Tsukiko approached a tall building. She looked up at its cold, dark grey exterior. It was made of raw, unpainted and uncovered concrete. The rain had stained some parts of its sharp exterior darker and lighter shades.

The few metal accents on the side of it had rusted and fallen apart. The windows were either broken or fogged up. Some moss had just started growing in the shaded parts.

It was a surprisingly high traffic area. It was a seemingly abandoned building in the middle of one of the busiest areas in town. Maybe it was an attempt at hiding in plain sight. That, or pure arrogance. Still, it had worked up until this point. The goal sat straight ahead.

"Hell of a place to start a gang." Haruka looked the building up and down.

"You'd think the cops would have checked the place out by now." Shizuka straightened her hat.

"So what? We're just gonna charge in?" Sylvie scratched her head.

"Yeah, I guess." Tsukiko started walking toward the building.

The entrance was a pair of glass doors. As the group approached, black masked figures swung the doors open and ran out.

They formed a wall, blocking the entrance. The Knights stood and stared at their opponents for a while.

Sylvie turned around and waved her hand. White masked figures ran in and attacked the Shakudos. A large brawl broke out, creating chaos on the street. In this confusion, the three Knights were able to break through and make it into the ground floor.

--

Trash littered the first floor. Ripped up cardboard boxes and aluminum cans were strewn around. The reception desk had been completely destroyed. Shards of glass and old broken appliances sat in the dark, musty corners.

At the opposite end of the floor stood a set of stairs. A crudely spray painted red arrow pointed up to the higher floor.

A few remaining Shakudos raised their fists. It was only a few, but any fight could be dangerous. The three Knights approached with caution, taking an offensive stance.

"You two go ahead. I can deal with these guys." Haruka whispered.

"You crazy?" Shizuka turned.

"...I'm doing this for Tsuki. It's the least I could do."

Shizuka paused for a moment, before nodding her head.

Haruka ran forward, kicking one of the figures in the head. The others ran toward her, and in the confusion, Shizuka and Haruka managed to slip by untouched.

--

At the top of the stairs was another painted arrow. It pointed to the right, toward the end of a hallway. At the end, there was a set of stainless steel elevator doors. Shizuka and Tsukiko began their walk to the elevator slowly, and cautiously.

"...you think Haruka's okay?" Tsuki asked.

"She's tough. You of all people should know that." Shizuka smiled.

"Yeah, but..."

Shizuka shook her head. "But nothing. She's fine, trust me."

Their boots echoed down the hall with each step. They both scanned from side to side, half expecting someone or something to jump out.

"It's too quiet, isn't it?" Shizuka grit her teeth.

"Yeah, it's creepy." Tsuki shivered.

Behind them, they could hear Haruka's shouts echoing. The sounds of violence and screams reverberated through the walls. The path ahead of them was silent.

"You think this is gonna end it?" Shizuka asked.

"Yeah. I think so." Tsuki walked a little faster.

"That's good." Shizuka paused. "Remember, Haruka and I are always here if you need us."

"Yeah, I know."

"I feel like I should hammer it in, if you're half as stubborn as I am." Shizuka laughed.

"Nah, I get it. Don't worry about me." Tsuki shook her head.

"I'm not worried, trust me. I just hope you don't do what I did." Shizuka lowered her head.

"Tsuki turned to Shizuka. "I won't. And I'm not gonna let you do that again, either."

Shizuka spoke softly. "Nice to know you're looking out for me too."

Without a hitch, they arrived at the elevator. They looked both ways before entering. They stepped in and the lights turned on.

All the buttons had been smashed or torn out except for the roof access button. Just as Shizuka reached for the button, a voice shouted from down the hall.

"Wait up!"

Tsuki looked down the hall and noticed Fumiko, sprinting after them. She instinctively grabbed Shizuka's arm and pulled it away from the elevator's buttons. When Fumiko arrived, she sat down in the corner of the elevator, gasping for air.

"What are you doing here?" Tsuki's eyes pierced into her.

"I... wanted to be here..." Fumi coughed.

"Fumi, it's dangerous!" Tsuki scolded her.

Shizuka pressed the roof access button and the doors shut almost immediately.

"Hey, what're you doing?" Tsuki turned to Shizuka.

"Let her be, Tsuki." Shizuka stared back at her.

Tsuki closed her eyes. "Sorry."

Fumiko stood back up. "So, up to the roof, huh?"

"Yeah." Shizuka leaned against the wall.

