Chapter Four:

The Wolf and the Chameleon

"YOU'RE Okamio?" Mele asked as Okamio tossed off the silver-grey coat she wore on her shoulders. "You look so… young!"

"Yeah, well, sleeping for long periods of time helps me stay young and fresh looking. Besides… I'm undead. The undead tend not to age." Okamio snorted. "And you… you must be Rio's little lapdog… Mele, was it?"

Mele pulled out her tsai and wasted no time in introducing herself. "I live for Rio-sama. The love warrior who fights for Rio-sama's love… Rin Jyu Chameleon-ken user…. Mele."

Okamio began to laugh. "I have never in my entire life…" She snorted. "Little girl, do you really think you can take ME on? Do you have any idea what you're up against?"

"An arrogant exiled bitch who doesn't have any respect for her own damn school?" Mele quipped.

Okamio's eyes narrowed. "I have every damn right to be arrogant. Have you ever met my father? You may have heard of him…. Brutal, arrogant, nasty, tends to call your precious little Rio-sama 'brat'?"

It clicked in Mele's head. "You… you're… you're Maku-sama's daughter?"

"The one and only." Okamio replied. "Exiled because I was 'cursed' with humanity…emotions…empathy. But now I no longer see it as a curse, I see it as a blessing. But I just can't harm human beings…. Although right now, that's okay… because see…" She cracked her knuckles. "I'm just going to kick your little ass and then… kill your precious little fiancé."

"If you lay a hand on Rio-sama…"

"You'll do what, exactly? Little girl, don't go up against someone you've never fought before. Just because I've been sleeping for such a long time doesn't mean that I'm out of practice." Okamio smirked. "Besides, Rio and I have unfinished business. "

"What sort of business?" Mele asked.

"Mele-sama…." Shiwa warned. "If she's really the daughter of the Kenma of the Earth… then that means she's quite old and incredibly powerful. Fighting her is practically suicide."

"She threatened harm to Rio-sama." Mele replied. "I won't let her get that far."

"Why?" Okamio teased. "Is it because you swore your life… if you can even call it that… to him? He's a prick and I'm sure Father's given him hell."

"Your father's the prick!" Mele yelled, so angry her Rinki was coming off in waves. "He should have more respect for Rio-sama!"

"You have to EARN my father's respect and he does not make that easy." Okamio was growing bored of hearing Rio's lapdog talk. "And my father tends to dislike little power hungry whiny bitches like Rio." She sighed. "You know what? I'm tired of hearing you whine."

That was it. Mele let out a shriek and charged at Okamio, ready for a fight.

Okamio smirked. She's determined; I'll give her that. She decided to just wait and see what Mele would do.

The tsai went flying at Okamio's head and she flipped backwards, kicking the blades away. But then, she found a punch being thrown at her head and she blocked it.

Mele shrieked. "I won't lose!"

"Oh yes." Okamio grabbed Mele's fist and squeezed it. "…You will."

Mele whimpered in pain.

Okamio leaned closer to the Chameleon-ken user, holding her in place with a surprisingly tight grip. "You have guts, little girl. I'll give you that, but see…" She twisted Mele's arm back, causing her to scream. "…I have skill."

A swift kick sent Mele flying backwards and she landed on the ground, clutching her arm.

"Oh, it's on now." Mele snarled as she transformed into her beast man form.

Okamio chuckled. "Bring it on… little girl."

Mele was bound and determined to take Okamio down. "Okamio, prepare yourself!"

The Wolf-Fist mistress was prepared for her and despite Mele's best efforts amid the flurry of punches, kicks and all out brawling, she didn't seem to be getting far.

Rio had been right. Okamio, despite her advanced age and lack of recent practice, was an incredibly skilled fighter and she was having a grand old time kicking Mele's ass.

Gou was watching the fight with wide eyes. It was Okamio… his Okamio, in the flesh… and she was kicking Mele's ass.

"Gou, do you know her?" Ran asked as she watched him staring at the two women fighting.

"Yeah… I do." He murmured. "That's Okamio."

"She's a Rin Jyu Den… how could you possibly know her?"

Gou stared at Ran for a moment. "I know her… because I loved her."

"You WHAT?!" Ran yelled, her heart sinking into her chest. But she was confused. "How could you fall in love with someone who's evil?"

