A renewed sense of purpose pulsed through her body as Shinobu soared towards the top of the tower, she could smell him,  sweaty and weary from his fight with Hideto,  it was the perfect opportunity to strike and get the retribution she yearned for.

“No I can’t fall here.”   A familiar voiced staggered between labored shallow breaths,  it was Aeolus his voice stricken with desperation.   Shinobu pondered her next move for a few moments before deciding to rescue the stranded kitty.

“Such a futile resistance” Drake said his voice overflowing with arrogance,  it was a three against one battle with Drake leading the charge will Lilith and Beatrice provided long range support.   The idea of slaughtering them crossed her mind but she wanted answers so she stayed the notion for the time being.  

“I.. I don;’t understand,  Why would you betray us?” Aeolus said hunched over his quivering legs barely able to support him.   “You don’t need to know that,  Goodbye Aeolus”.    Drake burst forth his blade drawn aimed straight for the kitties neck.

In the moment before the blade would slit his throat Mari appeared catching the blade between her finger tips causing the momentum of the blade to halt within an instant.     “Such a flimsy little blade, much like it’s wielder.”  Shinobu snickered shattering the blade in dozens of shards.

“M..Mari!  But how, You’re supposed to be dead.”  Drake stammered lurching backwards regrouping with the other traitors who each looked as surprised and pale as Drake.  

“The world is full of supposed Drake,  Like how I was supposed to be able to trust the three of you.”

Drake returned his feet his face twisted into a grimacing scowl “I don’t know how she survived and I don’t care,  Let’s combine our magic and see an end to the both of them.”   Lilith and Beatrice nodded.

Finding their commitment to treachery amusing Shinobu gave them time to prepare their little onslaught, gesturing for Aeolus to stand behind her. 

After a little preperation time the spell was ready.   “Now taste this Sturm Trinity”  

 A sizable beam of light, water and flame rushed towards Shinobu who merely raised her arm and grinned.

They had learned about Sturm Trinity in Offensive Arts,  it’s the term given to any combination attack comprised of three separate elements,  it combines the positive attributes of three elements for maximum destructive potential.

Shinobu tanked the hit without moving an inch absorbing the brunt of the attack before reducing the blast into a small sphere  that fit in the palm of her hand.  

“That tickled,  Oh how rude of me stealing from you like that,  Here you can have it back,  Only let me ad a little spice to it.”   Shinobu added a little of her own void magic to the mix dyeing the sphere  black.  

“I was going to let you live but I changed my mind,  You three can just die!”   And with that Shinobu returned fire sending their Sturm Trinity  hurling towards them.  

  “No I don’t want to die here, Not like this.”  Beatrice cried.   Drake seemed to have shut down while Lilith looked on apathetically.

Moments before impact a blinding flash of light erupted, The Sturm Trinity was nullified and standing between Shinobu and her former friends was a figure clad from toe to crown in radiant steel amour, their head masked by a helmet with Valkyrie Wings.

“Who... are you?” Beatrice stuttered wiping her tears and picking herself up from her knees.

“I am an ally,  I will not permit the three of you to perish here,  Now quickly grab onto me.”

The trio wasted no time in clutching onto the mysterious figure and as quickly as they came,  they started to vanish into the same white light.    

“And where do you think you’re going!”  Shinobu bellowed launching her spiked tendrils.  

“There will come a time for us to clash but it is not today, Good Night, Witch of the Void”  The Masked Defender said their voice smooth like a river stone.

And with those cryptic words the masked figure had disappeared as quickly as they’d come taking those treacherous bastards along with them.  If she had launched the attack a moment sooner, no there was no point in dwelling on that.

“Mari they said you where dead,  I’m so glad to see you.”   Aeolus said stumbling towards her.

“Shut up Kitty,  I don’t have time to explain so listen,   You’re such a good boy and I don’t want you die so flee, run away from here and don’t look back.  Shinobu raised her hands and cupped his bloodied cheeks softly.  

“You want me to flee like a mongrel when the Empire’s on it’s last legs?”  Aeolus protested.   

“Sorry Kitty,  I really wanted to avoid this, but you forced my hand.”   Shinobu sighed

A single chop to the back of the neck was enough to render the passionate kitten unconscious.  

“Schatten Zwei” A crisp snap of her fingers summoned two shadows that bore Shinobu’s image

“Take him faraway from the Empire,  Kill any who try to do him harm and shield him until he awakens.”   The shadows nodded scooping up the boy and making a speedy retreat.

“All loose ends tied up,  Time for the main Performance”  Shinobu said licking her lips.

Breaking one of the corridor windows with her fists she once again soared through the night to the top of the tower and a most fateful reunion.