A/N: I have to leave my computer soon...so this will probably take me more than one day to finish. Of course I will end up informing you about this at the end, anyway.
Notes:
Magus Black: I suppose it does seem as if I personally know Mar-lo. In fact, I do have a friend that acts just like him. But also Mar-lo reminds me a lot of my own character Plui Gensin. Even the green hair matches up. Which I find odd.
Kay: Thanks for Ai! I will put her on Team Hitokiri. She can be captain 'cause she's the first to sign up.
And all team stats are the same except for Team Hitokiri, who has a grand total of one member, the captain, Ai. Team Seppuku and Team Ei's captain spots are still up for grabs.
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Eijiro shook the King a second time. "Wake up!" she hissed. "Wake up!"
The King mumbled something in his sleep and turned over. Sake did not bode well with him the next day.
"Come on-- your stupid tournament's already started!"
This sudden shock sent the King flying out of his bed, still barely even awake. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THIS EARLIER!" he screamed. Eijiro lifted her oar above her head defensively.
"Don't hit me!" she yelped. But her King was already out the door, too busy to hit her. She hurried after him. After setting foot in the hall, she managed to glimpse her King flitting off to the tournament in his super-quick demonic speed.
She went to the window and hopped on her oar, soaring outside in the hopes of getting to the tournament in time to see the first fight.
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"Welcome ladies and freaks--" screamed an enthusiastic Koto from the center of the ring, "--to this year's tournament of pain and horror, the Tournament of Kings! Sponsored of course by our very own King of the Demon World!" She turned and looked up, directing her gaze at the King, sitting high in the stands above. The crowd roared with anticipation, shouting and screaming for blood and carnage.
"Keep your bloody mouths shut!" screamed the familiar voice of Mar-lo from somewhere in the background. It didn't shut up the crowd, only made them chant louder.
Koto coughed, calling for silence. "Today's first fight will be one I look forward to--a bloody hell of a fight, Team Ukishima versus Team Ei!" she thrust her hand out, waving each team forward into the ring.
Mar-lo was the first one up on stage, his blue eyes blazing, ready for a challenge. He pulled up the rest of his teammates to make them hurry faster, as if the fight would begin any moment without him.
In a matter of minutes the entire Ukishima team was assembled: Mar-lo, Kay, Ryu, Alianore, and the Masked Fighter. The Masked Fighter was a new addition to the team-- his identity had been kept secret from even the rest of Team Ukishima.
Team Ei stood in a line before them, each fighter shrouded with a black cloak. Only one figure was visible, and only her head was. She came up to Mar-lo and Kay's shoulders, and her floor length light violet hair fell in tresses around her. She had an ashy grey complexion, making her seem as if she were a weapon in herself. Piercing black eyes looked out from beneath her violet bangs, and she eyed the other team with contempt and disregard.
"I am Lady Shei," she started, her voice grating like sandpaper, "I am the owner of Team Ei. These are my personal fighters and assassins from my land, and I hope that you will present a challenge to them. They are in need of discipline that I cannot give them." With that said, she turned on her heel and dropped off of the edge of the arena.
"Well if she ain't one picky woman," muttered Mar-lo. He looked over at the other team. "Which one of you shit-heads in the cloaks wants to have a go at us first?"
One of the smaller members of the team stepped up, throwing off her cloak. Her body was tiny and skinny, as if she were made of nothing but bones. Black hair stuck out at various lengths on her head, as if she's had the worst haircut possible. It was impossible to read her blank, grey eyes, and no facial expression seemed to form on her chalk-white face.
Alianore's fingers brushed one of her katana's-- this fighter didn't seem to belong in the air. Not even this time. She was out of place, out of sight, and yet home where she stood and up in your face. Vividly there.
Kay and Mar-lo stepped forward at the same time, both ready to take on this challenge. But instead Ryu shoved past them both, shouldering her way to the wretched mess they called a fighter.
"Ryu-chan," greeted the opposing fighter. Ryu did not greet as warmly as her opponent had hoped for.
"I have nothing to say to you, Remei," snarled Ryu, letting her black aura seep out from beneath her black shoes. Remei's face didn't flinch as Ryu's misty black aura surrounded her. Her expression didn't change at all.
