♪♪♪

♪♪♪

“Only in dreams♪

Well see what it means♪

Reach out our hand–hold on to hers♪

But when we wake!♪

It’s all been erased♪

And so it seems♪

Only in dreams♪”

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

“Ten seconds or ten years, it’s all the same in here.” Sighs Shiryu after signing out a few lyrics 

“It’s like I’m in a perpetual dream,

I don’t mind it 

It feels like being in education system back home, 

My memories are easy and clear here, I can recall every conversation I’ve had song I’ve listened to, lesson I’ve learned

It’s so clear but… I can’t stay here not while leaving Pinoki in the city, and Aki…

She was right there….”

…

♪♪♪

“You can’t avoid her♪

She’s in the air♪

In between molecules of oxygen and carbon dioxide♪” Shiryu once again humming a tune

I remember when I was child, I heard this song only once, I liked the instruments but I hated the lyrics,

Why are signing about someone who isn’t real?

Why do they only exist in your dreams?

I thought it was dumb, still think it is,

But now I understand in my own interpretation

Maybe the idea I had of her was just that and idea, an ideal, a dream in my mind, in reality that person wasn’t real

“Why I am discussing this with myself?

Insanity is coming for me no”

“Surprised you haven’t already gone insane.” A feminine voice wafts into his hearing

“Who,

Who said that,. Who’s there?”

“Your in my arms right now Shiryu, why don’t you wake up and see.”

“I can’t, I’m trapped here.”

“You can now,

Open your eyes my love.”

“My…

Love…?”

…

…

“uh?”

Shiryu blinks awake 

His head is sunk into a woman’s lap, her arms around his neck

“Whe–” he begins 

“–See I brought him out now, we’ll let him decide,” the woman who holds him speaks…

A very familiar voice

“Agh,

Lamía?” Shiryu pulls himself away from the vampire, stumbling into the post scenes of fight 

The female vampire smiles at him playfully sitting on a throne, the emperor Cash’s throne, speaking of said emperor he lays a pale blue heap on the ground, if not for the faint breaths one would have assumed him to be dead,

Standing over him the vampire Dracula who’s fingers drip of flesh blood

(Dracula and Lamia here…)

“Shiryu.” Pinoki calls standing across from Dracula alongside Aki, they both have weapons brandished

“What’s going on here?

What did I miss?”

“Pick a side my love.” Lamia tugs his arm back

“Don’t.” he fidgets away,

“You manipulate people with your mana, don’t call me ‘love’ I won’t the fooled,” 

“Very well, I won’t try to reel you in.” She smiles some more

“But you can at least thank me for pulling you out of that minds-space.” 

“Aki, Pinoki, what happened here?

Why are the new breed here?” Shiryu turns away ignoring the vampire

“We have been following you ever since you left the Bends Shiryu,” Dracula answers 

“You are indeed a very interesting being Shiryu,

But it appears the humans see you as tool,

Be it the Wu Tang, or those two over there.” He points a bloody claw at Pinoki and Aki

“I won’t ask you to choose a side Shiryu,

But just be weary of these humans you call friends, 

If everything goes up in flames you will be the one they throw in first.”

“Wha–”

Poooff♪

Dracula and Lamia transform into bats

“Thank me another time empress Aki.” Lamia cackles before they fly out of the room

“…..” 

“….” 

Everything goes silent now as Shiryu stares across at Aki and Pinoki

The former still keeping her guard up while Pinoki drops hiss walking up to Shiryu

“Snap out of it Shiryu,” he says

“A lot happened in so little time, you wouldn’t believe what I just went through, 

And look over there is Claude and Amelia…

Shit, they should probably get some medical attention right now.”

“This city is now mine,” Aki spurts out suddenly 

“Their emperor is defeated, and I am left standing, I’m claiming Wu Tang city for myself.”

“Can both of you slowdown, and tell me what happened?”

“You blasted through the roof out of nowhere a night ago, so the Clan members put you under their mind magic,” Aki finally drops her guard turning her back to Shiryu she goes to bodies of the twins taking out some healing magic stones

“The Wu Tang wanted to use you to create a requiem,

Obviously I couldn’t let them have you, so I came to challenge for you,

What that vampire was saying about how we see is a tool isn’t true.” She mumbles that last part under her breath

“That vampire, Dracula suddenly appeared during the fight and sucked the emperor dry of his blood,” Pinoki takes up the explanation

“Then that other Vampire Lamia appeared, she’s put a soundproof barrier around this chamber, and tortured that guy,” Pinoki points to a body Shiryu hadn’t noticed before

…

Method man now hanging above the throne where they held Shiryu, 

“She tortured him until he released his seal on the thirty six chambers, only one needs to be undone to get a person out,”

“Is that all?”

“No, I also got the Medusa requiem by myself but Dracula took it,

That’s a whole other story, I’ll tell you later.”

(Was it really just a day I missed because I swear everything happened)

“Aki what about you, 

The old man?”

“He’s fine.”

“What about Bakufu, it’s flooded?”

“I’m taking this city, my people will come here until I sort out that issue,”

…

“Aki…

We,

We need to tal–”

….

As the words escape Shiryu’s mouth the throne room’s door slides open strongly and behind it the muscular warrior  Sza

(More fighting…)

“Guards!” she calls for backup and immediately the troops flood in,

“I am taking this–” Aki starts 

“–Clean this place up!” comes a surprising order from Sza

(Clean?)

“Clean?” Aki voices what Shiryu just thought

“The sparing is over isn’t empress Aki?” bows Sza adding to the confusion

“Empress?”