NOTE: This is purely a work of fan-fiction and is in no way claiming ownership to any of its original characters.
Chapter 4: The Rebels of the Red
It was finally the weekend for the students of Seitetsu.
For Senou Natsuru, it was another day for him to learn about the Black Kämpfer powers that were gifted to him by… the inugami, he guessed. Since his last fight against the Red Kämpfer alongside Sangou Shizuku, a captain of the Blue Kämpfers in his school and the student council president, he had not found an opportunity to use them. In fact, though he had been a Black Kämpfer for approximately six days, he had only exercised his power once.
It's disgusting. This is really, really disgusting.
For Senou Natsuru, the recent days have been a nightmare for him. Though he was able to pleasantly witness several battles in school between the Red and Blue Kämpfers, he always felt something missing. And it was only now he was able to place what that was.
Boredom… the boredom that comes when one is a Kämpfer unable to participate in Kämpfer battles. With the restrictions of being discovered by the White Kämpfer, the opportunities to fight, spar, or even practice alone were slim to none. In fact, Natsuru was beginning to think that the fight with his student council president against those Red Kämpfers was founded on sheer luck, a luck that the blue-haired, battle-hungry teenager desperately needed right now. How can he do it? How can he fight to his content without the fear of the White Kämpfer finding his identity?
In a fit of anger, he picked up the thing closest to him in his room and flung it against the opposite wall.
"N-Natsuru-san, what the hell?" shouted the inugami as it pushed its cotton-filled body off the floor. Natsuru was too engrossed with his frustration to notice that he had thrown his messenger against the wall. Though they hadn't known each other for very long, Food-Deprived Dog had quickly learned to never bother the blue-haired teenager when he was like this. Well, unless it wanted a charred limb or two.
He slumped onto his bed facing the ceiling and stared at the black bracelet on his wrist, shining in the sunlight. The sound of the doorbell snapped him from his trance, causing him to pull on the two wristbands placed on his desk and answer the door. His eyes widened in shock when he saw his visitor standing in a victory pose before him.
"M-M-Mikoto?" he said nervously as he backed away from the entrance. "W-What are you doing here? I thought you were going to Hawaii or something…"
"Hey, that's not how you treat your childhood friend!" she said, crying fake tears as she sensed his discomfort. She stepped inside and shut the door behind her, smiling a toothy smile as she decided he wasn't fooled. "I came back because I heard the Kämpfer battles here got interesting again! Ah— don't worry, Natsuru! I'll make sure you get a good seat when I start participating in fights here again!" She punched into the air as if to show off her red Kämpfer bracelet.
"S-So that means… you're staying now?" he asked, resisting the urge to cry. It wasn't as if he hated the young archeologist; they were, after all, childhood friends. However now that perhaps the most eccentric, err… energetic person he knew was back in his life, it meant…
There's no way I can turn Kämpfer again, is there?
He sighed before looked back up, only to see that she had disappeared from sight. His face twitched in irritation before he quickly turned back. She was already starting, wasn't she?
"H-Hey, Mikoto!" he shouted desperately as he rushed to the kitchen. "I-I know you're excited to be back and all, but I'm not ready to take your curry hell yet!" He stopped when he spotted her near the stove, where a ridiculously large pot bubbled over the heat. He cursed himself silently and smacked his face, realizing that he had come too late. The smell of curry caused his stomach to rumble, but that was only the first sign. He knew that, before long, the devil known as 'Kondo Mikoto' would be shoving plate after plate of curry down his throat.
Perhaps next time, I should barricade the kitchen?
.
It was a hellish afternoon.
Mikoto bounced through the streets like a high-powered superball, gazing through the windows of stores with great enthusiasm. Far, far behind her was a tired Natsuru, who wore an 'is-this-not-enough?' expression as he carried several boxes and bags in his arms. He never know clothing and accessories could ever mount to such weight, as his arms were about to fall off. His wallet didn't seem very happy about this, either. The people around him were oblivious to his despair, that is, except for the few who were unfortunate enough to be in a similar situation.
