Loud jeers and heavy stomping only grew louder as the Aluoki team approached the stadium. It was early on in the Dark Tournament, only the second day. The group of five fighters emerged into the ring to be surrounded by screams and cheers of all assortment from the heinous crowd. Koto screamed her introduction into the microphone, accompanied by any number of wild gestures.
The other team had already emerged, consisting of four small amphibian looking demons and one humongous lizard demon. After a brief stare down, the two teams approached the ring to lay down the rules for their fights.
"Will the team captains please step forward!" Koto cried.
The giant lizard demon stepped up, as did the captain of team Aluoki, a rather lean and small looking man. A brief silence passed between the captains before the lizard man spoke.
"I want one of my team to go up against her," the lizard pointed toward team Aluoki's medic, "in a no holds barred fight. Whomever is left standing is declared the winner. One fight, to the death." The lizard drew out the word death in a menacing way as he smirked in the medic's direction.
She was a small woman, five foot even perhaps. She had a mess of tight blonde curls on her head, barely curling around her ears. Her light brown eyes sparkled with surprise as her full lips parted in shock. Just next to her left eye, there rest a beauty mark. She wore a black long sleeve shirt that reached her hands with a loop around her middle finger beneath a white short robe with gold accents, black shorts, a gold ribbon belt, black slippers, and gold bands just above her ankles. The girl did not look like much of a medic, let alone a fighter.
Clutching her bag of medical supplies close to her chest, she gazed on at the lizard man in the ring.
"Shirato has asked for a single, one on one fight to the death with Aluoki's medic! Does Irano agree?" Koto announced. However, before Irano, the captain of team Aluoki, could decline the terms, the medic girl leaped into the ring and stood before the lizard man, Shirato.
"I accept your challenge! In fact, I'd like to sweeten the deal!"
"Maru, what are you doing?!" Irano gripped the medic's shoulder, but she shrugged him off.
"I wager that the losing team must die with their teammates, as noble warriors of old," the medic, Maru, demanded. Her eyes, though still fearful, were stony in their resolve. Her gentle high voice bore no lack of confidence.
Before Irano could stutter out another word, Shirato smirked.
"I like you, girl. I'll accept your terms. In fact, I will be your opponent. It shall be an honor to kill such a bold creature, and it will be fun to kill your team afterwards!"
"It is settled! The fight will be between Aluoki's medic, Maru, and Shirato! A fight to the death in which the losing team will die as well!" Koto screamed. Irano's shoulders sagged in defeat, as it seemed that the tournament committee would not have any objections to the fight. He gave Maru a glare as he left to the sidelines with the rest of the fighters to watch.
Maru had a look of anxiety on her face now that she stood alone in the ring with her huge opponent. He smirked at her and took his battle stance, waiting for Koto to give the OK to go.
Slightly parting her feet, Maru lifted her hands in a defensive manner, showing a bit less confidence as time wore on. Suddenly, Koto screamed into her microphone, and Shirato was headed her way.
The Aluoki team tensed as Maru only seemed to freeze upon Shirato's impending attack. As he got closer and closer he only seemed to get faster and faster. The team began to cry out for Maru to move, to do something, but she only stood frozen in fear. The screams and cheers of the crowd were full of both pleasure and displeasure. Though this would be a short fight, there was sure to be bloodshed.
Now, as Shirato was right upon her, Maru's entire demeanor took a complete 180. Her mouth split into a toothy grin as her eyes suddenly took on a gleeful glint. She made impossibly quick movements, then there was a blinding light in the ring. A blur flew upward from the light before another blinding flash sent the blur crashing back to the stadium.
And just like that, the fight was over.
When the dust cleared, Shirato lay spread eagle in the cracked tiles of the arena with Maru standing primly on his broad chest. He stared upward in complete shock as the stadium fell into total silence. For a couple of beats, not even the wind rustled the trees. Suddenly Koto cried out,
"WOAH, now what was THAT?! Let's take a look on the slow motion screen to try and figure out what the hell just happened, people!"
Everyone's attention turned to the big screen as the instant replay came on. As Maru's face morphed into the devilish grin, the video was slowed. However, even though Shirato's movements were slower, Maru was moving as though it were real time. She was so fast that the slow motion cameras made her look as though she were moving at a normal pace (for a fighting demon, that is).
"Wow, look at that speed, people! I've never seen anything like it!" Koto cried out in awe.
In the video, Maru slid her foot back to take on an offensive stance. She reared her hand back, flat and open, before thrusting it into Shirato. As her hand moved in to strike, her entire arm became engulfed in a blinding light. The attack sent Shirato straight up into the air, where Maru quickly followed him to kick him back down to the ring in another blast of light. Koto commentated on the video with difficulty, as Maru's movements were still rather quick, and the light she emitted made the attacks difficult to see.
As she slowly started to put pieces of lore together, Koto gasped loudly into her microphone.
"I understand now! You're the legendary Lady Maru, warrior of light, and feared general of the undefeated rebel army!"
Maru only smirked in response, confirming Koto's suspicions. The entire stadium erupted in shock, including team Aluoki, as they had no clue who she was either.
"You started the rebel army in the Makai to fight against tyrannical and unruly rulers, often taking their lands and restoring them to peace! Your battles have gone down in history because of your unique ability to manipulate light! Your attacks are world renown, and you have never EVER lost a war! You are a mighty and feared warrior, general, and battle strategist! But it was rumored that you died almost 200 years ago, and here you are! What do you have to say?" Koto eagerly prattled off a brief biography of Maru's work as a rebellion leader before thrusting the microphone into her face.
With a gracefully lifted eyebrow, Maru only replied, "I was on vacation."
