"The train with Miss Mai on board is closing in on the target," Lalane was reporting what she heard over the co-pilot headset.

"And we will be there shortly after. I just hope it won’t be too late," Noix was rotating a miniature ship steering wheel.

"What are your speculations?" Lalane asked.

"I think he’s headed for Lab 2."

"That’s where we keep the sword," she made some sense out of it.

"The Zehnhander," Moix whispered, "All our research managed to prove nothing, yet I believe that sword is somehow connected to what happened to Label ten years ago."

"The emergence of True Label…" she said. Even though Lalane was not present when it happened, she heard the story.

"Or the Original Label, for I doubt that was just a case of multiple personalities," the man lowered his shades and looked at her with his yellow eyes.

"Another theory, Professor Smythe?"

"Most probably, but I have positive feelings toward this one. You see, I believe that the Zehnhander was just not just a catalyst, but the actual source."

"You mean, that True Label was…sleeping inside it?" Lalane asked him.

"Precisely. All my theories up to this point were based on the assumption that Label was the source, and the sword had awoken his ‘other’ self at the moment of contact."

"But now you think, he released what was already inside the sword?" she wondered.

"Exactly," he raised his finger.

"Any proof to support such a theory so far?" Lalane fixed her stare on him.

Noix just lowered his finger, scratching his light blue nape.

"Don’t worry Professor Noix. You might have a chance to ask him yourself, soon enough. Miss Mai is ready to make her move. This should be interesting."

"Lalane," he frowned.

"What?"

"Aren’t you enjoying this just a little bit too much?"

"Sorry sir. It’s just very exciting to finally witness some of the things we only theorized and learned about for so long."

"Mon Dieu…" Noix just put a palm on his face, shaking his head.

* * *

Even though the train ran at full speed, it had problems catching up to the man running on the huge outer wall, jumping over occasional guards and turrets alike. Rose Rogue de Mai was counting seconds before the point of the strongest centrifugal pull.

"Now!" she had the timing set for herself, jumping up with all her might.

Up in the airship, the duo held their breath as from their perspective, a small red dot looked like it was flying through the air, finally landing on the wall in front of the naked man.

"Label, stop!" she unholstered her weapons, pointing the Éclair towards him, but the blond man had no intention of stopping, and was running straight toward her. She aimed at his leg and fired.

"Got ye!" she said too soon, as the bullet hit but didn’t even graze him. Deciding to raise the stakes, she focused on her sword. Even though he was still out of her reach, she slashed horizontally.
An invisible force followed after her blade, aimed at his legs, cutting the air as it flew at him. 
The man quickly jumped over the slash as if he knew it was coming. Missing him, it hit one of the metal pipes behind him, releasing a high-pitched whistle as the steam started coming out of it. The man ran past her, raising her cape and hair.
Mai turned around and swung her blade, creating a small void in space that retracted immediately. The small implosion drew everything in a certain radius inwards, including both Mai and the man.
He pierced the metal floor with his fingers, holding on to it to avoid being pulled in by her attack. The floor bent but kept him from falling onto his back. He turned around, his blue eyes meeting her gaze for a brief moment, before he started his sprint once again, bending the metal floor from the force.
Knowing full well that she can’t catch up to him, Mai took out a small radio and pressed a button on it.

"This is Captain Rogue of the Enforcers. Mission failed. I repeat, mission failed."

"Copy that, Lady Rogue," Lalane could be heard on the other side," You actually managed to slow him down a bit. Not too shabby."

"Don’tcha patronize me."

"Just repeating what Professor Smythe said. You can take it out on him. Over."

"You didn’t have to tell her that—" Noix’s voice could be heard before the connection was cut.

The young woman dusted off her coat and sheathed her weapons, looking after the man who was now just a small yellow dot in the distance.

"… he’s kinda’ handsome… and big."

* * *

Tires could be heard screeching as a steam-powered car stopped in front of a Toukoku-styled dojo. A team of three enforcers got out of the vehicle, while one remained inside, ready to drive whenever needed. The two men and a woman wore tight, lightly armored red enforcer uniforms and were ascending the stairs to enter the temple-like structure.
Two young men wearing traditional Toukoku getup, armed with a short katana called kodachi, each stood at one side of the front gate.

"You cannot come in at this time. Master Anciel is inside with the rest of the pupils," one of them said.

 "We have an emergency. Why is none of you answering?" asked the enforcer furiously.

"The use of any mechanical or electronic devices on the temple grounds is strictly forbidden," the young man calmly replied.

"Open the gate!" the other enforcer’s patience was running thinner.

"No, we can’t," the young guard stood in front of him.

The enforcer tried pushing him, but the young man avoided his arm, using his forward momentum to trip him.

