Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Our story begins on a remote island, far off the Japanese coast. To many, it was an unassuming little piece of land, not worth paying any sort of attention to, aside from a rather luxurious hotel set up near the beach. However, the truth of the matter was, this island was anything but ordinary. After all, this place was the setting for one of the greatest fighting events of all time, yet also one barely anyone knew about.

Within the inside of a large arena, illuminated by countless lights, four screens were used to give the viewing audience the best view possible of just what was happening within the pit. In one of the seats was an elderly man with a long beard, a pair of sharp moustaches and a green kimono.

Katahara Metsudo stared blankly at the arena. From an outside perspective, it was almost as if he were frozen in time. But really, the former chairman of the Kengan Association was reminiscing on the old days. When he was the one down there, putting up the fight of his life. Sure, he was the chairman, but he'd had countless scuffles inside the pit as well.

"Metsudo." Another elderly voice called out behind him. "Thinking of the old days again, I presume?" He didn't need to turn around, he knew who he was talking to. Indeed, taking the seat next to him was none other than Kure Erioh of the Kure clan, who smirked fondly at his former employer and longtime friend. "Ah, it's hard to blame you though, I often reminisce on the good times of planting many a foe into the dirt down there..."

"Yes, we both have our fondest memories of this pit..." Metsudo sighed. "It's a pleasure to see you arrived on time, old friend." He rose to his feet. "Care to walk with me?"

"Gladly." Erioh replied, following suit. The two old men left the arena and walked down the stairs, then strolled through a hallway leading into the arena. "What did you want to discuss? I'm assuming it's in relation to the upcoming tournament?"

"You've guessed correctly." Metsudo nodded. "Do you remember what I mentioned in my letter to you?"

"I recall it involved my clan, yes?" Erioh replied.

Metsudo nodded. "Correct. Recently, the Kengan Association has pitched for a small change in the way the tournament is presented. Not something as grand as a change in location, moreso a change in operation."

"Go on." Erioh asked, intrigued as the pair stopped just outside the entrance to the arena. Metsudo turned to Erioh, gazing straight into his fellow elder's black eyes.

"Well, to keep it short and simple, the association wants to host a tournament for women." Metsudo explained.

Erioh was quiet for a moment. "I see. And why would that be?"

Metsudo shrugged. "I suppose the youth are wishing for some variety. I was never much one for rules anyway, they ruin all the entertainment value."

"And I'm to presume you wish for me to send in one of the female members of my clan to compete?" Erioh asked.

"Well... no. I don't want just any female from your clan..." Metsudo replied.

Erioh looked perplexed for a brief moment, but when he realized what his friend was getting at, his face darkened. He and Metsudo entered the arena, before stopping straight in the middle, Erioh's back turned. "...Do you know what this means? I'm not all too eager to throw her into something this dangerous..."

"She's the second strongest in your clan's current generation, and the clan in question is one with a tradition of assassination." Metsudo retorted.

"That's different!" Erioh insisted. "Fighting equally skilled rivals in a tournament is different than assassinating weak targets that occasionally have a bodyguard! These tournaments host only the best, most well trained and honed fighters the world has ever seen! She'll be in far more danger here!"

"Are you doubting your granddaughter's capabilities?" Metsudo asked. "Why, that would be rather disrespectful to your family, now, wouldn't it?"

Erioh had no answer. He simply scowled and turned around with a glare, taking a wider stance as he held his arms up in a challenging gesture. "Fine. Then I'll accept. But only if you can best me in a duel."

Metsudo chuckled. "I figured as much. I commend your care for your family." And with that, he entered his own stance. "If I win, I promise you no permanent harm will come to her."

"...Prove it." Erioh said sternly. And so, the two men, in a flash of motion, disappeared.

A pair of fists collided...

Much later, two figures stood inside an ancient Japanese training room. A buff, shirtless man with shaggy black hair and a smirk on his face, and a shorter, black haired young woman wearing revealing training clothes that showed off her thin yet powerful muscles. her eyes equally as black as her grandfather's, a battle hungry smile on her face. Both took a fighting stance, arms held in front of them. They stood still for a moment, sizing each other up...

And then, they fight was on.

The man moved first, lunging forward with a powerful jab. The girl ducked under it, then went for a leg sweep, only for the man to leap over it, then try to follow up with a kick that the girl managed to catch, grabbing his foot and hurling him into the wall. It proved ineffective, however, as the man managed to catch himself by placing his hand against the wall, then pushed off to land safely.

He began to shuffle in a circle around his opponent, who tried her best to maintain focus and keep pace, clicking her tongue. Smirking, the man hurled his best punch, but the girl weaved to his right, throwing her elbow to strike him across the face. But the man was fast, fast enough to raise his other arm and block the oncoming elbow, before grabbing her arm and pulling her before him, before yanking her down and finally landing his punch as it hit her square in the face.

He was not to get away unscathed, however, as the girl used the momentum to lift her leg up and slam her foot against his chin, knocking his head back. She then gracefully wrapped herself around his arm, using her weight to try and force him down onto the ground.

It was a struggle for the man, but he managed to remain standing tall, causing her to click her tongue again. Using his free arm, the man threw another punch at her face, the girl unwrapping from around him so she could deliver an axe kick to the top of his skull. Both parties stopped in place for a moment, wind kicking up from their impact, as the room fell dead silent. The man's fist was inches away from the girl's face, the girl's sole a mere centimeter away from the man's head. the rest of her limbs still wrapped around the man's arm like a baby koala. The two glowered at each other, before the man grinned. "Looks like I win again."

The girl let out a long groan of annoyance as she let go of his arm and landed gracefully on the ground. "Come on, you got twenty four out of thirty eight, no fair!" She whined. "I wanted to score at least two over you..."

Ohma chuckled and patted Karura on the head. "You did a great job either way. But you keep forgetting you're WAY too light to ever make me fall."

Karura blushed and giggled. "I gave you a hard time this time!"

"I'll give you that." Ohma agreed. "You really have improved quite a bit."

"Does that mean you'll marry me now?" Karura asked innocently.

Ohma stared at her blankly. "We've been over this. I'm WAY too old for you. As far as I remember, you gave up on trying a month ago."

Karura pouted. "I can't just FORGET my first love!" She protested. Then she laughed. "But yeah... You're right. I did give up. It's just not meant to be. You're too old and smelly for me."

"Smelly?" Ohma huffed lightly.

Karura laughed and punched his arm. "Ah, take a joke, you big lug!"

And with that, she flopped down onto the floor of the room, wiping sweat from her brow. "Will you be leaving soon?"

Ohma nodded. "I promised Yamashita I'd talk to him about representing him in the big tournament."

Karura nodded. "Good luck. I heard there were some new rules being put in."

Ohma shrugged. "Whatever it is, it'll just make things more interesting. Well, I'll see you later, Karura."

"Bye, Ohma!" Karura chirped. And with that, Ohma left to clean himself off as Karura stayed on the floor, laying on her back and staring up at the ceiling.

Karura breathed out through her nostrils. "How the hell did I convince myself to stop trying to win him?" She had been infatuated with him since the day they first met on the ship! She didn't care that he was older than her! Twelve years wasn't THAT much of a gap! ...Right?

No. She couldn't waste time thinking about that anymore. He was strong, sure, but there was nothing between them. Now, they were just really close friends and sparring partners. Nothing more. Maybe she had some lingering affection, but that was not the same. He didn't have any interest in her, and she didn't want to ruin their relationship by making him uncomfortable.

She was jolted from her thoughts by the sound of her phone ringing. With a raised brow, she flipped to her feet and ran to check on her phone. She saw it was a message from her mother, informing her of a new mission. She let out a sigh of exasperation. "Assassinations are so BORING though..." She groaned. "No one fun ever shows up, it's just a bunch of weak little jokes! Ugh... I'll just do it whenever I'm good and ready, I need a break right now. I'm gonna take a walk through the city!"

After taking a quick shower, a half hour one to be precise, she then walked through the city streets, her red hoodie obscuring her face as she lurked through the crowds, her skills as an assassin making her practically nonexistent to the unobservant civillians.

She took a right on the square, walking a few paces before stopping just in front of a tall blue skyscraper, looking up and analyzing the building for her planned infiltration routes. Entering, she walked through the halls, noticing multiple security personel and average civillians going about their jobs. And yet, no one even noticed she existed in the same building, the same hallway as them.

Snarling, she fought the urge to punch the wall next to her. Just as she thought. The mission would be BOOOOOOOORIIIIIIIING. Walking at a faster pace, she left the building and looked up at the tall tower again, groaning and shaking her head. "Why does being a part of the Kure clan have to involve killing nameless mooks?" She moaned. Taking a seat on a bench, she lowered her hood and looked up at the sky, and began to think and ponder.

Ohma had fought in the Kengan tournament. He was one of the most famous fighters in the whole industry. He'd faced multiple fun opponents. Would she ever have something similar...? Could she ever face opponents as strong as her in a fight of life and death? It would be nice... And who knew? Maybe she'd meet a strong and powerful lover that could give her children!

She sighed. "Probably never gonna happen..." She muttered as she remained sitting, gazing up at the sky and thinking of plans for her mission to pass the time.

Back on the island, a different figure was currently walking down the hotel hallway. A large, burly man with slicked back, shiny dark hair, a chiseled face stuck in a blank expression, wearing a formal tuxedo. Metsudo's current strongest bodyguard and another champion of the Kengan Annihilation Tournament, Kanoh Agito.

Currently, as stated above, the man was heading down a hallway in the hotel on the island. Normally this place would house the fighters and their sponsors as well as the audience coming to observe the fights. Right now though, Agito was heading to meet a different person. Going up the stairs, he walked past three doors before reaching one door in particular, numbered 1237, behind which loud high pitched screaming could be heard. It was not out of fear or terror however.

Grabbing the knob, Agito opened the door, coming to a pristine white room, standing in the middle of which was a beautiful dark skinned lady with platinum hair with one tiny braid to her left, dressed in a red thin dress that exposed one of her legs. And currently...

"THAAAAAAAT'S RIGHT FOLKS! IT'S THE ONE, THE ONLY, THE FANG OOOOOF METSUDO! KANOH....AAAAAAAAGITOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAARGH! JESUS!"

...she was engaged in one of her usual vocal practices as the announcer of the Kengan tournament, snapping out of her practice and stumbling backwards onto the floor at the sight of Agito's imposing figure.

Sayaka Katahara, the granddaughter of Metsudo Katahara, clutched her chest in surprise, breathing heavily, before getting up and angrily stomping up to Agito, "I TOLD you to quit startling me like that, you jerk!" She exclaimed, punching him in the chest, only to pull her fist back with a hiss of pain.

"Your grandfather has a message for you." Agito said emotionlessly.

Sayaka tilted her head. "And why can't he come and tell me himself, exactly?"

"He's resting. He had a very vigorous duel recently." Agito replied.

"Oh no, is he okay?!" Sayaka asked worriedly.

"Yes. He's perfectly fine. Simply exhausted and bruised a little." Agito replied. "He wanted me to let you know about the new rules for the upcoming tournament. A new female division is being formed and tested. This next tournament is an all women one. And given his state, he wants you to personally visit some of the contestants to inform them of the event and invite them in his place."

"Wow, really?!" Sayaka said excitedly. "An all girls tournament?! It's unheard of! Oh, this is going to be amazing! When do I leave?!"

"Your ship is ready. You may depart any time you wish." Agito replied.

"OHMYGOSHTHANKYOUSOMUCHAGITOBYENOWI'MGONNAGO!" Sayaka said rapidly before rushing off to get dressed for her trip. Agito watched her go, then exhaled through his nose and shook his head, then turned to leave the room.

He closed the door, and a moment passed before a sheet of paper slid out from under the door.

Inside the bathroom, Sayaka was erratically fixing her hair, trying her hardest to straighten it out the best she could, applying makeup, just wanting to make sure she looked presentable. When she was done, she smiled warmly into the mirror, satisfied and confident she was looking pretty, and then left the room and threw open her closet, grabbing the first outfit she could before hastily rushing into the bathroom once more. When she next came out, she was wearing a purple suit with orange edges and insides, and a pair of glasses on her face. She blinked, then removed the glasses. "Why do I have these? I don't even need glasses..." She then noticed the paper on the floor, prompting her to approach and pick it up. Unfolding it, she scanned the list of names, assuming these were the women that would be fighting in the tournament, as well as the companies betting on them. She let out a gasp. "Wow, some of these names are super big! I can't believe the CEO of Wakasa Life Insurance is getting in on this, I've never heard of a CEO fighting before! She must be really strong! And...

She audibly gulped when she recognized one of the names on the list. That woman... Oh, now she was having second thoughts. She REALLY didn't want to speak with that... abomination. That was no woman, that was a beast wearing a girl's skin. And...

Oh, a Kure girl! She'd seen this one before, the long haired one, she seemed nice. Hopefully talking with her would be easy enough...

She shook her head, then she composed herself. "Grandpa gave me this task..." She murmured to herself. "I can't disappoint him now. Even if... that THING is going to be on the to-do list... I'll face them all." She nodded in determination.

A minute later, Sayaka was climbing into the boat. Untying the rope holding it by the bay, she set the engine on, and with that began her voyage to Japan, with a "WAAAAAHOOOOOOO!" for good measure.

Back in Japan, it was currently night, and Karura was currently in conversation with her mother on the phone. A very tiring conversation, if her sigh was anything to go by. "But it's gonna be BORING! This mission is lame!"

"I know it is, dear, but it is what it is. You'll have to do it, as is tradition." The woman compassionately agreed. "I know my sweetie will be okay, no matter what happens."

"Mooooom, I'm too old to be called sweetie!" Karura whined.

"Oh no you're not! No matter the blood on your hands, you'll always be my little girl." Came the cheeky response. Karura smiled widely. She was embarrassed, but she was SO grateful to have a loving mother like her...

"All right, thanks, mom. But... I guess I should probably get started pretty soon here..." Karura sighed.

"All right, sweetie, good luck! Bye!"

"Bye, mom."

And with that, both hung up.

Karura leaned against a lamppost and sighed. "I'll start in a couple hours, give or take... But until then, I'm gonna go for a jog, the beach sounds nice right about now!" And with that, she ran off towards the beach. When she arrived, she walked down the walkway towards the sea, approaching the beach with a wide smile... before recognizing a seacraft she had never seen before.

One that belonged to the... Kengan Association!

"Oh... This must be the ship that brought whoever was gonna scout Ohma for the tournament!" She exclaimed. She approached. "Wow, this ship is in a really weird state, it's like someone was stumbling around and made a big mess. Weird. People from that place are professional, aren't they?" She shrugged. "Well, no point in looking into it, it's not here for me. It's for Ohma and whoever else is fighting, not me."

...Or... maybe...?

Nah. No way. It wasn't possible. Women didn't fight in the Kengan tournament, they had no place in the ring, aside from that loud announcer girl. Shrugging, she turned to walk away, heading towards the beach again, leaving the boat behind. Stepping onto the sand, she sighed and breathed in the cold, salty ocean air. She took a moment to stretch, and then she began her jog... which was moreso a fast run, fast enough to win a 100 meter race and kick up a ton of sand in her wake. As Karura ran by the edge of the beach, she felt as free as a bird in the sky, spending the next few hours like this, running along the beach, kicking up and dispersing sand in her trail as she went along, until eventually, she finally had to stop, breathing in satisfaction. "Phew... Now THAT was a great warmup!" She stretched, then sighed and gave a sour look. "And now comes the boring part..." Pulling her hoodie up, she pocketed her hand, and she walked off towards the city.

Heading through the streets, she stopped at the same building she had scouted earlier in the day. This time, however, instead of entering through the door, she opted for a sneakier alternative. Jumping up, she began to scale the building using its narrow ledges to latch onto it and climb. Reaching an open window near the 27th floor, she slid through and rolled to a stop...

Right into a room full of armed security guards.

Specifically, a room full of security guards that were currently caught up in a game of poker around a table. None of them having noticed her slipping in. Quickly scanning her surroundings, she noticed a door slightly creaked open. 'I need to make sure they don't notice me leaving.' She surmised in her head. Looking around, she noticed a box of tear gas cans, probably used as a supply for the security personell she guessed. Falling to the floor, she crawled her way behind a group of stacked chairs, discretely grabbing the box and pulling it over to behind the chairs. She reached into her pocket, pulling out a plastic bag, and with a deep breath, she set to work opening each and every can.

Meanwhile, at the table, the guards were being absolutely horrible at their job as they carelessly played their game. One just gave up and dropped his cards while another figured he might as well bet all of his tokens since the other guy quit. "You sure that's a good idea?" A third man asked.

His colleague shrugged. "I mean, might as well, right? Got...less...competition..."

The man slowed his words to a stop as he looked to the right, the other guards turning to see a short figure walking towards the door. The figure grabbed their face and pulled off a plastic bag, revealing a pale face with black eyes. The woman stuck out her tongue and pulled down her eyelid before scampering out the door and locking it shut. A hissing sound was heard, and the men noticed a bottle of tear gas... as well as thirty six others. Plus an empty box.

