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Description

A new Slayers story for all of you, this time not a throwback, honest! The meat of this story is set one week after the explosive battle of Porte Charlotte, and will begin by focusing on the extraordinary Reiko Scarlet Sakura. By the time this part is over, however, this girl who knows how to get people hot and bothered will start to feel some heat herself, and from a surprising source!

---
"Incendiary" -- Part One of Three!

--1--

Low End was the most unpredictable and potentially treacherous district in Demon City 7. Almost every square block was a crime-ridden slum where bad things could happen at any moment. Shit, it had gotten so bad here in recent years, more reactionary hearts in the National Diet had tried to get passed into law the extreme measure of erecting a great defensive wall on the border between Low End and the capital prefecture of the Tokyo Metropolis, Chiyoda. Much cooler heads and those with common sense prevailed each time that argument was brought up, but even the most level headed of politicians worried that crime next door could very easily cross the invisible, meaningless border northward and threaten the nation's government and institutions, maybe even the Imperial Palace.

No one wanted that, but for the time being it seemed that the Descended Angels who assigned themselves to Chiyoda as guardians and peacekeepers, the Vanquishers and the military men and women of the Kingdom Defense Force provided excellent incentive for criminal assholes in Low End to not get any funny ideas.

Unfortunately, for the time being, Low End on the whole could be a dangerous...there were a few relatively safe areas -- for instance, there was the Old Fishing Village, a low income community where friends and neighbors there learned long ago to look out for one another; and then there was the isolated refuge and nightclub Porte Charlotte. A large percentage of this slum was still a virtual no man's land of crime and violence that could erupt at any moment; there were those who lurked here who could be heartless and even more dangerous than predators in the jungle. Whether these criminals only gave a damn about 'getting paid' or they had even worse motivations, they didn't hesitate to prey on the weak and innocent to build themselves up. It only made matters worse that crime was organized here, there were many gangs and factions that aggressively defended their turf and at some times sought to expand it.

It was an uphill battle fighting crime here, especially without a cohesive and fully backed police force there to serve and protect innocent citizens in Low End. A lot of good and daring people have been trying, anyway. Chief among them were the First Responders, volunteer vigilantes who worked with the endorsement of the city government...but these men and women didn't get much official support, either!

Then there were the bounty hunters. They were what you'd call 'free agents' who were also a force for law and order in their own right. Here in Demon City 7 and across the Metropolis, they were officers of the court who worked independently from police agencies. They most famously were known for bringing in those who skipped bail and wanted to dodge justice. Infamously, specifically in Low End, they hired themselves out as protection for those who could afford it, they offered their services to the police during crisis situations, and of course they were in friendly competition with each other for the highest bounties. It was an understatement to say that some disapproved of them...others called them mercenaries, and unkindly.

One of the newest bounty hunters in Demon City 7 was the DEADLIEST of them all, but no one knew it...and that was just the way she liked it.

--2--

When she was very young, only six years old, a Japanese-American girl lost her mother and father...she could still remember the warmth of their love, but very little else. Even her parents' faces were a vague memory after so long. Only a year after losing her parents, as she languished in the limbo of an orphanage, she was kidnapped and taken from America all of the way to the forbidden Empire of China...she was enslaved by a human monster, General Ho Choi Yun. Along with many more kidnapped orphans, this girl lost the rest of her childhood to a horrific, brutal life -- they were all treated no better than animals during their years of training and conditioning to make them absolutely loyal to Ho as they learned every dark art of assassination and seduction imaginable. They were meant to be perfect killers, the very best there could ever be. Ultimately, it seemed only one survived...and she did become the greatest assassin in the history of the mortal world.

Thankfully, Reiko Scarlet Sakura had been given the chance to not only earn justice, she gained her freedom with Ho's death. Ever since, the femme fatale has slowly built a new life for herself in a new home, Demon City 7. The former orphan found new family and friends, and she wanted to follow the example of the extraordinary sisters who saved her. Like Kyoko and Misa Asagi, Reiko was guided by what was true and right in her heart and soul and defend those who simply wanted to live their lives and do no harm from this world's monsters. It was therefore no surprise to those who loved her that the blonde chose to become a hunter of evil.

Reiko had been trained to be the very best there is at what she does, but after a chaotic night at Porte Charlotte just a few days earlier, she knew she had to be better prepared in a city where literally anything can happen! She had to upgrade if she wanted to hunt for the most dangerous game: criminals, ordinary and otherwise, who didn't want to be caught. So the femme fatale asked the advice of one the few she absolutely trusted: the Warrior Worth a Thousand herself, Kyoko.

