Flesh is Weak

Blood and Iron is our creed. 

The second the two of us entered the main room of the station, I was attacked. Kuroka had been there because she was practicing magic and so she was surprised to see us. She looked worried about something but that soon disappeared as she charged me. I was knocked down with an ooof, before I heard purring. I patted Kuroka while hurting from the pressure on my nerves. The purrs helped immensely, however, and I could get used to this. Issari mocked gags, and I glared at her.

"Shut up, you won today too, you big idiot."

Issari stopped gagging and then purred herself in memory. The gauntlet appeared as Ddraig apologized there.

"They are always like that with me. I think the gear is not complete because I bleed more into my hosts. Alby went first and her hosts are less this."

That explains stuff, but I ask him while Kuroka keeps purring on me.

"They all want multiple partners?"

Ddraig flashed twice before saying.

"Yeah, they do. It's different each time, but it's usually just two. The most ever wanted was twelve but that host was extremely dragon-like and he failed after five."

There is another thing bothering me.

"Your last time was with the church?"

Ddraig flashed again.

"Yes, we were the Crimson Dragon of Righteousness. I never hated Big G because he was alright despite his hate of dragons. I didn't mind being there, nor did my former host. He was a choirboy who at the end was with two nuns. They were nice too, and the three did lots of charity work. Alby was in a very bad human who was a contract magician from the Golden Dawn. They attacked us when we were doing charity work in southern Italy, and the fight was covered up as an earthquake. The nuns were killed by debris in the first attack phase. It was the contractor of Alby that killed us. There is something I'm forgetting, but I can't remember what it was."

I mean, that's not a bad name it's up there with Red Dragon Emperor of Blazing Truth. Issari grew sad hearing that, as did Kuroka. Ddraig kept thinking, and I prepared to ask him something, but Kuroka spoke up as she kept purring while at it.

"Kala got back to me today nya. She and the others want to join the group as do two of her friends who also deserted Grigori."

Shit we don't have anywhere to put them, and with Kalawarna being a stray along with her two unknown friends.

"They ended up further fortifying the apartment building nya. Conner hadn't reported their new base to Grigori yet, and they still believe he is near Tokyo. They want to meet again and discuss things nya. The two unknowns are both fallen and extremely scared because they are from his cadre."

Oh, that's extremely not good but who are they? The Machine God says he will do what he can for them but don't expect a miracle given the Shinto have attacked three illegal groups of fallen this month. It will take time for the Youkai and Clans to target only Kokabiel. I sighed opening the pocket spell holding the list and chose the targets. I'm going after higher pieces. I'm still going after the rook and bishop and also choosing a knight and three pawns. Before finally, a surprise one in two rooks and a queen.

That should make my name grow and each bounty in the groups is extremely high. I tell Kuroka while looking through the rest of the list.

"I'll meet with them next week. I will try hunting all weekend because I need to buy out the redhead. Your sister keeps racking up reasons for me to hate her."

I won't mention why Shirone is that way yet. Alex wants to personally kill the size scouter and wants Kuroka to be happy not knowing this yet too. Kuroka just sighed.

"Shirone will be struggled snuggled to bits when I'm free, nya. She will be a good kitten again."

Issari was about to say something, but Ddraig stopped that with a saying of remembrance.

"Oh fuck that's what I was forgetting he had a kid. A boy that was born just a few months before that."

Ok, but that's not something you forget about. I know Ddraig lost memories in Cannon, but he seems mostly here. I ask while still thinking of how to hunt the strays.

"What was his last name, and when was the fight?"

Ddraig immediately answered the second question.

"It was in 1980 and I think the last name started with an A. I know that Marcucio was always tamer around his primary nun."

Oh, fucking shit!

"Was the last name Argento?"

Ddraig thought for a second while Kuroka looked confused, as did Issari. Before, the pervert grew worried as Ddraig answered finally.

"Yeah, it was Argento…. Oh shit! The nun is his! Oh, fuck me on a kraken that's her!"

That's definitely Asia and her grandfather was the Red Dragon Emperor. What happened to her dad and mom? She's an orphan, and now we have to find her. I'll get with Maéva and see what I can do there while Kuroka is weirded out.

"What's so special about this Argento nya?"

I will catch her up.

"Kuroka, in the base universe, there is a nun named Asia Argento. She has twilight healing and gets fucked with by my bastard uncle in House Astaroth. His fetish there is getting nuns, and holy maidens excommunicated before he reincarnates them to mind control and torture for fun. That all happened with the male version of Issari being called Issei and him being in a lighthearted world. Here we are in what I call a grimdark one."

