The sun poured down through openings of the leaves on the melancholy, dark atmosphere. Dressed in dark shades, people came to the funeral. It is believed amongst the Confederation, for both those knowing of the truth or the brainwashed citizen, that being buried in one of the hundreds of Graveyard for Detectives is an honor.

  But now, Kayne wondered if it was a reality that he wanted. As so much of the actual truth was coming to light.

  It was his mentor’s, his father’s, his friend’s, his partner’s, his closest ally’s funeral. He along with 5 others carried the casket to be buried and feeling his mentor’s weight being much heavier than before, broke his fragile heart.

  He recalled something that Giseuppe told him. Not to cry at his funeral as other Detectives would be there, being emotional in this line of work would get him killed. So, Kayne promised he would cry afterwards.

  Holding his tears back for later.

  Detective Screen, Carla Faulkner, was there. They didn’t speak much but, she held onto and hugged Kayne dearly. No words were shared, the embrace and crying from her was enough to speak volumes to him. She felt enough to be vulnerable near him. Carla didn’t care about crying in front of the other Detectives.

  As she was beginning to hate the Confederation herself.

  When Giseuppe’s casket was opened, Kayne didn’t dare to look at it. Yes, he did go up there and left a present for him. A few items that meant a lot to him that he wanted Giseuppe to keep. He wanted to remember his mentor’s smiling face and bad-timed jokes that were actually funny. Not a cold stiff, expression.

  Carla gave a beautiful eulogy for him but, couldn’t continue it due to breaking down. Kayne helped her off stage and he then gave Tributes and Remembrances. He was taught to do public speaking as a Detective and the head student of Diane’s Excellency, to not use emotion. Unfortunately, he couldn’t hold himself back and his tone shifted as he read his loving tribute to his only father figure.

  For the funeral, he was ordered to wear the Detective’s Army Wear. In his full camouflage with a badge on his chest and his hat on. The reason?

  “And now, to honor the experienced and well accomplished Giseuppe Curry, also known as Detective Clawer,” The higher ranked official from the Confederation carried out the funeral. Kayne felt a shaking emptiness in his heart, so no matter before they were human they were meant to be a detective, “A 21 Gun Salute will be issued for his send off.”

  A musket was given to Kayne and he placed gun powder in it. So did 20 others of his age. The 20 others were a part of a class Gisseupe taught. Of course, they didn’t like Kayne since he stole all of Gisseupe’s time as his mentee. They weren’t as close to Gisseupe as he was,

  As he stuffed the bullet into the musket, Kayne thought about the letter given to him by his mentor.

  “May Gisseupe’s memory live forever,” The official spoke as Giseuppe was slowly lowered into the ground.

  The thought repeated in his head. The Confederation is the actual evil, not the monsters he was taught to kill. That being monsters is humanity’s natural form, the Confederation prevents this for the benefit of a small percentage.

  “May his contributions to the Confederation not be in vain.”

  Has his killings so far been just? Is his future now bleak due to his commitment so far? Why would Gisseupe tell him this now? What should he do with this information?

  “Let us hope his sacrifice will continue the well-being of the Confederation for lifetimes.”

  At the official’s final words, it weighed in his heart. If he stays with the Confederation, he will be treated as a Detective before a human.

  Kayne and the twenty others rose the muskets into the air and fired it as a trumpet played.

  He made a promise to Giseuppe that he hated, Giseuppe forced him to accept it. That at his mentor’s 21 Gun Salute, he would explode the bullets like fireworks.

  With the help of his Requiem, Yue, he exploded each bullet into orange flower like fireworks. Some were frightened by this but, no one would go against Kayne since he was the strongest there. He stared into the fireworks as a single tear got past his resisting.

  Carla smiled at him proudly, glad to see a part of Gisseupe will live on.

  As he was looking into the orange flames, a vision came to his mind. It was Emilia and he was holding her in his arms. Before him were men from the Cult of Jason. Kayne realized that this vision was too vivid to be a daydream, he assumed Emilia was contacting him.

  He searched within the walls for her pheromones and found that she was actually in danger.

  Kayne looked at Giseuppe’s casket as it lowered into the ground. The answer finally came to his mind, what Gisseupe was trying to tell him.

  He isn’t supposed to be a Detective first, he should be human. And that he should end up where people will appreciate him and be their genuine, monstrous self. His fate shouldn’t end with the Confederatioin.

