The Story of Yeling Mah Pt. IV

Hinokami vs. Suijin

KABOOM.

I watched as my target crashed through mountain after mountain after mountain.

I flew after him, my robes trailing with blue and purple flames, trailed with black.

"RARR!" The man retaliated with a barrage of water bullets, but my aura disintegrated them.

I closed the distance, shooting at him like a bullet as my foot landed on his chest, smashing him into the side of a mountain.

"We... we're both Akuma Grade Dogma holders... but why is there such a gap in strength!" The man gasped. I knelt down and picked him up by the throat.

Dogma holder of Suijin.

God of Water.

I had my fair share of dealing with these types of opponents. I had fought alongside one, after all. But not so much water, but rather...

Rain.

The Dogma holder, was a man named Prakash.

I was not informed of his surname.

Nor did I care.

I held out my hand, my devilish blue eyes shining through my upgraded mask, supplied by the Dogma.

Show him, Hinokami. The difference in your strengths. A God of Fire who has fully accepted his role, against a God of Water who rejects it. The difference in your strength.

My hand burst into violent flame, well defined and pronounced over my flaming body of Stage Three.

Prakash tried summoning a barrage of water blasts all around him, but nothing was getting through my aura.

I aimed my hand, inches from his face, as Prakash struggled, clearly in survival mode. However, he was trying to suppress his fear.

"You do not scare me, Tidalflame. You do not scare me at all. I would rather die than take lives alongside you."

He was not the one to die. That was not what the Dogma wanted. He wanted to set an example.

My hand hovered away from Prakash's face as he gave me a look of confusion.

"Wha... what are you doing? What are you doing?!"

My hand slowly repositioned itself, aimed at the village that Prakash was trying to defend. This entire time, as their defender, their saviour and their hero.

"Great Triton! Save us! SAVE US!" The villagers pleaded.

Prakash glared at me, his teeth gnashing from the effort of trying to escape my grip.

"If you do this, Tidalflame, I will never forgive you."

The Dogma's voice boomed across the land. Judging from Prakash's expression, he could hear full well.

Yes, Suijin. Use that hate. You hate how weak you are compared to Hinokami. Use that anger and evolve. Otherwise, all your loved ones. Your wife and child. Your family, relatives, and friends of the village who so look up to you, shall be engulfed with flames. Flames that YOU could have doused with the Devil's Tide.

"TIDALFLAME! TIDALFLAME! DON'T! DON'T DO IT! I BEG OF YOU!" Prakash pleading, his entire body trembling from fear and adrenaline.

But this was not my call to make.

You had your chance to evolve your power, and use your hate. But from the very beginning, you rejected your nature. Because you were never meant to be a holder of Suijin in the first place.

Level 1 Hinokami Stage Three...

"DON'T!" Prakash screamed, as the villagers all began to run, a futile attempt to protect themselves. From the distance, I could make out a young girl who tripped and fell, but her body was trampled over by the feet of her friends family of the village trying to escape my wrath.

You don't deserve utopia.

Grand Ultimate Inverse Tsunami Release

My hand exploded with a flood of blue, purple, and black flame, a massive inferno the size of a football stadium, approaching the village like a demonic sun.

"NOOOO!!!" Prakash's screaming overlapped the screaming of the villagers, as they were abruptly cut out, drowned from the sea of flame I had unleashed on them. Within seconds, the village Triton swore to use his powers to protect, a population of one hundred million, disappeared.

Converted to ash and spare blue embers.

Prakash screamed at me, his arm transforming into a massive blade, attempting to sever my arm, but his blade passed right through me. I had already become Intangible, predicting his movements and sliding back.

Prakash charged, as I regained form, bobbing and weaving, the movements of the Rain Style still engraved in my memory.

"DIE! DIE DIE DIE!!!!"

Kill him, Suijin. Make the Hinokami pay. Use that darkness! The Dogma urged.

Prakash charged me wildly, leaping into the air and slashing at me with superhuman speed.

"Why can't I land a blow?!"

I leapt back, going Intangible and flying into the air. Prakash roared, flying after me, but I turned to him, my hand held back.

Grand Ultimate Devil's Arc

I swiped with the palm of my hand, chopping the air and unleashed a massive arc of demonic flame. Triton was engulfed, slamming into the ground violently and shaking the mountains.

I slowly lowered to the ground, watching Prakash struggle to his feet, vomiting blood. I eyed him with no mercy.

"You... I will make you pay. You stupid... terrorist. That is all you are..."

Prakash's eyes glowed teal, energy swirling all around him as I stood before a massive water golem, its body forming. From a skeleton, to flesh, to armour.

The golem roared at me, Prakash in the center, his eyes full of bloodlust. The entire mountain rumbled from the force of the roar, my cloak fluttering in the wind so violently that he ripped off of me, revealing my black t-shirt and cargo pants.

No. The Dogma spoke to me.

This one is a failure. If that is the limit to his strength.

"Very well." I muttered, bringing my foot back and assuming my stance.

"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!" Prakash's voice doubled, bringing his fist back to slam into me.

"YOU AREN'T SPECIAL! YOU AREN'T SPECIAL AT ALL!"

I leapt into the air, leaving behind a molten crater, shooting to his location, my fist recoiled, my body turning intangible.

Stage Three Hinokami and Intangibility...

"SOMEONE WILL STOP YOU! SOMEDAY! YOU WILL DIE REGRETTING EVERYTHING!" Prakash shouted, swinging his fist as hard as he could.

Grand Ultimate Devil's Meteorite

I threw a punch, going right through Prakash's golem, incinerating it and vaporizing it upon contact. The force of the bubbles and vaporization erupting from the inside, destroying Prakash. I slammed out of the side of the golem, spinning around, to see Prakash still mid air, his eyes wide in disbelief. His golem decimated from my attack.

I landed on the ground, watching Prakash stumble to me. His entire body was bloody, and deformed. Burnt and destroyed.

"Ti- Tidalflame..." He muttered, trying to grab at my mask, but collapsing. His lifeless body hitting the ground, his skull conking on the ground as he disintegrated into ash.

Prakash Singh was a failure. I must seek another to be the Level 1 Suijin Holder. Good work. Yeling Mah. You will be my Champion, to reunite the other five Akuma Grade Dogma holders. The perfect ones.

The other Dogma holders.

For many months, I had served the Dogma, doing his bidding. I had mastered Stage Three, capable of calling upon the transforming at will, and reducing the stamina drain. I also had a trump card as well. Should it have to come down to that.

My mission? Was to test the other Akuma Grade Dogma Holders, and if the Dogma deemed them too weak...

I would eliminate them.

Prakash was an example of the Suijin Dogma Holder who failed the Dogma's expectations. Prakash would be my fourth Suijin Dogma Holder I had killed.

"Dogma." I said, as I climbed a mountain, overlooking the world.

What do you seek, Yeling.

"When I battled the Demon Lord Alciel, back when my Hinokami was constrained. He mentioned a Dogma Holder known as Aelienne, and that I didn't come close to her in power. Now that I've awakened Stage Three, have I closed the gap?"

The Dogma was silent for a few seconds.

Aelienne was the most powerful of your kind. Many Hinokami holders preceded you, Yeling. However, you are the champion that I chose.

"Answer my question, Dogma!"

No. Yeling. You have not closed the gap. Aelienne was always special, even among the Dogma Holders. After all, she was the only one of you who had unlocked Stage Four.

I clenched my teeth.

Stage Four.

"What stopped her from becoming your champion? Did she die of old age? In battle?"

No.

I glared at the horizon. If there was a way to figure out how Aelienne had become so strong, I had to use it. So I could become strong enough to destroy Transplant. My power already surpassed fellow Level 1 Akuma Grade Dogma holders, but there was one person that I needed to face. One person...

The image of a towering muscular man appeared in my mind. The one man who physically overpowered Squad Leader Matt that day. The only person who I had seen put Matt in such a one sided battle, who had beaten him up to a pulp so viciously.

Eventually, I had to face him. Four years was a lot of time for anyone to grow.

Aelienne was the strongest holder of Hinokami. But she had a flaw. She refused to carry out the Great Akuma. To sacrifice herself. And so, like you, she found a way to decouple me from her connection. Calling upon my power without following her destiny. No warrior I sent could stop her. And so, she lived in solitude with her lover and offspring.

My body surged with rage.

"So not only was she blessed. But she also found a man to love her. Where is she now."

The Dogma was hesitant.

Yeling, you do not have the-

"I will figure it out. Because unlike her, I deserve my power. Aelienne doesn't. Not anymore. Maybe one lifetime ago she deserved her power of Hinokami. But if she lives her life happy, then there is no reason she should still wield the power of Hinokami."

My body burst into flame.

"I will eliminate her. Tell me where she is."

I spent more weeks, wandering the world. My clothes had turned ragged and worn down. A ruffled grey ragged scarf concealed my neck, wrapped around and covering part of my mask at the bottom. My time with Shenlong, I had been calling his techniques so much, that it had become engrained in me through muscle memory. As a result, during my time hunting down Level 1 Akuma Grade Dogma Holders for the Dogma, I had collected several weapons.

Two combat knives strapped to my belt. A sword attached to my back, and chained blades that wrapped around my forearms.

The clothes that I once had during my time adventuring, which were picked out by Inoko, lined my body. Including my fur dragon hide boots and sleeveless coat.

Even if the clothes on my body and gear reminded me so painfully of my time with my adventuring party, they had utility too good to give up.

I spent a lot of time thinking about that day. The day I unlocked Stage Three.

Every Stage required a sacrifice. The Dogma did not give things out for free.

And it had finally occurred to me what that sacrifice was.

I sacrificed my life with Shen, Shia, and Inoko. To become stronger. It had to be done at some point. I would never win against Danny at the rate I was going. And my time spent with them was just delusion after delusion.

I gritted my teeth, walking across the desert ground, making out the outline of a city in the far distance.

My life was always destined to be walked alone. I could spend time with these people all I wanted, but no matter how close I was with them, I would always be the odd one out. The fifth wheel.

And now. I walk. As the Tidalflame once more.

Searching for Aelienne, and eliminating her off the face of the planet.

The Rematch

"Welcome to Mar, the hometown of the heroine Firebird!"

I glared at the sign in disgust, taking off my hood and rustling through my bag, taking out a wig.

I had worn this so many times whenever I did infiltration.

Back then, seeing this filled me with a rush of nostalgia. Then sadness. And for a time, disgust when I rejected who I was.

But looking at it now, I felt nothing. Everything I was doing had to be done.

I put the wig on and stepped into the city.

Everywhere I looked, I was seeing some kind of advertisement using Aelienne's name.

"A defender, huh." I muttered.

"You bet!" A citizen walked by me, tossing me a piece of merch.

"On me! You'll get to know more about her. The Great Firebird who protects everybody. She looks out for all of us. It's the best we can do."

Aelienne resides in a house with her husband and child. But you are not ready to fight her. You must rest your body, because this fight will be incredibly disadvantageous for you. Take as many benefits as you can.

I did as the Dogma told, and rented a hostel.

"Room for one." I said.

The lady raised an eyebrow at me.

"Adventurer?"

"No." I put the coin on the desk.

"Drifter."

I went up the steps, and found a couple sucking face outside of my door.

"Move." I said.

The couple ignored me.

I moved forward and tried to squeeze through, but the man grabbed my shoulder.

"What's the deal pal?" He asked, but before he could do anything else, I ripped his hand away and grabbed his neck, slamming him against a wall.

"What are you- I'm calling the Firebird!"

I used my other hand and pushed the bangs out of my way, exposing the right side of my face as the man's voice trailed away.

Both the man and woman were staring at me in terror.

"I told you to move. You didn't move. I tried to squeeze through. And you decided to get violent. Call for your heroine all you want. But she won't come in time. And after I'm finished with this city, she won't come."

I tightened my grip, snapping the man's neck as the woman screamed, but I turned to her, pointing my finger, firing a super condensed beam of Hinokami which fried her skull.

Both corpses crumpled to the ground, crumbling to dust and ashes and blowing away.

"She won't come for any cries for help ever again." I said, opening the door and entering the room.

I sat on the bed, looking out at the city, reaching into my pocket and pulling something out.

It was a polaroid.

Yeling, your connections to them make you weak. You know this.

I didn't reply.

The decision I made wasn't an easy one. No part of me wanted to leave them without any hesitation. If there was a way to stay I would have done so.

My time with Inoko flashed in my mind.

All those happy memories I shared with her and Shia and Shen going through my mind.

