Persona BLEACHED 4: Chapter 44

Chapter 44: A Song of Dragon's Fire
---
The hellish Wolfpack army approaches...~
That dark shadow comes for us...~
To protect peace in the world...~
Go! Go! Let's go! Dazzling wings of flame~!
Rider Jump!
Rider Kick!
Apple Rider, Apple Rider...~
Rider, Rideeeer~!
Rider Jump!
Rider Kick!
Apple Rider, Apple Rider...~
Rider, Rideeeer~!
---
January 9th, 2031
"'I am Applerider Ringo Kubo, protector of Tokyo. I'm here to destroy you.'"
Rose watched the screen intently from within the Velvet Room. "Even now, you're trying to sound cool. There are only so many ways you can make 'Applerider' sound intimidating, beloved."
"Oh, hi, Auntie Rose! What are you watching?" Uri entered.
"Oh, just the battle progressing. Your aunt finally--"
Rose stopped, and blinked a couple of times. "Uri?! Why are you awake?!"
Shizuka entered behind him, rubbing her eyes. "Morning, Mama Rose..."
"You too, Shizuka? What in the world...?"
"I didn't do it!" Hana called out from the other room. "They both just sprang up, honest!"
"(I suppose this is why Mother wanted everyone in stasis pods for the duration of the battle. Their slumber must wear off on its own otherwise.)" Rose thought.
"Hey, how come everything's blue?" Uri looked at the main screen. "Oh hey, are you watching Kamen Rider? Neat! Let me see!" He got up close to it.
"Don't touch that, it's sensitive equipment!"
"Hey, over there...isn't that Dad? Why's he look so beat up?" He looked at another screen, showing Max in his armor. "Whooooa...that guy looks cool!"
"Please don't stand so close to the screen, you'll ruin your eyesight! Ms. Hana, could you lend me a hand, please?"
"Is Mama Rin beating up bad guys again?" Shizuka asked.
"Huh? Auntie Rin's that cool-looking Kamen Rider?" Uri asked.
"With haste, Ms. Hana!" Rose called out.
"You were going to have to explain it to him eventually, dear..." Hana replied.
"If Auntie Rin's Kamen Rider, I wanna see! Hey, what's with all the dog people?" Uri asked.
"(As if today wasn't stressful enough.)" Rose thought.
---
Ueno, Tokyo.
There was a cold stillness about the area, save for one, concentrated spot. In the middle of the destruction, a burning tension was building.
"...that you in there, apple cider?" Johnny questioned, his gun taken off of Bobbi. "Gotta say, wasn't expecting your troupe to break you out. Or for you to show up dressed like...that."
"My friends are more determined than you give them credit for. Though I guess things like loyalty must be foreign concepts to someone who surrounds himself with degenerates." Rin replied.
"Hoo, and she's got bite! Guess our intel was off the mark on you. I'd heard you were the ultimate softie. Handing out forgiveness like it was a homemade cookie."
"I show compassion to people who need it. People who show that they want to better themselves, regardless of what the world's thrown at them. Don't mistake that for weakness on my part. In you, I don't see anything reflected in your eyes but pure evil. There's a difference between being compassionate and being naive. I believe anyone with a shred of humanity can change."
"Welp, guess that takes me off the list. So what, you're gonna beat me to a pulp dressed like a moth? Maybe stick a few mothballs in my pockets?"
"Moths represent the cycle of life and rebirth. New beginnings and growth. But to some...they can represent the end. Specifically, yours."
"A'ight, but you're gonna have to wait your turn. I've got a sibling dispute to--"
He turned back. Bobbi was gone.
"...gonna be that kinda day today."
Hobbled from her injuries, Bobbi had nonetheless managed to pick herself off the ground and out of sight behind a nearby building. "(I hate running. Especially from this, of all battles. But the power I'm sensing from that woman guarantees that a fight between her and Johnny won't end in anything but extensive collateral damage. I want nothing more than to put him in the ground...but not if it means never seeing Candice again. Have to regroup...I'll be back, you animal...)"
Back at the battle site, Johnny cracked his shoulders. "Alright. I'm good with playing musical schmucks. Gimme your best shot, Ms. Friz--"
He turned, and Rin was already in mid-air in front of him, preparing to kick. Reacting quickly, he blocked the strike with his forearm. The impact caused an energy surge, that flared up into the sky for all to witness.
---
South Naruki.
"...hrm." Zhenlong uttered.
"Something catch your attention, 'Your Majesty'?" Shūjo asked.
The large man turned around. "I'm leaving."
"What do you mean you're leaving? Are we boring you that much?" Kibō questioned.
"You haven't changed at all." Dasuke commented. "You go where the harshest fighting is. Even a mite could sense that burst of spirit energy just now."
"Astute as always, Xianwu. A battle such as this only comes once every century. I need to indulge my curiosity before Johnathan and that woman massacre each other. Don't let yourself die before I return." Zhenlong responded.
"Is it really curiosity? Or are you just being a pussy?" Shūjo questioned.
Zhenlong turned his head. "What was that?"
"You are...not the fearful sort, clearly." Dasuke shook his head.
"I'd sooner plunge a sword into my gut than start shaking in my boots. Big man can't win a fight where he can't ambush anyone, so he's gonna go steal someone else's action. And here you're supposed to be a king." the former gangster responded.
"I have taken pieces out of you, yet you dare to imply cowardice on my part?" Zhenlong loomed over the others. "Shall I take your other hand? Perhaps you would prefer to live as a blind man? Or perhaps...*I can show you just how trivial you are before me?*"
Crimson energy sparked around him, as his wings sprouted.
