-" I'm going to punch you. Then I'm going to go help these kids get away with it. "
Sarah and Raiga said nothing at the time. To them, Kira was nothing more than a kid who didn't know what he was doing. Then Sarah asked Kira a question.
-" What makes you take this risk? "
-" We've talked enough. I'll finish you off. "Kira assured.
The fire in this house was growing. It was only a matter of minutes before the children were all burned or suffocated to death. Kira couldn't risk sending a shockwave through the burning house. The chances of all those children dying instantly from that shock wave were maximum. So he had to get rid of Sarah and Raiga first.
But someone took the initiative. It was neither Raiga nor Sarah. Kira had not even moved.
It all happened in an instant.
The whole house was turned into ice. And immediately afterwards, the temperature rose drastically. Around the house, it was big enough to melt the ice. But it was more accurate to say that the ice was evaporating directly. Behind this vapor screen were two people.
Kira did not say anything. It was the person who was evaporating the ice. As for the person who had invoked this ice, Raiga knew about.
These two people were Seisa Alucard and Alma Tempest.
-" Seisa. I told you to stay where you were though. "
-" You don't have to tell me what to do. I came here following the smell of burning air. "
Then Seisa noticed that Raiga was there. That guy who had banged her head on the table after she refused to become one of his wives. She looked at him with disdain and started to approach him.
-" It's you, the chick from the other time...Did you change your mind? "Said Raiga while touching Seisa's chest.
Seisa didn't move in response to that. She didn't even need to, and Raiga understood her lack of reaction. But it was too late. Instantly, Raiga's hand began to dry up. It was as if the water in her hand was evaporating.
-" Aargh...My hand...! It hurts! "
Seisa watched as Raga writhed in pain, smiling.
-" You're going to pay for this! [Raider Astra...March Like A Gun!]"
Raiga's arms turned into guns.
He began to shoot at Seisa without thinking with his bullets. Obviously, even for a person with superhuman physical abilities like Seisa, a bullet that hits a vital point could be fatal. So she decided to move away from the area, with Raiga who was mad.
Only Alma, Kira and Sarah were left here.
Sister Sarah was very surprised by the abilities of Seisa and Alma.
-" One manipulates ice with great dexterity, and the other uses heat with great finesse...They are almost geniuses. "
Kira hadn't done anything the whole time. He was just observing the sister's behavior. She too had remained silent, but finally decided to speak.
-" I probably don't stand a chance against you, with my age. "
-" Even if you were 40 years younger, you wouldn't stand a chance against me. " Said Kira, arrogantly.
-" Hmm...maybe. "said Sarah.
Then some children came out of the big house. Among them was little Izaya. Kira did not understand what was happening. These children were not even injured or burned. They were just having trouble breathing. Sarah didn't turn to look at them, even though she knew they were there, behind her a few feet away.
-" Sister...What happened? "
-" ... "
-" The living room was all burned..." Said another child.
-" Our rooms were all wet..."
-" Bwaah..."
The children didn't seem to realize what had happened. For Kira these children should not be alive anymore. Even if Kira and Seisa had intervened, that wasn't a good enough reason for those children not to have even a scratch. So there was only one reason.
-" You saved their lives...in the end. " Kira deduced.
-" Remind me of your name, kid. "
- "Kira Leonhart. "
-" Little Leonhart. I'd like you to find a way to hide these children, and get out of here. "
-" For what reason?"
- "They're coming. "
- "They? "
-" The soldiers of the Aeon Genesis. They're heading to this island right now! "
-" What are you talking about? Why would they come here?"
- "They are coming to reassure themselves that the operation is a success, by making the murder that should have taken place here look like an accident. If they confirm it, no one will have any objection to it and the case will be closed. There's not a minute to lose! "
-" You mean you had all already agreed on the date and time? "
-" Right. I had planned a boat on the opposite coast to get the children away. I intended to murder Raiga and send the children away on that boat. Then, of course, I would suffer the appropriate punishment for my failure. I did not know that you would facilitate my plan to this extent..."
-" That said, how would you have handled those flames? Wouldn't they have died in the end? "
-" I have an Astra of water. It wouldn't have been a problem. But enough talk! We need to get the kids out of here. They said they would be here at 7:20, which is less than 20 minutes away! "
- "Is there really a way to get them all there? "
-" Yes, I've arranged a bus. It's about 20 meters away. Just keep going straight. It should be big enough and sturdy enough to get through the Boar's Forest trail and reach the coast in 15 minutes. "
-" I can't drive. "
Alma, who had been silent the whole time, spoke up.