Karura briskly walked away with her arms behind her head and whistled merrily to herself as screaming and banging was heard behind the door she just locked. She shrugged. "What works works. No one can notice me if no one is left to notice." As she walked away, she spotted a camera mounted on the wall above her. The camera followed her, and, getting an idea, she jumped up and grabbed the device before literally ripping it out of the wall. The camera sputtered with electricity before turning off, and Karura crushed into into an unrecognizeable mess of circuits and plastic before casually tossing it away. "Guess the extra security measures should be coming soon." And indeed, she heard multiple steps a floor down rapidly approaching. With a smirk, she began running. "This hallway is WAY too narrow to have any fun."

Running forward, she picked up speed before performing a series of acrobatic flips and twirls through the air, ending with a dropkick that sent her straight through a wall. Karura rolled to a stop, seeing that she was now in an empty office. The steps behind her grew louder, and she looked around the room, getting an idea. Outside a swarm of guards with firearms ran up the stairs and towards the source of the alarm, but stopped when they spotted the ruined camera on the floor. One of them leaned down to pick it up, when a whooshing sound caught all of their attention... And then, one guard gasped. "WATCH OUT!" He called. As soon as he said that, a table, yes, a TABLE suddenly flew through the air and crashed into the guards leading the front, causing them to flop to the floor. Before they had time to recuperate, a sudden shadow blitzed in front of them before their visions turned black and three sickening cracks were heard. Karura was now suddenly behind the row of armed guards, having used one of the Kure Traditions to snap their necks in one simple move. The remaining guards, recovering from the sudden sight of their comrades dying, turned around and aimed their guns at the girl. Turning around, Karura smiled as she looked at them, her white irises glowing in the darkness of her hood.

"I don't care now. This was so boring it actually managed to piss me off. I'm feeling a bit disrespectful right now. I'll stay in the narrow hallway and destroy you all. It's at least fun to kill cornered animals over nothing but boring hunting." And then, she lunged forward as gunfire shot through the building.

About several blocks from her mission point, a different scene was unfolding. In the main building of Wakasa Life Insurance, Sayaka was finishing up her scouting of one Hiyama Shunka, the company CEO. "Wow, you really are amazing!" She enthusiastically complimented the woman in the kimono. "I did NOT expect you to be strong enough to compete!"

The shorter woman raised a brow. "I've placed much effort into building the skill for things such as this. I'm glad the Association noticed my efforts, otherwise it all would have been a waste."

Sayaka smiled. "Well, you're in luck! The association expects great things from you as a CEO in a fighting arena! It's totally unheard of! And I cannot WAIT to see you in action!"

"I appreciate the enthusiasm." Hiyama said with a nod. "I'll do my best to live up to your expectations."

"Aww, I'm so glad to see you're so determined! I'll definitely be one of the people cheering you on!" She promised... before getting interrupted by the sight of the clock on the wall, which caused her to scream. "OH NO, I STAYED WAY TOO LONG, AAAAAAAHHH! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME, I GOTTA GO NOW, GOODBYE, GOOD LUCK, SORRY TO LEAVE SO ABRUPTLY, HAVE TO GO, BYYYYEEEEE!" And with that, she zoomed off, leaving the shorter woman blinking with wide eyes and a hand extended in a handshake that was too fast for her to perceive.

Running out of the meeting room, Sayaka stopped before a railing, looking down several floors of height. Quickly, she flipped over the railing and gracefully began to fall, performing majestic spins and twirls as she descended before eventually landing at the bottom in a crouching position. With a bright smile, she hopped to her feet before bowing to a nonexistent audience. She then took off running out of the building, skidding to a stop on the edge of the sidewalk, just as a car drove by right in front of her. She stared with wide eyes, then sighed softly. "Well, I guess I should have toned down the coffee back on the boat..." She'd made quite a mess of it while stumbling around from excess energy. Pulling the list out, she crossed out Hiyama's name, making it the latest in a series of names she'd already scouted. She grinned. "Go me! I am getting this DONE! All right... Next name... ...Oh... It's... It's her..."

Sayaka gulped. She REALLY didn't want to confront her... She should... save her for the very end... Yeah... That was the safest idea... Save her for later... She looked at the name below it and sighed in relief. It was the Kure girl. Karura was her name. Probably one of the strongest people on the list, barring the name directly above her. And thankfully, she should also be in the city right now. Agito was kind enough to list off the activities each candidate was doing at the current time, thanks to the Associations' info gathering personell. And it seemed like Kure Karura was... carrying out an assassination... Well, it was understandable, given the Kure clan's history...

As if answering her thoughts, the sound of glass smashing was heard, and Sayaka looked up to see... someone, clearly male judging by the voice, falling out the smashed window on the 27th floor of the building to her left. "That's probably her..." She guessed. "The location checks out." Making her decision, Sayaka quickly ran towards the source of the event.

A crash was heard, and Sayaka rushed towards a large trash container. She lifted herself to look in and saw a security guard groaning in pain, his limbs turned into pretzels. "Um... Excuse me, sir!" She spoke politely. "But by any chance have you seen a black haired girl with black eyes around here?" somewhere. One of the man's fingers shakily pointed up as he groaned once more. "Thanks so much, you're sweet!" Sayaka chirped before rushing off.

Meanwhile, inside the building, Karura clicked her tongue as she kicked away one of the guards on the floor, hands in her pockets as she walked away. Approaching a lift, she grabbed the door and forced it open, looking to see the elevator at the very bottom. Then she looked up, seeing about four doors on the floors above her. Her target was apparently on the 42nd floor...

She shrugged. "Guess I need an excuse to do more parkour anyways." She jumped inside, grabbing the elevator wire before jumping towards one of the walls and beginning to scale the inside of the the elevator shaft like a certain arachnid themed superhero using nothing but sheer grip strength, leaving behind clear indentations with her fingers. It took her about fifteen minutes, but she eventually reached the 42nd floor, forcing the door open and rolling out into the hallway from the shaft. Getting up, she patted herself off and smirked. "Another record broken! Only 15 minutes instead of seventeen!" She boasted. Looking around, she saw an empty hallway, at the end of which was a door, most likely leading to her target. She walked towards it in a casual stroll, reaching it and pulling it open, her eyes narrowed at how easy it was to enter. No doubt a trap, she thought as she entered a fancy room with a view of the entire city, her target snoring away on a bed without a care in the world.

Slowly sneaking in, she shut the door and looked around, her eyes scanning the room for any traps. She took a page out of Fusui's book and used Removal on her eyes to enhance their perception...

Nothing...

Not a single wire, indentation for a trapdoor, holes for a deadly spike trap to shoot out...nothing. The room was completely safe.

Approaching the bed, she saw her target. A middle aged man, apparently accused of plagiarism from other companies he happened to have run into the ground. This was a request from one of the CEOs he ruined.

'Is he seriously so confident I won't get past his security that he wouldn't boobytrap his own room in case I did? Wow, and I thought Raian was dumb as a brick...' She thought.

Shrugging, she leaned down, lifting one of her hands and clenching it as if she was about to swipe down on him like an animal. She swung down. Blood stained the bed, a grunt was heard, and silence.

Outside, Sayaka was groaning in frustration as she tried in vain to find another entrance into the building. She stomped on the asphalt in frustration, cursing CEOs and their inability to install backyard entrances. She stopped and sighed to herself. 'I've got to find a way to catch her before she runs off. I can't fight her, that'd just cause a misunderstanding and I'd get destroyed. I can't enter, so I can't chase after her...'

As if answering her prayers, breaking glass was heard, and she looked up, yelping when she jumped back to narrowly dodge falling shards of glass. Looking up, she saw her target of attention climbing down the building. "Oh wow... she looks so cool doing that... I didn't know Kures could do that... She then got an idea, before running into an alley next to the building.

Karura kicked off from the wall, doing a double front flip before safely landing on her feet, letting out a "Tadaaaah!" as she did. She stretched her arms as she moaned at the joints popping. "Aaaand just like I expected, it was boring and easy. I didn't expect it to be THAT easy though. Like, not even a trap in his own room? Seriously?!"

She sighed. "This was such a waste of time, I won't even bother disposing of the evidence. I'll just call someone else to do the cleanup." Walking away, she passed by the alleyway next to the building.

"You there!" A deep female voice called out from behind her. Freezing up, the assassin tensed up for a fight, turning around to see a shadow in the darkness of the alleyway. Her eyes could make out medium bright hair, and a purple business suit. "I've been looking for you." The mysterious woman said. "You're quite elusive."

"I didn't expect any visitors, and you're sure not Elena... Who are you?" Karura demanded.

"Oh, I'm just a benefactor." The woman said, walking forward. "And I have an offer for you that you likely wouldn't dream of refusIIIIING!."

As she was talking, the last words turned into a yelp of surprise when the woman accidentally stepped on a discarded beer can, causing her to get lose her footing and tumble forward with a yelp, crashing face-first into the pavement.

Karura blinked, looking down on the brown haired woman who was now groaning in pain, shakily pushing herself up. "Awwww, that totally ruined that cool mysterious act my grandpa always does!" She whined. She looked up and saw Karura, staring down at her with a raised brow.

"Are you... okay? Do you need help?" Karura asked.

The woman blinked, not responding, just staring up at her. Confused, Karura leaned down closer, snapping her fingers in her face. "Hey, helloooooo? You okay there? You got brain damage from the fall?" The woman, upon realizing how close she was, blushed, though it was hard to see in the dark.

"Ah! I-I-I'm fine!" She stuttered as she pushed herself up. "I'm... sorry about that, I was just trying to do what my grandpa does when he scouts people..."

Karura tilted her head. "Are you scouting for jobs then? I guess I could do another assassination." She casually presented her hand, which was currently darkened with blood. "I actually just completed a mission... I've got specific time frames I'm available on, so I can't gurantee it'll be done SOON... Maybe it'll take a week or two, I dunno." Sayaka, meanwhile, was perplexed by the sight of the hand as she remembered she just caught the girl after she'd ended someone's life.

Currently, her thoughts were a mess. 'She seemed so sweet and nice the last time I saw her, she looks scarier now!' The pale skin, the black eyes, the bloody hand... She remembered this was a Kure she was talking with. A member of a clan known to have carried out assassinations since the feudal ages. And she killed a man with ONE HAND. The Kure were every bit as freakishly strong as she remembered. All of this suddenly made Karura look... not all too pleasant...

But... it was wrong to think about such things. She wasn't a bad person, she was just... doing her job, that's all... She wasn't a stranger to death, she lived alongside Kanoh Agito. She'd witnessed mad doctors, death row inmates, mercenaries and more all throughout her years as a Kengan announcer, it wasn't fair to perceive Karura any differently when she was honestly the nicest murderer she had ever met.

But... even still...

"Uh... hello?"

Sayaka was snapped out of her daze when Karura shook her a little, bloody hand on her shoulder. "Are you really okay?" Karura asked again. "You seem to space out an awful lot. Seems you hit your head pretty bad."

'HOLY CRAP A BLOODY MURDER HAND IS TOUCHING ME OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!' Sayaka screamed internally. Externally, she giggled. "Oh, don't worry, I'm fine!" She subtly brushed off Karura's hand.

Karura stopped, leaning in and getting close to Sayaka's face. Even if Sayaka was intimidated, she couldn't help but note that her eyes were actually kinda pretty in the dark... She snapped herself out of such thoughts and began to scream in her head. 'WHY IS SHE SO CLOSE TO ME?!'

Karura blinked twice. "Huh... Y'know... Something about you seems kinda... familiar..." She murmured. Then, her eyes widened in realization. "You're the girl from the Kengan tournaments! The announcer one with the loud as hell voice!"

Sayaka bashfully rubbed the back of her head. "Um... Y-Yeah, that's... that's me all right..."

Karura smirked. "Your voice is actually pretty when you aren't screaming your lungs out."

Sayaka blushed even more crimson at the praise and chuckled awkwardly. "Y-Yeah, I get it, I get kinda annoyed with my announcer voice too... It gives me a sore throat like you wouldn't believe."

Karura shrugged. "I can't say I'm surprised. Announcers have to have some serious lungs on them if they wanna be heard over a big crowd of screaming people. Oh! Does that mean the ship I saw at the docks is yours?!"

"Uh... Does it look messy?" Sayaka asked, to which Karura nodded. Sayaka sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. "Yeah... That's my ship... Uh... It's a little bit... out of shape because I almost fell asleep during the ride, and then I drank too much coffee to keep myself awake and ended up making a mess during the caffeine rush..."

"Did you come here to see Ohma for the new tournament?" Karura asked.

"Nope!" Sayaka denied. "Not this time! Like I said, I came for you!"

Karura raised a brow. "What do you mean? As far as I remember, I don't have any connection to the Association outside of my grandfather being friends with Metsudo."

Sayaka looked around anxiously. "...I'd rather explain somewhere else, where no one can hear us..."

Karura looked thoughtful. "Hmm... Oh! Why don't we take a walk on the beach?!" She said more enthusiastically than Sayaka was prepared for. "It's been FOREVER since the last time I had company on a walk!" Sayaka blinked at the sight of the recently finished assassin acting cute and sporting the most adorably excited smile she'd ever seen in her life.

"Uh... Sure." Sayaka accepted. Karura let out a delighted squeal before grabbing her hand and rushing off, leading her to the beach.

20 minutes later, Karura breathed in the air of the sea and night, sighing in pure satisfaction at the feeling of the fresh air breezing through her lungs. "Ah, the air near the sea is always good. I love the way it smells." By her side was Sayaka, looking at her with a small smile.

"I didn't expect the sea of all things to be a place you'd enjoy." Sayaka spoke.

"The sea has always been one of my favourite places to hang out. I'd take long walks along the beach whenever I had a chance. The breeze helps me clear my mind, my hair feels refreshed and clean with the wind, when I take my shoes off, I love to feel the sand and water beneath my toes..." She sighed again. "No matter what, the sea never fails to calm me down."

She then turned to Sayaka with a bright smile. "Now... Time for a nice, proper introduction! Hi! Mine name is Kure Karura! Please to meet ya!" She chirped.

Sayaka, much more comfortable around her now despite the still bloody hand, smiled back. "Sayaka Katahara, at your service." She greeted back.

Karura noticed the surname and gasped. "Oh my gosh, the grandpa you mentioned is Metsudo Katahara then!"

"Yes it is!" Sayaka nodded with a smile.

Karura tilted her head. "But why did you come to find me of all people? Usually it's Ohma everyone from the Association is looking for." She then remembered another person... "Did you come to find me to get me in contact with Raian instead? Because if you did, I really wouldn't want to get you hurt by getting him involved."

"No." Sayaka denied. "My business is not related to any of the previous Kengan competitors. I actually came to look specifically for you and you alone."

"But why?" Karura asked as they both walked along the shore. "Is this somehow related to the rumours about the new rules being implemented in the Kengan tournament?"

"Exactly right!" Sayaka confirmed. "That's why I came after you!" She stood in Karura's way, before dramatically pointing at her. "Kure Karura! You are one of the lucky candidates chosen by the Association to take part in the very first, unique and specially designed female tournament!"

Karura's eyes widened considerably. "FEMALE TOURNAMENT?!"

Sayaka nodded. "The Association's new heads have decided to host a female tournament as a testing attempt, to see if more female fights can be held in the future. And you get to participate as one of it's combatants!"

Karura's heart was running miles. Her. Chosen. To fight...in the same tournament Ohma once fought in. She...she could stand alongside the likes of Ohma and Raian as a fighter! She was hoping for this the same morning! And now it was real!

Sayaka put a hand on her hip, smirking. "Now it's my turn to ask if YOU'RE okay, miss space-out."

Karura snapped out of her surprised state, and immediately grew worried. "Oh my gosh, I need to get ready! I'm gonna have to train harder than I ever did before, I have to be prepared for literally everything, I don't wanna die!"

Sayaka winced. "Yeah, these get pretty brutal..." She murmured awkwardly, rubbing the back of her head. "Not uncommon for people to die in these things, and I wish there were a rule against it, but... Uh... Yeah... Plus there's everyone who can fight, you got nice people that just want a good fight, but then there's the death row inmates and the mercenaries that like to finger people's eyes out, so yeah, your concerns are totally valid, and I am totally not helping right now, soooo all I'm gonna say now is... yeah. Make sure you're prepared. Especially with HER on the list..."

Karura tilted her head. "Her? Who's her?"

Sayaka stared at her before pulling her list out and pointing at the name just above her own. "Um... Her. I...was SUPPOSED to meet her next, but she scares me, so I decided to procrastinate a little bit... I thought talking to you would prepare me mentally for it..."

Karura blinked when she saw the name. "Am... Am I reading this right? That is literally one of my mom's students. I mean, yeah, she's a MONSTER strength-wise, I could sense that a mile away when I went to visit mom that one time, but it can't be that bad... She seemed kinda friendly."

Sayaka cringed and put a hand on Karura's shoulder. "You're a sweet, innocent girl... Hold onto that for as long as you can."

Karura blinked twice and blushed at the comment, looking down shyly. "Wh-Where'd that come from...?"