But it wasn't her fault that I ended up developing these feelings, it wasn't her fault at all.

It was mine.

She didn't owe me anything. She was strong and tough, yet kind. She did nothing wrong. And it was because she was so kind to me did this all happen.

If she did nothing wrong, and I was the one who was causing all the darkness to well up, the only plausible choice was to stay away.

There is no going back to them, Yeling. You are mine.

"Yes, Dogma." I said, ignoring the pain in my chest.

I left my room and made my way to the bar.

"Dogma, I need you to conceal my power."

I could feel my energy signature going down, as I entered the restaurant and spoke to the woman at the front.

"Table for... one... please..." I muttered.

"Wow! How many times have you said that in your life?" A girl smirked at me.

"Kelsey! That is so rude!" Her parents scolded her as she gave me the stink eye.

I ignored the brat as I took my seat. The place was extremely busy. If Aelienne was working here, I could take her out instantly by using these people as hostages. But if the Dogma was right about her power, it was most likely complemented by her skill.

I had to be smart about this. Extract information and find a way to use it to my advantage.

What did I know? She was a hero in this town. The people adored her. That meant those feelings were reciprocal.

If I could use a similar strategy that I used on Prakash with Aelienne, I could distract her and make her fight me at a fraction of her power while she struggled to protect her people. But the problem was, how could I divide her attention all alone?

This was not going to be an easy fight. There was also the matter of the gap in our power. I didn't know just how far this gap was. Or if even dividing her power was enough.

A woman approached me.

"Hi! Welcome to Pub Firebird! Can I take your order, or are you still deciding?"

I glanced at the menu at my table, then at the server, and hesitated.

She looked familiar. Grey eyes. Her hair was dyed blonde. How could I tell?

Well actually, I couldn't. I don't know shit about hair perms. But I knew that wasn't her original hair colour.

And I could tell who she was, because she was giving me the same expression. Her bubbly and cheerful smile quickly turned into a snarl.

"Yeling...?!"

Marcela nearly dropped her notebook, but I caught it with my heightened reflexes.

Marcela stared at me.

"How did you..."

I cut her off with a dangerous glare.

"You're undercover, right? You wanna blow it?" I asked, my voice low.

Marcela gritted her teeth.

"You... it's been years since I last saw you. Let me finish my shift. We'll talk after it's over."

We made piercing eye contact for a few more seconds, until suddenly, Marcela gave me another fake bubbly smile.

"Do you need more time, sir?"

"Just give me the recommendation."

"Sure! What kind of sauces-"

"Whatever you recommend!" I snapped.

The food was pretty good. Not like it mattered.

I found Marcela smoking in the corner of the restaurant at the back.

"Cigarettes? Those aren't good for you."

Marcela gave me a scowl.

"I'm nineteen. I'm going to be twenty in a month. I don't need to hear that from you, Yeling."

"If you have to justify your age, you're only proving me right."

Marcela threw the cigarette on the ground and approached me, her silver eyes shining.

"You want a fight so badly, Yeling?"

I heard shuffling of footsteps behind me, as a family was pulling their kid away.

"Mommy? Why is that couple fighting?"

"You're too young to understand, sweetie."

Marcela's face contorted in anger.

"Why are you here, Yeling?"

"I'm here to take care of some business for the Dogma."

"The Dogma?"

I removed my wig, revealing my face, as Marcela held back a gasp, which nearly escaped her.

"Wha- But... Lewis said you healed!"

"No." I looked away.

Marcela pursed her lips.

"Yeling... why exactly are you here? If you can tell me."

I regarded my fellow Squad Member.

"I am here to eliminate Aelienne."

Marcela's eyes widened.

"You- Why?"

"She's escaped the Dogma too many times. The Dogma believes I can't defeat her. But I'll prove him wrong. She doesn't deserve her power. And I will show them all that I am the most powerful Hinokami in existence."

Suddenly, someone stepped out of the building.

"Hide!" Marcela gasped, grabbing me and pulling me into a corner of an alleyway.

I paused in shock.

What was that enormous pressure I just felt?

"Yeling. I don't know how much you've evolved since reawakening your power. But... Aelienne is on a class of her own."

"How do you know about Aelienne?"

Marcela looked at me.

"Because we were thinking about recruiting her to become the Hinokami again. Since you quit. But she had been, for the most part, uncooperative. So Squad Leader Matt decided the best course of action would be to take her down by force and have her join our ranks involuntarily using Lewis' mind control evo."

"You saying I'm being replaced?"

"Yes." Marcela gave me a look of zero sympathy.

"We need people who are strong to defeat Transplant. Not someone who can't even make the decision to kill on their own."

I turned back to the woman who had stepped outside. She looked like she was in her thirties. This wasn't possible. Was she really the first Hinokami vessel? The first Hinokami must have been alive a long time ago. There was no way this woman could be her. She was far too young.

"Mommy!" A little boy ran up to her as Aelienne laughed.

"Monkey! Have you been good today?" Aelienne picked her son up, as an older man stepped out of a car.

"Why don't you tell Mommy what you've been up to?" The father asked.

"I drew a picture!"

Aelienne smiled at her child.

"Let's head back and let me see!"

I watched as the family got into the car and drove off, as several people waved at her.

"Keep protecting the town, Aelienne!"

"You got this, Fire Queen!"

I realized my hand was trembling. Not from fear.

But it was clenched in a fist with rage.

"How dare you..." I seethed.

"To take the power the Great Akuma gave you, that power was reserved for those who were cursed by this world. And you DARE to keep both that and have a family of your own? AND to make a name for yourself."

I glared at Marcela from the bangs of my wig, causing her to stumble back in surprise.

"Forget Aelienne. I am the Hinokami you want. I am the only Hinokami you need. I will prove it. Change your operation, Marcela. It's an Elim Op now. And I'm dealing the final blow."

"If that is the case, then let me see your strength, Mah-san." A deep voice rumbled.

I turned around, and my heart nearly skipped a beat.

A muscular man approached me. And my mind flashed back to that one op.

The Rescue Op.

Code URCA.

"You claim to have the power to defeat Aelienne, who surpasses me. Then I should be no problem for you, correct?" Urca said.

I lowered my head, hiding back my excitement.

"Run it."

Urca and I stood face to face in an abandoned field. Marcela was spectator.

"I sense you have evolved during that gap." Urca said, as I took off my coat, putting on my mask.

Urca smiled, taking off his shirt, revealing his overwhelming muscle mass, and untying his hair, letting it tumble to his ankles.

This is your fight, Yeling. I will not interfere. The Dogma said in my mind.

"I don't need to. This is my fight alone."

Urca took a step, but I was already there, having transformed into Stage Two.

Level 1 Hinokami Stage Two: Cobalt Assimilation

I launched an uppercut, which Urca dodged, transforming as well.

Level 1 Fujin Stage Two: Emerald Assimilation

Urca held out his hand, trying to trap me in wind, but I blasted forward, Intangible and with the propulsion and momentum of Hinokami.

Stage Two Hinokami and Intangibility: DEVIL'S STARSHOOTER

Urca pulled back and tried to gain distance, but I was closing it just as fast.

"You're not afraid of me, you fight in close quarters against one who has a larger range. You have improved, Mah-san."

Urca roared, unleashing a torrent of wind, but rather than going Intangible, I stood my ground, taking the blast directly. I could feel my body creaking from the pain, but I had built up my endurance over the years.

From all the combat and injuries I had sustained without Intangibility, there was no need to use it to avoid this type of attack.

"Power is good, but combat intelligence is also-"

SLICE.

Urca's eyes went wide, his face pale in shock and surprise, as I had instantly sliced upward. Blood exploded from his chest as the towering opponent fell backwards.

I positioned my flaming knives that I had drawn from my waist, and charged, slashing wildly as Urca tried to retaliate, but my mastery of Intangibility had improved to the point where I would only activate it whenever Urca was about to land a hit. Carefully planning my next move.

I darted and zipped around him, bombarding him with slashes.

"You are no longer an objective to me Urca, you are just an obstacle." I said, leaping into the air, about to deliver another slash, but my senses tingled. A sense that alerted me from my years of combat.

Level 2 Intangibility

A green bolt of electricity blasted Urca, passing through me and electrocuting my foe. I landed on the ground.

Urca fell to one knee, but regained his posture.

"Never in my many years... would I imagine an opponent who would push me this far."

I made distance, dashing backwards with a burst of flame.

Marcela was staring at me in shock, but none of that mattered to me.

Because I knew Urca was about to reveal his trump card.

Urca clasped his hands and roared into the sky, his deep voice bellowing and a massive tornado of wind surrounded him. Green electricity surrounding the vortex.

The wind subsided, revealing Urca in all his glory, his body covered in the angular green tattoos of the Dogma Bargain.

His eyes were glowing green.

"Come, Hinokami. Show me how much you have grown. When you were with your comrades in Squad Four, you never pressured me to this stage. But now you, alone have pushed me to battle you like this. At Stage Two Full Power."

Urca swatted his hands, the tornado dissipating abruptly. Then within the blink of an eye, he had closed the gap between us. His fist recoiled back and smashing me in the stomach.

"Urk!" I grimaced, as a wave of nausea rolled through me. I smashed into the ground.

"Yeling!" Marcela cried out, but I grabbed Urca by the face, pulling him in and kneeing him in the chin, but my leg glanced off his face.

Urca grinned, grabbing me by the throat, but I escaped by going Intangible.

Urca swatted his hand, and by instinct, I went tangible once more, only to have a massive blast of wind catch me square in the chest. I flew back, while Urca leapt to my direction with enhanced speed and strength, far beyond what he was showing before.

More blows bombarded my body, but I managed to slip past a strike, throwing one of my bladed chains as it dug deep into the ground. I pulled with all my might, moving me out of the way and avoiding another blow.

Urca snapped to my direction. But I had already landed on the ground, sending a volley of slashes with my bladed chains at a distance. Urca brought his fists up, creating a shield of wind, deflecting my strikes and closing the distance.

We continued our exchange, me going Intangible and countering with a strike of my fire enhanced blades. But Urca had the advantage.

We were evenly matched in power and skill, with Rain Style.

But now Urca had powered himself up.

His Stage Two was developed, pushed to its limits.

I leaned back, narrowly dodging a side kick from Urca. The wind scraping and marking my mask.

Then zipped back, avoiding an axe kick, which sent a shockwave my way. I went Intangible.

Stage Two Full Power.

Urca launched a kick which I blocked, skidding back.

I opened my guard, only to see Urca before me, as he grabbed my face and slammed me to the ground.

Images of Urca brutalizing Matt appeared in my head. I heard a loud thumping sound. It was most likely Urca hitting my body with his vicious strikes.

More images of Urca attacking Matt.

I blinked.

The images changed, with Matt being replaced by me.

I am not weak.

I have sacrificed whatever I got.

I could have gone Stage Three and finished this fight. But I had something to prove. That I didn't need to use Stage Three to beat a fellow Stage Two Dogma Holder.

I had to use it.

Urca swung at my face, as I opened my eyes and roared. Unleashing a hellish tornado of pure Hinokami flame. Urca leapt back, observing as the inferno lifted me into the air.

I continued yelling, hints of Stage Three peeking through my Stage Two transformation but not quite.

This was a technique that I had saved for Danny. It would normally have been used along with Stage Three. But there was nothing stopping me from using it at Stage Two.

Level 1 Hinokami Stage Two: ANARCHY FORM

I roared defiantly, the flames around me gaining shape. From a set of skeletal features. To flesh.

Urca gritted his teeth.

"You truly... are no longer the Tidalflame I knew before."

Urca tried to take a step forward, but the flames were too much as he was blown back.

My golem continued growing until it was the size of a ten story building, it towered over Urca, its armour and flesh fully formed, turning the sky blue and purple.

I reached behind me, drawing my sword, as the golem did the same, creating a massive blue and purple flaming blade that sparked with black electricity.

Urca yelled, charging forward, but the flames were too much even for his full power Stage Two.

I brought my blade back and swung, the collateral flames were already enough to stop him, but Urca yelled in defiance, trying to stop it with his bare hands. But it was too much for him.

I watched as his body overloaded with Hinokami Flame.

This fight was over.

Suddenly, a mass of arms surrounded both me and Urca.

I swung my blade, as the arms caught onto my golem, pulling me to the ground.

I growled, superheating the body of the golem, but the arms suddenly gained a black overcoat, absorbing all the light from my flame.

