The Three Knights stood awkwardly on the stage inside of the Damascene warehouse. Sylvie had called each of them for some sort of urgent request.

They all came as quickly as their feet carried them, expecting some sort of disaster. The situation was nowhere near as important as they thought it would be.

Down below, in front of the stage, stood the Damascenes. There was a certain aura to them. Tsukiko felt a bit guilty standing before them. She didn't know whether they saw her as friend or foe, and that made her uncomfortable.

Tsuki turned to her friends, and they seemed much more confident than she was. She sighed and tried to forget, telling herself to accept her new allies.

The Damascenes themselves did not show any outward emotion. They sort of stared up at the Knights, as if expecting something from them. Others in the group milled about, and muttered amongst themselves.

Any sound coming from the gang was covered up by the ceiling fans. Sylvie kept fiddling with a microphone she'd set up herself. It kept popping and ringing with feedback.

"I haven't been here in a while." Shizuka spoke to no one in particular.

"It's a shame it's kinda run down now." Haruka sighed.

"Ehh, I don't think this place was ever that nice." Shizuka put her hands on her hips.

A cassette tape flew past Tsukiko's head.

"Hey, watch where you're throwin' that!" The Third Knight complained.

Sylvie dug through a box, tossing out all sorts of strange things she had collected. Random bits and pieces flew around the stage until one of them landed at Shizuka's feet.

"Hey, why's this one blue?" Shizuka bent over to pick up the mask.

"Ohhh, that one's from when the Shakudos still spray painted their masks." Haruka walked over to get a good look.

"Spray painted?" Shizuka picked at the rather glossy color with her finger nail.

"Yep, that's what they used before the black masks." Haruka pointed.

"Why'd they stop using colored masks anyway." Tsukiko finally remembered to ask.

"Cuz of you. They got wind you managed to find someone based on the color of his mask. Color coding doesn't really work when it makes you a target." Haruka smiled. "I'm surprised you remembered that."

"I just thought it was weird. Sometimes, when I hit a Shakudo's mask, the paint chips off. I can see some colors underneath." Tsuki subconsciously made a fist.

"Jesus, how hard are you hitting 'em?" Fumiko appeared behind Tsukiko.

Tsuki jumped. "What the hell? Don't use Aurelia's doors just to scare people!"

"She walked in through the front door, Tsuki." Haruka laughed.

Tsukiko closed her eyes and frowned. "…almost gave me a heart attack."

Fumiko put an arm on Tsuki's shoulder. "Cheer up, I'm here now, aren't I?"

Tsukiko's lips curved into a smile. "Yeah."

"You guys are so lucky." Shizuka frowned.

Tsuki started to speak again. "Yeah, well--"

She was interrupted by another 80s pop cassette hitting her in the side of the head, nearly breaking.

Shizuka's face curled as she broke down laughing. "Ouch! Haha!"

"Watch here you're throwing those!" Tsuki retaliated by throwing the cassette back.

It hit the wall next to Sylvie before it ricocheted back into the box it came from.

"Watch where you're throwing those things!" Sylvie's voice was muffled by her head being a good foot or two into the old crate.

Tsuki groaned. "She's gonna be down there a while, huh?"

"We aren't in any hurry." Fumi got closer to Tsukiko.

"But she promised action! I'm getting real bored here!" Shizuka made her voice louder and louder.

"I doubt it was anything good to begin with. Sylvie's idea of fun's kinda sad when you think about it. Must be lonely." Haruka mocked the blonde girl.

Out of the crate flew an old forty-five record that made a hollow twang as it hit Haruka in the side of the head.

"Bullseye!" Sylvie shouted from inside the box.

"Goddamnit!" Haruka grabbed the record off the ground and threw it so hard it split in two as it impacted the side of the crate.

Shizuka cringed. "Oh no, that poor vinyl."

Tsukiko simply frowned.

"Oh, so it's okay when Tsuki does it?" Haruka rubbed the red line on her cheek.

"Don't piss Sylvie off, she might start throwing tape reels." Fumiko joked.

"Nah, I don't have anything like tha-- oh, never mind, there's one." Sylvie stuttered.

Fumiko shuddered at the thought.

"No more throwing shit! I'm too damn old to be catching records older than I am!" Shizuka shouted.

"Found it!" Sylvie pulled out of the crate, her white robes covered in dust.

"Found what?"

"Some speaker cable."

Haruka groaned. "All that for a fucking speaker cord? Just ask Tsuki, she's got a whole set up at our place."

"No thanks." Tsuki shook her head. "I don't feel like contributing to this."

Sylvie approached the center of the stage.

"Hey everybody!" Sylvie spoke enthusiastically.

The crowd stood and watched.

"I know you're all bored, trust me, I know." Sylvie struggled to keep a smile on her face.

