Nakano City.

Saturday morning became one of the first days Ryoga envisioned to get a real training in a long time. It had been fun to live as a normal teenage girl among old people, busy men and regular students at school, but to see what she was capable to do as a Yaomo seriously intrigued the now female fighter.

Once the weekend arrived Ryoki Hibiki, as the town got to know her, lively stepped across the streets on her way to the old Dojo situated on top of a hill after she promised her newly appointed Sensei to visit him and learn more about her heritage.

Aika: "Neesan, is your master a great martial arts teacher?"

Ryoki: "Well, he is very. . .Um, experienced I guess, and knows a lot about me, but just in case. When we meet him this morning please just keep an eye on him. He has some weird ways to express his feelings, ok?"

Little Naoki seemed to be confused about the request, but if her older sister asked her to follow a rule the little girl knew it was for her own protection. On the other hand, the little seven year old boy accompanying both girls had managed to say a word or two, but the transition between a soul and becoming a real boy still had a powerful impression on the kid.

Ryoki: "Well. . .Here we are."

Both Aika and her brother gasped almost breathlessly at the enormous size the Dojo had, specially for them who have lived all their life on the streets only. As the giant doors slowly opened from side to side, the inside invited the girl and the two children to a warm looking house, and a patio filled with a koi pond and a spacious garden.

Ryoki: "Ok, you guys can play here while I go call the master and tell him we're ready for the day."

The boy and the little girl found the place cozy and heartwarming as their desire to discover new things played an important role in their wandering minds.

There was a swing hanging from a tree, and several fruit giving trees on the property which enhanced a life of pure bliss where hunger and loneliness meant nothing more than illusions. On the far back a pool made both kids drop most of their clothes and jump in, leaving past worries behind and enjoying a nice day with their sister.

Chingensai: "Oh, my dear. You finally arrived, and brought friends no less!"

The girl knew how perverted and annoying the little man could become on a whim, that's why Ryoki brought what her male form wore all the time, except the teen fixed her old pants and shirts to fit her more petite figure.

It was hard to see if Chingensai became distraught by her looks or not after all, the miniscule master had his face completely covered with gray hair and a bushy beard. Still, it wasn't like the fanged teen cared at all.

Happosai: "And what do we have here!. A beautiful young girl perhaps hidin' her from me, you old Chin-kun?"

Ryoki: "That voice. . .Where have I heard that infuriating little voice?"

Ryoga could barely stay still the second Happosai's voice echoed across the house. The girl slowly turned around, tremendously afraid to be recognized and cause the destruction of the best new home she worked so hard to create as the tone began to be recognized.

Unfortunately, what the teen saw next was even worse the moment those two little dwarves laughed in an almost identically manner which crept the girl to no end.

Ryoki: "A-And who might this be. . .S-Sensei?"

Chingensai: "Ah, my dear. He is an old friend of mine, and a disciple from our ninja clan. You see, a mutual friend of ours visited him a few days ago, then she brought him here after she told him of a secret Yaomo I've been hiding from others had been found around these area."

The tiny master emphasized certain words like "a secret Yaomo" , and "hiding" which implied for the girl not to say a thing about her transformation and who she really was. In fact, Ryoga wanted nothing to do with that old man and the people he represented, so following her master's way of thinking became a new golden rule for her.

Ryoki: "I-I see. Well. If this is a bad time for you, I think we can leave our training for another day."

Chingensai: "Oh no!, my dear. It would be a waste of time to leave everything for later. Suffice to say, why don't you go to the Dojo and practice some Katas before I let my friend take his leave."

The girl was about to bow and leave when out of nowhere tiny hands flew purposely and roamed around her most intimate proximity, bringing a disgusting sensation Ryoki had never felt before.

Ryoga found increasingly bothersome the way Happosai grabbed, pinched and fondled her breasts so intensely before she could pull him off and kick him into the air, that many thoughts running at once froze the teen in an instant.

Ryoki: "Don't ever do that again!"

It was so regrettable and appalling the feeling to be used that way, Ryoga began to feel so sorry for Ranma and the annoying problem to have that old man ogling his other form the way Happosai did just now.

