"N-no way..." I looked at Mayu with a doubtful look.

"She didn't tell you?" Mayu asked and smiled. "I thought she wouldn't tell you."

Mayu stood up and walked around the room. "I guess she also told you that she was a weaker Ashen."

"Yeah..." I said confirming her thoughts.

"Luna definitely wouldn't have told you. If she did, you would have thought she didn't have any emotions." Mayu explained. "And it's true. Scientifically speaking she shouldn't be capable of emotions beyond ones necessary for survival."

"Hunger for example."

I swallowed. "Exactly how strong is Luna?"

"Every Ashen varies in their specialities and abilities. It's what put together that makes Luna undefeatable." Mayu mused thoughtfully. "Luna is versatile at all levels of combat, there are Ashens that surpass her in power and speed but her awareness is unparalleled."

"Her mental capacity and ability to perceive and comprehend is what I would say makes her so strong." Mayu pulled her jumper off and threw it on the ground. "In other words, she is just incredibly smart. A human supercomputer."

"She can glance at an opponent and draw up thousands of possibilities in which they can move then from those possibilities, she will find the most likely considering the opponent's state of mind." Mayu loosened her tie from her collar and let it fall to the ground. "From then on, you've already lost."

"With her intelligence, she also carries extensive knowledge of the human anatomy. Throw in her pin-point accuracy and you've got a sadistic monster that keeps a victim alive for the sole purpose of causing as much pain as medically possible..." Mayu's face was dark and she paused. "It's scary to face Luna as an enemy."

"Do you plan to kill her?"

Mayu looked at me strangely. "Taking another life is one of the only ways an Ashen can truly feel something close to being alive. The thrill of the hunt and the smell of blood as a conscience cease to exist... the feeling is only amplified when killing another Ashen."

What Mayu said frightened me. I guess she could tell that she had scared me because she quickly brightened her face and motioned for me to sit next to her on the bed. I obliged cautiously.

Mayu sighed. "But no, I'm not going to try to fight Luna again. I can't defeat her even if I tried."

"What are you going to do then?" I asked, curious.

"You know, Ryo..." Mayu said. "The truth is I like being out of Asahikawa. I like being out on missions. It's not often that an Ashen gets to go out and experience a big city like Tokyo. If Luna is captured, I will be sent back to Asahikawa..."

I nodded silently. What Mayu was saying made a lot of sense. Although she frightened me, I felt like I could trust her.

"Besides," Mayu continued. "I think I found something else to make me feel alive."

"What's that?" I asked.

Mayu looked at me with her pale emerald eyes, her face had a slight blush. I didn't notice how close she was to me until now, her shoulder was leaning against mine. "It's you, Ryo."

I stood up and moved away from Mayu. Her body fell on the bed and she looked up at me with strands of hair falling over her pale emerald eyes confused. Those eyes. They were devoid of life even though her face looked alive. There was an eerily blank look in those eyes exactly the same as Luna.

As I was looking into her eyes, the pale emerald began to darken and intensify in color. I could see it emitting an unnatural glow and Mayu had a solemn look on her face.

"Watch out, behind you Ryo." Mayu said as she got up from the bed. "There's someone behind the door."

I turned my back and looked behind and sure enough there were two dark figures standing outside. The door had opened during our conversation when it was previously locked and I could see what seemed to be the silhouette of a tall male. Behind him was a girl around Mayu's age.

The man stepped in from the shadows and I saw an unfamiliar face. He had black eyes and spiky hair that was wrapped with a bandanna. He wore a thick coat and chunky boots that clacked with his steps. The girl followed behind the man, revealing a pair of vividly burning azure eyes that glowed like Mayu's. She had dark hair and was dressed in a fluffy coat. There was a blank look on her face.

"Mayu." The man said, addressing Mayu. "Finally found you."

"Daike..." Mayu said looking at the man then her eyes fell on the girl. "What is Kaori doing here?"

The girl called Kaori did not even glance at Mayu. Her eyes were on me. She did not have the slightest expression on her face and I felt an intense fear settling in.

"We heard you found Luna." The man, who Mayu had called Daike, said. "Why haven't you reported her location on the navigator yet?"

Mayu stiffened but her eyes remained glowing. I could see her dagger tied behind her skirt which was hidden from the view of the two visitors. "I want to keep her for myself." Mayu replied.

Daike glared down at Mayu with his pure black eyes. Suddenly Mayu's eyes flickered in color and the vividness began to dim. I could see a shocked expression on Mayu's face as she stumbled. "Y-you took away my synthesis."

Daike sneered at Mayu. "We want Luna."

"You're asking for a fight." Mayu said angrily as her hands sped to the handle of her dagger. Her eyes had returned to a pale emerald now. "I don't need synthesis to kick your ass."

"You think you can defeat us both? Without synthesis?" Daike scoffed and looked at Mayu with a ridiculing look. "Don't be stupid Mayu. It's true that you are stronger than me but Kaori will kill you."

