With the fight over, Jie Jian returned control of Maki's body to her.
The moment Maki took over again, she rolled her shoulders.
She hadn't done anything herself, but the body was still hers, and the fatigue left by the battle was all too real.
Her gaze swept across the street before settling on the half of Ogi Zenin lying in the middle. She fell silent.
Maki stared at that face without a word.
She remembered many things.
She remembered the long corridors of the Zenin Family estate, and all the times since childhood when Ogi Zenin had refused to so much as look her in the eye.
She remembered what Ogi Zenin had said to her and Mai.
"If it weren't for you two, I would have become Head of the Zenin Family long ago."
Wind passed through the gaps in the rubble, stirring up fine dust.
"What's wrong?"
Jie Jian's voice sounded inside her, carrying a rare hint of gentleness.
"Are you... sad?"
Maki shook her head.
"He was just my biological father. I don't care."
With that, Maki withdrew her gaze and stopped looking at Ogi Zenin.
Maki took a deep breath and sheathed her sword at her waist.
"Let's go," she said. "Let's hurry up and clear out the Players causing trouble in the Tokyo No. 1 Colony. We still have so many colonies to deal with."
Jie Jian voiced his agreement, then suggested:
"We really should pick up the pace. Okkotsu should already be in Sendai by now. Who knows what he might run into over there?
"If people here could team up with Reggie, there might be troublemakers in Sendai too. Want to go give him a hand first?"
Maki paused midstep. A moment later, she replied firmly:
"Don't worry. With his strength, he'll