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yuyuhakushosc · 8 years ago

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Episode 14: Ranya, The Puppet Master

The face hidden beneath her opponent’s hood was a mystery to Horuna. She observed her with caution as her cold amethyst eyes trained themselves on her entire being. She felt them as they travelled slowly over her body, carefully watching her movement. They were watching and examining her, while waiting for the start of the round to be announced.

“After such an explosively intense fight between Rika Makoto and Kimika in the first round of this Exhibition Match, I know you are probably just as anxious and excited as I am to see the outcome of round two! I can see fire in both of these fighter’s eyes, but will they be able to carry the torch of our bloodlust expectancy? Or will this fight fail in comparison to last round’s? We will just have to sit back and watch! Only time will reveal the victor! And will it be Horuna? Or will the mysterious fighter from Team Kazeki, Ranya, win this round? Let’s find out! Round two begin!” Koto announced from the center of the ring. She raised her arm as she announced the start of the round; then stepped aside.

Those words echoed through Horuna’s mind, causing an immediate reaction to surge through her body. She felt her nerves race as the first seconds of the round ticked away. It took all of her strength to suppress her true feelings. She stood tall, but cautious and defensive; never removing her gaze from Ranya. She couldn’t see past Ranya’s dark cloak with her eyes; but maybe with her mind, she could get a glimpse at her opponent’s true power.

Horuna’s hesitation was immediately noticed by Ranya, making her neck tilt slightly in wonder and disappointment while she analyzed her opponent. The apparition girl was much smaller than her friend and even appeared to be younger; but something about the way she watched her, made Ranya sense that she might not be as naïve as she looked.

Despite her youthful appearance, the apparition girl’s energy was vintage and rare. Ranya could tell that the girl was much older than she appeared. She could sense a unique quality in her energy. Unlike many apparitions, who mainly had one source or element controlling their energy, she had multiple conflicting sources of energy. The actual number of sources was hidden from Ranya. This new discovery of her adversary intrigued Ranya.

She couldn’t sense the full extent of the apparition girl’s energy or the inner workings of her mind. Her eyes widened slightly at this surprising discovery. It was impossible for something like this to happen, especially from a mere apparition. No matter how strong the apparition, Ranya was always able to access their minds and gain knowledge of the complete extent of their abilities. Only beings highly skilled in psychic abilities could create such a defense. That was the only explanation. But Ranya couldn’t understand how a young girl like Horuna could possess such an ability?

If her suspicions were true, then it was obvious what was causing her hesitation. She was trying to access her mind and assess her abilities. Her surprise faded at this realization, and dark satisfaction took its place.

‘Brilliant move, little one. But as you will soon discover, it’s not that easy to assess me.’

“Well, you seem much stronger than your gullible, dim-witted, empathetic friend. You might actually be a very challenging form of entertainment for me. It’s been a long while since I’ve fought someone of your caliber. I’m very anxious now.” Ranya coaxed.

Horuna showed no reaction to Ranya’s jeers toward Kimika. But she sensed her brother was having a difficult time controlling his emotions. His anger was growing, and his energy rose frantically. She knew it wouldn’t be long before he did something rash. She just hoped the others would be able to hold him back before that happened.

“Why that smug…” Rage emanated from Hiei as he stepped forward ready to cut down his sister’s opponent.

However, his actions were stopped prematurely by Makoto’s arm. She blocked his path. Her presence was unreadable, as she observed her friend’s adversary. Her nerves were cold and unmoving like stone. Ranya’s insults didn’t seem to faze her.

Her reaction was unfamiliar to Hiei. Something like this would normally fill her with anger and a fire stronger than his own. But he saw neither of those in her now.

“Calm down, Hiei. Have faith in Horuna. Trust that she will take care of that arrogant fool for us all.”

Hiei didn’t respond. He just stared at Makoto with surprise and a new understanding; for he finally realized the identity of the emotion hidden behind her eyes. It was confidence.

She had what he lacked. She had confidence in his sister and trusted she had the ability to avenge Kimika. Hiei couldn’t understand how she believed so much in his sister, especially after knowing her for such a short time.

The rogue goddess was changing. The once blood thirsty goddess had grown attached to the very things she once loathed and hunted, apparitions. Her bond and affection for Kimika and Horuna betrayed her vow of vengeance against the ones responsible for her beloved Suzaku’s death. She had grown attached to not only to two individuals connected to her fiancé’s assassin’s bloodline’s, but it was obvious she was growing attached to his assassin’s as well.

“Having empathy is not a weakness, and being trusting doesn’t make one gullible. Just because you were able to manipulate Kimika, doesn’t make you stronger than her. I know there’s an extent to your abilities of mind control and manipulation. One that can’t affect me.” Horuna remained emotionless as she suppressed her true feelings. She fought to maintain control of her anger, so she didn’t give her adversary the upper hand.

Ranya could tell it was useless to try and provoke the apparition girl. She was wiser than she seemed. Horuna wasn’t going to attack until Ranya made her move.

“I see you’re as foolish as your friend. Well, it can’t be helped. You’ll die as a fool.” Ranya stepped forward her arms out to her side. Large amounts of energy swirled above her palms. Within seconds, the energy emanated an amethyst light as it formed into two giant swirling disks. As soon as they reached their final formation, she hurled them at Horuna.