"I see you've grown since you left Toki to come and look for you," Remei smiled. Her smile seemed unnatural on her tight-lipped face. "Leaving the wraiths. What a comedy."
"I didn't leave," Ryu gritted her teeth against the insult.
Koto interrupted. "While I hate to break up this touching reunion, it's time to begin the fight!" she looked to make sure both fighters were at the ready. "And--begin!"
"I'm going to make sure that you go back to Toki with your tail between your legs," said Remei with an assurance in her voice. Her own blue aura began to seep out, finally revealing the bag of skin she was to be a very powerful foe indeed.
"Highly unlikely," Ryu said, her mouth opening wide to reveal her inch-long wraith teeth. She emitted the shriek she'd made hours earlier when with her teammates, an ear-splitting cry.
Remei echoed her cry, yellowed wraith fangs sprouting from her elongated mouth. The two screeched at each other for a minute before lunging for the attack.
Boney fingers grew stretchy, four joints taking the place of the original three of each finger. The two seemed to fly forward as if pushed by some unknown force, clashing against each other.
Ryu's aura crackled with Remei's as the two wraith's battled in a fight of mental stability, both with fingers outstretched, clawing at each other, yet not quite touching. The aura's held the two off, the energy vibrating the very floors.
"Wow, people!" yelled Koto, delighted. "I've never seen such a pretty and blood-hungry light show in my life! It looks like these two competitors won't be giving up any time soon!"
Ryu screamed, her own aura barely able to hold up and support her. She flew back, her spine smashing into the brick walls of the stands. Remei tripped forward, the force of pushing against Ryu knocking her off balance.
"Start the count!" Koto said eagerly, running over to see the damage to Ryu. "One! Two! Three--!"
"There's no need." the Masked Fighter interrupted, placing his hand on Koto's shoulder, directing her back toward the center ring. There stood Ryu, panting and struggling to stand, but still standing.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Ryu is still up and about!" she shouted. Half the demons in the stands exploded in cheers and applause. The other half booed and started cheering on Remei.
Ryu put a hand to the torn wound in her abdomen. "I'm not going back with Toki," she growled, "I won't go back. I won't!" She lunged at Remei, her long wraith fingers sinking deep in Remei's chest. Remei struggled for a moment-- then fell limp in Ryu's arms.
Ryu dumped down her opponent on the floor and walked back to her team. As she walked back, she heard the dying Remei utter to her, "A shadow can never return to the light it was once formed from. You will...go back to Toki..."
Ryu tried her best to look as if she ignored Remei, even though her words pierced her demonic heart. Remei's body burst into green-black flames, burning, smoldering, smoking. The scent of charred flesh reached the two teams, disgust appearing on all visible faces.
"W-What just happened here!" Koto cried. "Let's play back the tape!"
A bright image flickered onto a grey screen above the stands. In slow motion, the entire Makai audience recoiled as they watched Ryu's fingers plunge through Remei's stomach and through her back, a beating, fleshy heart trapped in her boney hands.
The tape came to a stop. Ryu went and dropped the still living heart in her now-human hands at the Masked Fighters feet. "Here, okashira." she said to him, still clutching her wounded stomach. He looked at the heart, bloody and beating.
"That was unnecessary," he told Ryu, who shrugged in return.
Koto looked back and forth at both teams, who were conversing with the members beside them. "OK, people, time to start the next fight! Send up your next fighters!"
Team Ei wasted no time in sending their tallest member forward. Team Ukishima waited until he dropped his cloak to reveal his true identity.
The crowd inhaled sharply as Team Ei's next fighter discarded his cloak casually, his green hair spilling out.
Koto seemed at a loss for words. "Um--ah--" she stuttered, as she watched him walk over to Team Ukishima.
"Kay," he greeted, smiling.
"Itsuki," she greeted just as coldly.
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A/N: This thing took me like three days to finish. And it's not even very long. It's because drama club is taking up so much of my time. It's very time-consuming. Anyway, that's beside the point.
I still need characters, and Team Ei's spots are all up for grabs. And a new contest is taking place-- whoever can guess who he/she is can fight against (or have anything you want to do with) the King! You don't have to-- I just want to see if anybody can guess who they are as the story progresses. -grin-
Oh yes-- and just because it says he does not necessarily mean that the Masked Fighter is a man. It is not Genkai.
-S-chan