-" I know how to drive all kinds of machines. Maybe I can help you. "
-" Perfect. Here! " Sarah said as she tossed the key toward Alma.
Alma caught it deftly. Sarah addressed the children.
-" Children! Follow the green-haired boy and the brown-haired girl! They're going to drive to the boat! "
-" What do you mean? What about you? Aren't you coming? " Izaya asked for all the children.
-" I'll follow you later! I still need to pick up a few things here. For now, go ahead, the boat might leave soon. "
-" But where are we going?"
At the moment, Sarah didn't know what to say to the children. But she found a very simple answer.
-" To a new town! And a new town means a new home! "Sarah said, smiling.
Sarah's smile gave the children confidence, and they decided to follow Kira and Alma.
After five minutes, Kira, Alma and the children were already far away. Sarah could no longer hear them.
-" I will protect you, children. "
[Nearly a hundred yards away]
The place was relatively dark, but also spaced out. There were no houses around here. The only light that illuminated this area was that of the moon. Seisa had arrived there, and had stopped moving. Raiga, who was after her, caught up with her immediately.
-" Bah what, did you get tired of running, bitch? "
- "Huh hun..."
-" What are you laughing at? You shouldn't laugh, because I'm going to tear you to pieces right here! "
-" Poor ignoramus. You don't know how to measure the danger when it presents itself! " said Seisa, pointing at Raiga.
-" Huh?"
-" I, Seisa Alucard, future Empress of Arcadia... I promise you that...that I will make you know fear! "
-" Haahahahahaha! Hahaha! Haha-.. "
Raiga had burst out laughing. A kid of barely 17 years had just threatened him, and told him that he would experience fear. However, he had a reason for having so suddenly stopped laughing. In a very quick process, his laughter had given way to amazement, which had given way to fear. And fear gave way to a feeling that Raga had not experienced in a long time.
Pain.
-" Look. Look. The true color of pain. [Carnage Astra: Blazing Days]. "
The temperature rose quickly. It wasn't the same as before, with Alma and the house on fire. This time it was the whole area. It was as if Raiga's skin was gradually steaming. It was as if all life here was evaporating. Seisa however was standing confidently.
-" Heat...? Ugh..."
-" No, it's not really that. My Astra's primary function is not to evaporate bodies or raise the temperature. It's about something else. "
Suddenly, Seisa was surrounded by energy. Some kind of black and red flames. But it was hard to identify this dark energy as flames. It looked like it was really darkness.
-" Darkness. And that will be the last name you hear. "
- "Raider Astra...March Like..."
-" Demonic Cross. "
The black and red darkness popped up in the area, in the form of a large cross. Raga had taken it in stride. Until the darkness dissipated, it was impossible to know what had happened to him.
When the darkness finally dissipated, one could see the state of Riga.
He was lying on the ground with a deep cross-shaped wound. He was undoubtedly dead. Seisa gave him one last disdainful look before turning back.
[19h10]
There were about ten minutes left before the people from the Aeon Genesis arrived. Alma was driving the bus in the direction Sarah had indicated, through the trail in the Boar's Forest. The children were a little scared. They were not used to being driven anywhere by strangers, and in Sarah's absence. They had been driving for over five minutes. Alma was going really fast. And fortunately, she could rely on her great skill with vehicles.
They reached the coast in a short time. Kira got out of the vehicle. Alma was still there. They were amazed.
What they saw in front of them was totally unexpected. Alma was almost in a cold sweat. And Kira, who was usually calm, could not help but grit her teeth.
In front of them was a burning boat. This boat had to be the one that Sarah had indicated.
The children in the bus were frightened. They didn't know what to do.
-" Alma. We have to get out of here! Somehow, we have to get these kids to safety! "
-" Yeah, come on in! "
Just as Kira was about to get into the vehicle, another voice was heard. A deep, intimidating voice. It was the voice of a man over the age of 35.
-" So that's how it is. "
This man gave off an impressive and intimidating aura. Just by his presence, all the children on the bus were shaking. Alma and Kira also felt the danger coming from this man. He was dressed like an army general, wearing a cape over his black uniform. He had straight blond hair, leaving his forehead exposed.
-" So that was it. They were the children that this woman should have taken care of. " Said the mysterious individual.
Kira stood between him and the bus and Alma. He felt the same as he did when facing Kôgyoku that time.
-" Who are you? "Kira asked.