At some point in the past she found comically the way the poor pigtailed girl cried and jumped away from that pest, but now that she felt it first hand a certain respect for Ranma began to grow even more in the fanged teen.

Ryoki: "At least you don't do that, Sensei."

Chingensai: "Ah my dear. You should count your blessings after all. My method to rejuvenate me do not include touching or stealing intimate garments, my way is by looking and I have plenty of girls for that specific purpose down the road."

Ryoga sure was thankful for that despite understanding now what was going on with the tall chair and the telescope by the dojo's backyard. Rightly so, The teen decided to promptly rush towards the Dojo before the other pervert could come back from his forced launch into space.

A few minutes later Ryoga became calm and collected, focusing in the old training Cologne gave her, and the few other lessons she learned on her own.

With awe inspiring gasps Aika and Naoki watched from the sidelines the grace and methodic manner in which the fanged girl moved. Her steps and determined poses struck the children with memories about those fantastic kung fu fighters they watched on TV before their parents were killed by some random monster.

Ryoga did notice them from a distance as well, but what kept her mind busier was the uncanny speed she gained from a female induced form far surpassing her male side by a mile or more.

Ryoki: "It's. . .Amazing!, I can feel the air slow down, and my attacks flow increasingly fast."

The girl manipulated her slim body and almost weightless arms and feet into a flurry of punches, augmenting the number of darting limbs from a few dozen shots, to hundreds, and without any problem raising the tremendous attack into thousands of punches all projected in a single fluid motion.

The wind alone from the technique was strong enough to force gusts of compressed air be thrown like projectiles against the far wall, a feat not even Ranma was able to do.

PoW!. . .Crash! ! !

A few seconds later and for no apparent reason the sturdy bricked wall used for shadow boxing vanished into a pile of debris as the impact from her distant invisible attacks reached and went right through the obstacle with ease.

Ryoga felt the training of endurance and strength as a boy, combined with her lighter body the result from this amazing new ability. Even the tiny master clapped excitedly at the prowess the girl displayed using minor force at all. He told Ryoga Happosai had already left so they could get on business without the fear to be discovered.

Chingensai: "Very well my dear. First of all, we need to see how much longer can you withstand your male body. Afterwards we can start with adapting your original power into this form, but before we begin, I think a congratulations is in order. . ."

Ryoki: "Congratulations?. . .What for?"

A smile crept in Chingensai's features, even if the girl couldn't see it. The old man couldn't help to cheer such amazing feat, explaining in detail what she unknowingly did as part of her new power.

Chingensai: "My dear, that boy over there has his chi lines so blurred out, either he is about to die or it has recently been revived."

Ryoki: "Um, yeah. About that. . ."

Chingensai: "Don't worry Ryoga-chan, there's something you need to understand before we can go on with the training. You see, The highest power an angel can do on earth is to send trapped souls back to heaven."

"It's like a job they selflessly do around here. Now, sometimes evil can get a hold of those bluish orbs we call souls the second a human dies, turning them in time as one of them, or consuming its life force with the goal to become stronger."

Chingensai's explanation kept describing how since the beginning of time angels and demons have fought to keep an equal hold over the souls of men, either protecting or destroying them in the process, but ultimately governing how humans were supposed to live in the end.

Chingensai: "When both realms found out about some powerful angels wanting to taste human life they refused to accept such a request. Still, a couple or two managed to do as they pleased and became fallen angels who reached earthly status without losing their angelic energy, and acquiring an evil aura before turning into full fledged demons."

"Tell me, my dear. How exactly do you feel now that your male body can be sustained for a longer time?"

The question made Ryoga remember that strange illusion reflecting straight from the rippling cold water in the metallic pan. The girl walked outside the Dojo and towards the Koi pond trying to repeat the same experience, using some of its nice, refreshing content to splash herself into a piglet.

Aika and her little brother gasped uncontrollably at the cute little pig jumping from within Ryoga's clothes, wondering where the girl had vanished to, but forgetting the instant P-Chan appeared before them. They wanted to run and hug the tiny mammal, but Chingensai asked them to wait a little longer.