The large disks whizzed through the air at a great speed, making it almost impossible for Horuna to dodge them. But she was able to maneuver her body with acrobatic flexibility and agility, avoiding their path and allowing them to impact the stadium ceiling behind her.

As soon as Horuna regained her balance and bearing, Ranya threw two more disks at her. Horuna dodged her attacks once again and readied herself to retaliate before her adversary attacked her again; but she restrained herself from doing so. She sensed immediately that she was still too weak to use any of her fire techniques, leaving her access only to her ice maiden abilities.

She couldn’t use those abilities even if it meant leaving her entirely vulnerable. She made a promise to her brother that she wouldn’t use her ice powers to protect her identity and their sister. She had to keep her promise for Yukina. She had to protect her sister no matter what, even if it cost her… her life.

Makoto watched the beginning of Horuna’s round in silence. Wonder and concern seeped into her skin as she watched Horuna’s actions.

Something was different about her movements. She sensed Horuna was an analytical fighter; but by the way she moved, she wasn’t just analyzing her opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. She moved in a peculiar manner. She was being overly careful, but she couldn’t understand why.

Makoto’s dark eyes pierced through the vast space and right into the heart of Horuna. Her ability to sense the physical and spirit energy of apparitions of their respective elements was a handy gift. However, she was hesitant to use it again. Compared to Kimika, Horuna was far more powerful and skilled.

Her youthful appearance was an obvious ploy to make her seen naïve and weak, but she was far from it. Makoto could tell from their last encounter that she was older and wiser than she appeared. Even though she read her mind during their first encounter in the forest, she hasn’t been able to do it again. That never happened to Makoto before.

For an apparition to have the ability to evade her scans, they had to be very skilled in the psychic arts, mostly in mind protection. Makoto has read the minds of the most skilled psychics and apparitions, who dappled in mind protection, but there were a few masters of the arts that she couldn’t penetrate.

The ability to read and scan the minds and abilities of any being, besides other gods or goddesses, was an advantage of being a goddess. The power to defend an apparition from a god’s senses was beyond those of normal apparitions or psychics. So she didn’t understand how Horuna was able to do so?

Even though Makoto was curious to know how Horuna was protecting herself from her ability, she knew it wasn’t a pressing matter at the moment. From what she could sense, Horuna had become considerably weaker. Makoto stood watching her friend struggle to avoid her opponent’s attack frozen in confusion.

“I don’t understand.” Makoto uttered in a low tone.

“So you’re finally aware of Horuna’s disadvantage.” The masked fighter looked back at the goddess frozen in confusion.

“What do you mean?” Hiei shot an intense glance filled with curiosity and fear at the masked fighter.

“Your sister has lost a considerable amount of energy.” The masked fighter explained.

“But how?” Rage, guilt, and concern grew inside Hiei at this new revelation. If what the masked fighter said was the truth, then Horuna was in grave danger.

“She’s lost a great percentage of her energy after she made that healing crystal.” The masked fighter responded.

“We have to stop the match, before Horuna is injured or worse.” Koenma interjected, fearing for the small girl struggling to dodge her opponent’s attacks.

“I’m going to stop it no matter what! I’m not going to risk her life for a stupid exhibition match! It’s not worth it!”

Hiei pushed past Makoto and ran towards the ring. When he was a step away from the ring, he froze in his path. A chill went down his spine as a faint plea entered his mind.

‘Big brother, please don’t interfere. I can handle this. Don’t worry.’

‘Horuna, how do you expect me to stop worrying? You know how much damage she caused Kimika. She’s dangerous. I don’t understand. What are you trying to prove?’

‘I don’t expect you to stop worrying. That’s a normal reaction. But I want you to trust me. I can handle her. Just have faith in me.’

Those last four words echoed through his mind. They seemed almost foreign. He rarely laid his faith in anyone. It was a weakness that created a vulnerability called hope. He couldn’t afford such a weakness. But he had to risk it for Horuna’s sake.

She was stubborn just like him. She was determined to avenge Kimika no matter what anyone said or did. She would have her vengeance. He just hoped she could seize it without sacrificing her life.

‘I guess I have no choice.’

Hiei retreated to Makoto’s side, once more, in reluctance. Makoto looked at him with a large expression of surprise. She overheard the mental exchange between the two siblings, and she couldn’t help but feel confused.

Hiei went through so much to rescue his sister. She could sense it was tearing him up inside to sit back and watch her fight such a powerful opponent. He longed to rescue her once more.

He wanted to prevent any occurrence that might cause her the same pain that she endured while she was locked away in the Tsuki soldiers’ camp. She could tell that the image of the horrifying state they found her in when they rescued her plagued him. He never wanted to see her in so much pain and discomfort again. He wanted to prevent it regardless of how he came about doing it. He cherished his new found sibling, and he refused to lose her like Yukina.

Makoto returned her focus on Horuna and watched her as she desperately dodged her adversary’s assault. Fear no longer weighed Makoto’s heart. Admiration took its place. She admired Horuna’s determination to see this match through to the end. Whether it was for vengeance or another reason, Makoto couldn’t decipher. She could only decipher that Horuna refused to give up until she accomplished her goal. And that type of determination Makoto admired most of all.