  As he looked at Gisseupe’s grave, he could hear practically hear him shouting, “Go get her fool! She needs you!”

  Kayne tore off his Army Wear and nodded, “I’ll see you again, Gisseupe. I miss you.”

  He protruded wings out of his back and turned to Carla with a huge grin but teary eyes,

  “I know what he meant now.”

  ~//~

  As all color began to leave Emilia’s face. Hiroshima’s grip tightening slowly around her neck. She looked up in the gloomy sky with bittersweet smile, “I wonder if…. He shared that vision with me.”

  “Yes, I did,” In a matter of moments, dust shot up. It cleared shortly afterwards, revealing Kayne holding her princess style while the Mourning Stars were before them. Exactly like her vision, to the last detail.

  At the sight of Kayne, Pearl and Nagasaki tensed up. Taking up cautious stance, wondering if they should fight this man or run away.

  “What about… the funeral?” Emilia was glad to see him, especially in a moment like this. She didn’t like the thought of stealing him away.

  “Giseuppe would want me to be here,” Kayne responded firmly, he gave her a strong smile before looking back. She knew that smile was forced but, he’s staying positive just for her.

  “Who you!? You take pretty girl from Hiro! Bully!” Hiroshima marched up to Kayne and got close in his face. “Pretty boy smell like fruit too!”

  “Hiroshima! No!” Pearl tried to stop him but, couldn’t risk getting closer. Hiroshima was too intelligently challenged to recognize pheromones. Pearl had to hold back Nagasaki from fighting too.

  Hiroshima bit into Kayne shoulder, only to bite solid rock and shatter his teeth on force. He howled in agony, “Gwarahhhyahhh!!!”

  In a matter of moments, Kayne plunged his hand through Hiroshima’s chest. The excruciating sounds of bones snapping and flesh tearing meant nothing to Kayne, nor did the blood that splattered on him. He held Hiroshima’s heart outside his body, with an expressionless look on his face.

  Emilia was shocked by this. She knew that Kayne was a killing machine by what the others told her. She didn’t know it was to this degree. He took a life without a second thought.

  “Hiro die?” Hiroshima looked up at Kayne with a miserable expression. Multiple forms of stimulus were building up inside of him.

  “Dammit! Hiroshima!” Pearl knew what was coming next so, he and Nagasaki made some distance.

  Seeing this and sensing the stimulus, Kayne quickly moved too.

  “Yue,” He called for his ;Requiem;, a flaming, winged salamander manifested. It was large, Kayne stepped onto its back, and they quickly soared into the air.

  “Good boy, thanks, Yue,” Kayne patted the salamander’s back gently and chirped. They had a sizable distance.

  Enough to see the gigantic explosion that was about to happen. Hiroshima looked at Kayne in the air as he sobbed, “Kaboom.”

  A huge explosion erupted. The multitudes of stimulus were far too dangerous. It soared up to the sky and decimated more than 20 buildings around him. A devastating damage like this would be more than enough for the Confederation to recognize. The distance they made wasn’t enough; Yue had to soar around to avoid the blasts.

  “Thanks again, Yue, you’re doing great.” Kayne was very appreciative of his salamander. The salamander chirped excitedly at every praise. Emilia was too weak to talk, her voice hoarse from being choked.

  “Nagasaki! Hold him off!” Pearl yelled at the black-clothed man and Nagasaki moved to action. He released blobs of explosive biological matter at them.

  “Clotaire.” Kayne didn’t speak loudly. A wall of stone formed before him, as they were in the sky riding Yue. As the explosions occurred, he would keep regenerating the wall by gathering dust on it. The explosions were strong and, by Nagasaki’s strange ability, a single explosion would repeat multiple times.

  Pearl was doing something strange. His body broke down into a sludge-like substance and covered Hiroshima’s dead body. Kayne assumed that whatever he was doing would take some time, that’s why Nagasaki had to cover him.

  “Beak of the Heat.” An intense flame formed and charged in the salamander’s mouth. Gaping its jaw open as the power increased, it released it as a blast at them. The sound of it was enough to terrify. The heat so extreme that it seared the earth to lava.

  “Retreat!” Pearl yelled at Nagasaki, getting what he wanted from Hiroshima before they ran. They wouldn’t dare to take on a blast so magnificent, it would be instant death.

  “Here’s a present from me! Thanks for killing my little brother!” As they were running away, Pearl snapped his fingers at Kayne. A strange mixture of different stimulus rushed past him, causing Kayne to widen his eyes.