P-Chan then reached with one of her hooves towards the pond, and a second splash changed its diminutive form into a muscle bound teen donning a flaming red hair and eyes as captivating as two enormous emeralds.

Ryoga: "I tried this form yesterday, and it seems like I can hold it a lot longer than before."

Chingensai could see both pure evil, and glorious celestial power filtered through earth's green energy emanating from the same being, mix that would be impossible to generate or replicate all on its own.

Chingensai: "This is a Yaomo, my dear. A being of tremendous power capable to beat any angel, or underworld demon with the simplest of attacks. Or at least until you're able to dominate such form."

The old master gave the fanged boy a few more seconds in that state, asking him to return back into the girl just in case some angelic spy may float around and feel his presence.

Ryoga opened and closed his hands trying to feel his original body, giving him an appreciation of what he had, and then he did as told after some dizziness tried to set in his mind the immense power his blood called out from within.

He knew this full transformation was far too hard to be controlled at the moment, and besides as a girl, hiding from either an angelic or a demonic radar in plain sight was a perk he enjoyed the most.

When the fanged girl appeared naked from the second change, a blush crept all over her face. She understood her Sensei absorbed energy by simply watching, but even if this wasn't her real body, being ogled like that made her cute fang pop out in anger.

Ryoki: "Damn it!, why do I feel so hot. This isn't even my body at all!"

Chingensai: "That's not true Ryoga-chan. Whether you want to believe me or not, as a body adapts to a soul, so the mind will adapt to the body. In other words. . .You may think like a boy right now, but sooner or later you may find other boys attractive, and who knows even fall in love with one."

It was impossible to accept such lie after the way she managed to fall for Hana, not to mention her distaste to be seen like other girls back at school.

Ryoga found the idea so idiotic the girl shook her head vehemently, rejecting that suggestion instantly until one tiny memory threatened to convince her otherwise.

Ryoki: "I-I was holding that octopus ball at the same time Takeda did, and I felt weird. . .Like if we were sharing something intimate, but. . ."

The girl held her head firmly, pressing the sides with force and begging her mind to forget that strange feeling. Her master though had a good idea of her new gender bending emotion, and how convenient that was for his plans.

Ryoki: "I have to forget that!. . .I don't want to loose who I really am."

Chingensai: "But my dear. The person occupying that body and the only one capable to feel like a girl or a boy is you. There is nothing wrong if you feel either way with an opposite body!. If you are attracted to a boy and he is fine with your feelings, then just go with it."

Ryoga couldn't believe her ears. Was one of the greatest perverts in history actually giving her advise over intimate feelings?. It sure felt like a contradictory thing in itself, but regardless of his flaws, what Chingensai said felt right in her heart.

Ryoga: "Let's talk about my life some other time old man. I need to practice, or I'll get rusty."

Both Sensei and student used the rest of the day to spar according to Ryoga's hidden power. The old man flared his chi to that of a great and powerful ninja, simultaneously using every trick in the book to outsmart a girl who could easily squat him like a fly.

Aika and Naoki were so busy watching the match, no boredom ever get in their heads. Both kids panted excitedly at the tremendous display of physical prowess both fighters showed one against the other.

Chingensai hated to admit it, but despite sealing a Yaomo's raw ability in Ryoga's male form, her female self seemed to become as strong as him without her heritage coming into play, which made the master's abilities look bad.

Chingensai: "I-Impossible!. . .It has taken me nearly five hundred years to master this chi. There's simply no way you can match me in a fight, and without your Yaomo aura to boot."

The tiny man began to retreat at the pressure from Ryoki's attacks. Her movement and agility kept him without ways to avoid harm, and the strength transferred from his male body to the girl was capable to resist any counter he could come up with.

Chingensai: "F-Fine my girl. . .I-I give!"

Ryoki: "B-But I haven't even pushed myself completely."

Chingensai: "Don't flatter yourself dear, I am a powerful fighter, but time hasn't been too kind on me. . ."

It was just a bluff the master had to throw her way. After all, the student wasn't supposed to excel over the master after a few days of practice. Luckily Ryoga was innocent enough to swallow the lie. The girl stopped the attack altogether and let Chingensai rest while she knelt at his side.

