It was mid-day. The sky was a healthy blue and mostly clear, only a few white clouds scattered up above. A cold wind blew as Alpha-152 stalked out of the smoke, barely even fazed from the combined ninpo blast from Ayane, Hayate and Ryu Hayabusa. Alpha-152 came to a stop, tilting its head from side to side. The smoke was beginning to clear and the dust settle as Alpha-152 stopped at around 20 yards away from the trio. Hayate wiped the blood from his lip as Hayabusa narrowed his eyes and Ayane clenched her fists. Hayate was outfitted in a black shozoku with grey chest armour, arm guards and shin guards, and a dark blue headband (Costume 1 from DOA5). Hayabusa was in his Legendary Black Falcon Generation 3 outfit, the attire consisting of full-body armour, a cowl with silver decoration, kunai tied to the outer thighs, arm guards, and a tatty scarf which doubles as a mask for the lower half of his face (Costume 1 from DOA5 & NG3). Ayane meanwhile was dressed in a purple shozoku featuring a thick grey trim and butterfly decals on the back and left breast. Worn with a fishnet undershirt, matching grey armguards and boots, and yellow decorative cord around her hips (Costume 2 from DOA5). Each of them had already sustained a few injuries from their fight with Alpha-152, each one's attire having been scuffed and dirtied, a few minor tatters here and there on their clothes: the right shoulder of Ayane's shozoku having even been blasted off. Alpha-152 smirked. Ayane grated her teeth.

"Any ideas?" Hayate looked to Hayabusa on his left and then Ayane on his right. Neither gave him an immediate answer.

"We just need to hold it off a little longer. Until Kasumi has fully recovered." Hayabusa spoke up. Ayane frowned. Of course he'd say that, and of course Hayate would agree. Hayate nodded to Hayabusa before both ninjas resumed their fighting stances. Ayane felt they'd began to rely too heavily on Kasumi, in regards to scenarios like this. Why must she always get the glory? Ayane stood still, fists clenched with her arms by her sides as the cool breeze blew past her.

'Kasumi... why do you haunt me so even today... is it because you've always been one step ahead of me?' Ayane thought to herself. She looked to her left, to Hayate and Hayabusa. 'Well no more... Kasumi, when you wake up: this will all be over... I may be gone, but this planet will be safe... I stake my life on it.'

"Hayate." Ayane muttered. Hayate eased up and looked to his half-sister and cousin. "You need to take good care of your mother, and Kasumi."

"Huh? Don't give up just yet, Ayane, you can do that to..." Hayate replied. Ayane wasn't giving up. She looked back to Alpha-152, a green and black aura engulfing the clone. "Ayane..." Hayate muttered. Hayabusa looked to Hayate and Ayane.

"I want you two to leave and get far away from here." Ayane spoke up again, still glaring at Alpha-152.

"This is madness..." Hayate was cut off by Ayane.

"As for Alpha, I'll fight it alone." Ayane went on. There was a short silence between the trio. Ayane was sure about what she was going to do now.

"Don't do this." Hayate retorted to Ayane. "We've got to work together." Hayabusa remained silent as Hayate continued.

"Hayate... you are my only brother and I've never told you once that I love you as my brother, have I?" Ayane still didn't look to the others. "Come here..." Ayane finally looked to Hayate. Hayate was a little hesitant at first but then took a step towards Ayane. Ayane wrapped her arms around Hayate and rested her head on his left shoulder. Hayabusa folded his arms as he watched.

"Ayane... this is embarrassing..." Hayate muttered. Ayane didn't respond. Hayabusa remained silent as the wind blew his scarf to the side. Ayane continued to hug Hayate for another good 5 seconds as Alpha-152 tilted its head in confusion in the distance, its aura waving violently around it.

"Goodbye... brother..." Ayane whispered to Hayate, his eyes widening. Ayane karate-chopped Hayate in the neck with her right hand: knocking him out instantly, but Ayane caught Hayate with her left arm so he wouldn't fall to the ground. Hayabusa unfolded his arms and walked towards Ayane.

"We stood a good chance." He commented, taking Hayate from Ayane and putting Hayate's right arm over his shoulder so as to carry him. "But I think I understand..." Hayabusa followed up. "And one day, so will Hayate." Ayane and Hayabusa nodded to one another before looking over to Alpha-152. The clone had begun slowly walking towards them.

"Take Hayate as far away from here as possible." Ayane turned to Alpha-152. "Go now."

"Of course." Hayabusa turned away from Ayane and Alpha-152. "You'll die, you know that?" Hayabusa spoke softly. Ayane was silent.

"There is one thing I'd like to know... tell me, will I meet Kasumi in the otherworld?"

"I'm not going to lie to you Ayane, although the answer may be difficult for you to hear." Hayabusa lowered his head. "This is the truth. Kasumi devoted her life to helping and protecting others as best she could. You on the other hand have spent your life in pursuit of your own selfish desires. When you die, you will not receive the same reward as Kasumi: as sad as that may be now."

