3 minutes earlier.

  [C] - "What's it now, Evtoria?"

  [C] - "I've managed to pinpoint a leak for one of your targets.

  [C] - "Which one?"

  [C] - "Megami Duvet. One of my girls were spending time on Mars, Envia Dome. They happen to spot Megami Duvet during their time there. I believe all is said easy if you deal with her first."

  [C] - "Yes. I was going to go after her first anyway. If I die, then at least it's not with the embarrassment of being so close to my goal... I'm also more prepared in the beginning. Right, thank you. Check the Envia papers in a few hours!"

  His ship would land in a dock a few blocks away from Megami, soon following outward in his full gear. To hunt and kill Megami, meant that civilians would also need to be harmed. It was really crowded today.

  This only made him think about the time Ken tried to kill him here.

  He sighed, looking for a way around this. While he was pretty heartless when on-the-job, he still cared for civilian welfare. Noticing a decently tall building, he vanish-stepped onto the roof - overlooking the crowded street behind an air vent.

  Checking the hologram Evtoria gave him, he'd summon HYPERVOLVER and began to look at faces in the crowd to see if he an recognize her. It happened fairly quick, and he smirked.

  "There she is..." Rakoji would spot her through the sights. "Shoot straight and stay low... You'll be fine... she's not as strong as you are... She's fighting someone else... just kill her..."

  He'd aim again just for good measure this time. Shooting another shot now that she was pinned at a wall. It was fairly easy to shoot because Jumkou and Megami's fight dispersed all the crowd and left the area empty.

  Megami quickly got out of the wall and shouted.

  "SOUL-RELEASE!"

  Now with her uncapped Soul-Energy she summoned her signature weapon, throwing a rock at the laser and destroying it.

  "..." Since Megami was distracted, Jumkou took this moment to grab Flynnigan and leave.

  "Ah, wait a sec-! Let me go-!"

  "It's okay, I'll explain later!"

  "Huh-? Wh-!?"

  Megami noticed. "HEY!" But she couldn't run behind Jumkou and grab the kid, because of the second assassin. She'd look at him. "Fuck..."

  Flynnigan was frozen, the shock from what happened at his village returned in the situation. He was helpless, and he was dragged away. But that wouldn't stop him, as he tried to stand his ground firmly. "Let... me go!"

  Jumkou lost grip of him and tried to grab his hand again. "We have no time, damnit! Listen to me!"

  "I'm not going anywhere with you, and I'm not leaving Miss Duvet alone, either." Flynnigan said, shaking his head.

  "She can handle herself! Just let me save you! Please!"

  "No!" Flynnigan ran back.

  "God, why are you so stubborn!?" Jumkou followed suit.

  Megami was still standing on the spot, waiting for the next move. Given that Rakoji had hidden behind an air vent, she couldn't pinpoint his location. "They are up there, behind that air vent!" Flynnigan shouted.

  That was scary.

  How did he know to point out where exactly Rakoji stood? Was it his innate powers? Or was he just a really lucky guess?

  "What?" Megami looked at him, realizing he just came back. Upon having exposed Rakoji's location, she Soul-Blasted the air vent, as well as sensing Rakoji's presence in the meantime.

  .:. He's... right? .:.

  This kid, despite not knowing about Souls, Soul-Wielders and any other phenomena in the galaxy, somehow managed to guess from... nothing?

  .:. How did I know that... .:. Flynnigan wondered.

  Rakoji would be flung off the air vent and hit a building. "Ugh! Damnit...!"

  Law Enforcement of the Envia Dome would set up checkpoints around the surrounding streets and airports. Until the situation calmed down - it was just them. All police are sane enough to not interfere with Soul-Wielder business and will not get in the way.

  Rakoji dropped down from the building and into the empty street, standing a solid 50 meters away. Flynnigan would run and hide behind cover, while Jumkou was monitoring the situation from a further distance. She decided not to get in the way and let them fight.

  Moreover, Flynnigan wasn't going to leave Megami alone.

  "Megami Duvet, am I correct?" He yelled, walking a little closer to not yell.

  "... Looks like I don't get one bit rest now, do I?" She felt disappointed and even frustrated. She had her hands in her pockets, smiling while her eyes were closed. She then looked at him with firm, siren eyes.

  "I'm sorry that I had to find you in your home planet, but I have a potential partnership with a certain organization if I do this. Although... there is a personal hatred for you White Eye. Call me bitter!"

