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Chapter Text

Karen gasps from the all-too-realistic dream and sits up, making two of her 'sisters' look at her in concern - she, Fiore, and Arya aren't actually related, but Dr. Herzog found them at the same time and placed them in the same cabin so they're as good as.

The most amusing part - to everyone else, at least? They're as different as fire, water, and a solid, looks and personality-wise. Yet they hardly ever fight.

Fiore's got a hot pink mane of hair with a white streak running through it with almost impossibly blue eyes that can hold so much gentleness and compassion nobody can not like her. Karen knows, she's tried. Her personality is, predictably, complementary to her gentle looks - she couldn't hurt a fly, and nobody, even Anton and Khorkina, can be mean to her. The only exception to the pacifist-theme she's got is when she's threatened - she'll fight to protect those she loves, but she's gentle-hearted and even Dr. Herzog admits she's not made for a fight. Which would be why she's given the support gear - she can heal people, which is clearly her path to take.

Arya, in contrast, has sunlight-blonde hair and brilliant green eyes - Dr. Herzog says they're as green as a vibrant leaf, but they've no way of knowing for sure. She's also got her hair up in a side-ponytail of sorts, keeping her bangs out of her eyes…so she can make a clean shot. Unlike Fiore, Arya's a bit less gentle and a bit more willing to hurt someone to survive. She's also extremely athletic, spending the most time outside of everyone in the orphanage. As such, Herzog has Arya using guns in her training.

As for Karen herself, she's got blood-red hair held back in a high ponytail to keep it out of her face as she mercilessly slices and dices her enemies. She grew up having to fend for herself over the course of months after her parents were killed, and the lesson sunk in a bit deeper for her than it did Arya - and a lot deeper than it did Fiore. So, Herzog gave her what he calls 'Assassin Gear' and took a few large steps back when she started going to it.

In short, Fiore's a social butterfly, Karen's the exact opposite, and Arya's in the middle. And, somehow, they haven't strangled one another over the past seven years they've been living in the same cabin together. The only thing they have in common, apart from being orphans, is that they could all be models with utter ease.

Karen's ripped out of her thoughts by a small yawn, and looks over to see the newest addition to their small group waking up - Tara. A tinier version of Fiore, at least physically. She could well be a younger sister of Fiore's, as they've got the same shade of blue eyes and pink hair with a white streak in the front. She can't be any older than eight or ten, though, so its hard to be even remotely sure.

And, predictably, the poor girl was so shy upon getting to the Orphanage that she could barely look at anyone's shoes, much less their faces. She had been spirited away from wherever it is Herzog found her, as well as the other Orphans that he'd arrived with that batch, to the frozen butt of the world and been introduced to a bunch of complete strangers that she'd be living with from now on, after all. 

Luckily, Fiore, being Fiore, managed to get her to trust her even a little in the space of a single whispered conversation - with the side-effect of Tara clinging to Fiore's leg all the time and refusing to be parted from her. That was about a month ago, and she's thankfully progressed to only having a stutter when she talks to people - as opposed to just staring at them, wide-eyed and terrified, then letting out a squeak and running for Fiore as fast as possible. Which made it a huge surprise to everyone when Herzog gave the kid a pair of swords for training after Fiore spent the entire practice session for Arya talking her into staying with the blonde girl for hers, and then Karen's session into doing her own. Poor kid was so scared at first about what was happening that her knees were literally knocking together - or it was the cold, it was a particularly cold day that day. And, after all that, Herzog thought it was a fantastic idea to give the kid a pair of swords - a sword bigger than she is, for mercy's sake, and a second one almost as long - and tell her to swing them at the robots that are also bigger than she is.

Honestly, what that man is thinking is utterly beyond any of them sometimes. He comes off as kind, gentle, and understanding, but sometimes Karen just gets this feeling about him…like she needs to be careful about him.

Renata pokes her head through the door right then, reminding them this training session will determine who gets to go to the Capital before she heads out - Renata's the only person here that can compete with Fiore when it comes to being so nice. She's a bit shorter than them, and has a less vibrant shade of blonde hair than Arya that's cut around her head in a bob. She's also Herzog's favorite, no real secret there - he calls her the most heartwarming flower in the entire bay.

It's also no secret that she's got a crush of massive proportions on a boy named Z - the mysterious lone wolf of the orphanage, who only seems to care about himself and Renata.

Z, predictably, has no interest in going to training. He plays at the mysterious loner persona, but Karen gets the distinct feeling he knows a lot more than he's saying...mainly because he doesn't seem to respect Herzog whatsoever, or fear what the man might do if he gets pushed too far. One day, he's going to spill his secrets, Karen's determined to find out what he knows that the rest of them don't.

When they get to the Training ground, Anton and Khorkina are already there - the two stuck-up bullies of the orphanage, taking any opportunity to insult someone or put them down...and, true to form, they start making comments about Tara being a scardey-cat. Fiore just rests a hand on Tara's shoulder, with Arya coming closer protectively, while Karen gives them her famous glare that makes Khorkina go pale and Anton shut up at once - last time she gave anyone that glare, it was right before a practice session between them. The older kid that got sent to the Capital that same year made Fiore cry near-inconsolably while Arya was trying to calm her down, right before he and Karen got paired together in the next training session. Herzog had to piece the poor sop back together, he didn't walk for a month straight - that'd be why they switched to robots for training.

Lesson learned: don't try to mess with what's Karen's to care about. She doesn't care about many people anymore, but she'll tear anyone apart that threatens those she does.

Unlucky for Anton and Khorkina, Tara's a part of that highly exclusive group.

Training goes as per usual - first Arya, then Fiore, then Karen, then Tara - they all demolish the training robots put in front of them easily enough. As they're walking back towards the cabins, Arya says "I'll make something to eat, ladies. Who wants what?"

Tara's stomach growls like there's a dragon in it, making Fiore chuckle and says "Sounds like anything's good, Arya."

Renata starts heading back to the cabins with them, saying she wants to check on Z - and then, big-shot Anton goes into the training field, saying "Pathetic. So much time for a simple exercise…"

Karen rolls her eyes and mutters "That egotistical snot-head..." 

Arya says "Ignore him, Karen. Just keep walking and don't let him get to you." And then something changes, and they hear Anton scream.

When they look back, he's caught fire and all the robots are floating in the air. Then…then he apparently loses control of all that power, as the robots all get blown away from him. One heading straight for Arya and Renata!

Before anyone else can react, though, Fiore's tackling them both to the ground while Tara holds her hands up with Karen - between the two of them, they keep the robot from hitting anyone and toss it to the side. And then Tara collapses altogether while Karen hits the ground - such a sudden use of their abilities is especially draining, and Tara's body can't handle it very well yet as she's not even a teen yet. Fiore starts fussing over Tara, while Arya kneels next to Karen. "You alright? That was some reaction time…"

Karen waves her aside, saying "I'm fine, Arya. Make sure the squirt's alright."

Arya grins, and says "Aw, you do care. Fiore's on it. C'mon, up you come." Sure enough, Karen looks over to see Fiore helping Tara to her feet - and then just picking the exhausted girl up, because she can hardly stay awake. Arya slings one of Karen's arms over her shoulder, despite Karen insisting she can walk, as Fiore shoots the two of them a concerned look.

Karen shakes her head, and says "Relax, Mother Hen. I'm fine. Really. Worry about mini-you, she's the one that's out of it so bad, as she somehow did most of the work with that."

Case in point, Tara moans as Fiore holds her a bit tighter. She lifts her head, looking as though it weighs a hundred pound, and slurs out a question of everyone being alright. Fiore smiles, and says "Renata and Arya are fine, kiddo. You and Karen saved them. You did fantastic."

Karen ruffles Tara's hair, and says "You did good, kid. Real good. C'mon, let's get something to eat from Arya. Herzog's training always leaves a person ready to eat the entire Christmas feast."

And then a helicopter arrives, making everyone freeze and look up at it in utter confusion, and Arya says "We'll stay back, you two go on ahead." Because she just knows Karen is going to want to know what's going on - to be fair, they all do. Nobody else has ever come to Black Swan Bay Orphanage before, bar the supply ship that comes once a year with supplies for the orphanage. The blonde man that steps out calls himself 'Commissioner Bondarev' and says...Herzog's conducting research and if he won't share the results they'll halt all funding to the Orphanage?!

What research?! What is this guy talking about?! Karen narrows her eyes at the two men suspiciously, not saying a word as they keep talking.

Herzog sends them off once he notices them, however, a stern look on his face as he tells them to go get ready for the Christmas Feast later that evening. Leaving them with no choice but to do as he says or risk finding out what he might do if they disobey him.

Tara, understandably, is out cold after catching that training robot - an example Karen wishes she could follow, what with the thoughts spinning around her head about secret research and the Orphanage maybe shutting down. Luckily, she wakes up in time for the Christmas feast - which is, without a doubt, everyone's single favorite time of the year. Presents, chocolate, the beautiful Christmas tree - even Anton and Khorkina soften up this night of the year and become…well, not enjoyable, but tolerable.

Arya and Karen go together - as Herzog says you've got to have a date to the Feast - and Fiore and Tara do the same. Tara's face looks like she can't believe her eyes, staring at everything in confusion and awe as if she's never seen anything like it before. To be fair, there's never that amount of food here any other time of the year on the table. Or the Christmas tree, that's not usually there either. 

Herzog announces that Anton will go to the Capital after the Christmas feast, and that they're getting more chocolate in the yearly budget. Everyone cheers at that, chocolate's for special occasions only and is rarer than flowers out here. Fireworks start up, and everyone ooh's and ahh's at the spectacle.

Arya and Karen walk over by Fiore as she picks Tara up and puts the younger girl on her shoulders. Karen grins happily as the four of them cheer 'Merry Christmas!' - nights like tonight, she can forget how the world backstabbed her. Nights like tonight, she can be that kinder, gentler kid that hadn't yet gotten orphaned and then lived off the streets for a few months. She can let herself believe - or at least pretend to even herself that she does - that the world has more good than bad in it.

That Herzog really does have their best interests at heart.

That everything will work out.

The night ends well with Fiore playing the Guitar that came with her until Tara falls asleep - apparently, she was living on the streets and making enough to survive on by playing that guitar. The thing is, she's amazing at it. She hums as she plays, making up a tune even as she plays it on the guitar - especially when she's in a real good mood...or when they're gathering firewood, Arya's cooking, she's taking care of one of them...actually, she just hums pretty much all the time. After putting the instrument away for the night, she quietly says "Merry Christmas, girls." 

Arya grins, and says "Merry Christmas, Fiore. Karen." 

Karen hums, then sleepily says "Merry Christmas. Night, ladies." She's just about to drift off to sleep when she hears a voice from outside - what, exactly, does Z think he's doing out there at this time of night?

Chapter Text

Karen sprints straight back to the cabin, desperately wishing she had Arya's control over the air right now, her heart pounding as what Herzog said to the weird guy - Commissioner Bondarev - that arrived earlier today rings in her ears.

A Dragon.

Dragon's blood.

Hybrids.

It becomes the best catalyst for species evolution.

Orphans make the perfect test subjects. 

The knowledge that he's been using them as little more than sentient lab rats burns her to her core, but there's more important things to do than lament that she was right about everything. That Z was right about Herzog. Namely, getting the hell out of Black Swan Bay Orphanage before its blown to smithereens! She bursts into the cabin, yelling "Get up! We need to get out of here!"

Soon, everyone's dressed and Fiore's carrying a half-asleep Tara as they're running through the woods, having found their training gear in front of the door. Z's doing, most likely. They'd be flying, but it’s a little too conspicuous.

Arya asks "Karen, what's going on?! Why are we-" She doesn't get any further, as an explosion cuts her off. It also answers her question rather thoroughly. Worse yet, if the explosion didn't…the gunshots do. Gods, Karen hates gunshots - those that aren't from Arya's guns, anyway.

Khorkina's voice rings out in a piercing scream, right before another gunshot. Just more reason to get out of here before the same thing happens to them.

They make it out to a plain, when voices yell "There! More of them! Kill them!"

They get backed to the edge of the cliff, with Arya and Karen blocking all the bullets, when Bondarev comes striding forward. At the sight of him, something in Karen just…snaps. Literally, as she can suddenly feel power flowing through her veins as Tara hangs on to her arm and Arya tries to maintain the shield and shoot some of these guys at the same time. She stalks forward, intending to give Bondarev a piece of her mind before she beheads him - as soon as she opens her mouth, that power inside her seems to explode and she blacks out.

The Cassell College strike team looks out over Black Swan Bay - they were too late. Cassell College had recently picked up reports of Dragon hybrids appearing, and they all had the same genetic dragonblood signature. They were originating from Black Swan Bay, so the strike team got sent out to deal with everything as they needed to.

But, looking at the wreckage…people lived here. Not some mad scientists experimenting with what they couldn't possibly understand, but…kids. Teenagers, at the oldest. All of them dead.

The hovership's scanners suddenly start beeping, pointing them towards a plain at the north end of the place. When they get there, what they see is…incredible. Three teens and a kid, against a dozen armed soldiers…and most of them are already dead, with the rest soon to follow in mere moments.

The girl with the blood-red hair up in a ponytail, she's…she's using an incredibly powerful and dangerous Extra Skill. Judgement. As it is, she likely has no real control over it…and may not differentiate between friend and foe. As shown when more people show up from the trees only to start dropping like rocks. The only ones that seem to be safe from this usage of Judgement are apparently the other three girls at the edge of the cliff.

And then the wind picks up, surrounding all four girls and forming a cyclone around them that makes it hard for even the airship to stay steady. As such, the team leader gasses the four of them with a knock-out gas that'll keep them sleeping for the trip back to Cassel College, shot straight down the center of the cyclone - good news, the windstorm dies down, and the girl with the blood-red hair hasn't destroyed everything around them as can happen with Judgement. More good news, the four living hybrids they just found stay out for the duration of the trip back.

All of them just have to wonder, though…what are the chances of finding a Hybrid with an Extra Skill such as Judgement?! Judgement is the kind of skill that is just a type of its own, not defined by a particular element - Judgement is basically a bloodbath of anyone the caster deems unworthy or undeserving of living.

They just have to wonder what the other girls' skills will be.

The four of them don't particularly look like they're capable of so much destruction, not the pink-haired girl who's got her arms wrapped around a little girl that could be her younger sister, a little girl who looks so innocent but has a sword taller than she is and a second one easily longer than her arm. Then the deathly-pale girl with the blood-red hair in her now-messy ponytail. Even in sleep, she looks anxious and disturbed, like she's on guard even when out cold - but she doesn't look like she could kill everyone with a single word like they saw her do. Lastly, the blonde girl with the guns and the golden hair - she's easily the tannest of them, like she spends most of her time outside. And, yet, only one of their skills are known...as they don't know who created that cyclone.

As disturbing as it is curious - what the hell was going on here?!

By the time they get back to Cassell College, it's late but nobody feels even close to sleep - what they found is still running around their all minds. The area that the strange Hybrid creatures were originating from was in the process of being razed to the ground when they got there, likely to destroy any and all evidence of anything being there, with soldiers running around and helpless, terrified children being gunned down. Then, they find four more kids that apparently got out in time somehow, only they were cornered. And the fear they must've been feeling activated their Extra Skills - it's a miracle none of them went into a Blood Rage, honestly.

Though, Judgement might count, honestly.

They get the four girls to the Headmaster, then all go to their respective dorms to at least try to get some sleep - there's going to be a drill soon, and everyone wants to be prepared. The drills usually suck, in some way. 

Unfortunately, the four mysterious girls don't wake up in a few hours…or even a few days.

Chapter Text

Karen wakes with a groan, the last thing she remembers…!!!! She sits up in an instant, her hand looking for her gear to use to kill the soldiers that must've gotten them…only to see Arya, Fiore, and Tara are all next to her, sleeping away. At least, she hopes they're sleeping. Someone's going to die if they're not sleeping. Painfully. 

She checks their pulses, breathing, and heartbeats, and finds they're all still alive - good, they're alright. And it doesn't look like they're bleeding out - for one, she's sore but uninjured except for what she can account for from the soldiers shooting bullets at them and running through the snowy woods for so long.

Soon enough, Arya starts groaning and sits up while putting a hand to her head. "Wha-!" It doesn't take long for her memories to come back either, it seems. She lets out a relieved sigh at the sight of Karen, though - if they were in real trouble, they wouldn't have been left together.

Karen frowns, and asks "Do you remember what happened? On the ice shelf?"

Arya shakes her head, and says "Not really. I remember the wind starting up, power going through me that I couldn't control and turning the winds I was trying to make a shield with into a cyclone, and then…"

Karen nods, and says "I remember Tara grabbing my arm as Bondarev appeared and Fiore trying to reassure her it'd be alright…then really wanting to kill all those soldiers that were shooting bullets at three teens and a ten-year-old kid…then nothing. Wait…Bondarev."

Arya nods, and asks "The guy that showed up at the end of that last training session? Talked about pulling the funding for the orphanage?"

Karen scowls, and says "Mm-hm. He was talking with Herzog right before everything went to hell. Herzog…Z was right. Right about everything he said about him. A wolf in sheep's clothing indeed. Nobody ever went to the Capital, they went into the ground. He was…Arya, he was using us as lab rats. Those 'nutrients' he'd give us were Dragon Blood, diluted and given to us so we'd…we'd do something like what happened on the ice shelf, I guess. That's how Anton lost control, that's why we never heard from anyone ever again after they left the Orphanage - he turned them all into monsters and killed them. That's why we had all those fevers and mystery flu's after another round of his nutrients, why we suddenly developed powers soon after being brought to the Orphanage."

Karen's scowl deepens into a murderous look as she snarls "It wasn't an Orphanage though, not really. It was a weapons testing ground and we were the weapons being tested. Herzog had a dead dragon in the mountain, Arya. He showed it to Bondarev, said he'd perfected its use on animals. Snakes with dragonfly wings, polar bears that can conduct electricity from bone spurs that grew out of their backs, and that's not the worst I saw. Not even in the tubes, there were...he was growing stuff in there, but I'm not sure what. He…he killed Anton to, rather, Bondarev did after Herzog asked him to. Shot him in the chest and then went on to talk about the rest of us. That'd be when I ran back, saying we needed to get out of there."

Arya takes a long minute to process all that, then asks "So…where are we now?"

Karen just shrugs uneasily, saying "I don't know. I only just woke up to."

"Ah, you're awake at last. The other two should wake up soon then."

Arya's hands shoot to where she keeps her gear between Herzog giving it to her and taking it back, and ends up holding two empty hands out in a pantomime of aiming guns at the blue lady that just appeared out of nowhere. At least she has the decency to look apologetic.

"Oh, apologies. I forgot you're still disoriented. My name is Eva, welcome to Cassell College. When your friends wake up, I'll take you to the Headmaster."

Of course, right then, Fiore groans and holds her head, only to shoot up a moment later yelling "NO!" A minute later, Tara sits straight up with a scream ripping from her throat.

Karen's scowling at the wall, and says "Let me get this straight. Herzog's training all that time was for shit? On top of him doing this to us in the first place?" According to the weird 'tests' they just took, their Talents are S-ranked while their control is D-ranked. That's probably not good. 

Arya nods, and says "Looks like it."

Karen scowls at the wall once more, looking like she wants to tear something apart, but just says "Shit. FUCK!"

Fiore gives her a look, and says "Watch it, Tara's here."

"Oh, please. She's heard worse than that from Anton and Khorkina."

Arya asks "Well, what now? We can barely control what looks like some really powerful but incredibly rare skills…what do we do now?" And mine is the only one that can really be defined. Karen and Fiore's are non-elemental, while mine controls the air, and Tara's has never even been recorded. Yet we're all still S-Ranked. Figures.

Headmaster Anjou says "For now, I'd suggest getting familiar with the campus. We can work on developing your control over your abilities as the year progresses."

And that's how they end up crashing into a boy with brown hair and a panicked expression written all over his face. Literally crashing into him - rather, he crashes straight into Arya and lands on top of her.

Luminous is running for his life from the Dragon Servitor Invasion drill Servitors, when he suddenly finds there's a group of ladies standing right in his path…and then he's lying on top of one, the one with the vibrant golden hair pulled up in a small ponytail near the top of her head with the rest of it falling freely around her head.

Arya mumbles "Um…"

Luminous promptly blushes as red as her red-headed sister with the long ponytail, ghost-pale complexion, and Assassin Gear scowls at him and her gear starts shifting, and scrambles off while apologizing and gesturing behind him towards the Servitors. Then the blonde girl picks up a pistol-like gun and promptly shoots them all in rapid succession. Luminous' jaw drops, and he asks "You can do the same kind of stuff as NoNo, Caesar, and I? Did you four miss Convocation or something? I've never seen you here before."

At his words, the angry red-head scoffs, crosses her arms as the Assassin gear shifts behind her, and asks "Is that really what everyone calls us? The four transfers that missed Convocation? We didn't exactly plan on missing it, I'll have you know. We were only out on the frozen ar- oh, fine, Fiore, frozen butt of the world until we woke up here not five minutes ago."

More Death Servitors arrive, and the angry woman activates her gear to vent some frustrations on them. Which is terrifying, Luminous decides, as she cuts through them like butter.

The blonde clears her throat, and says "I think introductions are in order. I'm Arya. And these are my sisters. Fiore, here." The taller pink-haired woman waves hello, a gentle smile on her face.

"Tara, who may as well be Fiore's younger twin. Or, possibly, her daughter. Really, they look enough alike for either of those options, except we know for a fact that Fiore's a virgin." Luminous sees a small head of hair every bit as pink as Fiore's, with a small streak of white in it, peek out from behind Fiore's legs shyly.

"And the angry woman with the blood-red hair and super pale skin is Karen. She's a bit wary of strangers, gives everyone the cold shoulder at first. Comes with the territory of finding out you've been a scientist's unknowing experiment and then nearly dying because of it. Learning your 'genetic defects' were actually the results of him injecting you with dragon blood and saying its nutrients." Also, she was always wary of new people at first. She and Fiore know that well enough.

Herzog's revelation didn't help matters any, though. 

Luminous gapes, then nods as Fiore offers him a hand up, saying "There's more of these things coming fast. Can you fight?" The Headmaster said to keep their Skills a secret unless absolutely necessary, and she'd rather not break it five minutes in...she will, though, if necessary. 

Luminous shrugs, feeling his face heat up in embarrassment, and says "They say I'm an S-ranked talent, but I swear its utterly useless…" And that's to say nothing of his so-called 'brother' who only ever shows up when it's convenient for himself.

