Destruction

"Madam."

"What is it?"

"We're under attack."

Malvin and Christina had gone back into the headquarters to get all her stories over with. The assassins were falling under Christina's katana and gun. Their greatest fear resurfaced. Kuronoe Ichimaru.

"His reincarnation."

"His pupil."

"His daughter?"

No, by any name she could be called. She carefully guarded the one her master had given her.

"You pussies haven't understood a thing. This is neither Ichimaru, nor his daughter, nor his reincarnation."

Arthur returned to the room where Christina was. Malvin was in charge of the east aisle.

"It's the IGA monster. Right, Chris?"

Christina had just planted a bullet in the head of an assassin who collapsed to the floor without it.

"The international group of assassins will disappear."

"You'd have to kill us first, because we..."

Christina threw her katana at Arthur, who contracted it with his own, then fired five bullets before reloading his gun.

"...we'll do it without hesitation."

Rachel descended from the sky with a hole in the ceiling and came crashing down on her former sister with all her might.

"Hi, Chris."

"Hi, Rachel."

The gun forced Rachel out of the way, making her jump onto the wall before pushing back on her legs to put a huge impulse into it that left a hole in it. With this immense power, she struck Christina with force, who had no choice but to cushion it.

"You're dead, old girl. You're going to pay for what you did to Mister Ichimaru."

Christina saw Rachel's childlike face again for a moment.

"I won't kill you."

Her braking stopped against the opposite wall. She threw Rachel to the ceiling and countered Arthur's sword thrust.

"You're too weak for that."

"Say that again."

The two exchanged an epic sword fight. Arthur had the style of a knight despite his katana, but Christina had the same style as her master, which confused Arthur.

"You're not him."

After shouting, Arthur felt a gun in his mouth, but Christina didn't shoot. Rachel pierced the ceiling again to pull the two apart. She had grabbed a huge club in the process and was swinging it back and forth. Her impassive gaze met Christina's, who dodged all her blows. She managed to cut the club's handle and aim her gun at her sister's leg. But she jumped at the right moment and grabbed the handle of her club. With the club shortened on one side and the handle on the other, she launched a consistent assault on her sister, with Arthur returning to the charge.

But Christina was better. She deflected every blow that came her way, throwing her opponents off balance. Still with the same impassive gaze, she sliced into Arthur, whom Rachel had grabbed to act as a human shield.

"You're strong, b.tch."

"You too, hoe."

Arthur was thrown unconscious to the other end of the room. Christina hadn't killed him, but left him at death's door.

"He'll survive."

"To kill without killing. Is that your motto?"

"I'd do the same with you."

Rachel threw a wardrobe at her sister, who couldn't understand where this frail little girl's strength came from. She cut the wardrobe in half before realizing it had disappeared from her field of vision. But at the last moment, she put her katana behind her back to avoid a mortal blow.

"Classic."

"I know."

Still, she was flung into the opposite wall, and before she could even recover, Rachel hit the wall with a force that made it collapse.

"This is nonsense."

"Are you running away?"

"No."

It was Christina's turn to launch the next attack. She lunged forward to slice her sister, but she dodged. The blows went so fast that Rachel had no time to counterattack.

"Couldn't you stop a little?"

"Do you know where my gun is?"

"What?"

Rachel looked carefully at Christina's belongings, but Christina didn't have her gun.

"Where is it?"

"Look around your waist."

Christina's gun was hanging from her belt, pointed at Rachel.

"What."

"Yep."

She pulled out a second gun she'd been concealing on her person and pulled a bullet from the trigger of the other. The detonation was heard and Rachel received a terrific bullet.

"And that's me you're calling bullshit."

"It was a trick he used to play on me."

The last thing Rachel saw was Christina charging toward her and surely knocking her out.

"Sleep well, sis."

Christina made her way smoothly through the corridors. Malvin had taken care of all the other assassins. She found him standing over Lori's body. He smiled when he saw Christina.

"He was tougher than I expected."

Christina smiled back. They'd done it. They'd exterminated the GIA. With one exception.

"You're a real pain in the ass."

Christina lost her smile and shot a dark look at the person entering.

"You don't have to look at me like that. I'm just doing my job."

Round 2 could begin. Mathilde Royal had entered the arena. The two charged at the woman they considered the world's greatest threat.

"You know...I've let you have your fun for too long. But the funny thing is, even if you were the most promising..."

