#hasashi kisara

[darkdevasofdestruction]

Chapter 20 - Ken Doll and Barbie the CEO

With support from her partner, Kisara and Ohma returned to watch the third match. The odds were equal now, and the Kengan fighters had renewed hope. Now that they got familiar with the ring-out rule and the countdown, they can show off, as they deserve - After all, Purgatory was shit compared to Kengan.

Once they arrived back at the waiting room, the fight had already started, and Julius was fighting that guy who matched his colossal build. As soon as Kisara saw her friends, she almost completely forgot about her haziness and started smiling, greeting them with a lazy wave. Before she could blink, Raian was there - Thankfully, her partner pulled her out of the way before that dumbass could pounce on her. Five times. "Guys, stop, I'm getting dizzy." though her vision blurred slightly, she was able to chuckle. "Seeeeeee~♪ babe? I told ya you could fuck those fuckers up! You fucked them up real time!" he cackled like a freaking maniac, but he was hilarious. "It was a collective effort, I don't deserve all the praise. I learnt from all of you. It should be me, thanking you, for quite literally seven years of help. You especially, 'Tsuki. You started all this, my best friend. My win is yours, as well as everyone else's." the man smiled at her, and walked up, patting her hair. "Hatsumi would have been proud watching you fight." she smiles sarcastically. "Oh, yes, of course he would have - If he wasn't training in some mountains in the middle of nowhere, in China. He went training with Rei, the same as when he started training me. I wonder if he thinks Mikazuchi Rei is actually a girl." she started laughing again, only to cringe and clutch her sides. "Kisara." she heard Gaolang's voice, as he stepped forwards. "Thank you." he held such a sweet and tender expression as he thanked her and extended his hand for her to shake. "I don't do handshakes with the God of Boxing, brother." she smiled back, clenching her hand into a fist, and bumping it into his right Godly fist. "I have been blessed." he couldn't help but look away in amusement. Through all the praises, Kisara went to Agito and extended her arms to the side. "Do I get a hug, AG?" the girl gave him a playful smile. "You should have been in the roster from the very beginning. I know what I trained." careful not to hurt her, he pulled her into an embrace. "It takes almost being beaten to death a few dozen times to get this good." Kisara laughed, making Agito shake his head - It had taken a long time, getting full control over his two sides and eliminating the delay - But in the end, he succeeded.

"Hey, boss. You mind if I watch the fights from here?" a boy around Ryuki's age came in the room. He had silver hair, and a boyish, innocent expression on his face. Judging by his stature and the few visible scars, he must have been a fighter. Kisara's supposition was confirmed by Yamashita Kazuo, who agreed to let him watch from here. "Ohhh, are you Ryuki's friend?" Kisara quickly made her way to the two boys, putting her hands on their shoulders. "Ah - ! You're the lady that fought just now!" Koga stared at her with awe. "Kisara's my name, great to meet you. I take it you're training to become the next big guy too?"  the boy grinned, though he seemed bashful. "Yes, Miss - But I know it will take a while. I just started, really. You guys are all super cool and strong, and I'm nowhere on your level." he was such an innocent boy, sweet darling. "Hey, now, you've got all the time in the world. At your age, I was a shut in who never left the bed. In fact... I was around 23 years old that I actually started doing any kind of physical training. That pretty man there - He's Nitoku. He studied to become an author, you know? He took up fighting barely 15 years ago. So - Not all of us start at an early age, but it's never too late, you know? So, chin up, I'm rooting for you!" though Koga was feeling overwhelmed by all the encouraging, he couldn't help but be attracted to the battle of the two beasts that was taking place. The impact of each and every blow was so heavy, that even the people of the audience thought they were being thrown flying away. "Hey, hey -- This doesn't look good at all! Our guy's getting pushed back!! Gosh, are they even human?!" poor Koga's face was dropped to the floor, crestfallen. "Doesn't look good? For who?" Wakatsuki scoffed at what he had just heard. "I've fought him before, so I can tell - It'll take more than THAT to bring him down." Julius managed to land a blow so hard to his opponent's gut. "Ohoho, yes, that was a fantastic fight, though you gave me a fright close to death. Half your face was dragged across the cement wall, it was insane!" Julius received a heavy blow to the head that sent him down to the ground - He almost got stomped down, but he blocked with his arm, delivering another blow - The enemy fighter was sent sliding across the floor, and continued getting plummeted... Or so the public thought.

"Wakatsuki... This isn't looking good." Ohma stared in shock as the opponent took a direct hit to the cheek, only to spin around and land a punch so powerful that it sent Julius to the ground, and the countdown began. "...I knew this would happen." he tsk'ed in annoyance. "He  shifted the flow of power to reduce the damage." "But... That looked like your Redirection Kata." Kisara muttered back, earning a nod of approval. "C-Come to think of it... The first time he knocked Julius down - His fist made an unnatural impression on his torso. What if that's because he was going limp?" Yamashita pointed out a very good fact. "The Water Kata. That Pineapple Head relaxed all the muscles in his body to disperse the damage." Ohma agreed. "B-But how does he know the Niko style techniques. C-Could Toa Mudo be a Worm that's infiltrated Purgatory??!!!" the four of them sobered up.

On the count of 8, Julius got back up. Though he attempted a punch, he was deflected and sent to the ground, only able to block the rain of punches. But from that impossible posture, Reinhold was somehow able to lift the man slightly heavier than even himself, whilst getting hammered down, trying to break free. "JULIUS!!! PUT UP YOUR GUARD!!!" Takeshi was his one eternal rival - And his biggest supporter in this tournament. "It's hopeless! His opponent's techniques are first class! He's not an opponent he can beat with brute force!" Koga looked like a gasping fish. "You're underestimating Julius, kid." Kisara smirked. "Only people who have fought Takeshi and gave him a run for his money can properly develop strategies to beat down strong guys that rely on martial arts as well as their own raw strength. I bet Julius sees Tsuki in the ring." she jabbed at her best friend. "... Let's not." Wakatsuki grumbled, anxious for the fight before him. As if predicted, Julius knocked back Toa, making him fall on the ground, and he even made him cough blood. "WHA--?! WHAT'S UP WITH JULIUS'S FOREARMS?!" as Yamashita rightfully gawked, his arms truly did look... Odd. "THAT'S -- THAT'S MUSCLE CONTROL!" if something could make even the Tiger breathless, it must be fantastic. "I've never seen anyone control their muscles to that level before...!" "That's... Pretty insane. Think you could still defeat that guy?" though she meant it more as a joke, they both were wondering the same question - Although, neither has forgotten how modest and nervous Wakatsuki usually easy, even going as far as to downplay his own strength.

The two fighters were back up and took their stances. "He's preparing for a counter! He'll have to approach with caution." Wakatsuki declared - Everyone, on both sides, as well as the auditorium, were feeling tense. Julius was the first to rush, ramming like a high-speed train - And with a single punch, Toa had broken the concrete ground with his head. Impeccable. All the Kengan fighters were cheering loudly, gleeful at the fantastic sight before them - Although Toa must have landed the counter, Julius spun his forearm to repel Toa's block. He flexed his muscles to their limits, then released them all at once - Similar concept to the Blast core, though its usage is entirely different. On the count of 10, Julius Reinhold, the Martyr of Muscles, was declared the undisputable winner of the 0% fat fight.

"That was AWESOME, Julius! A great match to witness, as always!" Kisara praised the man, who grunted and nodded in acknowledgement. "That win was totally you. You pulverized his techniques in just one hit." Ohma recognised his achievements. Once again, Julius scoffed. "The truly strong need no technique - But more importantly, Tokita Ohma, I don't think that man is a member of the Worm you're looking for." Ohma nodded his head. "Yeah... That looked like the Niko style at first, but it was something else entirely." he agreed. "You've improved again, Julius." Wakatsuki praised, raising his hand up. "I'll be cordial with you, but only this once." in their most epic fashion, the two strongest men high-fived, the sound of that clap resounding like pure victory for the Kengan association.

"So, now that three matches ended, it's finally time for the Purgatory to choose first, and we counter, right?" Kisara asked, though quite a few minutes have passed. "Yes, you are right... But why can't they just pick someone already, the hype is dying down fast." the manager grumbled, staring suspiciously at the Purgatory. "But we have 13 matches - Doesn't that leave one out?" Naoya asked, counting on his finger.

As if on cue, Alisa came forth, announcing a special match, as all lights went off. It was a timed match, and instead of the ring edges, the fighters can only move inside the glowing light. You lose if your whole body leaves the bounds of the light. In this match, the countdown doesn't apply. If, by the end of the 5 minutes there is no clear winner, the match is declared a No Contest. Gaolang was the first to speak, saying that the Purgatory had every advantage - Kisara disagreed, and she looked at Misasa with a mischievous smirk. He looked back at her, and with that leisure smile of his, he took off his blazer and announced that he can go fight this one. "Who else but someone small, fast and agile like this silver fox do you think can properly fight under these rules? If some big-ass meat head comes over, he can easily play around him. You wouldn't want another Julius and Toa match under these circumstances, right?" Kisara countered Gaolang. "If Miss CEO has so much faith in me, how can I back down now?" Misasa lazily chuckled. "Maybe I should go. I'm a rookie too." Masaki serenely spoke. "No." Yamashita was solemn. "I'd like you to go, Misasa." after so long, he could see how match ups can be made in your favour. He trusted Misasa's confidence, though he's never seen him fight before, the way he saw others. Regardless, despite his small build, he was chosen as the Eighth Fang, so he must be strong, especially after Katahara Retsudo himself praised him so much.

According to Alisa, the Kengan team was 'tricked' into choosing first - As it was a special fight, the two teams had to pick at the same time. But no matter. Misasa had his hands in his pockets, and looked around. The ring was empty, save for his sole presence. Ohma was reminded of Kisara's No-Fighter stance, and found the corner of his mouth twitching up. This guy must be the real deal. The Purgatory will underestimate him, the same they did for Kisara. Losers. "Don't pussy out, Biiiiiiiitch~ ♪" the Kengan fighters could hear nothing from the two Fangs shading each other, but they could hear Kisara's uncontrollable laughter. Raian recalled that one day he trained with that damned Fox girl, and all the tricks and taunts she pulled on him. He wasn't sure whether that little shrimp guy was doing the same thing, or simply had a personal vendetta against that meat-head fuckwad, but it was going to be as good a match to watch, as the red head's. Still, he just wanted to jump in action and beat the crap out of those fuckers already. And kill. Raian craved violence.

Once the fight was announced, the meat-head went in for a punch - He was fast, and followed up with more hits until Misasa was at the edge of the light. Though Naoya was impressed by his speed, despite his large build, Ohma was disappointed to see such an amateurish waste evident from all his motions. "Now, the fun begins." Agito heard Kisara giggling ominously, jumping on the railing to get a better look of the fight. The meat-head tried to palm Misasa's face, only for him to side step and end up behind him, punching him out of the ring - But he failed, and the traitor turned around and somehow cut off at his shirt and chest, drawing a bit of blood. Misasa seemed irked off. The motion the ex-Fang made with his hand looked as though he was using his thumb's knuckle to cut, the same as Lihito used the pads of his fingers to pinch.

The light's spotlight was getting smaller and smaller, whist the enemy's arrogance was increasing a hundredfold. Kisara was sitting on the railing, dangling her legs playfully and grinning at the display before her. "He's toying with him, what a cute dork!" she felt so easy-going, unlike young Koga whose grip on the railing bar seemed to be so tight that his skin turned bloodless pale. "Toying with him? Miss Kisara, I know he's your friend, but look how close he is to the edge of the light! One small push and he's gonna get propelled out of the ring!" the poor boy gasped in anxiety, only to see the red head point her finger towards the fight, as Misasa punched the enemy down to the ground, his face roughly slamming on the ground. "Ahhh, that was rough...." Misasa took off his shirt, throwing it out of the light-ring. "I can't stand being talked down to by a piece of shit like you..." Kisara wolf-whistled at the blond fighter, only to receive a mischievous wink right back. Kisara laughed, and laughed harder, as the foe got back to his feet, shrieking and growling countless curses and insults towards the Eighth Fang of Metsudo. "Come on. It's time to go to Hell." Misasa got in a fighting stance, flapping his hand as a gesture to get his opponent to attack him. "You are just a bat who thinks he's a lion." Misasa effortlessly retorted, watching the traitor lunge at him, and he retaliated with a knee to his chin, making him stumble backwards, before rushing forward with a barrage of elbows well aimed. "I've never seen a martial art like this before." Ohma muttered, leaning down to Kisara's height. "That, my darling, is just about one of the best martial arts known to mankind." the girl giggled, snaking an arm around his waist to pull him next to her, so she could lean on his body. "It is called Silat, and it has mainly soft movements, and can be successfully done with weapons also. They use elbows not only for attacking, like in Muay Thai, but for blocking and parrying also." the red haired woman explained the theory behind it. "Look how Misasa used his elbow to parry and derail that idiot's straight punch, and now he's using the other elbow to hit him over the head, at precisely his weakest spot. We are adorably cute and small people, my love, but we are capable of defending ourselves, even against meatheads like Yumigahama." the girl giggled playfully, watching as the blond knocked him off the balance and getting him in a one sided beatdown, attacking from outside his awareness. Misasa was capable of out-maneuvering his enemy at every turn, and no amount of size difference can make up for an attack you cannot see coming.

Spinning elbow, 12-6 elbow, elbow uppercut and a karate-chip to the wind-pipe, they all sent Yumigahama to the ground, writing in agony. He didn't even realise that his large frame was working against him, as the ring was shringing at such a rapid pace. A psychological wall that was getting him caught up and unable to fight to his fullest.

The foe cockily got up, getting in a stance, laughing at murdering one of Misasa's subordinates - Took out the trash, he said - If only he knew how angry Misasa was, deep inside his heart. "I don't wanna hear another word out of you. Just shut up and die." Yumigahama kept throwing punch after punch as the younger one dodged perfectly, yet still got nicked here and there. Despite all this, he wasn't landing any hits, nor was he able to throw Misasa off his groove.  His moves don't work if the opponent sees them coming, and Misasa was a master at foresight, and was always one step ahead. "He's strong!" Wakatsuki exclaimed. "Misasa excels at fighting in tight spaces. He's turned his smaller build into an advantage." Agito nodded. "Look, Wakatsuki. Misasa is carefully aiming for Yumigahama's vitals. Misasa's cultivated the skill it takes to bring down  opponents with bigger builds, and with his movement restricted and nothing in his arsenal but simplistic attacks, Yumigahama has no way to defend himself." he noted skillfully. "That's right, you big, brawny guys~!" Kisara looked over her shoulder at them, a snake-like smirk on her face. "All it takes is a little ingenuity."

Finally, Misasa got fed up with entertaining that idiot, and the light ring was small enough to his liking; As Yumigahama aimed for a grapple, Misasa used his elbows to hit his wrists down, before the joints of his thumbs shoved hard into his temporo-mandibular joint, dislocating it. As the enemy was shrieking in agony, the blond aimed an elbow shot to his cervical vertebras, and another, right in his face, making his teeth fly out - With one last punch, Misasa slammed his head down onto the ground, making push out of his face and skull.

"IT'S OVER!" the red announced. "THE WINNER OF THE SHOWDOWN IS MISASA!" as Misasa made a catwalk prowl back to the stands where the Kengan team was waiting for him, the first to greet him was of course, Kisara, who high-fived him.

"Way to go, you little tanuki!" Koga almost shuddered at the ominous look those two seemed to emanate simply from those vague, enigmatic close-eyed grins addressed to one another. "Much appreciated, kitsune lady." he scratched the back of his head sheepishly, looking at the others. "Good work, Misasa." Agito praised him. "Oh, don't mention it. I was just lucky enough to hit his sore spot." the blond chuckled dismissively. "Hey, don't be modest, that was a nice fight!" Naoya scolded him with a laugh. "That's right, you little Ken-Doll. Don't go around playing down our fearsome might!" Kisara nudged him in the ribs. "Alright, alright, my apologise Barbie the CEO." Misasa chuckled lightly. "Okubo and Miss Kisara are right, you fought very well!" Yamashita Kazuo smiled at the Fang. "Your display was worthy of the name of Fang. The Master will be pleased." Agito nodded, pleased at his successor. "Hey, guys." Koga called out. "I don't want to say Misasa's win wasn't impressive - But don't you think those guys are pretty unfazed?" "Yeah... It seems that way." Ryuki also spoke in a light voice. "N-No way! Their ex-Fang of Metsudo just lost! They should be screaming on the inside!" the manager exclaimed in shock. "No. My guess is, the boy is right." Misasa spoke as Kisara was applying cute, smile-face and animal plasters on his cuts. "Do you know what Yumigahama's record in Purgatory is?" he asked, only to look down at the red head. "No, not the salamander, I want the pink seal -- Oh, and that blue and purple panda." he cleared his throat, looking back at the manager. "Nine wins and five losses, wasn't it?" "Five losses? But he WAS the Fang of Metsudo, wasn't he?" Nitoku was just as surprised as everyone else. "So you mean there're still at least five guys stronger than Yumigahama?" Okubo sweat-dropped. "Purgatory is... Unfathomable." Kano grumbled with a glare. "With weakling rules like the ring-out, are you really surprised freak-loses can happen? Just like what happened with Gaolang." Kisara reminded them bitterly, only to flinch at the obnoxious laughter of the Kure fighter. "I LOVE IT! That makes them all the more worth killing!" Raian cackled like a maniac. "No killing, Michael Myers. We want to win, not lose because you can't restrain your blood lust." the girl scolded him. As they kept bickering amongst each other, Purgatory chose their fighter, a man called Naidan Monkhbat, otherwise known as the Hawk of Ordos. "He looks pretty strong." Ohma admitted, watching almost lazily. "Is he... Mongolian? He reminds me of what we see in movies." the Masaki lookalike approved her theory. "Yes, that's a Mongolian Wrestling uniform. It belongs to the Main School in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region." the boy spoke his knowledge. "So... Is he a grappler? Have I gotten that right?" the single girl there asked. "That's a perfect match for my Sambo." Nitoku fixed his glasses, fire surging through his veins. "No, no, it's time for a wrestler like me to shine!" Naoya, in his clown outfit, smirked arrogantly. "I could go out, if you like." Masaki didn't look up from his book. "Sit the fuck down, Richie Rich." Raian's comment made Kisara chuckle.

Naidan smirked up at the Kengan stands, and flexing his arm, he showed off the white tattoo of a disgusting insect. He was a filthy Worm, reporting directly to the head. Kisara gasped in surprise, whilst Koga and Yamashita yelled in shock. Ryuki, however, took his shirt and faux glasses off, and stepped into the ring without a warning to anyone. The Dragon King promised his friend he wouldn't kill this Worm monster... But it seemed the Mongolian had a death wish. Did he really want to get killed, or was it his arrogance speaking?

Ryuki was a tall, well-built boy, even for his age, but standing in front of Naidan, he looked so small and vulnerable. Naoya and Masaki seemed to agree his style must be something close to Greco-Roman Wrestling. As Alisa declared the beginning of the fight, Ryuki, in the blink of an eye, disappeared, leaping towards the enemy, only for him to get skillfully kicked down. The boy landed like a cat on his feet, before leaping again; Instead, he got tripped and forced into a cartwheel move, dizzying him slightly. Ryuki realised there is no way he could beat him in a contest of strength alone, as the man before him was at least 30 kilograms of pure muscles heavier.

Whilst deciding on a surprise attack, Naidan affirmed he wasn't an imposter, but the real man named and called Naidan Monkhbat. Interesting concept, if not, a little fearsome. Ryuki went in for an Uncoiling Serpent fist, only to get effortlessly punched in the mouth, and sent backwards. None of his moves worked - The boy was far too direct, and his set-up process was sloppy at best. He was far too easily predictable. Even when he was being held up, not even his toes touching the ground, he tried to hit his shin into Naidan's temple, but he got caught, the enemy's hand gripping the inside of his knee joint. Kisara was reminded painfully of Ohma's fight with Seki, a long while ago... It was a most frightful memory that she didn't want to remember at the moment. She was afraid for Ryuki's life, especially in the merciless hands of a Worm.

Naidan back-slapped and dragged him around, punching and kicking him without as much as breaking a sweat, yet all of these hits were nothing but a warning for Gaoh to get serious and actually bring forth his killing intent. "He's holding back on him, all 'cause I told him not to kill him...!" Koga gasped, nervous as he watched the fight - Seeing his best friend being slammed into the ground, bleeding so heavily, only made him realise furthermore how weak he was, compared to everyone else. He has so much to learn. "His opponent's strong enough to kill him, even if it weren't for that." Ohma reassured the boy. "If he is strong enough to report directly to the head of the organisation, I fear Ryuki might have no chance." Kisara muttered softly. "His movements are as precise as a machine. There's not a bit of waste. He has the unique 'Clingy Muscles' and 'Stunning strikes' unique to a grappling-based martial artist. His resilience is extraordinary too. This is going to be a tough fight." Gaolang spoke, and Kisara couldn't help but nod her head in agreement, remembering Cosmo and how tough he was, especially fighting against that psychopath Akoya. Grapplers were something above her comprehension. "Nobody on our team could match him in pure strength, except for maybe Julius, Wakatsuki and Raian. Ryuki can't win the fight the way he is now." "Not even you and Ohma?" Kisara blinked in surprise, only for the Boxer God to miserably shake his head. "Agito?" still a negative answer. "What an insane man."

With some mental gymnastics played by the Mongolian, Ryuki was now questioning his own convictions and morals. His grandpa, Gaoh Mukaku, told him to kill all Worms as they are evil, yet at the same time, he wasn't trying to kill him in the ring. Going as far as to claim that the boy was questioning the validity of his grandpa's claims, Ryuki's mind was completely blank and gone beyond the human realm; He began attacking his foe on an instinctual level, and it was clear he was doing far better, enough to get Naidan staggering. Ryuki was so much faster and unflinching than before, so swift that even his opponent couldn't see his hits.

Still, the Mongolian and his mastered 'Bird's Eye view' was fantastic and on a whole other level than any of them put together. It was a different kind of Foresight that Kisara couldn't understand the mechanism of, yet could agree it might just be a little better than the initiative she was taught. She wondered if she would be able to keep up with Ryuki's swift moves, as she, too, was speed and agility reliant.

Naidan hadn't broken a single sweat bead during the entire match, not even as he was holding a struggling Ryuki up by the neck. "Neither you, nor I, can escape the karmic cycle of killing - So if you won't kill me, then I will kill you!" the opponent shouted at the boy. "Is it because of your environment? Then, let me exterminate the Root cause." as Naidan glanced back at Koga and Yamashita Kazuo, he completely missed Ryuki's lightning speed as he got slammed in the face, only for the boy to get behind him and feint him, then get hit with a soft strike in the cheek, to the point they were both on their knees. "I'm never... Never letting you hurt Koga again." Ryuki growled like a feral animal. "YOU WILL DIE." "BRING IT ON! ONLY ONE OF US WILL LEAVE THIS RING ALIVE!" Naidan laughed boastfully, whilst both Koga and Naidan's Purgatory friend yelled in disbelief.

Gaoh incapacitated Naidan with a thumb deep in his foe's eye and slammed down into the ground, plummeted down with a barrage of berserker hits and punches, only for Alisa to order for a count down. Ryuki was deaf to the refere, and Naidan was holding a death-grip on his neck, unwilling to let go of the one who had to kill him. The Omega. Both fighters were beaten and bruised, and the match was approaching its end. Naidan grabbed the boy, snapping his shoulder, dislocating his joint - No, rather, Ryuki dislocated his own shoulder to be able to land a good punch up Naidan's chin. In his suffering, he received a rough shin kick to that agonising spot of his joint, making his growl in pain.

Gaoh got flipped on his back and his waist was straddled; The Mongolian started strangling him, and not in the fun way either. His windpipe was on full attack. From sheer desperation, Ryuki pierced his thumb deep into Naidan's eardrum; Tears were gleaming and streaming down the boys face, only mirrored by the satisfied grin on the opponent's face, as he grabbed the finger killing him and driving it even further, into his skull and brain.

Naidan fell on Ryuki, half-dead. His friend leapt out from the stands, grabbing the Mongolian and begging him not to die, calling for the doctors to come over, yet barely any of his shouts were heard by the deaf man, who could only warn him not to trust the man calling himself Nicolas. "These fucking Worms only know how to bring misery to this world." Kisara growled, hopping off the railing and kneeling in front of Ryuki, bringing him into a tight embrace. The boy's fingers were gripping so deep into her flesh that she was afraid he would rip the flesh off her bones. "Shhhh, it's okay, Ryuki, it's okay. Everything will be okay. Nobody is upset at you, I promise. Nobody, not even Koga." it was almost weird, holding an almost exact copy of her own fiance, as though he was his little brother. Kisara was rocking the boy in her arms as though he was her child, one arm around his torso, the other hand caressing the mess of dark hair. "Miss Kisara... I....I'm..." the boy was trembling violently in her arms. The sound of running footsteps alerted the boy, who looked back at the two new-comers. "It's okay, Ryuki, just calm down. Let's get you fixed up. Miss Kisara, please help me get him to the Infirmary." Koga looked down at the two, panicked. The manager, however, was feeling intense guilt over being unable to save  Ryuki. "Koga... Boss. I'm... S-So..." but the soft, weak voice of the young boy was drowned out by Naidan's friend, Liu, who was out for revenge. "Wait a minute... You think I'd let you leave, did you?" the glare of the Taiwanese man could freeze a lake. "YOU DIE TOO."

No matter what Yamashita said in an attempt to stop this Liu man, it was in vain, for the enraged man created an earthquake where he stood. Liu Dongcheng, the Serpent, one of the Three Demon Fists. How adorable. "W-Wait a minute, let's just all calm down--" "GET LOST!" Liu attempted a punch down towards the whimpering Ryuki, but in a split second Kisara rose up, using her Aikido to grab the foe's arm and making him fly on the other side of the poor boy, landing on his feet. Though Liu was shocked, being countered in such a way, he tried to hit the red head - He remembers her, the one who killed another one of his Purgatory friends - She deserved to die also. His next hit got deflected, but not by her, but by Ohma, who somehow appeared by her side in the blink of an eye, his eyes focused, yet his body completely relaxed.

Raian, too, came by, smirking like a mad-man, followed by a raging Naoya and a silently wrathful Akoya. "Look, I know how you feel, but if you start this, we're not gonna take it lying down." Tokita spoke with a bored flair, putting a protective arm around his wife, bringing her closer to his side. "YOU'RE ON! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" the enraged Taiwanese man had to be held back by his team mate, Jurota, whilst the other three were there to de-escalate the situation. "No, no, no, we'll back off right away, pardon the embarrassment." the blond called Nicolas smiled nervously. "Let's just keep a level head for now. This isn't the smart way to go." for some reason, Liu started at the one dressed for a nice beach time with absolute dread. "They've got a point. Naidan was acting strangely back there. I don't know what he was doing, but..." of course, nothing could calm him down. "If you get this competition called off, then Naidan will have died for nothing. Is that what you want? To let your friend die in vain?" Donaire, the one who no doubt was the captain, called out to him. This man seemed to have just about the same vibe as Ohma; Confident, assured, strong... A true leader, without even trying to be. "I'm killing them as soon as the competition is over." Lie growled at them, turning on his heel and walking away. "Well, looks like things are back under control." Naoya sighed, glaring at the Purgatory fighters. "They don't want this match called off any more than we do." Ohma nodded in agreement. "Things are looking a little too lukewarm." Raian grinned wickedly. "Raian, no!" Kisara snapped at him as she returned by Ryuki's side, embracing him. "Raian, HELL yes!" he lunged to land a punch on Jurota - But not only the brunet didn't even flinch, but Lu Tian casually rose his hand, blocking the fist. "You're a lively one, aren't you? But save that spunk for your match." as Raian tsk'ed in annoyance, remarking their strength, Naoya yelled and scolded the assassin. "Raian." Kisara called him over. "They're strong, aren't they? Very strong. To block your attack like that..." the Kure nodded at her. Sighing, the girl got a strong grip on the boy, but before she could get him up, she got dragged away forcefully by the assassin. "Nah, sis, ain't gonna let ya rip your stitches open." Kisara's cheeks turned a hue pinker, realising her awful mistake. "You should know better, Miss Doctress." "I... Might have forgotten I just got stabbed. Not that the pain isn't lingering, but I suppose the Worms pissed me off too much to remember." she sheepishly chuckled, only to get picked up in Ohma's arms. "Enough with the Worm-stuff, you dumbass bookworm. Just because you got some new moves and put a little muscle on those skinny arms of yours, doesn't mean you can overexert your injured body like that." the man smirked down at her, though the disconcerting feeling was eating away at his heart. "I just got you back, I'm not letting you escape my grasp, you little vixen." "Technically speaking, it was I who just got you back, not the other way around, you stupid gym rat." she brought him down in a kiss, before she was brought to the Kengan waiting area and put down. "Hey now, enough with that lovey-dovey shite! No need to make us all jealous!" Rihito whined at them, only to get swatted away by Raian. "Shut up, shit head, leave them be." Raian cackled, glaring at his menacingly. "There's still someone on the stage." Gaolang spoke all of a sudden, earning everyone's attention, before looking at the single Purgatory member, the man called Lu Tian, who easily blocked Raian's punch. "I guess he's next." Ohma grumbled lowly. The other member of the Three Demon Fists, the Centipede, Lu Tian. With a somber look on his face, he displayed a circular item, looking very much like a bracelet bangle. At once, Kisara gasped, her head snapping towards Agito, who was grinning at the direct provocation. "Agito -- Will you be alright?" she stepped in front of him, her hands gripping his arms. "My apprentice won her fight. I cannot lose either." he spoke simply. "I am as prepared as always, even with this." Kisara nodded at him with a smile, bringing her fist up for him to bump. "Alright, Agito. Show those fuckers who the Emperor of the Kengan Matches is!" "You've got it." with a monster-like grin, Agito confidently stepped in the ring, seizing up his opponent, challenging him with the Gu ritual bracelet.

It was going to be one hell of a fight.

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[darkdevasofdestruction]

Chapter 22 - Crimson Spider Lily

"RAIAN, WAIT!" Kisara yelled after him, but it was to no avail. "That idiot's going to get himself killed!" the auditorium was filled with cries of disdain at seeing yet another murder before their very eyes, while others were wondering whether this blatant murder was going to end up with a Kengan Penalty. Kisara was happy she was smart enough to kill the Ogre after being declared the winner, thus, it was an altercation outside of the match. Still, whatever, or... Better said, WHOever Raian noticed, was bad news.

Back in Katahara's room, the Patriarch declared the Kure Clan was pulling out of the competition, and they will be refunding the money for the contract. Nogi was angry, but there was nothing that he said out of anger that could shake the old Kure leader - After all, no contract is above family. Edward Wu, despite being Toyoda Idemitsu's guest, had to be killed - It didn't matter that they were going to be direct enemies of the Worm or Purgatory - Nothing mattered, except revenge. The leader of the Wu main clan urged Erioh to hurry already - Though neither of the old men had any idea it would be the last time they ever see each other - A friendship stronger than anything earthly, yet death takes us all, and life was truly a harsh, cruel maiden.

"Ohma." Kisara called out to her lover. "I'm going after Raian. I'm worried about him." "You know well enough wherever that brat is, there is also danger, don't you?" the girl nodded, making her husband sigh and pinch the bridge of his nose. "I suppose I know his strength better than anyone. Fine, go ahead, if anything happens I'm sure he's well capable of protecting you. Still, I want you to run away and come get me if you get overwhelmed, alright?" "Knock on wood!" Kisara gulped with unease. "Still, I have my katana at me. Might as well use it if needed. Hopefully not though." she spoke, looking absent-minded towards the hall that might still be leading towards Raian's secret destination. "You know... For a little Psycho Brat like him, Raian has been a very important person in my life while you were, well... Dead. I owe him more than I'd like to admit. The least I can do is check on him. He may be physically stronger than most, but his emotional outbursts are going to lead to his downfall if he forgets to use that dumb brain of his." Ohma recalled the frequent voice and video calls that the two had during his stay at the village, and he almost felt himself cringing. The times Kisara would shriek her desperation into the sky, urged by the Kure brat, or when he'd encourage her to cry her whole weight in tears and irrigate a whole flower garden were the times when his resolve felt the weakest, and he wanted to run to her and reassure her he was still alive and very well.

He had been shocked to see how well a snotty brat like Raian could cope with Kisara's supposed loss of her fiance, and how self-destructive she got; Frankly, Ohma never imagined his death could impact her to such a degree, but to have the ultimate confession coming from her on a late night ( As the timezones were so damn screwed between Japan and whatever country she was in at that time ) that were it not for Raian, she would not have been able to smile again, let alone muster the strength to laugh; Get the strength to get out of the bed every day, no matter how hard it was to cope with the awful reality of the excruciating loneliness she had been feeling until not too long ago, and realise that perhaps there is still a reason to keep on going, to see the Sun rise just one more time, to see the starry night at least once more, or to take in the smell of the flora, or delight yourself with the thrill of the birds... It wasn't easy, but it wasn't impossible either. Not anymore.

In theory, the man had a lot to thank Raian for - Not only for being taken care of for so long, but being helped to train so thoroughly, and even for the tremendous emotional and moral support that he offered his most beloved person alive - But like hell was he going to thank that snotty brat. It would only get to his head. Perhaps one day, though, when he gets knocked off his high horse, and Ohma wins in terms of numbers at least, during their sparring matches.

Kisara noticed that Akoya went on for his fight, and considering she couldn't care less about his fight, nor of that flamboyant blond guy's, she abruptly turned to the rest of the Kengan fighters still remaining standing in their assigned chamber, and she threw them a leisure peace sign and a grin. "As the designated emotional support of the group, and also, the coolest fighter that Kengan has - It is my duty to wish you all fantastic matches, and tell you that I'm proud of you, no matter the outcome of your matches!" she spoke cheerfully, before sending herself off with a lazy military salute, imitating her Senpai. "I'm going to look after Raian. In theory, I should be back by the time Psy-Cop is done with his match. In practice, well... That honestly depends on what he's up to." "Hey, hold up--" Takeshi was the first to voice his concerns, as well as everyone else's. "You've already been attacked once, and you're a prime target for the Worms. I'm not sure you should go out there, all alone, even if it is Raian you're searching for." Kisara, however, winked at him dismissively. "Let me worry about that, okay, Best Friend~?" she blew him a kiss, before skipping outside, towards the hall. "You sure she's going to be fine, Tokita?" Ohma looked at the Kengan fighters, all of them present ( with the exception of the odd Masaki ) having become such indispensable parts of his wife's life, without whom she couldn't imagine her life; He, of all people, knew how much she would gush over all of them, in their own way, and how much she appreciates and treasures them, equally, for everything they did for her. Ohma shook his head at them, showing his uncertainty - But has danger ever stopped Kisara from going above and beyond when she had her mind set on something in particular? "I'll just hope Raian finds her before anyone else."

That wasn't the case though, for it wasn't Raian who found Kisara first, but the other way around - Not the way she expected to ever see him though. Raian was on the ground, beaten up to a pulp, and in a pool of his own blood, laying with his face down, like a pitiful, overused ragdoll. "R-Raian...?!" the girl gasped, falling on her knees besides him. "Raian, what the hell, get up!" who could have done this, she kept asking herself - Raian was one of the strongest men she's ever known; If even HE could get beaten up to such a degree, there is no way she would ever, in a million years, stand a chance against the assailants who could get him in such a state. How could she protect him, when he has always been her protector? It was Raian who protected her against Tanji three times, he who protected her during the coup, and he who was eager to help her instill her revenge against her parents, who betrayed her - And most of all, it was he who went out of his way to text her all the stupidest things that he heard, all to make her smile, as he knew very well the struggles she was going through. She could never repay this emotional debt she feels towards him, and especially, she could never reciprocate the way he did for her. "Raian, please, get up! Don't scare me like this!" she kept trying to shake his shoulders, but he wouldn't budge.

Suddenly, a few footsteps echoed casually towards her; Based on the look of the three men towering over them, they must be members of the Westward Faction - They were really scary, and their powerful pressure sent a chill down her spine. She almost felt death knocking on her door, just by the way they were looking at her. "To think Alan tripped over a pitiful pebble like this." the one dressed more casually was the first to speak. "I guess we expected too much of the kid. What do they say in manga at times like this?" the one dressed in a suit smirked at the other. "Hey, missy." the one wearing an animal print shirt lit up a cigar. He must be the leader, Kisara realised, based on how buff he was, and how overly confident he acted towards her. "Tuck your baby boy to sleep and tell him a nice story so he won't cry from getting a boo-boo playing with the big boys in the playground. By the time he wakes up, the world will have already changed." the woman dared say no word, simply settling for tightening her grip on the Kure and nodding almost meekly. Not only was she in a clear numeric deficit, but the power imbalance tipped the scales... From Heaven to Hell, an infinite distance.

As the trio turned around on their heels and began to walk away, the warm body that Kisara was touching disappeared, and Raian had rushed forward at unimaginable speed; And though one of those three kicked his foot backwards to slam the Devil in the face, the brat was grinning, having used his forearm as a shield. That was the only successful maneuver that Raian succeeded, however, as Solomon Wu slammed his body like a golem into his own, smashing him against the wall and easily avoiding the cutting palm that the brat attempted at his face, as Fabio grabbed him by the underarms, turning him into a punching bag for the former. "Those guys are my spares. I possess the ego of Wu Hei, thanks to Huisheng. Huisheng's a little tricky, you see - You could theoretically use Huisheng on the entire clan to mass-produce Wu Heis, but that'd just lead to anarchy, cause Wu Hei's personality doesn't like serving anyone else... Then again, if the successor dies, Huisheng stops there - So I need spares, like them." Kisara cringed painfully as she watched her friend get nasty punch in his pretty face, over and over, and the knuckles of Solomon Wu breaking his skin, splattering blood everywhere. "There's also Alan, who you killed, and one other, meaning there are five of me in the Westward faction; Though we call each other by names out of convenience. Oh, wait - Guess we're down to four." "PLEASE STOP IT!" Kisara yelled, throwing herself over Solomon's arm, and keeping her whole weight to block his elbow joint, and keeping one foot straight over Fabio knee, while the other was firmly planted on the ground, she was somehow capable of keeping the fist from connecting with his face. "LEAVE HIM ALONE, YOU FUCKING PSYCHOS!" The trio laughed in unison at the girl, only for Solomon to overpower her with such ease, and elbow her in the diaphragm, slamming her to the ground, far away from them. "Silly girl, you think you're a real fighter, just because you fooled around a little and beat up some guy from the very bottom of the barrel? How cute, ain't it?" Edward Wu taunted her, watching as she was coughing and wheezing on the ground to regain her proper breathing.

Raian took advantage of the moment everyone's eyes were away from him, and he broke free with the activation of Removal - With one swift move, he was able to launch a punch to one, and a kick to another; Yet not only were both parried, but with Edward joining, he got kicked down from three spots, at the same time. What a disgrace. "Now that's what I like to call Perfect Sync. We're all ME after all." Edward laughed, cigar still between his teeth. "You're mad, aren't you? Is it because we hurt your mummy crush? Or maybe you think it's unfair, baby boy - And you'd be god-damn-right that it's unfair, and we're gonna be unfair, and fight you three-on-one! We can begin with that lovely lady over there too, just to get a rise out of you." that cruel chagrin of his was quickly wiped off by none other than the Kure Patriarch, who came out of nowhere like the true Master Assassin that he was, and impaled Fabio with his sword from behind. "Make that Two-On-Two." the Mighty Demon, Kure Erioh, had arrived. Fabio wailed as his torso was ruthlessly stabbed, yet despite such an injury, he hadn't died - Instead, he growled in anger at having had his brother killed. What a mess of a monster.

Kisara thought the Kure were strong as hell, but these guys too... They were complete maniacs, to say the least, and very, very scary. Despite his best effort at releasing his Guihun at 100%, the Patriarch cut him in half, vertically, with a simple, swift move. Kisara had formally trained in kendo herself, yet she couldn't even dream of matching the elder's assassination and sword skills overall. For once in so long, her interest had been piqued, and she found motivation to learn something more, to push herself further, just like she trained with Hatsumi and Agito previously, and master, as much as possible, another fighting style. "Edward Wu, your head is mine." the old one spared no time to waste, as he lunged forward to attack, only to have Master Wu Xing, the Head of the Chinese branch of the Wu Clan, the Master of Phantasms, engage in a surprise attack - He avenged his uncle, and now, it was time to avenge his beloved.

"Stay behind me." Raian growled, pushing the red head behind him as he started properly fighting Solomon Wu, who wanted to break free and aid his other Wu Hei sibling. "Raian, be careful! Don't let that sucker provoke you!" Kisara exclaimed, only to see that he wasn't taking any advantage over his opponent, but instead, he remained in a platitude of evenness that irked her. "Raian, you're wasting energy on unnecessary movement! Get a grip already!" the brat was glaring like a monster at the foe before him, and he was getting distracted by the main fight of the three clan leaders. "RAIAN ---" "GIVE ME A FUCKING BREAK ALREADY!" Raian roared, his voice resounding harshly through the halls as he kicked Solomon so painfully strong that he sent his foe in the direction of Erioh and Wu Xing. "HEY, GRAMPS!!! MOVE YOUR ASS!!!" like a cat, Solomon ended up on his feet, very close to the main Wu Hei iteration. Raian roughly grabbed Kisara's wrist, dragging her to the other two. "YOU, SHUT THE HELL UP ALREADY AND KEEP SAFE!" he was outright fuming. "I'M GONNA KILL YOU ALL!!! GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE!!!" as if to anger the brat even more, Wu Xing and Erioh shared a look, and with a simple nod, they activated their secret techniques - Evidently, both with 100% capacity. "HEY, FUCK OFF, GRAMPS!!! HE'S MINE!!!" "Can it, whipper-snapper!" the Patriarch snapped at the boy. "Miss Kisara, if you will, please keep this brat away from this fight, he'll only get in our way." "A-Alright...!" thought the woman couldn't help but look with confused bewilderment at the old man, it was her turn to grab the boy's whole arm and cling on it. "Time to become a parasite. Sorry, kid." "What do we do? It's two on three now." clearly, Solomon wasn't counting the woman as an opponent. Great mistake for later. "What do we do? Simple!" Edward smirked at his counterpart spare. "We just bring them down to zero." what a simple reply, yet the execution was going to be hellish.

But Kisara couldn't, with her 50-something kilograms of a body, to stop the powerhouse of an unstoppable force that Kure Raian was, and though he was careful to shrug her off without hurting her, he was able to easily evade Solomon's punch by diving underneath his arm, and springing towards the Westward Faction leader himself only to get punched away with ease - She looked at the gargantuan man before her; She had a lot of very tall and well-built friends that towered over her like the Empire States Building, but the way he was glaring down at her made her afraid as never before. Oh, how she hated these fucking Worms.

The only thing she was able to witness was Edward Wu throwing away all three of his opponents with such ease that it was almost painful to witness. As Solomon turned his head to look at the three fallen opponents, Kisara quickly dug her hand inside her large pants pockets and found the opioids pills that she gulped down, and an adrenaline shot that she quickly injected in her body, and a lidocaine shot for her stitched up wound. With all the doses being a little over the superior parameter limit, she was sure, soon, she would be able to fight properly; Or at least serve as some sort of decoy. "You troglodytes are nothing like me. You've just witnessed the power of the conquerors, who've spread all across the world." she could see the way Edward smirked like the evil mastermind that he was, but her vision was getting blurry, and her mind was getting a little foggy - To be expected when engaging in a slight overdose of so many substances - They weren't even supposed to get combined, it made so sense whatsoever, but it was all she had, the very single bet she had. "It's high time you accepted death, losers." the woman yelped as she felt a merciless grasp oh her beautiful, long hair, roughing her to the ground to kneel. "Taking hostages, huh? You're an embarrassment, Solomon. You're supposed to be Wu Hei. Act like it." "Sorry." Solomon grumbled, his grip on her hair tightening. "Here, use this, have fun, but take care of the clean-up. I'll get us some 'legs'. Meet me outside when you're done." Solomon easily caught the knife that he was handed. "OI, LET HER GO, YOU FUCKING COWARD! COME FUCKING FIGHT ME LIKE A MAN!" but Raian's eyes widened as, with a move as fast as gramps', Kisara slashed away at her hair as if she was some kind of Mulan going to war, and with a twist and two slices. "FUCK YOU! OHMA LOVED MY LONG HAIR, YOU GODDAM FUCKASS! NOW IT'S ALL CHOPPY AND UNEVEN!" came her first concern as she cut Solomon's body in half, before decapitating him and kicking his head towards Edward, like a soccer ball. "I DIDN'T FUCKING TRAIN FOR SEVEN YEARS TO CONTINUE BEING ALL OF YOU, FUCKERS', FUCKING DOORMAT!" Raian's seen Kisara angry enough times - In fact, he was sure he's seen more different emotions on her face than even her husband - But now, she was livid like never before. "I DIDN'T CHANGE EVERYTHING ABOUT MY FUCKING PATHETIC SELF, TO CONTINUE BEING TOUCHED BY THE FILTHY HANDS OF DISGUSTING WEAKLINGS LIKE YOU, EDWARD WU, OR ANY OF YOUR FUCKING WORMS!" her raw yells seemed to stir some kind of inspiration in Raian's heart. "I'LL GET RID OF EVERY FUCKING SINGLE ONE OF YOU! YOU WILL PAY FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE TO US!" "Gah, give me a break. You're angry at the wrong people, missy. If it weren't for Xia Jing sending the Tiger's Vessel that heart, he wouldn't have come back at all. Without us, he'd be as dead as years ago! The way I see it, you ought to sell your very life, body and soul to us, as gratefulness!" "SHUT THE FUCK UP AND DIE!" though her whole body was feeling so out of it that she was close to transcending through some kind of parallel universe, and her emotions were scorching with wrath and hysteria, she was able to see a familiar member of the Kure familiar, having come out of nowhere, a knife in his hand, ready to assassinate Edward Wu. Feigning muddle-headedness, Kisara sprung forward, pretending to slash at the enemy to offer Reiichi the opening he needed. Unfortunately for the both of them, the foe had senses them and easily immobilised them both with an iron grip on their weapon wrist. Kure Hollis also appeared out of nowhere, threatening Edward Wu, who had activated his Guihun, and throwing the two away, started throwing a barrage of punches at Hollis, who was easily drawn backwards - He couldn't release an output above 80%, and Reiichi's was even worse, at around 50%. There was no way either of them could accomplish anything at this rate. Everything remained on the trio's shoulders.

Neither of them gave up though, as one by one, Kisara, Reiichi, Hollis, and even Erioh and Wu Xing went ahead to attack the enemy, only to get tossed around like they were nothing. Reiichi seemed to have lost consciousness, whilst Hollis was stumbling, barely able to get up in a sitting position. The Patriarch had used himself as a sacrificial pawn for the Wu Leader to stab a needle in the artery of the foe... But it had failed. Kisara was the only one still continuing to get up, ever time she'd get swatted away like a fly, and thrown away like a broken porcelain doll - She couldn't feel the pain any longer, or rather said, she couldn't feel anything at all. She hadn't known the plan of the four prior to all this mess, nor that they catalogued themselves as 'Assassins', and they bet on provoking and baiting Raian to bad that he, the strongest Combatant of the Kure clan, would go so crazy that his powers would go beyond anything imaginable, including Erioh's in his prime.

Still, she needn't know the plan - She knew very well how Raian was so emotionally problematic that you could play him like a fiddle. She knew just how to get him to react so bad, that not even his own clan could recognise him. She watched as Edward Wu, with a rageful aura, snatched the needle from his neck and threw it to the ground. "Now you've done it. You've pissed me off for the last time. Pathetic! You're all just PATHETIC!" Wu Xing watched with wide eyes as his most potent poison wasn't kicking in. Hollis, unable to keep his eyes open from pain, growled, realising the opponent used Removal on his artery, and Reiichi, unable to get up from the ground, was unable to comprehend how their very old fossil of a grandpa was able to stand toe to toe with such a monster. Raian was still on the ground, and Kisara and Erioh alike could feel the dark aura emanating through him. "A single Removal user was able to defeat four of the same kind. Clearly, you don't need either Removal or Guihun or whatever the hell you call it to defeat a monster. You know what Ohma said once? Humans aren't so weak as to  need saving from heroes, or be incapable of defeating monsters." "Oh, really? Is that so?" Edward's maniac laughter would have made her run for the hills, if she wasn't so doped up on a shit ton of substances. "You think just because you killed Solomon, you can kill me too? How fucking stupid!" Kisara took off her blouse, feeling feint from the heat the turtleneck was causing her. "Oh, yeah? Fucking watch me, you fuckass. Some weak shit like you can't defeat me!" of course, she was bluffing, but it was the only way to get Raian so thoroughly fucked in his overly-emotional brain that he would snap beyond comprehension.

Every time she's rush at him, she'd get so easily countered, that it would have made her feel pathetic, were it not for the whole damn Kure clan being just as easily slapped away without even as much as a bead of sweat on his forehead. He picked her up and threw her to the ground, he roughed her up, he swatted her and even kept such a tight grip on her neck that he threatened to snap it like a dove's, only to break the concrete ground with her. Each time, however, Kisara got up, albeit, wobbly. She feared all the effects would wear off soon at this rate. "You really want to die, don't you, you stupid bitch? You doped up on all sorts of shit just to get to the same level as the weakest of either clan, but you don't compare even to scum. You're not a fighter, and you'll never be. You're being ridiculous - What are you trying to accomplish? You're giving these guys a break? The fossil's spine is broken, and all the others are weaker than children. I'll squish all of you, like the cockroaches you are - Starting with you, then that fucking brat--" "DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE INSULT RAIAN EVER AGAIN!" the boy's eyes widened with shock at the unexpected turn of events. "I'M THE ONLY ONE ALLOWED TO CALL RAIAN A FUCKING BRAT - BECAUSE HE'S MY FUCKING PSYCHO BRAT! MINE! HE'S MY BEST FRIEND! MY REASON FOR LIVING, MY PROTECTOR, MY FUCKING SAVIOUR -- A WORTHLESS PIECE OF SHIT LIKE YOU DOESN'T GET TO SPEAK OF HIM!" what the hell had he done to garner such superlative compliments? He just made the girl laugh - And he hit on her all the time, while her husband was right next to him, and would hit him as soon as he hung up. He lied to her for almost three years about her husband being dead. "You call me weak and pathetic? Sure, go ahead, because that's what I am! Everyone knows I used to be a shut in who was afraid of people and lived on too much coffee and a meal per day. I used to never leave the house and only study all the time. I used to be the most pathetic thing, struggling to even open water bottles, damn it!" Kisara took a few deep breaths, her hands on her knees, unable to keep herself up straight. "But once I met Ohma, my whole life changed, you know? I found a reason to get out of bed and actually live. I have so many friends -- And they mean so much to me -- And my husband is back too -- I can't die here! Not you some fuckass like you! I can't die when Ohma's come from the dead!" "You're speaking as if you're some kind of irreplaceable beauty, how hilarious! EVERYONE is replaceable!" Edward laughed so loud that her ears were ringing from the echoing - But she yelled even louder. "I'M NOT FUCKING REPLACEABLE! I THOUGHT I WAS - I WAS SURE I WAS -- BUT I'M NOT!" she growled at him with such emotion that it made Raian tremble on the ground. "Who would call Hatsumi, Senpai? Who would be Tsuki-san's best friend? Who would play Mortal Kombat with lil bro Cos? Who would laugh at Akira for accidentally showing his nudes to his childhood best friends? Who would be Gaolang's personal cheerleader? Who would teach Agito about the real life? Who would Raian protect from all those fucking creeps - And of course - Who would be Ohma's little crybaby dumbass bookworm?!" though she tried to hide her face with her forearm, tears were streaming down her face, and the chopped up short hair was barely able to hide anything. "I DIDN'T SPEND DAYS IN A SHADY PUB FILLED WITH CREEPS JUST TO FIND A MAN I'VE NEVER MET IN MY LIFE AND HOPE HE CAN TURN MY LIFE AROUND! I DIDN'T SPEND YEARS OUT OF MY LIFE, COMPLETELY CHANGING EVERYTHING I STOOD FOR, JUST TO FIND MOTIVATION TO GET OUT OF BED EVERY MORNING BECAUSE I HATED MYSELF SO MUCH THAT I WANTED TO END MY EXISTENCE WITH EVERY SECOND PASSING!" "Ohoho, look at her, getting emotional! Let me help, then!" Edward grinned, lunging towards Raian, only for Kisara to defend him with her sword, slashing a small cut on his cheek, just under his eye, before forcing him to turn around so his back would be facing the Kure boy - Whenever he was ready, he'll have to hit - And HARD. "You don't get to touch him." Kisara sneered at him. "He's protected me all this time - And I'll never be able to repay him for everything that he's done for me - But though I've never told anyone - I admit, without him, I might have killed myself." Raian felt his breathing stop altogether, and the single attempt at getting up seemed to have ended in failure from shock. "I hadn't expected Ohma's death to strike me so hard - The suffering, the loneliness - I was so fucking alone, even more alone than before, that I had to ask Agito to force me out of the bed every day, because I wanted to do nothing but fucking weep every day and night." her raw, powerful voice turned into soft, desperate sobs. "Agito didn't understand why I was so upset, he just didn't get it  - And everyone else... Nothing worked... But it was Raian and his stupid ass texts and random video calls, and those fucking selfies, that put a smile on my face for the first time; Without him, I don't think I'd have gotten over the extreme self hatred that I had, all because of this -- And you think you have ANY right to shit on that boy? I'll fucking wring your neck if you dare even LOOK at him again!" "Fuck, you're really hilarious, aren't ya? If I knew I'd have so much fun, I'd have had the others over to have fun too! What a shame!" Edward bent down at the waist, closer to her height, but still towering over her? "You're wrong. The shame here is that, no matter what, I CANNOT get killed!" Kisara grinned widely, mimicking the Kure boy. "For one last time - I Want to play a game, y'know? Just one more time, I promise! So like --..." from the bottom of her lungs, and with all the screaming techniques Hatsumi taught her, Kisara shouted Raian's name so loud, that even the other Kure members thought their eardrums would rupture, only for the softest rumble of a chuckle to follow right after. "Will you teach me how to kill again?" inching her forearm further up, she lifted her uneven fringe to reveal her face, and the wicked expression from her face that seemed to piss the enemy off. "I'll teach you how to kill - By killing YOU!" before Edward could rush forward and destroy her, Kisara lunged forward to punch his liver, only for the enemy to get surprised with another powerful blow from behind; So powerful, in fact, that it even upped his own strength; And it worked in perfect sync with the girl's, as he hadn't been allowed any split second to react, before the two went in for another attack, from the opposite sides; This time, she threw a kick at his legs, whilst Raian punched at his face, and so on.

Reiichi and Hollis both could only stare, awestruck at the display before them - Yes, they knew Raian was a fucking monster of a man, but after they fought four on one and lost so pitifully, to be capable of completely fucking Edward Wu up, with the help of a simple, normal girl, who's dosed up on a shit ton of of different substances, just to keep herself up on her feet; A woman, incapable of using any secret technique, nor was she the creation of some ancient clan renowned for selective breeding of warriors, assassins and what not. She was just some girl who so randomly befriended the psycho brat of the Kure Clan, and somehow, got under his skin so much that she triggered his latent strength with her words and actions alone. "FUCK YOU -- BOTH OF YOU!" Raian roared through the place. "WHEN DID I ASK YOU TO PULL THAT SHIT?!" "You Goddamn cockroaches, why don't you stay down when you're beaten?!" but as Edward shrieked that, the two hit him with a punch in perfect sync, and with Kisara back in possession of her sword, she sliced at the enemy's torso, whilst Raian used his finger to assassinate and slash away at the artery, slicing half of his neck while at it, and to end the overkill, they both cut him clean from the other side also, watching as the pieced up remains of the once leader of the Westward Faction that was now on the ground, in a puddle of his own blood, like a chopped up fish.

Reiichi had been shocked out of his mind, still unable to get off the ground, seeing that Raian wasn't weeping on the ground anymore, beaten up to a pulp, whilst Wu Jing was shocked to see someone so strong, pounding at the enemy and not backing down at all. "You excessive strength breeds overconfidence, that's why you lost - And one more thing, remember when I said, if I were in my prime, you'd be Child's play to me, and this fledging you're fighting will one day surpass me in my prime... If he hadn't already." though exhausted and feeling his life slipping away from him, Erioh laughed from the ground he was laying on. "You never stood a chance."

Raian and Kisara both were panting with difficulty from the effort they put into this ultimate fight. "You took me out, I'll give you credit for that - But this is only the beginning of a massive party." Hollis was able to get up from the ground, and even support Reiichi up. "It's a shame, I wanted to join the party too." With a swift move, Raian punched his skull in, at the same time Kisara stomped the heel of her boot in his face. "Shut the fuck up and die already." though the boy had almost felt his legs give up from exhaustion, he had to catch her from falling. "You're a fucking dumbass." he growled lowly, helping her sit down and helping her rest on his side. "I just hope I won't be getting into hypovolemic shock, okay?" her chuckle was pained, though her mind was still fuzzy and muddled, getting off the medicine high. She hadn't realised she was drenched in blood as though it had rained crimson, or that the boy was holding pressure on her wound. All that over-exertion had taken a toll on her, but without the danger sensors of her body warning her that she was outright killing herself, she had no clue - And given the circumstances, she couldn't care less - Although, her body was getting weaker by the second, and it wasn't fun. "Give yourselves a rest, you idiots!" Hollis snapped, only to earn a curse from both of them, although he could barely hear the girl's voice. Her tired glare was enough of an answer. Wu Xing had taken off his darling locket and licked the picture of his beloved before holding it dearly to his chest, at peace now that he was able to instill his vengeance. Hollis and Reiichi looked at each other, saying they had to call the others so they could say their farewells to the Patriarch.

Karla was the quickest one to kneel besides her grandpa, holding his hand lovingly, whilst Ohma was frozen to the spot, his brain incapable of comprehending the sight before him. Why was Gramps dying? Why were all the Kure in such a horrific state, and why was Kisara looking more dead than alive, and painted scarlet with blood? The youngest Kure reassured the old man that all the Worms hiding in the arena were mostly captured, while the others were being hunted down by Uncle Horio at the moment. Hollis was the one entrusted to handle the rest. "Did you know about this, Fusui?! Why didn't you stop him?!" "OHMA!" Karla exclaimed his name, urging him to shut up already. "Grandfather's decisions are final." "Ohh, you're here, great grandson-in-law." the Patriarch chuckled, only to receive the same reply as before. "I told you I'm already married." Ohma sighed, his fists clenched, pained to be see the old man in such a  state. "Ever the jokester, aren't you?" Erioh chuckled tiredly. "Tread carefully - If my hunch in correct, you're contending with a foe that's far beyond you." he was met with a graveyard silence. "Raian, I suppose you wouldn't listen to me if I told you to stay out of this, but you couldn't have defeated Edward Wu on your own; You needed not only us, but your future wife also, poor darling; So improve yourselves together - Surpass yourselves, and be of help to Ohma." "Fuck you, Gramps. You just had to get one last lecture in, huh?" Raian scoffed, only to have his head pulled to rest on the girl's chest, his hair being patted and played with. "Don't worry, Grandpa. I'll be taking care of this little Psycho Brat." Kisara chuckled tiredly. "Katahara's going to be very upset with you." "I couldn't let him die before me, could I?" he chuckled. "I know you will, Miss Kisara. And you will be a great wife some day. I know I had the right hunch when I saw you that day, ready to take the whole world in your hands." the old man's praise made her smile with gratefulness. "You can't give up yet, Gramps! I'll go call Hanafusa - He can save you!" Ohma desperation was met with an exhausted smile from the Patriarch. "Ohma... It's too late for me." came his last words. "I wish you all the best."

The graveyard silence that took over them was disturbed only by the soft weeping of Karla, who was being embraced by Fusui, though even she could barely bite away her tears. The uncomfortable silence had urged Kisara to use Raian's shoulder as propping to get up to her feet and stumble to her husband and cling on his arm. He looked down at her and noticed her gesturing for him to leave with her, allowing the family to mourn the passing of their beloved Patriarch. He helped sustain her weight and hey went down the hall from where they came from, only to be surprisingly meeting with Rei and Hatsumi, who seemed to have finished a round of intense fighting themselves, and a tall and buff man with shades, wearing a white suit and a fedora, expensive and luxurious, and he was jovially grinning. Kisara shuddered lightly, seeing the similarity between him and Edward Wu, but there was none of the malice.

"Oh, dear. I suppose I won't be getting my bonus for combat, will I?" was he also some kind of combat assassin, she wondered. Ohma shook his head. "Hey now, forget fighting - Angel, what the hell happened?" Hatsumi rushed to her side with a handkerchief, wiping away the caked blood and sweat from her face. "Well... The Worms were tougher than we anticipated." she muttered, her eyes glazed over and a little unfocused. "How's Erioh?" Kisara and Ohma shared a look, before shifting their gaze down. "He sacrificed himself to help us kill the leader of the Westward Faction. There's only one left, and in hiding." Kisara was the one to speak what Ohma couldn't. "Hey, Senpai? Can you take me to Hanafusa? This time, I actually think I'm getting into decompensatory shock... And I don't want to get in the fourth and last stage." her broken smile made the man frown, though he spared no second to pick her up and do as instructed. "Why didn't you let Tokita take you? I thought you'd be glued to him." that ditzy smile of hers made him realise he was right. "Let him mourn. Erioh took care of him for years. He's upset and needs some time for himself." she spoke simply. "And I really think I'm dying." "What did you get yourself into?" Hatsumi sighed, placing her on the bed. "Well... I couldn't let Raian die, could I?"

As Hanafusa took intensive care of the girl, it was up to Ohma and Karla to go to the partying Kengan members and informed them of the World Changing blow that just happened, under their noses. Kisara, however, was content just being half-asleep and speaking all sorts of non-sense to her Senpai whom she missed so much - She even called him a jerk for leaving her so alone for three years, though he knew it was just the unconscious sadness and loneliness speaking, and she wasn't actually upset at him - Especially after following up with whatever stupid gossips that she found out from Raian some time ago. This time, at least, she very gladly accepted the fluidotherapy, but it wasn't enough, and the I.V. bag of isotone crystalloids helped little with her condition. She needed a blood transfusion - Time for all her friends to get a quick blood test, huh?

It was already evening when Ohma came over to her and slumped in the chair next to her bed, holding her hand, watching the blood getting in her bloodstream. "You could have died." "Nahhh, no way." she grinned, happy that her body wasn't bloody, sweaty and dirty anymore. "I just got you back - There's no way I could've let myself die, y'know?" "My feelings for you didn't save me back then." he grumbled grimly, making her sigh dramatically. "Hey now, what's with you? Enough of this." she grabbed him by the shirt, urging him to get in bed with her. "Let's change the subject. For example - Do you still think I'm pretty, even with short hair? I think our hair is about the same length now. I hope it grows fast." "You dumbass, of course I still think you're pretty." he shook his head at her childishness, though it was very appreciated. "Aww, you're such a sweetheart!" she snuggled into his side, though the arm receiving the blood was awkwardly extended to the side. After a few good minutes of silence, Ohma spoke again. "You never did tell me what you put in my bloodstream back then, when you found me." he said, making her raise her head slightly. "I remember having the inside of my elbow bandaged up, and some bag hanging from the ceiling." "Ah, well -- Basically, the same thing that I'm receiving right now, to aid the body after losing blood. I'm thinking that maybe you didn't really need anything I did to you, but I was panicked, okay?" she smiled tenderly at him. "Though, I don't really regret it. You got better really damn fast. I was happy - Whether it was from what I did, or your fantastic body, it didn't matter to me." "I did feel fine." he nodded his head in agreement. "It must be what you did. Or at least, I've convinced myself that's the truth, and I'm fine with that knowledge." "I gave you my blood too, you know." Ohma's eyes bulged from the shock. "I never did tell anyone... But I was afraid. You had lost a lot of blood... Though that might have been from the water on the ground too; And you were very pale and cold. Dad used to have some old emergency tools, for historical purposes, and I tested your blood, just to be sure - And I transferred my blood to you." "You're kidding." Kisara shook her head. "You're insane, woman. You're insane." "Yes, well... I guess that's why you love me, huh?" she chuckled lightly. "Soulbound and Bloodbound, huh?" "Why did you never tell me?" she simply shrugged. "You never asked, did you?" the look he gave her made her chuckle - He was adorable. "I don't deserve you. I never did." he sighed, his embrace tightening slightly. "I'm really sorry for leaving you in the dark. I regret letting you go after Raian, but I also owed him for supporting you while I couldn't. I was always there - I needed to hear your voice, to see you - But it hurt, seeing you so upset all the time. I wanted to go to you, but I was so afraid you'd get targeted by those fuckers" "Oh. Right." Kisara cleared her throat awkwardly. "I, uh... Hoped you wouldn't know. I'm ashamed." she smiled wryly. "But, uh... It's no big secret that I'm so in love with you, and without you I was so damn alone, that it hurt to breathe. It hurt so much that I got in an even worse depression than before you met me, and I wanted to die so bad - At least in the first year and a half or so.  I don't think I was able to thoroughly enjoy my travels. I forced myself to imagine getting in a relationship with any of my friends, especially Agito who was physically there daily -But I couldn't. Every time I tried, I would still see your face every time, so I gave up. Thank goodness you're alive though, I don't know how long I'd have been able to keep on going." "My God, you're pathetic, you little crybaby." he cradled her up in his arms, kissing her face all over. "It was hell without you. It's fine though. I'm back and ready to hold your hand and guide you through everything - Properly, this time. As your husband." "Whoaaa~! So romantic~!" she chuckled, nuzzling into his chest. "When's the wedding?" "You said you liked Spring, didn't you? When the Cherry trees blossom." she felt herself swooning. "Oh my God, I love you so much."

A few days after the Kengan vs Purgatory Tournament, the funeral for Kure Erioh took place in the Village. It was a beautiful funeral, and so many people came to pay their respects. Though Ohma hadn't a suit, he was able to borrow one from Hollis. It must have been really hard on him. Kisara let him and Karla mourn, while she tried to comfort Raian, somewhere far away, alone, in some corner where he was punching away trees and what not. He needed her emotional and moral support, almost just as much as she needed him, prior to all of this damn mess.