Arya shrugs, and says "At least you can control yours, right? We've been training with Herzog for years, only to find out we've got almost no control over our talents. Oh, Karen noticed the other creatures."

Luminous looks over, and sees Karen has almost completely transformed the way the Assassin gear lets you - her body's gone black, and she's holding two blades the length of her forearms now. Looks like this Herzog guy at least had decent stuff for them to use, then...or they got them from the College, perhaps. He's just decided, after watching Karen tear through the 'Servitors,' that he's never ticking this woman off. Ever. 

When they meet up with NoNo and Caesar, the two of them are also fighting off fake Servitors. The two of them manage to take the last huge one down just as they show up, and Luminous makes with the introductions - right up until that huge Servitor that should be dead stands up and takes a swipe at Fiore and Tara.

Fiore reacts without even thinking, pushing Tara out of the way as her body gets snatched up by the Servitor. Three sets of alarmed voices yell "FIORE!!" Tara's the first to run straight after the Servitor, snatching up the grappling gun-like device Luminous dropped in his haste and shooting a line after the Servitor.

Luckily, it connects.

Unluckily, it connects.

Tara hangs on as she gets pulled through the portal. Arya and Karen don't waste any time, going after her straight away while Karen starts cursing up a storm and coming up with scary-inventive ways to kill the Servitor.

Caeasar mutters "This is crazy!"

NoNo nods, and Luminous says "Tell me about it, Aniki. Word of warning, Karen's really scary. Please, whatever you do, don't tick her off."

Johann Chu gets to the rouge Servitor that took someone, only to find a very strange sight in the Nibelungen at Cassell College - there's a young girl, no older than ten or so, climbing what looks like a grappling line up to the Servitor. Oh, and the Servitor has an older version of that young girl unconscious in its claws. And then he sees Ceasar lying on the ground, injured, with Luminous tending to him as a blonde girl and a blood-red-head fight off Servitors…what in the world is going on?!

The servitor with the two girls with pink hair takes off, prompting the girl with blood-red hair and assassin gear to start yelling and cursing, demanding it bring her 'sisters' back before she slices it to shreds. At Johann's look, Luminous says "The blonde girl is named Arya, the red-head with the short temper is Karen, the girl in that thing's clutches is named Fiore, and the younger version of Fiore up on top of the Servitor is Tara. Fiore's a Soul Dancer, Arya's a Gunslinger like NoNo Senpai, Aniki, and I, Karen's an Assassin, and Tara's a Blademaster. They're all…really protective of each other, lets say. And Karen's scarier than that Servitor that just left."

Johann nods, and says "I noticed. Is the red-head…always like that?"

Everyone he knows shrugs, and NoNo says "Better to find out when her sister isn't being kidnapped by a dragon servitor."

"And…the blonde girl?" Because, she was really pretty. Normally, he's not one to notice things like that, but still. He has eyes, after all.

Caesar rolls his eyes at his rival, and says "We can find out more about them after the drill is over."

Luminous gulps, and adds "And, after we keep Karen from beheading us for Fiore getting taken by a drill. That girl is scary, Aniki, I can't possibly say it enough times." Ceasar looks around at the utterly destroyed 'Servitors' around them, all Karen's work while Arya tried to get the gigantic one's attention as Luminous and Nono worked on keeping him from bleeding out, and nods. Karen, they've all decided, is very scary. Especially when her sisters' lives are involved.

When they finally catch up with Arya and Karen, they see what is hands-down the most shocking sight they've ever witnessed - and that's saying something, considering the things they see at Cassel College.

Fiore being frozen in a block of ice isn't it, though it is extremely alarming

Neither is Arya and Karen trying to break that ice by Arya tentatively shooting the edges of the ice, which isn't going well.

No, what's so shocking is Tara, sitting right behind the head of the dragon-like creature and repeatedly bashing her larger sword into its head - crude, but effective if the Servitor's roars are anything to go by. Emphasizing every word she yells with a bash with her sword, she screams "YOU. LEAVE. MY. SISTER. ALONE!"

Gone is that scared little girl that hid behind Fiore's legs shyly - apparently, when you get this kid angry, she can give you quite the shock. Theoretically, she got the Servitor to drop Fiore. 

When they get to the older girls still on the ground, Arya is saying "I don't dare try turning up the power any further, I don't want to shoot Fiore! And we've still got to get Tara down before she...nevermnd, she is going ballistic on that thing. I think you rubbed off on her, Karen."

Karen sees them, and says "Oh, good, you’re here. Does anyone have an idea for how to get Fiore out of this thing? We've got an idea for getting Tara down, but-" She's cut off by a scream from Tara, and they see her…hanging from a spike on the dragon's head!! And then proceeding to kick at the dragon even still, since her arms are rather taken up holding onto the horn. It roars in pain when she manages to kick it squarely in the eye...and everyone resolves to never anger any of these four if at all possible, if the shy pre-teen can go off like this.

Arya yells "Tara! Ok, Tara first, Fiore second! Someone give me a boost, I've always been the most athletic of us!"

Karen says "I'll distract that thing, keep it's attention on me. Somebody had better catch my sisters and get Fiore out of there! Hey, big guy! Over here!"

Johann offers, while Caesar tries to get Fiore out of the ice - if only to have someone to calm Karen down, because Fiore's the only one left that hasn't said she can't - and Arya backs up a few feet before taking a running start. Johann boosts her up, and she easily lands on top of the creature's back. Caesar elbows Johann in the ribs to keep him from staring, as the black-haired blademaster's eyes track the blonde girl's movements.

As Johann watches in amazement, Arya scoops up Tara and doesn't even hesitate as she leaps off the Servitor's body. To be fair, its a pretty amazing thing - even with their Dragon Blood boosting their natural physical abilities, making it entirely possible to run straight up a building or jump from a three-story building and not get hurt...most wouldn't just leap straight off this thing. They'd take a minute to gauge the distance, get a running start to be sure they would make it to the ledge instead of missing and falling down a height that would kill them. Caesar isn't sure, but he thinks…the air is swirling around them, a feat of an Extra Skill that makes it so Arya could potentially…fly. And the only reason he can tell anything's going on is because he's got the Wind Devil Extra Skill - it gives him some power over air, after all. He can question them after all this, though, as Johann catches the two girls and Karen glances back in relief only to get knocked back over to them by a large claw.

Headmaster Anjou appears right then, killing the creature and freeing Fiore. And congratulating them on a successful drill - as expected, Karen doesn't take the news very well. Luckily, Fiore is, in fact, capable of talking her volatile sister down. She throws her arms around Karen's shoulders from behind, saying she's fine, just a little cold is all - after about two minutes, Arya subtly moving in front of Karen so she doesn't have a clear path to anyone, she seems to calm down.

Once Karen's not looking like she's contemplating impaling them all for Fiore nearly getting killed over a drill, Caesar asks "I thought you said you couldn't-"

Arya sets Tara down, not having let go of her until the Servitor was defeated, and says "Herzog trained us for stuff like that. He didn't mention any potential talents or such. Or even that he turned us into Hybrids in the first place. We figured that out on our own."

Chapter Text

About two months after the debacle with the drill, Johann Chu, Luminous, Ceasar Gattuso, and NoNo are watching the four new students train - they're quite the team, to. A terrifyingly efficient team, at that.

One that nobody's completely sure how they haven't strangled one another, given how different their personalities are - Fiore's gentle as can possibly be, Karen's a deadly assassin with the personality to match, Arya's the athlete of the group, and Tara used to be so shy she hid behind Fiore all the time.

Tara, as it turns out, is more of a magic-user than a sword-user, and agreed to try out an experimental gear-set the Engineering Department is calling the Reaper - mainly because her sisters obviously worry about her, as she only had a month of training with her swords and was never very good with them. She attacks and confuses the enemy at a distance, with Fiore turning them into ducks or sending her Gemini twin to help and heal her.

Karen performs something much like a very deadly dance with her assassin gear, attacking one minute and then moving out of the way of an attack the next, with Arya playing the role of her partner, shooting the enemies they're taking on from behind Karen and using the floating device at the side of her head to do a number of things…like call in a satellite strike.

The Engineering department really outdid themselves when they invented those things. Especially since they can connect to the internet, and be turned into an impromptu comm device. Rather useful, those flying mini-machine-guns.

Outside of battle, they all have their own hobbies as well - Fiore got a new guitar from the Performance club, which eagerly snapped her up after the first audition she joined - she's practically famous in Cassell College for her skill with Guitar now, and her singing voice. Everyone agrees wholeheartedly she's born to be a superstar.

Arya, on the other hand, is a natural athlete - she's great at acrobatics, basketball, and track as well. She's also a regular at the shooting range, and nobody can top her in a match there. NoNo's lessons with her certainly help there. In apparent contradiction with all her athletic hobbies, she's also a near-genius with technology, and is scary-good with the floating orb that's a standard part of Gunslinger gear since the Engineering Department invented them so Gunslingers had some 'big guns' - their own joke made reality - that could easily be overlooked. It connects to a series of satellites the College built and shot into the upper atmosphere, and can do anything from call in a satellite strike to turn into a machine gun to monitor a set perimeter, listen to conversations without the aid of any equipment in the near vicinity other than the Gunslinger themself, or connect to other technology. Hence why she's scary-good.

Karen's been taking lessons from Johann Chu in blade-fighting, as her alternate assassin form has a wicked-sharp blade in each hand. And half the students at Cassell College are terrified of her after word got out about the deadly combination of her temper and 

And Tara likes to watch her sisters enjoy their hobbies, as most people don't really take her seriously due to her age - right up until they see her fight, and then they at least take her seriously when it comes to training.

They've all learned to at least keep another incident like what they say happened at Black Swan Bay from happening again - they're far from perfect control over their talents, but Karen isn't about to kill everyone as soon as she opens her mouth. Thankfully. And Arya can control the air, make anything from a breeze to a tornado - useful for getting around, and it beats out Ceasar's Wind Devil. Nobody really knows what the other two's skills are, though. Apparently, they were told by Headmaster Anjou it was something that wasn't to be shared lightly. At least they've learned how to activate them - which is good, because there'll undoubtedly be a situation where they need it.

The four sisters get out of the simulated training area, and Johann walks over to meet them - he and Caesar are basically polar opposites in every single way. Caesar was born into a fabulously wealthy family known as the Gattuso's, and has never wanted for a thing in his entire life - therefore, he hardly tries in anything and has a bit of a laid-back, extravagant manner. Johann, on the other hand, has worked for every single thing he has now - he puts his all into everything he does, and the results show it. Unsurprisingly, Karen likes Johann a lot more than Caesar. After a moment, Johann says "Good work, that's a new record."

Arya grins, but blushes and looks away, and Karen nudges her in the ribs and says "Well, we had a good teacher. Was there something else?"

Johann nods, and says "Headmaster Anjou has summoned everyone to his office. I think it’s a new mission."

Karen shrugs, readjusting her outfit as she does, and says "A mission? With us four? We might be stable, but we can't exactly do everything you guys can do like access Blood Rage or anything."

Johann just shrugs back, saying "We'll have to see what the Headmaster says."

Japan?!?!

All four girls try to wrap their heads around the detail that they're getting sent with Caesar, Johann, and Luminous to Japan, despite the detail that they've only been with the college for a few months. They've never even set foot outside the college since arriving, and now they get sent on an SS-ranked mission?!

NoNo's staying behind, as she has to help other freshmen, but the rest of them are off to Japan - even Luminous, who said he should stay behind as his extra skill is useless. Caesar insists, calling Luminous their 'good luck charm' since everything went smoothly on the last two similar missions they did together. Luminous gets an oddly guilty look on his face for a brief moment, but its gone before anyone even notices...he hopes. He doesn't particularly want to be interrogated, especially when he's accepted the reality of the situation and has no plans on trying to interfere.

Luminous looks out at the scenery below the airship the team is taking to Japan, not having said much since NoNo said goodbye to them and wished them luck. He looks up, though, when he hears someone sitting down opposite him - when he looks up, there's Fiore sitting there. "Hey, something wrong?"

Luminous blinks, then asks "Wrong? What would be-"

Fiore cuts him of, saying "You've been down in the dumps ever since NoNo kissed Caesar, Luminous."

Luminous sighs, then says "I guess it doesn't take a genius to figure it out." Heck, he's pretty sure a blind person can see it - and, for all Fiore's gentleness, she's incredibly perceptive when it comes to someone's pain. 

Fiore leans forward a bit, then asks "You like NoNo, don't you?"

Luminous nods his head silently, then adds "But, she's marrying Aniki. And I accept that, it's her choice and all."

Fiore shrugs, and says "So, it wasn't meant to be, Luminous. You'll find someone, though."

Luminous asks "How do you know?" Is that her skill? Seeing the future?

Fiore gives him that gentle smile of hers, and says "Because, Luminous, you’re a wonderful person. Your kind, and funny, and dependable. I'm no expert in this stuff, that was supposedly Khorkina's thing with Anton back at the Orphanage, but you deserve to find someone out there."

Luminous smiles a bit, and says "At least you haven't said 'look at you' yet. That's what NoNo always said. You're not into me, though. I get it. I didn't exactly mean to fall for NoNo, it just sorta happened."

"Hey." Luminous looks up into kind blue eyes, and Fiore says "You'll find someone. She's out there somewhere."

Luminous smiles and nods, saying "Thanks, Fiore."

Then Tara comes running up, saying "Fiore, look out the window! It's gorgeous!"

Fiore chuckles and picks the younger girl up so she can see out the window better, and the three of them stare out at the view and comment on it.

Arya, Johann, and Karen are sitting in three consecutive chairs, with Arya falling asleep. Her head rolls onto Johann's shoulder, and the black-haired boy with the golden eyes freezes and glances at the red-head. Its a well-known fact, after all, that she's more than willing to go off on someone when it comes to her sisters. 

Karen chuckles, and quietly says "She's absolutely smitten with you, you know. If she asks where you heard that, don't tell her it was me. I'm not Fiore with her way with words. We all know that well enough. So feel free to take the next thing I say with as many grains of salt as you wish. But, my advice? Kiss her, already. Or at least tell her you've got feelings as well."

Johann relaxes minutely, after processing the new knowledge that Karen did just say that, and asks "Is it really that obvious?" Everybody

Karen shrugs, and says " Don't know, myself. I'm not really one for romance and stuff, or maybe I just haven't found someone I like. Caesar's commented on how you were nearly drooling a few times while we were training, though. The look on your face the minute Arya's head rolled onto your shoulder all but confirmed it. Go with it, is my advice. See where it leads."

Johann nods, and says "Thank you. I'll think on it."

Karen just shrugs, then adds "Fair warning. Hurt my sister, and you'll be living in an unimaginable world of pain afterwards, courtesy of me."

And THERE'S the threat I was bracing for... Johann gulps, then quickly nods his head and saying "I've no intention of hurting Arya."

"Good. Then, good luck."

Of course, when they're about an hour out, Caesar puts the thing into autopilot and pulls out a few pairs of Kimonos…and insists that Luminous wear one that's white with pale pink accents. The brown-haired boy just groans and buries his face in his hands, muttering "Why, Aniki..." 

Chapter Text

Chisei Gen sighs in relief when the group from Cassell College finally arrives - three men, three women…and a child, no older than ten at the very most. He has to wonder at that, and at the scythe on the little girl's back that's easily taller than she is. The blonde boy introduces them as Caesar Gattuso - seriously?!?! As in, the Gattuso's?! - Johann Chu, Luminous, Karen, Fiore, Arya, and Tara. Apparently, the four ladies are sort-of sisters, and refuse to be separated - they also work very well together. Chisei eyes each of them, then suggests they each fight a target of their choosing to see just how well they can hold their own.

Fiore is a Soul Dancer - a role focused less on combat itself and more on supporting her teammates. Though, it in no way means she can't defend herself, as her target learns quite painfully when she turns them into a duck and attacks.

Tara, surprisingly, knows very well how to use that scythe of hers - and she's a magic-user, interesting. He wouldn't have expected that from someone her age, certainly not the level of skill she has with magic.

Arya's a Gunslinger with an unnervingly good aim and a penchant for acrobatics, athletics, and technology. And unexpected speed, even with their training and her Dragon Blood and abilities.

And Karen? A deadly assassin that could qualify as a ninja herself. Graceful as she is deadly, she makes defeating her target look more like dancing than fighting even as she uses her Assassin Gear.

And gor- no, stop it! Keep your head in the game, Chisei. Mission to go on, Devils to kill, etc.

He won't deny all three ladies have a certain beauty about them, each in their own way, but he can't afford to let himself be distracted. Aside from killing Akira Sakurai tonight, there's the SS-ranked Mission tomorrow.

Karen meets his gaze with her own challenging one, arms crossed and daring him to say…something. Maybe comment on how strong they are? Because they are, and he doesn't doubt for a minute that the four of them together are a force to be feared. They're dangerous enough separate, together he's sure they can destroy their opponent completely.

After everything's put back in order - and Erii comes into the room and sits in her spot to play a game, drawing Tara's attention at once - Chisei says "There's a target we have to eliminate, and quickly." He pulls out a folder, and opens it up to show them who Hydra's tracked down.

Karen skims the file, then reads "'Akira Sakurai, unstable bloodline, imminent danger.' Care to explain?"

Chisei blinks, taken aback just a bit that she isn't treating him with the usual deference like everyone else here does, then says "Here in Japan, those born with unstable bloodlines are put into isolation for everyone's safety, theirs and that of those around them. Akira Sakurai was born with an extremely unstable bloodline, as a blood test showed. He was put into isolation at five years old. Had he not escaped, he would've stayed in isolation until the age of forty, and then been released to live his life in peace. However, someone intervened and gave him a Dragonblood potion. Now, he's frantically venting due to being overloaded by rage and power he cannot control."

Fiore frowns a bit, looking troubled as she asks "He was just taken away? No explanation, no…anything?" Why not train them to control their abilities? Wouldn't isolation just potentially make them a ticking time bomb if they got angry at the treatment?

Chisei nods, his face practically set in stone. "Its for their good as well as that of the general population. And the situation we're now in is a perfect example of why." Sakura Yabuki, his personal assassin/shadow, steps forward, and says "We've managed to corner Akira Sakurai, so to speak. He'll be meeting up with a young girl going to bury her dead family pet. Our intel suggests he would empathize with her."

Arya curiously asks "Who's this girl? A happy accident?" They aren't seriously going to be putting civilians in the line of fire for this, right?! The whole point of the 'secret society' is just that - to keep the Dragons, Hybrids, and all the incidents a secret!

Chisei shakes his head, saying "Not quite. Sakura is going to be that young girl, and I'll be waiting in the park where she'll meet him. The only problem is, there's likely to be Devils in the area."

Karen coughs into her hand, and says "Yeah, that's a problem. And not just because she wouldn't be able to defend herself if she wanted to keep her cover. Wouldn't they, I don't know, recognize her? At the very least, as a warrior, if not a Hydra?"

All the Hydra's blink and share looks of varying reactions - looks like they didn't think about that. Oops. Now that they remember that tiny little detail, the detail that Sakura Yabuki is a fighter and walks like, acts like, and has the disposition of one almost exclusively, it looks like a very large problem. Chisei groans and runs a hand through his hair, muttering "That complicates things…"

Karen says "Not as much as it would if we weren't here. How about Fiore plays the part of the young girl? I can tag along to keep any Devils off her."

Chisei gives each girl a searching look, asking "Are you sure?"

"There's less of a chance of getting caught than Sakurai spooking because he knows a fighter when he sees one!" 

Arya chuckles, and says "Fiore's got this gentle innocence about her, even now. She's honestly the best candidate for going undercover as someone clueless about all of this."

Chisei says "I shall trust your judgement on this. However, the Cassell College school uniform is too conspicuous. Luckily, there are extra outfits kept on hand for times like this."

Sakura nods, and says "Follow me. We have a number of Kimonos that will make you blend in. And the outfit I was going to wear for the undercover mission should fit you as well, Miss Fiore."

Twenty minutes later, Karen comes out in a royal purple Kimono with accents a dark red that matches her hair. Caesar whistles, and says "If I wasn't engaged to be married…" He trails off, though, at Karen's glare and Johann elbowing him in the ribs. He was joking, lighten up a little!

Arya comes out in a light green Kimono with equally light blue accents that seems to set off her blonde hair and tanned complexion extremely well. Johann starts blatantly staring at her, making the blonde blush heavily and look away. Caesar chuckles and nudges Johann in the ribs right back, grinning all the while. And watching Chisei out of the corner of his eye as he inspects both Karen and Fiore - they're part of his team, after all.

Fiore looks as embarrassed as he's ever seen her, her face flushing bright red as she refuses to meet anyone's gaze - he hears her mutter about a 'go-go outfit' under her breath, but doesn't comment on it. It looks more than a little ridiculous on her, its true, but it serves the purpose of making it impossible to think of her as a dangerous hybrid trained to fight back if necessary. That doesn't mean her face gets any less red - no, its about as red as Karen's hair!

Not without reason, though, since she's never worn anything like this before. The College uniform was a big enough adjustment for all the sisters, having previously been covered almost head-to-toe in Black Swan Bay. 

Fiore watches from the treeline as Chisei says "I am Chisei Gen, leader of the execution Bureau from the Japan Division of Cassell College. I am here to execute you. You don't need to defend yourself, because nobody will listen to you." Fiore frowns as she hears those words, they sound so…cold. Harsh. Final. Akira's words make it all the worse for the gentle-natured girl.

"I will make no appeal. Hydra decides whether I'm a danger or harmless. But…I would be WORTHLESS without this!"

Chisei says "Seems there's no point in further negotiation."

What negotiation?! Chisei, you’re the one that shut down any possible attempts at negotiation in your third sentence to this guy!!

Karen grips Fiore by the elbows, glancing at her in worry as she shifts in place - she can guess what's going through her sister's head, and its not something to act on at the moment. Whether Fiore has a point or not, Akira's unstable, liable to turn into a Death Servitor at the slightest push, and she's not going to let her sister get put in danger like that.

Leveling his blade, Chisei says "Akira Sakurai, I am here to execute you."

And there's the push he needed...

The next thing anyone knows, Akira's jamming a huge needle into his neck, and injecting something into himself. Something that makes his body crackle with power, and then he turns into a Death Servitor. Gray skin, chest partly split-open, and tubes with yellow liquid running from his shoulders to his back and along his arms with spines jutting up between the tubes.