  “He’s dangerous. I should kill him now.” A deadly pressure radiated from Kayne and Yue. Yue responding to his master’s bloodlust.

  “No… You did enough,” Emilia spoke up. She needed healing and was capable of healing herself, “You don’t need anymore blood on your hands, idiot.”

  “I will do it to protect the ones I care about,” Kayne said firmly, something she wasn’t used to from him. He allowed her to rest on Yue as he walked over to Hiroshima’s dead body. With a stroke of his hand, he decapitated the corpse and carried the head it back.

  “You forgot this,” Kayne fished out a photo strip from his pocket, making sure not to stain it with blood. It was the photos taken at the movie theatre, the last picture on it is her kissing him.

  “You dumbass!” Immediately, Emilia felt embarrassed. Shouting over her almost crushed windpipe. She didn’t want to face that memory so soon again. She snatched the photo strip from him and slapped him, “Why would you give me this!?”

  “I thought you’d want it since you paid for it-” Kayne was startled, holding his jaw with a confused expression. The man who killed a moment ago with no hesitation and carrying a decapitated had in his head, was weak to a slap?

  Emilia found him way too adorable, it was the little things like these. She grabbed him by the collar and kissed him again. Yue, the salamander, chirped up flames in happiness from this. Tucking the photo into her pocket.

  Emilia smiled genuinely again as Kayne became flustered, “Thank you.”

  ~//~

  They couldn’t resist anymore. The chase was reaching its end. Evelyn and Lauri were still new to their powers, Tristan could continue fighting but the sisters were becoming exhausted. The Detectives-In-Training had fairly good training and could continue.

  More stray attacks hit Extalis Pendra’s exoskeleton, the frequency slowly became alarming.

  If their teammates didn’t make it back in time.

  “Peaches! You dumbass! Where have you been!?” Evelyn became teary eyed one she saw the man rushing towards them on a cold wind. Being pursued by the nun girl carrying a rifle, she kept firing these incredible attacks at Peaches deflected.

  6ristan sensed something strange about these attacks. She wasn’t shooting with the intent to kill. It was a distraction, that was Tristan’s deduction.

  “I’ve been catching up with a trace of my life!” Peaches charismatically answered, a huge grin as he neared them.

  “Dammit, Bryant! Look at what the fuck you’re doing!” Brooklyn yelled at him, tired of him bumping into her while she was firing an attack or interrupting them with his own.

  “My bad. My powers are reckless, they're not meant to be used in a team.” Bryant quickly came up with some half-assed excuse, which they were too distracted by current events to argue.

  “This is it! Death Sentence!” Xavier spread his arms wide and clapped! Air boomed and vibrated, ripping around with a vacuum in a center.

  From the opposite end, Carolyn charged an incredible bullet. It released energy outwards in an anti-spiral!

  From both sides, these incredible attacks were coming towards them.

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  “Lynn…” Lauri muttered with a gaping mouth. These two attacks blinded their horizons; a looming presence of death held her in hesitation.

  “I can’t… produce anymore…” Evelyn looked at Carolyn’s attack in disbelief. Her nose was bleeding heavily due to overworking her brain with calculations.

  Tristan didn’t mutter a word. He made Extalis Pendra stop its charge and stay still. With not a fear in his expression, he knew that now, they would survive this.

  Peaches finally reached them and extended both hands in the directions. Giant hexagons of ice manifested in an instant, blocking these projectiles without a single damage to them. Xavier’s attack caused a crack in his ice wall.

  “You children are 100 lifetimes too early to fight me.” Peaches grinned as he dissipated the ice. Twirling around as cold mist following him.

  He held Evelyn and drew her up, controlling the degree of frost as he held her head. He could tell, by her powers she had to commit to extreme thinking. Peaches controlled her fever and held her, “Princess, am sorry I was away so long.”

  “I don’t want to be your damsel in distress, Peaches. I want to be your equal,” Evelyn felt soothed by his cold. Not needing to worry about calculations slowed the trauma on her mind.

  “Are you completely forgetting our existence!? Do you think we are incapable of killing you right now!?” Ryan shouted at them. He had all of his artillery prepared due to his rage. He didn’t like their casual affection despite the time of danger.

  “So fucking disgusting,” Martin couldn’t accept the sight either.

  “Hey, pretty boy, if you want a better girl just fly by my way,” Abigail blew a kiss to Peaches.

