Chapter Ten: Fine Without You
A lazy hand emerged from the futon, blindly searching for the source of an irritating alarm. Fingers landed on the clock and retreated beneath the warm comforter, then the shōji slid open and tabi-covered feet approached the futon. "Suo, it's time to rise and shine!" an older woman merrily said.
"Why should I have to rise and shine when the sun isn't even up yet?" the girl in bed protested. She peeled away the blankets and her grandmother, Taeko, laughed at the chaos that was her hair.
"I drew a hot bath for you," she enticed, opening the curtains.
The dull blue glow of near-dawn made Shuryo sit up with another groan. After her grandmother left she grabbed her miko garb and trudged down the hall to the bathroom. The ofuro covered her with a protective layer of solace before she went outside to sweep away plum and maple leaves blanketing the grounds. Next she collected the offerings from the temple. After that she grabbed a pair of clippers and joined her grandfather in managing his bonsai plants. "Good morning, Ojii-san," she greeted through a yawn
"Good morning, Suo," Kenichi replied in his soothing voice. Shuryo knelt beside him and began trimming the branches of a white pine tree. The sky lightened a little as the two silently went about their chore, then the wizened man spoke again. "The principal of your school called to inform us that you were in a fight."
Shuryo tensed. "That was two days ago. Why are you bringing it up now?"
"I was wondering if you would tell us yourself," Kenichi answered. "You know this is your last chance to go to school, Suo. We agreed to let you enter Kaikoura because you promised things would be different than they were in Osaka."
"They are different. I didn't start that fight, some third-year did because I was talking to her boyfriend. She was being petty– I just defended myself!"
"You did not need to defend yourself with fists. Violence begets violence." His eyes, which were sharp as a hawk's despite his age, focused on Shuryo's downcast visage. "Taeko and I support your decision to pursue a traditional education, but if you get into another fight we will withdraw you. We believe you would be much happier if you devoted yourself to the shrine."
At those words Shuryo rose to her feet and left, returning inside to quickly mop the halls so her grandmother wouldn't have to. She went back to her room and changed into her school uniform, tossing the white haori and red hakama to the floor in a heap. She immediately felt guilty and spent a minute folding them properly. Shuryo snagged her obento from the kitchen and bid her grandmother goodbye. "Have a nice day at school!" the woman said in salutation. Kenichi finally finished with his plants and came in for breakfast, sitting down with a rather despondent sigh while his wife placed a cup of green tea before him. "What's the matter?" Taeko inquired.
"I am beginning to wonder if Shuryo will ever see us as representatives of a peaceful life instead of strict grandparents. She still doesn't talk to us. I don't want her to become like our son, numbing himself so the world can't hurt him. And I don't want her to drown her problems like Emiri."
Taeko smiled gently. "She won't become either of them– she's too smart for drugs or alcohol. Shuryo reached out to us so she could start a new life, so we have to let her gather her bearings. This is a big adjustment for her."
Kenichi downed the small cup of tea like a shot of sake, then sucked his teeth. "Perhaps we were too hasty in beginning her spiritual training…"
"No, I think it's exactly what she needed. Like you said, I believe she will come to regard us as representatives of a peaceful life. We've given her an outlet for her anger."
The man hummed. "True. I've never seen anyone pick up the bow so quickly, and her calligraphy is beautiful. I pray she chooses to master them."
Shuryo watched the sun move across the sky as the day wore on, ever boring and uneventful. When the final bell rang she gratefully made her way to the girl's locker room and changed into her kyudo uniform. She was a bit saddened that Ren wasn't there and meandered in the hall in case she was late. After a couple minutes of loitering the blonde still hadn't appeared, so she entered the archery range. "Wow, you're prompt," Daisuke commented. "It usually takes fifteen minutes for everyone to show up." He was stringing the bows; Shuryo hesitated before silently joining the activity. "How did you get so good at this?" he asked.
She fired her hama-yumi every day at the shrine, but she couldn't tell him that. "I was in the archery club at my old school," she lied. "That's where I learned."
Daisuke stood up, appraising her. "Why don't you show me what you already know? A little target practice should be easy." He took aim at one of the nearest boards and released the arrow, striking a perfect bull's-eye. Shuryo also struck the center of the target and gave him a smug sideways glance. They remained evenly matched as more club members arrived, quietly watching the contest. The farthest target waited at 100 meters and no one had hit the center during the three years Daisuke spent at Kaikoura; it was basically a way to mark the edge of campus. He inhaled deeply while completing the first four stages of hassetsu, then exhaled for a full draw. Everyone else held their breaths.