"What the-"

Shakujin and Senkaku - Mass Demon Bind

Marcela floated to me on a levitating rock that was decorated with white veins and cracks.

"The fight is over, turn off your Anarchy Form, Yeling."

I exited my form and went Intangible, appearing behind Marcela, but Marcela spun around, switch teleporting me with a random piece of rock. I stumbled, disoriented, as more arms appeared around me and tried to push me to the ground, but I sprinted forward, going Intangible.

Level 1 Hinokami Stage Two: Devil's Starshooter

I slammed my fist against Marcela's face, who exploded in a shower of darkness.

"Senkaku.... are you kidding me?!" I muttered, as I spun around, only to be greeted with a wall of rocky spikes jutting from the ground, nearly impaling me in a hundred places.

Marcela eyed me.

"That's enough, Yeling. You won't win against someone who uses Senkaku. If I only had Shakujin, I know you would have decimated me like you did with Urca. But I guess I won the lottery with my second Dogma Level."

I backed off, extinguishing my flame and watched as Marcela waved her hand, Urca was placed gently in front of her with a bunch of Shakujin arms.

It was hard to believe this girl was the same coward who used to live with us. But four years was definitely enough for someone who trained hard to unlock Level 2.

And I guess Marcela had unlocked Senkaku, following Matt's guidance.

I walked off, but not before Urca grabbed my wrist. He was still kneeling on the ground.

"Yeling..." He muttered.

I looked at the man who once terrified me.

"When you battle Transplant... you can take... whoever you wish to fight alongside you. But... if she ever insists..."

Urca coughed.

"Do not let my daughter go with you. Deny her. I beg of you. As a father." Urca said to me, as Marcela tended to her wounds.

"I won't. Because Yuyan Danny Zheng is my responsibility to kill. As with Aelienne."

Marcela regarded me.

"Yeling... if you are going to hunt down Aelienne, please. Let us help."

"Us? Since when did Squad Four play with Squad One like that."

"No, not Urca. Urca doesn't fight anymore."

"What?"

Marcela ignored me, as she stepped forward.

"I'm talking about Lewis and Matt. Along with the survivors of Squad One. Squad Four doesn't exist anymore. Neither does Squad One. Our plan was to recruit Aelienne, and if she refused, we would bring her in by force. But if you could prove that you surpass her, then we would have her eliminated. As per the mission of Contingency Initiative."

I looked at Marcela.

She had really grown up. She had gotten taller, and her face had gotten older, more mature, and more serious. No more of that scared little girl vibe. She carried herself confidently.

I knew if Maika was still alive, she would have been proud.

Aelienne was mine to take down. But if there was a way to take care of any of her comrades that might interfere our one on one... it had to be them.

"Fine." I lied.

"Take me to your base, Marcela."

Our Past

I trailed behind Urca and Marcela, as they made their way down a sewer system.

In the darkness, it was hard to make out anything but their silhouettes.

"Your base is really far." I grumbled.

"It has to be this convoluted. Otherwise, we'd get infiltrated very easily and our position would be compromised." Marcela turned to me, but she paused.

"Yeling... your eyes are so unnaturally bright. Never got used to it then, never going to get used to it now."

"Are my eyes really that weird?" I asked.

Urca ignored my question and rounded a corner. The two of us followed him.

"There is no point hesitating, boy. If you wish to speak to Marcela, if you wish to not speak to her, that is none of my concern." The man rumbled, his husky voice shaking the entire place.

I found myself walking next to Marcela.

"You must really hate me." I said.

Marcela looked at me.

"Why do you think that?"

"Well, a number of reasons. Lewis said so, when we met again. And... I guess you had a good reason to. I basically got everybody killed. There is nothing I can do to make up for that."

Marcela was quiet for a few seconds.

"So you feel bad that you got Maika, Whitney, and Flint killed."

There was no point lying.

"Yes, Marcela. I felt like shit. To the point where I wanted Lewis to kill me and just get the vengeance you all deserved. So if you hate me now, I don't blame you."

"I loved Maika. Yes. Squad Four was all about elimination and being cold hearted killers. But even so. There is a bond between each and every one of us. One that drives us and gives us strength to finish our contract and come home. I had something similar, with Stormwatch, but it wasn't the same. It didn't feel genuine. They saw me as something to protect. But with Squad Four, they saw me as one of theirs. Even if I was inexperienced and weak due to being new. Maika was kind and treated me like a younger sister."

Marcela looked at me with those silver eyes.

"I hated you, not just because you got them killed, Yeling. But because you were in Squad Four longer than me. You should have realized just how important your bond was with us. And how important our bond was with you. But you decided to abandon it all. When you cut ties with Squad Four, it broke us. And it broke Matt too, believe it or not. And it was because of that hurt, did we feel the need to avenge you and break every jurisdiction rule ever to fly to Fa Shan and battle Transplant."

I closed my eyes, remembering all the good times I had spent with Squad Four.

My times hanging out with Lewis, playing video games, watching anime, and reading manga. Lewis trying to convert me into an incel but failing miserably.

My times hanging out with Whitney as she constantly asked me for my opinion on things just because I was a guy in an attempt to win Matt over. And Whitney always clowning on Lewis.

My times spent hanging out with Maika and having her introduce me to the party lifestyle. And the many times we would share snacks, me sharing Chinese cuisine to her, and her sharing Japanese cuisine to me, and our rants on how society treated us poorly because of our Asian background.

My times spent hanging out with Flint, as he treated me like a younger brother, giving me advice, offering me a lift to certain places with his portals. And the times I would help carry groceries for him to the fridge.

And Matt.

Each and every time he treated me with tough love, to make me get stronger. To overcome my trauma, and to mold me to become tough.

And it was there, did I finally realize. Did it take having them gone from life did it become crystal clear.

I loved Squad Four.

I loved them all.

"Has it hit you, Yeling?" Marcela asked.

"Yeah." I muttered, resisting the sudden overwhelming wave of emotion that welled up in my chest.

"But now, things have happened. I can't go back and undo it. I'll move forward again and make sure no one else gets taken from that psychopath."

Marcela looked away.

"Hmph."

We continued walking for like forever. Just getting to the base must have been a form of training all in itself.

And it wasn't just the walking. But the tough conditions. The water that was seeping into my boots.

I could see Urca being able to move such long distances and endure the environment, but Marcela... she was wearing leggings and sneakers and she was just barging right through the water as it soaked her legs, and it wasn't bothering her one bit.

"How long have you been in Mar?" I asked.

"One year."

"One year?!"

"Yes. That is how long we have been spending, planning for a way to take Aelienne down should a fight happen. Because it was made painfully obvious we weren't enough to defeat her in a full frontal assault. So we've each had to integrate ourselves into this town and collect information, formulating."

"So that part time gig..."

"Is an actual job. No one knows who Marcela Greene really is. My cover is that of a waitress in Pub Firebird. I even went as far as to have made friends. And a boyfriend. Just to maintain my identity."

I stared at her.

"You... got a boyfriend? What happens if you need to blow your cover?"

"I dump him."

I nearly choked.

"How is that-"

Marcela raised an eyebrow.

"Do you think I want to do these things, Yeling? I don't have a choice. Aelienne is a very careful woman. She has faced many assassination attempts in her life. If I didn't have this level of cover, I would be discovered and the whole operation is a bust. And Aelienne is not the type of person to let attackers go easily, since she was chosen by the Dogma for a reason."

I clenched my fist. This wasn't right.

But who was I to tell if something was right and wrong, when I reverted to being a mass murderer.

"I... uh..."

"Hm?" Marcela asked.

"Was the relationship staged? Like..."

"No. My boyfriend asked me out. On the first month of my job, actually."

"Must be nice to be attractive." I muttered, the thought of Inoko confessing her love to Shen suddenly appearing in my mind.

"What?" Marcela said.

"Nothing." I grumbled.

More memories flooded in my mind of my time in Squad Four, and when I stepped into the base, my mind momentarily flashed to the flat that I used to stay in. But the sight quickly shifted, to a musky apocalyptic shelter.

Destroyed and dark, with musky furniture.

"Guys? We're home." Marcela said, as she took off her coat and hung it. Urca ignored us and went into a room.

The door to another room creaked out, and out stepped a man with shaggy white hair.

I braced myself, but Lewis only looked at me listlessly.

"Welcome back, TF."

"You're not... mad?" I asked.

"No. I saw your battles. This entire time." Lewis tapped his temple.

"All those Level 1 Akuma Grade Dogma holders you destroyed following the Dogma's guidance. It was only a matter of time before you came back here."

There was still something on my mind.

"Where is Matt." I asked.

Lewis looked at Marcela. Marcela's face went pale.

"I..." Marcela muttered.

Lewis shook his head.

"Come with me, Yeling."

I followed Lew into another hallway.

"So. You beat Urca, huh."

"Yeah." I replied.

From the shadows, I could make out Lewis smirking.

"What did I tell you, Matt. Yeling was always special. He was always the strongest of us."

We continued walking, until I could make out a cot. A woman was kneeling next to it with long black hair. She was clutching the hand of a man who was lying in the cot.

"M- Matt... and Patcher?" I gasped.

Rui turned, and her eyes went wide.

"Tidalflame.... How-"

"Marcela found TF attempting to infiltrate Mar. He's on our side. And Yeling, as you can see, Rui is on our side as well. After what happened to Stormwatch."

"What happened to Stormwatch?" I repeated. Then it hit me.

In that vision Lewis had sent me.

The only reason why Squad Four managed to escape was because Stormwatch jumped in to buy them time.

"Rui is all that's left of Stormwatch. As for Matt..."

Rui closed her eyes, running her hand along Matt's forearm.

"He's still comatose."

"Who did this to him." I said.

Lewis put a hand on my shoulder.

"Aelienne, Yeling. Aelienne defeated him and nearly killed him for trying to take her in by force. The fight was so one sided, that none of us could process what was happening until the charred body of Mirage came flying through the walls and landed on the ground in front of us. After seeing Matt's messed up and burnt face, Marcela was never the same. She started to hone down her Senkaku Dogma and molded it after Matt. The switch teleport? The clone? That was all Matt's influence on her. Matt didn't teach her a thing."

I stared at the comatose body of my Squad Leader. If Matt was so easily defeated by Aelienne.

I clenched my fist.

I will never forgive you, Aelienne. I will make you pay. For hurting my loved ones like this.

Rui tried to hover her hand over Matt's body, as a green energy glow surrounded him, but nothing.

"I've been trying to heal him ever since. But there's nothing I can do. Vis just won't wake up, even if his body is physically healed. I already lost Joe. Logan. Lucas and Tony. Lily. They're all dead because of Transplant. Vis is all I have left and now he isn't waking up. What good am I..."

Rui stared at her hands.

"What good am I if all I can do is take hits? What good is a survivor if she can't help her comrades?"

Lewis regarded Rui and us.

"I'll leave you two alone. Considering there's still some unfinished business, I'm guessing. I've already had my time with Yeling. It's your turn now, Rui."

Lewis turned around and left, leaving me alone with the Stormwatch operative.

"How long?" I asked.

"How long what?" Rui replied.

"How long have you been with Squad Four and Matt."

Rui continued stroking Matt's hair

"When we fought Transplant, we were outmatched in every single way. No formation we used worked. He was completely different from when we faced him back when we thought he was Vision. I did my best to heal them, but I watched Transplant slaughter us all easily. Lily was the first, impaled by a spear with lightning speed. Then Tony was next, shot in the head by Transplant's shotgun. Lucas, in a rage, felt responsible for their deaths, and recklessly rushed in to fight Transplant, against our pleads."

Rui ran a hand through her own hair, which was streaked with amber at the ends.

"And Transplant used his power. Joe's power, to snap his neck. Logan tried to protect the both of us, telling us he would buy time, and I had to practically drag Joe away. Joe watched Logan die before his very eyes. And before we could escape, Transplant managed a fatal blow that landed on Joe's side. I held him while he died, alone in an alleyway. The last thing he wanted for me was to be happy, and find Vis. Because even if he was Contingency Initiative, there was still a little bit of Stormwatch in him."

A tear ran down Rui's cheek.

"When I arrived back to New Ulysses, the entire city was in ruins. Transplant had somehow taken Conjunction's powers and appeared in our home and destroyed everything. I was on my last legs. The only thing keeping me alive was my healing factor. And that was when I found Vis. He asked me... he asked me how many of his old family died. And I told him everybody. Logan. Joe. They were both dead. And I was all that was left."