  “What the fuck did she just say?” Evelyn bubbled with rage. Peaches had an obvious face of disgust pointed towards Abigail.

  Carolyn rejoined her group and Bryant stayed quiet amongst them. Everything was strangely escalating.

  “I know that scent, you’re a king,” Xavier bravely marched up towards Extalis Pendra, on which they stood on.

  “An emperor is a better description,” Peaches haughtily responded to Xavier. Stilling cooling down Evelyn with his cold.

  “You’re so arrogant, I hate it. I just can't help wonder how a king’s blood will feel on my skin,” Xavier released a deathly atmosphere. His eyes glowed red as he stared up at Peaches, seeing him as a greater prize.

  “If you manage to even get a drop of blood, with those mediocre skills,” Peaches continued to mock him. He realized that the intimidation Xavier caused was due to his abilities, it was a mind trick added to his appearance. Peaches could resist it due to his hubris.

  “Don’t you fuck with me! The way I kill is beautiful!” Due to being close and not needing to extend his vibrations over a distance, he could use it at contact by the strongest. He cut Extalis Pendra in half, the creature dissipated and returned to Tristan, “Eleca!”

  “Tsk.” Tristan expressed his agitation by Extalis Pendra’s easy defeat. He knew that Xavier was powerful but, Tristan took pride in his familiar’s defense. He would have to make the centipede stronger.

  “Exalted Throne.” A gigantic throne of ice was created so they didn’t fall to the ground. On the handles stood Lauri and Tristan, while Evelyn stood in the large seat along with Peaches. Pillars of ice and icicles extended far out of the throne and it snowed in the area. Some snowflakes were giant, about the size of an adult’s face.

  It was much of their first times seeing snow. In Minohwa, everything is controlled, even the weather. It rained once every three or more months and over-casted every two months.

  “If you want to challenge an emperor,” Peaches released his devastating pressure, showing that Xavier has met more than his match. “You must face the authority of his throne.”

  “Enough.” A voice spoke up; it had an intensity to it.

  All coming battles stop in this man’s appearance. Kayne descended from the sky, Emilia in his arm and Hiroshima’s head in one hand, being carried by his ;Requiem; Yue.

  An instance of worry overcame all of them. For the Detectives-In-Training, it was worry that Kayne would discipline them for losing Jason and take glory for himself.

  For Zebra Effect, it was a different fear. Kayne may have spared them at the Red Panda District but, that might not happen again. He is a cold-blooded killing machine, if he was sent to assist the Detectives-In-Training they knew it was their deaths.

  Peaches knew that Kayne was his equal. The fight could result in either of them dying.

  “Kayne! Why do you have the enemy in your hands! Are you saving her!?” Martin reprimanded Kayne, shouting at them man.

  “How is she the enemy?” When it came to work, Kayne’s meek personality subsided to a stern one.

  “I-!” Martin hesitated, he didn’t know how to respond to them.

  “Because she is a monster! Our job is to kill them! How dare you talk to us like that!?” Ryan spot out at Kayne, if he could shower him down with gunfire then he would.

  “No, your job wasn’t to kill monsters. Your job was to hunt down the Cult of Jason.” Kayne saw their arguments as waste. Because, no matter what, he was going to save the ones he cared about. “I am sure you saw the mission files. Those affiliated were stated. None of them here were on that list.”

  “So, what!? They deserve to die either way! Especially those two that got away!” Martin was blinded by his thirst for revenge. No matter what, he wanted to kill Logan and Eden.

  “Detectives stick to their given mission, Davilla.” Kayne’s electric blue eyes shone as he spoke firmly.

  “Tsk,” Bryant clicked his tongue, if it was so easy to stop them then Kayne should have arrived earlier.

  “Just because you are sent on more missions than us doesn’t mean you should act so high and mighty!” Ryan’s inferiority complex was strongest when it came to Kayne. From a young age, he was compared to this man, who had unlimited potential.

  “Reed, where is Jason right now?” Kayne asked him with a glare. The members of Zebra Effect were quiet seeing that they didn’t need to be involved. Emilia watched the Detectives-In-Training with a mocking glower.

  “He’s…” Ryan was prepared to answer like it was a fact that was commonly known but, they truly didn’t know. They didn’t even close in on the target. Having been chasing these other monsters the entire time.

  Carolyn was quiet, she didn’t care about anything relating to the Confederation. Xavier was swelling with rage though.