Sayaka tilted her head in confusion before realizing what she said. She was... still confused. "Um... What? You're a sweet, innocent girl, what's wrong with telling it like it is?"

Karura blushed again, but this time, she was quick to shake it off, brushing the inquiry to the side. "Aaaanyway, if a pro like you is worried, then I guess this girl must be a big deal, so... thanks for letting me know! Um... When does the tournament start...?"

"Oh, the tournament actually begins in a month plus two weeks, so you better get ready and fast." Karura reported.

"Right." Karura nodded. "I also gotta repay you somehow..." Pulling out a sheet of paper, she quickly wrote something down and passed it over to Sayaka, who tilted her head as she took the number written down on the sheet of paper.

She looked back up at Karura, who was giving her a wholesome smile. "If you ever want to hang out or need help with anything, you can give me a call!"

Sayaka smirked. "Does that mean you'll be inviting me on a date?"

Karura, quite uncharacteristically, grew flustered. "N-No! No, I... I'm not... That isn't what... This isn't..."

"Ah, relax, I'm just messing with ya!" Sayaka laughed to calm her down before raising a fist with a smirk. "Glad to have found a new friend, actually."

Karura blinked twice, then grinned as the pair exchanged a fist bump, then continued on their way down the beach, chatting the night away and enjoying the salty breeze. Just the two of them, no one bothering or interfering.

Eventually, they came to a stop at the end of the beach to take a quick breather from all the walking. They continued to talk until the sunrise began to peek over the horizon.

Sayaka was the first to notice, and she let out a soft sigh. "I just love the sunrise... I never really saw it in person before, so I'm happy to have that chance..."

Then she remembered. She was looking at the sunrise...

"OH NOOOOOOOO, I STILL HAVE THAT LAST MEETING I'M SUPPOSED TO DO! AH! UM... BYE, THIS WAS NICE, THANK YOU FOR THE TIME, SEE YA AROUND, LATER!" And with that, she zoomed off in a trail of dust, which Karura coughed and swatted away with a hand.

"Ugh... Most cars couldn't move THAT fast..." She muttered. "She's got some powerful legs on her. I wonder if she's open to sparring."

She turned to look at the sunrise, admiring the yellow golden colours of the sunlight blending in with the ocean water. Her mind jumped back to the news she had received...

A female tournament. A tournament just for women to fight in. She could stand under the same light, her face on the same screens, her name shouted aloud to a massive audience by that gorgeous announcer girl. Just like Raian and Ohma before her, she would throw her fist and foot at a might foe, even spill blood if needed, against deadly martial artists and ridiculously strong fighters from across the world.

'Is this how Heracles felt when he ascended to Olympus among the gods?' She wondered to herself. She turned to walk away, heading home to start her training.

Then she remembered one important detail.

"Why'd I call the announcer girl gorgeous...?"

Back with Sayaka, the announcer girl was running at top speed through the city, weaving through the metropolis and leaping over everything in her path to reach her destination. She stopped with a roll in front of the city police station, then gazed up at the building, a gaze filled with a mix of fear and determination. She looked at the list one more time and shakily crossed off Karura's name, then clenched the paper with a deep breath. She folded and pocketed it, before entering the station. Dropping her friendly and exciteable vibes, she turned deadly serious as she approached the receptionist. She whipped out her ID. "Excuse me. I'm a member of the Kengan Association, and I wish to speak with Nozomi Tenma." The woman looked up, eyes wide, and then simply pointed off to the left. "Thank you." Sayaka said with a nod before walking off, approaching what looked like a tired, sleepless woman with bags under her eyes and a beer in her hand. "...Um... Hello...?" She called out softly, altering her presence to the woman, who jumped.

"GAH! Wh-Who are you...?" The woman asked nervously.

"Oh, um... I'm sorry I startled you..." Sayaka murmured, taking a chair opposite to her. "Um... I'm a member of the Kengan Association...?" Nozomi immediately relaxed and looked intrigued before sipping her beer.

"Does that mean you came to recruit someone for the tournament?" She asked.

Sayaka nodded. "They're doing a female division. It's the first ever female tournament."

Nozomi sighed and leaned back. "Well, you won't be getting me. I'm retired."

"Oh, I'm not here for you." Sayaka corrected. Nozomi looked at her in confusion.

"Well, who are you here for then? It's... just me." She asked.

And then, upon a moment of realization, her eyes widened. "Wait... Holy crap no... No no no no no no no no no! Don't tell me you mean what I think you mean!"

Sayaka's answer?

She pulled out and unfolded the paper, sliding it over to Nozomi, who looked over it before her teeth clenched and her hand crushed her beer can slightly, her eyes sticking like glue to the second to last name on the list. The two words that brought her untold nightmares.

Hina.

Hingou.

Kure Raian was lost.

The old man returned the evening after his leave the previous day, battered and bruised. Given where he had been, Raian figured it was probably because he got into a fight with the other geezer. Taka... something. Eh, whatever, he didn't care. Point was, as soon as he came back, he told her to go and look for Karura. Of all people. Why?

A female tournament. Raian couldn't believe it. A tournament solely for ladies to kick each other's teeth in. That meant this year he didn't get to have any fun beyond boring assassinations. He was now just stuck in the audience, watching his 'beloved' cousin do what he did best. It was ridiculous.

And yet... He was kinda digging it. He wished to see the squirt go all out. She never did, not even against him, though with the clear weight difference, she always did lose their spars,but the runt was damn strong. It just pissed him off that she never actually tried... Guess she was still pissed he nearly killed her boyfriend. Or... were they together...? ...Eh. Like he cared.

So now, he had the task of retrieving Karura and informing her of the entire thing in case no one did in advance. As far as he remembered, she had an assassination mission to carry out last evening. He found the traces as usual and got stuck cleaning up her mess, but...

"WHERE THE HELL IS THAT LITTLE SHIT WHEN A GUY NEEDS HER?!" He shouted out in frustration, causing several windows to light up. Groaning in annoyance, he walked off, hands in his pockets. When that girl wanted to be elusive, she would freaking vanish, like she disappeared off the face of the earth. ...Oh. There she was. Running towards him. At top speed.

Half sighing and half snarling, Raian entered a stance and crossed his arms just in time for Karura's knee to hit right where his face would have been. Karura continued with a two punch combo, followed by a front roundhouse and a forward kick to push him back. Raian blocked the punches and dodged the kicks, before turning to batting, parrying and blocking a barrage of kicks and punches, while speaking to her in casual annoyance. "So, you gonna tell me what this is all about?" No response. Just another roundhouse kick, which he evaded again, blocking three more punches before Karura threw a fourth. He tried to catch it, but he was forced to lift his arm when she cancelled it at the last second and transitioned into a knee, which got blocked.

Karura, having had enough, backed off and clicked her tongue. "You couldn't let me have ONE hit at least?"

Raian scoffed. "Maybe I would, if you told me what the hell's going on and why you're picking a fight. I didn't attack your boyfriend recently if that's what's got you pissed off."

Karura blushed. "He's not my boyfriend! We broke up! You were there when it happened! You even laughed, you big jerk! I was just trying to get a head start on my training for the tournament!"

Raian sighed. "All right, good to know. You already know about it, so my work here is done." He turned to leave, but had to block an attempted blow to his head. He turned to look at Karura, her fist pressing against his hand as she looked at him in malice and determination.

"I'm not done! You have to train me!" She declared.

Raian snorted. "Not a chance, squirt." He kept walking.

"Hey!" Karura angrily called out as she chased after him.

Raian just kept a dry and bored look as, without even looking, his hand blocked every and all attacks from his younger cousin with no effort. Kicks? Blocked. Punches? Parried. Everything in between?

May as well have not even existed.

"JUST! STOP! AND! HELP! ME! GET! STRONGER!" Karura shouted in frustration. Eventually, Raian grew fed up, and he grabbed her by her face, then pulled her in close with a glare.

"And why would I train you? You're too weak to even breach my guard for a second. Why should I even CARE?" He asked.

She said nothing. Letting go, he walked away with a snort. "Find someone else." Just as he thought he'd finally claimed his peace...

A strong kick nearly made him keel forward. He turned to the right, spotting out of the corner of his eye Karura, eyes glowing with a determination he hadn't seen since Ohma.

He found himself knocked onto his knees, as Karura stood over him. He looked up at her, and she smirked. "Am I good enough for you now?"

Raian snarled, throwing a sweeping low kick to make her lose balance, but the girl jumped right over it, planting her foot on his face and using it as a spring to launch off. The male assassin got up and rushed her at blinding speed, slamming his fist straight into her spine and knocking her forward...

Or would have, if her image didn't suddenly flicker, and she reappeared face to face with him, catching his neck in a clothesline, and,with moderate effort, threw him backwards. Of course, it didn't work due to the larger fighter catching himself with his hands before he hit the pavement, flipping back to his feet, flipping back to his feet in an instant. Karura smirked and crossed her arms. "Yeah you're stronger and tougher, but I've ALWAYS been faster, even with both of us using Advance. Heck, I've been running circles around you while still only having eighty five percent against your one hundred. I don't need to speak much now that I'm also at one hundred percent."

Raian clicked his tongue, spitting blood onto the floor. "Speed means jack when all you can do to me is chip damage."

"Really? How's your jaw doing after I hit you so hard you spun on our last spar?" Karura sassed. Raian snarled, but took a few deep breaths to calm down before brushing it off.

"Why are you bothering me about this? Why don't you ask your boyfriend to train you?" He asked.

"I don't wanna bother Ohma." Karura said. "He's the next best option, but I don't wanna pester him."

"That's it, I've had enough." Raian said. He ran forward, and Karura quickly reacted and dodged his punch to the side. But before she could go any further, Raian chopped her neck, and she gasped as she felt herself rapidly lose consciousness. As she fell, he kicked her into an alleyway and walked away. "Stupid demanding brat..." He muttered.

Hours later, Karura woke up with a groan, groggily registering the pain in her gut as she realized Raian knocked her out. Fighting through the pain to stand up, she sighed. "I guess I really will have to bother Ohma... I hope he's not doing anything important..."

Meanwhile, in another part of the city...

The door to an underground room beneath the police station opened up, two figures entering. Sayaka sighed, the air immediately becoming heavy and barely breathable. And why?

Because of the killing intent that oozed from the main object of attention in the room. Sitting in a chair, in the middle of the room behind the window shielding them from her, was a girl, of similar age to Karura. Taller and more muscular... Hina Hongou. She shifted in her chair and smiled brightly. "Hey, there's my favourite slowpoke! Who's your friend?" She spoke so casually, as though she wasn't imprisoned in a cell. Cracking her neck, the girl tried getting up... But the chair beneath her creaked. Given how the one seated upon it was chained to it as well, her head covered by a metal helmet that completely obscured her sight.

Hina pouted at the situation. "Seriously, do we NEED the chain?! I won't do anything!"

Nozomi scoffed. "Of course you won't. Not like you almost killed all the other girls you fought against in Valkyria."

"Ah, it's not my fault! They're just too weak. It isn't my fault I can kill them with a lovetap!"

Nozomi angrily slammed her fist again the glass. "Just because you CAN doesn't mean you SHOULD! Did you even THINK about holding back, even a little bit?!"

"I did, but the girls all ended up lying to me, acting stronger than they really were. I ended up believing them. Technically it's their fault, not mine."

Sayaka, throughout the conversation, kept a straight face, not at all flinching at the happy go lucky tone, or the words being spoken in that tone. She'd seen similar and arguably worse people before. Raian Kure and Kiryu Setsuna being notable examples. And yet, somehow, this girl gave off of a presence more suffocating and dark than even those two. The sheer disregard for the lives of her opponents...the happy go lucky tone she had while speaking of breaking bones and beating someone half to death...she was GLAD she picked Karura to talk to before her. Perhaps the girl's assassin nature dampened her anxiety.

Nozomi sighed, deciding there was no point talking to her. "Just do your thing..." She muttered to Sayaka. The announcer girl nodded and approached the cell, Hina smiling at her.

"Hi!" She greeted cheerfully.

"...Hello." Sayaka said with a raised brow. "I'm here to speak with you about something important."

"I can tell! You LOOK important! I bet you want to hire me to fight someone!"

Sayaka blinked. "Yes... I came to recruit you for the Kengan tournament..."

Immediately, Hina became a giddy schoolgirl, the stars in her eyes brightening up as she started shifting in the chair she was bound to. "THE KENGAN TOURNAMENT! I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO FIGHT THERE! OOOOH, WHO AM I GONNA FIGHT, WHO AM I GONNA FIIIIIIIGHT?!"

Sayaka, to answer that question, lifted the list of people and placed it on the window, showing her the names of all the women fighting in the tournament. Hongou eagerly scanned the list, drooling as she imagined all the women she'd get to fight and how they look. Then her eyes stopped on Karura's name and she tilted her head. "Karura? Hey, I know her! She's that one girl who visited her school and talked with my old teacher! They looked the same so I guessed that was her mom. And oh BOY did she feel powerful! Just passing by her I could feel pure POWER from her! I'm sure she felt it too since she gave me a funny look when we passed each other in the hallway once. Oh, I can't wait, when are we gonna start?!"

"I'm... not obligated to say that, but I will say that you should prepare. A LOT. Kengan is NOT like Valkyria. There's much more dangerous people on there than you faced in Nozomi's tournament." Sayaka warned.

"That's exactly what I want!" Hina said. "The cream of the crop. The most dangerous fighters, assassins, inmates, murderers, and most of all, martial artists from all around the globe. It's a dream come true! I can't wait to prepare! I just... need to be pardoned again."

"Right... Uh... What's the 'again' for?" Sayaka asked.

"Oh, they can NEVER get any charges on me." Hina casually explained. "My dad is dead, and I know where all the weapons are, but no one can ever pin it on me, so I'm never gonna be imprisoned for long. By my estimate I'll be free in about seven hours. Then I can celebrate by going on a date with Yuzuha!"

Tenma sighed. "How the HELL did you hook up with a girl you nearly MURDERED?!"

"I'm just that charming!" Hina joked.

"YOU ALMOST CAVED HER SKULL IN! SHE WAS BLEEDING RIVERS FROM EVERY ORIFICE!"

"She called it our first kiss."

"..."

"..."

"I give up. You girls belong in an asylum."

"No kidding." Agreed Sayaka, frowning at Hina. "EVERY orifice? Really?"

Hina nodded her head chipperly. "And she totally didn't even hate me afterwards! Buuuut we talked about it, and we don't want our relationship to revolve around violence and hurting each other, so we're trying to keep it a bit more wholesome, and it's working out pretty well so far! Okay, sure, we get into a few fistfights every now and then just for the heck of it, but hey, what couple doesn't from time to time? We're happy, that's all that matters!"

Sayaka... truthfully had no idea what to think about any of this... "Uh... I see... Well... Congratulations on... that." She awkwardly said. "Ugh... I'm getting sidetracked her... Are you sure you'll be out of here in seven hours?"

Hina nodded. "Hundred percent positive!"

"Well, prepare the best you can either way, because not a SINGLE ONE of these people is gonna pull their punches on you."

Hina grinned eagerly. "That's just what I want!"

"In that case..." Sayaka nodded and stood up... "That would be my cue to leave.

"Byyyyyeeee!" Hina waved enthusiastically.

Sayaka stopped outside the interrogation room. 'That... wasn't anywhere near as bad as I thought it was gonna be...' She thought. The girl had this aura to her that just SCREAMED sadistic and twisted, but... she behaved so genuinely warmly, and she was in a genuine, committed, loving relationship with another girl... So... Surely she wasn't ALL bad, right? Certainly...it seemed like she was worried for no real reason.

She shrugged her shoulders. "Oh, who cares? Some sap has to represent her, she's their problem now... She might end up KILLING that CEO she's supposed to be fighting for. Now wouldn't that be a twist?" Leaving the station, she looked at her phone, finding that it was now 8:59.

Hmmm...maybe she could stay in the city for a few days? She could easily just call Grandpa or Agito to notify them, so no problem, right? Not like she had much to do back home other than scream her lungs out as training. Smiling, she dialed in the number of Metsudo, walking away from the police station.

Far away in another part of the city, Ohma was currently sitting in the office of his old employer, Kazuo Yamashita. "Ohma, PLEASE take your feet off my desk and listen to what I have to say!" The awkward old man pleaded.

"It doesn't matter." Ohma offhandedly replied. "Either way, I'm not planning on changing employers. You've given me a good pay and a stead life since I started fighting for you. And you're the most trustworthy CEO I know. No WAY I'm trusting that snake Hiyama, and I'm not really interested in anyone else... Except maybe that weird shark teeth girl, but she's kind of annoying. Seems like the type to nag."

"But Ohma, PLEASE!" Kazuo begged. "Joining a different CEO for once can give you even more opportunities to advance your fame and gain attention!"

