Allisa squinted as Mirage tended to her injuries. Currently, she was washing off one of Allisa's many grazes she had received in the battle.

"You guys really went through hell back there," She said to her.

"It's not as bad as it looks," Allisa replied.

Mirage then got up and looked towards Francesca who was sitting on another bed in the room. "How ya holding up?"

Francesca hesitated before answering. "Oh... I'm ok."

Sasha then approached Francesca, holding a cup of coffee. "For you." She said with a smile.

"T-Thanks."

It had been about an hour since the group got back to the Hunter's home. After catching the others upon their three extra passengers they then started to treat their wounds.

Mirage and Sasha in their room treated Allisa and Francesca while the boys were tended to in the main hall. The reason for this was because the girls had to strip down for Mirage to take a look at them. There was also the fact that Allisa's clothes were ruined by the fighting so she had to sit by while Dale repaired them with magic. Although, she wasn't the worst off in terms of wardrobe malfunction. Max's clothes, in particular, were nearly destroyed by comparison, after which she realized that he had a hand in the massive explosion that nearly buried her alive.

Nel, for some reason, wasn't present. The only major injury she sustained as a large gash on her left arm. After bandaging it she left the room, apparently to speak to the Elder.

"Sasha. Dale might be finished with their clothes, mind getting them?" Mirage said to Sasha.

"Ok." Sasha nodded before leaving the room.

Francesca hadn't said much since they returned. Frankly, Allisa couldn't blame her given the hell she'd just endured. She just sat there, drinking the coffee Sasha had brought.

"You know, I think I've seen you before," Mirage said to her while stroking her chin.

"She goes to my school, so you've probably seen her around," Allisa said to her.

"Probably, but that's not where I remember her from."

Francesca didn't pay any heed to Mirage.

"Oh," Mirage turned to Allisa and whispered in her ear. "Does she, you know...?"

Allisa nodded her head. "I told her. Sorry."

"Na it's cool." Mirage looked back to Francesca. "Guess you had to say something. Feel kinda sorry for her." she then stroked her chin. "She rings some bells though. Ah!" She then clicked her fingers as she remembered. "You volunteer for the daycare center from time to time."

Francesca jolted when she said that.

"Daycare?" Allisa asked, finding it difficult to picture Francesca at daycare.

"Yeah, I work there," Mirage said.

"Y-You?"

"Hey, we need money for food and all that so all three of us work jobs."

"Wait!" Francesca finally got up from the bed, with a face of disbelief. "You?" She remembered who Mirage was.

"Yep," Mirage waved. "Nice to meet ya again."

"Hold on..." Allisa interrupted. "You worked at daycare?"

Francesca's face went red. "S-So." She muttered. "M-My dad makes me work there some times. That's all."

Allisa tried hard but let out a small giggle.

"W-What are you laughing at?"

"Sorry, just wasn't expecting that."

"What's that supposed to mean? And it's better than going to some geeky comic book store!"

"Um..." Mirage interrupted Francesca. "You realize were directly under the 'geeky comic book store?'"

"Huh?"

"And it's our business as well."

Sasha then entered the room, bringing with her a stack of clothes. "Dale's done." She announced as she placed the pile on the floor. "All your clothes are fixed, although he says he needs more time to put Max's clothes back together since he ruined them."

"Thanks." Allisa nodded while walking towards the pile.

"Um..." Francesca walked up to Allisa, avoiding eye contact. "Don't... say anything, ok."

Allisa smiled at her. "Your secret's safe with me."

Unanswered Questions

Cliff and Nel sat alone with the Elder in his room. Both had asked to speak to him privately after being treated, which didn't take long given that both their injuries were light compared to the others. Nel just bandaged her cuts and asked Mirage to look over her later. Cliff was feeling better as the after-effects of the level up were beginning to wear off. He wore some bandages from several cuts and bruises from his fight with the Homunculus Edasa. They had just finished telling the Elder the events that transpired, about the Homunculus, the Alchemist, and of course the demons that appeared at the end.

"I see," The Elder said stroking his beard. "That's quite an ordeal you went through."

"Sure was," Cliff sighed, "seems I've still got a way to go with the Level up." He felt he used it too soon, and felt completely useless against the demons.

"Not to worry." The Elder said to him. "Based on what you've told me about the opponent you fought, I don't think there was any other way."

"But still, maybe I could have gotten off by Leveling up again. Then that demon-"

"No." The Elder said firmly. "As you know, the Level up puts an enormous toll on the body for one use. Using it again in a short space of time will shorten your life." The Elder put a hand on Cliff's shoulder. "Besides, you had no idea of what would happen. You acted on what you considered was the best option. Don't blame yourself for it."

Cliff smiled and nodded. At times when he felt down, or if something went wrong, the Elders wisdom always picked him back up.

"There's still something that bugs me," Nel said, catching the two's attention.

"About the demon thing?" Cliff asked. "I guess that makes sense. Still so many unanswered questions about-"

"Not that. It's about that labyrinth itself. There's no way that woman could have built such a complex."

"Huh?" Cliff thought for a bit. "Now that you mention it, I see your point."

"What about the location?" The Elder asked.