Those present already had to look up due to his stature, but they now had to look up higher. And higher still.
"Oh...sh--" Kibō uttered.
"--iiiiiiit." Shūjo finished the thought.
Dasuke could only look. "(When is the last time I had to bear witness to this?)"
---
1564. The Nanling Mountains in Southern China.
There was a time, in the distant past, where the wyverns were not limited to isolated individuals. For centuries, our people were widespread throughout the planet. The old saying was, where you find mountains, you will find dragons.
Eight centuries ago, the wyvern empire had begun its ascension, its first true conquest being that of the Chinese lands once held by the Mongol Empire. At its head was a man said to have done battle with the Great Kahn himself. The Immortal Dragon King, Zhenlong. Even then, he was an elder amongst our kind, so mighty and overwhelming that to us, he was no mere dragon.
To us, he was God.
And so it was that he constructed ou great city in the southern mountains: Jincheng, the city of gold. An opulent paradise, populated by those who Zhenlong favored the most--whether they were his warriors, or concubines.
His conquests were not carried out single-handedly. Chief among his guard were the Four Devas. Wyverns said to stand over all save for the king himself, hand-picked from throughout his newly acquired lands.
Qinlong, the noble Forest Dragon of the East.
Bakho, the wise Iron Tiger of the West.
Suzaku, the brave Radiant Bird of the South.
And their leader. Zhenlong's most trusted confidante, serving him longer than any other. Plucked from a remote mountain village and molded into a paragon of strength rivaling his own.
Xianwu, the Shadow Tortoise of the North. Me.
For three-hundred years, we served him faithfully, leading his conquests from the front. Most of what comprises Asia and eastern Europe was united under the Dragon King's banner. The casualties of that age...I lost count after the first decade. They never let on, but it began to eat away at my comrades. His sadistic joy during battle, relishing the blood he was spilling. He would say it was better under his fist. The others saw through it.
Suzaku was not like the rest of us. She served as part of an agreement with the land of her birth, with the promise that Zhenlong would never set foot there with the purpose of conquest. Bakho told her that he was reneging on his deal. He was mobilizing troops to overtake Nippon. 
Three-hundred years of loyalty, of destroying lives and burning homes, and he repays her with more blood.
They knew what kind of evil man he was. But I was blind. He'd chosen me when I was nothing. Guided me as a father would. I was his perfect soldier. Suzaku had her work cut out, convincing me. But she knew something I was unaware of. Zhenlong said that life under his rule was akin to paradise on Earth. That was only within the city of gold. And that is where he kept us, forbidding us from leaving unless it was setting out for battle. You isolate a man in a utopia, he'll believe that it's the whole world.
I was wrong.
She showed me the reality of it. He would go alone to all the villages and towns we conquered, finding anyone with strength he deemed satisfactory. The rest...he left as ashes. It wasn't just one time. It was *every* time. Three centuries worth of lies unraveled before me.
And so in 1564, I took the blade he gifted me, Shadowpiercer, and I led the Four Devas into battle one last time. Against the man we had dubbed a god. It was long...brutal...and horrific. By the battle's end, Jincheng had been razed to the ground. Thousands had perished. Bakho and Qinlong among them. And in spite of the monstrous form he took on, the Immortal Dragon King was felled by my hand. Mortally wounded, and cast into the sea. I believed him to be dead.
The remnants of the empire wished for me to take the throne. I neither needed, nor wanted it. Power and dominion had transformed Zhenlong into a monster. That would not be me. So we let it all dissolve. Whatever wyvern clans remained, disappeared into the caves and mountains. And so that is what Suzaku and I did. I took the name 'Dasuke', so ashamed of what Xianwu represented, and we vanished into the forests of her homeland. So we remained, for four-hundred years.
It was not long after its formation that representatives of the Planetary Defense Force came into the forest, following rumors of dragons living in the mountains. They approached us with information, and an offer. Zhenlong had survived. He had spent the centuries since our battle slowly regaining his strength. He was even more of a monster than we'd ever known. They needed the help of someone who had faced him before. They would render their aid, if I agreed to head a new branch to be based in Tokyo.
Suzaku and I had a long, difficult discussion. We had grown accustomed to peace, even in the many instances where the land was consumed by the flames of war. She detested battle. But Zhenlong was our responsibility. The planet could never know peace, until that man was banished to the sands of history.
I have hunted this man for close to a hundred years now.
---
"(And now, the moment has come. And yet, as it was all those centuries ago...)" Dasuke thought.
He stared up at the massive, serpentine, crimson form of a horned dragon, so enormous that his body coiled around a nearby skyscraper.
"(...I'm staring up at this demon of a man...at a complete loss for words.)"
Zhenlong opened his maw, as flames began to build up inside of it.
"This move...!" Dasuke turned to the others. "I need you all to run, right now!"
"Into the water, Barbara, quickly!" Candice tugged her along.
"W-wait, Keeb...!" Barbara replied.
"Dammit...!" Kibō started to run.
Shūjo picked Hiyoko off the ground. "Be happy you're not awake for this!"
Dasuke followed after. The flames erupted in a beam out of Zhenlong's mouth, obliterating where they had just been fighting.
From afar, Dai and Spence looked on from atop a building.
"Holy...! Dude! Look at the size of him!" the latter uttered.