"I don't care about fame." Ohma replied. "I'm fighting cause I like it, and people need me. People like yo-"

A loud boom was heard in the distance as both men turned to look outside the window of the company building, a huge trail of dust being kicked up as something rapidly approached the building. A figure suddenly jumped up to the top floor, where they were meeting, and Ohma sighed before lifting his hand. The sound of glass shattering was heard and he felt a small face in his hand, turning his head to see a pair of black eyes gazing at him through the gaps between his fingers. "Hi Ohma! Hi Karuo!" Karura greeted enthusiastically, and Ohma sighed, putting the girl down on the floor.

"Karura. What the heck are you doing here of all places? Usually when you run like that, you're chasing after me to marry me, but now that we've worked all that out, I can't imagine why you're chasing me down now."

"Oh, I just learned about the new rules for the Kengan tournament this year! It's all girls! And I'm invited!" Karura replied excitedly.

Silence suddenly reigned the room, the two men staring at the girl who grinned back at them widely. Kazuo took a sip of the coffee on his table, handing the cup to Ohma, who also took a sip...

Before they both did a spit take straight into Karura's face, with wide eyes on both males in the room.

Karura gaped, then her face turned flat as her eye twitched slightly. "You REALLY just sipped on coffee just so you could spit it all over me?"

"Can you blame me? The coffee tasted like crap." Ohma retorted.

"Oh, you know very well that isn't the reason." Kazuo sighed. "It's a very shocking revelation! A tournament only for women?! Last I checked, those weren't anywhere near as popular as the male ones, mostly because women somehow managed to drag the fights on for some reason without anything exciting to add."

"Okay, first of all, sexist. Second, I think it's different now. I saw a list of who's fighting, and a lot of them actually look really good! Heck, one of them is even a CEO! Hiyama of the Wakasa Life Insurance!"

She received a SECOND spit take of water, this time from Kazuo, who didn't do it on purpose but choked on the water, coughing a little before regaining his bearings. "WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY DOING?! A female tournament is already a novelty. A CEO fighting directly and personally instead of needing a fighter to do it for them is a miracle!"

Ohma thought back on the time he met Hiyama. "Isn't she the one that was sponsoring that crazy justice obsessed maniac? From what I remember, she...sure doesn't look like a fighter. She looks like Kazuo could wipe the floor with her! If she's in the game, it's gotta mean she's packing something serious.

Karura nodded. "And it's not just her! ALL the contestants are gonna be bringing some seriously dangerous stuff into the ring, and I need to be ready. That's why I came all the way over here, That's why I'm here! Ohma, will you please train me and get me all shaped up for this?"

"What? Why me?" Ohma asked. "Why not someone like... say... Raian?"

"I already asked him, and he was a total jerk about it. He kicked my butt good... So I decided to look for you instead!" Karura chirped.

Ohma's response?

Karura was forced to dodge a kick to the chin, Ohma having transitioned into one from a sitting position. Rolling backwards, Karura took the initiative and lunged at him at a low position as he lands. She slammed into him at full speed and pushed him backwards, but he planted his foot hard enough to dent the floor and flipped backwards into a suplex. Karura broke out of his arms and used his chest as a platform to jump away. Rolling to a stop, she saw Ohma get up and crack his knuckles with a grin. "In that case, you better prepare yourself, because I will be running you RAGGED. Niko's training with me will look like a joke compared to what I'll do to you to straighten you up!"

Karura grinned at the prospect, getting up and clenching her fist. "You better do your best, or weight difference or not, I'll kick your butt for slacking off!" The two approached and high fived. "Training starts tomorrow, early in the morning! Better get your head in the game by them!"

"You bet I will!" Karura promised. "I won't disappoint you!"

"You're paying for the damages you did to my office." Kazuo said flatly.

The two stared at him, then at each other...

And then we cut to outside, the two running away from the building at superhuman speed while Kazuo yelled at them to come back.

And as she ran, Karura smiled, her head filled with the excitement of the future challenges awaiting her. She could not WAIT to show off what she could REALLY do.

Chapter Text

Kure Erioh was currently applying a pack of ice to his forehead. "Ah... My old friend certainly hasn't lost that famed elbow drop of his to old age..."

Raian laughed. "Ah, old geezers shouldn't be out and about fighting anyway, you should be in a nursing home, gramps!"

"Raian!" Erioh angrily reprimanced. "I could EASILY get up right now and kick your ass to kingdom come with one leg cut off and both arms rotting and dead!"

"Easy, old man, I was just joking, I know you'd beat my ass in a fight." Raian placated. "Definitely don't LIKE the fact that an old man could beat me down with one limb, but what are you gonna do?"

Erioh nodded. "Did you meet Karura as I requested?"

"Eyup." Raian replied. "Squirt already knew all about it. Asked me to train her up for it."

"Oh, good. I hope she'll be in proper shape for the tournament under your tutelage." Erioh said with a nod.

"Pfft! I'm not training her. Kicked her ass into an alley for bugging me about it." Raian snorted.

Immediately, the ground under Erioh's chair cratered as the old man exerted his power. Raian just sat, unimpressed, with his arms crossed. "RAIAN!" Erioh screamed. "WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU REFUSE TO HELP YOUR COUSIN, KNOWING FULL WELL HOW DANGEROUS THE ENTIRE TOURNAMENT IS?!"

Raian shrugged. "I don't feel like it. It's no big deal, she probably went off to train with Ohma."

Erioh let out a breath at that, knowing two things. One, Karura no longer had affection for Ohma. So, she was safe. Two, Ohma would definitely do the job if Raian didn't want to. He'd be his second choice for training if Raian refused....which he obviously did.

At that knowledge, Erioh jumped from his seat, and flipped kicked Raian in the chin, sending him sprawling to the floor with a pained grunt. Raian sat up, clutching his jaw, and glaring at the old man, who extended his middle finger before sitting back down, breathing through his nose. Then, he spoke. "If I were in your position, I would be very worried for Karura's safety."

Raian shook his head. " No way."

"Oh, you should be, because if she doesn't make it out of this, there's a good chance I will murder you." Erioh said casually.

Raian snorted and sat down next to the old man. "Give it a rest, gramps. Just be proud like a normal granddad, the kid's going into the big leagues! She could be the big winner! You said yourself that she'd clear the whole thing if she was in an all-girls tournament, right?"

"Ah yes, I did say that, didn't I?" Erioh sighed. "Perhaps I exaggerated ever so slightly... What if my words aren't true? What if she isn't strong enough? What if someone in this tournament is stronger, strong enough to defeat or... god forbid KILL her..."

Raian rolled her eyes. "Okay, now you're just insulting her, cut it out with the doubting!

Erioh chuckled. "Metsudo said the same, and I know it's wrong for me to doubt my own granddaughter's capabilities like this, but even still, I have to worry... I am her grandfather, assassination training and martial arts be damned, and that side of me will always worry for my granddaughter doing something so dangerous..."

Raian leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs. "Honestly? I'd be more worried about the poor suckers that have to fight that broad. Any idea who the other chicks are?"

Erioh nodded. "Yes, Metsudo gave me a full list of competitors." Handing the list over to Raian, the black sheep of the clan analyzed it, eyes widening when he saw some particular names. First off...

"Fusui? My little sister is fighting!? Wha-Who-When-How is-You...She..." The buff man stammered and tries to form comprehensive words as he pointed at the paper aggressively. "What the HELL IS THIS?! TWO Kure? Not one, but TWO?! AND IT'S MY LITTLE SISTER!?"

"Hmph. Won't berare me for worrying for your cousin now, will you?" Erioh chuffed.

Raian snorted.

"Worried? I ain't worried at all! I'm freakin' HYPED! I can't wait to see her in action!"

Erioh scoffed. "Are you really so callous and cruel as to not worry about the possibility of your own little sister dying?"

"Ah come off it!" Raian shot down. "I mean, I'm a bit concerned, but I ain't scared! She'll come home in one piece! No way she won't. She's WAY too strong to die to a bunch of no-named like this! I, unlike you, have FAITH in my little sibling. Heck, she might even win against Karura. That'd be somethin', wouldn't it?"

Erioh nodded. "Yes, that would indeed be nothing short of a miracle, wouldn't it? Karura is not just any cure, she is the peak of the female generation. It is no exaggeration that if every woman in the clan were to fight her all at once, she would most assuredly win. It would be an intense battle, but I'm utterly confident she would win. Fusui is not a pushover by any means, and while her skills make her an extremely valued and powerful member of the clan, she simply doesn't compare to Karura. Her victory would either be by Karura throwing the match, which would simply never happen, or by sheer miracle..."

He let out a sigh. "But, more importantly, I am glad that you do care at least a small amount about your sister."

Raian scoffed. "I love killing, but I ain't heartless, that's my little sis, of course I have to worry at least a little, no matter how hyped up I am to see her kick ass. Either way, this conversation is lame. I'm out." He stood up to leave.

"Where are you going?" Erioh asked.

"Getting some grub." Raian shrugged.

Walking out of the room, he put his hands in his pockets... and stood in place, not moving. He clicked his tongue, then pulled out his phone and pulled up a map of the city. His chosen destination?

"I am so gonna regret this..." Raian muttered as he left for the city library.

Back on the island, Sayaka hummed as she practically skipped down the hallway, heading to her room in the hotel. She stopped, before a wide smile appeared on her face. "GRANDDADDY!" She called out, rushing to the old man's side as he smiled warmly at her.

"Hello, Sayaka. It's lovely to see you..."

Sayaka gently grabbed his arm to help him walk. "How do you feel, granddaddy?"

"I feel perfectly fine, dear, just a sore elbow after an especially nasty drop. Erm... You needn't worry about that though... Did you do as Agito asked?"

Sayaka nodded. "I got all the women accounted for, granddaddy!"

"And what do you think of them?" Metsudo asked as they both walked down the hallway.

"Well, honestly, a lot of them were actually pretty nice." Sayaka replied. "Hiyama was super nice and friendly, Hina Hongou was... actually pretty okay to talk to, she wasn't as bad as I thought she'd be, and I really like the two Kure girls! I mean, Fusui was a bit hyper, but still fun to talk to! And Karura? Well, she was actually kinda calming. Like, the most enjoyable one to talk to."

Metsudo chuckled. "That's very nice, but I was asking more about how they seem as fighters, not how kind they are."

Sayaka paused, then awkwardly laughed, rubbing her head sheepishly. "Right... Uh... Strengthwise... they're... scary... I mean, I've been around fighters my whole life, I AM your granddaughter and all, and I can just tell these girls are super strong... I just don't know what makes everyone think all girl tournaments would be boring..."

"Well..." Metsudo began to explain. "It may be due to the way women tend to fight. While men are eager to show off their raw, brute strength, women tend to be less about brutal fistfights and more about slower, thought out battles to wear their enemies down. Skillful and commendable, but not nearly as entertaining."

"...Not gonna lie, kinda feel like there's a lot of generalization going on here, I'm sure there's plenty of girls that like brute force and plenty of guys that play it safe..." Sayaka sighed.

"My thoughts exactly. We've had several moments of the latter in previous tournaments, and I'm hoping that this will change that generalized view the public has." Metsudo nodded. "Not only is the notion presumptuous, but I don't agree with it on a fundamental level. A slower, more planned fight can be just as entertaining as any other type of fight, perhaps even more so, and I'm glad this is happening, because new avenues of entertaining the audience have opened with the addition of the female division."

"Right." Sayaka agreed. "It's been a long time coming if you ask me. If this does well, I can't even imagine the future ones if they get greenlit."

"Yes." Metsudo agreed. "The CEOs will certainly be pleased with all the revenue that will be collected and the strifes that will be resolved. Well... some of them, at least... This IS a fighting tournament, after all... There will be losers."

A moment of silence. "And on the subject of CEOs... I wonder how in the world Hiyama of Wakasa Life Insurance not only decided to participate in the tournament, but actively do battle on her own... CEOs usually choose a fighter to do it for them. For a CEO to personally enter the arena... Such a strange thing to happen, especially one as frail as her..."

"Oh, she's more than ready for it." Sayaka replied. "I spoke with her. She has a presence. Not just the commanding air of a CEO, but the determination and the strength of an actual WARRIOR. She was actually kinda scary until she turned out to be pretty nice, if... kind of emotionless and flat."

Metsudo sighed, shaking his head. "Her relationship with that maniac Akoya has really ruined her... I have no doubt she's doing this to prove herself worthy of him after she failed him at the last tournament..."

"That doesn't seem very fair." Sayaka huffed. "That guy's a moron who's tunnel visioned on some stupid idea of "justice." And he doesn't even treat her like a human being whenever she does something that mildly annoys him, she's WAY too good for a creep like him!"

"You are correct." Metsudo agreed. "She's certainly doing this for the money to pay Akoya out of prison. She's been hurt so much, and she bonded with the worst man possible because of it... I just hope this tournament will set things right for her..."

Back to the city, the sight panned over to the woods outside the concrete jungle. A tree suddenly shook as birds flew out of it in a frenzy. Inside, Karura spat up a wad of blood, now wearing her training outfit, covered in bruises and cuts. Pushing off the tree, she sprinted at Ohma and delivered a punch, the man redirecting it and planting a fist directly into her spine. She gasped in pain and found herself smashed down, slamming into the soil below. The strike to her spine left her temporarily paralyzed, unable to move from the spot. Ohma nodded. "All right, that'll be all for today. Five hours is plenty, after all."

Karura groaned. "How the hell is you smashing and pulverizing me all around the forest training?!"

Ohma smirked. "Don't forget what I told you! The training Niko gave me will be a cakewalk compared to how I'll train you."

She chuckled, coughing up more blood. "If this is what you had to do, no wonder you're so tough..."

"It was necessary." Ohma said. "Just like your training is. We have a month and two weeks to get you in shape. Though the way you are now, you should have it down in a couple weeks I'd guess."

He walked away after that. "...Ohma? You're just gonna leave me here?!" He didn't answer. "Ohma?! OHMA! HELLO!" She continued to call out until she was left in total silence, only the sound of crickets to accompany her.

Eye twitching, Karura groaned and attempted to move. She could move her hands now, so she attempted to push herself up. Her arms trembled and shook, but no dice. She couldn't move. And worse, she felt a spike of pain in her spine, at the spot where Ohma had struck her. 'How hard did he hit me?!' She e was almost completely paralyzed! She couldn't move a muscle! If this was worse than what this Niko guy put Ohma through, she dreaded thinking about what else was in store for her.

But...she had to endure it. She WOULD endure it. She needed to win. She wouldn't let this opportunity to put pride in her name and blood go to waste. If some paralysis was necessary for her to sweep the competition, she'd happily take as many paralysing punches to the spine as she could. She'd make grandpa and mom proud. She was snapped out of her thoughts when leaves in front of her began to shift. A small lizard popped out from under the leaves, looking around and scurrying about. It eventually approached her. The little cute lizard climbed on her head and curled up on her hair, and she laughed. "Least I won't be stuck here all alone."

She sighed and closed her eyes. "Well, might as well get some sleep now. Not like I have much of a choice, right?" She laid there until she dozed off.

Morning came fast, and with it, a rather violent wake up call. Karura snapped awake with a pained yell as a shoe planted itself on her spine, sending electricity buzzing through her nerves, before that same shoe planted itself on her stomach, kicking her away and leaving her to roll across the ground until she slammed into a tree. Groaning, she coughed, eyes opening to see a familiar shadow and her ears registering Ohma's voice "All right, up and at 'em! It's time to start training!" He sounded awfully chipper for someone that just kicked her across the floor like a soccer ball. Shakily, Karura moved her arms, now glad that she could move them again, before attempting to get up. Unfortunately, being left paralysed for a whole night left her arms and legs unable to work properly.

"Oh. Right. Didn't think about that... My bad!" Ohma walked over and yanked her up by the arm to her feet, letting her stand while he held her until he felt she was good, at which point he let go, Karura slightly stumbling before she collected herself. Ohma threw his backpack to the side before removing his shirt. "Okay! Put 'em up!"

"W-Wait... Just one sec-" Karura attempted to protest, but was stopped by a fist to the jaw that sent her flying.

"No waiting, Karura! Ya gotta get up into a stance now!"

Karura shakily got into a stance. "Y-You're suck a bully!" She accused. This unfortunately earned her a leg to the ribs, which she thankfully narrowly blocked before a fist to the gut caught her off guard and a roundhouse kick to the cheek knocked her down.

Unfortunately that knockdown was on top of a rock, so her skull slammed down on the small piece of stone sticking out of the ground. Fortunately for her, she was a Kure. The rock didn't do any notable damage. It was smashed to dust however. But even though it didn't cause severe or even noticeable damage, it did give her a massive migraine. She heard a ringing in her ears, groaning as she clutched at her head. She was then yanked to her feet again, staggering around until she found her balance. "All right, arms up, Karura!" He instructed, but his voice was louder than usual, causing her to cover her ears.

Unfortunately, Ohma thought too fast and ended up registering her move as her raising her arms up to defend. As a result, Karura got another nasty surprise with a fist to the nose. And then one to the chest. A third one to her left ribs. A foot in her stomach. She couldn't think at all because every strike came after the first one at blinding speed. Eventually she instinctively reached out in a random direction, successfully catching Ohma's foot shooting towards her side. One of her black eyes shot open with white veins inside, and she yanked her arm back, pulling Ohma along and turning around as she did so. Now, they switched sides, Ohma rolling and regaining his footing. He smirked. "Hey, not bad! It took me months to get the hang of that trick! Like I said, you're already strong, you'll catch on way quicker than I ever did!"

