Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.
Chapter 10: Battle Lines
A taxi dropped ShenLong and Kei at the top of the street leading down to 'Midnight Star'. After paying off the driver, ShenLong led the short trek down the quiet street to their 'base of operations.' Though, his steps would slow as the bar came into view.
The outside was a mess. The windows were broken, eggs were smeared in gooey stains down the wall, and large black scrawled lettering read the words: 'Sabres Rule' and 'Bow to the true King!' across the door and brickwork. Attending to the chaos were father and daughter. Hou stood on a stool, scrubbing hard at the graffiti while Koneko tentatively brushed the glass into a dustpan while being careful not to irritate her injured ankle.
"Shit. They got to us first." ShenLong punched the drainpipe, leaving a sizable dint.
"Way to add to it, ShenLong," Kei muttered out of the side of his mouth.
Hou stepped down from his stool, setting his soapy cloth and bucket aside. "I hope you aren't planning on causing an uproar," the old man said with much distaste. "We don't need any more of it."
"This is just the icing on the cake," the tiger Zoanthrope pointed out, pointing at the damage. "How can we ignore it? Look what's happened; to Koneko, to Ryou, to Selia, to Kei… Hou, I'm sorry if it bugs you, but to hell with being the innocents. We're in it up to our necks now, whether you like it or not."
Hou shook his head, turning solemn eyes to his daughter. "I'm only thinking of my family. This business is all I have. How can I support us if I lose everything?"
"Hey, come on," Kei slapped a supporting hand on the older man's shoulder. "You won't. We promise, from here." He patted her chest, above his heart.
"Well, I don't know about you," ShenLong said, mainly talking to Kei. "But now I know where the Sabre's are based, I think a visit is well in order. I mean…" He laughed sardonically. "… We have to return the courtesy of a visit, after all."
Kei balled his hand into a fist. "Just give me a couple of hours and I'll be ready to fight again. I might not be at full strength, but I've still got something left in the tank. Should we put the word out?"
"We'll gather as many as we can. I'm sure there will be plenty of people ready to put at an end to their bullshit."
"Okay, let's do it!"
"Be careful, Kami-sama!" Koneko called after the two as they walked away.
"Don't worry…" He cast a soft glance over his shoulder to the girl. "… Bobo-hime."
She visibly relaxed. At least he was acting normally again.
"Don't call me that…" She was smiling, tearfully. Her words were not meant to reach his ears. It felt normal to end their conversation like that. The banter made her glad she was still there to share in the laughter.
Kunimoto paid a visit to the hospital, specifically to see the injured man whom ShenLong had got his hands on. He had a funny feeling that he wasn't going to be glad to see his fellow Sabre. Upon entering the ward, he saw the terrible condition the man was in, though felt no pity. He stood over the bed, just him and his comrade in the empty ward. The other men had been taken away for procedures.
Kunimoto leant down over the man.
"Tell me, in all honesty. Have you said anything to ShenLong or his friends?"
The man sluggishly shook his head. "No… boss," he managed to say.
His face went blank. In his eyes, anger was brewing.
"I can smell a lie, my friend. It wouldn't do you any good to start telling me lies."
"I swear… GARGH!" Kunimoto's hand went to his throat in a quick movement, leaving the man struggling for breath.
"You're words mean NOTHING to me!" He snapped. "Now, tell me! What have you said?"
With fearful words, the crony revealed all that he had divulged to ShenLong. Kunimoto's expression never changed from the calm, composed one he gave the man as he looked down over him.
He garbled on with croaky, heaved breaths, trying to redeem himself. "He had me like you did… I didn't know what to do! I'm still loyal to you! Loyal! A TK-Sabre forever!"
Kunimoto was inches from his face, his voice, a whispered breath that fluttered onto his skin.
"You. Sold. Us. Out."
And he whipped the pillow from beneath the man's head and pressed it down forcefully onto his face. With his limited movements, the invalid struggled, his cries muffled beneath the cotton. His desperation went unnoticed as Kunimoto never relinquished the pressure until the man's arms flopped and he ceased his movements.
Kunimoto flipped the pillow off onto the floor, satisfied he had smothered the traitor into the next life and casually left the room. It was only as he walked through the exit door of the hospital that he heard an alarm bell sound and desperate nurses scramble in the direction of the ward.