"She's different." Gou murmured. "She's not really evil. You don't know her story."

"Then…why don't you tell it to me?"

"I don't know all the details, but I know that she was cursed with humanity." Gou sighed. He knew everything there was to know about his beloved, but he wasn't sure if he should tell Ran. "She can't hurt humans, except in self-defense. She has a sense of empathy and honor. But as you can see… she's got quite a spark."

Ran looked at him for a moment. "You love her, don't you?"

"Yes…a lot." Gou wasn't denying that.

Ran sighed and then she turned her gaze on the silver clad Wolf-fist mistress currently giving Mele the worst of it. Her eyes narrowed. Gou's behavior made sense, but now, Ran had discovered her deep affection for Gou. Okamio had to go… and preferably as quickly as she could make it happen.

Mele stumbled backwards as Okamio punched her and then gave a roundhouse kick.

The Chameleon-fist fell to the ground, turning into her human form. She was bruised and bloody and Okamio was still in her human form. "Have you had enough, little girl?" Okamio asked.

"I will fight until my death." Mele was panting, for she'd used Mugen Reppa on herself. "For Rio-sama."

"Fine." Okamio said. "It's your funeral." She turned and yelled "Rin Jyu Wolf-Fist Ringi! Ookamo Gai Sou!"

There was a howling noise as Okamio was clad in silver and black armor that strongly resembled Rio's but with a definite wolf-ish theme. Okamio smiled behind her helmet. "I am the Daughter of the Earth Kenma…Swift and Cunning like the wolf, strong as a bear. Pure power and fury … the beautiful Rin Jyu Wolf-Ken mistress, Okamio!"

"Mele-sama, I think you should retreat." Shiwa was supporting the barely standing Mele. "She's going to kill you!"

"I would give my life for Rio-sama and now I have his love. I can die happy." Mele was stumbling as she moved away from the Eagle-Fist user, getting herself into a fighting position. "I won't let her get to Rio-sama!"

Okamio crackled the knuckles on her armor. "You are a stubborn one when it comes to you. His love is both your strength and weakness."

"I prefer to think of it as strength." Mele said.

"Right…a strength that would drive you to suicide." Okamio then charged at Mele, unleashing her Dorinki on Mele with such force that Mele went flying into the air and crashed into a building.

Okamio jumped and landed on top of the fallen girl, sniffing her. "I'd kill you, but I sort of need you to find your precious Rio." Okamio made sure to let Rio's smell imprint. "And then, I just might kill you."

Mele was barely, just barely… alive. She held a tsai in her shaking hand. "I won't…" She muttered. "You… can't… what did Rio-sama ever do to you?"

"Let me tell you what he did to me." Okamio hissed. "Your beloved moron attacked me and almost killed me. In an attempt to save my own hide, I took to my usual hibernation. And then, he resurrected my father… which I will always think of as incredibly stupid considering what kind of… person my father was and still is: arrogant, brutal, and as pure evil as they come. Has he given Rio hell?"

"How would you know?"

"Like I said… he's my father. He treated me much the same way…but I will forever be thankful for it, since his training made me that much stronger." Okamio lifted Mele's body up and took a long whiff of her.

"I'll be sure to say good bye to him for you." Okamio murmured as she dropped Mele in the rubble and turned on her heel.

"Stop, Zowazowa bastard!" Another voice yelled.

Okamio sniffled. She looked over her shoulder and saw two men, one in white and red the other in blue and white standing behind her, oversized claws on their hands.

The aura around them reeked with Kageki.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me." She muttered. "New people actually mastered Kageki?"

"Stay where you are!" The blue one yelled.

Okamio put her hands on her hips and looked at them. "Look… I got what I came for and now I am leaving. Don't make me have to hurt you." These two were human, and if they were the legendary Gekiranger, she'd have no trouble getting them to attack her.

Suddenly the red one attacked her with enough force that it knocked her off her feet. He was a lot stronger than anything else she'd heard of.

Okamio clutched at her side as the two came charging for her, actually managing to bring her right to the edge before she heard a voice she thought she'd never hear again.

"Retsu! Jan! Stop! Don't hurt her!"

Okamio turned her head around and saw Gou… her Gou running towards her, waving his arms for them to stop.

She froze.

"Gou?"