  Flynnigan would peek out; wanting to witness what was going on. A part of him told him to run, while the other wanted to see his very first.... well, second battle between Soul-Wielders.

  I know exactly what's going to happen. I've lived this before. It's all coming back.

  "Somehow I am to be blamed for things White Eye did to you? Sounds like you have a loose screw." Megami was ready, her arms were spread out wide, as her segmented sword formed around her body like an aura.

  "No... but you're the first White Eye I can kill for a non-petty reason. There's a few hundred thousand on your head anyways."

  Rakoji played gun tricks with his revolver. It was a show-off thing. He would spin it around his fingers, twirling it in his hands and catching it. It was something that made him feel cool.

  "Now- what will it be!?"

  "Instead of trying to kill me and get whatever little satisfaction out of it, you can shove that gun of yours up your ass and shoot yourself! Why do you align with the evil Dark Intrinium enforces. There won't be a White Eye to take down if they take over."

  Rakoji chuckled, and then laughed. "What? Align myself with Soul-Core? Those sorry little losers. Sorry- but it ain't on my bucket list to sell myself into slavery."

  "Slav- Dark Intrinium literally has slaves!" Megami said, annoyed.

  "I don't give a flying FUCK what Dark Intrinium does. As long as the contracts keep coming in, I'll be happy."

  Megami stood silent for a good moment, realizing while there was a personal hatred from him... it was just about the money. No persuasion could do anything. She wasn't a fan of killing him, because she doesn't have a grudge against him.

  But in this galaxy with dangerous liaisons, people would do anything for a high payout.

  "... Hey, you don't happen to know where a few of your partners are? Kenny Magami, Mitchel Reeds and Evto Mugen? It'd save me time after I'm done here."

  "... You really think you can kill me off, huh?" Megami laughed. "I'm not giving them up." She reassembled her segmented sword and whipped it towards him. In the meantime, she would rush toward Rakoji.

  Rakoji rolled out of the way, before charging up Asteroid Miner and shooting it towards her. A green crackle before an exploding continuous beam would shoot out towards her, bypassing any energy-based defenses.

  "Hmph!" Megami ducked under it, performing a split while she was gliding through the ground. She would then vanish-step behind him and from the blast radius, whipping his head.

  Rakoji stumbled backwards, effectively deactivating Asteroid Miner. He took no real damage however, due to his heavy mask. Quickly coming back, he'd pistol-whip her in the face.

  She used her whip-blade to wrap it around his hand, yanking HYPERVOLVER out of his hand and threw it into the air.

  Rakoji saw a counter coming, sidestepping to her side and kicking her in the back of the knees- forcing her onto the floor to avoid it.

  "What th- G-" Megami fell to the floor, performing a handstand and then pushing herself up, turning around to face Rakoji. She tried slamming her composite sword onto him.

  Rakoji activated a Soul-Shield, effectively blocking her attacks. He threw his Soul-Shield at her, before catching his HYPERVOLVER that was coming back down.

  "Nope." Megami used Composite Destruction to beam his Soul-Shield and him.

  "Oh- fuck- GHH-" Rakoji went flying into the air. The beam sent such a strong shockwave that the buildings surrounding them were half-crumbled and he was thrown all the way onto a building, rolling as he hit the rooftop and scrambling to his feet.

  However, while Rakoji was flying, he shot a bigger laser at Megami. This one was stronger than his first one.

  She freed her segmented blades and had them heat up - creating a beam to nullify the laser, but not the output. She would feel pressurized by the output of his laser.

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  "...Damn pistol Weapon-Types!"

  "That's exactly what the assassin said!" He would call from cover, referencing Ken Magami. Poking out, he would fan his revolver as a flurry of green lasers shot towards her from above. Rakoji then jumped down - firing a few more-accurate shots to finish the combo.

  "Shit!"

  She would continue using her free 9 segmented blades again, using them as a laser repeller. One laser would hit her, but other ones bounced off. "Rg-"

  At this point. Megami knew she was in trouble.

  Deep trouble.

  .:. He's a complete counter to my abilities... .:.

  "Y'know... you're not too different from my other targets. They rely on it too much. They either never notice or notice too late that it just won't work!"

  "Right..." She threw her blade and desummoned it, while jumping at him.

  He rolled under the arc of her jump, turning and shooting the ground where he just stood to create a shockwave.

  "What!?" She got send back flying by the shockwave.