I was silent, listening to Rui. The emotion that was welling up inside. Even if all this had happened years ago.

It was like she was living through it again.

"Vis took me in. When I asked him why, he told me that Contingency Initiative, Realmwatch Collective. Neither factions existed anymore because of no one could stand up to Transplant. Taras himself tried to battle Transplant, but even he was no match for a guy who had the powers of multiple gods. It was all over. And we had been on the run ever since.

"Over time, Vis and I reconciled. We had each others backs. And we slowly started to collect more and more survivors to aid in our cause, but as we tried to escape Transplant, the more survivors we would find, Transplant would kill them just as fast. And soon it was just Vis and I who led the escape. Now... it's just me. And Lewis."

If I had killed Yuyan at Fa Shan, this never would have happened. I should have unlocked more of Hinokami, rather than rushing in blind thinking Stage Two was enough.

None of this would have happened if I had just been careful.

But now things were different. I was going to get as strong as I could to undo my mistake.

"Rui... what is Matt to you now?" I asked.

Rui looked at me, as she smiled warmly.

"Joe would have wanted me to move on. And I suppose I did. Vis and I, for years after that incident, we went through ups and downs together. All that time he had wished he could have spent with me back when he was Stormwatch, he got it now. And it was then did I realize how much I meant to him. And how much he meant to me. So to answer your question...."

Rui clutched her chest.

"I love him, Yeling. I love Matthew Vistara."

I looked at Matt again.

His Dogma... was to never find love. If anything had happened it would destroy him.

But... he went against the Dogma Exchange.

"But his Level 1 Dogma..."

"Yes. Yeling. Vis' Level 1 Dogma for Prophecy did not permit him to love. To never find someone to love him. So in exchange for me, he gave it up. He gave up his power of prophecy."

I closed my eyes.

So Matt had went into battle against Aelienne without his trump card. He was already at a disadvantage.

"Is there a way to wake him up?" I asked.

"We tried everything, Tidal- Yeling."

"Have you tried connecting to him via. the Dogma?"

"Dogma?"

Another girl's voice interrupted us. Marcela leaned against the doorframe and crossed her arms.

"We tried. I tried. But I couldn't get through to him. There was a clear barrier keeping me from getting past. I don't know why."

Rui stared at the ground. I could tell she was trying to keep her emotions in.

I got up.

"I'm going to catch up to speed with the situation." I said, turning to Rui.

"And... since CI isn't a thing anymore and the whole factions things with Squad Four vs. Stormwatch no longer exists... I guess I can take this opportunity to say I'm sorry."

Rui stared at me.

"What?"

I gazed at the medical equipment all around.

"For everything. For defiling your memorials, for causing you all that grief with Matt's diary. For always getting in your way and causing you trouble. A lot of the times I did it because I hated you guys. Based off of what I was told."

"Yeling." Rui said, standing up.

"That is in the past. Maybe I haven't fully forgiven you for a number of things. But it's okay now. We're okay now. Just... find a way to bring Vis... or 'Matt' back to me. And to make that son of a bitch pay for everything he has done."

Rui approached me and wrapped me in a hug.

"And I know it must have been hard for you. Yeling. No one suddenly becomes like this out of the blue. Your memories of your family haunted you, and no one was there for you when it happened. No one. And you were still a kid. I could see why you would look so highly on Taras. But you're not alone. Please realize that."

I wish I could accept that Rui.

But that was far from the truth.

I will always be alone. The only difference is I now have the strength to deal with it.

I will bring Matt back to you, but that's the only thing I can offer. I will continue to take lives. As what the Dogma requests.

I stepped out of the hallway back into the main living area. The place was so desolate and run down. But it was perfect for a base of operations. I guess. Should the need arise to abandon the place, it wouldn't have been a huge waste. I continued walking, until I noticed something.

It was a picture.

I approached it, my hand reaching out to the picture frame, but a smudge of black fell on the stand.

"Dammit." I muttered, inspecting my gloves. They were fingerless gloves that I wore to help me wield my weapons. The Dogma had restored my right hand, but only part way. As a result, my right hand lost all feeling whatsoever. My gloves were tattered and torn, just like the rest of my drifter clothes.

And a piece of it had gotten on the stand and I wiped it away, taking the picture and inspecting it.

It was the same picture Maika had shown Marcela. All of us in one photo. The reason we had this was the memory of our Squad would motivate us to resist mind control. That was the whole point of it, nothing more. But Marcela most likely kept it around as a reminder.

I ran my hand over Maika, Flint, and Whitney's faces, before taking a deep sigh, putting the picture back in its original place.

"Yeling." A voice appeared from a room. I recalled that room was where Urca had walked in. I went to its direction and opened the door, to be greeted with a little girl sitting on her bed. She had a blindfold over her eyes, but I recognized her immediately.

Four years, and she still looked like a little girl.

"Kyokou... is that you?" I asked.

"Fire. I sensed fire. Demonic. Evil."

"That's not very nice." I said, as I approached her, grabbing a stool and sitting in front of her.

"Uh... what happened to your eyes?" I asked.

Kyokou raised an eyebrow.

"How rude."

"I... whatever. You got me." I said.

Kyokou swung her legs.

"You fought father."

"Yes."

"Did he speak to you after the duel?"

"Yeah." I confessed. No point lying to the Dismantler.

"Did he mention me?"

"Yes. He told me to deny your requests to join me in my battle against Transplant."

"I will kill him."

"Just... for the sake of your dad. Don't fight him. Okay?"

"He took my eyes. I will take his life."

I heart sank.

Danny. So you are the reason Kyokou is now blind.

But charging blindly, that was just foolish. She should know better-

"Transplant killed my Squad. My men." Kyokou said. Even if that blindfold was concealing her face around her eyes, I could tell she was enraged. The things around her all began to rumble and shake.

"They served their leader loyally. And he killed them all. I will never forgive him."

"Urca... your dad. He doesn't want you to get any more hurt. I can only imagine how painful it must have been for him to see his daughter have her eyes slashed out like that. Now seeing her try to fight that same guy again. For his sake. Can you do that?"

Kyokou stopped swinging her legs.

"Transplant took away my father's will to fight. Katsuya-sama was fierce. But now... he is protective of me. And just protective. He is changed."

Kyokou wrapped a blanket around herself.

"Papa would have let me come with him to kill. Every Elimination Operation, he brought me. And I would Dismantle alongside him. Now he is changed. Papa is gone."

I recalled the first time I met Urca. It was back when I was in Squad Four. The ferocity of his attacks and his aggression alone were enough to scare us. And anyone who got past that, like Matt, took the full aggression physically and up front. Brutalized so badly that he ended up in a coma.

"Papa is weak. And I now look after him. I am all he has. Because he is full of fear, for Transplant. And Aelienne."

We sat in silence.

Every person in this base had someone important to them. Or some thing.

Something to fight for.

A reason to step into a battle, and a reason to run away from a battle.

Except for me.

I had no one.

If anyone was going to be the Champion of the Dogma, it had to be someone who had nothing to lose. And I fit right into those criteria. It was my opportunity to show that, by defeating Aelienne.

I got up and left Kyokou's room, to find Urca standing in the shadows.

"My daughter spoke to you." Urca's voice rumbled.

"She says you've lost your will to fight. Is that true?"

Urca was silent.

"And if I say it was?"

I walked past him.

"Then everything I knew about you was a lie. Contingency Initiative's strongest operative. Being a coward. The Dogma has sent me to hunt down Level 1 Akuma Grade holders who don't have what it takes to fulfill their destiny. Are you telling me the Fujin Holder who haunted me and Squad Four back then is just like the others I have slaughtered?"

Urca regarded me with those green eyes.

"You seem to be mistaken, Hinokami. From the first day you met me. I never changed. I was betrayed by Taras because of my ideals. The day I chose to wield Fujin was not because I chose to revive the Great Akuma. It was out of sheer desperation to protect my wife. Stage Two was out of sheer desperation to protect my precious little Kyokou. Everything I do is for my daughter. But I suppose a merciless ignorant killer like you would never understand."

I stopped dead in my tracks.

"If this is all for your daughter, that should be more than enough motivation for you to get out there and pummel the bad guys just as you did with us that day. What happened to you boasting that Squad One was always the strongest Squad in CI? Where did all that big talk go?"

"Contingency Initiative is no longer."

"And because of that, so is your warrior spirit? A Japanese Warrior like you, would have had honour. By hanging up your gloves, you've become a coward even your own daughter spits on. Is this how you want to live your life, Urca? A cowardly little gnat?"

"I would become a coward, if it means living every day and seeing my daughter and children. Even if they hate me, just seeing them alive makes me happy. Hinokami, I have met many people and battled many people who were once like you. You seek strength and none else. The feeling of love is foreign to you. But strength and power alone does not complete a person. It does not complete a man. Even if you achieve utopia, there is nothing for you if your heart is closed off to happiness. You will still be the same."

Urca pointed at my chest.

"It isn't just the environment that makes one happy, Mah Ye Ling. You yourself must be open to that happiness. Otherwise, it will all be meaningless."

I clenched my fist.

Don't you think I know that?

But...

It doesn't matter.

When the Great Akuma awakens, it doesn't matter who is happy and who isn't. Not when I give my life during the ritual along with the rest of the Level 1 Akuma Holders to bring his revival.

The only happiness I ever feel these days is whenever I make others who were once happier than me suffer.

That fills me with joy.

And that is the only joy I need, as the Tidalflame.

The next day, I joined the others at the edge of a building. Overlooking the town.

Lewis, Rui, Marcela and I were there. Kyokou was there too, against her dad's wishes.

"Is it just us?" I asked.

"No. He is with us." Kyokou replied.

"Urca?"

"Urca does not fight anymore." Marcela answered me, pointing at the far distance.

A man in a long white overcoat and a red bird mask was standing at the top of a building.

He lowered his sword, which I recognized instantly.

"Shin." I said.

Shin bowed to Kyokou. Even from the distance, my heightened senses was able to make out what he said.

"Hibiki-sama."

Lewis stretched his fingers.

"Alright guys. This is the endgame. We spent all night briefing you on the plan. This plan took us a long ass time to come up with. It's all or nothing."

I nodded.

The plan was complicated. But the end objective was what I cared about.

The operation was Elimination.

Target: Aelienne "The Firebird".

And the person to take her down.

Was me.

Yeling "The Tidalflame".

A Sinner's Vow

We infiltrated the restaurant.

The plan itself was complex, and I had a hard time understanding it, as Lewis had basically given me an extremely loaded and dense summary.

But all I needed to know was that they intricately made a series of infiltrations and distractions to split Aelienne apart from everyone.

And once Aelienne was all alone, that would be my chance to strike, using her loved ones as hostages.

Or that was what we thought.

I was in the restroom, changing into a new outfit, staring at my reflection in the mirror.

I ran my hand over my magical disguise. Long black hair that ran down to my shoulders, my long bangs covering the right side of my face.

It never hit me... but I had gotten older so fast.

The only thing the magic did was implant hair on my head. But my face itself was never affected by the magic.

Happy fifth birthday, Ah Ling! Look at you growing up so fast!

My mom had organized a birthday celebration for me. We couldn't afford much, and all we had were four balloons. She had taped one balloon to each chair in the kitchen.

But that didn't bother me, because the very thought that someone was celebrating my birthday made me so happy.

I remembering seeing an old photo of baba.

This is your baba when he was in his twenties.

And when I looked at him in the photo, he looked so chiseled, so handsome. His hair, clipped short and combed back. So much class.

Will I look like that someday, mama? I asked.

And my mother had looked at me.

Yes and no. After all, you are our son. You will look like both of us! I can't wait to see my little boy grow up into the handsome man he will destined to be!

I blinked, staring at my grim expression in the mirror. My chiseled features, so bearing remarkable resemblance to my father. But my round eyes resembling my mother's.

Even my hair, if it was magically implanted on me, it still followed what my genetics would have grown out. And now that it was the same length as my mother's I could see what she meant when she told me that I would look like both her and baba.

Someone had walked into the bathroom, washing his hands in the sink next to me.

"How's the new leather jacket? Like the fur at the collar? Rui picked that out for you." Lewis said.

I turned to him.

"Yeah."

Lewis smiled.

"Honestly. Even after everything Squad Four has been through. All the people we've lost. In the end, it's still the two of us, huh."

"Lew. I..."

Lewis looked at me.

"God, I still can't get used to seeing you with long hair. You look like a total stud."

"What good is a stud when no one wants me, am I right Lew?" I muttered.