"It's crazy out there. The news crews got here a few minutes after you guys got in. There's even a helicopter!"

"Really?" Shizuka narrowed her eyes.

"Yeah, weird, right?" Fumi crossed her arms.

"What's wrong?" Tsukiko asked.

The elevator went silent for a moment. A gentle hum filled the room. For a second, the fluorescent lights flickered for just a second. After a minute or two, the elevator came to an abrupt, uncomfortable stop. A loud ding played through a speaker, and the door squeaked and it opened rather slowly. The three of them eagerly hopped out.

--

They stepped out into a maintenance room. Green mold grew where water had once flowed. A heavy cloud of dust filled the room. The light coming through the windows made the little pieces of dust glow and dance.

Shizuka coughed. "God, this place is gross."

Fumiko waved her hand in front of her face. "Christ, I can barely breathe."

Several masked men entered the room from a door at the other end. They wielded pipes and boards.

"Shit." Tsuki grit her teeth as she dragged Fumiko behind her.

Their leader held out his weapon and pointed it at Tsukiko. "You two, go on ahead. Morgan's waiting outside."

Shizuka motioned for Tsuki and Fumi to go ahead.

"Are you kidding?" Tsuki complained.

"Just go!" Shizuka shouted.

Tsukiko wrapped an arm around Fumiko, leading her slowly to the door behind the Shakudos. They all watched her carefully, but they didn't move an inch. As soon as Tsukiko got past them, Shizuka ran forward and tackled one of the Shakudos. Tsukiko shivered as she heard the sounds of violence behind her as she stepped out the door.

--

"You actually came." Morgan cocked his head.

"Yeah." Tsuki stared back.

The rooftop was mostly bare. A fence ran around the perimeter, so there was little chance of falling out. The ground was perfectly flat and spotless.

Not a single stone or piece laid out in the open. Anything that could have been an obstacle had been meticulously moved to the edges. The scrape marks were still fresh.

The news helicopter that Fumiko had mentioned before hovered in the distance. Once again, the sun had begun to set. Morgan's mask reflected the golden glow of the evening sun. He stood in the exact center of the makeshift colosseum.

"This your idea of a fair fight?" Tsuki stepped forward.

"It's as close as I could get." Morgan shrugged.

"Are you at least gonna tell me what your deal with me is?" Tsuki kept calm.

"What, you want me to sit here and explain things to you? I don't think we have time for that." Morgan shook his head as the sounds of sirens blared in the distance.

"Fine. But if you really want a fair fight, you're gonna have to take off the mask." Tsuki raised her fists.

Morgan put his fingers underneath the mask and pried it off. He threw it aside, and it made a metallic ringing sound as it bounced off of the concrete. Next came his robes, which he tossed into a corner. Underneath it, he wore just a plain t-shirt and jogging pants.

"I left the gun at home." He smiled. "Satisfied?"

"Yeah."

"Be careful, Tsuki!" Fumiko shouted.

Morgan's lips smiled but his eyes betrayed him. He had the glare of a killer. Tsuki's body tensed up as she prepared for the worst.

The two fighters stood still. A silent, imaginary bell tolled. They both moved forward at the same instant.

Fumiko backed away, opting to stand against the outer fence. She didn't know what to do. Her hands clasped together.

Morgan took the first swing. Tsukiko dodged it quite easily. The smirk on his face proved it was just a warning shot.

The world around them muted and disappeared. The sirens below and the sound of the helicopter's blades faded away. A sort of vignette formed around them, blacking out everything outside of their little arena.

Tsuki didn't dare move first. She didn't know what to expect, but she wasn't going to find out the hard way. There was too much on the line.

Morgan threw another jab, but Tsuki raised her hand. Another jab got blocked, then another. Tsukiko backed away and Morgan followed with each failed blow.

A rhythm formed in Tsukiko's head. There was a small opening. She took the shot, raising her knee in the middle of his attack.

Morgan got knocked back. He didn't lose his footing, but he'd definitely taken a decent hit. He shrugged and readied himself again.

Fumiko watched carefully, her eyes catching each and every motion. It'd been so long since she'd last seen Tsukiko in a fight.

A fair fight was what he wanted, but Tsuki feared what it truly meant. His playful actions felt like friendly sparring, but the impact was far from light.

Morgan's legs moved fast. One leg rose high, nearly hitting Tsukiko in the chest. The next kick went high, almost hitting her in the face.