The girl who always wore black into battle said right away, "You would find many resources available to you at the Slayers Organization, Reiko-chan. You said you were giving thought to joining...?"

Reiko said, "Yes, but I haven't been so sure ever since I first met Hikari Abe Zong. I can't say I like him much."

"I'm not surprised. The man is an asshat." Kyoko had other less pleasant things to call the CEO, but 'asshat' was her preferred descriptor because it fit so well! "But even if you're not part of the organization, they might be able to assist you. What exactly would you want?"

Reiko answered immediately: "I was trained in assassination...you know how skilled I am in a straightforward fight, but my greatest strengths have been in stealth and infiltration. I would simply need to be equipped in such a way that would compliment and even enhance those strengths against any threat, if that's possible."

Kyoko nodded. "I know of someone who can help you, Reiko-chan. She's the Chief Engineer for the organization...she is young, but I've heard she is a true genius when it comes to many things. Kaori Toriyama invents and builds the resources demon slayers use on their missions. But you'll need to be warned, sweet Misa met her once and..." The girl in black frowned a little. "...well, all I can say is be on your guard around Toriyama-san. You'll understand when you meet her!"

The next day: Reiko Scarlet Sakura ventured to High End and the big building that was the SO Headquarters. Everything was arranged for Reiko to breeze through security -- the femme fatale was a trusted friend of the two premier Slayers for the organization, and Zong himself vouched for her since he knew a lot about the bounty hunter no one else did (or ever would). Then it was a brief elevator ride to the first sub-level and the organized chaos that dominated the huge labs and workshops of Kaori Toriyama and her staff.

Kaori, aka 'Gadget Girl' to her friends and colleagues, looked like she should still have been in high school...a footloose genius who had that semi-skewed and eccentric way many great minds in history did, she was guided by instinct and feel as much as pure logic. Kaori had graduated with the highest honors for both engineering and science from the most prestigious college in the Tokyo Kingdom when she was only 17, for pity's sake, and many forces from corporations to the military of many nations wanted to hire her. But the girl finally decided on the Slayers Organization because, thank the Heavens, the girl was guided by the most noble of motives to make the most positive of contributions to her country and the world...and she figured helping those who defended the mortal world from the forces of evil was her purpose in life.

After a brief introduction, however, Reiko quickly began to understand why Kyoko warned her about Kaori...especially from the way Gadget Girl shamelssly ogled her breasts! Kaori managed to divert her attention to the femme fatale's eyes (only sort of) as she listened to Reiko explain what she wanted. She needed gear that would give her an edge in stealth against both ordinary and supernaturally gifted enemies, especially any that might originate from the Hells, which was always possible. Kaori said, "So you wanna be a lot sneaker, honey, I get it! My first best thought is to create a stealth suit for you so you can get the drop on a-holes. That can be arranged because I've got all the components and stuff I need to whip together into something perfect for you. It can't be a complete system, though, gotta warn you there."

Reiko asked, "What do you mean?"

"You gotta understand while you're an officer of the court and all, you're still a civilian and you're not part of the SO. So I can't give you anything that involves military hardware. Zong-dono and Kyoko-san might be vouchin' for you, but rules are rules! I'll make somethin' for you that'll seriously be just as good as any high-end military tech...I mean, the tech I know of. There's people smart as I am making weapons systems and thinking of all kinds of things I haven't yet!"

"That's acceptable, Kaori-san. There was something specific about the look of the suit I'll want, though. Let me explain..." It took less than a minute.

No surprise, since the genius was definitely into girls, Kaori got a little excited! "That can all be done with no trouble, Reiko-san!"

The femme fatale nodded. "How long would this take?"

"I just need you to step into a full-body scanner I've got a couple of labs away to take your every measurement perfectly, honey. After that, I'll have a suit ready in like, 24 hours!"

"That quickly?"

"I'm smart and I work fast! There's one other thing I need from you, though!" There was a twinkle in the girl's eye as she looked at Reiko in a way that raised the femme fatale's alert levels. "Just some payment for the quality work I'm about to do!"

Reiko frowned. "'Payment?' You told me at the beginning I wouldn't be charged for your services...!"

"Oh, I don't mean yen, honey!" Gadget Girl couldn't restrain herself anymore...only a few steps away from the blonde, she moved forward at high speed and her hands eagerly reached out as she announced, "I just wanna sample those luscious titties of yours -- !"