Lewis turned off the tap, running his hand through his white hair.

"Hey, Yeling. I was... meaning to tell you something."

"What?"

"You know how I told you that all women always end up liking the wrong kind of guy?"

"What about it?"

Lewis clutched the edge of the sink.

"I... was wrong."

I stared at my friend. The man who everybody knew was an incel who would never shut up about how he believed all women were blind to not go out with him and weird shit like that.

Had just changed his entire perspective in front of me.

"What are you saying...?"

"The day Matt was brutally demolished by Aelienne, I found Marcela training herself to exhaustion. Burning herself out in an attempt to find vengeance. I stopped her that day, and I berated her for being so reckless. There was no point trying to gain vengeance on someone so powerful. It would just lead to another Level 1 Akuma Grade Dogma holder being lost."

I said nothing, listening to Lew.

"And I made a mistake. Marcela wasn't trying to gain vengeance. She was getting stronger not to kill Aelienne. She did it to protect us. To protect... me."

Lewis looked at me, and chuckled softly.

"A girl who would go to such lengths to protect me. Would you believe it? And so I trained alongside her. We fought together. Even back then, after our first battle with Transplant. Matt had always paired us together. At first we hated each other's guts. She always called me a jerk and I found her annoying. But now... we've grown up. And... one night, she told me. That if I die, she would only accept it if she died first. Because she could never live on knowing I would be gone."

Lewis then turned back to his reflection, resting his palms on the edges of the sink.

"And last night. She finally confessed. We made a promise that we will come back for each other once the operation is done. I will do my part, but if it comes down to it. I need you to make sure Marcela lives. For me. Please."

I lowered my head.

I guess... I should have expected this.

I managed a small smirk.

Whenever someone I knew ended up in a relationship, I would never root for them.

I always lived by a philosophy that there was no point congratulating someone's successes. There was no point. It had nothing to do with me.

And especially when it came to relationships, I didn't care. It only led to how unfair the world was.

But when it came to Lewis, a guy who for the longest time was one who had the most incel like behaviour in Squad Four to finally be in a relationship and lose that unhealthy mindset.

"I'm proud of you. Lew. And yeah. I promise to make sure Marcela lives."

I held up my fist in front of Lew, who stared at me.

"As a friend. I promise."

Lewis gave me a grin.

"Like old times, TF?"

"What do you mean old times? Me doing everything while you're holed up in your room playing Rainbow Siege?"

Lewis laughed.

"I miss the good old days. But in a way, I don't wanna go back. I wanna keep moving forward. We've both grown so much. I wanna see how far this takes me. I never imagined myself to be in the spot I am today."

We fist bumped.

"For... the future. Tidalflame."

"For the future... Pinpoint."

We made our separate ways. I turned around to see the back of Lewis' head. His white hair fluttering from his movements. Ready to do his part in the operation.

I smiled, turning around and walking my direction to the office.

"First phase complete. You're up, Rui." Marcela spoke to me in my coms.

I continued walking, until I was in the restaurant. It was in the lighter days, so there weren't as many customers.

I sat down near the entrance.

"Sir? Are you waiting for someone?" The lady at the front asked me.

I ignored her.

The woman looked uneasy.

Sorry miss. But this is just how it is. Even if you are to be caught up in it. That's just how it's going to be.

"Second phase complete. Lewis. Shin. You're up."

I continued waiting.

Until it was my turn.

"Third phase. Yeling."

I got up, as the woman was about to call the police and grabbed the phone.

"What are you-"

My eyes flashed cyan, as she screamed, causing everybody to turn to us.

"Firebird! Call Fireb-"

"No. She won't be coming for you." I said, menacingly, as a wave of blue flame erupted from my body, dousing the entire restaurant.

"Fire....? This fire is just like-"

"There is only one Hinokami." I said, as I left the restaurant, going Intangible and flying off.

"Third phase complete."

I flew to a distant house. The residence of Aelienne, my wisp of a body entering the walls and climbing the steps, and going through a door, as I gained form.

"You're.... really cute." A young man's voice emanated from the room.

And from the other side, was Marcela's voice.

"Aww... you're making me embarrassed."

"But you are. The most beautiful thing ever."

"Why don't you do something about it and be a man?" Marcela asked.

"As long as you're okay with it."

I heard the rustling of clothes. When suddenly, the rustling stopped.

"Sella... what are you doing? You never told me you had tattoos..."

"Sorry, Frank. But this is for the betterment of the future."

BOOM.

Frank stumbled back, in his boxers, as a half naked Marcela approached him, levitating through a bunch of plants. Her body was covered in silver tattoos and her eyes were glowing silver.

"Wh... Why..." He whimpered, as he bumped into me.

"Who are you?!" Frank yelped, as I slowly put on my mask.

"I am Tidalflame. The True Hinokami." I said, evilly, grabbing him by the throat.

"And you must be the elder son of Aelienne. Fourth Phase completed." I knocked him out, handing him over to Marcela, who took him with several plant arms.

"You never told me your boyfriend was Aelienne's son." I said.

Marcela raised an eyebrow.

"Do you have a problem with that? This is for the operation. You know this."

I said nothing, as Marcela ripped the wall open.

"Let's get out of-"

"You're not going anywhere." A man's voice appeared behind us. I spun around, my hands burst into flame, only to be greeted with an older man.

"What the- why is the husband here?!" Marcela exclaimed.

This was not according to plan. Because if he was here...

Second Phase should have failed.

What was going on-

"TF... look." Marcela pointed at the husband's face, which was decorated by tattoos.

Dogma Tattoos.

"He's a Dogma user...?!" I gasped.

Level 1 Hachi Stage Two - Mass Effect Tsukuyomi

The illusion wore off.

"Guys! We lost Yfil! We can't find him anywhere!" Lewis shouted at the coms.

My eyes went wide, stumbling back.

"God of Illusion?!"

Yfil glared at us.

"In what scenario would I ever leave our children behind?"

My body was struck with nausea, as I stumbled back.

"What was this...?!"

Level 1 Hachi Stage Two - Vertigo Inducement

I fell on my back, as Yfil approached me with a large sword in hand, about to slice down, but was switch teleported at the last moment by Marcela.

Marcela turned to me, as she chucked Frank into a black portal.

"Go. Yeling. I will fight Yfil. The plan is compromised. But the mission is not."

"No, I can't. I made a promise..." My voice trailed away, as Marcela and Yfil faced off.

"So you're the current Shakujin of this era. I admit. I was wary of you when Frank brought you home. I am always wary of the girls my son brings back and starts relationships with. I guess my suspicions on you are spot on."

I needed to step in, but there was a mission.

This Shakujin and the former Hachi are evenly matched. The Dogma said to me.

I gritted my teeth. I didn't want to just leave Marcela alone with Yfil like that. I had a promise to Lewis that I needed to keep. But I couldn't compromise this mission.

I reluctantly turned, and made my way to the next checkpoint, as I heard the explosions of combat.

"Yeling... we could really use your help buddy!" Lewis called out to me in coms.

"I'm making my way there as fast as I can!"

"No... like seriously!"

I yelled, pushing my Hinokami further as I blasted into the air like a comet.

And that was where I saw it.

A mass of black appendages in the air, slamming and smashing the entire place around.

Flashes of purple and gold blasted the monster, as I could make out Lewis trying to fight it off, but it was no use. The monster was practically impervious to all damage.

Shin suddenly materialized before the monster, his sword drawn back.

Time Displacement: Thousandfold Strikes

Millions of lines appeared all over the monster, but it began regenerating instantly.

I landed in front of Lewis, as I held out my hand.

Level 1 Hinokami: Inverse Tsunami Release

I let loose a massive blast of flame, pushing the tentacles back.

"You good? What the hell is that thing?" I asked.

Lewis wheezed.

"No idea. We were trying to find Yfil, when suddenly, this thing appeared. And above all else... the only people who are with Aelienne are Rui and Kyokou. Now that there's chaos, there's no telling how screwed they are. The plan was that we would regroup and take her down together!"

"You're basically saying we need to take down that monster right?" I said, as my body began to power up, my flames turning purple.

Lewis stared at me.

"Y- Yeah..."

"Then stand back."

I slowly drew the sword on my back, replicating Inoko's movements.

Remember it.

All that time in that party.

It was not a waste.

Level 1 Hinokami Stage Two...

I opened my eyes, a horn ripping out of the right side of my head.

Cobalt Assimilation

I blasted into the air, my sword drawn back, as I slashed as hard as I could.

The monsters exploded into pieces, as blue and purple flames dances all across it. The tentacles were no longer regenerating.

Shin materialized in front of us.

"Good work. The flesh has been carbonized. Leave this one to me. Focal. Tidalflame. Assist Hibiki-sama."

Lewis created a portal with his evo, which we walked through to get to Aelienne's position.

But we were too late.

"Hot!" Lewis yelped, as I brought my arm up instinctively.

The entire place was filled with red flames.

Hinokami flames.

"Rui! Kyokou!" I called out.

BOOM.

A woman smashed through the walls of the place, landing in a large coliseum.

"Yo! Rui! Are you okay?!" Lewis ran up to her, as Rui began to glow green, healing herself.

"Her flames... they're dulling my healing."

I turned to the walls of the coliseum, where the seats normally would be, as the stone structures were being uprooted in a telekinetic tornado. At the centre was Kyokou, who held her hand out.

"Decimate." She said.

The debris came flying to the source of the flames, as a woman simply opened her hand.

Level 1 Hinokami: Phoenix Breath

A blast of flame, far surpassing my Inverse Tsunami Release, engulfed the debris, as Kyokou tried to create a force field, but she yelped, sending her back.

I blasted to her location with flame and caught her, landing on the ground.

"You okay?" I asked Kyokou who nodded.

"Please put me down."

I did what she asked, and turned to Aelienne, who was enveloped with her red inferno, swirling all around her. A little boy was clutching her leg.

"I told you. I keep telling all of you, to leave me and my family alone. Now you went after my sons... both of them. That was the last straw. I have decided to kill all of you."

"Hey. Kyokou. Use your telekinesis evo to take Rui and Lewis. Get out of here." I said.

"I can figh-"

"NO." I snapped, glaring at her.

"This isn't your fight anymore. Mission's botched. From the very beginning none of you stood a chance. This is my fight."

My body swirled with blue flame, which broke through the red inferno.

"I am the only person who stands a chance against Aelienne. Now leave."

Aelienne glared at me through her crimson eyes. Her hair was now glowing a bright red, and her clothes had torn away, revealing a black unitard but black ancient armour decorating her entire top.

"Have you come to challenge me, little Dogma holder?"

My face was still concealed by my Tidalflame mask, but my cyan eyes were full of power and malice.

"That Dogma ability no longer belongs to you."

"Is that what you believe?"

Aelienne patted her son's head.

"It's okay now, John. Keep using your powers. There's nothing to be afraid of. Go and find Daddy okay? Mommy will be fine."

"Powers...?"

Aelienne's son pointed at me.

"I made a drawing. Everybody dies in that drawing. By my tendrils."

My eyes widened, as Aelienne bent down and kissed her son's forehead, and John pulled out a sketch pad, drawing a circle as a portal formed in front of him. John stepped through, leaving.

"Are you seriously using your own son to fight?"

"I will do whatever it takes to protect my family. If it means making sure my children survive, then so be it."

I turned to Kyokou, who had taken Rui and managed to escape. But where...

"Yeling." Lewis walked up to me and stood by my side.

"We fight her together."

I looked at my former Squad member.

"Lew? No. You can't. She's too dangerous. I can't-"

"Yeling. I will help you. I don't trust you to beat someone this strong all on your own. And I know that if we fail this, Aelienne will come for all of us, just like Transplant did. I can't lose Marcela, man."

I gritted my teeth.

"Then try and keep u-"

"I'm sorry. But I'm not foolish enough to let you two plan out how to ruin my family. I'm going to destroy you both." Aelienne cut us off abruptly, appearing between us.

I couldn't even register her movements.

She was even faster than Urca.

I slowly moved my head, while Lewis slowly opened his mouth to shout.

"YELING!"

Aelienne opened her hand, positioning it in front of my face.

Level 1 Hinokami: Phoenix Breath

I went Intangible, flying right through her and grabbing Lewis, but Lewis had already zipped into the air to avoid the attack. I sighed, regaining form, but Aelienne grabbed my throat.

"Intangibility Dogma? Interesting."

I gritted my teeth.

Level 1 Hinokami: Devil's Typhoon

I let loose a massive blast of flame, but Aelienne suddenly disappeared.

