|Sanguine Dragon Bar|

Cul arrived at the bar without being noticed. She was seated at the table nearest to the rightmost corner of the stage. Together with her blue titanium sword and Yuuma, where in that time was unconsciously seated beside her, she silently waited to see Meiko.

After a minute, the bar owner gone out of the door from the bar station holding an aluminium bucket and a sponge.

"Let's start the party..." she sang, walking in between the tables, scattered along the floor.

Meiko was smiling bright as she was looking at the space, starting from the left. The moment her eyes had struck to the right side where Cul was seated, her smile had started to be tainted with a hidden irk, trying to conceal her true feeling to her failure to weaken Cul.

Meiko stopped from walking any further and just stared at her. Cul returned a very provocative smile and placed her left hand behind Yuuma.

"Surprised?" Cul asked.

"Not really.."

"Let's have some bonding moment, shall we?"

Meiko shrugged. "Well, if that is what you want, I'll bring the drink. Wait up.."

• • •

While her index finger was tracing the rim of the glass, Meiko asked her.
"Why is that guy here Crimson?"

She looked out the window and watched the birds flying towards the sinking sun. "I brought you the guy I think you would want to have."

"Was that the person I wanted to-" Meiko trailed off, recalling something on Cul's statement.

Cul gripped Yuuma's hair at the back. "Exactly Vermilion. This is the person responsible for the death of your little sister. This is the guy who made you a monster, a killer."

Hearing Cul's reveal, Meiko stopped on trailing the rim of her glass and silent tears had started to fall down and mix together with her drink.

"I know the pain of losing someone. I have witnessed the pains of the heart countless of times. Anger only ignites your desire to kill, to mindlessly obey what master wants to be done while finding your own way to closure..." Cul said, then she let go of her hand at the guy's hair.

She reached for her glass and continued. "... Ever since you started to our group, seeking vengeance to the death of Sakine was your true goal. Seeing this guy dead is what you want."

Still her head held down, Meiko speaks in a depressed manner. "That is all true. I just joined The Red Squad to find him, to find the source of why I became like this. To put at end at my suffering of losing my little sister because of what he had done. I am too tired to be a puppet."

"If you are tired of this, so do I Miss Meiko." Cul said.

"But what can I do, Crimson, tell me," she painfully said, "How can I live my destroyed life if I won't give justice to Sakine!"

"Your long tiring journey had already ended; I already brought you to the end Miss Meiko. This is the reason why I came here." Cul said, Meiko wept while looking at her. "Now, I will hand you over this guy and I hope you will have a closure on your desire to have justice on your beloved sister. This guy is still alive, you can do whatever you want to him. He was the last member of 'The Renegades' and my mission of wiping them off the face of Vocesai is already completed."

Cul drank the last cup of saké and stood up. She went behind Meiko then hugged her loose above the waist, having her face close to Meiko's.

"I know this job isn't really fit for a beautiful and sexy woman like you." Cul whispered to Meiko's ear. "You deserved to be happy and not feeling these kind of failures, especially failing to kill me."

"You... know?" Meiko faintly said, shocked. "H-ow..."

"Like I told you when you were on your training Miss Meiko, the skills you're using was too obvious that if other members came to shut you down, you will have a lesser chance to survive. You're so lucky that master bothered you up to do the kill."

"Lucky? What do you mean by that..." Meiko said, ashamed. "I failed on you."

Cul made a small smile. "Haven't you seeing the point here Miss Meiko? You are not fit for this business. Master wasn't just aiming to kill me."

Meiko lifted her head in disbelief.

She continued while looking over the stage, still hugging Meiko from behind. "Remember what I had taught you about diversionary strategy?"

"Yes," Meiko softly said, "If both targets are threats, use their weaknesses to your advantage."

"Exactly the same concept master had used on us."

"You mean-"

"Obviously yes, Miss Meiko" Cul said, "We are both threats to her: I am the strongest of all the members of the Squad and you are the weakest. I heard master talking to the leader of the Red Squad..."

"Lotus.." Meiko mumbled.

"...and that night master proposed a fake order to dispose us both without noticing their plan. Master wants to get rid of you because of your poor skills in this job. Master said to Lotus that you can put the whole group in danger if the enemy captures you."

"So, just as I assumed to myself..."

"So master gave you this assignment of killing me- which is pretty ridiculous." Cul said, "Come to think of it: an amateur against me, who do you think will win?"

"You, apparently."

"Who do you think will bathe in her own blood after that?"

"It's me, no doubt."

