was still an Auxiliary Shadow. There was no way to tell who had been in the Black Legion for longer, but an Outer Shadow would likely have meant that Taras had far more experience, and it showed.

"Ah... you are... very powerful. Perhaps one can say, your power is almost... foreign."

A chill ran down my back. There should have been no way Taras would know... right?

But this was Taras Pax we were talking about.

Bryce's eyes widened.

"Uh... um..."

Suddenly, the tension was broken by Taras putting a hand on his shoulder.

"You may join the Contingency Initiative. Mirage could use the competition to win The Patcher of Stormwatch over."

Matt looked like he was going to say something, but stopped himself.

"What... what Squad would he be in?" Matt asked.

Taras tilted his head, his eyes kept changing color from the shadows of his hat.

"I saw you in action. And Hachi confirmed it for me. A strength that could very easily fight Squad One off. Your reasons are as simple as the enemies you choose. If it is... truly your intention to see that young lady again, then may you fight alongside Squad One."

Matt choked.

"What?! Squad One?! Him?"

Even I was surprised.

Squad One right off the bat.

The strongest Elimination Squad in the Contingency Initiative.

"Miss Dismantler," Taras said, as Kyokou suddenly appeared by his side, the hand of Shin on her shoulder.

"Lord Taras," Kyokou said with an empty expression.

"From now on, this one shall serve under you as a probationary member of Elimination Squad One. May you guide him in his path to becoming use to our... legion."

Another bead of sweat ran down both Bryce and my neck.

This guy... this guy knew something. He had to.

Kyokou nodded, turning to Bryce.

"Come."

Bryce did as she said, glancing at me.

"She's a loli! Awesome!" He mouthed.

Goddammit, Bryce!

Just remember what we were here for.

This wasn't so bad... as long as we returned to the present as fast as we could, the less damage we would inflict.

At this point, we had to do whatever it took to return.

"As for you..."

Taras eyed me.

I hesitated, glancing at Matt.

"I want to be in Squad One as well," I replied, quickly.

"The hell you trying to say?" Matt growled, but Taras held up a hand.

"Mirage of Squad Four. Dismissed."

Matt backed off, turning around, but not before glaring at me.

"This isn't over. I will beat you the next time we meet. Mark my words."

It kind of felt good to hear that from Squad Leader Matt. For once, I wasn't on the opposite end of the ass-beating.

But at the same time...

I kind of wished he didn't leave, because all of a sudden, it was just Taras and I, standing at the ruins of Okan.

"Wh- What's the status... of Okan?" I stammered, causing Taras to raise an eyebrow.

"Destroyed. The recruiters have been killed by The Mirage."

"Oh. I see." My voice was small.

Taras readjusted his hat. And what he said next, cemented everything. My blood turned to ice.

"Of course. Just as you predicted, right, Yeling?"

New Recruit

"Wh- What are you talking about? I don't-"

Taras' eyes flashed orange.

"Do you think you can lie... to The Devil's Eyes?"

I clenched my fist, turning to the leader of the Contingency Initiative.

My leader.

"How much. How much do you know?" I asked.

Taras regarded me with those multi-colored eyes.

"The Great Akuma is an entity that surpasses reason and narratives. The eternal enemy of Vala. There is nothing she cannot see past. It was through her Hachi that she was able to rule mankind, by spotting those who tried to rebel. The Great Akuma... is not bound by time. And as someone who has manifested every single Akuma Grade Dogma, I encapsulate that aspect of her."

I looked out into the distance, as Taras joined me.

"You came back in time. I cannot see past the method of such... but it seems the future did not bode well for you."

"Why do you say that?"

Taras pointed at my tattoos.

"The words of Hinokami, the words for its bargain have changed. The words are smudged and altered."

I looked at my forearm, squinting a bit and focusing on the demonic letters. And to my surprise, he was correct. The words... they weren't as crisp and defined as they used to be. They had become somewhat faded. Some even disappear entirely.

"I've become unbound."