‘The events of the match seem to be in my favor.’ The leader of team Kazeki smirked, revealing a pair of small pink lips and ivory skin emerging from the vast shadows of her heavy hood.

Pleasure rushed through her body as she watched the goddess’s little apparition friend struggled against her minion. The small girl moved with slight precision to the untrained eye; however, to those with eyes as sharp as a wolf, she could see the narrow gap between Ranya’s attack and Horuna’s vital spots. The demon girl lost a great deal of her power, so she was limited to how she could attack and the strength of her defense. This was a great handicap for Makoto’s friend.

The leader looked over at the opposite side of the ring where Horuna’s entourage gathered. Her smirk grew with dark satisfaction as she scanned them. Nothing but worry and fear emanated from them, especially from Hiei and Makoto.

She couldn’t tell why, but Hiei seemed the most concerned about the demon girl. The level of his fear and worry were erratically increasing by every movement of the fighters. He seemed to have some sort of compassion towards Horuna. The reasons behind his compassion didn’t concern her. Only Makoto’s feelings fueled her curiosity.

The goddess’s feelings were torn. She was worried for Horuna, but she also carried doubt in her heart about her friend. She couldn’t tell what was the cause of her conflicting feelings. But the vacuum of despair they caused was growing stronger, and this pleased the leader.

This is what she wanted her to feel… Confusion… Worry… Uncertainty… Fear… These were only a few of the emotions she wanted Makoto to experience. But the ones she wanted her to witness the most were sadness, grief, and guilt. She wanted her to feel every ache and pain. She wanted her to experience the same feelings so many suffered at her hands, because of her selfish desires and actions.

“Hina, tell me what makes a great fighter?”

Horuna looked up at her teacher, eyes wide with assurance, as she blurted out the answer.

“Strength!”

“Strength? What makes a fighter strong?” The grey thick brow of her master furrowed in response of his young pupil’s answer.

“You know, teacher. Being able to hit hard and fast, while not being afraid of any challenge because they know they can overcome it.”

The enthusiasm Horuna had for her answer amused her teacher. He kneeled down and pet her head, smiling with warmth.

“Your innocence is amusing, little one.” His words caused her face to color in slight embarrassment. “You know that just being strong, fast, or fearless doesn’t make a fighter great. There are a few qualities you’re missing, such as being cunning, observant, adaptable, and wise.”

“Horuna, a great warrior doesn’t make the first move without understanding their opponent. Wise warriors defend while their opponents pursue them and observe carefully their strengths and weaknesses, so they can plan the most effective way to counter. Wisdom makes great fighters; without it, greatness is just a fairytale.”

The speed of Ranya’s attacks increased incredibly, impairing Horuna’s ability to dodge efficiently. Ranya’s razor sharp disks whizzed through the air, piercing it as they narrowly passed Horuna’s petite body. Horuna contorted her body this way and that, trying to avoid the disks deadly path; but as time passed, she noticed that as they grew in speed the distance between her and them closed rapidly.

It didn’t take long before she was in the direct path of one of Ranya’s disks. Silence fell over the stadium as the blood thirsty demons watched in dark anticipation, as the first kill of the match seemed only seconds away from occurring before their eyes. Horuna’s friends were silent for a completely different reason. They watched, suppressing all emotion, as the longest seconds of their lives played the outcome.

Sparks flashed through the air as the disk made contact, but there was no cry of agony or pain. Instead, the sound of metal scraping the disk echoed through the stadium. The sparks were so bright that they blinded the sight of the onlookers, making it impossible for them to tell what was going on.

Luckily for the curious audience, the impairment only lasted a few moments, allowing them to see the outcome of Ranya’s last attack. Everyone looked down at the ring in shock and confusion. Horuna stood tall in the middle of the ring, unscathed, wielding a long sword, while her opponent, Ranya, completely vanished. There was no sight of Horuna’s opponent, only a horrifying vision of blood, gore, and death sprawled across the ring in her place.

The body wasn’t Ranya’s, but some random apparition. The poor creature’s body was sliced right down the middle. An expression of shock and horror was frozen on his lifeless face.

Horuna looked over the creature’s body, suppressing the sickening feelings building inside her. She had no idea how this happened, but she needed to find her opponent. She had to locate her before she wound up like this poor fellow. Although, no matter where she looked, Ranya was nowhere to be found.

Every one of Horuna’s friends seemed to be transfixed on the strange turn of events, except Makoto. Makoto’s attention was fixed on something else. Her eyes were trained on Horuna and the strange sword she was now wielding. Her eyes saw from the distance the markings on its hilt and the material it was made out of. She was familiar with that particular design and the swordsmith who made it.

“Sotaro Kuroyuki…” Makoto gasped as she recognized the sword.” She’s wielding the Black Soul sword, one of the four legendary swords of the ancient swordsmith of the demon world. But how?”

“I’m not sure how she came to possess it since the last owner of it was a powerful psychic called Naeki; but if that sword truly is the Black Soul, then our concerns about her energy has just been confirmed.” The masked fighter took his eyes away from the area where Horuna’s opponent once was to the sword she held at her side.

“What do you mean they’ve been confirmed??” Koenma questioned, looking over at the masked fighter with worry and confusion.

