[Location: From atop the outer walls of the school; Time: just after the Harime incident]
"Now I see why you wanted to get rid of her Kamui in the first place. So that she would not share the same fate as… your sis." Aikuro said as he looked through a sniper scope all while observing the events that transpired so quickly that normal human processing could not comprehend.
"Yes, that's right." Tsumugu sternly replied "That was as close to what happened to her as it has gotten since that traumatizing incident."
"To think I was close to pulling the trigger up until he intervened and made Ryuko snap out of that fit of rage. I owe that boy Sora one now." Aikuro said
"We both do, more than one." Tsumugu shared his sympathy "Well, guess I got more training to do if I'm ever going to stand a chance against that freak Nui, or even rival Sora for that matter."
[Location: Mankanshoku Residence; Time: 4:00 PM]
Mako and her family were seen scared as they were praying for both of their pseudo-family members. Seconds later there was knocking on their door. Suyuko, the family mom, decided to open it and see who it is and much to the relief of the Mankanshoku family, it was Sora and Ryuko still very much alive, the latter who has been on her feet for a least halfway through the trek home.
"Sora! Ryuko!" everyone greeted, especially Mako who gave her bestie a tight hug.
"Ugh! Too tight, Mako." Ryuko groaned as a bit of a cracking sound was being produced from her back
"Oops…" Mako said, blushing as she didn't want to do more harm than good
"We were all so worried of you when the school, save for you two were evacuated." Suyuko cried as she was seen squeezing Sora with a rather tight hug of her own
"For better or worse, it's over for now." Sora said as he generously returned the hug himself
"I heard there was a monster where the fighting was taking place. I bet you two were all like AH-TATATATATA!" Mataro pitched in as he then threw punches into the air
As much as she doesn't to want to elaborate on the full gory details of what truly transpired, Ryuko felt that she and Sora shouldn't lie on this one and confessed "Well, Sora here did pretty much most of the work this time because… not only were there TWO monsters, but also, in a sense, I was one of them."
"WHAAAAAAAA!?" The hold Mankanshoku family exclaimed, Mako especially
"It was when the first monster, this Nui Harime, proved to me that she was indeed the murderer that I lost my cool right there and then. All the bitterness, the rage, and the fury, everything that I had to hold back while wearing Senketsu, no, JUST to wear Senketsu just suddenly…" Ryuko confessed
"Erupted?" Bazaro finished
"For lack of a better word, yeah, pretty much. That said, until I learn to take more control of my rage… I will never synchronize with Senketsu against Harime, nor wear him again for that matter, ever again." She said as she hung her head down in total shame in that she basically allowed herself to defeat herself
"What!? You're basically quitting?" Sora inquired
"I'm putting it on a much needed break. I don't need help." She stubbornly said as she knew where Sora was going with this
"Then stand aside and I'LL avenge your dad for you if that'll help; a friend of Yen Sid's is-." Sora offered to fill in the shoes
"No! You here for your reasons and I'm here my own!" Ryuko rejected the offer
"Please! She beat you because she knew you were a loner from the start! Let me help you!" Sora persisted
"Why do you want to see Nui brought to justice, then?"
"You should know already. Of all the recent attempts on Master Yen Sid's life, she was the first. But what I really want to know…is what Satsuki is truly after over all of this…"
[Location: School hallway; Time: 3:30 PM (Day 38)]
"So you're off to your club now?" Ryuko inquired
"Yeah. Figured I should probably place a bounty on Nui's head after what transpired; give her a reason to stay the hell out." Sora retorted
"I've been meaning to ask you: how rich are you exactly?" The red-streak drifter asked out of curiosity
"If you need some to help get by when this is over then I can clearly see of doing so."
"Just answer the damn question…" Ryuko grumbled
Sora then looked around to make sure nobody else would eavesdrop on them and whispered "half a million munny"
"Whoa!" was all Ryuko could manage "B-but how!?"
"Well… let's just say no one except me would ever have known that beating up heartless would be so damn lucrative; not just from what they drop but also the authentic pay as the occasional Anti-Heartless Merc."
"I though you guys work for free"
"That's usually the case, but there are times where the locals were so grateful they just had to insist on paying anyway. That said I plan on paying for information, not heads."
"You still plan to take up my mantle…?"
"Better believe it. I won't let that fiend slaughter anymore students here. If they have a lead, then they just have to tell and I'll take it from there."