"I know."

I gripped the edge of the ruins.

"Lord Taras, I need to find a way back into the present. Please. I need to speak with Kronos. I'll damage this timeline. The future..."

Taras leaned against the rocks, his hat low and covering most of his upper face.

"The future will not change, regardless of what you do."

"How?"

Taras pointed at my tattoos again.

"The Hinokami is a part of the Great Akuma. You've already witnessed its nature. The ability to completely nullify narrative and reality-warping abilities. The Great Akuma is universal, like Vala. Regardless of the narrative. Regardless of the reality, and above all else, regardless of the timeline. You can choose to leave as soon as you can, but don't you want to spend some time with the family that you have lost?"

I gazed at a distant Mercedes that was peeling away. My Dragon eyes picked up the driver, glaring daggers at us. Matt drove off into the distance, probably still pissed at how he couldn't beat me despite everything he had done.

Of course, he couldn't.

At this point, I had unlocked four Stages of my Dogma, and a fifth Stage out of a whim. And I was no longer technically a human. I was now a Celestial Dragon. He might as well have fought Shenlong himself.

But to see everybody again...

To see them again. After years of regret...

Who would pass up such an opportunity?

Taras walked past me.

"Though you walk amongst past shadows, I have to warn you, Auxiliary Shadow Tidalflame."

I turned to him.

"Of what?"

"Every action you have has an echo. Though the influence you, and your comrade, Auxiliary Shadow Hellsing make in this past will not affect your future, they know. He will come for you."

"Who?"

Taras pursed his lips.

"I cannot speak of this further. I am loyal to Master Crassman. However, if I involve myself with this matter, not even my Inner Shadow can do anything against him."

"Are you talking about Loyce?"

Taras shook his head.

"No. Yeling, the best I can offer you is a second chance to see your old family again. That is all I can give you. What happens next... I cannot do anything to assist you. I have my own organization to worry about."

A lump formed in my throat.

A threat... that wasn't Loyce?

A threat that even an Inner Shadow couldn't handle?

"If it is any consolation, know this," Taras looked up into the sky, the stars had broken through the clouds, accompanied by the moonlight.

"An Unbound Hinokami has no purpose for the ritual to revive the Great Akuma. The Black Legion always knew this. You cannot burn your way out this time. So take my gift and cherish it while you still can."

With that, Taras had used his Suijin Dogma to transport me to a familiar-looking apartment complex. Looking at it brought upon waves of nostalgia which battered me with a sense of longing.

Bryce had been accepted as a probationary recruit to Squad One, meaning he had to undergo rigorous training at Anassis Island. The nature of the organization was such that many who joined CI would start off as foot soldiers. Those who displayed noticeable potential would be scouted by Squads depending on their meta powers, "evos". However, even if one were to be scouted, they still needed to undergo the training required to operate on the level of the Squads.

When I was accepted into Squad Four as Tidalflame, I also had to undergo rigorous training at Anassis Island. I was scouted by Taras himself, due to being a Dogma Holder of Hinokami.

For many months, I trained in the harsh regime of the Contingency Initiative. I learned to harness my hatred and wield it, at least that was what was presented to me on paper. In reality, what the regime had done for me, was show me what it meant to be a member of the Contingency Initiative, and to awaken my own philosophy, aligning it with the organization's. All the while, I continued hearing rumor after rumor of Squad Leader Matt. It was during that time on Anassis Island did I developed an admiration for my Squad Leader.

Matt was someone who was independent, but rather than succumbing to loneliness, he turned this into a weapon, honed sharp into a tool of vengeance. He was known by names such as the "Miracle Operative", and the legendary "Loki of the Contingency Initiative". There was no one who displayed the same aptitude Matt had displayed.

Even to this day, I still hold a strong admiration for my former Squad Leader. The way he turned his hardships into strength, and had become one of the most feared Squads in the entirety of the Contingency Initiative. Despite his cold hard exterior, Matt had done many things to help his own subordinates. Myself included. It was Matt who helped me move on from my parents' deaths. And it was Matt who had given me that pep talk the day Anna had died.