"There's more?" he shouted in disbelief as he saw her run into another store. He could've sworn she was doing this on purpose. What was that mocking grin she had when she dashed in?
Giving up, he simply sat on a wooden bench outside and waited for her to return. He wouldn't be surprised if she decided to raid the other stores nearby as well. If he waited outside, not only could he avoid having to stand in the lingerie section again, but maybe the payment, too.
"Hah, but still, to get stuck with her for the whole day," he murmured.
"What's wrong with hanging out with me?" shouted Mikoto, who had stealthily appeared beside him on the bench, glaring at him accusingly. "You weren't behind me, so I thought you ran away," she added as he opened his mouth to speak. "Don't underestimate me, Natsuru. You won't escape me."
Ah hah ha… so she knows she is torturing me.
Taking him by the collar, she stormed into the crowds, dragging the blue-haired boy with her. "You used to be so quiet and obedient," she said with a pout, "But now you're complaining all the time. What happened?" When he didn't respond, she glanced back at him. It appeared that he did not hear a word she said.
"Hey! I'm trying to make you a better person and you're just ignoring me?" she said, her words falling on deaf ears. Noticing that her childhood friend was staring straight ahead, she followed his stare.
The infamous Red Kämpfer, Akane, stepped out of the crowds with a broad grin beside Mikoto. "Hey! Ya didn't tell me you were back!" She gave her a familiar high-five with her free hand; the other held her gun. Mikoto seemed surprised at meeting her and chatted a bit. Natsuru had been trying to creep away from the two, but a firm yank on his shirt collar from Mikoto pulled him back to her. It was then Akane noticed him and frowned inquisitively.
"Ah, right," Mikoto said as she pulled him closer, "this is Natsuru. I knew him since I was a kid. He's at the rebellious age now, but he'll do anything for me."
Bullshit.
Akane took a good look at Natsuru before prodding his throat with her weapon upon recognizing him. Natsuru gulped uneasily as he looked away from her bloodthirsty glare. "What are ya, a stalker?" she muttered dangerously. "If ye are, then no one'll mind me poppin' yer head off. Scratch dat—either way I'll be shootin' ya."
"Eh, you know Natsuru?"
"Yeah… this guy molested me in fronta da school," growled Akane. She pressed the weapon harder into his neck, eager to make him more uncomfortable. "Ya know, it's been embarrassin' to show myself 'round since then," she hissed.
"Tch, who'd want to touch a crazy, sadistic bitch like you?" he snapped back, his voice slightly strained due to the gun against his windpipe. His unexpected retort stunned her for a few seconds before she shoved the weapon even harder against him. Her eyes almost smoked with flames as they flashed angrily at him. But his patience had run out, having been slowly consumed in his time with Mikoto, and he continued to insult her. He added: "Besides, a weakling like you have nothing more to be embarrassed about after being beaten three… no, was it four times?"
His head twisted to the side as she struck him with her pistol. Mikoto, who had been holding his collar, dropped him in surprise and grabbed the gun. "Calm down, Akane-chan!" she pleaded, "He didn't mean it!"
"YA LITTLE SON-OF-A-BITCH! I'LL FUCKIN' KILL YOU!" she bellowed as she pried her weapon from Mikoto's hands. Just as she aimed it at him, a bolt of light struck the nozzle of the gun, causing her to miss her intended target. And from that direction, a familiar voice shouted at them.
"What the hell is this about?"
.
In a small café, Sayaka Nakao sipped a small porcelain cup of tea. Her hair was tied into neat bundle that hung behind her at waist length. In a white blouse and shorts, she resembled any normal beauty spending time outside. She got up from her seat and placed a generous tip on the table.
Her Blue Kämpfer bracelet gleamed in the sunlight, but was largely ignored.
"Where is that Hitomi?" she seethed as she exited the café. She and the Zauber-user had agreed to assist their council president in her dilemma and had come out to the busiest district in the area to gather information. But now Hitomi had disappeared, having probably forgotten her duty.
