"OW!!"

The two of us fall a great distance into what I assume to be the ticket area of the station. To think Oren still has that kind of strength!

Heck, to think Oren is alive!

"How?..."

I look to see Oren quickly get to his feet, Clarent in hand.

"How can you still be alive!?"

"Can't say I know for sure, but I gave up my ability of clairvoyance just for this! I'm not going to let this energy go to waste!"

I stagger to my feet.

“Why are you fighting me? You know you can’t win. What’s more, you’ve seen the suffering of this city! You and I are practically the same in terms of morals. Why are you fighting the very things you believe in?”

“We may be similar in a lot of ways, from our relationships to social preferences and beliefs. But, you and I are still different!”

“Then tell me - how are we so different?”

“I may be the weaker fighter here, but unlike you, I’m fighting for a cause I believe in! I’ll say this: I would rather fight a losing battle than lose my friends! And this time, I will win and bring you back with me!”

(Fighting a losing fight...for friends...)

"Alright...I get it..."

I take out my gunbai.

"Same old Oren..."

And, using my wind rhime, I split it, causing the two halves to act as makeshift swords.

"You think too much with your heart...and you DON'T LISTEN TO ANYONE!!!"

I throw my gunbai pieces into the air.

"Come forth, my hall!"

As soon as Nobunaga's pieces land in my hands, a sound wave from the blare of trumpets spreads throughout the area from my body. Acid jazz, the music type for wind tones, can be heard everywhere in the station. My green wind rhime begins to envelope the whole area to the point that almost everything is lifted off the ground. Everything except Oren and me, at least. It only works on inanimate objects. Most likely because of Oren's different rhime repelling the wind. Within my hall, my acid jazz rapping voice is heard.

Listen to me, the voice in the wind.

That's past through the ages, fighting again and again.

Words passing through me, but never reaching others.

I will have to teach you a lesson.

"I am Hisashi Turbulent! My subtone is called 'Rotation'! I have given my life to this cause, and even though you were my friend, I will not let you interfere!"

"And you say I don't listen to anyone."

I begin to rotate Nobunaga's parts with great speed in both of my hands.

"Wind Drive: Duel Great Tornado!!!!!"

Two large tornadoes engulf my arms and spread out across the station, tearing everything apart in their path.

"I'll say it again...LEAVE!!!"

"You should know by now, not all students listen to their teachers. Especially when the kid has something they believe is worth being rebellious for!"

"Don't say I didn't warn you!"

I move my arms and prepare to collide the two tornadoes where Oren is positioned. Right before I do, Oren jumps in the air and grabs hold of a pole on the ceiling. He then takes off running across it towards me. I raise my arms to cause the tornadoes to rise under him. He jumps to the left, then sprints towards me too fast for me to stop him with my wind.

Toxic air, burning places, people never learn.

Lessons we are given are never taken to heart.

Don't wanna follow orders until I give them first

And hope that someone will listen.

I stop using my tornadoes and go into a close combat fight with Oren. His sword technique is very impressive, but he's still no match for me when my gunbai's halves act as two blades!

(Why? Why go this far!?)

"Stop playing the fool and leave! You said so yourself, you don't want to work alongside the Keisetsu!"

"You cannot find peace while avoiding life."

(What!?)

"Take your own words to heart. I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing that you're messing your own life up!"

"In the words of a former friend, specifically a woman whom I came to love, 'Life is whatever you make it out to be, but how others interpret life can be affected by your own actions. Decide your own fate, and think twice when deciding the fate of others.' This is my choice, and it's not for you to decide!"

"Wind Drive: Tornado Slash Barrage!"

I jump back and begin swinging Nobunaga's halves, creating slashes of wind one after another. Oren continues to dodge the majority of them and slashes at the ones he cannot dodge with Clarent.

Come to think of it, the only way he could have survived my final blow would be to use rhime. And if he was able to remove it while using rhime....

!!!!!!!!!

