XI - Love is a Battle
It was the day before the Ashura tournament: a sunny day with the rays reflecting off the snow surrounding the house in the forest. Across the region all of the top martial artists were training non-stop in order to attain the trophy which they all had their eyes on. At this point everyone, even from the same dojo was considering each other competition. Friends had turned to rivals of all kinds throughout the community of professional fighters. Although there were always exceptions.
In the basement of the medium sized house, both Natsuki and Shizuru refused to stop training together. From start to finish they were in this together to get to the top, neither bothering to think of what would happen when they reached that point. It was in the backs of their minds for sure, but never became more of an issue. It didn't matter to them if they were to end up fighting against each other in a real match and not just practice.
In fact, while it was unspoken and perhaps unknown between the two, they both had individual reasons for wanting to compete. It started out as them wanting to make their names known again and step further into fame, but ever since another player presented himself it became a more personal matter. Natsuki was set on taking Ganjou down, remembering his sweet visage that filled her with such frustration.
As for Shizuru, her motive was the most unclear, but from what the younger girl could tell from their sparring there was more to it for her as well. Something she had to prove, she deduced, but to herself. It was a complex thought pattern that Natsuki couldn't figure out with her mind so focused elsewhere. That smile flashed itself in her mind again.
"Agh!" she cried out, thrusting her fist forward at full strength.
But even then she felt it connect with the skin of Shizuru's palm. Before she knew it, her rather reckless and emotional attack left her open for the older girl's swift counter. Natsuki braced her muscles when she felt her equilibrium shift, having been flipped onto her back by her joint-locked wrist. Even in the darkness of her landing, she could hear where the footsteps were moving.
Just one stride before Shizuru would have been clear, the navy-haired girl swung her leg around low on the ground, using the motion to get herself in a position to stand up and floor her opponent at the same time. Right after she fell, Natsuki took a far leap back and planted herself in one place, waiting to see what would happen. Well, not see exactly. In an effort to keep their skills honed, both of them had been training blindfolded. At first even Natsuki was having some trouble with it but fell into the feeling quicker than Shizuru for obvious reasons.
The tournament is tomorrow…!
She clenched her fists tighter.
Come on! You can do it!
Meanwhile on the other side of the mats, Shizuru was slowly bringing herself up, slightly off balance and still turning her head back and forth in search of a visual position of the girl she was fighting. Since she hadn't been attacked yet she safely assumed that Natsuki was waiting for her. In all the time since they started practicing together, she hadn't been too sensitive to the notion of being pitied. She was always certain that they were on equal ground so there wasn't much to notice. But now, this was different. Shizuru could tell that Natsuki was, not pitying her, but also not treating her as an equal. She was waiting because she was giving her a chance to gain some points, not because she needed a rest.
Where are you?! I can find you, I know it!
Her time was up. Natsuki went on the offensive again, darting around the room as fast as she could. On one hand this confused Shizuru but also provided her with what Natsuki had been using to teach her this method of fighting. She knew that her movement would cause sounds, sounds that if Shizuru could see would go unnoticed without this training. She was still instructing her.
But the time for instruction is over Natsuki, tomorrow we're fighting for real… this is our –no, my last chance!
With that thought echoing in her mind, Shizuru's elite prowess revealed itself to the younger girl's surprise. In all honesty, Natsuki had become accustomed to beating Shizuru in matches, but now, in her own territory of blindness, she was at a true loss. Not even by shock, but by skill. The navy-haired girl couldn't see the smirk on the older girl's face when she slid to the side, feeling the wind carried by Natsuki's punch brush her hair against her cheek.
The part of her that was holding her back from dealing damage to Natsuki due to love had looked the other way, not clouding her judgement of how to follow through from her current position. As one hand grasped the girl's wrist to keep her in place, Shizuru glided across the floor, pivoting from face to face with Natsuki so that she was twisting her arm behind her. After which Shizuru gave a double open palmed thrust into the navy-haired girl's strong back, hurling her forward without any control of her movements. Natsuki was moving too fast to catch herself and ended up tripping over her feet from the momentum, ending with rolling across the mats.