Within 24 hours the TK-Sabres had caused a path of chaos like no other. They had sent the ultimate message of their power with a deadly attack on their enemies; and to add insult to injury, defaced 'Midnight Star', a place that had been a constant hub of defiance. Many members of the gang were back at their base celebrating their 'one up' over their foes, discussing their next plan of action in their rise of supremacy as they cracked open beers, even enjoying some TV time watching game shows or playing poker.
Everything hinged on Kunimoto's particular focus, not that any of them could ever keep up with his mind constantly on overdrive. Whether it was growing their territory or his establishing himself as a greater authority figure, they were there to back him up with their muscle when called. But for now, while the boss was away, they were going to enjoy every second of relaxation they could get.
All was well in Sabre HQ, until the door was kicked clean off its hinges and straight through the table where the poker players were in the midst of a game. They sat, slack-jawed, staring at the line of destruction with cards scattered across the floorboards and what was left of the table piled up against the far wall.
The intrusion had quickly got people on their feet, eyes on the door at the figure occupying the splintered doorframe.
ShenLong was grinning from ear to ear. "Ding-dong! Did someone order an ass kicking?"
Kei peered over his shoulder. "Man, that was kind of a lame opening line."
ShenLong rolled his eyes. "And what would you have said?"
"I dunno... maybe, 'Knock knock, motherfuckers?'"
"Pfft... I liked mine better."
"You'll pay for that, assholes," one of the Sabres seethed indignantly.
"Yeah, whatever," ShenLong snubbed, stepping through the door, followed by Kei and a few other guys they'd managed to get together at short notice. Reliable guys who didn't mind get their hands dirty. "I'd call this payback."
"YOU'RE DEAD!" And the fight was on.
The Sabres charged in a roaring mob towards the door; logistically not the smartest idea, as it caused a collision of bodies trying to get in on the attack. ShenLong and his companions were ready to meet the oncoming charge. The tiger Zoanthrope sidestepped the first to attack, tripping out the door as he spun and grabbed a couch, picking it up as if it weighed nothing and threw it into the mob, ploughing down most of them – it was like watching pins fall down in a bowling alley.
Kei picked up a half-filled bottle of vodka and smashed it into a guy's face. He laughed at the guys struggling to entangle themselves from the couch and each other. "Hey! No fair! Leave some for the rest of us!"
"Be my guest," he offered.
The Japanese man bowed, picked up a chair and cracked it over the head of the next closest man. He sighed happily. "This is the best kind of rehabilitation."
"Glad you're enjoying yourself!" He leapt onto the couch, crushing the men who were about to lift it up. "Let's get this party REALLY started!"
The small troop from the 'Midnight Star' set about taking vengeance, no sympathy spared.
Humming to herself, Kirakira slipped her keys into her apartment door, unlocking it with a loud click. She nudged the door open with her back as she slipped inside, hauling her two big bags of shopping. She giggled in excitement, kicking off her sandals in the entranceway into a pile of other assorted shoes and padded her way across into her lounge with her haul consisting of clothes, jewellery and items of pampering necessity. She tossed them onto the sofa and her slipped off her skimpy jacket, throwing it onto the back of the loveseat close by as she prepared to model her new clothes in front of full length mirror she kept in the corner of the room.
Down went her dress and on went a pair on yellow hot pants and a teeny-tiny white vest printed with the words: 'Sexy Little Bitch' in striking hot pink. She proudly twirled on her heels as she checked out her reflection. More giggles flittered out, wholeheartedly pleased with spending a ridiculous amount of money on things she didn't really need.
"I'm just so cute! I could kiss myself!" She skipped over to the mirror, smooching her reflection for a second before leaping back with squealing laughter. She carried on with her poses, admiring her shaking booty as she danced around lounge.
Her stomach rumbled. With a pout, she decided to hold off trying on the rest of her purchases until she'd enjoyed a snack. She'd stocked up on plenty of frozen yogurt the previous day, and decided to indulge herself, keen on having a big old scoop of raspberry flavour. With a skip in her step, she headed into the kitchen…
… And practically fell over in the entrance.
Nagi was sat on the countertop eating an apple.
"I was wondering when you'd get home," she said casually, blatantly ignoring the girl's horror.
"Wha-What the hell are you doing here!? How dare you break into my home!" She screeched, stomping like a child. "Wait until the police hear about this!"