"The woods to the east of the town." Cliff answered, "That's been clawing at me for a while too. It was an underground complex, ridiculously big."

"It also wasn't new," Nel added. "It seemed to pre-date the town, but it leaned more towards Avalon then Terra."

The Elder remained silent on the matter. He had a grim look on his face. "And it was all destroyed?"

Nel nodded.

"I see," The Elder stroked his beard. They're of all places...

"Elder?" Cliff said, noticing the worried expression on the Elder's face. "Tell me you didn't know about that place."

The Elder remained silent.

"Is there something you're hiding from us?" Nel said, not masking the accusation in her voice. "You know what that place was?"

The Elder turned his back to the two. "Go check on the others." He said.

"Elder?" Cliff said, puzzled.

"Please understand that this is something I cannot disclose to you or any of the others, and especially not Allisa."

"What does she have to do with this?" Nel said, losing her patients.

The elder said nothing and kept his back to the two.

"Hey! Answer me!"

Cliff then grabbed Nel's arm and gently tugged her back, shaking his head. "Best not press him. The old man can be very stubborn when he wants to." He then addressed the Elder. "Just one thing. You didn't know about the Alchemist being there, right?"

"Of course not." The elder said.

"Ok." Cliff then turned towards the door. "Come on, best let it go for now." He said to Nel.

Nel glared at the Elder for a second before turning passing Cliff by. She stopped herself close to the door. "I don't let things go easily." She said to him, keeping her back turned. "And if I don't like what you're hiding," a spark of yellow flashed in Nel's eyes, "you best watch your back." She then opened the door and slammed it shut.

"Yesh.... Hate to get on her bad side." Cliff muttered. He then looked to the Elder. "You haven't led us wrong old man. I'm sure you have your reasons." He then walked towards the door.

"Cliff."

Cliff stopped when he heard the Elder call him. "Don't mention a word of this to the others."

"Don't worry. But, can I at least ask why bring up Allisa back then? Seems a bit out of place, if you know what I mean."

There was a long pause from the Elder before he answered. "I promised her grandmother."

"Her gran?"

"I can't tell you any more than that."

Cliff let out a sigh and turned to the door of the room. "Ok, I won't pry into it."

"Oh, and one more thing." The elder then turned and walked towards Cliff. He then put a ring in Cliff's hands.

"Hey, this is...."

"A void ring." The Elder said with a smile. "Allisa will have many trials in the future, of that I'm sure. One thing she will need, more than power, is allies by her side." He then put his hands on Cliff's shoulders. "From now on, I want you to accompany Allisa."

"Me?" Cliff sounded confused. "I-I'm grateful, but why me?"

The Elder let go of Cliff's shoulder. "Well, you're already apart of there team are you not?"

Cliff hesitated before speaking. "Um... I wouldn't go that far. Particular that suicidal maniac,"

"It will also be good for you to move on from your past."

Cliff jolted when he mentioned that.

"No one blames you for what happened. You know what kind of man Jack was. He wouldn't want you to be burdened like this."

Cliff clenched the ring. "But I... I ignored the oath and went out on my own. If I'd just stayed put, then Jack...."

"It's why you hate Yuki, because he reminds you of yourself."

Cliff remained silent.

"What Zentas did was unforgivable." The Elder's voice became serious. "Believe me, all of us were considering the course of action you took, even me."

"But in the end, I was too weak." Cliff's voice trembled. "It's because of me Sasha never knew her family."

"I'm sure you've picked up on it by now, but everyone you just fought with has there own burdens, besides just Yuki." The Elder looked at the crystal ball on the table.

"The Arch sage told me what he knows about them. All of them have had a troubled past and are no stranger to suffering."

He then looked towards the door. "Nel, for example, seems to house a well of suppressed rage. Max struggles in his fight to protect the world that constantly rejects him. Melvin had nothing to start with. And you know more about Yuki's burden than anyone else." The Elder then let out a sigh. "And then there's Allisa, who has unwillingly been given a terrible burden, and is struggling to accept it."

Cliff looked at the ring in his hand. He knew about Yuki, as he argued with him while in the labyrinth. He never really considered the others. Was he really no different from them?

"Whether it's just for a job, trying to prove his humanity, keeping to his conviction, or just to protect what she wants, we all have our own reasons to fight."

He remembered Yuki's words from earlier, saying something similar to what the Elder was telling him.

"You can say no if you want." The Elder continued, looking at the silver ring in Cliff's hand, "think of it more of a favor to an old man."

Cliff smiled and clutched the ring. "When you put it like that, how can I refuse?" He joked.

What he thought was that, if they all had their own burdens, then it wouldn't be a bad idea to accompany them, to see how they coped with it.

"I'll do it." He then put on the ring. "I won't let you down, on my honor as a hunter."

The Elder smiled back. "Excellent."

The purpose of the Strong

Tristan was sitting on the couch in the main hall, alone. After being treated by Dale, he kept to himself. He was thinking over the experience he had just endured. For the first time in his life, he felt weak. In fact, no one was more useless then he was. The only reason he stood up to the 'exploding guy' was simply that Bill, who was weaker and more pathetic than him, acted first.