The arrow arced through the sky and landed on the outer edge of the target. The other club members applauded Daisuke for even hitting it, then they quieted as Shuryo assumed her stance. 'I can do this,' she thought positively. 'Just pretend it's someone you hate, like Adachi.' Daisuke's arrow wavered in a slight breeze that she compensated for as she inhaled on the draw.
With a twang the bowstring whizzed by her ear and every pair of eyes eagerly followed the arrow to its destination. Shuryo felt a grin splitting her lips as she watched the head bury itself in the target; it hadn't struck the exact center but at least it was in the red circle. Everyone stood in silent awe until their senpai began laughing in amazement. "Maybe I need to resign my position!" Shuryo just half-smiled while basking in the uplifting feeling of her success. She didn't practice archery to shoot farther than everybody else, she did it for the focus required. Pushing her limits to better herself was reward enough. "You're clearly very skilled, Maeda-chan," Daisuke remarked while putting his bow in its stand, "but if you really want to shine around here you have to follow our shomen. Specifically, you need to switch your draw hand and widen your stance."
She scowled as a response. "So what? Are you going to be my personal trainer or something?"
"As a matter of fact, I am." Shuryo balked at that. "I don't think it'll take long for you to grow accustomed the style we practice here. Also, we need to fit you for safety equipment."
She tightly crossed her arms over her chest. "Why does it matter if I don't shoot the same as everyone else?"
"A regional competition is coming up in a few weeks and I want you to enter with me," Daisuke explained. "Normally I wouldn't even think about training a first-year to be my partner, but you have the skill. You must have won trophies for your old school."
"No, I didn't," Shuryo mumbled.
He shrugged. "Well, I'm certain we can win one for Kaikoura– that is, if you'll devote yourself to my training regimen. What do you say?"
Shuryo searched his maple brown eyes with uncertainty in her own. What could be better than practicing with the president of Kyudo Club, the same person who convinced her to join in the first place? Sara definitely wouldn't be happy to hear that her boyfriend was spending so much time with the first-year who had punched her in the face. 'I'm not going to let that bitch ruin this for me.' She squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. "I'll do it. But if we fail epically, you have to do my math homework for the rest of the year."
"It's a deal," the boy agreed, laughing. They were completely unaware that another third-year stood behind a nearby pillar eavesdropping on their conversation. She was one of Sara's best friends who had excessively comforted the swim team captain just yesterday due to Daisuke's sudden break-up with her. None of the team members could figure out why he had dumped Sara out of the blue, but the girl reasoned it had to be because of Maeda Shuryo.
After an hour the club members headed home, everyone storing their equipment except the competition-bound pair. Once they were alone Daisuke gratefully removed his gi before standing right behind Shuryo to make adjustments. "Lower your left hand a bit. I know the elongated top makes it feel like your grip needs to be higher up, but if you do that your draw will be uneven." The girl was stiff as a board. "Relax!" he commanded.
She whirled around while taking a big step away from him. "I can't! What the hell am I supposed to think when you suddenly get naked and start feeling me up?!"
He instantly donned an apologetic look, deducing she had dealt with previous instances of unwanted physical advances. "I'm sorry," Daisuke said calmly, "I wasn't trying to try something with you. I took off my gi because I get really hot during practice."
Shuryo folded her arms again. "Well, maybe you should deal with it. I don't think your girlfriend would approve of you undressing around me since just talking to me is forbidden."
Daisuke tutted. "I'm not going to sacrifice my comfort for Sara's opinion. It's irrelevant now that I broke up with her."
"You did?" She edged closer. "Why?"
"Does it matter?" Daisuke asked with an exasperated sigh. "Let's just keep practicing." Shuryo held up her hands in surrender, grasping her bow in the manner he instructed. But now that the end of his relationship was hovering above them like an incessant gnat, he couldn't concentrate. "Sara was way out of line with you," Daisuke blurted. "According to a lot of people she was like that with many girls, I just hadn't seen it with my own eyes until that… altercation." He paced along the deck, staring at the planks. "I had no idea she'd been wielding me like a trophy since we got together our first year, using her status as my girlfriend to make other girls on the swim team wait on her hand and foot in exchange for… pictures."
"Pictures?" Shuryo repeated.
