FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The first night in hospital, Gojirama Kiryu was given the best of care to at least walk without pain. He refused to stay in bed until he saw Gonkuro Obara, where Shisahara joined him as the doctor took them to his room. The hospital became a hive where kappas, insects and canines milled about frantically attending the wounded. Gojirama felt old and frail, dressed in a hospital gown that left his back to the wind.

Through the halls of pale white and soft blue, they arrived at Obara's room. The first creature they saw was his mother as they stood in the doorway. She locked eyes with the Fourth Chair as her shock gave way to a hatred that stunned Kiryu.

"Whut, are YOU doing here?"

"To check on one of my companions," he bowed still in his suit, "I'm...I am terribly sorry for what happen-"

"Don't." She raised a tentacle. "It's just never enough fer you is it?"

"Ms. Obara," a wasp stepped through in doctor's robes, "forgive me but, your son being a member of Toho, must have his employer informed on his condition."

"He's a GOTDAMN yakuza, they got no right to be here!"

"Officially your son was an employee of Azumi Finance, and as Shisahara is the company owner, he is entitled to know."

"...fine." Oodaka sat back crossing her tentacles. "Tell them then. Tell them whut they did to my son."

The air turned to ice as Kiryu and Kin stepped in. The wasp took them over to Gonkuro's bed, the son looking strangely peaceful with an oxygen mask on his snout. His ears laid flat, and a purple ring formed round his throat. A drip in his arm fed nutrients with the EKG beeping away, as Kiryu felt oddly nostalgic to last week.

"He was hung by an assassin," said the wasp checking his report, "three creatures came to save him, one performed CPR until we arrived."

"And the other two?" Kiryu asked.

"They came with us to the hospital. Do you know what happened at the Park Boulevard construction site?"

"No. But who would attack Obara-kun?"

"Someone you pissed off," said Oodaka sneering with her eyes, "never enough with you Toho is it?"

"The assassin was killed at the site," explained the doctor scribbling notes, "I do not know the full details, you will have to ask his rescuers who informed the police."

"Along with me, I should report you bastards too."

"How is Obara-kun?" Shisahara looked to him. "Will he recover?"

"Unfortunately we cannot say," the wasp shook his head. "He is alive, but he was hung long enough that he lost some oxygen to the brain. He may wake up in a month, or perhaps longer...so we hope."

"I will pay for his care," the lion-dog bowed, "as his employer it is the least I can do."

"And if he don't wake up?" The mother stood up. "You gonna keep him on life support forever?"

"If that is your wish, then yes, Obara-san. You have the right over your son's agency, but I will ensure-"

"Shut up."

Kiryu flinched at her disrespect but Shisahara waved him back. The octopus stood up and marched towards him with burning red eyes.

"It wasn't enough fer you bastards to take away my husband. But now my son...my s-son, who wuz a good boy, a bright young thing who wuz gonna change thuh world, an' YOU fuckers pulled him into hell."

"I addressed this matter with Obakimura," said Kin clasping his hands, "he insisted when Obara-kun showed his exceptional mastery of computers, and wanted to give your son the best career."

"You call THIS a gotdamn career?!" she snapped pointing to her son. "How many times you done dressed him up as one o' you thugs?! How many times you had him shake down a poor fool fer money?!"

"Never," Kiryu shook his head, "I was Obara-kun's supervisor, I can tell you we never put your son in danger."

"THAT'S FUCKIN' BULLSHIT!"

She slapped his face hard with a tentacle but he took it standing. A bull-headed nurse outside looked very offended, but said nothing pushing a wheelchair past.

"My son is in a coma, you an' that shitheel Sanjin are thuh reason my family ain't here!"

"Oodaka." Kin gave a severe look. "You know Sanjin was your husband's dearest friend, and Gonji chose to join us in that venture."

"You coulda said no, you coulda told him it's too dangerous, instead he's dead, an' if that weren't enough, Sanjin hires my boy to join him in his grave like a SICK JOKE! Whut the HELL did I ever do to you?"

The mother stiffened her head with tears down her face.

"Whut in thuh gotdamn hell, did I ever do to your clan, to make us suffer?"

"I assure you," the lion-dog shook his head, "I have absolutely no ill will towards you. I am deeply sorry about your husband, and your son. I never wanted this, I always respected you and offered my help should you ever need it."

"No." Oodaka jabbed her tentacle at him. "You fucked up. Sanjin's rottin' in hell fer pulling Gonny into your shit, just cuz he felt bad about whut he did. He felt bad about Gonji dyin', so he thinks teachin' my son thuh ropes about yer criminal shit gonna make it better?!"

"Your son approached us first."

"YOU COULDA SAID NO!" She grabbed her bare scalp. "YOU...you coulda said no. Now I have a son who ain't never gonna see me again. Get out. Whutever shit you all got involved in, I hope your clan fuckin' burns to thuh ground, an' you can tell Sanjin, when you see him in hell...whut you did to my family."

The two Toho members left, taking one last look at the young Obara whose face spoke of a dreamless sleep. Heading back outside, the wasp doctor joined them with a regretful look, putting two hands together with another two holding his report.

"You mentioned the two that saved him," asked Kiryu, "can we see them?"

"Unfortunately," the doctor bowed, "we don't normally allow patients to visit each other. But considering the circumstances and the Toho's many donations to our hospital-"

"Don't do that," Shisahara shook his finger, "I did not offer your clinic funds for special access, if we are prohibited then we are prohibited."

"In that case, I am sorry, but for security reasons we do not let patients see each other unless they specifically offer permission."

"Alright," Gojirama nodded, "I understand. Can you at least tell them that Gojirama Kiryu and Kin Shisahara thank them deeply for saving Obara?"

"I will," the wasp nodded, "that I can do perfectly, now please return to your room. Your body still needs rest, Kiryu-san, frankly it is a miracle you haven't collapsed."

"He was always one of my finest," Shisahara rubbed Kiryu's shoulder, "he truly came through a hero on this day."

"Thank you, Shisa-sama," Kiryu bowed with a clench, "can I see the others we came in with at least, Sano, Sa-Rhee and Hakura?"

"Of course, since you came together," the doctor walked him back, "but only after you have rested, and once Sano's surgery is finished."

"I appreciate it, doctor."

Returning to his room, Kiryu rested up with Shisahara's funds helping him recover faster. Bones were reset, scars were knitted and bruises healed by the most advanced of medicine, as well as tremendous nutritional diets that recharged him easier.

The next morning after the attack, Shisahara left the hospital to make plans for the future of the Toho Clan. Kiryu spent most of that morning asleep, the long rest rejuvenating him as he felt a sudden fit of energy, wanting to get out and break Jinuchu heads as soon as he could. A throbbing anger kept storming in his heart, and a few times he almost frightened nurses by the flames thickening from his teeth.

But the Fourth Chair had him wait, informing before his departure of a great change taking place in the city, and until they were ready, Kiryu had to rest as long as he could. The Toho lieutenant struggled to be patient, watching daytime TV filtered through the hospital, a calming atmosphere that drove him crazy with stillness.

In his room of yellow walls and white sheets, he tried to be a good patient reading books and magazines. Once he was allowed to walk out his room, he went straight for his closest friend in the building.

"Yo. Sano-san?"

"Nnngh...uhh, hey Kiryu, hey!"

The door slid open as Goji walked in with his green hospital robe. Sano was in his own bed in a similar room, the sounds of Pokérai from the TV filling the air with screams and zips and thwacks. The ankylosaur looked worse with several wires in his jaw, clenching it shut to let the bones refit back into place.

"Look at you, a real-life Mechasano."

"Shut up," Anguirou muttered through his teeth, "you look fat in that hospital gown."

"It makes everyone look fat, at least you won't be when you can't eat solids."

"Nnnngh, don't remind me, it fucking sucks." Sano laid back with a wince. "Fucking asshole broke my jaw, can't even bite my own teeth."

"Well looks like you're all bark now."

"Fuck you, hahahaha-O-OW, OWW, NNNNGH!"

The spikeback whimpered clutching his face as he struggled not to laugh. Kiryu sat down with a sigh and rubbed his head.

"How are you doing? You took a hell of a beating."

"Ehh, I'm not dead, so," Anguirou shrugged, "how's things out there?"

"It's pretty bad. Shisa-sama told me there'll be consequences."

"We fighting Jinuchu then?" Sano tilted his head.

"Probably. I don't know what'll happen to our family, you hear about Varan-san?"

"I did...fucking cowards. Gods, if I'd just been a shit and told him I didn't wanna take accounts-"

"Then Shisa-sama would be dead." Kiryu took his hand. "You really came through yesterday, you're a bigger hero than me."

"Pfft, nah," Sano shook his head still clenched. "I couldn't stop him, look what happened to me."

"You stopped him long enough for me to get there. I knew you were right for the Toho when I brought you in."

"Shit...really?"

"You have a good heart, Anguirou." The lieutenant leaned close. "You're reckless, but the moment you put on that pin you never thought of anything else, and I knew I could trust you no matter what. Thank you...for being my friend."

"No...n-no prob, Gojirama." The ankylosaur sniffed back his tears. "F-fuck, dude you got me going."

"Hmhmhm, sorry."

"Just, damn, I thought you...I didn't know you looked up to me that much, I always thought Danzaki was-"

"Not anymore," Kiryu shook his head. "But that's another time."

"Wait, hold on what happened with Danzaki?"

"I'll need to tell Shisa-sama first, until then-"

"I just saw him before we got attacked," Sano pushed himself up, "he was-owww, nnngh fuck-you hear about our places getting attacked?"

"Yes," Goji nodded, "the Jinuchu lured the patriarchs away so they could kill Shisa-sama."

