An Assassin's Respite

Operation Success

Kagura rushes to Kazuna, frantically looking for a way to let him down without causing him pain. His wounds had not been tended to, and he looked starved and dehydrated. She started to fear that they may have been too late until Kazuna slowly lifts his head. Seeing him move shook Kagura out of her trance, and she got to work.

"Emiko! Get over here; we're going to cut the chains at the same time." She orders.

"Right," Emiko says as she rushes over.

"Haruna, freeze the door. They probably have something that alerts them if Kazuna's restraints are broken. We'll need that extra time to get on with phase two." Kagura states.

"Understood," Haruna says as she begins freezing the door shut.

"What... are you idiots... doing here?" Kazuna asks weakly.

"Obviously, we're here to save you," Kagura says as she and Emiko cut Kazuna's restraints. 

Kagura catches him and holds him up.

"You all... shouldn't have come." He groans.

He was clearing in a lot of pain. He was barely audible, and he couldn't even hold himself up.

"There was no way that we were just going to sit there and let you die," Kagura states as she presses on her earpiece.

"We have Kazuna, start phase two." She says as she begins to lug Kazuna forward.

"Someone like me... deserves to be left... to die." He says.

"Sure you've done some unforgivable things in your past, and maybe you should be punished, but no one deserves to be all alone in this world. Not even you." Kagura states as she crouches by the door next to the others.

They wait there for a couple of minutes when an alarm goes off. 

"Looks like they started with the distraction," Ayanami notes.

They wait for just another minute or two before Haruna unfreezes the door, and they move out, not exactly sure where they are.

"So, how exactly do we get out?" Emiko asks.

"Honestly, I don't know." Kagura states.

"Then... take me... to my swords," Kazuna suggests.

"That's right, they're like your lifeline, right?" Kagura asks.

"Guess we can't leave them then," Ayanami notes.

"Follow me; I shall lead you to them." Karma states.

The others nod and follow Karma carefully while doing their best to evade the frantic movement of the guards and scientists in the base. After a minute or so, they reach a room that had a glass wall and door. Inside, the swords were in separate clear chambers.

Haruka heads to the control panel and forces the cases open. Ayanami rushes over and grabs the swords, and the group once again search for their way out.

"Go... left," Kazuna says as their path splits in two directions.

"Are you sure?" Kagura asks.

"Yes. I remembered... the way in. If we go in reverse... we can get out." Kazuna explains.

"I can't even remember how to get around school." Emiko states.

"In any case, let's get moving. Personally, I don't want to run into Zer." Ayanami says. 

And with that, the group continues onward, following Kazuna's directions and narrowly avoiding guards on the way. They reach the front door where they're welcomed by Ms. Saugoma who had managed to blow a hole in the wall and had the attention of multiple guards.

"Took you all long enough." She states as she crushes a guard with a massive boulder. 

"So that's why there didn't seem to be as many guards as we were expecting." Kagura notes.

The guards turn around to see them with the injured Kazuna.

"They have the bosses prisoner, stop them!" One guard shouts. But before he can run to them, Chiyo blasts him with a jet stream of water.

"I think you mean we have our friend." She states.

Kagura's group uses this opportunity to group up with Ms. Saugoma, Chiyo, and now Shiba, who had just shown up.

"Woah, Kazuna, you look terrible," Shiba notes.

"Thanks," Kazuna replies.

"Let's save the reunion for later and get out of here." Ms. Saugoma shouts as she drops a guard in a sinkhole. 

Everyone follows Ms. Saugoma's suggestion and heads out the front door. Everything went so smoothly that it seemed too perfect. Just as this thought passed through Kagura's mids, she sees Zer come into view with two guards escorting Ayame, Akeno, and Ms. Katsuchi.

"I just knew that things were going too well," Kagura says through gritted teeth.

"So, that's where you were." Ms. Saugoma says.