Ryoki: "Sensei. What if. . .What if I can't control this power during a fight?"

Chingensai: "Don't worry my dear, you will. When a Yaomo of your level grows beyond angelic, or demonic limitations there's always a sure shot to cancel that mind boggling strength, and that's your heart, my dear Ryoga-chan."

"The secret behind that form is how deep can the Yaomo tap on its own void. Void means no happy feelings or anger. Either siding with a positive or a negative emotion will destroy a Yaomo's pure energy, lowering its potent ability back to human levels."

Ryoga sympathized with the solution after some thinking of her own. In fact her most powerful attack, the Shin-ShiShi-Hokodan borrowed all negative emotions from her heart, emptying it into a void and translating all those feelings into pure energy.

The girl understood the same principle must be a Yaomo's chi resource pool. The demon remained devoid from both, heavenly, and hellish sensations with the goal to achieve an equal, and more devastating power.

But once an emotion could be felt, a certain inequality would force his reserves to deplete and fall under a more manageable limitation.

Ryoki: "I see. If I get to become too powerful, thinking about a nice memory or getting angry at someone should revert myself to a normal state."

Chingensai: "Bingo!"

Both student and master finished this weekend's training rather abruptly when out of nowhere, and without any warning a massive demon appeared on top of the city announced.

Ryoki: "I-It's huge!"

Chingensai: "Yeah. That thing is about a level six demon if you ask me, but rest assured my dear, you can defeat it easily."

Ryoki: "How can you say that!. I may be able to hold a candle against you, but that monster feels incredibly strong."

Chingensai: "You're just nervous by its size, but when we were fighting while using all my strength, I'd say you reached nearly a level nine demon status without even tapping on your Yaomo's side. Don't let its strength and instinct to kill intimidate you. . .Go and save those you can, and remember. Any lost soul is someone you can save Ryoga."

The girl nodded at his advice, leaving towards the beast's landing zone right before asking Aika to wait there on the Dojo.

Another clear fact coming from the back of her head was that she knew the other three teens would eventually fight the creature off, so the fanged girl decided to lay low and see how to protect those among the collateral damage without making her presence known.

Same city, another place, a few hours earlier.

Saturday was the best day for the Kimura estate to lay off heavy duty school work, and the everyday rigorous training. Morning would usually take all teens to help around the house, and prepare the boy with a lighter physical spar before leaving the rest of the day for picnics and whatnot.

The only difference on this weekend was the sudden return from Bella after the angel had been recalled the prior day into heaven. There were the usual signs of distrust like when Gregor and Bella argued in their native speech, obfuscating the rest from their personal differences.

Gregor in Angelic tongue. "I can't understand why you refuse to decline this assignment, if only you were with me back home things could get better between the two."

Bella answering in the same dialect. "I told you!. I am Avaron's brightest pupil, and as such she entrusts me with teaching Takeda about our ways and prepare him for demonic confrontations. . .Besides, I really like it here now."

The male angel would roar madly in the middle of their conversation, raising his voice right before staring defiantly at the young priest and flying into the celestial beam moments later.

Takeda: "Um, I hope everything went ok, Bella-chan."

It was clear these two had personal problems the angelic teen didn't want to share by then, but Takeda always worried for her just as much as he looked out for the others, making his pressing question more persistent.

Bella: "Define ok, Takeda-san. I reviewed some of the priorities given to me, and I received an urgent message from my Sensei."

Hana and Gina procured to leave the girl alone after they returned from school the day before watching as she arrived more stressed then how she left, but the seriousness in her features during this morning dictated that a new mission was being formulated.

Hana: "What happened?. . .Is there something else we need to be prepared for?"

Bella: "Yes. I believe Miss Avaron entrusted us with the obligation to search a certain new demon lurking in the shadows. My superiors haven't been able to locate him yet, but according to my Sensei this new creature could possibly be a Yaomo."

Both Gina and the angel remained silent as the term applied to either a low level spirit looking to become a demon, or some type of food sold on the street. It had been so sudden and important, the young angel had trouble understanding what kind of monster could alter her homeland with all manner of security measures.