When I had been shunted into the past, a surge of panic had welled up inside me. And the urgency of returning back to the present influenced my decisions. However, I would be lying if I said there wasn't a part of me that wanted to experience what it was like. To do everything over again. And above all else... to maybe appreciate what it felt like to be part of a group of friends who genuinely cared for me.

Squad Four... after all this time... I could finally see them again. I wasn't even there when Whitney, Flint, and Maika had died. I had been too busy playing house with Shia.

You can choose to leave as soon as you can, but don't you want to spend some time with the family that you have lost?

Standing before the entrance of my old Squad Four complex... even if this was eight years in the past. Who could pass up an opportunity like this?

Maybe just a little bit.

Just for a bit... I can take this as a second chance. To really cherish these people.

My hand hovered over the handle of the lobby door.

Bryce... I really hope you get as much intel as you can from Shin.

I'll join you soon, but let me just take a short break.

A break from everything for a bit-

HINOKAMI. I SMELL IT.

My blood froze, along with the rest of my body. The most ominous chill ran through my body, as it responded to the sound that was emanating in my voice.

I frantically looked around, but there was no one there.

But why was my body feeling hunted? As if...

LITTLE YELING. LITTLE YELING. SHOW ME YOUR FLAMES.

Sweat poured down my scalp, drenching my back.

An Unbound Hinokami has no purpose for the ritual to revive the Great Akuma. The Black Legion always knew this.

That monstrous voice, felt like a knife was scraping against rock.

This was nothing like Loyce's.

Nor was it anything like Vala's.

This voice was like a bogeyman's. And for some reason, it was trying to hunt me down by my flames.

An immense pressure filled my lungs. It became hard to breathe.

I was suffocating from a fear that I didn't know where it originated from.

I opened my mouth to breathe, but no air was entering my lungs. I was... I was...

"H- Hey... are you okay?" A woman's voice said.

Suddenly, the pressure dissipated, as if time flowed back normally.

The terrifying, ominous presence had disappeared, leaving me alone and standing in front of a tall woman with long blonde hair that reached her shoulders.

I narrowed my eye at her.

She was beautiful. Stunning even. Round purple eyes and an incredibly athletic body like a model.

I didn't recall meeting someone like her when I lived in Squad Four. The closest model we had living close to us was a male superstar who had tried to flirt with Lewis and me. He had thought that the two of us were gay since Lewis frequently went on his incel rants about how he hated women and forced me to listen.

"I'm uh... looking for Suite 468."

The woman took a step back, her expression guarded.

"Why?"

I clenched my teeth.

"Whatever, I'll find it myself."

I walked past the lady and made my way to the elevator. I already had enough women in my life who intentionally avoided me.

I went up to the buttons and jabbed my finger against one of them, but to my surprise, my finger hit solid cement.

CRACK.

"GAH! FUCK!" I growled, stumbling back and clutching my hand.

What?

What kind of a button was this?

I focused on the elevator buttons again. They looked exactly like buttons to me. I turned to the door that led to the stairs.

If I couldn't use the elevator, then I'd just take the damn stairs.

I made my way to the door and grabbed the handle, but my hand passed right through it.

"You've got to be shitting me."

I slammed my fist against the wall, my hand passing right through the illusion.

Wait.

I wiggled my fingers against the illusion, then walked up to the elevator buttons, brushing my hand over the wall that the illusion was concealing.

Illusions.

Illusions...?

I slowly looked up to see the woman standing before me, a knife in her hand aimed at my face.

"I don't know why you're here, but this is my home now. I won't let any more men hurt me ever again," The woman snarled.

I was taken aback.

Seriously...?

This woman...

There was no way.

There was no way this was who I thought it was.

(Eight years ago)

"This is where you will be staying," Matt said, introducing me to Squad Four.

An eighteen-year-old me fidgeted nervously.