Reiko was shocked -- damn, the perverted girl looked like she was on the verge of drooling! But the femme fatale was much faster than Kaori could ever hope to be and she quickly shielded her own breasts. Reiko growled, "Not one step closer if you value those hands!"

Kaori wisely stopped on a dime! She groaned, "Aw, c'mon! Just ONE touch...?" Her outstreched hands groped the air needfully...!

Reiko was adamant as she coolly enlightened, "Two things you should know about me, Kaori-san. First, no one will ever touch me without my permission. Second, I may be a lesbian and you may be cute, but you're not my type!" But she did think of a beautiful warrior who was: Rika.

Gadget Girl moaned, "Aw!" In a sour mood, Kaori relented...a brief time later, with Reiko watching her like a hawk every step of the way, the genius took her to the full body scanner that recorded her exact dimenions perfectly. Before all was said and done, Kaori pleaded once more, "Please, just one touch???"

The femme fatale said decisively, "No!"

"Crap!"

Only slightly under 24 hours later, Reiko was contacted by Kaori...the stealth suit was ready!

Kaori presented the suit that came with thigh-high boots...Gadget Girl ran it down for Reiko: "This is a first stage prototype, honey...the kind of work you'd do as a bounty hunter would be excellent to 'field test' it, but that's just a pretense for giving this to you! It's all built for pure freedom of movement and since it follows your dimensions exactly, it's comfortable as a second skin! Even if you put on up to ten pounds or lose a few, that won't change a thing. It may look like leather, but trust me, it ain't. You know how a long time ago, genetic engineers perfected the process of crossing cows with silkworms to produce lots more silk? This is similar, but think of leather that's solid as kevlar plate, super-dense but still ultra-lightweight. It can take anything up to a Barrett .50-caliber sniper round, and you'd need a blade just as sharp as the swords the Asagi sisters carry to pierce it!

"Anyway, that material was outsourced -- what makes this suit perfect for you is what I thought of with some of the mystics working for me. In between the inner and outer layers of the suit and boots, there's a mesh fortified with a Concealment enchantment. It's similar in concept to what special forces soldiers of the Defense Force and other countries use in covert ops when they don't want to be detected by hostiles from the Hells or anybody on Earth with normal or supernaturally heightened senses. They usually use conventional tech involving micro-fusion generators, but stuff like that only adds weight and it's high maintenance. I went for the magic option to make it as low maintenance as possible, but you'll have the same benefits!

"It's not a complete cloaking system, like I said. You can still be seen by someone, ordinary or not. You didn't want anything like thermoptic camoflage anyway, right? Well, you won't need it if you use this suit right and if you're sneaky enough! The only real tech involved is in the boots that ensure you'll run silent. Those thick soles contain microprocessors for the sonic mufflers that negate any sound your feet make, whether you're walking or running. They're powered by your body's bioelectric field, too. All you have to do is wear them and the mufflers will always be active!

"Just as long as you know how to stay hidden, even the worst kind of demon won't hear, smell, or sense you coming in any way unless you want 'em to see you!

"There's a bonus feature built into all of this too, since you're as likely to go looking for criminals with supernatural ability as not...there's no such thing as 'too prepared', after all! Your suit and boots are rigged with a basic framework using current-gen, non-military grade exo-muscle molecules. They're also powered by your bioelectric field, but you'll only get the full benefits if you wear it all together 'cause they're interconnected. The framework will boost your natural strength and speed by, oh, three times! That's about the same as a Vanquisher at Neophyte to Low Level power. But you give yourself too much of a workout or for too long, the framework will shut down and it'll need 15 minutes to recharge. I really encourage you to test and get used to it, really get a feel for what you can do, but take baby steps...don't try anything too extreme right away!"

Kaori finally presented the suit and with a beaming smile said, "Go ahead and try it on!"

Reiko obliged...she felt she did owe the girl something, though, and with a naughty smile of her own, she said, "As you wish!" And she disrobed right there in front of the Gadget Girl. Pervy Kaori was on the verge of breaking out in a cold sweat looking at every amazing inch of the nude femme fatale before she put on the suit and then those long, amazing boots. The suit itself looked so much in appearance like the form-fitting crimson suit Reiko used to wear, the garb that was why some once called her the Crimson Phantom.

Just like her old suit, she unzipped the front...and Reiko Scarlet Sakura was a spectacular sight in black as she turned and moved deliberately to get a feel for the stealth suit...meanwhile, Kaori Toriyama was literally panting as she watched!