"I must say, this little mission was pretty well thought out for the amount of preparation and people that were available." Zer states.

"How did he know where they were?" Shiba asks.

"Oh it was quite simple, once the alarm went off, I knew that you all must have had Kazuna already, so instead of searching for you all in my base I thought of a better idea." He states.

"And what's that?" Ms. Katsuchi asks.

Zer struts over to Ms. Katsuchi.

"I thought, why don't I break Kazuna. All his friends and his mother are here, surely losing all of them will do some damage." Zer says.

Everyone gasps in horror.

"So, you let us rescue Kazuna so that you could have us bring him here to witness our deaths?" Ms. Katsuchi gathers.

"Precisely. Oh, but of course, I have nothing against any of you. You all are just victims of circumstance, so don't harbor any ill will." Zer says.

Kagura and the others prepare themselves for a fight, but Kazuna musters his strength and walks forward.

"Ayanami, hand me... Kirin, the sword... I always use ." He mumbles.

Ayanami nods and hands him Kirin.

"Do you really intend to fight in that state? You won't last a second." Zer states as he draws one of his knives.

Karma appears next to Kazuna, and it seems as if Kazuna tells him something before he disappears.

"What are you doing Kazuna, you can't fight like that. Stand down, we'll think of something." Kagura shouts, but Kazuna doesn't back down.

He draws his sword, steadies his breathing, and stands tall.

"All these people... came to rescue me... when I don't deserve it. Honestly, it makes me happy. Even though I don't deserve it... Zer, I won't let you... take everything from me again." Kazuna states with a defiant look in his eyes.

"And how do you plan on beating me?" Zer asks.

"I am an assassin first... and a warrior second. Escape is always my first thought." Kazuna states.

Just as he says this, Kagura could hear a girl's voice she's never heard before tell her to close her eyes. She hesitates for a second before Kazuna lifts his sword and prepares to attack. Kagura quickly follows orders and closes her eyes. 

Not even a second later, she can hear Kazuna shout 'Flash' as a blinding light shines onto her closed eyelids. She can hear other people screaming, probably due to the brightness of the light.

After a few seconds, the light dims, and Kagura opens her eyes. She looks around and sees Zer and his men on the ground with their hands over their eyes.

"Damn you, Katsuchi!" Zer shouts in anger.

"Once again... you underestimated me," Kazuna says as he starts to fall over, but Kagura catches him before he hits the ground.

"Honestly, you're just so reckless. If you were a bit more cautious, things wouldn't have happened like this." Kagura states as she pulls his arm over her shoulder.

"Thank you... for coming," Kazuna says as he falls unconscious.

"Anytime," Kagura says with a smile on her face.

"All right, let's get out of here while they're still blinded." Ms. Katsuchi orders.

"Right." Everyone says in agreement as they head out.

"Katsuchi! This isn't over! Once I finish my research and I have everything in order, I'm coming for you! You hear me!" Zer shouts in anger.

The group continued onward, ignoring his threat until they reach their vehicles.

"Where to?" Ms. Saugoma asks before getting into her van.

"Just follow me, I'll take you to an acquaintance of Kazuna's." Ms. Katsuchi says. 

Ms. Saugoma nods as she makes sure everyone is accounted for before driving off after Ms. Katsuchi. They drive for about the same amount of time as when they left Kazuna's house before they reach their destination.

Everyone gets out and heads for the front door to a large house.

"So, who is this acquaintance?" Kagura asks.

"Someone that has treated Kazuna before. We can skip the explanations of what happened to him, and if anyone can heal him, it's her." Ms. Katsuchi answers as she knocks on the door.

After about thirty seconds of waiting and hearing what sounded like someone falling and something breaking, a woman in a lab coat opens the door. She had glasses with black hair twisted into two pigtails and an excessively large chest. 

"Can I-" She starts but immediately stops when she notices Kazuna. 

"Come in." She says while opening the door for them.