Without hesitation, Shizuru followed the sound towards her target. Even when Natsuki moved out of the way quickly she followed the gentle breeze she left behind and reached out to grab hold of the navy-haired girl's uniform.
"Gah!" Natsuki exclaimed, unable to block, although she did attempt a counter.
Using Shizuru's hold against her the younger girl spun around to deliver a kick, but somehow hit only air. Not only that, but the grip which she was using for leverage was gone as well, causing her attack to carry her all the way around.
She foresaw my attack...?!
The navy-haired girl was now face to face with Shizuru, standing still for a split second and blinking behind her blindfold. In that instant she swore that she could see the girl's determined expression with her mind's eye... and her heart skipped a beat.
What?
And when the second ended all Natsuki felt was an immensely forceful hit to her upper chest. Winded, she soared across the room before once again rolling on the mats until she laid still. The room was quiet then, save for the heavy breathing from both girls. The elder's open mouth closed unconsciously to keep her jaw firm, but relaxed upon hearing the quiet steps in the distance. They were not approaching, no; Natsuki was just standing up slowly. What caught her by surprise though was the cheerful laughter that followed.
"You did it!" the navy-haired girl said with a bright grin, pulling the cloth down from in front of her eyes to hang around her neck.
"You beat me! And with my own technique too! I'm so proud!"
Shizuru pulled her blindfold down too and met with the emerald irises coming forward.
"I... I did it..." she muttered with a smile, still a little speechless herself, but caught onto the last of Natsuki's sentences, "... Proud?"
"Of course! It's every teacher's dream to be surpassed by their student! Not that I had much to teach you..." she rubbed the back of her neck and looked up in thought.
"You're elite too, I just offered an extra skill to help train," she crossed her arms and pouted, trying to put back her cool demeanour, "But it's not like one win against me means you can slack off! It's hard work!"
Shizuru chuckled at her cute expressions.
"I know, but this will be very helpful in the tournament."
"Mm, I can feel it..." she clenched her fist, "We're definitely gonna be at the top, no doubt about it."
They stopped when that statement reminded them of the possible predicament the competition would cause. It was less complex than they were making it out to be, but both of them saw the two sides.
"Shizuru... If we get picked to fight each other..." Natsuki started.
"It'll be fine," she smirked, "In a way I'm looking forward to the possibility of fighting you in a match other than training, especially if we both get within reach of the trophy."
"Heh, yeah, good. I just wanted to make sure you felt the same way," given Shizuru's confident response, she felt the need to keep her insecurities hidden.
The insecurity that, now that they were close friends her ability may weaken under the pressure of the spotlight. Little did she know that the person sitting right next to her was thinking the exact same thing.
"Alright then!" Natsuki said to break the silence, standing up with a stretch.
"Do you mind if I shower first?"
"Go ahead, but don't take too long since Mai-san will be joining us for dinner," Shizuru replied.
Her eyes slyly followed the girl's body; admiring the pink shade that covered her skin in contrast to her navy locks. By the time Natsuki turned the corner her gaze was automatically broken, leaving her to roll her eyes and sigh to herself.
It's funny... I spend so much time thinking about her feelings that I forget how incredibly attractive she is...
-0-
Close to an hour later, when they were both clean and dressed in regular attire, Natsuki and Shizuru were in the kitchen preparing their evening meal with Mai. Or rather, Shizuru and Mai were doing the serious cooking while Natsuki felt bad that she lacked their skills and, like a child, tried everything she could think of to help them.
"Natsuki really, you don't have to be good at everything!" Mai joked, pushing her friend out of the way of her workspace.
"I'm not trying to be good at everything!" she retorted.
"I just hate watching people work if I'm not helping... It makes me feel like I'm taking advantage..."
"Yes, and knowing my love of cooking I'm extremely frustrated with you right now," the redhead said sarcastically, "If you don't want to watch you can go sit outside."