-" I am an officer of the Empress' army. I'm here on a job. Wouldn't you like to get out of my sight? "
-" You didn't answer me. "
-" ... "
-" Hmm. "
-" My name is Kusanagi. "
- "It's not..."
[Orphanage]
This place had been quiet for a few minutes. No sound had been heard here since Kira, Alma and the children had left. And Raiga would never come back. There was only an old lady dressed as a sister, sitting in front of the orphanage. She seemed to be enjoying the silence, and waiting for something. She didn't look disturbed. The fact that the children were already far away probably made her suddenly feel better.
Suddenly, some men -about forty- arrived on the scene. They were all wearing black and white uniforms. It was the uniform of the Arcadia army, whose members had been trained at the ASF.
From the looks of all these people, they did not seem to have come to greet Sarah kindly, on the contrary. As they circled the building, a man dressed differently emerged from the crowd.
His expression was cold. His eyes were also devoid of feeling. His hair was light gray, almost white.
And Sarah recognized him immediately.
-" Colonel Gazelle, from Sector One... So you're here too. "
-"...The work you were assigned has obviously not been done. I don't sense the presence of anyone in this house. And it just so happens that we saw Raiga's corpse further on. I deduce that you have failed..."
-" ... "
-" And that you are a traitor. In order to protect those kids, you murdered Raiga and drove them away. It was well thought out. "
-" ... "
-" Do you have any last words to say? "
-" ... "
-" So be it. Anyway, I don't care about the last wishes of a traitor. Your path ends here. "
All the soldiers, following a gesture of Gazelle's hand, pointed their rifles at Sarah who had not moved. She was just about to say something to Gazelle.
-" I know what I am doing is right. The cause you are fighting for is not worth it! "
-" Excuse me?"
-" You heard me well. Kogyoku is the evil incarnate. She will bring nothing good to this world. I only regret that I could not be there to see her failure and defeat! "
-" ... "
-" I am glad. My children will live on and carry me in their hearts. Thus, I will watch over them. And I will observe him. I will watch his victory against the Empress! "
-" Hmpf. Crazy old woman. But before you die, know that General Kusanagi is here. And he has already found your accomplices as well as those kids. "
-" ... ! "
Before she had time to do anything, the soldiers had already shot her. She was dead in an instant. She had been determined to die, but she hesitated for a moment. For a second, she regretted many things. She thought that she should have gotten rid of Raiga earlier. Then she would have had time to get the children to safety. She knew who General Kusanagi was. One of the most powerful people in the world.
But her worry had vanished before she died. She had pinned her hopes on Kira Leonhart. She couldn't explain it, but she told herself that he was worth believing in. So she hadn't died with fear in her heart.
Gazelle looked at her corpse with disdain. Then he ordered his men to make everything disappear. The body. The orphanage. Everything was to be erased from existence.
Coast]
Kira was standing in front of a General of the Arcadia army. The generals of this army were considered to be among the greatest fighters in this world. Kira knew that he could not defeat such an opponent, especially not under these conditions.
But no matter how hard he looked, he wondered how he could escape this unreadable mind. He didn't even try to understand how Kusanagi could find him. And there was no point in thinking about it. After all, he was a general. Besides, Kusanagi's presence here must surely mean that Sarah had been found.
Kira knew what happened to traitors. So he did not deign to ask the question, knowing the answer already.
He was just thinking. Thinking of a way to get away.
But in the end, he was not the first to react. And the General's reaction was unexpected.
-" Mmh. You don't seem to be paralyzed in my presence. It's rare to see people like that. So I thought of something. "
-" ... "
-" I'm going to bet on you. "
-" Bet on me?"
-" That's right. I'll bet on you. "
-" And what exactly should I do, General? "
-" You must kill the Empress. That woman is vicious, and I'd hate to have to do the job. So you're going to do it. I want you...The next time we meet, you'll be strong enough to beat her. "
-" You dare say that about your sovereign? "
-" My sovereign, you say? Heheh. I'm the only one in all of Arcadia capable of inflicting damage on her. That said, while I am able to do that, ending my existence is very easy for her. Let's move on. Do you feel up to my challenge? "
-" Do I have the ability to say no? "
-" You are very perceptive. So be it. I'll leave these kids and this alive. "
Sweat was pouring from Kira's temples. He was really stressed. Alma was also under pressure. So were the children. But when Kusanagi said that, they all seemed less stressed, especially Kira and Alma.
-" So, see you next time, boy. Don't disappoint me. " Kusanagi said as he left the area.
With that, Kusanagi disappeared.