Surrender

"You can't be serious!?" Janette stumbled as she stepped forward. Zimi herself was puzzled, her head a spinning mess of possibilities to explain this decision. What was it she had in mind, surrendering like this and so willing?

Dimyri sighed and lowered her arms to her side, submitting to her fate. Raz was not convinced, keeping his arm around her neck and glancing behind him for comfort. "If you're trying something-"

"What? I already said I give, what more does your dad want?" Dimyri glared back over her shoulder. Her look made him pause, his hold around her neck softened under her words.

"Eyes forward. Tell them to stop, have them stand outside."

"We're going too." Janette mentioned.

Dimyri shook her head. "No-"

"That's not a choice, you need us to carry Syri. She's in no state to be walking on her own, she's unconscious remember?"

Zimi's eyes opened wide as she looked back at the girls sitting back watching them. So many were already hurt, and there will be more out there who need her. "I can't go with you."

"I can!" Everyone turned to their left to find Ori'chi perched up comfortably on the branch of a nearby pine tree. Once she had their attention, she brushed her arm and wrapped her chest with her tails while looking away. "I mean... if it helps..."

Dimyri spun around waiting for Raz, he nodded in return.

"Thank you Ori'chi, you can help." Dimyri said. The Nekomata's ears raised up as she smiled before jumping down, landing on all fours. Looking around, she motioned Raz to follow her as they stepped into the valley where the firefight continued. Nukka was wincing and dancing around, spinning like some form of ballerina to toss any Nekomata out of her back. She came to a halt as Dimyri stepped into view, her reaction shifting from shock to anger as she growled upon seeing Raz.

Dimyri held out her hand, patting her head gently as the Grizzly was hunched on all fours by now, stepping towards the boy menacingly. "It's okay, Nukka."

"She no like that boy."

"I don't either, but it's okay. I need everyone's attention." With a nod, Nukka raised up on her hind legs and roared as coarsely as she could, scarying everyone into a standstill. Dimyri cleared her throat as everyone was looking. "Everyone, you can stop fighting now. It's done, I've decided to turn myself in."

"What!?"

"No!"

"Wait, but-but why?"

"We can win this, can't we?"

"Meow?"

Nukka leaned in close, whimpered as she nudged Dimyri's side. "But she thought you wanted to fight?"

"I do, I really do." Dimyri looked into her eyes and wrapped her arms around the Grizzly Bear's head, embracing her in a hug. Raz looked over his shoulder as several Nekomata girls stuck out their tongue and hissed at his presence. When they pulled away, Dimyri met Nukka with a subtle wink before turning around to see Ori'chi and Janette carrying Syri in a portable silk bed that resembled a gourney with the use of bamboo and one of Janette's blankets. Her sister was sleeping peacefully, the color had resurfaced in her skin and she looked beautiful and healthy again, with the three puncture marks serving as a reminder of what could have been a terrible fate.

A loud whistle echoed from up above as the possessed Nekomata girls stood up in unison and shifted to cover Raz and the girls. Blocking the sun from his eyes, Raz looked up to see his father glaring down at them from the balcony at the top. He looked somewhat beaten with a few claw marks on the side of his face and he was shirtless, in fact he looked much larger than before. He raised his head before retreating into his tower.

Raz understood, wincing and hanging his head.

"I hope you're happy." Dimyri said, delivering a sharp pain to his chest. Clearing his throat and pushing that heavy feeling down, Raz shook his head before leading the way. The girls all followed, entering the tower from the front entrance.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

"Stop doing that, you're hurting yourself." Reta rolled her eyes as Spi'Reto continued kicking against the wooden door and recoiling in pain, wiggling his sore foot. "See? Can't your dagger do the trick?"

"The blade is meant for piercing flesh, not wood. It would dull the edges and I don't want to risk ruining my father's blade." He answered back, analyzing his elvish dagger and admiring the curved shape it has.

Felix sat against the wall with Nyitzcha standing beside him, when he turned to her he felt a chuckle escape his throat as even when sitting down he still seemed taller than she was. Even for a dwarf, she was short. She noticed and made a face, punching his arm.

