"DO YOU KNOW WHY I stripped you of everything?"
"Because you're a pervert."
"It's because when naked nothing is hidden. The bare truth, or the naked truth reveals all. You are the perfect example of that."
"I still say you're a pervert."
"You can run your mouth all you want, it makes no difference to me. Now getting back to my original question. You see clothes hide the truth. I mistook you for a man, but now I see you're nothing more than a flat chested whore."
"So was your mother."
"Come now Cam, or should I say Camilla, is that the best you can come up with?"
"So you know who I am, big deal." Camilla said, with as much confidence she could muster while tied naked to a chair. "I'm not gonna tell you a damn thing. Do your worst. I won't break."
"Oh, but you will. I have just the perfect tool. Heed my call and come forth, Hobgoblin."
Camilla blanched.
"There it is, that's the look I was waiting for. Let's see, it's been about three years since I last used this one. Oh, look, it's excited to see you. Any last words?"
"I don't know when she'll come for you, but when my sister does come you'll regret it. She'll leave you a broken, blubbering mess. She'll fuck you so bad you'll think fighting a named dragon is safer option than dealing with her."
"Let her come then. Killing strong opponents is a fun pass-time for me. Is she another B ranked Hunter Class like you?"
"You'll just have to wait and see."
"Good. Something to look forward to. Said the Summoner as he walks over and cuts Camilla free of her binds. She knows she can't escape. The room has no windows, and the only door is blocked by the Summoner.
However she won't go down without a fight. She'd always been a scraper; never one to back down from any challenge.
𝐻𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑦 ℎ𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑖𝑠. Camilla thinks as she charges the Hobgoblin. It's not long till Camilla's screams ring out.
Hours later the Summoner walks over to Fuji and says "You're in the clear. She was the only one following you."
"Are you sure of that?"
"Are you questioning my ability to do my job?"
Fuji doesn't answer; the men just stare at one another, neither one wanting to break eye contact.
"I did my job. My word is my bond. If you can't trust it then I'm done with you. Now get the fuck off my property before my family returns." The Summoner walks off towards the house.
At the same time in a different location. A woman is sitting on a barstool enjoying a drink when the ring with a pink stone on her index finger cracks, and turns to black.
****
Fuji stands in front of the main gate to his childhood home. The fog is thick, thicker than normal in the wee hours of the morning.
"Fuji, everyone is in place, and awaiting your orders."
"Kill everyone, except the monkey man, and my father. They are mine.
The Violators, Black Fang, and Phoenix membersbegin their assault on Takashi Manor.
Yoshi's Office
"They've begun the assault sir."
"Have all of the non-combatants left the property"
"Yes sir,"
"Good. I'll leave you to it then."
"What of Fuji?"
"I'll leave it up to you Cosmo."
"Understood sir."
Main Gate
"This is a nice place. Too bad we have to destroy it."
"You do realize this isn't the actual Takashi Manor right?"
"Seriously!? Then whose house is it?"
"This is the guard house." Said Dallas, stepping out to intercept the intruders.
"Oh, then where is the manor?"
"How are you this stupid. We just need to follow the driveway right to it.
"You'll have to beat me first." Dallas said, taking a fighting stance.
"Do you know who we are? We're The Violators. Anyone who faces us dies a horrible death."
"Holy shit. You actually said something intelligent for once."
"Fuck you."
"You two gonna talk or fight?" Dallas asked them.
"Let's kill this bastard and move on shall we."
"Agreed. Boys come on out!"
Eight more members of The Violators emerge from the shadows, joining the first two.
"Ten verses one. This should be fun." Dallas says with a smile.
"You're wrong Dallas. It's two verses ten."
"Hey Master Nai, come to join in on the action?"
"That and I want to see how my pupil fares in combat against someone other than the guards here."
"One or two makes no difference to us. The man charges Nai. Once he's close enough he throws a punch.
Nai sidesteps the punch, grabs a hold of the man's wrist and proceeds to break the man's arm at the elbow. The man crumbles to the ground howling in pain.
"Next." Nai calls out.
