Editor's comments and actions are denoted by [brackets]. Sound effects are written {like this}. (Parenthesis) indicate side notes in the dialogue bubble or the mangaka's note. And finally, italics are thoughts.

At the south docks, guerrillas work out of packed vans.

Guerrilla: "West District, no reply."

Guerrilla: "This is North B Dist..."

{sound f/x ga: static}

Guerrilla: "Hello!?"

Guerrilla: "No good. No answer from anywhere! If West and North have both been destroyed, then..."

Shin-Lu: (...)

Guerrilla: Dammit~!

High above the guerrillas, Shin-Lu watches then unnoticed.

Shin-Lu: Heh... [looking at their guns] Isn't that pretty genuine equipment they're using? (Fu—ll of baddies.)

Guerrilla: We're done here! Anyone remaining, let's strengthen the South A District warehouses!

Shin-Lu: South A... Underground warehouses... huh~!

{sound f/x ni: Shin-Lu's grin}

Shin-Lu: ...but still they're la——te~!! Kai and Ruri-chan are. (And they haven't even contacted me—!) We're already way too late for the start of the operation!!

{sound f/x gya: Shin-Lu's scream of frustration}

Shin-Lu: What're they doing? Did they get lost? What should I do~~~~~ [sigh] Eh~!

{sound f/x to: Shin-Lu's hand pushing off of a crate}

Shin-Lu pushes off of the crate she's sitting on and flips to the ground.

{sound f/x kuru: Shin-Lu turning a flip}

{sound f/x suta: Shin-Lu landing}

Shin-Lu: Perfect landing——~!

{sound f/x don: hitting sound}

{sound f/x kya: Shin-Lu's shriek}

{sound f/x tosu: Shin-Lu hitting the ground}

A guerrilla is on the ground next to Shin-Lu, close to where they smacked into each other.

Guerrilla: Owowow...

Shin-Lu: Ouu—ch! (I hit my butt... I'll stop there.)

Guerrilla: It's dangerous standing around in a place like this!

Shin-Lu: I'm sorry~!

Guerrilla: ......... You... That uniform!

{sound f/x giku: the guerrilla's uh-oh noise}

Guerrilla: You can't be...

Shin-Lu suddenly extends her power towards the man.

Shin-Lu: Really, I'm sorry~!!

With Shin-Lu's power, the guerrilla's eyes slowly close before he slumps over.

{sound fx kii: high pitched whine}

{sound fx kaku: the man's head wobbling over}

{sound f/x dosa: the guerrilla hitting the ground with a thud}

{sound f/x suu: Shin-Lu slowly stepping away}

Shin-Lu: Couldn't be helped huh. Well then, I guess I should get started now... [giggle]

{sound f/x suu: Shin-Lu slowly fading away}

Shin-Lu slowly fades away from the docks. Elsewhere, the young woman working with the guerrillas studies her tarot layout.

Old Man: Maria. Before we depart, did you get a good card?

Maria: [smiling slightly] No... unlike you, Grandfather, I don't have powers to foresee, so fortune-telling's also...

Maria returns her thoughts to the tarot spread.

Maria: "The Chariot."... Courage and hope... The card that shows a young man with a strong sense of responsibility and the power to overcome difficulties combined with determination.

Maria pictures Yuuki.

Maria: Why is it him, and not me? My fortunes... Is it because I cannot find what we're looking for? Never come true. Grandfather... I... it's not that I don't believe in your foreseeing... it's just... I want to do something for you who found me and raised me. For instance, even if I don't have the power to find the "Sacraments," I still want to try and look... Grandfather saw my fated future from the beginning. I'm sorry. I'm saying selfish things. But it would be nice if I had the power to change things.

The old man sits down in front of Maria's reading and pats her hand.

{sound f/x pon pon: pat pat}

Old Man: You have always been a kind child, Maria. Now, let's get going. I can't stop you from doing anything that you want to do for my sake.

Maria: [smiling] I'll find it for sure, "The Sacrament of Carvaria." Please wait for me.

{sound f/x fuwa: Maria floating}

{sound f/x shun: Maria disappearing in a puff of smoke}

The old man stays behind, continuing to stare at Maria's tarot layout. He focuses on the Strength card.

Old Man: Maria... someone who needs your power is waiting for you.

The old man reaches for the center card, not yet turned over.

Old Man: And someday, the one who will become your power...

The center card is Death, reversed.

Old Man: The one that holds the "Light of Rebirth," "Death"—— The card is reversed, indicating that right now, this individual has an insecure and incomplete existence.

Maria: "Please wait for me."

Old Man: [rubbing the bridge of his nose] I wonder if you aren't standing at the path to becoming my replacement.

In the city, Kai wraps his blood stained coat around his shoulders as he watches the flames engulf the bodies of Ruri and the young mother.

Kai: It's my fault... I said for her to come down here with me... I asked her to watch after the girl...

Kai picks up one of Ashurum's weapons and pops the cartridge out.

{sound f/x kashan: the clink of Kai picking up the gun}

{sound f/x kara: the clatter of the cartridge falling out}

{sound f/x gyu: Kai gripping the cartridge tightly}

Kai: If I had loaded my weapon properly... Ruri wouldn't have died!! I... I killed Ruri.

Down in the south warehouse district, Shin-Lu peeks around a corner to ground below.

{sound f/x pyoko: Shin-Lu poking her head out}

Shin-Lu: So the South Underground Warehouse is this underground plant, huh. Ah, there're people here!

