Give Them Hell

He held her face in his hands, coughing as tears blurred his eyes and fell. They dripped to her cheek, mingling with the ash and blood. He dragged her body onto his lap, crying in agony. He placed his fingers to the side of her neck, resting his forehead against hers as he felt a gentle pulse.

He looked up, his face scrunched up in rage as Kiyomi lowered beside the man in the Dragon mask, casting a red glow around her.

“You damned monsters!” he shrieked.

She sighed. “We warned you, Ignacio.”

“But,” the man in the Dragon mask said, placing his hands together. “There is still a chance, Ignacio. Koharu will live if we act now, and your sister is still safe and sound with the Sentinel. You have such potential, my boy, don’t throw it away in the name of… what is it? Justice? There’s nothing just about getting yourself and your friends killed.”

He panted, his heart and mind racing.

You can’t.

There’s no other choice.

We came this far, did all of this, and it’ll be for nothing if we surrender now.

Would you rather die? Would you rather she dies?

He squeezed his eyes shut, lowering his chin as tears streaked down his face, arms clutching Koharu against his chest.

He took a deep breath, sniffling as he lifted his head, meeting the Dragon-masks burning red eyes.

Koharu reached up, grabbing the collar of his shirt and pulling. He glanced down, his mother’s chain glinting around his neck. He looked into Koharu’s eye, her deep green iris sparkling with tears as she smiled.

“Ace,” she whispered. “You promised you’d show me the stars. Remember?”

He swallowed hard, his head hanging down.

She pressed her hand against his cheek, lifting his face to look at her again. “You promised you’d help me find them.”

He placed a hand to his chest, feeling the round pendant. A gasp left his lips as he looked beyond the man in the Dragon mask. Shun’s body lay on the ash covered floor, his wooden gorilla form charred black. Smoke curled up from it in thin black pillars, the blue glow of those patterns on his back and arms fading to grey.

But atop his corpse, between the columns of smoke, he saw something stand. Its long black hair swept to the side in the wind, streaming from a white head crowned with… antlers.

Some things… some things are worth fighting for, Ignacio.

“Thank you,” Koharu said, her voice rasping. “Thank you for caring enough to promise.”

He clutched her tighter, lowering his forehead to hers. “You can thank me,” he said, glaring up at the Dragon, “when we see them. Together.”

The Dragon sighed, turning to Kiyomi and nodding. She clenched her jaws, a red blade materializing in her hand as the Dragon walked away, his robe billowing.

She stepped forward, raising the blade as she gazed down at them. She paused.

Ignacio looked down at Koharu, brushing her hair from her face. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

And the ground around him grew dark, making Kiyomi’s blade glow red. As if something had cruised over them and eclipsed the sun.

They looked up as a giant black blimp sailed high above the hill top, a loud horn blaring.

What the hell… more Cypher reinforcements?

But when he lowered his gaze, he found Kiyomi frowning, her hands and eyes igniting with red light.

“Whoever you sent for, Ignacio,” she said, turning back to him and raising the red blade, “I’m going to kill them all!”

“Hi, ‘going-to-kill-them-all,’” a voice called. “I’m just here to say, you don’t have to blame yourself for being given such a violent name.”

They turned, and a man with a flaming skull for a head dove towards them, a pair of fiery blades in his hands.

Kiyomi's eyes widened, and the man planted a flaming foot against her face, slamming her down to the ground.

He backflipped off her, landing with a leg made of fire and one made of flesh. He turned to Ignacio.

“Oh, come on,” the man said, his shoulders drooping. “You can at least be grateful that one of us has an I.Q above room temperature.”

“D-Dario?” Ignacio said.

He gave a nod… and a curtsey. “The one and- oof!”

A red blast hit him in the stomach, launching him backwards as Kiyomi shot into the air, her hands full of red light, eyes blazing.

“All members of Cypher Corp,” a booming voice came from above as the blimp drifted further, propellers spinning. “You have ten seconds to surrender, by order of the House of Freedom.”

Kiyomi looked up, shrieking as she charged for the blimp, red light tailing her like a comet.

Ignacio glanced down at Koharu, her fingers still curled against his chest as she stared up at the blimp, her lip quivering.

“Get them, Kaito!”

Kaito placed his hands behind his back, staring out the blimp’s window as they cruised forward.

“Kaito,” a voice said.

He turned, the wood of the bridge creaking as Blackwell walked towards him.

“We’ve spotted the Sentinel holding the First Nexus headed due west,” he said. “There’s no sign of the Dragon Aspect that produced all that green fire yet.”

Kaito nodded. “Dispatch Ira and Masato.”

“No,” a voice came from behind Blackwell.

They turned as a giant man walked towards them along the bridge, his shoulders capped with curved white teeth, a dark purple cape hanging from his shoulders, his eyes glowing gold.

“Dispatch Elisio. Then Saori. Then Ira and Masato. Veynara is already covering us from on top.”

Blackwell bowed, and walked past Sora. He turned to Kaito, raising a thick black eyebrow.

Kaito smiled. “My apologies, Sora. I’m used to taking the lead.”

He chuckled, his footsteps thudding against the deck. “Our priority is finding the Dragon Aspect that made this mess,” he said, placing a hand on Kaito’s shoulder. “Then we get your sister back.”

Kaito nodded, then shook his head. “I never thought I’d see Specterveil, Eclipse, and Genesys working together.”

Sora grunted. “Just a shame Ezequiel isn’t here to see it.”

Kaito’s jaws clenched. He would be if they hadn’t dragged him into this.

“Sir,” one of the pilots said from below the bridge, saluting as they glanced at him. “Permission to deploy Ira’s legion?”

Sora nodded. “Give them hell, boys.”

Kaito turned, walking down the bridge.

“Where are you going?” Sora asked.

“An order is an order, Captain,” Kaito said. “I’m going to give them hell.”