"I see him, brother. The dragon god in his true form. Father always said that his appearance meant impending doom. It's more terrifying than him and Mother described." Dai replied.
"What the hell are we gonna do against that?! We'd be like geckos fighting a T-Rex!"
"Would Shadowpiercer alone be enough to damage him...?"
"Not alone. Which is why I brought help."
The boys turned around. "Mother! You came?" Dai asked.
"Sorry it took me so long. It seems I did too good of a job hiding these."
"Those gauntlets...the Dawnbringer? You made it sound like they'd vanished..." Spence replied.
"Because I didn't want you to go looking for them. They were meant to be buried along with everything else."
She appeared to be in her mid-thirties, with the same yellow serpentine eyes as the other wyverns. Her P.D.F. uniform was yellow, while her hair was a dark blonde with vermillion coloration on the sides. She wore a similarly colored gauntlet on each arm, both of which had markings resembling the wings of a bird.
She looked out at the giant dragon in the distance. "I'd hoped never to lay eyes on him ever again." Suzaku put her fists together. "Time to go help your father, boys. Let's kill the bastard for real this time."
---
The P.D.F. medical tent. With the battle raging on, the staff had their hands more than full with the rash of serious injuries flowing through.
"Squad 7 just spotted Judge O'Donnell heading this way, and she looks to be in critical shape! Someone needs to go meet up with her!"
"Where's Dr. O'Donnell?! This is getting mad!"
"We still haven't gotten into contact, maybe her comms systems were damaged..."
On one bed, still fully armored, was Commander Max. A bandage was wrapped around his left eye. "I hear that right? My sister's been wounded and you can't find my wife?"
"Th-that seems to be the case, sir--"
He got up. "I'm out of here."
"Wait, Commander! Your eye--"
"My old man spent his entire Defense Force career with only the one eye, I can go for a little while. I'm getting Bobb, then Letty, and then my scumbag brother."
"But--"
"One more 'but' and I'm charging you with insubordination! Get your butts over to the other patients! That's a direct order! Am I clear?!"
"Y-yes, sir..."
He stormed off. 
"Man, I've never seen the Commander this intense before..." one doctor said.
"Can you really blame him?" another responded.
Over at another bed, Anna was looking equally as impatient as one medic tended to her elevated leg. "Ya wanna maybe try speeding this up a bit?"
"Ma'am, your leg's been fractured. It's going to take time to get it properly healed. Now brace. This might sting a little." The nurse attending to her radiated energy from her hands, hovering over Anna's leg.
"¡Ayyyyyyyy, coño! Ain't you supposed to make it hurt less?!"
"I told you it'd sting a little."
¡Fregá! If I wasn't hooked to this bed, I'd--"
"Complaining isn't going to help." Jess advised.
"Easy for you to say, you're already mended up, like nothin'. I ain't shit without my legs."
"Which is why you need to keep calm. Hard ask, I know."
"Uggggh..."
An officer of the Tokyo branch ran up. "Ms. Jessica! I'm glad I finally found someone."
"What's happening?" Jess asked.
"I was hoping she would find you first, but that doesn't look to be the case. Ms. Suzaku just entered through the dimensional portal not too long ago."
Jess paused. "What?"
"Your ma? I thought she was sittin' this one out?" Anna asked.
"She's obviously had a change of heart. Or that was never her intent to begin with. Either way, I'm heading out." Jess declared.
"Whaddya mean 'I'm heading out'? Ya don't even know where she's headed!"
"I know *exactly* where she's headed. Wherever Zhenlong and Dad are, that's where she'll be. I have to go."
"Alright, just..." Anna held out her arms. "I know you ain't a hugger, but humor me for a sec. Promise me you'll come back."
"...heh." Jess obliged and gave her a hug. "Not like you to be nervous for me."
"I love you, dummy. It's kinda the side effect. Now go beat that overgrown iguana's ass."
"Gladly."
---
The group that had fled Zhenlong's attack made it further down the shoreline. "Okay...we should be far enough away." Dasuke said.
"What. The hell. Was ANY OF THAT?!" Shūjo demanded. "That 'Dragon King' shit wasn't just mumbo-jumbo?! Just what the hell are we fighting here?!"
Nearby, Barbara emerged from the water, Candice close behind her. "Ugh...Keeb!"
"Barb!" Kibō embraced her.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah. We're all good. Considering."
"My goodness, what a monstrosity." Candice looked up at the towering dragon. "Even in Lemuria, we've heard tales of the Dread Emperor Zhenlong. To see such a thing with my own eyes...he's unfathomable. Suddenly I understand why Mother Ocean keeps my eyesight away from most earthbound things..."
"....." Dasuke could only stare at Zhenlong.
"Alright, slick, time to start talking! What is that freak?!" Shūjo demanded.
"Sir. You're like him, aren't you?" Kibō asked. "Your eyes are similar. You talk as if you know him. What exactly are you?"
"....." Dasuke pondered his response. "Once upon a time...I would have called him 'my king'. Or in other times...'Father'."
"That thing is your...?" Barbara asked.
"Not by blood. But he raised me as one would. For centuries, I was his most devout disciple. I conquered many lands under his banner. Did many things I deeply regret now."
"Centuries?" Kibō pondered.
"I'm far older than I look. We are wyverns. Dragon people, to put it simply. Our lifespans are measured in millennia, rather than decades. I know this may seem a bit hard to fathom."
"I know a therapist that would disagree." Shūjo retorted.
"Nngh..." Hiyoko stirred.
"Hey, there you are. You alright?"
