A room within the Susanoo Familia home.

"So, Ai, you are confirmed to be a couple, right?" Asked Astraea.

"Yes," she said with as much courage as she could. "I can say it with confidence."

"You seem nervous." Said Artemis.

Artemis noticed that Ai was tapping her finger.

"I am… still nervous talking about this so openly. But can I ask you something, Lady Artemis?"

"Hm? What is it?"

"Can I ask... why you are here?"

"Well, I—"

"She wanted to come!" Astraea interjected. "She sees Cirrus as a close pupil!"

"Right! Yes, a pupil! And I wish the best for him and for all this to be settled without trouble!" She said, gaining some of her composure back.

"Well, I think everyone is fine with it; it’s just that... Lady Kaguya is against me and Cirrus being... um together." She turned her head away from them, but they could see how red her face was for saying what she did.

Artemis felt a slight pang when she said "together."

 ‘It’s nothing. Thump-thump! Thump-thump! Ignore it, ignore it.’

"Well, I suggest you talk to her about it," Astraea said.

"I think that is also the best course of action. Ai, I may not know much about you or even Kaguya, but I know a person is only ever that mad when it’s about someone they care deeply for." Artemis spoke calmly and clearly, keeping her emotions in check.

"Look at you! When did you get so good at reading people!" Astraea spoke so proudly of Artemis.

"I-it’s not important right now! What is, is Ai, Cirrus, and Kaguya." Artemis steered the conversation back on track.

"I think you, Ai, should be the one to clean the air. Cirrus and Kaguya get along with each other like actual siblings. They always settle any dispute they have on their own time and terms, usually in insults, but eh? You however need to address how Kaguya still sees you, as that is the major friction with all of this."

"Yes, Astraea and Susanoo have no qualms with you two being in an r-relationship," Artemis said as she struggled to say that last word. "Kaguya, however, is very protective of you."

"… Alright, I'll do it right now!" Ai made a resolute face. She gets up and walks out the door.

"Well, no better time to get it over with is here and now, right, Artemis?" Astraea looked over at Artemis, who was sweating a bit. "Artemis, are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, um, I'm good, but um... Yeah, there's no better time to get it over and done with." Emotions stirred within her as she thought about this whole situation. "… I will be going now. We got word that some merchants connected to Evilus left the city." Artemis gets up herself and leaves.

"Take care!"

"Hm."

As Artemis leaves, she can see her, and Astraea’s Familia makes a circle.

"Girls! We’re leaving! We have a merchant to hunt down!"

They quickly turned to her.

"Yes! Lady Artemis!"

They all quickly followed Artemis. Artemis glances back to see Ai confront Kaguya.

'Why is my heart telling me to root for you to fail? Tch!'

She left the home angry at having such thoughts about a young couple.

 

Standing in the wooden training area, Ai confronts Kaguya, who is surrounded by the Astraea and Susanoo Familia.

"Ai-chan, for your good, dump him!" Kaguya said sternly.

"No! I can make my own decisions!" Ai refuted.

"You have not seen what he can do! The things he—"

"I can say the same to you, Lady Kaguya! I know what the Gojouno Family practices!"

"That is not who I am! I do it for the peace of this city!"

"Cirrus is the same! I don’t understand why you don’t like him!"

"Our views may align, but me and him are not the same!"

"You're denying it!!" Shouted Lyra.

"Yeah! You two share a damn near identical view on justice!" shouted Neze.

"Yeah! You two are two peas in a pod!!" Shouted Alise.

"Quiet!! Our views are not the same! I will never acknowledge that!! And you, Ai! You are too young to make your own choices!"

"You are two years older than me! And you've never been in a relationship before, so who are you to talk to!"

"Ooooh!!!" The Familia’s all said.

Kaguya grew a bit red in the face.

"I am devoted to justice! As you should too!"

"Excuses! What right do you have to dictate my love life when you don’t even have one or any concept of it?"

"I don’t need to tell you what is good for yourself!"

"Bullshit! If I listened to you, I wouldn’t be a level higher than you!"

"Grr!!" Kaguya was getting more angry. "Fine! I can admit that! You are a level higher than me, but I am more experienced in life than you!"

"Stop making shitty excuses!! Tell me right here and now why! Why don’t you want me to be with him, and why can't you get along with him?"

"… No. I stand by my own words. If you want to show me you are mature enough to make your own choices, then make me."

"Tch! Fine then! There is only one way left!" She got her sword and tossed it to the side. "Lady Kushida, tell Lord Susanoo to seal my status!"

"!?"

"I see how it is, Alise! Tell Lady Astraea the same thing!" Kaguya said, tossing anything to inhibit her movement.

