Pacifist

Mariko staggered back, blood trickling from her forehead where Rin's skull had cracked against hers. Her breath came ragged, her chest rising and falling in short bursts.

This wasn't supposed to happen.

She was better. She was stronger.

But right now—she felt desperate.

No.

She refused to let this masked freak get the better of her.

With a sharp inhale, Mariko lunged.

Her strikes came wild but fast—a flurry of kicks and knife-hand strikes, each one aiming for a vital point.

Rin ducked low, her body moving like a phantom through the relentless assault.

A kick aimed at her ribs—she twisted away.

A chop toward her throat—she leaned back.

Mariko's fury grew with every missed strike.

"FIGHT ME, DAMN YOU!" she roared, throwing a devastating right hook.

Rin's eyes sharpened.

This is it.

Instead of dodging—she parried.

Her forearm crashed against Mariko's wrist, knocking her arm off course—off balance.

And in that split second of vulnerability—

Rin struck.

BOOM!

A brutal uppercut rocketed into Mariko's gut.

Her body jerked upward, feet barely touching the ground.

Mariko's eyes bulged, her mouth opening in a silent gasp as all the air was ripped from her lungs.

Rin held her fist there for a moment, feeling the tremor of impact in her bones.

Then, leaning close, she muttered:

"You're just as human as the rest of us."

Mariko dropped to one knee, clutching her stomach, gasping for air.

But Rin didn't step back.

She raised her fist again.

This wasn't over.

Kasumi gritted her teeth, her muscles screaming as she pushed herself up. Her vision swam, but her instincts forced her body into motion.

She staggered forward, dropping to one knee beside Kairi's battered form.

"Oi—stay with me, dumbass," she hissed, shaking Kairi's shoulder before slipping an arm under her.

Kairi's breath was ragged, her eyes half-lidded as blood dripped from the fresh wound on her side.

Kasumi tightened her grip. She was still breathing. That was enough.

Unknown groaned behind them, shaking off the haze in his skull as he propped himself up. Celeste, Aiko, and Jin were all slowly stirring, their bodies sluggish but alive.

Their gazes shifted toward the center of the battlefield—

Where Rin and Mariko were still locked in a brutal exchange.

Kasumi's fingers twitched against her blade. Her first instinct was to jump in.

But she stopped herself.

Something about this fight…

It wasn't just combat.

It was something deeper.

Mariko was feral now, her movements more erratic, her form breaking down as desperation clouded her mind. Every strike came fast—but sloppy.

Rin, on the other hand—

She was cold. Precise. Every dodge calculated. Every counter merciless.

Kasumi's grip on Kairi tightened.

For the first time—Mariko wasn't the apex predator in the room.

And she knew it.

Mariko swung a wild haymaker—Rin dipped low, snapping a knee into her ribs.

Mariko gasped—Rin twisted, driving her elbow into her spine.

Mariko stumbled, panting, her fingers trembling.

Kasumi could see it now.

The cracks forming in her resolve.

Mariko—the unshakable assassin, the ghost of the Arakawa family—was breaking.

And Rin…

Rin was the one doing it

Mariko's breaths came in sharp, ragged bursts. Her once-fluid movements were gone, replaced by staggered, panicked strikes. Her arms were heavy. Her body refused to obey her.

Yet she kept swinging. Like a cornered beast with nothing left but its fangs.

Rin, however, was still precise, still calculating, still standing tall.

Mariko threw a desperate hook—Rin leaned back, letting it whiff past her nose.

Mariko pivoted, thrusting a palm at Rin's throat—Rin caught it mid-motion, twisting her wrist so violently that a sickening pop echoed through the battlefield.

Mariko screamed—but Rin wasn't done.

With a brutal tug, she yanked Mariko forward, driving a knee straight into her gut.

A sickening crunch.

Mariko gagged, eyes bulging, spitting up blood.

Rin's grip tightened.

"You're not untouchable." Her voice was ice-cold.

Mariko wheezed, her knees buckling. But Rin didn't let her fall.

Not yet.

She let go—only to immediately spin, launching a devastating roundhouse kick straight to the side of Mariko's skull.

CRACK.

Mariko's body twisted violently before slamming into the pavement with a sickening thud.

Motionless.

For the first time—Mariko Sarmiento, the terror of the Arakawa family, the untouchable assassin—was down.

Unmoving.

Rin stood over her, eyes shadowed beneath her mask, breath steady despite the storm that had just raged inside her.

She stared down at Mariko's unconscious form, then clicked her tongue.