Part of Fiore wants to throw up, part of her wants to turn him into a duck, and a small third part is glad Tara wasn't here to see that. She may be rather mature for her age and be trained to use a scythe and fight Hybrids…but she's still her age, ten at the very most.

They start fighting, and Chisei manages to get a blow in that knocks the man - she thinks? - back after a few minutes. Which seems to set Akira off, as he yells "Twenty three years! I was locked up for twenty three years!" Okay, that part of Fiore that wanted to turn him into a duck now wants to give him a hug, because he sounds and feels like he really needs it. "No freedom! No friends! No one's ever asked what I wanted! No one's ever cared about my feelings! Well, all that…is over now!!" And then he catches fire, as if things weren't tense enough.

Karen glances at Fiore after Akira's little rant - and, sure enough, her gentle sister looks conflicted and pained. If she's being honest with herself, she's not unsympathetic either - if it was Japan that had found them, instead of the main part of Cassell College, would they have been locked away like him? Of course, she concedes, Fiore's Talent isn't helping matters.

Chisei, however, the man with the katana, apparently has a heart made of stone where Akira Sakurai is concerned. Because, as Akira charges them, Chisei slices his chest open and that yellow liquid running through tubes connected to him spouts from him like a fountain.

Akira falls to the ground, then stares up at Chisei and says "People like you will never understand. A moth that hasn't seen the light for its entire existence will be inexorably drawn to it. It doesn't care that the fire may end up killing it, or someone else, or even the entire world! It just wants the light. It craves…the light…"

Akira dissolves into a puddle of yellow liquid as Chisei watches, even as Karen is talking with Fiore - trying to straighten her head out even a little, if only enough to get them back to Cassell College where Fiore can have a breakdown afterwards - and then they hear a laugh. "Ha. Head of the Hydra Execution Bureau sympathizes with a Devil in the Devil Clan." Karen quickly activates her Sight, looks around, and spots the source of the voice. The owner of the voice, a white-haired figure in a dark red and purple kimono and a mask hiding the upper half of his face, laughs again, then glances over at each of them in turn. Karen swears, however uncomfortable it makes her, that the figure's eyes linger on Fiore for some reason even as he rubs at his temples for a moment before clearing his face.

Chisei strides forward, katana pointed at the figure, and asks "Who is it? Who's there?"

The man steps forward into the light, out of the shadow he was mostly covered by, and says "Nothing…but another pesky moth. I remember how you just stood there and watched, last time we were face-to-face. Now, you're killing the moths yourself. How proud they must all be of you, High Patriarch." Chisei seems frozen to the spot, face a mask of shock and disbelief. The katana slips out of his hand, landing on the ground with a thud as the brunette stares at the white-haired man silently.

To everyone's disbelief, he then turns into a bright light and some cherry blossom petals and disappears. Leaving no trace he was ever there in the first place, beyond the look on Chisei's face and the katana on the ground.

Fiore's eyes linger on the spot where the white-haired figure was - she isn't sure what, but there was something about him…something hurt and injured, practically crying out to her. Who was he? Who hurt him so much? Karen only needs one glance at Fiore's expression before she starts cursing in her head, and murmurs "Fiore, focus on me. However it is he's been hurt, we don't even know him or where he's gone. Chances are, we'll never see him again." 

It seems even Sakura, Chisei's apparent personal bodyguard, doesn't have a clue about who that man was or what he was talking about. "Young Chief, who was that man?"

Instead of answering the question, Chisei hollowly says "I'm a little tired. Lets talk after we get back."

When they get back to the Hydra base, the others have returned from their missions as well. Chisei puts a tired smile on his face as he approaches, and says "Well done, everyone. I've been informed of your outstanding performances. I can see why you’re the top students of your college."

Fiore, Karen, and Arya exchange looks at that last bit - isn't he part of Cassell College as well? Part of the Japan Division?

Ceasar's voice interrupts their silent communication, saying "Gen-kun, how about showing us some real gratitude? Since we worked so hard and all…what do you say?"

Chisei raises one eyebrow, saying "Mr. Gattuso, you have an SS mission tomorrow. Perhaps experiencing Japanese culture can wait until you return."

Karen crosses her arms, gives Ceasar a deadpan look, and asks "Are you serious? You want to hit the town now?!" He cannot be serious! 

"Live life to the fullest, and you can face death with no hesitation, my friend!"

He is serious. "Of course," Karen pinches the bridge of her nose, then mutters about rich playboys never taking anything seriously.

Luminous adds that he'd like to go, as well as Johann probably wanting to go as well, and Chisei sighs in resignation. "Very well, come with me."

Before anyone can even take a step, though, a man sprints up and says "Bro! Erii Ojyousan is gone again!" He then doubles over, having sprinted all the way there after learning of Erii's disappearance.

Chisei's entire demeanor changes immediately, his expression showing shock for a brief instant before it turns to worry. "I'm so sorry, but an urgent family matter has just come up. I must take my leave."

Fiore says "Maybe we could help. The more people that search for this Erii-"

Chisei cuts her off with a shake of his head, saying "No, its alright. Your offer is much appreciated, but my sister is very shy. Please, go rest for the night. We will beef up security here from now on, so I'd advise you to do so." They run off at that point, and Luminous - thankfully - suggests they head back to the quarters they were each given.

Ceasar stares off in the direction Chisei gen ran, and mutters "There's something off about the way he was acting…"

Johann says "As outsiders, its not appropriate for us to interfere in Hydra's internal affairs." Karen could hug him right now, all she wants to do is go back to the rooms they were given directions to before going on their missions and rest up for the one tomorrow.

Fiore says "Well, I'm all for getting back to our rooms and getting out of this ridiculous outfit." And a long, hot soak in a tub. And an even longer talk with Karen and Arya.

Seeing he's outvoted, Ceaser sighs and says "Very well, lets go."

Of course, halfway to their rooms…they get ambushed and attacked by Hydra patrols.

Typical!

Chapter Text

Once the last of the Hydra patrollers that attacked them are down, Caesar says "This is all very suspicious. One Clan Chief goes missing, and they're acting like all eight clans are under attack from the dragons…"

Johann adds "And those fighting just now were not your average patrols. They were elite fighters."

Ceasar hums, and says "I'm starting to find this very interesting."

Karen and Arya share exasperated glances - why is it that Caesar gets enraptured in every storybook adventure that comes their way?! The man is exactly what Karen described, a rich playboy that takes hardly anything seriously. Why NoNo is getting married to him when they're so very different is a mystery to all four girls - Nono is a down-to-earth, hard-working woman that doesn't take crap from anyone and can profile anyone at all in mere moments. She must see something in Ceasar they don't, because Karen especially cannot see it working out. 

Still, the Hydra's are acting weird - and they attacked them when they were heading back to their rooms to stay out of it. If the guards are going to force their involvement...might as well figure out what the world-ending catastrophe is about.

They split up at that, Arya going with Karen while Fiore takes Tara, and Johann, Luminous, and Ceasar go off on their own - hopefully, they'll have better odds at figuring out what's going on if they split up. Arya murmurs to Karen "What do you think is going on? Erii was the red-head that was playing the game, she didn't seem particularly deadly or dangerous. Or even bad-tempered, for that matter." 

Karen glances over at her sister, and asks "So why all the fuss and panic? I agree, it isn't adding up." 

They quickly take down another patrol down, then Arya gets the idea to use their masks to disguise themselves - they grab two masks that fit reasonably well, and head off…only to run into Fiore and Tara. Fiore nearly attacks them, pushing Tara behind her legs, only to recognize them at the last minute. "Geez, you two! Give someone a heart attack, why don't you? Good thinking with the masks, though. Wait…" She snatches up one of the fox masks, and then her breath catches in her throat as she goes pale.

Arya asks "What is it? Fiore?"

Fiore shakily asks "How common are fox masks around here? Fox masks like these?"

Arya frowns, then says "Not very, I think. One of the guys we got past with these said 'where else can you get a fox mask if your not one of us?' Why?"

Karen figures it out, then says "There was a man, in the park. He showed up as Chisei killed Akira Sakurai. He was wearing a fox mask like these." "You think he was Hydra?"

Fiore quietly says "We don't know. I don't think so, but he turned into a brilliant light and disappeared. He talked about moths, though, like Sakurai. Chisei didn't say who he was, though."

Arya whistles, and says "Never heard of anyone doing that before…" Of course, there's probably a lot they haven't heard about - some Extra Skills, like Fiore's, can't be categorized. That could be one of them. They've been playing catch-up with everyone else in school, training extra-hard and studying extra-hard, but there's still so much that most everyone in Cassell College learns long before attending. Hybrids haven't been made in centuries, not since the war between the humans and the dragons - they're all born these days, descendants of the surviving warriors of that war. It makes the four of them novelties, they're not like the rest of the school because of it. They're stronger, having been injected with pure - albeit diluted - dragon blood so many times, but it makes them more unstable to. Or it should, anyway - somehow, and nobody's sure exactly how, they've stabilized.

The four girls find Caesar easily enough, but he's got some interesting news to share. Strange news, for sure, but interesting. "These people are acting very strange. They seem to fear Miss Uesugi as if she's some kind of man-eating monster! So, Chisei Gen didn't tell us everything after all."

Karen rolls her eyes, and mutters "Of course he didn't tell us everything, that tends to require trust and he barely knows us at all." Still, telling them why its such an emergency that Erii Uesugi's disappeared and why they all seem to think she's some kind of a man-eating monster would be great! Chisei Gen has a lot of explaining to do when this is all over, Karen decides. That'd be when they spot something small and yellow floating in the water.

Tara follows it at once, leaping into the water before anyone else can even blink and swimming over faster than anyone thought she could - Karen mutters a few curses under her breath and leaps in after her at once.

Chisei frowns at the outsiders from Cassell College, and says "Please refrain from interfering when it comes to my sister. Erii is frightened of strangers. From now on, please keep your distance."

"Excuse me?!" Chisei looks over, and sees a very angry - and soaking wet - Karen standing there with her arms crossed. She angrily continues "See, the thing is, we were heading to the rooms we're staying in…when a bunch of your guards attacked us out of nowhere. That'd be when we decided to see what the gigantic emergency was, seeing as they were acting like all-out war was three seconds from happening."

Chisei blinks, then mentally facepalms - of all the reasons why they'd have not let him deal with things… He's torn from his thoughts by a finger poking him semi-harshly in the chest, and sees Karen's stalked over to him with a glare on her face.

She pokes him even harder again, seeing she has his attention, and snaps "Either teach your guards to figure out who's friend and who's foe, or don't you dare have the gall to get angry or say something like that ever again when someone goes to investigate the world-ending catastrophe that's apparently happening!"

Chisei blinks again, nobody talks to him like this. Ever. He's the High Patriarch of Hydra, everyone literally bows to him and jumps to follow his orders. Not Karen, she doesn't seem to care one bit about his position in Hydra and instead treats him like any ordinary person...he can't decide if its refreshing or irritating.

Fiore lets out a nervous chuckle as she and Arya pull the furious Assassin back, and Luminous tries to calm things down by saying "No problem at all. We found Miss Uesugi's duck on the road, and wanted to return it. Now that everything's done…let's eat! I've always wanted to taste authentic Japanese ramen!"

Caesar, either seeing where Luminous is going with this or just wanting to satisfy his curiousity, asks "Chisei Gen, are you going to deliver on your promise to show us the real Japan?"

The next sound that can be heard, before Chisei can even answer, is Karen facepalming with a wet smack and "You've got to be kidding." Inwardly, Chisei agrees wholeheartedly - these two are ridiculous. They're going on an SS mission tomorrow...and they want to hit the town.

He sighs, and says "I guess it can't be helped." At the very least, he can get them heading back in an hour or two. 

"They're not kidding. Fantastic…"

Chisei looks over to see Karen wringing out her ponytail as Fiore presses a length of cloth to her shoulders in an attempt at drying her adopted sister off. No real wonder why she's angry, seeing as she's soaked to the bone, likely freezing cold, and was against going into town from the beginning. "Come, I'll show you around Chizuru."

Arya murmurs "At least its warm tonight, right?"

Karen grumbles "Yeah, not helping that much. That water was freezing cold."

Tara mumbles "'M sorry, Karen…" She wanted to get to Erii, not get her sister soaked to the bone!

She sighs, then says "Its fine, squirt. You know me and the cold. Next time its Fiore jumping into freezing-cold water after you, though. Here's hoping that SS mission tomorrow is somewhere warm."

Chisei sees Karen lean against a light post, gripping her elbows irritatedly as Caesar and Luminous go looking for one of the food stalls. He walks over hesitantly, not particularly wanting to feel her wrath once more, and says "Had I known the guards had mistakenly attacked you…"

Karen shakes her head, saying "Forget it. I always get cranky when I get cold now." Something to do with getting shot at in Black Swan Bay as the place gets razed to the ground.

Chisei raises an eyebrow, and asks "May I ask why?"

Karen snorts, and says "Simple, really. My sisters and I lived in an orphanage in Siberia. Black Swan Bay Orphanage, it was called. At least, that's what Herzog called it whenever we were in earshot. Knowing what we know now…the cold doesn't bring back any good memories. Plus, I've never really liked the cold, not since I was orphaned and had to live on the streets for a few months."

Chisei blinks, that was so not the answer he was expecting. "I see. I imagine I wouldn't be fond of the cold either if I went through that."

Karen shrugs, and says "Maybe, maybe not. Your not me, after all."

Deciding a peace offering is in order, Chisei says "Well, I happen to know of a food stand that sells Emperor Ramen. It should warm you up."

Amazingly, she links her arm in his and says "Lead the way." Good news, the Ramen puts her in a much better mood. More good news, its good Ramen. That's something, right?

Johann spies Arya sitting on a bench underneath a blooming Cherry blossom tree, and sits down next to her. "Well, today was something, huh?"

Arya nods, then says "It sure was. Probably should've warned Chisei about Karen's dislike of the cold. Reminds us all of Black Swan Bay."

Johann nods, then asks "What exactly happened? Nobody knows for sure."

Arya shrugs, and says "Neither are we, really. Karen was the one who went to the lab that was found. All we know is, she came sprinting into the cabin frantically, saying we needed to get dressed and run fast. Something about a dragon that Herzog had, and the nutrients he'd inject into us being diluted dragon blood. And animals that weren't the usual animals. She was as hysterical as I've ever known her to be, so she wasn't making much sense as she threw clothes at us. Once we started running, well…we figured out she was more than right to have us run. That's when the soldiers started attacking. They killed everyone else. We got cornered on the plateau…and then I don't really remember anything else. What we've pieced together after we woke up at the College is that Herzog used us as human experiments, and the 'Orphanage' was the testing ground. But...we don't know why, what he wanted. And he had to have wanted something, nobody just scours the world for a dragon's corpse, builds an orphanage and secret lab around it, and takes in a bunch of children nobody will miss for...we don't even know how long it was, he could've been doing it for decades before we came to the place, without some kind of a goal. Some endgame he was working towards."

Johann turns her face to look at her, then wipes his thumb across her cheeks to get rid of tears she hadn't even known she cried. Neither of them realizes they're leaning forward until their lips meet. And then, Tara's voice cries "Gross, you two!"

They break apart at once, and Arya glares at the back of the young girl that's running off while blushing red as Karen's hair and muttering "Unbelievable…" When she looks back, Johann throws all caution to the winds and takes her lips in his.

Fiore chuckles as she and Tara watch Arya and Johann finally stop dancing around each other - its about time, in all honesty. They've been at Cassell College for two months, and all through the second one they saw Arya and Johann pining after each other and neither making a move - it was almost enough to drive a person insane. Both of them like basketball, both are early risers, both comfortable around each other after a while. They just fit together, but neither of them could work up the nerve to ask the other one out.

Arya smiles at Johann and waves her hand in the air - a tiny little tornado of Sakura petals appears in front of them, and Johann looks at it like it’s the most amazing thing he's ever seen. Fiore smiles to herself, and says "C'mon, Tara. Lets give them some space…"

They walk a few streets away, and see a girl with electric pink hair and the same outfit Fiore is still wearing - unbelievable!! - dancing on the street with a guitar next to her, who then says "Hello! I'm Misaki! I'm new here, but I'll do my best. Will you please support me?"

Fiore gets an even bigger smile on her face, and says "I've got an idea. You dance, I'll play the guitar." Misaki squeals in delight, clapping her hands as she bounces in excitement at the prospect.

Kazama glances around, checking to make sure his slightly older brother is nowhere to be found before he goes searching for the source of the music he's hearing.

Good, he's not here…

His head is throbbing enough as it is without having to fight his brother, it always is. Somehow, though, its worse than usual ever since the confrontation in the park. Ever since he laid eyes on that pink-haired girl, the dull throb that's always present has turned into a persistent ache. One that makes its way through the fog in his brain with ease, for some unknown reason.

Osho cannot find out, there's no telling what new conditioning or experiments he'd perform to determine the cause and end it.

When he finds the source of the guitar music, he nearly falls over from shock - that pink-haired girl that was present at Akira Sakurai's execution. He didn't get a good look at her, seeing as she was at least ten yards away and Chisei blocked his view…but it has to be her. She's in the exact same outfit as she was wearing in the park, for one. The look on her face, now that he can see her clearly…he can't ever remember seeing anyone like her. Except perhaps Kogure. And not just because of how she looks - he can tell, just from the expression on her face as she plays that guitar, she's a kind and gentle soul who loves her music. Not one meant to be in this cruel world of dragons, hybrids, and Hydra.

Especially Hydra, who throws peoples' lives away if they're deemed worthless or too much trouble. Akira Sakurai is a good example - once he had a taste of freedom, after twenty-three years of total isolation, he was willing to fight to the death to stay free.

This girl, though…she looks like some kind of angel, with that look on her face. She truly loves music, it seems - and she's rather good at it, to. And then she looks up and spots him, he can see it in the shocked expression on her face. She says something to the other girl her age, kneels down and sends the younger version of herself off - likely to find the red-head she was with back in the park, and then heads over.

Up close, she's absolutely stunning - delicate features, creamy skin without even a freckle on her face, and expressive baby-blue eyes that show every single thing she's feeling. Oh, yes, and his headache is easing for some reason, the fog clearing out of his mind with it. Its easier to think now than its been since he was taken from isolation and given to Osho. Kazama smiles at her as she opens and closes her mouth, and says "I take it you recognize me."

She nods, then finally seems to find her voice as she says "You were in the park. Chisei, he…."

Kazama nods, and says "Recognized me, I know. I had a feeling our reunion wouldn't go very well, as our separation wasn't ideal." Or even a choice, for that matter.

"You know him?"

Kazama chuckles lowly, and says "I knew him, once. A long time ago." He stares down into bright blue eyes, eyes swimming with so many questions and emotions that he gets caught up in them at once. Eyes he could drown in, he finds.

Eventually, he asks "What's your name? I don't believe we've been introduced, and I'd love to know what to call someone as beautiful as yourself."

She blushes and looks away, her hair failing to hide the lovely shade of red her cheeks turn, and says "Fiore. My name's Fiore."

"Well, Fiore," he takes her hand and presses the back of it to his lips for a moment, reveling in the sudden disappearance of his never-ending headache and the hope it brings at once, "call me Chime."

Fiore's blush burns even brighter, and she asks "Would you like to meet my sisters? They're nearby, it'd be no trouble to introduce you."

Chime shakes his head, saying "I have a feeling my brother is nearby, unfortunately. I also have a feeling you and whoever else is with you are in over your heads. A word of advice, don't trust Hydra. They'll only keep you around for as long as your useful…and, even then, they might still sacrifice you." Fiore's looking horrified, like she might be sick, even as Chime lifts her chin so she's looking at him. He sighs softly, then says "With any luck, you and yours will make it out in one piece. If you do…well, I think you'd have a future as a musician. A star, even."

"R-really?"

Chime nods, and says "You clearly loved playing that guitar, and you've got a gift for it. Was it the guitar itself, or performing?"

Fiore blushes again, then says "Its…music. I've always loved to play music, share it with others. Everyone says I've got a talent for it, but…" She shrugs, and says "I'm the star of performance club, if that's anything."

Chime smiles, and says "It is, I believe. You'd be snapped up in an instant. I know of a building, Star Studio. When you make your big break, head there." When he drops her hands - she didn't even realize he'd been holding them - she's holding a card with an address in Japan and a number to call. Fiore blushes even harder, making Chime chuckle and say "You should go, I'm sure your sisters will be looking for you."

Fiore gives him a shy smile, and stammers "Th-thank you, Chime. Really."

He smiles as she heads around the corner to find her sisters, the card tucked away in her pocket for later - he's somehow become addicted to that smile of hers, wants to make it appear more. She's like nobody he's ever known, and he's got to know her better. If only because, for some reason, being near her broke through the unending headache he's always got and the haze that goes with it. Though the headache is back, its not got that smothering haze that makes him feel like this thoughts have to go through cotton that it used to have. He just wonders how long his newfound freedom will last. If Osho has his way…not long. 

Still, perhaps long enough. If he can find a way to be around Fiore often enough, perhaps his currently-temporary freedom will become permanent. If he can play the part of Osho's mindless servant, keep the man from suspecting anything, perhaps these people from Cassell College - Fiore in particular - are his ticket to freedom. Freedom from Osho, freedom from Hydra...

Just pretend your in a performance, and acting out the part of Osho's puppet. Wear the Kabuki mask, say the lines, play the part. You've done it hundreds of times before, you can do it again. 

This is going to be the most important performance of his entire life, it seems. And he can do it, to, he's Ruri Kazama as well as Chime Gen, the famous Kabuki actor and Japan's greatest Host. He can, and he will pull this off.

Chapter Text

Ayra swings her legs on one of the four beds while Karen lays on her own and Fiore brushes her hair while humming a tune. Arya grins, and says "Someone's happy. Meet anyone?" Fiore smiles and blushes, giving Arya all the answer she needs. "You did! Who was he? What'd he look like? Did he ask you out? C'mon, there was nobody interested in any of us back in Black Swan Orphanage!" And Karen scares everyone at Cassell College with ease, and enjoys it to boot. 

Fiore murmurs "He just liked my guitar playing, that's all…" And kissed the back of my hand. And maybe flirted with me…

Karen smirks, and says "Alright, I'm listening. I may not be one for a lot of girl-time, but…" But she wants her sisters to be happy, and does enjoy teasing them when they're not in some life-and-death situation.

Fiore chuckles, and says "Relax, he just complimented me on my guitar playing. That's all."

Arya asks "What's his name? You at least got that, right?" She's got to have something!! Anything at all! 

Fiore blushes again, then quietly says "Chime. He called himself Chime." And called her a star in the making. 

