Marth towered above me, glowing. As the sun began its descent over the horizon, the former Samurai was the brightest light for miles. Apart from the crumbling stadium, there weren't any other signs of society for as far as my electric eyes could scan. No standing structures, no apartments, no homes; only the ruins of a city that had long since been destroyed. I looked up into Marth's crazed eyes. I shuddered at the thought of how long the man I'd known had been absent from his own mind. Like the whispering remains of the city in the distance, it looked like only the shell of Marth remained.

    It was an intimidating shell to be sure as the Samurai scowled, "You do intend to finish what you've started, don't you Gene?" His aura, less intense than his nuclear meltdown within the stadium still gave off substantial heat. In my damaged state, I managed to propel myself up onto my feet and subtly back away. More frightening then the heat, Marth had more alarming questions that needed to be answered for.

    I started off small, not wanting to antagonize Marth further; "I always finish what I start. Are you still confident in your role, your mission?"

    With his hands on his hips, Marth released a hearty chuckle, "Of course, friend Gene. Of course. After all, the purpose of man is to gain strength and overcome his opponents. That is our mission. Until our opponent is overcome, my devotion to the mission remains ironclad."

    Scanning the area for our fellow teammates, for Luna, I kept myself at a safe distance from Marth. At least I was out of arm's reach. Even with my false body, my enhanced strength, I stood little chance against a man who could bring down an entire stadium on his own. In a direct flight, Marth would easily pulverize me without a second thought. Understanding where his mind and thoughts were now was the only thing that might keep me alive.

    Pushing through the pain that surged through me, I asked a more direct question; "Just how far are you willing to compromise yourself to gain strength Marth?"

    Deadly serious, but with the slightest hint of remorse, he admitted, "There are no boundaries, nothing I won't give to see the mission to the end, Gene. That I promise you."

    That was surprisingly transparent. I almost didn't believe it. I couldn't. My ears and mind tried to reject what they had heard as I asked a second time, "You would align yourself with-- You'd summon the entity that killed me to gain more power?"

He looked surprised. Surprised? Really? Was Marth honestly caught off guard by my allusion to the Obsidian Angel? Did he actually think we wouldn't notice?

His mouth turned down into a scowl, eyes darting away; "Gene, you don't understand. You couldn't possibly understand..."

    I kept my attention evenly split between Marth while continuing to scan for Luna, Kazuna, Midnight, and Karma. What if they hadn't made it out? I couldn't waste time trying to pry the truth out of Marth. It may have been vital to our survival in the long run, but what I needed to know was how many of us had survived at all. On the other hand, if Marth was still under the influence of the Obsidian Angel, any sudden move could end in disaster. Cautiously, I circled around Marth in a wide arc, positioning myself closer to the ruins of the stadium.

    My best bet was to keep Marth distracted. At this moment knowing where his allegiance lie was equally vital to knowing the status of my missing teammates. Calmly, I asked, "Help me understand, Marth. We're still on the same team, aren't we? Enlighten me to your motives."

    Pleading, almost distraught Marth howled, "My motives are to serve, Gene!" His hands were shaking. He stared down at them as if questioning whether they were still his own; "You. The team. Misfits taken from across time and worlds beyond... " He looked back up at me, wounded, "Bound by the Seven Virtues of Bushido, I will not betray my commitment to honor my family, to honor the team."

    Even in his distraught state, I had to hold Marth accountable. If he couldn't see that his actions didn't match his values, I'd have to make the situation invariably clear; "Marth, to summon that entity was a violation of your virtues! You must know that when you invoke something that doesn't align with your principals of honor and justice--"

    Marth's mood swing came down faster than a lumberjack's ax, screaming, "Do not lecture me on the principals of Chugi, of Meyio, of Bushido, Gene-San!"

My back was to the stadium now while I kept my eyes intently on Marth. Within my mind's eye, I tried to access the status of my only practical countermeasure to Marth's overwhelming power. Unfortunately, an error code ran across my field of vision. My right arm had suffered significant internal damage. No concussion gun. Barely any strength left to run, let alone stand. I had to calm Marth down.

Taking a breath, I asked point blank, "Then explain it to me Marth. Why would you summon him? Out of all the powers you already possess, why him?"

Still breathing heavy, the samurai became unnervingly quiet. His head hung low, fists clenched tight, Marth spoke soft and steady, "I wasn't strong enough."

Wasn't strong enough? I just watched him melt a hole, a massive chasm beneath a stadium to disappear a beast the size of a skyscraper. How much more strength could one man possibly need? How do you blur the lines between too much and not enough so badly too accept a deal from any devil that makes an offer? How weak would you truly have to be to accept such an offer of power from a killer, a fiend, the monstrosity that was the Obsidian Angel?

I held Math's gaze, "Your only weakness was failing to believe in yourself and your team."

The Samurai shook his head, "My actions were executed FOR the team! For my family."

"No," a winded voice spoke up from behind me. Limping forward from the rubble of the demolished stadium, Karma appeared. His clothes were tattered; face covered in ash, blood, and sweat. In his right hand, the Shinobi clutched a curved piece of rusted rebar about a meter long. His voice was hoarse as Karma pointed the bent metal at Marth; "You've broken the tenants of Bushido allying yourself with the Obsidian Angel. You've conspired with our enemy and have been compromised, Marth Yagami, demon lord."