Hana simply brought her fingers up to hold her chin and think about that name according to her teachings as a Miko, or specialized priestess. The girl with medium sized hair bridled with tiny blue beads pondered intensely at the memorized history embedded through magic until the name could be correlated.

A sudden snap of fingers and a simple summoning spell called out a big and ancient book from the bowels of her Shinto and into the room. Takeda recognized the book as a compendium of every demonic beast priestesses had to memorize. A guide of sorts about all those creatures living in the underworld.

Hana: "The text speaks of a Yaomo as an ancient animal, or celestial being who spawns from a force beyond good and evil. There are a lot of lower classified Yaomo who may help humans like the spirit fox, or Yao guai who take the form of giant bears and protect the land."

Gina: "So, this Yaomo is a good monster?"

Hana: "No. The Yaomo Bella refers to falls under a category never described before. She speaks of a being capable to hide from powerful angels, and strong enough to have them worry this much."

Bella always kept an almost emotionless look thanks to the harsh training and the demeaning manner in which she was appointed to protect a human, but as the young angel heard the way Hana used to describe them as fearful of this creature, the blonde found such explanation embarrassing.

Bella: "We are not afraid Hana-san. We're just concerned for the kind of power that creature can unleash over you, lowly people."

The term didn't leave a sweet taste on the priestess either. Ever since this dishonorable arrangement among fiancées was concocted by the celestials Hana had to swallow her pride and share someone who had been appointed as her husband.

It was a deal her family agreed upon because they believed angels were here to impart justice, but her opinion never came into account into the equation.

Deep down, the holy priestess felt hurt and humiliated by the fact that men may have more than one woman like if they were their owners. Maybe that was the reason why the girl was so hard on Takeda, but she would never admit that on the open.

Hana: "The fact remains. This new Yaomo is not any of the lesser demons because all of the others have been destroyed or incarcerated. That's why this new creature differs from the rest, but don't worry Bella-san. I do understand the worry, and I will abide to the rules."

All three girls decided to leave the conversation for a better time. Practice dictated that Takeda needed better improvement since the report mentioned the new arrival from more powerful level two and three demons into the city, which meant harder times for the trio to handle.

Bella: "Avaron has been informed about the higher level underlings sent in search for additional souls and with the hope to find that Yaomo as well. Unfortunately the last monster managed to vanish back into hell before we could do a thing, and that became a shameful demerit in our efforts."

Both Hana and Takeda related to the blonde's feelings even if she didn't showed them. The last monster invading Nakano city was indeed far stronger than the regular level one minions usually fighting in disarray.

On this case, the enormous beast left this world unharmed, and all because whatever damage they did had been nothing but a scratch for him.

Bella: "As of today Miss Hana and myself will train you without any concern or fear over your life. You must learn how to defend and attack us without the burden of our relationship."

Takeda: "B-But. . .I don't think I can."

Hana: "You must Takeda-kun. The city is in your hands, and without proper training, its protection will be lost."

All three boys found hard to accept the last request from Bella's superiors, deeply aware of the love they felt for each other, and the feeling they shared as a family. Takeda swallowed nervously the moment he stared into Hana's beautiful brown eyes filled with determination and kindness, but at the same time afraid for the task at hand.

Bella's orbs commanded order and firm desire to obey the rules, but the sudden trembling from her pupils begged the boy to be careful despite her rigid demeanor.

Takeda raked tremendously in his head for a way to become stronger without forcing the girls into a fight to the death, but nothing seemed to work after the fact they were the only family capable to help him get into a higher level of strength.

Takeda: "I. . ."

The boy tried to come up with a final answer when the sky ripped across the city, and an creature far bigger than the last emerged from within the ripple.

Bella: "T-That's impossible. That is a level six demon. . .A Niumowang!"

Takeda: "A what?"

Hana: "A Niumowang, or better known as a bull demon king. I have only read of him in ancient poems, but I thought it was just a myth!"

All three teens witnessed for the first time the highest level monster ever to cross the land of the living. Hana asked Bella if Avaron could helped them this time, but the blonde angel explained how hell, and heaven really worked during an invasion.