"We will see about that." Mayu replied furiously. She glanced at me. "Get out of here before it gets dangerous."

I nodded hesitantly and Daike turned his attention to me. "Who's that? Your boyfriend?"

"None of your business." Mayu snapped.

"M-Mayu, please be safe." I warned her and her face beamed.

"Thanks Ryo."

"This is pathetic." Daike said scratching his ear.

Mayu's eyes sharpened and before I could blink, she lunged forward in an inhuman speed. She pulled her dagger out of its sheath mid-dash and jumped for Daike aiming for his neck. Kaori suddenly appeared in front of her path and I heard a loud clang and Mayu was thrown back. She was hurled into the wall on the opposite end of the room.

"W-what the?" I stuttered. In Kaori's hand was a long metal rod. It extended from the bottom and the top of her hand. It was around the length of Kaori's height. She flicked the rod and it retracted from both sides until it fitted comfortably in her hand.

"Don't make me kill you." Kaori said, her azure eyes glowing. Mayu pulled herself out from the wall coughing. I saw her cover her mouth and she looked down. There was blood in her hand. She wiped it down on her skirt and picked up her dagger that had fallen onto the floor then she looked back at Kaori with her pale emerald eyes.

"Y-you..." Mayu said. "Since when did you team up with Daiki?"

Kaori didn't answer.

"Just give up Mayu." Daiki sighed. He pulled out a gun and pointed it at me. "Tell us where Luna is or I'll kill him."

I stood frozen staring into the barrel. It was a silver glock. Mayu looked at me panicking.

"H-hey can't we talk about this?" I suggested in desperation. I had no clue what I was supposed to do. Why didn't I just follow Luna? I was an idiot. This would had never happened had I simply followed Luna home.

"This would all be very simple if Mayu just told us where Luna is." Daike said shrugging. "Too bad she's too damn stubborn and prideful."

"So what is it Mayu?" Daike asked looking over at Mayu. He had his finger on the trigger. "You're going to let this guy die for your pride?"

"Alright." Mayu said lifting her dagger up in the air. "I'll tell you."

Daike snickered. "So you do have a thing for this guy after all."

Daike nodded at Kaori and she took out her navigator. She threw it to Mayu and Mayu caught it with her free hand.

"Upload the location as a priority zone." Daike said, not moving the gun away from me. "I'll know when my navigator receives the signal and alerts me."

Mayu looked at the navigator hesitantly and she lowered her dagger to allow herself a free hand to touch the holograms. As she lowered her body, she suddenly changed her movement and pushed herself forward. Kaori was taken by surprise, she extended her rod but Mayu caught her by the waist with her dagger.

"Mayu!" Daike cried as he squeezed the trigger.

A loud bang echoed in the apartment and I covered my head closing my eyes. "Argh!"

I waited for the pain that would come but it didn't happen. I opened my eyes slowly. Mayu was standing in front of me panting heavily. She was bleeding from the shoulder and I realised she had taken the bullet for me.

"You took the bullet for him?" Daike said unbelievingly. Mayu poised her dagger and lowered herself to a fighting stance. Mayu charged forward and I heard another bang. She ducked the bullet and was inside Daike's reach. She grabbed Daike's arm and pulled him forward, with her other hand she elbowed downwards at his forearm and his hand lost his grip on the gun.

She slashed across at Daike's neck but he pulled out a knife with his other hand and blocked the dagger before it reached its target. "Kaori!" Daike cried looking over at her. Kaori stood immobilised by the cyanide that entered her waist. Her vivid azure eyes stared intently down at her wound and I could see it resealing.

Mayu jumped and kicked Daike with both her legs sending him flying at the wall. She fell down on the floor in the process and I rushed to pick her up. "We gotta get out of here before Kaori recovers." Mayu said wincing. I nodded. Kaori began to move again and her azure eyes flashed at us.

"Out the window!" Mayu cried. She pushed me forward and I jumped without really thinking. When the ground left my feet, I suddenly realised we were several stories high. My stomach leaped up and I felt the wind rushing past me as my blood rose.

"ARGH!"

Everything began to blur as I felt my body falling against the wind, I tried desperately to hold onto something to stop my fall but there was nothing but wind brushing past my body.

I hit water and it immediately filled my lungs. My vision faltered and breathing became difficult as I found myself choking for air, bobbling in and out of water. My whole body was sore as though someone had slapped my entire body and the pain soar through my entire being. Even though I couldn't feel my arms, I waved them out desperately trying to stay afloat as the water pushed me along with its current. The whole time I was thinking about Luna and memories of our time together flashed in my mind.

Somewhere between my consciousness I felt my hand touch solid. My fingers slid across the rough surface and I mustered all remaining strength into pulling myself away from the water and towards the solid. I managed to pull half my body on the solid before my strength crumbled and my consciousness faded away.