--3--

Only a few nights later, Reiko really got the opportunity to practically test the suit...because she had the opportunity to bag a bounty that promised to be more dangerous than most criminals, ordinary or otherwise.

The femme fatale was on the hunt for the leader of an all-Demon street gang, the Rebel Damned. He never appeared for his court date to face trial for oh, only four murders in Chiba last week. Many criticized the bastard should have been denied bail and waited for his day in court in jail, but demon rights activists yelled really loud about fairness. To avoid controversy and thinking about reelection, the judge still set a VERY high bail. It only took 15 minutes for the bastard's lawyers to pony up the yen.

The leader hadn't been seen since. It was believed he retreated to the HQ of the Rebel Damned, square in the heart of Low End...because of idiotic laws, the police in both Demon City 7 and Chiba couldn't go there. But there were some who could, and Reiko didn't hesitate to sign up for the task at the Office of Bounty Hunters. The money she would have gotten in return for bringing him in would have done a lot of good, and not just for her own expenses. Reiko planned to give half of the healthy bounty to Ashleigh Porte, for her good works involving helping the homeless and runaway at Porte Charlotte.

For two of the three nights since she got her new suit, Reiko scouted the target location, and she was never, ever seen...the Rebel Damned home base was an old and long-abandoned temple. You could call that ironic if you wanted to. The femme fatale was as kind and loving as you could imagine, but she was also coldly methodical and calculating when she set herself to a task like this. Reiko was a true huntress and those who knew her best saw that side to her when Porte Charlotte was threatened by an army of dogs.

The femme fatale had watched the target location from a safe distance under cover of night, and at times she dared to get much closer simply to observe the gang's activities a little better, be sure of their movements, determine the best time to move in and take the leader of this pack of wolves. After two nights of careful observation, the huntress was confident that she had a handle on these gangsters. It didn't matter they were also Demons...she had dealt with the likes of them many times in her previous life as an assassin. Yes, Reiko was that damn dangerous, and now she was well equipped to face such threats...they would never see her coming unless she wanted them to.

On the third night, the femme fatale decided to make her move...she hoped she'd have good timing...but the fatal beauty quickly found out how wrong she was!

--4--

From a few blocks away, as she approached the target area in the rented coupe she would have used to haul the gang leader's ass back to court, she saw the smoke rising in the air. She heard the undeniable sound of machine gun fire and worse. And she heard screams...some kind of battle was happening deep in the temple, which was partially on fire!

Reiko fearlessly came to a stop right in front of the temple. She got out of the car and moved as quickly as she could to one side of the place. The femme fatale used her peerless ability to infiltrate and stole into the interior. She began to find remains very quickly...what killed them all, at varying and brutally harsh levels, was the same. They'd all been burned to death!

From deep in the temple, Reiko then heard a female voice scream, "THE REST OF YOUR GANG IS DEAD, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO JOIN THEM! I'M TELLING YOU ONCE, YOU PIECE OF SHIT! GIVE UP NOW!"

An almost-human voice roared, "DIE, BITCH!" A crash of what sounded like thunder...Lightning magic, Reiko suspected. But on the heels of that the femme fatale heard an overpowering, fatal whoosh! that sounded like the wind of an intense storm. Then an almost-human scream of agony that quickly descended to silence.

Forever bold, Reiko moved to the location of the sounds...this was what she saw:

In the heart of the temple, much of it on fire, she saw a young woman barely dressed in purple leather facing away from her. She was standing over a body...most of the Demon's chest was a big, burning hole. With disappointment, Reiko recognized the very recently deceased as the gang's leader. She really looked forward to cashing in his bounty.

With a frown, Reiko called out, "Hold it right there!"

The young woman spun around and stared at Reiko. She was perhaps the same age as the femme fatale, with deep red hair. She was definitely an attention-getter in her daring purple outfit, as well...

...as the expression on Chikage Akuma's face communicated that she was as angry as the flames that surrounded her!

　
TO BE CONTINUED!

---

Please be patient for the next part, everyone, and you'll see how this fateful encounter between Reiko and one of the Inazuma Fighters unfolds! ^___^

Big thanks and acknowledgment to for giving Reiko her new look!

Giving credit where it's due!

XNALara created by Dusan Pavlicek; XPS by Dusan and XNAaraL

Models:

Reiko Scarlet Sakura Leather Casual by !

Kaori Toriyama by her creator, !

Reiko Scarlet Sakura and her NEW Stealth Suit by her creator, !

Chikage Akuma by her creator, !

Fire FX by !

Sceneries by and !