"Pathetic."

She turned—her focus now shifting toward the others.

And Kairi.

Rin stood her ground, her dark attire still billowing slightly from the intensity of the fight. With a slow, deliberate movement, she raised her hands and slid her weapon back into its sheath. The motion was careful, not rushed—a silent statement rather than a plea.

Kasumi, still gripping Kairi tightly, narrowed her eyes. Her breath was ragged, and sweat clung to her brow, but her grip on her blade hadn't loosened in the slightest.

"You expect me to believe that?" she asked, her tone sharp as steel.

Unknown, who had just managed to push himself up, let out a bitter chuckle. "Forgive me if I don't clap and welcome you with open arms after all this." His gaze flickered toward the unconscious Mariko, then back to Rin. "For all we know, you're just waiting for us to lower our guard."

Rin remained still, her masked face betraying nothing. But the tension in her shoulders—the way she subtly exhaled before speaking—hinted at something deeper.

"I had no reason to step in." Her voice was calm but edged with something colder. "If I wanted you dead, you'd be dead. But I don't."

Aiko scoffed. "Oh? And what's stopping you?"

Rin finally tilted her head, eyeing Kairi's limp form. "Her."

Kasumi's expression darkened. "Kairi?"

Rin nodded. She took a step closer—slow, non-threatening, yet enough to keep them all on edge.

"I don't owe anyone anything," Rin continued, voice unwavering. "But she—" she flicked her chin toward Kairi, "—once fought for something that wasn't hers to fight for. I repay my debts."

A long silence stretched between them.

Kasumi's jaw clenched. She wanted to call bullshit. Wanted to tell this masked stranger to turn around and leave before she put her down herself. But something about the way Rin spoke—the way she held herself—felt too real to dismiss.

Unknown exhaled, breaking the silence first. "Alright. Let's say we believe you. That doesn't mean we trust you."

"I don't need your trust," Rin replied smoothly. "Just remember that I had no reason to step in. And if I wanted to, I could've let you all die."

Kasumi narrowed her eyes but didn't argue. Because as much as she hated to admit it—Rin was right.

A tense beat. Then, Kairi stirred in Kasumi's arms, groaning softly.

Rin's gaze flickered down at her before she took a step back. "She'll wake up soon. You should get moving before more of them show up."

Kasumi looked down at Kairi, then back at Rin. Slowly—reluctantly—she loosened her stance.

"…Tch. Fine. But if you turn on us?" She tightened her grip on her knife just enough for Rin to notice.

Rin only smirked behind her mask. "Then you better hope you're fast enough to stop me."

…

A sharp gasp ripped through the blood-stained air.

Mariko's fingers clawed at the ground, her body trembling as she forced herself up on shaking arms. Every nerve in her body screamed at her to stay down, but she refused. She couldn't.

Blood dripped from her mouth as she weakly pressed her hand against her earpiece, her vision swimming as she barely managed to activate the transmission.

Her voice was hoarse, broken—but she still spoke. "…Kayd…"

Silence on the other end. Then a low, cold click as the line connected.

Kayd Arakawa's voice slithered through the static like a knife through silk. "Mariko." His tone was unreadable. Calm. Too calm.

Mariko swallowed hard. She could still taste blood. "I—" She inhaled sharply, her chest aching with every breath. "I failed…"

The silence that followed was suffocating.

Then—a soft chuckle.

"I know."

Mariko's breath hitched.

Kayd's voice remained steady, unwavering. "I watched every second, Mariko." A pause. "You were magnificent."

Her hands curled into weak fists. "But I—"

"You lost." Kayd didn't sugarcoat it. "And yet, you still stand."

Mariko shuddered, her body threatening to collapse again. "I—" She hesitated, gritting her teeth. "…I don't deserve your praise."

Kayd exhaled, almost bored. "And yet, you still crave it."

Her breath caught in her throat.

Another pause. Then, his voice dipped lower.

"Tell me, Mariko." The softness in his tone was more dangerous than any blade. "What are you willing to do… to make this right?"

Mariko squeezed her eyes shut. The answer was obvious. The same answer as always.

Anything.

She pressed her forehead against the cold ground, her breathing ragged. "…Give me another chance."

Kayd let the silence linger—let her desperation fester. Then, finally…

"Then prove to me that you're still worthy to stand at my side."

The transmission cut.

Mariko exhaled shakily, dragging herself up to her knees. Her failure wasn't the end. It never was.

She would crawl through hell itself if that's what it took to stand beside Kayd again.

{Episode End}