"Good luck with the bounty then." Ryuko waved him goodbye
[Location: Scouting Club HQ; Time: 4:00 PM]
Sora was seen elaborating to his club on the subject of what happened the day Harime showed herself in Honno-Ji academy.
"She turned Ryuko into…that?" Tengo said in total disbelief "My god! Is that going to happen to us with our uniforms?"
"Only if two conditions are fulfilled, Tengo." Sora said preparing to enlighten his crew on the topic
"And those conditions would be…?" Nagai inquired
"One: the uniform must be within the danger zone in terms of life-fiber composition, 50% or something. Two: the wearer must be under an uncontrollable amount of stress." He educated
"From what I've heard, besides the two God Robes, your clothes are among those very few that are in that specific range and you are among the just as few that seem to be able to keep a serene mind." Hontoni recalled
"Correct. Which is why we can't allow her to do what she did to Ryuko to anyone else… or those bodies that I found on my way to Mako's for that matter…" Sora spewed, remembering the mess he found on his way from the arena the other day.
"Boss, we found a crystal clear picture of her!" one of the anonymous techie members yelled
"Perfect."
[Location: Disciplinary Quadrant; Time: 7:00 PM]
After a few good hours of spreading word of the self-proclaimed 'Grant Couturier', they were posters all over the quadrant with a most accurate picture of the blonde, list of crimes that read
'Seven counts of manslaughter, two counts of attempted assassination (one successful), one count of public trespassing, and generally a public Nuisance' and a reward of 50,000 Munny for any information regarding Harime, provided that it results in her termination.
The rest of his leadership had also followed suit for the other quadrants.
"There, that should do the trick." Little would Sora know that he long already played his hand for a much higher authority to peer at; the moment he spilled Harime's blood on Satsuki's school
[Location: Satsuki's quarters; Time: 8:30 PM (Day 41)]
Satsuki was seen wearing her signature white bathrobe lounging on her egg-shaped throne while sipping tea, appearing to be quite stressed right now. No doubt from the fact that Nui's blood spilled on her campus, at least too soon from the look of things.
"Damnit all, Sora. If only she never showed up in the first place." She thought to herself then spoke out loud "This possibly couldn't get worse."
There was then the ringing of a telephone heard from across the room. Her fateful butler took the liberty of getting it while Satsuki slowly placed her face into the palm of her hands, dreading over who it might be. Soroi then said "I'm sure I need not tell of who it is…"
"Tell 'em I already know what 'She' wants. I'm not talking to 'Her'." Satsuki scoffed at phone, already knowing who exactly it is on the other line.
As Soroi did as he was commanded, he then sighed as he showed an obvious sign of defeat in his face and said "I'm sorry, Lady Satsuki. But Lady Ragyo insists."
"Pffft, more like incest." Satsuki quietly joked before she quickly regained her usually calm yet cold demeanor to picking up the phone to hear what the person on the other line has to say. She let out a rather disgruntled sigh before she got the phone up to her face and said "Yes, This is Satsuki Kiryuin speaking."
"My dear daughter. Word has it that my poor Grand Couturier got into a fight with one of your students." Ragyo said from the other end "And from what I can recollect from going over the notes of this new club for Honno-Ji, this so happens to be the same student that plays chief to that club." The voice from the other line said "You said that it was a Boy Scout club, not a mercenary camp."
"I Guess I didn't know exactly what they do for a living" Satsuki replied "Nonetheless, you can't blame me for Nui's reckless abandon, mother. That's on you."
"True, but I still blame you for the injuries she has sustained. The group of people that the person that injured my dear Nui commands? The ones that keep killing her pets? This 'Scouting Club'? First thing tomorrow: disband it." The voice demanded
Not wanting to give something for nothing, Satsuki added "What's in it for me?"
"For starters, I could invite you back home so we can…oh I don't know…catch up on lost time."
"And what if I leave that club alone…?" Satsuki asked despite already knowing that it will be even worse than if she complied with the demand.
"I'll have my head secretary occupy YOUR position of student council president of the school that was MINE to start with while you can face exile from the country, stripped of both your wealth and position as heiress, and to top it all off… I'll have your wedding dress back; so which is it…?"
Satsuki knew that this would come to pass one day or another and she then thought "Fuck…! Fuck…! Fuck…! That bitch never lets up no matter the circumstances. If I cooperate she'll just 'purify' me anyway. And if I don't she'll wind up taking away everything I worked so hard on. THERE NEVER A WAY OUT!" hoping to convince her mom that she can't make it when she clearly doesn't want to go in the first place, she replied "Very well. I'll prepare a disbandment and eviction notice tomorrow morning telling them they'll face public execution should they not comply with the orders… but I rather not make the visit to your place and waste your extremely valuable time. We both have quite a lot on our plates as is, do we not? So instead, I want to place a restraining order on Harime stating that she is not allowed into the city until the big day."