"That's fine with me," her rival said with a shrug, tossing a now striped apple core into the bin beside the counter. "Oh, and while you're at it, I'm sure when they get here we can clear up the misunderstanding about where you were last night…"
Kirakira paused midway to the phone on the wall. "What?"
"Yes, I'm sure they'd be interested if I could help them find out who was there when Ryou Kawamukai was killed."
Kirakira hesitated for the briefest of seconds before turning to sneer with malevolence at the W.O.C. operative. "That's quite the newsflash. Dead is he? Well, as much as I'm sure you'd like to stitch me up for that, I'm sorry to disappoint you, sweetie, I had nothing to do with it."
Nagi hopped off the counter. "You're right. Nobody like you would pull the trigger. You're a chicken shit after all. I can just see you, sitting pretty in the background, giggling like the cheap whore you are as three innocent people were attack."
Kirakira flicked her hair, turning her nose up at her. "Really? Is that it? Your insults are really pathetic..."
"They weren't insults. They were the truth." Nagi leaned back against the counter. "How a slutty little gutter rat like you ever caught the eye of Kunimoto, I'll never know. He's intelligent, even if he is a psychopath, and yet he lowers himself to even consider touching you, the last dredges out of the skank tank. I mean, come on, look at you." She gave a distasteful gaze towards her newly bought cheap attire. "You're a poster girl for STD's."
Kirakira's face went bright red, screwing up with revulsion. "You bitch…" She spat.
"No… YOU bitch," Nagi spat back, stepping forward. "Don't think for one second I believe you were at home tucked up in bed with a trashy novel. You were basking in the murder of a family man, probably even having an orgasm over his bloodied corpse. You're a fucking waste of oxygen. Ryou was worth ten of you. But I didn't just come here today to exchange insults. I came here to kick your sorry ass."
"Really?" Kirakira burst out laughing. "You've got no chance..."
"Actually, I think I do. It will make my day to SLAP…" And she did just that for the full effect of her words, right across her unprepared face. "… You around for while."
Kirakira backpedalled two steps from the force. Her shocked reaction quickly turned to raging fury. She screamed like a banshee and leapt forward in a charge, during which her body incited the transformation from human to beast. Fur completely swept over human skin as bones and muscles converted to fit her new form. A giant, angry mink.
Nagi reared backwards so she somersaulted up and onto the counter, dropping flat on her stomach so that the mink dived over her, missing completely. Skidding on the tiled floor, Kirakira was only able to stop when she smashed into the opposite cupboards, caving in the doors and spilling out pots and pans. Nagi rolled and slid forward off the counter, smiling pleasantly. This only infuriated the beast more and she leapt, claws and fangs bared with intent.
But her charge was met by Nagi's, who stepped in at the right time to go under and toss her up and over her shoulder. Kirakira was thrown across the kitchen and against the oven, smashing the glass into ruin. She shook off the impact and was up again charging. This time, she managed to catch Nagi's shoulder with her claws as the woman tried to sidestep her.
Blocking out the pain, Nagi grabbed the paw dug into her shoulder and pried the claws from her shoulder, kicking her away. Spots of blood dripped onto the tiles.
"How about we play fair?" Nagi said through gritted teeth. Her own transformation was like an explosion, sending Kirakira straight through the kitchen door, breaking it in half.
When Nagi stepped through the splintered barrier, she was now the Spurious – half human, half Unborn. Most parts of her were covered in red armoured plating and scales atop toughened human skin. Her most prominent feature was the long blade arm, which she now point at the mink, which was collapsed against the overturned couch.
"And that was door no. 1..." Her deep echoing voice teased.
Kirakira leapt up, for a split second taking her opponent's new form in with confusion before letting out another angry cry as she attacked.
"How about door no. 2 then?" She spun forward, turning her hand to use the back of her blade to connect with the midsection of the bigger beast as she sent her through the next door, the one that led to the bedroom. "Score!" Nagi casually stepped in after her.
Disorientated, Kirakira got back up on all fours. With shaky legs, she got into pounce position, watching and waiting for what her opponent was going to do next.
"What? You think I'm going to make the first move?" The Spurious said with a shrug.
Kirakira licked a trickle of blood from her lips and mindlessly rushed again, but Nagi somersaulted over her, landing with a bounce on the bed.
"So soft… is this Satin?" She bounced into a seated position, petting the bed covers.