Three months passed since the funeral, and Ohma was called over by Koga to train and spar together - Of course, there was no one better to learn from but the ultimate Champion - And someone with a fighting style so similar to his best friend, Ryuki's - So he could understand him better. Ohma praised him for having started his fighting career properly - But Ohma couldn't outright go back to fighting yet - He promised Kisara he'd remain relatively unscathed for a whole two years, until their wedding - She wanted her long hair back after all, and in a little over a year, her long hair was going to shine as gorgeously as ever; His Majesty. Until then, however, he was dragged over to travel to whatever place she wanted to see - Well, he couldn't complain, it was actually fun; Though his favourite part of every trip was trying out the local cuisine. Dork.

Their wedding was everything that Kisara ever dreamt of, and she had the prettiest dress there was; With her hair so long and slightly wavy, and so many flowers put in it, she looked like such a Princess. She had Sayaka as her Maid of Honour, and Kaede, Rin, Elena, Rino, Fusui and Karla were her bridesmaids. There were many options for the Best Man, but they both agreed to have Raian the Psycho Brat as the ultimate man, though of course, all of her other friends were the grooms' men - And Inaba Ryo was the ring bearer, and he was so cute! Hatsumi was the most drunk of them all, and was clinging and laughing at a tipsy Wakatsuki and Rei, though everyone was having fun and drinking, even Cos, who was being urged to drink by Kureishi, his master. Retsudo wanted to help with the photoshoot, but Katahara was the life of the party, and even photo-bomb most of the pictures, much to everyone's amusement. Koga had fun playing the DJ, and had some help from Ryuki, as they were the youngest attendees, but Saw Paing was the loudest and most cheerful supporter of everyone there. Agito was, by far, the most out of place, but he had Misasa and Rolon by his side to ease him up - A drunk Agito was hilariously adorable even! And Kisara was happy that it was thanks to Agito that they could create a sort of bridge between Kengan and the sane Purgatory fighters they once fought. Medel was chatting up wth Gaolang, Kaneda and Himuro, while Seki was having a drinking contest with Jurota, Nitoku and Adam. All of Katahara's bodyguards, including the Heavenly Wolves also, and the Kure clan was invited over to have fun, but, without a doubt, the happiest for the wife and groom was Yamashita Kazuo, followed by his two sons. The old darling was crying and snotty, saying all of his best wishes... But as soon as Mokichi announced the moment everyone was waiting for, Kisara threw her arms around Ohma's neck with a small squeal and pulled him in the most passionate and loving kiss they've ever shared - He hummed in amusement, his arms holding her tightly in a tender embrace, and everyone whistled and cheered for them, throwing flowers and what not.

If only things could remain so beautiful and jovial as the day of her Wedding, for just about each and every one of her friends, but unfortunately, there was only so long she could allow herself to keep ignorant of the Worms still lingering like a plague around Japan, and even the whole world, when they keep pulling terrorist attacks around Rome, or try to infiltrate the underground - But it was time for a well deserved punishment. Xia Ji, especially, was going to feel that on his own skin...

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[darkdevasofdestruction]

Chapter 21 - 👑Kengan de Huángdi👑

Kisara rose a fist up for Agito to bump before he went into the ring to fight with that Purgatory loser. She watched him do his confident catwalk-like strut, before she let herself collapse on the bench, unconsciously applying pressure on the spot where she got stabbed. Thankfully, Hanafusa had confirmed the knife hadn't punctured any vital organ and she was fine with the basic procedures. Sure, she was lucky enough not to get into hypovolemic shock to begin with, or react too badly at being quite literally cut open with such malice, but perhaps the sheer adrenaline and rage drive was enough to keep her going for as long as she needed.

Now, however, she could feel the exhaustion drowning her in waves, and the excruciating pain was beginning to rapidly creep through her body. Perhaps she should make an effort and get some analgesics, so she could continue watching the matches from the Kengan spot, instead of the infirmary, much like the other injured fighters.

In spite of all this, Ohma, who was otherwise perfectly fine with watching while standing, sat down next to her, and with great care, gathered his fiance in his arms tenderly, allowing her to rest her back on his broad, muscular chest. Perhaps unconsciously, one of his hands was trailing aimlessly and playing with some locks of her long hair, an old habit that hadn't died even after being departed for almost three whole years. It didn't matter how little she was compared to him, Kisara was very much the perfect replacement for a plushie for the man.

"You aren't worried for him, are you?" the girl heard him ask all of a sudden. "Surely, you have more faith in that guy." "Oh, yeah, of course. I mean, we've been together for almost three years, and we've trained every day. I know Agito better than anyone, and I know how he's perfected all of his techniques." she muttered, leaning more into the man's embrace and clinging on one of his arms, using it as a pillow. "Then what's the problem?" Ohma asked, the rumble of a soft chuckle erupting from his throat, earning a small shudder from her. "I'm just being sentimental, that's all." Kisara let out an amused exhale, only to groan and clutch her wound. "I just... I feel like I somehow died during my match, and this is all just a dream. I thought you dead for so long, and now you're back so suddenly, and you're holding me just like back then when you died." Ohma's smile vanished from his face, hearing the pain in his lover's voice. He gently turned her to face him, and he cupped her face dearly, as he's always done. He could see the minuscule beads of zircon tears beginning to form and gleam in those gorgeous green eyes of hers, shining like the most precious emeralds he's ever seen. "I promise you, I am real, and I'm not going anywhere this time." Ohma vowed, leaning in for the softest, most tender kiss he's ever given her. "I'll make up to you for all the distress I've caused you with my absence, okay? So show me that beautiful smile that made me fall in love with you, and let's win this. How's that sound?" Ohma hadn't expected that, even after seven years of knowing each other, he'd get the privilege to see one of those adorably timid smiles of hers ever again, but oh how he loved those. "Alright already, you've convinced me. Let's cheer on our guys and win this tournament!" The man chuckled, shaking his head in playful disbelief. "Even married, you still cheer on other man, how annoying." he leaned in to whisper in her ear. "I'll just have to make sure you remember only my name tonight. It seems you've forgotten after so long." her face was so cutely flushed with embarrassment, that he couldn't help but smirk cockily. Kisara merely hummed in amusement, shifting back to lean on his chest.

With a confused frown on his face, Yamashita Kazuo stepped over to them, followed by Koga. "Miss Kisara, you've been around Kano the longest - Do you know if he has some kind of grudge against the Three Demon Fists...?" "You mean the people you were talking about on the plane?" Ohma asked, earning a distressed nod from the old manager. "Y-Yes. They're the top three Chinese Martial Artists in Purgatory's roster. One of them is the man you just had a run-in with; 'The Serpent' Liu Dongcheng, he's the most veteran of the Three Demon Fists. Then there's 'The Toad', Fei Wangfang, he's a master of Ren Clan Tai Chi Chuan from Sichuan province. He joined Purgatory two years ago, and defeated one of the then Three Fists and took his title. And finally, that guy in the ring, Lu Tian, is 'The Centipede'. Koga, you and Ryuki met him when we visited Purgatory. He's a martial artist from Hong Kong, where he's a local celebrity. His style is called the Wuwang Fist. They say he's the most powerful of the Three Demon Fists." Yamashita explained everything there was about the three men in great detail. "He's got something in his hand." Koga pointed out. "Looks like a ring of some kind, but I guess they're not just fashion buddies." Ohma huffed in amusement. "You're pretty on spot, except, it's a bracelet, not a ring." Kisara began. "It's not exactly my story to tell, but the gist of it is, before Agito was found and taken in by Katahara, he was an orphan in Mainland China, and he was kidnapped and locked in a room with others like him, to take place in a Gu Ritual. This Ritual, well... The participants have to kill each other until there is only one left standing." she explained, watching the distressed looks on Koga's and the manager's faces. "Wh-What?! No way -- Kano went through that when he was barely a teenager?!" Kisara nodded in approval. "Yes. The bracelet that Lu Tian used to lure Agito out is a tracking bracelet. To put it simply, it checks your pulse, so that when only one remains active, the mastermind cand come over and rescue the survivor. The only thing is... Nobody came to save Agito when needed, and Katahara accidentally found him, more or less. The trauma he experienced until he was adopted by Katahara created an animalistic split personality in him, that he had to train so that it would only come out when fighting, as he couldn't control it properly. Well, that's not a problem any longer, thankfully - I made sure of that." Kisara grinned mischievously, pointing towards Agito. "Not only can Agito switch between his forms at will, but there is no longer a delay. It took over a year of every day training, but it was worth all the effort." "That is fantastic...!" Koga gasped, looking in awe at the Fifth Fang. "And quite remarkably scary." Yamashita chuckled with unease. The cheers from the auditorium alerted them that the match had begun, with Agito beginning with his most famous Formless stance. According to Sayaka's cheers, Agito was the one designated as the Kengan Team's boss - Way to play the morale card. Kisara was almost appalled - SHE wanted to be the team leader! She deserved it, didn't she? She's everyone's cheerleader and emotional support fox after all! How annoying. She was jealous.

With Alisa crying out the beginning of the fight, AG sprung forward with a rather familiar mid-low grappling stance that turned floor-low at a speed that even Kisara would be proud of, but as he tried to grab Lu Tian's ankle, he was evaded. The enemy jumped as Agito attempted to sweep away at his feet, only to immediately follow up with a punch, and then a barrage of jabs. Naoya was his loudest encourager. Weirdly enough, Lu Tian adopted a quick stance that looked oddly enough like a defensive karate stance - Kisara wasn't the most familiar with all the Kenpo arts, and considering Karate was derived from Kenpo, it would be so surprise to find out the specific Chinese Martial Art that this Centipede was practicing was the beginning of it all. Agito threw a low kick feint at his ankle, only to quickly hit him with a roundhouse kick to his face and drive the enemy to kneel - He offered not a single second of a break, as he followed up with his famous low grappling stance once again, and this time, he managed to get the enemy's waist and drive him backwards.

"The Wuwang Fist is a lethal assassination technique, but it requires a long windup before it can deliver a killing blow!" Yamashita gasped, watching the one-sided match. "That means it's a bad match against an opponent who attacks quickly! Good job, Kano! You know just how to hit your opponent where it hurts!" "You taught him well, you little trickster." Ohma chuckled, patting the girl's hair. "There's something wrong." Kisara muttered, watching the Centipede fall in Agito's trap by catching his wrist mid-punch, only to get kicked so painfully rough that he was sent some meters away. "It's TOO easy. That bastard hasn't done anything worth noting yet. He wouldn't be a Purgatory fighter if he were this painfully bad." Alisa called for a Down moment, as everyone kept praising and shouting for Agito. Kisara watched as the Fang looked down at the foe sitting comfortably on the ground, and with an Eureka lightbulb moment, she gasped and jolted up to her feet, completely dismissed the searing pain from her wound.

"AGITO! HE CAN USE THE FORMLESS! BE CAREFUL!" while those around her gasped in shock at her words, Kano simply nodded affirmatively, having heard her words. "That's right, I'm sure you heard her. How long are you going to play a part? Use it. Use his techniques. Use the Formless Stance." Agito glared down at the man, his fists clenched, ready to fight. "Wh-What? What do you mean? Isn't that Kano's move?" Yamashita asked, only to see the girl shake her head. "Yes, but also no. It's almost like the Niko Style, don't you think? Two people taught the same art by two people, yet they develop their own fighting style, with their own personal twists. It's like I told you, Ohma - Your style isn't Niko Style anymore, but Ohma Style. It's the same for Agito - If Lu Tian baited Agito with that Gu bracelet, than he must have gone through the same experience, thus, he might have been under the influence of a person with similar knowledge and fighting style as the one who did that to Agito." though her words made so much sense, it got the others almost shuddering, imagining a match with two Kanos in a mirror. However, as if to disprove everything she's said, Lu Tian, with a psychopath grin, stuck his tongue out, revealing that god forsaken Worm tattoo.

"You've got it all wrong!" Lu Tian shouted, getting up, looking like a maniac monster from horror movies. "You're NOTHING like me! Kano Agito, you're just a prototype; But I inherited everything - From Tokita Niko!" everyone seemed to be freaked out over the Worm-reveal, and quite honestly, how MANY are they infiltrated in the Purgatory to begin with?! First, it was the freak Kisara killed, and then, that guy who made Ryuki killed him - And now, this sucker too? And more, why are they revealing their identities so blatantly, in front of the whole world? What's the point of all this? "You're all freaked out about the Worm, but I'm quite shocked at how many people are tied to Niko... Or, uh... Some iteration of Niko." Kisara mumbled, her hands gripping the railing tightly, hearing a grunt of agreement from Ohma. "I'm a prototype? That's a funny joke. Time for me to snap you back to reality." both fighters took the same Formless stance. Lu Tian was proud of himself, explaining that nobody would ever suspect him of being an impostor, because everything he does, everything he feels or says - Everything is him, the real him, the only, genuine Lu Tian.

For a brief moment, Agito recalled the time when he and everyone else got sealed by the one calling himself the 'Other Tokita Niko', how he explained the Gu Ritual, the function of the bracelet, and the meticulous calculation of water, air and food that would last for exactly three months, for a single person. He survived hell, and there was no way he would return. Tokita Niko... Yes, the code name all of Gaoh Mukaku students. Both Agito and Kisara wondered about Ryuki and his connection with Mukaku - He says he's his grandson - Is there something of importance that he knows? Something they should be aware of? Something that Ohma should know that he doesn't remember?

The two fighters were like water and ice; When one attacked, the other evaded so perfectly, and vice-versa. Be it a feint jab, or a well-aimed elbow hit to the torso, or the light-speed the two used to throw jabs, punches and feints - Koga was sweating, his eyes wide open, trying to understand what the hell he was watching. Despite being able to perceive the back and forth perfectly, he was unable to comprehend what he was seeing. All he knew was that they were both dodging each other's hits perfectly well, with a speed that he's only seen someone small like Miss Kisara move.

Agito feigned a chop at Lu Tian's cervical vertebra, only to dodge a straight kick to his hip, and stop immediately. "How come he stopped?! That was his chance!" Koga shouted in disdain. "If he hadn't stopped, Agito would have lost." Kisara pointed out. "I'm not exactly sure how to explain this, but as someone who's trained for the past three years with this stance, I suppose I can say that I can feel certain things." in a battle of Formless vs Formless, five minutes passed since the match begun, and both fighters were perfectly evenly matched. However, the first to get him in the face was Kano, at exactly five minutes and twenty-three seconds.

Agito was forced into a defensive pose with his guard up, and had to back down and stare at the enemy who was grinning like a maniac. Kisara only hoped he would keep level-headed; Agito was more than his Formless style after all. "I survived the Gu Chamber and became a formal student of Tokita Niko - That's why my technique is far deeper than yours, since you escaped." Lu Tian laughed. "I'll tell you one thing -- Tokita Niko abandoned the Niko style -- And do you know why?!" his laughter became even more psychotic, resounding eerily through the stadium. "BECAUSE HE PERFECTED THE ULTIMATE TECHNIQUE - FORMLESS! AND I AM THE PERFECT PRACTITIONER OF FORMLESS! YOUR IMPERFECT FORMLESS COULD NEVER COMPARE TO MINE!!" the opponent was almost falling to the ground cackling - Even Raian wasn't like that. Agito, however, didn't lose composure in the least; Instead, he adopted a martial arts stance with his fists up to his chin, ready to fight. "FUCK HIM UP, AGITO! SHOW HIM WHO'S THE BOSS - AG!" Agito could only let out an amused exhale, smirking at the girl's words, yet still in deep, perfect focus, watching the Worm adopt the Formless stance he was so familiar with, and rush down to attack him.

Lu Tian got in a low stance, rushing to punch at Agito's torso, only for the man to crouch down and disturb the flow and trajectory of the punch by hitting the back of his wrist into the enemy's forearm, surprising him. The shock of being countered earned that vital split second for Kano to lunge forward and wail hard on his opponent, though what looked like a decisive palm strike to the chin that made the opponent rotate in the air was nothing but entertainment for Lu Tian, who somehow, like a cat, managed to land on his feet, going limp to disperse the damage

Lu Tian was a loose cannon with no master and no attachment to the earthly life he was living, that much was evident from his demeanour and fighting style. With the way he was dodging Kano's hits, he looked like a puddle of water, yet he seemed aking to frozen, hard ice with each of his punches sent Agito's way. "How the hell can he even block all those punches?! They're both insane!" Koga shouted in bewilderment, only to see the red head smirking in satisfaction at the fight, seemingly having relaxed. "Look closer, Koga. Kano's waiting for his chance to counter." Ohma pointed out, his eyes never once leaving the fight. "I know my fighting partner better than anyone, Koga. There's no way Agito would lose to a freak like that." Kisara let out an amused exhale, watching Lu Tian throw Kano to the ground, and as he attempted a wrestling-fall with the elbow to his diaphragm, Agito swiftly dodged and engaged in a number of ground-grappling that reminded her of his fight with Naoya, though on a whole other level.

People gasped in dread, shock and disbelief as Lu Tian caught Agito's leg and threw him to the ground, following with repeated stomps to his face, yet the Fang kept his guard up. Naoya was the loudest, afraid for the match. "You guys worry for no reason. Surely, you should have more faith in Agito, of all people? Who is the Emperor of the Kengan Matches, huh? There's only one Kano Agito!" Kisara chucked lazily, leaning on the railing. "You must have forgotten who Kano Agito really is, then. There is the beast with the unconventional, unpredictable movements, with flexibility and the capacity to adapt his fighting style to any strategy, tailored to his opponent - That is the Formless Agito; And there's also the Martial Artist Agito, the one who uses the aggressive Pre-initiative style fused with countless different arts together." Naoya marched up next to her, barely able to contain himself from grabbing her shoulders and shaking her from violent suspense. "YES, I REMEMBER, I FAUGHT HIM! I KNOW! BUT HE TRIED BOTH SIDES AND HE LOST WITH BOTH! WHAT IS THERE TO DO?!" instead, he kept shaking his hands up and down like a toddler. "You are wrong, Naoya." Kisara smirked at him. "Three years ago, there were Two Agito. Now, there is only one. They merged. There is no more Formless Agito and Martial Artist Agito - There is only Kano Agito, the Fifth Fang of Metsudo, the Emperor of the Kengan Matches. Have some faith in him, I know the man who almost killed me every day for three years straight, okay?" she flicked his forehead, making him turn his head to the match, yet all he could see was his most fearsome rival trying to desperately to block the enemy's hits.

With a move similar to what Kisara used in her match, Agito's water-like stance was able to evade behind the opponent, driving him down to the ground, only to get punched in the chin also. As Lu Tian grabbed one of Agito's forearms and shoulder, he tried to bite down on his flesh, only to get violently kneed in his most private area. Suddenly, the flow of the battle changed, and Agito was in perfect control, grappling and plummeting Lu into the ground, rendering him desperate for his life, before he got kicked and swept so far away, with such force, that the Worm was unable to disperse that awful hit and needed three seconds to get up. "Look at him - I'm so proud of him! As he is now, with barely even a fraction of a second delay between style switching, he may even beat Master Kuroki! Ha!" Kisara cockily huffed, watching Agito punch Lu away - Only for the opponent to use some kind of technique akin to the Kure Clan's removal. "Isn't that Raian's Removal? How can that guy use it if he's not from the Kure clan?" Yamashita asked, only to hear the brat tsk in annoyance. "That's the shittiest Removal I've ever seen. Even little brats can do better." Raian growled under his breath. "Don't you dare compare our technique with his fucking cheap rip-off." "I have my suspicions, but... Raian, am I correct in guessing that a person outside of the Kure clan is unable of properly handling the Removal? I know it takes an extraordinary toll on the user - Surely, someone outside of the selective breeding that you weirdos so thoroughly took care of, physically would be unable to reaching your potential." the blond nodded his head, approving her statement. "Yeah, pretty much. That fucker's gonna get himself killed very fast if he actually does anything while using the Removal." the boy added to her assumption. "This guy learnt it from someone - Does the Kure clan have a traitor, then?" the girl asked, only to see him shaking his head. "Nah, no way. Nobody's stupid enough to betray that old geezer." he said. "Must've been those Wu fuckers from China." "China?" Kisara snapped her sight at the man. "Agito's from China. So is Lu Tian - Well, sort of. Is the Wu clan the Chinese family equivalent of the Japanese Kure clan?" "Uh-huh. Gramps knows more about those fucks, but my bet is, if anyone taught our secret technique to an outsider, it was those fucks. Still, it's pretty mad, I mean - It's probably less than a one in a million chance an outsider can handle the Removal and not die, you get me?" even using the Indestructible, Agito was driven backwards violently by a single punch from Lu Tian, followed by a strong shin hit and an elbow. Kano's back was bent all the way back; The opponent's strength and speed had sky-rocketed, making the gap between them evident to the naked, unaccustomed eye of the viewer. He was even capable of evading all of Agito's jabs - He must be thinking, using the Formless and the Removal together, he has eclipsed them all, even his own master, even someone from the Kure or Wu clan. "As if Agito's weak enough to fall to this jerk's failed attempt at playing strong. What a joke." Kisara scoffed, watching as Agito easily parried a blow and managed to hit three of his vitals in a jab very similar to Hatsumi's triple shot, but on a much grander scale.

"It doesn't matter how much your physical abilities have improved. I have overcome my Beast's Soul, the price for surviving the Gu Ritual. You, who have lost your humanity, can never defeat me." Agito declared confidently, angering Lu Tian to the point of driving him crazy. With power that's on par with Wakatsuki or Julius even, and speed to match Kisara, the monster slammed both of his feet to the ground, breaking the concrete as though it was some kind of superhero movie.

Kano landed a punch to the berserk Lu Tian's diaphragm, then to his jaw - Those who watched, recognised the similarity with Kisara's own move, the unguardable strike launched at point-blank range - The dragon sinks its teeth in. The Dragon Shot. So strong, so powerful, that Lu Tian was unconscious on the ground, and Alisa had declared the fight to be over, with Kano Agito the winner.  "WHAT STRENGTH! WHAT POWER! THE EMPEROR OF THE KENGAN MATCHES HAS DEFEATED THE DEMON OF PURGATORY!" Sayaka shouted into the mic. Agito's face was as black as always as he ruffled his messy hair, stepping back towards the Kengan stands. Kisara pushed everyone aside, smirking at AG and shouting at the top of her lungs, hoping that using his mother tongue to praise him would be enough of a painfully agonising stab to the Purgatory enemies - Or, at least, those who could understand. If one of the Three Demon Fists was a Worm, what's to say the other two aren't? And there is and there is one guy, Alan Wu, nod doubt he'd get pissed too, if he has Raian's personality. "Guànjūn láile! Gěi Huángshàng kētóu! Kano Agito, Kengan de Huángdi!" the girl laughed at the others' confused visage, but it didn't matter. Agito was amused at her antics, and that was all she cared about. Calling him the Champion, the Emperor of the Kengan matches, telling them all to kneel before him - What a dork she was.

Though she was unable to go out of her way and jump around, embracing the man, due to her injury, Naoya was more than eager to jump-hug the man to tightly and sing him laurels like no other. "I am very proud of you, Agito." Kisara said, only to instinctually rush to support his weight with Okubo's help, as one of his legs gave up momentarily. "Easy there, Champion. Go take a break, you've done enough for now." "Yeah, exactly, Kano! You've won your match - It's our turn now!" Naoya exclaimed cheerfully.

Out of nowhere, however, the remaining members of the Purgatory all gathered up in the ring. Alisa's words mattered little, as she tried to get everyone to return to their side of the arena - Instead, everyone from the Kengan side joined them in a rather intense showdown of stares. The first to speak was a brunet man called Arashimiyama Jurota, and he inquired about the tattoo of the centipede revealed on three of their fighters. It seemed Nitoku was bothered by that coincidence also. Yamashita Kazuo took a step forward and explained about the events involving the Worm all the way up to this very moment, only leaving out the fact that this organisation somehow managed to infiltrate even the Kengan Association somehow.

"I've heard rumours of them. They're an Ancient Chinese secret society, aren't they?" Jurota asked, scratching at his chin. "I thought they were just a fairy tale. So they're real?" the masked man asked in a calm voice. "I've heard the name, of course. So does that mean the Ogre, Naidan and Lu Tian were imposters...?" Fei asked. "No, we can't say that for sure. We don't even have a full handle on the Worm at this point -- So what do you say we suspend the competition..." Yamashita Kazuo's suggestion was swiftly cut off by Lolong, the leader of the Purgatory, who was the first to turn away and leave. "No. This conversation is over. It doesn't matter who infiltrated us. We're seeing this through." for some reason, Kisara stared after the blond man with the slicked back hair. His whole vibe was so similar to Ohma's, for some reason. She wondered if he was Purgatory's true trump card. "J-Just a second, Lolong! Those three might not have been the only Worms! Until we know what their goal is, I can't in good conscience let the matches--" the poor manager got interrupted again. "You think there are more Worms on our side? How naive. Haven't you forgotten? There could just as easily be Worms on your side." Kisara shared a suspicious look with Ohma, though they said no word to voice their concerns. Instead, Wakatsuki and Okubo looked suspiciously at Masaki. He really was pretty damn freaking creepy.

The Kengan fighters gathered back to their side and were muttering between each other. Those who hadn't attended the short conversation with the Purgatory were informed of their discussion, and a solemn silence took over them, as though it was a graveyard - And in a way, it was, for the two Worms that died. Kisara still couldn't get over the horrified gasps and shrieks from the audience - Purgatory pussies. If it was a Kengan match, they'd have all cheered so loud, you could hear it from the moon. Pathetic.

"I think I'll go to the infirmary for some painkillers. All this excitement isn't good for my body." Kisara informed, so the others wouldn't freak out over her whereabouts, considering this whole Worm mess, and how she outright declared war on them. "You shouldn't go alone." Takeshi warned her, though at the very second she turned to leave the chamber, she gasped breathlessly and would have collapsed, if someone hadn't caught her roughly by the arms. "Yeah, babe, you shouldn't go alone. Who knows what Worm you're gonna encounter~?" that damn, good for nothing kickboxer, Tanji, had immobilised her by a punch to her wound so far that she wheezed blood, and her stitches broke. She couldn't find the strength to breathe, every breath was shallow and her legs were powerless from the electrifying agony spreading through every nerve of her body. "T-Tanji...?!" the man's grip tightened, making her grit her teeth from the suffering. "Yeah, that's right! I knew you'd remember me, I'm really happy!" the man let out a dry chuckle. "You see, I was really turned on after watching you fight - Back then, and now also - I wanted to ask you out again. It was your loss, rejecting me, but I was going to be nice enough to allow you a second chance." "OI! SHE'S FUCKING TAKEN, YOU FUCKASS!" though Ohma was the one to rescue his wife, Raian was the vocal one, who punched him square in the face. "YA WANT A THIRD ROUND, LIMP DICK?" "FUCK OFF, KURE BRAT, MY BEEF'S NOT WITH YA, IT'S WITH HER!" Tanji attempted to lunge at Kisara, only to get kicked away by Raian, who seemed pumped up with adrenaline. Kisara was coughing in her hands and struggling to breathe, though the blood was leaking through her fingers. "Easy. Take it easy. Just focus and breathing." Ohma had her sit on the ground, holding her firmly to keep her focus on him. "That's right, that's my girl. Take it easy." she could barely nod, as a way to acknowledge his words. "Are you trying to teach medicine to a doctor, you stupid gym rat?" she tried to chuckle, only to get cradled into a shielding embrace as Raian was playing around too much. "Wouldn't dream of it, you dumbass bookworm. To think you'd get hit on and almost assassinated by the same person, at the same time. What have you been doing while I was away?" Ohma tried to get her mind away from her breathing struggles, though the pain was gradually subsiding and she was beginning to feel and breathe better. "Can't complain much. If he hadn't hit on me, I wouldn't have befriended Psycho Brat." she grumbled, motioning for Ohma to help her up, though she continued to cling on him. "But that comment about Worms - Tanji, are you a Worm also?" "If I were, I wouldn't tell you, would I?" Tanji barked a laugh, parrying a kick from the Kure. "I came here to ask you out! We can make a better Kure Clan! Breed among only the strongest and --" "Yep, he's a Worm, a'ight." Raian unintentionally ripped away the kickboxer's shirt, revealing a centipede tattoo on his pectoral muscle. "Hey, Raian - What game should we play now?" Raian's grin went even wider. "SOCCER!" with strength like no other, the psycho kicked Tanji's head so hard that he was sent propelling towards the spot Kisara and Ohma were embracing - The girl instinctually reciprocated, kicking him back, though she needed to be held up by her husband who shook his head. With his hand holding pressure on her open wound, he could see the red painting his palm. "No more games, you're gonna kill yourself, dumbass." he said, grabbing Tanji by the neck and slamming him so hard into the wall that it broke... Along with his face. "And you - Stop hitting on my wife. She said no." "I can't believe we had Worms even so many years ago..." Takeshi shook his head, looking down at the unconscious man. He deserved it, and more. "This only proves we have to be very careful." Misasa pointed out, patting Kisara's shoulder. "Go get yourself treated, Barbie the CEO. Wouldn't want to see a dead fox around." "Kano, go to the infirmary with her." Ohma nodded at the Fang, who nodded back, and keeping a supportive arm around the girl's frail body, they went to Hanafusa for a quick fix, and a good amount of opioids, and perhaps another round of stitching and more protective layers over her wound. Only hell knows, she needed it. And most likely a nutrient IV, but that's not gonna happen. She has to be there and watch the matched, encourage everyone, and most of all, have fun and spend time with her husband.

Still, she couldn't help but wonder... A simple fighting tournament between the two greatest underground associations turned out to be the catalyst of a Worm infestation that was going to last very long, and possibly kill more people. These guys had no regard for human life... And the same could be said about the Kure Clan and the Wu Clan. The life of an assassin meant the perversion of their views on humanity and the worth of a soul. That's exactly how Raian found himself grinning like the Cheshire cat, cackling like a maniac as he shared a look from far away with the one called Alan Wu.

"Raian, no killing! I didn't win my match for you, of all people, to lose from overkill!" Raian simply laughed and picked the girl up, passing her back to her husband, before patting her hair as though she was a child - She was older than him, that snotty brat. "You psycho bitch, I'm not joking! Raian, listen to me!" "Can't promise, babe!" he threw his Tshirt and jacket at her head and stepped back into the ring. "What a god damn brat!" Kisara grunted, slapping his clothes to the ground, before glaring at Ohma. "And you preferred his company instead of mine, for almost three years? Give me a break. Go marry him, not me!" "That's enough, Your Majesty, your crown is falling." Ohma chuckled, fixing her messed up hair. "Let's just trust that brat and hope for the best." "You really believe he won't kill that guy?" the look she gave him only amused him further, and he flicked her forehead before placing a kiss to make her feel better. "Nope." Ohma chuckled. "He killed Tanji after you left." "Oh, thank goodness!" Kisara sighed. "I can't believe I would need to get saved - THRICE - From the same guy... BY the same guy. What a mess." "Thrice...?" Ohma's eyes widened in surprise at the insistence of that guy. "Once, just around the time after your fight with Raian. Second, the next morning after the tournament, when I was preparing to leave with Agito. And... Now was the third." Ohma scoffed, pulling her closer to him. "Sorry I wasn't there for you the first times." he muttered in her hair. "You were here now, and that's all that matters to me." Two psychopaths were facing each other, laughing and taunting the other best they knew. There was no way for either Kisara or Ohma to know that the Patriarch of the Kure Clan was in the same room with the Head of the Wu Clan, discussing about their situation. Wu Xing, the Leader of the Chinese branch, was cringing violently at the mere thought of Alan Wu, and how he's killed more members from the Main Line than even Edward Wu, the biggest big guy, and coincidentally, one of their worst enemies also.

The King of Slaughter, Alan Wu, was keeping his hands in his pockets, and his back was hunched, yet his eyes were gleaming with bloodlust and his face was split from the wide joker-like grin he was displaying. "I'm gonna play with you, kiddo, until you drown in a puddle of your own blood!"

Out of nowhere, Nikaido Ren, one of the Wolves who became one of Katahara's most trusted bodyguards, came over to explain to everyone the origins of the Wu Clan and Alan especially, as it would be important for the future, and their fight against the Worms. He told them the old story passed down through generations for almost two thousand years, about this glob of blackness that fell on the earth and it killed people, beasts, demons and gods alike, slaughtering without rest - This blackness turned into a humanoid being, with its eyes stained black by the blood of its victims - Wu Hei, the very first Wu.

A short interaction between Raian and Alan revealed that that the Wu might have been delusional in a way, telling Raian that after a millennia and a half alone, he's forgotten the face of his own parents. Even Raian was irked and freaked out by this weirdo. Yamashita was worried for Raian, but Ohma was quick to reassure the old man, saying that, in the year they've sparred every day after his recovery, Raian won more often than him - Though he admitted that with the most adorable pout, so cute that Kisara couldn't help but pull him in a kiss.

"Don't underestimate the Wu Clan, they're in the core of the Chinese Underground." out of all people, surely, Ren would be the one to know best about such things. He continued his story about the clan splitting over 1300 years prior - Those who remained in China became the Wu Clan, whilst the others who migrated to Japan named themselves the Kure. There was also a smaller faction who went to the Occident and became the Westward faction, led by Edward Wu. So here is where Kisara was wrong, she assumed Alan was of the Chinese branch - So her prior shade must have failed. Shame.

Before the clans broke apart, however, the secret technique known as Removal in Japan, or Guihun in China, was passed to the whole clan. Considering the Ogre she fought mentioned the Guihun, he must have also been in a somewhat similar position as Lu Tian, perhaps. There was a technique only passed down to the main clan, however, and that was called 'Huisheng', or 'Resurrection'. This technique was completely sealed away by the Kure and the Main Wu Clans, thus only Edward Wu's Westward Faction keep using it, what a mess.

Huisheng requires a Receiver known as a Connector - Ideally, this Connector should be as young as possible, possibly with a close blood relationship to the Speaker. From the time the Connector is a child, the Speaker tells him about his life. Every event, no matter how great or small, is told - Again and again and again... Huisheng is passed on for years to decades, until the death of the Speaker; As a result, the Speaker's soul comes to dwell within the Connector. "So... That's basically brainwashing, huh?" Kisara asked, earning a nod from the Wolf. "Speak about being obsessed with immortality." Nitoku huffed in complete disagreement. "So, Ren, you came here to tell us that Alan Wu's conscience goes back about 1300 years ago?" Kisara concluded, but this time, the man shook his head. "Not quite, no. The personality dwelling within Alan Wu is Wu Hei, the very first Wu, born 5000 years ago." everyone's eyes shot open in surprise. As if on cue, Alan's shirt was ripped from his body as he activated Guihun and his muscles bulged up as though he was Julius. "His muscles are pumped up!! And holy SHIT, he's HUGE!" Koga gasped loudly. "The Westward Faction moved to more frigid climates and evolved to be larger. Even Raian, who's large for the Kure Clan, is below the average height of the Wu clan." Nikaido explained calmly. "Bergmann's Rule, correct? Animals that live in more frigid climates tend to evolve to be larger." Nitoku shared a look of disdain with Kisara, who nodded at him. "Impressive how a mere millennium can make such a difference." "You can say that again." Koga blurted in shock at the two monsters who began the fight before Alisa announced its beginning.

At a first glance, they seemed equally matched, insanely strong, and even faster. No doubt, Alan could unleash 100% of his Removal, just like Raian - Yet the Kure hadn't activated his own technique yet. He was playing around. What a child. Just as Raian finally agreed that Alan would make for a good toy, perhaps even worthy of fighting against his own Removal - The brat stopped dead in his tracks, and his head snapped towards the exit of the arena. He looked like a cat that's spotted a mouse and was so fascinated with it.

"Did he just lose interest?! What's going on?!" Koga stammered over his words. "Raian?! Focus on the match!!" Yamashita was yelling in desperation. "Something's wrong with Raian!" "Hey! What's the matter, Raian?!" Ohma, too, yelled strongly at him. "Raian, snap out of it! Fuck him up, Raian!" Kisara added also, but it was to no avail. The blond was staring intently towards the exit. "Is... Someone there? There's no way Raian would get distracted in a fight, especially one against a psycho of the Wu clan." there was no way for them to know that, just there, the very Edward Wu was standing tall, with his arms crossed, staring right back at the Kure boy. Next to him, hunched over and meek, was Xia Ji, the twin brother of the Head of the Worms, and the Chief of the Far East branch.

Raian recalled that boring meeting the whole clan had, yet he remembered the anger that everyone was harboring - Rikuto, the man who was supposed to be next in line for the Patriarch role, had been killed after going after the Head of the Worm. Gramps concluded he had been betrayed - There was no way Rikuto would have falled so easily - And he showed them a picture of Edward Wu, the one they had to kill, no matter what. Seeing Edward in the flesh was the most exciting thing Raian's felt in his whole life. "RAIAN, FINISH THE MATCH!" though Raian could her hear voice, he merely grinned, ready to go after that fucker. Instead, he got stopped by Alan, who was still in his delusional state. Kisara was right, he had to finish the match already and go do his real job - Assassinate the fucker who dared go after his family.

He needn't even use the Removal, throwing a punch, using a Buddha Killer elbow to the throat, a hard slam with his shoulders into his torso, followed by a double fist punch Mountain Breaker and a Leg Thrust, Raian allowed his enemy not a single second to retaliate. The match was done, Raian was over with the prelude, and just like any feline playing with its prey, it was time to devour it. The brat activated his Removal with a grin, punching the Wu opponent in the face to render him barely conscious, before shoving his hands deep into his mouth, gripping at his maxilla and mandible - It didn't matter that Alan Wu had taken out a small knife to save himself - With a monster-like strength, Raian ripped Alan Wu in half without any bit of mercy. "If I wasn't so mad that we lost the match, I would have been awestruck at how cool that was." Kisara found herself gazing in wonder at the blood splattering around as if to recreate a painting, and the fallen enemy had its viscera everywhere. "That damn brat." Ohma grumbled in annoyance, realising it was one more match in detriment of Kengan. "Match's over, Ref. I'm disqualified. Go ahead and call the match for that mangled corpse." ever the jokester, even bathing in the blood of his enemy, and with everyone shrieking at him for being a murderous psychopath.

Raian had bolted off, out of the fighting arena, to satisfy his curiosity.

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[darkdevasofdestruction]

Your Guardian Angel - Tokita Ohma Love Story ( Kengan Ashura ) ~ On Going

Summary:

Once, a great a fighter, yet unknown to the world, fell prey to his first defeat, and he lay on the ground, pitiful and broken, rained down and with ribbons of crimson leaving his body. A shy angel coming home found him and brought him to safety, mending his wounds and tending to his broken spirit, until he had regained consciousness. As he opened his eyes, and witnessed the first person to care for him, he made a vow to always protect her, with his fists, to repay her kindness. It was only then that Tokita Ohma's newfound hope was discovered, and he was ready to achieve his goal in life - To be the very best fighter there is.

Chapter 1 - The Healing Angel Chapter 2 - Debt Chapter 3 - Promise Of Reunion Chapter 4 - The Ashura and The Kitsune Chapter 5 - The Forbidden Technique Chapter 6 - Replacement Chapter 7 - I WANT TO HAVE YOUR BABIES! Chapter 8 - The Betrayal Chapter 9 - Let The Show Begin! Chapter 10 - Strengthening Friendship Bonds Chapter 11 - Am I Wrong? Chapter 12 - Foxes Have Fangs And Rabies Chapter 13 - New Rules, New Moves Chapter 14 - Battle Of The Psychos Chapter 15 - Distress Chapter 16 - Unlikely Best Friend Chapter 17 - The Kitsune Chapter 18 - Le Petit Empereur Chapter 19 - The Return Of The Queen Chapter 20 - Ken Doll and Barbie the CEO Chapter 21 - 👑Kengan de Huángdi👑 Chapter 22 - Crimson Spider Lily Chapter 23 - The Connector  Chapter 24 - Wǒ Qīn'ài de Húxiān Huánghòu

[darkdevasofdestruction]

Purify Thy Soul - Mashita Satoru (Death Mark) ~ Finished

Summary:

Losing your memory, losing your identity, losing your mind... Do you even remember who you are? What is your name? Your career path? Do you have any family or friends? What are your hobbies? And most importantly - What were you doing, laying on the grass in a forest park, in the dead of night, with flowers and a book next to you? The not so friendly ex-detective asked himself each of those questions, but one look at your neck, and he finally got his answer. You were cursed.

Chapter 1 - Flowerbed Chapter 2 - Bumblebee Chapter 3 - Dittany Chapter 4 - Wedding Dress Chapter 5 - Sweet Melody Chapter 6 - Bodhisattva Chapter 7 - Amitābha Chapter 8 - Crimson Knight Chapter 9 - Crimson Spider Lily Chapter 10 - Onmyoji

[darkdevasofdestruction]

Chapter 10 - Onmyoji

With their resolve renewed, Kisara and Satoru returned for the last time to the Masquerade love hotel, waiting for an irritating long amount of time for the tardy Yashiki to arrive. Mashita was more than angry with his partner being so late - How dare he? Why would he be late, when the situation is so dire, and they had to act with haste to save not only Banshee and Hiro, but everyone else involved - Themselves included.

"You're late. What the hell took you so long?" Mashita snapped at the man whose approaching steps were approaching idly. "You know damn well time is of the essence right now." Yashiki cringed a little, feeling the full brunt of the detective's anger. "Daimon's prepared for the worst, too. He's made arrangements to transfer them." 

Kazuo remained mostly silent, his head hung in realisation. He knew their condition was bad, but since he hasn't physically been there to witness their savage outbursts and feral behaviour, he must not have truly understood how important it was to act as soon as possible. Time truly was of the essence. 

Seeing how worked up her boyfriend was, Kisara placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it lightly, driving him backwards to take a little break and cool off while she explains the rest of the situation to their partner. "We ran into Shou while on our hospital visit." she began, speaking in a solemn voice. Apparently, the son of the Taira leader is acquainted with Shou and his gang, so they hang around the Hotel area rather often. No wonder the whole situation is a bit of a hot topic for them. That is exactly why, seeing people going in and out of the Hotel, plus the ghost rumours, made him quickly realise it was them going through with an investigation. 

Nagashima contacted the blasted fortune teller, who told him everything about the case. Neither of them wanted children to get involved with more death-threatening matters, so of course, they told him to stay out of it - Kisara did all the talking, of course, since Mashita would only provoke the boy into coming to help. However, she is still afraid he might still go out of his way to help, as hhis manly way of returning the favour after being saved from the Death Mark. Chivalrous indeed, but not now.

As if on cue, a lovely young lady approaches them, with the prettiest, most serene smile possible. Watanabe Moe was there to report on the rumours. "I heard something amazing from someone who was there at the time!" she chirped, very proud of herself and her hard work. "She was one of the high school girls who was up to no good during that time."

"That must mean one of the girls who wrote in those nasty notebooks, saying they were afraid Sayako would rat them out to the school principal, right?" Kisara attention was entirely piqued.

"Yes, exactly! Her name is Akiko. The editorial department helped me track her down." Moe smiled proudly, speaking of the girl who studied at the nearby highschool and chose this rather illicit yet well-paid part time job. "Let me show you what Akiko said about her classmate, Sayako." Moe pulled a voice recorder from her bag and hit the play button, and the girl spoke as follows...

Yeah, a friend introduced me to a part time job. It was whimsical... Ah, I mean, I just did it on a whim. We're supposed to meet at the hotel, Masquerade, and there's a system there where someone introduces us to customers. You get a lot of money from it, so everyone was dying to get hired. But one day there was... An incident of sorts. Someone at school found out about the job. Some goody two-shoes class rep, Sayako, said she was gonna tell her teacher, Nakamura.

Everyone freaked and apologised to her, saying they'd stop. She wouldn't listen. If our parents found out, it'd be the worst thing ever! We begged, but she didn't budge. In the end, she left class saying she was going to go to the police with Nakamura. We were totally freaked out, so I went to the Hotel that night - I mean, at that point, there was no harm in going, you know? Ha ha.  But then... She was there. 

Sayako was standing in front of Masquerade in the drizzling rain, in a red raincoat...

She said she was going to the police, so who knows why she was at the hotel, but it made us all jumpy and on edge every day after that. Except... Nothing ever happened. Soon after that, Masquerade shut down. I guess they uncovered something.

"Yes, just as I suspected..." Kisara hummed softly. "What about Sayako?"

"I don't know exactly, but apparently she stopped coming to school. According to Akiko, she just suddenly stopped showing up."

"That testimony sounds far too perfect. Who uses a raincoat anyway? Most people just use an umbrella nowadays." Mashita snorted, rolling his eyes. "She must have dramatised it a little."

"Maybe the raincoat was a signal for the person she was supposed to meet there." Yashiki concluded.

"... Professor Nakamura, maybe?" the red haired lady's eyes widened with dread. "If that's true, then... What if Nakamura is directly involved with Sayako's death? We've seen the kind of torture devices around that place - What if some kind of accident happened, which led to the ruination of the Love Hotel?" they remained quiet for a while.

"If that's all you have to tell us, hurry up and go home." Satoru urged the young journalist as soon as he saw the fear in his girlfriend's eyes. That's no place for any girl to step in, let alone one as innocent and naive as her.

"Um... So I really can't come with you? I worked really hard..." she tried her luck again.

"Please, don't push the subject, Moe. The last thing I want is for you to get involved in this... Depravity." Kisara explained in a motherly voice. "Not only the ghost is exceptionally violent, but... The whole place is just... Filth." Moe simply sighed, giving up. "I don't want you to be the third victim."

"Oh... Okay, I understand." her smile returned immediately. "But you better tell me all about it later, okay? Oh, and, be careful!" she expressed her worries, before disappearing through the streets. With not another word uttered, the trio stepped inside the cursed hotel. "It is not right for the dead to meddle in the life of the living." Mashita grumbled to himself, his grip on Kisara's tightening a little. 

Much to their incredible trepidation, the whole lobby was unlike the previous evenings - This time, it was fully covered in those forsaken spider webs. "Bring it. Time to make our appointment with our lady friend." Mashita mused dryly. 

Just then, the creaking groaning of the elevator moving echoed loudly, as it came back to the lobby level... Which means, there was someone already there, and judging from the noise, they must have went up to either the 4th or 5th level. Hopefully... It wasn't Shou, or any of their friends.

Beginning with their investigation on the 4th floor, they first looked at the familiar painting of a masked feminine figure - This time it was a young girl, running down a trail. 

Next, they entered the room on the left, with the familiar Venetian masks. Searching the nightstand, they found another of those guestbooks, but the entries... Were entirely different from the previous ones. They covered a number of horrifying topics such as devil worship and different kinds of torture. It was impossible to tell which were reality, and which were delusions... If any at all. Every word was surging with a twisted, single-minded appetite for destruction. 

"Haha, that's quite the hobby." Mashita smirks with disgust. "The handwriting differs by page. This was written by several guests." he pointed out.

"That means... The higher the level, the more depraved the practice?" Kisara gulped, remembering the pain she suffered the previous evening.

"They're like moths drawn to a flame. You wouldn't even know to look at them." Satoru answered, seeing the apprehension on Yashiki's face. He believed too much on the good nature of people, and was often left disappointed. "Hate to say it, but the kids working that part time job were probably part of it, too."

"But wouldn't Akiko speak with more dread about it, then? She sounded too light-hearted to have been subjected to the torture described in this guestbook." Kisara made a note about it.

"Safety, a good pay and complete confidentiality guaranteed." Mashita patted her head, seeing the disbelief on her face. "Just because you wouldn't subject yourself to masochism and other weird stuff for money, doesn't mean poor or curious innocent girls like her wouldn't." he could see the way her face grimaced with more unease. "After all, the one who sold his soul was probably most nervous about all this mess." he huffed sarcastically. "Still... These people have quite the imagination." 

He continued to idly leaf through the pages, only to stop at a certain phrase that said - "Jorogumo's Punishment".

"That's a Spider Yokai that can shapeshift into a beautiful woman. All Jorogumo are women, and they can only reproduce with human men. In fact, the spiders from yesterday... They were Joro spiders." Kisara explained. "But... The punishment... Could it be what we experienced in the elevator? Or what happened to Banshee?"

"Nope." Mashita clicked his tongue. "You might not be ready for it, but let me tell you what's written here." Kisara shuddered, not ready for what was to come.

Jorogumo's Punishment is a recreation of a certain urban legend. > You capture the largest spider you can find - A wild one would be best. > Sharpen the sacrifice's senses with drugs > Use a mouth speculum to keep their mouth open > Throw the spider in their mouth If they manage to swallow it, they're innocent. If they don't, or the spider escapes, they're guilty. It's a witch trial meant to judge truth from lie. ... If I get a sacrifice that needs punishing, I'd like to try it out immediately.

"Hey, calm down. Take a deep breath." Kisara didn't even realise how much she was freaking out, until her boyfriend placed his hands on both her shoulders and captured her attention. 

"... Sayako... Must have been subjected to this..." she gulped, petrified by only imagining such a situation, and trembling softly.

"We... We should get going already. We're wasting time." Yashiki shook his head quickly, trying to get rid of the mental image, and quickly checked the bathroom, only to return empty handed.

In spite of their fright, they went on to examine the room on the right also, only to find some blood in the bath water, and a cylindrical object in the sink drain, but they had no way to fish it out momentarily, so they decided to go up to the 5th floor where they were met with more spiderwebs, a switch, and the last picture of a masked woman, holding hands with a child.

Much to their surprise, the door to room 502 was locked, to the only place to go on this floor was the room on the right, 501, which was completely pitch black. Yashiki shone the light inside, and as soon as he did, both him and Kisara yelped in shock at the sight of the webbed out corpse chained on the wall by the wrists and ankles.

"A body finally turned up. Let's check it out." Mashita squeezed her hand twice to gain her attention. This was the peak of the investigation so far.

In the corner of the room there was a decorative coffin leaning upside down on the cold and humid brick wall, and sure enough, the only useful thing they found inside, amongst the useless junk, was a book - A Yokai Encyclopedia - And they found out the Jorogumo initially killed by drowning people, and it targets woodcutters and hunters who are always saved at the last minute by using a tree stump which the spider takes instead, and the protagonist escapes. Weird, but there's no point in nitpicking folklore.

Mashita put on the rubber gloves and dared to touch the mummified body; Traces of dried skin fell of on impact - The body was mostly a skeleton otherwise. A long time passed since it's been to this place - At least a year no doubt. "Small stature, but based on the thickness of the bones, it's likely an adult male." Satoru affirmed, but neither he, nor Kisara can tell the cause of death. "He must have been in pain when he died. His face is all twisted."

"Probably a guest. Freak." Kisara scrunched her nose in disgust, watching as the detective threw a cheap lighter from its belongings to his partner.

Inside the bathroom, however, they only found clumps of hair, paper waste and a bent hanger which they can use to fish out the cylindrical object from the sink. Weirdly enough, there was no mirror on the wall in this place.

Returning to the sink on the 4th floor, they found out the mysterious object was the key to Room 502, the Deluxe Suite. What a discovery - Kisara was curious how that would be different from the other rooms.  Yet another torture chamber - Similarly to the others, it contained a broken wooden horse and a crucifying X on the wall where the sacrifice would be punished.

Yashiki lifted up the wooden torture device, only for Mashita to flash his light on a metal took. "What's that?" Kisara crouched down to pick the metal thing... A mouth speculum. "Maniacs..." Satoru spat, seeing his girlfriend fall down on her knees, the depraved metal thing echoing loudly with a few clinks at it returned to the ground. "Damn it, not again." he immediately panicked, throwing himself down and gathering the poor girl in his arms. "Snap out of it! Kisara, snap out of it! Damn it - Damn it!"

A white light flashed before Kisara's green eyes, blacking out... And though her consciousness returned, albeit hazy, her vision didn't. She began whimpering, breathing ragged and weeping violently in his arms, her body stiff like she was deep in rigor mortis. She knew what it was, and she wanted to be struck down by lightning instead - To drop dead already, before anything could happen. With her mouth forced open like that, her tongue forced out and drooling, the leather blindfold over her eyes; Her cold, naked body forced to kneel on the hard ground, the multiple pairs of arms holding her in place...

She was experiencing the horrors of Sayako during her Punishment. "Let us commence the judgement!" a man spoke theatrically behind her. "The court has decided to give the accused a fair trial and will judge her crimes. The trial will now begin." it didn't matter how hard she was crying, or how she pleaded and begged for mercy in her mind. "I shall put his spider in the accused's month, and if it crawls out, she is guilty. If she can swallow it, she is innocent." 

Mashita feels her body jerking around frantically, her moves haphazard. He had no clue that him restraining her movements was similar to what she was experiencing in her vision. "He-... Lp.... Me...! Plea... Se... He... Lp...! Sa... Sa..." his eyes widened with infinite shock - It was the first time she was trying to directly call out to him, and wasn't speaking as the victim. She must be terrified out of her wits, and she calls out to him, her words gargled and garbled, out of sheer fear... Or drugs too. 

The men jeered as the one released a giant spider inside her mouth... And crawled right down her throat...

For a few seconds, Satoru had to take his arms away from her to cover his ears, as she shrieked in such a high pitch, and trashed around so violently, that not even his strength could hold her down. "KISARA, IT'S ME - KISARA! LOOK AT ME - KISARA!" it took both men to jump on her and drag her away from the door, as she tried to spring away. 

"DON'T TOUCH ME! SPIDER - GET IT OUT! GET IT OUT! GET IT OUT!" she sobbed and screamed and whined, jerking around so violently that she risked dislocating her joints and damaging her body more than it already is.

"Forgive me." gritting his teeth, he raised his hand to the woman he loves so much once again, and struck her face down hard enough for her to remain immobile; Her knees weakened and she fell lax in their grasp. "Please don't make me do this ever again. It hurts me more than it hurts you.

"Satoru..." Yashiki slowly let the woman go, and stepped away to investigate the decorative coffin, letting the detective pacify her. "Satoru... Satoru..." once again, she whined and mewled in his arms as he cradled her tightly to his chest. "No more... No more, I don't wanna..." she sniffled and sobbed so hard, his heart broke. "They did it... Sayako... The Punishment... They broke her... They tortured her..." she hiccupped again and again, her voice barely decipherable. "Their hands... They held her down, and... And... Urgh... Those furry legs... Going down my throat... And... And..." she suddenly pushed him away, vomiting her guts out painfully. "I'm gonna die... I'm gonna die..." 

"There now, pretty girl, you're all gross." Mashita took out a handkerchief and wiped away the barf from her lips, and all her snot and tears.

"B-Better...?" she whimpered tearfully. She looked so pitiful, poor darling.

"Much better." he kissed her forehead before helping her stand up. Although she was shaking still, she was at least conscious, alert and somewhat focused. It was good enough for the moment.

"Are you okay?" Kazuo muttered, his head hung as if he felt guilty for her experiencing that vision. With a weak smile, the girl nodded, which prompted him to show the book he was holding. "It seems to be a Demon Encyclopedia. It looks similar to the Yokai one." it had pictures of demons and crests, with their characteristics written next to them. It only reinforced the idea of demon worshipping and cults. "I also found some bath salts and insect-repelling cream in the bathroom."

"How... Exactly will that help us?" Mashita cocked an eyebrow, looking weirdly at the man, who simply shrugged

With their investigation finished in the 5th floor deluxe suite room, they exited into the corridor... Only to meet... Shou? Just as expected, however... He looked... Angry? Tormented? No matter how Masamune tried talking to him, it was fruitless - The young man remained unresponsive. When he tried to approach him, he was held back by the detective, who pointed out the oddity in the otherwise volcanic behaviour. His face was stiff into a grimace. 

"I-I was looking for you... This whole time..." he spoke with such difficulty. "I-I-I'm going to... K-Kill you...!" he rose the metal bat he was hiding, getting in a stance and moved in to attack. 

"Get back!" Mashita dragged back his flabbergast partner by his coat, only to notice his girlfriend crouching a little, getting in a grappling stance of her own. "Idiot - What the hell are you doing?!"

"Have you forgotten who I am?" she scoffed to her boyfriend, as he watched with wide eyes as she easily evaded the bat to the side, wrestled the bat from his grasp, and hit him over the head with the butt of it, making him fall to the ground. "Kisara Shogun." with a smirk, she winked playfully at him.

"Kisara Dumbass." he shook his head in disbelief. "Yashiki, help me drag him out. We need to get our third victim to the hospital."

With some difficulty, they were able to get the young man outside of the hotel. Kisara whistled, and at once, a few Yakuza gathered and bowed to her. Giving her clear instructions, the men placed him in the car. "Yashiki, go with them." both men looked weirdly at her. "Sayako asked us why we were at the hotel - And Satoru answered, implicating me being his wife. At this point, you are not seen as her 'Sir' anymore, but he is. Sayako wants to see her respected Nakamura, who got her into this mess to begin with. She must have forgotten that detail." she scoffed. "You've been in all investigation, and she's attacked us all - Because everyone other than 'Sir', is an extra. Only the two of us can go."

"How reassuring." Mashita spat, annoyed at the situation.

"... I feel odd leaving you right at the end." Yashiki frowned, skeptical at the outcome.

"Then go to the hospital with Shou, get Daimon to check your headache, and return. Maybe that will give us enough time to reach Sayako out and get to the last phase of the exorcism." the young woman debated, and with nothing left to refute, Yashiki hopped in the luxurious black Subaru.

"... Was your car a Yakuza gift?" Kisara's smile only widened at her boyfriend, but said nothing.

With some reticence a mustering courage, the couple entered the Masquerade Love Hotel for the last time, and were greeted by the distant silhouette of their ghostie, giggling hollow through the lobby. She told them she will be waiting on the top floor, in the room of masks, before disappearing into the elevator. The combination... "The paintings!" the two looked at each other in realisation.

1st floor was the Masked Bride 2nd floor was the Masked Girlfriend 3rd floor was the Elderly Masked Woman 4th floor was the Masked Young Girl 5th floor was the Masked Mother So the combination was... 42153... ?

True enough, the elevator took them to the 6th floor; As soon as the doors opened, they were met with the musty stench of yet another torture chamber. It smelled of strong iron and blood.

"S... I... R..." Sayako's voice drifts on the wind, along with her giggles. "I've been waiting for you..." "Listen, kid, I know you want to meet the man you respect, but I am not that person." Mashita spoke with unexpected calm.

"Liar... You always... Lie..." her voice became more spiteful.

"I'm not lying." Satoru refuted immediately, which earned a desperate scream splitting the night. It was the same shriek that Kisara made when she was being tortured.

"Stop your temper tantrum. You know this won't accomplish anything." Satoru's voice became more authoritarian. "You're dead, and Nakamura won't come see you."

"This time... This time...." the ghost sneered. "I'm... I'm going to test... You...!" with an echoing wail, the corporeal image of a grey spider bride hung upside down from a bunch of webs, right in front of them.

"I've done my part - What now, Kisara Guuji?" Satoru grabbed her backwards, putting a safe distance between them and the ghost.

Countless Joro spiders fly out of the darkness and start crawling all over their body, and the swarm keeps coming in an endless flow. Kisara's screech had enough vibration to keep them off of her, but Satoru was forced to place the gross mini-massager on his leg and watch as the pests began to get confused and get off. Thank goodness.

Red Riding Hood lets out a gusty sigh as glittering white threads fly through the air from her mouth, trying to use her spider silk. "Quick, the wooden thingy-" Kisara helped her boyfriend place the Spanish Donkey head over them as a protective shield. Strangely enough, the threads seemed drawn to it and only wrap around the wood.

"Sir..." the ghost got dangerously close. "Who's... In the wrong...?" she asked eerily. "I only did... What was right..."

"What's right is for the law to decide, not for us." Mashita would know all about wrong-doings, but the spider lady stared deeply at him, giggling lightly.

"Sir... Come with me... The only thing that matters... Is your life." the Jorogumo extended her arms towards the man.

"You have no right to touch or lust over my husband." Kisara slapped away her hands, getting protectively in front of him.

"Who are you to determine a person's worth anyway?" Satoru chimed in also, countering the self-righteous girl.

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" she shrieked desperately, so loud that they see white - Then her maddening eyes glare down at them menacingly as she dangles even closer to them. "How do I look... To you...?!" was she actually trying to seduce him?

"I have a wife, Sayako. No woman, including you, exists in my eyes." though Kisara's heart swole with glee and love, the spider spirit giggled erratically.

"What do you like... About me...?" her interrogation was far too long for their liking.

"Your Honesty." Satoru guessed wildly, and her giggle must mean success.

The ghost of Sayako calmed down, and she smiled serenely. "Thank you, Sir... Let's..." her figure wavers, and then... She smashes through the window and off, into the night.

"Did she just... Jump? Just like that...?" Kisara blinked, staring weirdly at the broken glass; The bustling city could be heard out the window.

"Guess so." Satoru muttered, wiping his sweaty brow with his sleeve. "Hey, what is this...?" the red haired lady turned to see what he was looking at - A dangling red thread... Wrapped around his wrist. "What the hell...?!" 

"SATORU!" Kisara yells her lover's name as he is yanked towards the window. She latched onto him with all her strength as he tried to brace his legs in an attempt of resistance, but it was all in vain, and he was thrown out into the night sky.

---

He should be plummeting to the ground - Yet something's holding him up to awkwardly dangle in the air. He thought his jacket got lucky stuck in a glass shard or a loose nail, or whatever cartoonish thing that saved his fate - Instead, looking up, he saw both Kisara and Yashiki using all their strength to hold onto him and drag him up. His partner was gritting his teeth in effort, holding onto his arm, while Kisara's both hands were gripping painfully into his coat and flesh, her nails scratching deeply into him, as she was bent halfway off the window herself.

"You got fat, Satoru!" she screamed at him.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" Masamune grumbled, exerting too much strength into dragging him to safety. "Give me your other arm, my grip is slipping --"

"HURRY UP!" the girl also yelled in frustration. "Grab onto us already!"

"Lucky me." he scoffed, grabbing the two and getting pulled back in the torture chamber of the top floor. After a lot of effort, the three stumble back onto the dusty floor, back to safety. The only sound heard was their echoing hard gasps for breath as they sat there in darkness.

"What the hell happened while I was gone? Is she... Gone?" Yashiki asked, curious and bewildered.

"Yeah, she's gone - Out the window, alright - And she thought it a cheeky little thing to drag me out with her." Mashita spat in disgust and anger. "Stupid spider girl."

"I'm glad you got here when you did. I don't think I could have done anything to save him." Kisara muttered breathlessly.

"Yeah. Your dumb ass would have toppled over with me like some kind of weird double suicide." he chuckled weakly, getting back on his feet and dragging the other two up. "Enough self-pity. We're done here. Let's get out of here before we become asthmatic."

The rain had already stopped, and the cool wind on their cheeks hinted of autumn. "Let's drop by and see Daimon." the brunet affirmed off-handedly. "Give me your keys."

"I can drive." Kisara blinked, confused at her boyfriend's sudden wish to drive.

"Have you gone mad or what? You're shaking like jelly. Don't even bother arguing." she looked down at her hands and hummed, realising her was right. Then, she looked at Yashiki and himself - They, also, were trembling.

"You two are the same. Let me handle this." just the same, she whistled for her Yakuza friends to drive them to the hospital, and then back home.

Before he got in the car driven by the leader himself, Yashiki took out a handkerchief and wrapped the spider laying in a small puddle nearby, and put it in his pocket. "I take it the spirit was purified?" the old man asked.

"Yes... With much effort and almost dying." Kisara muttered bitterly.

"Could you tell me what exactly happened?" Mr. Kazuya asked.

"The high-school girl said she was going to the police to bust her highschool colleagues for prostituting themselves at the Hotel. However... She didn't go straight to the police. She went to the Hotel... And there... She got, beaten, drugged, tortured. Jorogumo's Punishment, if you've heard of it, and much more. And... I think she went crazy or something. Threw herself off the window, maybe. Suicide...? The full story is a little hazy for me." Kisara told the story as best as she could.

"The teacher she respected, Nakamura - He manipulated her. Instead of going to the police, he convinced her to go to the hotel and show him proof." Mashita chimed in. 

"Really? I suspected that, but do you have proof?" the girl's sight snapped at him immediately.

"Yes. A teacher from a school near the hotel was arrested for breaking the law." he explained. "Akiko's testimony piqued my interest. She said they were scared they'd be reported, but nothing happened. Just like you suspect, it means Sayako never got to the police after she tattled to the teacher." he smiled emptily. "She sought salvation from a criminal. How ironic."

"Nakamura... So this is why he was truly incriminated." the Taira leader gruffed. "He was my son's teacher also. Everyone knew about the business of Masquerade. My son spread the rumours to his willing classmates. That Nakamura was one of our top clients - One of the depraved ones also. I didn't think he'd dare do a mistake, considering he had my son's eyes on him constantly."

"But... From out ghost encounter, it seemed to me that Sayako... Had a crush on Nakamura. Stemmed out of respect or something. And the red thread of fate... That's a soulmate metaphor." Kisara pipped in also.

"I saw a photo of him. Thin, tall, handsome, sharp - The type popular with the students." Mashita huffed back.

"So much like you, huh?" she smirked at her boyfriend. 

"Is that why you fell for me? 'Cause I'm dashingly handsome?" he shot right back, only to see a shameless grin along with a nod of her head. "Unbelievable." 

"Jokes aside - Did she kill herself? Or what happened to her?" the girl asked again.

"People found her wandering the streets idly, before she was admitted to a facility. Her mental state was broken beyond repair, and she threw herself off the 6th floor window of the hospital. The night of her death was cold and rainy like all these evenings we went to the Hotel." he continued the summary of his personal investigation.

"I understand." the girl sigh. "That kind of torture... It's impossible to get over. It was terrifying, degrading, humiliating, agonising." she shuddered again.

"What about Nakamura?" Yashiki asked, curiosity taking over him.

"He was arrested for drug and weapon dealing, and ended up telling about high school girls being involved in Masquerade." Mr. Kazuya confirmed Satoru's clues.

"And Sayako wore a red raincoat because having your partner wearing all red was a code that you were planning to use the VIP suite on the top floor - No doubt, she had no clue about that." the man continued. "Nakamura hanged himself in jail."

"To put it lightly." the Taira leader chuckled enigmatically. "Thank you for uncovering the truth of why our business failed. Making deals with weak men is in your detriment more than theirs, unfortunately."

Soon enough, they reached the hospital. Daimon mentioned that miraculously, all three victims calmed down at the same time, and regained consciousness, with no lasting symptoms. They were going to be fine very quickly, and out of there, able to go back to their daily life. 

With all that out of the way, the trio returned to their lives also - Yashiki kept looking around for clues on Mary, while Satoru continued his detective work and Kisara went back to her medical practice.

That is... When her much beloved boyfriend called her over in his study, to take a look at the investigating work he was doing - Tens and thousands of papers and writings scattered all around the desk, carpet and trash, some plain, others crumpled up, yet all of them had the same center piece.

Hyakki Yagyo, the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons.

"So... Are we back in business... Onmyoji Kisara?"