"Danzaki and I were talking about you, hoping you'd be back, you still gotta tell me what happened to you by the way, and then his district got attacked too."

"Wait, by Jinuchu?" Kiryu squinted. "Do you know where he is?"

"You got his number dontcha? What, you two fall out?"

"Something like that. I should go." The saurian stood up with a stretch of his arms. "You want me to get you anything?"

"Nah, Basu-chan's coming later with treats, though it has to be stuff that I can drink."

"No rib-eyed steak for you."

"Nnnngh fuck now I want steak, god dammit you ass."

"Hmhmha. Later."

They waved each other off as Kiryu headed to his next friend. He silently cursed himself for not mentioning Danzaki's betrayal to Shisahara, making a mental note to do so tonight. Taking the stairs carefully to a lower floor, he found a stegosaur with his leg raised in a cast with sling, talking to a silver mantis.

"You know I'm a big fan of tonkatsu," said the nurse fluffing a pillow, "gives your chitin a real sheen."

"Never cooked it," Yong-ga shook his head, "I do Korean foods, I make best bibimbap in Tokyo."

"Wow, that's a bold claim, I never had bibimbap."

"Is good! I know how to make eggs real runny and juicy."

"You got a restaurant then?"

"Yeah but," Sa-Rhee shook his head, "not in a good spot, might move it."

"Well let me know the new locale," the bug put the pillow behind the stego's head, "I'd love to come down and have some, I only been to Kanrai but they put too many spices in stuff, makes my stomach all weird."

"Heh, yeah they do, I don't do lotta spices."

"Is that cuz of your ammonia allergies?"

"Yeaaah," the patient rolled his eyes, "sucks to make food you can't eat."

"Well, if you and I are eating together," the mantis patted his hand, "I'll gladly eat anything without ammonia...and with less than two spices."

"Uhh, s-sure! Thanks Makihara."

"Later Yong-kun."

The nurse bowed to Kiryu who stepped aside, as Yong-ga gave a fond smile at the mantis leaving.

"He's pretty cute," said Goji.

"Yeaaaah...heh, he want to learn cooking, I offer tips."

"Gave you the fancy treatment too, fluffed up your pillows."

"You jealous?" Sa-Rhee grinned.

"Maybe," Kiryu smiled back, "I hope he comes back, maybe he'll kiss your leg better."

"Pffft, sure." The chef rolled his eyes. "You okay Kiryu?"

"Yeah, recovering, how about you?"

"Ehh, could be worse." Yong-ga gestured to his leg.

"I give you a week," Kiryu chuckled, "you're a tough bastard."

"Heheheh, not as tough as you, you still walking!"

"I got lucky. I wanted to check on you, and also thank you for helping me."

"Is cool," Sa-Rhee scratched his cast, "fuck this thing itches."

"That's good," Kiryu stepped close, "you still got feeling in it, maybe I should sign it."

"Could ya? That'd be cool."

Finding a pen in a drawer, Goji started to scrawl kanji carefully on the plaster as Yong-ga giggled from the sensation.

"Hold still."

"I-i trying heheehaha!" the stegosaur smirked when Kiryu finished. "Whassit say, I can't read from here!"

"It says, 'to my friend and saviour, from your first customer, Kiryu'."

"Hah, awwww! You still coming to my restaurant?"

"Are you going to expand it?" asked Kiryu leaning on the dresser. "I think you really could break out of Little Asia, I had some properties earmarked for you with good traffic."

"Ehh...I, I wanna talk to uncle about it."

"Do you have to? I'd hope he supports you either way."

"Oh he will!" Yong-ga nodded. "I bring money in to Little Asia, it'll be good, legit!"

"Besides you don't want to disappoint your nurse," Kiryu thumbed to the door, "he seemed pretty interested having dinner with you."

"Mmmm...don't wanna get hopes up." The stego slumped as he looked away. "Thanks for...being my friend, even if uncle Byul-ga told you to."

"I didn't become your friend because he told me to." Goji gripped Yong-ga's shoulder. "I became your friend because I earned your respect when we fought each other. Don't get me wrong, when we first met I couldn't stand you, you were brash, arrogant and frankly pretty racist towards me. But then you got better. You learned to be better. And I think there's hope for you yet, in learning not to be like your uncle."

"You...you don't like uncle Byul-ga?" asked Sa-Rhee looking to him.

"I know he raised you well, but he's got a lot of habits that he fed you, bad habits that are wrong, and you can do better than him."

"Yeah...he does. Sorry about...the stuff I call you." The stegosaur rolled his thumbs. "I...uncle always tell me not to trust Japanese too easy, in case something happen. Uncle Jim wasn't like that though, he said stuff like 'we're not what our countries are' and shit like that."

"Uncle Jim?" Goji sat down beside him. "You never told me about him."

"You never asked."

"What was he like?"

"He was cool," the chef smiled, "uncle Byul-ga was hardass, but uncle Jim always let me do things, even told me I should be chef! I said no cuz, I worry about my ammonia allergy, but he said 'never let weakness stop you trying, you adapt cuz you smart'."

"He sounds a really nice guy. I wish I could have met him."

"Yeah...I miss him. I know you found his body." Yong-ga put his hands over his horn as tears misted through his eyes. "I was friends with Jeon ever since he was born, we like cousins cuz of uncle Jim. Everyone call him Kama-kun but me an' uncle Byul-ga always call him uncle Jim."

"I'm sorry." Kiryu rubbed his friend. "It's always hard losing a parent, I was too young to remember mine but I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

"Is okay. You proved him right." Sa-Rhee smiled at him. "You prove uncle Jim right, you always nice, that Obara nice too, your friend Danzaki, built a whole thing for us and not ask for money, even though you all yakuza, Japanese gangsters!"

"Danzaki did...didn't he," Gojirama sighed looking down, "I know we have a scary reputation, and that's largely because of other yakuza. You weren't the first one to judge me because of where I came from. But I'm glad I proved your uncle Jim right."

"Heh...so, we're still friends?"

"Of course, Sa-Rhee-san." Kiryu took his hand. "You threw yourself into danger just to save my clan, with no benefit to you. You're one of my closest friends now."

"...th-thanks...Kiryu-san."

The stegosaur smiled hard and turned away briefly, rubbing his eyes hard with a sniff before recomposing himself. Gojirama took his leave, heading back to his room to rest in his bed.

The afternoon crawled over Kiryu's window, as 4pm brought the end of the day with a growing darkness. The soft amber rays of the twilight autumn crossed his face in golden hues, a peaceful lull coming to his mind for a moment. He read through magazines of mundane things such as fishing or pocket racing, letting his mind wander over the thoughts of his friends.

Then he thought of Sanjin, dead and alone, not even having the chance to even see his body. He wanted to pray for him, to go to the temple and make peace with his patriarch, but his mind was so consumed by the stress he could barely focus.

But when his thoughts turned to Danzaki, they became clear as a steel blade. Every time his belly throbbed with that aching wound, his heart burned with fury. He started composing an entire speech in his head, demanding why and how as a dozen reasons came from Danzaki's face. But none would satisfy him, his fists twisting the magazine in his claws.

"Ah, Kiryu!" The wasp doctor came knocking from the door. "How are you faring?"

"Much better...thank you," the patient nodded, "you need another test?"

"No no, your recovery has been remarkable, especially considering your grievous wounds. Can I ask who administered aid to you, before you came to this hospital?"

"I'm not at liberty to say."

"Understandable," the insect buzzed twitching antennae, "well, I actually came to tell you that, remember those two rescuers who brought your friend Obara? I've relayed the message to them, and they would love to meet you. Apparently one was under the impression you had died!"

"Yeah, the rumours of my death were...exaggerated," Kiryu rubbed his back. "Can I go see them now?"

"Absolutely, but first, a friend of yours came by to see you."

Sitting up proper, he saw a yak enter the room with a bandaged head. Without his chauffeur's uniform, he looked oddly thin and pale with a gentle quiver in his leg.

"Kiryu-san," he bowed carefully, "forgive my indiscretion, are you alright?"

"Hey...Hakura-san." Goji smiled. "You still worried about me?"

"As I said before, my duties come first."

"I was just about to leave to go see some friends, mind if we walk?"

"Not at all."

The driver walked beside him and the doctor, the wasp keeping to Hakura's side in case he felt woozy. Down several floors they went between gurneys and coughing patients, passing old sickly lions and crippled horses on the mend who were guided by nurses. At one point they passed the children's ward, where frail kittens and fox cubs sat around a Sega Neptune. He thought briefly back to Jeon, and made another promise to go visit once he recovered.

"Did you call your daughter?" asked Kiryu.

"I did," said the yak, "I did not tell her the specifics, just I had been in a car crash but I am recovering."

"I understand the incident is a sensitive matter," the wasp took Hakura's arm, "I will note the nurse on duty to maintain that if your family visits."

"Thank you, doctor. She is aware of my occupation, but I would not want her to fear being targeted."

"You were very brave," Kiryu rubbed the chauffeur's back, "I'm glad to have you as a friend."

"It was the least I could do, for all your help with dear Yae, Kiryu-san. Oh, this is my ward."

He stopped on their way down and took his leave with a stiff bow.

"I shall see you again soon, Kiryu-san. Take care."

"You too, Hakura-san."

The saurian bowed in turn and watched the chauffeur head through the doors. Following the doctor to a separate ward, he was brought to a larger room where several patients laid in their beds with only curtains to separate them. The sounds of an argument came ringing through the halls between two males and a frustrated spider nurse.

"Sir, for the last time, bedpans are NOT frisbees!"

"But they could be though!" cried a beetle. "You just gotta redesign them, shape the inside a little better!"