"What the-"

"Is that all you have, Yeling?"

I looked up in the sky, to see Aelienne in the air, her finger raised. Above her, was a massive red sun. The red light illuminating her sinister appearance.

What was this.

Why couldn't I move?

Move, body! Move!

No.

This couldn't be happening.

I'm not afraid of Aelienne.

I'm not. I'm not. I'm not.

But I could say that all I wanted, my body felt otherwise.

It was frozen in pure terror.

Aelienne began to ascend and ascend, the sun getting bigger and bigger as things began to get pulled in by its massive gravitational influence.

Level 1 Hinokami Stage Two: ULTIMATE PHOENIX COVENANT

"Yeling! GET OUT OF THERE!" Lewis shouted at me, as I broke out of my shock and went Intangible, flying to the other side, as a massive blue beam wrapped around the sun. The beam coming from a man who was in a distant building, his teeth clenched with effort and his eyes were bloodshot from the strain.

Aelienne turned to Lewis.

"Hoh? The Supercriminal Focal thinking he can defeat me? I am the Firebird, foolish boy. You're nothing special, just one of the millions who tried to take me back. I will show you no mercy for what you tried to pull on my family."

Aelienne closed her fist, as the sun condensed, getting smaller and smaller and brighter until it was in the palm of her hand. Lewis collapsed, breathing heavily, as Aelienne opened her hand and sent the orb his way.

"Lew!" I roared, blasting to his location and transforming into Stage Two myself.

Level 1 Hinokami Stage Two: Inverse Monsoon Release

I tried to stop the attack, but Aelienne...

How was there such a massive gap in our flames?!

"GAH!" I growled, as I continued releasing my power until a massive explosion sent us back. Lew and I fell off the building and landing on the ground, as Aelienne approached us.

"It took you that much effort to deflect Phoenix Covenant?" Aelienne asked me, the entire city in flames. Red flames.

Her flames.

I got to my feet, drawing my knives.

Aelienne raised an eyebrow, as I roared, my body powering up. Lew... I don't know how well your suit can withstand the collateral of Hinokami, but I'm sorry... this is going to hurt. A lot.

I filled my blades with as much flame as I could, going all out.

Level 1 Hinokami Stage Three...

Another horn ripped out of the other side of my head as demonic spikes grew out of the side of my left arm.

Grand Cobalt Assimilation

Remember that Rain Style.

Buried so deep inside your roots as you called upon it.

I brought my foot back.

Rain Style Two Sword Technique: WILD LOTUS FLUR-

"Tatsu." Aelienne said, calmly, as she held out her hand and an incredibly long sword appeared before her.

Aelienne slashed, and severed both of my blades before I could even move an inch, then positioned the tip under my chin.

I dropped the twin hilts and stared at the first Hinokami holder in absolute shock.

She wasn't even trying. She looked bored.

"This is your Stage Three? Say. Are you really a Level 1 Hinokami holder?"

I gritted my teeth, when suddenly, several portals formed all around Aelienne, and a gold beam blasted the portals from behind.

Ultimate Move

The beams began ricocheting all around Aelienne. With even greater speed and intensity than the last time I had seen it.

EMPIRE OF MIRRORS

The beams were moving so fast it looked like the region around Aelienne was pure gold, as the mirrors exploded.

But not from the beams.

A red inferno surrounded Aelienne, blasting away Lewis' ultimate move and sending the both of us back.

"Jesus Christ!" Lewis yelped, the shock cracking his mask at the visor, revealing one of his eyes.

"Enough, Lewis! Let me fight her!"

"Hell no! We're in this together!"

"Together how?! We're just getting in each other's way! I'm just better off alone!"

"And you're just going to take her on all alone knowing full well the difference in your strengths?! JUST LIKE TRANSPLANT?!"

I glared at Lewis, but before I could say anything, Aelienne had intercepted us.

"Break!" Lewis shouted, as his eyes glowed, shooting him into the air. I did the same, going in the opposite direction.

Aelienne regarded the both of us as we gained high ground.

"Listen to me, Yeling. I get you want to prove yourself. You're both Level 1 Hinokami's. But Aelienne is too powerful. No matter how you look at it. So please. Let's take her down together. Squad Four style, okay? Just set aside your pride."

I gritted my teeth.

Lewis Greer is correct, Yeling. You are not strong enough to fight Aelienne alone. You are already at Stage Three, and she is still overwhelming you at Stage Two. There is no way you can win alone.

"What was it called... Your signature move..."

Aelienne raised her hands, as Lewis pushed me out of the way.

"Go! Split!"

We flew in opposite directions, but Aelienne only smirked.

"What the fuck?! No... no way can she-" I stammered, as Aelienne's body glowed red.

Level 1 Hinokami: Inverse Tsunami Release

Two red torrents of flames came chasing the both of us from different directions.

My eyes widened.

I couldn't dodge this!

Level 1 Hinokami Stage Three

I held out my hands.

Grand Ultimate Inverse Tsunami Release

I blasted the flames away, barely.

"LEW!" I shouted, as Lew portalled to me.

"I'm good!"

"Are you?" Aelienne asked, appearing before us.

"How?!" Lewis shouted, as she brought her hands out, a shockwave of flame blasting us point blank as we smashed into the ground. My transformation neutralized.

Aelienne descended slowly, her Stage Two transformation in full view.

A single devil horn, curlier than mine, jutted out of the left side of her head, and a monstrous demonic wing had sprouted from her back.

"You lack combat intelligence. Leaving your portal open for so long. Are you an amateur at spatial combat, Focal? Or might I say your technique makes me believe you tried to imitate someone else's style."

Lewis was silent, but his one exposed eye was full of rage.

That style was Flint's.

"SCREW YOU, BITCH!"

Lewis unleashed a blinding flash of light from his eyes, the beam going straight at Aelienne dead centre, but Aelienne flicked her hand, and a wave of flames neutralized it, throwing us on our asses.

We breathed heavily.

"What now, Yeling. This MILF literally just copied your technique and did it better than you. Knocked you out of Stage Three, and is approaching us like a complete dominatrix." Lewis muttered.

I clenched my teeth.

Why...

Why was there such a huge gap in our power?!

After everything that I did... after everything that I sacrificed?!

"Hey. Hinokami." Aelienne said.

Lewis struggled to his feet, but Aelienne turned to him.

"I don't care about you. Go away. I have a few words for this scum."

A wave of flame slammed into Lewis dead centre as I watched my friend go flying into a house, smashing through the straw roof and tumbling inside.

"LEWIS!" I yelled, but Aelienne suddenly appeared in front of me with that same overwhelming speed, her hand covering my mouth.

"Screw off!" I growled, going Intangible and flying right through her, but Aelienne simply laughed, pointing a finger at me as my blue wisp of a body suddenly became suspended in the air.

Aelienne pointed at the ground as I slammed into it, regaining my shape. My face buried in dirt. I could tell my mask was cracked.

"You must think you're something special. To unlock Stage Three Hinokami. And to go on all those rampages killing those Level 1 Akuma Grade Dogma holder wannabe idiots. Did you really think you were something special?"

I gritted my teeth, as Aelienne knelt in front of me, her hands on her thighs, and a sadistic smile on her face.

"You're not the only Level 1 Hinokami user the Dogma has sent to challenge me. I've killed tons of Hinokami's before you. Eleven, to be exact. That would make you the thirteenth Hinokami the Dogma has chosen."

I'm nothing special. I'm not.

I closed my eyes, resisting the pain in my chest.

I know I'm not special.

But... the least I could... the least I could be was different.

Different not just in a way that would make me shunned. I've already felt that different.

But for once in my life, different in a good way!

Aelienne watched as I struggled to my feet. Her face was sympathetic all of a sudden. Aelienne herself rose.

"I've met a lot of people. A lot of Hinokami's before you. All so full of hatred. I guess that part of me never died away, no matter how much I try to think about my husband and children. That sadistic part that you brought out."

"D- Don't... give me that... shit..." I sputtered, pulling out the sword on my back, and slashed at her overhead, but Aelienne calmly deflected it with Tatsu.

"Let me see your face." Aelienne reached out, but I roared, releasing a Devil's Typhoon, which forced her back.

"Fine. I'll see it for myself." Aelienne lowered her sword, and flickered, as suddenly, everything felt... exposed.

Aelienne suddenly took a step back, her face startled.

"My god... was that... a Dogma Exchange?"

The magic that had concealed my right side had long since faded away, revealing my right side.

I aimed my sword at her again.

I don't need your pity.

I don't need anyone's pity.

"What happened to your killing intent? Huh? Let's finish this." I growled.

Aelienne regarded me.

"You are still a boy. To know that the Dogma is using children now to serve his being."

Do not listen to this traitor, Yeling. You must stay true to yourself! At all costs!

"You don't have to tell me twice."

Aelienne lowered Tatsu, her Stage Two Hinokami still emanating those red flames.

"Did it hurt? When the Dogma burnt your face?"

I gritted my teeth.

"I don't need to answer your questions. I'm here to eliminate you, and prove to everybody that I am the strongest Hinokami!"

Aelienne's face softened.

"Yeling, is being the strongest really what you want?"

"Shut up!"

"Because under all that hate, I sense a child who just wants to be loved. That is what I can sense, through my Level 2 Empathy Dogma. And even if I didn't have one, as a mother, it's so painfully clear as day."

"I SAID SHUT UP!"

I roared, transforming into Stage Three again.

"Mind games won't work on me. I won't fail like the others. I will surpass you. Because... because..."

I brought my foot back.

Stage Three Hinokami Rain Style Kenjutsu Form 1...

GRAND ULTIMATE DEVIL SURFACE SLASH

I slashed as hard as I could at Aelienne, who zipped out of the way, but the slash itself was so powerful that the entire city had now been converted. From red flames...

To blue.

The blue illuminated my face evilly.

"Because I sacrificed more. Because I am suffering. I deserve to be stronger than you."

No Winners in War

I breathed heavily, facing down Aelienne. I was hovering on residual Hinokami flames that were being emitted from the soles of my feet.

Blood was racing down the sides of my face. My bladed chains were the only weapons I had left in my arsenal. Everything else was shattered. My jacket was torn off, and my mask had long since been sliced away.

Aelienne looked down on me from above, her one wing gleaming in the night sky.

I clenched my fists, willing the chains connected to my blades to wrap around my forearms and inspected my hands.

The fingerless gloves were completely torn and worn down.

I glanced at Aelienne again. She suffered no damage, and her eyes were condescending. As if I was nothing more than a bug to her.

This entire time, Lewis had been knocked unconscious, and it was just me facing down Aelienne. I had no idea how the others were doing, because the flames of her Hinokami had long since melted the device.

This was what I wanted, right?

To take her down, one on one.

"I'm not finished." I muttered, circling in the air.

"I'm not scared."

I assumed my stance, as Aelienne brandished Tatsu and charged me with blinding speed.

I dodged in the last second, throwing my blades out, which were coated with a layer of blue Hinokami flame. The blades caught onto a piece of rock as I roared, pulling back and launching the rock at Aelienne, which disintegrated into molten lava upon contact.

Aelienne rushed forward, but I threw a blade out and used the chain to yank me out of the way. Combining the force of the pulling with Hinokami's propulsion, allowing me to barely keep up with her overwhelming speed.

I swung wildly like a wheel, attempting to catch her, but the blades refused to land.

Aelienne then appeared behind me, her blade held back high.

"Garrr!" I growled, summoning my blades back as fast as I could to deflect her slash. The three pieces of metal collided, and the shockwave sent me flying into a mountain, melting it from the sheer temperatures of Stage Three.

I bounced on the ground, continuing to slide and smash through more landforms, until I roared and stabbed the ground with my blades, slowing my fall to an eventual stop.

"Are you finished, Yeling?"

Aelienne appeared in front of me, closing the distance instantly. I went Intangible, passing right through her and regaining form starting from my back, reversing my body's position and throwing my two chains out, the blades sinking deep into the ground on either side of her.

I yanked, my feet recoiled.

Level 1 Hinokami Stage Three

Grand Ultimate Devil's Meteorite

Aelienne zipped out of the way as I smashed into the ground, staring at the red light that had broken through all that dirt and dust. A blast of flame smashed me square in the chest, knocking the wind out of me and sending me back.

I tumbled until I managed to get my feet back, breathing hard.

She wasn't even trying.

"Is that all you can do... Yeling?"

"Geh!"

My face contorted in annoyance, eyes wide.