"H- Hi. I'm Yeling, and it's a pleasure to-"

"MATTY!!! WELCOME HOME! I MISSED YOU!" A girl's voice broke my introduction as the figure of a young woman appeared out of nowhere like an animal, almost tackling my new Squad Leader to the ground.

But Matt dodged at the last second, causing the girl to slam face-first into a wall and slide to the ground.

Everybody seemed to act like this was completely the norm. No one ran to her aid.

I stood awkwardly in the center of the living room, glancing at Matt, who gave me an irritated expression.

"Don't expect me to introduce you to these people. It is your job to make that effort. If you can't manage that, then there is no reason for you to even call these your Squad members."

"B- But-"

I watched Matt enter his room.

"I have paperwork to do. I will also need to see you this afternoon to fill out your information. Now leave me alone, otherwise, I'll cut your head off."

For some reason, I didn't doubt that he would actually do that.

"No way, an asian recruit? Finally!"

"Huh?"

A beautiful blonde woman approached me. She had choppy neck-length hair which seemed to be dyed multiple colors. I was attracted to her right away. She looked flirtatious but mature at the same time. An athletic figure complimented by her height, a good two inches over me.

"Hey, you're pretty adorable. How old are you, boya?"

Boya?

Was she speaking Japanese slang?

"I... I speak Canaan, I'm Chinese..."

The woman raised an eyebrow.

"Awww, that's no fun. Well."

A finger slowly traced the side of my face, stopping at the bottom of my chin. Her touch felt like it was sending currents across my body. No woman had ever touched me like this before. Not even my own mother did that.

The woman leaned in closer, giving me a fun smile.

"Boya means little boy."

My heart felt like it was going to explode. She was too intimidating! I'd never encountered a woman like this before!

"What's wrong, kiddo? You haven't answered my question yet."

"E- Eighteen. I'm eighteen. My name is Yeling. Yeling Mah."

"Yeling... huh?"

The lady smiled, lighting a cigarette and breathing out a line of smoke.

Immediately, Matt's voice resonated from his room.

"Maika! Did you just light a damn cigarette?! No smoking in the apartment how many times do I have to remi-"

"Oh shut it! You buzzkill! You're acting like a cranky husband and we haven't even started dating yet!"

The girl who was slumped over suddenly perked up.

"The hell did you just say?! You Japanese bitch!"

Maika flicked her hand, as the girl's teeth turned into fangs, viciously clawing and biting and snarling at some imaginary object in the hallway.

Maika smiled at me.

"Mah Ye Ling, then?"

I stared at her. No one had ever said my name like that before. It was true. In China and Canaan, my surname was always pronounced first. How did she know?

"How did... You get my name right? No one ever gets it right."

"I'm Japanese... an Asian New Ulyssian like you too, you know. Maika is my first name, in Japan, only people very close to me would call me that. Usually, they would call me... Nagumo Maika."

Maika reached out and pushed me into a chair as she pulled up another one and sat on it. The back of the chair pressed up against her chest and wrapped by her legs.

A grin plastered her face, cigarette smoke leaving her perfectly white teeth.

"Eighteen... huh. So you're legal then!"

Legal for what?!

Maika leaned in, pressing her chin against my neck, her voice a whisper.

"Legal for... this."

A cold object pressed against my chest. I looked down to see a bottle of cold beer.

"Heh?!?!"

"Drink up, kid! You're now part of Elimination Squad Four! Be as bonkers as you want! Destroy as much as you want!"

Maika pushed back in her chair, laughing crazily and throwing confetti everywhere.

"The world is a cruel place. It laughs at us while we suffer. Why should we have to cry in response? Why should we give the world what it wants?! If it laughs at us, we laugh right back! We party as much as we want! Hey, wanna see me shotgun this thing?"

"Shotgun...?"

Maika pulled out a beer can in one hand and held out a katana in the other. Before I knew it, Maika pierced the side of the can with her blade and shoved the hole right at her mouth, drinking aggressively and finishing the entire can in three seconds flat.