"Obstruction of justice and an assault on an enforcer!" one of the other two shouted as they took out their batons, trying to hit him. The temple guard disarmed and immobilized them with only a few swift moves.

"You are going to be arrested for this. You think you are above law?" one of the enforcers was picking himself up from the floor.

At that moment, the gate opened and a tall dark man wearing a black kimono came out. He had long hair dark as a raven and a black and red katana held at the waist via red cloth.

"Maybe they are not, but I am," the man spoke to them with his eyes closed.

The enforcers bowed and then saluted even though they were in pain.

"Master Anciel, there is an emergency—"

"I am aware. I know everything that happens in this city, with an exception of some things I know before they even get to happen, or did you forget to read your enforcer training manuals?"

"We are only doing our job."

"You have mixed up your priorities. You are a citizen of Para City first and foremost, an enforcer only second. Do you need to be reminded what happens if you harm a fellow citizen?"

"Apologies sir…" he bowed deeply, once to Anciel, then to the pupil, "My sincerest apologies, fellow citizen."

"That’s alright," the young man was a bit embarrassed.

"Nothing alright about it," Anciel addressed him, "Taking your duty to such a stubborn level and following orders blindly…you are not yet ready to be a temple guard. Didn’t they tell you it was an emergency?"

The young man looked at the floor, reflecting on his actions.

"Master Anciel, about that emergency…" the enforcer wanted to finally report.

"I already know. I will be there in time," the dark tall man was returning to the dojo.

"Are you going to be taking our transport?" one of them asked and Anciel answered over his shoulder.

"Obviously not. I said I will be there in time, didn’t I?"

* * *

After returning back to the cabin from the engine room, Noix said to his assistant.

"Lalane, tell everyone in Lab 2 to evacuate. Also, tell them not to try stopping Label."

"Way ahead of you, professor."

"Next, tell them to prepare a landing spot for us."

"Negative," she replied firmly.

"Wh-what do you mean ‘negative’?"

"Everyone evacuated already, so naturally—"

"There is no one left to prepare a landing spot," Noix concluded bitterly, "Figures."

"Good luck landing us, sir," she saluted.

"You are aware you are flying in this ship with me, aren’t you?"

* * *

Upon reaching Lab 2, the blond man first stopped in front of a large metal gate, then looked around, noticing a round glass window high up from his position. The window was too high to reach for anyone except a few people in the world. He was one of them. Jumping so quickly to leave an indent in the metal floor, the blond man went flying through the glass without a single scratch as the shards of glass deflected off his skin. He landed on the fifth floor of the laboratory, breaking a lot of equipment inside the room via his violent entrance. Forcefully bending any door or barrier with his bare arms, he made his way through and towards a large dome-shaped chamber in the center of which was a magnetically levitated giant sword by the name of Zehnhander. He started walking towards it.

Moments after him, Noix and Lalane entered the chamber.

"Don’t do it!" Noix yelled, reaching out with his hand.

"Let him. I’m here now," a dark-haired man appeared next to them.

"Whoah," Lalane jumped, not noticing when he arrived.

"Anciel, what do you mean; ‘Let him.’?" Noix was frustrated, "You said it yourself… ‘The future after this point is unreadable’. There is no way of knowing what may happen!"

"If you don’t have faith in him… then have faith in me that I can stop him," Anciel spoke with a calm expression, not opening his eyes.

"But it wasn’t you who stopped him the first time. It was Lady Blanche," the blue-clad man fixed his shades.

"You’re wrong. It was me," Anciel grabbed the hilt of his sword, "And Panusa," he added.

Label reached for the sword, grabbing the hilt with his hand as everyone held their breath. Ready to make a move, the trio stood still, waiting for whatever may transpire.

Label turned, frowning.

"It’s not working…" he said quietly.

Noix looked at Anciel with a question.

"It’s him," Anciel answered shortly.

"Can’t you be a little more precise?" the professor was nervous.

"It’s Label," Anciel released his weapon.

"I know it’s Label! But which Label is it?!" Noix waved his arms in anticipation.

"It’s my friend… our friend," Anciel said, looking at the naked man that stood across the room, "Welcome back."

Lalane saw a tear slide down next to Anciel’s smile.

 "What’s not working, my friend?" he finally asked the confused man.

"Hmm…" Label tried swinging the Zehnhander, "Well… last time I touched it, I turned into a guy, so now when I woke up, I thought… you know, if I touched it again, I would turn back into a boy."

Anciel came close.

"You are not a man because of some ancient witchcraft Label… you have grown into a man over the last ten years," he hugged the bewildered blond man.

Label hugged him back, but Noix could see the endless confusion spreading across his face.

"Ten…years?" he asked in a frightened low voice.