"Of us being intimate, of meand my… everything." He gestured to all of himself, shaking his head. "I let her take them because I thought they were only for her, her private diary or something. But no, Sara's been giving them to people when they do stuff for her, like her homework or going to swim meets in her place because she 'doesn't feel like it'."
"That's pretty messed up."
"It is! It really is…" Daisuke stopped, facing her with a profound look on his face. "I wouldn't have become aware of any of this if you hadn't talked to me. I want to thank you for helping me see Sara's true colors."
Shuryo shrugged and gave him a little smile, thinking he might actually be someone she could learn to trust. "You're welcome, I guess. Are you going to do something about the pictures, tell the principal at least?"
"No, I don't want to make it into a big deal. It's weird knowing a bunch of people have seen me naked, but as long as none of them are legitimately stalking me there's no real harm done." Shuryo just laughed. "Maybe we should call it a day."
"Agreed." They set about putting the rest of the equipment away, locking the storage room behind them. "So," Shuryo said on their way out, "have you been to the shrine in Gotenzan yet? They sell charms that could help us train."
Daisuke raised an eyebrow. "Do you really believe in those things? Are you Shinto?"
"Why does my religion matter?" she countered.
"I mean, it's kind of archaic. Personally I place more faith in my own abilities than a laminated piece of paper."
Shuryo regarded him narrowly. "Yeah, I'm Shinto. I started practicing when I moved in with my grandparents. So do you want to go with me or not?"
"I haven't offended you?" She shook her head. "Then sure, we can go together." Daisuke tried ushering her through the door but she shied from his hand, flashing that hostile look again. "Sorry, habit. I'll be out front when you're ready."
"Okay," Shuryo said tersely, scurrying into the locker room to put her school uniform back on. Upon rejoining the boy they headed for the nearest city bus stop, walking in silence until passing a clinic where someone called out from the side road. Daisuke made a sound of irritation when Sara and her clique appeared.
"So it is true," she declared as her friends surrounded them. "You dumped me so you could date the country bumpkin. Going to her place for a roll in the hay?"
Daisuke sighed. "Sara, go get your own life. I don't want you in mine any more."
"This isn't about you, Okada. I don't really care that we broke up– I can do much better than you." Sara shouldered past him to get in Shuryo's face. "I'm pissed off at you, Maeda. You gave me a fat lip."
"Now it matches your ego," Shuryo returned.
Sara sneered. "You two really were made for each other. You both think you're so far above everyone else that the rules don't apply to you. Maybe you're familiar with this one– ladies don't start fights but they can finish them." She glanced back at her friends. "I do believe a counselor interrupted our first round, but now it's time for the second."
Shuryo smirked, placing her bag on the ground. "You think you can take me? I used to beat the shit out of grown men for groping me on the train."
"You sure talk a big game, Maeda, but I'm going to put you in the dirt where you belong."
"I would love to see you try." Shuryo kept smirking as Sara threw a punch she easily dodged. "Are we fighting or dancing? Come on, hit me." The girl's lip curled as she began swinging wildly, but Shuryo just kept evading her. "Are you even trying?" she taunted. Sara screamed her frustration and finally clocked Shuryo on the jaw, but the younger girl turned with it so that she recovered swiftly. Tired of playing around, she drew up her fists and punched Sara first in the nose, breaking it, then put all her weight behind her knuckles as they landed on Sara's cheek, sending her to the asphalt with a short-lived yelp. Shuryo didn't say anything as she grabbed her bag and turned to leave, taking just three steps before the rest of the swim team swarmed over her. Hands tore at her uniform, nails scratched her arms and face, and shoes dug into her back, legs and ribs.
"Get off her! Leave her alone!" Daisuke shoved them away and the girls finally ran off. Shuryo sat up with a groan to take stock of her injuries; she'd been in much worse fights before. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," she answered, brushing dirt off her skirt. "I just need to make it to Seichou Shrine."
"How is a charm going to help you now?" he skeptically inquired.
"It's where I live." The boy said nothing, keeping pace while she limped all the way to the bus stop. Once aboard he faced her and opened his mouth, but Shuryo spoke first. "Don't tell my grandparents I got in another fight. They'll pull me out of Kaikoura if they find out."
Daisuke blinked in bewilderment. "You want to stay in school after what those girls did to you?"
"Sara's done messing with me," she confidently replied. "I've put her down twice now. That's usually all it takes for people to realize they can't fuck with me."
"People like… older men on the train?"
She faced the window. "Yeah."