"Sorry. Hey, you're an explosives expert. Couldn't you make something to blow that door from its hinges?"

Nyitzcha picked up her satchel and swung it in front of them, setting it down with a heavy thud. She kicked the tan leather piece and sighed. "Only goodies I be holdin' ain't meant for wee doors, lad. Less ye dun mind some fireworks, dat won't be helpin' none."

"Just say please." Everyone spun around as Leone stood by the opposite end of the hall casually standing by to observe them. He didn't look much different from when they first met, with the exception of the gauze wrapped around his chest. A reminder of their last battle, Felix remembered it well with Janette using the Hunters own knife against him, pushing it through a weak spot in his armor. That move proved to be lethal, he wondered if the Hunter had healed so quickly under the three weeks since that encounter.

"Oh good, it's him." Na'Vi sighed, waving her head dismissively.

Leone took one step forward, prompting Felix to muster his strength and push himself to his feet. His legs felt an overwhelming pulse of soreness and fatigue enter his body, he couldn't manage more than a grunt as he fell back on his ass. Nyitzcha cursed him for his efforts, Norowa Reta stepped forward to block Leone from coming closer.

"That's enough now!" Reta demanded, her arms spread wide.

Leone peaked over his shoulder, observing the elf at the back drawing his arrow ready to shoot. The hunter raised his hands politely in return.

"I'm not here to fight, just talk."

"Talk? Fat chance of that happening." Felix cried out in anger and agony, leaning forward. Nyitzcha pushed him back, worried for his health and state. The way his body vibrated as she pressed her palm to his chest truly gave the implication that he had exerted himself near his breaking point in his last fight. She bit her tongue and swallowed her doubts, cursing herself for letting her husband go at him alone.

"Who is he, lad?"

"That's the bastard who started this mess, he's working for the priest. He was sent to catch KuliKuli and her family!"

"They were my family too." He retaliated in a calm tone.

"Bullshit! They were your prey, you... what did you say?" Felix blinked, feeling an icy cold shiver creep along his spine.

Na'Vi turned to face them and stepped forward. "That's KuliKuli's dad, the man tasked with bringing them in. The Hunter, Leone Nishi Nohera."

"Who left in awful terms and was told not to come back or show himself, ever." Spi'Reto muttered, threatening to let go of the arrow he had ready for him.

"You're her father?" Felix looked to be in disbelief. "No, but you were hurting her, you were in her nightmares. You kidnapped Dimyri-"

"And gave her the suppressant seal to keep him from succeeding, reminded Nityri how to defend herself, and who kept your clutter alive and hidden this long." Leone explained, his gaze fixated onto Felix. "I admit, I've been a terrible father. I don't know how to be one, when Dimyri was conceived I was scared. When her siblings followed, I fell under a deep depression questioning myself. Do you know what would happen if someone discovered that a Hunter started a family with a Monster Girl?"

"Pretty hypocritical if you ask me." Reta responded, lowering her guard and retreating towards Felix.

Leone looked away with a look of shame. "He knows. I didn't count on that but it explains his behavior well, I was naive to think it was all one big coincidence. Somehow Perdilius realized I had fathered three children, in his twisted attempt to have me reconcile he signed for my service and had me hunt my own blood for his benefits. I couldn't explain to them in time, I was forced to oblige. Emyri took them and ran, she didn't know."

"She had a feeling, you know." Na'Vi added when stepping forward. "I thought she was being silly but she seemed convinced you were being manipulated. I figured you had chosen your Guild over us and that this would be you starting over by killing us. You humans are all selfish and greedy, always wanting more."

"Not all of us." Leone responded. "I've made peace with my decision, made certain not to harm them physically in any way, helped them in subtle ways when I could. I could never predict this, seeing you lot here fighting for them is a miracle. In truth, it's a realization of who I am... what I should have done from the beginning."

His hand appeared from his cloak, holding a key ring clinking under his movement as he offered it to them.

"He calls it the Great Schism, this ritual he has in mind. Should he succeed, all Monster Girls will fall."