  “Kayne!” Brooklyn and Abigail run forward and screamed in unison. Dissipating their monsters.

  “We tried to stop them but, they just won’t listen! You’ll forgive us, right?” Brooklyn spoke in a cutesy voice, removing a single button to show her cleavage. She did it slyly.

  “Please Kayne! Put down that girl and come back to us!” Abigail asked him in the same cutesy voice. In the past, Kayne had a crush on her. She believed she could use it to her advantage.

  That crush was gone years ago. Kayne came towards them. He gave Hiroshima’s head to them, “This is one of the targets, alias Hiroshima the Retaliation. Take it back to quarters and complete your mission.”

  “Fuck off, will you?” Xavier spoke up, he wasn’t going to stay quiet any longer. “I finally get the chance to kill, and you think you’ll rob me of that?”

  Kayne didn’t respond.

  “How about I kill that girl in your arms instead! Eleca!” It was close range so the attack would be powerful! Tristan recalled how that move instantly split Extalis Pendra in half. Emilia flinched, feeling actual fear from the attack.

  “Clotaire.” Kayne defended against the vibrations with a concentrated wall of floating stone. He defended the attack with no damage to himself, with a crack to his wall that he immediately regenerated.

  Yue the salamander clutched onto Xavier. Its claws on his shoulders and legs, and his jaw gaping over his head. In the salamander’s jaw charged a concentrated sphere of fire. As Yue’s body grasped Xavier’s, it burned into the man’s.

  “Oh? Is this your attack that’s so famous around school? Beak of the Heat was it?” Xavier spoke with an angered face. He felt the power from the flames and knew he wouldn’t live past that. The intense heat tanning every cell in his face. “It renders the corpse to ash. How is that killing supposed to be beautiful?”

  Kayne didn’t respond once again. Xavier turned to leave so, Yue released him.

  “I won’t think of this as a favor. Just know if I am given the chance, I will kill you,” Xavier grabbed Hiroshima’s head and walked off. Martin clicked his tongue and followed, not wanting to stay if he couldn’t kill those boys.

  “Did the Confederation send you?” Ryan asked before he stormed off too. He bit his fingernails as he asked the question.

  “Someone had to fix this,” Kayne gave a vague response, it could be interpreted in any way.

  “I don’t need you! I am just as capable!” Ryan stormed off in a fit.

  “Kayne, baby, please come with us,” Abigail spoke to him. Abigail and Brooklyn clutched onto Kayne’s arms. Glaring at Emilia who he carried.

  “We’re done here, so let us buy you some food,” Brooklyn pressed her chest on him and tried to lure him along.

  “I am sorry…” No matter what, Kayne will be a kind soul. He doesn’t know how to say no and was finding it had to respond to their affection. “I have business to take care of here.”

  “But Kayne…” They said in unison to seduce him.

  “Fuck off! Bitch!” Emilia barked at them, and they flinched. She couldn’t take how sleazy they were, “Have some self-respect!”

  “You little skank-!” Abigail muttered. She and Brooklyn were about to attack her but, Kayne made his presence apparent.

  “Roth. Hetsford. Go.” Kayne said sternly. For some reason, he was protective of Emilia.

  “Tsk!” Abigail and Brooklyn reluctantly turned to leave. As they got further, Abigail shouted out, “Don’t forget to call me!”

  Carolyn discretely nodded to Peaches before she also left. Bryant couldn’t stay so, he flew off after acknowledging them. Kayne was already suspicious of him.

  “Are you gonna call her?” Emilia looked up at him with a watchful eye.

  “No. She and Martin are a thing,” Kayne responded in a flustered manner. “And I would never.”

  “Thank you, Yue,” The fire salamander crept up on Kayne and nudged him with his head, reminding him for praises. Kayne quickly did so and rubbed the giant salamander’s belly, it chirped from happiness.

  “You know, fire and ice don’t mix,” Peaches walked up to Kayne with a confident smile.

  By his pheromones, Kayne could tell that Peaches was close to his strength. Extremely close. Despite that, he wasn’t sure if he would win in a fight.

  “You’re the…” Kayne recognized his face by the Confederation’s files.

  “Don’t say it out loud,” Peaches placed a finger over his lips.

  Kayne was awkward to new interactions. He placed Emilia gently on the ground and asked her, “Can you heal her.”