Upon arriving at the shrine Shuryo gave the steps a helpless, defeated look. "Can I carry you?" Daisuke offered, and she simply nodded. He picked her up without much effort, noting she felt a lot lighter than the fit of her uniform suggested, but after the hike up the hill he was still breathing hard.
"Come on," she gestured, walking around the perimeter of the grounds, "I at least owe you some water after that." Daisuke followed her through a gate and onto the deck of an old-style house, spying rows of straw targets meticulously arranged along the edge of the forest. Shuryo opened a door to a sitting room with a kitchen beyond, pouring him a glass of ice water and grabbing a bag of frozen vegetables before heading off down a narrow hall. She procured a first-aid kit and carried it into her room. By the sounds of sucking teeth and grunts of pain, Daisuke guessed she was trying to treat her injuries herself. He peeked into the room to find her holding the veggies on the side of her face with one hand and attempting to swab a line of blood with the other, but the cut was right between her shoulder blades where she couldn't reach.
"Do you want help?"
Shuryo released a little sigh of defeat. "Yeah, I guess." He sat on his knees behind her and lifted her shirt, seeing that her back had taken the brunt of the onslaught. Myriad bruises were already forming among older scars.
"Can I take off your blouse?" The girl nodded, her anxiety surging in response to her vulnerable position. But Daisuke worked gently and efficiently, keeping quiet the whole time. As his hands moved to her sides he abruptly stopped when blood appeared on his fingertips. "Maeda, I think your bra…"
"Huh?" She looked down and scoffed. "Fuck, the underwire got me. This bra's ruined." Daisuke averted his gaze while she unfastened it and flung it away. Shuryo quickly staunched the blood flow and stuck a bandage under her breast, then put on a long-sleeved shirt. "I think we got the worst of it," she said, examining her face in a mirror. "The only indication I threw down with those bitches is this cut here, but I should able to disappear it with foundation. Oh shit, there's a bruise here too, and my cheek's all swollen…"
"I'm sorry," Daisuke declared. Shuryo blinked at him. "About Sara, I… I'm sorry. None of this should have happened. It's my fault."
One of her eyebrows arched high. "No it isn't, and you're stupid for thinking that. You're in no way responsible for Sara's actions. She's insecure, I'm not, this was the result. You don't need to feel guilty that I got a little bruised up defending myself. It's nothing I haven't dealt with before."
Daisuke started to say "but you shouldn't have to do that" yet stopped on the first syllable. In one day he had gleaned enough information about Shuryo to realize that violence was something she had grown accustomed to and even seemed to expect, a stark contrast to his own upbringing. "I'm still sorry," he said. "I should have done something besides stand there uselessly."
Shuryo shook her head. "You only would have gotten in the way. Everything's fine, like I said." She inclined her head toward the door, smiling a little. "If you really want to make it up to me, just buy a charm."
Shuryo was good with makeup, but Ren was better. She recognized the artificial color patches on her friend's face and wondered what happened. Shuryo said she'd been smacked by the bowstring as she spent a few days getting the hang of it, but after talking to some other Kyudo Club members about safety equipment, she didn't buy it. Ren assumed there had been another altercation with the swim team but none of the girls would talk. She finally went to Daisuke and asked him directly if Shuryo got into another fight, his inability to meet her eyes confirming her suspicions. Ren surveilled Sara for a week to see if she was going to keep messing with her newest friend, yet it seemed they had simply resorted to ignoring one another's presence.
At the end of October the regional kyudo tournament was set up in Nakajima Park. The area was spectacular in autumn; bright red and orange leaves carpeted the ground and the ponds reflected a crisp blue sky. "We lucked out," Daisuke commented. "Last year a cold front rolled in and everyone shivered so much it was impossible to get a good shot."
"Well it feels great today," Shuryo grinned, "and I feel great, too!" Her cheeks were flushed with giddiness. "Do you think we'll win?"
"I'd say we have a good chance because… well, because my dad sponsors us and he's a national champion. At the very least we won't have to worry about our equipment since it's the best money can buy. This will be a trial of pure skill." Shuryo nodded and eyed her competition with mild interest before glancing over the spectators. Her grandparents had to manage the shrine, Ren was helping her parents harvest their crops, and Daisuke's father lived in Sendai so they only had a handful of club members for support. Thankfully the competition was well-organized and things progressed smoothly. The duo from Kaikoura won the first bracket easily, and while waiting for the next to start Daisuke leaned down to whisper to his partner. "See that girl with Haruki's team, the one in the purple sweater? She's been staring at you this whole time."