Description

A new Slayers story for all of you, this time not a throwback, honest! The meat of this story is set one week after the explosive battle of Porte Charlotte, and will begin by focusing on the extraordinary Reiko Scarlet Sakura. By the time this part is over, however, this girl who knows how to get people hot and bothered will start to feel some heat herself, and from a surprising source!

---
"Incendiary" -- Part One of Three!

--1--

Low End was the most unpredictable and potentially treacherous district in Demon City 7. Almost every square block was a crime-ridden slum where bad things could happen at any moment. Shit, it had gotten so bad here in recent years, more reactionary hearts in the National Diet had tried to get passed into law the extreme measure of erecting a great defensive wall on the border between Low End and the capital prefecture of the Tokyo Metropolis, Chiyoda. Much cooler heads and those with common sense prevailed each time that argument was brought up, but even the most level headed of politicians worried that crime next door could very easily cross the invisible, meaningless border northward and threaten the nation's government and institutions, maybe even the Imperial Palace.

No one wanted that, but for the time being it seemed that the Descended Angels who assigned themselves to Chiyoda as guardians and peacekeepers, the Vanquishers and the military men and women of the Kingdom Defense Force provided excellent incentive for criminal assholes in Low End to not get any funny ideas.

Unfortunately, for the time being, Low End on the whole could be a dangerous...there were a few relatively safe areas -- for instance, there was the Old Fishing Village, a low income community where friends and neighbors there learned long ago to look out for one another; and then there was the isolated refuge and nightclub Porte Charlotte. A large percentage of this slum was still a virtual no man's land of crime and violence that could erupt at any moment; there were those who lurked here who could be heartless and even more dangerous than predators in the jungle. Whether these criminals only gave a damn about 'getting paid' or they had even worse motivations, they didn't hesitate to prey on the weak and innocent to build themselves up. It only made matters worse that crime was organized here, there were many gangs and factions that aggressively defended their turf and at some times sought to expand it.

It was an uphill battle fighting crime here, especially without a cohesive and fully backed police force there to serve and protect innocent citizens in Low End. A lot of good and daring people have been trying, anyway. Chief among them were the First Responders, volunteer vigilantes who worked with the endorsement of the city government...but these men and women didn't get much official support, either!

Then there were the bounty hunters. They were what you'd call 'free agents' who were also a force for law and order in their own right. Here in Demon City 7 and across the Metropolis, they were officers of the court who worked independently from police agencies. They most famously were known for bringing in those who skipped bail and wanted to dodge justice. Infamously, specifically in Low End, they hired themselves out as protection for those who could afford it, they offered their services to the police during crisis situations, and of course they were in friendly competition with each other for the highest bounties. It was an understatement to say that some disapproved of them...others called them mercenaries, and unkindly.

One of the newest bounty hunters in Demon City 7 was the DEADLIEST of them all, but no one knew it...and that was just the way she liked it.

--2--

When she was very young, only six years old, a Japanese-American girl lost her mother and father...she could still remember the warmth of their love, but very little else. Even her parents' faces were a vague memory after so long. Only a year after losing her parents, as she languished in the limbo of an orphanage, she was kidnapped and taken from America all of the way to the forbidden Empire of China...she was enslaved by a human monster, General Ho Choi Yun. Along with many more kidnapped orphans, this girl lost the rest of her childhood to a horrific, brutal life -- they were all treated no better than animals during their years of training and conditioning to make them absolutely loyal to Ho as they learned every dark art of assassination and seduction imaginable. They were meant to be perfect killers, the very best there could ever be. Ultimately, it seemed only one survived...and she did become the greatest assassin in the history of the mortal world.

Thankfully, Reiko Scarlet Sakura had been given the chance to not only earn justice, she gained her freedom with Ho's death. Ever since, the femme fatale has slowly built a new life for herself in a new home, Demon City 7. The former orphan found new family and friends, and she wanted to follow the example of the extraordinary sisters who saved her. Like Kyoko and Misa Asagi, Reiko was guided by what was true and right in her heart and soul and defend those who simply wanted to live their lives and do no harm from this world's monsters. It was therefore no surprise to those who loved her that the blonde chose to become a hunter of evil.

Reiko had been trained to be the very best there is at what she does, but after a chaotic night at Porte Charlotte just a few days earlier, she knew she had to be better prepared in a city where literally anything can happen! She had to upgrade if she wanted to hunt for the most dangerous game: criminals, ordinary and otherwise, who didn't want to be caught. So the femme fatale asked the advice of one the few she absolutely trusted: the Warrior Worth a Thousand herself, Kyoko.