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[darkdevasofdestruction]

Chapter 19 - The Return Of The Queen

A whole two years passed since the Kengan Annihilation Tournament ended. Since then, Agito and Kisara travelled around the world from country to country, living one day at a time. It was by far, the most fun they've ever had - So much freedom, so much to learn... The whole world was theirs for the taking! At some point, they even reached Thailand and they met up with Gaolang who acted as a tour guide of sorts. Once Kisara met with King Rama though, they hit it off so well that Gaolang was fearing for his life, judging by those enigmatic, fox-like grins they had on their faces whenever he'd catch them looking at him. It was here that she and Agito first rode on an elephant - It was so thrilling! She almost felt upset, leaving for another place to visit, but life is life, and life is meant to be lived!

Ultimately, however, after one year and a half into travelling, Kisara and Agito agreed to settled for a while at a motel, in the middle of the nowhere that Arizona is. Though Kisara often found their little room incredibly boring, and even the wi-fi connection was often shitty... They were somehow able to make it work. Every day they would travel to hell knows what place via motorbike, and since they got here, they even customised their helmets and got a clothing style change. What was once classic elegance became intimidating leather, chains and studs. The only thing different was that, although Agito's helm had a skull motif and his new nickname, AG, in neon - Kisara had purple LED lights and cat ears. They were hilarious.

There was a single thing, however, that never changed for those two, and that was their thirst for fighting. It was far too hot during the day to bother, but once the Sun began to set, Agito would teach Kisara everything he knows, from Systema, to Formless and Martial Arts - Even the Niko style that he knows, though he made it clear that whatever he knew was far different than what Ohma taught her once. In turn, Kisara helped him spar to the point that he had no delay between his two sides... Even if that meant getting speared, cleaved and beaten up to the point of screaming at him to give her a break. No matter what amount of training she goes through, she will never be able to equal the strength of her punch, to that of people like Agito, Gaolang or Takeshi. With her accuracy, speed and agility, however, she is now able to fight without needing to rely constantly on the element of surprise to get a good win. 

When they would finally go to rest for the day, they would tell stories from their past, of whatever kind. Here's that she learnt Agito was an orphan from Mainland China, and he was found as a teenager by the Chairman, in some kind of ritualistic warehouse where he had to kill everyone to survive the Gu ritual...  The one where you put centipedes in a jar and watch them eat each other - The last one that survives has the poison inserted in it. To think that as a young you are thrown in a battle royale setting... No wonder those murderous, beast-like urges of his would still often dominate his mind, even into adulthood. To lighten thing up, however, Kisara asked if he still remembers the language or anything from his childhood, and though it wasn't much, Kisara showed him some of the songs and dances she learnt from watching TV shows set in other dynasties. He would tell her about his 23 years or so of staying with Katahara, being educated by the best teachers appointed to him, meeting baby Sayaka and Retsudo, sometimes ever caring for them.

In turn, Kisara would tell him of her old, boring life in her small, little house which she used to share with her parents. Agito's mind felt bewildered, hearing her speak so gracefully and loving of the parents that she murdered herself - After all, knowing that your whole life was a lie, can't be easy to digest. Still, he felt proud of her for getting so far in life, and even so strong - From the quiet girl that would study at home every day, do only indoor hobbies, do no physical exercise, live on coffee and a light meal per day and sleep like three hours per night. The life of a shy medical student had broken her psyche to the point of fearing people, but meeting Ohma, the catalyst of her radical change - And more, meeting Wakatsuki who brought her into the Kengan world, who supported her dream of getting stronger and helped her out with loans to become an independent person - And even having Hatsumi introduced, who taught her how to liberate herself of all her worries and problems, and in those four years together, she was able to achieve a peace of her mind and heart that she never thought possible to achieve. 

She told him of all the times the camped in the woods, the meditation sessions in the fields, or on the cliffs of the mountains after a good trek, and then she told him of the times when Hatsumi had her practice in the river, and her feet went numb from the cold water, only to get thrown in the lake near the cascade, under the pretext of showering off the sweat - The jerk should have had it coming though, as he was laughing his ass off, she pulled him in the water to freeze with her. But then, there were also the trips to the ocean, when they would wake up in the early morning to watch the sunrise and calm their minds to the sound of the waves and the occasional seagull, and have a long walk, barefoot, on the wet sand and watching the sun set into the sea. She often longed and missed those days, but she was well aware that they can return one day... Once Hatsumi stops his training in China with Rei.

Though two years passed, Agito still had a lot to learn of life, and Kisara was eager to teach him more and watch him flourish... And though two years passed, Kisara's grief still remained, and she had only Agito to rely on with a hug and a shoulder to cry on. When life was too much, he would see her subconsciously reaching for that ring and clucthing it, or playing aimlessly with it, to the point of obsession. She wanted to move on so desperately, but couldn't. Two years alone just weren't enough for a heart to heal.

"A'ight Agito, time for our drinks. I need an ice-cold Gin with lemon Schweppes." Kisara chuckled, taking off her helmet and putting on her shades instead, hooking her arm around the man's large forearm. "Agree. I've got an idea for tonight's training session." he spoke, walking inside the saloon.  Their heavy boots clattered the wood on the ground as they made their way to the bartender, who was also the owner of the place, and of the motel. "Howdy, Fox. AG. You've got a visitor." "... A visitor?" Agito took off his helmet. "AG? Is that your new nickname? I like it. It's way cooler than Fang. We meet again, Kano. It's great seeing you again, Kisara." the girl gasped, putting her shades up on her hair to look at the man. "You... What are you doing here?" Agito asked, smiling as the two sat at the bar. "Himuro Ryo. Out of all people, I wouldn't have expected you here. It's lovely seeing a familiar face around these places." the girl grinned cheerfully at him. "I'll have a double jack, straight up. The usual Gin for Fox." as if the bartender already had everything prepared, the two were drinking in few seconds straight. "Whoa, slow down, drunk driving's against the law." Himuro warned the two, shocked by their behavious. "I know, but we're not driving anymore today. We've been staying in the motel across the street for the past half a year now." Agito explained simply. "So, the Ex-Fang of Metsudo's living in a motel, huh? What are you doing out here, in the middle of nowhere?" Ryo also ordered a drink, leaning back to look at the two. "Well, excuse me for being in the middle of nowhere." the bartender grumbled in annoyance. "What are we doing...? That's what we're trying to figure out." Kano hummed solemnly. "Kano, let's get back on track. I want to talk to you..." Ryo began, only to get cut off. "Is it about the competition?" Kisara butted in quickly. On one hand, she was almost eager for another such tournament, and wanted to throw her frustrations by plummeting someone that wasn't Agito. On the other hand, she knew nobody would want her as a fighter, in detriment of proper fighters like Agito or Wakatsuki. "It's for the Kengan Association. Will you enter, Kano?" as expected, the invitation was solely for him. "For the Kengan Association? The only reason I fought in the Kengan matches was to pay back my debt to the Master, and now that the Master is no longer Chairman, I have no reason to fight for the Kengan Association." the man spoke, his resolution clear. "I... Wouldn't be so sure." this attracted the attention of both people. “Chairman Katahara has announced that he's sending a fighter into the competition. That fighter is the Eight Fang of Metsudo." Ryo explained briefly - But the notion shocked both bikers. "EIGHTH?!" their gasped loudly. "Wait, what are you talking about? I was the Fifth Fang - You mean I've had THREE successors in just two years?!" the notion alone made no sense whatsoever, especially considering the many years of servitude he had under the Master. "I see... I guess you haven't heard. After you retired as the Fang, they selected the Sixth Fang. In the end, they picked one of the rookie bodyguards to be the Sixth Fang of Metsudo. I saw one of his matches, and he was just as powerful as you... But he turned traitor." Kisara gasped. "He abandoned his title of the Fang of Metsudo and transferred to Purgatory. He was planning to use the name of Fang of Metsudo all along, so that he could enter the Purgatory under better conditions, since they pay better than the Kengan Matches." once Ryo continued by saying the traitor will be a fighter on the other side, a dark aura settled around the saloon. "We're in." Kisara resoluted for the both of them, although she wasn't going to be a fighter. "Himuro. The competition is in half a year, right?" Himuro nodded. "That scoundrel who betrayed the master will get what he deserves." Kisara hasn't seen that wicked, revengeful expression on his face since the Annihilation Tournament - It was clear he was fired up, and she could easily understand why. Even she, who was helped by Katahara with the briefest of things, was enraged at the notion of a Fang betraying his master, and wanted to see him dead. "Who are the other people joining? Actually, how many fighters is our line-up supposed to have?" Kisara asked, excited - That meant she was going to see her friends again, and they wouldn't have to be fighting each other! "As far as I know, thirteen fighters on each side. So far, apart from Kano, we have Gaolang, Wakatsuki, Naoya and the Eighth Fang." the red head squealed in delight. "I can't wait!" the girl was beyond thrilled and couldn't contain her glee. She knew, for the remaining half a year, her and Agito will have to train even harder and stop any bit of slack they might have previously indulged in. It was time for the supreme showdown to emerge.

Half a year passed by at an indefinite time, and suddenly, their stay at the motel wasn't as boring as Kisara thought it was previously. Spending most of their time fighting and perfecting their techniques made things far more enjoyable. She felt alive every time she fight - Not only from the satisfaction of landing punches and doing damage, but her nerves were lit on fire - The pain she felt reminded her that she's not numb, nor dead. It was fine. She was fine, and she was going to continue being even better. 

"Get up." Kisara called out to Agito, looking down at him - With that grin of his plastered, he shot to his feet and attempted to grapple the girl, only to get hit with his own Dragon Shot. "Perfect aim. Your blows got stronger." the Emperor coughed, stepping back. "You should join the line up. I have full confidence in your skills." "You trained me for almost three years, I bet you trust me to fuck them up." the red head chuckled lightly. "It's fine. I'm content with just watching you guys fight. The stakes are high, unlike before. I could lose company money all I want, but we are talking about the safety and continuation of the Kengan association. It means a lot to me... I wouldn't want to cause it harm indirectly." she explained, ruffling her hair messy. "We'll see the rest of the line up. We can always substitute." he grunted solemnly. "You really want me to fight, don't you?" he nodded. "Why?" "Because I want to see you proving to yourself that you can win." Kisara looked up at him, first with surprise, then she smiled tenderly. "Thank you for believing in me, Agito." at that moment, Agito's phone rang. The person on the other end of the line, who was shockingly enough, Yamashita Kazuo, knowing that Kisara was with him, had the man put the phone on speaker, so she could also hear what he had to say.

Tokita Ohma is alive.

That was the whole phone call. If Kano was shocked to hear such news, Kisara's knees went weak, and she fell to the ground. It took the man slapping her awake to get her back to reality. And boy, was she mad. The whole night, she couldn't concentrate on anything except fighting with Agito and hopefully get rid of the anger that she felt. For two years and a half, everyone thought Tokita Ohma died, only to find out that he was safe and sound, and training with the Kure Clan, at their village. With Raian. Raian, with whom Kisara texted almost daily. She was going to rip his throat out.

'Kure Raian, I'm going to rip your guts our of your body and hang you from a tree for the animals to maul and eat you.'

Raian, receiving that text, only laughed to the point of his sides hurting - And when Ohma asked what the hell was he on about and why wasn't he returning to their fighting spar, he simply showed him the text - And Ohma, too, was amused, though he knew, there will be hell to pay for keeping her in the dark for so long. The reaction of everyone, especially the older manager, was enough to make him realise that, in his hopes of keeping them safe, he simply made them mourn.

It was good to be home, Kisara thought, but it was so lonely, sad and quiet. Even taking a hot bubble bath and drinking wine didn't work in keeping her calm. In the middle of the night, she packed her bag and drove to Agito's - She couldn't stay alone. She needed someone to keep her out of her spinning mind. Ohma was alive. Why didn't he tell her? Why did he keep it a secret from everyone, especially her and Yamashita? Raian too - Couldn't they just send a hint? Anything at all? Why did he want her suffering for so long? She couldn't phantom how the hell did she become so reliant on a man, but she owed Agito everything for being so patient and abiding to any of her whims, even in her most unstable of days. 

Together, they went to the private jet of the Kengan association, to go the island where the tournament will be taking place. She saw the fighters walk towards the plane, but her and Kano remained in the back. She saw Ohma's silhouette. She didn't feel strong enough to walk straight up to him and sock him in that beautiful, beautiful face of his. She was content ignoring him and going to speak with the others, or meet the new faces.

First, she went to Gaolang to give him a hug - But as soon as she saw that Ohma and Yamashita were eating at the table next to him, she made a quick excuse and scurried off. Next, was a guy around the age of 40 probably, with messy dark hair and a stubble. He was dressed in Japanese clothes, and was leisurely reading on the couch next to Julius, who was eating twenty or so sandwiches. "Hi! I'm Kisara. It's great meeting a new fighter." she extended her hand for him to shake. The man looked at her with the most tired expression in the world, and grunted at her in acknowledgement, shaking her hand - But his eyes soon widened, realising the strength and pressure she was so innocently applying to that grip. Was she attempting a battle of strength? "Tokuno'o Tokumichi. Nitoku, for short." under the circumstances he found himself he, Nitoku lazily got up, and played her game. People were staring at them - While Kisara held that enigmatic fox-like smile, Toku seemed to keep a solemn leisureness about him, though he was on high alert. As if sensing the momentum, Nitoku fell into a crouching position and grappled the girl's thighs, grabbing her and holding her into a death grip - But she was laughing so serenely, that he almost felt as though he fell in her trap. "If you wanted to hug me, you should have just said so. You're pretty attractive, I admit." he looked up at her, bewildered by her weird words. "I wanted to see if you were strong enough for what was going to happen... And eventually, find out your fighting style too." Nitoku felt as though he completely failed, and slowly, he put her down on the ground.  "Sambo." he replied, and in that instant, the mischievous expression on her face changed to one of pure wonder. "Sambo?! You -- Really?!" he nodded, watching her smile grow ever wider. "That's amazing! I've never seen a true Sambo master in practice before! Now that I think of it, you do have the build for it. Ah - Do you like Dostoevsky?" "Y-Yes. I studied literature in Russia. I am an author, but I need some more money... So I guess I take the occasional fight." he explained, taking his book from the couch and showing her that he was, in fact, reading Dostoevsky, as she predicted. "You have suddenly become one of my favourite people here." with a peace sign, she left the man to look at her moving away with sheer confusion. What was that interaction, anyway? He had no clue - But at least there's someone in there that can appreciate true literature genius.

The next person she saw was Masaki Meguro...  But it wasn't actually the psycho that got killed by the kick-boxer, but his... Brother? Alright. Whatever. He seemed like a normal person. Time to move on to the last person - He seemed like a kid, standing on an armchair, away from the crowd... But he seemed threated by Akoya? That psycho. Kisara went to them and reached up to grabbed Akoya's shoulder and push him away. "Enough threatening, Psychop. Leave the kid alone. He doesn't want to deal with you." Akoya looked down at the girl with an even graver look. Another pair of steps approached them, and Wakatsuki made him back off. Apparently, this psycho-cop almost killed Murobuchi Gozo. How awful. "Don't mind him, kid. He's not normal in the head. I don't get why he's here." she crouched down to his level - Only to get a better look at him and freeze. He looked just like a younger copy of Ohma. It wasn't easy looking at him, but she smiled nonetheless. "I'm Kisara. If you ever have any question, you can always come to me for anything. I'm sure I can help you out."  "Thanks, Miss Kisara. My name is Gaoh Ryuki. I am one of the fighters, actually, not a kid." as if his face wasn't enough, even his name was the girl stare at him in shock. Gaoh, huh? What a mess. "So young, yet so talented. I look forward to seeing you fight, then." she got up and patted his fluffy hair - Shit, so fluffy, just like Ohma's. This was addicting.

She walked away from him - He had such a soft and innocent face... Was Ohma like that too, long before they met? When he was much younger?  Deep in thought, Kisara wanted to go to Agito and just attempt to take a nap, leaning on his shoulder - But she saw him standing next to Retsudo. Lihito and Naoya were there too, staring down at... Someone. Her feet dragged her there - And that someone turned his head, and smirked as playfully as she usually does. "Ah, Miss CEO is here! What a delight!" it was the bodyguard that came to the infirmary after her fight. "Misasa? Wait - Don't tell me... It is you! You're the Eighth Fang of Metsudo!" he grinned even wider. "Miss CEO hasn't seen me fight, yet she guessed right. I'm flattered!" he chuckled lethargically. At this point, Lihito was drooling, looking down at the elegant silhouette of the red haired woman in front of him. "I'm happy for you. In fact - I'm very happy to see someone like you being acknowledged as strong enough for that title." compared to every other fighter, Kisara and Misasa looked absolutely tiny and slender. Though the new Fang was a few centimeters taller than her, and a bit more built, they were very much alike, especially with the tactics behind their techniques. "Yes, I bet you're happy. You must have gotten even stronger than before. I heard you were trained by Kano these years. I'm looking forward to your fight." Kisara smiled wryly. Lihito attempted to reach out to the girl, but he got his hands easily swatted away, without her even bothering to look at him. "I'm not in the lineup, sorry. But since you are - Make us proud, will you? You're the pride of cute, little people like us." she chuckled lightly, hearing him huff in amusement. "Just beat someone up and take their place. I'm sure that would be fun." Lihito started whining, making both the shorter fighters roll their eyes, not appreciating the conversation being disturbed like that. "What. The hell. Do you want." Kisara snapped her head at him - Only to get called out by Agito for cursing. "Sorry, Agito." she now hates that she made him promise to call her out for over cursing. It was a bad habit she picked up after Ohma's death, to relieve pent up tension, but she had to stop already, it went against her convictions. "Can I have your phone number?" Lihito asked, but received a negative answer. "Can I take you for a date?" again, no. "Then at least gimme your pussy!" The other four men around went silent. The pressure was immense, and the room suddenly felt much darker. Kisara's silent anger was enough for them to realise that, if Lihito continued with his antics, he might not have enough limbs and organs to actually fight in the competition. Before he could blink again, the blond idiot found himself breaking the shelf by the wall much behind him. The commotion made more people see what had happened. "What? It was just a punch. He should count his blessing." Kisara shrugged non-chalantly, only to hear a familiar, wicked laugh roaring through the plane - It made her groan. "Good one, babe!" she looked away from him. "I don't speak to traitors. Go jump off the plane. Nobody likes you." she said, side stepping Raian - And she had to continuously side-step him for a while, as he still tried to annoy her, like that irritating younger brother that won't leave you alone. "I should have stayed in Arizona." the woman groaned, going to hide behind Agito. "Tell that fuckass that I'm not friends with scummy, filthy traitors!" Agito and Retsudo looked confused between the Kure psycho and the fox-girl. "I WANT TO SEE YOU FIGHT, WOMAN!" "All the more reason NOT to!" she huffed. From the end of the room, Yamashita Kazuo and Ohma chuckled at the jovial interaction between the participants. They had a good roster - Things were bound to go well for Kengan. They had faith. "BUT I GET TURNED ON WATCHING YOU FIGHT!" Raian always knew how to exasperate her. "I'll gouge your eyes out!" he was clutching his sides painfully.

It seems the flight was a decent and short one, for they already arrived at Mt. Godslayer, the artificial dome created to look like a volcano-mountain. It was great, but for Kisara, nothing can compare to Katahara's island. All 13 fighters from Kengan were called on the stage, where the 13 Purgatory fighters were awaiting. For some reason, Naoya was dressed as a clown - That was weird. On the other hand, the fighters from Purgatory seemed rather intimidating. Most of them was dressed, except for a Julius-built guy, and some  skeletal-like short man. 

Yamashita and Kisara went to stay at the Kengan fighter waiting room - The others followed soon after. From there, they noticed Sayaka and Jerry Tyson from the commentator table. It was then that they were announced the ways of winning: Knock out or Ring out. Additionally, if someone kills their opponent, they are disqualified.

"Weaklings." Kisara spat. "That Ring-Out rule is bullshit. Only weaklings need to cheat to win a fight. Might as well bring secret weapons too." she scoffed in annoyance. The Kengan fighters were the real deal, and surely, they will be at a disadvantage when abiding the ring-out rule. It wasn't fair. "Ya heard her. Those guys must be a bunch of pussies if they need to ring-out to win. Ha! Those fuckin' pigs." Raian gruffed, his arms crossed to his chest in disgust. For an assassin and combat-master, this was an annoying rule - Most of the others were in agreement. "That just means we have to be extra careful. They are used to that rule, so they will try to take advantage of it." Wakatsuki pointed out. Yamashita, as the manager, explained that every three turns, a team must choose their fighter first, and the other must respond - And then they swap.  "This sounds more like a chess game than a fighting game. Bullshit." Kisara was seemed the biggest hater of this tournament all of a sudden. "We must adapt to their rules, unfortunately. Everyone, be careful." Naoya looked absurd with that clown outfit on.  "I really hope you won't fight in this silly get up." Kisara eyed him quietly, as everyone was fighting amongst themselves to assert who will fight first. "I'll go first." Agito declared solemnly. "No, you're like the general of the army. We need to save you for when wee need you most." Gaolang strategically pointed out. "I don't give a damn about your rules. I'll handle this myself." Akoya grumbled, ready to fight. Raian cheerfully laughed. "You're talkin' a lot of shit for a fuckin' pig~♪!"  "Would you like to be the first to die?" Seishuu clenched his fists, threatening the Kure devil. "HUUUUH?! Did I hear that right? Who's gonna die here?" Raian's face looked as twisted as a Japanese Oni mask. "Okay, break it up, you two." Misasa calmly broke the two apart, but it was for naught. They continued to fight, whilst Yamashita came too, hoping to intervene and keep them away from each other. Ohma was done with them, whilst Wakatsuki was disappointed in them and wanted to sub them out. Masaki shaded them, whilst Nitoku was disgusted - And Lihito shrieked like a bratty, cheerful kid, wanting to be picked first. "FUCKING QUIEEEEEEETTTTT!" Kisara's loud voice made everyone stop and stare at her with wide, surprised eyes. One point for Hatsumi for teaching her the trick to that. "Fucking finally. You're all behaving like a bunch of stupid kindergarden kids. YOU'RE ADULT FIGHTERS, BEHAVE LIKE THAT! WHERE'S YOUR FIGHTER PRIDE?! YOU'RE EMBARRASSING US IN FRONT OF THOSE LOSERS!" now that she was able to get everyone's attention and scolded them appropriately, Gaolang nodded at her as a thanks.  "I'll go first." he threw his coat to the ground, stepping into the rink. "Be careful, Gaolang. You can win, but be wary of the ring-out." Kisara reminded him, and he nodded in acknowledgement. "Thank you, Miss Kisara... But Gaolang already went ahead. Do you think that's good?" Yamashita Kazuo asked, Ohma walking right next to him. "It's not optimal, no. I hoped to put him as a retaliation, not as a first pick. Either way, I met Gaolang last year in Thailand. His fist is in perfect condition and he's gotten stronger than before. He has every chance to win by Knockout." the girl explained, abruptly turning with her back to her husband. "Kisara, let's talk." his voice made her shudder - But she didn't look back. She couldn't. Instead, she walked away and clinged onto Agito's arms, leaning on his side to get a good look at the ring. How long will she be able to keep this up, she didn't know, but she couldn't bare to face him and keep her emotions in check, let alone speak to him properly. 

Gaolang's opponent was Carlos Medel, a former boxer that won every match, from the middle-weight class, all the way to the top of the heavy-weight class - And then, he gave up. He was too strong, and he had no competition. Not only that, but his manager was also a shithead, and Carlos couldn't get any matches, so he simply vanished from the public eye. He was a true legend and practically a God for his people in Mexico. "If he's a heavy-weight boxer, why is does he look skinnier than even me and Misasa?" Kisara asked, turning to the other fighters. "Yes, I wondered that myself." Nitoku put his glasses on and stared at the screen. "I don't know much about public sports, but aren't heavy-weights around 90 KG in just about every sport? He looks about 54... No, 53 kilograms at best." Ohma guessed. "That's far less than even me. I think that puts him about Miss CEO's weight, then. And counting his height, that's even weirder." Misasa pointed. "He's all skin and bones. Seems like there's not even a drop of sweat in him. Can he really fight like that?" Lihito pointed out - At that moment, Kisara gasped - A Eureka moment possessed her. "CAPOEIRA!" she gulped. "He must have become a dancer - Why else would he shave off half of his weight? He must be incredibly fast and agile to pull off those ridiculous moves. Besides - Capoeira was developed in Brasil. Brasil is in South America, and he's from Mexico, so not too far away, all things considered." "Shit, pretty girl might just be right." Raian grumbled.  "How'd you guess?" Lihito asked, blinking in wonder. "Eddy and Christie from Tekken! You're right, it would make sense!" Naoya's comment made Kisara grin, "Exactly~! Although, my main is Sergei, the Russian Sambo babe." she winked at Nitoku playfully, who got flustered and confused.

Alisa, the referee, instructed the two fighters, had them take their stances - And declared the beginning of the fight. Gaolang quickly rushed to get a jab at him, but his punches slipped through - It was just like how Kuroki dodged everything with his inception of intent. This was clearly a very high-level fight. Carlos praised the Thai for his Flash jabs, watching as blood unexpectedly poured from his nose - And taunted him, saying he's faster than even light. It seemed that Medel was very eager to fight the Thai God of War.

"Gaolang could have dodged that, if the opponent had hostility behind that punch. He seems fine. He must be playing a psychological game or some shit." Ohma theorised - And it made sense, though Kisara wasn't happy with that notion. Gaolang went ahead to try and punch that jerk, but he had everything dodged, to the point that they're just throwing jabs at each other, and none land. It was impressive to watch. High-level. Agito acknowledge Wongsawat for having improved dramatically, and was especially moved by his recovery after the career-ending injury that he himself inflicted. He was truly strong.  Both fighters got every close to hitting each other, guessing the intent - But from the stands, it looked as though Gaolang was getting a one-sided beating. "He's not landing anything! how come Gaolang's getting his ass kicked?!" Lihito despaired at the display before him. "Medel's got him beat in mobility." Wakatsuki noted. "But WHY?! WHY THE HELL'S GAOLANG HAVING TROUBLE WITH A LIGHT-WEIGHT?!" Naoya was gripping the railing and roaring so hard, it was unreal. "It would appear that we have misjudged Medel's true terror." Agito nodded his head, looking at Kisara. "What terror?" the blond asked, like a child questioning a teacher. "Look at Kisara's frame. Look at Misasa. Now look at his frame. It's not the frame of a heavy-weight. You can't just put on muscle until you're heavy enough for the heavy-weight class and expect to improve your potential. Just the opposite. Too much muscle for your frame can dampen your power. You could say that Medel became the top heavy-weight boxer, all while wearing 40 KG worth of weights. Do you think these two rely on the power of their punches like Wakatsuki and Julius, rather than speed, agility, tactics and weak-points?" Kano explained to those around him - In that moment, Gaolang was able to deliver a punch to his nose. "He was able to figure out Medel's pattern!" Kisara grinned, throwing herself at the railing to get a better look. The second body blow was dodged - And the third --  It surprised everyone. Medel was keeping himself on the ground, yet still raised, as if he was that chick from the exorcist. At light-speed, Carlor threw himself up and kicked at Gaolang's face as he jumped back to his feet and praised the Thai for out-punching him, yet continued to taunt and mock him, saying his strikes can even kill a God. What a cocky piece of shit.

Medel did a swift hand stand and delivered a kick, and with his other hand he grabbed Gaolang's ankle, landing another kick to his face, and though guarded, they landed. "So this is what Capoeira looks like. There are MAYBE two people at most who use that in public Martial Arts... But I suppose, since it's the underground..." Naoya was visibly angry. "But his Capoeira style is pretty weird. I haven't seen anything like this.. Though, I only saw this in games and anime." Kisara pointed out, unable to pry her eyes away. "There are two main styles of Capoeira, namely Angola and Regional... There's also a school called Contem-Poranea, but it doesn't fit either of them." Masaki explained, serenely reading his book. "Well, that explains how his movements are so different from the Capoeirista I fought once." Misasa added to the conversation. "Medel's probably added his own spin to it, to better fuse it with his boxing." Naoya pointed out. "A Mexican boxer doing Brazilian Martial arts? I'll be a monkey's uncle." Lihito chuckled. "Nitoku is a Japanese man using Russian Sambo. I'm a Japanese girl, using Russian Systema. Cosmo is a Japanese boy using Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Boxing became a sport in England. Not everything was invented in our country, so there's no need to be so shocked." the red head shrugged, unsure of why they were so shocked. "Huh. Now that you put it that way..." Lihito mumbled. "Yo, hey - I wanna fight next, a'ight? Imma go piss. Keep me updated!" he ran away faster than they could blink.  "Idiot." Kisara huffed, looking back at the fight.

Medel continued to dance and throw a variety of kicks at Gaolang, while he was blocking and parrying - It seemed that the Thai was analysing - Until he moved in for a punch, only for Carlos to slide to the ground and painfully hit the boxer's ankle, making him kneel to the ground, only to receive a powerful fast kick. "GAOLANG!!" he could hear his team-mates calling out his name, as he was cursing himself for his stupidity. He should have realised - He was using boxing, capoeira and digong-quan all blended together, so it was no wonder he couldn't recognise pure-capoeira from the start. Carlos wasn't a boxing genius, but a striking genius, and Capoeira's moves were the most compatible ones for his skinny body, and exactly what his boxing was lacking. He was trying to take out Gaolang's legs by going for his joints - That meant he couldn't do any footwork, nor work any of his Muay Thai kicks. 

Medel tried to shatter Gaolang's right fist once again - But was met with a great surprise. "Forget it. No one can shatter my fist anymore." Kisara felt herself breathless. Though he didn't shatter any of his bones, his skin was scrapped enough to draw blood. Gaolang followed up with a jab, but Carlor went for a low leap and went back to boxing - But he got heavily hit in the gut. Carlos was on the ground and the ref declared a Down, and she started the countdown. "This is bullshit! They should let him fuck that guy up until he can't take it anymore! This is the underground, not public sport!"  "Calm down." Agito put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it, knowing she will feel better. "WAY TO GO, GAOLAAAAAAANG!!!!! MY ETERNAL RIVAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLL!!!" out of literally nowhere, Saw Paing jumped to his feet, waving a huge flag with Gaolang's name on it. From his seat, Karo the Fisherman was also waving a similar flag. "What the --" Kisara muttered, bewildered at the Burmese. On the count of two, Carlos jumped to his feet. 

But although Medel attempted to recover with quick and shallow breathing, he still suffered considerable damage. Gaolang didn't allow him any break. Medel was clearly on the look for Gaolang's right after that massive body blow he received. And then - The Thai God of War, the Boxing Genius - Gaolang Wongsawat switched to Muay Thai. "GO, GAOLANG, GO!!!" Kisara shrieked his name, thrilled to see him properly use Muay Thai and kick his opponent. He landed three clean hits and even an uppercut to his chin. They were so close to the end of the end of the arena - Everyone was cheering for him, but Kisara was horrified. "IT'S THE EDGE!!! GAOLANG!!" this sobered up the Kengan fighters and tried to yell at him - But there was probably no way anyone except for Saw Paing could be heard through the ruckus made by the auditorium.

With his follow up punch to the face, people saw Medel fall to the ground - They thought Gaolang had won - But Carlos had one more trick up his sleeve. With the last bit of strength he had left, he wrapped his legs around Gaolang's waist and brought him out of the ring. It was a double ring out, and Gaolang was declared the loser. Kisara was shaking with anger, and not even Kano Agito could calm her down. She wanted to march to Carlos and rip his head right off.

With complete shame and self-hatred, Gaolang returned to the Kengan waiting room and slumped on a chair, a towel covering his head. "Sorry. My pride was my undoing." Kisara, not even caring that she'd get sweat on her good clothes, threw her arms around her friend and hugged him with all her might. "It wasn't your pride, but their shit rules. For us, you won, Gaolang. Be proud of yourself. You're the strongest." "Exactly. It wasn't your fault. This could have happened to any of us." Ohma comforted the boxer - It was weird, hearing Ohma being so.... Humane. Her heart was beating so fast, just hearing his voice. "Kisara and Tokita Ohma are right. Lift your head up, we all know who the real winner is." Agito acknowledged him once more. "Don't worry about it, Gaolang. I'll make this up for you next match." surprisingly, Ryuki spoke for the first time. "This should remind us all that we have to win on Purgatory terms." Masaki agreed. "WE AIN'T GONNA LET GAOLANG'S LOSS BE FOR NOTHIN'!!! WE'RE GONNA WIN THIS!!!!!" Naoya roared into the room, attempting to fire up everyone. "Speaking of - We should choose the next fighter." Yamashita Kazuo pointed out. "Lihito said he wanted to go next, didn't he? Where is he?" as soon as Misasa spoke up, the door opened, revealing a beaten up Lihito. Everyone was in shock - What the hell happened? "Gah... I got beaten up in the toilet... I don't know who those fuckers were... But fuck, it's bad..." Raian only laughed, remembering the way he scared him half to death during the last tournament. "We're one man down. Did the Purgatory do this? Were they so afraid of us after watching Gaolang destroy their fighter?" Nitoku wondered also. "Who the fuck cares? They only made their grave! Those shitheads have no idea that we have a stronger fighter to take that weakling's place!" Raian wickedly grinned - All at once, everyone's eyes turned to Kisara. "Kisara was trained by Kano and Hatsumi for a while now. I think she'd do well." Wakatsuki voted in favour. "Wait, Miss Kisara can fight?!" Ryuki's eyes widened in shock. "Can fight, he asks. Miss CEO here gave Wakatsuki a run for his money." Misasa chuckled mischievously. "We're going to lose." Akoya spoke, but nobody even looked at him. "Go on, Kisara. You can do it." Agito encouraged her. "Yamashita Kazuo. Announce the refs that Hasashi Kisara will be replacing Lihito as a fighter." Ohma smirked proudly - Unintentionally, Kisara looked at him, and as soon as they shared eye contact, her cheeks reddened.  "Fine." she sighed, releasing Gaolang from the embrace. "I do have almost three years of pent up anger... And some revenge as a bonus. Don't worry, Gaolang. I'll bring them hell." she patted his hair, earning a smile and a thank you. "No  -- Wait, guys, I can still fight!" though Lihito was practicing his moves, in truth, hardly anybody minded the change. "Shut the fuck up, ya whiny pig~♪" Raian cackled, watching Kisara calmly walk up to Lihito - In a split second, she had performed the Dragon Shot that Agito used on Hatsumi, yet this time, it was perfected, and Lihito was groveling on the ground. "Let's face it, Lihito. You're useless. You trained with Master Kuroki, the best fighter in the world - Yet even now, you're the biggest loser. I don't do overkill, but if you piss me off, I might get blood on my boots." she stepped on his head. "But you're -- You can't! You fought before, but you can't compare to those guys! Master Kuroki taught me well! I- I can overcome this, gimme a cha--- HUFGH" he was left breathless by a kick to his stomach that slammed him into the wall. "What did I say about the blood, damn it." Kisara rolled her eyes and went back to sit on one of the chairs. Instinctively, Agito knelt by her side, helping her with the boots, then handed her the haori and kitsune mask that she always keeps in her bag.  "Good thing you came prepared." he smirked proudly. "Yeah, tell me about it. Somehow, I always end up in situations like this. What would you guys do without me?" she chuckled cheerfully, taking off the turtleneck, showing off the black crop top she sported, and changing her jeans to the high waisted pants - It was the same outfit she had when she fought Wakatsuki, the man realised. Ah, the memories. Kano took the sword from her hip and tied her hair up, as she fixed the haori on her shoulders - But just before she put on the mask...  "The necklace." Agito's comment froze the girl. Ohma smiled, watching her slowly reach to the ring on the chain and hold it to her heart - Only to quickly take it off and, with one last look at it, she went to Gaolang, placing it preciously into his palm. "I swear on this little thing that I will win. For you. For all of us. I have begun my life thanks to the Kengan Association. I owe it, and everyone here, my well-being and happiness. I, Hasashi Kisara, the Queen of the Kengan Matches, swear to win my match against that Purgatory fuckass." she clenched her other fist and smirked in victory. "FUCK YEAHHHH, THAT'S THE SPIRIT, BABE! GO FUCK HIM UP! FUCK HIM UP!" Raian's obnoxious cheer made her laugh, and with one last stretch of her limbs, she stepped towards the ring. "Hasashi Kisara." she stopped in her tracks abruptly. "The mask." that cheeky voice of his... Jerk. Still, although she didn't answer, Kisara put the mask on and stepped in the arena.

"AND HERE COMES THE QUEEN OF THE KENGAN MATCHES! THE SECOND FIGHTER FOR THE KENGAN ASSOCIATION IS THE KITSUNE!" Sayaka's voice called out. "IT'S THE KITSUNE FOR THE KENGAN ASSOCIATION VS. THE OGRE, FOR THE PURGATORY!!! ROUND TWO OF THE COMPETITION IS UNDERWAY!!!

A guy that seemed to be shorter than Wakatsuki's height came forward. He was also very well build, and he had bandaged around his wrists and forearms. He wore a shirt and shorts. After fighting with Wakatsuki and Agito, this guy didn't seem all that scary at all anymore, although - He grinned wickedly at her, almost looking like Raian - And he stuck his tongue out, revealing what looked like a white tattoo of a centipede. Kisara gasped. "Worm!" she instinctively stepped backwards. The man laughed ominously, getting in a wrestler-like stance. "Imma wring your neck, Princess! I can't decide whether I should fuck you, then kill you, or reverse!"  She gagged in disgust. "I'm married, fuck off." she sneered at him. "FIIIIIGHT!" Alisa's yell echoed throughout the place. 

Kisara kept into a high guard and as soon as the Ogre approached, she swiped at the ground, mimicking the way Agito scared off Hatsumi in the very beginning. The guy's going to think she was specialised in kicks, to get the maximum range, due to her small frame. As soon as he threw the first punch at her face, Kisara easily side-stepped and gripping his wrist, threw him to the edge of the arena, sliding over the ground, yet not quite there yet. "What is it, fuck-ass? Doesn't look that great when your weakling rules work against you, huh? Purgatory must be filled with weak cowards like you who need rules like Down or Ring-Out to get any win!" Kisara taunted him, earning a battle roar from her enemy. In the stands, her friend had mixed reactions to her taunting. Gaolang was tightly holding the ring into his hand, knowing perfectly well how much it meant for her. In an instant, the Ogre came at her with a barrage of jabs which drove her backwards all the way to the edge - He went in for a palm-heel this time, to push her off, but as if she teleported, Kisara was behind him, aiming a hit - But the jerk had abruptly turned around and cut her abdomen slightly. "Just as I thought. Women really have sensitive skin." it was the same problem as with Cosmo and his need to wear shirts for his grappling. She couldn't understand what technique this guy was using, even though she was fast enough to dodge his hits, he still managed to cut her face, though when aiming for the shoulder, neck or chest, he didn't damage anything. Kisara found herself close to the edge once again. "You're just a small bitch who thinks she can fight, but all you do is run around!" he didn't get that talking shit would get him to the ground, as Kisara leaned back and cleaved at his leg, and when he lost balance, she jumped on his thigh - Wakatsuki remembered the follow up, but this time, it was different. Kisara used his shoulders to get herself above him, and with one hand deep in his hair, she dragged him down, followed by a kick to his nose. "DOWN!! LET THE COUNT DOWN BEGIN!" her friends were cheering for her loudly. "Pathetic bitches like you need this countdown to take a break, otherwise, you'd just die. Loser." Kisara stepped away from him. Alisa counter to 5 before the Ogre got up. "I'll burn you alive." Kisara grinned behind her mask. "HOW DID YOU DO THAT, BITCH?!" Misasa was humming in amusement from the stands - The girl knew as well as him how to take advantage of weak spots and well-timed hits. Kano taught her well. "HOW MUCH ARE YOU GONNA PISS ME OFF TODAY, HUH?! HOW FUCKING DARE YOU TRY TO FUCK ME OFF?!" he went in a low stance and went at the speed of light, hoping to grab at her shins - But Kisara grabbed him by the face and delivered a powerful knee. He was blown backwards, so Kisara went in for a flash of jabs like Gaolang taught her, aiming all vitals. The Thai smiled from the stands, silently cheering for her. She ended her combo by landing a punch to his temple and a chop to his wind pipe. 

The Ogre was writhing on the ground, and Alisa called for another Count Down. "IS THAT ALL THE PURGATORY CAN DO?! IS THAT ALL?! NO WONDER YOU NEED SO MANY THINGS TO HELP YOU OUT WITH YOUR MATCHES, YOU'RE ALL SHIT AT THIS! IF YOU CAN'T EVEN WIN BY A KNOCKOUT, HOW ABOUT YOU GET A NEW JOB AND LET THE PROS FIGHT PROPERLY! THIS ISN'T A PUBLIC MATCH, THIS IS THE UNDERGROUND!"  "She's having too much fun." Takeshi was the first to point out, worried for the girl, but Ohma was quick to reassure him. "She's taunting her opponent into making mistakes. Don't forget who you fought against, Wakatsuki. She's even better than before." he was enjoying the fight very much. "Miss Kisara is strong. She proved that to me with that hand-shake alone. She'll be fine." Nitoku spoke, watching the fight intently.

The Ogre was up once again, and he rushed at the girl, balancing on his toes to do some kind of spin, continued by a kick, which Kisara easily parried and used his ankle to thumble him to the ground - But he was able to do a handstand and got in a grapple-stance - The Kitsune was easily able to chop to get out of his range and immobilised his arm in a tight-lock. Nitoku's eyes widened - Pure Systema move at its finest, just as she said before - But the Kengan fighters all let out collective gasps and called out her name as soon as, with sheer strength, Kisara's body was raised, and the opponent produced a knife from his shirt, stabbing her abdomen and letting her fall on her feet, delivered a blow to her face. Her head ended up handing from the edge of the arena, mask broken around the ring, and she was panting from the shock and pain. Alisa declared the fight to end, but the fallen one yelled. "NO! DON'T END IT!" she coughed painfully, rolling to her knees, and lethargically getting up. "I don't care about this stupid match and your stupid rules. I want to win. If Purgatory people need to resort to weapon to win in a fight, FINE BY ME! The match will continue!" Alisa watched, freaked out, as the woman used her forearm to wipe away the blood from her face. "Ehh~? The little whore's still up for playing? How cute!" the Ogre laughed. "We're fighting to the death." Kisara declared, adrenaline going so far through her veins that she forgot all about pain. Her rage was the sole thing going through her body. She lunged at the man's arm, and just like before, got him in a lock, but instead of attempting to break his arm, she broke his elbow by bringing it on her knee, which allowed her to snatch the knife away and throw it our of the arena. "You're a fucking shame to every fighter in the world! You fucking Worm!" with a grin on her face, Kisara got in a Formless stance.

"Whoa, no way, that's your stance Kano!" Naoya gasped in shock - Seeing someone other than Agito doing that was almost weird. She was the first to rush in and feint a low grapple, only to follow up by throwing herself at his feet to make him stumble and get behind him - He was unsure on his feet as he turned around to grab her, but she allowed herself to fall backwards and propped her body on her hands, kicking her heel at his chin, driving him backwards - But she jumped back to her feet and grabbed his wrist, pulling him towards her and performing a Dragon shot. He gasped blood, his body frozen as he was sent flying to the other end of the arena once more. Kisara wanted to make him suffer as much as possible. Agito told her all about these Worm fuckers and all the horrors they did - More, the fact that she found out about their involvement in the whole mess Ohma was pushed into... In her mind, it was the Worms who killed him.

This time, it took 8 counts for the Ogre to get up - He rushed with a punch to her face, which she evaded, using an elbow to his chest, and engaged in a rain of jabs and kicks with her opponent, who mirrored her every move. "Do you know who my master was, little bitch? It was Tokita Niko himself!" he got a palm heel to his chin - But as he reeled back, he was somehow able to fall on his feet, going limp to disperse the damage, following a rush and a heavy punch that Kisara had to block by using the Indestructible on her arm. Ohma wanted to feel proud, but hearing that name again didn't sit right with him. "I'll show you what real power is!" he tried to use the same damning technique to her diaphragm, but she was able to kick him to the face - Yet she got her foot swept and fell to the ground. The enemy tried to do a WWE type of elbow-fall to her, so she rolled quickly and rushed at him, getting his arm on a hold and grappled to the ground for power, only to get overpowered and Kisara was lifted, despite the tight hold she was keeping on his joints, and was thrown to the ground, trying to block repetitive kicks to her body after being stomped on where she got stabbed. "YOU BETTER THANK ME! YOU'LL GET KILLED BY THE ULTIMATE POWER OF THE WORM! THE PERFECTED POWER OF TOKITA NIKO!" but he couldn't get through with more than that more kick alone, as she continued blocking with the indestructible. If Agito couldn't break her, neither can this fuckass. "You're too loud." Kisara grumbled, using the opponent's ankle to swipe her body around and roll away, and she delivered an uppercut to his chin that she continued with a kick to the groin, and using his thigh to jump up once again, she hit him hard in the head with her elbows, slamming his face into the ground, before kicking his side, plummeting him to the other side of the arena. Her war cry, along with the blood falling to the ground showed the end of the match was near - Either she defeated him, or she would fall from the blood loss.  "FUCKING WHORE, I'LL KILL YOU AND EVERYONE YOU LOVE! I'LL DESTROY EVERYTHING YOU EVER HELD DEAR IN YOUR LIFE!" he rushed in with another punch, but she she easily used the Hatsumi trick to evade and deliver a punch to his face. "YOU FUCKING KILLED MY HUSBAND, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" no one heard such anguish, except for Agito. Finally, Kisara was beginning to spill her emotions into the match. "YOU FUCKING KILLED HIM! YOU KILLED TOKITA OHMA! I'LL FUCKING RIP YOU APART, YOU FUCKASS!" she was clutching her stabbed side, watching the guy get up. He looked weird, changed, almost monstrous. It looked an awful lot like the Removal, but also, not quite what Raian had. It was dubious.  "BEWARE THE ULTIMATE POWER OF THE GUIHUN! I'LL BURY YOU ALIVE!" Kisara found herself being sent rolling to the ground, all the way across the ground. Panting and coughing, and her hair no longer tied, but all over her face. She looked up, a hand brushing the red curtain off - And saw how close to the edge she was. Shit, even the indestructible isn't strong enough for this thing.

Kisara listened to the countdown - She needed a break, her whole body was killing her. Fuck this guy.  7... 8... 9.... The Kitsune was back on her feet and ran around the fucker to avoid the edge and evaded all his punches until he attempted a chop - She grabbed his hand and applied the right pressure to get him kneeling, so she could deliver Hatsumi's triple cloud strike technique. But he merely laughed. "You think that tickle can defeat me?! HA! HAHAHAHAHA!!!" he tried to stomp her down - The ground almost felt that it shook - He tried another punch, and another, but they were so powerful that they became aimless, so they were easy to dodge. In a final attempt to do something with his raw strength, the Ogre grabbed the woman by her middle and squeezed as hard as she could.  "KISARA!!!" she could hear some people screamed her name, thinking she would get squished to death. The blood was pouring out faster than before from all that pressure, but Naoya and Gaolang saw her face. Despite the blood, that animalistic grin that matched Kano's was painted on, and they almost shuddered. "It's over." Agito, too, smirked in pride.  "You taught her well, Kano. Thanks." Ohma watched as she delivered Kano's most powerful technique, which in turn, became her trump card as well. Most effective at point-blank range, she properly delivered the Dragon shot to his jaw. "MY NAME IS TOKITA KISARA!!!" she watched as the man's eyes rolled in his skull. "AND!!!" with her last strength, she kicked him out of the arena also.  "AND THE MATCH HAS BEEN CALLED!!!" Alisa roared, and Kisara's picture on the screen remained lit, having WINNER underneath, whilst the Ogre's had LOSE underneath, and was lights out. "I'M THE QUEEN OF THE KENGAN MATCHEEEEEEESSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" her friends chuckled in relief, as her shriek resounded so loudly that she put Saw Paing to shame. Her friends cheering for her victory was even louder.

On stumbling feet, she dragged herself to snatch the knife and went to the Ogre's body. "Someone go get her quickly." Agito commanded, realising her intent.  "THIS IS A DECLARATION OF WAR -- TO ALL OF YOU, FUCKING WORMS! AND YOU, PURGATORY, CAN'T FAIL ME AFTER WINNING!" Kisara coughed out some blood. "I WILL SKIN ALL OF YOU WORMS ALIVE! IT'S THE END OF YOU!" before anyone could reach her, Kisara had already cut off his tongue and slashed his belly open, as if it was seppuku - She was back on her feet, holding the tongue with the white centipede tattoo on it. "All of you will end like this." she laughed, watching as one of the fighters... Or was it a sub? Or a friend of theirs? Ran over, and he was crying. "You -- You monster! How dare you do that! HOW DARE YOU?! You make a mockery out of our home, the Purgatory, and now -- Now you kill us?! I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT IS LIKE TO GET KILLED!" the man got in a fighting stance and rushed at her blindly, but she easily used a redirection kata move and made him stumble to the ground behind her. Maybe he wasn't really a fighter, that was too bratty. She saw some of her friends prancing to her side, looking all tough and menacing, while she looked like a real hot mess. From the other side, the Purgatory fighters came over, but not to start a fight, but get that person leave already. The guy tried to pounce on her from behind, but before he could, Ohma punched him away. Kisara grinned weakly - She knew he would do that.  The man who looked like the leader of the Purgatory fighters grabbed their friend up by the shirt and dragged him away. Another apologised. "The woman literally got stabbed by that idiot, and still won her fight - What more do you want? He was the idiot who got himself killed, don't blame her. He had it coming." one of them scolded that friend. "Sorry, you guys, we don't know where he came from. He wasn't chosen for the lineup so he's bitter. And that was his friend, or whatever. We'll take care of him." as her friends grunted and glared at them until they left, Kisara threw a peace sign and stumbled forth, fighting to keep herself up. "Great. I need a shower. Toodles, bitches." she chuckled weakly, waving them off. "Good luck. I'll come and watch the next match. Better be good." 

Though Wakatsuki wanted to go get her to the infirmary himself, Ohma stopped him. He knew she needed to go through this alone - Or, rather said, he already had his own plan that will involve making up with her, but also making sure she doesn't die before she gets to the infirmary. After that reckless declaration of war, anything could happen to her. Worms with the white tattoo were dangerous. Agito threw Kisara's bag at him, and Gaolang gave him the necklace - And he walked towards the infirmary, making sure she wasn't being attacked. Only Carlos was in the infirmary, and although Kisara wanted to shit on him for being such a shit-winner, he was graceful, so she lost all resolve.

Hanafuse came over to her, ready to clean the wound and stitch it up - But she stopped him. Instead, she had him bandage her wound, saying she will stitch the injury herself after getting a shower - The blond simply huffed in amusement and gave her the tools she needed. A doctor is a doctor to the end, even if they also fight. The priority of those doesn't matter.

Finally, the woman was able to make her way to the showers, and though it was even more painful to strip, the adrenaline no longer overpowering the agony surging through her veins, she barged into a stall and let the warm water fall down her aching body. She hissed, punching on the wall, barely keeping herself standing. Her legs were shaking, and she was struggling to breathe. She didn't hear the door opening, nor the resounding steps, until the stall door swung open, and she heard a chuckle. "And I thought I was the stubborn one."  "My resolve was to ignore you, but I'm too weak to follow through to the end." her fists unclenched, and her fingers were dragging down the wall, her forehead glued to its coldness. "I can't... Stand up..." she muttered. Ohma looked down at the way her whole body was trembling, struggling to keep itself straight, and he took off his clothes, stepping into the shower and holding her body. He hoped he'd see her again under different circumstances - Though, at least, he was holding a winner in his arms, and she had every reason to be the cocky princess that she was in the arena. "I never did reciprocate, every time that you washed my hair for me." his wet hand caressed her face, and with droopy eyes, she leaned into his touch, a weak, content smile on her face. "I never did allow you." she chuckled at him. "I hate you." she declared, feeling a tear blend down with the water falling down from the shower. "I hate you so much. You have no idea how much I hate you for making me go through the hell of losing you. If I had any power in my body, I would rip every piece of your body, and stitch you back, just to skin you alive." her voice had broken. "But fuck - You have no idea how much I missed you." Ohma left her crying, and found her, crying again. "I'm the worst husband in the world, aren't I?" he cradled her face into his large hands, leaning down to kiss her busted lips. "I didn't realise how good it felt to kiss a bust lip. No wonder you liked kissing me so much." she laughed softly, only to cringe and twist in pain. "Don't make me laugh, it hurts." she let out a guttural groan. "But you can continue kissing me... And more, when we go back home." "I have almost three years of making up to you, but this time, I'm not going anywhere." he then smirked down at her. "Tokita Kisara, huh?" "You did propose to me, remember?" he nodded, propping her up and helping her properly clean up. "When I was dying, I hoped you'd find someone to fall for. When I woke up and went to live with the Kure family, I wished that you wouldn't. When the time was right, I hoped to date you again. Properly, this time, unlike when I was that meat head with no memories." once again, she had to stop herself from chuckling.  "Selfish bastard." she muttered faintly. "I tried to get over you, you know. I tried. Desperately, even." she admitted.  "Kano?" she nodded. "He's a good man. When I spotted you together, so close, I thought you were dating him. You looked happy with him." she nodded once again. "I am happy with him. He was the only one I had. We got each other through all our problems. Maybe... Eventually... Years from now, if you hadn't come back, I would have dared. But three years wasn't nowhere close to enough." Kisara felt herself being kissed once again. "Forgive me. I was afraid the Worms will come after you, that's why I kept it a secret. Raian wanted to tell you, but we all agreed to keep everything under wraps until we could strike. With everything going on, we had to act." Ohma put his forehead to hers. "Forgive me, Kisara." "I forgave you the second I saw you." she admitted, hearing a soft, amused exhale.

After she was able to get herself cleaned, Ohma helped her dry up and dress in the turtleneck and jeans she was dressed in the beginning. Keeping the blouse up, he watched as she shakily stitched herself up, wincing and gritting her teeth in pain, and in the end, he helped in tightly wrap it around her abdomen. He helped her stand up, then knelt to zip her boots up - But he didn't raise. Instead, he took the necklace from his pocket and unchained the ring. Ohma gingerly held her hand, and grinned up at her. "Properly, this time. Hasashi Kisara, will you marry me?" "It's Tokita Kisara, silly. For three years now." she grinned, watching him slip the ring on her finger, and more, when he embraced her and brought her into a deep kiss.  "And now, it's the Queen of the Kengan Matches."

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[darkdevasofdestruction]

Chapter 18 - Le Petit Empereur

"Miss Kisara, are you safe?" Kiryu asked, gently placing his hand on her shoulders. "We should be safe here, but you should go and hide just in case." "What is going on, Setsuna?" the change in his personality was a complete 180 from the psychopathic pervert that was so desperate to have Ohma acknowledge him as his eternal rival and lover... Or something close enough that would have them both kill each other at the end. "There's danger in the stadium. I have to go back and evacuate the others." he actually seemed... Caring. Still, there was something weird, almost delusional about him. "Please, be careful. The enemy is incredibly powerful and it's Ohma he wants." "...The Tiger's Vessel again?" she muttered, confused as she thought that weirdo was dead already - Or at least, close to that. "Setsuna. You're injured." Kisara pointed out, noticing the blood soaking his white shirt sleeve, and leaking down from his hand, and drenching the grass. "Don't worry about me. I have to go... Get Miss Shion and Tomoko... And Mr. Yamashita too. If only I had some way to stop him..." Setsuna kept mumbling to himself, and his body was twitching, losing balance even. He seemed even more unstable than before. "Hey, Setsuna - Calm down a bit. You look troubled. Come on, talk to me, what's going on?" but in the very moment that Kisara extended her hand towards the man, hoping to give back the very same pleasantry that he had graced her with, under the guise of benevolent saving and caring for - He turned abruptly and attempted to attack her with his special move. Kisara wasn't expecting this, and she immediately stepped back, trying to turn and activate the indestructible, though she had no idea if it would even work - But she was saved. "I found you, Kiryu Setsuna. I won't let you have your way anymore." it was Ohma - Her saviour, as always, though the red head had no idea how he was able to find her... Or, rather, how had he any idea that she had gone missing. "Are you going to defend your own defiler?!" the opponent's voice was dark and low, ominous even. "I thought he was unstable before, but he's beyond comprehension now. He said he was going to save me and his employer... Because you're in danger. I think he believes the guy who was the master of the guardian with the whole Tiger's Vessel gimmick is on this island." the man grunted in understanding. "He's been broken for a long, long time now." Ohma said, easily parrying Setsuna's move, not even exerting any bit of effort. "You rotate your arm from the elbow down when you use that technique. Did you forget already? I figured it out ten years ago." Kiryu was shrieking, livid, to the point that Kisara was sure his throat must be raw and bleeding. "WHY?!!! WHY ARE YOU PROTECTING TOKITA NIKO??!!!" "It's been ten years and you're still not making any goddamn sense. Listen. Niko's not around anymore." Ohma enlightened him. "Wh-What...? What are you saying, Ohma?! Tokita Niko's right there behind you! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU, OHMA?!" he looked like such a pitiful man, broken beyond repair. Ohma glanced back at his lover, and let out an amused scoff - Though her hair was still a bit messy, the brush in her hand, she almost sported the same hairstyle as Niko, though it wasn't tied down. She also had, very often, that leisure confidence emanating through her, just like her master - It had once annoyed Ohma, yet now, he looked fondly at these similarities. "Stand back, Hasashi Kisara. I'm probably the one that made him this way." he nodded at her before taking a step forward. "It's time to end our destiny."

But Kiryu was still beyond any capacity of rational thinking, recalling the old times, even going as far as to beg Ohma to kill him. So desperately. Though he pleaded to have his life ended, Kiryu fought to kill Ohma, using his Koei style to perfection, even using some of Tokita's own moves... Or was Ohma the one who copied them? Using the Niko style and switching between Katas at a rapid pace, he combined the Flame and Adamantine moves, going for a Redirection tactic next, only to follow up with a Flame hit again. Setsuna was still up, pitying Ohma for being under Tokita Niko's spell. It was now that Ohma recalled that Niko actually died to save him, not because he was weak. Ohma was under the strong influence of the Possessing Spirit, and he had Setsuna up by the neck, ready to snap it. Niko tried to stop him from going berserk, and though he succeeded, he was left severely injured, succumbing to his injuries after fighting Kiryu's master, as his wounds hadn't healed yet.

But Setsuna kept saying that Niko survived, only to contradict himself by claiming he was the one to kill Niko - And then, he admitted to seeing Ohma as his God and make him angry enough to incur his wrath. Setsuna added another man to the equation - This 'He' that taught Ohma the Advance. The real evil. This monster beat Ohma and forced the 'God' into him. The Possessing Spirit. That's how he became the Tiger's Vessel. Though Ohma had no idea of this 'Real Niko' 's identity, he suspected he had to be connected to Tokita Niko in some way, esecially as they shared similar techniques.

It turns out Setsuna trained under this guy and he knows some truth. Tokita and this monster had trained together, but the 'fake' killed his companions and vanished. Setsuna was trained at first by this 'Real Niko', then got sent to his future master, Taira Genzan, though this man had no idea who the 'Real Niko' was. Dubious. Kiryu had mastered two styles by the time he turned 16. Three years later, Ohma desperately tried to search and kill the bastard who cursed him with the Advance, only to be found by Setsuna - They fought, only for Ohma to receive a Rakshasa's Palm to the heart, instantly activating the Advance and making him go on a rampage. It was then that Niko came and put an end to the Advance, saving Ohma from dying from the strain.

According to Setsuna, Niko and the Real Niko both fought to the death - But then, what about the guardian who spoke of the Tiger's Vessel? Something wasn't adding up. Setsuna's words were incomprehensible, completely nonsensical, and he was even punching the air and arguing, belittling with some invisible entity... Was he hallucinating Niko?

"I feel no hatred for him. I feel nothing but pity. Meeting that son of a bitch who calls himself 'The Real Niko' fucked up his entire life. Kiryu Setsuna was just being used by him. Hasashi Kisara, stand back. I was saved by Niko. Now it's my turn to do the saving." Ohma got in a stance, finally serious abought the fight. "Alright. Be careful." she encouraged him briefly, watching the fight between the two eternal rivals.

Though Ohma took blow after blow, he ended up retaliating with ease, and even went as far as to use the Water Kata, technique which he used to hate before. He had achieved such fantastic speed that even Setsuna was surprised. But the fact that the Real Niko forced the Possessing Spirit on Ohma... Meant that... "Ohma, Setsuna must know the Advanced too!" he cried out in realisation. Setsuna tried to block the blows using his own iteration of the Indestructible, yet it was to no avail, thus, he was forced to put some distance. Tokita didn't let him. Instead, he tripped him with the Weeping Willow then tackled him with the Raging Fire move before throwing more blows to him. Kiryu dislocated his own shoulder to escape Ohma's hold and jumping away, he activated his Advance, just as Kisara predicted... But it wasn't quite the Advance. It was the form he used when fighting Nikaido Ren. Some kind of demon form, he says.

"I'll gladly fall to Demonhood, if it means restoring your Godhood." he fancied himself such a martyr, though he was able to hurt Ohma now. However, even with this secret technique of his, he couldn't turn the tables - That's how much damage Setsuna had accumulated. More, the longer he used the Fallen Demon form, the more brain damage he got. He had transcended beyond even his own irrationality - His only goal was to activate Ohma's Advance and die - Hence why Ohma was easily able to predict his move and repelled it. "I knew you'd do that." with that sentence alone, Ohma destroyed Setsuna's whole psyche. "Wh-Why... Why... Why are you still in that form...? You were supposed to become a God again... WHY?!" he shrieked from the ground on which he was laying so pitifully.

Ohma defeated Setsuna using the very same techniques that the man he hated the most created, and with one last hit, he suppressed the autonomic nervous system. The hallucinations were after-effects from overusing the Fallen Demon, so at least now, though they won't heal, they at least won't degenerate further. Ohma looked for one last time at Kiryu Setsuna, before turning around and walking back towards the dome - Only to fall to his knees and cough some blood. In a flurry, Kisara threw herself by his side and wrapped her arms around him. "Shit. He landed a good one at the very end. I couldn't redirect all of it." the man grumbled from the pain. "Ohma... You're really going to die if you continue. Setsuna is defeated, you regained your memories... What else do you want to accomplish?" the man smiled cockily, gazing at the beautiful girl supporting him and holding up steady. "Sorry, but you gotta let me have my way for two more matches. I want to prove the Niko Style's power... OUR power..." his confidence would have been contagious, were it not for Kisara's heart shattering. His hand found its way cupping her face, and with his thumb, he wiped away the single tear that had escaped, though he smeared a bit of blood. "Let's go, Hasashi Kisara, it's about time for our match. I have to show off too. My girlfriend had such a good fight, I can't fall behind, right?" though his lip was busted and blood was dripping down his chin, he pulled her into a deep kiss, neither minding the taste of iron. "Well... I did say I was going to support you. I didn't expect it would be so literal. But... Ohma... You've already made me... Yamashita... Niko proud. Don't forget that, okay?" her voice was uncharacteristically soft and weak - He hated seeing her like this, especially knowing it was him, the cause of it. Still, he had some consolation knowing that she was going to be fine, no matter what happens to him. She was now the CEO of her family's corporation, so she was filthy rich and could afford to follow her dream of travelling the world... Even if it is without him. She also made a ton of friends with just about most of the fighters, Raian included.

Hatsumi was a good man, and he was obviously protective of the girl - He taught her so well in those years. He made Kisara the fighter she is now. Wakatsuki, the man he is going to fight just now, was her best friend, who helped Kisara become financially stable and helped her in taking her path as a fighter. She relied so often on him, his advice, his kindness, that Ohma was almost annoyed, hearing about Takeshi every damn day. Imai Cosmo, the Grappler King, reminded Kisara of her mischievous side, he even became a sort of little brother for her. He would be a good help for her, for ground fights and grappling, especially considering his small posture. Gaolang was also a good teacher, Ohma though, recalling the special technique that Kisara used in her fight, and even the few Muay Thai elbow hits she landed on that colossal man - He was a good addition to her friend group. The peanut gallery was also a cheerful group that could make her forget about her pains and sorrows - It would do her well to hang around such an easy going and jovial bunch. Hopefully, Raian is actually serious about Kisara and isn't just obsessed with her, the way Karla is. No doubt, Kisara would be able to put him at respect. Ohma wants her to find someone strong, to protect her, but also cherish and lover her as if she's more important than the Sun itself. She deserved that, and ever more. And then, there's Kano Agito, the man whom Ohma did not expect Kisara to befriend, let alone train with. In a brief evening conversation, she had mentioned promising him to take him to see the world and experience the real life - He had no clue what video games and movies were. At least she won't be alone when following her dreams.

If only he could be there with her.

Tokita Ohma lived for fighting, and would eventually succumb to fighting, he was well aware of that - Yet leaving Hasashi Kisara will forever remain his only regret.

By the time they returned to the dome, they were informed the semifinals were delayed by two hours, so Ohma could get treated by Hanafusa. He realised that it was Katahara Retuso, the man they encountered just as they left the spot where Setsuna was lying down - Kiryu had killed three of his men - And they told him the details of what happened while fighting against him. It was his way of thanking them. The Chairman's son was really nice, just like his sister. Hanafusa adviced Ohma to get some rest - But did Ohma ever rest? Of course not. With his arm around Kisara's shoulder, he pulled her for a walk around the corridors, only to find Wakatsuki taking a soda from a vending machine. All three were surprised to encounter each other like that - Yet Takeshi got a soda for the other two also, and they sat down on the couch.