During the final battle, even Francesca stepped up. Just thinking about it made the cuts on his face hurt. He also thought of his life up to this point. He believed he could do whatever he wanted to people weaker than him simply because he was strong. He never thought how his victims felt, until he himself heard his philosophy said back to him.

Was I... really like that?

"Yo,"

Tristan turned to see Max looming over him. He was even worse than him, bandages covering his entire body. It was a miracle he was still walking.

"You ok? You've been really quiet since we got back."

"N-No, I'm fine," Tristan said quickly.

"Ok, just checking." Max turned to walk away, then Tristan stopped him with a question.

"Why do you protect the weak?" He said. "I mean, with that kinda power, you can get anything you want. Why even bother to save anyone if you're just gonna get hurt in the process?"

Max turned and tapped his chest. Although it couldn't be seen though the bandages, he was gesturing to his scar. "When I got this power, I lost everything. My home, my family, my friends, all when I was six."

Tristan was surprised by what Max said.

"I know what it means to be weak and helpless. It's something no one should ever feel. Even if I'm treated like a monster, I won't ever abandon anyone who's suffering. That's the kind of promise I made with myself."

He walked away and left Tristan alone. Tristan thought long on what Max had said. He was so deep in thought that he didn't notice Bill sitting next to him.

"um... A-A...Are you alright?" he asked.

Tristan was taken a little by surprise since he didn't notice him sit down. "Y-Yeah."

"C-C-Crazy day huh?" Bill said. "Especially that thing w-with A-A-Allisa. K-Kinda like a s-s-super hero." He then took in a deep breath. "T-that would mean she's d-d-definitely out of my l-l-league."

Tristan remained quiet. He had known Bill for some time, mostly as a pest he pushed around. He was surprised to hear him speak so much. "Hey," he finally said. "Sorry."

"F-F-For what?"

"Everything." Tristan buried his head in his hands. "I was so wrong. If that's how people saw me, then I'm not better than those monsters." Tristan tensed as he thought of the exploding guy who nearly killed him. "Everyone hates me, I know they do. I should have just died there."

"I d-d-don't hate you," Bill said, patting him on the back. "I don't like you, but I d-d-d-don't hate you."

Tristan looked up at Bill, surprised by what he said. "S-Seriously, after everything I've done to you?" After years of wedges, beatings, and the occasional robbery and forcing him to do his homework, he was expecting Bill to loathe him.

"W-W-Well, my ma says that I should never hate someone, even y-y-you. And th-the stuff you're saying p-p-proves you're not a b-b-bad person."

Tristan clutched his hands together as he came up with a decision. "Thanks." He said, smiling. "I don't like you either, but I thought how you stood up to that monster in there, It was kinda awesome."

"Um... I-I didn't d-d-do anything." Bill stuttered, feeling slightly embarrassed.

****

"Shouldn't you be resting?" Dale said to Max, who was raiding the fridge.

"I'm hungry," Max said with a frozen ham in his mouth while holding a turkey in his hands.

"That has to be cooked you know!"

"No prob," Max sat, holding both the turkey and ham in his hands and set it ablaze. "See."

"You can't use your powers like that! And that's our food!"

"Best leave him," Melvin said sitting down at the table. His head was wrapped in a bandage with a large plaster on his cheek. "Back in Avalon, he's always eating."

"You should be resting too," Dale said to Melvin. "After all, by the looks of it, you used nearly all your mana back there."

"I'm alright for the moment. It's nothing I'm not used to." He said to him.

Dale sighed as he looked at him. He was younger than Sasha, but to him, Melvin seemed far more mature for his age. And then, of course, there was Max and Allisa, who were both teenagers. To him, this path is a real curse for the young generation.

"Yo," Cliff then approached the group in the kitchen. "Seen Nel around?"

Dale turned to face him. "Yeah. She went outside. She kinda looked upset too. Did something happen with her and the Elder?"

"Something like that," Cliff said as he sat down, looking at Max who had died down his flames, revealing the cooked meat in his hands. "How can you eat that?" He asked him.

"A big fight like that makes me hungry." He asked as he took a large bite into the ham.

"That's our food you know."

Max looked at the ham he just took a bite out of, still chewing, before casually moving it towards Cliff. "Want some?"

"No!" Cliff snapped.

"Mind if I have this?" Yuki asked, holding a bag of potato chips.

Everyone turned to face Yuki, with a surprised look.

"No no no no!!" Dale snapped. "You really need to rest!"

"I'm fine."

"Fine My ass! You look more like a mummy than a human!" Cliff yelled.

Since Yuki's injuries were grave he got the most attention. As Mirage washed him down to get rid of the blood, Dale healed him as much as he could, closing his wounds before bandaging him in enough gores to make him look like an Egyptian mummy. Now he was standing in the kitchen, using his sword to keep himself up.

"They're right you know," Melvin said. "You were pretty beat up back then."

"Yeah, you look like you went through a meat grinder," Max said, slightly sarcastically.

"And yet I still did more than you." Yuki retorted as he sat down.

Irritated, Max approached him and put the turkey down and lightly pushed Yuki off the chair with one finger. "Least I'm not that weak now." Max mocked.

Yuki shot back up and bashed heads with Max. "Wana go, Huh Pyro?!"