"Oh don't worry…" Ragyo replied. Just as Satsuki was about to give a sigh of relief, the other end continued "I just made room in my schedule to fit in your visit. As for the 'leash law', I can't make any promises on that bit of the deal. These ARE troubled times after all…"
Just like that the relief was gone and replaced with venomous hate. However she recalled one thing about the womb she crawled out of: whatever it is she wanted, she always got. She then thought "Trouble that YOU cause, Bitch of the Life Fiber!" Deciding to endure and retain rather than leave and lose it all, she blew the air she held in out of her nose instead and replied "Understood. I'll see the club disbanded…AND I'll pay you a visit." She slightly groaned in frustration in being unable to avoid direct contact with her.
[At the place where 'She' resides]
"Oh my dear. I knew you would do the right thing. I look forward to our time together… Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…" the woman replied before hanging up, revealing her full appearance. Her well-endowed physique would no doubt explain where Satsuki got her curves from, which was quite visible despite the dress that she is wearing at the moment. The dress that she is donning right now is definitely a signature of hers that, without a doubt, compliments her hairstyle perfectly: it's a white, long, and flowing kind of dress that comes with a metallic belt and a neck piece of similar metal and shape, is sporting white feathers where her arms are at, and it seems to have been thrown on to her rather loosely. Thus exposing said physique almost perfectly. The woman's eyes are as crimson as blood, like she has a constant thirst for the bodily fluid. Her hair is most interesting to say the least; in both shape and color. Its shape has a rather…anti-gravity vibe to it as to be levitating almost. That fact about her hair is only rivaled, if not surpassed, by the general coloration of it: a silver shade on the outside with a non-stop constant rainbow colored lightshow emitting from it on the inside.
[Back at Satsuki's quarters]
After the stressful phone call from her mother, Satsuki then slams the phone so hard it's basically broken now, hoping her mother won't find other means of communication; like she's now daring Ragyo to send Harime as a messenger which, in turn, is in direct violation of what Satsuki declared a few days back which, again in turn, is replied with Nui's execution. She then lets out a sigh she's been holding in, but was no longer of relief but that of anguish.
"Soroi, could you fetch for me my quill, ink well, and parchment?" Satsuki requested
"At once, Lady Satsuki." He replied in a glum tone, bowed, and left for the requested items
Once the items may their way to her possession, she began writing the letter she wished that would never be written yet was forced if she were to remain in charge of the city.
Once she was done with the letter Satsuki then rested her face into her hands and then thought to herself "Sora… forgive me." then a single tear came out from her right eye, knowing full well of what the absence of the Scouting Club meant for the folks of Honno-Ji City.
[Location: Mako's place; Time: 8:30 AM (Day 42)]
"So back to the usual, eh?" Ryuko queried albeit devoid of any emotion this time as she was no longer wearing Senketsu, but rather the same PJ's that she wore when they first met and was laying down in her bedroll facing Sora at the time.
"Yeah, going to check on any leads or sightings of Harime."
"That's nice… at least someone here I still able-bodied to give two and a half shits…"
"Ryuko, you can't just shut down over that bout of chaos" He logically pointed out
"You know he's telling the truth, Ryuko." Senketsu added
"Taking up his side…? Great you'll make a perfect match then…" Ryuko retorted
"I don't think a female's uniform would look good on me…" Sora stated
"Needless to say, I second that notion." Senketsu said, agreeing with the veteran Heartless hunter
[Location: Scouting Club HQ; Time: 4:00 PM]
As Sora made his way to the HQ of his Anti-Heartless Organization, he noticed that all of his member, most notable his leadership, were standing outside. Possibly either waiting on him to open the door or to enlighten him on some recent events.
"Hey Guys. What's everybody doing outside?" Sora asked
"Bad news, boss…" Tengo said as he handed him an envelope that reads on the outside 'Eviction and Disbandment Notice – Sora's eyes only'. Knowing full well that Lady Satsuki doesn't make mistakes, Sora's gut sank deep as he slowly and hesitantly opened it to reveal a letter and began to read it
'Dear Sora –
It is with deep regret that I inform you of the discharge of the Scouting Club effective immediately. Your club has but three days plus the rest of today to vacate the area and return it to the condition it was in before you moved in. All uniforms are also to be returned. And all members are to return to their origins districts regardless of their status prior to joining your club. Failure to comply will result…in your execution; again I am sorry.