"You know, now that I think about it, we've never talked before, have we? How ironic." Takeshi was the first to speak up, as Tokita and Kisara thanked him for the soda. "You're pretty badly injured." "So are you." Ohma agreed, chugging down the soda. "Well done, Kisara." "I really did nothing." she chuckled at the remark. "That was not - Nothing. I did not expect such a good fight. You did very well." Kisara could only chuckle in embarrassment, raking her fingers through her hair. "Now, now, you two, stop flattering me like that. I've got a lot to learn." she admitted, and the other two hummed in agreement. "One of us might die in the next match." the Tiger was solemn about his notice. "Well, it's a match. these things happen." Ohma seemed completely unbothered. "This match is fixed. Our bosses both support Mr. Nogi. The smartest thing to do would be for one of us to step aside... This was my boss's decision, so I don't plan on opposing him. I only put forward one condition - That I would be the one to advance to the finals." Ohma looked with a certain annoyance at Wakatsuki - But Kisara shot up to her feet, turning to face her best friend. "Takeshi. I'm disappointed in you." his jaw dropped and eyes widened - He was bewildered by what he was hearing. "First of all, you are underestimating how much Yamashita Kazuo cares of Ohma. He knows Ohma wants to fight. He won't be swayed by absolutely anything. The Yamashita Trading Corp won't forfeit under any circumstance." she explained simply, making Tokita smirk at her. She knew what was up. "Secondly... A true fighter doesn't care for political problems. A true fighter does just that - Fight. The one who bests the other advances to the finals. The one who deserves to become a finalist will become just that. So... Takeshi. You are my best friend. I'm going to cheer for you, yes... But at the end of the day... Whether you win or lose, is entirely up to your skills. I have fought you once, I know you are strong - But can you defeat Ohma? I can't tell. Do you even deserve to be in the finals?" Wakatsuki was never on the receiving end of her harshness or scolding - He felt weird. Tokita, next to him, got up and put his arm around his girlfriend, smirking in pride at her. "Just as she said, Wakatsuki Takeshi. I'm not stepping aside for anyone. Let's settle this our own way." he chuckled, walking away. Takeshi looked at the two - Seeing them together, made him realise why Kisara liked Tokita Ohma so much. He was a man worth her time. "Yeah. I guess that's our only choice." he smiled, almost nervously, though there was nobody to see it.

Two hours passed so quickly, and now, the semifinals were to finally begin. Ohma looked down at his girlfriend and stole the lucky charm kiss before entering the arena. She needed more reassurance than him. Standing in from of Wakatsuki, in the arena, made Ohma realise why he was so overhyped, to the point that the crowd was cheering only for him - And even dissing the Fang, who had once defeated him. He recalls his fight against Kisara - She must have had such a tough job, going against this scary guy, realising, after four years, that her best friend is actually super creepy and intimidating. His pressure was different than Kure Raian's, and even completely different than Kiryu Setsuna's. The closest thing to it... Is Niko's. It's the pure pressure of a man who's incredibly strong. These types are the toughest to handle.

Guys who are simply strong are uncontrollable once they let loose, and he's so powerful, I should assume I'll lose if he lands a direct hit on me. He must have gone easy at some point when fighting against Kisara - Surely, he wouldn't actually want to murder her - Though those Blast Cores seemed the real deal. Ohma can't let him take the initiative. His style's full contact karate, so he's gonna want to get close. His range is even smaller compared to other styles.

The ref called for them to take their stances, and immediately, Wakatsuki took the basic Karate stance, letting out a war roar that startled the whole auditorium. Ohma realised that, by the way he shifted his stance, there was something off with his right eye. He'll eventually have to put out his left eye in his first rush. Hit and run tactics should  do him well for most of the match. He had to keep his distance.

Wakatsuki delivered the first blow - But he can recover from this, using a Redirection Kata move. He didn't fall down as expected - He kept himself strong, and landed an even stronger hit to his side - Tokita managed to parry it with his forearm, but the fluffy of lower punches was overwhelming him. He can't block all the damage with his indestructible - How the hell did Kisara mess with him for so long? His blows were heavier than Raian's - No wonder she wanted to train with him in combat. If his indestructible was at a 10, Wakatsuki Takeshi's power would be 5 times more. Ohma was finally able to create some distance, yet Takeshi followed up, throwing a jab at him while he was running away. Ohma was send flying away, sliding across the ground for about half the arena. But the Tiger didn't follow up, probably not wanting to take chances against the grappling that took down the Grappler King.

Ohma could use every second of rest he can get, he thought, realising that he miscalculated the range and movement of a guy weighting almost 200 kg. His forearms were destroyed though - He had no way of counting on the indestructible anymore. So that's why Kisara could only take one Blast Core before completely crumbling down. It looked as though he'd go down before he can put his other eye out. Ohma took a ground stance, one knee to the ground while the other was flexed - He was preparing himself, looking as if he was about to draw a sword from a stone, like King Arthur. Seeing as Ohma wasn't moving, Wakatsuki rushed in - Kisara has only seen this technique used once. Demon's Bane. Though nobody could properly see what had happened, Ohma was almost completely lying down, coughing blood, whilst Wakatsuki had flown away, and he was sitting on the ground, shocked that his shoulder was screwed.

The two fighters eventually shot back to their feet and took their stances. Wakatsuki moved in, delivering a kick to his liver - Lucky Ohma, he used the indestructible that saved his liver from rupturing on the spot... But the damage was evidently massive. Takeshi followed up, not giving any time to rest - Ohma was able to evade all of his monstrous punches, and though he tried to hit back even from his blind spot, it seemed that Wakatsuki adapted to seeing out of one eye. He got hit again, this time, in the stomach, and arm, and more - Wakatsuki acknowledged Tokita from the bottom of his heart. He truly is a strong opponent - He should be proud of being defeated by Wakatsuki Takeshi himself! Takeshi unleashed a storm of continuous low kicks to the point that his leg was all screwed - How long can he last in this condition? If he takes his left leg, he couldn't even attempt another counter demon's bane. Can he do it? Can he somehow pull a miracle run an win this?

"FUCK HIM UP, OHMA!" the man heard his girlfriend scream at him. "HANG IN THERE!!! OHMA!!!" Yamashita Kazuo followed up. It was just like in his fight against Raian, the two were cheering on him, supporting him all the way through. "ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP, OHMA!" he heard Kisara follow up. "DIDN'T YOU SAY YOU WERE GONNA WIN?! PLEASE, WIN FOR ME, OHMA!!!" Yamashita Kazuo, too, continued. Those two were really something else. He didn't deserve them.

Watch me, Hasashi Kisara, Yamashita Kazuo - He thought to himself, landing a kick to his organs - But it didn't phase the colossus who retaliated with a shower of rushes - Until he was able to grab ahold of the back of his head, and pulling him forwards, he kicked him painfully hard, continuing with a ton of hits above Ohma's guard. This wasn't Karate, or anything of the sort. It was a desperation that could only be achieved against a strong enemy whom you fear.

Wakatsuki had no clue how the demon's bane worked, so he was more careful with his attack - He threw a left punch as a bluff, and after knocking his upper body off balance, he threw a right straight.

The whole stadium was silent, waiting for the dust to dissipate. On the ground, laying down, unconscious, there was Wakatsuki Takeshi. Ohma was barely able to get up on his feet. He was wobbly, exhausted, huffing and huffing. Like a beast, Wakatsuki's upper body jolted up like the body of Frankenstein's monster - Contorting all the way to stand up once more. With a weak stance, Wakatsuki dragged his heavy body, step by step, towards Tokita... And then fell down once more.

Kisara wanted to run out there, as she's always done - But the tears wouldn't stop escaping. She was destroyed, watching Ohma wobbling, barely able to keep standing up. It was painful. Still, she wiped those tears and stepped towards him. She smiled at him and put his arm around her shoulders, supporting him all the way to the infirmary, where Hanafusa was to care for him. After all, she promised to support him all the way to the top. The finale was the top. And she will be there for him no matter what. Now, more than ever, she knew that Tokita Ohma had no chance to survive. He was a dead man walking.

Ohma was leaning back on the wall and resting, with Kisara in his arms. Yamashita had brought him a soda. The TV was on, so they could watch the second semifinal. "Isn't it around time your friend enters the arena?" Kisara slowly lifted her head from his shoulder and nodded. "Go cheer on him. I know you want to." "But I don't want to leave you." Ohma saw her bottom lip quivering lightly. She had become as emotional as the day they met. "You won't." he smirked at her, his hand caressing her face - She was so afraid of losing him that she feared leaving his side for even one second. After a long consideration time, the red head sighed and with great difficulty, pried herself away from Ohma, looking for Agito. "I thought you'd want to spend more time with Miss Kisara." Yamashita looked at the man with confusion. "I do. But once I'm no longer by her side, she should stick to her other friends. Find someone else." the old man's heart shattered hearing those resolute words, and he, too, found himself fighting back tears. "Yamashita Kazuo. Promise me you won't let her fall." It was a promise from one man to another. A heart to heart promise that could transcend even the borders of life and death. "I promise, Ohma. I promise."

Leaning back on the wall, Kisara looked out towards the arena. The ground was matted back to its original form. The more she looked at it, the more she grew to resent the very passion she loved so whole-heartedly. "It was a good match." Agito's voice startled the girl. "Both yours, and Tokita's." "Agito." she breathed out his name. His face was stern, cold, unreadable. He was in his best fighting form. She didn't know what possessed her - Was it the overflowing emotions of sheer fright? The heartbreak? The anticipation of the inevitable? Kisara threw her arms around the man's large build and squeezed him into the very first embrace that Kano Agito received in his entire life. He could feel her small fingers digging into his back. "No matter what happens out there, please don't die too. I don't want to lose another important person in my life."  Kano looked down at her with wide, shocked eyes. He was bewildered. He had only interacted with her whole a day and a half, and now she's crying in his chest, pleading for him not to die in battle. Agito could understand absolutely nothing about her irrational behaviour... Or, perhaps, that's how normal people acted? Though, he couldn't pin-point the other dead person she was talking about. Except for that psychopath that forked for the Chairman's arch enemy, nobody died in the tournament. Surely, she didn't mean her parents either - She had killed them herself. "We won't die. We won't lose either." Agito place his hands on her shoulders, pulling her away - But as soon as she looked up at him and he noticed that pitiful expression on her face, he gulped. He remembers one time, when Sayaka's puppy died. She was distraught the whole day, and many other days after. Her brother was unable to calm her down, nor the Chairman. Agito could only stand by Katahara's side, watching him desperately try to comfort his little girl, to no avail. Some unseen wounds just cannot heal, not when they are so fresh, Kano realised. But Sayaka  was gifted a new puppy after a small amount of time, and she grew to love that one just as much as the previous one, and her tears of distraught turned into tears of joy and bliss. Life was a vicious cycle, and it spared no woman. It had a single beginning, and a single end, for every being on Earth. "We await our match against Tokita. It's going to be the best fight we've had in a while." thus, Agito squeezed her shoulders, perhaps as a reassurance, before stepping past her, and into the arena.

Kisara waited no more, returning to her lover and cuddling into his side once again, watching the fight unfold on the TV. The two fighters took their stances, and thus, the fight began. Kisara held tightly onto Ohma's wrist, watching Agito get close enough to Kuroki - And then, they had a stare off. The tension surrounding the arena could be felt even from the screen. At first, it was a battle of Pre-Initiative, the very thing that Kano defeated Hatsumi at, but that contest was soon over, as Gensai was the first to strike, throwing a Devil's Lance at Agito's face, only for him to side step and throw a jab at the Master's head - Their attacks were phasing through each other. Kisara chuckled. "I wish I was this good." she said. "They are reading each other's inception of intent so well that they're dodging before the attack even comes." it was exactly that, Ohma noticed. Little by little, the balance began to lose its equilibrium, and Kano's blows began hitting Kuroki. "You're getting there." Ohma patted her back. Still, despite looking as though he had the advantage, Agito received the full hit of a devil's lance to the shoulder. By dodging the left devil lance, Agito's posture broke down. Kuroki followed up with an eye poke, and then another follow up - But Kano led Kuroki's attacks, so he countered it with a right elbow to the master's hand. He didn't pass up the gap, so he continued to attack - Once people could see what was going on, they saw Kuroki with his forearms raised, his guard up in what seemed to be Sanchin. Hatsumi once told her of it - it's supposed to be the simplest, but also, the ultimate Kata in the Ryukyuan karate style. Someone like Master Kuroki Gensai could make this stance become the most perfect, unbreakable shield.

In a battle between masters of Pre-Initiative, once you go on the defensive, it is nigh impossible to recover. Agito was able to land a move that garnered a cough inhale from Kuroki. The man then moved, only to appear as if he lost his posture thanks to Kano's continuous blows. He was using Kuroki like a sandbag. Gensai attempted a chop towards Agito - But the Fang grinned that wicked, monster-like smile of his, taunting the master by easily countering his move, hitting that hand of his, before punching him the hell away. Kano Agito had exceeded Kuroki Gensai's expectations.

"I cannot face a master like you with my martial arts alone." Kano got in the same low stance that he used against Naoya - The stance that he taught Kisara to use, to freak Wakatsuki out. "Allow me to use this Me. All of me." that cheshire grin must have put even Raian's wickedness to shame. "Agito's gone back to his Formless style!" Kisara gasped - Ohma didn't often see her so excited, but this style must be something she wanted to learn. No wonder she wanted to befriend this monster - Just like Hatsumi, he expressed styles that could ply well with her own. First it was Systema, now the Formless style once again. If Kisara was to master these styles the way Kano Agito did, she would be unbeatable, he thinks. Or, at least close to that. The Fang once defeated Wakatsuki Takeshi using his Formless style alone. Now, Ohma defeated the Wild Tiger with his Niko style only. She just needed to polish her techniques with the right people. Kano Agito was the right man for that task now. "Smart move. Kuroki Gensai is a Martial Arts Master, to the point of perfection. I think Agito realised he can't beat him with Martial Arts alone, so he chose an unpredictable style to catch him off guard, to counter him with tactics outside of the limits given by Kuroki's martial arts knowledge." her fighting theory was getting better and better with every fight she watched. With so many tacticians and strategists around her, she needn't him any longer. She will be fine, Ohma reassured himself.

Agito landed strike after strike after strike in a flawless flurry of hits - Yet even with this fantastic strength, Kuroki Gensai was unshaken. He was a genius above all else - And though Kano was tricky, he found an opening. Kuroki attacked with another devil lance - But he got stopped. Ohma was startled by Kisara's jolt and cheerful laugh. The look on Kano Agito's face was a caricature no longer, but his former, collected self. She must have realised the implications behind that man's words. "He's even more unpredictable than me! To think he could change so easily between his Formless and Martial Arts styles - He's fantastic!" Ohma smiled at her. What a child, getting so excited over over some guy catching another's wrist and immobilising him like that, as if she wasn't used to her own Aikido style that generally did the same thing. To think she'd ever get so excited over some guy that wasn't him. What a vixen. "What a monster." Ohma chuckled at her, watching Kuroki getting his left shoulder dislocated and all four fingers of his right hand broken. He had lost both of his devil lances now. He must be in a predicament. Having his wings clipped allowed Agito to reach an even further evolution, a complete mastery of the two sides of him. Only to receive a wound not from Kuroki's left hand, but from his thumb, the only remaining finger left intact.

Master Gensai used centrifugal force to re-set his elbow back in place - To think he would have the skill to perform the impossible with ease... Agito's caution was heightened. He was now on the offensive, making Agito ponder where he would strike from - Left or right? But Kano got it wrong, and whilst his own right hook punch missed, Kuroki's hit caused the Fang such intense pain from the impact that it assailed him. Agito's functions felt declined, all because of the organs, peritoneum, body - His everything was fighting the pain, and this was the only way to keep him stable - He switched to a formless style, only to receive a heavy headbutt that left his right eyes closed. "What the hell..." Kisara gasped, watching Agito completely miss Kuroki once again, and receiving another ruthless hit to his torso... Though he had been hit only three times, Agito felt complete agony. Why did his strikes have such impact? It was nothing compared to either Gaolang Wongsawat, the Thai God of War, who stood at the pinnacle of striking martial arts and possessed the fastest blows, nor the Herculean Wakatsuki Takeshi, who had the most powerful hits in the world. Agito received another right chop to his shoulder, causing him to retreat immediately.

"I think Master Kuroki realised there is a time delay between Agito switching styles." Kisara muttered - Ohma had agreed. "His caution of the devil lance also put him at a disadvantage." he noted. "Just like with Wakatsuki Takeshi, who was cautious against my Devil's Bane, so Kano Agito did the same." the very man got hit with a palm heel then grabbed by the neck of his costume. Agito couldn't expect any of these lands, thus, they all landed. All heavy blows were perfected by decades of training, thus they struck him without warning... And thus, they had impact. Agito got hit with another right straight punch.

"He's throwing punches with his broken fingers?!" Ohma couldn't believe his eyes. "Kano Agito's already using his indestructible. Does that mean they're too powerful for indestructible?" Kuroki did not miss the moment he backed away. He knocked Agito off balance with another palm heel, then a middle knuckle fist. If Kuroki was once used as a sandbag, now, he was the striker. Though Agito was knocked back with a right palm him once more, he was ready to get hit with a devil lance, but Kano finally used his kicks. Why hadn't he used them before, like in his fight with Hatsumi? Kisara had no clue, but at least she realised, he evolved for the thousandth of time.

Once the kick landed, he immediately switched back to the Formless and landed a heavy blow to his head, which was blocked by the master's broken hand. Agito decreased the time interval of the switch by a few milimeters, throwing off the master's calculations, hence allowing the Fang to kick and possibly break the Master's shin.

Formed, yet Formless. Formless, yet Formed. Upon being wounded more than ever before, he obtained a new power. Kano used a left knee hit which got blocked by the Master's forearm, and he closed the distance. Agito smirked confidently, his plan working well in luring his opponent. The very hit that he used to defeat Hatsumi, the hit that was virtually impossible to evade - The Dragon Shot, as he called it - In all of Agito's arsenal, it was his strike with the greatest fire-power.

But the Dragon Shot misfired.

Kano Agito's wrist was completely destroyed. Kisara cringed, one hand immediately slapping over her own wrist - She couldn't imagine the pain he was feeling. Kuroki had used a supinating wristlock. His right hand took the full brunt of the dragon shot, fracturing his thumb, yet he was able to incapacitate Kano's hand completely. Even with all his fingers broken, Kuroki forcibly contracted his muscles to make a fist - There is more to the Kaiwan Style than just the devil lance, after all. "That's just like Niko Style's bone-bonding! How does he know that technique?!" Ohma gasped in shock. Master Kuroki Gensai was the greatest enigma in the world.

Fury. Unease. Despair. These could not even come close to describing the flurry of emotions that gripped Kano Agito. He had fought over the course of 160 matched to repay his debts. He had crossed fists with the strong many, many times over, and each time, he evolved, attaining victory. Now, Agito was facing the biggest wall in his entire life. He instinctively understood that all of his fights had been for this very moment. "Pugno, ergo sum." the girl muttered under her breath. Agito, just like every fighter in the Kengan world, lived to fight. They fight, therefore, they exist.

Agito thought with his very existence in the line. He predicted his opponent's next move, but he was sorely lacking his usual strength, and shook him off. Agito went for a right knee hit, only to get hit himself with a right bent-wrist fist, followed by a right knee to the gut, and much more. No matter what the Fang threw at Kuroki, the Master moved as though he wasn't injured in the least, and deflected him with ease.

Kano's last spring towards the Master proved fatal, as he got struck with a strike to the jaw - An elbow hit used as a counter, used with the full body weight behind it. Agito stopped moving. In the brief moments that Agito was immobilised, Kuroki delivered a new move - Straight punch, Six Strikes. Everyone gasped, realising the legend of The Fang of Metsudo was ending. Though Agito was a monster in all its right. Even with his brain concussed, even with his right arm destroyed, the Emperor would not die. The Fang of Metsudo would not stop. Kano Agito would not falter.

But that moment came at last.

Two great stars collided, and one star fell. The star that shone brighter, shone fiercer, shone stronger - Remained. The name of that Star was... Kuroki Gensai. "Emperor of the Kengan Matches - You, too, were truly strong." the Master acknowledged the fallen champion.

"Fuck. Me." Kisara's jaw was dropped to the floor. The end of an era has ended, and she was there to witness it. "You'll catch flies." Ohma chuckled, pushing her jaw up. "Let's go." Kisara immediately took off all of his bandages and helped him stand. "Can you do this?" she asked, quickly snapping out of that awestruck self, and coming down back to earth. It was the last time she would see Tokita Ohma fighting. It was going to be a legendary fight.

Accompanied by Yamashita Kazuo, the trio were ready to go towards the arena - But were stopped by the Master himself. Kisara felt her breathing halt in place, until the man himself asked for Ohma to have a chat with him. Though the manager was fine returning to the infirmary and make sure the finale can be slightly delayed so they can have this chat, Hasashi Kisara did not move away from her boyfriend, not did Ohma attempt to push her away. His arm remained placed around her body. "You're pretty tough, aren't you, pops? You fought so brutally just a second ago, but you're already fit as a fiddle." the brunet chuckled dryly. "Do not overestimate me. Even I suffered injuries and fatigue. This is an inescapable reality, no matter how strong you may become." Kuroki was modest, for how great of a master he was. "So? What'd you want to talk to me about?" Ohma asked, though he wasn't ready for the conversation that followed. "It's been ten years since Tokita Niko left this world." Ohma's eyes widened in shock. As Kuroki so painfully put it, judging by their awful injuries, there was no guarantee they will both get out alive from this match, thus, he wanted to tell Ohma of the Niko style, as he is its heir.

Kuroki spoke about the lawless zone known as the Inside, and of this man who came, seeking the unification of that land through martial force. He created the basis of the Niko style. His name was Gaoh Mukaku, the final successor of the Gaoh Style of classical Jiu-Jitsu. Though he was a complete army in the body of a single man, even 30 years spent there accomplished nothing - Thus, he decided to pass on his style for the next generation. He raised the orphans from the inside, training them - But Tokita Niko was not a stand alone person. All of his students were named the same - Not only to keep the impression of people from the inside, as Tokita was one of the districts, but to spread the legend. Tokita Niko became a fictional yet charismatic entity, created to rule the Inside. Though the plan worked, their enemies grew in number, thus, Gaoh tried to train them all with a secret technique... However, something happened in that forest. Most of the Nikos were murdered, whilst the survivors scattered, and Gaoh Mukaku was never seen again.

Ohma was skeptical, though he believed his words - Yet how did he know all this, was a different matter. He says his own master was a man who assisted in the compilation of techniques to create the new Niko style. Gaoh Mukaku was a friend of his master, Kazufumi, and they would often swap techniques. It was during that time that he met Niko, who sought him, asking for his help....

The conversation went on for a while, but Ohma was grateful to have this new information about his old master and the fighting style that he uses. Master Kuroki went to get ready for his fight in the finale, whilst Ohma took Kisara with him to see the old man. Yamashita Kazuo pulled some strings to delay the match just long enough to spend some quality time with his fighter. Kazuo placed a towel on the ground and had Ohma lay down for him to give him a Shiatsu massage. Kisara couldn't help but hum in amusement and she sat down next to him, caressing his sea-weed hair. The old man said Cosmo's master taught him how to do massages.

"I have to say, looking at you up close, I didn't realise you had so many scars." the old man's voice wavered softly. "When we first met, I was so surprised by your build, I didn't even notice your scars. I really... Didn't know anything back then." "Of course I'd be covered in scars. I've been fighting for as long as I can remember." he chuckled, showing off his forearm. "Remember this scar, Yamashita Kazuo?" "Ahh! That one! That's from Lihito's Razor's edge, isn't it?" the old man gasped, watching the symbol of Tokita Ohma's first Kengan victory. "It still aches when it rains. Oh - Don't tell Lihito that though, it'll just get to his head." the brunet chuckled lightly. "Ahaha, yeah, I bet Lihito would be happy to hear that." the CEO laughed jovially. "...It's not just Lihito though. The scars from the Medicine man and Sekibayashi still hurt sometimes. So do the scars I got before that. I guess Niko would say - That's the price you pay for your recklessness - Isn't that right, Hasashi Kisara?" the solemn tone of his wasn't enough to snap her out of her trance. "I thought you'd start telling Yamashita Kazuo the history behind every scar on my body. You've seen them all, many times." he even tried to fluster her with subtle implications. Nothing. The fact that he accumulated damage beyond even his capacity was painful enough to accept. The manager looked at the girl's face - She was barely holding herself together. He understood the sentiment all to well. Though he loved Ohma as much as he loved Kenzo and Yasuo... Kisara loved him the same way she loves life itself, or perhaps even more. It was a sentiment beyond his own comprehension. "Hasashi Kisara, help me up, will you?" the man playfully tugged on her arm to get her attention. She moved robotically, but did just as before - Holding tightly onto his body as they walked towards the entrance to the arena. She felt as though she was guiding him to the guillotine and chopping his head off herself. "It's about time now, isn't it? Let's go, Yamashita Kazuo." he smirked cockily at the old man, who nodded, barely fighting back the tears. "Alright." he ushered lowly, following them close behind. "Whoaaa, you hear that? Feels like the stadium's shaking!" everyone was cheering for the finale to start already. It was fascinating. "Ohma. You're strong." the old man admitted. "Now, I haven't seen everyone in the world - And there might be someone even stronger than you out there, for all I know. But to me, YOU are the strongest! You never give up in the face of adversity. You've taught me that true strength is more than just physical strength. I could change myself because of you! YOU SAVED ME! And I'm so ashamed that I haven't done anything to repay you." the old man bowed deeply at his beloved fighter. "Hey." Ohma huffed in amusement. "Thanks. I'm glad I had you as my manager." Ohma said, stepping towards the entrance. "Bye. I'm off now." it sounded like the harshest farewell in history. "MY NAME IS YAMASHITA KAZUO!!!"  the old man screamed, as loud as his lungs held him. That day, when they first met... Yeah, that's right. What a good memory the old man has. "Do you remember the first thing I said to you that day? It wasn't just flattery. I always mean what I say. So I'll ask you one more time - You wanna fight too?" the old man was left behind, only softly able to mutter a response that may or may not have been heard. "Yes... Let's fight... So please come back safe and sound."

Once they reached the very entrance, Ohma pushed himself out of Kisara's arms, putting his hands on her shoulders and squeezing lightly. "You dumbass bookworm, you always did worry too much." Ohma realised she had stopped fighting. Her whole body was shaking and tears were rapidly falling down her face. "That was your cue to call me a Stupid gym rat." she only started crying more. "Ah, come on, stop crying, you know I hate it when you do that." she was just like a little child. Just like four years ago when they first met. "You're supposed to cheer on me all the way to the top. This is the top. Are you gonna bail on me now?" she shook her head, but still couldn't utter any coherent word. Poor girl. Loving so  much was a curse, and being unable to keep your emotions at bay was even worse. He used his fists to eliminate them, while she used tears. Even now, after proper fighter training, after participating in a Kengan match against the veteran himself... Even now, she remained his overly emotional little princess. How cute. "Hasashi Kisara. Won't you give me my good luck kiss?" "Take it yourself." she stammered so much over those three words, that he was almost surprised he understood her. Cupping her face, she gave her the single most tender kiss that they have ever shared. "I love you." Kisara almost jumped at the man, desperately trying to claw back at his hands and put them against her skin - But she remained like a statue where she stood, unable to even shift her gaze and watch him strut to the arena like the proud champion he was. Kisara fell to the ground like a broken doll and started sobbing. The old manager was witness to it all, and never once had he heard such a heart breaking scream as the one Kisara let out. But he was the only one to hear it, being shrouded by the loud cheer of the spectators. She was tugging on her hair, succumbing to the sheer distress and hysteria overtaking her mind -

Until finally, miraculously, she stopped. Yamashita Kazuo heard steps coming forth - He realised there were fighters he was acquainted with, who were not in the seats behind the commentators. Perhaps Kisara sensed them, for although lethargically, she pulled herself back to her feet, deathly quiet. They seemed friends of hers and supporters of Ohma. They walked right past him and stood by her side, one of them patting her shoulder - But she felt nothing. Like an android with no power left, she looked at the fight. All of her senses were cut off.

She watched Ohma take a Marionette-like stance, and once the fight was declared to have begun, he encircled the Master with a flickering footwork. Kuroki easily stopped him, as well as all the strikes Ohma attempted to land. Ohma's body was weak, until it wasn't anymore, and he activated his Advance and caught Kuroki's fist. Kisara whimpered. How she hated that damned secret technique. Ohma abused Kuroki's fist, broken by Agito, and brought the Master to his knees. When he tried to hit him with the devil lance, Tokita retaliated with a right knee, followed with numerous blows that made Gensai back down. All his attacks were blocked. Kuroki was advancing forwards, looking like a heavily armoured soldier.

Kuroki realised that, although Ohma was faster, he was lacking precision while in this state, and he took advantage of that knowledge, striking his face. Ohma evaded another devil lance using the phantom pace, landing a heavy blow to Kuroki's cheek. Ohma evolved. He could use the Advance and the Niko Style together.

Kisara recalled his Advance theory after the conversation he had with Kuroki. Being a master of the Niko style, the Advance was his only choice, despite it being a death wish. Stupid Gym Rat. He knows very well that he's gonna die. Fucking prick. Confessing his love for her whilst telling her he was going to kill himself in the arena. What a fucking inconsiderate shit head. "YO!!! STUPID GYM RAT!!! THE FUCK YOU DOIN'?! FUCK HIM UP ALREADY!!!" she shrieked at him from the top of her lungs. He was right - She promised to cheer on him to the bitter end. She couldn't stop now, even if her whole body was trembling and her voice was breaking.

The Master was impressed by Niko's pupil - He made the Tokita master proud. His blood was boiling as he landed a right downward elbow, but the follow up palm heel didn't come in contact with his opponent. Another person found his way there. Kisara didn't know who it was, but the other fighters there were shocked to see the one man that seemed out of this world completely, joining a bunch of fighters. Why was Kano Agito there? Though he was watching with half of his face bandaged, he could still see very well the fight. Tokita Ohma's Niko style was different than the style that he knew. Why was it different, he wondered? He also wondered why was Kisara trembling, just like before, during his fight? Was she crying again? Was she afraid for Tokita Ohma's life?

"OHMA!!" Agito heard her scream her partner's name, watching as his strike was repelled, and he was sent sliding to the ground painfully. He was back again, and ready to strike - Yet he barely parried another devil lance. Now he tried to confound the opponent, changing directions whilst keeping at top speed. How he could do it, they had no idea... But it was in vain. Kuroki started predicting his movements, and his blows started landing. "S-Stop.... Ohma... Stop... Stop already..." her shoulders were shaking harder, and Agito even heard a sniffle. He couldn't understand what she was feeling, watching her partner getting hit like that, spitting blood and what not. Though Kuroki threw all those hits with the intent of them being finishing blows, he seemed to have dispersed the impact. He was a fiercer foe than even Tokita Niko in his prime.

Kuroki knocked Ohma upwards with a left knee, then brought him down with a left elbow, following with a straight punch: six strikes that shattered his shoulder. He diverted all blows with his redirection move, missing all his vitals, but the amount of damage he has taken is considerable.

Yamashita Kazuo did tell me... That there might be guys out there who are stronger than me. This man is definitely one of them, Ohma thought. Hasashi Kisara is cheering for me, even if she knows it will be the last time she sees me fighting... Or, at all. I can't just give up now. I can't let them down, images of both Kisara and Kazuo flashed before his eyes as he used that cursed technique that he was never able to do properly - The Water Kata, Bind of Pisces technique...

But he got hit with a devil lance as he was holding the man into a tight hold - He was forced to undo the arm bar. His leg was damaged, that's going to affect his footwork and speed considerably. He lost his gambit, unable to break his arm, and now he's suffering from it. He was forced to undo the Advance.

"Will you choose death for your convictions? Then, at least allow me the honour of burying you." Kisara froze, hearing that omen. "DON'T YOU DARE DIE ON ME, YOU STUPID GYM RAT!!!" Kisara shrieked at him, hoping he would hear - And he did. Ohma chuckled, getting in a stance. "Sorry, but I'm not smart like Niko was. Let's save that talk for after the match." he said - It made Agito wonder - Was death such an awful fate, after all? Or was the idea of irreversibly parting from a dear one such a painful concept?

Whatever Ohma did, Kuroki's strikes looked as though they were bending - But not for long. It took less than a second of lost focus to get painfully hit, as his vision was blurring from the loss of blood. He took the brunt of that hit. Idiot. "OHMAAAA!!!!!" he could hear the voice of both Hasashi Kisara and Yamashita Kazuo, waking him up to the real life. is childhood didn't matter anymore, nor did his time with Niko. He had to live in the moment, for as long as he could.

Like a monster, drenched in his own blood, Tokita Ohma didn't fall, no matter how many lethal blows, kicks or devil lances he received. The sheer fighting will-power kept driving him forward. Even when his feet weren't holding him up any longer, he still punched back... Until he couldn't anymore.

Hatsumi couldn't feel the girl's shoulder anymore - Startled, he looked at the spot where she stood, and his heart sank. Kisara had fallen to the ground silent tears falling down her face, as she took deep breaths. Yamashita Kazuo, too, seemed defeated - Why, no one could understand.

WE HAVE A WINNER!!!

Agito had never seen a person as fast as Kisara once she leapt from her spot on the ground, sprinting half-way through the arena and throwing herself at the fallen man. "Baby? Ohma? Love? Are you alive? Please, please, please be alive. I beg of you, be alive. Be alive. Live. Gods, please -- You're the great Asura... You have to live. You're Ohma... You are my Ohma... Please, baby, please be alive. Sweety? Honey? Baby-cakes? Sweetie-pie?" desperately and knowing that the fallen one's main problem was his heart, she tried CPR on him, waiting for the people to get a stretcher and get Ohma to the hospital wing. "... Ohma?" his heart beat was faint, the girl could barely feel it, or his pulse. He seemed broken beyond repair. "Wake up, Ohma, please. Please. Wake up already. I'm afraid. I'm so afraid. I need you, Ohma. Please, open your eyes and look at me. I want to see your eyes again. I want to hear your voice again. Please, Ohma, protect me like you promised. Guide me like you promised. I'm shit at directions - I-Imma get lost. Please, hold my hand." but unlike before during his fight with Raian, Tokita Ohma wasn't conscious at all. He couldn't hear her voice, nor hear her desperate please to him - Thus, he couldn't reassure her in any way. "He fought well." Master Kuroki tried to touch the girl's shoulder, only to get his hand slapped away. He needn't any word for her. He had lost many friends, he could understand her pain.

Finally the stretcher was brought, and they rushed Ohma to the infirmary, where, once again, Hanafusa was to take care of him. Kisara was able to stand up, and just like Ohma's starting stance, she stepped towards where he was going, like a marionette. Hatsumi though he knew the extent of Kisara's love for that guy - But he was wrong. He didn't understand even a small fragment of it. Watching her grief and fear now... He pitied the girl. All the fighters stepped aside, allowing her to walk, followed by the manager. If they called out her name, she had no idea. She was deaf to any voice but Tokita Ohma's.

She held his hand all the time while he was resting in bed, crying uncontrollably for hours and hours, while everyone was enjoying a large party. Even Yamashita was out, unable to see Ohma in such a state, but also, because the medical team was busy treating him. They couldn't run a full test on the island so they were preparing to send him to the mainland as soon as possible. Bullshit. Kisara knew better than this. A little after every doctor left the room, Ohma awoke. The Sun was already setting outside. He cast his glance at the girl sobbing and holding tightly onto his hand - No wonder he felt his whole arm wet. Poor thing. He reached out his other hand to pat her head. Pitifully, she rose her head, smiling back at the man.

"Hasashi Kisara. Let's go for a walk." she merely nodded her head, unplugging him from all devices and supported his body as they sneaked out, towards the forest. He let himself fall down at the base of a tree, pulling the girl down with him, cuddled into his chest. It took a lot of effort to get out here. "Hah. What'd you know. I see Niko." he chuckled weakly. "What is he saying?" the girl asked, her her head resting against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. "He says I did well. One step short from beating that guy. Didn't think I'd see him again after regaining my memories. Guess it's a sign." he could feel her whimper. His grip tightened on her. "Then tell him to fuck off. He's intruding in our private moment alone. Jerk." Ohma chuckled, planting a kiss on top of her head. "He laughed. Says he's proud of me for becoming strong and finding someone like you to rely on." his smile vanished. "And he vanished. Guess he's giving us our time alone." he muttered, his weak hear swelling at being able to see his master's cocky yet proud smile once again. "So - I didn't think it will really end up like this. My weakling girlfriend became such a cool fighter and became the CEO of the biggest private medical hospital franchise. How does it feel, being so successful at less than 30?" "I would give it all up, just to spend one more day with you." if he wasn't so tired, Ohma might have been moved to tears. But he hasn't cried in his whole life, and won't start now either. "Well, I probably can't give you a whole day, but this evening, for as long as I last, is only yours." he told her. "Do you hate me? For throwing away my life like that? For not being able to stay by your side and keep my promises to you, as you did to me?" Kisara shook her head. "I love you more than I love anything in this life. I don't care about any promise. I just want to spend these last moments with you... And I want to hear your heart beat for as long as it has strength." "Ever the romantic one." he smiled weakly. "Forgive me. I just remembered that I saw you crying once, some years ago, after the characters of a tv series didn't end up with their happy ever after. I guess I forced that on you." he felt her nodding her head. "Please, speak more. I want to hear your voice for as long as you can talk. I don't want to ever forget it, for as long as I live." Ohma pulled her away, just to see her, and he undid the buttons of her shirt. "Can you promise me one last thing?" she nodded. With a small smile, Ohma placed his hand over her own heart. "You once told me that your heart is mine. Then, I want you to promise that, after I'm gone, that no matter how much you're going to grief, you will seek your happiness, even without me. Find another man to love. Spend time with your friends. Follow your dreams. Continue to train and fight. Live your life for the both of us. Can you promise me that?" she nodded her head, sniffling. "Say it. I want to hear you say it." "I-I..." she hesitated. The thought of loving another man seemed so outlandish to her. "I don't know if I can promise now that I will fall in love with a man that isn't you... But... I can at least promise to do everything else." "Good girl." he nodded, satisfied with the promise. "Kisara." her eyes widened - Never once had he called her by her given name alone. "I wanted to get back home when I did this, but I won't make it. I can already feel my life slipping." he said, one of his hands rummaging through his pockets. "Before we got here, I asked Yamashita Kazuo to come help me out with something. Said it's for a friend. Well, now I guess he knows it was me who needed it." he continued. "Sorry for putting you in this position. I never wanted to make you upset, let alone cry. I guess I did this quite a lot during this tournament. I kinda screwed up. But you forgave me. All these years, you stood by my side. You supported me, you cared for me, you showed me kindness. You saved my life. You were even fine with not calling you anything else except for your name. How could you stand the jerk that I was, no clue. I'd have beaten up that guy big time. And he was so boring, only caring about fighting and eating." he grinned weakly, looking up into those beautiful eyes of hers. "I'm gonna be selfish, but I'm not tying you down to a dead man. I just want you to know that... Hasashi Kisara, I have always seen you as my guardian angel. And I want you to marry me. Only for as long as I live - You're free to have fun after." he pulled a small wooden box that he carved himself - It had K + O on top of it. Once he opened it, a white gold ring was revealed, sporting an elegant zircon. Kisara slapped her hands over her mouth, hanging her head. "I would marry you and only you, no matter how many times I am reborn. You're the only man that I ever loved, Ohma. I love you so much." such a bittersweet feeling... Ohma truly felt cruel, putting her through all this. Still, he gently pried her hand away from her face and slipped it on her finger. "Sorry, I'm shit at jewellery. I know you love your gold, it suits you. But I never saw you in white. That's what girls wear when they marry, right? Thought it would fit." Ohma could see the way she forced herself to smile properly at him. She was always trying to hard to care for him, no matter what. "It's beautiful." she whimpered, reaching her hands to intertwined her fingers with his own. "You didn't even look at it." he teased her, pulling her down into a kiss. It was weak, but filled with so much love, that for a moment there, he actually had hopes of surviving. "Kisara. Can you sing to me?" "Forgive me... My voice isn't great at the moment... But I will do my best... But, Ohma?" he hummed in questioning. "You will forever be my husband and I will forever love you more than any other person in the world. So... Just once... Call me by my marriage name." He chuckled lightly, his arms holding her even closer to his chest. "I love you, my wife, Tokita Kisara."

For one last time, Ohma felt Kisara's fingers digging into his shirt - And for one last time, he heard her voice, singing to him, the saddest song there ever was.

Just sleep in my tender arms, Don't worry about any harms, All because I'm right here, with you.

One day, your world will grow stronger, Maybe you'll try to leave my side. And someday, I might not see you, I wouldn't say just go ahead, I just want for you to answer, Will you remember me? Will you come by and say hello?

When your world rises with the sun, And my world is setting with it, Will you and I stay together now? With all of our old pastimes, I'll start to set up my old clock, To come by and visit you forever.

Kisara couldn't feel Ohma's heart beat any longer. She stopped singing, and she snuggled even closer into his limp body, crying harder. At some point, she heard a rustle - The jovial voice of Yamashita Kazuo, as he found them. "Oh, there you were! I've been looking all over for you! Ow, ow, ow, my back." he grumbled, making his way to where the two lovers were embracing, yet didn't dare look down at them - Instead, he looked up at the starry sky. "Guess the Sun's set already. Boy, would you look at those stars. We didn't have any time to look up at the night sky during the Tournament." the old man admired the twinkling stars, somehow staying strong despite the sobs coming from the girl. "We'll be leaving the island tomorrow... I don't think we'll ever come back here. The extraordinary time will end, and we'll return to our ordinary lives. The people from public society and the people from the underground will go back to their everyday lives... But, there are some who can't go back to their everyday lives." the man sighed. "Time will move on, and our experiences will become memories. We'll never see some of these people again... But we can say for certain, that we were here. I'll go back to my everyday life too, but I'll never forget the time spent on this island." just like the woman, he, too, ended up sobbing furiously, whilst forcing himself to smile, in memory of Tokita Ohma. "Goodbye... Ohma."

Yamashita Kazuo allowed the girl more time to weep, before he left to inform Hanafusa that Ohma had passed away, and to retrieve his body. Kisara had no strength to cry or grip onto him anymore, only watching him being taken away from her, with Kokomi being the only person trying to comfort her. Much like a zombie in the dead of night, Kisara found herself walking back to their shared room, wishing to feel the side of the bed where he once slept on - Yet she bumped into Kano Agito - The same way as when she first talked to him. The man looked down at her, the single, unbandaged eye wide with shock, sing the girl so upset. He heard Tokita was awake and fine. Was the rumour wrong? Unexpectedly, she threw her arms around him for the second time that day, burying her face into his shirt. "Why are you crying?" he found himself asking. She couldn't speak at first, and instead, she raised her hand, show casing that ring. Though he didn't understood at first - It clicked. Did Tokita propose? "Ohma died." so the rumours were a hoax. "Ohma is dead." how was he supposed to comfort her? He had no idea. Agito remained quiet, yet this time, his arms engulfed her small body, mimicking her.

He allowed her time to weep - And he tried to think how would a normal person react to such a complicated situation. "I have resigned as the Fang." her body stiffened. "I want to learn about the world. I don't know how to comfort you for your loss. But if the offer is still available, I want to join you in your journey around the world." Kisara looked up at him, surprise on her face. "Really? You want that?" the man grunted in affirmation, taking out a handkerchief and wiped her tears away. "Yeah. I would love to. Let's do that as soon as we return home, okay?" Agito had a small smile, seeing a little bit of life in her eyes.

The following morning, before everyone was to leave the island, Kisara looked for the Chairman. She asked for help, for someone to be a proper stand-in and rule her company in her place, as she goes to travel with Agito. Of course, the old man easily solved that issue, glad to see Kano, who had sort of become his own child of sorts, was finally looking for his own life. Perhaps resigning was the best thing he could do for himself. Kisara then met with Agito, ready to leave the island on a private jet, but was surrounded by some of her friends - The others, she at least had the phone numbers of, so if anything, they could text. They all expressed their condolences, especially after noticing the engagement ring, hanging from a chain around her neck. They promised to see each other again - Especially those with whom she was friends with, prior to the tournament itself.

"I'm leaving the country. With Agito." she explained, and although her voice and expression were pretty monotonous, she at least tried to offer a small smile. "We can text and call each other. I don't know how long I'll be away... Or where we'll go. But I don't want us to ever break contact." it was shocking enough to know that Kano resigned, let alone that the two became good enough friends to go travel together. Perhaps they both had wounds that needed healing, and the other was the perfect method of mending. "Well, that was always your dream. Have fun, angel." Hatsumi smiled encouragingly at her. "Things are going to get better, eventually. Hang in there. If you need us, you know how to get ahold of us." Takeshi, too, patted her shoulder. "Yeah, exactly! We've been friends for so long!" Cosmo grinned so brightly, that made even Kisara chuckled weakly. Kisara felt a strong hug - Turning to see who it was, she realised it was Raian, so she pulled him away. "Don't even bother, psycho." she shook her head - She wasn't in the mood for his obnoxiousness. "Nah, babe, the gag's all done for. Just wanted to say that I wanna fight with ya again some day, so come back stronger, gotcha?" the girl shook her head. "Fuck fighting. I'm done." this earned a collective amount of gasps - But before anyone could interject, a new person spoke up. "Well then, now that the competition died, you're all single, ain't ya, hot stuff?" she couldn't believe that, ever after all this time, Tanji had to go this far and piss her off. Raian was ready to punch him off the island, but Kisara stopped him quickly. At first, she wanted to curse him into oblivion - But then, she looked down at her ring, sparkling so brightly from the Sun. She smiled, as if she understood a lesson. Carefully, she took off the chain and put on her engagement ring, latching the chain around her hand firmly - In a single instant, she punched Tanji's face so hard that blood flew everywhere. Raian was laughing so hard, while the others were shocked. "I changed my mind. It's not - Fuck fighting, I'm done. No. I'm not. Instead - Fuck you, shithead, I'm done with you." with a smirk, she used the cleaver-like technique she learnt from Agito to make him fall, before trying to mimic the spear move he pulled on Hatsumi - Who cringed, watching it. "Can you not do that while I'm around? It still hurts!" Sen grumbled in annoyance. "Yo, Raian - Wanna play volleyball?" the girl chuckled, grabbing Tanji's hair and kicking him with all the strength she had. Once, Ohma told her, the best way to let out your frustration was to beat something up. He was right. Far better than crying, at least. "FUCK YEAH!" with another wicked laugh, the Kure prodigy punched away at the victim, and the two pushed and pulled the kick-boxer between one another, until he couldn't move anymore. "How many kick-boxers must I beat to death before they get that they stand no chance against me?" she scoffed, raising her hand to look at her hand. "Ah, shit, his filthy blood dirtied my ring. Disgusting." she sighed, walking towards Agito, using his handkerchief to clean the ring, putting it back around her neck. "Ready, Agito?" the man nodded, and with one last wave at her friends, Kisara was helped up on the jet, and they went back home.

It didn't take long for Kisara to pack a backpack and go to Agito's - Together, they went to have a chat with Takayama Minoru, the man who was widely known as 'the second best'. Seeing him without his mask was weird, but Kisara had to admit, even with that wound from Agito, he still looked conventionally attractive. He had no reason to hide his face, other than giving the menacing look. "Going on a journey, huh? Look who's got too much time on his hands, now that he's stepped down as Fang." the man jabbed at Agito, though it was clear he wasn't really as hateful as before. "I've been living in a bubble for too long, so I'm going to broaden my views of the world the only way I know how. Kisara offered her help, so we're going together." Agito affirmed. "Omori told me that you're not declaring your candidacy as the next Fang." he cleary saw Takayama as worthy of the title. "I didn't want your hand me downs." the joke only landed on Kisara, who chuckled. "Okay, that was a joke." he admitted, though his face was unchanging. "It looks like there are still some threats sneaking around, so I've decided to keep protecting the master as a bodyguard." he explained. "We've got things under control, so get going already." Tayakama gave them his blessings. "Still, I never thought you'd ask for this." he threw a key at him, and Kano easily caught it. "You can have it. Not like I have time to ride it anyway. It's more than what a beginner rider like you deserves... Go out there and find yourselves. Both of you." "It's a Harley Davidson -- Damn! Thanks, Takayama, you're the best!" the man scoffed, not even bothering to look back and see the way the woman was admiring his motorbike. "How nice. I've always wanted to ride one." the two high-fived, getting for their first ever motorbike ride. "Are you ready, Agito?" the girl hopped on the motorbike, her arms around his waist. The necklace ring was tucked well under her shirt. Every time she missed her husband, she would clutch away at it, and she would feel better. It was not time for her to abide to her promise and seek her happiness. Live for the two of them. "Yes. Where to first?" Kisara shrugged, grinning. "Wherever the road takes us."

Though it was the end of a chapter, it was time for another to begin. Kisara was going to battle her emotions, but it the end, she will prevail - The same way she will prevail, learning Agito's fighting style and perfecting it to her own stature. She was finally able to get out of the house and see the world - Be free, like an uncaged bird - And she wasn't alone. Wherever she went, she knew she had her friends to rely on, and with Kano Agito by her side, she knew, no matter what happened, she will be fine.

Though the Ashura was no more, the Kitsune is going to march forward, walking down a new path, supporting the Emperor, and guiding him on his own journey towards finding himself. Ohma had once been Kisara's guide in life - Now, it was time for her to hold someone's hand and help them navigate further ahead.

And though she never speaks out her last name, wanting to detach herself completely from her authority back home, in her heart, she wasn't the CEO of the Hasashi Medical whatever. She was the wife of the most beautiful man that ever existed - Tokita Ohma.

Her name was Tokita Kisara.

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[darkdevasofdestruction]

Chapter 16 - Unlikely Best Friend

All the CEOs were gathered in the VIP Room 2, but neither of them had any idea why they were summoned by the Chairman. Kisara had to admit, she knew old man Katahara was a playful jokester, but this was a fishy situation and she was getting rather suspicious. Silently staying between Akira and Urita for comfort, she was listening intently to their chattering - And they were right. There were about five CEOs that were missing - All of them were CEOs that had lost their battles, though it wasn't a criteria, since many others who lost were present... In fact, apart from Akira and her parents, all CEOs were losers. Not only that, but her parents looked awfully relaxed... And that jerk of a fighter was there with them too, and he was looking at her with a wretched smirk. How annoying.

At some point, Katahara, followed by his best friend, the patriarch of the Kure clan, the king of Thailand Rama XIII and a ton of bodyguards came into the room... But the old man seemed to be completely unaware of the meeting.

It was a trap - The first to try to run away were the samurai-CEO and the CEO whose fighter was that sumo guy who lost against Seki in the first round, both of them having the fighting instincts in their blood... But as the door opened, an ocean of men with weapons, all garbed in white suits and wearing mean looks, flooded the room... with Hayami Katsumasa, the CEO of Toyo Electric Power Co. in the lead. So this guy was the reason for everything. He was trying to overthrow Katahara. He must have known from the very beginning that he and his cheap influence had no chance of winning, especially now that Julius lost against Wakatsuki, so he had to resort to this kind of blackmail. Disgusting.

Though three of the good bodyguards threatened Hayami, they were defeated in the blink of an eye by the most surprising man in the world - Hassad, the Arabian Whirlwind that was thrown in the ocean after the preliminary matches. How ironic. Still, he wasn't  the real threat, but many of the other awfully strong looking men.

ONe of the men in white took out a laptop and showed a live broadcast of some of the missing CEOs, who were outside, bound by ropes and threatened to be killed by a fat man with a knife or a machete to their neck. Actually.... That man's build looked an awful lot like Kaburagi's. At this point, she wouldn't be surprised if he somehow teleported his way to Katahara's private resort out of the blue.

"Oh hoooo. You guys there - If you were just a few points short, you'd be there with them now, isn't that right?" Katahara loked back at the CEOs of Burger Boss, Nentendo... And her parents. "So you guys were in it too, weren't you?" Kisara walked next to the chairman and looked at her parents in disgust. "Of course we were. We pledged from the very beginning that we would nominate Mr. Hayami as the CEO. Katahara's getting old and senile." her father let out an amused exhale. "Were you afraid that Wakatsuki would defeat you, then?" she crossed her arms, glaring at them. "No, you stupid girl. Tanji would have easily swept the floor with that idiot. But once again, you completely shatter all of our plans with your idiocy." her father accused her, but she could only raise her eyebrow questioningly. "What, did I breathe the wrong way? Did I blink twice as much as I should have? Enlighten me." she truly was curious what happened. "Tanji refused to fight for our company, unless you agree to date him." Kisara's eye widened in shock, only to burst into fits of laughter and needed to lean on the old man's shoulder, who was chuckling, just like her. "Really? Please, tell me you're joking, this is the most pathetic thing I've heard in my entire life." obviously, it wasn't a joke. "I have a boyfriend already. And even if I didn't, I wouldn't be dating this fuckass. If he doesn't want to fight, then find another fighter. Sure, there's no way you'll win, but at least you won't face the humiliation of forfeiting." she suggested briefly, only to see her mother smiling at her. "Because of you, the company will suffer a massive loss of income. If you don't solve this issue, we will sue you."  she threatened, but it only made her look ridiculous. "Of course I'll solve the issue. I am going to take over the company. It's in my interest to keep appearances, isn't it?" both of her parents were shocked. "Wh-Who said anything about passing on the business to you?! You're a stupid little child who likes to throw around money! Even after death, we'll never pass on the heritage to you." her mother snarled at her with anger. "I can get you Raian for your fight. He may have lost against Ohma, but he dominated the whole match. Not to mention, both Wakatsuki and the two fighters of the first match from round 3 are heavily injured. A little bit of persuasion and Raian might even be capable of killing them and win the competition..." Kisara trailed on with a smirk on her face. She knew she didn't need to convince the psycho to fight, though having the patriarch there wasn't too good for her. "No. We don't want that deadbeat from the Kure clan. In fact, we don't want any fighter. I think we can come to a nice compromise, you and us, daughter." her father came forward, towering over her. "You go in there and fight against that musclehead. If you come out of there alive, we will consider writing your name in our will." "So you're betting on me getting killed by Wakatsuki, aren't you? Fine. Hey, gramps, can the company CEO be changed during a kengan tournament officially, regardless of the circumstances of the change?" she asked, smiling at him. "Of course, it can be done - My, how exciting, we've never had a woman fighting in our tournament before! Have you heard that, Erioh? Maybe you should have sent some of the girl to fight at some point, I'm sure it would have been exciting." Katahara laughed, while the Kure leader merely smiled and shook his head. "Sweet! Well then, let's make this deal right now. You write my name in the will, I fight for you instead of that dumbass, I get out alive, I kill you, and I get the company! Wonderful!" Kisara chirped in mock-glee, shocking her parents. "There are no fights allowed between company owners! You will be kicked out of here!" her father yelled at her. "Actually, no rule states that a retired fighter, who becomes a normal spectator, cannot actively fight against a company owner." Katahara himself pointed out - The Hasashi owners surely didn't play that smart. "Oh, which reminds me... Hayami. The Hasashi company won't be supporting you anymore. We are supporting the Nogi group." with a peace sign thrown in, Katahara laughed again, while the man with half of his face burnt looked pissed off. "You will regret it, little girl - But I will give everyone a choice, even you. Will you join those four and wait for your executions, or will you join me and form a new Kengan Association?" his mustache was curled up evilly. "And Metsudo, I have a demand to make of you. Cancel the tournament and resign as chairman, effective immediately." "And what if I say no?" the old man was defiant - He surely must have his ground. "Then I'll blow up the kengan dome along with all of the kengan association members and foreign dignitaries." it seems that Katahara already knew about the intruders and the others who went to plant the bombs around the dome. He's not an old man for nothing, obviously - Which made Kisara relaxed. Katahara surely knew about Hayami's evil intent from the very beginning and has something prepared.

Nikaido Ren, along with the other Heavenly wolves, were the ones who actually installed the bombs, seeing as they were special ops for the Japanese army, how interesting. Hayami has about a thousand guardians inside and outside of the dome, and compared to Katahara's 250 bodyguards, the good guys were seemingly outnumbered... But doesn't this guy get that Katahara's best friend is the Patriarch of the Kure clan? Surely, those assassins would be helpful.

"Now, the cancellation of the tournament won't affect those of you who have already lost - As a matter of fact, I've prepared another chance for all of you. I promise you that I will host a new Tournament for the key positions in my association - Let us all build a new Kengan Association together." still.... If these many guardians were around... Were they threatening the fighters not present? "Hey, I have a question for you - What's happening to the fighters right now? The active ones AND the ones from the medical room." Kisara called out, hoping for the best. "Well... Who knows~? I will tell you only if you desert that old geezer." Hayami thought he had won. "Admit it, Katahara - Your time is done!" one of the CEOs who must have been an old friend of this jerk tried to call him out and reason to him, but he was completely out of it. "Hey, Metsudo - Do you see it now?" Erioh called out to his best friend, in a sort of shady way.   "He's gone back to his old tone of voice." the old man nodded his head dismissively. "You know you brought this upon yourself. You should've finished him off back then. The first time that Hayami Katsumasa rebelled against you." the patriarch was reproaching his best friend for his merciful decision from long ago. "You're fucked in the head. Who the hell would want to join you? Do yourself a favour and kill yourself or something." Kisara sighed, rolling her eyes. "Exactly! In your dreams! I'm going to reach the top by my own power! I don't need your help!" Yoshitake, shaking like a leaf, shrieked desperately at the evil man. "Ohhh, look who's grown a set of balls." Shion was puffind her cigarette, amused. "But that still just about sums it up." the Sumo-lover shrugged, along with his samurai friend. "Mr. Yoshitake speaks for the rest of us, here - WIth some exceptions, of course." Gaolang's employer smiled. "Oh, and let me take this chance to give you my answer - I'm not gonna be your partner." Kaneda's CEO spoke leisurely. "Likewise~." it was time for Naoya's employer to speak up. Hayami humphed in annoyance, seeing the resistance. "And what about you, Akira? Your late father was a loyal subject of mine, so I decided to extend this offer to you, the only executive of a winning corporation present, out of respect - Seeing that Miss Hasashi over there decided to rebel unwisely." once again, the red head rolled her eyes. "Loyal subject...? And who was it that ordered Mr. Urita's father to dispose of your Loyal Subject?" Akira accused the jerk. "My father was nothing but your puppet. He killed Mr. Nishihonji's father, just as he was told - But not us. We'll never be your puppets." Sukizo, too, seemed pissed off. "You fools are completely oblivious to the situation. Forget it. Get lost!" in that instant, the guardians were ready to attack - And so was Kisara. She took her katana out and got in her stance. A that point, Katahara raised his hand like a little child, asking if he was allowed to ask something. How hilarious. "There's something I just have to know - You didn't care about the tournament results all along, did you?" Hayami confirmed that thought, saying that his true goal was simply to overthrow him and destroy his Kengan association, to build his own. Still, in that motion, he confirmed that he was going to throw the Heavenly Wolves under the bus for being 'terrorists' Not only that, he said that he would blow the dome either way if the people didn't accept him being appointed as the new Chairman - What a mad man! "And, okay~! That's all the evidence I need~ 💖! I just so~ happened to have this recorder on me~♪ Now. What would your subordinates think if they heard this?" Katahara asked, only to be called a fool by his enemy. "It'll be even worse when the foreign heads of state hear of this. As soon as they know you're the terrorist mastermind, then you can kiss any hope of becoming Kengan association chairman goodbye. In fact you'll never return to public life again." "I said you're a FOOL." Hayami was getting very pissed off by the old man's antics. "Ohhh~! Listen to how clear the audio is~♪! You'll have a hard time working your way out of this one~!" Katahara hummed all amused. "SHUT UP!!!" Hayami yelled sternly, and the guardians were ready to strike. He really thought he had Katahara in checkmate, that idiot. "How do you plan to get THAT outside, exactly? In case you've forgotten, you're completely surrounded!" in that instant, someone got a message on his walkie talkie and went to communicate it in a whisper.

As if on cue, the wall was freaking broken and from a helicopter jumped 50 elite Kure members - Kisara couldn't help but laugh - Those two old men were really fantastic! "Thank you for the patience. Fifty elite members of the Kure Clan, at your service." the Patriarch was ready to fight. "The pieces are in place. Shall we have ourselves a game~?" a mischievous, triumphant grin was painted on the Chairman's face. "Hyoooohoohoho! Surprised yet, Hayami? And just to be clear - We're not the only ones resisting you! You guys join in too!" all of his elite bodyguards, and some famous fighter relatives of the employed fighters, like Inaba's gramps or Mikazuchi Rei's old man.

"HEY BABE! THANKS FOR TAKING CARE OF GRAMPS!" Raian's loud, boastful laugh resounded through the VIP room as he run to her side, killing guardians at fantastic speed. "Sure, sure! Raian - I have to go save Ohma. How about we have our little teaching lesson right now?" Kisara grinned, stepping forward next to her psycho friend. "HA! HEY, GRAMPS, IMMA MARRY THIS ONE, GOT IT?" his grin was splitting his face in two. "Keep dreaming, Raian!" the red head laughed as she charged ahead of the Kure boy and started killing away at the guardians. She let all restraints loose - She never killed before, but she threw all of her anger and frustration into destroying the people threatening her life. She had one goal, and that was to get out of there and reach Ohma. She had to save him before it was too late. "Work on your stance, babe - And careful to those fuckers - Don't wanna hurt your pretty face, do ya?" he said as he ripped a guy in two perfect sides. "...Wicked..." Kisara's green eyes looked with awe at his raw power. To think a human being can actually rip a man apart like that, it was fantastic. "LOOK OUT!" Raian rushed and threw his arms around the red head, turning around - He shielded her from a sickle throw. "Shit, I'm sorry -" the girl tried to apologise, but Raian activated his Removal. "You're dead." yep. He was beyond control now and he went on a rampage. So much for a killing lesson. At least she was now able to follow him through the corridor of dead bodies and leap out of the room. "THANKS, RAIAN! SEE YOU LATER!" she called out, not looking back and hurrying the hell out of there before anyone could catch up to her.

The girl ran out of there, and as soon as she got to the lower parts of the dome, she saw various fighters teaming up against bunches of evil guardians surrounding them. All of the fighters were bare-handed, but neither seemed to be struggling, despite their injuries. That is the true pride of a fighter, huh? Fascinating.

There was Kuroki Gensai at some point, looking completely unbothered and in perfect shape as always, and then there was Saw Paing going all out, as always - And further down, she found four fighters going against a guardian with long, dark hair, wielding some kind of weapon that seemed to have severely harmed Adam Dudley. Kaneda was in the back, whilst an injured Cosmo, finally out of his wheelchair, was in the vanguard with Gaolang and his shattered right fist just behind him.

"We wouldn't want the Thai God to injure his Heavenly fist so bad that he can't protect His Majesty, now, would we~?" Kisara teased as she lunged forward and cut the enemy's weapon in two, before cutting him down in the same manner. "Don't worry, things are going to settle down... And your employers are safe too. Toyo's CEO tried to make a coup, but Katahara has everything under control and the guardians are being killed left and right. Any idea if Ohma is still down at the medical wing?" she asked, cleaning the blood from her katana on her sleeve. "Thanks for the help, Nee-san! Anyway, I think he's still there. But don't worry, there were a lot of fighters in that room, so he's safe!" Cosmo smiled, tired from the exhaustion of getting out of his wheelchair. "Wonderful. Now then, I suggest you go somewhere safe and wait until this commotion dies down. See ya." with a rushed peace sign, the red head sprung out of there as fast as when she'd arrived. "Huh. I never imagined Miss Kisara would slice a man in two without any hesitation." Gaolang's eyes were wide with surprise, but at the same time, he could easily get it. He, too, would kill and has killed, in order to protect His Majesty - Sometimes, assailants don't know how to stop when they see themselves at a disadvantage. Ohma... That Tokita Ohma must be a really lucky man and a good fighter. Perhaps he should pay attention to his next fight.

Just a little more, just a few more bannisters to slide down on, just like when she was a child at the skate park - And there it was, the lowest floor, the one that housed the Infirmary - The whole place was swarming with guardians - But no matter. They will all die by her sword. The killing was, however, stopped once she noticed the huge frame of the ex-Nentendo fighter, Haruo, who had Mokichi, Ohma and Yamashita Kazuo in his grasp, and was followed by Miracle Doctor and Inaba.

"RYO!" the girl cried out, running up to him and following Haruo to the secluded, safe room where she let those three. "Are you three staying?" "I need to go help Master, but I'll come back later!" Haruo said, rushing out of the room. "Since these two are the most injured, I need to constantly keep an eye on them. Now that you're here, I guess I don't have to worry anymore. Inaba wanted to make sure these guys were safe." though the doctor smirked and wiped the sweat from his forehead, Ryo smiled at the girl. "Thanks, you guys, you are the best. Stay in the corner next to the those three. I'll handle the rest now." closing the door, Kisara went to kneel on the ground, the sword laid in front of her, and her hands were resting on her lap. If there was something useful she learnt with Hatsumi, was to throw the enemy off guard by not showing your intentions - Either keeping your hands in your pockets, or... Sitting on the ground, completely unbothered and seemingly defenseless. Or at least, that was the impression she wanted to let. "Will you be okay, Miss Kisara?" Ryo asked, frowning. "Let's just say that I've never been angrier in my life, and that someone broke all the shackles that restrained me ethically. I'm going to let all my frustrations out." she smiled wickedly, like an enigmatic Kitsune, as she cracked her fingers.

And then they waited. And waited. Until the door opened, and three guardians got in. They started laughing, saying that she was ready to commit seppuku, hence the katana before her, but before they knew it, all of them were left in pieces, in their combined pools of blood - And Kisara was back to her spot, as if nothing happened. This process continued each time the door was kicked open, and she would slash them to bits - That is, until Haruo opened the door, stumbling in and dripping with blood from head to toe. Everyone yelled out his name out of shock and concern, only to see some kind of sharp rapier impaling him, making him fall limp to the ground.