When Nakao entered the street, she was met with the ocean of people she had left only moments ago. It was only through strenuous efforts and her increased ability as a Kämpfer she was able to make her way through the masses to the stores, where she predicted her friend would be. But she had not expected to hear a gunshot sound from the direction she was headed to, as well as see a flash of light. A scream soon followed.
In an instant, the 'ocean' around her became a raging sea of panic. She muttered something to herself before transforming into her Kämpfer form and leaping onto the roof of one of the stores.
Running on the roofs, she reached the location in under a minute. The area was relatively clear now that the last people were rounding the corner, eager to vacate the area. The only people left were grouped near the benches. And sure enough, one of them was Hitomi, who stood with two large paper bags beside her.
Her hand was aimed at a Red Kämpfer, one Nakao recognized as Mishima Akane. A certain blue-haired teenager lay on the ground, clutching his shoulder, as a familiar girl stood beside him.
It was a scene that only smelled of trouble.
Nakao leapt back onto the ground and charged between Hitomi and the Red Kämpfer, her saber ready. She shot a glare at her. "What the hell happened here?" she growled harshly.
Natsuru regained his senses and ran from the group, his hand never leaving his right shoulder. He clenched his teeth as to keep himself from crying out in pain. His arm bled profusely as he made his way through the empty streets before finally stopping several blocks away.
In a way, he appreciated the fact that the bullet hit his shoulder instead of his heart, where the gun was aimed at. But he was quite angry, no, enraged at a certain Red Kämpfer. He was simply stating the truth, the truth that she was unable to accept. And she deserved it as well for being such a troublemaker and letting her emotions overtake her ability to make good decisions. So why was he shot when he did nothing wrong?
A small, mad laugh escaped his lips.
"Punishment," he hissed as his Kämpfer bracelet glowed, "is in order."
.
Hitomi watched Natsuru run off from the corner of her eye. Akane noticed him escape and tried to pursue, but Hitomi sent a bolt of lightning in her way, cutting her off. The redhead rounded to face her, her red eyes burning with fury.
"STAY DA FUCK OUTTA MY WAY, HITOMI!" she bellowed, but the Zauber-user refused to move.
Nakao remained at the ready, glancing from the drops of blood where the blue-haired teenager had been moments before. She gave a hard look at Akane, then at Mikoto, and finally at her fellow Blue Kämpfer. "What happened here?" she asked. "You were supposed to at the café, but now I find you shopping, and… now fighting. I demand an explanation."
The green-haired girl shot a look at Nakao. "Mishima shot the guy," she said bluntly.
"SHUT THE FUCK UP! DAT ASSHOLE DESERVED IT!"
"Silence, you!" shouted Nakao as she brandished her weapon aggressively at the Red Kämpfer. "You already know of the laws! You harmed a defenseless civilian, so you must be arrested!"
"I SAID SHUT UP, DAMN IT!" she screamed as she whipped her gun towards the two. She began to fire upon them, forcing Nakao back as she tried to deflect the shots. Hitomi, who was being protected by Nakao, sent a bolt of lightning towards the Gewehr-user. Mikoto, who had been in shock at what had just happened, snapped back to attention at the sound of gunfire and transformed in an instant.
Her short, silver hair fluttered a bit as she knocked her friend out of the way. "Why did you have to shoot him, Akane-chan?" she cried, confused on which side to pick.
She couldn't hear a response as Nakao swept her saber at the two, forcing the archeologist to quickly summon her weapon. A katana formed in her hands and parried the strike the second it near her. With an irritated expression, she got back onto her feet, pulling Akane with her.
"Leave us alone!" Mikoto hissed. She held her katana readily incase Nakao were to attack.
The two Blue Kämpfers didn't budge. "Personally, I don't know that guy," said Hitomi as she charged her Zauber in her hands until it turned bright blue, "but I can't ignore what you just did to him."
"I can't either!" shouted Nakao as she lunged forward.
Mikoto managed to fend off a burst of rapid saber thrusts with her katana before delivering a powerful downward slash at her opponent. The blade missed and struck the ground, splitting the concrete a bit before the silver-haired Kämpfer went onto the offensive. A steady spread of gunshots was released at the two Blue Kämpfers, buying time for Mikoto to close in on Hitomi, who was maneuvering to evade the shots. Noticing their tactic, she shot a powerful bolt of lightning at Akane, who barely evaded it by rolling to the side, her weapon continuing to shoot as she did so.