"Was he cute? Was he hot? C'mon, sis, details!"

Tara grins at Karen and Fiore mischievously, and says "No details! Blech! Its bad enough Arya and Johann were-Mmph!!" Arya promptly jumps Tara, clamping a hand over her mouth from behind while proceeding to tickle the smaller girl into silence.

Both Karen and Fiore trade mischievous grins, and Karen says "Now, this is interesting."

Fiore adds "You didn't say you and Johann had finally gotten together, Arya!"

Masamune Tachibana is pacing back and forth - he recognized those four, how could he not?

How are they still alive?! They should've been dead in Black Swan Bay all that time ago!

He shakes his head, and figures Headmaster Anjou must've had a hand in it. His biggest worry, though, is the idea that the deadly red-head with the ponytail might've recognized him - she was looking at him strangely when he was talking, he noticed. He has to do something about them, but what?

Wait, the mission tomorrow. The SS mission. Most nobody actually survives those kinds of missions.

Yes, that's perfect. He can get them out of the way, all of them, and nobody will be the wiser. Chisei won't question his orders, he might be upset about them but he can come up with something to reason the decision away.

Caesar, Luminous, and Johann Chu are getting ready for bed, with Caesar teasing Johann mercilessly. "So? You and Arya both disappeared after we got into Chizuru. Something must've happened."

Johann just keeps polishing his sword, and doesn't look up when he says "Nothing much. We talked." We kissed. A few times. She showed me a few things she learned to do at Black Swan Bay.

Luminous says "We did hear Tara yell about something being gross."

Johann deadpans "She's, what, eight? Ten at the most."

Caesar smirks, and says "She's a child." And children tend to find things like make-out sessions extremely gross.

Luminous asks "Is she, though? There haven't been any recent missions to the area they were supposed to be found in. Didn't Fiore say they were in Siberia?"

Johann says "That's where Headmaster Anjou told them they were found. And, no, there haven't been any recent missions to Siberia. So…where did they come from?"

None of them have any answers for that. They never saw them before Luminous literally ran into them, never even heard of them. So…really, where did they come from? At the moment, its looking like thin air.

Johann says "I'll have to ask Eva if she knows of any records of missions to Siberia, and this Black Swan Bay they've mentioned once or twice."

Chisei stares up at the ceiling of his room, trying to make his brain shut off for the night. It isn't working, Karen keeps running laps around his head. Some of the things she said…he can't even imagine it. Can't imagine living on the streets, having to steal food or fight vagabonds and look over his shoulder at every minute just to live to see another day. Of course, he didn't imagine he'd suddenly run into his long-lost brother either.

His mind seems to torment him with the last memory he had of Chime before that surreal meeting in the park, his scrawny little red-eyed brother being dragged off by members of Hydra while he was held back and frozen in shock. He didn't know what they were talking about, shouting about an unstable Bloodline and how the Devil was dangerous, not to move if he didn't want to get killed on the spot. And Chime was terrified, eyes gone wide as saucers at the swords pointed at his chest, head, neck, etc.

Chisei! Brother, help! Don't let them take me, Brother! Chisei!!

Chisei sits upright in his bed, having dozed off without even realizing it, his little brother's last words to him still ringing in his ears as sweat drips off him and he struggles to get a breath in. After managing to get a ragged breath in, the High Patriarch decides to go train for a while. Distract himself from the memory of terrified red eyes, a cry for help that was never answered, and a promise that's long-since been broken.

Six hours later, he decides he needs a lot of caffeine to get through today.

The next morning, a tired-looking Chisei tells them more about the suspected first-generation Dragon Embryos located in the Mariana Trench, and how they've already placed the area under quarantine, after waving off Fiore's question of if he's ok. No, he's most certainly not ok, but he can't show any weakness. Ever. He can have a breakdown about Chime and his reappearance after the SS Mission is over.

Caesar says "I'm already getting excited just thinking about it. Do you have a specific battle plan?"

Chisei nods, saying "I do. We will head to Sumeru throne, and you will board the Trieste, our nuclear-powered submarine. It is equipped with Momotaro - while we call it a nuclear bomb, it uses high-grade Sulphur and Mercury to damage the dragons."

Karen frowns at the battle plans, and quietly asks Arya and Fiore "Shouldn't we just wipe out all the embryos? Also…how'd an embryo even get all the way down there in the first place? I thought you needed an incredibly high concentration of dragon essence to start the rebirth cycle…" She goes pale for a moment, then shakes her head murmuring "No, it couldn't be. Besides, it hasn't been nearly enough time."

Chisei immediately asks "Time for what? Something you'd like to add, Karen?"

The red-head Assassin shakes her head, then says "No, it couldn't be right. Black Swan Bay was destroyed…what? Two months ago? Three at the most. Herzog had a dragon there - its corpse, at least - but there hasn't been nearly enough time for it to be reborn. Especially as a nearly-fully-developed embryo. That would take years, we couldn't have been out that long. Right?"

Fiore and Arya just frown at one another, and Fiore says "Someone would said. Headmaster Anjou would've said something, right?"

Arya says "We're still the same age. We were probably put under for a while so our bodies could recover..." 

Karen deadpans "Except we woke up on the floor in a room near Anjou's office. I'm not seeing it."

When they get to Sumeru Throne, Hydra's sea fortress secured to the ocean floor by sixteen iron anchors, it’s a madhouse. People are scurrying everywhere, running around much like chickens with their heads cut off.

Caesar has to quickly step back to avoid being run over by Hydra members, and incredulously asks "What is going on here?! It feels like we're going to war!"

Chisei says "This is how we Japanese operate. We treat everything like we're going to war. Forever standing on the edge of the precipice so we may survive."

One of the Hydra operatives says "Pressure test complete. Propulsions systems test complete. Full function test and full load test in position!"

Chisei nods, then says "The preliminary check is complete, and the vessel is in fine condition. Please gather your team and prepare to submerge." Because Tara and Fiore are looking over the railing, and Arya's looking excitedly at one of Sumeru Throne's defense cannons with Karen while analyzing it with her floating ball. and Luminous and Johann are talking in one corner of the chaotic place.

Luminous asks "Isn't Japanese mythology all about Izanagi and Izanami? Isn't the Japanese Emperor supposed to be descended from the gods? Have they ever had a dragon resurrection in Japan?"

Johann says "I asked EVA to run searches for me before we arrived. No trace of dragon presence in Japan, cleaner than anywhere else in the world."

Luminous hums, then says "I wonder where these Japanese Hybrids could've come from then…"

"You and me both, Luminous." They look over, and see Fiore standing there with Tara holding her hand. "Arya, Karen, and the two of us know how we became Hybrids, Herzog injected us with dragon blood and said it was nutrients. But…something's wrong. The Devils and Hydra are the only signs in Japan that the dragons even exist, and then this Embryo suddenly appears…"

Johann shrugs, and says "Who knows. The Hybrids of Japan, like Japanese myths, defy explanation. Perhaps we'll find out more during our underwater trip today."

After everyone suits up in deep-sea diving suits, complete with respirators and designed so their bodies won't get crushed by the weight of 8,000 leagues of water and the freezing cold temperatures, both Chisei and Johann need to get elbowed in the ribs to get them to stop blatantly staring. Karen crosses her arms, and says "Just so we're clear, you are going to get us back up, right?"

Chisei nods his head, saying "It is said that when female pearl-divers make their dives, they tie a rope around their waist. When there is danger, they pull on the rope. They believe that their loved ones will pull them back up. I swear to you, I will pull you back up."

Before Karen can say a word, her face going red as she meets Chisei's intense gaze, Caesar says "I will hold you to it, my friend. Prepare a sumptuous victory feast, I want the best sake and the freshest sashimi Japan has to offer!" One corner of Chisei's mouth twitches upwards, even as Karen rolls her eyes and mutters about him being a rich playboy once more.

Fiore says "Thank you, Chisei Gen, for your hospitality yesterday. We truly appreciated it."

They all board, with Karen going in last - Chisei stops her for a minute, taking her wrist and saying "We shall meet again after the mission. I'm looking forward to it."

Karen blushes, then nods and says "I am to. You did say you'd show me your family's collection of blades after this was over after that bowl of Ramen."

Chisei nods, and says "I did. And I always strive to keep my word."

Karen heads inside, and Chisei watches with a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach as Trieste sinks below the waves. Something's going to go wrong, he could've kicked himself in the head for promising to pull them up. He rarely makes promises ever since he couldn't keep his promise to Chime, so why did he just give his word to Karen that he'd pull them all up? What is it about her that's so different from everyone else? Sakura Yabuki, his own personal shadow and quasi-bodyguard, doesn't come close, and she's the closest person to Karen in terms of skill and weapons he's ever met. There's just something about Karen that draws him in, makes her company more enjoyable than the other members of Hydra. 

Is it her irreverence?

Her total lack of care for his status as the High Patriarch of Hydra? 

The way she'll talk back to him without hesitation, take him to task or call him out for something? 

The way she obviously cares for her sisters? He saw the way she was tailing Fiore in the park, taking out any and all Devils before they could so much as lay eyes on her. 

Whatever it is...he wants- no, he needs to figure it out. And there's only one way to do that, spend more time with her. Maybe she can help him track Chime down after all this is over. 

Chapter Text

Karen's steadfastly ignoring Arya's poking and prodding about what Chisei stopped her for, and Johann apparently takes pity on her because he pulls the blonde girl away. Something Karen's grateful for - she loves her sisters, but she does not love Arya's penchant for teasing and gossip some of the time. Its fun, sure, and it has its time...but that time's not now. Fiore and Tara are watching the ocean scenery, with Tara silently taking in everything with wide eyes, and then…Karen hears Luminous ask "Hey, boss, our oxygen supply is limited. Can you not smoke in here?"

What?!

Caesar's voice carelessly says "Relax, it'll get filtered out. Besides, someone brought his big knife to. I don't see you complaining about that."

Karen stalks over, and hisses "Your going to use up all the oxygen quicker, smoking! Who, in the world, smokes in a submarine?!"

"Ok, ok, relax…" Caesar quickly puts the cigar out, before Karen gets the idea to slice it in half while its still in his mouth, and then the school communicator beeps.

Professor Schneider's voice rasps through, saying "Attention Strike team. If you should see a door, or anything resembling a door in the Abyss, do not approach it under any circumstances! Return here immediately!"

Caesar asks "A door?" What would a door be doing at the bottom of the ocean?

"Eleven years ago, we discovered a similar embryo during a mission in Greenland. The dive team dealing with the find was completely annihilated. Their last report was of a mysterious door in the area, which they were debating about opening."

EVA's voice suddenly says "Warning! Warning! Pressure levels abnormal!"

Even Caesar's voice is filled with horror as he says "The submersible is malfunctioning!"

Arya panics, saying "I thought this thing was supposed to be in working order!" Now's a pretty good time to panic, considering they're already too far down to swim back up to the surface! And she can't exactly make a whirlwind that'll bring them up either, too fast and they'll all get gas bubbles in their bloodstream or worse! Even with their altered physiology, this situation is looking more and more fatal.

Some statistics appear on the screen, saying 'Pipeline pressure: 45 Mpa. Remaining Oxygen: 82%'

Luminous immediately starts panicking at Caesar and Arya's words, even as Caesar tries to calm him down. To be fair, he's got a perfectly good reason to panic - the submarine is turning into an underwater tomb.

Johann mutters "2,400 meters…3,650, we're going too fast."

Luminous yells "Is this how the Greenland Dive team died before they could complete their mission?!"

Karen walks over in three long strides, and slaps Luminous across the face while saying "Get a grip, Luminous! We're not going to die!" 

Caesar goes to shut the airlock, while Arya and Johann manually take control of the Trieste's controls and try to slow their descent. Thankfully, they feel the submarine slowing down significantly. There's a collision from the bottom about ten minutes later, but Johann says "We should be at the bottom of the sea now. Lets go."

Luminous sighs, and says "Aniki, that was too close. Lets go back and fix this thing before we take another submarine daytrip."

Fiore says "After the Embryo is dealt with, Luminous. Then, we can do whatever we want." She's thinking a long, relaxing day at the beach, sunbathing and swimming in the water - maybe she'll find Chime again.

Arya and Johann scout ahead, much to Caesar's annoyance - not that they might get hurt, everyone here can take care of themselves…but that Johann isn't listening to him. Arya went with to give him some backup, just in case. When they find the two of them, Arya says "Before you go off, Caesar, take a look at what we found. It'll blow your brains out."

What they found…is a giant tower, at the bottom of the ocean. Sure enough, everyone's minds are blown.

After a battle with dragon subspecies - animals that mutated due to exposure to dragon genes in some form, just like Herzog's experiments!! - Caesar says "This place is very strange. Something appears to have completely altered the ecosystem. I believe they're all subspecies."

Johann says "Most likely. Only creatures with dragon DNA could adapt to this extreme environment."

Arya frowns, then asks "How long would that take? Along with the Embryo growing somewhere around here…"

Tara absentmindedly says "At least a decade, but closer to two usually. It depends on the concentration of essence."

Caesar says "What a stroke of luck! We've landed right in Elder Dragon territory, no need to go search."

Luminous incredulously scoffs "Right, some luck. Its like we're serving ourselves up in a submarine! The dragons will be happy!"

Tara notices something, then asks "What's that? Over there?" She then goes swimming over to get a better look, much to everyone's chagrin.

They find…an ancient dragon city. A massive one, at that. Except…it looks distinctly Japanese. There's writing on the walls, and Arya and Johann go to get images of it for EVA to identify - because it looks Korean. In a dragon city at the bottom of the ocean. Exactly nothing about this is making sense. A Japanese-looking Dragon city in the Mariner Trench, with Korean-looking writing on its pillars.

Fiore, Karen, and Arya are looking at the marking uneasily, and Karen murmurs "Weirder and weirder..." 

Arya says "No kidding, sis. How in the world did a city end up down here? And how has nobody found it yet?" Seriously, for being such a big secret...it wasn't that hard to find. Would've been even easier before the embryo showed up, to.

Tara, on the other hand, is looking around the dead city with an unreadable look on her face. Luminous swims over, asking "You alright, kiddo? You seem troubled." 

Tara nods, asking "What do you think happened here? This place is massive, surely even with dragons living here it must've had a large population. Yet now..." Now its in ruins. Buildings crumbled, the city at the bottom of the ocean. What could've brought such a mighty city so low? And sunk it, to boot?

Luminous just shrugs, getting uneasy with the question, and says "Don't know. Maybe they all left and an earthquake sunk it?" Its a viable explanation, but even in his head it seems...too easy. Too simple. He can almost hear Ming-Z-Lu saying he's wrong.

Since they're having communication troubles with EVA, being both so far from the College and so far down, the images of the markings Arya and Johann took get sent to Kaguya, the Japanese division's version of her.

They start swimming through the ruined city nervously, just waiting for something to pop out, and the result comes back in - according to Magical Script, the markings refer to a 'Takamagahara' which means 'land of the gods.'

Once Caesar explains how Magical Script is regarded as a fake language for being completely different from Japanese, despite being from its mythical period, Fiore asks "What if its not fake…just not human? We live in a world where dragons were very real…we're floating in one of their cities! What if…what if Magical Script is actually their language?" It makes far too much sense. The dragons were supposed to predate human civilizations - what if Korean looks like Magical Script and the Japanese modeled their cities after the Dragon Cities?

Luminous says "Then, that means…the Shinto gods are…"

"Dragons!" Johann says "The Japanese Shinto Gods are actually dragons! And the Shinto myths…may actually tell their history!"

Oh...oh no. That's...not good, not in the slightest. Not only does that mean some real trouble for the here and now...it also casts every other ancient myth in an entirely different light? What of the Norse myths, with the giant world-eating snake and a wolf that would bring about Ragnarok? The various Gods and Goddesses of Death? Apophis, from the Egyptian Myths, and Set? 

Karen asks "Is anyone else getting creeped out here?" Because she's getting really creeped out here. She can fight any person, any Death Servitor she comes across to protect her family...but gods?! That's a bit out of her league and she knows it.

Fiore and Arya both nod, and Tara wraps her arms around Fiore…then says "Um, guys? I think I found the embryo." She was hoping things wouldn't be this far along, but it seems they are.

When they see where she's pointing, and everyone blanches. Luminous says "Looks like we found the Embryo…"

Caesar gulps at the size of the thing - its massive! - then says "Look a sunken shipwreck. Let's get a closer look and investigate." He carefully brushes over the detail that the Embryo is basically attached to the ship.

Johann sees a name on the ship and breathes out "Black Swan…"

Three sets of female voices immediately screech "WHAT?!" Karen swims over the fastest, with Arya hot on her heels and Fiore and Tara a few feet behind her. And Tara looks...resigned, almost. Or perhaps just tired, she is a child still.

Karen takes one look at the ship then shakes her head and says "No, no that's impossible. It's completely impossible, there's no way…"

"Except that's the rust stain Miles made. And that dent there was from Kevin. And that weld in the ship was from when Melanie hit the side of it that time..."

"What the heck is going on?! Have we crossed over into some alternate dimension or something?! Did we accidentally enter a Nibelungen or something?!" Because things aren't adding up whatsoever. This is definitely the Black Swan, but it can't be the Black Swan because the Black Swan was supposed to have been at Black Swan Bay a few months ago! There's no way the ship could've gotten a dragon corpse loaded on board, made its way here, sunk, and then the Embryo grow and mature, mutate all the surrounding life into Dragon Subspecies, in...a few months. Its simply impossible, Dragon genes don't work that fast.

Johann swims over, seeing the other two teenage girls are having a similar reaction, and asks "What's wrong? What is it?"

Arya lets out a near-hysterical laugh, and says "This ship, the Black Swan, it…it’s the ship that delivers…delivered supplies to Black Swan Bay Orphanage. Every single year, on Christmas day, this exact ship would show up with supplies for the next year. It was supposed to come in that day, but it was late for some reason. And then…" And then the place got razed to the ground.

Karen shakes her head, and says "No, they couldn't have loaded that monstrosity onto the ship and got it here that fast. The dragon was dead, I think, but…but it was still intact, it was still…" It was still whole. It couldn't have decomposed, formed an Embryo, and mutated all the surrounding area in so short a time.

Caesar says "This ship has been here for at least a decade, look at the mold on it! The way the metal has corroded! The plants growing through the wood!"

Fiore puts a hand on Karen and Arya's shoulders, and says "We can figure this mystery out later. Right now-!" She's interrupted by what feels like an earthquake. Except it's no earthquake, its the Embryo. It knows they're there! 

Tara yells "Its waking up! Back to the sub!" 

Chisei contacts them and says "You need to detonate Momotaro and get back to the submersible immediately. A whole host of dragons are waking up!"

Karen yells into her communicator "We figured that out, Chisei! There's a whole damn city down here! And this Embryo is massive! Just how strong is this Momotaro?!" 

"It has the strength of a high-grade nuclear bomb. You'll have ten minutes to escape the area before it detonates once it's activated. Give me the signal once its in, and I'll pull you up! Just hurry!"

They desperately fight their way back to the Trieste, and scramble inside. Caesar suggests they record their last words - if they make a mistake, its all over. A romantic thought, but if they make a mistake...nobody will be able to find the recording. And they don't have time, anyway!

Arya shakes her head, saying "Everyone I've ever had is either long-dead or in this sub. What would I even say?"

Tara nods, and says "I'm with Arya here." Anyone she would've wanted to leave a message is long gone, even before she woke up in the Orphanage.

Caesar gives a love confession to NoNo, saying she's his greatest challenge in this life and always fascinates him with everything she does.

Johann says goodbye to his father, and asks him to take care of his mother and not to try to find out what happened to him.

Luminous is in the same boat as Tara and Arya, saying he wants to record something but there's nobody for him to record for. Which is kinda sad, but less so when there's others doing the same.

Fiore takes the recorder, stares at it for a minute, then turns it on and says "Chime, my mysterious friend. If your listening to this, then I'm sorry. Sorry I couldn't keep my promise to you, even though I never gave up, never stopped dreaming. May you find all the happiness in the world, my friend."

Everyone stares at her as she passes the device to Karen, and Caesar smirks and asks "And who's Chime?" This is news to him, half the College wants to be friends or more with Fiore, but they're too afraid of Karen to work up the courage to approach. So who in Japan worked up the nerve to get to know Fiore with her legitimately-terrifying and deadly sister giving them a death-glare?

Arya rolls her eyes, and says "He liked her guitar playing. And, that's all we've gotten out of her as well." If - no, when - they survive, she's going to give more details on him, though. Andintroduce him, if they can find him.

They get to the target, only for the detonation circuit to malfunction! First the submersible, now the nuclear-strength bomb...its looking less and less like bad luck and more like sabotage.

Karen mutters "Typical. Tell me this thing is on a timer, Chisei! The detonation circuit's broken!"

"There's ten minutes between activating detonation and the actual event. I will use wire ropes to hoist the submarine to the surface once its activated."

Caesar asks "So, if we don't detonate the thing, your not going to tell them to pull us up, is that it?"

"If you don't do it, we will all die. It won't make a difference if your pulled back up to the surface or not. Please…you must." He sounds extremely desperate, out of breath...is something happening up there?

Karen sighs, then mutters "Dammit, Chisei...what's the code, Ceasar?"

Caesar can't remember the code to manually detonate the nuclear vessel after its released, and then he and Johann start arguing about who's going out there to detonate the nuclear vessel. Both of them want to go out there and potentially sacrifice themselves, saving the rest of the team. Then, Caesar and Johann both go out there to detonate the nuclear vessel…because there's so many subspecies out there that its practically an army.

Karen sighs, then mutters "Unbelievable…I'm going out there. I can kill them all. Someone get that thing activated already!" Luminous had better have some kind of ace up his sleeve, maybe he heard Ceasar set the code or something. 

Johann and Caesar stare in utter shock and awe as Karen single-handedly holds off the hundreds of approaching subspecies - all with her Extra Skill. Judgement. The weaker ones just fall over, dead in an instant. The stronger ones get eviscerated as she moves between them with a deadly grace they didn't know even she possessed. They're both just glad that she can control it enough to differentiate between friend and foe. Because those things don't stand a chance, most didn't even have time to turn and face her.

Luminous comes swimming out suddenly and starts punching buttons into the nuclear vessel, and then yells "Its set! Get in, everyone!"