"Hell yes! HAHA!"

Maika pointed the beer can at me.

"I know about your story, kid. You lost your family from your powers right?"

A shudder ran through my body, as a panic attack felt like it was gonna set in.

"I don't wanna talk about it. Not with someone like you. I barely know-"

SWIFF.

My eyes widened, as Maika's scent filled my nose. Her hair brushed against my skin as she wrapped me in a hug.

"Don't say that. Don't say something like that anymore. I'll know you as much as I can, and you know me as much as you want. You're not alone anymore. We're here for you."

A tear ran down my face that day, and when Maika pulled away, her grin never disappeared.

A devious and unhinged smile in response to a cruel and unfair world.

Maika Nagumo, the Refractor, was the first person in Squad Four who made me truly smile in years.

That grin.

That carefree grin showed Maika's defiance toward the world's deceit and corruption.

Each person in Squad Four held a special place in my heart.

And Maika had been the first.

I blinked, to see the grin had been replaced by the feral, hostile glare of a younger Maika Nagumo. She couldn't have been any older than 23 at this time.

The blade of her knife aimed right at my forehead. She had taken a swordswoman stance, similar to an old style Vicki had once used when wielding Masamune, a weapon from her Celestial Scabbard.

The stark contrast between the carefree woman I had always believed I knew, to the one who was threatening to kill me made me feel uneasy.

As if a part of me had turned rotten.

And I guess that heartache was a lot worse than I thought because I found myself unable to respond.

Maika's bottom lip quivered, and her eyes had turned shiny.

"Maika? You alright there lass?" A voice said, as its owner appeared from the other side of the building. He was tall and well-built, with dog tags around his neck. But he looked old as if the muscles he had spent years developing had been reduced to performing mere house chores.

The man suddenly ran up to Maika from behind, taking her knife.

"Maika! Don't attack, he's not an enemy!"

Maika began to struggle against the man's grip.

"Ito... Ito! Ito is here to take me back! Don't let him take me back!" She screamed, causing some people at the reception to get up and look at us in concern.

The one called Rafel made a gesture to them as if reassuring them that everything was okay.

As if one could even call this okay.

"No... No!!! Please!!!" Maika pleaded, kicking her legs as Rafel hoisted her up.

"Maika, this man isn't your husband! Calm down!"

I took a step back in response to Maika's wailing.

Several illusions suddenly appeared all around me, likely as a result of her nervous breakdown.

I looked around, in surprise.

A cell...

Two cells, facing one another. On one side, was what appeared to be Maika, huddled with her knees to her chin, shivering. She was wearing a torn white mini-skirt stained with blood. She was sobbing hysterically at something, and when I repositioned my gaze to what she was crying at, my heart almost skipped a beat.

A young woman, clearly younger but not by much, who looked very similar to her in appearance. Her throat had been slashed, and her eyes, still open, were wide and dilated. As if her last moments were panic. Her eyes were looking directly at Maika.

What was I looking at?

Were these... memories?

I blinked again, and the illusions were gone. Rafel had injected something against the side of Maika's neck.

"Sorry. Maika is... still suffering some really severe trauma. What you saw..."

"Were these Maika's memories?"

"I can't be certain, but from what Matt had told me, yes. And I presume you're the latest addition to Squad Four?"

I hesitated, still unable to make sense of what I had just witnessed.

I never knew Maika's past. She had told me she had lost her sister and had suffered racism for being Japanese, but I didn't think she had went through something like this.

What else... what else did I not know about Maika?

And...

How could I have not considered what she must have been through before joining Squad Four? Why was it that I knew so little about someone who I had lived with for so many years?

I had spent so long playing the victim, complaining about my problems. Maika listened to it all.

Yet, she never told me about this.

Because I very likely never gave her the chance to.

All because everything had to be about me.

And I couldn't even have the decency to be there when she had died for my sake.

I made a fist.

A second chance, huh?