Bella: "The only way for a beast this powerful to enter this realm is by reaping the heavens. While doing so thousands of demons of all levels are released between realms, and my kin must battle, and push them back before they can reach this world."

Hana: "In other words they are as busy if not more than us?"

Bella: "Yes. I'm afraid we are on our own. . ."

There wasn't much anyone could do to stop the bull king, but Takeda and the girls. When there was nothing more to be discussed, all three teens dashed into the sky hoping to contain the demon and save the city from total destruction.

Out in the middle of the sky Takeda, and the girls watched in awe at the demon like beast reaching well from one side of the city to the next. Impossible as it seemed to beat him on their own, all three dashed forward as the few people down on the streets screamed uncontrollably.

Hana vanished in a blink of an eye, appearing seconds later right underneath the bull king's belly. It was a lot of body to aim properly, but the girl managed to summon the spirit of a fallen dinosaur.

It was an ancient blue orb she had made a deal with the moment it appeared during the first invasion of demons. A creature stuck between ages who could do nothing but obey the girl and her mystical powers.

Hana: "Not even close, but it'll have to do. . ."

Although the dinosaur reached far above any building in town, its form and spiritual energy became like an ant compared to the city sized demon. Seconds later Hana cursed loudly at her luck, watching with sad eyes as the demon consumed her summoning spirit without any trouble.

On top of the beast both Bella and Takeda had already pulled such magnificent blades rewarded from their efforts. They were heaven's official tools and reflected the training and experience both had as either angel or ascended human through the ethereal hazel glow coming from their blades.

It was a sight to be seen for those unfortunate enough to stay petrified, and unable to move into a safer place.

They all mindlessly stared at the massive cuts those swords slashed across the demon, not that the monster minded since his enormous head searched among the houses and the landscape for a certain special being, ignoring its enemies who seemed more like a pest more than a threat.

Takeda: "This is impossible to defeat!, It doesn't matter how much we attack, as soon as I cut, a new part emerges from within!"

Bella: "We must try to at least move him away from the other humans. If he even touches one, his demonic energy will pull the souls from their bodies."

Both teens decided to hurt him where the beast had a possible weak spot. . .His eyes. Flying towards his head and closing in front of him the team of heroes managed to blind the creature with flashing beams of light, giving him no time to react or protect his sight from the attack.

Aarghhh!. . .

It seemed like it was working because the behemoth veered towards Takeda, and Bella decided to swallow the holy light devouring the darkness within his eyes.

Bull Demon King: "You fools!, I will consume this land before you can even scratch my skin!"

Not much could be done now that the beast ignored the pesky threat in exchange for the several souls dancing on the streets. Bella and Takeda rushed with their swords against the monster, leading him away from the center of town and hoping to give Hana some time to come up with a better solution.

Bella: "Hana-san. It's all up to you now. . ."

The priestess found their trust over the fight a bit lacking, but after watching the sun being swallowed by the size of the demon the young girl doubted anything she had could beat this impossible task.

They all seemed desperate enough to give their lives in exchange for a swift defeat over him. That sentiment alone sent waves of anger and regret across the celestial blades and into Bella, and Takeda's hands which translated into a new sensation the priest hadn't been aware of until now.

Takeda: "W-What is this. . .I-I feel. Strange."

The blonde angel knew what was really happening to her appointed student when the hazel effect from his righteous blade began to turn dark.

A certain transformation threatened to change his glorified human form into the opposite side. She had seen this before when wandering souls let hatred consume their purity, and once they feel evil rush into their ethereal body, a minor demon is born.

Bella: "Ignore that sensation, Takeda-san!, that's betrayal creeping up in you!"

The boy was able to identify how powerful and destruction hungry that emanating force wanted to sneak into his mind. It was incredible the desire to run his sword against the monster without a care for innocent people in the way.

Takeda pulled his sword away from the blinding darkness in the last moment, forcing its thirst for blood retract back into the beast, and regain his former power back in place.

Bull Demon King: "Do you understand why I cannot be defeated!?. . .I am hatred incarnate. I am the feeling from all those who unjustly fell into an obscure hole, and instead of praying for good, evil rewarded them with hell itself."

