Shida walked out his lab and dragged his sword along the ground and gave a chuckle. He looked up then saw the woman in front of him with her arms crossed. He gave a smirk.
"Come to torment me more? Isn't it enough you stole my blueprint...Melida." Shida spoke.
"We both know the fight will be incredibly unfair. You have no way of beating him in battle. The moment the fight begins, it would be over in a heartbeat. Hakai isn't your typical enemy. He is a mastermind on the battlefield. Do you even have a plan against him?" Melida asked and looked at him.
"I've been watching the way be fights since the day I heard about him during the Zodiac Timeline. I know most if not all of his tactics." Shida answered and walked past her. "Now if you will excuse me, I have some training to do."
Melida watched him and gave a slight giggle and her black and white wings emerged from her back then she flew off.
"Hakai? Hakai!" Candy called out for me.
"What? What is it? Stop yelling, I'm right here!" I bellowed.
"Where's Arize? Arane said she was last with you." Candy looked at me.
We both heard muffled sounds coming from the kitchen. Candy walked towards the sound and I just watched her. She heard noises coming from the trashcan and took the lid off. She set the lid on the counter and saw a head poke out the trashcan.
"E-Ehh?!" Candy took a few steps back. "Arize! Why are you in the trashcan?!"
"I was playing a game with Big Brother. He said this was an important part of the game." Arize answered and tilted her head.
"Hakai, you put her in the trashcan?" Candy looked at me.
"I did that shit?" I responded.
"You did that shit." Candy said and frowned.
"Is this not a part of the game?" Arize asked. "This game is hard to play."
"Come out the trashcan, it stinks in there. I'm gonna- No...Hakai is gonna give you a bath." Candy turned her head slowly towards me, giving an unsettling smile.
"The only thing I'm giving...is a backhand. Miss me with that bull-"
"No you're GOING to give her a bath. Refuse and Plexi will shoot!" Candy said.
Plexi had three question marks on his screen and looked at Candy.
"S h o o t , M a s t e r H a k a i ?" Plexi asked. "R e q u e s t c a n n o t b e c o m p l e t e d ."
"Huuuuh?! Why? He just threw his sister in the trash!" Candy looked at Plexi.
"It certainly sounds lively in here. More alive than normal..." Lyn yawned. "Who's the little girls?"
"Meet Arize and Arane! Twin Creations from Mr. Yamako aka Shida!" Candy smiled at Lyn.
"Erk!" Lyn ran to me and grabbed my sleeve and whispered to me. "These are the experiments?"
"Yep..." I whispered back.
"Kids? Did he call his kids experiments? The hell?" Lyn looked at me.
I shrugged and sighed then walked towards Candy. I took Arize from her hands and headed towards the bathroom to give Arize a bath. Arize looked calm, yet happy.
"Sigh...What am I going to do with Kai." Candy sighed and placed the lid back on the trashcan.
"Kai?" Lyn walked to the counter and sat down in a chair.
"Oh, it's a nickname I gave Hakai." Candy smiled and leaned against the counter. "He's still trying to find a nickname for me. Lately he's been more active than usual. I mean I'm not really complaining."
"I see." Lyn smiled and looked at Arane.
Arane poked Plexi and flinched a bit. Plexi floated around Arane curiously then floated to Candy and landed on her head. Arane looked at Plexi and walked closer to Candy. Candy looked at Arane and smiled softly.
Meanwhile in the bathroom, I poured water on Arize's head and she shuddered a bit then looked up at me. She smiled then I had a flashback about a young girl named Emilia, a girl I saw as my little sister. I closed my eyes and pinched Arize's nose gently and she whined a bit. I released her nose and smiled.
"Big Brother..? Why do you always look sad even when you smile?" Arize asked.
"Huh?" I looked at Arize and rose an eyebrow.
"Your smile is bittersweet. It's like on the inside you're hurting but it's masked by...happiness I think." Arize looked ahead as I washed her hair.
"My past is the reason I'm like this. I've been getting better though. Meeting everyone at this base is the best thing that could've happened in a long time. Sometimes I wish this was my original life and everything else was fake." I said.
"This life you live...why do you live the way you do? From what I know...when I saw some of your memories, you go out of your way to help everyone else and not care about your well-being. You've pushed away your feelings for everyone else's." Arize looked up at me again. "Why?"
I looked at her and blinked. I placed my hand on her forehead and smiled. She blushed a bit and watched me.
"That's something you won't understand until you get older. You are still young and learning. I won't stress you with the details on why I acted the way I did in the past." I said and she nodded.
