The Four Pillars of Kanto.

Natasha blinked in surprise as the rain washed the sweat and blood from her forehead.

The figure who had rescued her and sent the Regent flying was not an angel, nor even a god, but a human. A boy covered in mud and blood, his clothes full of holes from so many blows, but standing.

"K-Ken..." Natasha whispered, slowly trying to get up, unable to believe her eyes.

Ken offered her a hand to help her stand. Despite having one eye swollen, he wore that same defiant smile as always.

"You know something? Crying doesn't suit you," Ken said in a mocking tone. "You're supposed to be the strong one in the group, right?"

"You idiot!" Natasha yelled, fresh tears welling in her eyes, but this time from pure relief. She gave him a light punch on the shoulder, venting her frustration. "I thought you were dead!"

"Almost," Ken admitted, touching his ribs with a grimace. "That hundred-cut technique almost finished me... but let's just say Tanimoto and I are hard to kill."

"Tanimoto?" Natasha said just as a sound of dragging metal caught her attention. From the shadows of an alley, Tanimoto walked out limping, using the remains of his broken katana as a crutch. His dislocated shoulder hung at an impossible angle, but his gaze remained sharp.

"Hey... you didn't think that thing would take me down so easily, did you?" Tanimoto said, spitting blood to the side. "Though I warn you, Ken: this is the last time I fight by your side."

"But we're still alive, aren't we?" Ken retorted, shrugging.

"Pair of idiots... you're alive..." Natasha murmured, shaking her head, though inwardly she smiled.

"Hey, don't forget about me..." a weak voice sounded from the pile of concrete rubble across the street.

A few silver chains pushed aside a heavy cement block. Kyosuke emerged, staggering. His chest was burned from the impact of the Regent's sword, and his glasses were shattered, but he was still conscious. "Damn it..." Kyosuke complained, wiping blood from his chin. "That monster sure hits hard."

Natasha looked around. Ken. Tanimoto. Kyosuke. And herself. All four were shattered, at the limit of their strength, bleeding and exhausted. But they were together.

A bestial roar shook the street. The overturned bus where the Regent had landed was sent flying through the air, split into two perfect halves. The General of Kanto stood up. His armor was dented on the cheek from Ken's punch. His Odachi gleamed with a sinister black light. But the most terrifying thing was his silence. He no longer laughed. He no longer danced. His aura expanded, becoming so dense that the rainwater turned to black vapor upon touching the ground around him. He was furious. Four insects. Four humans who refused to die.

Ken took a step forward, raising his bare fists in a guard. Tanimoto positioned himself on his left, lifting his broken sword with one hand. Kyosuke walked to the right, making the few chains he had left intact float around his body.

Natasha felt a warmth in her chest that expelled all fear and guilt. She wasn't alone. She never had been. She stood up, ignoring the pain in her legs. She gripped her Kijin katana with both hands. Her purple aura reignited, not with the uncontrolled fury from before, but with a stable, serene flame. She took her place beside Ken.

"I guess you're all ready for the second round," Natasha said, locking her gaze on the monster.

In unison, the four charged at the mountain of death. Ken from the center. Natasha from the right flank. Tanimoto from the left. Kyosuke from the rear to control the field.

The Regent roared and charged at them. The final battle for humanity's survival in Kanto had begun. Four broken wills against the absolute power of the Calamity.