(Oren...Oren is a...!!)

What an ironic sense of humor fate has, to make me come to trust another one of his kind again.

All time passes on the wind.

Nothing ever is caught up in it.

As all reaches towards the night sky.

Come pass by on the wind!

Our journey has just begun.

All will come and go no matter where we are!

"Wind Drive: Duel Great Tornado!!"

I summon large tornadoes around my arms again, and again clap them together and pull the tornadoes horizontally along the ground. I blow really hard from my mouth to disperse the debris lying around to block Oren's path, but he simply digs Clarent into the wall and begins to run along it! I separate my tornados and attempt to corner him. Before I can catch him in between them again, he pushes off the wall and rushes towards me at a speed too quick for me to intercept, forcing me to fight in close quarters again.

(Why? This is reckless! Why continue to go this far!? He's in the wrong! And this isn't about me! It's about the city! The people!)

Oren attempts to kick me and slash me with Clarent. I block and counter with slashes from Nobunaga. Why is he fighting me, anyway? I thought he didn't want to hurt me?

The two of us push against our weapons while they are entangled. The grinding of steel against steel rings in our ears.

"What are you up to?"

"If words won't get through to you, then I'll convince you through my actions!"

Colors fade and so does memory.

But all is carried on the wind.

Even if I wish to, I can never forget

All that becomes absorbed into me.

To different lands and places, all conflict is the same.

Blame all who shout into the wind!

The two of us jump away from one another again. He rushes towards me.

"Wind Drive: Tornado Barrier!"

I spin around, creating a massive tornado around me.

And yet, Oren attempts to push through it!

His cloak is quickly torn to shreds, and small droplets of blood swirl all around him, but he keeps pushing through.

"Please...stop!" I cry.

He continues towards me...and hugs me!

I break free from his embrace and jump back.

"W...W...Wind Drive: Tornado Slash Barrage!!"

I send a volley of wind slashes in his direction. Unlike the past few times, he chooses to take them, walking towards me, bleeding more, his clothes shredded.

All time passes on the wind.

Nothing ever is caught up in it.

As all reaches towards the night sky.

"W...Wind Drive: Dual Great Tornado!!!!!!"

Again, he refuses to back down and advances towards me. This time...I'm the one who hesitates. Before I cause my tornadoes to collide, with him in the middle, I freeze in place and cannot bring myself to close the gap.

Come pass by on the wind!

Our journey has just begun.

All will come and go no matter where we are!

(DAMN IT!!!!)

I cause my hall to disappear along with the remainder of my wind rhime. Oren then puts Clarent to his waist as if to sheath it, going into a preparatory sword stance.

I know what must be done.

I cross Nobunaga's halves over one another and rush towards him at full speed.

Oren rushes towards me at the same speed, if not faster.

GGGGGAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!

In a flash, the two of us stop where the other one began. The ringing of metal continues to echo throughout the station.

Cracks run through my gunbai halves...

"It would seem..." I begin to say.

And they shatter into countless pieces.

"I'm still the stronger of us..."

At that moment, Oren's chest wound opens up, causing him to collapse on the ground in his own blood. I turn around to face him.

"Are you really so reckless as to throw your...!!"

I see him start to get up.

Remembering that he gave me a gun, I quickly go for it. And by the time I point it at him...

He points his at me.

"This isn't you," he says to me.

"Shut up!"

"Hisashi Turbulent is a kind individual who is a role model to us all."

He slowly gets up and walks towards me.

"Shut up!!!"

"He likes to talk to people casually over a drink of C.C. Lemon. Make paper mache art with his students. Win prizes to share with others."

"STOP IT!!!"

"And he is willing to put his life on the line for others."

"SILENCE!!!!"

"And...unlike other assassins..."

Oren throws his gun away but continues his advance.

"He has a heart."

This is my breaking point...

I drop to my knees, and begin to cry.

"Why? Why can't I do it? Everything I've done, everything I've endured, was all for this moment! Why can't I...!?"