"Oh well..." Ayane sighed. "That's all. Get out of here, hurry." Hayabusa nodded and ran off with the unconscious Hayate now on his back. Alpha-152 came to a stop 10 yards away from Ayane.

"You stay... you fight..." Alpha hissed.

"Yes!" Ayane exclaimed, clenching her right fist in front of her face. "That's right! Your fight is with me! The others are of no concern to you! Got it?" Ayane narrowed her eyes. "You glowing gel, lab freak!" Alpha-152 narrowed its eyes.

"Me no like you... me angry!" Alpha growled, its aura flaring up and cracking up the dirt ground beneath its feet.

"Heheheh..." Ayane smirked. She was starting to understand why the others trusted Kasumi so much, why they always believed in Kasumi and rarely in Ayane herself. Kasumi was never motivated by pride or selfish desires: that is why she was always one step ahead. It had become clear to Ayane... but this didn't mean she was casting aside her pride entirely.

Momiji, in her Purifying Flame, white and red kunoichi uniform (Costume 1 in DOA5), stumbled up onto her feet as Hayabusa ran towards her with Hayate on his back.

"Come on, Momiji! We have to get away from here, right now!" Hayabusa exclaimed as he fan past her. Momiji nodded and ran after him.

"I'll make you hurt bad..." Alpha frowned, taking a step closer.

"Heheheh..." Ayane simply chuckled. Alpha growled again. "I think I finally understand you... let's go." Ayane held her right arm up by her waist, fist clenched, as a violet aura suddenly flared up around her: the ground cracking up beneath her feet as the frenzied aura kicked up a dust storm around Ayane. Her mind started to race.

"What's Ayane up to, Master Ryu?" Momiji inquired, running alongside Hayabusa. "This is crazy, she won't make it... that monster is going to kill her..."

"For the first time Ayane is truly fighting for someone other than herself, controlling her own fate." Hayabusa replied.

"Heheheh... you are a fool." Ayane taunted Alpha as her violet aura grew larger, kicking up more dust and cracking the ground up even further. "I'm going to crush you, and throw you into the wind..." Ayane looked to her right with a smirk. She reflected on her life, on herself. Now, now she was completely sure.

'Mother... Hayate... I do this for you... and yes, even for you Kasumi...' Her aura was getting completely out of control, purple bio-electricity now beginning to zap around Ayane. Ayane looked back to Alpha-152 as she reached 100% power. She was ready. Ayane narrowed her eyes. She clenched both fists and began her final atonement, her final atonement for all of her mistakes...

"Hrrrgghhh..." Ayane leaned forward as she felt the surge, clenching her fists even harder before jolting back. "AAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGHHHHHH..." Ayane began to scream her head off as her ki overflowed and then burst out of her in the form of a spherical purple blast that grew larger and larger. Alpha's eyes widened as the blast raged towards it, destroying everything in its path without discrimination.

"Has she lost her mind!? It's too much! She could die!" Momiji exclaimed as she and Hayabusa skidded to a halt far off in the distance, watching the purple blast grow larger and larger and destroy more and more.

"Ayyaaarrghh!" Alpha screamed out in agony as the blast took it: engulfing the clone.

"AAAAAAAAARRRRGGGGGHHHH..." Ayane was still screaming her head off in the centre of the blast at the time.

"What has she done?!" Momiji frantically asked herself.

"Ayane..." Ryu muttered.

"Ayane..." Momiji followed up, just as sorrowful. The blast continued to grow. "Ayane!" Momiji screamed out in vain.

"AAAAAAAAARRRRGGGGGHHHH!" The blast was taking a heavy toll on Ayane, just as much as it was Alpha-152: who was slowly being disintergrated at the time.

"I can't let her do this!" Hayabusa put the still unconscious Hayate down but Momiji grabbed hold of the dragon ninja before he could run back to Ayane and into the blast.

"Master Ryu, wait!" Momiji exclaimed. "You know as well as I do neither you or her can survive a blast like that! Not as it is now!" Hayabusa's eyes widened as he looked over his shoulder, to Momiji. "Let her finish what she started. For the first time Ayane is risking her own life for the sake of others, nobody is making her do it..." Momiji continued.

"AAAAAAAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHHH..." Ayane's scream began to die with her as her blast reached its full potential, having completely obliterated Alpha-152 and not leaving a single cell of the clone behind, and her favourite purple bandanna flew off from her head after coming undone: being carried away by the dying blast, off into the wind...

And so one of the Earth's greatest warriors has vanished in a blinding flash of light. Having made the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of her loved ones. Her name was Ayane... a proud Mugen Tenshin kunoichi...

Ayane's tattered purple bandanna fell down just outside the edge of the massive crater left behind by the female ninja's final blast...