“The Black Soul blade, along with the other swords of Kuroyuki’s collection, has a special ability. The power and brilliance of the sword is a reflection of the wielder’s power, or their spirit energy. In other words, since that sword looks dull and ordinary, it means Horuna’s energy is too low to sustain it.” The masked fighter explained coolly as he watched the petite apparition in wonder.

“So what does that mean?” Koenma questioned in worry.

“That means the sword is as useful as a metal bat, until she regains her energy.” Makoto retorted in bland satire.

Hiei looked at Makoto in silence, as he suppressed his growing worry and annoyance. He could tell by her behavior and words that there was something else bothering her. Curiosity baited him to find out what, but the current events of his sister’s match convinced him otherwise.

Slowly, he was realizing there was much about his sister he didn’t know. Even though they shared the same parents, he knew nothing about her past or the life she lived before being captured. He could tell the truth about her past was slowly beginning to unravel; but he couldn’t tell if it was a truth worth knowing. Would he be able to handle these new discoveries? Or could her secrets be dark enough to sever their bond?

“Hina, tighten your stance. You are leaving yourself open in three major points.” Horuna’s master criticized as she wielded a wooden practice sword against a wooden dummy. Horuna drew her feet closer and sank deeper, grounding herself before executing her next strike.

With a few short steps, she glided forward and struck her opponent on the side of the neck.

“Better… Much Better, Hina, but you still have to be mindful where you strike.” Her teacher observed, walking around to the side of the dummy and looking where Horuna struck it.

“I don’t know what you mean. It’s an automatic victory for me if I strike him there.” Horuna looked at him in confusion, while withdrawing her sword from the dummy’s vital spot.

“That’s true in normal circumstances, but you forgot to keep in mind your disadvantage to average fighters.”

“My disadvantage?” Horuna’s eyes grew wide.

“Your height… You are a very small girl. Which means you have less of a chance striking the upper part of the body of an average-sized or tall moving target. You have to fight according to your physical capabilities, until you can increase your speed, agility, and flexibility. Do it again.”

Horuna repeated her attack while keeping her teacher’s comments in mind. This time she struck the torso of the dummy.

“Very good, but you need to loosen your grip on the sword. Remember, it’s an extension of your arm, so move it as such with grace and ease.”

Horuna stepped back away from her target, took a deep breath, then tried her approach again as her teacher instructed. This time as her teacher watched her move his face lit with pure satisfaction and pride. A large smile crossed his wrinkled face and his hands joined together in a rapid salute to her improvement. The sound of his applause echoed through the high wooden walls of the training hall. Horuna turned wide-eyed toward her master. Joy seized her when she saw his proud expression.

“Bravo, Horuna! You are improving quickly! Soon you will surpass far beyond your limitations and my expectations. I’m very proud of you.”

Those words echoed through Horuna’s mind many times during her imprisonment. His words were a few of the things that gave her hope and the strength to survive and fight during her darkest moments. The thoughts of his kindness, love, and wisdom sustained her hope and will to reunite with her long lost love ones. These flickers of a lifelong passed brought her mind stability and courage as she faced off against the most dangerous foe she has ever met. It slowly quickened the reconstruction of the energy she’d lost by healing her friend.

Many moments passed without any sign of Ranya. Only her mutilated victim was visible to Horuna and the spectators. Horuna cautiously paced around the ring, searching for the whereabouts of her opponent. An eerie silence fell upon the ring for a long period, before Horuna sensed two strong sources of energy rapidly heading towards her from behind.

She dodged the path of one of the attacks and deflected the other attack with her sword, sending it back in the direction it came from. The attack whirled through the air until the deafening sound of an apparition’s agonizing scream of death broke the silence. Horuna withheld her sensation of horror and to grimace at the horrifying sight, while searching past her victim for her opponent.

“Poor, little apparition girl, you seem to be having difficulties. How can you expect to defeat me if you can’t find me?” Ranya’s voice echoed through the stadium. The sound of it had a hypnotizing tone.

“You will never be able to defeat me in your current state. Victory is a certainty for me.” The atmosphere in the stadium became distant as Ranya spoke. Horuna’s vision danced as her surroundings intermingled with one another. Her senses raced as a strange aura settled around her.

This new interference of her senses began to rattle her entire body. She fought for control of her senses and physical functions. The disorientation caused her sense of balance to become askew, making it difficult to remain grounded and secure on her feet.

“What’s wrong, Horuna? You seem unwell.” Ranya’s voice echoed through the disorienting chaos. “If you aren’t feeling well, then it will make killing you much easier.”

The aura surrounding Horuna grew thicker. Her hearing became increasingly shrouded and muzzled, as if trapped underneath water. Ranya’s words were no longer tangible, reducing her ability to detect the whereabouts of her adversary.

She was blinded and deafened by the strange aura engulfing the ring. Only small flickers of opaque images were visible through the lavender fog. As it began to thicken, two large lights cut through its dense structure and aiming straight for Horuna. Horuna knew immediately by their speed what they were and used what strength and balance remained inside her to maneuver around Ranya’s new attack.

Ranya’s blades cut through the opaque aura like a powerful hailstorm, making it almost impossible for her to avoid their paths. Her free space narrowed greatly, but Horuna pushed her body to the verge of its limitations. She knew she had to surpass her body’s restrictions and limitations until her energy was fully restored. But how much more could she withstand until that time?