"Ready when you are ya Sword Bastard!"

Cliff then, rather brutally, knocked them to the ground with his fists. "No fighting in the house." He said casually as he walked back to his seat. "They're like children."

"Pretty much," Melvin said exhaustedly. As Yuki got back up, Melvin asked him a question that was on his mind. "By the way, what was that you did back there?"

"Did what?"

"Against that Homunculus, or demon, you took him down with one strike when none of us could combine could barely scratch him."

"Oh yeah, even that white guy struggled against him." Cliff said, rubbing his chin, "What did you do anyway?"

Yuki propped himself up with his sword and got back into his seat. "Reijingu Mizu."

Everyone seemed confused by the name.

"It's the name of my sword style. It's one of the most deadly sword styles in Avalon, relying on strength and skill rather than mana."

"So, that strike was just brute strength?" Cliff said, finding it hard to believe.

"Skill." Yuki corrected. "Course, it's not a particularly well-known sword style. In fact, it's just limited to my home town."

"Still doesn't explain what you did," Melvin said looking puzzled.

"Oh forget it," Yuki got up from the chair and started walking away. "I'm bad at explaining this crap."

"Oh, is there something in that sword?"

Yuki halted. "Something like that." He then walked off to the boy's bedroom.

"What's his problem?" Max said as he took a bit of the turkey.

"Seemed more grumpy then usual, if that was possible," Melvin said.

Cliff stroked the back of his head. "He... never told you guys anything, did he."

"No. You know something?" Melvin asked Cliff.

"Cliff?" Dale said, noticing Cliff's change in mood. "What is it?"

"Let's just say, as much as it pisses me off, he and I are a lot alike."

The thin line between good and evil

After all their guests were treated for the injuries they sustained, the hunters allowed the tree to leave. However, there was one problem. While Allisa was expecting them to have their memories erased like the others from the baseball pitch, Dale, however, said that it was impossible for those three.

He explained that the spell he used destroyed a person's memory to the point where it's beyond recollection. Due to this, he could only erase up to two hours of a person's memory, and anything beyond that would risk completely wiping the person's memory completely, and in worse cases, leave them brain dead. So the Hunters had Allisa try to convince them not to talk, which was what she was doing out in the side alley entrance.

"Please don't tell anyone about this!" She pleaded to the three, putting her hands together and bowing her head. "I don't care if I have to do you homework for the rest of my life, just don't tell anyone!"

Francesca, Bill and Tristan seemed a bit uncomfortable at the fact that their savior was begging them. Tristan was the first to speak by turning his back and walking away.

"I won't tell anyone," he said waving his hand. "And tell that kid thanks for saving my ass."

When he was out of sight, Bill was the next to speak. "D-d-don't worry. I-I-I promises I won't say anything."

"Oh, thanks," Allisa said.

"Oh, and about b-b-before."

"Huh? Oh!" Allisa remembered Bill's awkward attempt to ask her out. "S-sorry," Allisa said going red. "I... just don't feel that way about you."

"It's ok," Bill said with a smile. "I K-kinda thought t-that." He then turned and walked away, leaving her with Francesca, who was being quiet on the way up.

"Hey," she finally said when the two were alone. "Why'd you save me?"

"Huh?"

"Don't you hate me?"

Allisa thought over her answer. True, she and Francesca never got along. In fact, she hated her. So she questioned why she even tried to save her to the point of risking her life. "I'm not sure." She said. "It's true I don't like you. But even so, not even you deserved to go through something like that."

Francesca made a strange face as she turned. "You really are weird." She said.

"Hey!"

"Look, I don't like you either, heck, I seriously hate you. But.... What you did...." Francesca turned to Allisa so she couldn't see her face. "T-Thank." She muttered quietly before walking off before Allisa could say anything. She then stopped short near the street edge. "Oh, and you better not tell anyone what Mirage said, got it." Francesca then ran off, leaving Allisa alone.

"Guess I should head back too." She said to herself. She was still in her Avalon clothes since she left the guise crystal at home. She'd removed the plasters on her head so her family doesn't get suspicious of what she was doing. However, there was something that was bothering her, ever since they got back to the home.

"Something on your mind?" A voice came from behind her. As she turned she saw Nel leaning against the wall nearby.

"Oh, Nel!" Allisa said, slightly startled. "You're out here?"

"Needed some fresh air," Nel replied. "It's about the Alchemist, isn't it?"

Allisa hesitated before answering. Her mind went back to Rubrik's final words, words that were bugging her. "Did we do the right thing?"

"What do you mean?"

"I just can't help but think about it. She wasn't evil or anything. True she did a lot of bad stuff, but all she wanted was to bring her daughter back to life. I just can't help but think... would I have gone that far, if I were in her shoes?"

Nel let out a sigh. "You'll find as you carry on this path that the line between good and evil is almost nonexistent. True, there are a lot of bad people in the world, both this one and Avalon, but in my experience, those with the best of intentions end up committing the most despicable of acts."

Allisa's fists clenched. She found it hard to believe but did find truth in what Nel said. Not just the alchemist, but Garlahad was similar. And just like with him, she apparently 'saved' the Alchemist, even though she failed to bring her back.