"What? Who? Where?" Shuryo's gaze landed on a tall brunette with green eyes; the girl adjusted her glasses before melting into the crowd. "That was weird. I wonder if she recognizes me."
"If she's here to judge you, now is the time to show off. You're up next!"
Shuryo flashed a smile before approaching the platform, kneeling while one of her opponents went first. In her peripheral vision she spied Purple Sweater Girl staring, so she turned and looked her right in the eye. 'Maybe she does know me, but I have no idea who she is.'
The semi-finals consisted of four rounds of two shots each. Shuryo's aim was extremely accurate, earning her a perfect score and carrying them to the final round. Daisuke considered the scoreboard. "It looks like we're up against the guys from Yoichi Prep. They're really skilled– they beat me last year. We won't be able to sweep them so I'm going to force a tiebreaker. It's a seventy-five meter shot that we only get one chance to make, and I want you to do it."
Shuryo swallowed nervously. "Just because I made that one-hundred meter shot once doesn't mean I can do something like that again."
"I have faith in you," Daisuke said. "You've been training non-stop for three weeks, so now it's time to let everyone know that Kaikoura students have what it takes to be the best." With that he assumed his position on the firing platform. Anxiety filled Shuryo, made her palms sweat, flooded her mind with thoughts of how disappointed everyone would be if she botched the final shot– her fellow kyudoka, her grandparents, Ren, Daisuke… All that practice for nothing, the time she spent with him meaningless! Shuryo spun on her heel and fled to the forest.
She just needed to escape the pressure of the situation; she didn't intend to go so far into the woods. Since the trees were not yet bare their leaves blotted out the sun and cast eerie shadows. Some looked like snakes and others spiders, but the girl trekked on. She wasn't afraid of critters or darkness or being alone, she was afraid of squandering the chances she'd been given to redeem herself. Eventually Shuryo entered a clearing and took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves. It worked until a strange light shone from within the tree line, hovering like some otherworldly sprite. "Hello?" she called, hoping it was someone with a flashlight. There was no reply but the light grew larger as it steadily bobbed in her direction. She held her breath when it reached the nearest maple, thinking the yellowish-green glow belonged to a firefly or swamp gas or something not supernatural. The light suddenly flared, blinding her, and vanished. Shuryo blinked to clear her vision and didn't hear the soft pop as the orb appeared behind her, coalescing into the shape of something malicious and indeed otherworldly.
"How fortunate I am to have caught the Igneous Guardian in isolation." Shuryo shrieked and spun around upon hearing the creepy voice, her eyes growing wide as she took in the creature's demonic appearance. It had slits for nostrils, long fangs, and horns protruding from its head. Its body was as mist, a sickly yellow hue hovering above the ground with long tendrils for fingers. When it finally registered that she was facing the stuff of nightmares she bolted for the trees, but before reaching them the creature flashed into her path and blinded her again, making her vision swim with spots. "You are a feisty one," the wraith snickered. "I shall enjoy toying with you until my master arrives." Shuryo knew this was a fight she couldn't win. She just closed her eyes and waited for pain to set in.
"You will do no such thing, abomination." That voice belonged to a human. Shuryo cracked one lid, gasping as Purple Sweater Girl marched toward her. The identifier no longer applied because she wore an earth-toned outfit that blended into their surroundings. "You can try weakening this one for Neodymium, but you'll have to get through me first!"
The wispy creature released a hissing noise reminiscent of laughter. "Do you know who I am, Soldier of the Zodiac? I am Kryptos, and the element you command cannot stop me!" He winked out of sight and Sailor Capricorn stood protectively before the kyudoka, her eyes slowly scanning the clearing. Shuryo heard the soft sound of his reappearance and shouted to alert the warrior, who uttered something as Kryptos dove at her. Shuryo screamed and covered her head, but the wraith crashed into an invisible shield and for the briefest of moments scattered like dust. He quickly reformed and rushed the girl again only to meet with the same stopping force.
Sailor Capricorn used the lapse to yell at Shuryo. "Get out of here, now! You'll be safe with other people!"
"Yeah? What about you?" she returned, her fingers curling into fists. "I'm not going to let you fight this thing on your own!"
"There's nothing you can do yet!" Capricorn turned just in time to fend off another attack from Kryptos, but barely. The creature exploded into a ball of light, making her head reel. Shuryo grabbed an arrow from the quiver at her waist and nocked it as their foe appeared in the air above, chortling triumphantly. His laughter was cut off as the arrow lanced through the center of his gaseous body, dispersing him for a moment. His frightening gaze focused on the miko.