She was wrong.

I was far from max power.

I still had my trump card. But I was holding back. There was no reason to hold back.

I didn't need my friends. I wanted strength. I wanted power. I want it.

If I don't have friends.

If I don't have loved ones.

That is where I am strongest.

Destroy it all.

"You want power?! YOU WANT TO SEE TRUE POWER?!" I roared.

I want to kill her.

I want to destroy her.

I hate you.

I hate everything.

Give me it all. Let the rage through.

I lifted into the air, blue and purple flames swirling around me and black lightning booming all over Mar.

Every thought that I had, every hint of me caring about my comrades was now gone.

I couldn't process a single thing.

The only thing that I wanted...

The one thing that I wanted the most.

Level 1 Hinokami Stage Three...

"IS TO BE NUMBER ONE. EVEN IF IT MEANS SACRIFICING MY FRIENDS." My voice boomed all over the city.

GRAND ULTIMATE ANARCHY FORM

Armour cladded all over my golem as I reached out, summoning my blades.

Aelienne watched me grimly as she flew to the air.

I roared, swinging my swords, the chains bringing the blades to her location, but Aelienne landed on the flat of one of the blades and began charging at me with full speed.

But I wasn't done.

I stomped on the ground, causing all the buildings and houses that were under my foot to melt and disintegrate. I flung my arms, causing a massive ripple in the fiery chain and flinging Aelienne away. I watched the Hinokami Holder fly into the air.

I spun around, my sheer size causing everything in Ran to disintegrate in the hellfire of blue and purple.

Grand Ultimate Devil's Beneficent Slash

I launched a gargantuan slash with my blades, slamming them with the torque and tension of the chains.

Aelienne's eyes widened, her vision was obstructed from the immense size of my golem along with the sea of blue and purple. The blades connected at her waistline.

I yelled, my mind going blank, as I wildly slashed down, smashing her into the ground.

I flew into the air, and thrusted my blades into the ground, each one smashing through and unleashing fiery shockwaves which battered Aelienne from all directions. The entire ground was being destroyed, causing her to be suspended midair.

I flexed my arms, willing my golem to do the same, as I thrust myself to her location. Several stories of armour, Hinokami Flame, and fury coming at her. Millions of tonnes of power and momentum.

GRAND ULTIMATE DEVIL'S STARSHOOTER

"BEGONE FROM THIS WORLD!" I bellowed, my golem unleashing a deafening roar, its horns hitting Aelienne dead centre as she tried to deflect it with several Phoenix Covenants, but the Red Suns were simply dissolving from the bestial head of my Anarchy Form.

Aelienne managed to block my Starshooter with Tatsu, but the blade glowed from the immense heat I was emitting.

Aelienne turned around at her city, her eyes frantic.

"No.... No... My beloved people of Mar! What have I done?!"

I emerged from my golem, grabbing Aelienne by the collar of her uniform, forcing her to face me. I had gone completely feral from the power. Laughing sinisterly as Aelienne stared at me, her eyes wide in shock.

This was the trump card I had.

The absolute strongest I was.

I didn't have the means to unlock Stage Four. So I had to make due with something else.

Listen, Yeling. This form you have achieved. It is one of your most powerful weapons. An unstoppable golem of pure might and power. As Tidalflame, you were an unstoppable torrent of vengeance. But as Anarchy, you are beyond even that. You are... an Arbiter. An Arbiter of Destruction. In this transformation, you are looking at a four thousand percentile increase in power. But this multiplier has its limits. In this state, the more you use it, the more of the Great Akuma's flames will course through your brain. Your neurons and nervous system will disintegrate. You will cease to be yourself. Your morals. Your humanity. What makes Yeling Mah, Yeling Mah...

I cackled crazily, my grip tightening on Aelienne's throat causing her to choke.

Will be no longer.

Aelienne tried to struggle, as even as a Hinokami, she was unable to withstand even the heat of a Stage Three Anarchy Form.

Her throat was starting to blacken.

"My... My people..." Aelienne's eyes were starting to roll into the back of her head.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" I laughed crazily. I was no longer myself. I was just chaos. Chaos incarnate.

"FIREBIRD!" A voice screamed from afar.

I glared at the source of the voice.

Voices.

"FIREBIRD! DON'T HOLD BACK! STOP HIM FOR US!"

"STOP TIDALFLAME!"

"YOU CAN DO IT, FIRE QUEEN!"

Aelienne regained her consciousness, staring at the villagers of Mar.

"Everyone..."

An old man stepped forward, his hand on his chest.

"Aelienne... you don't need to fear your power. Because that monster that you once were... is no longer. You don't need to worry about us getting hurt. Because if you keep holding back, that monster is going to kill us all!"

Aelienne gasped, her eyes wide.

"Tidalflame will..."

I hesitated.

You need to finish her off, Yeling! Finish her off while she is distracted! While she's still at Stage Two! The Dogma urged me.

I clenched my teeth and began to squeeze, but suddenly, another series of voices erupted from the crowd.

"YOU'RE NOT HER ANY MORE! YOUR HINOKAMI ISN'T LIKE HIS! IT'S USED TO PROTECT AND SAVE!"

"REMEMBER WHY YOU THREW AWAY WHO YOU ARE! REMEMBER FRANK! JOHN! REMEMBER YFIL!"

Aelienne's eyes watered.

"You're... you're right. I... I use my flames to protect. My fire is not to provide destruction... but warmth."

KILL HER NOW, YELING. WHILE YOU STILL HAVE THE ADVANTAGE. IF SHE POWERS UP, YOU WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO BEAT HER.

"LET IT LOOSE, FIREBIRD! YOU CAN DO IT! WE BELIEVE IN YOU!" The villagers shouted.

I closed my eyes and yelled into the air.

"SHUT UP!" I roared, as I tightened, but suddenly, my hands were unable to keep burning.

I opened my eyes and stared at Aelienne in horror.

Her eyes were fixed at mine, glowing a brighter red than before.

Aelienne shouted, throwing me back as I stumbled in the air in my golem form, staring at the Hinokami user who shot into the air, spreading her two completed crimson wings into the moon. The whole place was swamped with red as her glow became overwhelming.

Level 1 Hinokami Stage Four...

"No... I was too late..." I muttered, my bloodlust starting to waver as I watched Aelienne complete her transformation.

Full Phoenix Ascendent.

Aelienne regarded me from above, her irises were no longer visible, replaced with a shining white light in each of her eye sockets. Red arcane lines arced all over her thighs and arms, and her hair was now flaming lava, wildly fluttering all around her. Her black armour was now golden, decorating her breasts and her feet. A golden tiara had appeared on her forehead.

And complimenting her entire appearance, were two gargantuan red phoenix wings, spread so wide that they were at least several buses in length.

I gritted my teeth.

No. I still had a chance. She just got into that form. She needed time to adjust.

I willed myself to advance, my blades held back as I roared, about to slash, but Aelienne simply regarded me with a new level of rage.

"Begone. Interloper."

Level 1 Hinokami Stage Four...

Full Phoenix Ascended Breath

A blinding flash of light knocked my golem in the chest, shattering it instantly as I coughed out blood, my eyes wide.

No way.

My...

My strongest trump card... my unstoppable golem...

My Anarchy Form...

She didn't even hit me directly, yet...

I began to free fall, the horns on my head retracting back into my skull and my flames dissipating from my body.

Everything was going blurry.

I couldn't even remember where I was.

What was I doing?

I was just...

Falling...

All I could see was a majestic goddess above me, her wings spread out wide, with the most elegant golden armour I had ever seen.

So simply...

Divine...

How could I ever stand up to her? She had... everything.

A husband who loved her.

Children who adored her.

A village who admired her.

Power. Strength. Experience. Beauty. Confidence.

All of these things were things that I lacked.

The only thing that kept me going was hatred. Loss. And sacrifice.

Even the Dogma who guided me had no faith.

Maybe I should... just go to sleep.

And let myself die.

Because even if I have the power to kill... and the freedom to do so...

I will never be the best.

"Yeling."

Let me sleep.

I want to go.

"YELING! WAKE UP!"

My eyes fluttered awake, to see a man in front of me, his white hair fluttering wildly.

"YELING!" Lewis shouted at me, as he grabbed my arm and zipped out of the way, dodging the residual flames of Aelienne's Phoenix Ascendent.

The two of us tumbled into a cave in the side of a mountain.

Lewis was panting, taking off his mask.

"Holy shit. She had more in the tank. Jesus."

I rested my arms on my knees.

"I can't beat her. I can't believe it. After everything I did to become so strong."

Lewis glanced at me.

"So now you know what it's like. To be in my shoes."

"What?"

Lewis glared at the outside.

Aelienne was still hovering in the air, searching and seeking. What looked like... clones of Lew and I were in the air.

"What the-"

"Sella's attempt at clones. Senkaku. She's buying us time."

"That means..."

"Yeah. She beat Yfil. And now she's assisting us."

"She's not strong enough. I don't care if she has Senkaku, against Stage Four Hinokami, Aelienne's Stage Four, it's not enough. But..."

I inspected my torn gloves.

"I'm not enough either..."

"You're gonna give up then?"

"What do you want me to do? Huh? There's NOTHING we can do against that. Stage Three Anarchy Form was the absolute highest I could go. There is nothing I can do against her! I can't win!"

Suddenly, Lewis stepped forward, and punched me in the face. I clutched my cheek in shock.

"I. I. I. Why does every fight have to be just you? Why are you of all people complaining about your situation? When you have people like me caught in the crossfire?!"

Lewis' face was full of rage, his purple irises looked watery.

"Have you forgotten, Yeling? I'm the only person left in Squad Four who doesn't have a Dogma Exchange. The Dogma selected people who it deemed were cursed by the world. I was cursed too! I lived my entire life in poverty with my sisters and single mother! My mom died trying to provide for us! My older sisters voluntarily sold themselves off to become slaves so I could survive! Yet did the Dogma approach me? NO."

Lewis smashed a nearby rock with his fist, causing it to go bloody.

"Even when the Pax Incident happened, and the energy of that explosion Lord Taras released onto New Ulysses flooded my eyes and gave me my evo, I was still left behind. I could only ever assist people with my vision evo. And I watched you get taken from me. I watched Matt get absolutely demolished by Urca. Then I watched yet another family get ripped away from me from a force that was just too much for me to handle."

Lewis grabbed my collar.

"You sure like to complain about what you have. You sure like to say shit that you aren't strong enough. You don't have what it takes. Well now you know what it is like to be me every single day. I worked my ass off and abandoned who I was as Pinpoint to become Focal. I worked so hard my hair turned grey. I worked so so hard. But ultimately, I'm useless! I'm useless against Transplant! I'm useless against Aelienne. But that's the thing."

Lewis brought me closer until his face was inches away from mine.

"Did I ever complain? No. I used everything I had. My allies in Squad Four. My allies here. Because not every battle can be fought alone. Not against Aelienne. Not against Transplant. You have us. You can't beat her alone. But we can. I've lived my whole life being fodder. But was I ever a liability, Yeling? TELL ME. WAS I EVER A LIABILITY IN SQUAD FOUR?! WAS YOUR DEPUTY SQUAD LEADER EVER A FUCKIN LIABILITY!"

My bottom jaw quavered. I had no idea...

How ignorant I was...

I didn't even know what to say. Lewis...

Lewis was working so hard this entire time. But every threat he faced was so much overwhelmingly greater than him.

"I-"

RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE.

Lewis grabbed my head and smashed me onto the ground.

"Down!"

The place exploded, as Marcela came flying and smashed into the walls of the cave, crumpling to the ground.

"Sella!" Lewis ran up to her, as Marcela coughed, blood was running down the side of her face.

"God... she's tough. How embarrassing..." Marcela muttered.

"Forget that. You're hurt. Come on." Lewis began scanning his girlfriend's body with a green beam, patching up all of her cuts and scrapes on her body, when suddenly, he put his hands on her thighs, causing Marcela to yelp. Lewis and Marcela stared at each other for a few seconds.

"You... like what you see there... Lew?" Marcela asked.

Lewis gritted his teeth.

"Shut up, you reckless bitch. I'm sure you like having guys look at your exposed skin."

Marcela managed a weak laugh.

"Wait..." I said, as I looked outside.

"If you're here... who's distracting Aelienne?"

Marcela gave me a grim expression.

"Dismantler, Kronos, and Patcher."