****
"Light Magic: Ball of Light." A Phoenix member casts his spell in hopes it'll help cut through the thick fog.
"Put that out you idiot. Do you want to give away our position?"
"Let 'em find us. I'm itching for a fight."
"Well boy's, you're in luck. Cause I've been itching for a fight myself." A woman's voice informs them.
"Oh yeah, then stop hiding you coward and face us already."
"I'm right here." Says another voice.
Both men look around, unable to find their quarry.
"Down here."
"No, I'm over here."
"Not that way."
"Wrong."
"This way, silly."
"You can't catch me."
The voices of children calling out from every direction, confuses the men. More and more voices join in, causing even more confusion. Then the voices stop.
During all that confusion neither man had realized that the other had been strung up, and their throats slit.
"Good work my darlings. Now eat up."
All fifteen of Anna's children descend from the trees, and begin feasting on the men.
"How much longer are you gonna hide?" Anna asked, standing below the hanging bodies
"You're one to talk." Replied a member of Black Fang, appearing out of nowhere. "Pretty sure your children did all the work."
"That's how they learn."
"Now they can learn what it's like to be orphans." The man shimmers, then vanishes from sight.
Anna just stands there waiting for him to strike. This would prove to be a costly mistake on her part. Her children let out an ear piercing screech, their bodies falling from above, slamming to the ground.
"Drop!" Anna shouts.
Of the fifteen, only six remain alive.
"How long do you think you can protect them, before I kill you all?" The Black Fang member asked, reappearing back at his original spot.
"Just long enough for my husband to get here."
"You'll all be dead before he gets here."
Something zips by the man, and stops in front of Anna and the kids.
"Hey beautiful. You and the kids alright?"
"He killed nine of my… sorry I meant to say nine of our children, Tian."
"Say no more. I'll handle the rest. You just keep these six safe."
Tian turns to face the man who killed his children.
"My name is Tian. Might I have yours."
"It's Borislav."
"Good. Now I'll know what to put on your grave marker."
"Time for talk is over. Let us settle this with our fists."
"Agreed."
Tian begins closing the distance, moving slowly, not taking his eyes off Borislav. Which doesn't matter, because Borislav once again shimmers and vanishes.
Tian remains still; closes his eyes and listens, and listens, and waits. Slowly he begins hearing everything around him. The flapping of wings from bats, the hoot of an owl nearby, and the fait sound of a bell jingling near Anna and the kids.
In a fast and smooth motion Tian throws a red ball, about the size of a marble towards the sound of the bell.
The red ball ruptures on impact, leaving a red stain floating in the air. Anna sees this, hikes her leg up high, then shot it out, aiming at the red stain, and by pure chance nails Borislav under the chin knocking him out cold.
"Nicely done."
"It's thanks to you placing the bell on him and marking him. But now what?"
"How about tying him and saving him for later." Suggests Tian. Embracing Anna in a hug.
"I meant about the rest of his friends. Who've been watching us this whole time."
"How about a game to see who can kill the most?"
Anna smiles and says. "Sounds fun."
"I wanna play."
"Me too."
"I'm on papa's team."
Once the teams are picked. The game begins.
****
Fuji and the remaining members of Phoenix stand inside the foyer taking it all in.
"Are you sure you want to burn this place down boss?"
"Ask me again, and I'll start the fire using you as the fuel." Threatens Fuji. "Now go take anything that looks valuable, then set the place a blaze."
"Tch." The noise comes from the top of the stairs.
"Why if it isn't the clever monkey man. Tell me monkey man, where is my father?"
"Why would I tell a nobody like you anything?" Answered Cosmo.
"No matter. He's most likely in his office. Boys kill this bastard, and anyone who tries to stop you."
The first man makes it half-way up the stairs before Cosmo's Monkey Hammer collides with his face, killing him instantly.
Two others run along the left and right banisters, reach the second floor landing, and bum-rush Cosmo.
"Tch." Cosmo jumps straight up. He watches in amusement as the two collide with each other. Cosmo touches down and notices everyone else had taken off.
"Tch. What an irksome lot."
Yoshi's Office
"Hello father. How are you?"