Her appeal had little effect on her audience.

"So, I've decided to make a change".

Sylvie pulled her robes off, revealing sporty compression clothes underneath.

The crowd murmured.

She pulled off her mask and tossed it aside. "Anyone who doesn't wanna be here, get outta here and stay out!"

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The crowd once again murmured to itself, and people began shuffling out. Sylvie's legs started to wobble as she saw nearly half the Damascenes vanish for good.

"A-and stay out!" Sylvie's voice cracked.

Haru approached and laid a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "You okay?"

"Don't be shy!" Sylvie powered through the painful feeling.

Those left behind stood solidly. Some of them shuffled around, but the vast majority did not move a muscle.

"Thank you all for staying with me, even after I ran us all into the ground." Sylvie's head sank. "…but we don't need anyone that isn't dedicated to the gang!"

"What's she doing?" Fumi whispered.

"I'm not entirely sure." Tsukiko replied as she watched intently.

One figure walked up to the center, just below the stage. "And how do ya intend on that?"

"I think we need to figure things out for now and--"

Haru squeezed Sylvie's arm tightly. "Don't chicken out."

Sylvie took a deep breath. "…I'm gonna fight. I'm gonna fight the Shakudos, and take them down. If you all wanna join me, then stay here. If you don't, leave!"

Not a single figure moved.

She calmed herself down a bit. "To be honest, I don't know where this is all headed. The Damascenes have fallen apart, and it's all my fault. I was afraid of you all, of pissing you off. Now, I'm gonna earn your respect so I can try to make up for my mistakes."

"Hon, how are you intendin' on doing that?" The same figure spoke.

"That voice…" Tsuki mumbled.

The figure took off it's mask. "I don't mean to doubt ya, but you'll need a miracle to get the group's respect."

"Etsuko?" Tsuki asked the figure.

"Eyy, you're not supposed to say my name, hon! Aww, damn, y'all 'ready saw my face anyway." The pizza girl laughed it off.

"I said I'd fight, so I'll fight." Sylvie stood strong.

"We'll see--"

"I'll fight every last one of you!" Sylvie shouted.

Haruka gasped. "Hey, that's a bit bold, don't you think?"

Sylvie dove off of the stage, and she stood before the other masked figures with a wide and powerful stance. For a moment, it looked like they debated whether or not they should comply. When the first Damascene stepped forward, the rest followed, surrounding her completely.

"Shouldn't we help?" Tsuki leaned back and forth, craning her head for a better view.

"Probably not." Shizuka shrugged. "This is her own fight."

"Are we saying that because that'd genuinely work, or because you don't wanna help fight?"

Haruka yawned. "Nah, I don't feel like sweatin' much today. Gotta meet Kaz for dinner."

Sylvie tore off her mask and tossed it aside. She stretched her arms before leaping into battle with the white masked figures.

"Dinner?" Tsuki looked smug.

"I got a craving for burgers." Haruka smiled a big toothy grin. "Fast food's a guilty pleasure."

Meanwhile, the French thief used her agility to take down her targets one by one. She would go from figure to figure, knocking one down before going to another.

She could stop her opponent with a quick punch to the gut, and finish them off with a high kick. Some of her strikes were so powerful that her victims would be violently thrown to the ground. Their bodies often rolled or even skidded across the concrete floor.

"I mean, I kind of go out of my way to look for a good, juicy burger. You can't always get that at a fast food place." Fumiko tried to relate.

"I dunno--" Haruka was interrupted by a rogue Damascene mask flying past her head. "Hey, watch it down there, you fuck!"

"You've got bad luck today, Haru." Shizuka hid her left hand in one of her jacket's pockets. "Did you check your horoscope?"

"Horoscope? Seriously?" Haruka narrowed her eyes.

Sylvie was starting to tire out. Despite that, quite a few Damascenes survived her onslaught. She kept having to stop to kneel and catch her breath as they continued to attack. Not a single attack was held back. Whether this was to test their leader, or out of frustration, there was no real way of telling.

Sometimes, Sylvie would have to just barely dodge a kick, or she would end up having to take the full force of a blow. Her clothes were scuffed up with dust after she got knocked down over and over. Her black shorts seemed to pick up every speck of dirt off the ground as she rolled to get back on her feet.

"Jesus, she's getting killed out there." Shizuka stood, watching with a peculiar look in her eyes.

"Mm? What's up?" Fumi approached the First Knight.

"She's getting worn down, definitely needs to back away." Shizuka squinted. "…still, if she gets beat fair and square, it's better than if we get involved."

"Yeah, any sign of weakness will piss them off. Even if she loses, they'll respect her for taking a beating." Fumi watched intently.