The girl who always wore black into battle said right away, "You would find many resources available to you at the Slayers Organization, Reiko-chan. You said you were giving thought to joining...?"

Reiko said, "Yes, but I haven't been so sure ever since I first met Hikari Abe Zong. I can't say I like him much."

"I'm not surprised. The man is an asshat." Kyoko had other less pleasant things to call the CEO, but 'asshat' was her preferred descriptor because it fit so well! "But even if you're not part of the organization, they might be able to assist you. What exactly would you want?"

Reiko answered immediately: "I was trained in assassination...you know how skilled I am in a straightforward fight, but my greatest strengths have been in stealth and infiltration. I would simply need to be equipped in such a way that would compliment and even enhance those strengths against any threat, if that's possible."

Kyoko nodded. "I know of someone who can help you, Reiko-chan. She's the Chief Engineer for the organization...she is young, but I've heard she is a true genius when it comes to many things. Kaori Toriyama invents and builds the resources demon slayers use on their missions. But you'll need to be warned, sweet Misa met her once and..." The girl in black frowned a little. "...well, all I can say is be on your guard around Toriyama-san. You'll understand when you meet her!"

The next day: Reiko Scarlet Sakura ventured to High End and the big building that was the SO Headquarters. Everything was arranged for Reiko to breeze through security -- the femme fatale was a trusted friend of the two premier Slayers for the organization, and Zong himself vouched for her since he knew a lot about the bounty hunter no one else did (or ever would). Then it was a brief elevator ride to the first sub-level and the organized chaos that dominated the huge labs and workshops of Kaori Toriyama and her staff.

Kaori, aka 'Gadget Girl' to her friends and colleagues, looked like she should still have been in high school...a footloose genius who had that semi-skewed and eccentric way many great minds in history did, she was guided by instinct and feel as much as pure logic. Kaori had graduated with the highest honors for both engineering and science from the most prestigious college in the Tokyo Kingdom when she was only 17, for pity's sake, and many forces from corporations to the military of many nations wanted to hire her. But the girl finally decided on the Slayers Organization because, thank the Heavens, the girl was guided by the most noble of motives to make the most positive of contributions to her country and the world...and she figured helping those who defended the mortal world from the forces of evil was her purpose in life.

After a brief introduction, however, Reiko quickly began to understand why Kyoko warned her about Kaori...especially from the way Gadget Girl shamelssly ogled her breasts! Kaori managed to divert her attention to the femme fatale's eyes (only sort of) as she listened to Reiko explain what she wanted. She needed gear that would give her an edge in stealth against both ordinary and supernaturally gifted enemies, especially any that might originate from the Hells, which was always possible. Kaori said, "So you wanna be a lot sneaker, honey, I get it! My first best thought is to create a stealth suit for you so you can get the drop on a-holes. That can be arranged because I've got all the components and stuff I need to whip together into something perfect for you. It can't be a complete system, though, gotta warn you there."

Reiko asked, "What do you mean?"

"You gotta understand while you're an officer of the court and all, you're still a civilian and you're not part of the SO. So I can't give you anything that involves military hardware. Zong-dono and Kyoko-san might be vouchin' for you, but rules are rules! I'll make somethin' for you that'll seriously be just as good as any high-end military tech...I mean, the tech I know of. There's people smart as I am making weapons systems and thinking of all kinds of things I haven't yet!"

"That's acceptable, Kaori-san. There was something specific about the look of the suit I'll want, though. Let me explain..." It took less than a minute.

No surprise, since the genius was definitely into girls, Kaori got a little excited! "That can all be done with no trouble, Reiko-san!"

The femme fatale nodded. "How long would this take?"

"I just need you to step into a full-body scanner I've got a couple of labs away to take your every measurement perfectly, honey. After that, I'll have a suit ready in like, 24 hours!"

"That quickly?"

"I'm smart and I work fast! There's one other thing I need from you, though!" There was a twinkle in the girl's eye as she looked at Reiko in a way that raised the femme fatale's alert levels. "Just some payment for the quality work I'm about to do!"

Reiko frowned. "'Payment?' You told me at the beginning I wouldn't be charged for your services...!"

"Oh, I don't mean yen, honey!" Gadget Girl couldn't restrain herself anymore...only a few steps away from the blonde, she moved forward at high speed and her hands eagerly reached out as she announced, "I just wanna sample those luscious titties of yours -- !"