"I'm not turning this floor into some kind of deranged sporting ground!"

"Why not, it'd be fun! There's lotsa old creatures here what, we gonna play backgammon?!"

"If you're bored I can bring you something," the ox-headed arachnid sighed, "but if you throw a bedpan into my office ACROSS THE HALL one more time, I am going to reprimand you!"

"With what?!" shouted a bird. "Like, not healing us, and get stuck with us even longer?!"

"I'll feed you the stalest bread we have, and you WON'T enjoy it!"

"Oh I love crunchy bread!" the beetle clapped. "It's like toast but not!"

"Just please stop throwing things, you're not children!"

"I'm not," said the bird, "but Mei-chan practically is."

"Ganbe?!"

Kiryu approached the two sitting together, both covered in bandages with Gen having splints in his metal mohawk, and Meiji with one large gauze wrapped over his eye.

"YO, HOLY SHIT YOU'RE ALIVE!"

"PLEASE keep your voice down!" the spider snapped. "Other patients need rest more than you!"

"UH, lady, I almost got murdered by an assassin, ain't nobody need more rest than me!"

"Siiiirs." The wasp approached with a warning tone. "Please respect our staff, we are trying to help heal you."

"I was just-"

"No no, you're in our house now, and it's only respectful you follow our rules, just as we would in your house. Is that not fair?"

"...yeah...I guess."

"Sorry sir!" Meiji waved. "Can we take any these bedpans home?"

"You can buy one at a store," urged the doctor, "now I believe you have matters to discuss with your friend, I shall leave you to it."

The nurse sighed with relief as she was called away, carrying two packs of towels, a bedpan, a stack of papers and two bottles of medicine. Gojirama sat down between the two punks, looking opposite at their neighbours where a scowling frog was arguing with a serpent-headed chicken.

"Those two're married," said the beetle, "bonked each other so hard in an argument with cutlery flying all over."

"Wow," Kiryu chuckled, "thought that only happened in sitcoms."

"The lady's got a real mean arm, she could play for the Why-verns."

"Wih-verns, dude," Gen looked to him.

"What, no it's why-verns."

"Nah nah, we call it wih-verns, trust me I followed that team long enough."

"But I heard commentators call them why-verns."

"That's a European word isn't it?" Goji squinted.

"And they call it WIH-verns," Ganbe leaned forwards.

"No bro it's totally why-verns," Meiji shook his head, "I know it is, I read it in a manga."

"Bro shut up, you think everything's true in manga."

"Why don't you look it up?" Kiryu sneered. "Also is this what you brought me over to ask?"

"Ye-yeah just, in a minute, could you grab my phone?"

Taking the bird's phone, and surprised by the lurid shot of Meiji laying on his back for wallpaper, the saurian typed in the question and smirked at the answer.

"From the Anglo-French 'wivre', which originates from Latin 'vipera', pronounced...WHY-vern."

"WHAT?!"

"SEE, told ya!" Meiji pumped his fist. "Manga wins again!"

"Oh fuck off, that's shit and you know it!" Gen snatched his phone. "Fuck, whatever, language is fake anyway I'll call them wih-verns anyway I want."

"Hey, look up how the sun works!"

"I TOLD you how it does already, and you don't believe me!"

"I'm just saying nobody photographed the chariot!"

"Because it's not FUCKING REAL!"

"HEY!" the frog snapped from across the way. "Keep your damn voices down you little brats!"

"Oh you could hear THEM?" the snake-chicken clucked. "Must be a hearing problem you have called 'only-hears-males'."

"Eri, this is not the time-"

"WELL WHEN IS IT THE TIME?!" her neck shot up above him. "You had plenty time to listen when you broke my wing!"

"Was that before or after you blackened my eye you cold-blooded wench?"

"SPEAK for yourself you flat-eyed bastard, your father was right about you!"

"Well why don't you marry him then, since you always go on about him?!"

"MAYBE I WILL, AT LEAST HE'S A BETTER CUDDLER THAN YOU!"

"Oh wow this got weird!" Meiji turned his head. "Hey Gen, what say we close those curtains because the sun's in my eyes!"

"YES, good idea!" the bird nodded with manic grin. "Kiryu, could you help us please?!"

"Already on it."

The Toho lieutenant drew the curtains round both of them, shutting out the increasing argument as all three of them sighed with cringe.

"So I heard you died," asked Gen, "but now you're not?"

"I didn't," Kiryu shrugged, "don't believe everything you hear."

"Yeah, like calling it wih-vern," Meiji grinned.

"Alright listen you little shit," the bird pointed at him, "I don't care what you call it, I'm not changing how I say it."

"I know bro I'm just messing, I don't care how ya say it."

"Were you the ones who saved Obara and his mother?" Goji tapped his knee. "The doctor told me that three creatures came to rescue them."

"Yeah, that was us," Gen rubbed his bent metal scalp, "our other friend had to bail, but we went with the ambulance cuz we also needed it."

"How did you find out about my...patriarch being targeted?"

"We heard from Maung-san," said Meiji waving his hand, "he heard from Gihei he was gonna kill your boss, so we jumped in to help."

"Maung? The assassin?"

"Yeah, you know him?"

"I met him...once." Kiryu slit his eyes looking to Gen. "I heard you got involved in a rebellion, does that mean you both left the Jinuchu?"

"Yeaaah," the bird shrugged, "shit kinda got real and well, next thing you know I teamed up with this underground circuit and we were chasing out the Jinuchu. Not gonna lie, felt pretty great."

"I'm glad you're okay. I'm sorry I couldn't finish my mission before you killed your target."

"Oh, hey no don't worry!" Garonba patted Goji. "Gen-chan didn't kill anyone, it was all-"

"My boss." Gen interrupted. "He got sick of waiting so...he poisoned the guy."

"Huh...well," Kiryu crossed his arms, "I wish I could have been faster. My mission was a complete failure."

"I'm sorry about your boss, we...we couldn't save him in time."

"You did more than enough. You saved Obara-kun and his mother, which means the Toho are eternally grateful."

"Is he alright?" the bird fidgeted. "That Obara guy?"

"He's...recovering. It'll take a while, but he's still alive."

"Haaah...damn, glad we saved someone."

"So how's your clan doing?" Meiji poured some water for himself. "Cuz we're out on the lam so, if you need any extra hands we'll beat up the Jinuchu for ya."

"I appreciate that," Kiryu nodded to both, "right now we're just regrouping, we need to take stock after that assassin tried to kill the Fourth Chair."

"Did you kill him?" Gen pulled at his neck. "The assassin, I mean."

"No, he'll be handed over to the police. A wanted international criminal, he'll rot elsewhere."

"Well I'll tell you right now, Gihei's gonna be pissed. Both of their biggest assassins gone, he'll be on the warpath."

"You have any advice?" Goji raised his brow. "You seem to know him well."

"Gihei's not fancy," Ganbe tried to pour water from the empty jug, "he's just gonna come right at ya with all his soldiers."

"Should we tell him about the scary weapon?" Meiji asked. "The one you told me about?"

"OH, shit yeah you gotta hear this but, uh...I need to get some more water, my throat's fucking dry."

"I'll get some for you," the Toho member stood up, "I think I know what weapon you mean."

"A-actually uh," Meiji grabbed his arm, "can I like, bend your ear for a minute, Kiryu? Gen you can get the water."

"Oh, yes your majesty," the bird lurched himself out of bed, "you want some creme brulée with that too?"

"Nah they don't serve that here, just water's good."

The bug smiled through his cracked mandibles, melting Gen's heart who limped over to give him a kiss. Heading off to get his water refilled, he left the two be as the beetle pulled Kiryu closer.

"Gen told me something about you so, I gotta ask. Did you...stop him on the roof?"

"Yes," Goji sighed, "he's looking a lot better, I-"

Meiji suddenly hugged him. A soft weeping came through his shoulder with a slight damp.

"Thank you. Just...thank you for saving him."

"...it's fine." Kiryu gave him a gentle squeeze. "You two seem close."

"He's...he's like my soul mate, if that's a thing."

"I'm pretty sure it is." The reptile parted from him. "Is he doing better?"

"Yeah, a lot better," the beetle blushed, "sorry, I know we just met but...you have no idea how much Gen-chan means to me."

"I'm glad he's doing better. You don't owe me anything, you already saved Obara-kun and his mother."

"We still wanna fight. Gen wants to stop Gihei but, he's nowhere near good enough to fight him. But I heard you did, I heard you survived him."

"Yeah," Gojirama leaned back, "I'll stop them, all three of the Ighorashis."

"Yeah, and we wanna help. In fact, I got a cool move that'll help ya!"

"A...what?"

Meiji rolled out of bed with a heave and clutched his ribs.

"So, I talked with this fortuneteller, and they told me to go to the arcade and finish this game for them, and there was this guy going FULL SHIT on a crane machine and I learned this whole new tech from what he was doing!"

"Ohhh?" Kiryu smirked. "I know exactly what you mean."

"Yo, for real?!"

"Yeah, sometimes you see something happen and think 'what if I could use that in battle'?"

"RIGHT, exactly!" the beetle pumped his fists. "So this guy got KO'd pretty hard, and I learned this cool technique that saved my life cuz I taught it to Gen!"

"Alright," said Kiryu standing up, "show me this new technique."

"Hohohhh yeah!" Meiji rubbed his hands. "Alright, I'm not gonna hit you obviously cuz, nah, but I'll show you the trick, it's a counter basically."

"Sounds good, you got a name?"

"Oh you bet. I call it...the Tiger Drop, and it goes something like this."