"I guess there's something else that bothers you," Nel said. "Is it about what happened to her?"

Allisa felt anger build up, anger at herself. "The White man... He said I saved her. But both of them still died. How did I possibly have saved her when she ended up dying in the end?"

"It's a different kind of saving from what you're thinking about," Nel replied. "Sometimes, people can descend into darkness so thick that not even a single shed of light can be seen."

Nel smiled at Allisa. "To pull someone from that darkness is a rare trait on its own. Just because you couldn't prevent them from dying, doesn't mean they were upset or angry. If anything, they were happy to have seen the light for one last time, to die free of their burdens.

"It's alright to feel sad for your opponent, after all, you're only human, and you have a kind heart. Carry it with you so that next time, you won't fail to save their lives. And no matter what, never lose sight of who you are."

"N-Nel..." Allisa was a little surprised at Nel's words of wisdom. Though this wasn't anything new, with Allisa turning to Nel for guidance, she never took her for a philosopher type.

Allisa giggled to herself as well. "Thanks, I feel better now."

"You best get going before someone sees you," Nel said to her.

"Right," Allisa nodded and turned. Before she walked away, she raised her right hand to the sky.

"I've made up my mind." She announced, mostly to herself. "I may not have chosen this path, but there must be a reason for it." she then descended her arm and clenched her fist, "Until I have an answer, I'll keep going down this road, with all of you. So for now, I won't try running anymore." She then ran off with a large grin on her face. It would be a difficult road ahead, and it will be dangerous, but for the first time, Allisa was ready to accept it as her fate.

Nel watched as Allisa ran out of sight. She's really come far in such a short time. She thought to herself, thinking back to the scared and confused girl Nel found two months ago. Her expression slowly changed from a proud smile to one of sadness.

"Freeing someone from darkness," she said to herself. "Is that even possible for me?"

****

"Ah, that was truly a spectacle."

On the roof of the Mail, Yun sat atop watching Allisa as she ran back home.

"That was quite a twist. The woman, who killed so many, breathed life into lifeless dolls, unwittingly letting the creatures of the void into the material world, all for the sake of a child who was taken at a young age. A mother's love truly is a frightening thing at times, transcending all logical senses at times.

"Allisa Reed, you now see that there is no such thing as good and evil in this reality. What one considers evil, another will see it as just. And in this case, what you looked upon with disgust, the other looked upon as necessary."

Yun then stood up, a smile appearing on his lips.

"Now you know the truth behind my words to you. No matter how much you desire a peaceful life, the will of a powerless goddess has forever robbed you of such an existence. From here on, your battles will continue, until you stand atop a mound of corpses, or your body runs dry. Fate has plans for you, Allisa Reed. And it will not relent."

His gaze then shifted to the east, where lights could be seen near the entrance to the woods, with a large mushroom cloud still visible.

"But alas, though your role in this episode is done, the story is not over yet. After all, when one story ends, another begins, and everything in this reality is connected by fate.

"Let us watch the finale, and see how this episode of your life fits into the storm that is approaching."

All is connected

The early morning light shone brightly over Herb's weary eyes. All they were looking at though, was a massive crater in the eastern woods. His week had not been good. Carrying on from the serial killer case that had been on going for weeks with no solid evidence, in the last four days things had gotten even stranger.

First was the discovery of the strange bodies on Tuesday evening, on Wednesday the High School was attacked and badly damaged, then yesterday explosions were heard on the baseball pitch followed with missing people reports for three. And if that wasn't enough, that very evening, there was a titanic explosion that shook the town.

The only good that had happened was the missing three turning up later that night two hours after the explosion. But that left more unanswered mysteries; biggest being what could have caused such a bang that made people think a nuke had gone off. Every police officer in the town was scouring the crater and the surrounding woods for evidence of the bomb and found nothing.

"Guys in the woods have nothing," Chris said to Herb, handing him a coffee. "What the hell could have done this? I thought a nuke had gone off last night or something."

"That's what we need to find out," Herb said. "Last thing we need is more mysteries on our ever-growing pile."

"Speaking of that, the boys back at the hospital said that the bodies we recovered two days ago all have a DNA match of some of the victims."

Herb let out a sigh. "If only we had a solid lead-"

"Chief!" a Police officer attracted his attention. "We got problems!"

"What now?" Herb said moaning.

Suddenly, black ops soldiers with M4 carbine rifles came out of the woods, followed by men with black suits and white lab coats.

"What the..." Chris muttered. "Who are these guys?"

One of the newcomers approached Herb. He was about the same age, wearing black sunglasses and short-cropped hair, making him look like a man in black. In his hand was a clipboard.

"Chief Herbert Reed of the police department of the town of Little Wood, New York." The man said quickly.

"Yeah," Herb replied cautiously. "And who are you?"

"Government," The man flashed his badge. "Dan Wilson. I'm with Sector 13."

Herb inspected the badge. "Never heard of it."

"Never will," Wilson replied quickly, putting his badge away. "We're asking you to vacate this area immediately. As of now, this entire forest is under our jurisdiction."

"Wait, What?!"

