Ayano and the Leader were face to face with one another. The Leader was seated at his desk while Ayano was standing. She looked at him with disappointment. Long gone was the man she admired; the man that cared for his subordinates; the man that had been her friend all her life. Now she only saw a man unable to move on; stuck on his grif and forgetting about the people around him.

“How did he manage to do so well in the tournament? Did that boy awaken his Magic earlier than HIM?” The Leader asked. He was g;aring at Ayano.

“He still has not awakened his Magic. He has been training in close combat under my granddaughter. Of course he would improve. Kenta, we should stop targeting innocent people. He has nothing to do with what happened.” Ayano responded.

“You know, Ayano. You and your granddaughter are traitors to us Lunarians. Have you forgotten that one of the men behind our tragedy is that boy’s grandfather? Do you know to them we are nothing, but simple food to gain more power.” The Leader said as he took out a report. “This is what Two, Eleven, and Twelve found yesterday. WIll our people ever escape the fate of being killed to power up another being?”

“Victor’s sins are not Oswald’s sins. They are different people.” Ayano said as she took the report. As she read it her expression was filled with horror. “We should only focus on the ones who are responsibles and no one else.”

“You have no right to talk. You’re helping that Magicless Deus. I should’ve known you would do something like this, you might have been born in Lunaria, but you’re still Half-Earthling. And let’s not talk about your granddaughter who is working under the Deus Family.” The Leader scolded Ayano.

“Don’t talk like that about my granddaughter and my apprentice! Stop it this instant, Kenta!” Ayano yelled.

“I thought Oliver was your only apprentice! Are you just replacing Oliver!? What has that boy done for you!? Is this how you repay Oliver’s sacrifice!?” The Leader yelled.

“Oswald is not a replacement for Oliver. Oliver was his own person just as Oslwad. Both of them are different from one another. They just happen to be my apprentices.” Ayano responded. “You know very well if Oliver was still here, he would be against all of this.”

“Despite how much you claim to understand Oliver, he was the one that asked me to help out his brother once he was gone. He placed his trust on me. He would be on my side!” The Leader said.

“You’re delusional, Kenta! Oliver trusted the man you were before not the pathetic excuse of a man you don’t resemble the you that cared about his subordinates. Right you act more like …” Ayano was angry.

“SHUT UP YOU BITCH! DON’T YOU DARE SAY THAT MAN’S NAME!” The Leader yelled. “HE IS THE MAN THAT KILLED YOUR DAUGHTER AND OLIVER, AND DESTROYED LUNARIA. DON’T YOU SPEAK HIS NAME!!”

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“Dead set on revenge and hurting innocent people that’s what you’re doing at the moment, the exact same as HIM. You’re no different from him, Kenta! Stop all of this, we only have to go against Victor Deus, Pope Marcus, and their forces.” Ayano glared at the Leader. “We are not different from him, we are repeating his mistakes! The mistakes that left us without a home!”

“You understand nothing, Ayano! You might be a genius, yet you’ll always be a naive woman. That’s your nature! I won’t tolerate you questioning me anymore, woman!” The Leader declared. His fists were clenched; his whole body was tense. “Then you better be happy because in a couple of months you will no longer be a Lunarian Ranker!”

“I have been waiting for that day for a long time. I can longer work under you! You know why I never gave you the technology Oliver developed. Because Oliver would hate seeing his inventions being used like that!” Ayano said. “You don’t deserve the Elemental Guns much less the upgraded Moon Units.”

“You’ve always been so arrogant! You think you’re so much better than everyone! Well, you’re not. You’re just someone that is of no more use!” The Leader approached Ayano. He looked down at her and then slapped her. Ayano glared at him. He smiled. “If you don’t like it, come at me!”

Ayano threw a punch with her left fist at the Leader, which was effortlessly dodged. She then used her right fist and landed a punch on the Leader’s face. The Leader kicked Ayano, sending her flying back. She crashed on the wall and stayed down on the floor. She slowly stood up, looking at the Leader. She wanted to continue to hit him, but she saw her efforts as futile; she had given up on him.

“It was nice knowing you, Kenta! You were a great friend in the past and I am grateful for all you did. After your actions, I see you don’t value our friendship anymore. I am saddened that this lifelong friendship came to an end. Kenta this is farewell, I don’t want to ever see you again.” Ayano had a bittersweet smile.

“Then just get out and don’t interfere with my plans.” The Leader said glaring at Ayano.

Ayano took one last look at the Leader before exiting the room. Outside the room she came face to face with Nicole. Upon noticing Ayano’s bruising Nicole became shocked.

“Mrs. Hashimoto, what happened between you and my dad?” Nicole was concerned.

“Let’s go somewhere private. I’ll tell you there.” Ayano responded as she began walking. Nicole followed her. They entered the lab and then Ayano proceeded to lock the door.

“Mrs. Hashimoto?” Nicole’s concern grew.

“My friendship with your dad came to an end. Something that I would have never imagined could happen. We fought, Nicolo. I was about to continue fighting, but I just felt it was better to give up. There is no point, your dad is so consumed by revenge. We have been friends for a long time.” Tears began rolling down Ayayno’s cheeks. “It just hurts, it hurts Nicole. I lost my friend. The man I knew died when your mom died.”

“Yeah, my dad became a different person after that. I still love him, but it’s so hard to be by his side. I miss my dad, I wish he would become his old self once again.” Nicole said as she hugged Ayano. “Even my children refuse to see him. They don’t want to see my father, he has pushed everyone away. It hurts seeing him doing this.”

“Nicole, you’re such a kind person. I am glad you were Aria’s friend.” Ayano smiled.

“I was Aria’s friend, but I failed to stop her from going to her death.” Nicole’s eyes were full of tears. “I sometimes wonder if I could have stopped both of them from going to their deaths.”

“As much as it pains me, everyone in the spaceship would have been killed by him if they had not confronted him.” Ayano said. “And in some part I am glad they are not here to experience our tragedies on Earth.”

“When did everything go wrong? I believe it all began with the mission in Muna.” Nicole said. :That mission was what kickstarted everything. That’s where he awakened his Magic. Or was it before then?”

“Nicole, don't get consumed in revenge, you have two examples of what can happen. Your father and that man.” Ayano said.

“And to think I considered that man my friend at one point. He betrayed all of us. But I believe my dad is not a lost cause, at least not yet. I am going to do all in my power to save him.” Nicole said.

“I wish you luck, Nicole. I hope you can save him.” Ayano said. “I have to get going. I have to work on my granddaughter’s Moon Unit. It still has some quirks I have to fix.”

“A Moon Unit. I miss piloting one. But my Moon Unit pilot days are over.” Nicole smiled. “I hope she becomes a great pilot just like her aunt.”