“What’s going on? How’s Ranya able to appear and disappear like that?” Koenma questioned in frustration at the current state of the match.

He knew nothing about who Horuna was or her past. He also wasn’t obliged to root for Makoto’s team, but he couldn’t help feeling moved by the events unfolding before his very eyes. He spent little time around Horuna, but somehow her dedication and loyalty to her new friends astounded him. It was admirable and contagious. It stirred up an overwhelming desire inside his body to do whatever he could to help her justify that loyalty. The only thing he could do was observe and pray she defeats Ranya.

“She isn’t disappearing. She’s using a simple substitution trick while hiding herself behind a psychic spirit-energy disruption technique.” The masked fighter answered, surprised at Ranya’s powers.

“What do you mean?” Hiei’s expression intensified as he turned his gaze towards the masked fighter.

The masked fighter didn’t understand Hiei’s new fascination for the girl. Ever since they defeated the Tsuki soldiers and their bosses, Hiei lingered around the girl like a shadow. He doubted they were romantically involved, but he wouldn’t rule it out just yet. Even though they just met Horuna, Hiei developed strange feelings towards her. What caused this sudden attraction was a mystery to the masked fighter.

“This aura Ranya creates distorts the ability to detect spirit energy, hindering Horuna’s ability to sense where she is. The dense atmosphere created by the aura also distorts Horuna’s sight.”

“So in other words, she’s screwed at the moment.” Makoto’s voice was low and emotionless, but it was clear by the way she looked into the amethyst mist that she was more worried about the new turn of events.

“Hnn…” Tension overcame Hiei, making it impossible for him to respond. This was the second time Hiei felt terror come over him and both times were because of Horuna. He desperately wanted to jump in and rescue her, but he couldn’t break his promise to her. If he did interfere and she was able to turn it around, she might hate him; Although, if she wasn’t able to turn things around and he did nothing, then he would lose her forever. There was risk, regardless, of what he chose.

Kurama sat in folding chair, propped up against the wall beside where Kimika slept. He watched his sister as she peacefully rested. Her wounds were almost completely healed, and her energy was almost at full strength. His fear and worry had completely vanished, but he couldn’t help wondering if the same could be said for Makoto.

She blamed herself for what happened between her and Kimika. Even after his attempt to reassure her otherwise, he saw the pain and resentment in her eyes. She took some comfort in his words, but she probably wouldn’t completely recover until Kimika reassured her herself.

He looked at the pink crystal hovering over Kimika’s body. He was amazed at this healing technique. It was very efficient and worked instantly. Horuna was much more powerful than they believed she was.

The crystal shrank to half of its original size. Kurama noticed that as it slowly withered away Kimika grew stronger. It was evident that it wouldn’t be long before Kimika fully recovered. Hopefully, then she would be able to quell some of the worries of Makoto’s heart.

Horuna’s fears quickly faded as she dodged Ranya’s rapid assault; instead of feeling exhausted, she felt her energy growing stronger, causing her to move faster and her sword to regain luster. It was apparent that her crystal was almost done healing Kimika, which meant she would be at full power very soon.

As the next series of attacks whizzed through the air, Horuna swung her sword creating a huge force of warm air that knocked the blades back to their source, while also dissipating the foggy aura. No death groans from decoy apparitions echoed from the amethyst mist. Instead, the sound of her opponent’s swears filled the air as she whipped through the air from the force of Horuna’s attack.

“Impossible! How were you able to create so much power?!”

As Horuna’s vision cleared and her sense of balance restored, she followed the sound of her adversary’s voice to pin-point her location. When she found the path of destruction caused by Ranya’s attacks, she saw the tattered remains of Ranya’s cloak along with a few droplets of blood. Horuna followed the path of the droplets across the ring to a pale figure dressed in a long flowing white gown. Horuna suppressed her sudden explosion of shock as she glanced upon the true form of her adversary.

Long tendrils of ash brown hair flowed gracefully around her slender body. Her voice contradicted her appearance. It was profound and mature, resounding in a resonating hypnotic spell at certain moments. Even though her cloak was destroyed, a new one of bloodlust and darkness remained around her. Her new cloak diluted her youthful beauty and innocent guise.

Even though the true form of her adversary was revealed, Horuna knew she couldn’t become engulfed by her contrary appearance. She couldn’t become distracted by Ranya’s façade and drop her guard. If she was going to defeat Ranya and take vengeance for her treatment of Kimika, she couldn’t allow herself to be tricked by Ranya’s powers or her charms.

Darkness swirled around Kimika, creating deep uncertainty. She felt as if her entire being was captured in the unbreakable grasp of fear and weakness. She tried to call for help, but she couldn’t talk. Her lips moved, but sound wasn’t produced.

Her body trembled as weakness took hold. She tried to move, but she became paralyzed. She tried to pierce through the darkness to identify her restraints, but all she could see was the on-going blackness. She was helpless, unable to cry for help or break from her unknown restraints. Captured in the formidable embrace of her binds, her mind was plagued by mixed emotions of sadness, regret, worry, and joy. The source of these emotions were unknown to her, but they further strengthened her paralysis.

As time slowly ticked away, her torture strengthened, and the soft sound of a voice broke the silence of the dark abyss. First, it was gentle and unintelligible, but as time passed it grew in volume. Immediately, Kimika recognized the voice; it was Horuna.