"Also," Wilson continued ignoring Herb, "we understand there is a killer in your town at the moment. I hereby order you to suspend the investigation immediately."

"Are you kidding?!" Chris yelled.

Wilson ignored him and continued. "It has also come to our attention that you recovered several unidentifiable bodies. We're sending people over to the hospital to recover the specimens."

"Hold on!" Herb snapped. "What's going on here?! I demand answers!"

"It's a matter of national security sir."

"National security! What the Fuck is happening here?! You come into my town and order me around and-"

"Herbert Reed, married to Alicia Lockheart-Reed," Wilson said reading the clipboard in his hand.

Herb was rendered speechless when he heard his wife's name.

"Two children; a daughter, Allisa Reed, 15 years of age. A son, Luke Reed, 9 years of age."

Herb quickly reached for his gun. In response, the soldiers around Wilson trained their guns on him. "You bastard! What did you do to my family?!"

"Sir, I can promise you, we have not harmed your family in any way," Wilson said in a rather cold voice. "But if you don't comply with my investigation, you will be arrested for treason and obstruction of government duty."

"This is bullshit!" Chris snapped. "Treason and obstruction of government duty?! What the Hell does that mean?!"

"I can assure you we mean your town and families no harm. I'm simply asking for your cooperation in our investigation which is a matter of national security, that is all."

Herb slowly pulled his hand away from his gun, swallowing his desire to shoot the man in the head. "Alright," he said quietly.

"Hold on," Chris tugged Herb close to him. "You can't be serious. This seems really sketchy."

"We don't have a choice here," Herb said as calmly as he could. "So call it in."

Chris sighed and took out his radio and gave the order to all officers.

"Appreciate it. You have 2 hours to clear out of the forest. You are also forbidden to talk about this to anybody on the outside, including your families." Wilson said, giving Herb a piece of paper from the clipboard he was carrying. The paper said the same things Wilson was asking. "And don't get any funny ideas," Wilson said as he passed.

"Understood," Herb grumbled as he walked away from the crater. Seriously, what is happening in this town?

****

Edasa's eyes snapped open. He found himself lying on the ground, steering at the morning sky. "Wh-Where am I?" he muttered.

"Finally awake it seems." A voice close to him said.

Edasa tilted his head and saw a long, thin, eerie man looming over him. He had long dark hair, a slender face, and dark eyes. In his bony hands, he held a staff of sorts and wore a long dark cloak. "Who are you?" Edasa asked.

"Cob." The man replied with a smile. "I'm an acquaintance of your late mother, miss Roswell."

"Mother?" Edasa's eyes widened. "Mother! What happened?"

"She's dead, as are the other homunculi. You're the only one who lived."

"What!!" Edasa would have shot up and grabbed the man, but for some reason, the only thing he could move was his head. "It-It can't be! I won't believe it! I-I..." Edasa struggled, but his body didn't budge an inch. "Why.... Why can't I move?"

"Your body took extensive damage in whatever transpired down there." Cob explained. "I did what I could to keep you alive, but unfortunately due to you're," he let out a fake cough, "artificial body," he said carefully, "there is a limit to what I could do."

Edasa looked around, finally noticing he was outside. "How did I get here?"

"You bust from the ground. My subordinate, who was nearby, picked up and lifted you out of the area so you wouldn't get caught by the local authorities."

"Subordinate?"

"You! Halt!"

Two soldiers then emerged from the woods, pointing their guns at Cob and Edasa.

"My my, looks like we have unexpected guests," Cob said, slightly amused.

One of the soldiers turned to his colleague. "Call it in."

The other reached for his radio when suddenly a gust of wind impacted on them, slicing their radio and weapons while carving deep cuts though their vests. Both men then collapsed to the ground.

"You shouldn't have my dear," Cob said, looking at the soldiers before looking behind him.

Edasa tilted his head and saw a girl in a black coat. By the look of their face, Edasa guessed her to be the same age as the blond girl he encountered in the fourth level. In the girls right hand was a silver sword with a curved blade. The hilt was decorated in a green color with an emerald in the center. The girl then immediately got down on her knee and bowed her head.

"My apologies Lord Cob. I felt such men were beyond you." The girl said.

"So true," Cob replied to her.

The girl then raised from her kneeling position. "What became of Allisa and her companions?" She asked.

"They used a void ring to escape before the fourth level collapsed. They're all alive."

"I see."

Edasa couldn't tell if the girl sounded relieved or disappointed.

"Continue your observation of her."

The girl didn't reply immediately. "I have... a concern about the Assassin."

"Concern?"

"Last night, she seemed to detect my presence, even with the coat suppressing my mana."

"Are you certain?" Cob didn't sound too troubled.

"No, just a concern."

"Do what you feel is necessary, kill her if you think that's what's required. But your main duty to me at the moment is to observe the girl while she's in this world. The last thing Gillan wants is for her to catch wind of our plans so soon. That would be... an inconvenience at this stage."

"As you wish, lord Cob." The girl walked past Cob and Edasa when she noticed one of the soldiers still moving.

"Go on," Cob said, noticing the soldier as well, "may as well finish what you started."