Kuroka froze as Issari growled, her dragon growl joined by Ddraig.

"Fuck him! Ariel was awesome, and she never hurt a fly! I'll help you kill him!"

I want to throw him out of the pillar then kill him. That might help my reputation being that ruthless. But if I kill him, then his possible pieces will mutate. I glare at Ddraig.

"Fuck you, Gecko. Now I have more work to do, and now I have to add that to the list of shit I have to fix because of you."

Kuroka grew increasingly worried and Issari kept growling at that.

"I will protect the snowflake! I like sexy nurses!"

I sweat drop there as does Ddraig's gem before Kuroka grew sad.

"Was my base self in an okay spot, nya?"

I answered her while glaring at a still-growling Issari.

"You joined the Brigade with the White Dragon Emperor. You guys were initially hostile but eventually became friends with the regular group. You had to deal with Fenrir being a dog, but your best friend was a descendant of Sun Wu Kong. You still killed your king there, but your dad was a horrible person. He didn't care about either of you. You got to speak with him once thereafter, and he was only curious about if his research helped your king make you into a super devil."

Kuroka looked so hurt there before it became relief.

"That's why you helped me, nya. You knew why I killed him before I explained."

I hugged her and let her tails wrap around my waist. She had tears in her eyes because I felt them hit my shirt.

"That and because you are a good sister. I would have done the same for my brother. I wasn't a bro con, but I loved him deeply. I believed in you despite the fact I didn't know much about this world. You're a good person, Kuroka. I want you to have the freedom because the underworld is bullshit and has destroyed your sister and my redhead. It is so much worse than there. I plan a revolution here as they abuse you all so much."

Kuroka shakes, and her tails grow tighter around me. Issari stopped growling and then came and hugged Kuroka, too. Once she was done crying, Kuroka looked up at me before she kissed my cheek.

"You're a wonderful man, nya. Let me guess who I ended up with there the male Issari."

I nodded my head, and Issari just backed away slowly.

"You did. You ended up in a peerage again, and it was actually with one of his pieces when they got it. I want you free from that because I can't stand thinking of how you would be mine that way here. I truly mean revolution here. I will find a way to break your piece."

Kuroka surprised me, and she kissed me fully. I froze before accepting it with only the smallest bit of reluctance. She came up from that and sadly told me.

"I don't have enough time for that, nya. I spotted my first mutation today. It was a simple pre-lump, and I burned it away but that's the first sign nya."

I grew horrified as does Issari. Kuroka let a tear down her face.

"We strays use a drug developed by one of our own that works for a while prolonging the time before mutation sets in. However, it eventually fails, nya. That's when we start getting the mutations, which come extremely fast, and we start going mad. Gregor, please take me as your queen, nya. Please, I ask this of you because I would be safe with you. My wonderful mate, nya."

I grew extremely worried as I would lose this amazing person. I grew determined more than ever for her and Rias. I grew ultra pissed. I answered her while suppressing the rage swelling in me.

"I will after you are cured push myself to the limit to find a way to free you. Did you still leave your king's data with your sister on her hair clip?"

Kuroka nodded while beaming at me as I grew ready to bully Shirone. Issari says while she looks at us with pity and more determination too.

"I concede here Gregor-kun she needs this more. I got pretty cousin you have Bad Cat. I'm helping out my cool brother and my cool cat friend."

That's not the point, pervert, but I'll take the support.

"I'll get that data, and with it, I'll get the set. I'll do anything to help you, even if it means doing something bad. I'm going hunting. I'm so angry and don't want to explode on you."

I got up and summoned the anvil making a new carapace helm and rebreather. I feel the Machine God prepare to make a war mask.

"No. I need the high right now. I wasn't always going to use the mask but will rotate it."

I have two plans for Kuroka. Both are not good but I need this set and her free from stray hunters. I'm ready to sacrifice anything for the woman I think I can love. The first plan is better with more stakes in my company to Sirzches and more concessions to him. The second plan is horrible because I'll have to go to the fuckers and promise them something. Issari looked hesitant there but gets her gear. I don my helm and get ready to kill the fucks who are now mob enemies.