"I found you." the grave and somber looking guardian spoke in a low voice. Although, the next words that followed were completely in disarray compared to his previous action. "Run." he said, making the people inside the room blink in confusion. "Wh-What did you say...?" Yamashita Kazuo, fallen to the ground, managed to stammer meekly. "Run. This dome will be blown up shortly." the enemy spoke so casually as he took out a handkerchief and cleaned the blood from his blade. "I will allow you to go freely, if you'll take that man with you." he continued, motioning towards Ohma. "Why is Ohma so important to you?" Kisara spoke sternly over Yamashita, who was trying to whisper a question of concern. "This is your only chance. Julius in engaged with Squad B just up ahead and my squad is heading to him as back-up. He's furious, now that he's realised he was just a sacrificial pawn. Security should be light now. Go on and escape." everything he was saying was so completely weird. "W-W-Wait just a second...! Did you say that the dome's gonna blow up...?! Then what are we waiting for?! We have to evacuate everyone - Quickly!" the manager wailed in desperation. "Don't get the wrong idea." the man threatened solemnly, piercing Haruo's back once again, earning a shriek of distress from the old man. "Do you think that I was letting you go out of good will? Keep the Tiger's Vessel alive. Those were my orders." Tiger's Vessel? What an odd metaphor for a human, let alone Ohma. Did something happen to him when he was younger, still in the Inside, and he doesn't remember? Could this be the cause of his amnesia? "What in the world does that mean?" Kisara got up from her spot, yet didn't drop her guard for a second. "You don't need to know, and you knowing wouldn't make a bit of difference. Take Tokita Ohma and leave the dome. This is your last chance to survive." and he was dead serious about this. "Miss Kisara, maybe we should go. I have to find Uri and get him out of here." Ryo was gritting his teeth, afraid for his best friend. "This isn't the most optimal scenario I envisioned. We have to come up with a plan." though the miracle muttered, though quite fantastically, the once unconscious man got up on wobbly feet - And everyone gasped out his name - Only for him to groan, asking what happened while he was asleep. Seeing that he was awake, the guardian decided that letting other people live would only get in his way, and with someone in such a bewildered condition, it wouldn't pose as too much work to get him out of there - So he lunged towards the manager to attack, only to get his rapier blocked and kicked to the side. "Hold up, hombre. Don't you think you've gotten too full of yourself?" Kisara hissed at him, getting in a defensive stance in front of the manager and his fighter. "Hasashi Kisara - Why are you covered in blood, and who the hell is he?" Ohma's low voice made her feel instantly more relaxed and courageous. "Well - One of the CEOs had a coup d'etat and planted bombs around the dome and is now threatening to blow this up, while his bodyguards go around killing everyone that isn't present in the stadium. Was that good enough for an explanation?" the red head chuckled, sparring intensely with the rapier wielding guy. "Nah. You have too much red on you. Come over." just as she drove the guardian back, she turned her back to him and stepped next to Ohma who was eying the blood caking her clothes and face. "I don't like this look on you. Who ruined that cute outfit of yours?" he asked, raising his hand to cup her face and wipe the blood from her cheek. "I wouldn't know. They're long dead. They stood in my way while I was trying to reach you. Grave mistake." that sweet yet playful smile made the man huff in amusement and reach his other hand forwards the enemy, using a new skill altogether to catch the tip of his rapier and break it. As he flicked the tip away, he lunged his foot forward and punched the guardian easily, driving him away. This wasn't the same Ohma as before - This Ohma was on a completely other level. He was radiating calmness, he was cool-headed and collected, and most of all, he was stable both mental and physical, apart for his injuries. "This guy is too predictable, I should have let you had your fun." Ohma spoke, before turning his attention towards the opponent, looking bored. "I'll only repeat myself once. Get lost." "I see that you qualify as the Tiger's Vessel." the guardian spoke, throwing away his weapon to clatter and clank on the ground. "...Are you working for Him? Why is He showing up now?" by the looks of things, Ohma had an idea about what was going on. Something tells Kisara that this wasn't JUST a coup d'etat, nor was Hayami the real mastermind behind all this, but a greater force was behind him, using this opportunity for far more sinister schemes. Though the enemy had no more weapons, he didn't need that, for he activated something similar or quite literally Ohma's Advance technique. "I'll have to take you by force. The Tiger's orders are absolute." "I'd completely forgotten It's real name until now. Possessing Spirit. I guess you're not bullshitting me. You must be His messenger." stepping forwards, Ohma got in a stance. "Hasashi Kisara, stand back and protect Yamashita Kazuo if needed. This guy's not gonna back down easily." though she wanted to yell at him for going into a fight while so heavily injured, she merely nodded her head and got in front of the old manager, along with the assassin and the doctor. Thankfully, though, and quite incredibly, the fight lasted far shorter than expected, and the opponent was unconscious "Hey. Go back and tell him this - You won't get me with the same trick again. If you want me, you'd better come for me yourself." Ohma's cocky smirk was as enticing as always and she wanted to just grab his face and pull him in a deep kiss.

He was alright! Ohma was alright! Awake and alive and alright - More or less - But he was! What a relief, even if temporary, it was good. "Hasashi Kisara - Is there something you want to say to me?" the brunet came over to her, bending down slightly at the waist. "I..." he raised her chin with his finger to make her look at him. "I have quite a few things to tell you... But looking at you made me forget everything." her smile widened. "I'll talk to you properly tonight... Until then... I just want a single reassurance from you. Can I have that, please?" she asked, extending her pinky towards him. "Can you promise me that, no matter what I do, you won't hate me or be disappointed in me?" This question clearly surprised the man, but he was quick to get over his shocked, and he let out a small chuckle as he hooked his pinky to hers, planting a kiss on her forehead. "I promise." as soon as he spoke those words, he could see his beloved relax visibly - Only to side step him and go towards the exit. "Then, I'll be seeing you tomorrow night. Take care of Yamashita Kazuo." with a wink, she skipped out of the room, leaving everyone, especially her brunet darling, confused. "Have I missed a lot while I was asleep?" he asked out loud, though nobody knew what to answer.

As soon as she stepped out into the hallway, she noticed that there were no more white guardians anymore, but the place was filled with Katahara's fighters. So the coup was dissolved. Perfect. It was time to go to the chairman's office and look for his fighter. Getting there, she saw not only the chairman, but his best friend and a few of his personal bodyguards, yet no sight of The Fang.

"Ahh, Miss Kisara, to what do I owe the pleasure?" the old man asked, stepping towards her. "Well - Now that so many people are here, I guess I have a bit more to say. First, I think I should thank you for authorising the inheritance deal and the fighter change, even though it was kind of a weird thing." she smiled wryly, only to see the old man laughing merrily. "Not at all, not at all! You see - Sayaka is my daughter, and as a father, I would never want her to come to any harm. She and my son are my greatest treasures - And I'm sure Erioh here feels the same about his daughter. If your parents want to have you killed, but you have a plan, then by all means, I'd love to give you a chance to prove that you're going to be a far better CEO than they are. I had my doubts, but after seeing you fight earlier, I knew I had made the right decision. Still, there are no weapons allowed, I wonder what you will do, especially against a veteran like Wakatsuki Takeshi."  this answer made the girl smile and drive her hand through her hair. "Few people know that I trained with Hatsumi for four years - But that's for the best, isn't it? Nobody expects anything from me, because I'm a girl. But... Look at Karla. Nobody expects a cute girl like her to fight, and yet..." she ended with an enigmatic smile. "Haha, she's right! Erioh, what do you say? Maybe you ought to bring some female fighters for the next matches?" the old man turned towards his best friend, who had his hands in his haori sleeves. "Your opponent won't be easy to fight and four years of training will count for nothing against a veteran. Even so, I'm quite curious how the match will unfold. What style do you use?" the old fighter asked. "Aikido is my main style, but Hatsumi's style isn't the only thing that I know. I've been developing my own style, based on my fortes, so that I overcome the obvious physical weakness." this explanation earned a chuckle from the patriarch. "I see, I see, so the match will prove to be rather fun to watch. I will be rooting for you, Miss Kisara." Erioh spoje, making the girl smile. "Thanks, you two. So, this gets me to my next reason for being here. One - I can't find Raian, and I need to meet him in half an hour in the forest. And two... I need to see Agito urgently. I'd like to know where I can find him, please." the chairman chuckled, realising with ease her intent. "Agito never taught anyone before. Are you sure you're up for that?" the girl simply shrugged. "No clue. But his fight against Gaolang fascinated and inspired me. And that Formless style... Whatever it was, it looked a lot like the Aikido style I've been practicing, but on a whole other level. Even if I didn't have to prepare for a fight, I'd have liked to have Agito as my teacher, at some point... If he'll have me." her explanation earned a chuckle and a pat on her shoulder from the old man as he told her where to find his Fang, and she made a bee-line right to his room, knocking and waiting for the door to open.

Once it did, she looked up at the man towering over her and gave him a sweet smile. "Hi, Agito! How are you doing? Congrats on that amazing fight against Gaolang, you both were fantastic!" but the man remained silent. With a better look at him, she realised his hair was still disheveled and looked troubled, yet with added surprise at seeing the girl in front of him. "Uh... Are you doing alright? Is something upsetting you?" "Why are you here?" he asked bluntly. "Ah - Well... I need to ask a huge favour from you. I really need you to teach me your fighting style." his eyes widened slightly, before grunting out a definite No and stepping back to close the door, only for the girl to throw herself into the door to keep it open. "Agito, please, I need you! My parents' company fighter cowarded out and I have to fight against Wakatsuki myself! I can't do it without you!" hearing her desperate plea and the reason for her seeking his aid made his stunned - Not only was someone actually asking for HIS help, but a complete newby, a small and frail girl, of all things, was going to fight a Kengan match against a man that was only defeated twice in his over 300 matches career. She could have been placed against him, and it would have made no difference altogether. What the hell was in anyone's mind to accept this? "The chairman won't allow this. You're safe." but she shook her head. "The chairman already allowed this deal. It's all a business move, and it's beneficial on my part. If I get out alive from that match, I inherit the business. And well... I guess I finally get to test the progress I've made in the past four years of my training. Please, Agito, I really need you. I started learning how to fight so that I would be able to stop people from walking all over me. This is the last step I have to take. Once I inherit the business, not even my parents will be able to betray or humiliate me anymore. Please, accept. Just for a day. Just tomorrow." the girl's plea made him look down at her with his hard stare - And he nodded his head, albeit skeptically. "I can't guarantee you won't leave injured." the girl simply smiled widely. "It's fighting, I'm not expecting to leave unscratched. Thank you so much for accepting, it means the world to me!" they exchanged phone numbers for the next day's meeting, and once again, the girl darted off.

This time, Kisara went to her room, changing into comfortable, fighting clothes, and then ran into the forest, hoping that the old man had informed his psycho devil kin about the meeting time and place. Thankfully, Raian was already there, with his hands in her pants' pockets, almost as if he was imitating her from their earlier encounter. "Lookie, lookie who's finally decided to show up!" he sniggered teasingly. "I'm only ten minutes late. It took longer than I expected to find Kano's room and ask him to train me tomorrow." she sighed, stretching a bit. "Eh? Why d'you need that guy, when you've got me?" he asked, tilting his head like a confused puppy - It was almost adorable. "Realistically speaking, the fighting style he showed at the end of his fight with Gaolang matches my own. Whether it is Aiki, Systema or his Formless style, it's exactly what I need. Not only that, but Wakatsuki only ever lost against two people: Kano Agito, the man that I want to train me tomorrow, and Hatsumi Sen, the man that has trained me in Aikido for the past four years. He has never seen me fight before, but I have seen him. I know most of his fighting style and patterns by now, and I know that his Karate hits have a far shorter range compared to normal ones, so that will be in my advantage. I play a lot on the deceiving and surprising side - I shock with my moves so that I will gain that 1 second advantage and take you down. When Wakatsuki sees me taking his arch enemy's stance, he will pale. Not only that, but my Aikido style uses the enemy's strength and power against them, so adding his mountain-like state, you can imagine that he will be fighting against his own power added to my own. I don't need to win. I need to impress myself. This is my chance to prove to everyone, myself included, that I'm not the stupid, worthless doormat called Kisara that can't stop people from walking all over her. So... Yeah, Raian, I need all the help I can get." she explained  - But the man before her barked a laugh. "Fine, fine, whatever, I get ya, you're a fine cookie, babe. Now let's see what you've got." he got in a stance, while Kisara adopted a more leisure one, although not the same one as before, as that trick was already done and wasted. That was the huge problem with Kisara's strategy - It was based on one-tricks for the most part. She really should have had grappling lessons from Cosmo.

For the rest of the day until later into the night, the two kept on sparring and sparring, until the girl couldn't take it anymore. She was exhausted and famished. Of course, that psycho was doing fine, despite having used his Removal repeatedly, but he was nice enough to let her lean on his shoulder while they ate together. When things weren't revolving around fighting, Raian was actually a weirdly good company - If you were able to ignore the weirdo aspect of him and how he kept saying they were going to get married, though Kisara suspected he made the idea more into a gag, copying and mocking Karla's behaviour around Ohma. She wasn't entirely sure, but it didn't make much of a difference.

When she was finally full and ready for resting, the girl went to Hatsumi's room for a well-earned shower and strategy planner, considering he was one of the only two people to ever defeat Wakatsuki. Even if a lot of years passed since then, facts were facts, and neither changed their fighting style 180 since then. Now, three people were aware of the fight... With Wakatsuki being the fourth, but she will only tell him the next day, at evening, hoping to create enough disarray into his tactics, at least short-term.

-----

The night of the fourth day of the Kengan Annihilation tournament has approached, and all fighters were anxious for the last day, which held three rounds - It was going to be the most fantastic show anyone will witness in their entire life... And for Kisara, it mean the beginning of the end.

As Agito praised her progress and watched her leave from the forest grounds, the girl had only two objectives for the remaining time - First of all, she went by Wakatsuki's room and waited for him to open the door and let her in. He looked as bad as the previous day, unfortunately for him. He sat back down on the edge of the bed and looked up at the girl fidgeting from one foot to the other. "What is it, Kisara?" he asked. She had an almost guilty look on her face - He wondered why. "Remember when I said I will kill my parents?" she asked, taking a deep breath. "With Katahara as a witness, I struck a deal with my parents so that I will have my name on the business inheritance once they die. And, of course, I will force their time of death." she continued, with an almost dramatic effect pause. "Taking a life isn't easy, Kisara. Don't let anger take over you. You're not like them. They're not worth your time." despite his advice, the girl merely smiled. "I'm sure your employer told you about the coup from yesterday, didn't you? Though he wasn't present, he must have heard from the other CEOs. I was there. And when the guardians filled the VIP room, I and Raian went on a killing spree. I had to get the hell out of there and make sure Ohma was okay. That doesn't take away the fact that I took lives without any kind of hesitation. I had a single goal in my mind, and I achieved it. And so I will. Tomorrow. I will kill my parents and get my hands on the business." she spoke more sternly, much firmer, as he's never heard her before. "If you're so set on doing this, why did you come to tell me? Is it because I'm your best friend?" though he stated that possibility, he was more than aware that it wasn't the right answer. "No. I didn't want anyone to know about this, in particular. I don't want anyone dear to me to change their view of me, or think I'm some kind of evil, murderous, greedy person. The reason I'm here to tell you is... Because this issue, unfortunately, involves you indirectly. You were supposed to fight Tanji, but that cowardly jerk dropped out of the competition because I rejected him and Raian socked him in the face and wanted revenge. The deal was that they will only write my name in their will... If I become their new fighter and come out alive. They new you were their opponent in the next fight, and considering out differences... You could easily kill me in a single move. They don't know that I've been training, nor that we are friends. So... At least I know that I won't die." she explained with an awkward smile, watching his flabbergast expression, his single visible eye wide, and mouth slightly agape. "Are you trying to tell me that my next match will be against -- You?" the girl nodded sheepishly. "Are you out of your mind?" "Slightly. Despite everything... I still want you to fight with everything you've got. Don't be afraid to kill me. You know I can't be killed that easily. It's because you're my best friend that I hope you'll have enough faith in me that you'll fight the same as with any fighter. Please respect me and do your best, as you always do, okay, Takeshi?" with a small smile, she stepped in front of him and opened her arms wide - It was their signal to have a hug - And despite his head shake, he did indulge and embraced her. "You're far too reckless for you own good. Didn't you always cry about how awful it is to get injured? That you can't handle pain? And now you're willingly getting into a fight against someone like me. Do you have any idea what you're getting yourself into?" he asked, only to feel the girl shrug. "Not entirely, but for the most part, yes. Though I'm not really qualified, I promise, I'll still do my best to make you and all my friends proud. I will go rest for now. But before I go..." with a cheeky grin, Kisara opened the door. "Please don't destroy my face. I'm far too pretty for that. And getting a full dental implant would get my business in bankruptcy." she laughed, going back to her room. To Ohma. Now that was going to be a difficult conversation to have.

Not only she didn't go to see him for a whole day and a half, but he had changed radically. She was almost afraid to see how Ohma was like now - Possibly this was the real Ohma, before his memories went down the drain. "Ohma? Are you here?" the girl asked, quietly opening the door, careful not to wake him up, if he were asleep. But he wasn't. "Look who's finally here. Did you miss me?" that didn't sound like Ohma at all. As she stepped inside the room properly, she saw him laying down on the bed, shirtless as always, and with a shit-eating grin on his face. "Of course I did. You have no idea how worried I was when you were unconscious." she sighed softly. "Yeah, I know, I heard you." he smirked wider, seeing the sweet smile on her face. "And I did what Her Majesty requested. I woke up. Now get over here already." though he reached out his arm towards her, she shook her head. "Let me take a shower first." and so she did, returning back all freshened up and wearing one of his Tshirts. As she climbed on the bed, the man playfully grabbed her and placed her on his lap. "How bold." she chuckled, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him into a deep kiss. "Now that's a proper welcome." he let out an amused huff. "Did you get your memories back?" his smile widened. "As right as always. Yeah, I did. About time, huh?" she nodded with a happy grin on her face. "I'm really happy for you." this time, she kissed him gentler. "What have you been doing these days? You seem pretty tired. And you have bruises all over you." he noticed, running his hands down her legs. "Uh... Can I tell you that tomorrow?" based on how evasive she was, Ohma merely raised his eyebrow, but agreed nonetheless. "Thanks, love. How about you tell me whatever you want that you remember, and tomorrow, I promise I'll explain everything to you." Once again, the brunet agreed, but instead of beginning a tale, he switched their positions so he would be on top of her. As always, he was always on top. Of everyone and everything. "I've got another idea." "I'm sure you do." her smile matched hers, as she pulled her closer to him, her hands playing with his beautiful, dark hair. "Welcome back, my love."

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[darkdevasofdestruction]

Chapter 17 - The Kitsune

"It is around the time of your boyfriend's match. Aren't you going to watch it?" the Fang asked, confused, as the red haired girl before him, who he knew was so close to that guy, seemed to make no move to get out of the training room - Instead, she continued to practice her moves on him. "Whether I am there to watch or not, the outcome is the same, don't you think?" she seemed nonchalant and dismissive, but deep in her heart, she was antsy and afraid - What if Cosmo pushes him so much that he uses the Advance again, and his heart gives out? "Says the one who went to watch and encourage all the people she encountered." the man scoffed, which made the girl chuckle lightly, shaking her head - He was right, of course, but what was there to be done? "I know you are right, Agito. I know. But I, too, have my duty as a fighter in the next match, and I can't go down without a fight. It matters little that I will lose. All that matters is that I don't die from Takeshi's punch, and uh... I take over the company already. And kill those two."  she explained, shrugging lightly and taking a deep breath. "You don't even want the TV on?" the man asked, but he earned another shake of her head. "It would take my mind away from training. I'll lose focus. It's fine... Let's get back at it." she muttered before going on for an attack, and this is how the next half an hour passed by so quickly, and one of those cheerleader girls came over to tell them the second fight was going to take place. "It is time." Agito spoke, throwing a towel her way so she could go take a shower and change in her fighting clothes for her match. "I see... Time flies really fast. Alright. I'll be there." raking her fingers through her hair, a sense of overwhelm took over her and she tried to take a few more deep breaths and get over her fears... But of course, a fight with Wakatsuki Takeshi was nothing to be taken lightly. Especially after she, herself, told him not to go easy on her.

Once ready, she dressed in a pair of high-waisted black pants, a simple black crop top, her haori, black, painted with red spider lilies and embroidered in the finest gold thread, and of course, the kitsune mask. Gotta make an entrance, after all. Everyone expects that big guy's fight, not a woman's. Things are going to be wild, once Sayaka calls out her name. Even her friends are completely left in the dark about this. Considering how awful the audience is with Sayaka, calling out all sorts of offensive and vulgar things to her, she can only imagine the sort of words she's going to get called.

But no matter. As long as she takes over the company, it was all going to be worth it.

Though her feet were feeling heavy and her instinct made it feel as though she was going through the freezing river, or the lake of flames, just to get on the other side of the arena... Much to her surprise, Agito was there. Though he said nothing, he patted her shoulder and gave an encouraging smile. Though she uttered no word, she shakily placed her hand on top of his, and squeezed her anxiety away. In the middle of the arena, Takeshi was waiting. Up there, on the screen, that idiot's face was there, next to Wakatsuki's, and bets were in order... And Takeshi was winning, of course.

"And from the left side of the arena enters the new fighter of the Hasashi Private Medical Network, after Tanji Yoichi retired out of unknown circumstances." as Sayaka began speaking, a loud murmur was heard throughout the arena and everyone was questioning who was the new fighter, making bets on who was going to fight against Takeshi. "For the first time in Kengan history, in this arena, coming forth - The devious Trickster who's swift and strikes from the shadows when you least expect it - With no Kengan record, for the debut match... One round of applause for the beautiful, the cunning, the sly, the mischievous Queen of the Kengan Matches ---" as soon as they heard the word 'Queen', indicating a female was going to step forward, the whole audience was flabbergast and were either gasping or yelling loudly. "THE KITSUNE, HAAAAAASAAAAASHIIIIIII KISAAARAAAAAAAAA!" as Agito wished her a good fight, she took her first step inside the sandy arena, trying her best not only to tune out the vulgar and undermining comments from the public, but also, how weird the feeling of stepping on sand was - So different from being at the beach. Every step she took, felt as if she was walking on the shared knives, and suddenly, she was reminded of the original tale of the Little Mermaid, who had to experience something similar. Hopefully, she won't turn into sea foam next. "Are you okay, Kisara?" was the first thing that Takeshi asked as the girl went a step away from him, and shook her head - Though, her mimic was hidden by her mask.  "I can feel death knocking on my door. I never realised until now how big you are... I guess, years of friendship made me forget how scary you can be." she chuckled lightly, hanging her head a bit, her hands in her pockets as she swung a bit back and forth. "If I don't hold back in this match... Will you be able to forgive me, when it is over?" he asked, holding his hand out. "Takeshi... It is you who must forgive me, for pulling you through such a difficult situation. Because of my pride and ambitions, you got caught in the middle of a family feud. And for that, I am sorry." she gently held his hand in both of her own. "At least, I will get to see how far into your training you got. You've changed a lot since the first time we met. I'm sure that, this fight, is going to be memorable -- For the both of us, as well as the Kengan history." though he offered a small smile, the girl turned her head towards the audience. "For the perverts who want to fuck me, or those who boo me for destroying the kengan matches?" she sneered, annoyed at the people up there. "Look the other way." in that instant, she looked in the direction Takeshi showed - And she saw many of the fighters she befriended, cheering for her. "Those who matter cheer for you... And there is a handful who want the underdog to win. Don't get discouraged." as he said that, Raian's voice called out loudly, making the public shut up. "FUCK THESE SHITHEADS, BABE! GO WIN THAT FIGHT! YOO-- THAT'S MY WIFE THERE, YA?! YOU DON'T FUCK WITH THE KURE CLAN AND YOU DON'T FUCK WITH MY BABE, GOT THAT!" the comment was enough for Kisara to burst into laughter and take out her mask, giving it to Sayaka, as she wasn't allowed something that could serve as a protection - And she smiled. With one more scan, she noticed Hatsumi giving her an approving nod of his head, and Gaolang was smiling at her. Saw Paing was yelling out encouragement for her, while the peanut gallery was chanting her name. And then, down there, where she usually stood, at the entrance of the arena, there he was - Tokita Ohma, leaning on the wall, his arms crossed and wearing a confident smile. It seemed he wasn't upset that she didn't confide in him about this match - Sometimes, you must do some things on your own - But with enough encouragement, she was brave enough to face even the most renowned Kengan Veteran with hundreds of won matches, The Wild Tiger himself -- All for her ambitions. Whether she won or not, it didn't matter, Ohma knew she was too smart to get herself into a losing situation, so whatever the case may be, he was going to cheer for her and be by her side, just as she always was for him. "And the fighters are facing off!" Sayaka screamed into the microphone, from her commenting booth. "They've got a height difference of 30 cm and a weight difference of a whole 140 KG!" hearing those stats, most people shuddered. "Julius was both taller and heavier than Wakatsuki, yet he still lost! These two look as far apart as the whole Empire States Building next to a pomeranian!" Jerry Tyson gasped dramatically.

"Are you ready, Kisara?" Takeshi asked, taking a step back. "As ready as I'll ever be... Takeshi." with a solemn nod of her head, she, too, took a step back and after dramatically throwing her fringe back and fixing the bun she made out of her long hair, she got her hands back in her pockets, and waited for the match to begin. "Take you stances!" the referee called out. "I am no fighter. I have no stance." she spoke, remaining in a casual repause. "Suit yourselves. Ready -- FIGHT!" the man called out, and thus, Takeshi was the first to lunge forward and deliver the first blow.

'It's the end' some thought. 'She's gonna die' others gasped, watching the bull-like man charging at full speed and attempting to ram into the small, frail woman that was pathetically standing there. The momentum was catching up, and it was time to strike. Raian's face was split in half from that wide, wretched, demonic grin of his - She pulled off the same move that she used on him - But Wakatsuki, for all of his fighting experience, was not an assassin, nor was he as agile as he was. Unlike Raian, who easily landed on his feet, Takeshi was thrown into the wall behind them, breaking it. For all of his power and might, he was effortlessly sent flying. The auditorium was silent from the shock, save for some of friends, who were cheering her name loudly.

Kisara! Kisara!

"I see you've become a worthy opponent. Well done, Kisara. We are proud of you." Takeshi praised her, lunging at her from behind, only to get surprised once more, as she threw herself to the ground backwards, and rolled into his feet, making him fall to the ground with a great thud, watching with blurry eyes as Kisara nonchalantly stepped away.

"Why is she not following up? You can't give a veteran any break." Naoya asked, his arms crossed. He was impressed with her pulling those moves, yet his confusion was still great. "She can't." Ohma informed, not realising at first that more people were gathering to see the fight better. "She can't grapple. She helped me spar a little ago. She did well with normal combat, but when it came to ground fighting, she was powerless." "Well, it's not like anyone is expecting her to win, not even herself." Hatsumi made his way there too. "But, let's be honest, for a cute little thing like her to have a debut fight against that guy? Might as well be fighting The Fang. Most of the fighters in this tournament, all of them with life-time experience, would lose against him." he continued. "But my little angel has already made me proud enough as it is." he praised her, watching the flawless exchange of jabs that hit all of Takeshi's vital points.

"Whoa?! Gaolang, isn't that similar to your special move?!" Saw Paing shrieked loudly, making the Thai cringe, yet he had a proud smile on his face. "It is. I taught her that." he nodded in acknowledgement. He wasn't one to approve of most fighters, but he could commend her wish to get stronger and learn more and more, from a variety of different people. She wanted to have knowledge of everything, as well as mastery. Jack of all trades, yet master of none, he'd say, yet he was well aware that she was trained in Aikido, and that should be her main style, as she proved so well. However, she seemed to switch between styles at an abnormally fast pace. From Aiki to Boxing, and now, she was... Using the Fang's move? And something else?

Agito smirked, watching the red head aim that kick to the Tiger's thigh, making him kneel to the ground. Naoya cringed, yet his eyes were wide open - How could this girl use the Fang's move so perfectly well? A normal person couldn't possibly do something of that magnitude. He, better than anyone, knew how painful that blow was, feeling akin to a machete being stuck in his leg. Still, Kisara leapt on his knee and used her elbows to hit hard on her opponent's head, and followed with a powerful blow to the temple.

Wakatsuki was on the ground.

Ohma felt smug - He never imagined that Kisara would use Karla's idea of using his thigh to alleviate her height and aim a nice hit, yet it was incredibly smart and inventive, considering their height and frame. Though, considering Karla was a Kure, she held strength around the level of Raian.

The crowd was shouting for the Wild Tiger to get up and fight, to stop playing around - But they didn't understand how well aimed and thought every hit was. It was a strategy planned ahead, no doubt with the help of his rival Hatsumi. She was playing with his mind, as well as going for his weak spots.

But that was her biggest problem. Yes, she was able to get Takeshi on the ground twice... But from here on, what is she supposed to do? Even with the best aimed hit, she can't knock him out, and she can't grapple, nor wrestle. Attempting the mounting move that Cosmo uses would just get her ribs crushed, or just simply getting thrown off. She really needs to up her mid-game skills.

Once Wakatsuki got up, he ran into her close area circle, and engaged in a barrage of jabs and lefts and rights - Kisara knew he was going to use his Core Blast, so when he 'charged' that fist backwards, she flexed her arm tightly, only sliding backwards a bit. Ohma's move worked once, yes... But her arm was in agony. If she were to take another hit like this, she wouldn't end up well. She had to use her evasive skill... That was supposed to be a trump card. It probably won't be used a second time either, because Wakatsuki knows of it, more or less. She played the surprise game better than everyone else... But once the element of surprise disappears, what is she left with? There was only so much Raian's combat training can get her, and Hatsumi's Aikido uses the enemy's strength against them... But if the enemy doesn't use any bit of strength, what is she left with?

Wakatsuki took a step back, and got in another stance, making the girl mimic him - Whilst he had his fists, one over the other, to work with his strength, Kisara had her hands open, showing her softness. It was a clear Karate vs Aiki fight, yet neither moved an inch at first, only observing the other. It was then that Kisara's foot slid forward, and noticing her opponent inching forwards, she lunged at him, and with her move, she redirected his own move against him, making him fly backwards. "To think you'd fall so far away. As expected of the Wild Tiger. There's no one else with such incredible strength." Kisara breathed in amusement. With each move she pulled off, she was proud of how far she's gotten. Even the cheers from the auditorium fell deaf on her ears, as well as Sayaka's commentary, and her focus was entirely on Takeshi.

She maintained no stance, and awaited Takeshi to lunge at her - He threw a hundred thousand hits her way - Yet she remained unmoved. They were all fakes, she noticed. Hatsumi has already taught her how to easily differentiate a faux for a real punch - And she grabbed his shin as soon as he threw a real kick her way, making him lose balance - He must have been used to getting caught of guard in that position, as he ended up twisting and ending on his feet - She didn't expect that kind of flexibility from him. Raian was wrong. As he aimed a left hit uppercut, Kisara side-stepped, grabbed at his shoulders and head-butted him. The karate-ka tried to aim a hand-chop at her head, but it stopped before it could connect. Kisara has used her toe to stub at his foot, immobilising him temporarily. Hatsumi had shown her the weirdest tricks that she never imagined she would use in this life. Lucky her. Still, that didn't last long, and Takeshi tried to kick at her again, only to have his whole body seeing the sky again as the girl rolled him over by using her own hand to roll at the back of his ankle, following up with a kick to his chin.

Raian couldn't stop his manic cackling - He was enjoying this fight much more than he expected. He had his fun with her for a whole night, he witnessed and felt first hand her main tactics, reflecting the enemy's strength back, with the user's strength added. Even if she had null strength, the fact that Wakatsuki was such a power house really worked in her favour - The greater the attack, the greater the force that is reflected back. The problem was, that a veteran can't be fooled forever.

"I have analysed all your attacks, Kisara. I have realised your strategy. If I attack at a level of 10, you will counter with a level of 10 plus your own strength. But what would you do if I were no longer an opponent? I'm not going to attack anymore." Kisara held her hands in her pockets, watching as Takeshi kept standing tall. She chuckled, stepping around him. b she grinned leisurely. "As a result, there will be no fight! I have no company to shame by spending the whole match waiting and doing nothing - But you do! You know, if there is no victory, there is also no defeat. What an idyllic world we live in!" though she spoke, Wakatsuki had no other word to usher. "... However, I suppose this is still a match, in the end. You're trying to come up with a battle of stubbornness. I guess you can say I'm proud that I could make the great Wild Tiger come up with such an impertinent strategy, against some weak, inexperienced opponent such as myself. Truly, I'm flattered!" she continued. "Your techniques and mine - I'm far too young to say it doesn't matter whose are superior, or that strength doesn't matter." as soon as she found herself behind her best friend, she sprinted at great speed, hoping to reach his spinal cord, even going as far as to get her haori over her elbows, to spin around and engulf his face, cutting off his sight for a little while -

Before she could incapacitate him, however, Kisara felt a pressure in her stomach, strong enough to send her flying a crazy length, and she stumbled over the sand, rolling pitifully on the ground. No amount of damage that she chipped from the man felt equal to this single punch that connected. She had gasped like a fish on the land, trying desperately to get her air back in her lungs. Her hair tie had broken, and her hair cascaded almost gracefully in scarlet waves over her body. Wakatsuki punched her with a Buddha-like fist. It was a true seiken punch.

'It's over' even the peanut gallery said, watching the girl pitifully groveling on the ground, as the Wild Tiger now approached her, to deliver the final blow. As soon as he stepped by her side, however, Kisara instantly shot to her feet, leisurely catching his wrist and throwing him away, sending him off with a temple punch also, watching him slam his head into the ground. The girl was panting with exhaustion already, many minutes having passed indefinitely. 

"How come they both look so tired? It hasn't been that long?" Naoya asked, recalling all of his life-time fights. "With her small frame, it takes a lot of energy for Kisara to pull off all these stunts. Look at Wakatsuki.  That guy weights the same as he is tall. Kisara is almost a quarter his weight. She won't last much longer." Hatsumi explained, a grim expression on his face. He recalled his challenging fight against a prime-power Wakatsuki. Kisara has proven herself already, against this powerhouse of a man.

With both opponents standing, both taking their stances, Kisara slowly, but steadily inched forwards towards the Tiger Karate-ka. Once their toes were touching each other, Wakatsuki readied his fist to punch Kisara's face - She managed to dodge, and with her cleavage, shoulder and arm, she was able to redirect his blow, making him stumble before he was punched down into the ground once more.

"Are you done playing around? You should know, with my built, I don't feel as much pain as you would from the impact. But this ends now. Forgive me Kisara." before she knew it, Wakatsuki was standing up, and she was all the way across the arena, having been sent flying painfully hard. "You fought well, Kisara. Better than many men who dedicated their lives to fighting. Hatsumi taught you well. You should be proud of how far you got." he spoke, walking menacingly towards the girl, who was stumbling and holding at her head, her whole world spinning painfully. "You once told me you hated spinning. You panic. You must be feeling a lot of anxiety right now. Forgive me, best friend." he said, ready to strike and finish this, only to find himself stumbling forward as Kisara threw herself at his feet to trip him once more - In detriment of her feeling the vertigo twisting even faster.

The people around were yelling at her to get up already and fight - That's why they were there, right? To watch people almost kill themselves with their fists. Kisara was barely able to turn and flex her arm to receive another core blast, but just as Ohma suspected, she couldn't take a second hit. She felt broken, barely able to get up and stand. Ohma could see her clutching at her arms and hands - She must be hurting dearly. Her eyes seemed glassy also. Was she crying? She might have been.

Even in that vertigo state, however, Lihito recognised the flow of the fight battle that he himself had with Ohma. No wonder she kept saying she was already dating someone - She had been taught by Tokita himself how to slap her palms over the enemy's. The blond watched as the woman stumbled about, keeping the karate-ka at bay, unable to move further - And if he tried, she'd easily evade his move and counter - And she even clinged to his wrist, stomping her foot flushed against his own, pushing onto it and making him stumble. It was the already pained, damaged ankle that he had complained to her about. That was one of the techniques that Niko taught to Ohma when he was still very little - And it was also one of the very things that Ohma himself taught Kisara. To think that she would actually use it, he was amused. It worked, for a little while at least, and with whatever energy she still had, she used his thigh once more to do the Karla-grappling technique, this time, more accurate, and with her leg over the back of his neck, she pulled herself up, grabbed a fistful of his hair, and jumped behind him, grabbing him down with her also.

It didn't amount to much, but Wakatsuki had already grown tired of all this mess - Kisara had brought him to the edge of his patience, and the match has long since been a real once, in the Kengan organisation, against a worthy opponent which he had to completely destroy. Normally, he had a limit to the amount of times he could use the Blast Core, before he was completely depleted of all his power - But Kisara earned the third strike. She had lunged at him and tried to hit him at the same time as he tried to use the Blast Core at him - Hatsumi laughed, watching her pull off her favourite move, the one where she evaded the hit so fast that it looked as though she had disappeared for a single blink of an eye. Smart, using it to avoid getting hit by Wakatsuki by his most powerful hit yet - However, although she evaded his monstrous hit, she got hit with another. This time, it took more out of her to get the hell up already. 

Kisara saw spots in front of her, her vision going to shit. She was clutching her head, and her arms were trembling, trying to get up from the ground, yet falling down once more. She tried again - It was more difficult than any plank exercise she had every tried before. Once she was finally on her feet, she was hoping her head spinning would stop already. She was stumbling whilst standing - One of her knees was hurting to bad that it was giving out already. Her knees have never been her strongest forte, nor will they ever be in the future, especially now, after a proper fight with Wakatsuki. Her body was giving out, and she knew, should she fall, she wouldn't get up again.

With whatever strength her body mustered, she got up, exhibiting the very same psychopathic, monstrous wretched grin that Agito had in his fight against Naoya - Naoya, whose body cringed, watching it the girl get in a low stance and leap up at Wakatsuki. "Kano?!" he gasped, his mind going black for a split second - Just enough for the girl to grab at his wrists and pull him forward, aiming for a barrage of hits at his vitals - When he was too busy blocking her hits, she side-stepped and tripped him, making him stumble backwards. How dare she use the same tricks that his greatest enemy did? The Tiger was as rabid as the fox he was facing, but far more dangerous and angry.

Kisara lunged towards a running Wakatsuki - His face looked almost demonic, desperate, just like in his fight against Julius. He was going to use everything he had, on this last punch. He was ready to hit his final punch, knock the girl out, but just as they got in each other's territory - He stopped before his fist touched her face. Takeshi smiled tenderly at the woman standing before him. Blood was slowly trailing down her chin, and her body already highlighted the areas where bruised would form. "You were a better opponent than most, Kisara." he said, stepping away from her and bent down to grab her lost haori, before he wrapped it around her unconscious body. People stared in awe at the woman who remained stunned in a fighting stance, yet most were unfamiliar with the fact that there were many warriors who would fight until the very second their bodies gave out - And perhaps even father on, when their brains were resting.

Takeshi picked the girl up and gazed on her sleeping face - Even like this, sweating and exhausted, she looked adorable - And he walked out of the arena as soon as he was declared the winner. Once she passed the many friends of hers, she hear her feminine voice, calling out softly. "Senpai... Did I do good?" he wasn't even sure if she was awake or not. Hatsumi reached his hand out to pat her head. "You made everyone proud, Kisara. Well done." more than anyone, even Ohma, the Aikido Master knew how much his little red head apprentice valued and needed praises. That small smile that formed on her face was enough proof. Though Ohma tried to take her in his arms, Takeshi walked right past, making the man scoff. "She's MY best friend. I was the one who fought her. I will be the one to take her to the infirmary." Wakatsuki was almost territorial, walking the young woman to the medic, and placing her on her own bed.

Though not everyone could stay there, watching over Kisara, as the next match was going to start. Hatsumi was leaning on a wall, thanking the girl for exploiting the Tiger's weakness of the ankle, and him himself thinking of how to take advantage of it, should they have to fight again. He already defeated Wakatsuki once - What's one more?  Hanafusa bandaged the woman's wrists and put her up to an I.V., but there wasn't much he could do, except have her rest. Once she woke up, there were only one person there - Her lover.

"Someone once told me that Sleeping Beauty woke up after getting a kiss." he chuckled, holding her hand. "It was me. I'm still waiting for that kiss." her voice was tired, but ultimately, with some help, she was able to sit up. Ohma cupped her face, doing exactly as he was told. "Quite the show you put up. Care to tell me what that was all about?" taking her hand in his own, he leaned to kiss it also. "Aha... I promised to explain what happened while you were out cold yes? Well..." Kisara sighed, a sheepish expression painting her face. "Just before you woke up, one of the CEOs threatened Katahara with a terrorism act. Basically, a coup d'etat happened. My parents were involved in it. Also... Their fighter violently hit on me, and Raian saved me. Because I rejected him, he dropped out of the competition. I made a deal with a Chairman and my parents, that they would have to write my name in the will, to pass the company to me once they die... If I participate and survive the fight that Tanji was supposed to be in. I was able to befriend and convince both Raian and Agito to train with me, for a day and a half, hence why I was able to do many of these things that I did today. So, uhm... I'm going to become the CEO today." she chuckled wryly, watching with shy eyes the expression on his face. "But your parents aren't dead." her grin widened, making him realise the implication. "You're going to kill them." "I asked you if you would hate me... I can go through anything in life, but if you hate me, I... I don't want to live in a world where you'd hate me, Ohma." the man scoffed, leaning down to place a kiss on her hand. "I'm not an angel, Hasashi Kisara. I have no right to judge you. Whether you go through with it or not, it's your choice." as if on cue, a bodyguard entered the hospital wing. Kisara recognised him as one of the special ops that worked directly under Sayaka's brother, Retsudo. "Ahhhh, there we have her, the champion herself! Katahara asked me to fetch you to his office. You're in for a nice gift, Miss Ceo~!" the blond man sniggered cheekily, watching the red head smirk lightly. "Well, here's my cue. Wait for me, Ohma. I'll be back before you know it." with a kiss on his forehead, Kisara hopped off the bed - Though she wobbled slightly, she easily found her balance and followed Misasa to the Chairman's office. Agito was already there, and he seemed to have fought someone already - By the looks of it, the man that she once saw as a personal bodyguard of Katahara was beaten up big time.

Her parents were already there, kneeling to the ground. Erio Kure was next to his friend, Katahara. Kisara's hand instinctively found its way placed over the hilt of her katana, and she drew it. "Misasa called me - Miss CEO. I kinda like the sound of it." she smirked at the Chairman, who chuckled very amused. "Erio, what do you say? I think Miss Kisara gave a wonderful performance!" the other old man nodded at his friend. "For a civilian, she did well against Wakatsuki." the Kure patriarch agreed. "Can I get my revenge now?" Kisara stretched lightly, feeling her joints aching after the beat down. "Ever so eager and down to business, Miss Kisara! I quite like that!" Katahara laughed more. "I have already taken the liberty of... Persuading your parents uphold their end of the deal. Dear Agito was ever so eager to help you out with your ambition. He seemed satisfied with your match." Agito said nothing, yet what his boss said, he was in agreement with. He didn't expect her to take to heart all his lessons, but she performed so well.  From the ground, her parents were crying and screaming mercy. They wanted to be spared from their ultimate fate. Kisara, however, walked behind them, a triumphant smirk on her face. "Empieza el Matriarcado." the red head spoke, swinging her blade down, as if she was the grim reaper, deaf to her parents' screams, pleas or curses. She watched her father's head roll down on Katahara's carpet, blood splashing about like an artisan fountain. The last victim was her mother, who ended up meeting the same fate as the father. Kisara looked down at the collapsed bodies. She felt nothing. No satisfaction, no victory, no... Nothing. With a sigh, she wiped the blood off her blade over her elbow and stepped over the corpses, in front of Katahara. "So, am I now officially the CEO of the Hasashi Corp?" "Yep!" so jovially, Metsudo confirmed. "That's all! Enjoy being a corporation owner! Now, off you go, pip pip, there are enough matches to see, and I'm sure Agito would love your encouragement!" the old man clapped his hands together, though everyone present seemed confused by his words. "Well... I suppose I should thank you for sorting everything out for me. Uh... Assassination has never been easier. Thanks." though she awkwardly scratched the back of her hair, she ultimately exited the room.

By the time she was done with the succession war, Mikazuchi Rei had already lost against the great Kuroki Gensai, and it was now Hatsumi's fight against the Fang himself. It was going to be a great fight.  As Kisara went to give her encouragements for her master, he was walking towards the arena with Ohma by his side. With a cheerful grin, he slung his arm around the girl's shoulders, pushing Tokita away, and getting her for a swift training session - Just like they would do, on top of the mountain. He was down to business and needed to train his speed. Even when exhausted and beaten up, Kisara was the fastest opponent Hatsumi encountered. He needn't say any word to guide her in this training - She knew very well exactly what to do. Little by little, Kisara started moving faster, until finally, her Senpai was able to get in the right form to perform the evasive maneuver that she loved so much, to the point that it looked as though her hits were simply moving through him. Kisara has used that trick once - Would it work on Agito also?

"A'ight, thanks angel, you got me into top gear. Now I can beat up your new friend." he chuckled, patting her head. "Hatsumi Senpai is the best fighter here! I'm sure, whatever the outcome, the fight will be fantastic. Do your best, Senpai!" with such a cheerful encouraging, how could he not melt? Especially after seeing her do her best against Wakatsuki, of all people. "Of cooourse, of course, Princess! Now, off you go to that boyfriend of yourself. The big guys are gonna have a little fight." he turned around, seeing the Fang walk menacingly towards the middle of the arena. "Oh - Agito, hi again! Good luck!" Hatsumi blanched, seeing his own apprentice also wish well to his own enemy, and with such a sweet smile too. He hung his head, watching as she left for her boyfriend, who was telling Yamashita Kazuo about his old master, Tokita Niko, and how much Hatsumi reminded him of this guy... But Kisara also had the unfortunate skill of doing the very same thing, from time to time.

Hatsumi looked that guy up and down, and seeing all the damage from the second round all healed up, he cursed Gaolang for his inaptitude of at least injuring him properly. For a world champion, he didn't make his job any easier. He watched Kano crack his knuckles as the ref had them take their stances. 

Agito took an upright stance - Something that he used to do a lot when he was younger and had just inherited his title of Fang - All while Hatsumi walked towards him as if he was taking a stroll. As soon as the Aikido master got close to Agito, he was met with a left low kick that made a halberd-like sigh on the ground that it split. The Fang watched Kisara fight, and more, for a whole day, he had trained her - Hasashi Kisara, the one who trained for four years under the tutelage of Hatsumi Sen and his own Aikido style. There was bound to be enough common techniques - And he was ready for them all - And thus, he surprised Sen with a left middle kick of the same effect, hitting his arm, then switched to a straight jab that got him in the forearm, close to his wrist. He was blown backwards by the impact.

Agito's third blow was a right low kick that got his enemy on the knee - But what had brought about this sudden change? His fighting style was all different from the first two rounds, and even what he did as he trained Kisara. Was that fight he just had a turning point? A revelation, maybe? Though Agito now delivered a heavy round house kick as soon as Hatsumi's guard dropped - He had evaded him. That shit-eating smug grin of his, wretched and wicked, made the Fang realise that the master was a much of a trickster as the student was. Kisara once told him - If a Kitsune has seven tricks up her sleeve, a Tanuki has eight. Given her chosen stage name, she was one with the clear disadvantage. So, Sen was a Tanuki. Should have expected something of this magnitude. "Come on, you could at least let me counter-attack. Well...  Alright. I'll just have to land one next time." his tone seemed ominous, as he stood up straight, unlike his head which was tilted to the side, as if mimicking Michael Myers himself.

"Hatsumi was a nominee to become the next Fang, when he was just 28 years old." Kisara told Ohma and Kazuo, who seemed surprised. "He gave up quickly on the idea though. Far too much boring, repetitive work... And too many expectations. For a fleeting guy like him... He can't stick to anything too long. He got bored after a week." Kisara smiled lightly. "That's my Senpai." "Miss Kisara, you were able to do this technique yourself. Would you tell us the basic of it?" the old CEO asked, fixing his glasses. "It's simple, in theory, but you need a lot of momentum and speed. The basis of it is that you shift your knee to evade the attack, using as little movement as possible. Your axis line isn't supposed to move, so it looks as if your whole body is still." she explained. "But that doesn't matter now. Agito changed his fighting style. Instead of starting a match by attempting to beat the opponent at their own game, he started with his own Fang style, with which he debuted, meaning that Hatsumi needs to change his tactics and force Agito to play by his rules." thus, Hatsumi sprinted like a lightning bolt towards his enemy and easily evaded a kick to his face by crouching to the side, landing his first blow at Agito's side. "Using the same technique, and perfect calculations of the distances, he dodged whilst making Agito believe his hit landed. He was able to get into his kicking range, which means he's going to attempt to go for the elbow joints. I tried that on Agito myself, hoping to attempt that on my match against Wakatsuki. It didn't work with my strength, so I stopped trying. But Hatsumi is a man, and he's far stronger than me. He might pull it off." as if she could read her senpai's mind, he did, word by word and step by step, exactly as the girl expected, getting the Fang into a tight Elbow Hold. "Ohhh! That was a perfect Diagonal Straight blow! This is practically checkmate - It's only a matter of time before he breaks his joint! If he tries to escape, he'll be attacked while he's defenseless. Not even the Fang could come out unscathed after being attacked somewhere he can't harden, like that technique he used, similar to Ohma's. He can't redirect the impact of a blow from that posture either." Yamashita gasped, awestruck at the miracle happening before him. "Knowing The Fang, he won't get down so easily." Ohma muttered, watching attentively the match. "Based on that face of his, Hatsumi has a follow up plan to this. He's expecting Agito to get out. He's baiting him." Kisara smirked confidently, watching Agito throw a round-house kick from that extraordinarily awkward and painful position, only to get hit with Hatsumi Sen's ultimate technique, the Gathering Clouds: Triple Strike. A technique that strikes the three vital points on the opponent's face in rapid succession. 

But it had failed, and Hatsumi found himself staring in complete horror at his fucked up finger, whilst the Fang was unharmed. Never once has Kisara seen anyone being able to counter that Power move, nor was she able to pin down what exactly did Agito do. Her Senpai seemed to be in trouble, as he leapt back, trying to create some distance, only for his enemy to close the distance with fantastic speed and strength, landing a blow towards his temple, that ultimately hit his eye also. 

"... Did Agito just use Muay Thai?!" Kisara's jaw was to the floor, seeing her new friend using the 'Elbow meant to defeat' technique that she was briefly shown by Gaolang at some point. Had Agito become the Renaissance Man, and could now perform any fighting style at any given time, and switch between them at his leisure? 

He didn't follow up with the same style, instead opting for another powerful middle kick, outright destroying Sen's forearm. Agito seemed to think more during this match. He wasn't so linear anymore. Instead, his tactics seemed to have evolved greatly. Even with Hatsumi in peak condition, Agito was outright humiliating him. Kisara's hands were holding each other almost painfully - Though she knew Hatsumi still had a secret technique up his sleeve, she didn't believe he would defeat this iteration of the Fang.

Gosh, how he hated himself. Hatsumi truly hated himself so badly. Even with these four years inspired by his cute little angel, he couldn't stop himself from being so pathetic. He put her up on a pedestal, praising her, congratulating her for even the littlest of tasks - And though she did the same to him, he couldn't change. She was, in terms of mental condition, everything he strived for but could never be. Ultimately, Hatsumi Sen will forever be the greatest loser, in his eyes more than anyone else's.

He had his sights set on this day. He even put in some effort, which wasn't his gist at all - But it was fine! He'd do anything to take down that son of a bitch. He entered the tournament 100% sure that he could beat him down and win - So it would be pretty pathetic if he were to lose now, especially when his cute apprentice was watching, right? He couldn't fail, especially in such a humiliating manner, after that fantastic show she put on display for everyone. 

Crouching and evading another punch, Hatsumi slammed his palm into Agito's chin as his other hand was on his waist and one of his feet was throwing him off balance, while with the other he was keeping himself steady - His special, secret technique was successful!

"WH-WHAT DID HE JUST DO?! HE CAN'T HAVE DONE THAT MUCH DAMAGE WITH A BLOW FROM THAT CLOSE RANGE!" Yamashita shrieked in disbelief, whilst Ohma could only stare with wide eyes as Hatsumi failed. "That's... The technique I used against Takeshi to make him fall to the ground, though you can't compare the strength output of the two of us. From the looks of it, Hatsumi must have felt his body being ran through by a spear." Kisara had a sad smile on her face, though she was very proud of her senpai. "Hatsumi thought me about initiative in a fight... To think he would be defeated by counter-initiative... It's almost ironic." she shook her head., watching as Agito attempted to elbow him unconscious - With his last bit of strength, Hatsumi pushed forward, catching him off balance, forcing him to give up on the elbow hit, in detriment for a shirt grab. But he's got Agito by the hips, thus, easily detecting the change in his center of gravity and respond immediately. "That's a smart move. He's not going down without a fight." Ohma nodded in approval of her Senpai, explaining the reason behind his posture. "We might have a bit of a deadlock, 'cause now Kano Agito's gotta be careful how he moves." "And considering how big he is, any twitch is going to be even easier to detect." Kisara added to his statement. Hatsumi felt the perfect moment to strike - And as soon as he's done it... Agito countered with the One Inch Punch that speared through him once more, going further for a follow up. 

Hatsumi hoped, with the distance, that he would be able to deflect whatever hit gets thrown his way, but it took a kick to his elbow to throw him off guard, and another to the head, to make him fall to the ground, unconscious. As soon as Agito was declared the winner of the match, and though her body was still aching, Kisara ran to their side, gathering Hatsumi up from the ground, and holding him in her lap. "Agito - You've evolved beautifully. It was your best match, if you ask me. You can only go upwards from here. Well done." she smiled sweetly at him, though he could only stare in confusion at her. "I almost killed your master. You should be angry at me." he noted simply. "He, as well as everyone else, entered the tournament, knowing very well the kind of people to be encountered. I'm not angry at you, nor do I have a reason to be. You just showed me a fantastic match... And... I hope you'll agree to training me again some day." that serene, sunshine smile of hers bewildered the Fang even more, yet he only grunted as a reply, watching as she carefully brushed away the man's hair from his face. He wasn't her partner - Just a master - So why was she caring for him? Was he missing something? Was there something he didn't understand, out of every encounter she had with all the fighters around? Was there something more to these 'friendships' that she created? "Fa Jin." the man nodded at her, only to see her smiling even more happily at him as he revealed the proper name for the technique that put an end to it all. He had taught her the easier variation of it, what he had used as a kick to take Naoya down, but this was far more complicated to pull off properly, especially for a little one like her. A master like Kano could launch a high-power one inch punch at point-blank range and kill a man in one blow. It was lucky that Hatsumi subconsciously diverted the impact. Once Agito walked away, out of the Arena, Kisara was startled by Hatsumi. "Shit, I lost in front of an angel. How pathetic." the medics moved him away, though she was holding his wrist gingerly.  "Well, the angel also lost. Let's be pathetic together, okay, Senpai?" that crystalline, easy-going giggle of her only made him feel worse. It was him who taught her how to throw away all worries in the world - Why couldn't he truly do the same, but only mask it with that stupid, dumb facade of his? "SEN! STAY WITH US, HATSUMI! DR. HANAFUSA'S ON HIS WAY!" Miss Shion cried out in shock, terrified for his life. "I just wanna smoke." without another word, Kisara looked at Shion, who handed him a lit cigarette, though dared not speak. "This ain't gonna kill me. I just need a little rest, that's all." the red head took out a handkerchief, and holding his face carefully, started wiping away at the blood caking his face. Shion, too, knelt by his side and tried to care for him. "Gah, how humiliating. Good grief." he puffed from his cigarette, his heart shattered, as well as all of his hopes. He then felt his messy hair being ruffled, and he looked down at that tender smile - Yet he couldn't reciprocate. "Stop being so upset over what happened. You're alive and that's all that matters. You know what Gaolang said after his fight? There's only going upwards from here. Isn't that right, Hatsumi SENpai?" he tsk'ed, looking away. How could she give him advice from other men?! How annoying. "I know your fighter pride is wounded, but I'd rather have my senpai alive, and defeated, than with his skull cracked open. I have been once at the funeral of my best friend. We were 23... About the time that I have met you. Remember? I never told you this - But, I mean it. I don't want to see any of my friends laying down in a coffin ever again. There are far more important things in life than a defeat. At the end of the day, this is a tournament, and every fighter here, expect for one, will experience defeat. The fact that one of them was you changes nothing."  she threw her arms around the man's throbbing body, as he stiffened hearing her words. He had never heard of this friend of hers, nor the funeral. He didn't want to imagine the sight of a friend in a coffin, nor them being lowered into the ground. Her words held truth, yes... But at least, at the moment, he was going to grovel and wallow in self-hatred at how disgustingly pitiful he is. "Hey, Hatsumi." she pulled apart slightly, making him look into her eyes. They were such a beautiful shade of green. And they held life. Vitality. Energy. Damn, that Substitute prick has no idea what a lucky man he is. "We did our best. Both of us. Okay? Though we lost, I'm not giving up on myself, nor on you... So... Don't give up on me or yourself, okay? In fact - Let's be pathetic together!" Hatsumi's exhausted eyes shot wide open, and his mouth agape - The cigarette fell from his mouth, making Shion reach out to take it so it wouldn't burn his fighting clothes. She had told him the very same words that he himself spoke to her once he saved her from that gang of thugs in the alley, when he agreed to train her. With a chuckle, he reached out his hand to pat her head, mimicking her. "Yeah. Let's." 

Though the day had quite the start to it, it was bound to change, for better or for worse. As Kisara saw Hatsumi to his infirmary room, she went to take a quick shower and change back into her normal clothes. In her search for Ohma, she picked her brush from her room and started brushing her hair throughout the made-like corridors of the dome, in search for the very man himself - Only for some kind of dark whirlwind of fantastic speed to capture her and drag her to hell knew what spot outside. It was Kiryu Setsuna.

Lucky for Kisara, Kushida Rin had witnessed the kidnapping and ran all the way to the Yamashita fighter and panted as she warned the strong man. "Kushida Rin. What's the hurry?" he asked, looking down at her exhausted form.  "It's Kisara, she's in trouble?" her name alone was enough to make the brunet freeze with worry - Though he knew Kisara could take care of herself, especially highlighted after the match against his future opponent, he didn't want to risk.  "What's wrong with Hasashi Kisara?" he asked quickly. "If we don't do something quick, Kisara will be killed!" the fatalistic urgency put the man on edge, and he shot like a bullet to rescue his lover.

One hour remained until the semifinals begin.

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[darkdevasofdestruction]

Chapter 9 - Crimson Spider Lily

With the next day coming by much faster than anticipated, the two lovers mentally prepared themselves to brave yet another likely ghostly encounter; Though it wasn't the ghost, but Kisara's own spiritual strength that terrified the detective, well aware that she was going to use her powers to find out what happened. Only walking in someone's shoes can help you understand what one's been dealing with -- Or some kind of inspirational bullshit quote you hear in self-growth books or whatever.

Regardless, Satoru was uncharacteristically tender with the girl, settling to go as far as to brush her hair and even give her a shoulder massage, though he couldn't find the strength to give her some lame-ass pep talk. She knew well enough what she was getting into, and truthfully, they were both wary of this ghost shit. She's been possessed enough times; Heavens forbid she ends up in a coma like Hiroo, because she attracts spirits like a trouble magnet.

Yet one question remained in the back of his his head - What was that mysterious and cryptic phone call she just made?

Still, come night at the same hour, the two found Yashiki conversing with Daimon and, surprisingly enough, Banshee. The doctor reported on Madoka's vital status, which wasn't improving - Though her parameters were fine, they weren't sure how to treat her. If they suspected poison, they couldn't just randomly throw around serums and antitoxins, unless they wanted to kill her. The truth was... There was no cure for Hiroo's condition, and Kisara knew it - As long as the ghost was alive, Hiroo will remain unconscious... Or die soon.

Once more, Kisara displayed a rather uncharacteristic meerkat-like curiosity, looking around as if for something specific, only to remain fixated for 5 seconds at most, on one corner of the street nearby - However, when Satoru averted his sight that-a-way, he found nothing. Interesting. Solemn, the crowd of five entered the fancy hotel; Only Banshee went out by himself, seemingly to forage for things; Though the other four agreed to stick together and keep safe. Of course, the old man goes to wander by himself, to search for the electricity device that's supposed to control the elevator. Right at that time, both Yashiki and Kisara sink to the floor, complaining about an excruciating migraine. Though Daimon kept going on and on about medical and rational reasons, it was all but obvious ghosts were involved; How annoying. Kisara didn't want to worry her boyfriend so soon, but there was little she could do in that regard.

With Banshee gone to hell knows where, the four agreed to return to the mysterious object under the bed, now that they weren't in a rush or pressured by the malevolent intentions of their ghost girl; Much to their surprise, however - The secret object was a condom. Well, much good that did them.

Sighing in disappointment, they leave the room, only to look at the elevator doors. Mashita and Yashiki looked at each other and nodded, like-minded, putting all their strength into peering open the unbudged doors. "Whoa, you two are pretty strong!" the girl remarked, being the first to look around the opened elevator.

Though she was staring pretty fixed at the floor numbers that went to five - And even a secret 6th floor that had no accessible button - Yashiki could only stare up at the ceiling with horror, gulping at what he was seeing. "Are those spider webs?"

Not only did the detective cringe at the mere mention of those disgusting insects, but seeing his girlfriend stare with those terrified eyes at the spider silk above them, only to jump out of the elevator in the blink of an eye, with the most heartbreaking yelp, was beyond his limit. "I-I will remain at a safe distance!" she chuckled with unease. "I think the elevator buttons are interesting though. I wonder how we can access the 6th floor, if there's no button. Maybe the stairs?"

"Or maybe a code?" Daimon suggested. "I've seen that before with VIP rooms."

"Then we only have to find out the code and see how we can get this thing moving." Mashita huffed. "Easy enough. Just like Frankenstein's Monster."

"I guess we'll see what old man Banshee finds." Yashiki sighed, only to get his sight fixated on a small keyhole titled 'Fire'. He used one of the Emergency Keys, but to no avail - Being so rusty, and forcing it, it might break. He'll need to find some oil.

Out of nowhere, Daimon spoke his mind - About the purifying of ghosts, how they escaped and what not - It was finally then that he came up with the conclusion that their fight was more of a ritual than anything. As if that wasn't obvious enough. Still, this only means, in his mind, that the elevator can move not necessarily with electricity, but by doing some sort of specific ritual. How annoying.

Deciding to move away, they exit the elevator and climb up on the 3rd floor, where they find Banshee, who speaks in riddles about the painting and order you should look at them. Yes, that is peculiar, and Kisara had a similar hunch - Why else would there be a Masquerade Wife painting on each floor, one of them being in her late years, while the other being a young bride. So... In order, huh?

While the red head was staring at the old Masquerare Wife lady, the boys were hunched over the broken circuit board. Daimon says that spiders are afraid of vibrations, something that electrical devices, including that one, often create; Yashiki opened the condom wrapper and used it as a rubber band to fix the circuit breaker; And Mashita could feel an eye twitch, realising the board was enwrapped in human hair.

Going down on the lobby, Yashiki repaired that circuit board by using the metal spoon, assisted by Daimon, while the couple decided to go back to the peculiar torture guest room and figure out what's going on. The previous night, they hadn't the time to check the glorious bathroom of that place - If that door truly did, in fact, lead to a bathroom to begin with. No matter how Mashita tried to force open the door, it just wouldn't open.

"Try opening it while pushing from another direction. Not the opening or closing one - Kinda on the side of the hinge." the red head said, stepping in to assist. "Pull on the frame and I'll help."

Mashita only rose a quizzical eyebrow, but did as instructed; At once, Kisara put her hand on the side of the knob and leaned her weight towards the hinge; And magically, it opened. "Don't tell me a ghost told you how to open it."

"Nah. The doors in my grandparents' house were always busted. After getting stuck for a while, I decided to stop using the window to escape, and figured out a way to open them instead." the dark haired man simply shook his head in disbelief. What a mischief.

"That tells me more of your troublemaking, not your wit." he scoffed, getting inside the bathroom. "Do your magic. I'll check this place out. I stole your rubber gloves."

"Now that - Is wit." the girl giggled softly. "But they are small. Better pray they fit." she teased him before allowing the man to do his investigation. Then, she lethargically stepped in front of the stained wall. "Well, here goes nothing."

Satoru found the wooden horse head of the broken torture device, laying on the bathtub; The glass of the shower was painted red with bloody handprints, and he spotted some leftover vaseline they could use to get the key working in the elevator; Though the exorbitant amount of blood splattered all over the sink was quite concerning. He might be able to endure a lot, but such kind of violence wasn't something even someone like he could digest. There was only so much he could imagine, before his mind would flash with the idea of his own girlfriend being forced in such a situation, and rage would cloud his judgement.

Truth is, in a way, she was forcing herself in that situation by willingly choosing to touch peculiar residue that might be linked to ghosts and what-not. He was so deathly concerned that she would be unable to cope with this vision, or maybe the next - That the evilness in this place was so high, she would be unable to regain her senses and she'd go mad. What a scary thought.

Throwing the rubber gloves away, he rushed back in the room, only to see the doctress huddled together on the ground, trembling and weeping softly. Her arms were protectively wrapped around her petite body, and her face was buried in her knees. "I'm here." he spoke out in a low voice, making sure she is aware of her surrounding - And of him. "How bad?"

"Brutal." she sniffed, slowly unwrapping herself from her protective shell and crawling in his arms. "Men and women both... So brutal... So cruel..." and not even he was ready for what was to come, just in a story-telling way. "Such small girls... She... They... Looked so young. Some accepted drugs from their patrons. They knew what they were getting into." for once, she didn't live through the whole experience in a linear way - Perhaps it was because of the drugs... Or maybe, because there were multiple girls that got tied up to that wall and treated with such sadistic aggressiveness. "Many... Many girls... Hanging there... Degraded... Struck with such cruelty that they were left bruised and bloody. I don't get it - I don't get it at all. There's one thing to get money by having sex - But to willingly agree to having flesh split open with hooked whips?! Why- What--... That pain... That humiliation... Who LIKES that?! Who WANTS that?!"

Mashita himself felt light-headed just thinking about that - He knew of many weak men who had to feel strong by abusing women, yes; Inferiority complex and all that - But this was much beyond that. Rich men and women paying good money just to abuse squealing and weeping young girls who are into that. Masochists - Those girls are masochists. He only ever heard of religious masochists who willingly flagellate themselves to atone for their sins or whatever; Japan is a mostly atheist country nowadays, so he's never encountered any such fanatic - Though he could never discard the idea that sex-psychos were beyond him to understand, and their psychology is something that will always baffle him.

He panics inside whenever he finds a small bruise on Kisara's body, fearing that worst - That he was the cause of that, that he was too rough with her - She told him multiple times how sensitive her body can be, finding bruises out of nowhere, so much so that she overlooks them without any care. The truth in all this remains that, not only does Satoru find it hard to accept that people willingly accept pain into their life, but that some are willing to inflict it on those they care about. What a foreign concept.

"I don't know, but there are a bunch of weirdos out there." he admitted, a little bitterly. "Are you hurt?" Kisara quickly lifted her blouse up, looking for any sign of damage - There was none. She then patted her lower body, and thankfully, still nothing. "A'ight, pretty girl, let's get you up and dusted. You don't want more filth on those overly expensive clothes of yours."

"Expensive, but high-fashion couture." regaining her senses, Kisara joked light-heartedly, being helped up by her boyfriend and patting her clothes to get rid of all that dust and filth.

"... Can't deny that." he offered a small smile, before guiding her out into the hall. There, they saw Yashiki and Daimon inside the elevator, seemingly marveling around for clues.

"You may come in. We got rid of the webs." the doctor reassured them.

Mashita nodded in thanks. "Catch." he threw the vaseline bottle at his partner. Though a little weird, Yashiki knew what to do - Lathering up the key and the keyhole, he was able to turn it to the 'ON' switch. 