She finally recognized the origin of the strange emotions holding her captive. They were Horuna’s. She was in pain and trouble. Kimika had to do something to help her. She couldn’t let danger overtake her, especially not before she fulfilled her heart’s desire.

Kimika struggled once more with her restraints. This time she could feel them loosen. Their grasp tore at her flesh, causing intense pain, but Kimika didn’t care. She only cared about breaking them, so she could rescue Horuna.

The whole stadium was frozen in surprise of the revelation of Ranya’s true face. However, the revelation didn’t concern the masked fighter. The new surge of power emanating from Horuna concerned him. She was slowly regaining her spirit energy, which meant her healing spell was almost finished.

The masked fighter turned from the group and walked towards the locker rooms. But before he could walk two steps away, Makoto grabbed his arm and stopped him. “Where are you going?”

“I want to check on Kurama and his sister.” The masked fighter answered, releasing himself from her grasp.

“Good idea. I’ll go with you.” Makoto insisted, following the masked fighter inside.

“You can do as you please.”

Makoto walked at a steady pace, with her arms propped against the back of her head, as she followed the masked fighter into the dark hallway. Her dark eyes remained trained on the pint-sized warrior. There was something about him troubling her, and she needed to know the truth.

“Why do you have this sudden interest in Kimika’s welfare?”

The masked fighter’s steps slowed at the goddess’s surprise inquiry.

“Is it wrong to care about how she’s progressing?”

Makoto’s eyes narrowed. “I guess not. But you haven’t been very honest lately, so I can’t completely trust your intentions.”

Makoto’s words caught him off guard, causing him to stop in the middle of the hall and turn to face his interrogator.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean you aren’t who you say you are.” Makoto responded, lowering her arms to her side and shooting a piercing gaze at him.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” His voice remained neutral.

“You cannot fool me. I can read the minds of those within my elemental domain. Even though you don’t use a specific elemental domain as your spirit energy. You were born within my seasonal domain, so I know everything about you.” Makoto explained, coolly, placing her hands in her jean pockets. Her gaze never wavered, but the masked fighter could tell she wasn’t bluffing.

“I forgot about that ability of yours.” He closed his eyes. Amusement seized his voice at the new twist of fate. “If you know the truth about my identity, then why haven’t you exposed me to the others?”

Makoto shrugged and closed the distance between them, examining him carefully. “Because it’s not my place to do so. Besides my feline instincts are curious about your reasons behind this façade.”

The masked fighter opened his eyes to meet her gaze before bursting into laughter. Makoto stepped back, surprised at his reaction.

“Why the hell are you laughing?” Makoto demanded, trying to conceal her offense.

“I’m sorry. It’s just Déjà vu that’s all.” He suppressed his amusement and laughter. “If you want to know my reasons, I guess I have no other choice but to tell you. I guess it’s true that girls are quicker than boys.”

“I have an old score to settle and an important goal to fulfill. I can’t afford for my identity to be known, especially at this tournament.”

Makoto scanned him one last time before shrugging and continuing down the hall to the locker room.

“That’s boring and uninteresting. As long as you don’t harm Kimika or Horuna, I will not stand in your way. Your secret’s safe with me.”

Since the start of the match, Koto watched from the sidelines, huddled beside the leader of Team Kazeki. She was frozen in fear as she watched the massacres of many innocent apparitions by Ranya’s strange defensive ability. She loved a bloodbath like the next apparition, but slaughtering innocent spectators who had nothing to with the match was where she drew the line.

If it wasn’t for the leader of Team Kazeki, Koto would have been among the slaughtered victims lying on the ring floor. Koto was confused and afraid of the reasons hiding behind the leader’s actions. It was clear she was out for blood; but for some strange reason, she safe-guarded Koto’s life.

Knowing about her teammates techniques, she grabbed Koto and told he there was no need for her to die, so she would protect her as long as she remained at her side. Koto didn’t understand the reasons behind her actions in the beginning; but now after seeing the gory massacre of apparitions, she was thankful for the leader’s protection.

However, she couldn’t understand why the leader would want to do something like that for her. It was obvious from her cold amusement towards Ranya’s ability to avoid Horuna’s attacks by using apparitions that she didn’t care about apparitions’ lives. So why did she save Koto’s life? What did she gain from sparing her?

“What’s the matter, Horuna? You seem surprised.” Ranya hovered above the ring, her arms outstretched as she showed her form. “Don’t let my appealing exterior fool you. If you become distracted by something so trivial, then you aren’t as strong as I thought you were.”

A strange energy emanated from her as she rose higher above the ring floor. “I was surprised by your sudden burst of energy, but I suspect that was a fluke.”

The energy pulsated around her, producing a strong force field that disrupted Horuna’s balance. As it grew stronger, apparitions from the audience were absorbed into its vortex. Horuna backed away, observing the powerful display and its patterns.

Fear was far from Horuna’s current state of mind. She was amazed at the strength of her opponent and mysterious abilities. She racked the recesses of her mind for an explanation for Ranya’s strange abilities. It was a unique ability that had her perplexed; but if she wanted to defeat her, Horuna had to discover its secrets.