We exited the portal at an abandoned hotel that the first group of strays was hiding in. It was the knight and pawns. This was mainly for Issari to get more practice on because the pawns were two each. The knight, however, was a mutation piece. A skull was made and deployed zooming up to show the strays were on the upper floors of the building. We entered the building through the back door, and I ready my bolt pistols. I had modified one to go into a three-round burst and I was going to use a proper bolter later. I'm done holding back and I have always learned best under pressure. I see the intestines fly again and was ready to be sick when I thought of Kuroka looking like Viser. That image made me swallow the bile and steel myself.

We entered a kitchen with the lights off and the room itself was empty of everything. we advanced slowly into the next room which was also empty. I went first with my helm continuing to search for the strays yet all I was thinking about was Rias and Kuroka. Issari just followed behind me, and silently. As we prepared to enter the lobby, I stopped Issari, catching something. A crude noise alarm in a string of cans held across a doorway. I saw that the main lobby doors had been barricaded with furniture. I moved one of my mechadendrites forward with a saw and cut the can's string. I catch them preventing them from going off before setting them on the ground.

We entered the lobby and moved towards the staircase on the right. The left one was also barricaded, this time with bed frames, showing that the strays wanted to make this into a fortress. We advanced cautiously, and I kept my eyes open for more traps. We don't hit another one till we get to the staircase to the next floor. There, we find another bobby trap in the form of a firecracker set to light when the wire is tripped before I again disarmed it.

We proceeded further up and hit the fourth floor with the skull saying they were on the next floor. I moved forward down the hall past empty hotel rooms towards the end of the hall where the stairs leading to the next floor as we missed a trap. It was a pressure plate on the first stair that immediately set off a blowhorn. We prepared for battle as foot steps coul be heard charging towards us.

Down the stairs running towards us were two people one man and one woman. The man with pale blonde hair dressed in mage robes immediately powered up and threw magic at me. The woman with blue hair dressed in a very basic armor set drew a mace and charged us. An ice bolt hit my right arm and froze some joints on that arm. The heaters kicked on and got rid of that as Issari shouted boost over the vox. She moved fast and made her chainsword roar to life, making the woman back up. I extended all my mechadendrites and fired every single bolter. The man jumped from the barks and dodged three rounds but my right third handgun caught his foot. It exploded into gore, sending bone fragments and the wood from the stairs into his comrade. She yelped, and that pushed her towards Issari. The man screamed and went down when I fired another shot into him, and his chest exploded. The woman paled and backed away from Issari again. Issari gave chase and boosted towards the woman, and the woman dodged the blow before slamming her mace into Issari's chest. Metal clangs and I get ready to kill her.

Then came a sudden whizzing sound before I got hit by an arrow. The arrow hit my back near the base of my neck and spine as the projectile went into the armor only by an inch. That penetration happened because of the twang of a crossbow. The shooter's voice snarled showing it was a wolf youkai by the growl.

"What the fuck my bolt should have killed him!"

The battle continues as I turn my bolt pistols around and fire blindly at the source of the voice. Explosions go off, as well as a whine as something hits the crossbow user. Then a new voice enters the fight with a pissed-off elephant toot. Its user leapfrogs over the railing and smashes into the ground behind me. I turned and caught a sword that moved down on me extremely fast. I saw the knight, and it did not look like this would be fun because this was a Karnabo an elephant-like man. He's wearing grey European plate armor made for his massive size, and it has an armored part for his trunk. His trunk holds a second sword, and that also comes down fast, slamming into my right shoulder. The blade leaves a deep scratch before I threw back the sword with my axe. It gave me an opening to fire a bolt, which the knight dodged.

The shot hit a wall and sent shrapnel everywhere. The drawing of a crossbow reloading is heard, and I spot the wolf. He's struggling to get the winch back, and I take my opening and fire my bolt pistol on the left third arm. The bark hits the wolf man in the leg, and it explodes into pieces. He topples howling and I get a blow against me as the knight cuts off one of my mechadendrites with his bastard great sword. The arm flops to the floor with a barely heard clang before I make my axe roar to life. That doesn't intimidate the knight who flew at me, and his trunk blew to catch me off guard. The toot would have hurt my ears if I was outside the helm. I brought my axe down on him and fired again with my three-round bolter.

The knight dodged the burst with rounds hitting walls or doors. He then slammed his sword into my kidney on the left. It hurts and he retreated before I could swipe again. I hear a scream behind me before a snap hiss ends it. Then the roar of a chainsword comes my way as Issari shouts boost slamming into the knight. I hear the whimper of the wolf, and I'll deal with it later. I charge with my axe roaring, and Issari and I slowly push the knight backward toward the lobby. He is good at dodging and parrying each of our blows. He swiped and chopped back at us, leaving many scratches on us. But I have my wrath, and Issari is clearly motivated beyond him, too, because she mutters over the vox.