Karura spat out some dirt and smirked. "Glad to know I can beat you at something!" Ohma rushed in, and this time Karura was ready, catching his fist in her hand and pulling him to the side. She attempted a forward kick to his ribs, but received a nasty wakeup call in the form of a dodge and leg sweep combo that knocked her to the ground where she narrowly dodged Ohma's sole slamming on her face with a roll. Unfortunately, she was still grounded, so she couldn't stop Ohma from kicking her in the stomach and launching her into a roll yet again. This time, she stopped by rolling into a kneel, just in time to duck under a forward kick to the face and throw an uppercut in retaliation.

Said uppercut was dodged without much effort, and Karura proceeded to throw multiple rapid combos of punching, kicking, chopping and even a headbutt. One that resulted in her getting punished when she slammed her head into a knee instead of another head. She was disoriented for a single moment, enough for Ohma to lay in on her, punching her against a tree before grabbing her head and throwing her to another tree, punching and kicking her against it before switching to yet another tree. One grab eventually ended with her instead using the momentum to swirl up and wrap herself around his arm like a baby koala. A koala all too happy to use its claws as she threw a punch right onto the top of his head, which he caught with his other free hand.

He smirked and let himself fall down to the side, Karura quickly leapt off to not get sandwiched between him and the ground. Rolling to a stop, she regained her bearings just in time to see a fist approaching her face. She narrowly avoided the strike by leaning her head and torso backwards, a small cut on her nose forming and shooting out blood. Now she was the one getting overwhelmed as Ohma began assaulting with a barrage of never-ending strikes, punches, kicks, knees, anything he could think of, leaving his protege entirely on the defensive. The day passed bit by bit, hour by hour, until eventually the sun began to set once again. And Karura was the unfortunate victim of a final punch that broke right through her guard and slammed right into her nose. Her arms fell limp, having turned purple from the onslaught, before Ohma pulled his fist back and let her collapse to the ground.

He cracked his neck, looking down at the bloodied, bruised, scratched up assassin, before smiling warmly. "You did great! I could only handle an hour of this before I passed out, and here you are going an entire day nonstop!" He walked over and picks up his shirt, sliding it on and walking away. "Later, Karura! See ya tomorrow!" Karura's answer? A pained, strained groan that sounded more like a door creaking. As night fell, Karura was...still lying on the ground, the blood all over her dried up.

"...It's cold... I should do something about that... Agh! Hurts to move... REALLY hurts to move..."

She desperately racked her brain for something, anything that could help her at the very least get UP! But what?!

...

She was gonna regret this.

"Ugh... What choice have I got...?" She muttered before concentrating. Her heartbeat shot up in speed, and her skin suddenly turned a dark purple, almost blending with the darkness of the forest. Now, she had enough strength, so she pushed herself up and slowly but surely stood up. The veins across her entire body were bulging, but the scratches meant she wouldn't be able to use Removal for long in risk of blood loss. She quickly grabbed the tree behind her, ripped off a chunk of the tree with nothing but her own strength, and struck her finger against it, acting as a makeshift matchstick and lighting the wood on fire. She threw it on the ground in front of her and quickly set to making a campfire.

After a while, she was now laying down on the ground, illuminated by the warmth of the fire. She was too exhausted to actually bandage her wounds however, so she opted to simply lay there, bloody and tired, unable to move. Her eyes gazed up at the stars above the trees, and she smiled. "This is seriously hard... but it'll all be worth it. If I'm gonna stand as the pinnacle of my Clan's current generation, I can't slack off. I'll train and bleed as much as it takes!" And then she remembered. She didn't know Fusui would be competing too. She laughed a little. "That'll be nice. Fights with her are always super fun, even if she always loses. Now that we're about to give it our all, we can determine who's the strongest girl in the clan!"

She continued staring up at the sky above, the stars illuminating it in a nice, calming shade of blue. She gazed up at them for the next hour, the only sound being the crackling of fire and crickets chirping, until...

It's totally me though."

She passed out after that.

The next day, away from her current location, back on the island, Sayaka was humming, idly fiddling with her phone. She groaned in boredom. "There's nothing on the web today! I didn't think that was possible! Well, guess there's a first time for everything..." She sighed and drops her phone before staring up at the ceiling. "Isn't there ANYTHING interesting I can do?!" Silence reigned in her room...before she suddenly perked up with a sharp gasp. "Oh yeah, I have a new friend now!" Grabbing her phone, she went on to open contacts, before pausing. "Eh... Should I...? She's probably busy training for the tournament... I mean...I guess checking to see if she's okay won't hurt at least..." She opened Karura's contact and selected the call option.

Back with Karura, she was currently running an obstacle course, only she was currently also carrying two bags of rocks on her back, with her arms crushed against her torso with metal shackles, hanging off of which was about six 10 pound dumbells. She eventually reached the finish, collapsing to the ground with Ohma patting her head. "Sorry, Karura, I decided to tweak the training a bit because you were breezing through it.".

"Kbrlbpffhghhhhhh..."

That was the muffled snark of Karura as she laid there face first, unable to even move from exhaustion and sheer weight. Ohma rolled his eyes. "If you can take me beating the snot out of you for an entire day, you can get up for ten more laps." Before Karura could reply, A faint melody was heard and Karura lifted her face from the grass, spitting out a mouthful. "Ugh... My phone..."

"Reallt? Who'd be calling you right now?" Ohma asked.

Karura shrugged. "Probably just someone from the clan."

Ohma headed over and picked the device up. "Uh... You know a Sayaka?!" He called out.

Karura perked up at that, looking at him with a smile. "That's my new friend I made! She's the announcer girl from the tournaments, she's the one who came to scout me! We talked and she gave me her number so we can hang out!"

Ohma answered the phone. "Hi, uh... I'm her trainer. Yeah, she's in the middle of training right now. ...Uh-huh. ...Uh-huh... Yeah, sure, I'll put her on!" He made his way over and put her phone to her ear.

"Hey, girl!" Karura greeted Sayake.

"Ugh, I miss you already!" Sayaka groaned. "There's nothing to do and I'm so bored!"

Karura groaned. "I really wish I could help, but I'm training right now. "

"Yeah, guess I should've expected that..." Sayaka sighed. "Any idea when you think you'll be free?"

Karura blinked, looking up at Ohma. "Uh... How long do you think it'll take for me to get down everything I need?"

"Well, we don't wanna rush..." Ohma looked thoughtful. "But if I'm not mistaken, at the rate you're going, you'll be done by the end of next week!"

"All right, how does the Monday after next week sound?" Karura asked on the phone.

Sayaka eagerly nodded, even though she knew Karura couldn't hear it. "Sure! I can't wait! Put something cute on, okay?!" Karura blinked, wondering where that came from. "Bye! Good luck with your training!" She hung up, and with Sayaka, she squealed in excitement. Her first proper hangout with a friend! She'd never had any hangouts that weren't with her brother! Oh, she couldn't WAIT! Especially when she was gonna be hanging out with someone as pretty as Karura.

That got her thinking. She started to wistfully look up at the ceiling, thinking about Karura and everything she knew about her. Despite being an assassin and one of if not THE strongest woman in Japan, she was actually really chill to be around. She didn't act all scary and bloodthirsty, she didn't act cold and aloof like an assassin would. She was super friendly. Bright, cheery, welcoming, all that good stuff. Just standing and talking with her felt like she could jump up and start being cheery too. And she also couldn't forget how pretty she was. The long, shiny black hair, the pale skin framed by that hair, her sweet voice, and most of all...those eyes. Most people would feel uncomfortable with those eyes staring at them, but...Sayaka didn't get why. They were so pretty! Black sclera and white irises, how cool was that!? And the way they shone whenever she was excited! How could anyone see that as uncomfortable?!

Honestly, that girl was just such a sweetheart! A sweetheart that knew how to kill a person in over a hundred different was and was all too happy to do so when ordered, but a sweetheart all the same! Glossing over the whole 'assassin' thing made it SO much easier to talk to her. And she couldn't forget her strength either! Living around some of the greatest martial artists on the planet and frequently watching soldiers, boxers, assassins and murderers fight for what to her was effectively chump change certainly made her appreciate the value of strength an individual had, and Karura had it in spades.

And even with the hoodie on, she'd be lying through her teeth if she said she didn't notice the firmness of her muscles. Her arms seemed relaxed,but what she saw and felt through the sleeves was toned and firm, and did she ever have a strong grip! She could probably crumple a ribcage with just one hand. And her legs! She wore no pants, just bandages and jean shorts, so she got more than just a good glance at her firm, toned, powerful, yet slender, feminine, pale and smooth legs, all belonging to one of the sweetest girls she'd ever met! How could someone so strong be so adorable and so pretty?! It didn't make much sense, but she loved it!

"...Am I gay...?" She thought out loud.

To some, Sayaka seemed like a klutz. A dork. A girl who took nothing seriously. But she wasn't stupid, not at all. She was perceptive enough to recognize the feelings and emotions of the combatants in the arena, the crowd watching them, the sponsors supporting them at the entrances, and everything in between. Noticing her own feelings was child's play, and it was clear as day that there was... something there. The Kure girl was gorgeous, everything about her, she just couldn't help herself. As scary as the assassin thing was, it also added a layer and mystery and coolness that she found... enticing. She genuinely could not think of anything she didn't like about her.

"Yep. I am definitely gay." She said aloud. She was truthfully quite surprised by this realization about herself. She'd always imagined she'd end up with some big brawny muscle man, the kind she was used to seeing pretty much every single day, especially during the tournament, but... Nah. She didn't want that. She was into girls apparently! Or did she swing both ways...? Hmm... This girl brought her feelings no man ever had... She put a finger to her chin. "I wonder if she'd ever feel the same way about me... She... totally had a crush on that Ohma guy... Ugh... How am I gonna bag her with THAT in mind?! I do NOT like my chances here... I gotta try and figure out some kinda hint..."

Sayaka contemplated. What could she possibly do to woo Karura...? She did seem to get rather easily flustered over compliments, if her reaction to being called sweet and adorable back on the beach was anything to go by... Maybe... she could try for more reactions like those? Spark something just by being nice and sincerely complimenting her? That was easy enough, she could be sincere. And... maybe she needed to bring her attention to her own looks as well. She was attractive, not to be vain, it was why she wore the slitted dress while doing her announcer work. So she could do something like that, a nice open dress that showed off what was needed without being too scandalous.

She rose to her feet and made her way over to her table, taking a seat and grabbing a pen and paper, beginning to list what she would need.

Away from the island, and away from Karura, a certain pink haired girl was training herself up for the tournament. Hina sighed and plopped down on the wooden floor of her training room, stretching her arms and smiling brightly. "Sixty two punches in a minute! That's a new record!"

"It's a joke, that's what it is." A voice called out behind her. "I know you can do better than that." She turned to see her favourite girl on the planet, Yuzuha, strut forth and take a seat, smirking and lightly punching her shoulder.

Hina rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, I feel like I can do more, I'm just tired from practicing all day, how am I supposed to make it in this thing if I'm all complacent and stuff?"

"Since when do you care about winning?" Yuzuha asked. "Aren't you all about the thrill of the battle?"

Hina nodded. "Yeah, and this tournament has some of the best fighters in the world! I need to get far so I can fight as many people as possible! I can't lose in the first round and miss out on all the fun!"

Yuzuha patted her head with a soft smile. "There's the girl I know and love."

Hina kissed her on the cheek affectionately. "Didja come here to train?!"

Yuzuha smirked. "I just came to watch. It's hot when you get all sweaty while wearing basically nothing."

Hina's face turned red, and she giggled a little bit. "Ah. I should have seen THAT coming."

"Yes you should have. I scored the most beautiful little murder angel ever, and I'm not one to let opportunities be wasted."

Hina smiled, then looked away. "...I'm still sorry for what I did back then, y'know... I know it was our first kiss and all, but I thought I killed you... And I was worried... I never worry about those things... I've killed so many people without batting an eye, but when it's you, I just feel..." She felt something under her chin, and it was tilted up to reveal Yuzuha was holding her head up with her foot, arms crossed over her chest.

And then, she kicked Hina in the chin, snapping her head up.

Hina fell back on the floor and blinked owlishly before Yuzuha suddenly climbed on top of her with a flat expression. "Stop talking like that. It doesn't sound right when someone like you is feeling sorry for yourself. You're supposed to be the sadistic, murderous, thrill seeker I was scared of back in the Valkyria."

"...Why do you still love me after I almost killed you...?" Hina asked.

"Because I don't care." Yuzuha replied simply. "That was our first kiss. The strength you showed in our first match... I was excited when I saw you were enjoying the battle as well... You were a kindred spirit, and when you ended that fight, I had never felt more satisfied in my entire life. I was initially fighting for the money, but that first fight awakened something more in me... And the fact that you were worried for me after it... Well... I was touched."

Yuzuha took a breath, not used to being this... sappy. "No one had ever shown me enough care early on for me to be anything but offended when they suddenly began to give a damn, but you... you were different... Even if you did nearly kill me, you were still the first person to ever make me feel like... like I mattered... Like I had worth... I call that punch our first kiss because that strike and its aftermath left me feeling important to someone... THAT is why I fell in love with you. It was the best thing to ever happen to me... Now get rid of that dumb apologetic attitude and start acting like the Hina that makes me feel hot and fluttery inside."

Hina stared up at her lover, dumbfounded, before a smile formed on her face. "Aww, you ALWAYS know what to say to cheer my RIGHT up!"

"Naturally. What sort of lover would I be if I couldn't do the bare minimum?" Yuzuha replied.

"Oh! Did you managed to pull off that neck thing you were practicing in the prison hospilta?" Hina asked.

"Almost. But not quite. I need time to sharpen the skill, but I'll be done studying it in good time." Yuzuha replied.

"Wanna try it on me?" Hina asked.

"No. It's too dangerous. I could seriously hurt you." Yuzuha denied. "...I'd rather hurt you in a different way." Hina blushed and smiled excitedly as Yuzuha grabbed her head in a vice grip and pulled her in for a kiss.

Away from there, in the prestigious building owned by Wakasa Life Insurance, the CEO turned fighter, Hiyama, was on yet another training session. Her method of training was... unusual. Sure, she still practiced her strikes, but her head was currently adorned by a pair of headphones and a VR headset. Currently, the VR was showing her different breathing techniques while the headphones emulated the sound of breaths in tandem with the images on the VR. In Hiyama's eyes, however, she was currently fighting an invisible opponent. From her eye view, every strike she threw was hitting something, her evansions, her blocks, her parries, all were real... and she was winning. The timer on the VR had to run out at some point, however, and once the imaginary match ended, she removed her head gear and checked over her kimono to make sure she didn't tear or damage it. Good. Still in good condition. Soaked in sweat though... She cringed. "I really must stop training in thick, warm clothing..."

Sighing, she placed the headgear down on the nearby bed before removing the kimono, leaving herself in nothing but her underwear. "There... It's much easier to breathe now..." She did a few stretches... and then her phone began to ring. She opened one eye and picked it up, her eyes widening as she recognised the name. She was quick to pick up, sitting down on the bed as a deep male voice greeted her. "Hiyama."

"A-Akoya..." Hiyama greeted back nervously.

"How is the training going?" Akoya asked.

"As well as ever." Hiyama replied. "I've taken your advice to heart. I've gotten stronger these past couple of months. My position has given me preemptive information on this tournament..."

"Hmm... This is acceptable..." Akoya hummed. "...But two months is too long! Justice never rests, it won't even wait an hour, much less two months!"

Hiyama flinched at his sharp tone. "Ah, I... I see... I'm very sorry..."

"You will apologize by winning the tournament and proving to me your sense of justice. You've already failed me on the last tournament, and you WILL compensate by winning this one."

Hinata nodded, even though he couldn't see it. "Y-Yes... I will win, I give you my word I will, I promise!"

"See to it that you do." And with that, he hung up. Hiyama lowered the device onto the cupboard next to her bed, then hugged her knees and began to tremble like a leaf. Then, her door opened and closed behind her, and a pair of arms gently snaked around her midsection.

Hiyama gasped when she felt the sensation of sharp teeth gently nibbling on her shoulder. "Hey..." The thick, strong voice of her fellow CEO spoke gently. "Ya ever gonna break away from that prick?" Hiyama slightly tensed up, and Togo sighed, then gently picked her up bridal style. "You're a real idiot, y'know..." She spoke, though there was no malice in the words. She carried her out of the room and planted a kiss on her head.

Back with Karura, the girl, now marked black and blue all over her entire body, was currently in the process of snapping her shoulder back into its proper place. She let out a sigh. "Do I really have to fight you with a broken arm?"

Ohma rose up from his seat on a rock. "If I could fight the strongest physically built human being while already being beaten black and blue from three fights beforehand, you can take me on a few times with a messed up arm. You're gonna be up against all sorts of people. Some of them are probably gonna be total sadists, and even killers, that would maim you before actually beating you. You need to be able to fight even without any skin."