Fiore grabs Karen, Tara and Luminous grab Caesar, and Arya grabs Johann, and they swim back towards the Trieste as fast as they can. Once they're in, Arya takes command of the subs controls and points the ship upwards while Fiore talks into the Communicator. "Trieste to Sumeru Throne! Trieste to Sumeru Throne! Momotaro is activated, pull us up!"

The line crackles, the connection unstable, but they can't make out any discernable answer. There's a lot of noise, some shouting, but no decipherable answer.

Luminous yells "Our work is done! Get us back up!"

Karen slams a fist on the dashboard, yelling "PULL US UP, CHISEI GEN!" 

Chisei's voice comes over, just as the line fails, saying "I won't-" There's a dead silence as the communicator cuts off, followed by Karen cursing Chisei Gen to the depths of hell and swearing to get her hands on him before he makes it there. Fiore just wraps her arms around Karen's shoulders after a minute, .

Johann activates his Extra Skill to propel the ship to the surface…which, unfortunately, damages the Trieste so much they have to abandon it or blow up with it.

Chisei curses as the line goes dead, saying "I won't leave you behind." Dammit! Karen's going to be so very mad. She certainly sounded upset - or desperate, perhaps - in that one sentence that came through clearly.

Yasha's standing back to back with him, and Chisei says "Caesar's team has detonated the nuclear vessel. I have to bring them up!"

"But the winch is jammed, Young Chief!"

"The machine will work again if you force the winch past the blockage. Yasha, watch my back."

"Yes, Young Chief!"

Chisei's just grabbed the winch lever when Masamune Tachibana contacts him, ordering him to leave Caesar's team below and get out of there. And telling him that Erii is here, and has activated her Extra Skill. Judgement…which will kill every living thing around her. Even with Erii about to slaughter everything in a ten-mile radius, Chisei doesn't want to leave them behind. The detail that, if Karen survives being left behind so far under the ocean she'll come after him and have his head mounted on a wall somewhere notwithstanding.

He's a dead man, Chisei decides as Yasha and Crow pull him onto the Helicopter, so very dead if the team from Cassell College survive by some miraculous feat.

Chapter Text

When Arya wakes up, there's a katana sitting next to her and a communicator - and nobody else. Nobody even in sight.

Shoot…

She grabs the katana with the glowing spots in the middle - Karen would like this, maybe as a birthday or Christmas present - and stuffs it in her bag before grabbing the Communicator. EVA contacts her at once, and says she had to hack into the network security to speak with her. And that the Japan Division has betrayed them and gone rogue.

At least she's found Caesar and Tara in the E-Tech tower.

Arya's running along the rooftops to avoid the gangs of Hybrids - Hydra or Devil clan, she wants no trouble with them. There's more important things to do, like look for her missing sisters and squad.

And then she spies Karen, who has no such qualms. Exact opposite, in fact - she's apparently seeking out the groups, from what Arya can tell.

Karen finishes cutting down all but one of the thugs that thought it was a brilliant idea to try to mug her - or whatever it is they were going to do - and then changes back to her usual form and slams the last one into the nearest wall. "Listen, you idiotic punk. Where. Are. My. Sisters?"

He looks like he's barely eighteen, and he's clearly shaking in his boots. That might mean he's smart enough not to lie to her or try to act tough. "I-I don't know, lady! Honest!"

Trying a different approach - because, in all honesty, they don't look anything alike - Karen asks "You seen two girls with pink hair pass by? Or a blonde with a set of pistols?"

"No, no, I swear! I haven't seen anyone like that, I don't know who you're talking about!" There's the sound of a gunshot suddenly, and then the unfortunate thug is dead from a hole in his forehead - Karen glares up at the line of the shot, only for her expression to turn to relief when she sees Arya standing on the rooftop.

Arya grins as she jumps down, saying "Glad I found you. C'mon, let's go look for Fiore. I got in contact with EVA, she said Caesar did the same and has Tara at the E-Tech building."

Karen sighs in relief, and mutters "Thank goodness for that. I was worried about the squirt."

Arya nods, and says "I know. Me to. C'mon, Fiore's way too gentle to be left alone out here."

Sure enough, the find her surrounded by four beefy thugs carrying gigantic swords…only to get turned into ducks. Looks like Fiore can handle herself just fine on her own. Arya quickly shoots the ducks, and Fiore sighs in relief and runs over.

Karen forgoes her usual attitude and throws her arms around Fiore, murmuring "You're okay…" She knows how to survive on the streets, even if she is really rusty. Fiore? Not a chance, Karen was positive she'd be killed or far worse within a day if they couldn't find her before the sun went down and all the weirdoes and worse come out.

Fiore mimics the reaction, even as Arya tackles them both with her own hug. After a minute, Fiore pulls back and asks "Are either of you hurt? Where's Tara, I haven't found her. I woke up alone on the beach, and…"

Karen says "Lucky you. I woke up faced with a total stranger about to try…well, I don't actually know what he was going to try, but I didn't give him the chance." She quickly stabbed the guy hovering over her straight through the heart and started wringing out her hair.

Arya says "Ceaser has Tara, and they're at the E-Tech tower. We were heading that way as we looked for you."

Fiore lets out a sigh of relief, and says "Thank you, Ceasar…"

Karen snorts, and says "She'd better be alright, or he's going to get it."

Caesar's looking around carefully, keeping Tara in the shadows of the E-Tech building as much as possible, when suddenly he hears the young girl gasp and take off running. He's about to grab her and drag her back into the shadows where they're relatively safe from being spotted and killed or captured, honestly terrified of what even Fiore would do if their little sister got hurt somehow on his watch, when he hears a sound he definitely wanted to hear. Three sets of female voices screaming "TARA!"

Thank you, thank you, thank you...

When he looks around the corner cautiously, he sees Fiore hugging the younger version of herself to her and Tara wrapping her arms around Fiore's neck as she buries her face in the older girl's neck - honestly, Caesar's amazed she's held it together this long. And that she led him here, acting remarkably mature for her age - he blames it on the situation. She is, after all, eight years old or so - not even Tara and her sisters are sure of their exact ages.

Then, Fiore's semi-hysterically asking if Tara's alright, is she hurt anywhere, where'd she wake up, etc., and Karen says "Over there, there's Caesar."

It takes a full five minutes for both Tara and Fiore to finally calm down, so Karen and Arya go to look for anyone else. They find Luminous quickly enough, who leads them to Johann - Arya shoots the entire group of thugs surrounding her boyfriend, then runs forward and throws her arms around Johann. Johann buries his face in her hair, and breathes out "You're alright…"

Arya nods, then asks "What about you? I woke up facedown on a beach, Luminous says he had to escape from a hospital…"

Johann murmurs "I'm fine. Better now that I know you're alright." He's been going half out of his mind worrying about her - all of them, yes, but Arya specifically. 

Karen has to literally drag the two of them back to Caesar, Fiore, and Tara.

Makoto Asou, a student working to pay her tuition and take care of her grandmother, saves them and helps them to escape, as they get out their college-issue bikes and get out of town…only for her to get captured by the thugs. They head back, and find she's trapped on the top of the E-Tech tower...and they set the roof on fire. Because of course they had to set the roof on fire, just trapping her up there wasn't nearly enough of a threat. 

Caesar tells her to jump, and goes to catch her - a monkey-faced thug tries to shoot Caesar though, and he misses Makoto because he has to dodge the bullet. Luckily, Fiore takes a running start and tackles her to the side - they roll into the street, scraped up but alive, and Caesar gets absolutely furious.

Arya, unseen by most, lets out a relieved sigh and takes her guns out to cover Fiore and Makoto as they get away.

Fiore looks up to see Caesar furious enough to go into Blood Rage - putting the 'rage' in it - and whispers "Makoto, run. Run as far away from these guys as you can. Don't look back!"

Makoto nods, and says "Good luck. And thank you!"

Monkey-face refuses to tell them who set him up for this after Caesar beats him and shoves a gun under his chin, and instead drinks a dragon blood potion after pushing away from Caesar.

Karen mutters "Alright, no more playing around…"

Monkey-man is practically bleeding out by the time Karen's through with him, but he uses the last of his strength to aim a revolver at Caesar. Luminous sees, and yells "Senpai, look out!" He tackles Caesar, just as Monkey-face pulls the trigger.

Luckily, they see an advertisement van for a club called 'Takamagahara' and load a very injured Luminous into it. Fiore works on healing him, as the bullet went through cleanly - even still, Luminous is unconscious. Which everyone considers a good thing for him, since he's now got a hole straight through his chest. And they're pretty sure that bullet went through a lung, if Luminous' ragged breathing is any indication.

Caesar mutters "We need somewhere to hide, but where?"

The driver asks "Well, what about the club? Its big, and people come and go all the time." They pull up after a bit, and the driver says "Welcome to Takamagahara, folks."

Arya whispers to Johann "Isn't that the name we found in that underwater city?"

Johann nods, then says "It is. It could be a coincidence…but, with a name like that, it seems highly unlikely."

The driver opens the back doors, saying "C'mon, get your friend inside."

Caesar looks at Luminous as he and Johann carry him in, and…is it just him, or is he breathing a bit easier already?

Dang, Fiore's good at this.

Quite the accomplishment, since they were speeding down the bumpy road and Fiore couldn't actually heal him with her skills since they weren't sure if the driver was part of the secret society or not. All they could do was keep pressure on the wound, try to stem the bleeding some, and let Fiore try to concentrate - so any progress at all is good progress.

Chapter Text

Luminous wakes up with a groan, his entire chest area aches - it’s a dull pain, though. Like he's just sore. Which is surprising enough since the last thing he remembers is tackling Caesar before Monkey-Face could shoot him.

"Your awake!" He's suddenly tackled by the owner of that voice, and opens his eyes to see Tara clutching at his chest.

"Hey there…"

She's suddenly glaring at him, and socks him in the shoulder as hard as she can while saying "You can't die! Don't you dare try that again!"

He sits up, pushing through the twinge the motion produces, and asks "Where are we? Where are the others?" Are they safe? Is this some Hydra prison or something?

Tara gasps, and says "They'll want to know your awake! Stay there! And stay awake!" She jumps down and sprints off, and Caesar and Johann come running in after maybe a minute.

The relief written all over Caesar's face is what surprises Luminous the most, with Johann's expression of relief coming up as a close second. "Uh, hey there…Aniki, Killboy, what happened?"

Caesar snaps "You got shot, that's what! Do you even know how you survived?! Its only because Fiore's so good at healing that you lived!"

Tara nods, and says "Fiore's great at it, thanks to Herzog's training. It was necessary, really. And then there's the detail that-" She claps her hand over her mouth, then will only say it’s a secret when asked.

After a minute, Luminous asks "Where are we, Aniki? Tara didn't say."

Caesar quickly explains where they are, Takamagahara - a club in Tokyo, not the bottom of the ocean again in the dragon city - and how Luminous has a job as a host with him while Johann mixes drinks behind the bar. Once he's done, Luminous asks "So…where are the others? Karen, Arya, and Fiore?"

Caesar smirks at Johann, then says "For one, we're going under cover names. I'm BasaraKing, Johann is Ukyou, your Sakura, Karen is called Karina, Tara is Terry, Arya is Ariana, and Fiore's stage name is Angel Swan. Before you ask, we had to keep them close enough to their actual names for them to react automatically to them - we were all exhausted when we got here, so it was the first things I could think of. And…we're wanted by Hydra. I learned that the morning after we got here." And Karen was furious, quietly spewing out death threats to Chisei Gen, Masamune Tachibana, and the rest of Hydra's heirarchy.

Luminous groans, rubbing his temples to stave off the throbbing he can feel building there, and says "Let me get this straight. We're wanted fugitives from Hydra."

"Yep."

"We're hiding out in a club that just happens to share the same name as an ancient dragon city." And there's something wrong with that, altogether. Its like a sign that says 'Hybrids are here!' on the place. Who can come up with a name like 'Takamagahara' anyway?!

"Uh-huh."

"We're going by fake names since Hydra's after us, and all have jobs here as part of that cover."

"Yeah, that's right."

"And…what am I missing? Also, you never actually answered my question of where the girls are."

Caesar smirks at Johann again, making the usually-stoick boy blush and look away, and says "Follow me. And put this on, we've all got updates on our wardrobe. The underwater suits were a little too conspicuous, especially for a club like this."

Luminous throws the suit he's handed on, then heads out just in time to see…the most shocking thing he's seen in a long while. And, this time its really saying something, given the underwater dragon city they just saw.

Fiore, Arya, and Karen.

On.

Stage.

Fiore always struck him as the type, but definitely not Karen - and not Arya either, really.

Fiore's in a hot pink Kimono with cream accents - and it certainly looks a thousand times better on her than his did - while Arya's in something that looks a bit like a combination of a suit and a dress in light green. The first thought that goes through his mind is 'no wonder Johann was blushing' - she's in something like a dress with a ruffled skirt at the bottom that's colored the deep green of her eyes and accented with black. And Karen, she looks very much like a glamorous assassin in that black dress, if that was a thing. Her blood-red hair is still in her insanely long ponytail, but…even if Luminous didn't know how dangerous she is, he'd think she was dangerous.

And they're dancing - rather well, actually. He knows Karen well enough to see through the smile and pleasant-looking expression to see the signs that she's hating every moment of the performance, which means Fiore undoubtedly talked her into it somehow.

Once the performance is done, Caesar quietly says "They snapped Angel up as their singer in a heartbeat - I'd be more surprised if they didn't, honestly. Ariana takes drinks to customers while Ukyou makes them, which is a good combination because she's fast on her feet. Karina's the new bouncer, and nobody actually crosses her or gives her a reason to kick them out if they can help it."

Luminous nods, then asks "And Terry?"

Johann says "Stays back here with me. If a bar fight breaks out, she's less likely to get hurt in the confusion."

Luminous nods, and Arya walks over with a grin on her face "Glad to see your up and about, Sakura. We were worried."

Luminous nods at her in thanks, then asks "Where's Angel heading?" Karen snorts, crosses her arms, and says "Backstage, to get ready for her main performance for the night. She's lead singer, after our dance performance she wrestled us into."

Luminous raises an eyebrow, asking "So that…wasn't by choice?" He figured as much, but still.

Arya grins even wider, and says "Sorta. Angel convinced the manager to give us a shot with a dance routine since one was needed, then proceeded to turn the big puppy eyes on us. Rather, on Karina here." She smirks at his dumbfounded expression, and adds "Its impossible to resist the big blue puppy eyes from her. Always has been, always will be. Just part of Angel's charm."

Karen grumbles, then asks "How're you doing, squirt?"

Tara grins, and says "Great! Ukyou lets me snack on the leftover food stuff from drinks!"

Arya grins and ruffles Tara's hair, saying "Just stay out of trouble, kiddo." Luminous nods, then goes to serve a man who's waving him over. He unfortunately cannot rent out the place for a party - and certainly not on the spot like this - so the man start's snarling about 'do you know who I am' and such.

Only to get Karen's fingers gripping him by the underarm, making him freeze.

"Alright, buddy, you are so out of here." She marches him out at once, ignoring the man's protests and flailing, earning an impressed look from Luminous.

Always knew that girl was scary…

Fiore's humming in front of the vanity mirror she's brushing her hair with, a soft smile on her face after her solo performance - it hasn't been all bad, lately. Sure, they're wanted by Hydra, hiding out in a club named after an ancient dragon city - and, really, they're still trying to find out how the previous owners picked Takamagahara as the name of the club - but, on the bright side, Fiore's practically living her dream. Silver linings, and all. She knows how bad it is, how in over their heads they are, but someone has to be the optimist of the group. Ergo, things are going good at the moment.

"So, Takamagahara has found a new singer. And, word is, she's quite the budding talent."

And, things just got so much better.

"Chime!!"

Ruri Kazama went to the backroom of Takamagahara to see the aspiring singer - superstar in the making, everyone he's heard speak of her claims - because he was curious to see if it was the same girl from Chizuru.

Call it a hunch.

He didn't expect her to jump him in a hug, though. Nor did he expect that the sudden control he had and lack of a persistent headache was more than a fluke - no, it seems Fiore just has that effect on him for some reason.

He's not complaining, he's definitely not complaining in the slightest that she somehow frees him from Osho's control completely just by touching him.

Chime looks down in pure shock at the head of pink hair attached to arms that are currently wrapped around him, and then Fiore's pulling back with the world's happiest smile on her face. "How'd you find me, Chime? For that matter, how are you back here?! The manager said only-"

Chime grins happily, and says "He gave me a pass. I'm well known in the music industry, and he couldn't show me to the door over there fast enough." The man was actually stumbling and stuttering in his haste to show him the right door, actually. He looks around, then says "I see you've found your big break."

Fiore nods happily, then says "Sorry I haven't gotten the chance to go to the building you mentioned, but we've only been here three days counting this one and…" Her voice trails off, her eyes casting their gaze to the floor as the happiness drains away.

Chime hums, then says "And your in trouble, you and your friends." He kept an ear out, discretely, and was rather unsurprised to learn of their new statuses as wanted fugitives. Furious, yes, but unsurprised. That's just how Hydra is, throwing away any they can't control and use.

Fiore nods, then whispers "I'm sorry. I should've listened. When you said to be careful about Hydra."

Chime lets out a quiet sigh from his lips, then says "Some lessons have to be learned on their own, I'm afraid. Still, I never wanted you to learn this particular lesson."

Deciding he wants to wipe the look off Fiore's face - because he doesn't know how long he can stay in control, and he wants to enjoy his time with her as much as possible - he smiles and says "I bet I know what'll cheer you up, though."

Fiore looks up at once, curiously asking "What's that?"

Chime gives her a smile he's perfected for the role of rouges and dashing daredevils in his Kabuki performances, and says "I think I'll steal you away for the rest of the day. I don't think your manager will mind too much. I'll just go have a word with him."

Fiore can only stare after the snow-white haired boy as he heads back out the door. Because...what?! Her big performance is finished for today, but...she's still got things to do in the club!

Not two minutes later, the manager comes bursting in looking frantic. "What did you say to him?! Do you have any idea who that was?! That was Ruri Kazama!"

Fiore blinks, then asks "Is something wrong?"

"Wrong?! He wants to show you his studio! This is the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that almost never comes along! Go! Go, go, go! I'll tell your friends you suddenly had a very unmissable opportunity arise. Go, go after him!"

Chime takes Fiore to his studio, and turns around to find she's speechless with a combination of shock, awe, and joy. The news that he wants to sponsor her gets a choked sound from the back of her throat of the kind where someone is so overcome with emotion they can't form any words. And then he gets hugged again, shocking him speechless even as warmth fills him up from the physical contact once more.

What is it about Fiore that does this to him? Her unknown Extra Skill, perhaps? Or...just her?

Chapter Text

Arya sees the last of the customers out the door, then quickly slips out with a nod to Karen - Caesar said he noticed a bunch of gangs headed in the same direction, so the Hydras must be stretched thin at the moment. Meaning it’s a perfect time to take a look around and see what's going on.

She does, however, pass a hot - seriously, absolutely stunning - man with white hair and ruby-red eyes as she heads down the street trying to be inconspicuous.

Rather, they walk straight into each other by accident.

Arya lands flat on her behind with an oomph, and says "Sorry, I should've watched where I was going."

They pick themselves up, and the white-haired guy waves her off in favor of asking "You work in Takamagahara? I've seen you there before."

Arya nods, and says "I do. I'm surprised I haven't seen you though - and I'd remember a face like yours." She would, she really would. He sticks out in a crowd effortlessly, and must have all the ladies after him more often than not.

He chuckles, and says "I don't frequent Takamagahara for the drinks, I'm afraid. What draws me there is something else entirely."

Arya straightens out her clothes, then says "I'd love to stay and chat, but I've got to get going. Maybe I can introduce you to…well, two of my sisters. I get the feeling Karina isn't really your type." 

Karen would probably tear him to shreds with nothing but words, without even meaning to.

"You have got to be kidding."

Chisei snaps his head over at the familiar voice, and sees Arya standing there with her guns drawn. And the look on her face says he may well find himself at the other end of those guns.

After a long minute, Arya sighs and says "Figures you'd be right in the middle of whatever trouble is here." She holsters her pistols at the small of her back, then gives him a stink eye and says "I don't know what you said or did to my sister, but you hurt her. Bad."

Chisei swallows, his throat suddenly dry at the implications of those words, then says "I never had any intention of hurting K-"

"I knew it!"

Chisei blinks at Arya's triumphant grin, and asks "What?"

Arya says "I never said which sister it is you hurt, yet you immediately assumed I was talking about Karen. By the way, you did hurt her. I wasn't making that up. Never heard her curse anyone out so creatively before, or swear to shred them into the thinnest of ribbons upon getting her hands on them. And then eviscerate the ribbons."

Chisei gulps, ice crawling down his spine - he knew she'd be mad, but he didn't think she'd be that mad. And she didn't strike him as one for idle threats…unfortunately. He's doomed, it seems.

Arya snickers at his expression, and says "Yeah, its not me you should be worried about. You'd better hope Fiore's willing to talk her down, because she's your only hope of surviving the next time you see my sisters."

Chisei nods, then says "Thank you."

Arya casually says "Don't thank me. I'm angry at you to, we all are. You left us at the bottom of the ocean, and now we're wanted fugitives. Don't think for even a minute anyone's particularly happy with you."

"It wasn't my choice to-" 

"It doesn't matter. You promised to pull us up, and then you left us at the bottom of the ocean!" 

"The communications got cut, and the winch was jammed by a Death Servitor. We were getting swamped, and my sister was sent to kill them all. The order to evacuate was given straight from my father, nobody had any choice." 

Arya snorts derisively, and says "There's always a choice, Chisei Gen. You made yours. You'll just have to deal with the consequences the next time we meet." 

Chisei looks down at Kogure Sakurai, not particularly wanting to get chewed out any further by Arya and have the threat - promise - of Karen's wrath hung over his head, then quietly asks "Do you have any last wishes? I will grant them to you."

Kogure coughs out a bloody chuckle, red splattering her hand when she pulls it away, asking "Do you ask that every time you kill one of us? How meaningless it must be by now, if you do." She coughs up more blood, then says "Since you want to know so badly, here it is. I wish for him to find happiness in this life. I wish for him to take his pink angel he's so enamored with and run, escape from all of this. The Devils, the Hydras…" It sounds distinctly like she's about to say something more, but cuts off before it happens.

Chisei presses "Who? Who are you talking about? Who's this 'him' you speak of?" Somehow, he gets a bad feeling about it.

Kogure laughs and shakes her head, saying "Either you don't know, or you've forgotten him, High Patriarch. I speak of a good friend of mine, who helped me through a very long, very dark time as much as he could. Who is he, though? Hm…some friend I'd be if I ruined his chance at escape while wishing for him to be free at last."