I continued to wash her and give her a bath. She closed her eyes. A few minutes later I got her out the tub and dried her body. I dressed her and reached in my pocket, pulling out a necklace with a ruby stone in the middle. I gave it to her and she looked at it.
"That's one of my special stones. Sadly it doesn't have much use to me anymore since that era is over with. I want you to keep it. Maybe you'll find use in it one day." I said and smiled.
"Thank..you." Arize looked at me and smiled back.
We walked out the bathroom and towards the living room. I noticed Candy reading a comic on the couch then went to sit beside her. She looked at me and smiled then made room for me. Arize went to go play with Arane and Plexi.
"So how was the experience of giving someone a bath?" Candy asked.
"It wasn't bad." I answered and took out my phone and scrolled through my socials.
"Oh?" Candy adjusted her body and placed her head in my lap, looking up at me. "You actually enjoyed her company?"
"Shut it, pea brain." I said and covered her eyes with my hand.
"H-Hey, come on!" Candy laughed.
I smiled at Candy and gave a chuckle then uncovered her eyes. She continued reading her comic and I went back to scrolling through the apps. I put my phone in my other hand and held it up. Candy and I showed up on the frame. Candy noticed and smiled, giving a peace sign. I took our picture and posted it online. Candy sat up then looked on my phone screen then Lyn called. Candy and I looked at each other then I answered the phone and put it on speaker.
"Hakai. Bad news...very bad news." Lyn said.
"What's up?" I asked.
"Maria contacted me saying Shida was looking for you. When she didn't answer his question...well...Shida just destroyed her shop! Luckily Maria was able to protect the civilians but Shida is on a rampage looking for you! From the information Ryoko got as well he's headed to St. Laria Tower. You've got to meet him at that tower. I'm sending you the coordinates." Lyn answered.
"Mmm...on it." I said and stood up.
"Hakai.." Candy looked up at me.
"Don't worry, there's nothing to worry about. Inform the twins that I'll be gone for a bit." I said and ran off.
Candy looked worried and at the twins. They were playing a game on Plexi's screen. She looked sad then at the door that I left out of. She took out her phone and called Maria.
"Maria!" Candy started.
"Candy? What's wrong?" Maria asked.
"Can you come pick me up and take me to St. Laria Tower? It's an emergency!" Candy said.
"Uh...sure yeah I can. I was gonna stop by anyway. Where's Hakai?" Maria asked.
"He's already gone. That's why I need you to take me there." Candy said.
"On it." Maria answered then hung up.
Meanwhile I stopped the car at the gates of the tower and got out the car. I closed the door and locked it then walked towards the tower. I walked inside and looked up, feeling incredibly dark energy. I walked up the stairs and summoned my sword. I reached the final floor and saw a man standing on the balcony. The man turned back and saw me. He smirked and his red eyes shined.
"Shida." I started then walked up towards him.
"So you came here of all places. Somehow I knew you'd show up here. This is the location...where you and Darkness battled. Pretty convenient that I used to study under Darkness also. This is just...great. Only us here. Nobody else!" Shida dashed towards me and slashed with his sword. "This is the end for you!"
I looked at him and dodged his slash then stepped out the way. Shida landed then slashed at me again. I blocked his attack then smirked and my eyes shined.
"Ahh I see what this is about. You're angry. I'll gladly fight you, but don't complain when I kill you!" I said and pushed him back with my aura.
I took off my scarf then placed it on the ground and snapped my fingers and two dark orbs appeared behind me. I dashed towards Shida and slashed at him. Shida blocked the attack and grunted then slid back. I tossed a dark orb at Shida and it exploded.
"Where are we going big sister?" Arane asked.
"We are going to help Hakai." Candy responded.
"I can't believe Shida and Hakai are fighting...this is shocking." Maria said as she drove faster.
Shida slashed at me then I avoided the attack and jumped back. Shida panted and glared at me.
"Come on Shida...I thought you were better than this...I haven't even broken a sweat yet let alone gotten serious. Why do you even want to fight? You know you're going to lose." I said.
"I've had enough of you. You've always looked down on me no matter what I did! You never treated me fairly. Now I'm putting my foot down!" Shida said.
"I see...There's a reason why I treat you the way I do. You killed my family and friends. You worked with the enemy to try to kill me. How do you want me to treat you? Then you go and try to kill Maria?" I looked at Shida and my left eye turned red and formed the Yaoke. "After that...I have no reason to keep you alive."