"My head is pounding...ah." She looked up and saw the dragon. "...am I hallucinating that?"
"Unfortunately, no." Kibō replied.
"I think I'd like to go back to being unconscious now."
"So, dragon man, how do we stop him?" Shūjo asked.
"When we fought last, we bested him with the aid of two sacred weapons. The Shadowpiercer blade I carry, and the Dawnbringer gauntlets wielded by another. Where those might be, only she knows--?!" Dasuke noticed something.
"What's that look for?"
"This sensation...she came, after all. And with *them*. Then there's not a moment to waste." He began to move.
"Hold on a sec, pal! What's gotten into you?"
"The one who wielded the Dawnbringers has brought them here. Her name is Suzaku. She was one of Zhenlong's generals, like me. She's also...my wife. And if I know her as well as I think I do, then she's going straight for him."
"Can't fault a guy for looking out for his main lady. Going in alone ain't gonna do you any favors, though. I'm going with."
"Even seeing him as he is now?"
"Buddy, I've fought way uglier than that. And he took my hand and a bunch of my men. I might not be yakuza anymore, but I don't like leaving outstanding debts. I'm getting a piece of him."
"Count us in, too." Barbara spoke. "Everyone needs their healer around. And who better to fight a dragon than a knight?"
"I just dress the part..." Kibō scratched his head. "...but if I were to turn around and keep running now, I know one lady that'd be very upset with me."
"Ha. Perhaps it's better off that none of you know the full extent of who he is. But I suspect that even if you did, you'd be giving me the same answer." Dasuke replied with. "By the way, my one-eyed comrade. I don't believe I ever got your name."
"The name's Shūjo Higashikata. Entrepreneur and nothing more than that these days." Shūjo replied.
"Quite the intimidating presence for an 'entrepreneur'. Though I'm sure I didn't mishear that part earlier about being former yakuza. And what of you two?"
"I'm Kibō Ishimaru. Sir." Kibō replied.
"And I'm Barbara Jadefang. You've probably met my brother already." Barbara added.
"So then you're...?" Dasuke realized. "Ah, I see. Mr. Jadefang did mention having special people who brought him back to his senses. Determination must be a familial trait."
Shūjo knelt down next to Hiyoko. "You okay with me heading off?"
"You're planning to regardless. I'm utterly powerless to stop you." she replied.
"Don't be ridiculous. Say the word and I'll drop. I won't move another muscle if you don't want me to."
"Oh, enough knee-bending, I've already married you. Go and ensure our men are avenged properly."
"Don't worry, Sir Pirate. I'll call Father over, we'll have her healed in no time at all." Candice assured.
"I'd really appreciate--hey! Did you just call me a pirate?" Shūjo griped.
"I mean...if the shoe fits." Kibō replied.
"Really not in the mood for this..."
"Excuse me, sir? I don't think you ever gave us your name." Barbara pointed out.
"Wasn't that big freak calling you something like, uh, think it was Xi--" Shūjo began to answer.
Dasuke stopped him. "That name is from a lifetime ago. The only name I acknowledge is Dasuke Sorenos, Commander of the Defense Force's Tokyo branch. As I did so very long ago, please allot me the honor of leading you brave souls into battle."
---
Zhenlong had his head resting atop the skyscraper, his serpentine body coiled around it, while his clawed hands dug into the sides. He snarled.
"XIANWU...WHERE ARE YOU HIDING, BOY? CONSIGNING YOURSELF TO THE SHADOWS ONLY DELAYS THE INEVITABLE. NOTHING IS GOING TO KEEP ME FROM DIGGING MY FANGS INTO YOUR TRAITOROUS HIDE..." he uttered in a deep, guttural voice.
From above, something dropped towards him.
"Yippie-ki-yay, motherfucker!"
"HN?"
Before the dragon could react, the newcomer dropped onto his head with a hard crash. "How's that taste, freak?!"
"URK...!"
He hopped off. It was Spence's voice, distorted, but his appearance was that of a bulky, yellow dragon, his frame more similar to that of a tortoise. His wings were tiny, looking as though they were not suitable for flight. "Jeez, you look like my sister on a bad morning, only way uglier."
"WHO DARES...? FROM WHERE DID YOU SPAWN?"
"Yikes, that's a bit of a personal question, my guy. At least buy me dinner first."
Zhenlong raised a claw. "THE WORLD SHALL SLEEP BETTER WITH YOU SILENCED."
A beam, of mixed light and dark energy, emerged from his right and struck his arm before he could bring it down. "Normally I'd agree with that sentiment, but not when it's coming from that wretched maw." Dai was in the form of a silver dragon with a dark mane, and landed next to Spence.
"Really, man? You're giving me shit *now*?" Spence griped.
"You never said I couldn't."
"It's a time and place thing! You're making me look like an idiot in front of the bad guy!"
"You do a good enough job of that yourself, I think."
Zhenlong loomed as the two bickered. "THEY SEND IMBECILES TO FIGHT ME. DO YOU THINK THIS LITTLE OF ME, XIANWU?" He raised his claw again. "AWAY WITH YOU, PESTS."
Before he could strike, a jolting sensation was felt in his lower half.
At the base of the building, Jess, in her own dragon form, bit down on the underside of Zhenlong's tail, electricity pouring through her fangs.
"MORE MITES TO IRRITATE MY SKIN?" Zhenlong charged fire in his jaws. "BEGONE!"
A stream of flames fired down towards Jess, who took to the air as the energy blasted the streets.