It felt more like a reality check, a slap in the face, really. Of how selfish of a person I really was, and still am.

Rafel opened the door to the old apartment, and memories flooded into my mind.

"So, your name is..."

"Cobalt."

The name Taras had given me. While I could have gone with Yeling... this timeline's Yeling was still out there. It would have made things a lot more complicated. Taras didn't go any further into the intricacies. However, the name Cobalt was the safest bet for a memorable alias, as it was what I went with when I used to sidekick as Vicki's Champion in the Champions Universe.

"Cobalt, huh? Well, you can choose whatever room you wish. I usually handle all the chores."

I stepped inside, but stayed in the living room, eyeing Rafel up and down.

Rafel...

I never knew we had someone named Rafel who stayed here. Meaning... something must have happened to him before I was recruited as Tidalflame.

If it was already knowledge that Rafel wouldn't be around, forming any kind of relationship with him would only spell disaster.

Only a fool would try to form bonds with someone knowing they would die very soon.

Yet...

I watched Rafel place Maika into her bed, tucking her in. She was sweating profusely.

What would I be doing, trying to spend time with these ghosts of my past? Was this any different?

"Lucky Vistara. Who would have guessed someone like him would end up with any Squad members of his own? Given all the rants he has gone on about wanting to be alone."

I expected as much from Squad Leader Matt.

From the very beginning, and even eight years into the future, Matt was always someone who despised being a Squad Leader.

"Where is Matt?" I asked.

"He's at one of the offices filing in his report. The Battle for Okan I hear was a pretty major operation. The amount of paperwork would have been extensive."

"Huh."

I glanced at Maika again.

Somehow, being threatened with death by the younger version of the Squad Four Party Girl made me feel a little hurt.

"Don't take what she said to heart. Her husband... her ex husband had done some really fucked up stuff to her. It's understandable for her to have that impression, especially when someone like you appeared at the front step out of the blue."

I slowly ran a hand through my hair.

Urca had taught me how to tie my hair up. The hairstyle that he had in his younger days must have reminded Maika of her husband, who I presumed to also be Japanese.

I adjusted the tie on the back of my hair until the ponytail sat across my neck, resting against the left side of my chest.

"Does this help?"

"A little," Rafel got up and took two glasses.

"Age?"

"Twenty-six."

"You? Twenty-six? You darn Asians. You always look so damn immortal and youthful. When I was twenty-six people had already thought I was a pop with a kid of my own. I wonder if Maika would ever look the same when she's older."

I took the glass.

She definitely didn't act the same.

"Maika is a good girl. That night she had been rescued by Vistara, she immediately wanted to start learning how to control her powers. Training in secret. Her onboarding camp at Anassis Island isn't due in a month. The fact that she would go through such great lengths for someone as scummy as Vistara, says a lot about her character."

"I see."

Rafel took a sip out of the whiskey.

"Mind doing me a favor? Cobalt?"

"What favor?"

"When I die... look after her. Look after Maika and Vistara. Be with them for me."

I raised an eyebrow.

"You'd ask this of someone you just met?"

"Crazy, right? For some reason... I feel like I can ask you to do something like this. I got a feeling you're gonna be with these guys for a long time. And for some reason, I just feel like I can talk to you, without anything to hide."

Rafel chuckled, swirling the ice cubes in his glass.

"I'm gonna go do some grocery shopping. I trust Maika in your care."

This man had way too much trust in strangers.

But before I could make a remark, Rafel had already left the door, leaving me with even more questions than answers.

The following evening, I took a walk around the apartment that I used to live in.

I sat down on the couch, overlooking the distance of New Ulysses.

Where was the me of this time? I wonder what he was up to now that the timeline had been altered.

Then again, I had a pretty good idea.

Nothing would have gotten any better for me. I would have continued going to Uni, letting the stress of school torment me along with my mental illnesses.

I leaned back and stared at the ceiling.

I was half expecting Maika to come out in the middle of the night.