"Very perceptive." Shizuka chuckled. "but yeah, call it barbaric. I don't think she wants this to be a thief gang anymore. Her fighting them shows what direction she wants the Damascenes to go. Thank god she actually listened to me for once."

Tsukiko approached the both of them, standing extra close to Fumi. "She's tough, huh?"

"Lemme ask you something, Tsuki." Shizuka spoke in a deep tone. "You ever seen Sylvie break any laws?"

"Well, technically street fighting’s a crime so--"

"No, like an actual crime that you and I wouldn't commit."

Tsukiko stayed silent for a moment as she thought of an answer. "I see what you mean. She's not a real thief, huh?"

"You two just figure that out?" Fumi mocked them both.

"I practically helped raise her, Fumi. Course I knew. I just wanted to help Tsuki understand." Shizuka tried her best to sound knowledgeable.

"None of it matters in the end. It's a gang of thieves and she isn't a thief. Kind of a conflict there." Fumiko shrugged.

Sylvie had managed to defeat most of her opponents, or at least get them to forfeit. Only the toughest members of the gang remained. Though she had the spirit to keep going, her energy was fading quickly. She could keep going, but she would have to change her strategy if she wanted to last any longer.

Instead of attacking first, she became much more defensive. She chose to counter openings and missed steps. This way, she could take some time to catch her breath. Less movement meant less pressure on the injuries she had already sustained.

"Jeez, she's still fighting." Haruka looked on at the fight.

"There must've been at least… twenty, thirty guys down there." Tsuki paused as she counted.

"You think she's okay?" Fumiko stood on the absolute edge of the platform.

"I don't know if she'll make it. Some of those guys look ruthless."

"They must be really pissed at her." Shizuka muttered.

"Is she in danger?" Haruka turned and asked suddenly.

Shizuka's head cocked from side to side like a confused dog. "Maybe… I mean, there's no way they're that angry at her, right?"

The rest of the group finally joined together to watch Sylvie attack the last Damascenes. The end was in sight for both sides. Only four of them remained, but Sylvie was still weak. She held the upper hand until one miscalculation ended with her on the ground.

She struggled to breathe, let alone get back up. Still, Sylvie grit her teeth, and her fingers dug into the concrete floor, as she battled to stand up again. As she got to her hands and knees, one of the figures kicked her in the side hard. Sylvie rolled a few feet away, hacking and wheezing.

"Hey!" Haruka nearly dove off.

Shizuka moved quickly and grabbed Haruka by the collar. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Wh- Uhh… Don't you think we should help?" Haru was unnerved by the cold look on her aunt's face.

Shizuka's hand did not let go. "She has to do it alone. This is her own decision."

Haru squirmed. "How am I supposed to just stand here and watch?"

Shizuka let go of Haruka. "You think Sylvie'll ever forgive you if you screw this up for her?"

Haruka lowered her head. "Fine."

A single figure towered over Sylvie as she tried her best to move. Once again, her fingers clawed at the concrete, pulling her up about an inch before she fell down again.

The figure shouted at her, motioning for her to get up. When she finally got back on her hands and knees, she took another powerful kick that made her land on her back. It planted a foot on her upper chest, just below her neck.

"I don't like how this looks, man." Fumiko watched intently, kneeling down to get a better look.

"C'mon, Sylvie. Get up!" Tsukiko muttered under her breath.

The other figures watched in silence. Not a word escaped from their mouths. Their masks made it impossible to show if they were too afraid to act, or if they too harbored hatred. The violent figure still towered over Sylvie.

When she tried to get away, it stomped on her hand, making her yelp in pain. Sylvie's eyes were barely open, her head turned to watch one of her allies ready themselves for a kick.

"Etsuko?" Tsuki leaned forward to get a better look.

The pizza girl ran in and shoved the attacker to the ground. She turned to the other three and started shouting at them. Somehow, she convinced all three of them to run to their leader's aid.

"Told ya, Haru." Shizuka smiled.

"She's barely breathing!" Haru snapped.

"I really hope she's okay." Fumiko chimed in. "It's what she wanted, but… was it really worth it?"

"She's an idiot!" Haruka grew angrier. "She shouldn't just throw herself into a fight like that!"

"Tsuki throws herself into danger. Shizuka too. You've been doing it for years." Fumiko turned to Haruka. "It's only natural. If you can't keep her out of trouble, just make sure she's getting into trouble for the right reasons."

Haruka took a deep breath and watched the rest of the scene unfold with an intense focus.

Etsuko held the last figure down as it struggled. With one blow, she smashed the figure's mask, leaving the face underneath bloodied and red. The now unconscious figure was dragged out by the other three as Etsuko kneeled down next to Sylvie.

"That's our cue." Shizuka jumped off of the platform.

"Wait, what?" Haruka watched as the rest of them got off the platform and began approaching Sylvie.