Nakao sped through the hail of bullets and, with a lightning-fast series of attacks, struck Mikoto several times before she could reach Hitomi. The younger Blue Kämpfer chuckled a bit in appreciation and sent several bolts of lightning in the area the Red Gewehr-user stood, throwing dust into the air and stopping the weapon fire.
Unable to protect herself from all the near-invisible attacks aimed at her, Mikoto slashed at Nakao, sustaining more wounds in the process but forcing Nakao to make distance between them.
Akane stumbled out of the smoke. Some dust had gotten into her eye and lungs, but she was otherwise unscathed by the Zauber attacks. She resumed her fire, forcing the two Blue Kämpfers to continue avoiding her shots. Mikoto, on the other hand, stood with her katana in hand, her violet eyes tracking her Zauber enemy intently. In a split second, she shot forward, her sword readied.
Nakao quickly intercepted her with her furious saber strikes.
Mikoto swung her sword with great force, cleaving through the air and leaving a deep gash in the concrete walls of the stores nearby. Anticipating this move, Hitomi evaded by running halfway up the façade of a nearby store while Nakao simply leapt in the air. A bolt of lightning prevented Mikoto from continuing her attacks.
Akane growled as her shots were being evaded. "Tch, havin' ta switch tactics here," she muttered to herself before running into the battle, "It really pisses me off!"
.
A black blur sailed through the air in a single bound and landed on a tall building overlooking the area. Natsuru watched the battle occurring between the four with a stern expression before disappearing.
.
"Decreasing your distance with us to increase your accuracy," said Nakao as she retreated from her position near the Red Kämpfers. She bent her legs as she landed before pushing off the ground, using the force added with her speed to rocket at the Gewehr-user. "However, that just exposes your position to me!"
Mikoto glared at Hitomi as lightning bolts rained at her position. She dashed past them and slashed at the green-haired Zauber-user, only to miss as she ducked underneath.
"You're wide open~ " she chirped before shooting a blast of lighting straight into Mikoto. The silver-haired Kämpfer gritted her teeth as she flew back, landing a few meters from where Akane, who was also quite worn out, sat. The Blue Schwert-user stood with the blade of her saber against the Gewehr-user's neck. She eyed her coldly.
"A White Kämpfer will be informed, Mishima," said Nakao as she turned away from Akane. "In accordance with the laws, I will give you one day to notify your close ones. Be prepared by then."
Nakao and Hitomi departed from the scene. Akane sat on the ground with her face downcast. "Hey… aren't ya two bein' a little naïve?" she muttered.
Nakao glanced behind her.
"Did ya forget? Red Kämpfers never travel alone."
The word 'alone' seemed to be a keyword as multiple Red Kämpfers emerged from the stores around them. Nakao immediately readied her weapon and stood back-to-back with Hitomi, who also began to charge her Zauber. Though the two had managed to defeat Akane and Mikoto without sustaining much damage, both were breathing heavily as they had exhausted much of their energy from before.
"Heh, pulling out reinforcements now, huh?" said Hitomi as she glanced at her new opponents. Her voice had a hint of nervousness in it. "It would've been better to do that before, you know!"
"It's only natural dat you two didn't expect dis. I'm da tactian-type, 'fter all," replied Akane before she laughed. "B'sides, 'gainst you two, our numbers had to be deployed like dis. A ratio o' bout thirty ta one should be good now, right?" She chuckled as she stood, her legs shaking. Her red eyes watched them defiantly. "Well… it's our win." At her hidden signal, the Red Kämpfer, composed mostly of Schwert and Gewehr-types but also a few Zauber, attacked.
A black blur impacted the ground next to the two Blue Kämpfers, who braced themselves for an overwhelming assault. At the sudden event, the Red Kämpfers collectively stopped in surprise and watched confusedly.
And from the plume of dust, a lone hooded figure emerged.
.