The beast roared into a madly fit of laughter, watching with pride how the two teens kept a safe distance from his poisonous aura while his body neared closer and closer to the poor devils trapped down on the city.

Bull Demon King: "My lord will be pleased when dozens of fresh souls arrive into hell this day!"

His cackling voice echoed all over the place, forcing some of those newly killed men down on the street to consider evil as a new way of life. That's when the third hero shouted from underneath the monster, causing him to wonder what was going on.

Hana: "Not if I can help it!"

Bull Demon King: "What!?"

The determined tone from the priestess sent waves of angry uncertainty towards the Bull demon. It was true that a direct attack had a high probability to touch his aura, hence giving him the chance to corrupt the attacker, but a ranged holy priestess always meant a problem hard to reach for the demon.

Hana: "Secret summoning from the depths in earth!. . .Shokan number eighty. Daidara-Botchi supreme call!"

From within the park a few feet from the city, a powerful fist emerged with all its might from within a blackish mass. It was none other than Daidara-Botchi, the giant mythological colossus mentioned as the deity creating the topographical region of Japan.

Takeda and Bella watched with hanging mouths as the monstrous being slowly pushed himself from the artificial rift created by Hana and into this reality.

The priestess of course remained knelt down right before the summoning book, keeping the binding spell from breaking and hoping her Chi could be enough to maintain the spell active.

Takeda: "Hana!, I had no idea you could call out an ancient one. . ."

Hana: "N-Neither did I. I-In fact, I don't. . .I don't think I can hold him much longer. Take-kun. I need you t-to command him."

As a Shinto priest the boy knew the kind of pressure a binding spell like this one would do to single person. That's why several Mikos, or specialized priestesses were needed to even consider summoning a creature like that, feeding the chains of enslavement through bead praying and other paper enchants previously prepared.

What Hana was doing not only contradicted a direct order to never call out an immeasurable being alone, but she knew the risk to be physically consumed as part of the spell was a strong probability.

Takeda: "Let me help you. Maybe we both can. . ."

Hana: "Forget it!, we only have a shot at this, and if Daidara can't take him out then we have nothing else to fight him with."

The boy suddenly got grabbed on his shoulder by Bella. She knew everyone swore to risk their lives for the protection of the planet, and as the blonde guided him on top of the giant, her own nod towards the priestess was indication enough of her understanding.

Bella: "Good luck, Hana-chan. . ."

The simple endearing moniker Bella used to call a rival won a smile in Hana's features. The priestess felt the need to reciprocate the feeling, but the spell had a mind of its own, and before the girl could do a thing, energy began to slowly consume her feet and upwards.

Bella felt the need to cry the moment Hana started to vanish away by the exertion of power. They had been rivals and opponents for Takeda's love, but during their shared battles both girls learned to like each other as sisters.

The blonde shed the first tear of pain once the consuming chi reached well above Hana's waist. There was nothing anyone could do about it, so the angel simply bit her lower lip and moved on with the attack.

Takeda on the other hand flew with his own technique right between both golems, raising his closed fist and index finger in front of his face and reciting the name, and command secretly given by Hana.

Takeda: "Daidara-san. Kuni-ibiki, I command you!"

That second name was a secret for most, except those who constantly prayed for protection. The giant immediately recognized his title, bowing respectfully at the lonely priest and awaiting his command.

Takeda's brows came together as his commanding word was sure to destroy the demon in half. It was an impressive achievement all thanks to Hana, unfortunately the boy managed to stare down in search for his fiancée, finding in her place nothing but a floating head and a pile of ashes on the ground.

Takeda: "H-Hana. . .No!"

Bella had joined the teen too late at this point to do a thing. She was supposed to keep him from seeing Hana burn alive, and instead pressed him into focusing his own chi for the deity to act. The second Takeda cried for his fiancée though, the spell immediately broke and Daidara was forcibly sent back into the rift.

Bella: "We are doomed. . .There's nothing we can do now."

Takeda didn't care one bit for what he caused. Hana started to vanish from the excessive use of her Chi, leaving behind a column of white dust very much like fine snow consuming the rest of her body.