"So this is what master wants to happen: master wants you to kill me; whoever stayed alive between the two of us after the fake order will be killed also. It means, she wants us dead in the first place; master is using the fake order to set things in motion."

"But... Why Crimson?"

"Master thought that I am a threat to the group so master wants to take me down."

Still her arms hanging loose, Meiko asked her, "How do you handle this kind of situation? I- already attempted to kill you but... you're still here, helping me to get what I want and protecting me?"

"The answer to that is very simple..." Cul slowly said, "I have my set of reasoning; I know if it is needed or not, whether to do it or leave it. Secondly, it is a fake order to you after all Miss Meiko, it's not your will. Don't worry, I understand."

After her statement, Meiko had wept and Cul hugged her tighter.

"Miss Meiko Mirai, you are only hard and fierce outside but here," Cul calmly said, placing her one hand at Meiko's chest. "You are a loving and kindhearted person."

Her weeping continued to fill the space of the bar as all her bottled heartaches throughout her life had spilled all over, manifesting on Meiko's very strange aura that moment, the heart of a loving sister and not a reluctant killer.

"Its okay, Meiko. Let it all out. I'm here for you. You can have peace at your heart after this. You don't need to do this anymore, and from this day forward, you will be a very gorgeous happy woman. Just.. Hang in there. Everything will be alright. I will take care of the problem. And let's face tomorrow with a new start."

|Vocesai School|

Done in placing all the items at the open space of the school, Ritsu had rested himself at the back of the truck, shirtless while Kaito and Haku were checking some minor details at the stage, placed in front of the school fountain.

"This is a very difficult day I suppose." Kaito said, looking far to the stalls.

"Indeed difficult Sir Kaito, yet we still have around twenty minutes before sundown.." Haku said.

Using the remaining light of the sun, he made one last check at the event setup, Haku placed the excess planks at the below the stage.

"I think we have done it right." Kaito said, pleased. "The stage should be in front of the fountain with a three hundred meter margin and the stands were arranged in a slanted manner making a trapezoidal type of setup."

"We did it already, enough said," Ritsu loudly said, laid at the back of his truck, looking at the bats that flies around. "Ahh.. At least I do have my rest! I'm thankful I was needed here and away from Tei."

Kaito closed the folder and went towards the truck, Haku followed.

He looked at Ritsu. "We have to go now. Me and the others at the shop needs to plan out many things for the event tomorrow morning. We will just return the folder tomorrow, the principal's office was already locked."

Ritsu placed his hand at his chest and sighed. "Just when I enjoying my rest. But still, a day without Tei is a well-worthy rest."

Ritsu gone up then jumped off the back of the truck. He then went in the driver's seat while his shirt was clung at his left shoulder.

Ritsu looked at Haku and Kaito. "Hop in..."

When the two had entered the backseat of the vehicle, Kaito asked, "You will drive shirtless?"

"Yeah." He simply replied, starting on the engine. "Driving shirtless."

"Was that even legal?"

"Yes, for me." Ritsu said, followed with a smile. "My ride, my rules."

Without a warning, Ritsu revved up the engine and left the school at high speed.

Travelling back, Haku asked Kaito, "Was it okay to leave those stalls there?"

He smiled. "Don't worry, the janitor and the school security will take care of it. Besides, who would mind stealing something from there. Its just empty stalls and wooden platforms. There is nothing really worth to steal."

"You are right indeed.." Haku mumbled, turning her sight to the trees at the side of the road.

• • •

When they arrived at the shop, Haku saw Cul inside the store, standing at the liquor section, keenly looking at a certain wine bottle. When Cul sensed someone was looking on her, she turned her sight.

"Oh Haku!" Cul said while still holding the bottle, followed by a smile.

"I am glad you came even though you're such a busy person." Haku said, Akiko was looking at Cul from the counter.

Cul approached and patted her right shoulder three times. "Don't worry about my schedules Haku. If it is for you and the school, I am more willing to help you and your friends."

Then, Kaito entered the store and Tei instantly saw him from the staircase.

"MY handsome KAITO-KUN!" Tei said while running towards him with open arms.

"E..he..eh." Kaito mumbled before Tei could hug her.

"Oh boy..." Cul said.

Tei jumped at Kaito and both of them landed down at the entrance being she above Kaito, hugging him.

"H-help!" Kaito said with squeals, catching some air, Gumi went to help. "Ugh... I need some air... Tei is.... too heavy!"

Haku smiled uneasily to Cul. "He's okay. Those things normally happens here."