President of Honno-ji's Student Body – Satsuki Kiryuin
P.S. - While I was most grateful of your actions in the past, I fear that is now but the distant past due to your assault on Nui back then. If you wish to know why I am doing this: I must win out the trust of the one that truly gave the order to kill both Yen Sid and Isshin… by any means necessary…'
"I-I can't believe it…" Sora said
"What it is?" Nagai asked
"These next three days, regardless of how it ends, will be the very last days we'll be spending together." Sora said
"What do you mean, Sora?" Hontoni queried
"Either we clean the place up, return everything and everyone back to their original places, or we face public execution." Sora replied solemnly which got a most frightened response out of everyone.
"She what!? But why?" Tengo enquired
"It's my fault really. It's because I hit someone that I shouldn't have." Sora said "Odds are you all may already know exactly who I'm referring to."
"Nui Harime." Kyugi scowled
"The person that killed those one-stars and ruined the games that day!" Keruhime joined in "If she had the balls to approach me right now, I'd kick her dead center in that region!"
"You and me both" Nagai sympathized "Still, why is she doing this to our prestigious club and in turn her own school?"
"To earn the trust of those that are ordering Harime from what I've read here. Whatever her plan is, it couldn't be heinous in the slightest." Sora answered
"What makes you so sure she's not just being a total bitch to you now?" Kyugi asked
"Because she wouldn't be able to wield the Keyblade if she was so!" this response got quite a rouse out of his now former crew, which he then followed up with "Now let's get to work. We got three days to vacate the place." After Sora gave the order to empty the place, he turned to Tengo and asked "Can I get a pen and paper, Tengo?"
The former second-in-command responded "Of course. Going to write to Lady Satsuki of the unfairness of this discharge?"
"More like I want to negotiate something and if she doesn't answer back, so be it." Sora then receives the requested items and began to write a respond to Satsuki Kiryuin. When he was finally done the letter reads
'President Satsuki
I am more than willing to comply with the disbandment of my club under one condition: the bounty on Nui's head of 50K Munny still stands. And I still want her alive. I hope we can come to an agreement..
Former chief of the Scouting Club - Sora'
Sora then thought to himself "Hope she understands…" and threw it into the mailbox
[Location: Mankanshoku Residence; Time: 8:00 PM]
It was a stormy night now but the Mankanshoku's never allowed that to bring them down. As the family, sans Ryuko who was still moping in bed, were seen eating, there was knocking heard at the door. Mako decided to answer it this time and was greeted by her other bestie who didn't seem all that happy now and was a bit damp from the storm outside, but did managed to say "Hey, guys."
"Sora! What brought you back over to the No-Star District!?" Mako asked as full of zeal as ever
"My club… got discharged just today…" Sora muttered
"WHAAAAAAA!?" Mako exclaimed
"Impossible to believe, I know."
"I told you it was just a matter of time…!" Ryuko yelled as she was still in her bedroll like she was this morning "Oh and guess what I've learned just before I decided to have Senketsu laid off?" All Sora did was shake his head right and left, having no clue as to what it was "I learned that it was Satsuki that ordered my father's execution! You were wrong the whole time, Sora…" Ryuko scolded him.
"No! That's impossible! How else would she be able to use the Keyblade!?" Sora sked as he approached Ryuko in an attempt to convince her otherwise
"I guess it's as flawed as its current wielder!" Ryuko said as punched Sora so hard it sent him flying out the house and into a puddle outside.
"Stop it now, Ryuko!" Mako screamed as she got in Ryuko's face
"Ouch! Please just hear me out! I received a letter that told me that she's up to something herself!" just as he reached for the letter he then realize that he had it in his rear pocket; the region of which that so happened to have been drenched now. As he pulled it out, he only got out half of it "NO! NO! NO! It's ruined now, and with it any hope to convince her that Satsuki isn't evil…"
"Did it at least say what she was up to?" Ryuko asked, willing to compromised
"All it said is that she is buying out the trust of those responsible, and that's something I plan to get to the bottom of, along with what Satsuki Kiryuin is really after…"
[Location: Former Scouting Club HQ; Time: 6:00 PM (Day 45)]
The Scouting club HQ has been emptied just as they have promised and everyone is back to their origin homes and the uniforms and other assets back to where they belong. As Sora sat in front of the now re-abandoned building, a few specific words were buzzing in his head. Particularly the ones Satsuki said to Harime in regards to something the former has planned later
"There's still. Ten. Days. Left."