  "HAHAA!!" Rakoji was seemingly having a good time, as all the tension he had built-up from fighting someone of extreme power went away in the first few clashes in the fight. Ken Magami was an easy fight and escape... Megami is far stronger for sure.

  "My Soul-Energy levels are less than yours, you know! You should be wiping the floor with me!"

  .:. He sure is pissing me off... :.

  She decided to break up her composite sword again but give them sentience. They now worked as support as she stood on 2 blades and started flying around. Kind of like a hoverboard.

  "I was just measuring you up, don't underestimate me at all."

  "Good! I've been worried!"

  In contrast, he'd gulp - the nervousness of fighting her coming back.

  .:. I'd never thought I'd ever see anything like this... Two Soul-Wielders in a life-or-death battle against each other? .:. Flynnigan couldn't believe what he was seeing. He would peek from cover, still a little scared but more excited.

  "Flynn, come the fuck on!" Jumkou was running out of patience.

  "J-just a sec!"

  Rakoji charged up and shoot Asteroid Miner, as a continuous beam made it easier to hit a moving target. However, Megami was going too fast for his Asteroid Miner to catch up. In a split-second, she hovered right behind Rakoji, locking him in a combo.

  She hit her 20 times in the stomach before kicking her down on the ground. She then had two of her blades jolt him upwards, before Megami kicked him away.

  This made Rakoji go flying backwards. He was suffering from minor injuries due to his thick body armour under his coat. Funnily enough, he landed on his feet - stumbling for a moment before getting back into a stance.

  Megami jumped off her two segmented blades and turned her Signature Weapon back to its original form. She was smiling, and all her stress was gone. This was going directly in her favour.

  While Rakoji's ability is a total counter for hers, it was useless if he couldn't touch her. Which is why she was laughing. She walked towards him, conserving her Soul-Energy.

  "I figured it out."

  "The fuck you mean?"

  "There's a fatal flaw in your fighting style AND your ability... in which I can bypass easily.

  "It may help to know I am very adaptable!"

  Weapon-Types are known to be fast and agile, which supports their weapon wielding and combat-focused abilities. This means that Megami can rush people at super-speed, but there was one thing.

  Why Rakoji, a Weapon-Type like Megami, isn't able to keep up with Megami's agility?

  The armour.

  He came so fully geared in heavy armour; he couldn't keep up.

  "Your armour is heavy, so I can't slash you down. But you're slow, which means you can't hit me. With your ability, you need precise aim to even hit me. But if I move fast enough to the point your lasers can't even keep up, you have no way of hitting me. If you can't hit me, you can't use your ability."

  She rushed at him in super-speed. People of extreme power are known for their stupid speed, comparable to those of fundamental power. If you were to compare Nanasu's speed with Megami's, Nanasu would still have the edge.

  But Megami has honed her agility for a while. To be 20 to 30% slower than Nanasu still meant that she was incredibly fast.

  "Fuck!" Rakoji yelled, shooting the ground beneath him as soon as she finished her sentence, propelling myself over her. The shockwave would not affect her at all.

  Since Rakoji was slower without the usage of Vanish-Stepping... he would have to rely on his weapon's traversal abilities to avoid her.

  "Hm!" She blitzed past Rakoji and stomped the ground hard enough to send a few debris along his way.

  Rakoji shot the debris, landing several meters away. Before he could have a chance to adjust his hat, Megami shot a beam toward him.

  "Ranged attacks... against a ranged Weapon-Ty-" He barely dodged it, as a section of his hat got cut off. Rakoji froze for a moment, before feeling where it just was.

  He was SO close from dying.

  "Shit..."

  .:. I've been... too comfortable. .:.

  "This hat... This hat costs a lot of money! Roughly a fifth of your bounty!"

  "Be aware of your surroundings."

  Megami threw her blade the second she also discharged the beam. Rakoji couldn't have noticed it as the sword moved behind the beam. It was given sentience, meaning it knew how to come in at the right time.

  And while Rakoji was speaking, it wrapped around his throat.

  "HKK-" Rakoji was being choked. No matter how strong his armour was, Rakoji felt it break under the pressure of his neck. He couldn't breathe, and Megami was pulling him closer.

  "I'd advise not to waste your breath. Now tell me... who sent you? Who ordered you to assassinate me?"

  "KGGH... HEHEHE..." His laughter sounded more like phlegm coming out of his lungs, but his chuckling was still heard. "What makes... you think... I'll give up... that information?" Rakoji struggled to speak.