When Gen returned to their beds with a full jug of water, he saw the curtains twitching rapidly as he pulled it back. In that very moment, Kiryu was making an exaggerated lunge and Meiji ducked to snap his fist into his gut.

"Wha-HEY!"

"W-WAIT, NO!"

Gojirama stumbled into the fist and immediately fell, pulling the curtain down with him. Knocked on his side with the wind pushed out his lungs, the saurian trapped both Jinuchu members under the tarp, arms and legs kicking everywhere out from underneath.

"RIGHT, THAT'S IT!"

The spider nurse came marching up with all six arms grabbing the curtain.

"Bedpans are one thing, but violence against other patients is NOT acceptable!"

"Ma'am, it's fine!" Kiryu cried.

"We were just playing!" Meiji shouted. "I was teaching him the Tiger Drop!"

"THIS IS A HOSPITAL, NOT A NURSERY!" she shrieked.

"ALRIGHT, I'LL STOP, JUST DON'T STEAL MY BONES, I KNOW ALL ABOUT THE SKELLITRES!"

"MEI-CHAN WOULD YOU SHUT UP?!" cried Gen. "YOU'RE NOT HELPING!"

Across the way, the frog and the serpent-chicken looked derisive at the scene, the nurse tearing off the curtain to grab both bird and beetle with two arms each and thrust them back in their beds.

"Wish you were like that in bed," said the wife crossing her wings.

"Wish you were in the morgue instead," said the frog turning away.

After extricating himself from Meiji's lesson, Gojirama returned to his room to rest once again, committing the bold technique to his memory. He couldn't visualise Gihei proper, knowing he would get too angry as he thought instead of the regular punk on the street, swinging out a wild haymaker before his fist came crunching in the thug's stomach.

Counting his blessings he waited until visiting hours were over, not wanting to see Obara's mother for fear of another retribution. His punishment already served in the form of guilt, he watched the night drag on as the purple clouds faded from his window. The television kept rattling on with a game show that he briefly volunteered with answers, before he went to see Gonkuro.

The halls were empty, dark and quiet as his footsteps echoed through the wards. The night shift went slower for the staff, checking on their sleeping patients from time to time. Obara's machine was still beeping, a soft gentle rhythm to his heart as Kiryu sat down beside him, the oxygen mask clouding with each little breath.

"Hey." The lieutenant sighed. "How are you doing? Your mom came to visit you."

Gonkuro's ears remained still.

"She really hates me huh? I don't blame her, considering we're yakuza. I had no idea your father was one of us, did you know about this? You would have told us if you did, you were only with us for a year but, surely we would know...I don't know why Varan-san hid it from you but...that's not my place to ask."

Kiryu took the youth's hand and squeezed it firm.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there...I'm...I'm sorry I...damn it." He pinched his snout with a deep sigh. "I've been back and forth, doing my best to keep everyone happy, and...not only did I fail Aosukawa...I failed you. And Varan-san. All this because I found someone's body in a sewer, all of this happened."

Gojirama's breath became funny, stuttering as he shook his head.

"I can't lose someone else this week. I've lost our patriarch, I've lost Danzaki...D-danzaki, my closest friend, my brother...and he says goodbye with a knife in my chest. Please don't leave us, Obara-kun. Please."

He clutched Obara tighter in a shivering gasp. His fingers were drenched in tears as Kiryu's voice shook in his grip.

"P-please don't...don't go in the water, Obara-kun. Don't leave...I...I know this is selfish to ask, I could just say, for your mother, for us, but no...I can't lose someone else today. I've seen that water, that dark shore to Yomi, I know it's so easy to...but you can't leave us."

He wept with trembling shoulders, his voice rising as he choked on his words.

"I can only take...s-so much before I...before...gods...you didn't deserve this. YOU, of all creatures, did not deserve any of this, you were going to fix this city, your app was...there were less fights on the street, there was...creatures were happier, properties were coming in, it...i-it...FUCK!"

He slammed his fist on the dresser beside them. Not even a grimace, nor a twitch of Obara's face as the monitor kept beeping. The sounds of Gojirama sobbing filled the room, his hands covering his face, his fingers shaking from a deep heave in his chest. He was only brought out from his misery by the beeping of his phone. When he saw the message, all his sorrow dripped away into hate.

Rodan - meet me on hospital roof. code 1956. we need to talk.

The hospital roof was a bitter cold, but the rage in his heart kept Kiryu warm as he stepped out of the maintenance lift, after sneaking past the clinical staff. Large aircon unites surrounded him, the storage area of the roof looming behind him with the helipad even higher, yawning above his head to meet the sky. Gojirama saw the great city before him, the only landmark he recognised being the Tokyo Tower, that shining edifice of red and white piercing the sky with its blinking lights.

Sirens called from below as ambulances circled the hospital, the roar of police cars sounding out across the cityscape. Golden strands stretched beneath like a crystal lattice, as Kiryu's gown fluttered in the breeze with the moon shining upon his head. Most of his bruises had healed, his scales gleamed like the rain-slickened streets.

"Hola."

He looked back towards the roof peak.

"Been a wild week huh? Shoulda known you weren't that easy to kill."

A shadow with crimson wings stared down upon Kiryu. With a forward-flip, Danzaki landed in front of him, his arms spread wide in his maroon suit and purple waistcoat. The wind picked up slightly, the large semi-circle balcony feeling colder by the second.

"Some creatures would think this is real mean, getting a hospital patient up on a roof to talk. But I know you. I know the last thing you want is to be stuck in bed, your fists burning up por a la verga."

The pterosaur walked closer with his talons scraping the floor.

"I know what you wanna ask. Why'd I betray you, after twenty-four years of being your hermano, why would I suddenly stab you in the back and work for Rai-sama? You wanna know?"

Roberto clasped his hands letting the wind shriek past his wings.

"Do you know how much it fucking pisses me off, being a patriarch above you, but STILL being weaker than you? Every day I do all the important stuff, I run a family, I work overseas, I help the Toho move in to America, and yet here you are, the pinche culero you are, still being a lieutenant, STILL going out there doing grunt work, when you could be so much more."

Kiryu's face did not move an inch, his eyes burning through Danzaki who walked to his side.

"It burns me so much, the only creature who could ever beat me still decides that no, he'd rather be some thug on the street, not running his own family, like a pendejo! I showed you the work I could do, fixing up Little Asia for you, when all you ever do is run around beating up chingas tu madre, instead of pushing yourself to be BETTER, BUT YOU WON'T! You're like one of those fucking cops who never go up the ladder cuz they 'hate desk work' and 'want to stay on the beat', it makes me SICK!"

The scarlet kaiju rubbed his beak with a nasty grin, a mirthless chuckle escaping him.

"You remember back in October, those two weeks I was busy with Little Asia? Rai-sama approached me, tells me 'you seem a cool guy, I want you on my team', and I didn't know he was Jinuchu at the time, but I still say 'no mames, I'm Toho through and through' so he offers me a fight. If he beats me, I work for him. I thought 'shit, this pinche nerd, alright' and he beat my fucking ass. Like he fucking beat you at Sha-Wujing."

Roberto's smile grew with a fingergun at his silent friend.

"I saw you two fight, Rai-sama proved that he was strongest. Now I was free...I don't have to follow you no more, cuz you're vales verga. Worthless to me. I always wanted to be bigger, stronger, more than you or anyone else, I MADE patriarch, I went to America, I put in our business in California and what the fuck have YOU ever done?! But after all that, I was still your sidekick, I still had to be your carnalito even though I'm older than you, even though I outrank you. Until this week."

The traitor spread his wings as they fluttered harshly.

"I'm done with you, Kiryu. I was sick of you, refusing to put your strength where it belonged and meanwhile I'm flying high. I can't say no to Rai-sama, cuz even though he's not Toho, he's stronger than me, and he's stronger than you. Well?"

Danzaki's smile faded waiting for Kiryu's response. A long silence drifted between them, almost agonising as the city itself held its breath.

"...do you know where I was, when you texted me?"

The Toho lieutenant took a step forwards.

"I was in Obara's room. Did you know he's in a coma? Do you know why he's in a coma? Because the Jinuchu, in order to kill my patriarch, kidnapped him, lured Varan-san, and made him watch our youngest member get hung from a noose. If it wasn't for a friend I made back in Yokohama, Obara would be dead too. I don't know if he's going to wake up. Is that what you call strength?"

Kiryu walked closer with clenching fist.

"Is that...what you think strength is, Danzaki? Murder, kidnapping, betraying your brothers who stood beside you, helped you climb higher to wherever you wanted?"

"If that's what it takes," Danzaki clenched his beak, "you wouldn't understand, you're too much a fresa."

"Then who are you?" Goji shook his head. "The last time I saw my brother, was before I left for Yokohama. I don't even know who you are, you're not Danzaki, you're some sick creature the Jinuchu got their claws into."

"We're not fucking saints. We're yakuza. Let's be real, it's impossible for a clan as big as Toho to stay clean-"

"But we TRY! THAT'S WHAT MATTERS! What matters is we do our best for the CREATURES, not ourselves! I didn't join the Toho to be successful, I joined them to be stronger, so I could protect this city!"

"Well good for fucking you," Roberto shrugged with forced sneer, "me vale madres...I've outgrown you, I'm a patriarch, the fuck can you do?"

"I can tell Shisahara about all this," Kiryu crossed his arms, "he'll believe me, I saved his life, AFTER an assassin from Jinuchu almost killed him, crippled Sano and murdered the staff at HQ!"

"Fine." Danzaki shrugged harder. "What're they gonna do, kill me, oh right, Toho DON'T kill! They'll just cut me loose, and I'll get a seat in Jinuchu instead, who already do a fucking lot more in showing their face than Toho did."

