Ryosuke stared at the twins. His chest tightened—memory of Kaori hit him like a punch—but he couldn't gut children if there was any other way. He looked from one to the other, trying to find something human to reach. "My name is Ryosuke. What are yours?" he asked, his voice soft, the way a father speaks when he doesn't want to scare a child more than they already are.
Gemini stepped forward first, eyes wild and too hot. "It does not matter, dog! Tell us where your hideout is, or I will cut out you—" Her words tumbled out fierce and raw. Pisces lifted a hand and cut her off without yelling. He stepped up with a calm that didn't fit his age.
"Mr. Ryosuke. I am Pisces and this is my sister, Gemini. Now, I ask kindly, sir: tell us where your hideout is."
Ryosuke blinked. The boy's tone was almost polite, too measured, and for a moment Ryosuke couldn't tell if it was training or something colder. He looked past them to the upper exits he'd pointed people toward and watched Marlene jam Angelica onto her back, pistol up, moving like she used to when she was on a hit squad. Ryosuke had to decide and there were civilians depending on him.
"Children," he said, steady, hoping the words would land, "there are exits up there. Leave, now. Vanish from that cult and live. I beg you—don't make me hurt you. Go into the dunes. Start a life. Find a home. Leave death behind."
Gemini spat and started cursing, loud and hateful. "We will never leave the Grand Regent! Lord Mako is holy! You should be burned for doubting—" She kept going until she saw Pisces looking up at the exits, thinking, and she froze.
Pisces didn't look at Ryosuke when the words were said. Instead his eyes slid down to his boots and for a second he wasn't here at all. Two quick flashes ran through him: the first, him and Gemini at six, skinny and shivering by a tiny fire in a ruined alley, his sister curled into him to keep warm; the second, a mechanical tendril stretching out and wrapping around his small hand, a face bending close in the dark—Capricornus, smiling like salvation. The memory hit him like a choice he already made.
He swallowed and looked up. For a beat Ryosuke thought the boy might take the offer. Then Pisces straightened, voice flat and steady with no kid's falter at all.
"No. Me and my sister are home. We have a family. And you won't tell us where your hideout is. In addition, you bullied my sister. On those grounds I will take your life, in Mako's holy name."
Ryosuke let out a long, disappointed sigh. "So be it."
He lifted his sword over his head and drew it from the sheath, the black obsidian blade catching what little light remained. Then he turned toward the cluster of frightened civilians still huddled near the edge of the floor.
"All of you, go now. I can't escort you any further."
They hesitated for only a second before sprinting toward the stands. Gemini's eyes followed them, her expression twisting in irritation. "Don't run!" she shouted.
She swung her chain sickle with all her strength, sending it whipping through the air toward the fleeing crowd. Ryosuke's eyes widened. The servo in his mechanical leg let out a sharp whine as he launched forward. His blade met the sickle mid-flight, knocking it aside just before it could strike one of the civilians. He landed lightly and barked, "Go! Move!"
The group didn't look back. They rushed up the steps while Ryosuke placed himself between them and the two Zodiacs. Gemini yanked her sickle back, the chain rattling across the floor. Pisces began to circle around behind him, moving quietly, eyes locked. The twins spaced themselves twenty feet apart, closing him in from both sides. Ryosuke turned slowly, blade ready, keeping both of them in his line of sight as best he could.
For a moment, no one moved. Then Gemini tapped the large metal gauntlet on her arm. It hissed and fired a burst into the ground, launching her upward. She swung her sickle down like a whip. Ryosuke dodged, but the movement cost him sight of Pisces.
He turned just in time to see five blue knives flashing through the air. They came at his face fast—he raised his sword and caught them on the flat of the blade, sparks flying as they deflected away. Before he could recover, he heard the scrape of the chain above him. Gemini was already dropping from the air, her sickle coiled and ready to strike.
Ryosuke twisted, jumped, and caught her with a spinning kick that sent her crashing to the floor. "Child," he muttered under his breath.
Pisces didn't react. He stood a few paces away, calm, his red eyes fixed on Ryosuke. Reaching beneath his cloak, he drew another set of knives. Ryosuke's muscles tensed. The boy threw them in rapid succession—too quick to count—but Ryosuke cut and dodged through them, the blades clattering to the ground. When they finally stopped, Pisces stood motionless again, his hands empty.
Ryosuke's eyes narrowed. "I'll make it quick," he said quietly. "I'm sorry."
He took a step forward. Pisces didn't flinch. Instead, he crossed his arms, clicking his wrists together. The small devices there unfolded into mechanical gloves, locking over his hands with a metallic snap. A faint beeping followed.
"Die," Pisces said flatly.
He drew back his fist. Ryosuke heard the rush of air behind him—but too late. A knife sliced across his side before whipping back toward Pisces. Then all the knives that had hit the ground moments earlier began flying at him from behind, drawn back by some unseen force. Ryosuke twisted and dodged, the sound of blades cutting through air filling the space. A few grazed him before snapping neatly back into Pisces's hands.
Pisces caught each one between his fingers with practiced ease, staring at Ryosuke without a word. Ryosuke steadied his stance, eyes narrowing.
'He can retract them? That technology… it's beyond anything I've seen from the Council. Same with the girl's arm…'
He took in a deep breath and took a stance, his sword glistening.
'This will be much more difficult than I anticipated.'