Arya gets back to Takamagahara, and tells Caesar and Johann what she stumbled on at Paradisio - the Devil Colonel, her execution, her final wish, all of it. Caesar and Johann listen intently, along with Karen, while Tara stays with Luminous - he's on shift to serve the customers tonight, and Fiore's currently with a big-shot actor at his studio who noticed her for her singing. Though, they're due to be back in about thirty minutes, something Karen's grateful for. They're wanted fugitives of Hydra, after all.

Johann hums to himself thoughtfully, and asks "What if the Devils aren't the bad guys here? After all, Hydra has currently labeled us fugitives and wanted criminals. What if they've done the same to all of them, and they banded together simply to survive?"

Arya shrugs, and says "Its hard to say. Kogure wanted a friend of hers to escape. Didn't say who, as she didn't want his chances spoiled, but she made it sound like…like Chisei should've known who she was talking about."

Caesar thinks for a minute, then says "Either way, I had an idea while you were out. You remember what Chisei said about Kaguya? How it was their equivalent of EVA? What if we blew it up?"

Chime is walking Fiore back to Takamagahara when he suddenly goes stiff and his head starts aching fiercely. Aching like it only does, now, around one person.

Fiore quietly asks "Chime? What is it?"

"Its nothing, Fiore. Just a headache, is all." In truth, he can feel his control starting to slip, feel himself start to slip - Fiore has the incredible effect on him of undoing what's been done to him in while he's in her presence, making the aching, persistent throb that seemed to forever live in his skull vanish, but now…now, its return can only mean one thing.

Osho is near.

Far too near Fiore, for his liking.

Chime turns to her, an anxious expression on his face, and says "I have to go, something's just come up. Can you make it to Takamagahara safely from here?"

Fiore nods, then asks "Will you be okay? What's wrong?"

Chime shakes his head, saying "Its nothing. Nothing you should worry about, at any rate. I need to meet someone, an old friend of mine. You might like her, you know. She sings to. I'll introduce you two, if I can."

Fiore nods, then says "Alright, go meet her. Tell her I say hello, and that I'd love to hear her sing."

Chime nods, getting a shaky smile on his face - Fiore is unbelievably kind, it seems she has more kindness in her little finger than most have in their whole bodies…combined. "I shall pass your greetings, and your message along. I think you and Kogure would be good friends, you know. Your quite a bit alike, the two of you." Both are gentle, kind, singers - the biggest difference between the two ladies is that Fiore is, as of yet, unmarred by this cruel world. Osho hasn't gotten to her yet.

If I have my way, he never will.

He heads to an abandoned alleyway, not quite the opposite direction of Takamagahara but definitely not heading in that direction, and then feels Osho's control take over fully once more and bring Ruri Kazama out again. His time with Fiore is a welcome miracle, one the likes of which he'd dreamt of for years but gave up hoping for, but one he can never allow the cruel man to learn of.

Its maybe the one other thing both Chime Gen and Ruri Kazama agree on, that Fiore cannot fall into Osho's hands.

"Tell Kogure to meet me in Tokyo." Ruri stares up at that impassive, expressionless mask, and feels dread pool in his stomach at the man's next words.

"Paradisio has been breached. The Devil Colonel is dead. She was fighting Chisei Gen when the Paradisio was overrun."

Its like all the air has suddenly been forced from Kazama's lungs, every bit as bad as if Osho had just punched him in the gut as part of his 'conditioning.' "What?! Why would she stay when-"

Osho dismissively says "Her true identity has been compromised. Hydra would have hunted her down, there was no escape for her. Now that they know Kogure Sakurai is the Devil Colonel, they would try anything to capture her in order to interrogate her and find out as much as they can about us. No Molotov Cocktail could save her. Not when her enemy was Amaterasu no-mikoto."

Ruri feels fury build up in him, at his casual dismissal of Kogure's death, at the revelation that Chisei Gen was Kogure's executioner, at everything, and yells "You really are as cruel as I thought! You let everyone around you die, one by one! And then there's only you left, standing on their bones!"

The horrible man's only reply is "A woman who is blinded by love becomes predictable. When she finds out her love has no hope, she chooses to burn in the fire instead. For only when she's engulfed in flames can she hope to capture your attention. How pitiful."

He leaves at that, leaving Ruri Kazama devastated - Kogure was his oldest friend after he was taken from his family. She was the one that helped him through all those years - they helped each other, really. Supported each other, comforted each other when there was nobody else who would. They'd talk to each other quietly in their 'rooms' across from each other, she'd hum songs and he'd make up words to go with them - anything, they agreed, to not be alone in their miserable suffering.

Did she love him, though? He doesn't know. And now she's gone, and he'll never get the chance to find out.

He starts when he feels slim arms and delicate hands wrap around him, and twists his neck around to see Fiore beside him, concern written all over her face. He turns and buries his face in the side of her neck, unable to care if Osho sees at the moment as he loses his composure altogether.

Luckily, it seems the man is long-gone - which is good, since his eternal headache is easing once more now that Fiore's back. He'd doubtlessly be able to tell, somehow. The monster would probably order him to kill Fiore, as another of his sick tests. If he kills her, he's still in Osho's control - if he doesn't kill her, Osho takes the both of them away to rectify that and start on Fiore.

When he can finally raise his head up to look at her, all he can see is a world of sympathy in her eyes. She quietly asks "She's dead, isn't she? Kogure."

He nods, and says "She is. I just found out. She was the lead singer of Paradisio."

Fiore nods, and says "I bet she was wonderful."

Chime nods, even as one of Fiore's hands slides up to his cheek - somehow, he can feel his pain slipping away. Both his headache and his heartache. Its just something about her, she always makes him feel better.

Eventually, Fiore asks "Chime? Who was that man?"

Chime takes in a deep breath, then says "Nobody you should know, Fiore. Listen to me. If you ever see that man again, I want you to run the other way. As fast as you can. Don't stop until you can't take another step. He's dangerous. He's cold, cruel, and heartless. He cares for nobody but himself, and some days I question if he even has that much in him. If he ever comes looking for you, get out of here. Go back to Cassell College. Disappear for a long while."

Fiore looks at him in shock, asking "What? Chime, what about…"

Chime shakes his head, and says "Its too late for me. He's got his hooks in me far too deep. He hasn't got you, though. You or your sisters. Fiore, if he takes an interest in you…" He shakes his head, and says "I can't let it happen. Promise me, Fiore. Promise me you'll leave if he comes looking for you. You or your sisters."

"Chime-"

"Promise me, Fiore. Please, I can't let him get to you. I can't bear the thought of him getting his hands on you." The very idea sparks an ache in his chest, a strange tightness that has nothing to do with where he is, what he's currently doing or even who he's with. Its almost impossible for him to breathe, during those times, until he reminds himself that Fiore's currently hiding away at Takamagahara and her deadly sister is the Bouncer.

The sheer anguish in those ruby-red eyes has Fiore nearly melting - how can she not promise him when he gives her that look? Especially when she can feel his pain like its her own? "Alright, I promise. I promise we'll be careful, to."

Chime sighs in relief, and says "Thank you, Fiore. You’re a truly unique person, the kind someone meets once in their lives. He cannot get to you. If he did…" He'd destroy you, completely and utterly.

When Fiore gets back, Karen immediately pounces on her and asks "What happened? Did that guy-"

"No, Karen, Chime didn't…he didn't do anything."

Karen drags her to the bar where the others are, asking "Then what happened?! You look like you've seen a ghost." Pale as she naturally is, and eyes wide like she's in shock...something happened, something had to have happened.

Fiore murmurs "Heard one, maybe…" Because that man in the mask, he sounded exactly like Herzog!

Well, almost, anyway. His voice was a bit deeper and gravellier, but still…

Arya sees Fiore's expression, and quickly mixes her a non-alcoholic drink for her. Then, they explain how a group of regulars booked the place for all of tonight…and they're taking the opportunity to blow up Kaguya at Minamoto Heavy Industries.

Fiore blinks, downs her drink, then says "Alright then, lets get going. We're wasting moonlight."

Chapter Text

Everyone but Luminous makes it up to the top floor - Luminous got stuck taking orders from that harsh woman - and Johann's jaw just about drops through the floor at the sight of the murals. Not that anyone blames him, considering the detail that they've got massive dragons on them - what can only be the Light King, the Dark King, etc. Fiore, Tara, Arya, and Johann spread out and start taking pictures, even as they puzzle out the detail that the murals depict the Dark King and the Light King…and that the Murals tell the real history, according to Hydra.

Caesar calls over "Guys, look at this. What is this 'Emperor'? Ever heard of him?"

Johann runs his fingers along the mural, murmuring to himself, then says "According to these murals, the Emperor is a super Hybrid that can ignore the limit of the blood threshold."

Karen says "Okay, so he's the ultimate hybrid. But…who is he?! If its even a 'he' to begin with, how old do you think these are?"

Johann says "The Emperor has the potential to be as powerful as the Dragon Lord. From the moment of birth, they are destined to be the leader of Hydra. The young clan chief…does anyone we know spring to mind?"

Karen simply says "Chisei." Because of course its Chisei Gen. The guy that tried to kill them by drowning, getting ripped to shreds by Dragon Servitors, or getting blown to pieces by the pseudo-nuclear bomb they set off down there. And he's the Emperor...typical. 

Arya asks "What about him?" This really isn't the time to suddenly get a crush on the guy, and Karen's not the type to suddenly gush over someone anyway. So why would she...oh. Oh no.

Karen stresses "Think about it! Everyone called him 'Young Chief' - this mural is talking about Chisei Gen!"

Caesar says "Unbelievable! Anyone who crosses the threshold becomes a Death Servitor!" Which means they're apparently being hunted down by an all-powerful super-Hybrid that can use Blood Rage as much as he wants. Wonderful! As if they weren't in enough trouble already!! Not to mention he's got a literal army at his disposal, what with how organized and expansive Hydra seems to be!!

Arya goes still, then says "Johann, is it just me…or is that character for 'Emperor' hiding something else?"

Johann squints at it, then goes pale and says "'Light' and 'King' are hidden in the character for 'Emperor'." That's...not good. Actually, that's so far past 'not good' that its almost comical. They're so screwed! 

Everyone else pales to about Karen's complexion, and Caesar says "Dammit! These guys are the descendants of the Light King!"

Fiore whispers "All of Hydra are Hybrids…and the Devils must be their castoffs." It puts everything in a whole new light, gives everyone a new perspective - all this time, the Hydras have been saying the Devil Clan is evil…yet, all this time, the Devil Clan are the one's who've been cast out. They probably just banded together to survive being hunted down by Hydra, for mercy's sake!

Johann says "This series of Murals is titled 'The Real Life of the White Emperor' - it tells the history of the Light King. Lets see…the Light King has control over the Spiritual Element, a trait she passed to the Emperor. So, even if the Emperor happens to venture beyond the blood threshold, he will never turn into a Death Servitor."

And that's the exact moment the elevator dings.

Caesar swallows nervously, and says "Someone's coming up. It must be that…humanoid dragon. Johann, Arya, keep taking pictures. Fiore, Tara, you two help. Karen, you and I keep that…keep him busy."

Karen nods, her cyan eyes like ice, and says "Chisei Gen and I are going to have words." None of them have any illusions about those words being nonviolent, Karen's still pissed about being left for dead.

Fiore walks over, saying "Tara's with Arya and Johann. I figure I'd better keep Karen from eviscerating this all-powerful Hybrid on sight. If we're right, he's the only one that can get us out of this mess we somehow ended up in."

Chisei gulps at the sound of those words, even as the elevator door opens - and the look on Karen's face says Fiore's presence is rather necessary for his health to remain even semi-intact. He walks over, keeping his hands away from his katana hilt, only for Karen to march over with a murderous expression and slap him straight across the face. He should probably consider himself lucky she didn't try to impale him...

Caesar smirks as Fiore grabs her sister's wrist and pulls her back, suddenly feeling much more confident after Karen's actions, saying "You sure got here fast, oh mighty dragon hybrid."

Chisei rubs his stinging cheek, then says "You're all still alive, that's good. Hello again, Caesar Gattuso. Fiore. Karen." He uses the excuse of nodding at each of them to take in Karen's new appearance - if she hadn't looked deadly when she got to Japan in her college uniform, she definitely looks so now. Like a graceful and deadly assassin.

Unfortunately, that's all too accurate a description given her skills with her gear.

Karen hisses "Don't you dare-"

Hoping to keep her from deciding to back up her words with her gear, Chisei quickly cuts her off by saying "There's no way for you to leave, the building's in lockdown. Are you going to surrender? Or fight and lose? If it’s the latter, I can't guarantee that your lives will be spared."

Karen bites out "Really? Like you could guarantee that you'd bring us back up?" Chisei takes a step back as she lunges forward, near-screaming "You left us at the bottom of the ocean after you SWORE you'd bring us back up!" Her gear moves in anticipation of spearing her target - him - through the heart, like it too wants to exact punishment for what happened.

As it is, Fiore's the only reason he doesn't actually get impaled through the heart - her other hand lands on Karen's shoulder, pulling her back and away from Chisei. She then starts rubbing circles into the other girl's back, murmuring something he can't catch into Karen's ear as she slowly calms down.

And now, Masamune Tachibana's words come back to him - there were exactly two things he was worried about.

The first was that they have no idea where the King's Blade and the Dragon Lord are.

The second…the four unknown variables that came with the Cassell College Ace team. He seemed particularly scared of Karen, though Chisei has no real idea why that would be. Regardless, he seemed almost petrified of what they might do.

Chisei figures right about now would be an excellent time to start worrying about what the four sisters can do - because, he just now realizes, he's got no idea what it is any of them can do beyond their skills in a fight. What are their Extra Skills? He hasn't asked, but he knows Masamune looked up the Extra Skills of the rest of the team.

Caesar Gattuso has 'Devil Wind'; Johann Chu has 'Royal Fire'; and Luminous has an undefined skill that was unregistered.

There was no mention of the rest of them, however, other than enrollment status and grades - stellar grades, at that. Even Tara, an eight-year-old was enrolled in a college and is getting straight A's.

Caesar smirks at him, and says "Seems even an Emperor can be taught a lesson. They do say the woman is the stronger of the species." And he's willing to pay good money to see Karen kick Chisei Gen's butt right now.

Chisei says "I can only apologize for the events of Sumeru Throne, it was never my intention for things to go as they did." He figures ignoring his pride for the time being is the safest option. He likes being alive, after all. 

Karen hisses "So why, exactly, have we been branded criminals?!" She's looking less murderous now than just moments before, but she still looks furious. 

Chisei winces, and says "That was not my doing, nor was it ever my intention. Some of the older among the Clan Chiefs are wary of outsiders, and they saw what happened as something of a declaration of war. Masamune Tachibana-"

Karen hisses "You’re the leader of Hydra, your Emperor-ness. Or did you forget that at some point? Why, exactly, can't you call them off?!" Seems pretty simple to her, either he's their leader and they follow his orders, or he's not. So which is it?

Chisei winces once more, her biting tone made all the sharper by the detail that she's got a point, then says "I made a mistake, its true. I've made many mistakes in my time. And now, I have to keep making them, no matter how much I do not wish to."

Karen yells "So don't make them! Think of some other way! You’re the leader of the Hydras, not the other way around!"

Chisei sighs regretfully, shaking his head and saying "We are at an impasse in terms of our beliefs…and position. There is only one way out."

Karen all but growls, then says "Alright, then. You and me, your Emperor-ness. One on one. Caesar, Fiore, stand way the hell back."

Caesar gulps and backs away slowly, and Fiore says "Be careful, sis. Your both strong, remember?" And they aren't really sure how the four of them are so strong and stable - the strength wasn't that hard to figure out, what with the detail that they became Hybrids the old-fashioned way. Sort of. The stability, though, is the big question - none of the three older sisters have any idea whatsoever, they didn't do anything in particular, they just...stabilized. According to everyone, it shouldn't have been possible...and yet, here they are, proof to the contrary.

Karen nods as Fiore's hands fall away, and Chisei notices she starts getting angrier that same instant. As if Fiore's touch was the only thing holding back her hurt and betrayed feelings. It might actually have been, she seems to have that effect on everything and everyone around her now that he thinks about it.

They circle each other, and Chisei takes the moment to examine the transformation she's undergone in more detail - gone is the purple Kimono, a form-fitting black outfit that hugs her curves and shows just enough of her legs to make even him start fantasizing in its place. And his mind is usually so focused on his duty that he doesn't spare any thought to much else. Her hair is still the same, though, doing nothing to conceal her angry scowl, or the death glare she's giving him.

He quickly wishes he'd gotten Caesar as his opponent, as Caesar clearly doesn't feel half as betrayed as Karen does - plus, he fights from a distance, so it wouldn't be that hard to avoid his attacks.

Karen's doing that intricate, deadly dance of hers around him, always moving and fighting - and always just to the side of where he strikes. Its frustrating, alarming, and rather painful all told.

Soon enough, his Katana is knocked out of his hands and his feet swept out from under him. He lands on his behind, only to have to tip his head up so as not to get his chin sliced open by a blade of Karen's gear.

Caesar smirks, even as Fiore and Arya pull Karen back so she doesn't impale him on the spot, and asks "You never thought you could be dethroned like this, did you? Mr. Chisei Gen, the great super hybrid…"

Johann quietly says "Lets get out of here first." They've got all the pictures, even though Tara seemed more interested in the murals themselves...and she didn't think they were true, from the way she scoffed at some of them. 

Caesar nods, and says "Yes, of course. Get rid of the lock, Chisei, and take us to the main server room."

Chisei shakes his head, saying "I cannot. You wouldn't be able to enter even if I could end the lockdown, I don't have permission to enter the main computer room. Mr. Tachibana holds both the key and code."

Karen hums, then asks "And who is this Tachibana, anyway? Because, something about him…we've met him from somewhere. But I don't know where!" And that's to say nothing of the detail that Chisei's sounding more and more like a puppet and this Tachibana's pulling the strings as he keeps talking. Tachibana ordered him away, Tachibana had them branded as fugitives, Tachibana holds all access to the server and controls the building. 

Chisei shakes his head at once and says "That's impossible. He's been in Japan for the past twenty years. And your…what, eighteen?"

Fiore says "Not important. Karen, where would we have met him?"

Arya holsters her guns for the moment, and says "I can only think of one place. Black Swan Bay. Hear me out, girls. Things just aren't adding up about what happened! Herzog and Bondarev destroyed the place, yeah, but…after that? The Black Swan was in that underwater city long enough to sprout coral and seaweed, how is that possible? And then…"

Chisei asks "The Black Swan?"

Tara nods, and says "The ship that supplied the Orphanage, up in Siberia. We found it in Takamagahara, the Dragon's City, with the Embryo attached to it. Which shouldn't have been possible, since we saw it out on the Bay just hours before we had to run for our lives."

Karen nods, and says "Right, and there's another thing. It would take years, decades even, for an Embryo to form and be close to hatching. We know Herzog had a perfectly-preserved dragon corpse in his lab in the Orphanage, but it would take so long for the essence to turn into a new Embryo…and how would it have even gotten all the way from Siberia to here with nobody noticing? Its like we're missing several pieces to this puzzle, and its driving me crazy trying to put them together!"

And then they hear the sounds of growling and snarling coming from the elevator shaft, claws scraping on metal.

Karen curses as she readies her gear, and Arya types a few things into her holographic screen then yells "Death Servitors, coming up! Literally!"

Chapter Text

They get a small reprieve after Arya uses her hi-tech mechanical orb floating near her head to weld the elevator shaft together, making it so that the Servitors will have to break down the doors, and all of them huddle together to try and make a plan of some sort - even Chisei, as they currently have a common enemy that won't care who's on which side as they get torn apart.

Chisei says they need to work together, and tells them that he knows he's not a good man, he'd have them surrounded in an instant because its what he has to do for his people…and he refuses to leave, so they'd better at least leave him his katana so he can fight until his last breath.

Karen crosses her arms, and says "Tempting as that last one sounds, nobody's getting left behind. We need a plan, people. Not a sacrifice. What can we do to hurt them all at once?"

Chisei asks "I see you brought explosives, how much is left?"

Arya says "Fifteen pounds, but it won't do much good. Neither my bullets or Johann's Royal Fire did much of anything against those things last time. Short of blowing this entire room to smithereens…" They're completely screwed, there won't be some miracle-abilities popping up out of thin air to save them this time like at Black Swan Bay. They don't want to reveal Karen's Extra Skill to Chisei unless there's no other option - they could end up with even bigger problems on their hands, the four sisters captured and turned into weapons at best, and experimented on at worst.

Chisei nods, and says "They are resistant to shockwaves, but if we set this whole place on fire, the fat content in their bodies will explode. The Hall of Murals is an enclosed space. We can set the fire here and take the elevator down before the explosion is live. The Death Servitors won't survive."

Caesar grins, and says "The High Patriarch is about to commit arson in his own home? I'm honored to be of assistance." This is irony of the most delicious sort, he'd be cackling like a madman if the circumstances were any less serious.

Karen smirks, then says "I can hold those things off for a bit, give you lot time to set up the explosives." Judgement. or no Judgement, she's the most deadly of the lot of them and everyone knows it.

Chisei nods, then says "I shall help. We'll have an easier time burning them all if they're gathered together. They're attracted to my blood, so I'll be the bait." If he's going to die today, and there's a very real chance he will considering the beat-down Karen gave him earlier, then he's going to die with his katana in hand.

Karen shakes her head at once, saying "Not a chance, Chisei Gen. Like I said, no sacrifices. They want your blood? Fine. Shirt off, now."

Chisei blinks, then asks "What? Come again?" Much as he's not opposed to a beautiful woman undressing him…this is not the time.

He catches her wrist before she can latch onto his shirt, and Karen says "You just said they want your blood. Lets give them something covered with it. Your shirt, for instance. Fiore can heal you."

Chisei shakes his head, saying "No, there's no time…"

Karen just makes a sound of utter disgust in the back of her throat, then turns and slices open her new target's throat with one of the blades of her gear - shocking everyone into action, as the Death Servitors break into the room and come running full-speed towards them. The next thing either Chisei or Karen knows, aside from the detail that they're fighting back-to-back, is that the room is on fire.

The others notice the Death Servitors are all on their knees around Karen and Chisei, and Johann identifies it as Chisei's Extra Skill - Sovereignty. Chisei manipulates gravity so that everyone but those he designates is crushed to death around him. Presumably, he's keeping them down while Karen kills them.

