"These people aren’t human, Sho. At least not anymore," Masaki said, not unkindly. "You have to understand that these things will kill you or anyone else without mercy if you give them the chance."

Makashima seemed to understand that Sho wasn’t at his best right now, and so was covering for the two of them as Masaki attempted to talk some sense into Sho. Masaki was grateful to Makashima for his understanding.

"Would you really want to have the deaths of Mizuki or Tetsuro on your conscience, Sho?"

"No... But I…"

"Good," Masaki said, cutting the boy off before he could find anything else to say. "If you want to save their lives, you’re going to have to fight. I’ll help you. But you have to remember that I won’t be around forever."

Sho looked confused when Masaki said that to him, but he wasn’t about to explain to the boy what he had really meant when he said that. Sho was a good kid, maybe a little too good at times; and if Sho found out what kind of secrets Masaki was keeping, the consequences would be unpleasant. Seeing another Zoanoid that was trying to move into position to attack them, Masaki vaulted over Sho’s left shoulder and fired directly into the head of their attacker.

The Gregole’s head blew apart in a messy eruption of bone, cranial fluid, and brain matter. Looking around, just in case another Zoanoid decided to try something, Masaki turned his gaze back to Sho once he was sure that Guyver III would be able to handle any other Zoanoids that tried to come after the two of them.

"You have to make your choice now, Sho," Masaki said, turning away from the boy and bringing his attention back to the battle at hand. Masaki heard Sho call for his Guyver, and a small smile worked its way onto his face. There were some times when Sho could be too good for his own health, but the kid would still listen to reason if he was given the chance.

Reloading his emptied weapon, Masaki watched as Sho cut down a charging pair of Vamore with his Vibration Blades. Diving out of the reach of another slash from a Broyze, Masaki shot the Zoanoid in the chest. Not even looking at the disintegrating corpse of his opponent, Masaki ducked under the claws of another Gregole as they were thrust at his face. The Gregole ended up with a high-explosive shell right between the eyes for its trouble.

Between Guyver I, Masaki himself, and Guyver III, the hoard of Zoanoids surrounding the car was being thinned down considerably. But more Zoanoids were coming quickly from other areas to fill in the ranks of those that had been killed, and Masaki knew that in spite of the power that the three of them possessed, not even two Guyvers and a Proto-Zoalord would be able to hold out for very long against an army that constantly replenished itself.

Absorbed as they all were in the battle, it wasn’t until they managed to clear out all the space around the car that the three combatants noticed that the remaining Zoanoids were backing slowly away. It was only then, with nothing else to occupy their full concentration, that the sound of lazy clapping managed to catch their attention.

Leaning with the utmost casualness against a still-standing streetlight, dark coal-gray suit jacket moving slightly in the soft breeze, stood Commander Gyou. The Twelfth Zoalord was even carelessly applauding the wholesale slaughter of the Zoanoids that he had doubtless been the one to sic on them in the first place.

"An excellent show, gentlemen," Gyou smiled with enough mocking sincerity to make Masaki want to rip out his tongue and shove it up his ass. "Very entertaining."

"We’re not here to entertain you, Gyou," Guyver III snapped.

"Ah, Agito Makashima," Gyou said, grinning at the Dark Guyver. "I was wondering if you would have the gall to show your face again."

"You’re a fine one to talk about gall, with what you’re planning," Guyver III shot back.

"And you would know so much about what I’m planning," Gyou drawled.

"I know enough."

"Or so you think," Gyou said pointedly, then turned away from Makashima and apparently dismissed the Dark Guyver from his thoughts. "By the way Murakami," Gyou grinned in a particularly sadistic manner. "How’s your son?"

"You motherfucker! You were the one!"

"Language, Murakami," Gyou wagged a finger at him. "There are children present, after all."

Almost before he could think about what he was doing, Masaki had brought his Zoanoid Buster Custom back up, sighted down the length of the barrel, and fired three shots in rapid succession. The light of the explosions momentarily blocked Gyou from their sight, but Masaki wasn’t stupid enough to hope that a weapon designed to work on Zoanoids would have any effect on a Zoalord like Gyou.

Sure enough, when the residuals from the explosions had had a chance to finally clear, they revealed the completely unharmed form of the Twelfth Zoalord. Gyou’s right hand, palm up, fingers splayed, was held out in front of him and Masaki could see the slight distortion in the air made by Gyou’s forcefield.

"Now really Murakami, did you honestly think that such a little thing would be enough to damage someone like me?" Gyou looked at Masaki like a teacher trying to instruct a particularly slow and stubborn pupil. "I must say, I’m rather disappointed in you. I really did expect better."

By this time, all that Masaki wanted to do was to rush at Gyou, grab the ‘man’ around the neck, and squeeze until he crushed Gyou’s throat. Blinking to clear the murderous red haze that had been creeping into the edges of his vision, Masaki knew that that was just what Gyou had been intending to do: provoke him. By now, both Gyou and Balkus had to know just what he was.

More than that, they were no doubt aware that he was nearing the end of his intended lifespan. Masaki wasn’t sure just how many more transformations that his body could withstand, but he was sure that it was a very low number. Two more at least, maybe three at the very most, but that was an incredibly optimistic estimate, Masaki was sure. It was best not to take those kind of chances.

"What? Nothing to say?" Gyou asked with mocking innocence.

"Fuck you," Masaki growled.

"Such disrespect," Gyou tisked. "Did you kiss your son with that mouth?"

That was the last straw. With an inarticulate cry, Masaki launched himself at Gyou, right fist extended and aimed directly between the Zoalord’s eyes. But, even with as fast as Masaki was now, Gyou still had the advantage on him. Gyou’s own right hand came up faster than even Masaki could see. Catching Masaki’s fist in his own slightly larger hand, Gyou shrugged off the impact of the man’s punch in a way few other people would have been able to do.

Pivoting on the heel of his left foot, Gyou threw Masaki aside like he was a rag doll. Kicking with enough force, Masaki managed to turn himself over in midair and land on his feet. The last of the Zoanoids that had been running interference for Gyou was cut down by Guyver III’s Vibration Blades, and the two Guyvers quickly joined the battle. Dodging a high-kick from Guyver I, Gyou stiff-armed a charging Guyver III in the chest, before turning and punching Guyver I in the gut.

Masaki, who had been reloading his weapon from the moment his feet had again made contact with solid ground, turned and fired into the chest of an advancing Ramochis. The Guyvers were circling around Gyou now; looking for any openings the Zoalord might leave in his defense. Masaki knew Gyou better than to think that he would give the Guyvers any opportunities to attack. They would have to make their own.

Looking around, making sure that no other Zoanoids were moving into position to attack or if they were that he would be ready for them, Masaki turned back to observe the battle with Gyou. Guyver III seemed to be doing the most damage, not that that was saying very much, while Guyver I ran interference for him. Gyou seemed mostly amused by this, a fact that Masaki wasn’t pleased with at all.