"Fine, I get it..." the navy-haired girl rolled her eyes and walked around the island counter to sit on the stool facing the other two.
"Here. If you want to help, taste this," Shizuru said whilst lifting a spoonful of her soup to Natsuki's lips.
Like a reflex, the younger girl opened her mouth to test the savoury broth, expressing a pleasant smile and a blush which she was unaware of but that caused Mai to bite her lip to suppress her giggling.
"Mmm, it's really good, but maybe put some more meat in it."
"If I put any more in it'll become a stew," Shizuru replied in an almost parental tone, her attention focused on the pot for a moment before looking up at the girl's puppy dog eyes, "...Fine, I'll add abit more."
"Yeah!" and Natsuki proceeded to do some sort of amateur victory dance; nearly killing Mai by her internal laughing fit.
"Ah! I forgot some other herbs in the pantry," the chestnut haired girl mentioned aloud a second before leaving the kitchen to go get them, fortunately leaving the two best friends alone for a moment.
While Natsuki was actually watching her exit, leaning her head with her chin rested on her palm, her eyes suddenly shook when she was smacked upside the head lightly.
"Oh my God you like her!" Mai exclaimed with a bright smile, but still kept her voice too low for Shizuru to possibly hear.
"Ow! What? No! Are you crazy! What!?" by now Natsuki was redder than ever, and stuttering too no less, but honestly not believing what her friend was talking about.
"Oh come on!" Mai was still grinning ear to ear, "You blushed when she had you taste the soup-"
"It was just hot!"
"-And you couldn't take your eyes off her when she left the room!"
"Argh! That doesn't mean I like her! We were training all day; it's just habit to watch her move by now because that's a key part of fighting practice!"
"Now that you bring that up, aren't you training her for a competition where you're her opponent? Isn't that a bit odd to do unless you care about her?"
"She's my friend! I'm just helping her out! Besides it's not like we're guaranteed to fight each other."
"I don't believe you," Mai held her mischievous appearance while going back to chopping up vegetables, "But there's no point in trying to force it into your stubborn head. You'll soon see that I'm right."
Saved by the bell, the phone rang just in time to interrupt what was bound to be another failing response from Natsuki. The navy-haired girl hopped off the stool and walked into the foyer area where there was a phone on a desk by the stairs.
"Hello?"
"Good evening, Kuga-chan," came the annoyingly familiar voice on the other end of the line.
She was even being addressed in a confusing manner with her last name to show respect while the suffix indicated her childishness in his opinion.
"Ugh... What do you want Uwate?"
"Don't be so vicious, you wouldn't want to pass up a golden opportunity would you?"
"Huh?"
"Let's just say, being second most powerful in the dojo also gives me some privileges that the others don't get. Combined with my family status I'm able to come across valuable information."
"Get to the point or I'm hanging up."
"I see here that you aren't happy with your engagement to Fujino-dono, is that correct? Something about throwing a tantrum and isolating yourself for a month?" he chuckled at the silence on Natsuki's en.
"Don't be ashamed, it's a reasonable reaction. But what if I told you that I had the answer to your problem?"
"... What?" she grit her teeth.
"I happen to have a certain document that can annul your engagement. You will be free to live your life as you wanted. No longer shackled by marriage to someone you do not know... I'm willing to trade it for something you can give me."
Natsuki's hand was gripping the wooden table so hard it was nearly breaking. What was Ganjou even talking about?
"What document is this? If something like that really existed I would have found it months ago and used it to get out of this myself."
"Heh, I never said it wasn't something new. I'm merely telling you that I have my own vast amount of connections, enough to create a legal loophole to get you out of this arrangement that you dislike so much."
"So what then? You want me to throw a match tomorrow so you can win, and in exchange you get me out if this, is that it? You get to look good, I look bad, and that's the win for you?"
"Hmph, so simple," Ganjou scoffed, "That trophy is not the prize I seek... it's what you already have."
Natsuki furrowed her brows.
"What I'm extending is not an offer per se, but an ultimatum."