"I... really hope it doesn't come to THAT..." Karura murmured. "I'm an assassin and a Kure and all, but... I gotta draw a fine line at torture..."

"Well, that's what we're doing here." Ohma shrugged. "To get you ready. Better safe than sorry and all that." He turned to walk away. "Keep at it till tomorrow, Karura! Don't let up!"

"Yeah... Sure." Karura brushed him off, and as soon as she was confident he was gone, she let herself fall backwards, hitting the grassy ground beneath her. "Ugh... This is more intense than any other training I've ever dealt with... It makes sense, I'm getting into some serious stuff..." Her mind drifted towards the other fighters in the tournament. "I wonder what they're bringing to the table... That Hina girl looked super nice, but she felt like a total monster back at mom's school... And the CEO... What's a cushy life like that gonna do for her in a tournament? I mean, I know it's stupid to underestimate people, but still... has she ever actually fought a day in her life? ...Eh, I guess I'll find out at the tournament. If she has the guts to join in as a fighter, I have to respect the spirit, weakness or not..."

She sighed. "I'm WAY too tired to think of that stuff now... The tournament's soon... We'll see what happens when it happens... End of story, bye bye... Good... night..." The fatigue and exhaustion caused the assassin to pass out, falling fast asleep, the day passing by her until the moon eventually rose up. Karura woke up, face scrunching when she felt something wet pass over her cheek. She blinked her eyes open, and she spotted a little fawn leaning down and licking her face. She smiled a little, then put great effort into sitting up to let the small animal continue to lick her. She spotted what she assumed was the little deer's mother lying a few feet in front of her, resting and staring at her in silence. She sighed and rose to her feet. "Sorry, deer..." She muttered before walking away as the fawn pouted over its new 'friend' leaving him. Karura headed through the trees, following her sense of smell before she eventually came to a small section of the beach. She smiled, sighed, then coughed out some blood. "Urgh... Hurts to breathe..." She fell back on the sand, letting the sea breeze wash over her.

"Just a little more..." She murmured. "A little more training and I'm ready..." Getting up again, she mentally prepared herself, then entered a stance and threw a punch. And for the next few hours, Karura endured the pain and injuries all over her body to keep her training going, pushing through the suffering to keep fighting for an opportunity only she could see. But eventually, her limits caught up to her as she collapsed to her knees, breathing heavily. Wiping off the blood and sweat, she stood up yet again and headed back to the forest in search of a different training spot.

Two weeks later...

The peaceful morning streets, as always, were bustling with citizens going about their morning business. All were moving at a standard human pace.

At least until a figure suddenly rushed through the crowd at a speed that rendered them little more than an unrecognizable blur. The people all dispersed in surprise to make way for the individual, who continued on through the streets and city, outrunning all vehicles they passed. The figure headed for the beach, weaving around buildings, people and everything else that got in their way before stopping just short of the railing separating the city and the beach. After a moment, the figure leapt into the air, flying through the sky before plummeting down into the seawater a distance away with a loud, massive splash. A moment later, the familiar black haired head of Karura burst from the surface of the sea, spitting out some water as she let herself float peacefully on the surface, sighing in pure bliss. "Ah... I missed this so much... And the beach is empty, so I get it all to myself too!"

Her body was now more noticeably toned than it had been before, with some small blue spots that were progressively fading as opposed to her entire body being primarily black and blue. The training was hellish, but she endured, and she was now stronger than ever! And that reminded her... "Hey, I wonder how Sayaka's doing... Haven't spoken to her since that last hangout!"

Flashback...

A week earlier, Karura snored away in her hotel room, finally getting the ability to sleep peacefully after hellish training that left her broken day after day after day. Her skin was still bruised black and blue all over, which was why Karura was currently sleeping the most peaceful sleep she'd ever had, the cool bedsheets helping dull the pain of the bruises. Unfortunately for her, the sound of her phone ringing snapped her awake. Eyes snapping wide open, Karura slowly turned her head to face the phone with a gaze of pure fury. Reaching over, she grabbed the offending device and looked at who was calling her.

Blinking, she recognized Sayaka's name on the screen, and answered. "Hey... What's up?" She asked tiredly.

"Hi, Karura! How are you doing?!" Sayaka's familiar voice sounded out.

"Ugh... Bruised... Broken... Tired..." Was the reply she gave.

"Ooooh... Uh... Wanna like... reschedule that date then...?" Sayaka replied.

That IMMEDIATELY changed Karura's attituded. "Not a chance! I'll be right as rain! I'll be there to meet you at... uh... what time again?"

"Whenever you're ready!" Sayaka chirped. "I'll meet you at Shibuya!"

Karura nodded. "Great, thanks! Uh... Sorry... I almost forgot... I'm really freaking tired..."

"It's okay, I understand." Sayaka assured. "If training managed to leave a Kure like you worn down, it must be HELL."

Karura groaned. "Hell would be BETTER! I had to sleep in the forest every day after training, I was all bruised and bloody and sweaty..." Silence reigned for a moment. "Uh... Are you still there?"

"Are you SURE you don't wanna postpone the date...? I don't want you walking around constantly on the verge of passing out from the pain..."

"No way!" Karura shook her head. "I'm not postponing anything, I can handle it no problem!"

"Hmm..." Sayaka hummed uncertainly. "Are you really sure...?"

Karura smirked. "Oh, trust me, I'm gonna show up looking better than ever, you won't see a scratch on me!"

"...All right..." Sayaka accepted. "Just... be careful, okay?"

"Of course!" The Kure girl smiled and nodded. "You too. I've heard some scary things about Shibuya..."

Sayaka laughed at the little joke. "Okay, see you soon! Bye!" And with that, she hung up.

Karura let out a sigh. "She's really worried about me. It feels kinda nice, actually..." The Kure clan looked out for one another, yes, but it's been ages since anyone had actively expressed concern for her. Even her own mother only did so when she was seriously hurt. Like last week, when she'd come home to rest up from the training. ...It was nice to have a pretty girl her own age fuss over her though.

...Wait... Pretty...?

The teenage assassin's mind slowed down to process what she'd just thought. Yes, Sayaka is very pretty. But she had seen many, many beautiful women. Her family members, her best friend Elena... All of them were very beautiful. Sayaka was just another beautiful woman she knew, so... why did calling her pretty suddenly seem so much more significant than if she'd said it to Elena, or one of her cousins or sisters? Hmm... Maybe she was just delirious from waking up in excruciating pain. Ah well, better go prepare for the date...

...

Wait, why was she calling it a date? ...Why was SAYAKA calling it a date?! As she entered the shower, she began to think. A date would imply that they were together. Like... girlfriends. But... they weren't...

...Why did the idea sound REALLY nice though?

Karura grabbed her head with a soft groan. "Agh, it's all so confusing!" She punched a wall, only to yelp and clutch her fist in pain, a bitter reminder of her battered state. She looked down at her bruised skin and clicked her tongue. "Gonna need to figure out how to cover all this up... I said I was gonna show up looking pristine..."

Inhaling through her nose, she squeezed her hand and shut off the pain receptors temporarily, quickly rushing to the shower. "I have to smell good if I want to look good..." After a twenty minute shower, Karura stepped out, rinsing her hair and looking herself over in the mirror, wincing at the sight of all the purple stains and scratches that littered her skin. "Geez... Not even the clan training from when I was a kid got this intense... And I'm way stronger now than I was back then, too... Ugh... I have to cover all this up..." Running out of the bathroom, she she opened the closet, looking over her outfits. She didn't exactly know the specifics of the date [Again, WHY was she calling it a date?!], so she didn't know what kind of clothes the occasion called for. Grabbing a random hoodie, she took a pair of long jeams along with it. It'd cover her body well enough. But her face...

She tossed the clothes aside and rushed back to the bathroom, throwing open the medicine cabinet and searching for foundation, makeup, ANYTHING she could use to cover up the ugly markings. Eventually, she settled on some concealer, quickly applying it over every scratch, injury and crack in her skin for about ten minutes until everything was out of sight. Karura sighed. "It won't last too long, but eh... It'll do..." All she had to do was avoid water splashing off her face covering.

She hurriedly combed her hair, letting it flow straight down, then put on her hoodie and jeans, and a pair of sneakers. She stopped to make sure her concealer was still standing strong, and when she was done, she grabbed her phone and sent Sayaka a text informing her she was going to be there in ten minutes before deciding to forgo the stairs and simply leap out the window. She divebombed down to ground level, performing a series of spins and twirls until she landed gracefully without a single crack on the ground below. Then, she ran out of the yard, down the street, and began to leap across buildings and cars, swinging from lampposts until she eventually landed from a flip over a car at the entrance to Shibuya.

She propped her hands on her hips and smirked proudly. "Ha! Another new record!" She checked herself on her phone and sighed in relief that her concealer hand't been disturbed, before she sighed deeply. "Hope you didn't have to wait too long, Sayaka..." She muttered to herself.

Heading down the stairs and into the subway, Karura found herself among a sea of bustling people going about their day. Using Removal on her eyes, she searched around for Sayaka as she walked, deftly avoiding any passersby that came near her. She walked through clothing shops, food stalls, train stations, everywhere, but still no trace of her. She scrunched up her face in confusion. "Where is she...?"

Then, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

On pure instinct, Karura twirled around and threw a backhand, which was parried easily before she threw a punch with her other arm, the fist being caught by a dark skinned hand. Looking up, she beheld the grinning, cheeky face of Sayaka. "Hey, what's got you so jumpy?" She asked playfully.

Karura blinked, turning off Removal, then pouted and lightly punched Sayaka on the shoulder. "You startled me!" She said in accusation.

Sayaka giggled and ruffled her hair. "Ah, it's all in good fun, don't worry." She pulled her into a hug. "Ah, MAN I missed seeing that cute face of yours!"

Karura blinked and blushed a little before letting out a soft laugh. "Heh... I missed you too..."

"Aww, really? I'm so glad, I'd be sad if you forgot about me so easily!" Sayaka teased. "I'd have figured you found someone else."

"S-Someone else? N-No way, you're like... y'know... The only one and... stuff..." Karura stammered. Then she paused a moment. "Wait, hold on, that didn't come out right, I meant to say that... Uh..."

Sayaka giggled. "Relax, I'm just messing with ya, your reactions are funny, you can date whoever you want."

Karura blinked, then pouted with a huff and crossed her arms. "Goofball..."

"I mean, can you blame me for the fact that you're the most adorable assassin ever?"

Karura smiled softly. "...Thanks... Y'know... Not a lot of people really wanna approach me outside my clan, they all know about the Kure... Who they are, what they do... It's... nice, having someone that doesn't mind all of that and just wants to be my friend anyway..." She paused and looked Sayaka over. "...You're wearing the same dress you wear in the arena... Your... commentating dress."

Sayaka smirked flirtatiously and stepped forth to let some of her leg peek through the slit. "Ya like what ya see?"

"It looks really nice on you." Karura replied, quite undettered. "But why wear something so pretty in a dusty old arena?"

"What can I say? I gotta look good to get people's eyes on me, don't I? I got a preeeetty shrill voice, might get under some people's skin, sooooo the sex appeal is kinda there to mitigate that, keep their attention on me while I'm doing my thing and all that." Sayaka explained.

Karura nodded. "Well, your voice is really pretty when you're just talking normally. I mean, it sounds nice enough when you're shouting, but... we..."

Sayaka nodded. "I see what you're saying." She patted Karura's shoulder. "I kinda have the same feeling about you"

Karura tilted her head in confusion. "Oh. Uh... I just mean I like your eyes, that's all. They're cool. Kinda pretty, even." Sayaka explained. Karura found herself blushing slightly, feeling flustered to the point of having nothing to say as she felt her heart beating faster and faster... which had the very much unwanted side effect of accidentally activating Removal, turning her skin purple as her veins bulged. Sayaka tilted her head. "Uh... Is something happening? What's with the super mode all of a sudden?"

Karura blinked, looking at herself and realizing she accidentally lost control. Quickly turning it off, she tapped at her face, checking and feeling relieved to see that the concealer was still on. She cleared her throat. "Um... I'm okay, just... thought I saw Raian, that's all, heh..."

Sayaka turned around, looking to see if it was true. "Um... I don't see him..."

Karura sighed. "It's... nothing, I just got a bit startled... Let's... not waste this little date, all right?"

"Oh! Right!" Sayaka grabbed Karura's hand and dragged her away.

And so, Karura found herself in one of the subway stations. She tilted her head at Sayaka. "Sooooo, where are we headed?"

"Oh, I found a really nice place to eat in another city!" Sayaka answered. "I even set up a reservation for the whole month in case you couldn't make it because of your injuries! And uh... Speaking of that..." She looked at Karura in concern. "...Are you really okay to come with me...?"

"Yeah! Yeah, I'm fine, really!" Karura assured her. "Barely even effectinf g me, I've been through way worse ever since I was a kid, all that training to adopt the family work, this is a cakewalk!" Karura assured. 'Heh... Wish THAT were the truth...' She thought. Ohma's training was DESTROYING her. And that was AFTER she had already taken massive punishment during her own training when she was more fragile. She used that to gain durability and stamina, and had reached her current level with all that suffering behind her. But Ohma? She barely pushed through his training, was more often than not unable to move by the end! She knew she was lying out her ass about being okay.

She could still feel it... Her muscles after that sudden and misplaced Removal were severely strained... She had to put all her strength into her legs to keep from trembling. Her arms felt like they were gonna fall off into individual pieces. Her skin was so matted with bruises and marks that it itched, enough so that she felt she could rip her skin off with her bare hands from sheer annoyance. It was tough to breeze, she felt as though she could collapse.

But she could handle it, she'd withstood pain before. As a child, she needed to learn to walk with twisted ankles. It was hard to adjust to the drug boosts. But, she pushed through, and here she was. If this was something she needed to power through not just for her date, but for her position in the tournament, so be it. She turned to Sayaka to reassure her again... only to see she was staring at her, horrified and pained. "What's wrong?" Karura asked, before she realised...

She said all of those things out loud didn't she?

She knew she did when Sayaka gently grabbed her by the wrist and she let out a hiss of pain at the contact. "Sorry, sorry, just... come here... Into the phone booth, come on..." Karura blinked owlishly, but she obeyed nonetheless and stepped into the booth. Once they were in side, Sayaka let out a sigh. "Okay, you CANNOT be going around town like this."

"What? Sure I can, I'm totally fine, I can handle it!" Karura insisted with a smile.

"Just because you can doesn't mean you should." Sayaka replied.

"It's just a few bruises, really, it's fine!"

"A few bruises that aren't gonna heal if you're pushing yourself too much."

"But you've been waiting for this!"

"I can wait, all right? Your health comes first. You need to go home and rest." Sayaka gently reached up to caress Karura's face... and ended up wiping off some of her concealer. Karura could tell what happened just by the wide-eyed look of shock on Sayaka's face that quickly changed into a stern, firm glare. "...Really? I mean, really?! You're that beat up and you think you're good to be going around town on a date?! Why would you try to hide that from me?! Look at you, you're beaten to a pulp, this training's been killing you and you're still trying to get out of your much needed bedrest? No, no way, uh-uh! Come on, I am taking you back home RIGHT now, and I am gonna make SURE you get your rest!" She gently grabbed Karura's hand and began pulling her along.

The pair stepped out of the subway system, and Sayaka turned to Karura. "All right, where do you live?"

Karura sighed. "I ran here and it took me less than ten minutes, so... we should take a taxi..."

"You RAN here in your condition?! Oh, you are SO getting an earful when I get you into bed." Sayaka said sternly. "All right..." Sayaka looked to see an approaching taxi, and she very promptly stepped right into the middle of the road, much to Karura's shock. The taxi skidded to a halt mere inches away from her as she simply stood with a hand on her hip. Once it had stopped, Sayaka approached the taxi and found there was a very large, burly man sitting inside. "Excuse me, sir, we need this ride."

"Wait, hang on a sec!" The man cried out in surprise as the surprisingly strong woman pulled him out and handed him a small wad of cash.

"C'mon." She pulled Karura into the cab and paid the driver. "Tell him where you live."

"Uh... I..." Karura did so, and she felt a light burning sensation on her cheeks. Something about how firm and assertive Sayaka was being... It made her feel... Familiar... Like... Ohma standing shirtless and sweaty after a long training session familiar...

"Uh... Y-Yellow... building... Few streets North of... Johoku Park..." She stammered out her destination. The driver nodded, then took off. Sayaka wrapped an arm around Karura and pulled her in closer, as if trying to make sure she didn't do anything foolish. 'AAAAAAAAH, WHAT IS WRONG WITH MEEEEEE?! I LIKE BOYS, WHY IS MY HEART SO HARD TO CONTROL, I CAN BARELY TURN OFF REMOVAAAAAAAAL!' Karura screamed inwardly. '...I'm... REALLY close to her...! Why's she holding me so close...?' She slowly looked up at the taller girl, who gave her an exasperated expression before she sighed softly and gave her a small smile. Karura let out a squeak and swaddled herself up in her hoodie, trying to hide how red her face was.