  “Nope, it’s not my expertise,” Peaches admitted honestly. To his surprise, Kayne frowned. Was Emilia special to him? When did this happen?

  “Kayne!” Lauri ran over to Kayne and embraced him. Kayne was shocked but, reciprocated the embrace. She gave him a quick peck on the lip, a competitive grin towards Emilia and then embraced him again.

  “You little-!” Emilia was about to scowl her but, her hoarse throat got the best of her.

  Lauri may be shy and meek but, when it came to conquests of the heart, she is devious.

  “Are you okay?” Kayne was genuinely happy to see Lauri, they shared something special after-all.

  “Yeah, it was my first fight,” Lauri wanted to spoil him with details but, remembered their positions. “I suppose you have a lot of questions…”

  “It’s okay, you don’t have to answer them, and I won’t ask.” It was Kayne’s way of saying no matter what, he would never do anything to her. A message well received, Lauri’s face lit up.

  “I’ll text you later then,” She turned to Emilia. She made a two snake ouroboros floating from her palm, a black snake biting onto a white snake’s tail as it bit onto the black snake’s tail. “Renewal.”

  “The way she gets around you still so shocking to me,” Evelyn floated over to Kayne, despite exhausted, and poked him aggressively. “Why isn’t she bold with her own damn sister!?”

  “I- I don’t know-!” Kayne shyly said, with each poke he retreated a step.

  “Are you sure you’d like her as that with you, Princess?” Peaches asked Evelyn with a teasing grin.

  Evelyn thought long about it and nodded, “You’re right, there should only be one reckless sister. Change is hard to accept.”

  “You like him, don’t you,” Lauri asked quietly Emilia as she healed her. It was an ability that Able taught her.

  Emilia felt immediately flustered by the question, covering her face from the others. Emilia spoke lowly so the others won’t hear, “I won’t lose to you, Nishizawa.”

  “I would like to examine that ;Requiem; of yours,” Tristan came to Kayne with his usual research-driven self. First interested in the strange energy Kayne produced and now the beast he commanded. “It seems special… Is it capable of reproducing?”

  “Yeah… Yue is an actual living RRR weapon… He’s a special case,” Kayne was slowly getting used to Tristan’s abnormal personality. “He is capable of reproducing, passing waste and the rest but, his life is dependent on mine.”

  “You wouldn’t mind if I dissect it?” Tristan asked him with no hint of emotion. He wasn’t joking, Tristan actually wanted to pull the salamander apparently. Yue quickly hid behind Kayne and spewed small embers out of its mouth.

  “Yue says he wouldn’t really like that,” Kayne politely turned down the request on behalf of his ;Requiem;.

  “Okay,” Tristan could accept a no. Unlike him though, he smiled at Yue, “Keep yourself safe, lizard.”

  Yue stopped spewing embers and completely retreated into Kayne’s body.

  “What business you had with us?” Peaches questioned him. They might be chatty but, they can’t be off guard. Kayne is way stronger than the average Detective.

  “I just wanted to make sure Emilia was safe. I also sensed Lauri’s presence nearby so I wanted to check on her too,” Kayne gave a genuine response to them. Giseuppe appeared in his mind.

  Lauri and Emilia smiled alongside each other as he stated them as his reason.

  “Two? You act so innocent but you’re actually devious,” Peaches teased the friendly giant of a man.

  “Wait-! I didn’t mean it like that-!” Kayne immediately became flustered at the notion and wanted to explain himself.

  “You sense them too, don’t you?” Peaches suddenly became serious and stared at him sharply.

  Kayne reciprocated the mood, “Yes.”

  “What are you going to do about it?” Peaches continued to question him.

  “I am going to stop them.” Kayne responded again.

  “You don’t know which one to save, do you?” Peaches questioned him again and that one did something to Kayne. His eyes widened at the complicated thought.

  “Can you guys quit with the trope of only the two experienced characters knowing the bigger picture?” Evelyn floated in-between their line of sight. “Say it in detail so the rest of us can know too.”

  “The decision he should make is obvious,” Tristan added, also aware of what Peaches and Kayne were discussing.

  “Am sorry, princess, but it’s his business to tell,” Peaches wrestled her into an embraced and she accepted it.

  “I am going to save them now.” Kayne slightly trembled, they didn’t notice. This was about to be one of the harshest realities he was about to face.

  “Wait,” The girls got up after sufficiently healing Emilia.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” Emilia questioned Lauri with a glare as they walked.