Chisei looks up, sees them coming, then rasps out "Go…go now…" Using his Extra Skill while this injured was...not smart, really not smart, but he didn't see much choice in the matter.

Caesar says "He can't resist any longer! Take this guy and run! We'll hold them off!"

Karen practically drags Chisei over to the elevator, even as the others get over there, and Caesar says "The Death Servitors are after Chisei Gen's blood! We need to…I don't know, burn his clothes or something."

Karen gets an idea, and says "Or something. Chisei, remember what we talked about earlier?" This time, he's too weak from bloodloss to stop her - damn his stubbornness.

Chisei blinks, then Karen's grabbing at his Kimono and taking it off. Then soaking as much blood up with it as possible. Then saying "Fiore, make him stop bleeding please. Arya?"

Arya grins, and says "I'll hold them off. Everyone hang onto something." And then she's holding her hands out, putting them together…and a cyclone is forming, sweeping up everything in the room. Mostly Death Servitors, thankfully. When she looks back, she sees everyone's expressions and asks "What?"

Caesar asks "How in the world…?" He can control the wind, somewhat, with Wind Devil...but not to that extent. Not to making a full-blown cyclone, no pun intended.

Arya says "Not much time to explain, but that's what I can do. I'll talk more about it later."

Johann is practically drooling, much to Caesar's amusement…right up until more Death Servitors show up, breaking through the floor and walls. Johann groans, then says "Caesar, you went back into the trench first last time. Now its my turn, I'll hold them off. Give me a signal when the elevator arrives, I'll get out as quickly as I can."

Once Johann runs off, Caesar groans and rubs his temples. "You've gotta be kidding…"

Chisei coughs, and says "I've looked you and Johann Chu up. At the College, you two are rivals."

Caesar crosses his arms, and says "That guy is so annoying. He may appear easygoing, but he's actually extremely stubborn. Once he makes up his mind, there's no changing it! That's exactly the kind of person I hate most."

Tara snorts in a very un-child-like manner, and says "Because your one of them. When you two butt heads, its like two bulls charging each other and locking horns. Neither willing to back down."

Caesar chuckles, and says "I guess that's why we ended up as opponents."

Arya grins, and says "Some rivalry. You two don't hate each other, you just can't get along unless its to save your lives."

Arya sends the signal when there's two floors left, shooting a beam of light from her gun into the air, but Johann's not back when it arrives. Caesar asks "Why isn't he back? He must've gotten swarmed by the Death Eaters. He can't deal with them all on his own, we have to rescue him!"

Chisei coughs and says "Its too late. The explosion is about to go off. We can't save him…you can't get him back from a group of death servitors."

Caesar growls out "If my friend can't leave, you won't be allowed to leave either!"

"On the battlefield, everyone is expendable! Its your duty as team leader to make sure as many people survive as possible!"

Karen snaps "Alright, enough arguing! Here's what we're going to do! I'll kill them, and Arya will get Johann! End of story!" If she's got to reveal the detail that she can kill everyone around her with a single word, so be it!

Arya nods, then says "Here, Merry Christmas! Found it and thought you'd like it!"

Chisei gasps when he recognizes Erii's katana as Arya tosses it to Karen, but she's gone before he can ask where she got it. Via flying, no less.

And then he's stunned speechless when Karen holds the sword up…then does something he's only ever seen Erii do before. She opens her mouth…and speaks Draconic. And then all the weaker Servitors just die on the spot, while Karen eviscerates the larger ones. "Judgement. She has Judgement." Looks like Masamune Tachibana was absolutely right to fear these four. Karen, at the very least. Almost as if…no, its not possible.

How in the world would Masamune Tachibana know of Karen's Extra Skill, when they've been careful not to reveal it until now?

Caesar smirks, then says "Gave everyone but her sisters quite the shock when she used it to defeat a simulation one day. You can see why she's S-Ranked. Arya to."

Chisei curiously asks "And Fiore and Tara?" They don't seem very inclined for a fight, but who knows what they can do if Arya has full control over the wind and Karen has Judgement?

Luminous shrugs, and says "We don't know. But its their answer to share or not." And none of them are stupid enough to push it.

Fiore murmurs "Better not let you bleed out while Karen's killing all these things." As soon as she grabs Chisei's shoulder, he can instantly breathe easier - his body wasn't aching as bad when she moved closer, but physical contact with her eased all his pains - physical and otherwise.

The brunette doesn't realize he's gaping at her until Tara says "Two things, big-shot. One, you like Karen. Two, Fiore's taken. I'd shut that trap before Karen and Fiore's mystery Chime shut it for you." His brain latches onto that last little bit, if only to avoid dealing with Tara's assumption that he likes Karen - the bit about a name he hasn't had to hear for years. About a decade and a half, actually.

Chime…his younger twin brother by only twenty minutes or so.

Chime…who was taken away because his bloodline was unstable.

Chime's met the team from Cassell College?!

Chime likes Fiore?!?!

His world has probably just gotten turned upside-down, and by a mere child no less.

Arya gets back with Johann in tow, who's looking like he might barf from the speed they were moving at. And that's when the explosion hits, knocking everyone out. Both out of consciousness…and literally out of the building.

Chapter Text

Fiore sits up with a groan, and mutters "Gotta stop waking up like this…" Her head's pounding, but it fades after a few seconds of concentration with her own Extra Skill, thankfully. 

And then Arya jumps down from a nearby tree, and says "Thank goodness I found you. Good news, Karen and Luminous have Tara. More good news, I went to scout ahead for you, since his GPS app was leading us right to you, so they're headed this way. Bad news…we're still in Minamoto Heavy Industries, Caesar and Johann are nowhere to be seen…and we've got no idea where to go now except for where the GPS takes us. Luminous keeps talking about a deal he made with a 'little devil' and said he'd explain after we got to safety." ANd, to be honest, it's freaking everyone out. Tara, especially, seems on edge - not that anyone can blame her, given the circumstances.

Fiore blinks, then asks "Is anyone hurt? Are you guys all alright?"

Arya nods, and says "We're all fine. Other than a few bumps and bruises - not really sure how, honestly. Luminous said it was probably 'that little devil's work' when I asked if he had any ideas."

Tara jumps Fiore in a hug maybe a second later, and Karen breathes out a sigh of relief and says "Glad you made it, sis. I don’t have a clue how we got down here, though. Neither does Arya. Though, Luminous seems to know more than he's letting on…and to be stronger than he's letting on to. Something about a deal he made."

They get to a place called Tsukyomi Kinsyo, only to get locked in as soon as the door closes. Locked in with Death Servitors.

Luminous starts freaking out, saying he shouldn't have trusted that 'little devil' and he just likes to screw him over. Tara stares at him for a moment, head cocked as if she's in thought, but doesn't say anything for the moment.

Arya says "When we get out of here, you're so explaining all that to us. You know that, right?" Luminous nods his head, all the while swearing to never trust his 'brother' again. 

After the Servitors are all killed, and Fiore manages to talk Luminous down some, they keep following the navigation system since this devil can't do anything too terrible since whatever deal Luminous made is still in effect. According to Luminous, anyway.

Only to find Erii Uesugi bathing in a rock pool. Stark naked, at that.

Luminous instantly turns a brilliant red, and ducks behind a rock while Karen snickers at his predicament. He glares at her, only to get a chuckle and "What? You've gotten used to it, Luminous. Don't act like you haven't."

Tara tugs on Fiore's Kimono, and they all turn around to see Erii standing there staring at the youngest member of the group curiously.

Karen says "Uh, this might be yours…" and hands over the katana.

Luminous is carrying Erii's toy chest, grumbling a bit to himself - apparently, his 'brother' wants him to make off with Hydra's living superweapon! Like a quieter, softer version of Karen, really - Erii won't say much of anything, usually writing on her notebook, but Karen says its because both their voices can literally kill people.

Its what they think happened at Black Swan Bay Orphanage - Karen opened her mouth to give Commissioner Bondarev a piece of her mind, and she doesn't actually remember anything else after that. Though, they think she killed him but aren't entirely sure since none of them actually remember it happening.

Karen can fully control her Talent now, though - Erii, it seems, cannot. It also appears she's never once seen the outside world, as she stops and stares at just about everything. Passing cars, electronic advertisements, a person walking their dog, everything.

Eventually, Luminous checks them into  hotel - pulling money out of nowhere, seems that's another of his 'useless' skills - only to seem completely exhausted. Emotionally as well as physically.

Erii writes that she's going to take another bath and heads in before anyone can even acknowledge it, which seems to be the last straw for Luminous. He sits down in front of a window, and just stares out it forlornly.

Fiore sits down, takes his hand in hers, and he starts practically pouring his heart out about how he never meant to fall for NoNo, and how she would say 'look at you' in apparent disgust or some such, and how he doesn't know if he'll ever fall for anyone else.

Fiore says "Hey. Remember what I said on the plane here? There's someone out there, waiting for you. You'll find her, Luminous." Deciding a change of topic is in order, she smiles at him and says "If you tell me your skill, I'll tell you mine."

Luminous nods, even as Arya says "You did kinda say you'd explain."

Yes, yes he did. Luminous runs a hand through his hair, saying "Alright, then. Yeah, I did. So, my Extra Skill…its complicated. You saw how I can make money out of thin air. And something I've never found anyone else with…I can survive just about anything. Recover from anything in a matter of minutes. Its how I woke up before Aniki and Killboy on the last two SS missions. I can also make people unable to use their powers, though I don't use that one much. As for the deal I made with that little devil…that's the biggest one. He calls himself my brother, but I'm an only child. I don't know who, or even what he is.:

Luminous sighs, running a hand through his hair as he glances out the window, and continues "Anyway, he can do all this crazy stuff, he controls a dream world for one. Or he visits in my dreams and completely screws with my head in them. He can also mess with bloodlines, specifically their purity. Apparently, it makes people stronger or weaker, depending on what he does. As to the deal…the last two SS missions, I traded a quarter of my life to him to kill the creatures. This time, I refused, so he gave me what he called an early birthday present…the code for Momotaro. And then, we struck a deal between the explosion and me waking up with that GPS app on my phone. It wasn't for one quarter of my life, but he said I had to trust him. In return, he'd lead me to you four and get us out of danger for the time being. Then I woke up, the app popped up on my phone, and you know the rest." He also said he'd make his brother happy, lead him to the woman of his dreams, but all he did was lead him to Erii Uesugi. And that was just depressing as hell.

Arya says "Our turn, then, right?" Karen just shrugs, not particularly caring either way - they already know her Skill, after all.

Luminous nods, and says "Yeah. Your turn."

Fiore says "I'll go first, then. I can heal people. You know that, that's what we've been saying all this time. The thing is, I can heal…well, anything. Any kind of pain, be it physical or otherwise. And how much I can heal how fast depends on a few things. Physical contact, for one - if I'm just in the room, or we're having a conversation for instance, then its not as pronounced. Most people tend to put it down to my compassionate personality, the easing of their pains when I talk to them. But when I'm in physical contact with them, its much more noticeable. And when I actively focus on what's hurting someone, its even stronger. It also makes me something of an empath, I can actually tell when someone's hurting and how. Why, not so much, but definitely how. Arya?"

Arya grins, and says "Me, I can control the air. Its S-Ranked for a reason. It's how I got to Paradisio, for instance." She flew there, she loves flying. She can also make a tornado out of thin air - she can't make a thunderstorm or anything, since that's not just air, but she can 

Karen grins almost ferally, and says "You already know what I can do. I can kill anything, or anyone, with a single word. Luckily, I've got control over my speech these days. So I don't accidentally kill everyone around me. I actually feel bad for Erii in there, nobody ever taught her how to control her skill. We know how rough that is."

Luminous nervously asks "And…Tara?" Call him crazy, but he's seen how protective all three of them are about her. Karen would kill someone that tried anything with her, Arya would hide the body, and Fiore would be making sure Tara was alright as they did.

All three share concerned looks, and then Fiore nods her head. Both Arya and Karen sigh and seem to relax - or give in, Luminous can't really tell which. Fiore slowly says "We've always said Tara's special. And she is. We honestly don't know why we have such an array of gifts. Perhaps the raw dragon blood, even if it was diluted, took a sort of path of least resistance and developed powers based on our personalities. And children…they've got such potential…" They don't know, they've never known. Karen, ever the fighter, got the deadliest Skill possible; Fiore, the one that patched everyone up, gained the ability to do so in mere moments; and Arya, the most athletic of them all, got the ability to travel anywhere if she so desired, use the wind to speed herself up, etc. Pure luck is next to impossible for all of them.

Fiore looks at Tara, and quietly says "She can change bloodlines to. Like your 'devil' as you put it. But, instead of affecting purity…she affects stability. Theoretically, she could solve the Devil Clans' problems. Stabilize their bloodlines, make it easier for them to control and use their gifts. Make it so nobody had to suffer Akira Sakurai's fate again."

Karen adds "We think she's how we're stabilized, but we're not sure. Things aren't adding up, so it makes it hard to tell for sure."

Luminous gapes at her, then says "That's…incredible. Really, you four are simply incredible!"

Arya looks at the watch on her wrist, then says "We've got to get back to Takamagahara, the others are probably there already. And we don't have that much time left before the clients have used up theirs." As the four of them leave, Luminous can literally feel his loneliness crashing back down on him - how did he not notice Fiore's gift earlier? She's simply incredible.

No wonder she's S-Ranked.

Before she leaves, though, Tara glances back at him and asks "Luminous?"

"Yeah?"

"What's your 'devil's' name? You didn't say." Please, please let me be wrong...

Luminous says "He calls himself Ming-Z-Lu. He looks…thirteen or fourteen, I guess, and he's kind of a sadist."

Tara just hums, and says "I see." For just a moment, Luminous could swear she looks older than she actually is, a lot older than eight years old. And then Arya calls her name, and the moment's gone.

Tara follows her adopted sisters out, mind whirling at the revelation of Luminous' 'little devil' - it can't be, it simply can't. He only ever cared about himself, he wouldn't help anyone else. Especially not a human, even if that human is an extremely-powerful Hybrid. He tried to kill her, after all - after saying he'd treat her as an equal. She was so sure, when she woke up in Black Swan Bay, that all this was just another part of his cruel punishment…but she's not so sure now.

He must not know it's me, he must've lost track of me or something...

Who is she kidding? He never lost track of her, ever. Bar the two times she snuck out - once was because she was bored and lonely, and those she spoke to were punished in her stead as her punishment. The second time was when she went to the humans all those centuries ago...

It's not him, it can't be him. He'd never stoop so low, and he'll never forgive my betrayal...

Chapter Text

Caesar and Johann are tense as bowstrings, talking with a man calling himself Ruri Kazama - the famous Kabuki actor…and a high-ranking member of the Devil Clan, apparently. The Dragon Lord, in fact. The second-in-command, just under the King's Blade. Also, Chisei Gen's younger brother.

That, out of all of what he said, is what troubles them both the most.

And he seems to know it, and be annoyed by it.

Kazama waves his hand carelessly, saying "Oh, relax. I'm not much like my important older brother. I shared Akira Sakurai's fate, before he was executed. Taken from my family, put into isolation for something I held no control over…and then far worse."

Johann relaxes some, and asks "So, what are you doing here?"

"Partly, I'm here to visit a dear friend of mine. I've lost many friends over the years, but she…she cannot follow that fate. For she is truly an angel among mere mortals such as us, and the world would hardly be worth living in if she were to leave it."

Caesar rolls his eyes and crosses his arms, while Johann asks "And the other part?"

Kazama chuckles, and says "Observant as I thought, Ukyou. Another of my reasons for coming here was to extend an invitation to my Kabuki performance tomorrow night. For you, my friend, and her sisters."

That'd be when they hear a disturbance at the door, and Karen's voice says "You lot know me, I'm the bouncer here. Let us in, or it'll be your ar- fine, Angel, behinds getting kicked to the curb." There's a child-like giggle, and then 'Karina' comes stalking in angrily. 'Ariana' comes in moments after, and Johann fully relaxes now.

Its when 'Angel' comes in that Caesar and Johann get a clue as to who Ruri Kazama's 'friend' is - Fiore. No wonder he described his friend as an 'angel among mortals' - he's not wrong, really.

Karen stalks over, crosses her arms, and asks "Who's he? Can't say I recognize him." Bar him being the guy that Fiore was with when she got such a scare. She feels like she should know him from somewhere, but she can't place where. The white hair is definitely familiar...but everyone seems to have crazy hair colors ever since they woke up at Cassell College - hell, Fiore and Tara's hairs are both pink! 

Fiore's the one that answers, though, as she exclaims "Chime!!" The smile she gets should actually split her face open, and she looks like she's one second from wrapping her arms around him in a hug.

Arya grins, and asks "Oh, this is the mysterious Chime who 'just liked your guitar playing' huh?" That grin of hers gets even bigger, and she says "Now I get why you blushed, sis." And now she gets what he meant when he said something else draws him to Takamagahara.

Karen, however, gives Kazama - or Chime, whichever his name actually is - a shocked and horrified look, and says "I've seen you before, in the park-"

Kazama nods, and says "Yes, I anticipated some such reunion between us. Truth be told, I expected him to attack me." He hadn't thought, back then, that the mysterious bystanders would end up being so important when he first let Chisei know he's alive and free...but he's not complaining either. Especially since it gave him such a perfect opening to really meet Fiore.

Karen crosses her arms, and says "Your like us, then."

"I am. You've been burned by Hydra, as well." He tried to warn them to be careful of Hydra, but some things just need to be learned on their own. Besides, Ruri Kazama points out, it undoubtedly made them much more willing to listen.

Caesar crosses his arms, then asks "You do realize he's the Dragon Lord of the Devil Clan, right Fiore?"

Fiore blinks, then slowly says "I'd found out he was part of them just before coming back and getting told we were going to blow up Kaguya…" She hadn't known he was the second-in-command, though. But, given what happened right before they went to go blow up Kaguya, she's willing to bet it isn't by choice.

Karen facepalms at once, and says "You and your bleeding heart, Fiore. I swear, your going to get yourself hurt in a way you won't be able to heal so easily one of these days."

Johann asks "So why did Fiore call you Chime all this time?"

The white-haired Devil sighs, then quietly says "I'd thought that child long-dead, but Fiore here brings some spark of the old Chime back to life somehow. Bring him out. I dare not say more, though. And I have to leave, soon." He walks over to Fiore, takes her hand in his - and his posture instantly relaxes, like Fiore has a physical effect on him, and Karen and Arya both trade mixed looks of surprise and worry at that - and he says "I'd be both honored and delighted if you'd come to my performance tomorrow night. I'd love to see you on the stage." After he leaves, leaving a practically glowing Fiore behind after she walked him out and they spoke for a minute - he asked her to call him Kazama or Chime, not his full stage name, something she's sure nobody else gets to do - Arya explains where they were, and why they were held up.

Caesar's utterly amazed at the recounting, but can only shake his head and says "Only Luminous! Its like I've said before. Never look down on Luminous, because you'll never know how much he'll surprise you."

Johann says that Erii's mental state seems to be that of a young child, as she appears to be cognitively impaired due to not having experienced any of the outside world before now. As such…she's a bit of a time bomb, but only if threatened…and Luminous seems to be the only person she trusts. So, lucky Luminous, he gets to take care of her.

Fiore glances at Arya and Karen, and is relieved to see she's not the only one with a completely blank stare. Finally, Arya clears her throat and asks "Come again? You want us to get Erii Uesugi and Luminous to…fall for each other?"

The woman - Mai, she called herself - nods, and says "Indeed. Arrangements have already been made. You have one week, and then a wedding will be held at the end of that time." She can only hope her boss knows what he's doing - this was sprung on her rather suddenly, and it's taken a day just to get everything together

Things take a turn for the even stranger - and that's really saying something at this point - when this Mai Sakatoku says Luminous has had his memory erased and all this is for a reality tv show. According to her, Luminous and Erii are two everyday people featured on the tv show - none of the sisters know if Luminous has actually had his memory wiped, or if that's just a cover so the ordinary people don't freak out.

Either way…the group of them seem more like babysitters than 'strategists' to engineer a perfect love. They can only hope the bit about the memories was just for the show, and not actually real - because the 'specialists' are talking about a bride and groom that sound exactly like the Erii and Luminous the four of them left at the hotel earlier.

When they get back to the hotel, Luminous still has his memories - thankfully.

Unfortunately, he's scared stiff of Erii - calls her a monster and everything.

He agrees at once to take her somewhere fun, though - he doesn't want to do anything to anger her, for fear she'll kill him in a fit of rage.

Fiore lets out a soft sigh, and sits down next to Luminous saying "Listen, Luminous. She's not a monster. She's dangerous, yes, but we all are. Hydra kept her imprisoned in that old house because they were afraid she'd lose it. They never let her experience anything, resulting in her current state. Right now, she's only got you. She trusts you, Luminous. Trusts you to take care of her, actually take care of her." She cracks a grin and nudges Luminous in the side, saying "Who knows, maybe you'll fall for her. You seem to have a thing for hot, powerful ladies, after all."

Luminous blushes, then grins and says "Yeah, right. I never planned on falling for NoNo, what makes you think I'll fall for her?"

Fiore's smile slowly disappears, and she softly says "Call it a hunch. Who knows, Erii may well surprise you, Luminous."

Luminous just chuckles, not saying anything. Right up until he asks someone to go get some hot milk for Erii, since it helps her sleep.

Karen and Arya head out, since Fiore's the one best suited for talking Luminous out of his fear.

Only to come back with hot milk and news of a bounty for Erii of one million yen.

Luminous groans, then says "We're going to need a makeover, at least the Princess and I. Don't salons do wonders these days? Get a fringe, your hair dyed, and some new clothes, and you'll be completely unrecognizable! Right?"

Arya grins, then says "Totally. Don't ask us to do anything other than Hair dye, though. None of us have ever cut hair, or even used hair dye really."

Tara looks out the window, then points and says "There's that moving candy cane that means people will do stuff like that! Right down there!"

Fiore looks over, then grins and says "Problem solved. We can sneak Erii in, get her a new look, and then at least we can go shopping. You think Erii will fit in some of my clothes?"

Unfortunately, Erii refuses to wear anything but her own clothes. After thirty minutes of showing off different clothes, she won't even touch a single one of Fiore's outfits.

They don't push the issue, just get her as quickly as possible to the Barber early the next morning. They get her a new haircut, short and ending around her chin, and a new hair color - it turns her hair from hot orange to a light pink color…and she's almost unrecognizable already, except for the clothes.