"I am a good dragon and will make senpai proud. I want head pats."

We pushed the knight back and back. I finally got a hit on him, and my axe chewed through part of his right arm armor, getting to the meat underneath. He trumpeted a scream while Issari fired her las pistol blowing off the snout.

The limb and sword fall to the ground, and the elephant man screams beneath the helm. I raised my axe and made it roar at full power before bringing it across his head right from left. The head comes off and hits the floor, clanking while the body spasms. It hit the railing behind it, breaking the wood, and falling to the ground hard with a loud thud. I picked up the head and trunk before throwing it in the pocket spell for heads. Before I moved back to end the wolf. I cut the heads off the man and woman, throwing them in the pocket, and climbed the stairs looking for the wolf. I find him trying to crawl away with a blood trail to an empty guest room in a shower. I cut his head off, ending his suffering then burned his body and blasted down the blood trail with water. As I moved back down the stairs, get the bolt pistol and the arm, throwing them in a new pocket. I burnt the two other pawns before I glance at Issari to see her holding a bolter shell looking at it in interest. I will the shells away making her break the glance before throwing the arms in a new pocket. We moved fast, and then I lit the elephant man on fire, moving towards the back of the building once it was gone. I opened a portal to the next place with the bishop and rook.

Their hiding place was an old, abandoned gas station near a forest on the outskirts of the city. We exited the portal near the edge of the forest. It was early evening, and the sun was starting to set. We moved towards the station slowly. As we were near the first gas pump, I heard something in the forest. I catch the sound of wood groaning. That's my only hint of trouble before a wood javelin comes from the forest and slams into my guts. The wood splinters and fails to pierce. Three more javelins flew toward us, and we dodged them. Each hitting the street shattering as I was about to shoot at the area they were coming from. I suddenly stumbled by a sudden punch to my right leg. I looked to that direction to see the rook and of course, its dwarf. My armor had dented from the force of the punch, and my leg ached for a few seconds before it was good again. The dwarf has a voice that growled out with a Scottish twang.

"The wee fucker is strong Kale. Never seen armor like this before as me punch should have broken his fookin leg!"

The dwarf moved fast backward to regroup, and his partner moved out of the forest. The dryad was pissed. She was naked except for a bikini top covering her blue skinned chest. Her ears are covered in vines that flatten against her skull. The dwarf was in mini armor that looked like old Scot stuff kilt and all. The dryad powered up, and multiple tree roots snapped out of the ground and lunged towards us. I activated my axe and Issari her sword, and the roars pissed off the dryad more. At the same time, the dwarf looks at the weapons in interest. His black eyes followed the teeth on our weapons with fascination. His mouth, covered by a thick white beard, smiled darkly.

Fucking dwarves they are just as bad as elves. The battle truly began when a root came towards me. I sliced it in half with my axe while I fired a bolt round at the bishop. The round slammed into a stone wall she conjured burrowing through it making the dryad swear in surprise having to avoid shrapnel. The dwarf now looks at the guns extending on my mechadendrites with lust and says now with glee.

"I want those laddy. I can get so much money from human scum with those."

I snark back to the dwarf as I move towards him while Issari gets her las pistol ready for another shot at the bishop who had let the earth wall drop.

"Your just pissed stunty that a human made something better than you."

The dwarf got a tic mark then charged straight towards me. His fists crack like steel.

"You are cocky fookin hobknocker. I'm going to enjoy caving your bloody chest in."

We reached each other, and he punched towards my chest. I dodged backward, and the dwarf stumbled forward. I chop with my axe. I would have taken his head if a tree root hadn't jumped in front of my chop, taking it and allowing the dwarf to back up. The root was chopped through, and it fell to the ground. The dwarf repositions himself. The dryad snaps at their partner. It showed something.

"Always having to save your prick ass Seric."

The dwarf grew pissed.

"I don't need your wee shit roots, Dryope! Fook off."

I vox Issari.

"Piss them off then strike."

Issari noted the order.

"Yes, Alpha."

She then spat to the dryad out of her rebreather.

"The dwarf has done more than you have, blue lady and your tits are small!"

That really did piss off the dryad and made the dwarf laughs brightly there.

"I like that one! They are right you have tiny tits!"