Like a cliched interaction scene from one of the videogames Lewis used to play.

I was a little disappointed when Maika never left her room. A little selfish of me to want to speak to her in private like this given what she had been through. It was very obvious she hadn't recovered something of this magnitude. Who would?

She had a panic attack looking at my appearance since it apparently reminded her of her ex.

The thought of my timeline's version of Maika having overcome something like this, and had the emotional fortitude to look after Marcela given her past experience with losing a sister...

"Nice digs."

I nearly jumped out of my seat, reaching for Tatsu to slice of the head of the man who was crouching on the railings of the balcony.

His red eyes glowed in the dark.

"Bryce! What are you doing here?!" I whispered fiercely.

"What do you mean?"

"There's no way Kyokou would have let you sneak out at this hour!"

"Of course, that's why I snuck out, homie."

That wasn't the point you dolt! But I tried to hide my annoyance.

"Did you get any information from Shin?"

"Nah. He's... way more recluse than I thought. Why didn't you tell me how fuckin military like Squad One is? A set deadline for lunch?! For real? Bossman never did somethin' like that! I spend at least 2 hours for lunch!"

"2 hours?! Doing what?"

"I watch Boku-no Chiyo Chan on my phone while eating, obviously."

How the hell could he say these things with a straight face?

"But I came around to tell you something."

"What is it?"

Bryce leaped off the railing and entered the house.

"I found her. While I was scouting this timeline to look for other alternatives to return."

"Who's her?"

Bryce looked at me with a serious expression, contrasted with his usual goofiness.

"Aelienne. The First Hinokami. She's in New Ulysses."

A breeze blew between us.

Aelienne...

What was she doing here? I thought she was in Mar. And Mar was a long way away from New Ulysses.

"What are you proposing we do?" I asked.

Bryce put a hand to his chin.

"It's a bit of a gamble. But you know how Akuma Graded Dogmas ain't affected by narratives and reality and timelines and all that? Would it be possible for a clash between you and Aelienne to create a rip in reality like Shiki had done? It might propel us back to the future."

"That's a little far-fetched don't you think?"

"Well, I'd rather do that than get Shin to propel us into the future. Apparently, his powers work by shunting your consciousness forward in time. Ain't that how you had your injuries repaired? You lost a year of yo life, right?"

That was true.

In my second battle against Danny, he smashed my finger on the ground and cut out my eye. Shin had used Time Displacement to heal me, but while I felt like I had advanced into the future, my body had aged accordingly.

"I for one don't wanna waste my teenage years. I'd be what, 25? The fuck? 25 and still a virgin?"

"I'm gonna cut your head off now."

"Wait! You get what I'm sayin' right? Taras said yo Hinokami won't cause crazy ripples in the timeline. We can shunt ourselves forward like Shiki did. We got nothin' to lose!"

I clenched my teeth.

"Fine. Where did you see her? We can probably use our powers to track her down."

I turned around and glanced at the entrance to Maika's room.

It was still closed.

Dammit. I hoped...

Forget it.

Focus on this first, Yeling.

Be realistic.

The two of us leaped out of the balcony, making our way to Aelienne's location.

7

We found her all right.

"The hell is she doing?" Bryce asked.

"Reading. I guess it isn't something kids like you do these days."

"Homie I read. Shut up."

Bryce reached for his bat, the winds causing his varsity jacket to flutter.

"I don't know much bout Aelienne. A lot of the info I've had was from old pieces of history knowledge Bossman would tell me here n there. She's like the First Hinokami right? Supposedly the strongest until you showed up."

"Yeah."

Strongest was an understatement.

She was unrivaled.

When she had chosen to defect from the Dogma of Equivalent Exchange, the Dogma had sent many successors to come after her. Twelve to be exact.

Each one met a similar fate.

Even if we were talking about having them be a part of The Black Legion, no one could stand up against her.

The only reason I had taken her out at the start was because Lewis had used her own family against her.

Now I didn't have the luxury of Lewis' dirty tricks.