"Which is?"
"Unless you can prove to me that you are more fit to take care of Fujino-dono than myself, I will process these documents and have your engagement erased... replacing it with my own."
"You're insane!" Natsuki barked.
"Our marriage contract is a personal agreement between our two families, you can't just interfere from out of nowhere."
"On the contrary, because it was done so loosely there are many gaps for a third party to enter."
"Then how do I know you won't just do that anyway? Whether I win or not?"
"If you are the better fighter, how do you think it would look for me to steal her away then?" he sighed rather bored.
"Unfortunately I'm limited by that circumstance, my family would not assist me if I lost. But on the flip side, it means that when I do win she will become my bride, not yours."
"...She's not some damn possession, you freak! Besides, even if you beat me, you would have to beat her too in order to earn the right to marry her... which as far as I know you've never been able to do."
"So harsh, I would have thought you would wish to help me do it, seeing as how you want out of the contract."
"Not like this! I'm not gonna let my friend be forced to marry some loser because you have these sneaky tricks!"
She practically snarled at him.
"You're right about one thing though. You can't go through with your plan if you lose... So I'm going to beat you until you're begging me to stop, and then some more!"
Without another word the girl slammed the phone down, her hand still wrapped tightly around the receiver. She didn't know if this was just his way of psyching her out, or if he really could get these documents. No matter what, Natsuki knew now that she wasn't going to lose.
-0-
"Participants: rise!" called the announcer over a megaphone.
It was the day of the Ashura Tournament, and the stadium was filled with hundreds of competitors. Judging from the belts everyone was wearing, the skill level ranged from elite to masters; an incredible amount of power all in one place.
While she had been to such competitions before, Natsuki was more on edge than ever in this one. Not only was everyone incredibly strong, but all officially recognized styles were eligible, so there was the element of surprise she had to deal with. She was prepared though, more than any other time in her career.
Those in her division all stood up in a straight line, looking ahead and waiting to be either called forward for the fight or dismissed to wait their turn. Finally, the announcer called two names that were unknown to either Shizuru or Natsuki. A boy by the name of Sasuto Shen, and a rather demonic looking girl called Ryuukami Rei.
"Who're they?" the Natsuki asked as she sat down next to Shizuru on a bench.
"I'm not sure... Maybe the mysterious prodigies we were talking about before," she joked at first, but both girls' jaws dropped the second the referee began the match.
The black haired girl didn't seem to care about an honourable match at all and rushed the boy with all her might, thrusting her heel into his gut with such force that it shattered his ribs and sent him flying into the wall.
"Oh my God! He fell after just one it! That was brutal!"
Natsuki said as she watched the girl expel a mighty roar from her throat to show off her victory.
"Well... I guess that's one surprise we better keep an eye on..."
"Indeed..." suddenly Shizuru's name was called over the PA system.
"My turn," she grinned, "Wish me luck Natsuki."
"See you in the final round!" the girl replied with a nod before turning her head to look out for her personal target.
She knew that Ganjou was here, and had seen him before in the crowds of participants walking around, but his features were so common he was difficult to find. Although she could sort of sense that it was safe for now. He wouldn't do anything obviously wrong in public; he cared too much about his popularity.
He's not going to hurt Shizuru...
Natsuki told herself.
Even if his feelings are twisted, if he intends to marry her he's not going to risk being caught doing anything that would make that look bad. Argh... I hate dealing with these press junkies whose life exists only in what the media portrays them as...
-0-
The day was filled with the most magnificent fights imaginable by all of the contestants. Everyone had really put all of their effort into polishing their skills, and battled at no less than full power. There were even a few times where both Natsuki and Shizuru were nearly beaten, but luckily both pulled through and finished it quickly once they saw there was the slightest chance of losing. They, along with a few others were actually the only ones who had enough talent to do that, raising them to higher levels within the competition until now: the very end of the evening.