"You dare strike me when you have no power?!" Kryptos summoned several orbs of light and launched them at Shuryo. She was quick enough to shoot an arrow through each one, scattering them. She was so focused on emptying her quiver into the wraith that she didn't notice Sailor Capricorn's recovery until the warrior's powerful voice rang out.
"Polarity Reversal!" The youkai sneered when he didn't feel anything from the attack and made to assault the archer. Sailor Capricorn returned the expression because Kryptos instantly stuck to the ground, writhing like a translucent snake as his magnetized body was pulled toward Earth's core. "Get out of here while you can," she said to Shuryo. "You'll be safe back at the competition."
"Capricorn…" The menacing voice came from all directions, chilling both girls to the bone. "I told you– your element is useless against me!" Suddenly it seemed like they were surrounded by camera flashes; lights kept going off no matter which way they turned, burning and disorienting. Sailor Capricorn held out her arms and managed a few steps before one of the explosions went off in her face, filling her vision with white.
"What's happening?!" Shuryo cried. She received no answer from the strange girl. 'This monster is pissing me off! I gotta get rid of it somehow!' Something hairy abruptly brushed her leg and she flinched, slipping on the leaves and landing on her rear.
"Calm yourself," said a cool male voice. "I am not here to harm you, rather, I have come to help. Hold out your hand." Shuryo obeyed, peeling her eyes open just enough to catch a gray feline placing a purple stick in her palm. "This will grant you great power. Wield it well." With that he ran off into the trees, leaving her sitting in utter confusion.
A brief scene flashed in Shuryo's memory, rows of exotic warriors lined up in preparation for battle. At a command they all drew arrows from their quivers, angled their bows toward the heavens, and released a volley that fell like deadly rain upon an encroaching army of blackened, warped creatures. The commander dipped three arrows in a sconce to ignite the tips, then he drew back the string of an ornate recurve bow and let all three of them go sailing through the air like falling stars. He looked right at Shuryo, smiled, and nodded. It was time for her to shine.
"Sagittarii Star Power, Make Up!"
A tiny spark ignited deep within her, glowing with purity and intensity. Shuryo embraced it, allowing it to burn away the person she thought she was and rise from her own ashes as someone new. A magnificent bow coalesced in her hand, but it had no string and she had no arrows left. Nevertheless she took aim at Kryptos, who had ceased his barrage of light and was visibly wary of her transformation. She went through the motion of drawing and was not surprised to see a faint blue shaft appear between her fingers. The arrow was formed from her spiritual energy; as a priestess Shuryo held a virtually endless supply. Kryptos separated into several orbs and made to surround her on all sides, but she only smirked and released the ethereal bowstring. The mana arrow immediately separated into as many bolts as there were orbs and each pierced each target with effortless accuracy.
Kryptos snarled, his claws thrashing as he dissipated into a cloud of dust. The archer couldn't summon enough arrows to strike each particle but she only needed one. Sailor Sagittarius called upon her elemental sisters, Aries and Leo, to let them know the Trinity of Fire was complete. She infused her attack with Leo's raw destructive force and Aries' relentless determination. The arrow grew hotter and hotter until the very mana forming it combusted, burning whiter than the Sun. "Final… BURST!" The cone of flame enveloped Kryptos, instantly incinerating him, then Shuryo dropped to the ground. Akira rushed to her side but the miko shrugged her off. "I don't… need your help," she panted, stumbling off in the direction of the tournament.
"Where do you think you're going?" Akira demanded. "I need to talk to you about what just happened!"
"I know what happened," Shuryo said. "You tried stopping that thing but failed miserably. I handed the situation myself."
"But there are other girls like us! You're a part of a team and we need your strength!"
Shuryo glared at her. "I don't need a team. If more of those monsters are out there I'll destroy them just like I did this one." She wilted slightly beneath Akira's stern gaze. "It's better this way… I've always done things on my own."
"You have no idea what you've just gotten involved in, Maeda!"
Shuryo started running, leaving the stranger behind. She returned to the field where Daisuke immediately jogged up to her. "There you are!" he breathed in relief, "I've been looking everywhere for you!"
"Is it time for us to win this tournament?" she asked, grinning.
The boy was taken aback by her confidence. "Um, yes… I managed to tie us with Yoichi Prep so they're preparing the seventy-five meter target now. Are you sure you're ready?"
"I've never been more certain of anything," Shuryo answered.