"Mistaking?" the leader tilted his head.

"Label doesn’t decide anything here. I decide things in this city," Anciel reassured them.

"Stop right there. Our threat is not a bluff," one of the neo shoguns pointed a gun at Zandor’s head.

Anciel stopped but continued talking, "And what will you do after you detonate the bombs, kill the hostages…what then?" his face got serious and he talked very slowly to get his point across, "I would make you regret ever being born. First you, than your emperor. Then all of Toukoku."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk…" the leader waved his finger, "I have way too much knowledge about you, Anciel. You would never let something happen to your friends."

"…that’s where you’re wrong. I wouldn’t…if it wasn’t Label we are talking about. If you knew me well enough, you’d know I would not trade Label for anything or anyone in the world."

"…" The masked man remained quiet. He had trouble weighing the man’s words, as even with all of them combined, Anciel’s mind was locked behind a door they couldn’t breach.

"Aren’t you taking me a bit lightly?" Anciel made another step.

"Stop! One more word and I will send a whisper to the detonators. I just need to think it and they will blow up the city. Even you are not faster than a thought," the long-haired leader got serious.

Everyone remained as they were. Noix and Lalane looked at Label. Zandor observed Anciel. There was anxiousness and fear in everyone’s eyes.

But the masked man’s eyes couldn’t be seen. Nor could Anciel’s.

The standoff remained unchanged and the noise from the city streets became louder and louder as they all remained quiet.

The man in charge lifted his arm towards Label and gestured, "Come."

"I…can’t."

"You leave me no choice..." the leader’s voice sounded almost sad, "Shoot the inventor."

"Wait! Let me explain; I am willing to go with you, but I can’t!"

The man gestured for his subordinate to stop, "Explain, Label."

"I can’t move…my body…something is holding me…"

The man turned to Anciel once again, noticing his arm pointing towards Label. He was stopping his friend from moving.

"You are really forcing my hand here. You think Label will forgive you if you let anyone here get killed?" annoyance could almost be heard in the leader’s raspy voice.

Anciel remained quiet, unflinching.

"I’m asking you Anciel!" the man now wanted him to talk again.

"…I don’t need Label’s forgiveness. I will make him understand. Just as I will make you understand how grave your mistakes are," Anciel said.

"I am not afraid of you," the masked man said calmly.

"I know. You wouldn’t speak about your mission and origin so openly if you were afraid. But there’s a reason why you’re not afraid; it is because I made it so."

The leader now looked at the other unit members to confirm if Anciel is telling the truth and then continued to listen to him.

"You think you have the upper hand here? It is because I made it so. I knew you were here since the day you stepped into the city, six years ago. You were impossible to catch while all your combined efforts went into concealing your presence, your thoughts. Even I couldn’t find such rotten weeds to pull them out from my garden.
You think you were planning this for six years? Observing me, watching me…measuring the radius of my sight, the grasp of my abilities, the distance of my clairvoyance.
You only saw what I wanted you to see. The true extent of my ability remains unknown to you."

The neo shogunate members started looking at each other, taking battle stances, and getting ready. All except the demon mask man who remained calm, watching and listening to Anciel.

"The question you first brought up when we landed? The answer is this; we landed here because I knew you were here. I know how this ends. That’s why a group of trained masters of the mind such as you still can’t tell what the future holds with absolute certainty.
It is because another powerful master can," he opened his eyes.

The demonic man felt eerie discomfort as the two green emeralds were focused on him even though there was only emptiness inside of them; a blind man’s gaze following him.

Seeing he’s got their full attention, Anciel continued.

"The radius of my sight in not only the whole city but the whole Republic. And yet, because of you, I had to pretend that my powers were limited. I was forced to remain ‘small’ for six years until you finally mustered up the courage to make a move. And boy…what a wrong move it was…You will not be spared. Pray to your fake gods as in your last moments you stand before a true god", he started walking towards them again.

"Hmph. Even if all that you say is true…I am not afraid. I won’t succumb to your threats," the man removed his mask, revealing his pale face. It flickered for a split second.

"You see…I am not even here. You have underestimated me. What you see here is just my projection. My body is safe and taken care of, far away in Hinode," the leader said with utmost confidence.

Hearing that, Anciel’s mouth curved into a smile.

"That is the last piece of the puzzle I needed. In that case; I am faster than a thought."

The pale man’s face changed as he realized what he had done. He frantically turned to the others.

"Tell them to detonate!—"

"Too slow," Anciel held his palm downwards and all of the unit’s members were instantly on the floor. He then put his other hand up and all of their masks and hoods were removed. Seeing where Mai was, he made a gesture with his wrist making all of the other shoguns’ necks break, leaving only the leader standing. He looked around in panic, then raised a finger up to his forehead.

Detonate the bombs!

He quickly sent a whisper with his mind but to no avail, as it was obvious from Anciel’s smile.