Mathilde changed their trajectory and threw them off balance, as Christina had done earlier.

"...I should have killed you."

Christina received a pleasant punch in the face while Malvin received a heel kick in the abs.

"You're weak."

Christina returned to the charge. Her sword reflecting her face in which Mathilde could recognize Ichimaru for a microsecond.

"You're not him."

Mathilde deflected the sword with her fingertips.

"If he'd wanted to kill me, he would have."

Christina knew Royal was strong.

"But you're not capable."

She lifted her heel to reveal a dagger hidden in its place. Malvin had been hit by that heel.

"You're going to die here, monster."

At the last moment, Malvin struck the IGA president in the side. She crashed into the wall as Malvin caught his breath. The hole in his abs left an ugly mark.

"Malvin."

"It's okay. Let's finish her off, quick."

Christina was worried about him but had no time to think, in less than a second, Mathilde reappeared between the two.

"You're too slow."

The two sped away but Mathilde grabbed Christina's foot to slam her against the floor with power.

"No strength."

Malvin made her let go of his companion and began a gruesome hand-to-hand combat. Normally, he was the best in the business, but Mathilde had never fought against him.

"No experience."

In three blows, she sent the orphan tumbling.

"I didn't raise you that weak, though."

Christina retried with her sword but Mathilde saw it coming. She redeemed her sword and dodged the gun bullets before she could fire. She even completely disarmed her opponent, sending him waltzing into the wall.

"We'll take turns. That's it."

The two threw themselves at her again.

"I'm not Ichimaru."

The two were sent back to where they'd been.

"I'm not nice. Say, Christina, where's your gun?"

Christina knew this trick very well. She quickly unholstered the gun that was on her waist, but Mathilde pulled the trigger during the action. Christina closed her eyes thinking it was the end, but to her surprise, nothing came out. The magazine was empty.

"No."

"Yes, it is. You're really stupid too."

Mathilde was standing right in front of her with a gun. She looked at the one she'd considered her child for years.

"Your father would have been disappointed."

"What?"

Detonation sounded and the bullet went off. Unfortunately, it was Malvin who took it.

"Malvin?!"

"It's okay. We don't have time."

"Are you kidding?"

Malvin jumped to his feet and charged at Mathilde.

"You were the most promising, Malvin."

Christina drew her sword in turn and the two of them went at it. She sliced through the assassin's gun.

"But unfortunately, she killed you."

Mathilde deflected Christina's sword again, but this time with more than just her fingertips. She took the katana in hand and aimed it at Malvin's heart. Neither of them reacted in time. Malvin was pierced and Christina in shock.

"My poor girl..."

Malvin collapsed to the floor.

"You killed your master and your boyfriend. How sad. I'll wait for your farewell in this corner here."

Christina was still holding the katana when Malvin tried to speak.

"Forgive me, for being a coward. I let you shoulder the loneliness and you had to do horrible things. I really have been the worst boyfriend ever."

"No, don't say that. Not you either."

"Since then, that day in the orphanage when we were still children when you picked me up when I'd fallen, I've never stopped loving you. It's been a long time, I know, but it wasn't enough for me. I promised myself I'd protect you, and now you can do it on your own."

"No, don't say that, you too."

Christina cried again, as she had many times in her life. But all those times were justified.

"I didn't tell you often because I was shy, but you've probably known for a long time..."

"Don't say that."

"I love you, Christina."

Those were Malvin's last words. The ones he'd kept to himself, trying to say them in different kinds of ways. Flowers, a walk together, a mission together, food given, let her win, making her laugh, helping her, being there all the time when she needed it......This had been his way of telling her "I love you."

Christina cried. She was always the one crying over her loved ones. Mathilde Royal lit a cigarette and walked over to her.

"Good. You're done crying, poor girl."

Christina placed her boyfriend's corpse away from the fighting room, then closed the door. She kept the flower Malvin had given her at the orphanage.

"Here, this is for you."

"It's super cliché."

"It is? Well..."

"I'll take it anyway."

She had run off with Malvin's flower. At that moment, Malvin had left without her flower. Suddenly, the aura in the room changed and Mathilde genuinely smiled for the first time in twenty years.

"There she is. My daughter."

Christina was gone again. Or she was without being. Either way, her body could only think of one thing...

"I'm finally going to face you."

...kill Mathilde Royal. Her mother.