That pissed the dryad off more than ever, and she summoned three sharp spiked roots from the ground. Then threw one at each of us. Mine missed and slammed into an abandoned car, carving through the vehicle. The second was dodged by Issari barely as she had to drop completely to the ground. The dwarf was so busy laughing he missed the spike coming till it was too late. It carved through his short left leg, pinning him to the ground. He screamed. The dryad named Dryope grinned sadistically.

"Been wanting to do that ever since we met you, bearded fuck. Here's a deal hunter. His bounty is worth more than mine. Free money there if you let me go."

The dwarf was still screaming at his destroyed leg, and I replied while aiming two of my pistols at her and the last at the dwarf.

"No deal. You are all scum, and this proves it. Besides, that's a very clear lie, as you're the one who maimed the person who got you the bounty."

I fired my bolt pistol at the dwarf, and his chest exploded ending his screams. Issari fired her las pistol, which slammed into a hastily summoned root. The root burns and then drops to the ground dead. The crackling of it made the dryad back up. Issari said in a chilled voice.

"Killing your ally makes you bigger scum than ever. You will wish you hadn't done that. I fight with Iron and blood, bonds made with steel."

We both focused on the dryad, who realized her mistake. She prepared to run. I fired all my bolt pistols at once, forcing the dryad to throw up barriers to absorb the shots. We charge forward. Issari on the right and I on the left. Roots shoot out of the ground, trying to impale us. I cut through three roots and then blew open a rock wall with a bolt pistol before moving towards a horrified dryad. She tried to run now truly, but two snap hisses and the dryad toppled to the ground. The back legs of her deer body were blown off. The dryad tried to crawl away, but I walked to her and swung my axe cutting off her head. The body falls dead. I burned it and the roots. The walls crumbled into nothing. I go, then cut the dwarf's head off. Before burning the body. Stupid anime enemies.

I summoned the anvil inside the gas station, repaired the leg plate, and made more bolter rounds. Willing the old ones away as Issari takes off her helmet and shakes her head. I snark while marking more bolter rounds.

"Did you have to insult her tits?"

Issari just shrugged.

"I mean, it worked. I feel bad for the dwarf as that was a horrible way there."

I shake my head in dismay, thinking of his and the dryad's crime.

They were threatening to impale three devil children to secure their escape. After they got it, the dryad took off one of the kid's legs to taunt his commoner parents.

"They were both shit people don't sympathize with them. Those two threatened and hurt kids. The last group killed a man who was just out of the hospital after cancer because he had a car. Strays run for multiple reasons and not all are like Kuroka."

I am hammering out shells, and Issari understood why I'm being gruff. She puts an armored gauntlet around my arm.

"We will save her, Gregor-kun. Don't throw yourself into the ground with worry."

I imagine Kuroka looking like a spider monster. Her teasing face warped into something it's not in agony. The imaged lingered as I decide I'll demand a meeting with the white cat. I will snatch that clip away from her if it's the last thing I do. I make four mags worth of actual boltgun ammo. Then bring it out before loading the first mag with sixty shots. Issari gapes at it and how blocky it is.

"How big do they get?"

I think of the Vulken mega bolter.

"Ultra big. This one is for regular humans. A space marine one would break your arm and your shoulder with the recoil from one shot. The largest was on what was called a titan. Imagine walking mecha churches with some as big as mountains then that's your answer."

Ddraig spoke up.

"What the fuck type of enemies need those types of weapons!"

I will the anvil away and answer.

"Things of a similar nature like the bio titans from the Tyranids or wraith knights from the Eldar. The Orks had what were called Gargants and the Tau had actual mecha suits of similar size. Take your pick, Ddraig. There were legions of the things called the God Machines. We could never drive one as the machine spirit would crush nearly anyone it communed with."

Ddraig shivered there and Issari showed her want of one.

"Those sound kickass we need to make them!"

I snort.

"I don't even know how to maintain a car sometimes, and you want to have one of those. No way as of now. Let's get this queen dealt with then I'm sleeping. I hate today and want to be unconscious. I learned that my potential wife has been taught shit, my cat friend is mutating and that the underworld is a piece of hot garbage propped up by an extremely corrupt and stupid nobility. I want this day done with."

Issari blushed and then rubbed the back of her head nervously.

"I mean, when you put it like that."

I donned my helm with the war mask and immediately started hating it. Issari does the same, and I say over the vox while opening the portal to the last three.

"I just want this crap over with. I need enough money and things to get Rias out of the contract and my set. Then I can be happy."