"All the way from Toukoku? I don’t think so. The bombs have already been diffused, by your own members, no less. I sent them a whisper at the moment you blabbered the much-needed information to me; that you were further away from your unit than I am. Your specific voice was very easy to replicate in my mind. After they answered me back, thinking it was you; combined with the knowledge that Mai had; that the bombs were at the bases of the tallest structures; I knew your men’s locations and killed them with ease.

Your plan failed because of one simple fact; that you are a coward.

If you had been here in the flesh, your threat would have worked. You may be a powerful master of the mind to be able to project all the way from the far east, across half of the world. Maybe even one of the most powerful ones I have ever encountered. But I wasn’t dealing with you…I was dealing with your projection. The moment I confirmed that; you lost."

"…Anciel. I will remember this," the man said before his clothes were cut in half. The robes fell down but there was nothing inside of them, besides a mask of a demon.

Anciel sheathed his katana back slowly.

"What about Master’s family?" Label immediately yelled.

"Do not worry. Zandor has told me where they were, remember? I took out the assassins at the moment I knew they were in the mansion, letting Sheena know her husband is safe, just moments ago," Anciel calmed him down.

"Oh, alright," Label went to untie the others.

"Agh! Air…finally," Noix was relieved as Label offered his shoulder to help him stand.

"Thank you…" Lalane was close to tears as she ran up to Anciel and hugged him.

"That’s quite alright, Miss Lalane," he held his arms up awkwardly.

"Miss Lalane…" she repeated after him, while her glasses all fogged up.

"We should get the dead bodies out of the streets, inform the prison of what happened and scavenge the bombs," the professor was already busy, even though he couldn’t even walk yet.

"The prison has been informed of some basics, but I leave it up to you to do all the paperwork," the kimono-clad man answered.

"Typical," Noix smiled.

"Look on the bright side; you get your hands on some Toukoku technology bombs," Anciel offered.

"True, true…" the professor put a hand on his chin.

"For a momen’ ther’, I thought ye’ll twist me head along with the others…" Mai complained, even though she was just rescued.

"I couldn’t risk being slow and gentle," Anciel answered calmly.

"So this means you have been holding out on us, eh former pupil?" Zandor still had a hard time believing what Anciel said moments ago. How could this man possibly be even more powerful than he let them believe? Yet the old orgriash couldn’t help but feel proud looking at Anciel as he continued his explanation:

"Yes. I couldn’t say a word to any of you, even having to control my own thoughts all this time, in order to have the upper hand in this upcoming battle of minds.
In order for them to believe my bluffs, I had to appear to have been growing cold and heartless over the years. Label almost made me shed that mask too soon…"

"Sorry about that, but it was really annoying," blondie grinned.

"For six years, you had to pretend you are weaker than you truly were, never able to show your true potential…all in order to save us today. We are forever grateful," the orgriash bowed slightly.

"Do not bow to me, Master. I have you to thank. After all, you have set me on this path," Anciel approached the orgriash, lifting him up, as the old lynx had trouble standing.

 "And I am more than proud of the man you have become," the lynx’s eyes shimmered.

"Wow…but darn it to heavens if ye’re not the mos’ powerful bein’ on the planet. Wha’ th’ bloody hell are ye waitn’ fo’ then? Go on an’ get us rid of all those jerks! Those witches an’ kings are in for a beatin’!"

Mai put up her fist, eager as always.

"Hahaha…I’m not that strong. I barely pulled this off. All that talk about seeing the true future and all of the republic? It was a bit exaggerated. I had to get him shaking, in order to loosen up his tongue. I had to find some weakness."

Zandor looked at both of the young men in front of him.

"Still, if you trained Label to reach your level; I think the two of you together could face even Milenia. Rahn and Celehnius are definitely within your reach. You should not fear them. Not that I propose starting a world war, but maybe just give them a taste of your power, so that they never think of doing something like this again."

"Ever the orgriash chieftain…" Noix couldn’t help but comment, "Maybe we could start by sending an official letter, asking for a diplomatic solution? A treaty before a threat?"

"I actually agree with Master on this. Let’s go and kick their asses. Then we can send letters," Label added his opinion.

"Why do I even bother…" the blue man shook his head.

Rogue de Mai came closer to blondie, "So, ye can’t even confess yer love righ’, but arr waitin’ for me to be tak’n hostage? Ye fancy yerself some knight on a white horse? …or dragon."

"Ehh…" Label went red straight away, remembering that he blabbered out the truth about his feelings in the middle of the tense situation.

"I…eh…"

"A gentleman would not let himself be seen in such a state" Noix pointed out, "But I doubt Miss Mai would ever go for a gentleman. A rascal such as you is a perfect match."

"Stop it guys…" Label looked to the side, "This is not the time. Let’s get everyone home."

He tried to remain serious but everyone laughed. Seeing their smiling faces made him happy. He felt like he really belongs. And yet, he was torn inside, having a great longing for the place where he grew up and the people who were once his family. He had to go and see them too. How would he ever decide between them? It was what was tearing him apart.

"You alright?" Noix noticed.

"I’m fine. Actually, I’m very happy. Thanks, Noix."