The elevator rumbled lightly, and moved to the 1st floor automatically. Daimon groans as he wiped sweat off his face - What a scary experience. Finally, they'll hopefully be able to go above the 3rd floor and figure out what to do with the painting order and what not.

Their first destination was Floor 4, where the gloomy hallway stretched out ahead of them through the eerie darkness, though it didn't look any bit different from the lower floors. 

Except...

As soon as Yashiki turned the light on and flashed ahead, the vivid silhouette of the raincoat-dressed ghost was smirking at them enigmatically. The grip on the flashlight tightened so hard, his hand got sweaty. Daimon took a step back. Kisara and Satoru had their guard up, though the group was well aware that the most experiences exorcisers were the ones with the most spiritual power and battles under their belt.

"Sir... Other people are unnecessary..." the girl's voice rung through their ears. Was this why she got rid of Hiroo? Because she was an extra? Then that meant... Shuuji... And maybe Banshee also? "You're the only one I want to see, sir." that's certainly not the best thing to hear. "I don't like gross or scary things..."

Kisara subtly nudged Yashiki to take some action and stop being so flabbergast; Though she's pretty sure the only way to save Madoka from her coma is to purify the ghost, perhaps any bit of info might help with the case?  Before he could, however, Daimon, as he tried to retreat one step at a time, stumbled over something and fell. Instinctively, the trio turned around to help him up and regain his composure - Only to see what he stumbled on.

It was a Banshee-Cocoon.

They've got yet another victim that succumbed to the ghost's powers, and might be in a coma. But how do they get him out of there, when they've got the spirit on their back? No - Banshee's still awake and conscious - He's struggling and mumbling desperately.

All four around tried to pry away the unexpectedly sturdy and sharp webs covering him, only for Kisara to screech - A ton of spiders started crawling all over the old man, making all jump away in shock. "E-... Ele... Ele....!!" Daimon was so panicked, his words were unintelligible, but they knew what they were trying to say.

Yashiki and Mashita turned around briefly, realising they're just within arm's reach of the ghost. They had to escape at once. With superhuman-like power, the four somehow manage to rip Banshee off the floor, carrying him like a log, inside the elevator. Kisara desperately pushes the button, while Daimon and Yashiki try to speak to the old man; Any bit of fight within him was fine - Alas, the doctor confirmed his body went rigid and he's no longer responding.

Banshee earned himself a free bed next to Hiroo Madoka, in the hospital wing. More overworking hours for Shuuji.

As Daimon focuses on helping Banshee, Mashita notices something black squirming by Kisara's shoulder; Realising what it was, he quickly flicked them off of her - If she was to violently panic over spiders as she always does, he's afraid the elevator would just free-fall.  Dealing with ghosts, however, wasn't ever easy, the detective noted, and in the blink of an eye, the entire elevator was filled with those disgusting wiggling shadows. If Kisara was petrified over the smallest spider, as small as his pinky nail... One this big might get her a sheer heart attack. How could he kill them though? There were simply so many, the entire place seemed to be flooding. Thank goodness she didn't choose a dress or a skirt - Having to feel those rapidly moving furry legs on her skin would have broken her mentally.

They come in rapidly, one after the other, a whole swarm - They all panic - As expected, Kisara shrieks and clings desperately on Mashita - She's out of the fight, there's no reasoning with her anymore. "Where are they coming from?!" Daimon gasped, swatting them off his shoulders - He was freaking out just as bad, so he's out also. Yashiki looked around, but nothing. They seemed to be gushing out of the walls or something. 

Then it clicked - Spiders hate vibrations, don't they? Sound is vibration. Kisara is already screaming - But if the others will join her, perhaps they'd fuck off already. "Hate to say it, but the only solution I can think of is screaming our way out." Though the other two men looked weirdly at him, one by one, they also understood, and did as instructed. Not many other options left.

The spiders visibly stop moving for a moment, but only for so little, before they continue swarming. They need something louder, more powerful. Yashiki takes out the mini massager and presses it against the wall, turning it on, making a growling vibration run through the walls. The spiders suddenly start acting strangely, before they vanish instantly, as if they'd only been a mirage.

"Let's get the hell outta here." Yashiki pants, feeling his throat raw from screaming.

"I-... I already hit the button a bunch of times... Why isn't it working...?" still trembling like crazy, the red head was hiding inside her boyfriend's large coat.

As if on cue, something slammed against the elevator walls, and from the small window, the soft glow of the ghost's face peered in. With everyone desperate for survival, Mashita kept slamming that damn button for the lobby, until something happened and the elevator moved.

They stumbled out of the elevator without checking where they stopped. Thankfully, it was the 1st floor and they got off right at the lobby. They escaped, barely. Kisara would take those visions any day, over being trapped in an elevator with a bunch of spiders, she thought to herself, falling to her knees next to the others and trying to regain her senses.

"What ever could have happened here?" the gang snapped their heads up, hearing an unfamiliar voice call out to them. It was a bunch of intimidating men, all ranging from mid 20s to late 40s, dressed in expensive suits and sporting traditional tattoos and katanas.

"Took your sweet time, didn't you...?" the girl sighed in relief, getting up with the help of the oldest member of the gang.

"It is you who likes tasting danger, Young Miss." the old man chuckled enigmatically.

"As if you're any better, old man." she scoffed, shaking her head at him, only for one of the youngest to get all snarky and point his sword right at her throat. "You should have taught your men better, Mr. Kazuya."

"Forgive him, Young Miss. This here is my son. I suppose I must have spoiled him a little too much." the old man slapped away the sword from his son's grasp.

"Then, do allow me to teach him a little lesson in discipline, if you wouldn't mind." with an empty smile, the red head grabbed the young one's sleeve and tugged on him, before getting a good grip and kneeing him in the gut, following with a strike in the liver and a straight uppercut to his jaw. He was on the ground, with the old man laughing at his own son.

"Erh... What exactly is going on...?" Yashiki was the first one to voice his bewilderment.

The gang members bowed at the girl. "The Young Miss summoned us to keep a look out for anyone that might bother you." the old man spoke up. "My name is Takahashi Kazuya, the leader of the Taira clan."

"Y-Yakuza...?" Yashiki's eyes widened in shock, and his complexion went white as a sheet.

"The Taira clan - I see. You have a deal with the Dean of the hospital I work at also." Daimon, although intimidated, was more familiar with these things.

"The Taira clan owns this area, so I thought we might benefit from their help." Kisara shifted her gaze from her friends, to the gang. "What the hell happened in this place?!" this time, she seemed more disgusted than anything. "This place is filth, by all means." she huffed at them.

"It brought in a lot of money. There was not much to complain about. Even the owner was conveniently easy to make deals with - A nice 75% monthly. That was good business indeed." the leader sighed, yet remained passive.

"Did you have any idea what happened in this place?" of course it was Mashita who dared speak to the gang. "This place is far more than what people would call a 'Love Hotel' or even a 'Brothel'."

"What Satoru is trying to say is - Was there any... Illegal activity going on? Or were all girls well aware of the things they'll be subjected to?" the old man looked back and forth between the two - He easily realised they were dating. Very fitting for each other.

"One does not work with a contract in this business - However, I can easily sooth your worries and vow, on the Taira name, that they could choose the kind of client they could get picked by." Kazuya cleared his throat. "Naturally, the more... Depraved, the more she was being paid for her services. A lot of them were tempted to try out new things, either for the check, or out of sheer curiosity."

"Do you trust him, Kisara?" Mashita saw the girl nod her head.

"Rest assured, young man, I would not lie to the Young Miss. I have honour, unlike a lot of these young spunks." the old man glared at the brunet. "The Hasashi Patriarch has been one of our biggest sponsor and supporter, since the War. If it is within our power, we would protect the Young Miss with all that we have."

"Coincidentally, I have also seen Mr. Kazuya more often than I saw my dad." Kisara chuckled, nodding her head. "I have one last thing to ask, before we have to leave - Did any girl die in this place? Specifically, a high-school girl."

The leader hummed, pondering for a while, before shaking his head. "I have not been made aware of any deaths or murders."

The lobby remained silent for a few seconds. "Alright then. Thank you for the aid, it was highly important." Kisara bowed at them. "Will you help us take our unfortunate friend to the hospital?" The leader made a hand move, and some of the youngsters carried Banshee into one of their vans, before welcoming Daimon into the passenger seat and driving them to the hospital. Yashiki, also, was driven home, in a separate car. "Will you tell me why are you investigate a place beneath you, such as this, Miss Kisara?" the old man's voice changed into one clearly more father-like.

"The owner of this place - He vanished, as you know. Satoru received a request to investigate a string of disappearances that feature heavily this place. You are well aware of my spiritual affinity - The ghost here is a school girl, and we have found evidence about some of your girls being high-school students who were afraid of being ratted out to teachers." the red head explained the situation. "I first thought... The ghost was a vengeful prostitute, out for blood for the way she was treated. Then... My theory shifted towards the idea that she was the schoolgirl who ratted her friends out, and she got killed in this place." she shook her head, frowning a little. "But... Nothing fits. The visions I got of this place... Were beyond depraved, but they all were consensual... The girls were enjoying all that filth. So... What is going on with this ghost?" she went in little detail about their encounter with the ghost, the two victims and the spider problem.

The old man bowed again. "I can vouch that no one was killed in this place, but I do not know about the internal affairs of this place, except that there has been no black market, pimping or slave selling in this place." that was all they needed to know.

With a thank you to the old man, the couple went in their car and drove back home. Thankfully, Satoru was behind the stirring wheel; He didn't want to exert her too much, she's been through enough.  He had to admit, his bewilderment from the spiders was temporarily glossed over by her strong relation with the Yakuza - Though he should have known - Back when they had the mark and she mentioned she comes from a wealthy family, when he implied she was related to the Yakuza; A good influence, huh? How interesting. 

They had to figure out what is going on, and soon. This day barely had any important information for the case - They have to hurry up. Who knows how long they have, before Hiroo and Banshee kick the bucket? Who knows how long before either of them get picked off also? 

He wasn't going to say anything - He just wanted to live through this mess, and for Kisara not to lose her mind. He wanted to get rid of all this ghost mess, and mentally sue Yasuoka for forcing him into this bullshit. He promised Kisara a ghost-free life, with no more of this supernatural thing to plague her - Hasn't she been through enough already? Hasn't he been through enough? If he was that brave and heroic, he wouldn't have deserted Yashiki back when he still had the curse mark, and struggling to grasp at straws and fight a bunch of ghosts - Hell, he could have been there at least for the pretty girl he had a crush on - But he didn't.

So why would he want any of this now, after he's tasted two very lovely years of domestic bliss with the girl he loves by his side?

The night was mostly silent for the two lovers - There was hardly any comfort to be brought through words, when both were death to the outside world. Instead, they mentally prepared for the incoming fight awaiting them the next day. It must have been the growing dread in Kisara's guts, or the tragic state of the two victims, Madoka and Banshee, who were under constant supervision by Daimon and the nurses.

Even their sleep was restless, dreaming of the ever-crawling spiders, and not even coffee could bring them any ounce of the usual warmth and temporary bliss.  From a silent night, to an even quieter afternoon, Kisara and Satoru drove by the hospital to check on them. True to their words, the Taira clan was diligently guarding and helping as instructed the overworked doctor. Poor Daimon - And his health was just beginning to improve a little. 

Apparently, just as Banshee woke up from his comatose state, he and Hiroo went berserk, and had to be restrained to avoid any self-harm, or damages done to the objects or the medical stuff. Not only that, but they refuse to eat, and keeping them on I.V.s is a little more than dangerous for their own safety, and it can't work forever anyway. It was no doubt the high-noon of their investigation. At such a critical point, they had to hurry and finish their purifying that night, otherwise... The consequences may as well be dire and unforgivable.

The red lights outside the rain-soaked windows look hazy like wilting crimson spider lilies. It was now or never. The final encounter between life and death.

They absolutely cannot fail.

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[darkdevasofdestruction]

Chapter 8 - Crimson Knight

"So... Did you find anything?" Kisara could hear Satoru's bored voice next to her. For the past two hours, she has been attempting to meditate under the tree in Bodh Gaya where Siddhartha Gautama, Buddha, supposedly achieved his awakening. "Sort of." she nodded her head, seemingly absent-minded. "I found that reciting Mantras repeatedly actually does help in calming my anxieties, for the most part." she explained. "And... Truth be told, it has been nothing but a delight, listening to the monks' chanting." she smiled, turning her gaze to her beloved. "I have come to respect Buddhism for what it is. I might not be an avid practitioner of any religion, but I can appreciate the Sutras." "That's about as much as you'll get, if you ask me." Kisara agreed with his comment. "At least the traveling we've done helped a little." he hummed, absent-mindedly playing with her hair. "If only I could also get some damn peace." "Ah, don't tell me - Yasuoka sent MORE cases your way?" by the grimace on his face, it must be a positive answer. "I turned off the phone. I couldn't stand all that annoying ringing anymore. How am I supposed to relax if I keep getting piled under mountains of cases?" he grumbled lowly. "Well! If it's just some detective cases, then I suppose I can lend a hand to my beautifully stressed out boyfriend!" she smirked up at him, only for Mashita to plant his palm over her face, stopping her from reacting altogether. "Shut up, you little menace." he chuckled, grateful that his girlfriend was so brave and loving that she'd step on her fears of ghosts, just to aid him in his reckless detective work. "I will take you on that offer though."

Their traveling vacation was a much needed break that kept their minds away from all the mess they've had to go through during the Death Mark situation, where their lives were directly on the line, and they almost died so many times. Nightmares still plague them, yet they find comfort within each other's embrace. Kisara saw the worst out of the ghost-situation, and experienced even worse;

Since then, she kept trying out various methods of keeping afloat through all the mess she's been through; Yet nothing compares to being disconnected from reality through the bliss of traveling. What's more, she even got around to visiting her parents in Italy, and told her all they've been gone through - What a way to introduce your boyfriend to your family.

Still, her mother apologised profusely for allowing her little baby to be put to such risks - Alas, her grandpa was right - In spite of his fanaticism, there was no person with more connection than him, in the family. With his wealth and status, Kisara could do anything she wanted, without facing and repercussions; And she was a docile child to begin with, she was never a bother to anyone.

Thus, when she said she saw pretty horses in the countryside, her grandpa bought her the horse with the colour coat she wished, and taught her how to ride to perfection. When she read a manga about a priestess who could exorcise demons by using her spiritual powers on her arrows, he taught her archery. When she became fascinated by the Sengoku era warlords, her grandpa had the royal blacksmith force fitting armor and weapons in the colour scheme and banners of the warlord she loved most, Oda Nobunaga, and thus she became Kisara Shogun.

With a promise from man to man, from Satoru to Kisara's father, sealed with a manly handshake, the man promised to keep her safe, as he's done so far; And her father thanked him dearly for not giving up on her, despite her tumultuous family mess, and the many death-dealings with the ghosts. Though the father promised to make sure Mashita's name is cleared of all charges and suspicions throughout the law enforcement network, Satoru, albeit grateful, wasn't quite sure if he'd trade this hilariously messy and adventurous faux career that paid him so little, over the constant stress and hatred he went through daily in that snake pit.

Regardless, their vacation was soon over, and after two years honey moon, Kisara and Satoru returned home; Though he kept his apartment as more or less a work office, he was more than happy to live in the comfort of her penthouse - And more, her loving embrace. He had to admit, but one night spent away from her was almost... Unnatural. Even his home felt empty, cold and lonely without her around, as if the cinders of her fire-kissed hair were the sole source of warmth for his frozen heart.

After a lot of pestering from Yasuoka and her clients coming their way, Mashita showed his girlfriend the case file, and agreed to barge in Yashiki's house and get him into this mess. Surely, after two years of doing nothing but research on the Mary doll, he'd be extra bored, right? Nothing like a new life-threatening ghost to spice things up!

The ex-detective knocked on the door, and much to their surprise, it was none other than sweet Moe who opened. "Moe!" Kisara exclaimed the girl's name, as they both grinned and hugged each other. After Yashiki was able to escape the curse, all the Death Mark bearers gathered together for a little Survive-Party, and it was then that the two girlies met up, and hit it off immediately.

Though the red head was much older, Moe looked up to her and was eager to hear all of her stories that she missed. Since she was working at a Supernatural Magazine as a writer and what not, Kisara was more than happy to tell her details and help her write up articles - And thus, she became the protagonist known as the 'Crimson Knight', as Mashita wittingly came up with that nickname, half as a praise, and half as a tease. The Japanese word for 'Knight' was 'KiShi', and she has both characters in her name, so what better way to call herself, considering the selfless way she threw herself in harms way so many times?

"We're coming in." Satoru called out, being the first to step in and letting the two girls catch up with each other, or whatever they wanted to do. As soon as he entered the main hall, he also noticed the other kid from the Hanahiko case - Tsukasa, was it? The stiff smart-ass. "Hey, what's all this? When did you start a daycare?" he joked, seeing the two kids.

"Miss Kisara, why are you guys here?" the girl asked, a cheerful grin on her face. "Did you come to see us?" 

"I wish that were the case!" Kisara joked, though Mashita, instead, gave an annoyed shake of his head and tsk'ed at the two children. "I'm the one asking why you're here." he sneered a little. "Damn, we're going in circles now."

"Lighten up, 'Toru! It's good to see them again." Kisara patted his shoulder lightly.

"Miss Kisara is right - Don't lie, Mr. Mashita! I know you're happy to see us. You're always hiding your feelings!" Kisara couldn't help but laugh at Moe's straightforward remarks - And how true they were. "Oh, but what a huge coincidence!  We've got everyone from the Hanahiko case back together again! This is totally destiny!"

"Everyone, huh? Hm... In that case, one person - No, one being is missing." Mashita had a snarky smirk on his face.

"So, why are you here?" Yashiki finally speaks.

"I have something to ask you first." Satoru's smile was frozen cold, yet dripping with the most lethal poison. "Yashiki... You told that fortune teller about my office, didn't you?"

"Towako Yasuoka?" Yashiki asked. "Yeah, it might have come up while I was talking to her about Mary." he nodded his head cluelessly. 

Thus, Mashita glared harshly at his partner. "Why'd you have to go and do that? Now I'm drowning under investigation requests." Yashiki was totally clueless. 

"Are you a private investigator, Mr. Mashita?" Moe asks, her eyes shining brightly. "Wow! I guess you'd be pretty good at that. Oh! If you get an interesting job, bring me along with you."

"And this is exactly why it's annoying." the man huffs. 

"I only told her about your office - What's wrong with that?" Kazuo finally asks. "Getting job requests is good, isn't it?"

"It depends on WHAT the request is about." Satoru grumbles. "The one I just got... Is the worst." he ends with a sigh. "It's your fault that this happened. So, Yashiki - I'm going to have you help me."

"Help you?!" Yashiki stammered in bewilderment. "W-Wait a minute, what are we talking about here?"

"Can't you guess based on the context? I believe he's telling you he wants your help with a detective job." Tsukasa bluntly explained.

"Wow. I can't really picture him working as a private detective, though." Moe giggled cutely. "Now, if he were to investigate a supernatural phenomenon, that would be per--" she abruptly stopped herself, as if she realised the truth behind the investigation. "Wait, don't tell me... This worst request ever that you got..."

"You've got it. We suspect a spirit might be involved." Kisara nodded solemnly.

Mashita began to explain the rumours he was told by Lady Yasuoka about the case of the Little Red Riding Hood, about how people disappeared once they entered the Love Hotel, Masquerade, in K City - Supposedly, only on rainy days, there's this girl wearing a red hood, and she stands by the road like she's trying to get customers; Everyone who accepts her offer ends up disappearing.

Yet here comes the peculiarity of this case - The missing ones do get eventually found, however, their heads are so messed up they cannot even remember their own names.  What's worse, some end up dying in the hospital, while others jump in front of trains out of madness.

One man, apparently, saw this girl in a red raincoat and decided to chat her up; Though as soon as he approached her, she started whispering to him. Apparently, the man got so creeped out that he bolted out of there immediately. It was only the next day that he realised that, although it wasn't raining that badly, she was the only person completely soaked from head to toe, which was quite an oddity for him... Only for him to strongly suspect that... The raincoat was, in fact... Soaked with blood.

"I'm sorry, but I must say, that sounds like a simple ghost story." Tsukasa was the first to speak, seemingly not touched or impressed in the slightest. What a strong and level-headed kid! Good for him. "The rainy shopping district and the red raincoat... Rather suspicious."

"It's enough to get me concerned." Mashita ignored the child. "I'll leave the rest to you, Yashiki."

"What?!" Yashiki gasped. "No, you're coming with me. It's your case, not mine." the man was absolutely flabbergast at the nerve of his friend.

"I'm bogged down with my other cases, I don't have time to spare." Mashita shrugged his shoulders. "It's your fault the old lady passed it to me, so you need to take responsibility."

"Come on, you can help him out a little - I'll help too! The editorial department might have some info on a case like this - And your investigation needs an assistant, right?" Moe chimed in immediately.

"Did you learn nothing from last time, Miss Moe?" Tsukasa sighed at her innocent death-wish.

"Don't work yourself up. It's more likely that it's just a lie." Mashita shrugged once again, dismissing the claims. "A bunch of it sounds like it was made up. That's why it's such a pain to have an absurd request like this brought to me."

"Well, better safe than sorry, right?" Kisara stretched a little. "I'll go investigate too, see if I pick up on any spiritual residue or what not."

"Cool! Then, we better get rea--" Moe was immediately shut down by the older man.

"Sorry, Moe, you can't come with us. I won't put any of you in harm's way. Kisara and I can handle this." Yashiki spoke up.

"Don't worry, Moe, I'll keep you updated in great detail. Besides, we still need someone like you to investigate rumours, right? Your skills are valuable outside of the crime scene." Kisara placed her hand on Moe's shoulder, reassuring the girl.

"I don't really like seeing you do all the work and getting in danger all that time... But if that's how I can help best, then that's what I'll do. Only this time, thought!" her cheerful and energetic demeanour was brought back once again.

Mashita ripped out a paper from his notebook and handed Yashiki the address of the Love Hotel; Apparently, it's all but abandoned by now, and their meeting was at 8PM the following night. The old lady said she'd call in help, so it's probably a scheduling thing - Not even Satoru knew for sure why the specific date, but oh well, trivial details. 

Just as the detective put his arm around his girlfriend to leave the mansion and return home, he rushes back inside; It was far too late to late two children wander around by themselves, so he offered to drive them both back home. What a thoughtful man - A true and righteous policeman through and through, even in spite of all the sarcasm and snarkiness.

"Satoru." Kisara called out to her boyfriend, the next morning, hopped on the kitchen counter and drinking her coffee. As soon as the man entered the room, his hair all disheveled as always, he couldn't help but smile a little, taking the coffee mug from her hand, and slumping on the comfortable chair. 

"Morning to you too, beautiful." he muttered, looking at the gorgeous lady; Her long red hair was a mess, and the short pink lingerie pyjamas. He will never tire of looking at her - What a sight for sore eyes.

"What is Masquerade?" Satoru couldn't help but raise a quizzical eyebrow at her, not understanding the question at all.

"The... Love Hotel...? The address of our little ghostie...?" he dragged out his words with confusion.

"Yeah - What is it?" Kisara realised he wasn't understanding the question. "What the hell is a Love Hotel?"

Satoru's eyes widened, and his lips parted slightly, flabbergast at her question - Before placing down the coffee mug to start laughing. "You canNOT be asking that." he hasn't had that much fun in a while.

"You're not answering my question, you little jerk. Don't laugh at my ignorance." she pouted, only for the man to get up and step in front of her, his palms placed on either side of her, his face dangerously close to her own.

"A Love Hotel is a depraved place where dead beats who can't get out of their parents' basements take their equally dead beat one night stand for a little bit of naughty action." the look on her face was worth millions.

"There are buildings created for THAT purpose?!" Mashita smirked at her shock, nodding slightly. "How pathetic!" she huffed. "Have they no shame? Everyone knows what they're doing, from the time you enter the building, to the second you exit on the street. Isn't that degrading?"

Mashita shrugged, a cheshire grin on his face. "Shameless, huh?" he purred, embracing the girl. "Granted, I'm pretty sure everyone is aware of what we are doing - After all, we have been rather close for the past two years now."

"Now, now, don't make me feel embarrassed. Normal people don't look at a couple and instantly think with their minds in the gutter." Kisara blushed softly, though she couldn't help but be amused by the man.

"Well, you might have to pick my mind from the gutter. I can't help but think shameless thoughts whenever I look at you." his hot breath on her neck made her wrap her arms around his neck lazily, pulling him closer.

"Guess we're having a late morning again, aren't we, Mr. Officer~?" she giggled, getting picked up with ease; As always, the muscles on his arms flexed so beautifully, and his face was as Godly beautiful as always. If the Heavens wanted a Beauty Deity, it would be him.

"How could I resist?" he hummed, kissing her. "Though that precious coffee of yours is going to get cold. Are you going to cry about it?"

"I love you more than coffee." they both chuckled at the silly gag about her other-worldly love for coffee.

Come late evening, Kisara was doing her make up in the vanity mirror; Mashita put on his coat and got behind her, placing a kiss on her temple. "Let's go, Princess. Don't wanna be late." She smiled, and applying her favourite red lipstick, she put on her black trench coat and went to the car.

As always, Satoru opened her door, and she sat in the driver's seat; Her beautiful hand over the stirring wheel, with those long nails, painted a pretty pearl pink with gold glitter, and the gold jewellery adorning her slender fingers and her wrist - What a luxurious woman, elegant without even trying. It was truly an honour being by her side.

At 8PM sharp, the trio waiting near the Love Hotel heard the familiar resounding click of Kisara's heeled boots against the pavement; Turning their gaze towards them, the Doctor and the Detective were hand-in-hand, looking high-class glam. They looked to be made for each other. Mashita's messy black hair contrasted Kisara's well-groomed scarlet locks so well; Their light coloured eyes almost looked as if they were soulbound and sharing a telepathic connection that only they could understand; And those fox-like expressions on their faces, knowing smirks as though they knew all of your darkest secrets, kept for blackmail.  All that, under the same umbrella. How unnerving.

"Got a lot of free time to stand around, I see. Playtime's over." the man had an empty smile on his face. 

"Mashita? What are you doing here?" Yashiki was flabbergast at seeing the detective who was, allegedly, far too busy to join them.

"This case is a request from a client - I came here to make sure you showed up." he cheekily replied.

"Jerk. What, planning on observing us, are you?" why was that damn annoying Hiroo here also? "What if we didn't show up?"

"One of you IS a no-show, in fact." he pointed out, allowing Yashiki to explain that the idol girl, Ai, couldn't make it because her manager caught her in her attempt to sneak out. 

While Daimon was finishing his phone call, the five people went inside a dirty smoking area, where Mashita and Hasashi both indulge in a stress-drag. As Hiroo was sipping from her drink, evidently complaining about the rain, the detective explained that the Masquerade hotel closed down about a year prior, and though the definite reason was unclear, they were thinking it might be because the owner went missing... Just like in the rumours. 

Though the scientist lady spoke out her idea that the whole case was just a typical case of the owner just up and vanishing, Mashita ignored her altogether, going on about the prime gossips some publications came up with, regarding the story; Though it only lasted for so little, before everyone forgot about it. Considering the red district is crime syndicate turf, they likely applied some pressure to keep things under wrap. 

The detective waved his cigarette towards the Hotel vis-a-vis from their little shelter, explaining that the gossip was contemporary with the rumours of the Red Riding Hood stories - Masquerade seems to be the center of everything.

While everyone was focused on something else, Kisara turned to the table to grab one more sip of her drink, only to let out a small of terror, her eyes fixated on the corner of the room, just between the vending machines and Hiroo. At once, everyone averted her attention to the red head, but it was only Yashiki who understood her horror.

"What was that for?" Mashita looked at his girlfriend with concern, realising that petrified expression she made only when it concerned spiritual activity. Subtle signs of hyperventilation were beginning to pick up.

"H-Hey, Hiroo... Behind you..." Kazuo gulped, staring straight at the grinning ghost wrapped in that red raincoat.

"Huh? What? Did you get scared by a moth or what?" the scientist was as non-chalant as ever. "Nothing's here." she says, looking behind her, puzzled.

"S-Sorry..." Yashiki dragged the neck of his shirt a little. "I think... My eyes were playing tricks on me."

"On both of us?!" Kisara snapped at him. "Say it loud and clear - We both saw the ghosts."

"Wh-What...?" Hiroo gaped at the other woman.

"That's more than concerning." Satoru muttered, squeezing her shoulder. "Can you handle this?"

"Of course I can." her voice turned solemn quickly, her eyes averting towards the Hotel. "However... I'm getting the feeling that our little ghostie is... Just about as tragic and vengeful as Shu Xian."

Mashita cringed, remembering the Kannon Soldier and the way she affected Kisara, close to bringing her to madness. "Guess this just became my main case." he muttered to himself.

"You've got enough work on your plate as it is, Satoru. I can handle this with Yashiki." but the stubborn man only shook his head.

"I promised your dad I'll keep you safe. If you say this is a ghost case, I can't, in good faith, let you do this by yourself. Who knows what would happen if you'd get possessed again?" the girl sighed, hanging her head.

"I think... It's going to be a crazy case." Kisara said, leaning back on the bench.

In that moment, Daimon hung up his phone and explained he has an emergency at the hospital and he has to leave. "So the only one left is the science freak. That's... Concerning." Mashita shook his head in disappointment. He, like Kisara, cannot stand Madoka and her insufferable personality. 

"What?! What did you just say?!" she was so offended. "That how you treat people helping you out?!"

Paying no mind to Hiroo's violent outburst, Mashita calmly looks at his watch. "It's time. Enough gossip, let's go." with an arm around his partner's waist, the duo went first inside the dusty hotel.

"Wh-What...?! What a jerk!" they could still hear Madoka's hissy fit, making them both chuckle satisfied.

The air was chilly inside Masquerade, but the atmosphere was even creepier than they imagined. Their footsteps echo loudly against the exquisitely detailed marble floor. Truth be told, although she was petrified out of her mind and trying to convince herself the underground shelter was a far tougher experience - The scientist did raise a good point; It might be just a year since it closed down, but it's not even half as damaged and vandalised as your usual abandoned building... Despite the entrance doors being unlocked. How peculiar.

Agreeing to investigate just about the whole place, every nook and cranny, for any piece of info that might help understand what's going on. Still, a Love Hotel owned by a crime gang... Kisara was sure that even her boyfriend suspected the place might have been run as more of a brothel, than a simple hotel. And if that is true, well... Some pimping and abuse might be in the middle. 

Somewhere on the board, they noticed pictures of every guest room available - How luxurious. On the desk, they found an emergency key ring on the receptionist's desk - Might as well use it on the emergency exit door. As Hiroo went ahead to try the key on the door, Kisara was drawn to the shelf, where she saw a picture titled 'Masquerade Wife', depicting a masked woman wearing a wedding gown. For a second there, she cringed, remembering Hanayome. She might want to get married and wear a pretty dress, but if she sees one more tragic bride, she might as well quit her dreams.

As if reading her mind, Mashita guided her towards the stairs, and the first thing they see on the second floor is, in fact, a painting of yet another Masquerade Wife, yet this time, she is gazing at a man. "Enough of this bride thing. I'm getting the creeps." she shuddered lightly.

They split in two groups to cover more ground in lesser time - Mashita and Hasashi went inside the room on the left; Here, they see a rather creepy Venetian mask with the typical elongated nose, hanging on the wall. Whether or not they were hung there to match the Hotel's vibe, it was rather creepy; Though it would make even more sense, if it were to protect the client's identity. The power cord and the phone line have both been strategically cut, so they cannot be used. Under the door, there is a piece of paper, but Satoru alone cannot lift the bed, and he doubts Kisara's strength will help much, so he'll have to ask Yashiki for help later. 

Weirdly enough, the bed had only a mattress and no sheets; Perhaps they were taken off to sell or use elsewhere? Granted, a mattress has to be more expensive than some sheets. Still, Satoru shifted it around to look underneath, and found a clue - A notebook called 'Mask Guestbook 202'.  That's a great start!  Opening it, they saw writing that encouraged the guests to write about their 'sweeeet sweeeeeet time' spent together. Every single page was filled top to bottom with lewd, suggestive comments. 

Though they read the guestbook entries together, neither of the two could digest the vulgar description of all sexual acts. Kisara, more than anything, was so disgusted she had to step away from the book. Mashita, though only skimming through the pages, managed to get to the last entry, which was a gold mine in terms of information.

'This is bad! Sa... might've ratted us out! There're rumours that she tattled to the teach and said she's going to the fuzz! This is so so so bad! What should...'

Horrifically enough, the two came to the conclusion that schoolgirl prostitution must have been going on about the rooms of this place; And though the girl in the entry seemed a willing participant, it sounded as though she was panicked over being told on to some teacher by one of her friends. How horrific and very illegal. Kisara's fears were more or less proven true, and Mashita could only pray she wouldn't touch anything that would traumatise her even more than she already is. He doubts any amount of Heart Sutra chants would heal her.

Lastly, they searched the bathroom; The mirror was stained with dust, but still in perfect shape, and same with the slimy shower. This bathroom was absolutely useless in terms of information.

On the room on the right, where Yashiki and Hiroo went to investigate, the layout was the same; The very same creepy Venetian mask hanging on the red wallpaper, the mattress had no sheets - But there was no phone here, and iron bars were covering the window.

Next to the bed, there was a wooden chest - But it was locked. Through the small creak close to the top, Kazuo noticed a spring stopper; Simply put, if he had something thin, he'd be able to break the clasp and open it. 

Meeting back in the hall, the two teams briefly explain what they've encountered, and try the elevator - Only, pressing the button repeatedly does nothing. So, the next best thing was to go to the 3rd floor by climbing the stairs.  On one wall, they notice an object with an iron cover, some kind of an electrical device.

The team going in the left room found a spoon stained black by the bed-side table, and a wallet, similarly stained black, in the bathroom by the toilet - Inside of it, there was a credit card, and nothing more. The stains on the card that make the name of the owner unable to be read... Look an awful lot like old blood stains.

The room on the right, however, made Kisara almost feel weak to her knees and collapse; It looked like a prison cell or a dungeon, not a bedroom. In a corner, there was a torture device - A Spanish donkey. The girl shivered, quickly shuffling her feet away from that ominous thing, only to find herself in the middle of the room. Not good. Not good at all.  On the wall, inside a glass case, were hanging whips and ropes - They looked weirdly cheap and frail.

The worst part about it, Mashita realised, was the red head's trembling as she stared with terror at the unnatural space along the wall, between the two lamps. It had a faint stain that gave proof of something likely once hanging there. "Kisara." Mashita almost scowled in anger addressed to him, seeing his own girlfriend flinching at his voice. "Don't touch it." he brought her out of the room. "You don't have to touch anything. We can solve this without you getting involved like that." she merely nodded, trying to control her shivers.

Here, the elevator doesn't move either, unfortunately. However, as the two were ready to go to the room on the left and see what Yashiki and Hiroo were up to, they noticed them coming up from the 2nd floor. Apparently, Kazuo was able to open the wooden chest with the help of the credit card he found - And inside, there was the Guestbook from room 201 and a battery operated Mini Massager.

Just like the previous guestbook, the last entry had concludent evidence. 'Something's up. The fuzz hasn't come. Did ...ko really tattle? Mr. N... is acting normally, too. Sa... hasn't been to school recently.'

So the question stood... Why hasn't this reported? Her friend wanted to rat them out... But Mr. N, possibly the teacher, was acting normal... Wait, was the teacher a regular to this place? That would be awful - Was he an accomplice to this mess? Goodness...

At that very same time, a loud sound coming from the room on the left startled them half to death. Just when they thought everything was settled... They heard a voice. "S...I....R...." Yashiki was the first to turn around and flash his light, but there was nothing except the door to the emergency staircase.

As the four were looking around at each other, more confused than anything, the metal door screeched, and before them appeared the school girl wearing the red raincoat. "Th-There she is...!" Hiroo stuttered, petrified out of her mind, only to immediately change her stance. "Wait... She's human! That ghost story w-was an utter lie!"

"Hiroo, shh! Be quiet, I can hear something." Yashiki immediately shushed the noisy woman.

True enough, a slithering whisper of a voice sneaks up on them. "I knew it... I'm so glad I trusted you, Sir." the girl in the raincoat spoke to them... Kisara could hear it, thanks to her spirituality, and the two men could hear her too, being confused for the trusted teacher she saw them us... The only one perpetually puzzled was Hiroo, who was neither of those. "I knew... I knew it... I knew you'd come... But, sir... Who is... That woman....?" the girl asked, pointing towards... Madoka? Interesting; Regardless, there didn't seem to be hatred in her voice, only sorrow, regret, and something akin to a quiet plea. "I'm going to make sure...." make sure of... What, exactly...? "Sir, do you come to places like this... Very often...?" Mashita was shocked at what was happening before him; He stole a quick glance to his girlfriend and towards his work partner; They both seemed to be making an active effort of calming down. 

Sir, she called him... A person she respects... Suddenly, Mashita recalls the conversation he had earlier that day, when Kisara oh so innocently asked about this kind of place, and it clicked - What if she saw him as the teacher she trusted enough to report this mess? Then, he should reply accordingly. "I come here with my wife." Satoru spoke confidently, bringing the red head into a tight embrace.

"Yes... Of course..." she muttered softly. "Hey, sir... Could you tell me, please? Another teacher told me that... I'm heartless and don't treasure my friends... But if something's wrong, then it's wrong." was it about reporting this illegal dealing? "What am I supposed to do? Which is more important - Friends, or what's right?" that question seemed a little to close for comfort for the detective.

"Of course what's right is more important." Satoru found himself blurting - Friends come and go, but you won't forgive yourself for living with the knowledge of illegal dealings that you could have prevented.

The girl remained quiet, save for a gentle nod of her head. "Tell me one more thing, please." she said.  "When people are selling and buying bad things... Then who's in the wrong?" 

"Both are in the wrong." Mashita answered, sure of his answer. The ghost seemed pleased, and her ominous aura dissipated.

"I'm so happy... You're really him..." the ghostie sighed in relief. "All the immoral people died." under her hood, and through the darkness, peered the schoolgirl's twisted smile. In one turn, the girl in the red raincoat disappeared into the stairway.

Although for the longest time Satoru could feel Kisara's soft shivering as he held onto her, just like that, he couldn't feel her any longer. "SAYAKO-CHAN!" she found herself yelling out a name she's never heard in her life, and her spiritual instincts took over her body and brain, driving her into overload as she ran after the ghost.

"What the hell was that about?!" Madoka was frowning deeply, glaring at the metal door that was just slammed shut. "Why are you two just standing there, with your mouths wide open? Are you that dumb that you can't act?" she huffed, rushing after the doctress.

"I swear - If she got possessed again, I'm going to lose it." Satoru sneered under his breath and hurrying towards the stairs, followed by his partner in work - They went up the stairs, only to realise... They were still on the 3rd floor? How... Peculiar. 

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Yashiki gulped, flashing the light on the number 3 of the floor.

"I'm so done with this ghostly bullshit." the detective grumbled, rushing towards the 2nd floor, but the outcome was the same.

"If we're stuck on the 3rd floor... Reckon Kisara and Hiroo are also here?" Yashiki's words made sense, in a ghostly way. 

The two tried one more time to change floors, but instead of escaping the 3rd floor, they found Hiroo on the ground, thankfully just unconscious. Yashiki decided to look after her while Mashita looked for his girlfriend around the only two available rooms.

The brunet barged into the room on the left - How peculiar, it was covered in webs everywhere. Yashiki didn't mention anything of this. Could it have happened after the ghost encounter? If so... Could the ghost have anything to do with... Spiders? If that was the case, he feared Kisara losing her mind. If there was one thing she was afraid of, it was spiders. It was almost comical - A girl her age and size, unafraid even faced with monstrous ghosts, fighting against them so brazenly - Only to shriek like a little girl and jump in his arms, at the sight of the littlest spider of cockroach. Hilarious, yes - But definitely not now.

The bathroom door was gently opened, and much to his surprise, Kisara stepped towards him, seemingly unharmed by anything. "Kisara...?" though she looked fine, her eyes were glazed over and seemed unfocused. "Hey, can you hear me? Or do I have to slap you awake again?" concerned, Satoru makes his way in front of her, only to stop dead in his tracks as he sees her slowly stripping her clothes off, in the most sensual way imaginable - All while holding sultry eye contact.

What the hell was going on...? Mashita was confused beyond belief - Yes, Kisara was cheeky with him, and had no shame in flirting, but she'd never put off something as crudely shameless like this. Her pride was bigger than the milky way, there's no way she'd stay uncovered around so much spider web, let alone show off her sexy black lingerie in a place like this. That girl was the most pillow princess he's ever known; Not only she'd not even stand close to a dirty and dusty mattress, but she'd be disgusted by a place where so many lecherous bastards committed lewd things.

And yet, there she was, with that vixen smirk of her, grabbing him by the shirt and pushing him back on the mattress before climbing on his lap; Her hands were placed gingerly over his chest, carefully unbuttoning his shirt as she bit her bottom lip; She was attractive as always - The most endearing woman he's ever met - But not only she wouldn't be caught dead on top of him - She wouldn't be so unbothered with so much web stuck to her back. 

"I was waiting for you... For so long..." she giggled sweetly. "I've been thinking about you the whole day... I missed your hands on my skin..." she leans down, whispering in his ear as she gets comfortable sitting on his waist. "Don't you want me, Satoru...? Don't you crave me, as much as I long for you...?" don't ask such difficult questions, damn it, Mashita thought to himself, trying to find a way to snap her out of it. "Come on, Master, don't hold back." she quickly grabbed his hands, placing them over her bosom. "Look at me - Tell me I am the only one you love - And take me. I am all yours, Master."

"Damn it, woman, where's your shame..." Satoru sneered, realising the ghost from earlier was tormenting him with more questions. How annoying.

"B-But...!" Kisara whimpered, making those puppy eyes that he could never resist. "But I want you, Master...! I need you! I need you more tha--" before she could finish her pouting, her fingers crumpled up his shirt tightly, getting stuck in a violent fit of coughs. "C-Can't... Breathe... D-Damn it..." her head was hung, and though her long her was draping most of her uncovered body, Satoru could see tears of resistance prickling at the corner of her eyes. "Webs... Please... My back..." she pleaded desperately. She was snapping in and out of her own consciousness.

The instant Mashita got a good grip on her body, he could feel her feeling lax in his arms. "D-Don't you need me anymore...? I... I can't... I can't live without you... I have everything in life... I made it all myself... But I cannot... I cannot win... The gamble of love... So... You can't... You can't leave me... Please... Tell me you still need me..." those cries were tugging on all of Mashita's heartstrings in all the most painful ways possible. He terribly hoped Kisara won't be remembering any of this, because he couldn't imagine the shame she'd feel, saying all these things.

"You are my partner, Kisara. I will always need and depend on you." Mashita's voice was softed than before. "Now get it together - I need you now. I can't do this case without you."

Instead of an answer, Kisara let out a shrill laugh that echoed through the room - Did he make the wrong choice? Did he say something wrong?  Sneering, Mashita ripped apart the webs sticking to her back, and the girl collapsed as if fainted, in his arms. He quickly checked for her vitals - She was perfectly fine, thankfully.

"Kisara." he shook her desperately. "Kisara, wake up already." for a good two to three minutes, Mashita tried every thing he could think of, from shaking her, to slapping her face, and kissing her. Finally, the red head slowly opened her eyes, as if waking up from a sweet sleep. "Finally. Gave me quite the scare." the man exhaled deeply.

"Satoru...?" the girl mewled softly. "What...? What is going on...?" she asked so innocently, not realising what she was wearing. "Why is it so cold...?"

"Have you thought, perhaps, it was cold because you're half-naked?" that comment startled her so badly that she almost jolted off the bed - Were it not for him holding her tightly, she'd have been on the dusty, cold ground.

"What... What happened...? Why...?" she gulped, trying to calm herself down in some way or another.

"You got possessed by the ghost. Made you seduce me and all that." despite his own grimace, he tried hard to keep the atmosphere light, as to not to get her to panic more. "If I knew you were so bold, I'd have let you do the work sometimes too."

"... How awful..." still shaky, Kisara gets some help to dress from the detective. "I... I don't know what happened. I heard a name - Sayako - And then... I don't know." she looked distraught. "Can we go home for now, please? I'm exhausted."

"I had no intention to spend one more minute in this hell hole after what happened." after fixing her clothes and her, Mashita opened the door for her; Daimon was there, helping Yashiki hold an unconscious Hiroo on his back.

"What's going on...?" Kisara frowned in shock, looking at the scientist girl.

"No clue. We found her like this." Mashita muttered. "Glad you're strong enough to snap out of it." Kisara only shook her head, getting the imagine of Madoka and what happened in that room out of her head. 

"I'm glad you're here, Daimon. Let's get out of here." the doctors nodded at each other.

With some help, Yashiki got Hiroo in the ambulance and Daimon took her to the hospital, where he'd take care of her the whole night. Yashiki went to his mansion, angry by the outcome and allowing Hiroo to get in that state, only to notice Christie and Suzu visiting him.

Mashita and Hasashi returned home, where they took a quick shower and drank a hot tea for comfort. The girl nestled comfortably in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder. "I'm getting involved from tomorrow on." she found herself speaking. "But it's the last time."

"Why...?" Satoru looked at her incredulous.

"Because of the same thing that happened with Shu Xian." Kisara explained. "An innocent girl who didn't deserve any of the torture she went through." she went on. "I... I don't know what happened, but... If she was involved in this prostitution madness... And the gang found out she wanted to rat them out for having schoolgirls..." she needn't say any more of that, for he understood all that was left unspoken.

"You're going to end up killing yourself if you continue this way." he sighed, holding her tighter.

"If not the visions... Those bloody spiders sure will." she shuddered softly at the mere thought of those disgusting things.

"We'll bring her peace, okay? And after that, we're done with ghosts." she nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. No more tragic ghosts."

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[darkdevasofdestruction]

Chapter 7 - Amitābha

The next day, Kisara called up her grandmother, announcing their arrival. Judging from her voice, she was somewhat unsettled - She lived with her grandparents long enough to know when something was off. Could her grandpa truly be cursed, after all? Shaking her head and putting off such suspicions, she dressed her best and drank her coffee in silence. She couldn't bring herself to speak much, not even to Satoru, the fear of her visions being confirmed true creeping through her brain. She dearly hoped that it was some other Hasashi... A long, lost uncle, some unknown relative - Anything that wouldn't implicate her most beloved family members being these evil monsters who dared pervert humanity.

The soft sound of music from the radio was the sole thing keeping the atmosphere from being tense and thick enough to be cut with a knife. Though he wasn't connected with this family, and let alone this ghost or anyone in his direct family line being related to the War or anyone in positions of great power during those days - He still felt unease, at the thought of visiting Kisara's grandparents and unveiling any awful secret. He was a detective, he's seen a lot and been through even more, yet Heaven's forbid, if the truth comes out that the man she revered to much did such terrible things, there is little doubt that her sanity would creak under pressure. He wasn't sure he was ready to see this case all the way through the end.

After two or three hours of silent driving, the car found its way towards a rural path, and they arrived at a large mansion with vast gardens all around. She did hint at her privilege, yet he couldn't believe his eyes, watching young people pick fruit from the trees, others tending the flowers, or trimming the branches. Dogs of different ages were playing around and barking happily, while some cats were lazying up on the fence or the roof tiles, basking in the warm Sun. The birds were singing beautiful lullabies... And everything looked perfect. No wonder Kisara loved this place, it was an outright paradise.  Opposite of the house was a never-ending land, tended to perfection for the Shrine - This house was built specifically for the Guuji Priestess to be able to attend her inherited shrine. The Minamoto Shrine. It truly was as grandiose as he expected, and even more. At this point, Satoru was almost shocked that Kisara didn't just remain living in this place, and continue the priestess line throughout the generations coming... Although, it was a rather retreated area, despite the bustling village - Perhaps she needed some modern air and technology, some proper human interaction and perspective. Either way, he was glad they met.

As soon as Kisara stepped in the gardens, all the workers gathered around to greet her and exclaim how much they missed her, and how she's become even more beautiful and graceful than before - Though, by her words, she barely returned after less than a month whole. They made her look like a princess, with all that attention.  On the house porch, her grandmother was waiting, embroidering a beautiful kimono. Once she spotted the girl, the woman got up and smiled gently, accepting a loving embrace from her granddaughter and welcoming the two inside. She greeted Satoru so warmly, as though he, too, was her child. What a loving woman - He could see Kisara's kind nature through her.

They were invited inside a traditional living room, large and simple, though with various expensive decorations of all types - No wonder she had such tastes, it ran in the family. At the chabudai table, a man dressed smartly in traditional clothes, drinking tea and reading some kind of book. Weirdly, however, Satoru noticed a scarf around his neck, and considering it was late spring, and inside the house... Could he be cursed, just like Kisara, and he was hiding the mark?

"How fare you, my dearest spider lily? It is quite peculiar of you to come over on a week day - Not that we complain, of course. Your presence here brightens the place even more than Amaterasu herself ever could." her grandfather smiled at her, with the same warmth you'd expect from a fatherly figure, kind and patient. "Forgive the intrusion, so unexpectedly and on such a short notice, grandpa. Usually, I come during weekends to relax and spend my time with you - However, as you would expect, I come here on... Business? Perhaps that is not the best word to use, however, I need to ask you important aspects from the past. Your past." how formal and stiff the two were speaking, almost as though they were threading carefully a feudal conversation between nobles of high society. "And by that, you mean specifically, the War period, correct?" the girl nodded sternly. "I always did expect you to find out the truth, one way or the other." he sighed, though not bothered at all. "... Are you hiding the curse mark right now?" her voice went soft, tugging on the material of her turtleneck. Her grandma gasped lightly, shaking her head.  "Oh, my sweetling, so it is true. To think that sins of the past would come to curse us for generations to come. Such vengeance, such malevolence... Even I couldn't dispel and exorcise the curse, no matter how hard I tried. To think that you and your mother, also..." the old woman clutched at her chest, pained by the reveal. "That is because there is no way of purifying a ghost from a distance. You must confront it and exorcise it directly." Kisara spoke with an edge. "That is what I've been doing for the past two weeks or so. Finally, I know, this time, I have found the right ghost that cursed me - And rightfully so. Surely, you would know, wouldn't you, grandpa?" she eyed the old man sharply, as he simply avoided eye contact and nonchalantly looked to the side. "Whatever could you mean by that." he seemed completely unapologetic. "Do you deny your involvement in underground business as the Surgeon General during the War?" the man said nothing. "The Engineering Lab working together with... Unit 731...?" though the man sketched no emotion, the woman was visibly uncomfortable. "What about Emperor Hirohito and Tojo? The massacre of Nanjing? The slaves you took and abused? Experimented on? Do you even remember how many you killed for your nefarious fascination of creating the Kannon Soldier?" "Enough." the grandfather snapped at her, all the warmth disappearing from his eyes. "You are speaking as though I did anything bad, when, in fact, I did not." he continued. "How many times is it now that you admitted how important human experiments were, for the great development of medicine as we know it? You are a doctor yourself, my little spider lily, you would know the full extent of revolutionary discoveries that aided in the creation of cures of all kinds throughout the years. Was it not the Germans, Japanese and Russians who contributed the most in the medical field, after all?" Kisara remained mute, and wide-eyed. She was speechless. "What is wrong with using the lesser, and creating worth out of the worthless? If you are crying over the life of some slave girl, then remember, her death helped in saving countless other lives."

"It is that slave girl that rose up from her grave and is this close to killing us, yet here you are, remorseless and uncaring. You may not care about your life much, but I'm still young and wish to live. I want to know everything you did during the Kannon Soldier project." the red haired girl demanded with authority.

"Where did you find out all this?" the old man asked.

"I found the underground bunker laboratory where you performed the experiments. Consequently, I touched the residue blood from one of the girls you tortured, and she made me relive the whole experimentation process which you did on her... From the taunting, to the evisceration and amputating, and eventually, using the chisel to decapitate her and put her body on a Buddha statue. I hope you can sleep well tonight, knowing that you tortured to death your own granddaughter." the old man scoffed with disgust.

"It is not my fault that you inherited your grandmother's spiritually sensitive genes. I tried my hardest to bring you on the scientology path alone, however she insisted your spiritual strength was just as important to nurture. You could see ghosts before I taught you how to read, of course someone had to show you how to keep them at bay." it pissed the girl off so much, seeing how completely unapologetic he was about committing such awful acts against humanity.

"I can thank you for educating me as well as you did, but I cannot forgive the atrocities you have committed, nor the fact that you were such a monster that you implicated generations of our bloodline to this curse." Kisara took a deep breath and tried her best to remain composed. Mashita would praise her for remaining so strong after getting the confirmation that your father figure was an outright monster.

"You refuse to forgive something that I don't deem as a sin - That is fine, young people will never understand how difficult it was to be a person of power during the war, and I cannot blame you for that - However, I can blame you for being subjective and refusing to acknowledge your own sins." Mashita looked at him with confusion - And it was then that he realised, he had the exact same shade of green that Kisara's own eyes were. "After all, my darling, I taught you how to perform surgeries on living people, and you were having a blast." the sound of porcelain falling and shattering filled the room - Satoru flinched, turning to look at the red haired woman, who looked completely bewildered.

"Wh-What did you say...?" she stammered in a whispery tone, her hands trembling in mid-air.

"Don't tell me your forgot your teachings, my little spider lily. After all, for your frail age, you were brilliant, perhaps even more so than myself." at once, the grandmother rose to her feet and brought a photo album, which she placed on the table. Though Kisara was unable to touch it, Mashita did.

"Y-You said -- You said those were -- Those were cadavers -- A-And that we --- We were doing... Autopsies --..." Satoru admired every pictured on every page. Most of them was of the little girl, her hair as black as ebony - It was weird, seeing Kisara with her hair undyed. She had pictures as young as a babe, and as old as recently, during her graduation. As a priestess, during rituals, wearing princess kimonos, or a samurai outfit. She had pictures wearing old, military outfits, with all of her grandfather's medals pinned, and showing off her sword. There were pictures of her riding horses, or playing with dogs and cats, and there were pictures of her practicing shooting with guns, rifles and so on. In all pictures, she had the most charming, gleeful smile that a young lady could have.

And then, came the medical pictures. She looked as young as 6 years old, sitting on a stool by her grandpa, wearing operating uniforms and cutting into the body of different humans. From the pictures, they did look like cadavers, and Kisara seemed to be under the impression that it was the absolute truth. "Try to recall those times, dearest. Do dead bodies bleed as much as your specimens did?" Kisara's hands fell limp on the table.

"No... No... That's not true... I can't -- I can't remember. It's not true. It can't be true. I didn't - I didn't kill anyone. I didn't - I'm not... I'm not like you. I'm not ---..." she turned her head meekly towards the photo album, and slapped her hands over her mouth, a sob of anguish stifled. Her eyes were gleaming with tears of realisation. "I forgot. I forgot all this. No... No, this can't be... I forgot. I forgot everything. I should have kept the ignorance going. Ignorance is bliss, they were right. They were right. This isn't right." "You call me a monster, my dear spider lily... But are you not just the same as I am, judging from the way you were laughing and smiling so happily, digging your blade into their warm flesh?" Kisara suddenly shot up to her feet, stepping away.

"SHUT UP!" she cried out. "SHUT THE FUCK UP!" "From the moment your mother let you into our house for us to raise, I knew you would be the perfect candidate for my heir. You are just like me - Brilliant, receptive, open-minded, skilled, talented." the man said. "Your uncle was weak, he fainted from blood, and your mother refused to be associated with religion in any way. You, however, were perfect. A believer in our Shinto religion - The only true religion - Yet you didn't stray away from your fascination with the way the living exist, and how they function. You were my most divine creation - Both a priestess and a medic, the Heaven and Earth combined, the culmination of Izanami and Izanagi becoming one, a being greater than even Amaterasu herself." Mashita stole a glance to the old man, and he looked like a cult fanatic, something that both terrified and surprised him. How appearances deceived any logic. In anti-thesis, his granddaughter was outright frantic, looking down at him with complete disbelief. In one swift move, she threw herself at the fireplace and pulled down one of the deer antlers placed as decoration - It opened a secret compartment which revealed an old-looking, which she pointed at the old man. 

"You've gone crazy - No, you've always been crazy! Did my mother know you were screwed in the head? Why did she allow me to be raised by a monster like you?!" the old man simply smiled at her.

"To think you would be using the rifle that was once mine own, and later on claimed for yourself, to threaten me. Have you forgotten my teachings? Never point your weapon unless you truly mean to kill them." the girl tried to protest, but was shushed down. "Look to the side - What is carved there?" with trembling hands, Kisara tilted the rifle to the side, gasping as she muttered her name - 'Kisara Shogun'. "You stole my pocket knife once, and carved the rifle yourself. You often said you'd have been Nobunaga Oda's right hand, didn't you?" The rifle fell to the ground, and the girl had to lean on the wall to keep herself standing - She felt faint. "That ghost should have just killed me." he heard her grumbling with disgust. "You still have the mementos you took from the victims, don't you? Including that large box of wedding bands and engagement rings?"

"Sweety, you don't want to go there. When you were little, you were always scared of even looking towards the attic. We had to move your bedroom to the ground floor so you wouldn't feel the energies from up there." Kisara shivered uncomfortably. "I have to find more info on my ghost. I don't want to die... Not because of him." she declared, and mustering up all the strength her body could gather, Kisara pushed herself off the wall and went into the hall to lower down the attic ladder. A strong sense of dread washed over her senses, and she was sure some kind of monster would descend in a fog of darkness, with mist tendrils reaching out to grab her and drag her to hell. None of that happened. "Here goes nothing." she said, taking step after step and turning on the light in the large attic. What an awful place - It almost stank of death and tortured souls. As she looked around, investigating crate after crate, and each box, her grandfather sketched no emotion - Her grandmother, however, got up and left the room, only to return and bow before the detective, who was looking rather crestfallen from all the horrifying information that he was forced to take in. He thought he had experienced enough things not to get unsettled, but apparently, he was wrong. The thought that a single man could do so much damage to such a large number of people, was astonishing... And to think that they somehow succeeded in creating the perfect supernatural weapon, only for it to fail in war, yet come back to life to curse them, and their descendants. Kisara told him of all the ghosts she's encountered and their various stories of how they became that way, and he himself also encountered two other such spirits - Yet nothing, not even the cult, the depravity of humanity, or the perversion of religious fanaticism and lustful spiritualism could match the sheer malevolence and disregard for human lives that Kisara's own grandfather had.

To think that this monster was the one she revered for so long, it was insane, and based on her reaction, and the loss of memories, it was no wonder she was unable to accept such a radical change in her life. Everything she stood for, she depraved it as a child, under the influence of a man thinking himself some kind of God, an Angel of Death and Creation, one which held the power to give and take life as he pleased. Disgusting. "Mr. Mashita, I know what you have heard and seen here is impossible to accept and comprehend... However, I must ask you, please, take care of my sweet child. She is a lost lamb now, wandering without any guidance... You are the only one she trusts now, though I suspect she would try to run away even from you. She must be feeling tainted after that discovery. The loss of memory caused by the spirit had taken its toll on her, I can feel it, and with this discovery..." the old woman sighed pitifully, handing him a suzu wand.  "Kisara already found one of these things in the underground shelter." Mashita spoke, looking weirdly at the wand. "Yes, however, this one has my spiritual powers attached to it. It was mine own, during my days as the Shrine's Guuji. Fifty years ago. If she means to purify and exorcise that spirit, she will need a properly cleansed wand." the old woman explained, making the man sigh. "Did you know about your husband's less than savory endeavours?" the grandmother sighed, a clear sign of admittance. "She will never forgive you for the betrayal." the old woman nodded, clearly knowing her granddaughter's predisposition of not forgiving people easily. "Her mother must have known about all this. Why did she allow her daughter to stay around someone incorrigible like himself?"

"Poor Kisara thought that her mother abandoned her, and left to work and travel abroad with her father - She seldom returned to see her, after all, and that was usually during summers. She never did see her on her birthdays or any holidays, after all. In spite of all this, her mother knew, with his influence, my husband would be able to bring young Kisara on the top of any field she'd wish to conquer - And, as you noticed, she did. She is a brilliant child, without a doubt, but it was her grandfather's guidance, influence and connections that allowed her to be the free spirit that she is. I hate to admit it, as she is my sweet child, but she truly is the perfect human specimen. Did you notice the kanji of her name? Empress or Goddess, Cherry Blossom and Excellence or Brilliance. Kisara... The perfect name for a perfect child. Is that not why you fell in love with her, Detective? What other woman is as otherworldly perfect such as her? The perfect molding of the Heavens and Earth, with ethereal beauty and endless wisdom, unparalleled skill and talent and benevolence above even more than Amaterasu's? Our sweet Kisara is --" Mashita got up, unable to listen to the fanatic words of a delusional old woman. "I've heard enough. I don't mean to disrespect elders, but you're just as screwed in the head as he is. I'll be taking my leave." Satoru spared one last look of disgust at the two elderly, before sprinting up the attic once the sound of a raw shriek of anguish was heard. Kisara must have touched something she needn't. Once he noticed her form, she was laid down on the ground, sprawled over the dusty old rug. He fell on his knees next to her, grabbing her and cradling her frail body in his arms. "Kisara, wake up. Wake up already! What you're seeing isn't real - It isn't you!" no matter how much he tried to shake her or call out her name, it was in vain. She did mention being unable to wake up from these last endeavours, but actually experiencing it troubled the man - With the way she was whimpering and sobbing, how was he supposed to wake her up? "Damn it, woman, stop giving me frights." he grumbled, quickly wiping away the rapidly falling tears, only to sigh in distress, having no clue what to do.

With one last screech of sheer agony, Kisara's eyes shot open, and she threw the man off her, stumbling backwards and hiding in a corner, trembling like a leaf and speaking in... Chinese? Satoru noticed a ring on the ground - It was made of silver, and it wasn't rusted - It must be pure silver. On the inner side, it had a few symbols engraved - It must be Chinese, he realised, though no schools in Japan teach any kind of Chinese, so he was unable to read whatever the word was - However, he suspected it might be a name of sorts. "Wǒ jiào Shū Xián, zhōngguó rén, fójiào tú,13 suì, zhù zài Nánjīng, hé Yín Bái dìnghūnle." what the hell was she repeating over and over again, like a broken record? He couldn't understand a single word that came out of her mouth. "Kisara, calm down. It's me, Satoru. Do you remember me?" hearing his voice, Kisara let out a small cry of fright, and she covered her face desperately with her hands and long hair, continuing to repeat those words. "Kisara, look at me." slowly, he inched forward towards her, his voice growing softer. "Can you hear my voice?" her trembling got softer, and her head seemed to make a nodding gesture. "Do you know who I am?" she shook her head. "I am Mashita Satoru, your friendly policeman. Remember me?" though she hesitated, she nodded her head. "Do you know who you are?" "Shū Xián." she weakly muttered. "No. You are Kisara. Remember? Kisara." she shook her head. "Your name is Hasashi Kisara." she whimpered painedly. "You are Japanese. You have 25 years old." she was unresponsive. "And, coincidently, we are dating." her trembling subsided entirely.

"Yín Bái. Yín Bái. Yín Bái. Shū Xián hé Yín Bái." Mashita tsk'ed impatiently - No matter what he said, he wasn't reaching out to her. "Damn it, woman, snap out of it." through all the incoherent mumbling, Satoru grabbed her wrists and dragged them away from her face - He didn't even think if she was going to get bruises later on - Instead, he swiped away her hair and cupped her face, pulling her into a deep kiss. She let out a small gasp, as though she had returned to reality, before laxing in his arms, and kissing back. "If I knew that was going to work, I'd have done that sooner." "Did I let myself get possessed again?" he let out a hum of affirmation. "Damn it. I can't confront the ghost like this. Even in my own house, I'm going crazy." she scowled, fixing her hair. "At least I know about the ghost. I just hope I don't become her again. It seems to me like the ghost wants to live vicariously through me, in some way. Get back the life that was taken away from her." "Well, too bad, we won't allow her to." he said, placing the silver ring in her palm. "After all, I wouldn't get you such an ugly ring." he joked, hoping to lighten the atmosphere. "She was just 13 years old, Satoru. Her boyfriend barely turned 15. He was sent away for war, and promised to marry her when he returns." she gulped, holding the ring to her chest. "Obviously, he never did. And even if he or her father returned, they would have been massacred, just like the rest of her family." the look on Mashita's face was grim. "Call Yashiki and tell him to come to the shelter. And make sure he doesn't bring anyone, especially Hiroo. I don't have the mental strength to deal with her." using the wall as support, Kisara got up and walked towards the attic exit. 

Without another word, Mashita did as instructed, following the girl to her car - The ride was perfectly silent, without even as much as turning on the radio, or choosing from her own playlist. Much to his surprise, however, they ended up at his home, where she parked. "Why'd you bring me home?" "Go." she whispered. "You've done enough." she continued softly. "I dragged you through hell and back. No need to stay around a disgusting monster like me. You deserve better than some psychopath." she slumped over the steering wheel, looking away.

Still, the man didn't move from his seat - Instead, he slapped the back of her head lightly. "I'm not one to hit women, but you must still be in your spirit world or something." he glared at her. "I don't appreciate getting so blatantly insulted, Kisara. Go on, drive already. And hold onto this thing - Supposedly, it's supposed to help you out or something." he threw the jingling suzu bells into her lap. "You're insane." she muttered. "This is dangerous - Far worse than Shimi-O or any other kind of ghost! Any little thing can get wrong and it can mutilate us to death. I'm not about to allow you to get in danger. You said you'd take me out on a date when I get out of this mess - So do that - But from the safety of your own home. You're not cursed anymore, and I'd like it to remain that way." "Are you done talking shit? You're beginning to get on my nerves worse than Arimura, and that's no easy feat." the look of shock and offense on her face was almost comical. "If you're tired and you want me to drive, just say so, but now is not the time to play the spoiled little Princess." "... Satoru, I'm not kidding. This ghost is getting to me - Bad - I don't know what I can do once it takes ahold of my sanity. I don't -- I don't want to implicate you in this mess. You've battled your own spirit, twice now - You've done enough. I mean it." with a sigh, the man pulled her into another kiss, yet this time, it was tender and loving. He pressed his forehead to her own, caressing her cheek. "If you get possessed, who will snap you back to reality? I'd hate it if you let Yashiki wake you up like that." he teased her. "I'm confident in our ability of exorcising this menace." "I hope you brought your best perfume... It's going to stink." with a sigh and a shake of her head, Kisara agreed to take Mashita with her, and she drove to the manhole, where Yashiki was waiting. He rose an eyebrow of surprise, only for Mashita to grin cheekily at him. "What? I wanted to make sure you get me that drink." the detective shrugged in amusement, though it was obvious he was rather nervous. "I thought it was you who was supposed to get me a drink." Yashiki shot back. "After volunteering oh so selflessly to save your life, I'd say, I earned at least a beer." though Kisara giggled softly, Yashiki simply smiled and shook his head. "Fine, fine, I'll get you a beer. Let's go." he said, going ahead and descending down to the underground shelter. Kisara held tightly onto the suzu wand, feeling comfort in the soft jingle which reminded her of the good, peaceful days of being a Miko.