The girl approached the soldier and looked down at him. The man was bleeding from the large gash on his chest and had an arm missing. He looked up at the girl with hate-filled eyes. The girl raised her blade and struck down without any hesitation, slitting the man's throat. Cob smiled sinisterly as the girl stood over the man for a short while before walking away.

"By the way," he interrupted, stopping the girl, "your name here is interesting. I expected it to be something you'd abandon that, given what happened to-"

"Lord Cob!" The girl snapped. "With all due respect, I would appreciate it if you didn't dig up my old wounds." The girl then walked to walk towards the forest and disappeared.

"Now," Cob looked towards Edasa.,"what to do with you?"

Edasa wasn't sure what he wanted. He just looked up at the man as he crouched beside him.

"As it stands, you can't move at all. And that patrol will be missed, and when they find you, well, who knows what they'll do to you. However, I could use your strength. I have an acquaintance who can mend you, body and all. And I'll even teach you how to control that demon inside you." Cob tapped Edasa's chest with his staff.

"Demon?" He muttered.

"All you have to do is swear your loyalty to me."

Cob wasn't leaving Edasa much of a choice. That said Edasa had a reason for going with him. "The one's that killed mother, are they your enemies?"

"Not at the moment, but at the rate the girl’s progressing, it won't be long now until we take action against her."

Edasa let out a sigh. "I'm in."

"Ah, ah," Cob shook his finger, "that's not what I'm asking for."

Edasa liked Cob less and less. "I... swear my loyalty to you, Cob."

"Lord Cob." Cob corrected.

"Lord Cob," Edasa grumbled.

"Excellent!" With a wave of his staff, a portal then opened. He then pointed it at Edasa and lifted him off the ground. "Let's get you fixed. After all, I need you for your strength, not as a paperweight."

Edasa kept his eyes to the sky as he began to float into the portal with Cob. A fire was lit in them as a certain man came to his mind. That man, will die by my hands. Mother, Rubrik, Sharly, Frosh, Thatch, Weedree, Gamba, and big sister, I will avenge you.

The man with no honor

In the very north of the Unsaer continent, at the cost of the Quintara desert, there was a town known as Northport. It was a warm water port, which was under the jurisdiction of the Rosarian Kingdom. The purpose of this port was a trading post with the tribes of the Quintara desert, and shipping the goods back to the capital Riser by boat. At the center of town was a large mansion, of which the lord of Northport resided. He currently away forms Northport, visiting Riser, leaving behind his daughter with her servants, armed guardsmen and a single knight. Though this was just a precaution since the town was a safe area. Despite the occasional raider or monster attack, there had never been a major incident in the center of the town. That was until today.

While the knight was away, a man attacked the mansion, effortlessly killing the defenders with little to no effort. By the time the knight had heard of the attack, the guardsmen were all dead, bar two, the servants, and the lady of the mansion.

Lady Racell cuddled herself in her bed chambers with her two maids. The last remaining guardsmen had barricaded the door in an attempt to keep their intruder out for as long as possible until the knight, Sir Escandor, could appear to deal with the intruder.

"Shit!" one of the guardsmen swore. "How could one man kill off the others so quickly?"

"Let's just hope Sir Escandor can get here in time." The other replied. Both of them wore light armor, mostly due to the heat in the port, and armed with short swords. It was enough to deal with monsters and riders. By all accounts, a force of 30 guardsmen at the mansion should have easily dealt with one man. He wasn't even a mana user at that. All he had was a katana.

Racell was on her bed, burying herself in her sheets, terrified of what was happening. "Don't worry me lady," one of her maids comforted her, "I'm sure Sir Escandor will be here soon."

Suddenly, the door was cut down, barricades rendered useless. Racell looked towards the ruined door as the attacker walked over the rubble. He was a tall man with a katana in his hand. He was dressed in a strange armor, a custom design of Samurai armor from Kugarat, without any shoulder pads or a helmet, and was dotted with blood. He had long flowing black hair, lightly tanned skin, and dark eyes, which Racell could feel digging into her soul.

"You Bastard!!" One of the guardsmen screamed as he charged in.

The man parried the blow and sliced across his waist. The second attacked him, and again the man parried and struck down on his chest. Both men were dead in less than a second. Racell screams as the man approaches her. One of the maids charged the man with a pan. The man sidestepped out of the way and struck the lady in the back of the neck with the pomble of his sword's hilt, knocking her out.

He then approached Racell, shoving the other maid aside, and reached for her chest. Unable to move, Racell squinted her eyes as he expected the man to assault her. Instead, he ripped off her family necklace with a pear in the center and backed off, inspecting the necklace.

"Wh-What..." Racell stuttered as the man backed off. "It that what you're after?"

"That's right." The man replied coldly.

"And was it worth the lives of these brave men?"

This voice came from a large man standing at the door wearing ornate armor and caring on his back a large axe.

"Sir Escandor!" Racell said with tears in her eyes.

"Well?" Escandor snapped at the man. "Do you have any honor at all to slaughter so many innocents just to rob the poor girl?"

"I lost my honor long ago." The man replied. "When I killed the woman I loved with this very blade." He then looked back at Racell. "My business here is finished. I won't harm her in any way."