{sound f/x ba: Shin-Lu pushing off of a railing}

Shin-Lu: Ei~!

Guerrillas: !!

{sound f/x tan: Shin-Lu landing on the floor.}

Guerrillas: Wha~!!

The guerrillas begin firing at Shin-Lu as she merrily dodges the bullets.

{sound f/x doga: gunfire}

{sound f/x chun: bullets hitting the floor}

{sound f/x da: Shin-Lu pushing off for a flip}

Shin-Lu: You won't hit me! It's useless using bullets!

Shin-Lu's eyes suddenly go wide as the ground explodes beneath the guerrillas.

{sound f/x goga: the ground exploding}

Guerrilla: UWAA~!!

Shin-Lu: Easy victory~!

The space around Shin-Lu suddenly begins to waver.

{sound f/x gura: the space shaking}

Shin-Lu: !? No... What!? This power, amazing pressure...

Set apart from the fighting, the old man concentrates his power.

Shin-Lu: Is there someone here with special powers!?

Power centers on Shin-Lu.

{sound f/x kii: high pitched whine}

{sound f/x ka: bright light}

Shin-Lu: My body...... won't move!!

Elsewhere, something explodes. A guerrilla falls down an elevator shaft before impaling himself on some wreckage.

{sound f/x go: explosion}

Guerrilla: WAAAA

{sound f/x dosu: blood spurting from where the guerrilla's impaled}

{sound f/x gofu: the guerrilla expelling blood}

Nearby, the female and male Ashurum cadets sweatdrop.

Girl: That was a little... (Ue~~ he chased him down.)

Boy: Hey~~~~, Shen-Long.

Shen-Long: I was told to protect those with special powers, but besides that they're just criminals. You shouldn't get mad at however I choose to kill them. Okay! In the end, it's just all "legitimate self-defense."

Boy: (Is that— right...)

Girl: (Well excuse us.)

Shen-Long: More than that, the operation's finished, right? Let's hurry up and head back to the Outlaw. I don't wanna be in a place like this any longer.

The girl puts one hand to her large earpiece.

Girl: That's true but—... ...strange.

Boy: What're you doing, Tsubaki?

Tsubaki: The other... I can't get a hold of Kai-tachi's team.

Chris: Hmmm. Maybe they finished already and went back? Cause over there's the "Girl's Team." So it was probably easier than ours so they got done fast, right? [laughing] Including Kai, they're all powerless.

Shen-Long starts twitching before exploding at the other boy.

{sound f/x piku: Shen-Long getting angry}

Shen-Long: SHIN-LU'S ON THE TEAM WITH THAT ABSOLUTE NOTHING!!

{sound f/x kii: high pitched feedback squeal}

Chris: [pulling his earpiece off] (Hey, turn your intercom switches off.)

Tsubaki: CHRIS!! YOU TRYING TO SAY THIS IS THE "GUY'S TEAM"!?

Shen-Long: If it's contact then just let me... !?

Shen-Long suddenly drops to the ground.

{sound f/x zuki: sharp pain cutting through Shen-Long}

{sound f/x zuda: Shen-Long hitting the ground}

Chris & Tsubaki: !! SHEN-LONG!?

Tsubaki: Shen-Long!! Hold on!! What happened!?

Shen-Long: ......~ o... ow...

Chris: SHEN-LONG!?

Tsubaki: Shen-Long!!

Chris: What happened! Did you get hit somewhere!?

Shen-Long suddenly teleports from the scene.

Tsubaki: !!

{sound f/x bashu: flash of Shen-Long teleporting}

Chris: SHEN~...!! He...disappeared. (As always going off on his own...) What do we do? Tsubaki...

Tsubaki: Idiot~!! We contact Eiji!!

Elsewhere, Kai continues to brood among the wreckage.

Kai: ......!

{sound f/x biku: Kai's surprise}

In his mind's eye, he sees Shin-Lu collapsed on the ground.

Kai: SHIN-LU!? The vision just now...

Kai goes speeding off in the distance. Back in the warehouse, Shin-Lu lies unconscious on the ground. A guerrilla holds his foot above her throat.

{sound f/x gu: the guerrilla pausing his foot}

Guerrilla: Shouldn't we kill her?

Guerrilla: Erimiya-sama said for us to wait until he came.

Behind the guerrillas, Shen-Long teleports into the room.

{sound f/x bou: Shen-Long tiredly teleporting in}

Shen-Long: This is...

Guerrilla: I know that, but...

Shen-Long: ......!?

Guerrilla: It's true that "Ashurum" is breeding these monsters, right.

Shen-Long finally notices Shin-Lu collapsed on the ground.

{sound f/x doga: giant heartbeat}

Shen-Long: ......SHIN-LU!?

Shen-Long lights up and his powers go wild.

{sound f/x doshu: the guerrillas exploding and their blood flying}

Kai hurries toward the scene as Shen-Long continues to send his powers swirling.

{sound f/x gogo: menacing atmostphere}

Shen-Long: You, all of you... I'LL KILL YOU ALL!

Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

Manga belongs to Yuiga Satoru, G Fantasy Comics, and Enix, taken from the E'S, Volume 1 manga, ISBN4-87025-596-0. Not like the story makes sense if you haven't read the manga anyway. Romanized and translated into English very badly by Mina-P, with desperately needed help, as always, by Mako-chan. Any comments or corrections can be mailed to Mina-P at Minako@senshigakuen.com.

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