The stage was set, and the crowd was growing with anticipation as the four remaining fighters approached the mats. Natsuki, Shizuru, Ganjou, and Rei had earned their places in the fight for first, second, and third place; and really any one of them would deserve it in terms of ability. The emerald eyed girl had other plans though. She couldn't stand to lose, not for the sake of a trophy, but for Shizuru. If she lost she would be forced to marry Ganjou, and she wasn't going to allow that.
The navy-haired girl had to fight all her urges to glare at the boy kneeling one body away from her. Right now she had to concentrate on how to fight any one of them. Rei's style was among the cruellest she'd ever seen, and the one whom she was most likely to lose to. She knew Ganjou's style from fighting with Shizuru, and knew that up until now he was weaker than her... but now her. What would she do if they were forced to knock one another out of the running for a medal? The girl closed her eyes to focus as the announcer came up to the podium and the judges took their seats at the corners of the cleared space.
I'll win no matter what! Even if I have to beat both of them to get to Ganjou, I have to!
However, his name was called first. Natsuki looked up at his confident walk to the marker on the mat, observing his leer towards her which was followed by an annoying wink. The silence that covered the other three ended then, when the announcer said the name of the boy's opponent. It was Natsuki's lucky day.
"Kuga Natsuki," he said calmly, unaware of how much the two wanted this match up.
The girl grinned and stood up, walking towards her marker on the mat, and then locking eyes with Ganjou. Meanwhile, on the sidelines Shizuru was watching intently, having no idea what would happen now that these two were selected.
"Are you ready?" one of the judges asked, turning to both fighters who nodded in response.
The second the whistle blew, the whole conversation Natsuki had with Ganjou the night before flooded her mind, giving her such power that she practically disappeared before making her attack. More so than that, while she was fast, her strength was not to be underestimated either. She went for a simple jab, but to the center of his neck, aware of the serious damage she would cause. But although she hit skin, it wasn't what she had intended. The girl's eyes blinked for a split second when she saw that Ganjou was standing perfectly still with his palm held in front of him, wrapped around Natsuki's fist.
"I'm glad to see you take this seriously... it's going to make my job a whole lot easier if it looks like you started things, ne?"
With a smirk, the boy immediately moved his grip to snap Natsuki's wrist; but luckily, since she had been training with his own teacher she was able to foresee this and take less damage. The navy-haired girl was flung onto her back instead, rolling with the twist he gave to her joint, but leaving her flat on her back, exposed for the stomp which followed. The most she could do was roll to the side to avoid it and then up onto her feet ready for the follow up attack, but for some reason she wasn't. Natsuki looked to the other side of the mat where Ganjou was immobile, waiting for her move.
So that's what he wants... for me to look bad by attacking his vital points, but then he defends and wins... Damn he's put a lot of thought into this idiotic scheme...
That fact didn't slow her down though. Natsuki honestly didn't care about appearances, at least not in this match. She was already set on winning, and as long as she didn't do anything illegal no one else would think she was doing anything wrong.
The guy's just a whiny brat!
The navy-haired girl charged again, this time sweeping her leg low in order to trip him before switching feet and kicking out into his abdomen to gain some more ground. Upon the first contact, Ganjou flipped sidewise so that he was upside down, but managed to block to second kick from doing much other than pushing him away where he got his footing back and once again stood ready.
"Go ahead, keep attacking. I don't mind. This is just a warm up for me so-"
"Oh shut up will you!" Natsuki retorted, rushing him ready to punch.
"Fight me seriously, damn it!"
"... Fine," he smirked, ducking to the side to avoid that attack before extending his right arm and leg.
His hand gripped Natsuki's outstretched limb while his foot served to trip her up like a stick being thrown into bike spokes. Shizuru's eyes opened wide with shock when she saw the girl's arm pulled back behind her as Ganjou pivoted, planting his other foot on her back and kicking down.
"GAH!" Natsuki cried out as her face crashed into the floor.
Her shoulder had almost dislocated and she was so close to having her knee inverted. This guy really was strong, certainly on par with Shizuru, but perhaps the biggest difference was in the fact that while she had more finesse and technical skill, Ganjou's heart was merciless.