She landed next to her brothers. "Well that took you long enough! Couldn't resist this party, could you?" Spence asked.
"Stow it. I had other things to deal with." Jess replied.
"Is Anna alright? I thought you went after her." Dai asked.
"She's being tended to. She took a hit from the head wolf. So did I."
"Sure you're good for this?" Spence asked.
"I'll manage."
Zhenlong stared back at them. "FOOLS. YOU ARE WYVERNS. DO YOU NOT KNOW WHO I AM? IF YOU HAD ANY SENSE AT ALL, YOU WOULD NOT BE STRIKING AT ME. SUCH AN ERROR IS AKIN TO SPITTING IN THE FACE OF A GOD."
"Ohh, typical pompous asshole assuming we don't know who he is." Spence responded.
"We've been told all our lives about who *you* are, Dragon King." Dai added.
"That's why we're here to put you down." Jess concluded.
"DEFIANT WHELPS. I'VE NO TIME TO DEAL WITH INFANTS WHO KNOW NOT THE MISTAKE THEY HAVE MADE." Zhenlong raised his wings up, so they were towering over the three younger dragons. "BE SILENCED."
"You first." a distorted voice responded.
A vibrant ray of light hit against the giant dragon. "HNG...THAT LIGHT...THAT VOICE...!"
Landing on top of the building was a dragon a good deal larger than the three younger ones. Her frame was covered by vermillion feathers, with the tips of her wings being yellow.
She morphed into her human form. "Just to prove you aren't hallucinating." Suzaku said.
"HA...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Zhenlong let out a hearty laugh. "SO YOU RETURN TO ME, WENCH! DISAPPOINTED THAT YOU FAILED TO KILL ME ALL THOSE CENTURIES AGO?"
"Disappointed? No. Disgusted is more like it. I never wanted to look at that awful face of yours again."
"AM I CORRECT IN ASSUMING THAT THESE THREE FLIPPANT WHELPS ARE YOUR AND XIANWU'S OFFSPRING? HA. I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT WAS THE MOTIVATION. MY MOST LOYAL SOLDIER, SWAYED BY THE POISONOUS WORDS OF A TREACHEROUS WOMAN. HOW SHAMEFUL!"
"I'm not the treacherous one. I would have served you for another millennia, if you had stayed true to your word that you'd never set foot in my homeland as a conqueror. But maybe it's better that you did, so I could finally see what kind of man I'd pledged my allegiance to."
"I AM MUCH MORE THAN A MAN, SUZAKU."
"And I'm much more than a dragon." Suzaku brandished her gauntlets.
"THE DAWNBRINGERS...!"
"The very same. Why don't we skip the formalities and get to why we're really here?" Suzaku transformed again, the gauntlets still visible on her hands. "Making you into a fossil."
The group that was with Dasuke arrived at the base of the building. Flashes of energy could be seen at the top.
"Looks like your clan beat us to it. Got any way to get us up there quick?" Shūjo asked.
"I do, actually." Dasuke replied. He held his sword out to Kibō. "Hold this for me, young man."
"Um, sure. What are you gonna do?" Kibō asked.
"Prepare to be amazed." The commander closed his eyes. When they reopened, they appeared to be even more reptilian than before.
Atop the building, the dragon children alternated attacking Zhenlong, either with energy or with physical strikes. They dodged as he unleashed his flame breath. Spence lunged at him, only to be swatted aside by his claw. He fell over the side, but stopped his descent by digging his hands into the building.
"Aw, this blows." Spence groaned.
Dai and Jess both attacked with their own beams, but the wyvern lord grabbed them both out of midair. As he looked at them threateningly, Suzaku swooped in and grasped his head with her hind claws. Zhenlong tossed the two away, as he began struggling with his former servant.
Suzaku released her grip, flying over to Zhenlong's side. The gauntlets began to glow with a vermillion light, as she dug her claws into his scales.
"HA." He scoffed. "THAT TICKLES, SUZAKU."
"Huh...?!"
He swatted her onto the building.
"Mother!" Dai called out.
Spence climbed over the edge. "Ugh...is he dead yet?"
Suzaku got up. "How...?"
"YOU ARE A FOOL, SUZAKU. THAT MAY HAVE WORKED CENTURIES AGO, BUT NOT SO TODAY. WERE YOU FORGETTING THAT ALL THOSE ALIGNED WITH JOHNATHAN RECEIVED HIS BLOOD?" Zhenlong boomed.
".....!"
"I AM STRONGER NOW THAN I EVER WAS BEFORE. YOU COULD NOT KILL ME THEN. YOUR CHANCES ARE EVEN LESS NOW. NOTHING WILL BE STOPPING ME FROM RAZING YOU AND THIS ENTIRE GODFORSAKEN WORLD TO THE GROUND."
Zhenlong loomed even larger. "GAZE UPON ME, TINY ONES. YOU STARE AT THE GOD OF ALL WYVERN-KIND. THERE IS NAUGHT FOR YOU TO DO BUT KNEEL...OR DIE!"
From behind the smaller dragons, something rose up. They all looked up.
Above them, flying on massive wings, was a bulky, black-skinned dragon whose scales possessed silver tips. Though still not comparable to Zhenlong, he was much larger than Suzaku or any of their children. His companions hopped off his back and onto the roof. He charged dark energy inside his mouth, reared his head back, and fired a heavy beam, that drove the wyvern lord back. He flew after, smashing into Zhenlong with his claws.
"Nnh...!" Suzaku tried to follow, but was held back by her damaged wings.