"This can't be you. This...I can't believe you would ever be this cruel."

"Eso que ni qué. You've known me long enough when I'm lying."

"Shoji-sama didn't believe it either. What about her?"

"She'll get over it," Roberto turned away, "she's strong, she's...seen friends come and ago."

"What about your son? Leonardo?"

The pteranodon stiffened through his back with a wing over his eyes.

"Shoji-sama told me," continued Kiryu, "she told me you didn't want her being targeted, so you stayed away, but you still pay her alimony in secret. You wanted to make sure they could have a good life without you, you don't have to, but you care."

"Even vashers have mothers," Roberto clenched his fists, "so what if I give money to some kid? I'm rich, and I'm gonna be richer, I'll buy him a fucking car, an apartment, whatever, that's what power is Kiryu. Not that you'd ever know."

"No. I don't think you do either. The reason you always lost against me, was because you never understood what true strength was. It's not having more money, or more muscles, it's about doing what you can, no matter what, to help the world around you. I thought you understood when we first joined Toho but...seems I was wrong."

"Yeah," Roberto sniffed harshly, "I guess you were."

He turned back to Kiryu with eyes stinging red, bloodshot and tense like the strings of a cello.

"Anything else, or should we get right down to it?"

"You mentioned Rai, but what about Doi?" said Gojirama with a sneer. "Someone sent me my phone, after I lost it in Yokohama."

"So? I didn't take your stupid phone."

"Someone used my phone to record Doi speaking with the assassin, the one sent to kill Shisahara...he also spoke about a red-headed traitor."

"Wait...como?"

"A red-headed bastard, whom Doi said he doesn't know why his brother tolerates him. That sort of creature always smiling, never showing what they think, who so easily can turn traitor and kill his brother if he wanted to. Those were his words."

"Que...q-que?" Roberto muttered shaking his head. "Pero eso no fue lo que me llamó...I-i mean, yeah, the fuck else you think I'm gonna get ahead?!"

"...alright." Kiryu rubbed his wrists. "When I beat you, I want to see Rai-sama. You will take me to him, and then I'm going to break every bone he has until he tells me what he did to make you like this."

"Heh. Sure. IF you beat me."

The pterosaur grabbed his shirt and swept off his suit in one sweep, dark crimson and purple threads flying across the city to leave him in his slacks. Standing bare-chested, Roberto spread his wings far and proud, the wind screeching past as he grinned with menacing air. His fiery red scales with orange front showed the years of cuts and bruises, leaving a tapestry of violence.

"I'm not the chavo who used to pick on you anymore. I've gotten a lot stronger, fiercer...deadlier."

"But you're still Danzaki." Kiryu said gripping his gown. "And I know how you fight."

He tore off his hospital robe, standing only in loose green pants. His chest rippled with black muscle, the wounds of the past week in their last stages of coagulation as dark spots and lacerations.

"You will take me to your new boss, and if you don't...you'll be walking for the rest of your life."

"Heh...deal." Roberto cricked his neck. "This is it then. Last time we'll ever fight, so you better not hold back."

"I never hold back...against my enemies." Kiryu cracked his knuckles.

"Heh...hhheheheheh..." Danzaki pinched his beak with a bitter sneer, "fine...fine then...I hope you can fly as good as me, when I throw you off this fucking roof, and then I'LL BE THE STRONGEST, ONCE AND FOR ALL!"

Charging with a flying kick, the battle began when Kiryu grabbed Danzaki's oncoming foot. The pterosaur backflipped off his arm and shot above to come crunching down with his knee, that Kiryu blocked with both arms before grappling one leg and hurling him across the roof. Spinning high with a flap of his wings, Danzaki righted himself to come lunging back with a flying roundhouse kick.

Gojirama ducked under the sweep, the pteranodon turning mid-flight to crack his knee in the back of Goji's head before stomping him flat with a cackle. Jumping off he let his former brother stand, thrusting a kick for the top of his head that knocked him on his back. When Roberto flew up to crush down both knees, Kiryu rolled and swiped with his tail to whack the back of the pterosaur's head, sending Danzaki down headfirst.

Grabbing his former friend's skull, he slammed his beak thrice into the floor until Roberto swung out his wings to strike him back with a blast of wind. When the saurian staggered, Danzaki blasted him with a fiery breath, stunning the lieutenant who covered his face before the pterosaur's spinning bird kick. With jumping strike, he hammered both legs to Kiryu's skull, one after the other, sending him rolling across the roof..

"WHAT'S WRONG MI GUEY!?" Roberto cackled. "TOO HOT FOR YA?! No wonder with your fucking gacho clothes!"

"Nnnngh," Kiryu shook his head and stood up, "always mouthing off about clothes, like the vain airheaded punk you still are."

"VETE A LA MIERDA! Cúando vas a dejar de actuar ESTÚPIDO?!"

"Never...pendejo." Goji stiffened up his back. "You don't think I've known you long enough when you talk shit to me?"

"And I known you long enough to know, that this is where you DIE!"

Lunging forwards with a scissorkick, Roberto shot his talons upwards for Kiryu's chin as the saurian blocked both, standing his ground despite being pushed ever closer towards the edge of the roof. Danzaki flew up higher to grab Kiryu's throat with his feet, almost trying to lift him up as the lieutenant staggered dangerously back. With his tail hanging off the edge, Goji lunged forth with a leaping headbutt straight to Roberto's crotch.

The kaiju squawked in pain before both his legs were grabbed, Kiryu swinging him down like a club before crawling on top to start beating his face. Bruises form on Danzaki's beak, blackening farther until he bit Kiryu's hand, and wrapped his legs hard around the throat with a suffocating choke. Rolling across the roof, the pterosaur came on top when he locked his legs round Goji's neck, strangling him harder with flexing calves.

But Gojirama grabbed both of his wings, pulling hard at the membrane to make the pterosaur shriek and wrenching him aside before straight-punching the neck to make Danzaki cough in shock. Kicking each other away, they both stood back up and straightened their spines for another clash.

With a sudden thrust Roberto kicked for Kiryu's head, jumping from one foot to the other with a snap-kick for the jaw, a side-kick for the head, and a full spinning strike that Goji blocked all but the first. When the spin-kick came for his head, he guarded with both arms and slammed his elbow through Roberto's jaw, but the pterosaur simply flinched and brought his other leg round Kiryu's neck to crush his throat once more.

Clenching his neck, the lieutenant felt the squeezing crush of Danzaki's thighs who flapped higher up to try and suffocate him. Pulling back with all his strength, Kiryu swung him round to smash the pterosaur into an aircon unit, forcing him to let go and fall to the ground. The red avian jumped onto the unit and shot forth with a vicious volley of flying kicks that forced Kiryu back across the roof.

Blocking the talons best he could, as they scarred his limbs with savage shreds, the lieutenant watched Danzaki's screaming face between savage claws like machine-gun bullets. His guard was soon broken, and four more kicks clawed at his face and ripped over his skull before Danzaki finished with a crushing axe kick. Kiryu barely dodged, swerving to the side as his former brother landed, before countering with a brutal hammerfist to the back of Roberto's skull.

Grabbing his arm whilst stunned, Kiryu pulled Danzaki close for a crushing knee to the stomach, hammerfisting the back of his bowed head once again to slam him down hard. So hard that he bounced off the floor, as Goji grabbed his body to swing him back towards the rooftop entrance, a heavy crash against the steel wall.

"You done...playing around?" Gojirama snarled with bruising eye.

"Heh...si," Roberto stood up with dented beak, "I'll almost miss you when you're gone...nobody else gave me this good a fight."

"Oh, your new friend Rai doesn't?"

"He's not as fun as you...so don't disappoint me AGAIN!"

Planting his feet on the wall, Danzaki came spinning like a drill with wings pulled back, diving across the roof to pierce through Kiryu's guard and crush his head in a torpedo headbutt. Forcing the saurian back, Roberto kept spinning to strike him seven times across the head in a rising cyclone-kick, landing downwards with a brutal knee to Kiryu's chest.

Gasping with a creak in his ribs, the lieutenant snarled with arms wide in a bear-hug to grab Danzaki's legs and toss him up high. The wind caught his wings as he corrected himself, flying low as Kiryu expected him to strike again. Instead with a cruel gleam, the pterosaur heaved a burning breath, and roared a blasting fire across the rooftop.

Goji jumped aside in time to avoid the molten stream, the pterosaur making a U-turn and dragging his wing through the burning char to set it alight like a flaming sword. With fiery blaze he came down upon his friend, who dived in a rolling start beneath Danzaki sweeping over his head. His tail whipped out behind to whack the avian's gut, a cough causing him to stutter in flight as he rose up high, and turned a 180 to slash down the kaiju's front.

Too slow to avoid the slashing punch, Kiryu took the full brunt of the burning wing against his chest, carving him deep with a black line that scraped over his ribs causing Goji to roar in anguish. With an aerial somersault, Danzaki kicked him in the face, Kiryu staggering hard with sudden wheeze as he clutched himself with a mighty heave, and tightened his legs waiting for the next attack.

Taking a sudden swing at the pterosaur, he whiffed when Danzaki flapped out of range and spinkicked his head, the lieutenant countering with a backhand that just got the avian's leg who tried to flap higher. When Roberto tried to kneedrop his head, Kiryu jumped back and gave a mighty football kick that crunched the avian's jaw, stunning him hard enough to get grabbed by Kiryu.

Landing two punches in the eye, he stomped on Roberto's foot and slammed his elbow through the beak. When the pterosaur tried to knee his gut, Kiryu blocked with his fist then drove his knuckles in Danzaki's gut, a vicious barrage of fists pummelling the pteranodon's waist before Roberto shoved his fingers into Kiryu's stab wound.