"It's because you know this isn't right. You yourself saw everything up there. Is this what you were really fighting for?"

"How do you know you're fighting for the right thing?"

"Let's just say I know a good teacher who's been there for me all this time. And it's because he cared so much that I know what he was doing was right. At least, he didn't hesitate back then when he wasn't on the battlefield."

Sobs are suffocating me.

"Was this what you wanted all along?" I hear Yamiso's voice say. From the sound of it, he seems to be in more pain than when this fight began.

(Hm?)

I look at Oren and see him holding a communication crystal.

"The plan was simple, although not preferred." I hear someone that I assume is Chates. "In order to achieve our goals to not only restore our lady's name but also provide economic stability to New Vegas, we chose to take the fight directly to the rich rather than just try another revolution."

I realize it now. Oren's request to Yamiso. Keep the communication between the crystals active.

(Fight...directly to them? They told me revolution was the main plan, not a frontal assault. And it means nothing, if the people don't do anything!)

"Sadly, we lacked the resources and manpower, so we were forced to search for aid in our lady's name."

"Do you...honestly think...she would want this?" that Crystal girl says, breathing heavily.

I look at Oren, and he seems surprised to hear both Yamiso and Crystal in such a state.

"We were against what happened to Terraz from the start, but things turned out that way because of our employer. Our employer, Hunter, offered us funds for researching the creation of a multi-tone crystal that could be used by humans directly. She offered us a chance to use our research once it was complete and, when she learned of our desire to change New Vegas, she leaped at the chance, considering it a form of investment."

(Investment? Wait...what?)

"Hunter was strong, and all that was lacking was manpower. It was then that she chose to get an illusion tone involved just to spur hatred and vengeance among potential candidates."

"Wait..." I hear Dodge say. "What do you mean? I don't remember her saying any such thing, let alone getting involved. I was simply told to stop any incidences, not be a part of them!"

(Illusion tone...Hatred...Vengeance...Illusion tone!...Hatred!...Vengeance!...DAMN YOU, HUNTER!!! YOU USED US ALL!!!!!)

"And although we had to make sacrifices, we didn't wish to commit, after nearly 16 years of effort and research, we're finally here. And with this enhanced body caused by all the rhime I've absorbed..."

(Wait...you absorbed the rhime of different tones!?!?!? Are you INSANE!?!?!?)

"The rich will fall. Here and now!!!"

"RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

With a mighty roar that would put a dragon to shame, the station around us begins to shake. Once the shaking stops, I collapse onto the ground and remain motionless. We were all used! Hunter used us! Set us up! Lied to us for years! Everything I've been, everything I've done, was all for her sick amusement!!!

(Who am I!? Who am I really!?)

Oren slowly gets up and holds his hand out to me.

"It would seem...we both have a score to settle with that snake."

I look up at him, wipe the tears from my eyes, and take his hand. As quickly as our weakened bodies permit, we get back up to the room where the crystal was. Looking at it now, practically the whole room is destroyed, with a large hole in the ceiling, letting light in.

"Crystal! Yamiso!" Oren yells.

He lets go of me and rushes over to his partners. Both are lying on the ground, in a coma, their rhime drained from them. I look over to the corner of the building where there's an opening leading to the outside and see Dodge leaning against the wall.

"Don't you see..." I begin to say to him.

"Hm?"

"DON'T YOU SEE WHAT YOU'VE DONE!?!?!?"

"I've told you the same thing every time."

"That's not what I mean! It's one thing that you deceived me!..."

"What?"

"But think about your brother!!!"

"What about him?"

"You moron! Didn't you ever go to school!?"

"And what does my educational background, or lack thereof, have to do with any of this?"

"One of the first things we teach children: A person CANNOT be of multiple tone types!"

"Or else?"

"Or else they will suffer some serious side effects!!! Death almost being guaranteed!!"

For the first time in my life, I think I saw Dodge show concern on his otherwise emotionless face.