"Three days left now…then I'll know what this is truly all about…Just three more." Sora thought to himself "After that conquest that she announced to Ryuko: 'The Tri-City Schools Raid'. But I need to know sooner!" Sora shouted as he slammed his fist into the concrete wall, leaving a nasty hole in the pseudo bunker in exchange for a bloodied knuckle. After a moment of silence, there was a loud thud to be heard from the slums "That came from just a mile away from Mako's place…" Sora said then recalled "Ryuko…! And Nui…" He then rushed to where the commotion is coming from only to be confronted by more Heartless consisting of eight Darkballs, three Neoshadows, led by one Neoshadow decked out in a black business suit, made of Life Fibers by the look of it "Great, more trouble!" Just as Sora was about to engage the Heartless squad, a couple of familiar faces decided to come to his aid: Kyugi and Keru no less
"Don't worry about the common riff-raff" Kyugi said
"Yeah, go after the boss: the one in the suit! After that you can go help Matoi. We'll take care of the stragglers!" Keruhime said
"Gotcha! And thanks guys…" Sora said
"You not only helped us, but your very club inspired hope for everyone." Keruhime said
"Yeah, that's been something that's this school has been lacking ever since it was first built" Kyugi said "But then again, me and Keru had worse.
He then engaged with the suit-clad Neoshadow with the opening strike, which was easily avoided by the Neoshadow due to its enhanced reflexes. Sora decided to go defensive and see what it's capable of and although the heartless is indeed faster than the rest, it wasn't enough to keep up with Sora's years of sparring with Riku which were followed with three major quests against the forces of darkness. He then complimented "Hmm… upgrades." After that he decided to step it up using Valor Form and had Karmic Teachings in his off-hand.
The Neoshadow then tries to mix things up with a an even more evolved version of its signature spinning attack which was no match for Sora's enhanced brute strength thanks to Valor Form. Sora then retaliates with a slap across its face with Karmic Teachings, sending the dapper fiend flying quite a way but managed to get its footing again after a brief summersault. After it looked back up to face Sora, the Key bearer in question was nowhere to be found. When it tried looking up, the now dubbed 'Dapper Shadow' then realized it was caught in an eclipse of the sun which turned out to be Sora coming in for the killing blow. The fiend tried to side-step out of the way, but was too little too late as it then lost its right arm. When the genetically enhanced Heartless tried to formulate a new approach, it was too slow as it was met with a fiercely flying soccer ball to head followed by a baseball soaring at 90MPH below the belt; courtesy of Keruhime and Kyugi Suru respectively who so happened to have dealt with the lesser Heartless already. With the Lead Heartless completely out of it, Kyugi then took his bat and swung for the fences back and forth until it knelt in submission. And vanished into nothing, suit and all.
"That takes care of that." Keru boasted
"Yeah sure does." Kyugi added
"Hmm… things have gotten quiet where that loud ruckus originated…" Sora then gulped…hard "Too quiet!" He then bolted out of the scene as fear for his sister figure's well-being started to kick in
[Location: No-star Slums; Time: Too little too late…]
Just when Sora got to where the action was last at, he saw Ryuko wrapped in a blanket, in her underwear by the looks of it, with Aikuro carrying her bridal style. Sora then asked "Wh-What happened!?"
"It was Nui Harime. She…got to Ryuko and destroyed Senketsu." Aikuro explained glumly "To make matters worse, all the pieces have been taken the moment I got here… at least most of them…" as he noted the red scarf that Ryuko clung onto like if she lost that very scrap she would lose the will to even live
"Damnit! If only I got to her sooner!" Sora said as he then furiously threw his Keyblade at a light post which was consequentially sliced off the mountings as a result, allowing gravity to take its toll to make it crash into the ground. He then pulled out the cellphone that Houka provided him with and began texting a message to the former leadership of his late club saying
'Guys, Nui was in Honno-Ji again and this time, she managed to destroy Senketsu! Tell the former members of our club that the bounty has been increased by 50%, that's 75K now, effective immediately! And remember: I only want her very last known location, not casualties on our end! I want her pinned down…then I'm going to kill her myself!'
Sora then thought "Harime, you fucking gremlin… you better be happy with what you did… and more importantly, you best be ready for my wrath." As he looked up to the heavens knowing full well that this monster, and all that she is associated with, will pay dearly for this technical count of murder.
{Character Relations Updated}