Gojirama howled with shock from the tearing claws, the raw healing flesh twisting in Danzaki's grip as he was forced to release. In his moment of weakness, Kiryu was barraged with rapid-fire kicks, the patriarch shooting forwards on one foot in a dozen blows to the body and head. Scars and bruises went from purple to black on Kiryu's body, talons carving his flesh before they hooked in his chest.

Gripping the flesh, Danzaki spun from one foot to the other, cracking Kiryu's jaw at the same time he ripped out a chunk of his pectoral scales. Roberto smiled like a hunter, his former friend clutching himself in a harsh wheezing gasp.

"I was fucking serious, Kiryu." The pterosaur rolled his shoulders. "I said IF you win, and mi guey, that's a big fucking if right now."

"You...you really are that consumed," Goji shuddered, "at least that makes me feel less guilty...for what I'm about to do to you."

"I'm done being in your shadow, fresa!" Roberto smouldered with flames from his beak. "I don't need you tying me down, NOT ANYMORE!"

With a heaving breath he blasted a torrent of flame that Kiryu circled past, running to outpace the fiery swarm before dodging close to shoulder-charge Danzaki. Grabbing the arm with a sudden punch, Goji slammed a vicious haymaker through the face, before grabbing Roberto's arm and shattering it over his knee in one violent crack.

The pterosaur screeched in agony, before Kiryu tripped both his feet and hurled him down beak-first, still holding the arm to crack it backwards even harder. Feeling his shoulder twist nearly out of joint, Roberto slammed his other wing with a shockburst to throw his body up high, and kick Kiryu back with one damaged limb dangling stiff at his side.

Lunging with a spinning kick, his leg was caught by Kiryu who punched straight in Roberto's crotch with a rising uppercut. The pteranodon shrieked trying to flap higher on one wing, but Gojirama kept hold of his leg and slammed him down back to earth, bouncing his body in line for a devastating punch directly to the chest.

Rolling across the roof, Roberto flapped back up and rushed him with a low sweeping kick, knocking him down on one knee before crushing Goji's face. Blood spurted from Kiryu's snout as he grabbed Roberto's waist, tackling in a hard slam to sit on top and pummel his face once again with thundering fists.

Danzaki countered with screaming fire, blasting Kiryu's face who jumped back with burning cheeks as Roberto jumped with another knee strike for the head. Gojirama blocked trying to grab, but the pterosaur flapped higher with his one good wing and swooped past out of reach, dragging his broken arm vertical to the ground to swing-kick Goji's back.

Stopping himself mid-stagger, Kiryu turned with his own ruthless kick, a roundhouse slam that crunched Danzaki's thigh as the traitor clutched himself in landing. Gathering his breath, he jumped suddenly to grab Kiryu's throat and bend him over hard to drive both knees into his skull, one after the other, over and over until red dripped down his pants.

"HOW YOU LIKE THAT, HUH, HUH, YOU FUCKIN' PUTA, ESTUPIDO CHINGA TU MADRE?!"

"N-NNNRGH, NNNNGH!"

"YOU THINK YOU'RE STRONGER THAN ME, HUH?! YOU FRESA PENDEJO, I'M A FUCKING PATRIARCH, WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU GOJI?! WORTHLESS, YOU'RE FUCKING WORTHLESS!"

Every crunch into his face made Kiryu burn harder with rage, his eyes twitching and his throat turning hot with incendiary fury. His body hurt, his chest dripped with blood thicker than his nostrils. He couldn't stop it, the heat inside was yearning to be free as smouldering blue trickled from his teeth, sparking across Danzaki's chest.

Waiting for the right moment, when Roberto pulled back for a powerful kick, Kiryu pulled his head back to make the pterosaur overshoot, the patriarch staggering when Kiryu drilled a ruthless punch into his gut. Danzaki retched with a slight drip of vomit, trickling off Kiryu's shoulder as he stumbled back in a shuddering wheeze. But the worst was yet to come.

"_HNNNNNRRRRRRAAAAAAA SKREEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOONK! _"

With violent beam of cyan light, Gojirama blasted his former friend with the full force of his tremendous power. His body shook as the pterosaur was crushed against the wall of the rooftop entrance, a shockwave of azure burning a small crater through the steel. The savage velocity of the nuclear blast caused the air itself to tremble.

In his blind fury, Kiryu had forgotten one thing of his oath-brother. Or perhaps he did not care, wishing only to demonstrate his fullest strength just as Roberto wanted, and deserved. Whatever the reason, Gojirama saw the pteranodon push himself free from the wall, and against all odds, start pushing the beam back when he walked against it.

Kiryu pushed harder, roaring louder as the rooftop shuddered with his almighty rage. Still Roberto walked forth, struggling against the nuclear force but nonetheless still resisting his hermano's might. A smile crept on his face, almost demented, joyful at his friend's trembling indignation. He walked ever closer for all the six seconds that beam ignited, his wings fluttering and his pace lethargic, until it stopped at last.

"Heh...nice trick, culero." Danzaki dusted the burns off his chest. "That didn't work on me before."

"You wanted me...to not hold back," snorted Kiryu.

"I'm one of the only creatures that can take your fucking nuclear fire, THAT'S how I know I can be stronger than you!"

"And yet you still lose, every time we fought. Where's your fire, flyboy?"

"Ohoh, you want mi fuego?" Roberto grinned darkly. "I'll show you mi fuego...pinche CABRON!"

The crackling particles of radiation left behind by Kiryu's beam, suddenly swarmed to Roberto's body. Bright brilliant motes of cyan were sucked inside the pteranodon's body, as he started to glow with a terrible flame. His flesh turned to volcanic red, his eyes brimming gold like the sun as he grabbed his twisted shoulder, and cracked it back into place.

Then he grabbed the elbow of his damaged wing and snapped it harder into its joint, managing to flap it without a raw pain through his limb. Something else surged through his body, a solar energy that gave him a terrifying aura, a hellish flame seething off his back to form the face of a demon.

"_I won't be beaten...not this time, not again, not EVER AGAIN! KIRYUUUUUUUUU! _"

His voice boomed throughout the cold winter night, a howling cry of ungodly rage as he spread his arms wide with head to the sky, and clapped his wings together to form a violent shockwave. Kiryu dodged the vertical shriek as it tore up the roof vents, clawing the floor and pulling grates as he watched Roberto smile with purple flames from his beak.

" RAYO CENTELLAAAAAAA!"

With a howling shriek he blasted a violet beam, a scorching uranium burst that punched through Kiryu's shoulder and sent him flying across the roof. Rolling hard with blackened skin, some of his scales started to peel off from the molten heat as he stumbled onto his feet, only to meet Roberto head-on with a sonic burst from the traitor's body.

Soaring across the roof like a jet, Danzaki cracked Kiryu's jaw with a burning kick, almost breaking it out of joint before grabbing the reptile's head mid-flight. Dragging him hard against the blacktop, he crunched the saurian's face into an aircon unit that bent so hard, the steel covering snapped in half. Pulling Kiryu back, Roberto kicked the lieutenant's face to knock him down once more, then dragged him on his feet again for a brutal punch.

Gojirama blocked him, his hand gripping the fist and slowly wrenching it away from his face with a deep bloodied snarl. Roberto pulled back and scissorkicked his jaw, denting it harder as the lieutenant clenched his teeth through the growing pain and grabbed Danzaki's beak, slamming it sideways into the aircon unit. The pterosaur rolled to avoid the stomp that came next, sweeping his leg to knock Goji down before throwing him against the steel ventilator.

Gripping the back of Kiryu's head, he slammed it on the protective grille where a steel-bladed fan rumbled beneath, cracking it halfway through with two slams before Goji elbowed Danzaki's eye, and spun with a savage haymaker. Stumbling back, Roberto screamed with his own brutal punch that Kiryu headbutted hard. His skull became an iron wall, crushing Danzaki's fist as he clutched his hand with a wincing pain, leaving him wide open for a ruthless dropkick.

With both feet in a flying leap, Kiryu smashed Roberto's face who fell backwards hard, the winged kaiju forcing himself back up with seething indigo rage flickering from his beak. With a fast turn he cut a wide swathe of burning uranium across the roof, Kiryu dodging under the blast that scalped his head and peeled more scales from the peak of his skull.

With a charging slam he clotheslined Roberto, driving his fist through the patriarch's neck before grabbing one of the legs and swinging him over his shoulder in a brutal crunch. A second crunch came when he stomped on the leg, almost twisting it out of joint as Danzaki screamed and bashed him back with a slap of his wing.

Thrown against the wall of the rooftop entrance, Kiryu waited for the pterosaur to charge with a spinning drill of his head, his body rippling the air like a sniper's bullet. Just before they would clash, Gojirama jumped away from the wall, and came down from above with a heavenly roundhouse kick, straight into the back of Danzaki's skull to crush him between floor and wall.

"_You...will pay for what you did to me, DANZAKIIIII! _"

Grabbing the back of Roberto's head, Kiryu spun him towards the wall to smash his legs against the steel, then forced the pteranodon on his knees for a trembling fist in his eye. Danzaki blocked with a hard sweep of the wing, clapping his arms sharp to throw Goji back in a shockwave burst. Lunging for his throat, the traitor kneed his stomach twice before hurling Kiryu back across the roof.

"You want me to pay?" snarled Roberto. "You better hope, you still burn brighter than me...hermano."

With a vile grin he dripped flames of violet, crackling with violence as Gojirama stood back up and faced him down with his own burning heat. Both kaiju took a deep breath, and roared with deafening scream as their nuclear beams clashed in the cold November night.