"You have some nerve walking in here uninvited you insolent little shit. Be gone with you." Barks Yoshi.
"Come now father. We haven't seen each other nor spoken to each other in so long. And this is how you greet me. Your only son." Fuji, not waiting to be told, sits in one of the chairs across from his father, and props his feet up on the edge of the desk.
"Remove your feet from my desk and show some respect, unless you want me to beat it into you."
"You can try." Taunts Fuji. "But unless you take one of your precious potions you can't do much of anything when it comes to fighting."
"I still have enough fight left in me to beat your ass. So get out before I throw you out."
"I have a proposition for you."
"I don't give a damn about your proposition. I want nothing from you."
"Riho's alive. And I'll return her once you sign over everything to me."
Yoshi remains silent; thinking things through before asking. "What do you mean by everything?"
"I want it all. The title to this manor, the potion recipes, the workers who make them. I want everything you own. It's mine by birth rite."
"You lost that birth rite when you tried rapeing your little sister and then killed her and her husband years later."
"No!" Shouts Fuji pointing a finger at his father. "She was nothing more than common gutter trash, someone you took pity on and adopted. She is not of our blood. I am. Now give me what is rightfully mine or else!"
"Or else what? You'll go back to the colosseum and kill Riho. Well good luck with that cause she's no longer there."
For the first time since coming home Fuji is speechless.
"Now get out of my sight, and never come back." Said Yoshi.
"Then I'll just have to track her down and kill her."
"They'll kill you before you make it to shore."
"What nonsense are you babbling about now, old man."
A wry smile spreads across Yoshi's face. "I recently took a trip to the Harmonia Empire. That's Fuchi's homeland in case you're wondering. It's there that I learned that Fuchi was in fact Empress Rhea's niece. Making Riho her great niece and Ryo her great nephew. So trust me when I say you're already a deadman walking."
"You would allow them to kill your only son?" Asked Fuji.
"My son died a long time ago. The person before me is nothing more than a stranger. Now get the fuck off my property."
"Fine then I'll go." Fuji gets to his feet. "However… Dark Magic: Shadow Binding!!"
The shadows come to life, and bind Yoshi to his chair.
"However I'm burning this fucking place down."
Fuji pulls out a flask, takes a swig of the liquor; walks over to his father and pours the remaining contents on to his father. Fuji, grabs the oil lamp from the desk, walks a safe distance away, and throws it at his father. The lamp breaks, engulfing Yoshi in flames.
As Fuji leaves the manor he says. "Guess it's time for a proper father and daughter reunion."
****
At the docks in the Port Town of Yarrow
"Ryo, I just received word from Anna."
"What did she say, King?"
King hesitates. He looks at Izumi, then at Emmy, and then back at Ryo.
"Fuji set the Takashi Manor on fire. It's gone."
"What about my grandfather? Tell me he's ok, King."
"I-I." King falls silent.
"King, tell me." Tears start running down Ryo's cheeks. "Tell me he's ok. Please King."
"They can't find his body or Cosmo."
"Hey guys." Angel calls out. "I just found… what's with you guys? You like someone killed your cat."
Ryo turns his back to the group and stares out at the water.
"Is anyone gonna fill me in? What, did someone die or something?"
Izumi is the one who breaks the news. "Yeah Angel, someone did die. Ryo's uncle killed his father, and burned down their home."
"So what do we do now? Asked Emmy.
"I'm going back home." States Ryo as he continues staring at the water. "I need to begin making funeral arrangements, and handle anything else that will arise."
"What about your sister?" Asked Izumi.
"I'll let Brittany, Lucy, and Matsuri handle it on my behalf. I'm now the patriarch of the Takashi family. I have duties I must attend to. And besides there's no point in bringing my sister home, when there's no home to bring her back to."
"All right. I'm going back with you." Said King.
"Same here."
"I will join you as well." Said Emmy. "I owe your sister a story after all."
"I'll go too. Not like I have anything better to do." Remarks Angel.
"Um, excuse me. Are you King by chance?"
Standing before them is a boy, twelve or perhaps thirteen years old.