I opened the second-to-last portal, and we entered for the final fight.

The trio of stays had holed themselves up in an old hospital. It was incredibly run down, and the building looked ready to fall apart. We had landed at the back door near a small rock outcrop, and I prepared for this fight. The queen was a regular piece while the rooks were both mutation pieces. The queen was also powerful being a high-class magician. We slowly approached, and I hated the war mask. It's unnatural, and I think I'll just not use it.

The door we approached was a docking bay door for the ambulances, and one-half of it was bent and open. I don't like that. We slowly entered the room, bending over to get in, and we saw something that was not good. A dead body. It is a man with an emblem that I recognize.

It's the symbol of the hunter's guild in a triangle with an x through it. The ones who run hate them. The stories Kuroka did tell me show that most hunters were not good people either. They loved to heap torture on the strays that were ordered to be brought back alive. The guild didn't even pretend to care there, nor did the nobles. This means there was a failed attempt to hunt the strays so, no use for stealth. I just moved forward, and we entered a rusted hallway with gurneys strewed about. There, we find another body. This time, it's not a hunter.

It is that of a young man whose head had been pulped. His shirt was a jogging shirt that I recognize. I went a bit faster and into the building. We entered the main lobby, and it was silent as the grave. The front door was barricaded heavily, and there were two more hunters' bodies. I move towards the stairs quickly once I told Issari about the man, and she grew worried, too.

We moved up the stairs, and that's when I got a nasty surprise. A hard and extremely fast punch hit my gut straight on and made me fly into a wall and slammed into it. The slam broke two spine segments and I slid down the wall. I groaned as the gene immediately began to fix that. Issari has backed up, and we get our look at the first enemy.

It's a tiger youkai, and he is grinning down at us. He's wearing martial arts clothes and chuckled, seeing me crumpled against the wall and not moving.

"Rat hunters think they can win against me. Pathetic."

Issari revved her sword, which just made his hair stand up. However, I am getting back up, making him take three steps back. He growled.

"How!"

I just grabbed my boltgun and pointed it at him. I then pulled the trigger. The gun barked horribly, and the kick fucking hurts. The round flies faster than my bolt pistol round and almost hits the tiger. He dodged, and the round hit a vending machine making it explode. I tell Issari as I advance.

"Push."

We advanced, and the tiger had gotten up off the ground his eyes were now slits in fear as he saw the remnants of the vending machine. He looked at me, and he backed up badly again. Issari fired a las shot, and this went straight for him fast. The tiger again dodged, and the shot hit a sign, leaving a scorched mark. We advance more up the stairs, and the tiger runs. He was fleeing back towards the next set of rooms, screaming.

"We have trouble they aren't regular hunters! Brother, they are bad, Alteia, they have guns!"

That brought more people to the fight and a significant problem because the tall redhead queen had a familiar face in front of her. Kiryuu has many bruises and a black eye is limping badly and is an apparent hostage. The other tiger is also a surprise because he also has a gun in a big elephant hunting rifle. The now-entering the fight tiger shoots a round that hits Issari. The round pinged off the armor, aiming for the heart, and explains why the first hunter's head was pulped. The Tigers are now preparing for a gunfight as the gun tiger threw a pistol at his brother, and the queen also took out a revolver. All the while Kiryuu is shaking and gagged.

We stared down the enemy. The queen had a big smile on her face and pointed the gun at Kiryuu's head. The brown-haired pervert shakes more and seems to beg us with her eyes hidden behind broken glasses not to shoot. The tigers get ready to shoot again, but the queen stops them saying in an accent that sounds Greek.

"You hunters leave or the girl gets it. We came prepared this time. I know the charter, too and you can't let a hostage die."

Son of a bitch. The tigers are smug, and now they also smile openly. I prepared myself to possibly kill Kiryuu. Issari, however, does something that shows she's been practicing snarling out over the vox and into the room.

"Boost pack thrusters!"

The speed that was displayed was shocking. Issari flew, and was so fast that she grabbed Kiryuu quickly from a horrified queen and brothers. I replied as I fired my first shot.

"Cowards use hostages. Machine God take scum like you."

The Machine God made the utterance there hurt extremely bad as the melee tiger screamed, along with the other two. My shot blew open the tiger's chest, and thankfully, Kiryuu was faced away from that. Issari had flown to the first floor and then flew back up the stairs on her boost pack. The two remaining strays now looked at the gun with genuine fear, then at my red eyes. My mechadendrite extended, and one carries my axe. It roars to life, given additional power by Tsuda, who's pissed for Kiryuu and the teen makes the arms move in perfect unison. My boltgun gets itself a spirit in the jogger and tells me that I must protect Kiryuu. While she was creepy at first, she became a fun person for the jogger. He makes my next shot stronger.