Danzaki's sharp indigo light smouldered with fury, pushing back against Kiryu's bright azure as their heads shuddered with awesome power. The patriarch screamed higher, his throat almost expanding to blast even stronger as Kiryu felt his energy start to wither. Closer and closer the purple came, swallowing his beam, devouring that blue hope.

But harder he pushed, his body trembling with incandescent rage, his heart a molten furnace, his eyes sparking with righteous anger as he roared even louder. Then something happened. A shot of crimson came flickering through his beam of blue, a transformation that neither had seen until now. It started to push Danzaki back, his purple beam devoured in turn by a growing, surging scarlet, that swarmed over the sapphire light and came hurtling towards Roberto.

One final scream shot him back, as Kiryu's beam turned the bloodiest red, blasting Danzaki through the wall ike a shotgun to his soul. The rooftop entrance collapsed behind him, a crater forming through onto the stairwell. Roberto stumbled forth, his back peeling off the metal as he clutched his chest, now black and riddled with bruises. He took one last swing, but he had already lost, his arm wrapped round Kiryu's neck, in a desperate embrace.

"D-...dammit. Why...why can't I...h-hermano...perdóname..."

Roberto collapsed in front of his former friend. Gojirama shuddered with halting breath, scarlet tears rippling past his teeth as he knelt down beside him. The saurian's scars pulled his scales apart, showing the twitching flesh beneath his burns and bruises.

"I-i...I got no one left," whispered Danzaki, "I got...no one...what do I do?"

"I don't care." Kiryu sighed. "There's lots of creatures out there that don't keep trying to fight all the time...and they're happy."

"They got families," Roberto coughed, "I don't...not anymore."

"You did. You had me." He grabbed the traitor's neck. "Where is Rai Tanaka?"

"He...I-i'll call him."

Pulling out his phone, Roberto handed it over to Kiryu and laid back with a deep sigh.

"Danzaki?" said the voice on the phone.

"Try again," said Kiryu, "ready for round two you son of a bitch?"

"Ahh, Kiryu. So you survived the test, excellent news."

"Where are you? We need to talk, before I break all of your teeth."

"I am currently in the hospital, I shall text you the room number. I will be glad to converse with you properly."

The call ended as Goji looked to his friend.

"What was this test he was talking about?"

"Ask him," Roberto shrugged, "you go on ahead...I'll catch up with you later."

"Are you done fighting?"

"Si...I'm sorry Goji. I'm sorry for what I did."

"You will be." Kiryu snarled leaning over him. "If you want my friendship back...you'll have to earn it all over again."

Roberto's phone pinged with a text. Kiryu's eyes widened with shock as he ran back downstairs through the hole in the door. Danzaki shuddered with relief as he stared up at the sky.

"Finally. This shit better work, Rai...I lost a brother over this."

Charging down the stairs with a limping body, sores burning inside and all of his muscles aching, he swerved through the night staff that he startled with his new wounds as he raced to Obara's room. Pulling open the door, he saw what he feared most in that moment.

"Congratulations...Kiryu-san."

Sitting beside Gonkuro's body, was Rai Tanaka with his cold humourless expression. The golden dragon in his green suit, his eyes shining red with white sclera, looked almost like a statue as his horns crested in frozen waves.

"Get away from Obara," snarled Kiryu.

"I have no intention of harming him," said Tanaka, "and in your current condition, you are in no capacity to remove me."

"I will bring the entire Toho Clan down here to rip you to pieces, if you harm a SINGLE scale on my friend-"

"Kiryu. I am not here to fight. My brothers do not know where I am, and I have come with a proposition-"

"Shut up." Goji closed the door behind him. "You took away my brother, my closest friend, you made him somehow betray me and I want answers NOW!"

"Very well." The dragon clasped his hands. "To answer your first question, Danzaki kept surveillance on you, then wounded you after your fight with Gihei, on my orders. But it was not to kill you, rather it was to simulate your death."

"Simulate?"

"I had Danzaki contact Ukyo Kuribayante, through his liaison with Shoji-sama so as to find and recuperate you. My brothers had to believe you were dead in order to let down their guard, and just as I predicted, your prevention of Shisahara's assassination has thrown their plans into disarray."

"You...what?" Kiryu shook his head. "You had Danzaki pretend to kill me, to trick your brothers?"

"Yes," Rai nodded, "so I could ascertain your abilities for my own proposition."

"And what proposition is that?"

"I want you to destroy my brothers' plan."

"You want me...to stop your brothers?"

"Correct," said Tanaka, "you are aware of their plan involving Atragon, the cold fission weapon developed in the Kankoran War?"

"I am, but I don't know what they plan to do with it.."

"I can tell you now. Doi and Gihei plan to initiate a second Kankoran War. They now have the code to open its vault, and will detonate Atragon in the city of Pyongyang."

"...what?"

Gojirama looked at him stunned, walking over to Obara's side and sitting down beside the bed. A long twenty seconds passed as he struggled to parse these words.

"That...that would...that would kill millions," gasped the kaiju. "Why the hell would they do that?"

"To destabilise our government," the dragon pulled out a flask, "do you mind if I drink? I need to recharge."

"Wait, hold on, they're going to destroy the capital of Kankoran, so the Japanese government gets blamed?"

"Exactly," Rai took a sip, "Atragon is beneath the R.O.S.E. facility, which is now privatised by the government through Resco, a company Doi runs on their behalf. When it detonates in Pyongyang, a public outcry across the world will condemn Japan, our government will be forced to acknowledge its existence, and are then shamed into resigning. What do you think will happen next?"

"Besides a war being started?!" Kiryu grabbed his neck. "We'd...we'd have to elect a new government, even if Korea start attacking."

"And that government will be handpicked by Doi," the dragon snapped his fingers, "he has many companies, several of which are now closely tied to the government. Doi with his finance and influence, shall engineer the election to have a government that will obey him, and reforge Japan towards an economic future in his own image."

"That...that's insane. He's going to kill millions of Koreans just so he can rig a damn election?"

"Essentially," Rai offered his flask, "would you like a drink? It's shochu."

"No, I-...just...gods. God, damn it."

The Toho lieutenant took a glass of water from Obara's bedside table, trying to process this revelation along with his own sordid wounds stinging deep in his body. Tanaka said nothing, waiting for Kiryu to ask his questions.

"Why are your brothers doing all this?"

"To remove restrictions upon their business," said Rai, "with his new government, taxation laws and civil rights shall be weakened, and Doi's reach shall span across every part of Japanese society. Foreign trade and immigration, for example, have been outsourced to his company Resco."

"So it's a plot to control Japan," Goji sighed rubbing his knees, "I knew it was going to be bad but...not this."

"Which is why I offer this proposition," said Tanaka drinking his flask, "you have passed my test, so now I know you are capable of defeating them."

"You mentioned that before, what was this test? How long have you been watching me?"

"Since Gihei first spoke of you. Someone who could upset my brother to such a visceral level had me curious. I approached your friend Danzaki, and explained that I needed you for a future plan to stop my brothers. He refused, so I challenged him to a battle, and after defeating him, he complied. But in order to test your efficacy, I needed to see you at your fullest strength, to invest you in a battle so arduous to your mental state, that you would demonstrate the peak of your power."

"You mean, you had Danzaki betray me, so I would get so angry enough to not hold back?"

"PRETEND to betray you," Rai nodded, "Danzaki never provided any of the Toho's secrets to the Jinuchu. My brothers are not even aware of his presence."

"It felt real enough to me." Goji snarled walking round to him. "Call it all you want, you still had my closest friend stab me and throw me in a river."

"After which Kuribayante saved you, by the note he left for them."

"Catch a bigger fish, behind commercial district...far southern river."

The door opened as they saw Roberto. His body was still wracked with scars, as he heard nurses already making calls of distress.

"It's all true," he closed the door. "I know you won't believe me, but everything he said is true. I didn't mean the stuff I said up top, I just...I had to, cuz Rai-sama here says you're the only one who can get far enough to kick their asses, and for what it's worth I believe him. I know my words mean nothing, but Rai wants to stop this shit happening!"

"You survived against Gihei and I," said the dragon, "you've shown your full strength against Danzaki. The experiment was a success, and now we can move on to phase three."

Goji suddenly grabbed Rai by the suit and lifted him out his chair. Tanaka did not resist, letting his arms hang as Roberto flinched with a start.

"I am not your experiment, you gold-lacquered freak," Kiryu rasped, "I don't care who you are, you've had me beaten, stabbed and drowned, I don't trust you as far as I can throw you. What makes you think I would go along with this plan?!"

"Because it offers the greatest chance of success," said Rai stone-faced, "any other plan you attempt will fail by the Jinuchu's defences. I know my brothers' weaknesses, and I shall educate you on them, so whilst their forces are divided you can rise to the top of their tower and defeat them."

"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN WHAT YOU THINK! What if I just say no, what if I throw you out the window now and break your legs?!"

"Then the plan fails and my brothers succeed. You are an investment, Kiryu, and no matter how well you plan, an investment can always fail from some unseen factor. Regardless of the fact it was I who took your phones at Sha-Wujing, that it was I who covertly recorded my brother Doi conspiring to kill your leader, you have no obligation to me."

"That was you?!" Kiryu shook Rai.

"I have your other phone here." The drake pulled out an old familiar Nokaiju. "I will not beg, nor apologise, for I know you will not accept my words as sincere, and I will not insult you with such. I only ask...will you help me destroy my brothers?"

"...what about you?" Goji took back his phone. "What's stopping me from beating you next?"