If a confrontation happened, I needed to fight with my own strength.

Fortunately, if it was true that our actions had no influence on the future, that meant I could fight her at full power.

Bryce sniffed the air, scanning around.

"Yeah, she ain't alone."

"Who's around?"

"Dunno. But she's got her own homies. If the goal is for you to clash against her, you gotta focus all yo firepower on her alone."

"Then I'll leave whoever assists her to you then."

"Sounds like a plan."

The two of us huddled in the distance, waiting to strike.

I definitely had what it took to take her down. This wasn't like last time when I was limited to Stage Three.

I now had Stage Four and unlocked the full potential of it.

There was no reason for me to have any difficulty in beating her.

"Ready?" I whispered to Bryce, turning around.

To nothing.

"B- Bryce?" I asked.

No answer.

"Bryce, you idiot. This isn't the time to mess around! We need to attack so we can get back to our time-"

"Is that so?"

My eye widened as I spun around, to see the silhouette of a womanly figure, glowing blue in the distance.

Her aura...

Was a familiar aura.

One that filled me with inciting hatred, ironically contrasting what it stood for.

I looked around, to see the blades of grass had stopped moving.

In fact, everything had stopped moving, as if...

"I am sure Taras had told you this, but Ancient beings such as myself are not bound by the limits of time. Did you think escaping here and finding utopia in your past would provide you with a safe haven from me?" Vala said.

Fear seized my body.

No way.

How did I not realize it, when Taras had mentioned it?

The Great Akuma and Vala were immune to the limitations of time.

Meaning Vala had been watching us...

This entire time!

Vala smiled.

"Oh dear, look how terrified you are. And here you said you would be the most qualified to kill me. Don't you think you're being a little too optimistic? The more I reform, the more my consciousness takes hold, and the stronger my Vessels become. Achilles was the first. Then it shall be Sarina Ultear."

Vala spread her hands.

"As I am now... I am only... 8 percent whole. But that 8 percent is already enough to destroy you. Would you like a preview? I'll even give you a headstart."

I clenched my fists. This was a really really bad idea.

But every time Vala was here, or the mention of her name was brought up, all sense of logic and rationale left my body. My very mindset was to kill her. No matter what.

Don't you dare mock me... Vala.

"I'll make you regret giving me that chance," I snarled, channeling my full power.

Level 1 Hinokami

Violent blue flames surrounded me.

"Hoh?" Vala said, amused.

Be as amused as you want. I'll wipe that grin off your face.

Full Power Stage Four - TRUE PHOENIX ASCENDENT

"GRAAAAAH!" I roared into the sky, wings tearing from my back as I ascended into the air, my flames melting everything within my vicinity.

I reached out and summoned Tatsu, demonic plating cladding my shoulders and knees.

DIVINE AMPLIFICATION

Green electricity coursed through me. I shot forward, aiming right at Vala's head, but Vala leaned to one side, dodging my slash, and kneed me in the midsection.

I coughed out blood but positioned my hand right at her exposed parts.

Grand Ultimate ITR Ascendent

A gargantuan blast of flames engulfed Vala, sending her into the air as I skidded backward, powering up even further. My flames took form into a massive towering golem.

My blade grew, as I took a step forward, producing massive glowing blue cracks and chasms on the ground.

Vala brought her hands back, as I roared, throwing a punch at her, but the punch was stopped.

By one finger.

Vala regarded me with morbid curiosity.

"Hm... Your sister still did much better. Unfortunate. Though... in her defense..."

SPLORT.

An eye blink.

That was all it took.

For me to completely miss her movements. I slowly looked down to see Vala's glowing blue hand sprouting from my chest. My Anarchy Form had completely become undone.

Vala brought her face close to mine.

"...when I defeated her, I was only at 6 percent."

More blood left me, as Vala removed her arm. I free fell, hundreds of feet until I crashed into the ground, melting everything in my vicinity and leaving behind glowing blue lava around my body.