  "Because..." Megami was right in his face. Her right hand was free, and her left hand was controlling the segmented blade, despite their sentience.

  "I can make this quick... or I can make this so much worse than it needs to be."

  Rakoji would chuckle again, coughing up blood. "...You won't kill me. You don't kill. Not unless you have a good reason. So if I'm not telling, you won't do shit- AGH-"

  The pressure of his neck was slowly being increased. He'd try to grab the blade and pull it off, but his strength was not enough.

  "Oh, I do kill... you just don't know how I kill."

  "..."

  "People who do bad things for their own gain. People who are willing to sell their soul to evil, selfish, disgusting beings? Not even torture is enough to atone for what you did. But if you tell me who sent you, I could even let you live... So...”

  "Who... sent... you?" She asked, her voice a whisper loud.

  "..." Rakoji headbutted her. It was a small gesture of resistance, and he smirked under his mask. He said, slowly.

  "I SENT ME."

  Megami was disoriented, leaving her vulnerable. And upon realizing the sword was given sentience, he knew it could also feel pain. Being crushed by Cirumite gauntlets would definitely hurt too, as the sword would disintegrate from the pain, leaving Megami unable to rematerialize another one for 2 whole minutes.

  "You... G-" Megami was hooked by Rakoji's left forearm, which was so powerful that it blew her back into a building. He took this moment to catch his breath, his throat being red from the strangling.

  "You know, if I wasn't wearing this armour... you would've killed me. But now, it's my turn."

  He shot Asteroid Miner into the building Megami was buried in, completely destroying it.

  Megami was already behind Rakoji. What amazing speed.

  "Over here." Megami's head was bleeding badly from the headbutt, still dizzy and disoriented.

  "Hm!" He noticed, shooting the ground between them to create distance and knock her off-balance. They were both suspended in the air.

  "Again with the ground!"

  Rakoji charged forwards, booting her in the gut. "This a change of pace!?" Rakoji continued his barrage, pistol-whipping her in the cheek before following up with an uppercut with his free hand.

  .:. Oh no- Looks like she took a really hard hit! .:. Flynnigan thought.

  Rakoji was on the backfoot for half the fight and decided that he would use this moment to get in as many hits as he can. He followed up with a punch in her gut and a bash in the side of her head with the butt of HYPERVOLVER to knock her onto the floor.

  He hoped that winding her would keep her from getting back up as quickly.

  All of Rakoji's attacks gave her a concussion, as she fell to the ground and as expected, had a difficult time to get up.

  "..."

  .:. Is she beat??? .:. Flynnigan was shaking behind his cover.

  "Let her go, Flynnigan... she's over and dealt with!"

  "..." Flynnigan went silent.

  Rakoji grabbed Megami by the throat - embarrassingly struggling to pull her weight up for a few moments, before pelting her into the wall across from them.

  "Even if you beat me, Megami Duvet... The local police see you as the instigator! But they may not need get involved." He shot her in the legs to prevent her getting up, effectively ending the battle with himself as the victor. Megami was paralyzed.

  Flynnigan was getting increasingly uneasy. On top of Megami's bloodcurdling screams, it got even worse. He wanted to help but was frozen in fear.

  Jumkou had enough, she was going to drag Flynnigan out of there and leave.

  "I'm tired of this shit, come on Flynniga-"

  Jumkou's heart froze for a second.

  Something told Jumkou to not touch Flynnigan at all.

  Jumkou stood here, frozen... as if her Soul itself warned her not to interfere.

  This usually doesn't happen, except when the Soul itself knows it will be in grave danger.

  A Soul never warns directly until inevitably prompted, and then it becomes clear.

  Flynnigan is something else. Something is happening inside him, which shocked Jumkou's very Soul to the core.

  Jumkou was forced to back away from Flynnigan, still standing there, frozen in time.

  .:. That person is going to kill her... If I don't do something... she'll die... But... But what can you do, Flynn? You just discovered these kinds of people were real... and you are powerless! Damnit... Shit! Fuck... .:.

  His thoughts were clouded by fear, the fear of not doing anything. If she dies, he could only blame himself.

  Rakoji was decently bruised, his armour was dented, and his hat was cut in half.

  "Please, stop yelling... You're making this harder than it needs to be." Rakoji loomed over Megami.