Just like before, as soon as Kisara stepped onto the cement, she paced a little towards the darkest depths of the humid corridors, and started chanting the old propaganda song, in that eerily creepy whispery voice. "Mita ka gin'yoku kono yûshi/ Nippon danshi ga sei komete/ Tsukutte sodateta waga aiki/ Sora no mamori wa hikiuketa..." "Huh? What the hell - Kisara, don't do that, it's creepy as hell." Satoru cursed under his breath. "Kuru nara kite miro, akatonbo/ Bun-bun arawashi bun to tobu zo! / Dare ga tsuketa ka arawashi no/ Na ni mo hajinai kono chikara..." she didn't respond at all, nor did she seem to acknowledge their presence - Instead, her spine was straight and she started marching farther into the shelter, towards a path that only she knew. "Shit, she's possessed again. We have to stop her." Yashiki grumbled, attempting to rush ahead, only to get grabbed by the coat and stopped by the detective. "Instead of stopping her, why don't you follow and see where she's going? If the ghost is possessing her, then by all means, we may get some clues. Or, at least, that's what she said." though reluctant, Yashiki nodded his head in agreement, and they rushed after the girl, following close behind, yet not enough as to startle her out of the stupor she was in.  Once she passed a poster, she did a military turn and saluted the poster, before speaking out in a loud, authoritarian voice, as though she was the General herself. "One hundred million honorable deaths! The land of the Gods is indestructible!" "I never realised how bad our country was during the war until this ghost appeared." Yashiki muttered, rushing ahead to unlock the iron doors towards which the girl was heading. 

Inside the room, there stood standing a single, very tall Buddha statue, which had its head cut off. "Ashura! The Great Ashura! Our plan has succeeded - The Empire of the Rising Sun will conquer the world! For the Empire! For the Emperor!" Kisara laughed maniacally as she opened the large chest in the middle of the room, revealing the ominous look of tens of Buddha heads, along with a single skull which belonged to a woman. "Ahahaha, so there you were! Playing hide and seek with me, you little trickster? Let's bring you to your owner, shall we~?" the two men watched in horror as Kisara dug her hand in the chest and held a mummified skull by its head, grinning emptily at it. The cut on the neck where it was decapitated was rough, Yashiki pointed out to Mashita - Done by a chisel, as he very well knew. From the ground, she picked a ceremonial sword, which she happily placed to her hip, and with one hand holding up the skull as though it was a pretty ornament, and the other placed over the hilt of the sword, she exited the room.

The men followed Kisara outside, as she went on down the corridors. "Luxury is the enemy!" says the girl who admits to being high-maintenance and loving to pamper herself into oblivion. It was almost comical. Once again, Yashiki went on ahead to open a set of iron doors, as Kisara so knowledgeable guided them through the labyrinthine paths and crossroads. She managed to startle them with a loud chant of victory, followed by many others in the distance. "BANZAAAAAAI!" she shrieked gleefully, as though she herself won the war, only to abruptly turn around to them and take out the sword, pointing it at them. They froze up with shock and fear - Have they allowed the possession to linger for too long? "You layabouts! What are you doing there?! You have time to be loafing around, do you? Recite this base's slogans at once!" she commanded them - With our without the sword, her voice and imposing aura made her look far scarier than a petite, sweet woman like her normally would. "Cheer for the final battle of our Empire!"

"Uh... Yashiki?" Mashita gritted his teeth, unable to stir his glance away from the shiny tip of the sword. "Uhhh... One hundred million honorable deaths!" the startled man stuttered the slogan. "Once more! Declare our resolve to strike back with air raids!" Kisara yelled at them. "We won't lose even if our country's reduced to ashes! Show your determination!"  "Oh, man, I hate it when you're possessed." Satoru grumbled. "The land of the Gods is indestructible...!" he tsk'ed, annoyed by the ridiculousness of the situation, though still weary of the possessed victim. "Our army has fought bravely from the southern tropics to the northern arctic, but the tide still hasn't turned in our favour. Tell me, soldier, what do you think? Can we win this crusade?" Kisara asked, inchid closer to the detective, glaring him attentively straight in the eyes, the blade glued to his neck. "If the kamikaze winds blow." Mashita gulped, looking down at the blade retracting from his artery, and being placed back in its sheath.  Kisara humphed, nodding her head in acknowledgement. "You're pretty promising for a new recruit. Keep a good eye on this squad! Farewell." she gave them a military salute and went on ahead down the dark corridors, illuminated by not even the flashlight they brought, as the two men needed a second to recuperate themselves after that mess.

Kisara took a right and went towards the doors... This pair had bloody handprints all over it. Yashiki rushed to unlock it, only to see... It wouldn't open. Not because it was jammed, but to him, it felt as though there was some kind of force pushing against it to keep it close. Once Yashiki voiced his concerns to his partner, they watched the woman flush herself against the iron doors, caressing the coldness of it, placing her hands over the prints. "The dead... Are rejecting us... And reject us they will... Until we know it all... This woman... You... You will tell me all your secrets, won't you? Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me." Kisara fell to her knees, cradling the skull in her hands and tilting it to each side. She then gave it a wide, creepy smile, and she bolted off towards some unknown path.  "Don't you think we should snap her out of it already? She almost killed us already, who knows what will happen now?" Yashiki grumbled, trying to keep up the pace with the remarkably swift woman. "Yeah, you're right. Let's catch her first, then we'll see what we can do about the possession." thanks to the bloody footprints, they were able to locate her inside another operating room. Once they entered, they heard a manic laugh, as Kisara attached the skull to the headless skeleton on the table. "Hate, hate, hate... Hate the entire world and tear it to pieces. Pour all my strength into this place where I hear the voice. Hate... Kill..." she kept repeating it like some kind of mantra. "Hey, Kisara, that's enough. Come on, snap out of it." Mashita tried to slap his hands onto her shoulders and shake her awake, only for both himself and Yashiki to get their wrists grabbed and dragged with unhuman force towards the skeleton, and made to touch it. 

A horrific scene appeared before their eyes - The woman on the operating table was being used as an experiment. She was bound and gagged with thick rope, and her face and body were soaked in sweat and tear from the damnable torture she was made to endure. Her legs and arms were amputated with perfect precision, yet instead of her right arm, countless Buddha arms were stapled and sewn together in the still bleeding flesh of her wound. Was this what Kisara saw before? What she was forced to experience? The torment the ghost put her through? No wonder she had nightmares, there was no person that could go through this and remain sane. 

The gagged raw shrieks that pierced their eardrums suddenly brought about a change in perspective, and now, they were seeing a men in lab coast, holding surgical tools, were surrounding the operating table, and though most of them looked like ghosts, flesh and bone visible with no skin - There was one who looked as gorgeous and young as them - A woman with the most vivid shade of red hair, and piercing green eyes. It was Kisara. Mashita heard an ominous whisper coming from somewhere.

'She's awake.'  "Don't worry. She'll be dead soon anyway." it was Kisara's hushed, eerie voice, grinning widely over him... Over him? Satoru's eyes widened in realisation as he attempted to move, but he couldn't. He tried calling out her name, trying to wake her up, or perhaps, get himself out of this vision, but it was for naught, only gargles and grumbles escaped his roped mouth. "You're such a noisy bitch. That's why Chinese women are lesser than even pigs - All you know how to do is squeal and breed like sows." she spat in disgust. "Japanese women are quiet and docile. They are real women. A real woman always counts her words before speaking, so she won't speak more than the man... And they never speak unless spoken to." Satoru felt his mind spinning like crazy - What the hell was this? How could he be feeling a vision of the past - He has no spiritual powers himself! Was the ghost so revenge-driven that she made sure her grudge would spread all over them like the plague?

"But it's fine - I suppose, now that you're awake, I can give you a choice." she hummed in mock amusement, ripping the rope from his mouth. "Which of these tools do you want us to use to cut your neck?" her giggle was so sweet yet so god damn creepy, Satoru though, feeling his heart pumping like crazy, looking at the scalpel, saber and chisel.

"Kisara - Hey, Kisara, wake the hell up! It's me - It's Mashita! Kisara, fucking wake up!" she didn't even blink, instead, she was staring down at him, her grin twitching slightly from how painfully wide it was. "Fuck... What did Yashiki say... Ah, to hell with this, of course it's the most painful thing. Use the fucking chisel, damn it." "Ahahahahaha! Good answer, piggy! You're actually pretty smart!" Kisara's crystalline laughter only made him shiver in fear. Perhaps he should have heeded her warning and remained in the safety of his home. This wasn't a case he could take on by himself - This was worse than hell itself. "Unfortunately... You'll soon be saying goodbye to that clever head of yours." she mused mockingly. "It's valuable material, y'know. We'll cut it off nicely." his eyes widened, watching Kisara bring the chisel to his throat.

"FUCK - STOP, KISARA -- WAKE THE FUCK UP, KISARA! HASASHI KISARA, WAKE UP! SNAP OUT OF IT!" he couldn't move and kiss her awake, nor could he slap her or shake her, or anything. His voice wasn't reaching out to her, and he was going to die a most horrific death, all because of his stubbornness.

"Shut up, you fucking sow. Gah, that's why I hate handling women. You're so fucking annoying. Be patient already, we've finally found a clue." he was sure he was going to die of a heart attack soon. "I never dreamt breaking from our usual method would go so well... Hey, you stupid sow, do you understand? Do you know the correct combination of head and body for the heavenly Buddha?"

How the fuck was he supposed to know, anyway? This is all some fucked up mess that their ancestors created, and they were left to deal with the mess and try to clean it up. They did nothing wrong! The ancestors should pay for their mistakes, not them! Still - He remembers Kisara's cries from the previous night, and the woman head being discarded... The Buddha statue was headless too... Perhaps... "A female head and a male's body." he guessed, fear reaching new heights.

"Yes, that's exactly it! And that's why we need your head!" Kisara's psychopathic laugh resounded throughout the operating room. "Gladly offer it up for the sake of our beloved country." Mashita screamed in agony from the pain he was experiencing, white pain blinding him to the core. "The problem is the soul freshness. Regardless of refrigeration, it's all up to the quality of the cut... Though there are only so many available methods. This is all the equipment we have left. Then, to the freezer..." Kisara's grumbling fades away, as tears blur what's left of the detective's vision. From his right ear, he could hear her voice, though somehow, it seemed both far away, and also, creeping right inside his brain.

"Hate... Hate... Hate... Kill... Kill...The power to do that... I'll give it all to you, in the place where you hear me now... Hate them...Destroy them... Understand?" "YES!" Satoru's desperate cry earned a satisfied chuckle of triumph.

"Good. Destroy... Them..." Kisara's voice disappeared somewhere far, far away into the distance, and when he next blinked, he was back to reality.

He was standing besides the table, only to fall to the ground and yell in shock and horror. He was panting and trying to catch his breath. What happened wasn't real, and the pain he experienced had disappeared. "Gah... My head hurts like hell..." he heard Kisara's voice again, low, in a groan. She seemed to be back to reality. She turned slightly to look at Yashiki, who seemed disturbed, though nowhere as close as Mashita. Still dazed, Kisara turned to search for her policeman, only to see him on the ground. As soon as their eyes met, she let out a shriek and tumbled backwards onto the operating table. "... Oh, Satoru..." she bit her lip painfully. "Go back home. I-- I told you not to come here! I told you it wasn't a place for you to be at! Just -- Just get the hell back home and don't turn back, damn it! I-- I... I..." she looked up at the ceiling. "I can't forgive myself for what I did to you, and I will never forgive myself if I ever bring you harm again." "Is this what you go through?" Satoru sighed, getting up and dusting himself. "It's a shit experience. I'd rather not do that again. So, let's get this done for and stop dealing with ghosts again. It's shit." he declared, reaching out to grab her wrist and drag her out of the room, as Yashiki grabbed a small key from the corpse's hand and unlocked a small cabinet, which held a gun and another data record.

"Are you crazy? I won't allow you to accompany us anymore! Go back to the car, right now!" Satoru found himself laughing in her face. "You were actually scary while possessed. Now, you're just like a kid throwing a temper tantrum. You look ridiculous." she could only stare at him with her jaw to the floor. He pressed a finger to her chin, closing her mouth. "You'll catch flies. It's disgusting." "I just tortured you to death. I won't stand for that. Who knows what's next?!" she shook her arm, trying to get out of his grasp, only to be pulled in his strong embrace. "I'll get lost trying to find my way to the ladder. We ran after you aimlessly all this time, how can I find my way out of here, anyway? I guess I'm stuck following you." he grinned shamelessly, watching Yashiki put the records in his bag.  "But... I'm the directionally challenged one." Kisara muttered, as though she was pouting. "Lucky me, using you as a guide in a maze." he shrugged aimlessly. He was going to let her throw at him all her apologies when they return home, safe and sound, but now it wasn't the time for self-pitying... Or any kind of pity. Almost dying wasn't a fun way of experiencing a spirit's woes, or her own shitty powers that destroyed her psyche and mental sanity... If she even had any at this point. "Let's go, little troublemaker."

As Kisara clinged onto the detective's arm for support, Yashiki told them the contents of the records that he found - Something to do with deafening and such... Those who survived made themselves deaf, perhaps? Though it wouldn't entirely make sense. It mentioned maddeningly repeating sutra chanting, and that the only way to get out alive being destroying the human head. Insane retrospective.

And thus, Yashiki guided them back to the bloodied doors where previously they were disallowed from entering, though now, it opened without problem. Kisara shivered, digging her fingers into the man's sleeve, gazing with terror at the colossal forms of the decapitated Buddha statues. They were creeping her out, and not only that, but she could feel the spirit's presence. "She's here. She's here. She's here. She's here." she said over and over again. She felt her sanity slipping at a fast rate. Yashiki shared a quick look with his partner before going to open the iron box, only to reveal a multitude of talismans. It looked as though something had been sealed there, though nothing remained there anymore. "Yashiki, put down that cushion and let's get out of here. That thing - It has nothing to do here. Western, red, wealthy - It's not from here." she said, dragging the brunet with her out of the room. "She's coming. She's coming. She's coming. She's coming." always, in groups of four, she repeated the ominous words the number of death. 

It was then that both Kisara and Yashiki gasped, clutching their burning scarlet Mark... It immediately is dyed a deep crimson... Death is only a few minutes away, the voice inside their head says, as their skin is being scorched. "She's here. She's here. She's here. She's here." Kisara shrieked, and at once, like a nasty spider, a large figure fell in front of them from the ceiling. Startled, the two men grabbed the medic and dragged her out of there, into the corridor illuminated a menacing red. Yashiki quickly locked the door while Mashita was desperately trying to wake Kisara up. "Forgive me, Kisara." gritting his teeth, Mashita slapped her awake, the very same as Yashiki did for him during the Shimi-O encounter. She gasped, cradling her burning cheek. "We're even now."

"OM GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAMGATE BODHI SVAHA." the terrifying spirit kept humming, the echo resounding eerily throughout the whole bunker. "Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Muni Muni Mahamuni Shakyamuniye Svaha Om. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Muni Muni Mahamuni Shakyamuniye Svaha Om. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Muni Muni Mahamuni Shakyamuniye Svaha Om." they felt their whole body going numb, though not from the spirit's influence, but from its appearance. 

"She hates men." Kisara snapped, pulling Yashiki behind her, next to the detective. "Put your coats over your heads, cover yourselves like monks -- Yes, like that -- Keep your hands together, as if you're praying... Good, yes -- And now, the beads - Yes, the rosary beads, over like this... Yes... The men she doesn't hate, the Buddhist monks -- She is pious, she is religious, she still believes. She won't kill you. Yes, she won't kill you." frantically, Kisara twitched around their position almost obsessively perfect, fearing their demise, if even a single bead was out of line.  "Kisara, what the hell are you doing. You can't fight the ghost alone!" Mashita whisper-yelled at her. "I can. I have to. Yes, I can." she mumbled, holding tightly onto the suzu bell wand. "I'm a girl... I'm just like her... She will understand... I'm just like her... Yes, I'm just like her... When we cry, when we scream, we are one and the same." the words sent shivers down Mashita's smile, as he could only watch the woman's body trembling softly like a leaf in the wind. 

The records stated insanity due to the constant chanting, and Kisara could feel her sense of self coming and going at uneven intervals. With her decrepit strength, she rose her arm and rhythmically jingled the bells. Not only her, but even the two men could feel a sense of relief and calmness wash over them, at the mere cling of those bells. Was it because most families in Japan were raised with some lingering Shinto beliefs, and the sense of familiarity was capable of combating the deathly darkness they were succumbing into?

The spirit let out an ear-piercing screech, making them try to cover their ears, though Kisara yelled at them not to move and just endure it further. The ghost moved closer to them. She was very well aware that no matter how she'd attempt to attack, this spiritual war machine would be undamaged. The only way to defeat it was by getting closer. Kisara rang the bells once more, as the spirit got closer. The Kannon soldier was so close now, the palms covering her eyes revealing the distorted, mutilated face of hers, the corners of her mouth eroded all the way to those of her first pair of eyes, leaving those white orbs on her forehead untouched, yet glaring. At this point, they weren't sure whether it was the materialised ghost, the woman, or both whose screech pierced their eardrums. 

Kisara stood before many tall men before, most of them pitifully towering over her, yet she never felt intimidated by any. The Kannon Soldier, however, made her knees weaken, and staring into the crying eyes of the woman's head, which was being held up by the hair with tight fists, the Suzu bells fell to the ground, forgotten, the same as her own mind.

She began hyperventilating from the powerful malevolent pressure from the ghost, as it let out another screech. Kisara would have fallen to the ground, were it not for the arms grabbing onto her. One arm was held around her throat, squeezing and digging red nails into her flesh, while another pair was roughly holding onto her arms, and the other, her waist. She couldn't hear the men calling out her name - She was lost in the torment she was feeling, as the ghost inched her faced flush against her own. 

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" it shrieked, clawing at Kisara's brain. "MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE" it continued. "TAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" Kisara felt that distorted mouth with far too many teeth so close to her own, that she was afraid that she might get devoured. "BHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

At once, Kisara blacked out, her head falling backwards, only held up by the strong grip of the ghost. Mashita called out her name, but he heard a gargled murmur. She was still alive, thank heavens. "Wǒ jiào Shū Xián, zhōngguó rén, fójiào tú,13 suì, zhù zài Nánjīng, hé Yín Bái dìnghūnle." it seemed to have made the ghost screech again, yet her head was drawn backwards. "Wǒ jiào Shū Xián, zhōngguó rén, fójiào tú,13 suì, zhù zài Nánjīng, hé Yín Bái dìnghūnle." Kisara said again, making the ghost more aggressive, the arms in which she was holding broken blades flying around aimlessly. "Wǒ jiào Shū Xián, zhōngguó rén, fójiào tú,13 suì, zhù zài Nánjīng, hé Yín Bái dìnghūnle." the red nails were dug so painfully into her flesh that Kisara used all her remaining strength to shriek as loud and pitched as she could, remembering the way she did once she was inside the young girl's body.

The ghost cried out pitifully, jumping backwards as though electrocuted, making Kisara's body fall to the ground like a ripped apart rag doll. As she fell, her hand touched the wooden wand of the suzu bells, making them jungle. She let out a gasp - She had woken up. "Shū Xián." she called out to the ghost. "Nǐ shì Shū Xián." this time, Mashita was able to understand her words, as they were the same. She was trying to communicate with the ghost, remind her of who she was - Or at least, that's what he thought. "Nǐ shì Shū Xián. Jì zhù?" the ghost seemed to remember who she was, as it started throwing around her arms, and trashing around. "Good. You remember. That's good." Kisara spoke in a low, grumbled voice, dragging herself up on unsteady feet. "BECAUSE WE ARE NOT THE SAME! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?! We are not the same, Shū Xián! No matter how much you wanted me to live through what you went through, we will never be the same!" Kisara's authoritarian voice reproached the ghost.

"My name is Hasashi Kisara, I'm Japanese, I have no faith, I'm a Veterinarian Doctor in the H City hospital, I'm 25 years old and I'm dating detective Mashita Satoru." she chanted those words like a mantra, each time, jingling the suzu bells and approaching the retreating ghost, whose face was being covered, as though it was in anguish, and her identity rewritten altogether. "It is time for you to find rest, once and for all, Shū Xián. You've been roaming the earth for far longer than you should have. Don't you miss Yín Bái? Don't you want to see your fiance again? Your father? Mother? Grandmother? They all miss you on the other side... So, won't you go see them?

The ghost fell to her knees, screaming up to the ceiling, in a voice so gargled and raw that they felt nothing but pity for her. "Hifumi yoi muna ya koto mo chiro ra ne. Shikiru yu witsu wanu so ota wa kume ka. U o e ni sari ete no masu ase wehoreke." Kisara rang the bells, chanting the Shinto exorcism prayer, and watched as the blades fell from the ghost's grasp, her pained grin now turning tender, and tears of relief were falling down her face, as though she had seen the light of Nirvana. The evil chanting and murmuring was being blocked away and replaced by the crystalline jingle of the suzu bells - Bells that were used in Buddhism also. 

"Xièxiè... Xièxiè... Jiějiě... Xièxiè..." the screeching voice of the ghost had turned into the sobbing yet tender one of a little girl, thanking Kisara, calling her big sister. What an honour. "Yínbái... Yínbái... Wǒ de àirén... Wǒ lái zhǎo nǐ..." Kisara felt a shiver go down her spine, seeing the pitiful ghost being at peace for once, calling out for her fiance and telling him she's finally coming to him. Chinese stories are always so tragic, yet so beautiful. There was so much beauty in sadness. "Rest well, Shū Xián." Kisara rose the Suzu bells, watching the ghost close her eyes and accepting the light taking her, as, with the last bit of power she had left in her body, she slammed the wand into her right ear. The wand broke, and all the bells fell and rolled on the ground, clinging and jingling softly, echoes travelling all around the shelter. Shū Xián smiled, her monstrous makeshift body falling to the ground, only to dissipate into a beam of light.

A graveyard silence washed over them, as none was able to move even by an inch, or even blink or breathe. Kisara fell on her knees, panting and trying to regain her ragged breathing. She felt weak... So very weak... Suddenly, a ringtone blared through the bunker, startling the two men. It was Kisara's phone, they realised, as she lethargically took it out of the pocket and hit the speaker button, though her hand fell pitifully in her lap. She was too drained to even speak. 

"Kisara, my sweet child, you have succeeded! Your grandfather's mark has disappeared! I knew you would grow up to be an even stronger priestess than I ever was... Ah, I and your grandfather are so proud of you!" she kept praising her over and over again, but Kisara said nothing. "Sweetling, I cannot hear you. Ah... I see, you are too drained of spiritual power. That ghost must have truly drained you of all your strength. Is Mr. Mashita there with you? Tell him to take care of you! Or you may return to us, and I will perform a cleansing ritual for you, at our sacred waterfall by the forest." "I... Hate... You... Both..." Mashita had to strain his hearing to be able to hear her words, though just as he expected, she wasn't happy with the way her grandparents acted. Now, despite her weakness, she might also have regained her memories of long lost, and remembered all the atrocities that she dismissed as a child... If any. "What was that, darling? I could not hear you." instead, the loud beeping sound of a call being ended, and the cellphone falling out of the woman's grasp disturbed the silence. Kisara's body succumbed to the darkness, and she fell to the wet, dirty ground.

"At least it's finally over." Satoru sneered, fixing his coat back and gathering the woman in his arms. He checked each and every one of her injuries - Though shallow, they still bled rather heavily. Still, he was sure that it wouldn't bother her as much as her outfit being torn to ribbons of textile. "Let's get out of here, Yashiki. I've had enough of this mess. It's too much for even me to handle." he admitted, quickly pocketing her phone and picking her up in his arms. "Better wake up by the time we've reached the ladder, otherwise we'll both be in an impasse." he muttered into her ear, following Yashiki at the ladder leading out of the shelter.

Thankfully, with some help, the two were able to bring the half-conscious Kisara up on the street, where they met the old man. He had come over to bring the chisel from the Kujo Mansion, claiming it was glowing with a dark light, and calling out to him, telling him to bring it to Yashiki. Well, it wasn't needed anymore, as the exorcising worked wonders. A new set of rapid footsteps, along with some sickly coughs were loudly heard, as Daimon and Hiroo appeared out of nowhere - Daimon looked even worse than normal, most likely for having over-exerted his physique too much, though Hiroo seemed perfectly fine. Everyone, save for Yashiki, had their Marks disappearing.

The man suggested they split up, as they needn't stay around a Cursed man, and it was Mashita who told Daimon to bring Kisara to the hospital he works at and look after her injuries. The doctor cringed, seeing the blood and wounds, but nodded nonetheless, they went by the woman's car and let Daimon drive to the hospital, whilst Satoru was to sit by the waiting room and stay there until she was all better. Apparently, it was mostly the exhaustion taking its toll on her, and the wounds wouldn't even scar, as they were far too shallow - All for the best, she was very sensitive over her appearance and self-care routines.

Kept on hydrating and nutriating IVs, Kisara was peacefully sleeping in the hospital bed, with Mashita holding her hand and laying back on the chair. It took a few hours for her to wake up, but once she did, it was already the dead of night. Her shifting was enough to wake the man from his half-asleep state. He offered a sleepy smile as he squeezed her hand. "Mornin', Sleeping Beauty." "Is it gone? The Mark?" the girl asked, evident fright pooling in her eyes. The man nodded curtly, watching the relief cascading over her. "I can't believe it's finally over. I feel like I can sleep for a week straight." "When am I supposed to take you out on dates, then?" Kisara chuckled weakly. "You don't like home-dates? A nice movie, cooking something or ordering take-out." the man rolled his eyes, only to nod in agreement. "Fine, fine, you've got me." he said, amused.  "When can we go home?" she asked, looking with irritation at the half-empty IV bag. "Once you're done hydrating. Doctor's orders. Wouldn't want to go against Daimon's authority, yes?" Kisara merely shrugged. "Once, I put my puppy on IVs, but I didn't have where to hang the bag. I used the chandelier from the living room, so I held her the whole day as we watched movies together. I can do the same just as well, but on myself." she joked lightly. "You're so spoiled." he chuckled. "Just lay back down and relax for a minute. The ghostbusters' adventures are over for good. Rejoice." "Yashiki's too?" Satoru's expression went grim. "Ah... I see. Should have known." she muttered. "I... Can't go help him any more. I just... I can't do it. I need a break... A very, very long break." she sighed, raking her fingers through her hair. "It's fine. Yashiki told us not to help him out anyway. Said he'll figure something out eventually. Hope he does, I'm supposed to get that beer out of him." the man half-joked, though it was clear he was worried for the one he learnt to call 'friend' of sorts... Not that he would admit to it, obviously. That would be ridiculous. "So... What do you want to do now?" Kisara asked, watching the lethargic drip of the IV - It felt never ending. "Right now? I'm waiting for the Princess to finish her treatment so we can go sleep already." Kisara rolled her eyes. "Fine, just kidding." he said. "I'm thinking of properly becoming a private detective. Not much I can do with my skills, especially after all the allegations I have against me." he was clearly irked by what had happened, though he had to keep it in the past, where it will remain forever buried, just like the truth.

Finally, the IV bag was empty, and Daimon came by, giving them leave, but not without thanking the girl for saving him from the Mark. No doubt, they will remain good friends.  Mashita offered to drive, but surprisingly, they didn't go to either of their homes - Instead, they reached a familiar cemetery. Kisara scoffed, watching the man open the trunk of the car and reveal a bouquet of flowers. What a man he was.  She guided him to her old friend's resting place, where he placed the flowers. They were red, just like her hair. "Hey, pretty girl. Did you miss me?" she smiled tenderly, trailing the grave stone softly with her fingers. "If only you'd know what we went through, you'd think us mad! Ahh, but you'd also find our stories absolutely hilarious. You'd want to see a ghost yourself, wouldn't you?" "Smart and brave, huh? No wonder you are friends." Satoru chuckled lightly. "I heard you wanted to go see Europe. I was thinking of taking your friend all the way there. Would you like that?" "Oh, really? What a pleasant surprise." Kisara smiled, feeling his arm wrap around her body. He hummed in agreement. They really needed a change of pace, and to have a break from this country and its dark past.  "Tell me about your friend." 

Kisara told him all the good times she had spent with her friend - How they met, how they became friends, and all the gossips they would share. Their trips around the country, to the mountains and to the beach, the adventures, the cheating for tests, and the troubles she'd go through, while her friend would help get her out of it. Though highschool sucked, her friend made it bearable and fun. Once University started, they hadn't as much free time to spend together, though never once did they lose contact. Were it for a movie or a hangout with old classmates or at her own home, it didn't matter, as long as they were together and had fun.

She then told him of the funeral and how hard it was to stay there. To see the open coffin, see her there, in that white wedding dress... How morbid... How life-like she was, like a doll, holding flowers. She couldn't even look at her face, for her legs were about to give out, so she pulled her other friend outside to get a breath of fresh air, though that image still flashes over their eyes even after years passed. Her pink sheep plushie, the stethoscope, the1st grade picture... Her parents and younger sister roaming around like robots to fulfill the funeral duties, having no time to grief their beloved... And her grandmother, at the head of the coffin, caressing her hair and begging the girl to rest well, for she's worked plenty, and she must be exhausted.

Heartbreaking... It was heartbreaking... The same as those two whole kilometers spent in the trunk of the flower car, throwing flowers of every kind and colour, so she will have a colourful road to the grave... And then, being lowered into the ground... It wasn't easy then, and it wasn't easy now either, but there was someone who understood very well her woes and struggles - Someone who went through the same thing, and was still troubled by the past.  At least now, they had each other, be it good times, or bad. They understood each other, and they will be there for each other, no matter the problem that should arise.

The ghostbusters' adventures were finally over...

Or so they thought.

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[darkdevasofdestruction]

Chapter 6 - Bodhisattva

Arawashi no Uta /Bunker Army Song

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were some kind of high-functioning sociopath in the least." Mashita gave a teasing chuckle, his arm around Kisara's shoulder as they exit the cinema. "People who aren't deranged in the head don't laugh at grotesque, ritualistic murder scenes." he pointed out.

"Call me what you wish, I enjoyed myself!" she smiled like a precious princess. "You really didn't have to pay though, I feel bad." "That just means you'll have to make it up to me next time." he cheekily commented.

"Ah, I see, so we're going to end up owing each other a date and run around in a vicious circle. I like this courting game." suddenly, her phone starts ringing. "Oh, come on, don't bother me now..." she grumbled, irritated, flipping up the phone lid, only to see it was Yashiki. "Oh. The saving vest is calling - Let's hope I learn how to swim soon." 

He picked the phone from her hand. "Let me have a bit of fun." he cleared his throat and made a tragic impression of a girl's voice. "I've been waiting for you call the whole day, Yashiki, what took you so long!" Kisara could barely stifle her giggles, as they sat down on a bench. 

"Uh...? Wrong number...?" the poor man was so confused, hearing childish chuckles from the other side of the line. "Wait, hold up - Mashita?! What are you doing with Kisara's phone?" "On first name basis with my girlfriend? Now, now, that won't do, Yashiki." an uncomfortable silence took over.

"Uh... Sorry? I think? Wait - Since when are you --" the poor man stumbled over his words like a fish on land.

"You've teased the man enough." Kisara laughed, reaching to catch her phone back. "Sorry for that, Yashiki. Satoru's in a playful mood. We watched a murder detective movie." she explained, feeling a coat placed over her bare shoulders. "Did you find any new leads?" "It's alright. Uh... Yes, sort of. Quite a lead, actually, and it ties with what you said about your grandfather. I think this ghost is the one who cursed you. A new curse bearer came by, and he mentioned his grandfather having been a war physician involved with the Engineering Lab... Hiroo's grandfather was the same. We're going to investigate the lab today, from the other entrance." Yashiki explained - Suddenly, Kisara fell into a mute somberness.

"My grandpa wasn't working for the Engineering Lab... But when we went down the sewers... Yashiki, I never really felt anything quite like it. I felt a sense of familiarity, like... Like... Like when I go home, only that home is actually hell. There was such a malevolent energy down there... Not like Zukawa, not like Shimi-O... Something in between... But I also felt a strong sense of suffering and agony like never before. I think something incredibly disturbing happened down there." the girl leaned her head back to look at the cloudless sky, filled with stars.

"So it attracts you like a magnet, but it also makes you want to run away with fear?" Yashiki concluded.

"Yes. If my theories are correct, I think down there happened some great cases of human experimenting. I hope I'm wrong - God, I hope I am... But whenever secret things like this one are involved, that's usually what it is. The twisted imaginations of people who want to play God." she shuddered lightly.

"The man who came over is called Daimon, and he's a doctor too. He said there's mention of a strange scar in his grandfather's records as a military physician. The patients with the symptoms were kept in a secret army laboratory, and of course, after the war, all documents were burnt, with the exception of the clinical records he found. It might have something to do with, uh... Gods and Faith too. And something called... Kannon soldier." her back straightened in shock, as though a lightning struck her down.

"Kannon? Like - The Bodhisattva? Guanyin? The Bodhisattva of Compassion and Mercy?" she asked immediately.

"Uh... I'm really not sure, I'm not very familiar with Buddhism, but don't you think this ties perfectly well with the whole Divine Wrath thing, and the stolen statues?" Yashiki pointed out.

"That's the thing, it ties TOO well. I don't believe in Gods and Religions, I don't think this Mark was given by the wrath of Buddha or whatever spiritual theories were shoved down our throats. Ghosts? Yes. Gods? No." she snapped sternly. "But don't take my beliefs too, heart, it would only influence your chain of thoughts. Listen - It's too late to go pay a visit to my grandparents at this hour, but I'm coming over to investigate with you, and tomorrow I'll see what they have to say. I'm sure I can give you some fine insight." she explained, already hopping up to her feet.

"Alright. I'll text you the location. We'll see you there." he hung up.

"Well... Thank you for the date - It was the best I've ever had, really. I'll... Hopefully see you soon, yes? I have to make it up to you." she gave a dry smile.

"Yes, yes, something like that." he offers an aloof smile. "Call me if you need anything. You got to see me afflicted by the ghost, might as well return the favour." the comment made Kisara's tension dissipate, and she chuckled.

"Thank you for your support, Satoru. I'll hold you onto that." with a nod, Kisara got in the car and drove back home - She needed to get a coat for herself, and a few sacred items, both Shinto and Buddhist. Why? She didn't know, but her intuition told her that, although she was a non-believer, it was better to be prepared, in case of anything. She already knew chants and mantras and sutras and prayer - What was a rosary or some ofuda talismans?

It didn't take long before she arrived at the South Alley, and she found Yashiki waiting with another brunet man - He looked sickly, poor man. They had already opened the manhole lid. With only a brief introduction between the two doctors, the trio went down the rusted ladder. Kisara was the second to step onto the concrete, but as soon as she did, she froze up and gasped. Yashiki turned his head in her direction, and searched her glazed over expression.

She was perfectly chanting the Imperial propaganda song from the army, as though she was one of the soldiers from the time. Her voice was soft, and so eerie with the echo resounding and bouncing off the concrete walls.

Daimon cringed hearing it, his whole body stiff and shivering. "Can you please stop? It's giving me the creeps." but she sketched no emotion on her deadpan face, nor did she look like she heard him. Daimon stepped in front of her, looking into her eyes and snapping his fingers - No pupilar reaction, no defensive reflex. "Hey, Yashiki, is she possessed?" Yashiki frowned, looking at her with concern, though he had to admit, her chanting the military march lyrics so ominously, like a broken record, made the faint propaganda song playing in the shelter even more terrifying. "Kisara, wake up." nothing. "Kisara, hey!" "Might I recommend a more... Direct approach?" Daimon rose his eyebrow at his partner. "Right." Yashiki placed his hands on her shoulders and shook her vigorously. "KISARA, WAKE UP!" The woman squeaked in surprise and drove back. "Don't scare me like that!" she clutched her heart. "I'm sensitive, you know?!" "Sorry. I think you were, uh... Possessed? In a trance? I'm not sure. You were chanting the military song and... You weren't moving or responding at all." the horror gleaming in her eyes turned to realisation. "I wasn't possessed, though at this rate, I might end up that way. If I do that again, wake up me. This place might just become the death of me. It's... Calling to me, as though I know where I'm supposed to go. I... Please keep an eye out on me, in case I try to stay off from the group. If I wander around randomly and wake up, I'm going to get lost and never find my way back. I'm directionally challenged to the core." Daimon let out a soft exhale of amusement. "I see, so you're spiritually sensitive. Very well. We'll take be on the look out." with a grateful thanks, she got in between the two and followed Yashiki's lead. 

Down the South path, they found the large iron doors, though they were locked as expected. Only one way to go, then. They ignored the dried up blood, or the clean rectangular spots on the walls, no doubt left by rather recently torn military posters, and reached a cross in their path. They went right first, down a corridor lit dimly by a few red bulbs, only to find themselves at another cross, and in the middle, a large blood splatter, as though a man imploded, only mush and porridge left behind of him. To the left, a dead end, though a draft was coming from said wall. Could it have been a fake wall? Or maybe it was cemented over? To the right, another perfect dead end. Ahead, once again, a dead end, but with another set of iron doors. On the wall, blood was splayed, revealing another spot where a poster once stood - the blackened stains were crumbling down. The doors were unlocked, and they were able to get inside. The air in this room was musty and stale. It looked like a medical facility.

Kisara fell to the ground, clutching her head, as though an impossible migraine was cursing her. She was staring with sheer torment at the operating table. The state of the room suggested the inhumane experiments that took place there - Hatred clogged the air like a poison mist. It was the most dangerous place they've been so far.

"A lot of people were dismembered and eviscerated on this table. The atmosphere is so heavy, it makes me want to cut my throat out of fear." Kisara heaved pitifully. In a corner, Daimon was examining the ancient skeleton on the ground. He came to the conclusion that it got decapitated with either a blunt object or some kind of non-surgical tool, as the cervical vertebra was messily severed. "Do you think this corpse was also an experiment?" the doctor asked. Kisara shook her head. "No. It's more like... Like a worker who got killed by one of the victims. There's a lot of hatred, dread and vengeance... A lot of vengeance..." she explained softly. Yashiki found a document about cryptograms - it looked like wabun code, similar to morse.

Kannon: Weapon's Code Name ...- ..-- Heavenly Buddha: Project's Code Name .-.-- .--. Soul: Human heads used as materials -. -..-

In another cabinet, a gun and a worn out notebook was found. Despite the faded ink, they were able to decipher some of the writing. '70th... next experiment Ashura statue conne... male body and female head... Then... ernatural phenomenon, spirit... frequent... hard... continue experiments... '

Kisara shuddered, gritting her teeth. Yashiki turned to her, an apologetic look in his eyes. "Kisara... I know it's a lot to ask, but... Could you try and touch the table and see if you can see anything? It helped a lot last time to understand Hanayome's case without much evidence at hand." She looked horrified, her gaze turning from the man and to the table, and back again. Her hands found their way in her beautiful crimson locks of hair... Crimson, like the blood spilled by all the victims in this place. "I-I... Can try..." she never heard her voice so broken and terrified before, it almost made her feel humiliated by her own fear. She was a samurai, a warrior - That's what her grandpa raised... She can't get brought down by some visions. "Give me your coat. I don't want to dirty my clothes." as Yashiki handed her the coat, she placed it like a blanket over the table. She hopped on the edge of the table and unconsciously took out the beaded buddhist rosary from her pocket. "I don't believe in God. I don't believe in Providence. I don't believe in Divine Wrath. This is just the work of ghosts and monsters disguised as people." she reminded herself briefly, her fist clenched tight around the beads. She laid on the operating table as though she was one of the subjects. "Uh... If I do catch something... Don't let me fall off the table, please. I have delicate skin, I bruise easily." she gave a shaky chuckle as she closed her eyes, her hands touching the cold metal of the table and feeling around for the caked blood left unwashed.

Daimon stared intrigued at the woman - A doctor and a spiritualist, how fascinating. Usually one would exclude the other, though not in her case. Still, from what Yashiki mentioned on the way there, Miss Hasashi had the double-edged sword gift of seeing the last moments of one's life, by touching remains or objects with strong spiritual meaning. He was curious to see how it would affect her - Still, he was there to aid if she had some kind of panic attack.

Kisara's eyes fluttered open softly - Her mind felt foggy, and she was in a complete daze, as though she was drugged at a bar. The strong light from the lightbulb dangling above her head made her squint uncomfortably. She got up --... Or tried to. Her body was trying to move, was it was being restrained. Tilting her head left and right, she noticed the leather belts. Anxiety started bubbling up in her heart, and panic was rapidly surging through her veins. "Bāng wǒ! Qǐng bāng wǒ! Yǒurén! Rènhé rén! Qǐng bāng wǒ!" the vibrato of her beautiful soft voice wailed pitifully through the ominously white room. She kept calling for help, over and over again - And then it dawned on her. Was she speaking in Chinese? Who was she? My name is Hasashi Kisara, I'm Japanese, I have no faith, I'm a Veterinarian Doctor in the H City hospital, I'm 25 years old and I'm dating detective Mashita Satoru. Yes, that sounded right. That sounded like her... So... Why was she speaking Chinese? Was the victim Chinese? She never mixed her own identity with the victim's, so why now? The door suddenly slammed open, and two pairs of rushed foot steps surrounded the table she was in. They were speaking a foreign language rapidly. No, wait - It was her language, damn it! It was Japanese - SHE was Japanese! She wasn't the victim, she was Hasashi Kisara! "Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Muni Muni Mahamuni Shakyamuniye Svaha Om. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Muni Muni Mahamuni Shakyamuniye Svaha Om. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Muni Muni Mahamuni Shakyamuniye Svaha Om." she found herself horrified, chanting Buddhist mantras over and over again. She couldn't understand the young men dressed in scary, black military uniforms and one of them with a pristine clean white coat, nor could she read their stone cold faces. She kept chanting and chanting, painfully looking up at the white light above her head. No - She could understand them, damn it! Why can't her brain get out of this haziness? Why is she so confused?  She picked up on the two men speaking about Buddha and Bodhisattva, experimenting, some kind of scar... Hundreds of failed human experiments... The Great Ashura, the perfection human connection between a man and a woman... But one of the voices was so familiar... Why was it familiar? It wouldn't make sense to be familiar.

Suddenly, she feels a hand over her own, and something is roughly dragged down her finger. Something sparkles in the bright light - It looked like an engagement ring of sorts. No, she wasn't old enough to be engaged - A promise ring, maybe? She felt very territorial, looking at the ring being carelessly tossed into a transparent box... Overbrimming with such rings. Cold sweat fell down her forehead.

"Don't ruin her head, we need it. Do what you want with the rest." the one without the coat told the other. "This better work, Hasashi. Emperor Hirohito and Prime Minister Tojo will have both our heads if we can't create the Kannon Soldier. It's our Empire's last hope to win the war." ... Hasashi, he said? Hasashi? Isn't that HER surname? It can't be... No... No it can't be it... "Hakkō Ichiu. For the Glory of the Empire of the Rising Sun, the Emperor and Unit 731." Kisara's blood froze completely - Unit 731... A taboo blemish on their country's history... No, not a blemish, it was an outright plague, like most of the things Japan did during the war. The atrocities they committed were unforgiveable. From the sexual enslavement of Korean girls, all forgotten thanks to Prime Minister Tojo, to his involvement in the hellish sin that even Satan himself trembles at, the massacre and rape of the Chinese in Nanjing. Nanjing. Nanjing. She was from Nanjing. She, and all the people who had the misfortune of being kept alive during that inhumane torture from her homeland... They were brought back to Japan to become experiments for the maniacs who lost their license to madness, only to serve as the most revered surgeons playing around carelessly with their bodies and organs. She was barely 13 years old... Or did she turn 14 already? She had a crush on a boy and he gave her a promise ring, before going to war, and dying while at it. Her father was dead on duty... And with only her, her mother and grandma... They both were killed, while she... She was subjected to all kinds of torture from these wicked sinners. The great Buddha has a wealth of patience, but even he would never forget these heretics who use His sacred name in vain, creating chimeras and abominations in the name of their fake religion.

Kisara looked up, tears streaming down her face. Her eyes met an empty green void - The surgeon's green eyes were devoid of any life or feeling. He was merciless, unlike the Kannon Bodhisattva they were trying to re-create by dismembering people and putting odd parts together, as though they are dolls - The audacity of them! But those green eyes were so familiar... Yes... Those were her own eyes. Green eyes staring into green eyes... Though she suspected he could only see the victim's black ones. "Grandpa, why?! Why?! You have always been so kind, so good, so understanding - Everyone adores you! How... How could you?! This doesn't make sense! Please - Please get me out of here! It's me - It's your cute Kisa! Your little spider lily! Please, papa, save me! Please spare me! Papa, please, it's me, can't you see me?!" she kept crying and pleading, seeing the glint of the scalped shiny sadistically in the white light of the bulb. "No -- No, please, no, you can't -- You can't do this! Haven't you done enough?! Haven't you tortured me enough?! Come on, get me out of here, please, I'm terrified! Papa!" like a crying child, she pleaded and wailed, and then her cold, naked body felt agonising heat, and blood washed over her skin like a blanket.

She could feel his hands rummaging through her cavity as though he was searching something in a bag - She then felt a gentle touch on her cheek - His bloody hand caught one of her tears. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you stay awake the whole time. You will reach Nirvana only when I allow you to. The Buddha you were praying to won't save you - Only I can spare you of this pain."

She couldn't believe her ears - This psychopath - Was this deranged man her grandfather?! Moreover, she wanted to get back to the real world, to Yashiki and Daimon, and continue the investigation, to get rid of the curse mark, and return home to peace and quiet and no more talk of the war and the secret sins done in this shelter. But how can she go back? Every time she had visions, they were brief, sometimes flashes, but the soul didn't want her to see too much. This time, it was different - She was trapped in this tormenting hell for as long as the victim wanted her to be. No matter how she struggle, how she pleaded, how she cried, nothing worked. Searing agony surging through her whole body and out of ideas, she turned to praying. There was a single Shinto chant of protection that she could remember. "Spirits of the Sky and the Land, take the badnesses, disasters and sins and purify all. Miroku Oomikami -You bless us and proteject us. Meishu Sama - You bless us and protect us. For expansion of our soul - And the fullfilment of your will." she kept repeating the words again and again, but nothing happened. Why did nothing happen? Of course nothing would happen, religion is just a way to trick your mind into believing there is reason for selfless altruism. Something clicked then. The victim was Buddhist.

She kept repeating mantras. Kisara begged for this idea to work, otherwise, she might just have to endure this torment until she truly dies in this memory. She started reciting fragments of the Heart Sutra, the Sutra that stood as the core of all other Sutras. "OM GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAMGATE BODHI SVAHA." her words flowed continuously, despite choking on tears and pathetically stumbling over broken words and painful gasps and moans. She couldn't even remember what these words meant, but it didn't matter anymore. How many times was she supposed to speak the mantra? 108 times, was it? She couldn't keep count, it was hard enough saying words, let alone rationalise and actually discern what she was doing. She couldn't feel her limbs anymore - They were detached from her body, and cascades of her crimson blood that looked so much like her hair kept going down like a stream over the table.

"KISARA, WAKE UP ALREADY!" a foreign voice called out a name - Whose name was it? And why was she feeling hands over her body, gripping on her flesh.

"LET GO OF ME!" her pitched shriek rung deafeningly through the operating room. Yashiki and Daimon jumped backwards, petrified. Kisara was able to get into a sitting position, her arms clutching her knees to her chest, her face hidden in the gap. Her body was shaking with loud sobs. At least she was finally out of her trance. Yashiki was truly terrified - No matter what he did, she wouldn't awaken, though she kept screaming and yelling, alternating between Japanese and a different language that Daimon mentioned was definitely Chinese - She would chant mantras, or plead to her grandfather - Why him? Was he one of the surgeons implicated in this awful ordeal?

"Miss Kisara, I know you're having a terrible case of a panic attack, but I want you to try to pull yourself together. You're safe, back in the real world. Can you hear my voice?" Yashiki felt plastered with surprise, hearing the cold and pragmatic doctor speak to carefully. He, like Mashita, didn't seem the tender type - Maybe he was very wrong. Kisara nodded her head hesitantly. "Do you know who I am?" she waited a few seconds, before nodding again. "That's good. Do you know who you are?" shockingly, she shook her head. Daimon frowned - Usually, people were aware of who they were, but not other things around their environment. Could this memory have cause a delirious state of confusion? "You are a doctor, just like me. Remember that?" she nodded. "Your name is Hasashi Kisara. Do you agree?" the trembling stopped abruptly, but her hands were pulling painfully at her hair.

"I'm not." she choked out. "I can't be." she said. "I refuse to be associated with that monster who calls himself a God." she took a few deep breaths. She was regaining herself. Her legs relaxed on the table, and her hands fell to her face, wiping away her tears. "I think half of our ghost is a Chinese young girl, barely pubescent, and one of the unfortunate victims left alive and dragged here to be experimented on after the... The Massacre of Nanjing." she explained as Yashiki helped her get off the table and kept supporting her up. "The body of a man, the head of a woman... The Great Ashura... I saw my grandfather there. Surgeon General Hasashi of Unit 731. Imperialistic fuckass. He kept mementos for all his hundreds of victims. I'll raid his house tomorrow and see what I can find. He was working under that monster Tojo." she explained, her body exhausted. "I feel like they were trying to mock Buddhism by creating this monster... The girl was a Buddhist. She kept chanting all kinds of mantras and sutras... I think that will be a way to exorcise her." she spoke, tugging on the man's sleeve to get out of the room. "I'm not touching anything today anymore. I don't think I can take it." "We just got a bunch relevant information thanks to you." Daimon praised in a soft voice - With his illness, he really couldn't speak too sternly, could he?

"We tried waking you up, but..." Yashiki trailed on.

"Oh, you couldn't have succeeded. The girl is so full of hatred, she wanted me to experience absolutely everything she went through, from the time she woke up on the table, to the point her heart stopped." she bitterly snarled. She couldn't blame the spirit, but she wasn't happy with her experience either.

"Forgive me." the man whispered softly, unable to find any strength to speak.

"It's not your fault, Yashiki. If it helps us get rid of this Mark, everything is fair game." but she doubts even Satoru's presence would ease her mind after that mess.

Once they were out of the damned room, Kisara cringed, hearing the faint sound of the military marching song. Yashiki guided her to one of the iron doors. Goosebumps rise - A presence was approaching. There's an incessant beeping, like from a telegraph. They froze in place, unable to move from the electrifying fright. The beeping becomes gradually louder, as though it was trying to convey some kind of message. It was like a sequence... A familiar sequence, like that from the code book they found. "Soul." Yashiki found himself saying. An eerie whisper answered back. 'Point to your soul.' it said. Kisara pointed to his head. The beeping suddenly stops. Daimon cringed from the sheer pressure that the entity put on them and their souls. "Seriously?!" he weakly sighed in relief. "Amazing... A real supernatural event." he let out a sardonic chuckle, though he somehow seemed pleased. When they were sure the road was safe, they got inside the room, revealing another medical facility. Kisara freaked out slightly, saying she won't touch anything. She just awkwardly stood in the middle of the room, her hands in the air as though she was preparing for surgery.

The two men searched restlessly around the room. Daimon crouched next to another old corpse, ribbons of dry, leathery skin still scarcely hanging to the bones like bandages to a mummy. It had a similar cut to the neck like the other one. Somewhere in the cupboard, they found a Research Record and a military short sword. There were a few faded words that stood out in the Record. 'The experiment miraculously succee.... This... divin... protection... The... ura statue...onated from H Shrine... created by... line... statue makers...using...chisel...donated by...same family...severe head... tool...together...becomes the key...Finally our dearest wish...' it seemed as though they could have used sculpting chisels to sever heads.  In a cabinet, they found Suzu bells, which Kisara immediately snatched from Yashiki's grasp, and a Record book - 'Disposal Vat Mgmt. Record' 'Dispose... two hundred... super-dimension... suddenly, iron door... half-spiritualised... hypothesize... focused mystical forces...need.... sacred object to erase... Safety valve release code: Diamond'

Suddenly, Yashiki starts freaking out, and as in a trance, started oddly mumbling for a few good minutes. It took both Daimon and Kisara calling out his name to snap him out of whatever possession he was under. He says he's fine, but... He guided them flawlessly through the labyrinthine tunnels of the shelter, to a dead end - He flashed his light on the wall, revealing the outline of a hidden door flickering faintly. "Kisara, you're the expert. These bells... Are they used in any kind of religious ritual?" Kisara rang the bells she snatched previously. "I used Suzu bells in most of the Shinto rites I performed." she explained playfully. "Can you please touch the door - Erh - Wall with the bells?" his request was odd, but judging from the way he stuttered, and Daimon's inability of seeing the door, she figured it might be a way to reveal it properly. Ringing the bells rhythmically with every step she took, she touched the suzu wand to the door, placing her palm to it. "Kai!" she exclaimed, and the door appeared in a flash of white. "Cool." she mumbled to herself. "I'm not hallucinating, am I?" Daimon's face twisted in disbelief. "I suppose it's because of your lack of spiritual power that you couldn't see the faint flickering outline." the girl guessed. "Still, I've got a bad feeling about this place... Like everything else, really." Yashiki pushed open the doors, revealing a large and dark vault-like area. "Whoa... Amazing." Daimon found himself flabbergast. He noticed a rusty army sword, which he picked. Yashiki flashed his light around the room, gasping. "Are these... Heads of Buddha statues?" "Well, now we know where they were taken." Kisara blinked in disbelief. It looked rather macabre. "They're kind of just scattered around." Daimon spoke.

Suddenly, a sound echoes off something heavy moving, and suddenly, the room is lit with a pale light. "I have... A rather bad feeling." if even someone like Daimon could say that, things were really bad. They quickly turned around to dash out of the room, but the doors wouldn't open. A cold sensation freezes them from the bottom up, as water starts rapidly pouring into the room like a giant waterfall.  "What the hell?!" the girl stared is horror. It was paralyzingly ice cold, to the point their legs went numb. "We have to get out of here! We'll die of hypothermia!" the brunet shouted. "WE'LL DROWN BEFORE HYPOTHERMIA GETS US!" Kisara screamed, desperately tugging onto the door with Yashiki - Suddenly, his arm reaches somewhere else, and he struggles to touch the Diamond Arhat head. With a loud sound, water starts sweeping in one direction, and down the drain. "I-It's pulling us in!" one of the man yelled, as the trio got pulled into the whirlpool.

When Kisara opened her eyes, she felt no strength in her body, though her mind was alert. She felt too frozen to snap her head left and right, but she did see the old homeless man and his wide grin saying her friends were safe, but in a similar state. They were in that damn water for a whole hour, at that rate, Daimon's hypothermia theory might just come true. The first to get up was, not unexpectedly, Yashiki, who helped the other two get up, and they exit the shelter. Kisara takes her fellow doctor in car with her, finding a towel around the back of the car to wipe the water out of their clothes, while Yashiki was stuck with Banshee Itou.

Thankfully, they got to the mansion already, by the point they stopped violently shivering - Kisara was very proud of herself for driving so well, even frozen. Banshee gave Yashiki the key to the shelter. "Can we sleep on everything that happened for the night? I'm not capable of doing anything anymore. I'm freezing and exhausted." the two men vigorously agreed. Before she left home, Banshee Itou told them he had been living in the shelter for ten years, only for Zukawa to find her way there, around 6 months prior. He seemed freaked out mentioning the walking Buddha statue he encountered a month earlier, and how he got the Mark. He called it The Kannon Soldier. Apparently he found that name in some document - How did they succeed, was beyond them - But the man burnt the documents to get some warmth and roast a potato.  Still, he says he remembers what was written. The Heavenly Buddha Project was the reason the shelter was created, and thus, the 13th Army Engineering Lab collaborated with Unit 731 to get this done and get the upper hand in war. They did  tests on Buddha statues brought from some shrine - H Shrine, no doubt.

They tried to imbue the statues with spiritual power, and they even brought a Monk - Of course, nobody truly believed anything would come out of it, and it was an excuse to keep the general busy. That is, until the statue started moving and it went berserk through the lab, going crazy on a ton of people. The bloodstains and corpses are probably its victims. Those who survived the massacre got red bite-like marks. The thing moved and wrecked the place, until it stopped and never moved again. Nobody had a clue what triggered it to move in the first place.

They all were white as sheets, but unlike Hiroo, the rest believed Banshee's story. The old man then came with an interesting theory - The trio's grandpas got the Mark, and when the statue stopped moving, the Mark disappeared, but when it started up again, they got them, cause they're their descendant. Still, wouldn't that mean the parents would have gotten the Marks too? Weird.

"My grandpa is still alive. I'm going to test that theory on him tomorrow." Kisara said. "Good night, guys. And rest well. We deserve it." with a tired sigh, Kisara plopped down in the driver's seat. She didn't even realise she didn't turn on the music, nor that she was driving in the opposite direction of her home. Instead, she found herself in front of another apartment complex. She closed the door and leaned back on the car, staring up with red, tired eyes at the flat above. "Well, I'll be damned." with a sigh, she found herself in the familiar elevator and pressed her finger on the ringing button, not releasing it - She could hear the obnoxious ringing from the other side. Even the dead would wake up with such a hellish doorbell. "Who the he--... You've got the worst time." Kisara let out a shaky yet amused breath. The man in front of her was wearing an unbuttoned shirt and a loose pair of pants. His pretty black hair a perfect mess. "Can I have a cigarette? And some whiskey. And a hug. Yeah, definitely a hug too." he squinted his gorgeous light coloured eyes down at her, and he groaned, getting out of the door frame and nodding at her to come over. "How bad?" he asked, taking out the whiskey bottled and tossing her the cigarette pack. "I hate smoking and I only drink sweet drinks. That bad." he grumbled lowly, plopping down next to her on the couch. "I'll find you something to change in." he got up. "I'm assuming you're staying the night - Or morning, rather." she nodded quietly. He called her over and handed her an old black Tshirt and a pair of shorts in which she changed quickly, and returned to the couch. She shivered lightly, though she appreciated the comforting ambient warmth. Her fingers were tinted blue and were trembling as she lit up a cigarette, and taking a long drag, she relaxed slightly, letting a small puff cloud towards the ceiling.

She never really inhaled in the smoke, she just needed the anti-stress puffing - And mouth wash later. She took a quick gulp of whiskey to warm up her throat. She was feeling better now. Satoru did the same, though he didn't speak. "We got trapped in a vault and almost drowned in freezing mountain water. Yashiki found the drain button. We got pulled with it, and almost died of hypothermia, a whole hour soaked in that damn water." she was feeling groggy from exhaustion. "The underground shelter was built for human experimentation. We found one of the surgery rooms and I was stupidly selfless enough to get on the table and experience... Victim awakening!" she dramatically threw her hands up in the air. "And you know what happened? I got surgically tortured, dismembered and eviscerated by my own grandpa, the Surgeon General of - Wait for it - Unit 731! Can you believe that? That freaking Unit 731. I should have known. They wanted to make a living Ashura from the Buddha statue bodies, and the head of women victims. As if that was going to give our country victory in war. And one of these statues actually got up and slaughtered most of the personnel. Those who survived, got the Mark we have now. Daimon and Hiroo are both like me, grandchildren of people who worked there and survived the massacre. When the statue stopped moving, the Marks disappeared. The old homeless man said a month ago he found the Buddha statue moving around the shelter. No wonder we have Marks now." Mashita turned his head to stare at her, wide awake and cringing with disbelief. "If anyone else said that, I'd have called a psychiatrist." he grumbled. "Nothing you said makes sense."

"Can I hug you? I'm cold and sad, and I don't know which is worse." she asked all of a sudden. She found herself being brought into an embrace. "I want to confront my grandpa tomorrow. Can you please come with me? I don't think I can do it alone." "Yeah, sure. I can do that." he patted her messy hair. She looked outright disheveled and exhausted to the point of falling off the rails.

"Satoru." she called out. "I felt the whole torture of a teenage girl, taken as a sex slave from Nanjing, after that whole mess our soldiers did. Her boyfriend and father were killed in war. Her mother and grandma were killed back then. She was taken by our people and brought in this cursed city. They used her body, they drugged her, they abused her... And when she was finally broken, they tied her to a table and started cutting down in her." tears were falling down her face rapidly. "I can feel my own grandfather's hands digging through my body, ripping out organs and taunting me with them. I can see my own blood cascading down the table, pooling to the ground. I can hear him mocking me... From the moment my eyes opened on the table, to the point that all my limbs were cut off and organs were removed, and he finally allowed me to die." his grip on her body tightened. "I can feel my sanity breaking. I don't know how long I can keep this up. I already lost it down there a few times. I let the spirit put me in trances. I'm too weak." "Hey, now, don't say that. It just means this is the last ghost you'll have to deal with. You've done enough already. Dealing with others' mistakes and sins isn't your job." he stated firmly, caressing her hair.

"Satoru?" her voice sounded so small and vulnerable. "Can I cry?" "Go ahead and cry as much as you need. We'll solve everything tomorrow. Relax for now."

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[darkdevasofdestruction]

Chapter 5 - Sweet Melody

Five days passed since Hanayome was appeased, and no sign of a new ghost. Although she had a few nightmares, her sleep was plenty and she was able to rest properly. In the bright surgery room, the sweet melody of a rock ballad was resounding, and a beautiful hum played along. Her hands deep inside a dog's body, Kisara was singing the lyrics to a 'Don't cry' by Guns'n'Roses. Blood was everywhere, but it didn't bother her. By the end of the operation, the dog will be all better.

Suddenly, the door slides open, and someone enters. With a surprised look, Kisara looks up at him. It was Satoru. "Your friendly policeman is here." he chuckled playfully, watching the adorable lavender deux piece medical outfit patterned with small flowers of all kinds and colours, and the matching bonnet - Then, the cutesy stickers all around the white walls... And then, at the blood and gore of the surgery. "Are you the new Mengele?" "Only on humans. Animals are too good to be tortured and experimented on." she grinned behind the mask. "I'm almost done. I have to close it up and get the nurses to put her in a cage to rest, with IV set up." she explained, taking the minuscule hook-like needle with the thin thread attached, and making sutures so delicate that made the detective approach and observe. With slender and dexterous fingers like hers, no wonder her stitching looked as beautiful as her.  "You're the only young person around this crowd of geriatrics, yet you seem to keep up with them. Nicely done." he praised her, though it seemed double edged. "If you're accusing me of nepotism - Go ahead, it's half true." she chuckled. "My grandpa was the Surgeon General during the war, it's no surprise he'd help me land a spot here, it's the best Veterinarian hospital in the area. I've been practicing since before I started University, so I know my stuff pretty well. Obviously, I work and study hard enough to pull my weight, so I'm not relying on connections alone - But I'm not complaining either." she said, throwing the single use protection clothing into the bin and calling the nurse to care for the puppy.  "I like the honesty." he said, a shit-eating grin on his face. "Are you sure you're the same woman from a few days ago?" "What, is the blouse too childish for you?" she laughed, nodding for him to follow her. "A bit of colour in this bleak place is very much welcomed." she explained, getting to the small eating are, where she got a bento and two pairs of chopsticks. "Got it this morning from the convenience store across the street. It should be fine." "What a treat, thanks." he says, not expecting to ear any time soon.  "To what do I owe the pleasure?" she asks all of a sudden.  "Can't I come see you?" he teased her, earning a playful roll of her eyes. "Just any time." she retorted. "So, what was it? You wouldn't just come to lose time around." "Fine, you caught me. Here." he dug his hand in the pocket of his coat, and slammed something on the table, and slid it her way. "Oh, you're taking me to the movies this weekend, fascinating!" the girl grinned. "I heard this one is pretty good - Seven - A police based movie where they investigate a string of ritualistic killings, yes? Right up your alley, Mr. Officer." Mashita smirked. "Couldn't resist the irony."  "Well, if the next ghost won't intervene, then I'm game." she handed him the tickets back. "It's been five days and Yashiki only called me to say he's found no lead. It's a bit unnerving." "You know Yashiki well enough by now. He'll find something. For a guy like him, he's pretty reliable." Mashita vouched for his friend.  "So? What colour should I wear? We've got to match." the man's face turned to a scowl, making her laugh. "Okay, okay, I'm just kidding, relax. I don't need to match, I look good either way." "Alright, I'm leaving, there's only so much patience I have. Thanks for the food. See ya." she offered a casual wiggle of her fingers farewell, before turning to her lunch. A movie, huh? Should be fun.

Finally, evening came by, and Yashiki calls - This time, with actual information instead of a disappointing answer. Two Mark bearers came by the Mansion just a little earlier, an Idol and an elderly woman who's into the supernatural... A medium or something. Ai Kashiwagi and Madame Yasuoka. Both of them got the Mark while filming in H city - The K Miyamachi North Road. The Manhole street.  Getting ready, Kisara made her way to the exact spot, in the quiet residential area, where she met up with Ai and Yashiki. It's far removed from the major crossroads, so at this time of the night, it looks pretty deserted. After the proper introductions took place, they started to investigate the area.

Madame Yasuoka is said to be a famous Fortune Teller, and she allegedly felt an ominous presence throughout the whole filming period. First they picked out on one of the manholes having an older design - It seemed to be older than the others, and it's covered in rust. Ai suggests trying to get it open, so the two adults used all their power to get move the lid. A putrid smell wafts out, making them gag. A black void stretched deep underground, and a rusted metal ladder was the only way down. "Why don't we try looking down?" the girls gasped. "What, are you serious?! But I'm in my stage outfit!" Ai gasped. "It's gross as all hell." Kisara scowled at him.  "Do you want to wait up here?" Kisara knelt down and looked into the abyss. There was something weird calling her down there. With a groan, she agreed to join. "D-Don't you dare look up while you're climbing down!" the idol whined at the man.

