Cindy and Kai struggled desperately to defend themselves from Aria. Even though they had no hope of defeating her, the pair still persevered, trying to somehow escape the woman's clutches. Perhaps they were holding out hope that Amy and Ben would come to their rescues, but for now, they were nowhere in sight as the duo pushed on with their life force rapidly draining.

The cost of using aura was already taxing for the two assassins. Using up any more of their energy, would likely come with even more consequences. The two had no choice, however. Cindy and Kai, staring death in the face, were willing to use all of their life force if it meant even a slight chance for survival.

"Just leave us the hell alone already!" Kai screamed, chucking the yellow ball of aura towards Aria.

"You two are just full of surprises today, aren't you? If you were to live, you may even surpass me," Aria smiled, her blade gripped firmly in both hands. "You were still about ten years too early, I fear," she said, cutting the sphere in half with ease. "Is that all?"

"Y-you gotta be shitting me," Kai said, huffing and puffing rapidly as he fell to his back in exhaustion.

"Kai, are you alright?!" Cindy asked.

"Nope. I can't move an inch of my body anymore. Sorry Cindy, looks like this is it for us," Kai said.

"All things considered, this has been fun," Aria said. "It has been quite a while since I've been in actual combat. I feared my skills had dulled. This is my last offer: Do you have any last words or requests?" she said, walking towards the half elf, dragging her blade across the dirt in her left hand.

Cindy grimaced and furrowed her brows, still clinging onto some hope that she and Kai would somehow survive. Exhausted of all options, Cindy charged towards Aria in a desperate last attempt, swinging her fists wildly at the woman to no avail. Each and every punch, Cindy managed to connect, but Aria just stood her ground, not even budging to defend herself. Her aura was truly that of a brick wall, Cindy noticed, her left knuckles starting to bleed profusely and her right prosthetic becoming dented from colliding with Aria's aura.

"Are you having fun there? It's pointless, you know that already, so why do you keep fighting?" Aria asked, becoming frustrated.

"I-I'm not gonna die here! I refuse to die here!" Cindy screamed, almost completely out of breath, as her entire left fist was painted red with her own blood.

"Enough of this," Aria said, tightly clinching her right fist, and delivering an aura-filled punch to the half elf's stomach.

"Ah!" Cindy grimaced, coughing up blood, and curling up on the ground. Tears started flowing once again from the half elf, as she laid on the ground, convulsing in pain with her eyes closed shut.

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So this is how I die, huh? After I talked so much shit about going out in style... how pathetic.

"A valiant effort from the two of you. Truly commendable, it really was," Aria said, readying her blade towards the half elf.

"Please, please spare us, teacher," Cindy pleaded one last time, completely immobilized from her injuries and loss of aura.

"I'm sorry, dear. I already told you why that's simply not possible."

Kai, also paralyzed from the loss of his aura, could only lay there and watch as Aria prepared to end Cindy's life. In a final, desperate attempt to reason with the woman, the young man called out to her.

"Aria!" Kai shouted. "Let Cindy live and just kill me! I'm the one you're after, right? Well, the son of 'The Don' is right fucking here! Cindy's innocent, I swear. She has nothing to do with me. I-I hate her!" Kai said, crying profusely.

"Kai... what are you saying?" Cindy said softly, her voice slowly fading as she was losing consciousness.

"Just shut the hell up, Cindy!" Kai continued. "Please, just let her live, alright? Cindy's a good girl. Hell, she was way too good to even be working as an assassin to begin with. Director Ben... said she had the eyes of a killer. I just don't see it. Cindy wouldn't hurt a fly unless it was to protect someone else. She's no threat to you, so just let her go!" Kai pleaded. "She's my friend... my family," he continued, his voice starting to crack.

"How sweet," Aria commented. "How very sweet," she continued with a melancholic tone.

To the surprise of Cindy and Kai, Aria hesitated for a moment, contemplating on Kai's speech. Perhaps it was the mention of family that caused the woman to hesitate, but nevertheless, she soon answered Kai's request.

"Kai, that was a beautiful speech you gave, truly lovely. So selfless and noble; I can tell you believed every word that you were saying. However, my dear brother had a point as well. You're giving sweet Cindy too much credit, I fear. At the end of the day, she is still a killer, no matter the reason. If I were to let her go, who's to say she wouldn't seek out vengeance in the future?" Aria responded with an ice-cold glare in her eyes.

Kai just looked on in dread, having no more words he could think to muster towards the woman.

"As I said before, your death will be painless, my dear. We've only known each other for a short while, but it has been a pleasure. An unfortunate turn of events, this truly was. Now, do you have any last words?" Aria said, raising her katana.

"Kai... thank you," Cindy smiled towards the young man. "I hope we meet again, if there's a place in the afterlife for killers like us...," she continued to cry, snot dripping down her nose. "Mother... I'll see you soon," she said softly, closing her eyes, ready to meet her fate.

"Mother...," Aria paused, moments away from severing the half elf's head.

A cold sweat instantly rained down on the curly haired woman. She started to hyperventilate and call out for her own mother, screaming and crying as her dark past suddenly reemerged. She just couldn't shake those words Cindy had uttered. The words that were supposed to be Cindy's last, somehow unlocked a floodgate of unstable emotions for Aria.

"No, no, no, no!" Aria repeated in horror, both hands gripping tightly at her scalp. "Mother, father, please don't leave me!" she cried out, recalling her own parents' demise. She remembered her own mother's last words were of a similar vein, as they replayed through her mind over and over again.

"I'll see you soon, sweetie," Aria recalled the last words her mother spoke to her.

"Oh, oh no...," Aria gasped for air, her right hand clenching at her chest as she dropped her blade to the ground, and fell to her knees.

The memory that Aria had suppressed for so long, reared its ugly head once more. Unable to cope with her trauma, the woman collapsed. Aria, such a strong and fierce woman, now laid on the ground, helpless as an infant; again.