Reiko was shocked -- damn, the perverted girl looked like she was on the verge of drooling! But the femme fatale was much faster than Kaori could ever hope to be and she quickly shielded her own breasts. Reiko growled, "Not one step closer if you value those hands!"

Kaori wisely stopped on a dime! She groaned, "Aw, c'mon! Just ONE touch...?" Her outstreched hands groped the air needfully...!

Reiko was adamant as she coolly enlightened, "Two things you should know about me, Kaori-san. First, no one will ever touch me without my permission. Second, I may be a lesbian and you may be cute, but you're not my type!" But she did think of a beautiful warrior who was: Rika.

Gadget Girl moaned, "Aw!" In a sour mood, Kaori relented...a brief time later, with Reiko watching her like a hawk every step of the way, the genius took her to the full body scanner that recorded her exact dimenions perfectly. Before all was said and done, Kaori pleaded once more, "Please, just one touch???"

The femme fatale said decisively, "No!"

"Crap!"

Only slightly under 24 hours later, Reiko was contacted by Kaori...the stealth suit was ready!

Kaori presented the suit that came with thigh-high boots...Gadget Girl ran it down for Reiko: "This is a first stage prototype, honey...the kind of work you'd do as a bounty hunter would be excellent to 'field test' it, but that's just a pretense for giving this to you! It's all built for pure freedom of movement and since it follows your dimensions exactly, it's comfortable as a second skin! Even if you put on up to ten pounds or lose a few, that won't change a thing. It may look like leather, but trust me, it ain't. You know how a long time ago, genetic engineers perfected the process of crossing cows with silkworms to produce lots more silk? This is similar, but think of leather that's solid as kevlar plate, super-dense but still ultra-lightweight. It can take anything up to a Barrett .50-caliber sniper round, and you'd need a blade just as sharp as the swords the Asagi sisters carry to pierce it!

"Anyway, that material was outsourced -- what makes this suit perfect for you is what I thought of with some of the mystics working for me. In between the inner and outer layers of the suit and boots, there's a mesh fortified with a Concealment enchantment. It's similar in concept to what special forces soldiers of the Defense Force and other countries use in covert ops when they don't want to be detected by hostiles from the Hells or anybody on Earth with normal or supernaturally heightened senses. They usually use conventional tech involving micro-fusion generators, but stuff like that only adds weight and it's high maintenance. I went for the magic option to make it as low maintenance as possible, but you'll have the same benefits!

"It's not a complete cloaking system, like I said. You can still be seen by someone, ordinary or not. You didn't want anything like thermoptic camoflage anyway, right? Well, you won't need it if you use this suit right and if you're sneaky enough! The only real tech involved is in the boots that ensure you'll run silent. Those thick soles contain microprocessors for the sonic mufflers that negate any sound your feet make, whether you're walking or running. They're powered by your body's bioelectric field, too. All you have to do is wear them and the mufflers will always be active!

"Just as long as you know how to stay hidden, even the worst kind of demon won't hear, smell, or sense you coming in any way unless you want 'em to see you!

"There's a bonus feature built into all of this too, since you're as likely to go looking for criminals with supernatural ability as not...there's no such thing as 'too prepared', after all! Your suit and boots are rigged with a basic framework using current-gen, non-military grade exo-muscle molecules. They're also powered by your bioelectric field, but you'll only get the full benefits if you wear it all together 'cause they're interconnected. The framework will boost your natural strength and speed by, oh, three times! That's about the same as a Vanquisher at Neophyte to Low Level power. But you give yourself too much of a workout or for too long, the framework will shut down and it'll need 15 minutes to recharge. I really encourage you to test and get used to it, really get a feel for what you can do, but take baby steps...don't try anything too extreme right away!"

Kaori finally presented the suit and with a beaming smile said, "Go ahead and try it on!"

Reiko obliged...she felt she did owe the girl something, though, and with a naughty smile of her own, she said, "As you wish!" And she disrobed right there in front of the Gadget Girl. Pervy Kaori was on the verge of breaking out in a cold sweat looking at every amazing inch of the nude femme fatale before she put on the suit and then those long, amazing boots. The suit itself looked so much in appearance like the form-fitting crimson suit Reiko used to wear, the garb that was why some once called her the Crimson Phantom.

Just like her old suit, she unzipped the front...and Reiko Scarlet Sakura was a spectacular sight in black as she turned and moved deliberately to get a feel for the stealth suit...meanwhile, Kaori Toriyama was literally panting as she watched!