Marth insisted, "You know not of what you speak, Assassin!" Dropping into his fighting stance, Karma lifted the rebar up, prepared to strike. Laughing, the Shogun mocked, "The last time you killed me, it was with your family's blade. And, you had help. Don't present threats you can't execute without your father's weapon."

Thick, dark clouds had begun to roll in through the skies above. Distant rumblings of thunder could be heard beyond the ruined city and lonely forest.

Karma narrowed his eyes, focusing on Marth's neck, "My family blade is a tool. My body is the weapon, traitor."

Lightning flashed across the sky. A thunder clap followed quickly after as thin drops of rain began to fall over this new battlefield. Karma wasn't helping deescalate the situation. I had to redirect this confrontation before it went from bad to worse.

Stepping between the two warriors, I asked the more important question; "Karma, where are the others? Where's Luna?"

Without shifting his gaze from Marth, Karma answered sternly, "They're safe. No thanks to Marth. His recklessness nearly killed--"

I stepped over his words, "--KARMA, where is she? Is Luna okay?"

Something darker spoke up from behind me. It was Marth's voice, but something else slipped through too: something less than human. In a mocking voice, both Marth and this new presence reprimanded me, "You talk of staying loyal to the team, Gene-san? We all know where your true loyalty lies. Your singular affection for the She-Wolf presents a far greater danger than myself."

Karma snapped, "You will not pivot your failures onto Gene!"

Marth's ambient energy began to increase, heatwaves igniting the foliage about a meter around where he stood. I saw him reach for his holster. Did Marth forget that our weapons had been confiscated at the hospital by Inspector Spades? No. No, he didn't forget. He was fully aware of his actions as Marth's hand reached back and withdrew, or rather conjured a sword made entirely of flame.

Both warriors were ready and willing to kill one another. I hadn't the strength to physically overpower either one of them, but I wasn't ready to let anyone else die today. I planted my feet and raised my voice, "Both of you! This isn't happening. Not now. We're on the same team and we're still on mission. Jenkins is still out there. If we stand a chance of beating him, we have to stand together."

Neither Samurai or Shinobi moved a muscle.

But Marth was right, my attention was singular. I would do everything in my power to keep anyone else from dying, however my heart, mind, and spirit belonged to Luna. At this moment, only Karma knew where she was.

I would ask one last time. If I didn't get an answer, I'd have no choice but leave these too bloodthirsty warriors to their own devices. The woman I longed for was out there, somewhere and what kind of man would I be if all my strength and power was not dedicated to keeping her safe?

Breaking my attention from Marth, I pleaded with Karma, "Please, tell me what happened to Luna? Where is she Karma?"

Marth shouted, "You see? You see how he mewls for her? I was Shogun of Mikawa Province, destined to unite the Eastern Shoreline and all of Japan! I've centuries of experience in war, battle... Does the Host of Heaven, does Libra select me to lead his forces? NO! He charges this mortal instead, who has already died once before--"

Karma stepped in, "We've all died before. Unlike you, Demon Lord, we chose to die to our former selves and serve Libra. You've only served yourself." Another thunder clasp, this time much closer to our new battlefield. The storm's intensity grew exponentially. Pools of water formed on the rich soil beneath our feet. Steam hissed off Marth's back as the rain continued to pour, and his anger steadily grew.

Without breaking eye contact, Karma pitched his voice in my direction, "She's safe, Gene. They're all safe.The one you love, lies unconscious on the west side of the stadium.'" Gripping the makeshift katana tighter, Karma released a resolute sigh, resigning himself to what he believed had to be done; "Now, I must fulfill my oath to ensure their safety. Seishikina sayōnara, Gene-san."

    Faster than anyone could perceive, there was a sudden burst of wind, blowing a jetstream of water back behind where Karma once stood. In the blink of an eye, he was gone.
Looking to Marth, I noticed he had also barely moved. There was one key difference; his blade had dropped from ready stance, to where it had finished its downward stroke. The demon lord's flaming blade continued to hiss and send steam up into the air. Marth remained still. His flaming blade held its position at the conclusion of its strike.

    Shifting focus, I saw the outline of Karma now standing behind Marth. He too remained motionless. The Rebar however, tumbled out from the Shinobi's grasp. As the heavy rain beat down upon Karma's shoulders, rolling down his back, so too fell his head.
I watched from where I'd stood between the two warriors. Karma's body crumpled into the rich soil, falling forward into the earth. The sun fully set. What little light there was left on this tragic battlefield vanished as Marth's blade of fire faded away.

    Storm clouds had fully eclipsed the evening sky. Hardly any light remained. Only the dimming aura of radiant hellfire pulsing off Marth illuminated my immediate surroundings. I watched as Marth fell forward, hands out and palms raised up as he petitioned the sky with a whisper, "Mercy."

    Words failed me. There was nothing left to say. I had just failed both of my teammates.

    Approaching from behind, a familiar voice rang out from the present darkness: "Gene! Marth? Karma? Anyone?" Footsteps continued to trounch through the now mud covered field. I felt Midnight's hand upon my shoulder. I couldn't bring myself to face her. Out of my peripheral, I saw Kazuna carrying Luna in her arms.

    Setting down Luna on the soil not yet overcome by mud and water, Kazuna asked, "Marth, Gene, where's Karma?"

    Marth continued to silently plead forgiveness to whoever was listening.

    Every string within my heart was ready to snap as I answered quietly, "He didn't make it."