The tiger fired five shots quickly, each ping off the armor. The queen powered up, shooting every single round in the gun at me before throwing it to the side. The shots ping off me, but she then threw a lightning bolt at me. It hits my head, and I don't scream. I jerked badly because of my new nerves, and that made my bolt gunshot miss. It slammed into the wall and carved a hole in it. That scared the strays further. I encouraged my spirits to get angrier. They all take it, and I charge towards the foes with everything ready to fire or use. Issari roars a boost, and she comes flying with me towards the strays.

The gun tiger faces off with Issari, and he draws a pair of nunchucks. Seriously. What are nunchucks going to do against a chainsword! I take the queen, and the fight splits. The queen throws dozens of lightning bolts, fireballs, and ice magic spells at me. While also making an ice pick. I didn't care, and I fired my bolt pistols at her along with my boltgun. The queen makes barriers of hardened steel because that stops my rounds, and though they explode inside the walls, they don't penetrate. I just advanced and snarled out again.

"I kill scum like you bitch. I remember the virtues I stand for and will remember my deeds putting scum like you in the ground. Machine God, take you and fear the Warrior of Mars!"

The queen squeals like a stuffed pig. I push forward faster, making my legs and body hurt from the fights before. I have my axe roar and come down on the queen. She blocked it with her ice pick I fired my bolt pistols in retaliation. Each shot missed the queen, but threw more shrapnel. The queen falls back more and more down the hallway past rooms where people once got healing. The queen throws steel beams at me, and one hits my right shoulder leaving a thin white line across the paludron. I fired the bolt gun again hitting a gurney up the hallway, and its steel hits her. She screamed again, and I fired two bolt pistols, and that took her arms. They exploded, and she screamed so loud and horribly there. She kept trying to run, and I fired again. The bolt round hit her chest, and her upper torso detached from her bottom half and flew up before crashing down.

I throw fire at her and then cut her head off throwing it in the pocket. Before burning that and hosing down the blood. I move to help Issari. I ran willing the shells away and they dematerialize. I find Issari cutting the head off her tiger who had lost both his arms and legs. I am impressed she beat a mutation piece without enhancements. I cut off the melee tiger's head and then opened the pocket for it and the second tiger. Before I then burn their bodies. Issari is about to say something when I shake my head.

"Entirely yours. Now, let's get our person out of here."

We moved, and I saw where Issari had hidden Kiryuu behind the greeter's counter. Kiryuu was shivering and unconscious. She must have been awake with only adrenaline. I gently picked up Kiryuu after getting my hands and guns into the pack and told Issari.

"Search the hunter's bodies."

Issari saluted and then moved while I got Kiryuu to safety. I told the jogger sorry and burned his body. He says it's ok he was a single man with no family left. They had died in 1997 in the subway attacks, and he was living paycheck to paycheck. He returned because this was possibly his vengeance. He thanked me and be extension Issari for saving Kiryuu before he went silent.

I was at the back of the hospital and waited for Issari. She came running ten minutes later and told me through the vox.

"Plenty of cash for us. All yen. It's mine, plus the rook. I want to buy Bad Cat some fish tomorrow. Are we still hunting the rest of the weekend?"

I nodded yes and then opened the portal. We entered through, and Kuroka was not at the station. We moved and entered the teleporter room. When we landed, I opened the door and carried Kiryuu up the stairs and to the second floor. It's late at night, and we are greeted by Maéva, who, upon seeing us, brightened. Before she grew increasingly worried. She opened the door to the guest room, and I entered, settling Kiryuu on the bed. Maéva asked us while we were backing away.

"I'll look after her young master. I was taught some healing magic when I was with the church. I was never as good as Asia, but it should be enough."

I am relieved as I didn't want to have to call Geros here.

"Thank you, Maéva. I'll be back after I finish turning in stuff. You're a wonderful maid."

Maéva beams and then immediately goes to work. I left the room and didn't see Issari. When I found her, she was in the kitchen in regular clothes and had leftover fish. She was taking it with her as we moved down the stairs towards the teleporter. She said.

"The gene saved me so much with the tiger. He broke my arm twice then my leg and he couldn't keep up with that. It's like I'm invincible."