Sayaka could see her embarrassment, clear as day. It was honestly a little bit funny if she were to be perfectly honest. And she was going to milk it for all it was worth. She began to start petting the shorter woman's head as she gave her a smug, self-assured grin. "Nnn... Stooooop iiiiiit..." Karura whined, trying to move away from the affectionate gestures, smoke becoming visible from under her hoodie, the concealer finally completely evaporating from the sheer heat her body was exuding. Of course Sayaka didn't listen, no matter how much Karura adorably whined and protested under her touch, until eventually, they reached their destination.

Sayaka gave the driver a nice tip. "Thanks for the lift, handsome!" She chirped before grabbing Sayaka in a bridal carry and moving out of the vehicle with her.

Karurua flushed pink at the sudden carry, and she gave Sayaka a look of frustration that just made her look more cute than anything else. "No fair, I'm the one that trains and works out to fight, I should be the one giving YOU the princess carry!"

Sayaka smirked down at her. "You wanna carry me around?" She teased.

Karura's face turned red. "N- Ye- Shut up!" She crossed her arms over her breasts with a pout. Sayaka just giggled and continued to carry her into the building. Karura stayed still and silent the entire time. She wouldn't lie, this felt... weirdly kind of nice... And... Sayaka was a lot more well build than her physique would suggest. Sure, she wasn't exactly MUSCULAR, but she could feel the strength in her arms, she had a firm grip, she carried her with ease, and it was... comfortable.

They entered her living space, and Sayaka thought for sure she was just gonna drop her off in bed and be on her way. So imagine her surprise when she instead carried her into the washroom. "All right. Take off your clothes." Sayaka instructed.

"...WHAT did you just ask me to do?!" Karura exclaimed, mortified.

Sayaka rolled her eyes. "Relax, we're both girls here, what's the harm? You're gonna take a bath, all right? I'm running it for you, so get those clothes off and get in the tub already."

"You...I... I can't just... Agh... All right, fine, I guess I'll just... Ugh... Look the other way, please!" Karura requested.

"Sure, all right." Sayaka shrugged as she turned on the tub. She looked around for something, but didn't seem to find it. Eyes narrowed, she reached into her dress pocket and pulled out a small vial of something that she poured into the tub as it slowly filled. When Karura was done undressing, she turned around to see... the tub was now full of bubbles. She blinked twice, and Sayaka looked at her with a tilted head. "What's wrong? Never had a bubble bath before?"

"...No..." Karura admitted.

"...Really?" Sayaka's eyes widened. "...You're missing out. It doesn't get more relaxing than this, the bubbles are nice and soft and... Oh, just get in and you'll see for yourself!" She hurried behind Sayaka and pushed her towards the tub.

"Ah! Okay, okay, don't push, I can walk, I'll get in, just stop!" Karura stepped away from her friend and scrambled to get into the tub so she could cover herself in some way, disappearing into the foamy bubbles for a moment before popping up with a pout. "You saw everything..."

"Yeah, like I said, we're both girls here, it's fine." Sayaka shrugged. "Girls take baths together all the time. Now you just relax a bit, get yourself cleaned off, and I'll be right back, I'm gonna head out for a sec, okay?"

"Sure, I guess..." Karura sighed, sinking into the water. ...She had to admit, it DID feel pretty nice... The warm water soothed the aches and pains in her joints, and she didn't know what these bubbles were, but somehow they didn't sting the welts and gashes she'd received, if anything, they soothed them. She allowed herself a moment to relax... She hadn't had a chance to do that since she started her training... It was... nice...

It had to end eventually, though, as the water began to turn lukewarm. With a soft groan, she climbed out of the tub and grabbed a nearby towel to dry herself off, stepping out of the room... and yelping with a squeak, using the towel to cover herself when she saw Sayaka was in the room with several shopping bags. Sayaka turned to acknowledge her. "Oh, there you are, good. Come here and sit down."

"Uh... Can I get dressed first, please?" Karura asked, a little annoyed.

"Nope. I need to see the injuries. Come on, have a seat." Sayaka insisted. Karura rubbed the back of her head, then heaved out a sigh and sat down next to her. Sayaka moved the towel away, and ignored Karura's protests as she pulled out various medicines and began to apply them to the injuries, clicking her tongue. "You haven't been properly taking care of these, have you?" She asked sternly. Karura let out a hiss as some disinfectant was applied. "Seriously, what am I gonna do with you...?" Karura didn't say anything, simply sitting in place like a scolded child as Sayaka carefully tended to her. Once she was properly disinfected, Sayaka then applied a cream to the more visible wounds, and Karura immediately felt the soothing effects taking place, enough so that she let out a soft sigh of relaxation at the gentle, cooling sensation. But what Karura especially noticed was Sayaka's hands. They were so... gentle... So soft and smooth, and... Agh...

"All right, done. Here."Sayaka held up something. It was her pajamas. "Put these on and get into bed." She instructed.

"Okay, mom." Karura groaned as she accepted the offered clothing, got dressed and laid herself down in her... now very well, neatly made bed. "Did you make my bed...?"

"Well, yeah, it was a total mess!" Sayaka replied. "Under the covers, come on, let's go."

"Riiiight." Karura obeyed, seeing no sense in arguing. Sayaka carefully made sure she was well situated, then put her hands on her hips and nodded in satisfaction.

"And now, you're just gonna stay there!" She declared.

"Okay... Thanks for bringing me home... Um... So I'll see you when I see you then...?" Karura asked.

"I'm not going ANYWHERE!" Sayaka declared boldly. "You're incapacitated and you need help, and I am GONNA help you! First thing's first, I'm gonna cook you up something to eat!"

"Huh? Y-You don't have to do that! Really, it's fine, I-"

"No arguing! I'm doing it whether you like it or not!" Sayaka insisted. "I'm GONNA help you, and I'm GONNA make sure you get your rest and feel good, and that is that! You just lay there and relax and leave everything to me!" And with that, she curtly turned around and made her way to the kitchen.

Karura stared after her. ...And by that I mean she stared at her ass.

Even once she was out of sight, she continued to stare blankly at where she had been mere moments prior. ...She just stared at her friend's ass. WHY did she just stare at her friend's ass?

She clapped her hands over her cheeks as she felt them warm up intensely. "What's happening to me?! I'm STRAIGHT! INTO MEN!" Even though she knew he'd never marry her, she still found herself desiring Ohma's greek god physique every chance she got. So what the hell was going on here?!

And then, she stopped thinking about Ohma's physique as her mind suddenly shifted to Sayaka's body.

She imagined the tall, lithe, tanned woman sweaty and in a two-piece training outfit that showed off a fair amount of skin, her feminine yet toned and strong body as she stretched, and... oh... Now her nose was bleeding...

Quite heavily, in fact, a large spurt of blood erupted out of her nose at that exact moment, forcing her to hurriedly grab a rag and catch it before it stained anything. Her heart was beating extremely quickly, the rapidly pumping blood only making her nosebleed worse. 'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!' She screamed internally as she tried to contain the gushing nose blood the best she could.

At that moment, Sayaka walked into the room. "I'm just checking up-OH MY GOODNESS!"

She rushed forward, her mind a frantic blur. "WHAT'S HAPPENING TO YOU?! DID YOU HURT YOURSELF?! DID YOU GET SICK?!"

"N-No, I'm not hurt, I... My heart's beating super fast, and... And the blood's pumping super fast too!" Karura hurriedly assured her.

"Well... Um... Agh, how do I slow it down?! What's making it beat so fast in the first place?!" Sayaka exclaimed. "...Wait, the Kures literally feed their kids some kind of super steroid, is that what's causing this?!"

"N-No! It shouldn't be! They've LONG settled in, the drugs are literally part of my cellular structure by now!" Karura exclaimed. She grabbed her head and began to breathe heavily. "What do I do?! How do I stop this?! Help me! Hel-"

And then, Sayaka jabbed her in the neck with her middle and pointer finger. Karura didn't know what happened at first, it felt like the blood in her veins, for just a brief moment, had stopped flowing, and for the briefest of moments, her heart stopped beating, long enough for the tan skinned girl to pull her into a tight embrace and gently wipe off the blood the best she could with a tissue. And just like that, Karura felt herself calm down in the embrace. She thought this close proximity would leave her even more flustered and panicked than before, but... no... She felt... relaxed... Safe... At ease...

One of her hands reached up, and Sayaka took it, putting it on her chest so that Karura could feel her beating heart. It was a soothing sound, a soothing feeling, and it was enough to calm Karura's own heartbeat down significantly. She looked up into Sayaka's eyes, and she gave her a gentle, tender, understanding smile that immediately made all of her fears and concerns wash away. Sayaka knelt down beside Karura and gently massaged her body, and the purple skin and bulging veins returned back to normal. Karura relaxed her muscles, but she kept a firm vice grip on Sayaka, unwilling to let go for even a second.

Sayaka laid down next to her, and Karura immediately wrapped herself around her like a baby koala. Sayaka giggled. "You're awfully snuggly."

"Yeah, well, I don't really get much opportunity to hug someone. Unless I'm on the job and... y'know... killing them and stuff." Karura replied.

"That's... kinda depressing." Karura remarked. There was a comfortable silence between the two as Sayaka stayed with her injured friend, before she let out a sigh. "I still have to feed you y'know..."

Karura hesitated, before she very reluctantly let go so she could get out of the bed. "As soon as you're close again, I'm grabbing you."

"As long as you don't make me spill the food." Sayaka warned.

And with that, Sayaka stepped out of the room, and Karura sighed and leaned back against the frame of the bed. 'What just happened?! How did I almost die of blood loss from staring at her ass?!'

Of course, she knew what the answer was. Sayaka was hot as all hell.

But she was straight! She knew she was straight! Yes, Ohma rejected her, so she'd given up on HIM, but there was no reason she couldn't find some other guy! ...And yet for some reason, that idea... really didn't appeal to her...

Closing her eyes, she tried to imagine Sayaka's embrace from shortly before as that of a large, bulky man, but somehow that just didn't feel right to her... She didn't LIKE imagining that... Honestly... Sayaka's hold felt amazing BECAUSE of how clearly feminine she was... Thin, but still strong arms, wonderful smooth skin, a pleasant, soothing smell, the gentle touch... Everything about it just felt... right... Even more than any friendly gesture of affection Ohma had ever shown her.

She certainly didn't want to discredit Ohma's friendship, but... something about Sayaka's hug was just... more appealing... It made her heart feel... warm... and fluttery... It was a lot like what she once felt from Ohma...

And... that hurt... Because the last time she had these feelings, it ended in her being rejected...

And so, she shoved it down. She and Sayaka were JUST friends. That was all. Sayaka was just... a REALLY hot friend who had an ass she happened to enjoy looking at. Yeah. Totally.

So, she laid back, and simply waited. And about half an hour later, Sayaka returned, and with her, a plate of food. Sayaka set it down on her bedside table, and she looked to see what it was. Chicken... With garlic and oil. And plenty of spinach on the side.

Her eyes widened, and she began to drool slightly at the smell.

Sayaka laughed softly. "Make sure you eat slowly." She warned. "In fact, here. I'll feed you." Karura pouted.

"Fiiiine. But first..." Before Sayaka could react, she was suddenly pulled down onto the bed and held close by Karura, who gave her a cheeky smile. "Told you I was gonna grab ya!"

Sayaka sighed and shook her head, then grabbed a forkful of food. "All right, here comes the airplaaaaane!" She made engine noises as she moved the fork towards Karura's mouth... and Karura just stared at her in sheer confusion.

"...What are you doing?" She asked rather flatly.

"...Playing the airplane game...?" Sayaka replied with an awkward smile.

"...What is the airplane game?" Was the response Karura gave.

"Wait, what? You don't know what it is?" Sayaka asked, perplexed. "It's the game you play with your kids? You know, you like... feed them and make plane sounds and their mouth is a landing point?"

"...I'm... not a child." Karura said flatly.

"Okay, but seriously, your parents NEVER played this game with you?" Sayaka was genuinely baffled. "I'm pretty sure it's like... a rite of passage or something."

"Um... No, when I was growing up, I had to eat fast and survive on small amounts of food while training... Y'know, after I finished the whole 'body altering drugs' thing." Karura explained.

Sayaka looked at her with wide eyes. "Didn't... Didn't your parents at least try...?"

Karura looked down. "Well, mom wanted to, but... I guess I kinda grew up too fast for her to really have the chance, heh..."

Sayaka looked down at the bed, and then she turned and gave Karura a tight hug. Karura looked at her with a blush, then smiled softly and leaned into the embrace, closing her eyes and enjoying the close presence of the other woman. "I'm... I'm sorry..." Sayaka whispered. "I... I hope that you have the chance to be a good mother when your chance comes..."

Karura laughed bitterly. "I'd LOVE to be a good mom, I'd kill to be there for my kid when they're growing up, but I don't think it's possible. The tradition says I have to find a powerful mate and have mighty children, I have to breed the strongest assassins possible for the clan... It's all about strength for the Kure clan, from birth to death..."

"That... is TOTALLY unfair!" Sayaka threw her arms up in outrage. "They can't just... dictate your love life and force you to live according to THEIR standards!"

Karura shrugged. "Hey. It's just how it is. I live their life, not mine."

"No!" Sayaka said firmly. "No, that's ALL WRONG! You don't deserve that! You're not an extension of them, you're your own person and you deserve to live the life YOU want! It's YOUR life, not theirs! You should live it YOUR way!"

"But... But..." Karura looked down and rubbed her arm. "I can't! I can't disappoint my ancestors! And... And my grandfather... My... My grandfather has such high hopes for me, and... and if I disappointed him... He... I'm the strongest female in the clan... It would break his heart..."

"No... You can't live your life just focusing on pleasing others at the cost of your own happiness! I mean, my grandma is one of the strongest fighters in the whole association, I bet you anything she can talk it out with your grandfather and give you freedom!" Sayaka was absolutely adamant.

"...Isn't that your GRANDPA?" Karura asked with a raised brow.

Sayaka giggled. "Oh, my grandpa's strong, but my grandma? She is WAY more kickass! But either way... We can help, and that's what really matters!"

Karura rubbed her arm uncertainly and looked down. "But... But I can't just uproot years of tradition...!"

She felt a hand on her arm, and turned to look at Sayaka, who gave her a gentle, reassuring smile. "Then let us uproot it for you." She said gently.

"But... But..." Karura looked down uncertainly and rubbed her arm. "But I'll be failing them... I'll be failing the ones that protected me... The ones that taught me everything I know... That... gave me a purpose... I... I just don't know if I can..."

Sayaka gently took her hand, and she looked up at her with wide eyes. "If they care about you, they'll respect your decisions. If they don't respect you... they were using you all along..."

Karura gaped at her in confusion and shock. "...Why...? Why do you want to help me out so badly...?"

Sayaka looked down with a soft smile. "Cause you're my friend. I don't really need any reason other than that. Besides... Everyone deserves the freedom to live life the way they want."

Karura looked up at her in awe, then teared up and let out a soft sniffle. She looked down at Sayaka's hand, then shook her head with a soft sigh. "I... I've never cried... N-Not since the day I was born..." She murmured.

Sayaka frowned, then set the plate down on the bedside table and pulled her friend closer. "Well, we better fix that then, so go ahead. Get it all out, and just... cry all you want, okay? It's like... twenty years of backed up tears, you better get them out... It's not healthy..."

Karura normally would have hesitated for at least a few seconds, but... she just couldn't... It felt... nice...

It felt SO damn nice to let all her feelings out. The repressed, forced down disgust, horror, sadness and fear at having committed her first murder. The pain of being seen and feared as an outcast. A monster. A murderer. The hatred, fear and sadness her victims pointed at her whenever she killed them. The pressure of her clan's expectations, traditions, and the fact that she lived with Raian. Ohma's eventual rejection.

All of it. She let out all of it.

All into the arms of a genuine, understanding friend.

Arms that brought to her a soothing, comfortable warmth like no other she ever felt. All the pain and scarring from her training... was for the moment... gone. It was replaced with a warmth and softness that allowed her to truly let go... It was nice to just... forget all that pain for a bit and enjoy being treated with gentle, tender care and affection like she'd never been shown in her life... And from someone with no intentions to manipulate her, but rather out of genuine care and a desire to see her happy...

Grabbing Sayaka's arms, she placed it gently around her shoulders and huddled up against her. "I just... wanna be held for a bit, okay...? Can you do that for me...?"

Sayaka blinked twice, blushed, then embraced her tightly. "Y-Yeah, totally!" She said. Inwardly? 'Holy crap, is this even allowed?! I mean, I just found out I'm gay as hell and she is freaking hot, but she's my friend, is this right?! I feel like this is bad somehow, but damn it it feels so right and AGH!'

She shook her head and decided to distract herself, grabbing the plate from off the bedside table. "Uh... Here comes the airplane!" She said rather stiffly before moving the spoon towards Karura's mouth.

"Aaaaahhh..." Karura played along with a soft giggle, the sound of which melted Sayaka's heart and only made her crush grow stronger. She sounded so adorable!