"Don't strain yourself, Mother." Jess cautioned.
"I'm fine. I'd be going even if they were chopped off..." 
"Please wait a second, ma'am. I can heal you." Barbara spoke.
"And who are you supposed to be?" Suzaku saw what Kibō was holding. "And why do you have Shadowpiercer...?!"
"Your husband gave it to me to hold onto. He brought us here to help." he replied.
"The last thing I need today is humans getting involved. This isn't your fight."
"Newsflash, lady, but the big ugly there just blew up half a city block. I lost a hand and a bunch of my men to him. This *is* our fight, whether you like it or not. I'm not gonna pretend to know why you've got hang-ups about letting a human help out, but at this point you should take it." Shūjo retorted.
"Hang-ups...?" Suzaku glanced at Jess and Spence. "...alright, fine. But make it quick."
"Yes, ma'am. Right on it." Barbara materialized her Persona, using its water to heal Suzaku.
Shūjo looked at the ongoing battle between Dasuke and Zhenlong, with the former flying around and taking every opportunity to blast, claw and bite the larger dragon. "Your hubby's giving it a go. Doesn't look like the big guy's all that bothered. How do we stop him?"
"In a perfect world, with those." Dai gestured at the Dawnbringers and the Shadowpiercer.
"Those things were built from the scales of a dragon of Zhenlong's species. It's one of the toughest materials you'll ever find. Refined, they can go through almost anything." Spence added.
"Problem is, Zhenlong's been strengthened by Johnny's blood. His hide could be invulnerable at this point." Jess surmised.
"So how do we stop him?" Kibō asked.
"....." Suzaku looked ponderous. "...if attacking his hide is pointless...then the only option left would be..."
Shūjo had a realization. "Oh...oh, hell. Don't tell me...we attack him from the *inside*?"
"It's not the most pleasant idea, I admit. But it might be our best chance."
"So what, we let him eat us and hope he doesn't chew his food?"
"Not necessarily. His attention is fully on Dasuke. No doubt I would take some of that if I entered his line of sight. Meanwhile, one or two of you can be flown on him from behind. Then you find your way in, and go for his vitals. Not even he could survive a blow to the heart."
"I'll do it." Kibō spoke up.
"Keeb...!" Barbara protested.
"He gave me this sword. It should be what finishes it. I'm not standing by and doing nothing when I could be helping to end this."
"But..."
"Would you feel better about it if I said Kat and Max would say the same thing?"
Barbara sighed. "It's a blessing and a curse. Nothing I could say could change your mind. Just come back to me, please."
"Welp, guess we're at the point where it's nothing but bad ideas. Count me in." Shūjo said. "But in the spirit of sentimentality...I'm gonna need a big favor."
"Name it." Suzaku replied.
From afar, Dasuke and Zhenlong were locked in combat. The former used his claws to keep the latter pinned to the side of a building. Zhenlong forced him back, then grabbed hold of his tail, slamming him into the building.
"I TAUGHT YOU BETTER THAN THAT, XIANWU."
"You taught me nothing but heartlessness."
"PRECISELY."
Dasuke fired a beam of darkness at Zhenlong's face, giving him the opening needed to break free from his grip.
"TRIVIAL!" Zhenlong responded by smashing into Dasuke with his head, then pinning him again with his claws. "YOU DISAPPOINT ME, XIANWU. I BUILT YOU UP FROM NOTHING. YOU WERE AS A SON TO ME. AND THEN YOU TURN SHADOWPIERCER IN MY DIRECTION."
"I'm sure if you had a heart, it would have been broken. Is your next proclamation that you want me to return to your side?"
"NO, XIANWU. IT'S THAT I WILL MAKE FINE WEAPONRY OUT OF YOUR BONES!"
A light flashed, and a beam struck Zhenlong from the side. Suzaku dove in, striking the larger dragon away.
"AGAIN? DO YOU WISH TO JOIN YOUR COMRADES IN HELL SO DESPERATELY?"
"You first." Suzaku replied.
"Suzaku, please. I can handle this." Dasuke urged.
"We both know you're just saying that. We took a sacred vow of eternity, to be there for each other, always. Today is not our day of parting. I'll fight with you to the end, same as it ever was. Now shape up and let's win together."
"Yes...thank you, my love. Let's."
"SICKENING. AT LEAST YOU WILL PERISH TOGETHER." Zhenlong uttered.
Unbeknownst to him, Dai had maneuvered behind him, with Kibō and Shūjo riding on his back. "Just as expected, his focus is entirely on Mother and Father. Do your best to avoid detection."
"Goes without saying. I'll try not to break your ma's toys." Shūjo was now wearing the Dawnbringers.
The two hopped onto Zhenlong's back, close to his head. Dai flew off, away from the giant dragon's line of sight. Shūjo motioned at Kibō, signaling to him to keep quiet. Kibō nodded, then gulped.
The two carefully maneuvered onto his head. Suzaku, for her part, kept Zhenlong's attention in a way where his head was not drastically moving. 
"Well, this is something to tell the kids about someday if we make it out." Shūjo uttered. "And hey, don't wig out about making your girl nervous. Hiyoko'd probably faint if she knew what I was doing. Just shows how much they care. Take it as a compliment."
"Sure, sure." Kibō mumbled.
"Sheesh, what happened to all that bravado from a few minutes ago?"
"I don't have a right to be scared? We're hundreds of feet in the air and about to willingly become a dragon's lunch! Barb has every reason to be freaking out. If my parents ever find out..."