  .:. Do something, Flynn... DO SOMETHING! Megami was nice to you! She wanted to look out for you! I don't want to let a person I met... who was being so nice to me... .:.

  Then, Flynnigan looked at Rakoji.

  .:. ...Die before me. .:.

  Rakoji would pull out his gun and point it at her.

  "I'd like to say... You don't talk back when you're losing." He shot her in the shoulder. "You're ruining a cool moment for the news... this could land me more jobs, you know?"

  .:. To think that this nutjo- .:. Her thoughts closed off as she was shot in the shoulder.

  "Now then... before I finish you off. I do need to ask... where is the Ghost Assassin? You were close to him, right? I'm tackling him next, get the strongest and high-priority targets done first."

  Megami stayed silent.

  .:. Over my dead fucking body... .:.

  "... Okay then... be rude..." Rakoji was disappointed at her silence. He aimed at her head, charging up Asteroid Miner to finish her off. And as soon as he was about to pull the trigger...

  "This is it, huh..." The pain would make Megami laugh nervously.

  "HEY! YOU BASTARD!"

  Rakoji turned, noticing Flynnigan. He made sure to aim asteroid minor into his feet to stop him in his run. "Stay right there, kid. No need to give up your life for a 'villain'."

  "YOU LEAVE HER ALONE, NOW!" Flynnigan threw his large bag at Rakoji to distract him.

  "POH-" It actually hit him. Rakoji fell over for a moment, not expecting it at all.

  .:. Flynn, you fucking... .:. Jumkou wanted to intervene but again, her Soul said not to.

  Flynnigan barely hopped over the laser, tripping. "G-"

  This put him in a bad position, as Rakoji got up quickly. "The fuck are you doing, kid!?"

  .:. ... Now's my chance! .:. Megami fired all the Soul-Energy she had left into a blast that ruptured through his armour. Although it didn't penetrate through his body, it was enough to guarantee a long-lasting injury.

  "AGH--"

  Rakoji stumbled forward, his armour absorbing a fatal blow but the force of impact still hurting. He was pushed against the opposite wall, shooting at Megami's collarbone.

  This resulted in another hole in her body.

  "Guh- FUCK-" She screamed.

  Flynnigan got up and ran after Rakoji, trying to punch him. "I SAID! LEAVE HER ALONE!"

  "Goddamnit, can you just stop!?"

  Flynnigan was pistol-whipped in the face, resigning him to the ground.

  "Ugh-!"

  "Stay the fuck down, damnit!"

  "STOP... TRYING TO KILL HER!"

  Megami was completely useless now, having eaten 4 lasers. She had no power to stand up, and she was bleeding.

  "It's my job, kid. Do you get that!?" He turned to Megami now that Flynnigan was on the floor.

  "Your job... Your JOB TO KILL PEOPLE!?"

  "I AM A BOUNTY HUNTER!" Rakoji was angry. "I KILL BAD PEOPLE FOR MONEY! OF COURSE I DO! And this person... helped turn a planet into a BATTLEFIELD!" He had done research on the Battle of Fortner City.

  "Nextellar... made business... with Dark Intrinium... Flynnigan... And he took a bounty hunting job from the leader of Nextellar... himself... Didn't you, Rakoji Kovac?"

  Megami finally knew his name and his background, and his secret.

  "Go away... don't kill her... Whoever you are." Flynnigan begged.

  "Heh... it's too late for bargaining- both of you! You! You're still a kid so stop interfering before I actually end your fucking life! And you! You made your choice as soon as you joined an organization like White Eye!"

  "You don't... understand... I could care less... about the White Eye... all I care is for... Dark Intrinium to be overthrown!"

  "... You're awfully stuck on that, aren't you!? What are you- heh? Scared? Scared of those motherfuckers? If anything, if any- they're SAVING US! SAVING US FROM THE ACTUAL WARMONGERS THAT IS SOUL-CORE... AND YOUR ORGANIZATION!"

  "If Dark Intrinium controls the whole galaxy... mark my words... EVEN YOU ARE DOOMED!" Megami yelled.

  ...

  ...

  I fucked up.

  "THEN LET THEM TAKE ME!"

  Rakoji aimed between her eyes and shot through her brain.

  Megami lost all sign of life, her eyes showing a dead colour.

  All light was knocked away from her, as her body turned limp like a ragdoll.

  She turned from being a person full of life, to a hollow corpse without a Soul.

  Megami Duvet was no more.