This didn't connect to the sewers, and it went far too deep down to be normal. It felt like a secret place that no one was supposed to know about. When they finally reached the ground, the two turned on the flashlights - A concrete passageway stretched before them. It hasn't been ventilated in a long time, based on the pungent stench. "Where are we anyway?" Ai asked - How were they supposed to know? Still, Kisara felt uneasy... A feeling of dread creeping, as though she wasn't supposed to be there. It was forbidden. 

Moving North, they reached a dead end, luminated dimly by a red light. On the ground, there was an iron box. Yashiki slips his hands underneath the lid and pulls with all his might. It pops open with an unexpectedly loud noise. He takes a hammer, a hatchet and a notebook from inside. They try to read the notebook, but the writing was too fine to be read down there. A stink seems to suddenly invade their senses, like a mixture of tallow, spices and blood. It was disgusting. It was coming from the notebook. "Please put that away, I feel like I might puke." as Ai complained, Yashiki bagged the notebook.

Going South, Ai suddenly shrieks pitifully and stops in her tracks. "Wh-What is that?!" she shakily points and the man lights the spot. Something dark and long was clinging to the walls. "Looks like hair to me." Kisara said, stepping in front of it. Yashiki seemed to think the same.  Going further south, they reached another dead end, and an old-fashioned though well-built iron door. The paint was chipping in places, so it must be pretty old.  "Whoa, that door looks ancient! I had no idea there was a place like this underground. Oh - Could this be some kind of lab?" as the idol chirped, fascinated, Kisara felt her body unconsciously move towards it. Her hand on the handle, she tries to open it. Suddenly, she found herself on the ground, a shriek erupting from her throat. A small, homeless old man frightened her with a shout, yelling strangely - He came in from the doors.  "Hey, where you folks from? What're you doin' on my turf?" he asked, a dubious, crooked grin on his face. While the other two tried to appear inconspicuous, Kisara remained silent, staring at the doors. She needed to find what was on the other side, at some point. "This underground shelter isn't a place for irresponsible layabouts like you! Understand? So leave my turf alone and get outta here!" he warned, disappearing behind the iron doors, no doubt locking them up.  "Man, that surprised me..." Ai let out a sigh of relief. "I wasn't expecting a person to come out." Still, it was weird that he warned them not to bother with the place. If he locked it up, he shouldn't worry about them - Right? Yashiki went to help Kisara stand up and gathered them out of the place. They stank enough as it was, and there wasn't much to investigate around anymore. 

All Kisara could think about, all the way to the mansion, was the noose tightening around her neck whilst looking at the iron doors and the underground shelter itself. A dark secret... But why does it feel so personal? It was no doubt to her that it was made during the war era, or something like that - Why should she be concerning herself with old war relics? She wasn't even born then, so she's not linked to anything - Right? She barely cared for the fresh air soothing her burning senses, or about Madame Yasuoka finding them at the Manhole street. She looked like the perfect mix between good looking mystical and kitsch. They spoke about about the Mark and the voice inside Yashiki's head, but it was barely anything coherent or conclusive.

The red haired woman drove everyone back to the mansion. Thankfully, only the sound of soft jazz was heard for the duration of the drive, though when they did arrive, Yasuoka told them a little bit of her connection with the Kujo family. What attracted her attention, however, was Ai mentioning a black rabbit on the premises, holding something in its mouth, heading for the building. They run inside the mansion - Everything was the same, except that Mary was missing. 

In a corner, Mary's broken body laid on the ground, tragically shattered. Next to it was the rabbit, with its head twisted unnaturally and sitting in a pool of its own blood. Yashiki tried talking to the doll, but it didn't answer. Kisara frowned, picking up the key the rabbit had been holding, and staring blankly at the grotesque beauty that the two bodies painted. Whatever spirit was possessing the bunny, it knew Mary was malevolent and tried to protect them, at the cost of its own life. "Yashiki, this belongs to you. Have fun." she threw the Master key to the man. "And don't despair. Mary wasn't as good as you think she was." she threw the off comment, hopping on the princess couch Mary previously sat on, and relaxing. "When you're ready to go investigate, call me." 

Once Yashiki and the other two finished investigating the single room that he couldn't unlock before, he explained he found a desk filled with different kinds of carving instruments and paints, to which Yasuoka mentioned the Kujo ancestors carving up Buddha statues. Dubious statement, and even weirder practice. They also found a photo frame with pictures of marionettes, wax figurines, Japanese dolls, and sure enough, Mary was also present in there - And she had the Mark on her right arm, though it was black, unlike the ones the curse bearers have. Still, the Mary she remembers didn't have such a Mark - Could she have been able to somehow hide it?

All four together gathered around the notebook and its vulgar stench. This notebook that seemed to have been drowned in a pool of strong, cheap perfume. Stains and discoloration made most of the pages unreadable, save for the last page, which was dated half a month prior. 'As I await the fated day, I recall my days as a teacher. The children called me Miss Zoo. Zoo... The keeper of animals... Probably because I kept so many laboratory animals in the science lab. I got to be surrounded by my beloved animals... My cute little snakes... It was so much more fulfilling than my current, boring research, but because of that foolish principal and the fire, the school was shut down. My paradise was stolen from me. I need to take back my paradise. The great Ashura has bestowed upon me the wisdom I need to do that. Tomorrow - I will die. By the great Ashura's abundant mercy, I will be reborn as Miss Zoo, so I may rebuild my paradise again. It is all as the great Ashura has said. O, great Ashura. Ashura Ashura Ashura Ashura Ashura Ashura Ashura Ashura Ashura Ashura Ashura Ashura Ashura Ashura Ashura Ashura Ashura Ashura Ashura Ashura.' the rest of the page is written with the word 'Ashura'. Did she lose her mind writing this?

"Oh, great, now I don't feel comfortable playing the Ashura anymore. What a psychopath." Kisara groaned. The names were covered in kiss marks, and combining that with the stinking perfume, only made the lust overwhelming. She was enamoured with the Ashura. "It is thoroughly disgusting." Yasuoka agreed. "I'd love to burn it to ash immediately."  "At least I won't feel bad getting rid of this ghost." the woman noted. "So, this Miss Zoo, could she be...? The woman from the rumours?" interesting point.  "If she worked in a lab, it would explain the white robe." Yashiki nodded. "I always imagined a bath robe or some kind of haori. I suppose a lab coat makes much more sense with this context." Kisara muttered.  "But I wonder which school she was talking about." Ai thought. "H Elementary is the only abandoned school in the area that hasn't been torn down yet." Yashiki said. Satoru told Kisara off-handedly that this was where he and Yashiki met, during the Hanahiko case. Interesting. "To think a woman would want to become a spirit of her own accord. Is that really possible?" "She seemed fairly confident she would be reborn." Yasuoke stated. "And the notebook being in the shelter might serve as supportive evidence. Perhaps she meant it as a farewell to her life as a human. How sentimental." "So... Miss Zoo is the one who gave us the Marks?" Ai asked all of a sudden. "That's where we found the diary, so the spirit must know the place. It would make sense that it comes and goes there, then. For whatever reason." Yashiki admitted indirectly. "Let's go and get this over with. All this religious fanaticism is giving me the creeps. She's desecrated even the malevolence of the Ashura, what more is she going to pervert?" with that, Ai and Yashiki followed her to the car, and together, they went to the H Elementary.

For the duration of the drive, Ai hummed and wove her hands on the back seat. She seemed completely oblivious to what they were going to do and see. The two adults shared a worried look. Maybe she should have remained at the mansion. If they do return before they encounter Miss Zoo, they'll leave her with Madame Yasuoka. Ai kept talking their ear off - Well, Yashiki was mostly the one to superficially answer here and there, Kisara pretended to focus on the road ahead.  Once they finally arrived, Yashiki told them the brief explaining of what he encountered during the Hanahiko case, and that the first floor is pretty much fully investigated, so there's no need to waste their time there. From the entrance they made all the way West and climb up the stairs to the 2nd floor. They found snakes there, all of them poisonous. Ai began freaking out - Thankfully, Yashiki slapped his hand over her mouth quickly. The snakes react to Yashiki's bag. "The notebook!" Kisara whisper-yelled at him. The snakes disappeared into the darkness. 

They entered the first room on the right - It looked like a science lab, filled with an awful smell. The putrid stench permeated the whole classroom like a rotting crate of onions. The fire damage was quite visible - Perhaps the fire had started here. From a low sliding cupboard, Yashiki recovered some... Office trash? Weird man. Through it, he found some kind of extract fragment of a text.  But Kisara was staring intently at the large glass bottles filled to the brim with formalin.

They were preserving various body parts. Human body parts. What was it that Mashita said about her being Mengele? He jinxed the case. She didn't hear Ai gasping, frightened. Hands, ears, eyeballs - They were all here. They looked weirdly fresh too. She found a tag that wrote 'GREAT ASHURA' and had an arrow reaching below - The classroom right below, perhaps? Was that where her body was? Possibly. Among the shelves, she picked up three bottles of chemicals - One clear, with the formula for Ethanol written - Highly flammable, a brown opaque one, with the label burnt, though it smelled like Chlorine, and another, wrapped in foil, that gave off a faint floral aroma - ID5 it had written on it. That should be indole.

Yashiki picked up the bundle of clothes and the lab coat from the corner. The anatomical model had a weird tear on the skinned part of its mouth. Yashiki sticks his hand inside, only for a swarm of snakes to slither out, startling them. Thankfully, they nestled back inside. There was nothing more to be searched in the storage room, to they returned to the lab. The sound of an old broadcast startled them. "dOooo YyoUU hAaaVvEE anNyy brRRaiIinsSS?" the voice was like a feral growl, barely comprehensible. "dOOoo tHhheE tttTeEEEessStT immediately...! tTAAbbBlllEe! OooOn tHHhe TTaabbBlLee!" it was getting more difficult to keep up with the exaggerated vibrato of the dark growl over the intercom. 

Yashiki picked up the bundle of clothes and the lab coat from the corner. The anatomical model had a weird tear on the skinned part of its mouth. Yashiki sticks his hand inside, only for a swarm of snakes to slither out, startling them. Thankfully, they nestled back inside. There was nothing more to be searched in the storage room, to they returned to the lab. The sound of an old broadcast startled them. "dOooo YyoUU hAaaVvEE anNyy brRRaiIinsSS?" the voice was like a feral growl, barely comprehensible. "dOOoo tHhheE tttTeEEEessStT immediately...! tTAAbbBlllEe! OooOn tHHhe TTaabbBlLee!" it was getting more difficult to keep up with the exaggerated vibrato of the dark growl over the intercom.  "Oh great, here we go again! Now even ghosts are giving me exams!" Kisara groaned, going to the table and picking up the pencil on it. "And... It's a science test. Lovely." the voice over the intercom told her to begin the test.

Question 1: Compound A is widely used as fuel and disinfectant. It's chemical formula is CH3CH(x)OH. What is the (x)? Answer: 2

That was an easy question. Not only was it Ethanol with one of the easiest formulas out there, but one of the jars had it written on it anyway. 

Question 2: Compound N is an exemplary acid and contains a salt that reacts to various metals. Which statement about the compound is true? Answer: It must be kept in a dark container.

HCl or Hydrochloric Acid is sensitive to the light which makes it react, unless it's properly kept. Chemistry 101.

Question 3: Which compound stinks when in great concentration, but in low concentration smells slightly like flowers? Answer: Indole

It literally either smells of feces or flowers, no in-between. How funny.

The sound of the intercom blaring again, and everyone still being alive made them sight with relief - They were safe and passed the test. "Is it over yet?" Ai whined pitifully. She wasn't the book-smart type. "Well... No. But it's fine, I'll take the tests." Kisara scratched the back of her neck uncomfortably. "The next test is in the classroom next door. I hope you're mentally prepared, because I am not." "That thing really reeks." Yashiki pointed out. "Ah, you're right. I was too focused to realise." she muttered. "Well, I'm holding these as memories. Getting forced in an exam session by a ghost... That's one thing to tell your friends." he was right though, it stank far worse than the notebook. Ai points towards something, shivering - It was the man who went to investigate it... Hand and feet sticking out of a covered crate... A corpse. He said it was the guard who stood outside of the school when he was investigating the Hanahiko case, only, said ghost had him killed back then. He collapses to his knees. Kisara hooked her arms under his pits and dragged him up. "Get a grip, friend. This is not the time to falter over some corpse!" she struggled with his heavy weight.

The first thing they saw in the next classroom was the scrawling of large symbols on the whole black board - In red. Was it blood? She could make up symbols for Love and... Stain? Ai... Zen... And something else that was too obscured to be read. Was this a Japanese test? Great. Can they return to more tangible things, like science and maths? She crouched by the ground - More flecks of red... It smelled like iron. Probably best not to say out loud that it's blood, Ai was already freaked out enough as she was. "When we're done, I want another graduation party." she chuckled softly, rushing to the exam paper to get this over with.

Question 1:  (Believing in) {the Buddha} (is important) {the Buddha} (is most, extremely) {vital}  {You must} (believe in) {the incredibly strong} (great) {Ai...}  {The incredibly strong} (great) {Ai...} (is like) {an angel} (You must) (erase the stench of) (corrupted) (humanity) {and become ONE with nature}  This is called {( ***zen Unity )} 

Answer: Ai

Ai... Zen... Aizen is the Buddhist Deva of Love.  Kisara was getting incredibly sick of all this Buddhist propaganda - It made her feel as though whoever was pushing this Buddhist Divine Wrath onto them was trying to make them divert their attention from the real reason behind the Death Marks. Not to mention, these questions were incredibly weird. She's never felt as uneasy as reading the fanatic, malicious intent behind these wrods.

Question 2: (Humanity) (is) {the embodiment of pain}  They {KILL} (other) (animals) (My) {fellow} (snakes) (also) {spend every day} in {absolute misery}  (My dear snakes) {hate} (this world) (like) {they hate} {the sun} and {heat}  This disaster is called the {( cri*** age of decline )}

Answer: -mson. Crimson age of decline. 

These metaphors were getting creepier the more it went on.

Question 3: (I carry) (the great) {Ai...}'s {TALISMAN} (every day) (and seek rebirth)  {The TALISMAN} (is important!) (IT is) (a greater) {treasure} (than the braIN or heART) {or life itself} (This is SHOWN not in WORDS) (but DEEDS)  {If I WALK} with the {TALISMAN} I will become {( ******** )}

Answer: Ashura

Psychopath.

"So, this paper says the next exam paper is in two classrooms from here, but the one next to us is off-limits. I wonder why." Kisara read the writing at the bottom. "Maybe she's got a secret in there?" Ai theorised. "But now I want to see it even more." "She probably didn't think it through before--" but Yashiki was cut off by the sound of something hitting the wall. It came from exactly next door.  "Let's break the rules!" Kisara laughed, stuffing the second exam paper in her bag.

The next classroom door was locked tight with wire, but using the acid from the opaque bottle, they melted it and got it. But what they saw inside... No amount of grotesque, gore or... Anything they've seen could have compared to the completely twisted display before them. The horrible stench of blood, rot and decay was making them faint. "Ai. Please stay out of here. I don't want you to see this. You can't unsee what's here." Kisara pushed the idol out of the room. "This... Is something that no one would want to see." Yashimi muttered, breathlessly. He flashed his light inside the room. "What... The hell... Is this room...?!" he cried out, seeing the viscera thrown all over the ground like a rug. Blood was almost pooling throughout the floor, and a numerous amount of animal head trophies were either placed on the desks, or mounted on the bloody walls.   "As a Veterinarian, I feel like this... Is my worst nightmare." Kisara was unable to look away from the horrors facing her. Even a slaughterhouse had less discarded chunks of meat and pints of blood. If this was some kind of sacrificial rite, it must have worked. 

Thankfully, a sound coming from the window ledge snapped them out of their trance. With a lot of mustered up courage, they made their way past the desks and dismembered animals, squishing a few wet organs on their way, and another shock greeted them. A living woman, naked, was lying in a pool of blood, engulfed by countless snakes. She was heavily wounded. She almost looked like an animal waiting for its vivisection... Well, if Miss Zoo did this, no doubt she'd have wanted to do just that. With a shared look, they grab her by the wrists and ankles and get her out of the snake nest, hopeful not to get bites themselves. "Are you with us?" Kisara asked, snapping her fingers in front of her eyes - She had a blank, vague stare. She put the flashlight in her eyes - She had a pupilar reflex at least.        "We can't let her here. Let's get her back to the mansion - She should be able to walk if we help her." Yashiki took off his coat, wrapping the woman as in a blanket. The unfortunate timing of the intercom and Miss Zoo snarling at them hysterically that the room is off-limits froze the blood in their veins. "Damn it, she's noticed!" Yashiki cursed. "Let's get the hell out of here." Kisara said, helping him drag the woman out. The eerie sound of monkeys and elephants wailing haunting you all the way outside the school. They thankfully managed to get back to the car, thanks to Yashiki's knowledge of the layout, and they drove away in a flash. The woman also had the Mark on her body. All of a sudden, the dazed yet snarky voice of the foreign woman surprises them. "I have a name, you know?"  "As if we were supposed to read in the stars." Kisara snarked back.  "You were awake?" Yashiki tried not to stare back in shock. "I'm Hiroo Madoka. I don't care what happens - I just need to take a shower immediately." Kisara nodded in agreement. She could understand the sentiment, though the woman sounded already pretty disagreeable. 

Guided by the medic, the four of them were able to give Hiroo proper medical care for her wounds - And thankfully, the scary snakes seemed to not have been poisonous, otherwise she'd have been long dead. Though still a bit pale, she got some colour in her cheeks. Ai handed her the bundle of clothes found in the storage room, and she changed herself into them. Based on the perfect fit of the clothes, and the name tag too, these were her clothes.  With her composure regained, Madoka Hiroo was even more apathetic.  She recalls chasing after a woman called Manabi Zukawa, and possibly having fainted. She had no recollection of going to that school by herself. She was Miss Zoo.  Hiroo asked them who they were, but could hardly believe a word they were saying - Still, she took it all pretty well, all things considered.  Hiroo and Zukawa know each other from the lab, and they chatted here and there, being some of the few women there - Only for the nefarious Zukawa to steal something precious to her.  She told them about being able to trace Zukawa to H City based on her credit card purchases, and eventually, H Elementary and the nearby warehouse. She made animal purchases from pet shops - Animals of all kinds, based on the horrific room.  Still, Hiroo says the Mark appeared 9 whole days prior to her coming in H city, so... Perhaps Miss Zoo isn't the ghost who cursed her. She agreed to help track the bitch down, though she refuses to tell what it was she stole exactly.

Madoka Hiroo was freaked out of her mind whenever the idea of ghosts came into discussion, and she was pathetic for not admitting how afraid she was. Yet another person that Kisara already despises. The red haired woman made everyone sit tight at the mansion - Her and Yashiki were going to solve this mess by themselves. She wasn't sure she could handle any more of their unique personalities.

Finally returned to the Elementary, they went to take the third test - What else were they supposed to do? They had to find out what lay at the end of the exam session. This one was a math test. Cool.

Question 1: An ostrich can run from the 1st floor of the school to the 2nd floor in 3 seconds. If the school had 5 floors, how long would it take for it to get from the 1st to the 5th? Answer: 12 seconds.

Easy. Even Ai could have solved this.

Question 2: Ostriches are extremely (fast). They can run {60km} (per hour). How many seconds would it take them to reach a human (bait) {30 meters} away? Answer: Aprox. 2 seconds

This wasn't as easy as the previous one. Conversions are annoying.

Question 3: An ostrich's kick is very (strong). Without an airbag, a human (bait) would die.  Caution: When observing an ostrich (stong) bring an airbag! Their specialty is kicking after taking a long running start. If an ostrich's (speed) is halved, how (strong) would their kick be? Answer: 1/4 

She was so done with ostriches and Zukawa's fetish with them!

The ghost's snarly voice roared through the intercom, telling them a special test is awaiting them in the animal classroom. Though Kisara shuddered, Yashiki dragged her back at the slaughter room - All the better, as they didn't get the chance to investigate. "I'm not touching anything. I don't want to know what kind of psychopathic memories I would receive if I touch anything in this god forsaken room." the girl said. "I-I'll take the test while you investigate!" "Alright, alright..." the man sighed deeply, looking around and rummaging through the disgusting room. On the desk, he found a text fragment... And stuck inside the esophagus of an animal... A transistor megaphone was hidden there. "What in the fresh hell..." the poor man cursed. Kisara handed him a handkerchief. "I'm getting sick in this room." and she went to the exam paper, trying not to tear up from the look of the massacred animals. "This... This is German. Amazing." the girl stared with fascination. She took German and English as her foreign languages, and she was always happy about that. The questions looked to be... International history? World War two? She should ace it.

Question 1: In the Pacific War, the Japanese mainland underwent air raids and a shelter was built in H City. Choose the correct period of when the war took place. Answer: Showa. She needn't even see the other options, she knew everything about the war, inside out. Everything her grandparents told her, she knows to perfection.

Question 2: In the war with America, the Imperial Japanese Army conducted a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, which started the war against the United States. Which phrases out of the ones below were used in the telegram which described the attack? Answer: Niitaka-yama nobore.

Climb the mountain Niitaka... Yes... That was it. That was how they coded the day of the attack. Tora tora tora was when they were to attack, on sight... 

Question 3: In 1945 when the war ended, which country was allied with Japan? Answer: Germany Though Italy was part of the Axis, it ended up switching sides and declaring war on Germany, and the United Kingdom had always been a great power of the Allies. This was the most agreeable and fun test - She could take it ten times over... But not in this place.

"How'd it go?" Yashiki said, hearing that the last test is in the empty classroom. "Let's just say there's no World War 2 trivia that I don't know." she grinned. "How are you holding up?" "Barely." Yashiki sighed. "Let's get this over with." he put his arm over her shoulder, as a way of supporting each other. It was no small feat, finding the mental and physical strength to drag your feet towards another rabid ghost. "Well, you know the drill. I do the test, you investigate." Kisara sighed, going to the exam paper. Hopefully, this really was the last one. "Wait, hold up! I found something." Yashiki called out. "It's a... A Music Sheet, titled 'Star'. And there's another fragment. Let's put them together and see what they mean." he sprawled everything over a desk. "By the specific frequency of sound waves." the end of fragment I and the start of fragment G connected together into a sentence. "Uh... Figure it out!" she jogged back to the test paper.

Let's (great) {Ashura} the following questions. {Animals} can be (controlled with) {frequenCIES}. The experiment (EXPERIMENT) was a {success}. 

Question 1: What SOUND are {snakes} scared of? Please (great) {Ashura} from the following. Answer: Nothing.

Considering how she idolises snakes, they are probably unafraid of anything, in her eyes.

Question 2: What SOUND are {PIGS} scared of? Please (great) {Ashura} from the following. Answer: Giant fish song

Hopefully, this is right. It's either this or the Night sky song. At this point, she doubts even someone with more musical culture would understand the nonsensical undertones of this weirdo.

Question 3: Which one is not {sealed}. Please (great) {Ashura} from the following. Answer: Harmonica

It's the only instrument they haven't found around so far.

"Pass? Really?" Yashiki let out an exhale. "Great job. Really. I don't think I could have done this." the man praised. "Well... What now?" Kisara asked, a bit dazed. "I think we can use all the stinking exam papers to lure the snakes out of the anatomical model and see what's hiding inside." he explained. "That's a great idea. Let's do it." the two nodded in determination and rushed back. Yashiki did as he said, and as he put his hand inside the model's mouth, he found a Science Match and a key to the music room. Kisara was a bit upset that Yashiki through all of the exam papers out of the window, but at least there were no more snakes... Or lingering stench. "The time is almost up. I can feel the Mark burning." Yashiki muttered.  "Do you think Zukawa was the one cursing you, then?" she asked softly. "I hope it is. I'm really exhausted from all this." he dragged his palm over his face. "I..." Kisara sighed. "I don't think it's Zukawa for me. I feel perfectly fine." she said, taking out a Tag. "There was this Tag in the storage room. Let's go check out the room below." she said.

The storage room on the first floor looked perfectly normal, though when Yashiki weirdly started tapping on the left wall, he realised the center portion of the wall sounded hollow. He took the hammer and dredged it down the wall, destroying it. "Use ethanol with a match." Kisara suggested, watching the man jump back, freaked out - More snakes. They disappeared to somewhere, once the blue flames scare them off, and now, with the wall empty, he picked up an amulet. An Aizen Ashura Talisman. "Off to the music room, then." Yashiki guided her to the last room, where they unlocked the door with the key they found. Inside, a single piano was placed in a corner, with a sheet of music - Carp Streamer. "So... Was that a waste of time?" Kisara asked confused. Unsure of what to do, the two exited the room. The intercom shrieks again. 

'dOOo YyoUu hHHavVeee .... bBrrAAiiNnsSs?' how creepy. 'IiI'lLL UUussEE TTthooOosSSEEs wwwondDEeerRfuL BbBrraiIIiNssS noOowWW...' she continued. 'aAaSSs iiIInNnnrEeeDDIiiEeEnttTsss... aNNNdd diIissEEeecCtTT YyYoOUuuu...'

"What?! Did she just say she'll dissect us for ingredients?!" Yashiki gasped, sharing a crestfallen look of anguish with the girl who could barely nod her head. "She wanted to see if we were worthy enough to become ingredients." "Screw me and my smart ass." Kisara cursed herself. Suddenly, she squeals and grabs Yashiki in fear. "S-Something's rushing up from the West - And it's hella fast!" "And the Mark is burning like crazy - This is the last confrontation with this damned ghost." Yashiki gritted his teeth, pulling the woman back in the music room with him. "What are we going to throw at her?!" she asked, opening the bag. "No time for that - Hide in the locker!" Yashiki opened two lockers and they hid inside.

The door to the music room was slammed open... Or perhaps it was ripped from its hinges. Zukawa's monstrous body, more a mix of different parts of animals rather than human, heaved and panted, pacing to and fro around the lockers. Her pig face... Or was it an alligator? Was fixedly glaring at her through the small, horizontal line gaps of the locker. Kisara's body was trembling like a leaf, and she was biting so hard on her quivering bottom lip that she could feel the strong metal taste all over her tongue. Suddenly, she stepped out of sight. It was more terrifying not seeing her, Kisara realised, and she tried to tilt her head to the side, just enough to find her again in the room.

The locker door was ripped open, and Zukawa's horrifying body stood there, almost close enough to close the pathway. The red haired woman sprung from the locker, and next to the piano. She was hysterically panting and wheezing. "YASHIKI! YASHIKI!" she cried out his name. "WHAT THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?!" she held tightly onto the piano, holding the Aizen Ashura Talisman in her grasp.  While Miss Zoo wasn't paying attention, Yashiki, too, dashed out of the locker. Zukawa was stepping closer with her terrifying ostrich legs. She could jump at them at any moment, and based on the test she took, those legs could kick them dead. Yashiki held up the office trash. Nothing happened, except for Zukawa moaning out in gargles her hedonistic love for the Great Ashura... And her wanting the talisman back. Her mouth was dripping with blood. She dashes and performs a jump kick. Thankfully, the office trash bag that Yashiki was holding as a shield was enough to cushion the blow. That was close. She gets closer, and her arm snakes hiss, threatening them. "Quick - Ethanol and the matches!" the two create a mass of flame which divert the aim of the snakes as they try to attack. She was now closer to them, and the pig face with shark mouth snapped its jaws open, drooling and revealing sharp predator teeth. Yashiki tries to hit the monster with the hatchet, but snakes coil around his arms. Quickly, Kisara searcher for the fish music sheet and hurried behind the piano. Though her hands were shaking as though she was suffering from Parkinson's disease, it was a children music sheet, so it was easy to play, even if her mind was blazing with fright. Miss Zoo stiffens, as if paralysed. She was weakened.

Finally, Kisara holds up the Talisman again, while Yashiki lights up a match and burns it. Miss Zoo shrieks seeing the talisman go up in flames - She clingst onto the woman, scrambling to get it back. Pressed together and with Yashiki desperately trying to pry her off, all of Miss Zoo's bodily fluids drench her outfit. "GROSS!" Kisara shrieks, tearing up in disgust... Though those shark teeth so close to her face do nothing to alleviate her fear. 

The Ashura Aizen Talisman disintegrates to ashes in Miss Zoo's hand and scatters into the air. Her eyes pin the girl in place with their intense fury. "HOW DARE YOU?! HOW DARE YOU!!! GREAT ASHURA!!!!!!!" the snakes on Zukawa's arms raise their heads and swiftly strike at their prey. Kisara shrieks and shields her face, not seeing the snakes coiling around and biting into Zukawa's torso. "WHYYYYYYYYYYYY?!" the snakes were feasting on the places where she touched Hasashi's skin... Was it because of her human smell?  "Kisara, open your eyes - Look! The snakes are devouring her!" Yashiki gasped, unable to pry his eyes away from the sight before him. Her sight was glazed from the tears, but she could see the snakes biting and ripping away at the only part of her that is steal human. She squeals with joy. "FEEEEEEEELSSSS SOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!" after consuming their host, the snake arms detach and fall to the ground. Wriggling their half-torn bodies, they vanish into the darkness. "What the fuck." Kisara breaths out. "Absolutely NOTHING out of everything regarding this ghost made ANY sense." her head leaned down on the ground. She pulled at the neck of her sweater. "Still here, right?" Yashiki looked down at his wrist, then at her neck - And he nodded, a disappointed, yet resigned look on his face. He extended his hand to help her up - Only to see a folded paper on the ground where the ghost vanished. It was an old map - It had 'Army' writing on it. This was what Zukawa stole from Hiroo.

Finally, they leaned onto each other and got the hell out of there. The drive back to the mansion was perfectly silent - But it was good. They were too exhausted and paralysed with fear to be able to speak another word.  It wasn't easy, speaking to the three women back at the Mansion, but they managed, somehow. They gave Hiroo back the map, with the expected ungrateful attitude, and she gave Zukawa's diary. Ai and Yasuoka will be leaving the next day, though Yashiki needed Yasuoka to search around about the Death Mark. She knew better than all about supernatural stuff. Ai also invited them to her concert, but they cheekily said they'll only come should they get VIP seats. 

The most annoying of them all had to remain the night, though Kisara was fine - She wasn't sleeping there. The Mansion was too creepy to stay around, and after what happened, she truly needed the comfort of her own home. Hiroo said the map was of an underground shelter and that possibly, whatever turned Zukawa into a monster might be down there too. Kisara looked up at Yashiki once Hiroo climbed the stairs to her new dormitory. "Hey, when you find something about Hiroo and the shelter, contact me. I have strong ties to things related to World War 2, and I might be able to help. My grandpa was the Surgeon General in the imperial army - I'm sure he knows things from this city." she explained, fixing her hair. "Alright. I'll see what I can get out of her. She's not the easiest to get along with." the man sighed pitifully. "Sorry for leaving you alone with her. She's a real pain. Still - Call me if you need anything, okay? We're quite literally in this together, until the end." she gave an unease half-smile. "Thanks. Really - Thanks. Have a safe drive back home... I know you don't want to return. Rest well." Kisara nodded at him. "And take a shower - We both need it big time." she gave a soft chuckle before returning to her car and going home.

The Sun was already up and going by the time she got home. She took a very long bath and oiled herself in the sweetest fragrances - Finally, something that smelled good. She lit up a ton of strong scented candles and incense, put the day's clothes to wash with a ton of perfume and clothes balm and all that, and got some light snacks to eat. She was exhausted once she was finally in her nightgown and she allowed herself to fall onto the bed. She looked at her phone and flipped up the lid, searching for a contact. 'Friendly Policeman' it said. She found herself smiling tiredly at the screen, and she hit the green dial button, putting it on speaker.  

"You're insane if you think I'll actually answer you at this hour. You're pushing your luck already." Satoru's hoarse groan made her chuckle softly. "Can you talk me to sleep?" she asked, placing the phone on the other pillow next to her. "Did you hear no word of what I said?!" he exclaimed. "It was... A bad day." she admitted, her voice delicate. "I need a touch of normalcy if I want to be able to sleep... And hopefully stay asleep for at least 8 hours straight." "...Did you go ghost-hunting?" she hummed in acknowledgement. "You didn't tell me." "Things went pretty fast pace, to be honest. After everything that happened, I have some problems wrapping my head around all the nonsensical and completely deranged things that I've lived through. It was a hundred times worse than Shimi-O." she let out a shaky breath. "Alright, alright, I get it, let's not talk about that if you want to sleep." the man sighed softly. The subtle noise of the sheets shifting was heard. "I'm awake now. What do you want to talk about? You say you want to sleep, but talking won't help with that." "I... Just wanted to hear your voice, really. I think you have a beautiful voice. It's very reassuring and calming." she heard him scoffing on the other end, though he made no haste to correct or tease her. "Doubt I'm the most interesting man out there. Free talking isn't my thing, I'm no orator." he grumbled. "Ah, okay, I know. I have some books around. It's uh... Agatha Christie. I can read it to you." "Oh, she's good. Please, do." Kisara grinned, cuddling the pillow and closing her eyes. The man began monotonously reading the lines, though the intonation didn't matter - His voice truly was enough to wipe all the horrific scenes from her head. Suddenly, she found herself unable to respond to him, when he called out her name. She faintly heard him chuckle, a gentle tone to his voice. "Good night, you little trouble seeker." he said, and continued reading the book out loud. Though she was unable to reply, she had a peaceful sleep.

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[darkdevasofdestruction]

Chapter 4 - Wedding Dress

It was a restful night - Or day, rather said. The heavy drapes kept the Sun at bay, and the woman was able to sleep until late into the afternoon. An untimely encounter with a ghost was nowhere near the evening activity that she preferred, let alone one which had no correlation to her curse. Alas, she will continue playing the Good Samaritan until the day she's broken free of the Mark. Even so, with this chaotic schedule, she fears being unable to continue working for a period of time, and she might need to take medical leave.. Hopefully, that won't be the case.

With a nice book in her lap and a well deserved coffee, Kisara enjoyed her leisure day, for as long as she could, before Yashiki would be calling her to inform about the new lead, and consequently, the new spirit they have to exorcise. There wasn't much room for resting, for the phone rang, and Yashiki told her about his little trip up to H Shrine with Christie and Mary.

He informed her of the tragic state of disrepair of the shrine, the severed shimenawa, the empty altar and the headless Buddha statues. It was an odd combination, all things considered. Buddhism was highly ostracised during World War 2, with Shinto being the prime religion for everyone including the generals and Emperor. After the war was lost, all religions, especially Shinto, began to fade into nothingness, and people preferred atheism - With the odd exception of traditionalism beginning to gain some favour again, not for religion sake, but for the cultural appreciation of their own country and its old beliefs and history.

Regardless, not only was it weird to find decapitated Buddha statues at a Shinto shrine, but their mere existence there was odd, which only makes one wonder which religion was the first to conquer the spot first, and which instilled their retribution on the other?

It is true, during the Meiji period, there were supposed to be enough shrines that were devoted to both religions... Though it wasn't necessarily a norm. Could religious fanatics have taken over and destroyed everything after the war, as a way to show their devotion to the 'true faith'? She remembers the famous Anti-Buddhist movement that her grandpa told her about. Though he hadn't actively done anything to aid this unnerving cause, he, too, was of the belief that Shintoism was superior, and Buddhism should go back to its countries. Chinese were Buddhist, and Chinese were inferior to them... Or so was the belief. 

Yashiki told her that Mary was convinced the Kujo family head secretly moved all the Buddha statues at the Shrine, after a whole show was displayed in the city center... More, Mary claims that these statues were dug up and 'stolen' 50 years ago, around the time of war. There was something peculiar that Kisara sensed, but she wasn't entirely sure what it was that didn't make sense to her. She was supposed to be a World War 2 history whizz, considering how fascinated she was by her grandparents' stories... So why can't she pick up the odd detail out? Was it her memory loss? It may as well could be... So, perhaps, she should go pay a filial visit to her grandparents and have a nice, educational chat? 

Yashiki informed her that Christie was of the belief that, because the Buddha statues were broken, thrown away, dug up and stolen, they incurred the divine wrath of Buddha, who's known for his wealth of patience, and thus, that anger was channeled into bringing up spirits and curses such as the Mark into this world. But the question remained - Why now, after 50 years since the incident? 

By the end of the call, Yashiki told her that Mary sensed a spiritual presence that was similar to Christie's, and he stopped the car on the road, somewhere between the hiking trail entrance and the mansion, near a telephone booth. He found a little girl, along with some young man with a rather sleazy and untrustworthy appearance - Though he made it seem as though a little girl was significantly more level headed and rational than said flustered guy. She asked for his help in contacting this 'Hanayome' , a ghost who allegedly helps you find things. The two were also marked. The little girl said she got her Mark when she made the phone call to the spirit. No doubt, this Hanayome was the one who cursed them. These two were now temporary residents of the Kujo Mansion. 

And thus, she was told the rumours of Hanayome, the ghost bride that helps you find things you're looking for. Some said a friend of their heard the phone ringing, and when he picked up, he heard this continuous smacking sound, like chewing and gulping, until he finally heard a voice. 'Did you see it?' a woman's whisper asked. As the rumours said, the person replied 'I haven't seen it.' The ghost then asks 'What do you want to see?' The person's cat went missing, and he wanted to find it. When he looked where the woman said, the cat was really there. 

With this rumour going, Christie did say she heard the phone ringing while going to the T Mountain. That phone box apparently is also said to be haunted. Still, she didn't pick up the phone, only stepped inside the booth. There are three phones in total - One at the A Highway parking lot, where they already were, the one at the T Mountain rest area, where Christie got her Mark, and at the park by T apartment complex.  The rumours about Hanayome go back 5 years ago... Coincidently, everything seems to be either 5 years, or 50 years prior... And until recently, no one ever got the Mark from calling Hanayome. So something must have changed. 

And thus, Kisara was called to come over by the T Mountain Rest Area to investigate with them. In a hurry to get to the vacant area, she dressed more casually and hopped in the car, hoping her GPS won't be failing her. Once she arrived, Yashiki, along with the little called she later found out was called Suzu, were already there. The sound of a dog barking and howling was heard in the distance. It felt... Sad. As though it was calling for someone. Though Kisara hadn't voiced her opinions, the little one did, and she felt inclined to agree. And she guessed correctly that the dog may or may not be a spirit. She could sense a strong spiritual power inside of her - Girls usually had more of an affinity with this kind of stuff.

"Suzu, if you ever feel like saying something about spirits, don't be ashamed to say it, okay? Your insight is very much welcomed, especially as a fellow girl with spiritual affinity. I, too, can sense what you said about the dog." the red haired girl smiled kindly at the child. "R-Really? Okay!" her wide, black eyes held gratitude. 

Since the rumours said the phone won't ring until a person stands inside, Yashiki volunteered to be the bait, whilst the woman takes care of Suzu outside. Poor man looked rather uncomfortable inside the cramped booth. The clouded glass of the phone box made it hard to see inside or outside... It wasn't a pleasant sight.  Inside the booth, there was a poster - 

Help our investigation! On the night of February 8th 199X, an assault took place in the forest nearby. If anyone has any info on this case, please notify the H Police Department. 

It was dated 5 years prior, as all things are. Something terrible happened.  As soon as Yashiki finished reading the poster, the phone rang. At first, there is no sound, only the dial tone - And then, the chewing begins. The ghost finally asks the great question - Did you see it? And Yashiki answers that no, he didn't see it. When asked what he wants to see, he mentioned the lost Buddha statues. 'Doesn't your arm already have the Mark of the Buddha on it?' she says. 'Tell me, you want a new Buddha?' she continued, heaving and panting loudly. 'Why're you doing that? Tell me! Well? Tell me. Tell me. Tell me... Tell me? Tell me? Tell me? Tell me? ................... Tell me? Tell me? Tell me? Tell me? Tell me? Tell me? Tell me? Tell me?' she kept repeating over and over, until a a high pitched, deafeningly loud shriek demands one more time, and the line goes dead. Yashiki felt sick and nauseous, most likely from that bloodcurdling scream of insanity.  Still, the true question was - Why hasn't she answered the question properly? What was different?   His Mark burns dully, as if to remind him of its existence.

As a pale Yashiki recalls his encounter, the two girls are unable to come up with a proper explanation as to why Hanayome acted so differently. Still, Kisara didn't like the idea of the 'Mark of Buddha' as the ghost so said. It didn't make sense to her.  While the two returned to the mansion and inform Mary of the happenings, Kisara went straight to the park. 'Don't follow the rumours... Disobey...' rang in her head. She wanted to call Satoru and tell him to investigate this ghost and the assault that happened, but in a way, she doubted he'd come up with anything relevant in such a short amount of time. She got inside the phone booth, watching the ominous low-hanging mist swirling all around the park. She felt terrified. Perhaps waiting for the other two would have been a better idea. No - She was a warrior, she couldn't let some silly ghost get the best of her nerves. With a deep breath, she scanned the inside of the booth, and found a poster. 

Young woman kidnapped! A young local woman was kidnapped close to this location. If you were a witness to the crime, please notify the police - MPD  February 8th... 5 years ago.

Kisara gulped, feeling a foreboding feeling of deep dread. Without thinking, she touched the poster - And she shrieked in agony. Before her eyes flashed an image - It was herself, wearing a beautiful wedding dress and holding a flower bouquet... Of crimson spider lilies - The flowers of death. She was looking in the mirror, but her face was hidden. She unveiled herself, only to realise that the face she was staring at was distorted, and her neck fell to the side, crooked at an inhuman angle and length, as though she was the crane wife. This was death by hanging, she knew the looks of it too well. But that disturbing image wasn't what scared her, but the rapid images and sequences of a horror film that dashes around her mind. She was being pinned down to the ground in a forest, surrounded by grinning men, laughing lecherously as they kept touching her body - Bright flashes of light and the rapid snapping of pictures rose electrifying anxiety through her body. "Stop! Stop! Please stop! No pictures! Please! I beg of you, let me go! Don't touch me! It hurts, please!" she kept sobbing and wailing, but the men didn't let go of her, nor did they stop until they were satisfied her soul had been shattered to pieces, never to recover again.

Kisara snapped back to reality and fell to the ground, her whole body trembling, and tears streaming down her face. Knowing stories was one thing, but experiencing them, even in the vivid form of memory hopping and dreaming, was a whole other thing. She couldn't erase the images in her head, and every time she blinked, she could see the disgusting grins of those men... And feel their hands all over her body. She wanted to skin herself alive and burn it. Was this what happened to Hanayome, and other women? Was this what she was feeling? Was this why she killed herself? A bride... She must have been engaged or married... Or, perhaps, she was robbed of her wedding after all this. The pictures snapped... Did she get blackmailed? Was this too much for her to bare - The shame, the humiliation - And she ended it all?

The sound of ringing made her jump in her skin, and with trembling eyes, she mustered the courage to answer. The sound of chewing makes her shudder - It was gross, it made her cringe. An icy cold voice speaks. 'Did you see it?' "Yes... Yes, I saw it. I saw it all." whether the voice in her head alerted her or not, she'd have said the same thing. She wasn't a liar, especially to a victim like her. She pitied and empathised with her, to the point her heart was aching. An ear-piercing shriek followed. 'You saw, didn't you?!' she said. 'You saw that thing of me!' was she referring to the pictures snapped of her during the assault? 

The voice cut off, and the beeping sound of the dead line rung idly through the booth. Did she do something wrong?  At once, something outside the dusty booth collides with the glass of the booth, but she couldn't see what it was. A bloody hand print painted the glass.  'Tell me... How did you see it...? With your own eyes? Or eyeglasses? Or a telescope?' the ghost asked. Weird choices. "Neither. I lived everything myself through your mind." Kisara choked back a sob. The voice was creeping her out, on a weirdly different level than Shimi-O and that horrifying drill of his. From outside came a sound akin to... Searching around? As though she was trying to find a way in.   'You saw it... You said you saw it...' the chewing sound made its way inside Kisara's head, so deep that she thought Hanayome was chewing on her own grey matter. 'What colour? A beautiful colour... Red? Pink? Green?' Kisara pondered, trying to recall the image. What what she referring to? The only colour she saw in the mirror was her own scarlet hair, and green eyes... Then, the beautiful colour she was referring to... Could that be... Pink? "Is the beautiful colour... Pink, maybe?" she asked, unsure. There was no sound of anything colliding with the booth anymore. 'You saw it... What kind of person... Are you? What's important to you? Your dreams? Romance? Love? Which do you choose?' Kisara thought it over. Her dreams? She can achieve them all, if she put in the hard work. She was smart enough, ambitious, and had the resources for it, so that one is crossed. Now - What's the difference between Romance and Love? What was the ghost thinking? A bride... Love could be of any kind - To your neighbour, to a friend, to an animal, to your family. Romance was an intimate kind of love addressed to your lover only... A fiance... A husband... Yes, that must be it. She had all the love that she needed, but she never experienced this intimacy that Hanayome lost. This must be the answer. "Romance. I want to experience what romance is like."

With another sob-like heave, the phone line dies, and the bloody hand print disappeared. Kisara felt her legs weaken, the phone still in her hand. By a long shot, she found herself dialing Mashita's number. She hoped that, by the time Yashiki and Suzu arrive, she would be able to get over this encounter. "Who's calling at this god forsaken hour?" he snarked over the phone. "Sorry for waking you up. I thought detectives have a messed up sleeping schedule." she was suddenly feeling much better, just hearing his voice. "Kisara? What the hell are you doing?" he asked, sobering up.

"I'm calling from a phone booth in the park." she takes a deep breath. "We're investigating a new ghost... And, uh... I..." she raked her fingers through her hair. "Yashiki and the other one went to the mansion while I came here alone. I don't like wasting time." "I thought you were smarter than this." he sighed. "Did you encounter the ghost, then? You sound pretty shaken up." "Y-Yeah." she breathed out. "But it's not just that. I-I... I saw what happened to the ghost. It's... It's really sad, I--... I can't help but feel for her. It's such an awful thing that happened to her." she took another deep breath.

"Tell me what happened." his voice was still stern, but it held a gentle undertone to it.

"Five years ago, a woman got kidnapped and... Assaulted... By multiple men. I-I... I saw them. I-... I was there. I was HER." a soft sob escaped her lips. "They kept... Doing things to her... And beating her... And they snapped pictures for blackmail... And they let her go." she said. "I... This ghost... She's a ghost bride. I think she had a husband or fiance... And I heard the hallow sound of a dog howl, looking for someone... I can't help but think the dog might have been hers, and its looking for her." she fell silent for a few seconds. "Satoru." he could barely hear her voice. "I saw her. In the mirror. But it wasn't her - It was me. It was me, wearing the wedding dress, and holding a bouquet of spider lilies... And it was me with the crooked neck from hanging. She killed herself, in this forest, from all the humiliation. They ruined her. They destroyed her. She's so broken that she can't forgive anything. She's... She's... Just a woman... Unlucky enough to have been born a weak prey for all the monsters lurking around. She's not the monster - It's them. They are the monsters, not her!" she hissed in anger. "Suzu said for the past 5 years, she helped people find whatever they were missing, and she never gave anyone a Mark. There is something weird happening these days. The Marks are recent things. That dumbass Christie keeps saying it's the Divine Wrath from Buddha after having his statues broken during the War - But if that was true, why manifest now, after 50 whole years? It makes no sense!" Satoru was quiet for longer than he realised. "Calm down." he cooed in the phone. "Is she gone now?" "Yes. I... I had a talk with her. It was pretty incoherent, I didn't understand half of what she was trying to say, but... I think she doesn't want people to see her as she was after the assault. She's happy to help if you say you didn't see anything... I can't blame her. Suddenly, I want to snap Miss Arimura's neck and make her see what true suffering is. Not some stupid scandal, but something like this." Satoru recalled all the statistics and the cases he had or heard of, or seen in the news. Missing women, killed women, assaulted women. It wasn't a problem just in their country, but all over the world. Terrifying things that men who think they are above all, who need a power trip, do to those weaker than them, usually women. The statistics were through the roof. He remembers Kisara, laying peacefully on the flower bed in the forest. She could have been one of them, if they hadn't found her. Suddenly, Christie's whining, and that deadbeat Kimura pissed him off even more. People out there actually suffer because of the torment others inflict on them, while others cry and whine and seek attention, all due to their own poor choices and idiocy.

"Don't get out of the booth until Yashiki arrives. I want to know you safe." he told her, hearing her breathing calm down.

"As pathetic as it sounds, I don't think I have the courage nor strength to get off the ground at this moment." she admitted, self-disgust obvious in her voice. "It's to be expected. You may be a tough cookie, but you're still a woman. Having to experience tragedy so intimately isn't good for the psyche." she remained quiet.  "Satoru, I found something." she said, extending her hand to pull at a folded up piece of paper stuck behind the phone. Unfolding it, she read out loud its contents. "To Seiko, it says. I'll dispel all of your heartache, so forget that terrible incident and take your quiet rest up in heaven." she found herself sobbing again. "Seiko? Is that the ghost's real name?" Satoru asked. "And what you said before about killing herself makes sense now, with this paper." "... Her and her husband must have really loved each other." she muttered. "I can feel the heart ache behind this. It's really powerful." she sighed softly. "But if she's dead already, how can he get rid of her heartache?" Mashita asked, pondering. "Murder." came the eerie answer. "There is no other way. They tortured his wife into going crazy enough to kill herself. Even if the culprits get caught, they'll get a few years in jail and that's it. There is no proper sentence for monsters like them. The only thing that could ever sooth a tormented soul is revenge. I think her husband went to search and kill the monsters who did this to her. Who took her away from him." "That's one tragedy over the other." Mashita grumbled to himself. "But revenge won't bring her back. You have to learn how to live with what happened and move on." "That's not how it works, Satoru. Logically, yes, it is. Rationally. But other than that, don't forget we're humans, and we suffer more than we should. We're all screwed up one way or the other. And just like Hanayome... Seiko... Found no way out of getting her life back... So her husband tried to desperately find a way to instill his vengeance not only for her, but for him too. It was his life that they destroyed too." she explained, leaning her head back on the glass and looking up, aimlessly.  "You sound like a victim yourself." she said nothing. "Did something happen, Kisara?" "Even if it did, I wouldn't tell you, would I?" she let out a dry chuckle. "But I hope they suffered plenty for what they did. Them, and everyone else who did something so hellish. No matter how competent the police force is - Which, unfortunately, isn't much - Horrific crimes are still going to happen, and there's nothing we can do about the twisted nature of mankind. There is no legal way of getting revenge. Vigilante there is, then." she muttered to herself. "Do you believe in heaven, Satoru? Or hell, or the after life, or any kind of religion?" "No, I don't." he earned a soft chuckle. "Neither do I. All the more reason to make your stay here, for as long as it, nice and comfortable." she admitted. The door to the booth suddenly opens, making the girl squeak in shock. "Ah - Yashiki! Took you long enough!" "Miss Kisara? What are you doing?" he frowned in confusion, offering a hand to help her stand. "I was talking to Satoru. Ah - Good night, Satoru. I'll call you tomorrow to tell you of the case... At a better hour." she hung up. "I already talked to Hanayome. I'll tell you guys everything there is back at the mansion. Everyone needs to hear this." "Miss Kisara, have you been crying?" Suzu asked innocently. "Erh -- Yeah, I think I did." the woman nodded, taking out her handkerchief and wiping her face. "Our ghostie had a very tragic demise, and I had the... Privilege of living through her story." "What do you mean?" the little girl's eyes widened in shock. "I... Have very strong spiritual powers, and sometimes, if I touch items with strong connections to the deceased, I can... Live the memories that said spirit wants me to see. Usually the dying moments and the like." the woman sighed, fixing her hair. "So Miss Hanayome was very sad before she died?" Kisara nodded her head. "I'm really sorry to hear that..."

Once they returned to the mansion, Kisara gathered the rest and told them about her encounter with the ghost and what she'd seen and pieced together in the story of Hanayome. The five of them started searching through the crime reports, until Suzu found one dated February 8th, five years ago, with a victim named Seiko Hasegawa. She committed suicide in the H forest, the day before her wedding. She was in her wedding dress when she was found. Though Kisara advised the young girl not to continue reading, she was brave - She felt she needed to know... Just like Kisara always did when she was her age.

With the amount of spiritual power that Suzu has, she only hoped she wouldn't end up getting roped into ghost mess again in the future.  Christie then recalls the horrible incident - She remembers it during her days of being a news anchor. Seiko was kidnapped by a gang while she was walking her dog. They brought her to the forest and assaulted her. People found her battered and staggering along the road.

The dog was run over and killed near the forest when it chased after them.  Eita then says the assault was photographed and the pictures were sent to her fiance. They blackmailed them and threatened to make them public if he didn't pay up. He offered a ton of money to get rid of the pictures and the negatives. Seiko had a mental breakdown after all this and she hung herself.

The story Kisara pulled together from those memories was unfortunately accurate and extremely painful. A serious, honest woman being retorted to a humiliated laughingstock... She couldn't bare it. After a moment of silence, Suzu asks why the phone booths were relevant. Christie knew the answer. Seiko was abducted near the park and assaulted by the rest area... And found wandering near the A highway. 

Seiko's fiance was a famous musician and the whole thing was widely publicised. The assault happened at a short time after a romantic trip to Greece. No wonder Hanayome referred to 'Romance' as her important thing.  The fiance apparently started acting strange after the incident and went missing. They said Seiko's suicide was to follow him... But Eita pointed out the culprits went missing too. So, in the end, they were all dead. 

Yashiki asked Christie if she remembers the exact spot of Seiko's suicide, and whilst she can't pin-point it perfectly, she remembered going west from the arch way. Thus, himself, Suzu and Kisara got in the car and returned to the forest. Suzu shudders, terrified at the idea of going inside the cursed forest. "Do you want to hold my hand?" Kisara smiled sweetly at her. Suzu nodded her head timidly and gingerly held onto the woman's hand as they walked through the arch way. 

They look west, but realise there is no real trail there - Somehow, it must have overgrown. Suddenly, it got very cold. Out of nowhere, the barking of a dog alarms them of its presence... Though it looks dubious, with long, disheveled hair, and a face that almost looked human. The dog stares at them, growling softly. "Hey, darling, don't be afraid. We want to save your master." Kisara's gentle voice reached the dog, who let out a whimper and it dashes back into the thicket. The moment it's gone, the chill disappears from the air. "Let's follow him." Kisara said, moving along, holding her own flashlight in her hand. Rummaging around the bushes, they found what remained of the closed hiking trail.

Very close to the beginning of the closed trail, they found a dead end with a tree that held numerous bark slashes. Yashiki looks around in a bush, finding an instant camera. Without realising, he hit the switch, and a red light appeared - The flash could be used.  "Does it still work? Suzu asks." "Yeah, looks that way." Yashiki mutters. He quickly stuffs it back in the back, not mentioning the dried blood from the bottom of it.  "Hey, Yashiki, come over here." Kisara grumbled, flashing the light on the things nailed on the bark. Numerous pictures of different people, all of them bloody, were nailed on the bark. All their eyes were nailed, more specifically. Attached to one of the tails, there was a tape.  "All of the pictures... They're all men." Suzu noted. "Think these are the culprits?" Kisara asked, disgusted. 

Yashiki seemed unease on his feet, dizzy, and he stumbled backwards. All of a sudden, he frowned, flashing his light upwards. Something was stuck in the branches. "Hey, Suzu, can you help me with that?" Yashiki asked, crouching down and helping the little girl climb on him. He boosted her up. Suzu reaches as far up as she can, but Yashiki loses balance. Before he could topple them both to the ground, Kisara throws her arms around him, stabilising his body and helping Suzu climb down carefully.  The little girl hands Yashiki the item she found - A dog collar, with the name GENTA written on it. Kisara thought the letters looked similar to Greek ones, which made sense, considering the couple brought the dog from their trip in Greece. "Genta. His name is Genta." Kisara muttered, tracing her thumb over the inscription. 

As they continue down the trail forward, they hear a low, canine growl from somewhere. Kisara could feel no hostility from the dog, but Yashiki was sweating in fear. "Wh-What should we do?" the moment Suzu speaks, the growling gets quieter. "I've got an idea." Kisara muttered. "Genta? Hey, sweety, it's alright now. I'm a woman. My name is Kisara. I'm a friend of your master, Seiko." Kisara walked a few paces foward, crouching to the ground and holding out the collar. "This is yours, isn't it?" the dog appears like a gust of wind.  Before she can blink, it steals away the collar.  "Mr. Yashiki, stand back and don't move!" Suzu's vibrating voice warned the man. He was the main target, should the dog want to attack. Thankfully, the dog keeps staring at the red haired woman crouching in front of him. The dog starts to chew on the collar, staring right into her soul. "You're a good boy, Genta. I'm very proud of you. Seiko loves you dearly." her voice was praising and tender. The dog lets out a whine, and walks off the track. Kisara stood up after picking back the collar. "I always thought dogs were the best animals known to mankind. This only proves it more." she sighed. "Are you guys okay?" "Y-Yeah... I think so." Suzu whimpers softly, trying to appear brave. "We're... We're good. Let's go." Yashiki hold Suzu's hand and follows behind Hasashi.

Somewhere not much farther away, they found a few silhouettes hanging. Suzu yelped in fright. Yashiki flashed his light upon them - Mannequins. "That's the weirdest thing I've ever seen." Kisara muttered, examining the mannequins. Perfectly still and harmless. What a deranged idea for a prank. Moving along, they encounter the dog again - This time, no hostility. Suzu guarantees so, reassuring the man. The dog starts digging into the ground, before vanishing. Yashiki goes to touch the ground where the dog was trying to dig, and called the two girls over to help him out. "You're going to dig?" Suzu's eyes were wide with surprise.  "Yeah. I don't think we'll need any tools." he explained. "I feel like I'm grave robbing." Yashiki just jinxed it. After a little more digging, a corpse is exactly what they found - The skeleton being the only thing remaining of what once was a human.  "I-Is that... A corpse?" Suzu was breathless. Yashiki nodded. In its grasp, there was a plastic bag. Once the man dug it out, it revealed a few cassette tapes and a note. 

'I... killed them all... Ones... assault... you... Now you... rest in peace... I... what needed to be done... Now I... die here... This forest... you passed awa... New song... want... listen... heaven...'

"That sounds like a suicide note, doesn't it?" Suzu asked, sorrow in her voice. "You can't really get away living a normal life after killing a bunch of people and... Everything that happened to his fiancee." Kisara sighed, feeling pity for the couple. "But why were the tapes buried too?" Suzu asked again.  "I don't kno--" Yashiki trails of, becoming silent for a little while. "The last? Wait a second, what do you mean - The last what?" he asks, bewildered. He must have heard that voice again. "Huh? I-Is something the matter? I didn't say anything." Suzu's eyes darted around aimlessly.  "It's... Nothing. Sorry, just talking to myself." the man apologises. "Let's take these tapes with us."

The trio walk back to the entrance, only for Kisara to find herself walking alone, ahead. She stared back, watchin Yashiki call out to Suzu, shaking her awake. Their time was nearing. With this, Kisara realised that Hanayome definitely didn't curse her, otherwise, she'd be out of it, just like Suzu. At once, the man grabbed the child and the woman and ran towards the car. "Where to?" Kisara asked. "If the time is approaching, you need to be confronting and purifying the ghost, not running away." Yashiki looked into the rearview mirror. Suzu was staring vacantly out the window, her head titled to the side. The only thing out there is darkness - There's nothing to look at.  Yashiki says nothing, until the point that he heard the medic gasp and stop the car. He looks out, frowning. Did they get lost? But... It was a straight road. They were back at the forest, times and times again, no matter what road Yashiki told her to take, or what street to go down by, it was all the same. "Yashiki, we've got to confront the ghost. It's her doing." her voice was stern. Yashiki grumbled, hit back hitting the seat. "Let's go to T Mountain." he instructed, and Kisara hit the pedal. They got back to the phone booth. "Yashiki, let me do this." Kisara parked the car. "Hanayome didn't curse me, so I'm lucid. Besides, chances are, Hanayome would rather get pacified by a woman, not by a man. Take care of Suzu while I'm gone." she spoke urgently. "Fine. But be very careful!" he shouted after her, watching her rush inside the booth to pick up the ringing phone.

She takes a deep breath, picking up the phone. The line immediately goes dead. The phone rings again. Kisara felt a strong and ominous presence appearing all of a sudden, out of thin air. In front of her, glued to the glass wall, the horrific figure of the ghost Bride was staring at her. 'You saw... Didn't you?! I know you saw it!' she whined angrily.  Kisara opened the bag she snatched from Yashiki's lap and rummaged for the camera. Apologising, she takes a photo. The flash makes the ghost scream in agony and she steps back, allowing the woman to exit the phone booth. The blood-curdling shriek made her feel dizzy.

Once out, from the corner of her eye, Kisara noticed the spirit standing there, looking at her - Her face was veiled, hiding the terrifyingly inhuman face and the long, crooked neck that snapped in the necklace of rope she made for herself. The low-hanging mist swirling around them was making her dirty grey dress look as though it was coming out and made of the fog.

Not sure what to do, she remembers that Seiko's fiance was a musician. Perhaps playing a song on Eita's cassette player might do the trick. First, she chose the 'Charming... Song' tape that she found in the plastic bag that the musician's skeleton gripped on. 'Listened... Often... Dear...' the bride wailed desperately, drifting closer. The blood painting her disheveled, ripped to shreds dress and veil shining in the faint light of the lamp. Kisara played another song, the one titled '... Echo Ballad' which earned a reaction, with the ghost coming closer. 'I... Love...' she wept painfully.  Seeing the ghost so close to her, Kisara puts in the last tape, 'My...' and waits for a reaction. 'I... don't... know... this... one...' she cried out pitifully. 

The spirit took off her veil, revealing the same horrifying face that Kisara saw in the mirror - Dark hair, dead and straight, hanging low in a tight ponytail, and a bunch of eyes being chewed on. So up close, Kisara almost felt like fainting - Hanayome was creepy as hell, with that deformed matchstick head of hers, one eye huge, the other small, staring aimlessly with a cheshire grin, and blood leaking from the corners of her mouth. But the neck snapped so perfectly at a terrifying degree must have been the creepiest to look at. The ghost was so close to her, Kisara was sure she could feel her breath... If it even did breathe anymore. 'Hey... let... me... listen... to... the... newest...' She said she didn't know the last one, didn't she? Once more, she tapped the Play button to the 'My...' song and watched the spirit closely.  'Yes... That song... was finished...' a barking alerted the woman of Genta's presence, and he comes bounding over happily. 'Gen... Is this where you've been...' Hanayome's voice now sounded human, soft and gentle. 'Come on, let's go... He's... Waiting...' the bride said. 'Thank you...' Kisara's heart dropped, hearing the spirit thank her, a single tear escaping down her cheek. In a flash of light, Seiko's and Genta's souls passed on and found heaven.

"May you rest in peace... All three of you... You deserve it, after everything you've been through." Kisara took out the buddhist Juzu beads. She stared down at them, her thumb restlessly caressing them, and bringing them between her palms, she said a small prayer. She wasn't Buddhist, nor did she care for this religion - But at the end of the day, Seiko made her feel as though she believed in it, at least a little bit. She used the beads more for stress relief, playing around with them... Though a rosary wasn't a toy. Hopefully, the three will be reunited in the afterlife... She believed in that.

"She's gone now... Hanayome..." she was brought back by Suzu's voice. Yashiki trailed behind her. Kisara's and Yashiki's Marks didn't disappear, as expected, but Suzu's did. Good. "Guess Hanayome really was Seiko Hasegawa..." the little girl seemed close to crying. "What a sad, terrible fate... Turning into a ghost after she died... I feel so sorry for her." "I said a prayer for her and the other two. She... Thanked me, for helping her move on. Consequently, she thanked everyone involed." Kisara patted the little girl's head. "Here - You take this. If you want to remember Seiko... She was a Buddhist." she offered her the rosary beads.  "Do you think she's happy now?" Kisara looked up at the sky - It was clear, and full of stars. She smiled. "Yeah. I think she is finally happy now, with her fiance and her dog." all of a sudden, the phone started ringing. With an eyebrow rose, she stepped towards it and answered. "Hello?" "Finally." the voice on the other side groaned. "Satoru?" Kisara peeked her head out of the booth, mouthing to Yashiki 'It's Mashita!' the look on his face was priceless. "How'd you know to call here?" "After all the info you gave me, it wasn't that difficult to do a quick research on the supernatural forums and find out about the three cursed phone boxes." he offered a smartass chuckle. "It was only a matter of time before you answered, I figured." Kisara grinned, cooing at him. "Aww, were you worried about little me? How sweet out you, detective! I'm honoured to know that I live rent-free in your head." she mused, only to hear an annoyed tsk-sound. "Guess there's nothing to be concerned about. What a drag. Say hi to Yashiki from me. Bye." the line went dead. The woman laughed, stepping outside.  "Mashita sends his regards. Let's go." with new found energy, Kisara fell into the driver's seat, and smiled - No more road loop!

Back at the mansion, Christie's and Eita's Marks disappeared too.  While the trio was busy with exorcising Hanayome, Christie had her hands searching through documents around the house. She showed them a file with 'H Shrine Findings' as the title, and it was written by Saya Kujo.  Most of it was about the way H Shrine was built, added with the Anti-Buddhist movement, but not even Saya knew who stole the statues 50 years ago. Some pages were about the Shintai, the item that hosts the kami. The shrine was supposed to have two such items - A mirror and a small Buddha statue named nenjibutsu. The nenjibutsu was supposed to be in a brocade pouch, but it was missing by the time Yashiki went to investigate.  The last pages contained rumours from a few months prior. In H City, the K Miyamachi North Street. It is a backstreet with far too many manholes, due to poor planning. They call it the Manhole Road. On a moonless night, a young woman was walking down the street from work. An old sign wrote - Be wary of strangers - Suddenly fearful, she started hurrying up... But she couldn't take a step forward. The noise of something heavy being dragged, and an indiscernable silhouette from the darkness... A woman with disheveled hair, wearing a white, burnt robe... Cradling a headless Buddha statue as though it was her child. The shadows and hair hid most of the face, but she could see her blood red lips twisted into a satisfied smile.  Terrified by the sight, the woman turned on her heel and ran away. She looked back at some point, but the woman was gone. Christie is sure that, if they can find the headless statues and hold a memorial at H Shrine, the divine wrath will be quenched and the Marks will disappear.  Suzu then thanked them, and said she wants to see her dad, as her parents were divorced, Her mother wanted to become a nun, so she started taking her to temples and sacred areas. Her dad wasn't fine with that, so he started seeing another woman. Kisara offered the three who lost their Marks if they wanted a ride home, but they all declined. She was perfectly fine with it. 

Finally, it was time to get a well deserved rest, and Kisara crashed for the night... Though, morning must have been a better word, for the Sun was already beginning to peek and shine from the darkness. Hopefully, there won't be many more ghosts to appease, she wasn't sure how many tormenting tragedies she could take before something inside her snapped.

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