"They'll find out that their boy killed an evil dragon. Think of it like that. Tch, look at me encouraging Kyohei Ishimaru's kid brother. The world really is whacked." Shūjo sighed. "Alright. Enough bullshitting around. Let's do this."
The two slowly, carefully climbed on the side of Zhenlong's face, then moved into the space between his massive jaws.
Dasuke spotted this. ".....!"
"Focus." Suzaku urged.
"WHY THE HESITATION? HAS FEAR'S ICY GRIP OVERCOME YOU SO DEEPLY?" Zhenlong questioned.
Shūjo and Kibō stood inside of his mouth. "Ugh...it smells like sulfur in here..." the latter griped.
"It's only gonna get worse. Only one way to go now--hm?"
Shūjo noticed an orange glow coming from the cavernous throat. He could hear Zhenlong's voice booming.
"I WILL GIVE YOU SOMETHING TO FEAR! THE SWEET EMBRACE OF HELL'S FLAMES!"
"Kid...get behind me." Shūjo urged.
"What are you gonna do?"
"Keep us alive."
Flames began to pour out of Zhenlong's throat. As they approached, Shūjo's eyes flared. Kibō braced for the fire, only to see it be pushed away from them.
In front of the former gang leader was an ephemeral being wearing green samurai armor, a crescent moon adorning the helmet. A black plate covered his mouth and right eye. He wielded a sword of flames, which he spun around rapidly to shield the two from the fire.
"What the...? Is that your..." Kibō questioned.
"Masamune. You kids aren't the only ones that can evolve your Personas. Dunno how long I can hold this for..." Shūjo replied.
From far away, Barbara saw Zhenlong spewing flames. "Please don't be in there, please don't be in there, please don't be in there..." she panicked.
As the fire subsided, Dasuke and Suzaku both looked with concern. 
Uneasy moments followed, but quickly evaporated when a robotic hand poked out from Zhenlong's jaw, giving a thumbs-up.
"(Crisis averted.)" Dasuke thought.
"(Credit for resilience.)" Suzaku thought.
Shūjo retracted his hand. "Should be a few minutes til he tries that again. Time to move." Kibō nodded, hiding his nerves.
As the two began to traverse the extent of Zhenlong's body, they could feel his movements as he combatted Dasuke and Suzaku. "If the sulfur doesn't make me throw up, all this shaking will..." Kibō groaned.
"Sooner we can find something to stab, the better...hm!" Shūjo spotted something.
The two entered a chamber. At its center was a glowing organ, covered by a protective red shell. 
"Think this is his heart?" Kibō asked.
"Looks close enough to one to me. Unless there's something they haven't told us about lizard anatomy, all we'd need to do is cut that off, and he'll drop." Shūjo replied.
The dragon shook again. Kibō noticed that he was starting to sweat. "I think I know what that shell's for. It's to protect the heart from the flames. He's prepping another attack. We have to break that thing, now."
"Don't gotta tell me twice." Shūjo cracked his knuckles. The gauntlets began to glow. "Prepare for some heartburn, you ugly motherfucker."
Outside, the fight continued. Zhenlong opened his mouth for another flame attack. And then...
"...HM?"
Inside, Shūjo unleashed a barrage of punches against the heart's shell.
"DORARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARA!"
"URRRGH..." Zhenlong grumbled.
"What's happening?" Dasuke wondered.
"WHAT IS THIS...FEELING IN MY CHEST...?"
"Heh." Suzaku chuckled.
"YOU WITCH...WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"
"Killed you."
"DORAAAAA!" Shūjo delivered one final punch, that broke the shell open, exposing the heart. "Now, kid!"
Kibō took Shadowpiercer, raising it high into the air. It began to exude dark energy on its own. "HIYAAAAA!"
He brought it down with a slash, cutting straight through the heart.
"GRAAAAAAAAH...!" Zhenlong reeled. Clutching onto a building, he stayed almost frozen, his jaw agape.
Silence overcame the area. Dasuke and Suzaku could only watch, waiting for what would happen next. Their children, along with Barbara, looked on.
"BLEGGH...URGH...UNGH..." Zhenlong gurgled. His eyes rolled back. He began to fall. His massive body crashed into the Tokyo streets. He remained unmoving.
The dragons descended to take survey of his body, returning to their human forms. "Is he...really...?" Suzaku pondered.
Their children arrived with Barbara, and they too returned to human form. "They...they did it!" Dai exclaimed.
"Is the asshole really dead?!" Spence questioned.
"Careful. I wouldn't put it past him to spring back up and blast us." Jess cautioned.
"Where's Keeb? And Mr. JoJo?" Barbara asked.
Dasuke looked into Zhenlong's jaws. Suddenly, a pair of arms jutted out.
"EEEK!" Spence jumped back.
Shūjo pulled himself out. "Ugh...I've done some gross shit in my day, but that might just take the cake..."
"Ah...you are a most difficult man to kill, Mr. Higashikata." Dasuke helped him up.
"My wife says I'm too stubborn to die." He held out his hands. "You want these back?" 
"Not particularly. But I'll take them." Suzaku retrieved the gauntlets.
Kibō soon emerged from the jaws. "That...sucked."
Barbara ran over and embraced him. "Oh, I'm so relieved...I thought I'd lost you..."
"Believe me, there were about five times I thought I was dead." He relented, and returned the embrace. "Sorry for scaring you like that."