“You won’t defeat me!” Ranya’s strange barriers of captured apparitions spiraled faster, drowning their screams in its violent torrent. She created multiple spirit blades and threw them at Horuna. The amount of blade increased, but Horuna noticed that the speed of her attacks decreased, making it easier for Horuna to deflect them. She cringed at the countless agonizing screams and the shower of crimson.

“You will never defeat me! Give up!” Ranya’s voice loomed through the stadium, while she sent her next arsenal of attacks. This time, instead of just sending energy blades, the remaining demons whirling around her took flight and lunged at Horuna.

Horuna could feel her years of training being put to an ultimate test. She was barraged by the strangest manipulation of energy she’d ever seen. Now, Ranya was manipulating her scapegoats to be her shields of flesh.

She blocked their attacks with all her speed and agility, taking care not to harm Ranya’s captives. Although she continued her relentless defense, she noticed a strange substance attached to their limbs. All the motion, made it impossible to identify what they were, but Horuna knew the strange substances might be key to Ranya’s ability.

Horuna maneuvered between the three apparitions attack. When one of them tried to tackle her, she avoided his pursuit and pushed him into his ally. She used their moment of distortion and confusion to focus her attention on the third demon.

He attacked her with a large club in a hectic fury. Horuna avoided his attacks with ease, redirecting them away from her and tying him up. With his guard down and his back wide open, Horuna jumped on his back to examine the strange particles on his limbs.

It took all of her strength to hold on to the apparition, who flailed his bulky arms frantically trying to remove her from his back; but it didn’t take long for her to identify the substance she was now seeing. And as her intuition suggested, this was a major key to piece together the mystery behind Ranya’s ability.

Horuna huddled on the temple steps. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying as she watched the spring sun settle behind the clouds. Remembering the events that happened earlier in the village, made her seethe with anger. Many years passed since she was an outcast of ice world, so she thought she left her ridiculers behind, but apparently not. The children were just as cruel to her as the citizens of her homeland.

Her crying drowned out the sounds of her master’s footsteps walking down the porch. He immediately noticed the ill manner of his protégé, and he hobbled to her side.

“Hina, what’s wrong?” Concern fueled him as he sat beside her.

Horuna wiped her face with her kimono sleeve, trying to mask her sadness from her teacher.

“Nothing’s wrong. I just had a moment of weakness. I’m sorry, teacher.”

Warmth emanated from her teacher’s expression, making his lips curl in understanding. He placed his hand on her shoulder, in an attempt to comfort her.

“Expressing emotion isn’t a weakness. Trying to suppress how you feel is. Now, tell me, child, what’s making you feel sad?”

“While I was delivering some of our herbs to market, the village children picked on me. The boys pushed me into a ditch. I hurt my leg and ripped my robe. I didn’t fight back like you said, but I wish I did.”

“You were outnumbered, weren’t you?”

Horuna nodded. “Yes.”

“And the boys were probably larger than you.”

Horuna nodded again as she slumped into her knees. “They might’ve been. But why does that matter, sensei? I could’ve taken them.”

“Little one, what did I tell you about deciding when you should or shouldn’t fight? You might’ve been able to fight them. But do you really think you would’ve won?”

“It doesn’t matter if I win or lose as long as I stand up for myself.”

“That’s true in certain situations. However, if you’re in a situation where defeat is the highest probability, you must observe the pros and cons of your opponents, so you can use them to your benefit. By doing this, you increase your chances of winning and preserving your life.”

Horuna looked at her master, confusion imminent in her eyes. “What if I have no choice but to fight first and think later?”

Her teacher shook his head in slight disappointment of his protégé’s narrow understanding. “Little one, there’s always a choice even if it must be made in a moment’s notice. That’s why you have to hone your skills to observe and analyze. You must make them as sharp as your reflexes.”

He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close to him. “Even though you might think otherwise, I believe you made the wiser choice.”

“What do you mean?” Horuna pushed slightly away from her teacher, so she could see into his eyes and possibly gain some inkling of the meaning behind his words; but she was unable to do so.

“If you gave in to their taunts and fought, then you would’ve received more than a scrape on your leg and a torn kimono. They could’ve severely injured you. If that happened, how do you think that would’ve affected me?”

Silence fell upon Horuna for a moment. Her jaw tightened and heat colored her face as she looked away in embarrassment.

“I didn’t think of that. I guess you would’ve felt very bad. Wouldn’t you, sensei?”

Her teacher’s smile returned to his face as he tightened his loving embrace. “That’s right. Remember this when you fight. Keep in mind how the outcome can affect those who care for you. It will help hone your skills and better yourself.”

“But you’re the only one who cares about me. That won’t be a strong enough motivator every time I face conflict.” Horuna shrank into his arms, remembering the loneliness and darkness she had known before meeting her teacher.

“That might be true for now. But you have a destiny that will reward you, if you stay on an honorable path, with many who will care for you because they see your true worth. They will love you for who you are aside from your differences. They will see the beauty within your heart and nothing else. Those are who you must keep in mind.”

“Do you really think I will find my siblings, and they’ll care for me as you do?”

“I know for certain it will happen. You will not only find them and make them love you; but you will find new friends who are going to help you on your journey and love you as I do. They’re the ones who will help you decide what and who are worth fighting for.”