Leaving the young announcer in a stupor, Maru began to leave the arena. Koto awkwardly gathered her bearings and opened her mouth to announce team Aluoki as the winners before-
"Wait."
The summons was quiet, barely audible. Still, Maru stopped, not turning around.
"Kill me."
Shirato's request was simple. After a brief pause, Maru snickered.
"Now why in the hell would I go and do that?" Her voice was no longer high pitched and innocent. She had dropped the façade and the cute voice as soon as the battle had ended. Now it was deeper, more mature, and velvety.
"It was in your terms of our fight. We were to battle to the death. I intend to keep to my word, as now that I have lost, I have no purpose in living anymore."
A breeze blew across the ring, as Maru stood stoically with a blank expression. A hush fell over the stadium as the audience waited with bated breath, hoping for some degree of bloodshed. Really, a nosebleed would likely suffice at this point for them.
"Stand up, you fool."
It was a calm demand. Maru made no move to turn toward her fallen opponent. One could hear a pin drop from outside the stadium, the silence was so deafening.
"I will not. My purpose and life ends here," Shirato replied forlornly.
Another moment of silence passed before Maru's face hardened. She stood rigid in her spot as she puffed her chest out.
"On your feet, soldier!"
This was no simple request, but the demand of an experienced general. Shirato's eyes snapped open at her voice. It was loud and commanded the upmost authority. Shirato slowly lifted his head to gaze at Maru's back. Maru's head began to turn painfully slowly, in sharp contrast to her lightning quick fighting style. She met Shirato's gaze from the corner of her eye and he felt frozen to the spot. Her sharp stare was intimidating, and he felt as though she pierced him to his very core.
"I said up, boy."
This time, it was nearing a growl. Slowly, Shirato respectfully got onto his feet and stood weakly, gazing in awe at Maru's back. She turned her head back into the opposite direction, as the stadium listened intently to what she would say.
"I may run a band of rebel mercenaries, but I do not kill for petty tournaments such as this. However, I can feel that you have a duty, an honor to fulfill that has been broken. Pray tell, what is your purpose here?"
Shirato was hesitant, if not embarrassed. He felt as though he were being scolded by his grandmother, though Maru was very well old enough to be his great-grandmother. She was a centuries old demon, worthy of the utmost respect.
"What is your purpose here, boy?" She repeated.
"My lady… it is my people. For generations, we have been scattered and hunted. Few of us are left, and those of us that are live in great fear. We do not live in the territories of any of the three kings, so there is no law to govern us. We are truly a peaceful race, and that was taken advantage of. My people were attacked many years ago, nearly wiping out our already dwindling population. I came here in hopes of proving myself, proving my race, avenging the murder of my father, the kidnapping and selling of my sister, and my one wish was to bring forth the restoration of my people so that we may thrive and be safe once again!"
Shirato's stature slumped as he went on, clearly heavy with grief and guilt for his people.
"And now, now that I have failed so soon in this tournament… there is no other way for me to save my people! I have shamed my species! I have no purpose here, nor do I have purpose in this life! Please, kill me!"
Shirato cried out to Maru, and even Koto could not find the words to commentate on what was happening in the ring. Suddenly, Maru spoke up.
"And just what do you expect to accomplish in getting yourself killed?" She yelled. Maru whirled on Shirato, rage painted on her face. Taking the stance of an experienced veteran teaching a new recruit, Maru glared up at Shirato.
"Ending your life will do no good! Not to you, not to me, and most certainly not to your people! It's attitudes like this that get an entire species wiped out! When there is one weak link in the squadron, one uneasy and unconfident soldier, it can cost the entire battle! You have to think, boy!"
Shirato gazed at Maru in wonder as she berated him.
"When I gathered my rebel army, I came across countless men like you. Ashamed, defeated, weak, and helpless. They felt as though they could no longer continue in their lives, as if they were failures. Those very same men are alive and well today, on the front lines of my army, leading rebellions that have saved countries and races just like yours!"
Maru began to circle Shirato, as if she were inspecting a product before purchasing it. Her demeanor was commanding and strong; it was really no surprise that she was a general.
"Now look at yourself, boy. What have you done to fail anybody besides lose a tournament? Don't answer me, I can already see it in your eyes. You have done nothing. Do not take me for a fool, I have lived many years and encountered many men, you are no different. Do you understand what it takes to be a soldier in the rebellion?" Maru questioned. She paused in her circling, just past his shoulder. Glancing up, she saw curiosity mixed with an almost childish wonder in Shirato's beady eyes.
"It takes determination. It takes courage. But most of all, it takes a wanting. It takes a desire, a goal. My men have something to strive for, and that is why they fight, that is why they choose to join the rebellion. And like it or not, you fool, you have a goal as well."
Shirato started, and turned down to look at Maru questioningly.
"Look at it this way: would you rather kill yourself, the last fighting chance your people have, and leave them stranded and defenseless? Or would you rather fight, train, practice, grow stronger, save your people, protect them, and work to restore them to their former glory?"
Shirato turned to watch Maru as she began to walk away, heading toward the tunnel to exit the stadium. With an offhanded wave, she called out,
"You can't do any of that shit if you're dead, soldier."
Up in the stands, the wheels were twisting violently in Kurama's head as he continued to process what had just happened. As the tension cleared and Shirato left the arena (no doubt to find Maru and ask to join her rebels), Kurama turned tail to leave as well. With a steely resolve, he muttered to himself, "I need to find Hiei. Now."
There you go, a harmless I don't even know. This more than likely will not be expanded into a story unless there is a high demand, of which I do not forsee. But still, I liked the idea of Maru being like an embodiment of light leading a rebellion in Makai. Sounded like a good HieixOC thing, as she could be a competition to Mukuro and her power. Either way, thanks for reading!