"I'm used to the people I love putting their lives in danger. I'm just glad you're okay."
Kibō handed over Shadowpiercer. "This belongs to you. She did good."
Dasuke took the sword. "A weapon is only as good as the one wielding it. Thank you, Mr. Ishimaru."
A snorting noise echoed out.
"What was...?" Kibō uttered.
"Oh, don't tell me he's still alive?!" Spence uttered.
Zhenlong's body began to shrink. His serpentine features all vanished. Soon enough, he was back to his human appearance, and was slumped against a building. "Ngh...Xianwu..."
Jess reached for her rifle. Dasuke stopped her. He approached his former master.
"Satisfied, Xianwu? After all these years...this is where I meet my end."
"I take no joy from this. Not then, and not now. You were right. You plucked me from the streets when I had nothing. You were the only father I ever knew. Even knowing the atrocities you'd committed, it pained me to turn my sword on you."
"Sentimental, as always. My biggest error was in not extinguishing your soul when I had the chance. Perhaps that was an impossibility. Regardless...my empire is finished. Wyvern-kind will never return to how it was."
"It doesn't have to." Suzaku spoke up. "We never needed to be conquerors. Those of us that are left are satisfied with being alive. We never needed an empire. Certainly not one ruled by you."
"Heh. That tongue is still as sharp as I remember it being. Xianwu...no. Dasuke. I have no right to make a request of you, having lost like this. My life is ending. But if I am to die today...then I want it to be by your hand. I want you to finish me...with the sword I gave you. Consign me to the pages of history, and build a future for our people as you see fit."
"....." Dasuke was silent.
"Let's just go. You don't have to--" Suzaku spoke.
"Give me a minute."
"You're really going through with this?"
He nodded.
"Alright. I trust your judgment. Let's go."
Everybody else walked away, leaving Dasuke with Zhenlong. The former drew his sword back.
"In my millennia of existence...I will admit one thing. The single proudest moment of my life was giving you that blade and naming you as my successor. That much is the truth. It made your betrayal sting all the more. But if this is where I die...then I accept it with pride."
Dasuke gripped his sword tighter.
"My son...don't let me down. Strike true. End it."
Dasuke's eyes remained in shadow. "Rest now. Farewell...my king."
He brought down the sword.
---
Ezekiel took notice. "His spiritual energy is...gone?"
So too, did Johnny, seated by a smoldering pile of rubble. "Pfeh. You too, Zenny...and here I thought the old gecko would outlive us all."
---
Dasuke returned to the group, his sword sheathed on his back.
"It's done?" Suzaku asked.
Dasuke nodded.
"He's really...really dead, huh." Spence uttered.
"He almost looked pleased when we left." Dai added.
"I think...he was satisfied. For a man who thrived off of battle, dying at his protégé's hands..." Dasuke mused. He turned to Shūjo. "Your men can rest in peace now, Mr. Higashikata."
"Suppose that sounds right. I took them out of the gang lifestyle so they wouldn't die violently. I might not be 'the boss' in that sense anymore, but I can at least say they've been avenged." Shūjo replied. 
"How are you doing, Commander?" Barbara asked.
"...I'm not entirely sure how to answer. Zhenlong was, by every definition of the word, a monster who slaughtered indiscriminately and without mercy. But there was a significant time in my life where I revered him. I likely wouldn't be here today if he hadn't found me. He was the closest thing to family I had for a long time. As commander, it was my duty to put a stop to him. But I can't simply put aside the time I spent under him." Dasuke replied.
"I can." Suzaku responded.
"Suzaku."
"You were closer to him than anyone. But he was a monster. The sooner I can forget everything I did for him, the better. And you have a family now. You're better off forgetting he existed." She turned to leave. "I'm going to see what else needs doing. I'd suggest you do the same." She sprouted her wings, and departed.
"Bye to you, too!" Shūjo called out. "Yeesh. That how she always talks to you?"
"She can be blunt. But it's not without reason." Dasuke replied.
"Does she just...not trust us?" Barbara asked.
"It's not that she doesn't trust you all specifically, it's just..." Dai began.
"She tries not to get close to humans." Jess finished.
"There was a time when she did. There were humans she trusted who helped us while we were in hiding. Our children are actually named after them. But the problem has always been the human lifespan." Dasuke explained.
"The human lifespan?" Kibō questioned.
"Dragons live longer than humans. Like, by a lot. Mom's lived long enough to see a lot of friends she cared about get old and die while she stays the same. Long as we've been around, she's tried to keep her distance." Spence added.
"We've lost so much over the centuries. I have my ways of coping with it. She has hers. I don't judge." Dasuke stated.
"Guess that's how you've managed to stay together for...how long, exactly?" Shūjo asked.
"Four-hundred and sixty-six years. Give or take a few months."
"...oh."
"And how many years has it been for you and your wife?"
"Seven."
"Ah. You'll catch up."
"Eventually. Speaking of, I should go check on her. She's with the fish people."
"We'll go with." Kibō said.
"You should probably go after your wife, Commander." Barbara urged.
"I do believe I shall. Thank you again for all your assistance. Let's see the rest of this battle through to the end." Dasuke responded.
The three left, leaving him with his children. "You sure you're alright?" Jess asked.
"I'll manage. Tend to your missions. I'll find your mother."
His children looked with concern, but acquiesced, and went off.
"...yes. It will be alright. The war is still to be decided. But I can say now that our battle is at an end. Don't worry. I'll cut a path to the future. With this sword you gave me. Goodbye...Dragon King."