I shake my head in dismay at the arrogant pride in her voice.

"There are things that can kill perpetuals Issari. We are not invincible. Never think you're that because Perpetuals did die there."

That broke the arrogance and got a look of shock.

"Just because you can come back from a nuclear warhead doesn't mean that there might be something here that can counteract us. We need to be humble and not think about being above the average human. I'm hazarding a guess that the arrogance there was from Ddraig. Clamp on that."

Issari growled her dragon growl. She kept at it while we hit the teleporter and then made it to the station. Once we were there, I prepared to collect the bounties. Issari kept growling before it stopped.

"You're right. I'll try but I feel more real embracing the dragon. When I boosted there I felt like I had wings. I was flying, and that made me feel more alive than ever before. I want to fly and feel that again."

I noted that and then prepared myself for questions. It's there that Kuroka came out of the teleporter five seconds later, and she, seeing me, ran to me and gently put a hand to where the beam had been. I tell her through the helm.

"I'm ok. Just a bitch queen. I'm safe and am healed already."

She just hugged me, and I leaned on her. She's taller by only a few inches. Issari spoke up, breaking the moment.

"Got fish for you and I will bring you some more tomorrow. We will do everything we can to get you cured. Gregor-kun has been worried sick about you."

Kuroka grew brighter and purred in reassurance.

"It's three weeks before then. Please don't worry nya."

I can't help but worry given everything. She hugged me tighter, and I promised her softly.

"I will try but it's not going to be likely."

She lets go of me, and I get ready to turn in my work. I opened the portal to the Sinful, entering and then exiting it before closing the portal.

Inside the bar, it's once again empty except for one person. This time, it's a woman, and she was in a hostess uniform behind the counter. She's European, and her eyes are orange with her hair a short black in a cut similar to Sona's. She smiled at first before she grew worried. I sense her, and she is a three-piece pawn. She watched me approach the bar, and she opened her mouth revealing a Swedish accent.

"Welcome to the Sinful. How can I help you tonight?"

I stare at her with my helm eyes and that makes her shiver.

"I have come to collect for the ones who run. I have many."

The woman shakes and then summons a scroll while shaking. She opened it, and she asked with a quiver in her voice.

"Your name, sir? And how many?"

I respond while opening the pocket with a twitch of my right hand.

"I am the Gorgan. I have eleven of them and want it all in Lilith except one. Be ready for heads."

The pawn nodded fast, and she watched the first head be set down in the ninja. She looks at her scroll and nods before paying out the underworld currency. The bills are handed over, and I let them sit before I pulled out the next head. It's the knight with his trunk set next to the head. The woman shakes more, and it's very clear she is new to this. She opened the visor for the helm and nodded before marking her scroll and paying out the bounty. The pile grows bigger and bigger per head with the pawn growing more terrified of me after reading the piece the knight was. When she got to the dryad, she grew pissed seeing the face.

"You killed a horrible person there, Gorgan."

I shrugged.

"Kids didn't ever do anything wrong. I despise those who hurt them."

The pawn nods and then pays out the bounty and a bit extra. I looked at her in question, and she replied.

"The family added that. Said they were willing to do anything for the one who got their kid justice."

It's a significant amount of Lilith and given what I know of commoners, it's probably their life savings. I was deep grinding tonight so I pushed it back to the pawn.

"I need no extra money or reward for her. Send that back to the family."

The pawn looked ready to insist that I take it. But a mechadendrite extended with the saw, and she just looked at the arm before shaking again and nodding furiously before taking the money back. I pulled the next head, and the process continued. The pile continues to grow, and I am not satisfied enough even though it's a great payday. When I put the queen down, the money pile grew larger than ever. The pawn looks at me with both respect and fear. I scoop the money into the pocket spell, and I tell her.

"I will be back with more tonight."

I moved towards the door, but the pawn said something that was barely a whisper

.

"My king would like to speak with you, Gorgan as does another. I will inform them that….."

I turned to face her, and she backed up as I let some of my aura into the air. The air feels like a blast furnace fully on and the pawn sweats as I say with no emotion.

"I will speak with them when I am free. I have things to do pawn and you're not stopping me. I say that not in disrespect of your king or their authority but because I hunt for the darkness in the void. They don't sleep."

The pawn looks ready to faint. She didn't say anything else. I left and prepared for a long night because I would grind this money into the morning. I'm now racing against more clocks. The image of that spider monster Kuroka has not left me.