Both times, the Knight managed to move out of the way last second. Her body seemed to move faster than her mind could process his motions. She'd been reduced to instinct.

Instinct could only take her so far. Morgan landed a jab on her gut, then a swing to her face. A red mark formed on her cheek.

He was well aware of her sudden lack of focus. Tsuki fell for his tricks. His body twitched and moved suddenly, just for a clean attack to hit her in the jaw.

"...you can do it!" Fumi shouted.

Morgan turned to her for a moment, then back to his opponent. Tsuki blinked, her body returning to proper form.

Morgan took another swing, but Tsuki forced herself through it. She punched him in the stomach, then swept him off his feet with a kick. He fell down to the ground on his back.

Tsukiko paused, letting him roll away. Slowly, he got back onto his feet, his eyes on her like a snake.

"Fair?" Tsuki said.

"...fuck a fair fight. Fight like you wanna kill me." Morgan laughed. "Anything goes, just you and me."

He moved forward and started swinging again. Tsuki kept up with his pace. Instead of pushing her back, Morgan kept trying to hit her from the side.

They turned and turned, as if their fight had become a dance. Suddenly, his body began to move forward, pushing Tsuki back. She ended up with her back against the fence.

Fumiko was only a few meters away. Tsukiko's attention was torn between the girl and the fight. She hesitated.

A suckerpunch hit her in the cheek, knocking off her hat. Morgan grabbed her and hit Tsuki in the side and stomach. She broke free, but not without taking some damage.

The Knight felt her heel touch the bottom of the fence. Her body fell back to avoid one last hit and the chain link pushed her back. A fist came up, hitting Morgan in the chin.

Morgan reeled, his body curling up. Tsuki kicked him away. He stumbled, but quickly regained his composure. His free hand wiped the sweat off his brow.

Tsuki ran forward and kicked. It overpowered his guard, knocking him back even further. Before he could react, she shoved him with her shoulder.

Morgan fell back onto the opposite side fence. Tsuki raised her leg and kicked Morgan in the chest.

The metal fence rang as the impact rocked it back. It curved and retracted like a big metal spring. It brought him back into another punch.

They both turned, so they were parallel to the fence. Their bodies ached and their hearts pounded. Fumi shouted something neither of them could hear.

Morgan moved forward, striking her hard and quick like a boxer. Tsuki swatted away his punches as if they were nothing. She powered through his offensive, hitting him even harder.

His movements were getting slow and sloppy. They had no finesse, only the force of instinct. His breathing was heavy and his skin was marked by sweat and red bruises.

Her skin was beaten red and raw, but she couldn't feel it. She'd grown numb to even the sensation of the fight.

Morgan kicked her in the side, into the fence again. She bounced back almost immediately. Another kick came for her shin.

She moved back and stomped her heel into his foot. Morgan grimaced and lost his guard. Tsuki's right arm went right for his nose.

He instinctively grabbed his face. There was no going back. Tsuki let his foot go, making him stumble back.

Her weight shifted to her back leg. Tsukiko's entire body twisted and spun into a roundhouse kick. His body hit the fence, then came crashing down into the ground.

The Third Knight stood over Morgan. Her body was still ready to fight. Through blood and sweat, he raised his hand in defeat.

"You win." Morgan said.

Fumiko ran over and wrapped her arms around Tsuki. It was the most comfort the Knight had felt in months. All the tension in her body released at once.

"You okay?" Fumi asked.

"I'll be fine." Tsuki gasped for breath.

"C'mon, we've gotta get you to a hospital or something." Fumi nudged.

"I've been through worse." Tsuki shook her head.

Fumiko was holding Tsukiko's hat in her right hand. Tsuki pulled it away and put it back on her head. It was a little dusty, but it survived the fight without a scratch.

Fumi's perfume filled her head. The sound of the world returned to her. The pain of the fight throbbed slowly from deep within her.

Tsuki stepped back, only to stumble a bit. Fumiko caught her and held her tight. The Knight sighed in defeat.

"Guess I'll need some rest, eh?" Tsuki chuckled weakly. "But I can't let him get away."

"Fuck it." Fumi shook her head. "You got him once, you can get him again."

They both looked over at Morgan. He had fallen unconscious. There was no way he'd escape from them then.

Tsuki felt like saying something, but she couldn't muster the strength to say it. With just a glance, though, Fumi understood. A little smile stretched across the brown haired girl's face.

"C'mon, sit down." Fumi brought her to the entrance and sat Tsuki down in front of the door.