Three… Natsuki's eyes quivered as she counted, Two…
The judges were almost about to call an end to the fight when the navy haired girl began lifting herself up off the ground, turning to face the boy and not even bothering to wipe the blood from her mouth.
"Tch... You're pathetic," she growled, "You think that beating me will automatically make you good enough to marry her?"
That hit a nerve.
"If getting me out of the picture is the only way you can get her, then really, you can't be that good in the first place," she watched him squirm in his thoughts.
"Face it. You're never going to beat her, and you're never gonna be good enough for her."
"Shut up!" he snapped, this time going on the offensive but in a very messy way.
"You're just some outsider who she never met!"
Both his verbal and physical skills dissipated upon hearing the girl's taunts. Ganjou was no longer fighting as a competitor in the Ashura Tournament, but as himself. The boy violently gripped the collar of Natsuki's uniform and raised his fist to punch her clean across the face. Even after the hit she was left with a little more composure than him, able to use their proximity to hook her leg behind his knees and push forward so that he fell to the ground beneath her.
"That doesn't make her a prize for you to win! And threatening me with some phony annulment is meaningless because she's never gonna love you!"
This had turned into a brawl. Natsuki was far beyond fed up with him, and had stopped fighting as a competitor also. It was just the two of them on the mats, swinging at each other.
"But I'm the only one good enough for her!" the boy shouted from beneath her.
Using all of his abdominal strength to sit up and flip Natsuki on her back, he held a hand around her throat, increasing the pressure quickly. Despite numerous warnings from the judges for them to get up or risk disqualification, it didn't stop Ganjou from his attempt to pummel the girl. Her jade eyes shut tightly when she saw the fist clench above her, bracing for it. However, the second before the hit connected, Ganjou was stopped; and when Natsuki opened her eyes she saw Shizuru standing over her with an expression she'd never seen.
The tight hold on her neck was released, giving her the air she gasped for when she saw what came next. Shizuru's eyes were dark with malice, instilling fear into her subordinate while giving him the chance to see the position he was in. The girl had her hand wrapped around Ganjou's wrist, and unlike what she had shown in her spars with Natsuki, Shizuru lashed her arm in a whip-like motion, taking the boy with her. Not only was his body twisted and smashed into the floor, but his joint had been shattered. Natsuki had scurried to the side to keep her distance from the two, cringing when she heard the tortured scream from the boy's throat.
"...Fujino...dono..." he whimpered, his eyes filled with tears.
"Uwate-san, do you know something that I don't?"
"I-I... Nothing! Agh!"
"Very well, you do not have to indulge me. You are no longer my student," she tossed him aside, "I will never be yours; so be certain I never hear your name again."
The crowd around them was cloaked in murmurs about the very surprising turn of events, but it all fell on the deaf ears when the judges approached the three fighters. One knelt down to aid Ganjou and confirm his disqualification for poor behaviour, while the others walked up to the girls.
"For obvious reasons we will have to disqualify you both as well. You are not allowed to interfere with another's match."
"I understand," Shizuru replied, lifting Natsuki up and carrying her with her arm over her shoulder.
"If you would please leave the arena," another said, motion to the exit.
"Mm," the navy-haired girl agreed, though her attention seemed to be fading.
The adrenaline from the fight was wearing off and her face tensed into a more painful expression.
"Natsuki?"
"Ugh... I'm okay, just," she tried taking a step, "Ah!"
"No, we're going home right away, you need to rest," and before she knew it, Shizuru swept her other arm beneath Natsuki's injured legs and carried her off of the stage.
The girl's first instinct was to struggle away, but her eyelids fell heavily after a long day of fighting and such an explosive finale. It wasn't so bad after all; in fact it was comforting to be so close. She leaned her head closer to Shizuru's chest, and let herself be taken away. Tonight Natsuki saw what the other girl was hiding inside of her, that raw and nearly monstrous emotional form. It did not frighten her though, not at all, it had saved her.