These games were all just too much for Kirakira. This mocking was beyond humiliating. How she could be so casual like this? She tore across the floor and jammed her claws into the cover and pulled it hard and fast.
So not to be pulled right into her opponents grasp, Nagi moved in the blink of an eye, back-rolling to bounce on her knees, flipping herself up to land on the headboard before cart-wheeling across to the footboard to avoid another strike. She then propelled herself off into a slashing dive at the angry mink. Kirakira dodged just in the right direction for Nagi to counter backwards as she landed and sharply turned so the flat blade edge cracked the mink upside the head, sending her through the bathroom door, which exploded on impact.
"And door number three is your strike three I'm afraid..." She got up, moving to stand in the entrance to the bathroom. Kirakira had lost her transformation, laying half conscious on the floor. "What, no come back? Oh well, I guess that's a victory to me then!"
Evening was almost set in. Shinjuku with lit up and abuzz with people. All but one place...
Hou threw some dirty water out of the back door and went back inside to the bar. It was eerily gloomy with all the windows boarded up. A few small lights were on, bathing the room in a muted glow. Koneko came back in through the front entrance, bolting it after her.
"Did you put out the sign?" Her father asked.
"'Due to unforeseen circumstances, we shall be closed for the next few days,'." She recited then nodded. "Yeah, I did."
"Good, good."
ShenLong and Kei entered the bar with a couple of their friends, coming in from the back way. They were all sporting a few bruises, though you couldn't really tell which were the new additions on the already battered Kei, though they all seemed pleased with themselves.
"That'll teach them." ShenLong proudly dusted his hands.
"Did you beat them to a pulp?" Koneko asked excitedly, gaining a disapproving look from her father.
"We sure did." ShenLong ruffled her hair affectionately. "For you, Bobo-hime, and Selia, and Ryou."
"The repercussions…" Hou groaned, leaning forward against the bar, heading touching the cool surface.
"They were asking for it. We only evened the score." Kei reminded him, motioning to himself as good reason for their retaliation. The other guys with them murmured their agreement.
There was a loud knock on the front door.
"We're closed!" ShenLong shouted out.
"It's me!" Nagi's voice distinctly called back.
Koneko perked up, hobbling over to unlock the door to let Nagi in, who was smirking like a Cheshire cat, though it slackened somewhat as she looked around the lifeless bar.
"Looks like the Sabre's paid you a visit, huh?" Nagi shook her head, inclining her head back towards the entrance. "Saw the 'King' thing mentioned again. Well, I'm almost most certain now Kunimoto's got his eyes set on the royal family."
"You're sure about that?" ShenLong questioned, stepping up and taking her shoulders softly.
"Yeah, I'm sure. I got wind of his latest plain to attack the dinner party being held by the W.O.C. with Prince Cronos as the special guest."
"Ah, shit, so that's his plan." Kei punched the side of the bar, annoyed.
"I think he thinks killing the Prince is his way to challenge for the throne." She moved over towards ShenLong, raising a hand to brush her fingers across a bruise forming on his cheek. "Been in the wars have you?"
"I'll tell you about it later…" A hand came to brush some stray hairs over her shoulder. He noticed there were tears in the shoulder of her jacket and noticeable bloodstains underneath. "And you?"
"I'll tell you about it tomorrow. I'll have a surprise waiting for you then." She winked.
"So, what are we going to do?" Koneko asked, latching onto Nagi's sleeve. "How are we going to protect that Prince guy?"
"I've been invited to the party tomorrow, so technically, I guess I can invite you guys too!" ShenLong wrapped an arm around her, petting her back carefully. She smirked up at him. "If they're going to crash the party, we should bring our own party of gate crashers too. We need to protect the Prince and put this stupid little war to an end."
"I couldn't agree with you more… well, maybe I'm not so bothered about protecting anybody, but whatever it takes to finally put Kunimoto down. I want things to get back to normal so I can get back to drinking enjoying more quality time with you... and with quality time, I meaning fucking."
Nagi socked him in the arm. "Not in front of the kid."
"Don't mind me!" Koneko said, snickering behind a hand.
"You may need to gather up a lot more of your friends," Nagi said, casting an eye to the few that had gone with him to the TK-Sabre's headquarters that day. "We'll need all the help we can get."
"Don't worry. There are plenty of people who want to see the Sabres disappear for good."
"Good." She kissed her fingers and placed them on ShenLong's lips. "I promise you, things are about to get very exciting."