The locker room didn’t change much since Makoto left it earlier. Kimika still laid unconscious on the bench, while her brother guarded her dutifully from the shadows. His focus was so strong that he didn’t notice their presence when they entered the room.

“How’s your sister progressing, Kurama?” The masked fighter asked, breaking the silence lingering over the room.

“Masked Fighter… Makoto? What are you doing here?” Kurama questioned, startled by their sudden appearance.

“Just as my previous question indicated. We’re here to check on the progress of your sister.” The masked fighter answered, turning his attention to Kimika. “If I’m not mistaken, her treatment should be complete.”

“What makes you think that?” Kurama followed his gaze to the space above his sister, then he realized the masked fighter’s meaning. “The crystal’s gone.”

“Yes. That means Kimika should be fully healed.” The masked fighter explained, examining the unconscious apparition girl.

He knew his hypothesis was correct since all of her wounds were gone. Not only did this mean Horuna would have a fighting chance to defeat Ranya, but Kimika would be fine. That was all the masked fighter cared to know.

Kurama crossed the room to kneel at his sister’s side. He felt joy overcome him when he noticed Kimika seemed to be fully recovered. He seized her hand and pressed it lovingly to his cheek as he expressed his relief. The moment his skin touched hers, Kimika’s hands fidgeted and her fingers gripped onto his in a firm embrace.

“Kimika…” Sound escaped Kurama’s lips as a soft whisper in response to her actions. The soft sound of his voice resonated through Kimika’s mind, powering her lips.

“Big Brother?” As soon as the soft words escaped Kimika’s lips, the airs of concern dispersed and was replaced by those of relief. Kurama tightened the distance between them, looming over her so she could see him when she opened her eyes.

“I’m here, Kimika.”

Without opening her eyes, Kimika let go of her brother’s hand and forced herself up right. She opened her eyes slowly, scanning the room as she tried to regain her senses.

“Where am I?”

“You’re in the locker room of the stadium.” Kurama answered, supporting her with his arm as she swung her legs around to face the others.

“How did I get here?” Kimika rubbed her head, trying to recall the last events before she passed out. “What happened?”

“That’s kinda my fault.” Makoto answered, stepping from her corner of the room to Kimika’s line of sight.

“Not entirely… You were manipulated by one of the members of Team Kazeki. She used her powers to control you and force you to fight Makoto.” The masked fighter further explained.

“Makoto?” Kimika’s eyes grew in shock of this revelation. She examined her friend frantically with deep concern. “Did I hurt you?”

“Did you hurt me?!” Makoto snapped annoyed by Kimika’s foolish concern. “You’re the one who was lying unconscious on the bench until a few seconds ago, but you’re wondering if you hurt me. You can’t be this dense.” She turned away from Kimika to conceal a small amount of amusement and relief that her friend didn’t seem to have changed.

“I’m not dense, just worried. I’m glad I didn’t.” Kimika looked around the dark locker room and turned towards her brother; worry shone clearly on her face. “Where’s Horuna and Hiei?”

“Hiei’s ringside watching Horuna’s fight against Ranya, the demon who manipulated you.” Answered the masked fighter.

“Horuna’s fighting?!” Fear pumped through Kimika’s body creating an explosion of energy to seize control of her body, propelling her to her feet and dashing towards the exit. Her unexpected movements made it difficult for anyone to stop her. Kurama worried by her reaction called after Kimika.

“What’s wrong? Where are you going?”

“To Horuna. She needs us now.” Kimika’s actions left no time for responses. Kurama, Makoto, and the masked fighter exchanged brief looks of confusion before following her to the ring.

Horuna withdrew her sword from its sheath and cut through the threads attached to the demon. As soon as they were cut, the apparition stopped struggling and looked around him in confusion.

“What happened? What am I doing here?”

Horuna jumped off his back and pointed her sword at him. “You remember nothing?”

The apparition shook his head no. “Run away then. You’re in danger if you stay here.”

While the apparition ran out of the ring, Ranya threw another horde of blades at Horuna. She nimbly avoided a few of them and deflected the others with her sword. With one swift movement of Ranya’s hands, the two remaining apparitions took their positions between her and her attacks. However, before she could move out of the way, her connection with the demons was severed and a sharp pain riddled her body.

Pain seized control of her body, crippling her and causing her to fall to the ring floor. Ranya looked at her side where the pain was originating. Blood poured from her side from a fresh cut. A pool of fresh crimson liquid formed beneath her.

“You injured me! How were you able to get past my attack and injure me?!” Ranya demanded, placing her palm over her wound in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding.

“I know how you manipulate these apparitions. I was unable to see them before because of my weakened state, but now I can see them. You use your spirit energy to link to those of the apparitions, so you could manipulate them and use them as your shield.” Horuna explained, walking around Ranya to her line of sight. “You use a great deal of your energy when you create those disks, decreasing their speed and making it easier for me to avoid them. Your underestimation of your opponent will be your downfall. Now, that my energy is fully restored this match is over.”

Ranya looked at Horuna in disbelief, but it soon morphed into worry. Unlike the cautious child from earlier, who was barely holding on for dear life, this girl stood stern with confidence and determination. Her eyes flickered with a new drive which grew by every passing second. Even her energy transformed into something much stronger and darker than what it once was. To Ranya’s horror, Horuna was morphing into one of the most powerful adversaries she ever fought.

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