From the distance, I could see Kyokou uplifting the ground, ripping it apart as Aelienne simply burnt it all away, any landforms that she was throwing at her. Kyokou tried to manipulate the Hinokami, but it was too much for her. But whenever Aelienne would launch an assault at Kyokou, Rui would back her up with healing. Her body was shimmering with green energy, as if her powers were on overdrive.

All the while, Shin was doing his best to slash up all the debris that was threatening his Squad Leader.

"They're not gonna last!" I growled, but Lewis put a hand on my shoulder.

"We need a plan, Yeling. Right now, Rui, Shin, and Kyokou are giving their absolute all for our sake. If we rush in recklessly, it'll be a waste of the opportunity they're giving us. We need to figure out how to do this."

"But against Aelienne?! She's just way too powerful! There's no fuckin plan! The plan you guys spent a year developing is out of the window!"

Marcela slapped me in the face.

Not her too!

"Jesus Christ, Yeling. Grow a pair of balls already. There's always a plan. There's always a way. We knew this plan was shaky. And all our contingencies are exhausted too. But there still has to be a way."

Lewis put a hand on his chin, as the two of us looked at him intently.

I opened my mouth.

"Did you come up with-"

"AAAAAH SHUT UP!" Lewis shouted, grabbing his hair.

"Aw god! Why is everybody in Squad Four always so dumb! I always have to come up with everything myself!"

"But I like that part about you." Marcela smiled.

Lewis stared at her.

"Uh-"

"Wow, Lewis. I can't believe you're actually a simp."

Lewis grabbed my collar again and shook me like a bobblehead.

"You wanna repeat that?! We knew each other for so long, but don't think that gives you a free pass from an assbeatin-"

Lewis paused.

"What?" I asked.

"The villagers..." Lewis muttered.

"The villagers!" Marcela shot to her feet.

"What? I don't get it."

Lewis rolled his eyes.

"What? Need me to repeat that in Mandarin for you?"

"Racism at a time like this?! And I don't speak Mandarin, I speak Canan!"

"When you were fighting Aelienne, you had an advantage, even if it was brief. Right?"

"I was Stage Three Anarchy Form, and she was Stage Two, though."

"Even before that."

Lewis lowered his head.

"I heard everything. She was sympathetic. She had feelings. Those villagers who cheered her on. She was intentionally holding back because of them. They were saying that they were safe, and only then did she go all out and use Stage Four. That means..."

"Her weakness are those she cares about!"

Marcela peered at the edge of the cave.

"Locate them, Lewis. Pinpoint the villagers of Mar. And find her sons."

Lew's eyes flashed purple.

"I see them. They're... being protected... by some kind of shield."

"Her youngest son. John. He's protecting them with his evo."

"Then we have a plan. Sella. Yeling. You two use Shakujin and Hinokami to distract her. Absolutely nothing reckless. Just get her attention. Go full evasion if you need to. Senkaku teleport everywhere if you have to. Go Intangible if you need to. Just stay alive, until I take down John's barrier and get my hands on those villagers Aelienne so loves."

I smiled evilly at Squad Four.

"Let's do this."

I stepped out of the field, soaring into air next to Marcela.

Level 1 Hinokami Stage Two: Cobalt Assimilation

Level 1 Shakujin Stage Two: Gaia's Armour

The two of us flew to Aelienne's location.

"When the hell did you unlock Stage Two?!" I shouted in the wind.

"Oh wow, Yeling! It's almost like I didn't just spend the last four years training or anything!"

"Sorry!" I responded.

Stage Two Hinokami and Rain Style Chain Blade Technique...

Nimble Rabbit's Foot

I flew to Aelienne, summoning my blades and throwing them. Latching onto a nearby building and pulled, executing incredibly complex manoeuvres with the chains. Swirling. Spinning. Looping and arcing, and swinging all over Ran while Aelienne tried to chase me down, but hundreds of copies of Sella appeared.

"This trick again?" Aelienne asked, firing a bolt of fire at the sky and disintegrating the clone at the top, but Sella responded, each clone summoning power.

Level 1 Shakujin Stage Two: Gaia's Bind

Thousands of rocks began to form all around Aelienne, pulling her down.

Aelienne unleashed a wave of flame, but the flames began to get siphoned. The arms were laced with Senkaku.

"This is nothing to me." Aelienne said, spreading her wings and vaporizing all of the Senkaku enhanced arms, overloading them, but I had emerged from the dust, my blades held back.

I slashed, closing the distance as Aelienne backed up, landing on the building. I called upon more and more of Rain Style, using the blades more as a chain to grapple and yank myself.

"These movements..." Aelienne muttered, as she tried to attack me, but that was the fundamental weakness of Hinokami, that I, as a Hinokami understood full well.

We could not perform well in close range combat.

Sella continued siphoning Aelienne's flames as I threw a blade and yanked myself to her location. Aelienne swung with Tatsu, but I went Intangible, landing on the ground and pulling with both of my chains, yanking a piece of rock which caught Aelienne dead center, but she blocked it with her wings and unleashed a devastating wave of flame.

Sella tried to switch teleport me, but the flames were too much even for Senkaku as the two of us were blown back, overwhelmed and smashing through a window.

"Break!" Marcela shouted at me, as we went separate directions, a flaming red Tatsu severing the building in half.

The shockwave sent both of us flying.

"AAARGH!!" I roared, stabilizing myself, only to see Aelienne had closed the distance with me, her eyes full of malice and intimidation.

But suddenly, my surroundings elongated, and Sella had switch teleported us.

"Nice trick, little girl." Aelienne said from the distance, swinging Tatsu and sending a red flaming slash the size of a skyscraper our way.

I bolted the other direction.

Level 1 Hinokami Stage Two: Inverse Monsoon Release

I unleashed blasts of flame at Aelienne, which obviously had no effect, while Sella spun in the air, sending Senkaku reinforced bladed appendages of Shakujin earth her way, which vaporized upon contact.

"Is that all you can-" Aelienne paused, her eyes wide, as Sella closed the distance, her hand outstretched.

Level 1 Shakujin Stage Two: Body Manipulation

Aelienne clutched her throat, as Sella continued using her powers. The strain was clearly too much for her, since veins were popping all over Marcela's forehead.

I appeared from above, exiting my Intangibility and putting her in a full nelson.

"S- Stop... this... I don't want to... hurt children..." Aelienne choked.

Sella and I yelled in unison.

Level 1 Hinokami Stage Four...

My eyes went wide.

Full Phoenix Ascended Inferno

"RU-"

A shockwave of flame fried the both of us, I had gone Intangible, and Sella had used switch teleport to get out of there, but the distance and intangibility wasn't enough. We both slammed into a wall and slid to the ground.

Aelienne approached us menacingly.

"No... I want to kill. I want to kill. But they're children. I want to guide them. I want to nurture... I want to make them pay..."

Aelienne clutched her head, foaming at the mouth.

"She's lost her marbles." Marcela commented, summoning her Shakujin arms again, but Aelienne glared at us, and a wave of force slammed us into the wall again.

"You can't escape... you won't escape..." Aelienne said menacingly.

"Shit!" I exclaimed.

This was about as far as Stage Two could do. Even if there were two of us. Even if Marcela had her Senkaku.

But the one thing Lewis had told us not to do and we went ahead and did it.

I stared at Aelienne's maniacal expression.

"G- Got any bright ideas Sella?"

"Summon flame, Yeling."

I did what she asked.

Marcela then calmly reached into the pocket of her torn jacket and pulled out a blunt, wiping it clean with her leggings, and proceeded to light the thing with my flame and put it in her mouth.

"What the hell?! Are you smoking at a time like this?!" I screamed.

"Just let it happen, Yeling. We did our best." Marcela replied calmly.

I couldn't tell if she was too stoned or she knew what she was doing, when suddenly, a voice appeared, distracting Aelienne.

"SAVE US! FIREBIRD!" Villagers were screaming left and right, as Lewis appeared above her, with a big blue orb in front of him. Villagers were inside, as the orb began to get smaller and smaller.

"What'll it be Firebird?" Lewis taunted, as Aelienne's eyes went wide.

"Doesn't matter how fast your Stage Four is. I have a Vision Evo that can process speeds far greater than any Hinokami can. Make one move and I will crush the people of Mar."

The people inside the orb were screaming.

"Wait... is he for real? His evo can do that?" I muttered.

"Pfft. No." Marcela said.

"So he's... he's going to beat Aelienne through the power of bullshit?!"

"No. You heartless bastard. Let them go!" Aelienne shouted.

"Sure I can. But then that would cost someone else real dear to you." Lewis responded, as Shin materialized next to him, holding a boy inches from his sword.

"MOM!" Frank kicked his feet desperately, tears running down his cheeks.

"Fr- Frank!" Aelienne cried out, as she tried to rush to her son's location, but Shin pressed the blade closer to his neck.

"NO! MOM! DON'T COME CLOSER!" Frank pleaded, as he began to breathe frantically.

"Please Mom! Just... just let them go. They're fighting because of you! Because you're still using your Hinokami! Why is it that every time! Every time I try to live a normal life YOUR life always gets in the way?!" Frank screamed at his mother, who stared at her son in shock.

"Sella. I loved her so much. But guess what. SHE WAS AN OPERATIVE. She was here for YOU. And I was caught up in it! I don't give a flying fuck about Hinokami, Dogma, Evos. Powers! I DON'T CARE! I just want to live my life! I want to go to school and have a girlfriend and go to college! But I can't have that!"

Frank lifted a finger and pointed it at Aelienne, who clutched her chest and lowering Tatsu.

"Because it's all your fault, Mom. Dad let go of his powers. He let go of it! But YOU. YOU forced Dad to use Hachi again! You forced Johnny to use his powers! I'm okay with being born without powers. But for the love of god! Why can't I just be left out of your messes!"

Aelienne sobbed, her eyes flooding with tears.

"Frank... I did all that so I could protect you! Protect all of you! They won't stop coming for us, I can't just sit there and not do anything! Please understand... I'm so sorry..."

Frank glared at his mom, who looked like she was on the verge of breaking down.

"If you actually cared, you would give it all up. Give up your powers. Throw it away and never use them again. Tell that Dogma to go FUCK itself."

"I already decoupled my powers from it! I already-"

"BUT YOU STILL WIELD THE FLAMES! Look at you. Those annoying wings are out again! My mom was a woman who cared about me and my lil bro. She would always cook us the best French Toast in the morning! She would always annoy me and embarrass me in public, squeezing my face and patting my head when I tell her how lame it was! That was the Mom I knew! But every time. Every time you turn into this... Firebird... our family falls apart."

Frank aggressively wiped his eyes with his sleeve.

"Why did my mom have to be the strongest Hinokami in existence. Why was I born to such a person. It's like the moment I came into this world I had no say on how I would ever live my life."

Aelienne's Stage Four dissipated, as she dropped Tatsu and fell to her knees, crying uncontrollably.

"Please don't say that, Frank! Please... please don't say these things. I've been doing my best. I've been doing my absolute best for my family. I didn't ask for this! I didn't... I didn't..."

Frank's image flickered, as I suddenly realized what was going on.

Lewis... you... evil genius...

Lewis willed the fake Frank to give the most condescending look ever.

"I hate you mom. You want to be the Firebird so badly? Here's your wish."

Fake Frank put his hand on Shin's blade, as Aelienne held out her hand, her sobbing turning hysterical.

"FRANK! NO! DON'T DO IT! MY DEAR BOY!"

SHINK.

Frank's eyes went wide, turning lifeless, as his throat exploded into blood. Aelienne screamed uncontrollably, as she ran forward, trying to cradle her son, but Lewis fired a beam at the body, which disintegrated into ash before Aelienne could even process that the corpse was in fact not Frank.

Aelienne grabbed the ashes and tried to embrace it.

"Fr... Fran... Frank.... honey... it's okay. Mommy's here... Mommy's here... I'm here..." Aelienne's eyes widened as the ash seeped through her fingers as she screamed.

"NO! I'm here! You're here with me! You're here!"

Aelienne continued clawing the ground, as Lewis closed his fist, the orb of the villagers disappeared.

"Wait... the villagers?"

Lewis smiled, as he slowly descended from the sky, falling to the ground, before Marcela flew to him catching him before he could conk his head on the cracked pavement.

I picked up Tatsu, and inspected the blade.

Then I approached Aelienne, who continued clawing at the ground frantically and brought the blade back.

Finish this fight, Yeling Mah. Do what your progenitors could not. And kill Aelienne, the First Hinokami.

"Checkmate." I muttered, as I swung, severing her head.