Control

ⅬⅤ

Rin sprinted out of the Cathedral and into the streets, using the scents she knew all too well of the boys to track them down. However, she reached a cross-section where they split in opposite directions. That couldn't be good...

Meanwhile, Ajeel had begun his apprehension of this girl named Akai Tsuta. She had only run from him and his towering waves of sand. She had yet to make a move against him and reveal her magic which was appalling to the war-crazy bastard. Why pick a fight and then run? No matter, Ajeel continued his chase. He was more interested in where she was leading him than attacking her. A possible mistake on his part but that was no guarantee.

On the opposite side of the city, Sting had skidded to a halt in front of the first woman they had seen in the church. He hoped that this time it was her real body.

"So nice of you to show up," she mused.

"Who the fuck are you?" The blonde had absolutely no time to waste. He just wanted to get this godforsaken fight over with so he could make sure Rin was okay. Little did he know that she was out and about, on her way to meet up with the new king of Alakitasia.

"You can call me Queen Miura." The shrill tone of her voice made the male gag. Everything about this woman screamed "I'm a wannabe tyrant" and he couldn't help but think of her as the female counterpart of Jiemma.

"So, you're insane?"

"I'm the future ruler of the Empire."

"Insane." Sting shifted his weight onto one leg and scratched the back of his head with a sigh. "Okay, Crazy... Just tell me your plan so I can stop you."

"Plan?" She laughed. "Plans ever go accordingly, so I'm just playing it by ear." Sting cocked an eyebrow at her. "The idea was to brainwash Ajeel so he could rule the kingdom under my command, but you came to me in his stead. Guess that calls for Plan B."

"I thought you said there were no plans?"

"Did I?" A shiver ran down Sting's spine. The woman before him was genuinely suffering some kind of mental deterioration and it startled him. "I'll use you to take out your dear little partner and that'll leave Ajeel all to me. Either way, I'll get my hands on him."

Sting darted forward, ready for that same punch that fazed through her before.

"Not if I can help it!" His heavy fist plunged through her chest, his whole body following suit to the ground where he was quickly pinned down by the real Miura from behind. Her knees were pressed firmly into his spine and her hands were quick to make contact with his temples.

"Welcome to the team," she murmured. Her alluring voice swept him into a daze and his consciousness was stolen from him.

"Thanks for having me," he replied in a robotic growl.

竜

"Ajeel!" Rin joined the tall male, her gown trailing behind her.

"Ah, glad to see you're awake, Princess."

"Don't call me that," she grumbled. "We've got a problem."

"Yeah, no kidding." Ajeel peered across the street to the redhead who just watched the duo with crossed arms. "Don't know what this chick's deal is, but I'm getting tired of chasing her."

"Then don't." Rin trapped Tsuta in her magic and walked up to her. The first thing she did was grab her chin roughly and peer into her glowing, golden eyes. Seconds later, she knocked the girl out cold with a single punch to the bridge of her nose. "Miura, the leader, can brainwash people. According to the girl I fought earlier, she can only keep a hold on two people at a time. If both of them are down now, then we should only have one more opponent."

"Rin..."

"Also, where the hell is Sting?"

"Rin―"

"Everyone said you two were together, so where did that idiot run off to?"

"Rin!" Ajeel placed a wary hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes with worry. "He went after Miura alone."

"Great, so we just have to find out where they're fighting." Rin went to spin around but the male caught her other shoulder, now holding her tightly next to his form.

"I have a bad feeling about this..." The two heard a cough from the redhead as she regained consciousness. They took notice that a patch of vines had grown around where her body was, feeding life back into her from the hidden soil of the streets.

"M-Miura..." Rin crouched down to hear her better. "Miura wants Prince Ajeel. And she'll do whatever it takes to get him."

"I might even borrow a pawn or two." Rin and Ajeel spun around and found just the woman they were looking for. She stood confidently with her hand atop her curved hip. Her dark skin was revealed just about everywhere it could be without being too exposed. Her golden eyes gleamed with mischief as a certain blonde took place beside her.

"Sting―!" Rin stopped herself from running to him, finding his eyes now golden. They were completely void of the deep pools of emotional sapphire she had come to love and now it felt as if she were looking at a stranger.

"Don't get too close, honey," the woman teased. "He might bite." She tapped her teeth together tauntingly. Rin grimaced while Ajeel stood alongside casually.

Is she gonna sing some odd villainous intro, or...?

He shook his head.

With Sting out of the way, maybe I have a shot with Rin...

Who was he kidding? She'd kill him before that happened.

"Let him go." The demanding tone of Rin's voice was overthrown by a quiver of worry. Someone precious to her was in the hands of the enemy, and he was technically with the enemy now.

"I was honestly just going to use him as a distraction to get to Ajeel, but on second thought, I'll just have him kill you and keep him for myself." She circled the still blonde and traced her fingertips across his chest in an attempt to antagonize the brunette. "He's quite handsome, don't you think?" Her fingers gently scraped against the scale on his neck. "He'd be such a good mate."

Rin growled lowly. She jumped at the defenseless woman with no hesitation. Her fist was clenched tightly, ready to break her jaw into pieces. However, her arm was quickly grabbed and her body tossed to the side by none other than her brainwashed mate. She tumbled to the side, her elegant attire that matched his own now torn from scraping against the rough pavement.

"Sting," she coaxed. "Snap out of it." Miura just laughed.

"As if my magic would fall to something so weak!" Rin glared and made a lunge at her again but was blocked by Sting again. This time, he grabbed her throat and slammed her back into the cobblestone, breaking the bricks underneath her. She choked against his hold and coughed out blood from her throat. "Now, now, Sting~! Be sure to make it long and painful," she drawled. "Ajeel and I have our own business to attend to."