"That may be," Escandor took a step towards the man, "but you killed too many good men, all of whom had families. To allow you to leave would dishonor the lives taken by your blade." The man heaved his axe off his back and swung it on the ground. "Fight me!"

The man let out a sigh. "As you wish."

Escandor let out a smile and swung his axe in both hands. "State your name and the name of your weapon. You're from Kugarat I take it. I am familiar with your customer regarding your weapons, one I agree on. I am Sir Escandor Tornderand. My Axe is named Beak Breaker."

The man removed his scabbard from his belt and put it before him while sheathing his sword. "Gai Tsukiyo. My sword is called Aki no aki." He then shifted his stance, bringing his sheathed sword behind him, moving his left leg back and holding his right hand over his sword's hilt.

Escandor grinned as he looked at the stance Gai had taken. "Lady Racell, please take the maids and leave this room. I can tell that I must take this man seriously."

Racell and the other maid followed Escandor's instructions, picking up the one who was unconscious on the ground. When they left, Escandor's axe began to light up, with sparks of energy emanating from it.

"Gai Tsukeyo, you're about to witness the true power of a knight!" He then launched at Gai swinging his axe out.

"Balance Brake!" The light grew and took on the shape of the blade, emanating with so much power that it could split the earth itself. As he came close, Gai made his move, pushing the blade forwards with his left thumb and gripped the sword before lunging forwards.

Reijingu Mizu Stance 4: Rasshu!

The entire west wing of the manor exploded, showering the ground below with debris from the ruins of the mansion. Racell and the maid were blown to there feet as the incoming shockwave of dust washed over them. When the dust finally settled, the bed chambers was completely ruined, with the walls blown away by the shockwave emitted from the combatants, who stood with there back turned to each other, weapons held out.

As Racell looked upon the men, something impacted close by. To her horror, it was the head of Escandor's axe. As she looked she saw that all Escandor was holding was a handle and nothing else. Escandor then finally moved looking back, blood flowing from his mouth like a waterfall.

"Curse... you..." a large amount of blood erupted from the vent in his armor, and the man fell forwards, crashing to the ground.

"SIR ESCANDOR!!"

Racell rushed towards the body of the fallen knight while Gai sheathed his sword and reattached the scabbard to his belt.

"YOU MONSTER!!!" Racell yelled at Gai. "How could you do something so horrible to these people?! And all for some cheap trinket?!"

Gai stretched out his left arm and muttered 'open.' A portal then opened up next to him. "I envy that man." He said with his back turned. "He died with his honor, and his charge is mourning him. That is forever lost to me." He then fixed his cold gaze on Racell. "When I die, it will be alone." He then walked through the portal and disappeared.

****

Smoke could be seen rising from the mansion on the hill Gai reappeared.

"Pretty flashy. Thought that kinda thing isn't your style." Leaning against a small tree was a man dressed in a black shōzoku. On his belt were pouches which stored ninja tools such as Kunai and Shuriken.

"Saratobi."The man was an acquaince of his, Sauske Saratobi, a member of the infamous mercenary group White Rose. "Surprised to see you here," Gai said to him.

"Expecting someone else?" Saratobi said back with a little humor in his voice.

"Honestly, I was expecting Getheru."

"Well, the boss got something else for him. He's stretching White Rose thin looking for these stones. Speaking off,"

Gai handed him the peril he recovered from lady Racell.

"Yep, this is it." he then looked at Gai. "Got something to ask?" .

"I still don't see the purpose of gathering a few worthless gems and stones," Gai said.

"Not alone there. All Edna's been doing is complain that we become some treasure hunters for the boss rather than professional killers."

"What does Getheru think? He is the leader of your group."

"You know him, who knows what he's thinking." Saratobi smudged. "Still think you should join us. Can't accomplish much going solo all the time."

"I'll pass. I'm not the heartless killers like you lot are."

"Hey, I'm hurt," Saratobi said with sarcasm. "And who's calling who heartless. After what you did in your hometown, you would fit right in with our little band of outcasts."

Gai glared at Saratobi.

"Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to drag out old wounds." Satatobi said, putting his arms up.

"I'd rather not be compared to a backstabbing ninja like you," Gai said with a hint of contempt in his voice.

"Fair enough. And its former ninja." Saratobi corrected. "You know I'm retired from the Oniwaban."

"Retired? By killing the previous Shogun."

"Yeah yeah," Saratobi said casually, brushing it off. "By the way, I got some info from Cob's followers. You probably want to hear this."

"Is it about that girl?" Gai said as he began to walk towards the desert stretching out before him. "I'm not interested."

"Actually, it's about her followers, retainers, or whatever they're called. Apparently, one of them's a swordsman like you. Wields a Katana, and even has the same style of fighting you have."

Gai stopped in his tracks when he heard the news.

"Figured you'd know the guy since your sword style's rare."

".... Yuki," Gai muttered.

Satatobi looked intrigued by his reaction. "Oh, you do know him." He said with a sly voice.

"Of course. He's... my best friend."

"Really?" Saratobi rubbed the prickles on his face. "Well, I guess things will get pretty awkward when you guys meet again."

"It won't." Gai kept his gaze on the horizon clutching his sword tightly. "After all, he is the only person who can kill me."