The two captains did as they wanted, and their Falna’s were sealed. They immediately felt their bodies get heavier. With bodies no longer being supported by Falna, they return to just being weak meat sacks.

 

They both stand before one another with their fists tight and ready to be thrown.

"…"

"…"

They both look intensely at one another.

"Ai I suggest you-gah!?" Kaguya got a kick in the stomach.

"The time for talking is over!! Raah!!"

"Grr!!"

Ai reeled back her leg and came in with several punches. Kaguya gritted her teeth and held her arms out, blocking the strikes.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Kaguya then kicked Ai in the shin.

"Ahh!"

"Don’t get cheeky!!" Kaguya took the brief opening to begin her counter.

"!"

Kaguya quickly stepped into her personal space and grabbed her collar.

"Haaa!!" With all of her strength, she flung Ai over her shoulder.

Thud!

Ai stopped herself from slamming into the ground by stopping her fall with her feet.

"Grr!!" Sadly, Ai doesn’t have the strength of her Falna.

"Get down!!" Kaguya elbowed Ai’s face. "Thud!"

"Gah!" Ai fell to the ground.

"Stay down!!" Kaguya stomped on her.

"Stay! Thud!! Down! Thud!! Stay! Thud!! Down! Thud!! Stay! Thud!! Down! Thud!! This! Thud!! Hurts! Thud!! Me!  Thud!! More! Thud!! Than! Thud!! You!! Thud!!"

Ai quickly balled up and covered her most vital spots.

"Grrr!!" She bore with the hits as the stomps waned in strength. The very moment she heard her begin to breathe heavily, Ai made her move.

Ai grabbed her left foot and pulled it towards her as she was coming in for another stomp.

"!?" She lost her balance, and now she was on the ground.

Much like Kaguya, Ai took full advantage.

"Grit those teeth!!" She climbed onto her like an MMA fighter and laid into her.

Kaguya quickly covered her face as Ai swung down.

"Thud!! Thud!! Thud!! Thud!! Thud!! Thud!! Thud!! Thud!! Thud!! Thud!! Thud!! Thud!! Thud!! Thud!! Thud!! Thud!! Stop blocking!!" Ai grabbed her hands and tried to pry her hands apart.

Kaguya took this chance and quickly spread her arms wide, bringing Ai in close, and she came in and head-butted her nose.

"Ahh!! Dammit!"

"Haa!!! Thud!!" Kaguya, with her open hand, punched Ai off her.

Ai rolled off of her, holding her nose.

"Huff!! Huff!!" Kaguya slowly gets back up, looking down on Ai. "You are too young! You shouldn’t have done this without your Falna!"

"Stop lecturing me!!" Ai said, slowly picking herself up with a bloody nose. "You never saw me as me! I am not your little sister!! I don’t need your damn help anymore!"

"Yes, you do!! You are fighting, and he isn’t here for you!!"

"Because he knows and trusts me to handle it!!!"

Kaguya could see Cirrus with Susanoo in the corner of her eye. He glanced over their way before going into a room with Astraea.

"See he—"

"Thud!!!" Ai hit her right on the chin. "Look at me!!!"

"!?!?" Kaguya could feel a swarm of ants crawling up her leg. She could see the sky getting further away from her as the ground welcomed her. "Thud!" She looked to see Ai back on her, tears streaming down her face.

"Raaaah!!! Thud!! Thud!! Thud!! Thud!! Thud!!" Ai laid into her. "You’re not the only one whose heart aches from doing this!! Thud!! Thud!! Thud!! Thud!! I love you, Kaguya! But I am my own person!! Thud!! Thud!! Thud!! Thud!! I don’t need your help or your guidance!!!! Ahhhh!!! Thud!!! Crack! Ahhh!!!"

Using her head, literally. Kaguya headbutted Ai’s fist as hard as she could, causing it to fracture.

"Haaa!! Thud!!" Kaguya punched her off.

"Huff!! Huff!! Huff!!"

They both looked very exhausted and bloody. Ai had a bloody nose, a fractured knuckle, and bruises across her body. Kaguya had some light bruises across her body, but her face was severely battered. Ai had busted up her right eye and lip, and she was also generally exhausted from exerting so much more energy than Ai.

They both crawled away from one another to pick themselves up.

"Huff!! Huff!! Huff!!"

Both Familia’s were surprised they still wanted to fight.

Kaguya looked to see Ai back up as well. She still has that fire in her eyes to win.

‘You really aren’t the Ai I remembered… Why? Why did you love him, of all people? We may have a similar view, but his hands are far more stained than even I or my family could stomach. I… I…’

A distant yet still-fresh memory comes up.