"That is your choice," said Tanaka with a nod, "I plan to continue running my company within the boundaries of Japanese law. If you so choose to fight me after defeating my brothers, I will be forced to attack you in self-defence. I will not kill you, unless you plan to kill me. And I know that you never kill, Kiryu-san."

The Toho lieutenant snarled with trembling fists, shoving the dragon down on his seat and stepping back to lean against the wall. Roberto said nothing, keeping at the door with shivering breaths until his former friend spoke again.

"You still haven't told me why YOU are doing this. What do you stand to gain from stopping your brothers?"

"Because I have learned a better solution," said Tanaka drinking his flask, "I could not refuse at first, despite my cautions that it would plunge Japan into war with potential ramifications on our economy. But Doi is so convinced by his own personal greed, that his solution would benefit Japan overall."

"Except it wouldn't," Danzaki shook his head, "what you told me would just make all of Doi's companies richer, and everyone else get fucked under his rules."

"What about the millions of Koreans about to get murdered?!" Kiryu clenched his fists. "You didn't think about them at all?!"

"Three-million, four-hundred-thousand, eight-hundred-and-nine creatures live in Pyongyang." The dragon tapped his head. "I am aware of the casualties, as is Doi, as I have stressed many times it would be financially difficult for Japan to remain a business entity, after committing an act of genocide."

"But why Korea, just because we fought them before?"

"To incite political fervour, but also Doi has companies invested there in real estate. Gihei provides materials with his shipping ordnance, to build properties in Kankoran, such as the Pyongyang hospital that suffered a gas leak."

"I remember that," Roberto crossed his wings, "some company called Plectrum took over?"

"One of Doi's," said Rai nodding, "the gas leak was caused by an assassin, to pave the way for Plectrum to obtain property deeds. The same assassin who killed Obakimura, and almost killed Obara."

"But that leak was...in the maternity...dios, are you fucking serious?"

"I never joke, Danzaki. Once, I did, but not anymore."

"So why do all this now?" Kiryu shrugged. "What made you want to rebel?"

"Because of your friend." Rai gestured to Gonkuro's body. "Do you recall Obara mentioning a friend named Kevin?"

"I...sort of?" Goji sneered rubbing his arm. "Something about server space for his Paw Patrol app."

"Then allow me to reintroduce myself. I am 0roKEY, the friend of Obara."

"Wh-what?!"

"C-como?!" the avian gasped. "Wait, hold up, you were already talking to Toho before me!?"

"Unintentionally." Rai stood up. "I am the Director of Eight-Point Industries, and one of my duties is investing in new technologies. Back in October, I followed the progress of an app known as Paw Patrol, and I was fascinated by its data on criminal occurrences."

"You were spying on us?" Kiryu sneered.

"I was not aware of Obara's status in your clan until recently. My interest was purely academic, but his app began to demonstrate something extraordinary. Something that convinced me to rebel against my brothers."

"What, exactly?"

"A better future." The dragon patted Obara's hand. "A future based on community, kindness, the preservation of others with the data to back it up. Since the conception of Obara's app, seven crimes have been halted on average per week. Criminal acts have gone down by forty-eight percent, yet the response time has gone up seventy-two percent."

"So, wait," Danzaki rubbed his burning head, "this app was actually helping creatures look out for each other?"

"You yourself have seen this transformation. Zennyo Avenue was once the most dangerous part of Kaijurocho, but now criminal activities are so infrequent that properties are already expanding. The citizens feel safe because they formed a community, through altruism and vigilance, raising awareness of each other."

"And that's it?" Gojirama scoffed. "You decide not to be part of a war crime because Obara-kun's data made you see the world could be better?"

"Yes." Tanaka looked at the patient's face. "Obara's data has shown me that a model is capable, and whilst I could not formally agree to my brothers' plan, I had nothing to prove there was a better way to myself. Until I spoke with him."

"Shit," Roberto sighed, "can't believe the junior was the guy who might've turned things round."

"I have told you all I can, now I must ask again." The dragon turned back to Kiryu offering his hand. "Will you assist me in my plan, to stop my brothers?"

"...hmph." Goji grabbed the dragon's wrist. "Just so three million Koreans don't get obliterated, fine. I'll do this. But if you mess with my friends again, I will personally destroy everything you have, and leave you broken out on the street."

"Understood." Rai shook his hand. "Thank you for hearing me out, Kiryu-san."

"Remember, I'm not your soldier, and neither is Danzaki anymore. We're not working FOR you, we just have common goals."

"Agreed. Danzaki is no longer in my service, as you request."

Gojirama took his leave, but not before his former brother gave a shamefaced look.

"Hey...I know it was fucked up, but-"

"I'm telling Shisa-sama all this," said Kiryu, "I'll let him decide what to do with you."

"Goji...I'm sorry, is there anything I can-"

"No. Not yet."

He walked back to his room, limping with strange looks from the hospital staff as Roberto was approached to be given a bed for his own wounds. Tanaka looked over to Obara's sleeping form, the mask clouding with his breaths.

"I promised you. To build a better world with your data, I shall see it done...my friend."

He left the hospital through a back entrance, paying the janitors a hefty sum for their cooperation, as he departing into the night.

On that same night, high above the world in the Millennium Tower, Doi Ighorashi stood watching across his model city. With the true city laying beyond, almost parallel to its simulacrum on the tower's veranda, the dragon sneered at the horizon with dark flickering eyes.

The dining hall was wreathed in shadows, the dragon's silhouette looming across the long table with two sharp horns reaching a suit of armour at the other end. Lightning flashed across their portraits, their mouths twitching with venom.

"Sir."

The soft voice of a kappa came to his ear.

"Sir, I...I have news concerning-"

"Say it."

The water-imp trembled as he shuffled across the room, the window shivering from the storm impending.

"The one known as...Destroyer. He is dead. They found his body impaled on construction equipment. X-san is in Kouho Hospital, crippled but alive, the police are currently detaining him. Interpol will have him put into custody."

"And Shisahara?" he asked without turning.

"He...he is...alive."

Doi grabbed the sides of the window, his claws creaking with a slow bend of the wood until cracks formed in the wall. His arms flexed beneath his purple suit, his neck turning stiff as the kappa felt a dreadsome energy fill the room.

Objects started to float from the table, forks and knives hovering with plates and candles that pulled towards Doi. Chairs followed after, scraping off the floor, the curtains rising and the window bending towards him. A sound filled the assistant's ears, the water in his scalp slowly scooping towards his master.

The dragon marched towards the kappa with eyes of piercing red, the water-imp cowering behind his clipboard. His tied-back hair quivered as Doi loomed over him, objects dragging behind by some unseen force with sparks crackling through the dragon's body.

"I want to know... who...was responsible for this."

"Y-yes, sir."

"I want their names, where they live, who their families are, and I want all of them brought before me."

"A-absolutely...should I...contact Rai-sama an-"

"_ RRRRAAAAAAAAAARGH! _"

He punched the kappa once and sent him flying across the golden hall, slamming him into a pillar that broke his neck. Water spilled from his head as he laid on the ground, the dining hall full of levitating objects that slammed against walls in an avalanche of chaos.

Knives buried deep, forks pierced their paintings, plates smashed a dozen as his roars filled the sanctum, causing the pillars themselves to creak. Coming out of his room, Gihei marched to the dining room, clutching his chest still seething with pain.

"The fuck, what's going on?!"

"Both." His voice cracked with such force it caused Gihei to step back. "Both X...and your red-headed friend, have failed."

"Wait...Dezzy is-"

"Dead."

"...are you fucking kidding me? Who, h-how?!"

"_Those miserable TOHO BASTARDS! _"

The doors snapped off to shatter against the pillars as Gihei ducked, dodging the bolt of lightning that ripped past his head and electrocuted the kappa still on the floor. His body shook with violent spasm, the water in his head bubbling to a froth as his eyes rolled up, and his heart would collapse to leave him a twitching corpse.

"I want them dead," snarled Doi, "every SINGLE one of them, I want their ashes DRIPPING through my fingers!"

"Who the fuck..." Gihei shook his head standing up, "who...who FUCKING KILLED DESMOND?!"

"_IF I KNEW THAT, I WOULD HAVE THEM HERE ALREADY! _"

The long table suddenly shifted with a sweep of Doi's claws, slamming Gihei hard in the stomach as he crumpled with shuddering groan.

"What the FUCK!? Doi, the FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM?!"

"_I WILL NOT HAVE OUR PLAN DERAILED BY THOSE FILTHY SHITBAGS! _"

Doi marched over and grabbed Gihei by the scruff of his neck, pulling him up hard to stare deep into his equally-furious eyes.

"Tell your associates...the launch will be early, November twenty-first."

"Wha, what?! Fuck we can't just pop off early, you said-"

" I DON'T GIVE A DAMN!" his shriek popped Gihei's eardrums. "_We are burning Pyongyang to the ground, the government WILL resign and our lackeys shall take their place. Tell, your associates, now. _"

"F-fine...fuck's sake." Gihei pushed him back and shivered through his neck. "Hate when you get like this, you're all weird and twitchy."

Walking back to his room, he stepped through the puddle of water from the dead kappa and left Doi be. The dragon in purple stepped back to the window as cutlery kept levitating, his eyes burning through the glass with such force that two of the panes would crack.

He walked to the other end of the hall, the chairs pulling behind him and the table moving back to its original position. He rubbed his metallic hand, tightening the wrist with a snarl that shook the walls as the portraits pulled with him, turning crooked with each step.

Doi gazed upon the suit of armour, a giant steel physique that was taller and wider than him with three holes at the top, long muscular arms, and enormous clawed feet.

"Whoever you are...I will erase you from my glorious future. As king of this nation...I shall decree it."