On The Other Side Of The Battlefield

Months before current time...

"Pregnant..." he spoke, his tone dry and expressionless. "Of course... with his child."

"Sir." Xol said, stepping forward and touching Shogeki's forehead. "You're burning up again. Lay back down... your eyes... are almost healed." He then helped Shogeki lay down before beginning to speak once more. "That boy... Cole. He shouldn't be much of a problem to you once he realizes who he is. He should join us after that."

"We have no way of telling him. He forgot everything. Just like the little brat would. I always had to clean up after his bullshit, and look where he got with that. He couldn't do anything to care for himself. Always getting into shit with other members-"

"I understand. Say no more. We have... a visitor."

Kori stand in the doorway with a bowl of soup. She sips a bit before walking over and leaning next to Shogeki.

"How'd that happen?" She asked, putting down a bottle of pain killers for Xol to give to Shogeki. "A fight I assume?"

Xol scoffed at her and pushed her back. "Don't get that close to him!" He sighed and looked away for a moment before returning his eyes to her, now calmer. "He got into a fight with... that girl."

Kori had no clue who they were talking about, but she had a feeling it was just relationship issues and not something to do with anyone she knows.

"Alright... you do you then." She said, a little annoyed that he treated her like her parents do.

***

The door would receive a slight knocking noise, disturbing Amora from the television. She quickly stood up and looked out the window just to be safe. She opened the door and hugged Kori.

"Hey girl! How is..." She made a coughing noise and pointed at Amora's stomach.

"Good! Good!" Amora smiled, and began whispering. "They are in the other room. I don't know how or when to tell them."

"Maybe soon." Kori looked around quickly. "I just delivered some medication to a person I'm helping recover, the injury looks pretty bad."

***

Present Day.

Kori once again visited Amora, to talk and just hang out together. Kori would check in on Amora and her baby, once even feeling the baby kick.

Amora would mainly stay home with Cole and her parents, so Kori simply decided to visit them often to keep them company.

***

"Sir... I-"

"Quiet." Shogeki said, crossing his legs on his throne. "I have no time for you to be complaining. My health has significantly improved. I no longer need you pestering me, instead let's talk about the plan."

Kori entered the room and sat down a broken bench. Shogeki acknowledged her existence and began speaking.

"Once she gives birth... I will kill her. Her child will have their time growing up, not knowing anything about who they are. That way I can use them for my plan. They will be quite... useful for an Akermota."

Kori froze in place. None of what he was saying was making any sense. Killing? Why would he kill someone? Giving birth? Amora was pregnant... and Akermota was her last name. Kori started to piece it all together to get the bigger picture.

The two people she'd been visiting... were fighting to kill each other.

"May I ask why the target is Amora Akermota?" Kori asked, looking Shogeki in the eyes.

"I have no need to disclose that." His eyes seemed to heat up... or glow a purple color. Kori felt immense fear and ran from the room. She wasn't followed, but the fear didn't go away for a couple minutes of her running through the streets.

Everything was falling apart. She had been helping Amora's enemy... but she had been helping Shogkei's enemy too. Neither one knew about her knowing the other... and so she was almost forced to make some kind of choice.

Amora... or Shogeki?

The answer should have been obvious, but at the time, Kori could not tell if she should help Amora, Shogeki, or just run away from both of them. She had no Elements... she was just a human. She could do naught to help either one. She had to make up her mind soon.

***

"Amora!" Kori said, banging on the door late at night, attempting to get her attention.

The door opened slowly, and Reyon could be seen, peeking her head around the door, peering at Kori with tired eyes. "Is there some sort of problem?" She asked.

"Yes! I need to speak to Amora! The person she has been talking about... he's here! I know where he is!"

***

An entire search team was made, with a lot of Hexcorp Soldiers, Leon, Reyon, Amora, and Clover. They followed Kori to the location, but upon opening the door, the place was empty, there was not even any of the stuff they had there anymore. Only wreckage.

"Are... you kidding me?" Reyon asked. "You wasted our time. You... did this to scare my daughter... didn't you? Maybe you did it to help them escape?"

Leon pulled Reyon away after seeing Kori's frightened look. The group left Kori there.

Kori could have sworn...

Had they figured it out? Did they know she would tell Amora? But how?

Kori's ears perked up as she heard laughter. Laughter from a person she knew.

"So you sold us out. You really were in contact with Amora." He spoke. "I guess I have no choice then." He said, entering the building and closing the door behind him.

"Shogeki... I..." Kori began, only stopping when she could see something shimmer in his hand. Something long and sharp with a handle.

"Quiet. This'll be quick." He said, lunging forward with the blade, aiming it toward Kori's head. The blade was almost about to hit, but clashed with something hard instead. Condensed paper.

"Huh?" Shogeki questioned, cartwheeling backward to the other side of the warehouse.

Someone jumped down from the rafters, forming a sword out of paper. Their clothing became coated in thick paper. Their body seemed to be quite stiff, but the paper had some bending to it. The person's back sprouted wings of paper, it lightly lifted them off the ground for a moment before putting them on their feet. The sword kept growing and began to look more like a scythe.

"So I see. You were here." Shogeki commented.

"Indeed. And you... will no longer hurt anyone anymore." The person spoke, swinging the scythe to test it's speed.

"I never expected you to be here. I never expected to have to fight you."

"My dearest brother."