Arya types a few messages into the comm device Enxi gave them before they went to get back to Luminous and Erii, then asks "Hey, who's up for some new clothes? I heard the shopping mall nearby is having a massive sale!"

Luminous blinks, then asks "What? Yeah…" He whispers "She will stick out like a sore thumb like this, new haircut or no…but I can't pick out girls' clothes! What if she doesn't like it and explodes in anger?"

Fiore grins, and says "That's where I come in. I'm good at this kind of stuff."

Karen snorts, and adds "Yeah. Superstar in the making, that's you. I'll play bodyguard for her, and you, Arya, and Tara can give opinions. Alright?"

Tara nods, and cheers "Sounds like fun!" Alright, this can't be him, it's impossible. He wouldn't want anything to do with clothes shopping...and he most certainly wouldn't help me, either half of me. There's no way he could miss it, either. 

They aren't out of the barber shop five minutes when they get noticed by hoodlums - the new haircut is great, but if Erii's still in the outfit all of Hydra knows her by… Luminous sees a cab, and he and Erii get in.

Karen says "I'll go with, keep you two safe. Arya can get to this mall in minutes, and Fiore and Tara can use the school bike. You two have helmets, right?"

Fiore glances down at Tara, who's nodding her head and saying "We keep 'em with the bikes, Karen!"

Arya says "Go, we'll meet you there! Go, go!"

Chapter Text

Luminous lets out a relieved sigh when Fiore and Tara ride up on a school bike - Karen's been pacing anxiously, and its making him nervous. Arya jumps down from a rooftop - seriously, how does she do that?! - and then Karen stops pacing and visibly relaxes while breathing out a sigh of relief. And, Luminous suspects, she gladly accepts the excuse of Fiore hugging her to do so back - she only seems cold and harsh until you get to know her. Then you see she does care for those she likes - and very willing to kill anything and anyone she deems a threat to them.

As it turns out, Arya was right about the sale - everything's 90% off! Luminous grins, and says "Its our lucky day!" Because making money is draining.

Fiore grins, then grabs several outfits the Boutique assistant recommends and gestures for Erii to follow her into the dressing room. 

When Erii comes out, Arya and Tara clap, and Luminous just stares at Erii like he can't quite believe his eyes. Arya realizes he's zoned out, though, when he breathes out "NoNo…" Karen sharply elbows him in the side, making him wince and rub at his ribs - it worked, though, he's not thinking of NoNo any longer.

Once Erii picks out an outfit, Arya checks the comm device and asks "Do you two want to come with us? Ruri Kazama's doing a Kabuki performance, and it could be fun. He stopped by the club and gave us invitations."

Luminous shakes his head, saying "You go on. I'll keep the Princess company while you're gone. Have fun, Fiore looks excited about it." If the way she keeps glancing at the clock on the wall is anything to go by, at least.

The four sisters get outside the Kabuki studio, and find Caesar and Johann waiting. Caesar hums, then says "Fiore, you seem to have a profound effect on Ruri Kazama. His entire personality, from mannerisms to posture, changed the instant you came near him. I'm not sure why, even aside from the obvious, though."

All four sisters exchange glances - what, exactly, is the obvious? His feelings for Fiore, or how he's so clearly been hurt if she's having that big an effect on him before she can even touch him?

"At any rate, he said he'd wait to explain himself for when you arrived. I get the feeling it'll be after the performance, though."

Surprisingly enough, they get box seats with a fantastic view - and Fiore instantly picks Chime out of the actors, even with the masks and costumes, nobody else she knows has snowy white hair like his.

Chime glances up during his performance when he feels his body suddenly stop aching mid-performance, and sees a familiar - and oh so missed - head of hot pink hair with a single white streak in it.

Fiore's here, fantastic. And, from her expression, she's completely taken by the performance. I won't say I'm not a little proud of that. We did spend countless hours working on it, after all.

Luckily, the Kabuki mask covers Chime's grimace as Kazama makes himself known - he can't lose control right now, he can't.

Relax, little Chime. Perhaps I just wanted to enjoy her company as well.

You won't hurt her? Fiore, her sisters, any of them?

Fiore is not only the most incredibly kind person we've come across, she's also our only chance at freedom from Osho. You may not trust me, but trust that I hate Osho just as much as you. And that I want our freedom, and revenge, just like you.

I don't want revenge, Kazama...

Would you kill Osho to ensure Fiore is safe from him? If so, it matters little in the end.

Chime doesn't respond, and Kazama seems content to stay in the background.

It's after the performance that they meet him backstage, and Johann asks "Who are you, really? Chisei Gen's younger brother? A Devil leader? A famous Kabuki actor? Or Japan's greatest host?"

Chime sighs softly, and says "If I had a choice, I'd be either a Kabuki actor or a host. As it is, I've never had any choice. I was born into the wrong family. My existence is flawed, according to everyone else."

Fiore's breath hitches, and she looks like she's about to deny that - but the sheer amount of pain in her expression makes him blink in shock. It looks very much like the world of pain he's opening himself up to by speaking of this. And Kazama's commentary of 'shut up, Chime, it's done and over with' isn't helping matters. 

Karen's looking at him with assessing eyes - not wary, does she know what's going on? - while Tara's hugging Fiore's legs and Arya puts a hand on Fiore's shoulder while giving him equally-strange looks. Neither Caesar nor Johann seem to know what's going on, though.

Chime half-rises, asking "Fiore?"

She just shakes her head, quietly saying "No, no you're not flawed, Chime. It's this system and their ways that are so screwed up…" And then Fiore has to swallow several times, looking very much like she's about to burst into sobbing right then and there.

Johann asks "You’re a Devil?" As if they don't already know. Considerate of them, he supposes.

Kazama surfaces, pseudo-casually saying "According to the Secret Society's Abraham Indenture, I'm the kind of dangerous element that should be eliminated from human society." In other words, a monster. Luckily, he doesn't much care.

Chime had thought he'd accepted that years ago, as more pain overshadowed his family's rejection of him - Kazama just plans on killing Chisei for his betrayal - but speaking of it out loud seems to rip the old wound open. Though, the pain seems to dull some as Fiore moves closer, a fresh look of aching on her face. He wants to make that look disappear, Kazama having several ideas for how to do so, but he isn't even sure if its caused by his words alone or something more.

Johann breaks his thoughts by asking "Yet you wanted to see us?"

Kazama nods, then asks "Did you enjoy my performance tonight?"

Fiore nods, and Johann says "There is - or was - a whole floor of Minamoto Heavy Industries that contains a lot of ancient murals. Your new story is based on those. I take it you know those murals." It isn't phrased as a question, and Kazama nods his head.

"Of course. I'm the second son. Before I was judged to be a Devil, I too saw the murals and listened to the priest's reading. You remember it. That huge mural painted in gold. A pattern of a skeleton, and a human figure. The skeleton is handing a bone to the human."

Johann nods and crosses his arms, saying "That painting is very peculiar. You'd definitely remember it if you saw it."

Chime nods, having resurfaced now that conversation has moved to a safer topic, then gestures for them all to take a seat - the story about the murals is extremely long, and Fiore's looking more and more like she may well fall to the floor. Arya and Karen practically herd her to the nearest couch, sandwiching her between them and having Tara climb up onto her lap - whatever it is they're doing, its working and Fiore's calming down.

The Skeleton is the Light King, Izanami; and the human is the Light King's first descendent, Izanagi. The bone is called the 'Holy Corpse' by the Hydra, and is a bone from the Light King's own body. Izanagi's three sons were Amaterasu, Susanoo, and Tsukyomi, and he anointed them as priests - and they became the ancestors of the upper threes.

And, most troubling to all of them - especially Fiore and her sisters, Tara most of all - when the Black Swan sank into the depth of Takamagahara, it awoke unspeakable horrors…and the Light King is back. She awoke, and has left the ancient dragon city.

And, soon, she'll become unstoppable.

Chime suddenly freezes, then says "I'd prepared a second story for you tonight, but…it seems my brother is here. I'm sorry, but it will have to wait until we next meet."

Arya checks the communication device in the floating orb she uses to access things such as electronic systems, only to say "Guys, we've got a problem…take a look at this."

As it turns out, Chime's Kabuki performance is trending. A lot. And they're featured prominently in several photos - with comments such as 'OMG, they are SO hot!' and 'look at the pinkette! She's so gorgeous!'

Chime spares a glance back towards his guests, and sees Fiore's steady again - she had him extremely worried for a bit, as she looked like she was going to either black out from pain or be sick. Possibly both.

At least her sisters seemed to know what to do to help her.

And the object Arya gave to him to 'keep in touch' looks a bit like a high-tech cellphone…with their numbers programmed into it.

Karen smirks at Yasha's shocked expression, as he asks "That’s really you guys?!"

She draws her assassin gear, and says "Yep."

"Damn it! We need backup, fast! Get them, get them yesterday!!" He's seen Karen fight, and she's not in the habit of leaving survivors!

Plus, her blonde sister has wicked good aim.

They're so dead!

Everyone breathes a sigh of utter relief when they get back to Takamagahara, and then Caesar says "Let's take a short breather, and then check in on Luminous. Fiore, what happened earlier with Ruri Kazama? Do you think it was his Extra Skill?"

Fiore shakes her head, and says "It's nothing he did, Caesar. It's part of what I can do, that's all."

Ceasar crosses his arms, asking "Which is? I get keeping a secret for having an advantage, but I hardly call nearly collapsing from sudden agony an advantage!"

Fiore lets out a soft breath, then nods and asks "You remember how the four of us weren't born Hybrids? But were turned into Hybrids the old-fashioned way?"

Johann nods, and says "By putting dragon blood in your body. Yes, I remember."

"Well, it gave us a wide array of skills. Karen has Judgement, for instance. Arya can control the air itself. And me…I can heal people. Of anything. My Talent allows me to feel their pain, physical or otherwise, and it eases it. Physical contact helps, as does how much I'm actively trying to heal them." More like it draws it into herself, as if the pain has to go somewhere.

Johann quietly asks "I take it he wasn't as cavalier about his own circumstances as he appeared?"

Fiore shakes her head, wiping at her face with the back of her hand, and shakily says "N-No. Not even a little." There was a lot of hurt and a lot of rage at the rejection, too much by far for it to not have hurt him straight to his very soul. "It hurts him so much, his family's rejection of him, being cast off like he was, and…more. I'm certain of it, there's more to his story than just joining the Devil Clan and rising through the ranks. He was talking to a masked man when I learned he was part of them. It didn't go well, a friend of his had just been killed. Another Devil, the Devil Colonel apparently. Kogure, he called her. He said the masked man let everyone around him die…and then, after he'd left, Chime said he was dangerous. Told me to run if he ever came looking for me. He…"

Karen asks "He?"

Fiore scrubs at her face, saying "He…he sounded familiar. Maybe its just a coincidence, but…no, its almost impossible. What are the chances?"

Caesar asks "Of?"

"Of him being the person that made us Hybrids and then conveniently forgot to mention the detail that he was doing as much."

Karen and Arya go still, and Tara quietly asks "You think he's Doc Herzog?"

Fiore shakes her head, and says "No, I don't. He just sounded like the man. With a slightly deeper voice, to. C'mon, I see Mai over there." Even to her, it doesn't sound particularly confident.

Karen and Arya share concerned looks, and Karen says "Arya, you stay. Explain why this masked man being Herzog would make things even worse. I'll go talk to Fiore."

Arya groans and puts a hand to her temple, muttering "Things just got a lot more complicated."

Caesar asks "So, why would this Herzog fellow being alive and here be so bad? Sure, you ladies don't like him-"

"No, we hate him. I'm just going to clarify that, Caesar, we absolutely despise him. Even Fiore, close as she can come anyway. Herzog, he acted all nice and caring, but he only saw us as his sentient lab rats. He gathered up dozens of orphans, took us all to a frozen tundra he called Black Swan Bay Orphanage, and injected us with 'nutrients' while claiming we had genetic defects that gave us abilities he could teach us to control. And, every year on Christmas, the final training would determine who would go to the Capital for further study. Rather, who was getting too powerful and needed to be killed - in his opinion, at least. The last one was Anton. He was an arrogant, stuck-up jerk, but he didn't deserve to get stuck in a wheelchair and then shot in the chest. All the dragon blood he'd been given was getting out of control, he was being torn apart by it and would've become a Death Servitor soon. That's on Herzog. And Khorkina, an equally stuck-up brat that liked to belittle most everyone. But, still, she didn't deserve to get woken up on Christmas night by explosions and soldiers breaking down her door to shoot her. Sherkman to, he was nice enough. And Ivan. Little Vera, around Tara's age - she'd only been in the Orphanage two weeks when it all went to hell. All of that was because of Doc Herzog and Commissioner Bondarev. And now, the idea that a man as cold and heartless as Herzog, who studies Dragon Hybrids, being here in this city that's apparently full of Hybrids with the ship that carried supplies to the Orphanage having carried a Dragon Embryo all this way…" She shakes her head, and says "Its not a good idea. It’s a disaster waiting to happen. I can only hope Fiore's right about it not being him…but, I get the feeling it is. And, dammit, it scares me almost witless. Same with Fiore, Tara, and Karen, to."

Ceasar nervously says "Karen didn't seem scared."

Arya shakes her head, and says "She's more worried for Fiore and Tara at the moment. You'll see her fear later. And Fiore was just trying to put a brave face on for Tara, she still gets nightmares about what happened. We all do, really."

Chime looks down at the communication device Arya gave him when it buzzes, and sees a message that nearly makes him go weak-kneed. Kazama starts swearing in utter relief in his head, to.

'Back safe at the Club. Fiore's alright again. Be safe. AFKT.'

It doesn't take him long to figure out that's an acronym for the four of them - Arya, Fiore, Karen, and Tara. She got back safe. She's alright.

A part of him, hidden deep inside, unwinds at last at the realization.

Fiore's alright, recovered or recovering from whatever came over her earlier.

Chapter Text

Johann has his arm wrapped around Arya's waist, offering his support even as she starts getting more and more antsy about the idea of this Herzog guy hanging around. At the moment, she's up to fidgeting and tapping her fingers on her arm - soon, she'll be up to 'twitchy' and they don't particularly want that as her trigger finger gets particularly twitchy.

And Caesar's description of going on a date in this metropolis isn't helping - and neither is his description of NoNo being a bit psychotic.

Karen snorts derisively, and says "Gee, I can relate." The entirety of Japan, currently, makes her feel psychotic.

Thankfully, Luminous and Erii pull up in a cab right then. Luminous helps Erii out, and then leads her to the hotel before coming back with a strange look on his face. Caesar's grinning like the Cheshire cat when Luminous gets there, and says "Look at you, Luminous! Looks like you don't need any more tips from me about how to get girls! So, is she…normal?"

Luminous holds up a hand and rocks it back and forth, saying "Getting more normal." She's still lost in her own thoughts more often than not, but at least she isn't having him carry everything around for her like with the chest of toys

Johann asks "What's on for tomorrow?"

Luminous shrugs, saying "She wants to go to the amusement park, since the shop we got her new clothes in had tickets as part of a promotion of some kind. She likes the flashy, gaudy places, nothing cultural."

Arya hums, then says "Well, maybe she wants to see different cultures. She's known this one all her life, after all."

Caesar grins even wider, and says "A girl should be taken to fancy places! I've made a reservation for you. Dinner, Saturday night. Chef's special. Dress smart."

Luminous blinks, then says "What?! Its not like I'm wooing a gangster princess or anything! What's in it for you if she does?"

Caesar gets serious at that, and says "Look, we need to get her out of Japan. She's one of the strongest Hybrids we've ever seen, including Fiore, Karen, Arya, and Tara-"

Karen pipes up "Who are right here, you know!"

Ceasar winces, and quickly says "And it makes her an exceptional danger if she doesn't learn to control her Skill. But there's no way to force her. If we want to get her out, she must be in agreement." Caesar encourages Luminous to get Erii to have some feelings for him - Luminous takes it as 'get her to fall in love with you, Luminous.'

Karen just facepalms, sharing a glance with Arya at that - everybody wants Luminous to get together with Erii, it seems. Including total strangers. 

To Luminous' utter shock, Erii asks Arya for the hot milk she was given by Johann when they get back to the room. "Wow! Only one day, and she's already starting to trust you! Nice job! She still doesn't talk much, though."

Karen snorts derisively, arms crossed over her chest as she leans against a wall, and says "Well, yeah. The Talent we share is activated by speaking Draconic. She writes almost everything because she doesn't want to kill everyone. I was going to give Bondarev and his men a piece of my mind, I don't actually remember what happened next. Given what Judgement does, though, its not that hard to guess. As for Erii, if I had to take a guess, I'd say nobody in Hydra ever bothered to teach her to speak in English. Or to control which language she speaks in. I was just lucky that I had my sisters, Erii didn't have anyone."

Erii nods her head, finishing the last of her hot milk, and Luminous says "We'd better get to sleep. Long day tomorrow."

Karen, Arya, Fiore, and Tara all but pile together on the floor, an old habit from Black Swan Bay when they'd have to huddle together for warmth, leaving Luminous and Erii the two beds. But Erii doesn't want to go to bed just yet, and keeps ignoring Luminous, who keeps saying they should go to bed.

Fiore chuckles as she strokes Tara's hair, and murmurs to Arya "Look at them. They do look pretty cute together, at least."

Arya nods, and says "We might pull this off."

Karen whispers "Its Caesar I'm worried about, really. I swear, for an instant, I thought he was going to say something about research or some such. If that's his angle, Caesar Gattuso is going to get one hell of a wake-up call courtesy of me."

Fiore hums, then says "He won't. We won't let him. And, even if he won't listen to us, he'll listen to NoNo."

Karen grins, and murmurs "Too right, Fiore. Too right…"

The next morning, Tara is actually begging to go to the Amusement Park with Erii and Luminous - rather, the Funfair, which is where Erii wants to go. "Please! Please, please, please! I swear I'll be good! I'll stick with Erii and Luminous the whole time!" She gives them all the big blue eyes that makes everyone break when it's in Fiore's face, to varying degrees of success.

Finally, Karen says "It's up to Erii. It's her day out after all, Squirt."

"Pleeeease, Miss Erii? Pretty please? I'll be good, I promise!" Erii nods silently, and Tara cheers and wraps her arms around Erii's legs - seeing as her head only reaches Erii's stomach, it's really adorable.

Luminous chuckles, then says "Ok, then. Anyone else want to come? To take pictures, at least?"

Fiore grins, then says "How about we split up? Arya and Karen can go check in with Caesar and Johann, while Tara and I go with you two? So there'll be someone to hold people off if we get recognized."

Erii nods, and Luminous says "Sounds good." Erii goes to get changed, then comes out in a different outfit with a huge smile on her face and a note that says 'Pretty clothes.' Luminous nods, then says "Yes, you look amazing." Given the detail that he's staring at her like Caesar would stare at NoNo, he's being sincere.

The cab driver is the unemployed guy from Mai's introduction, much to Karen's unimpressed deadpan stare, and he 'mistakes' Luminous and Erii as the nicest couple he's ever seen...right before three adults and a child pile in tightly, rather than two adults like he'd been planning.

Fiore sits Tara on her legs for the ride, and she points out the scenery for Erii who nods and points stuff out with her - Luminous and Fiore share a grin, it's nice to see some childlike innocence for once after the entire mess they've been through.

When they get to the park, Luminous looks around and says "You know, this place looks like a lot of fun. Plus, its probably really safe, to. I doubt the Hydras ever come here." Pretty hard to imagine powerful dragon-hybrid gangsters riding rollercoasters and eating cotton candy.

Fiore grins, and says "Well, then, lets just enjoy ourselves."

Erii writes that she wants to go to the Merry-go-Round, and they end up riding it all alone and making a mock-chase out of it via Tara. Then, Erii decides she wants pizza.

When Fiore comes back with a sausage pizza in hand, she initially freaks upon seeing Erii, Luminous, and Tara are nowhere to be found. Only for Tara to wave her over from a bench, sitting next to Erii. Fiore sighs in utter relief, and walks over while trying to calm her racing heart - she just about took off running with all the speed her Hybrid status gives her looking for Luminous, Erii, and her sister.

Luminous comes back with some ice cream cones, one chocolate for himself, one strawberry for Erii, and two Vanilla for Fiore and Tara - apparently, Tara pointed out some ice cream and the two decided that pizza and ice cream was a fantastic idea.

Once they're done eating the ice cream and pizza - a combination that makes Tara giggle and ask if they can have it more often - they hit the roller coaster and then the Ferris Wheel before Erii spots a haunted house and wants to go in. And there's no changing her mind. While Fiore and Tara wait outside, they hear a couple of thugs talking about a red-haired girl worth a fortune - they can only be talking about Erii! Fiore tells them they saw a red-haired girl that looked like the picture heading for the Ferris Wheel, and they take off at once.

Once they get out, Fiore all but drags them in the opposite direction of the Ferris Wheel, saying "We've gotta be careful. I know Erii looks pretty unrecognizable, but some thugs were here looking for her. The bounty went up to three million."

Luminous rubs the back of his head in shock, semi-faintly asking "Three million?! Shoot…"

Fiore nods, and says "Just be careful, you two. And, if anyone asks why your calling her princess…say you're dating and she's your princess."

Luminous nods, then Fiore's communication device beeps. "Is that Aniki? Can you ask him to send me some more money? The Princess left to have some fun, and if said fun is not had…"

Fiore nods, and says "I'll ask him about it. Look, just be careful. Alright? If you see too many of them, or if they start glancing at you, just go back to the hotel. A bit of fun cut short now is better than no more fun at all."

Luminous nods, and asks "Is that alright, Princess? If we have to leave early?"

Erii nods, gazing at them with wide eyes, and writes 'Don't wanna go back yet. Having fun with Sakura.'

Fiore smiles, and says "You won't. You won't go back to that old house just yet. We'll make sure of it."

Fiore picks up the comm device as it starts buzzing right then, only to hear Arya's voice on the other end. "You'll never guess who's here, Fiore."

Fiore trades a glance with Luminous, asking "Oh? And who's that? Chisei Gen?"

"Close, real close. Your Chime Gen. He's been asking for you."

Fiore promptly blushes as red as Karen's hair, and hastily asks "What?! How long has he- nevermind, I'll be right there!"

Caesar's voice comes over the line, saying "Let the two of them enjoy each other. Our guest is back, as you're aware. You need to hear his story, its bound to be captivating." The line goes off, but not before Fiore hears Arya burst out in laughter.