  “I am saying goodbye, what else?” Lauri mischievously responded.

  They brought Kayne’s head down and both kissed him on his cheek. Kayne wondered why they displayed such love for him, when he’s so disgusting.

  “Make sure you come back safe,” Emilia said to him with an embarrassed face.

  “We’ll be waiting for you,” Lauri added, having a bright smile on her face.

  “We?” Emilia turned to Lauri and questioned. It was as if the girl didn’t see that it was a competition.

  “Yes ‘we’.” Lauri affirmed her words.

  “Where did I go wrong?” Evelyn muttered with her mouth gapping.

  “How does he keep getting away with it,” Peaches chuckled at the sight, he knew that Bryant would love to see this. He was about to make another joke but knew Evelyn would kill him for it. He spoke to Kayne, “You seem to be accepting us, Kayne M-?”

  Kayne interrupted him before he said his last name, “It’s more than that.”

  “I am realizing I need to change.”

  ~//~

  “You hesitated, that’s why you lost.” Able said harshly to the boy that laid before him. He had the young man backed against a wall with a sword across his neck.

  “You little piece of shit had the advantage, I can’t use my grotesque without the whole city seeing,” Wounds around Able’s body regenerated by amalgamations of dead flesh and fingernails as he spoke. Behind him stood giants made from these amalgamations, their arms replaced with weapons.

  Heart was nearby watching carefully, keeping the boys behind her. Eden stayed quiet as he was afraid while Logan was loudly cheering Able on.

  “I don’t accept pity from a pagan,” The boy spat out at Able. Despite losing to him.

  The sword Able wield was special, a black katana with a red and dark hilt.

  “I wonder what I should do with you. Jason's hell spawn.” Able spoke lowly, he could tell that he was brainwashed by Jason to completion. There was no saving him, “Should I kill you right now and prevent another mass-murdering psychopath…”

  “Were you waiting for option two? Cause I can’t think of any,” He clutched the katana tightly. The boy also had a special sword but, he didn’t care out its full potential and lost the battle.

  “No matter what, the Cult of Jason will prosper.” The boy was badly damaged yet so defiant. They both slowly healed from their wounds by their natural powers.

  A draft of wind rushed past as Kayne landed. He didn’t ride Yue but rather flew with his own wings. Landing in the narrow alleyway that their fight reached the climax. He said firmly to him, “Able, please put away the sword.”

  “Is that how you talk to a friend you haven’t seen in a long time? When’s the last time you’ve seen Luluwa?” Able reprimanded him, they were close. Something changed when Jason came back to Minohwa.

  “There’s a lot going, I haven’t gotten the chance to…” Kayne responded. He had trouble after trouble, seeing them was too difficult for him.

  “Why should I let him go…” Able glared at Kayne, his sclera was black, and his irises red. Blood was still running from his mouth.

  Kayne hesitated to answer but, by Able’s look, he could tell Able already knew. Kayne responded, “Because… He is my brother.”

  Able took the blade from the young man’s neck and he held the katana up; it dissipated into large molecules and vanished. The young man had fainted from the blood loss but, was still alive. Able scoffed, “I am glad your dumbass knows.”

  “What are you going to do with him?” Able questioned. He wanted to get the others and leave the area as quickly as possible.

  Kayne looked at the boy and trembled, he was a reflection of Jason. He stuttered as he spoke, “I- I’m going to leave him here… Jason… Jason won’t let him die.”

  “Model big brother you are,” Able scoffed but, emphasized with him. It was the smartest decision to make.

  “He hates me, Able… He thinks am disgusting….” Kayne’s emotions were going all over the place. That dangerous energy was going to generate again, “He’s right. They’re right. I am disgusting.”

  “Kayne, what did we talk about?” Able walked up to Kayne and clapped his hands in his face, calling him back to consciousness. Kayne is far above average height and Able is below average height. “We can’t let our emotions get the best of us; people are depending on you.”

  “You’re right…” Kayne controlled himself. No matter what, Luluwa and Able were capable of soothing him.

  Black wings exited Able back as he went to Heart and the others. Picking them up and turning his head as he prepared to leave, he knew Kayne would understand why he’s leaving so suddenly.

  “You should consider the actions of the side you’re on,” Able left a remark before he soared off.

  Those words struck Kayne deeply. They were much like what Giseuppe said.

  In that moment, Kayne couldn’t help questioning himself,

  “Am I doing the right thing?”