--3--

Only a few nights later, Reiko really got the opportunity to practically test the suit...because she had the opportunity to bag a bounty that promised to be more dangerous than most criminals, ordinary or otherwise.

The femme fatale was on the hunt for the leader of an all-Demon street gang, the Rebel Damned. He never appeared for his court date to face trial for oh, only four murders in Chiba last week. Many criticized the bastard should have been denied bail and waited for his day in court in jail, but demon rights activists yelled really loud about fairness. To avoid controversy and thinking about reelection, the judge still set a VERY high bail. It only took 15 minutes for the bastard's lawyers to pony up the yen.

The leader hadn't been seen since. It was believed he retreated to the HQ of the Rebel Damned, square in the heart of Low End...because of idiotic laws, the police in both Demon City 7 and Chiba couldn't go there. But there were some who could, and Reiko didn't hesitate to sign up for the task at the Office of Bounty Hunters. The money she would have gotten in return for bringing him in would have done a lot of good, and not just for her own expenses. Reiko planned to give half of the healthy bounty to Ashleigh Porte, for her good works involving helping the homeless and runaway at Porte Charlotte.

For two of the three nights since she got her new suit, Reiko scouted the target location, and she was never, ever seen...the Rebel Damned home base was an old and long-abandoned temple. You could call that ironic if you wanted to. The femme fatale was as kind and loving as you could imagine, but she was also coldly methodical and calculating when she set herself to a task like this. Reiko was a true huntress and those who knew her best saw that side to her when Porte Charlotte was threatened by an army of dogs.

The femme fatale had watched the target location from a safe distance under cover of night, and at times she dared to get much closer simply to observe the gang's activities a little better, be sure of their movements, determine the best time to move in and take the leader of this pack of wolves. After two nights of careful observation, the huntress was confident that she had a handle on these gangsters. It didn't matter they were also Demons...she had dealt with the likes of them many times in her previous life as an assassin. Yes, Reiko was that damn dangerous, and now she was well equipped to face such threats...they would never see her coming unless she wanted them to.

On the third night, the femme fatale decided to make her move...she hoped she'd have good timing...but the fatal beauty quickly found out how wrong she was!

--4--

From a few blocks away, as she approached the target area in the rented coupe she would have used to haul the gang leader's ass back to court, she saw the smoke rising in the air. She heard the undeniable sound of machine gun fire and worse. And she heard screams...some kind of battle was happening deep in the temple, which was partially on fire!

Reiko fearlessly came to a stop right in front of the temple. She got out of the car and moved as quickly as she could to one side of the place. The femme fatale used her peerless ability to infiltrate and stole into the interior. She began to find remains very quickly...what killed them all, at varying and brutally harsh levels, was the same. They'd all been burned to death!

From deep in the temple, Reiko then heard a female voice scream, "THE REST OF YOUR GANG IS DEAD, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO JOIN THEM! I'M TELLING YOU ONCE, YOU PIECE OF SHIT! GIVE UP NOW!"

An almost-human voice roared, "DIE, BITCH!" A crash of what sounded like thunder...Lightning magic, Reiko suspected. But on the heels of that the femme fatale heard an overpowering, fatal whoosh! that sounded like the wind of an intense storm. Then an almost-human scream of agony that quickly descended to silence.

Forever bold, Reiko moved to the location of the sounds...this was what she saw:

In the heart of the temple, much of it on fire, she saw a young woman barely dressed in purple leather facing away from her. She was standing over a body...most of the Demon's chest was a big, burning hole. With disappointment, Reiko recognized the very recently deceased as the gang's leader. She really looked forward to cashing in his bounty.

With a frown, Reiko called out, "Hold it right there!"

The young woman spun around and stared at Reiko. She was perhaps the same age as the femme fatale, with deep red hair. She was definitely an attention-getter in her daring purple outfit, as well...

...as the expression on Chikage Akuma's face communicated that she was as angry as the flames that surrounded her!

　
TO BE CONTINUED!

---

Please be patient for the next part, everyone, and you'll see how this fateful encounter between Reiko and one of the Inazuma Fighters unfolds! ^___^

Big thanks and acknowledgment to for giving Reiko her new look!

Giving credit where it's due!

XNALara created by Dusan Pavlicek; XPS by Dusan and XNAaraL

Models:

Reiko Scarlet Sakura Leather Casual by !

Kaori Toriyama by her creator, !

Reiko Scarlet Sakura and her NEW Stealth Suit by her creator, !

Chikage Akuma by her creator, !

Fire FX by !

Sceneries by and !