And so, Sayaka finished feeding Karura her meal, then climbed out of the bed. "All right, I'm gonna go and put the dishes away..."

"Um... Are you gonna... leave... soon...?" Karura asked softly, looking slightly anxious.

Sayaka paused at the door and turned around to face Karura. "I'll stick around if you want me to."

Karura flushed slightly, covering the bottom half of her face with her blanket to hide it. "Uh... Y-Yeah... I'd... I'd love that..."

Sayaka beamed. "All right! I have time to spare... I'm not really doing much until the tournament. I'll stick around and hang out with you more! But first... those dishes aren't gonna wash themselves."

"I could-"

"No, you're not helping, you're gonna stay here and rest." Sayaka cut Karura off. Karura sighed and laid back down, watching her leave the room. When she was out of sight, she allowed herself a soft, content sigh. She was happy to have a friend around...

After Sayaka was finished with the dishes, she returned to the waiting Karura and laid down in bed with her. Karura immediately snuggled in close to her, her touch starvation finally being fed a full course meal. Sayaka looked at her and noticed she was tearing up again.

"Oh... Are you feeling down again?" Sayaka asked gently.

"No..." Karura sighed. "It's... pretty much muscle memory, heh... It's gotten to a point where it just... perfectly gives me exactly what I need... I guess it thinks I need to cry, and... I kinda wanna... I don't feel bad, but crying feels so damn good..."

Sayaka tilted her head. "I... see. Huh... Never knew holding back that long would have that kind of effect." She smiled warmly. "Well, go for it then! I can take getting soaked a bit."

And so they stayed like that for a little bit. Just relaxing and resting in silence, until Karura's tears faded. Sayaka spoke up again. "Your room's kinda... empty, isn't it?"

"Oh... Um... Yeah, I... have a lot of training equipment... Heh... I took it to use while I was training with Ohma... He took me to rest up at a hotel... Since we live on opposite sides of the city and all... He told me to rest, but... I ran all the way to Shibuya from the hotel, the taxi brought us to my place sooner cause it was closer..."

Sayaka's eye twitched at the revelation that she'd been so neglectful of her health. "First of all, take better care of yourself. Second... You just don't own anything besides training equipment?"

Karura rubbed her arm. "I mean... I never really needed anything else..."

Sayaka looked at her with a frown. "You... really need to learn to enjoy the simple pleasures in life."

Karura sighed. "That's what Elena says, but it's hard! I just... I can't focus on anything without my mind being on fighting and being ready to get involved in one at a moment's notice!"

"...Are you expecting a fight right now?" Sayaka asked.

"...Yes..." Karura admitted with a sigh. "I... I feel like someone's gonna smash right through the window right now and I've already got twenty plans for a low risk takedown..."

Sayaka looked at the window for several seconds before turning back to Karura. "Well... It doesn't look like that's gonna happen, so... let's talk about how we're gonna get you to loosen up a bit." She looked thoughtful. "You had a good cry... Um... Oh, I know, some music!" Sayaka pulled out her phone and began scrolling through it. "Let's see... I think you'd like something... upbeat and fun... Soooo... How... about... this?"

A eurobeat song began to play through the phone's speakers, and Karura blinked as the sound met her ears. She... actually rather liked it...

Karura smiled brightly and began to bob her head up and down to the beat of the music. 'OH MY GOSH THAT'S SO ADORABLE!' Sayaka gushed internally with a blush. Karura then started to get REALLY into it, closing her eyes with a toothy grin as she did a little dance in the bed, bobbing her head and torso left to right and swinging her arms about as she enjoyed the music. The sight was so adorable that it made Sayaka's nose bleed.

Karura turned to look at Sayaka with a grin... which quickly turned into a concerned frown when she noticed the blood. "Uh... You okay...?" She asked.

"Ah!" Sayaka hurriedly wiped her nose. "Y-Yeah! Totally! I'm A-OK! Just... thought you looked really cute, and WHY DID I SAY THAT?!"

Karura blinked, then let out a soft cough into her hand and looked away with a blush. "Yeah, well... you're pretty cute too... Heh... That's the second time someone's called me cute... And the first time was also you."

Sayaka didn't hear the last part. She was too busy tensing up and getting flustered at Karura calling her cute.

Karura laughed softly, then reached over so she could pull her in close with a soft sigh. "This is the comfiest I've ever been in my life..." Sayaka blinked twice, then smiled and gently draped an arm around her friend to pull her in closer. "...Thank you for this..." Karura said sincerely. "ALL of this. These last few hours have been like... the highlight of my whole life. So just... thank you."

"Aww, Karura, you can always count on me to make you feel better when you need it. If you need a friend, I'm happy to be that friend." Sayaka said warmly. She gently embraced Karura and placed her head against her chest so she could gently run her fingers through her hair. Karura... immediately felt relaxed... Her position, Sayaka's warmth, the gentle, soothing way her fingers ran through her hair... It all relaxed her enough to allow her to fall into a comfortable sleep.

Sayaka heard the sound of her snoring, then looked down at her with a warm smile. She snuck a quick kiss on her head before pulling out her phone and sending a text to her grandfather to inform him she would be a bit late coming home. After that, she set her phone down on the nightstand and just opted to stay by Karura's side, not particularly sleepy herself but not willing to leave her.

And so, she spent the rest of the evening with Karura, resting with her, caring for her crush as she slept off the 20 years of expectations. She gently looked her over, studying the bruises, bumps and marks all over her body that came from her intense training. She wondered how she was so OKAY with being battered and bruised and tossed around like this for the sake of training! She knew Ohma meant well, but she was most definitely giving him a piece of her mind if she ran into him!

She gently traced a scar that was left behind and winced in sadness. The fact that this was necessary in the long run was... distressing... She was going to have a word with her grandfather about the kinds of people he allowed into these tournaments too. Serial killers? Inmates? She really hoped that Hina girl didn't kill Karura... The reality of the situation hit Sayaka like a ton of bricks. Karura was risking her life in this tournament. She could DIE.

This realisation caused her to tighten her hold on the sleeping Kure. 'PLEASE don't die!' She pleaded internally. She REALLY wished she could stop her from fighting... But then, that would be disrespectful, wouldn't it? A fighter's most valuable asset was their strength. To not trust Karura's strength with her life would be an insult to her. But... But STILL!

She bit her lip and let out a soft whimper, tearing up slightly. "Don't die... PLEASE don't die... I... I want to see if... I want a chance to see if we work..."

Karura subconsciously tightened her grip on Sayaka. It was as if she was sending a message... "I'm scared too... But I'm going to do my best!"

She wouldn't let her die. She WOULDN'T. She didn't care what it took, she'd pay her family's entire damn fortune on the best medical professionals out there. She'd get that crazy needlebones doctor from the last tournament. She'd learn magic to revive the dead if she had to. She was NOT letting the most precious angel of a girl she'd ever met die.

She was going to ensure she survived to the end... And then... She was... She was going to marry her! She was going to kiss her all over! She was gonna give her all the hugs and comfort she could afford to bring out. And even the ones she COULDN'T afford! Yes... Karura HAD to survive... She had to live... She just had to... She closed her eyes, and she prayed silently that she would make it out alive.

"WE HAVE A WINNER!"

The ref yelled, but Sayaka didn't hear anything. She was frozen on the commentator booth. Staring. Karura. She was still standing. But her entire face was bloody. The lights were shining on her from above.

Her eyes were white.

She was dead.

She died, while standing.

Like a true fighter.

Sayaka gasped as she snapped awake. She fell asleep. Karura was still here. In her arms. Snuggled up and asleep. She breathed heavily and began to tear up as she hugged her close. "Oh God please don't die... Please stay alive... PLEASE don't let that dream become real...!" And then, Karura began to stir. She yawned and stretched her limbs before waking up. And she had a wide, bright smile on her face as she turned to look at her.

Her smile dropped instantly when she saw how scared and upset Sayaka was. "Hey... What's wrong? Did something happen?" She asked gently, resting a hand on her cheek.

Sayaka immediately embraced her tightly. "Thank GOD you're okay! You're not dead in the arena like a statue!" She pulled back slightly and glared into Karura's eyes. "And you better keep it that way!"

"You bet I will!" Karura declared confidently. "No need to worry!"

"I need you to PROMISE." Sayaka insisted. "Swear on... NOT your life that you're gonna come out of this alive!" Karura's eyes widened when she saw how serious Sayaka was.

And so, she followed through on the request. "I swear on my pride as an assassin and as a fighter, I'm not just gonna survive. I'm gonna WIN." She grabbed Sayaka's hands and gave her a wide, toothy grin. "You better believe I'm coming back alive! Count on it!"

Sayaka smiled, tears in her eyes, and hugged her close, snuggling her like a teddy bear. "I hope to GOD you do..." She squeezed Karura as tightly as she could and let out a sniffle. "I care a lot about you, and... I don't wanna lose you..."

Karura smiled. "I can definitely see that... Thanks for caring so much... I'm gonna make sure I stay alive, just for you. It's the least I can do." She rested her chin on the top of Sayaka's head and sighed softly. "I'll train extra hard. Just for you." She promised. And now it was Sayaka's turn to snuggle up to Karura and be comforted by HER. Not even because of any physical or emotional trauma, just because she was scared. Karura cared enough to do that for her. ...This was a healthy relationship, she was pretty sure. They played very well off each other, after all. They were both so... free, so vulnerable around one another. She closed her eyes, trying to remember the last time she was so open with anyone... She came up blank. The closest she got was her grandpa and her brother. And even then, her grandpa had a huge job maintaining the Association and her brother...he loved her, but he didn't spend NEARLY enough time with her as she'd like. ...She just hoped that last part wouldn't be an issue with Karura... She loved spending time with her... And Karura obviously did too. She could tell how happy she was to be with her. How happy she was to have someone just... treat her as a friend...

The two girls didn't say anything after that. They just quietly hugged close, and laid down in silence before eventually drifting off into sleep.

And so, in the present day, stood Karura on the beach, looking back fondly on that day. Karura put her hands on her hips and let out a sigh. "Well... About time I made good on that promise..." The tournament began tonight. They were going to be boarding the ships to fight their way through. She would have boarded the VIP boat immediately... But she was just so eager to prove her strength that she came up with a different plan. And so, she was going to get on the lesser boat and fight through until only her and a few other girls remained standing, and after that, she would board the luxury vessel.

She wanted to prove herself, yes, but... she was also just itching for a real fight. An actual challenge that she could enjoy. Beating up small fry was... a good start, at least. And they were internationally trained small fry, so it was already a step up from the weaklings she usually went up against... Already a better option than those incompetent bumbling suits and their useless, predictable goons, right? All THEY had were a bunch of stupid guns and other weapon nonsense! She wanted a FISTFIGHT! A proper brawl! She'd be satisfied if one of the other girls was able to just land a punch on her cheek!

She began to bounce slightly in place from her excitement, a grin forming on her face as her hopes began to grow. To wash off the excitement, she began doing 5 kilometer laps through the sea. She couldn't WAIT! She needed something to distract her! She ended up doing about a hundred laps for the whole day before she eventually grew bored.

Around the time the sun began to set was when she hopped up and left the beach. She needed to start getting ready, FAST. She rushed back home, practically a blur from how fast she was moving. And as soon as she was home, she changed into her most comfortable clothes. Her red hoodie, bandages on her left leg, short jean shorts, and that was all. Stealthy, light and easy to move in. She stretched slightly, rolling her shoulder and arching her back, before nodding and leaping out the window once more. She leapt over the rooftops and through the streets until she arrived at the docks, where she spotted the two boats she was wanted at. Hopping down from the roof, she approached the line at the smaller, dirtier boat...

And then, she felt an overwhelming presence descending upon her, and a familiar head of pink hair stepped up behind her.

She slowly turned around and faced the smiling face and starry eyes of Hina, who gave her a friendly wave. "Hiiiii!" She blinked twice, and the pink haired girl beamed. "Are you gonna be in the tournament too?! Oh, I bet you came to get some last minute practice in before it starts, right?!"

"Uh... That's... right..." Karura replied, feeling much too suffocated by her presence to really say much else. The girl let out an excited squee and hopped up and down on her heels, clapping her hands together. "Uh... I'm... excited to fight you too..." Karura murmured uneasily.

Hina cocked her head to the side. "That's only if you get past the gauntlet with me! Part of the fun is not knowing who's gonna come out on top, it's pretty arrogant to just thing we're gonna fight!" Karura tensed up at the challenge and narrowed her eyes, and Hina grinned. "Oooh, you're determined! I like that!"

"Come on, now, Hina. Stop teasing her." Another girl stepped up and put a hand on the pinkette's shoulder. Hina just winked an eye and stuck her tongue out playfully. The other girl approached Karura and looked her over for a moment, then smirked. "Oh yes, she's definitely passing the gauntlet... She's powerful." She patted Karura's head. "Even the shortstacks can surprise you." The 'shortstack' comment immediately caused Karura to bristle and narrow her eyes in annoyance.

"Oh, stop the goading." A mature voice called out to the group. Hiyama stepped out, wearing her usual kimono. "Let's just focus on the trip, yes? We can taunt each other in the arena."

"Oh? Seems the old woman can't take a little playful ribbing." Yuzuha taunted.

Hiyama bristled. "I am not OLD! I am at the prime of my youth!" She narrowed her eyes. "But with that said, I AM older than you, so you'd best respect your elders, girl."

Yuzuha stepped forth, leaning down to look at her. "Yeah? What are you gonna do if I don't? Whack me with a check? Slap me with documents? You're a CEO, you can't fight!" She crossed her arms smugly. "All you do all day is sit around on your fancy chair counting your fat stacks of cash. I bet you can't even throw a punch without breaking your hand off!" And then, mere seconds later, she found herself smacked facedown on the ground, ass sticking up. "...What just happened?"

"Oh wow she really IS strong! Sweet!" Hina's eyes sparkled. "So many strong people, I can't wait!"

"Ha! Where's that smug attitude of yours now?" Karura mocked Yuzuha. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, wherever it is, you better make sure it stays gone, it won't do you any favours in the tournament."

"Indeed. It's a very bad look to write off a warrior based entirely on their looks and size." Hiyama agreed, shaking off her smoking fist.

'...WHAT IN THE JADE EMPEROR'S HEAVEN JUST HAPPENED?!' Was the only thought running through Yuzuha's head.

Karura gave Hiyama a warm smile. "Thanks so much for that!" She chirped.

"You're welcome." Was the rather curt response she got. "I didn't quite do it for you, however, I was merely annoyed with the arrogance on display." Then she looked Karura over thoughtfully. "So young, yet you seem so experienced... Those eyes... You can only be a Kure."

Karura nodded. "I am! And I have to say, I didn't expect a CEO could be that strong! I'm not about to underestimate you, I'm gonna do my best against you!" She then extended her hand towards the woman for a shake.

Hiyama quietly stared at the hand, blinking and looking up to see the sincere friendliness in her eyes. It was hard to believe this girl was an assassin just looking at her. Still, she was showing excellent sportsmanship right now. It simply wouldn't do to not reciprocate. And so, she returned the handshake, noting the girl had a very firm, strong grip. And that grip reminded Hiyama. She was a CEO attempting to fight among trained fighters. She'd barely trained for a whole three months since she got to hear the female tournament announcement earlier than others with her position. ...She NEEDED to do this right... She couldn't fall back now... She had to prove herself.

"...You'd best watch yourself, girl... I won't hold back either." She said firmly.

Karura smirked in response. "Good. I don't want you to. What's the point if I don't beat you at your best?" She looked at the other girls. "I wanna beat everyone at their best. It's the only way to go, as far as I'm concerned!"

"I'd call that very inefficient. Allowing your foe to reach their top strength before you win is nothing short of a death sentence." Hiyama replied sternly. "As long as you have something to live for, then you mustn't allow your foe to reach their best... If they kill you... then all you care for will be left behind."

"Just entering the tournament is a death sentence." Karura replied with a shrug. "I'm prepared for that. I made a promise that I wasn't gonna die." She gave the CEO a determined grin. "And I'm gonna keep that promise no matter what!"

Hiyama paused, reminded of the promise she herself had made to Akoya. The promise she'd made to prove she was worthy to stay by his side. Karura's determination was... inspiring. She simply nodded her head. "I see. Well then... I'll do the same. ...Let's pray that if we do fail, our foe has mercy..."

Karura's gaze softened. "...I'm not here to kill. I'm gonna try to avoid it as much as I can." She said sincerely.

"Huh? Seriously? What kinda joke is that? An assassin that doesn't kill?! Ooh, fighting you would be fun, I hope we're matched up!" Hina weighed in.

HOOOOOONK

The boat sounded its horn, and the girls all spun around to see the line was almost gone.

Without them. "Hold up!" Karura was quick to act, rushing forward and making one swift, powerful bound towards the boat. And the other girls followed suit after her, blasting off and passing the line to board the ship, signing their names on the list faster than eyesight. The poor woman holding the list was just left downright confused as to what just happened.

As the women boarded the boat and gathered in the hull, Karura watched the door close, only one thought on her mind...

"Ohma...Sayaka...Elena...watch me. I've got this!"