Errolas: Hello again! After a long, LONG hiatus, I've returned with new energy and conviction. I'm going to see this through to the end, and I thank those of you who've stuck with me thus far. Your patience will be rewarded. This chapter reveals why Yuuna's dad had to ask Nogi-kun to keep his eyes on her… now where is he? Nogi-kun was supposed to be here an eternity ago. Ah well, he must still be suffering from broken skull. IN any case, now for Madoka's Rider Form:
Name: Madoka Kugimiya AKA Demiga Muchi - Kamen Rider Wires
Form Appearance: Green body suit and dark blue armour plates, a thick bow-like attachment constructed of her wires adorning the back of the helmet. The eye lenses are red, and the tips of the fingers extend to a maximum of 2'-long, savage razor points.
Form Weapon: Wirelings (the savage points on the tips of Wire's fingers are actually razor-sharp wire shooters that allow Madoka to control her weapon with little more than a twitch of her hand. Given her graceful form, she is capable of controlling these wires with deadly efficiency.)
Finisher: Way of the Dancing Strings: Savage Slash (Tapping the crystal on her bracelet three times, the wires retract into the fingertips, which then extend to maximum length. Rushing her foe, Madoka performs a deft slash through the foe's body in the form of an "X", allowing them to explode behind her.)
And that's about it… so, without further ado… Chapter 12 is now UP! WELCOME!
CHAPTER 13: KARAOKE QUEEN: YUUNA'S GREEN DILEMMA!
Two days after Madoka's first victory, Nogias had returned to his teaching. All the girls seemed to be getting along fine amongst each other, with the less combat-active girls either refusing to show or developing their own unique styles. Nodoka, the least-likely to ever ACTUALLY fight someone, had transformed her week one dancing into her own fighting style, and had ACTUALLY beat Setsuna with it! However, what caught him off guard was the appearance if his surveillance target from the last four weeks, Yuuna. She seemed to be extremely tired, and sported a black eyes, multiple cuts and bruises, complete with a fat lip. It took her no more than six seconds for her to try and throw a punch, only to land face first on the ground.
"Girls, keep working here. I'm going to take Yuuna-san to the nurse's office for treatment and a little rest. I expect to see some of you picking up the pace by the time I get back, ok?" Nogias hoisted Yuuna's slumbering body into his arms and headed off for the main school building.
_SOON…_
Nogias sat next Yuuna as she slept, hoping she'd awaken soon with enough strength to talk to him.
He got his wish when Yuuna, groaning, slowly opened her piercing brown eyes, looked around and said, "What? Where am I?"
Nogias heaved a heavy sigh of relief, and then said, "You're in the nurse's office. Ako-san followed me here against my request and treated your injuries. Well, at least the ones she could do something about. I dealt with everything else myself. Look and see for yourself." Nogias handed her a small hand mirror, which immediately revealed a lack of any facial injuries or physical abnormalities of ANY kind. As Yuuna continued to check her for even a SCRATCH on her person, Nogias simply smiled and chuckled.
"And please put from your mind any thoughts of my being a pervert. I'm not that low on the scale of humanity that I'd purposefully bring an unconscious, injured girl into an enclosed room and strip her down for fun. Just don't think that," Nogias said, catching Yuuna off guard as he had Ako the other day. Yuuna couldn't believe how her teacher had just … spoken exactly what she'd been thinking.
"Well, if I'm all better, I should be able to leave whenever, right? In that case, I think I'll just-Hey!" Yuuna shouted as Nogias grabbed her arm and sat her back on the bed with a vice grip.
"YOU ARE NOT LEAVING UNTIL I GET SOME ANSWERS, YUUNA-SAN," Nogias shouted back, almost scaring Yuuna with his booming voice and angry tone, "IT'S MY DUTY AS YOUR TEACHER TO PROTECT YOU FROM HARM AT ALL COSTS, SO I CAN'T STAND IDLY BY WHEN YOU COME TO CLASS LOOKING LIKE YOU'VE JUST SURVIVED A CATASTROPHIC CAR ACCIDENT! Please," Nogias trailed off, turning his gaze away from Yuuna, "Just please tell me …"
Yuuna couldn't help but watch as a single tear rolled down her teacher's hair-covered face, and, finally unable to lie anymore, stared at the ground and said, "I'm in trouble with a girl from the karaoke district."
Nogias, hearing this, wiped his eyes and turned back to look at her, saying, "What?"
"It's true. The three months before school started, I started doing Karaoke contests to get some cash, because I needed a new pair of shoes for basketball. However, the ones I wanted were WAY expensive. So, for the first few contests, I lost a few yen here and there. But, after about the tenth contests, I started to win. Up until the start of school, when I was in the last competition I'd need to win to get my shoes. No matter who it was, no one could beat me. I was in the zone, until SHE came in," Yuuna said, trailing off as a shiver ran down her back. Nogias' inquisitive look got him the response he wanted.
Yuuna continued, "She CALLED herself the Karaoke Queen, but she LOOKED more like the Karaoke Slut. Her entire outfit screamed of a lack of self-respect; it was basically just a leather S&M outfit it a crimson color that disgusted me to no end. However, that's NOT what got her vote. Her terms for the contest were all winnings, plus an added five hundred-grand. I'd almost built up about eighteen thousand yen, which left me about six hundred yen short. That, plus my change at home and the winnings from that contest would have given me just enough, BUT, her terms were too good to pass up. I accepted, although I soon discovered how foolish I was to do so."
"At one point, I saw her messing with the equipment and wanted to say something, but I had to keep in the zone for the contest. So, I was first up; I stepped on stage and tapped the mike, and even though I KNOW I was hitting all the notes properly, they all came out of my throat in completely the wrong ways. Some were too shrill, some deeper than I know I'm capable of, some SO off key that I felt bad for myself. The judges gave me triple negative tens, which instantly meant I'd lost. The other girl wouldn't even have to sing, but did so anyway. She managed to sing everything perfectly. In the end, two rematches later, I'd racked up a 1.5million yen loss that I had no way of paying. She told me I had to get her the money by the end of the year, so I've been sneaking out of my room at night, and, suing what you've been teaching us in class, I've been participating in back-alley street fights to get the cash to fix all this before my daddy finds out. I didn't want anyone to find out, but I can't lie anymore. It just hurts too much to see it hurting others. I just…" Yuuna's voice broke off as she began to sob gently, "… I just don't know what to do anymore… I can't make up that kind of cash before the end of the year… it's not possible."
Nogias listened carefully to his student's story, and then nodded, muttering, "I think I know what she did." Reaching into his pocket, Nogias produced a small, ovular device that resembled a micro-chip. Yuuna's confused look told Nogias that she didn't have a clue what it was.
"This device, Yuuna-san, is a neuro-electric pulse launcher, or NEPL for short. The model design of the device itself varies depending on the purpose it serves, but the concept stays true for all models: At a pre-programmed signal, the device will send out a neuro-electrical pulse into the target's body, which will then attack the programmed target neurons in the brain for any number of effects. Some are designed for paralysis-inducing attacks, while others, like the one in my hand, are designed to target the neurons in charge of vocal control. Specifically, those in charge of controlling the vocal cords will be the ones the pulse targets. With lack of control, the vocal cords will open and close, stretch and contract at random velocities and speeds, causing the victim's voice to contort and skew in pitch and tone until the pulse is shut down. It's THIS device, in and of itself, that allows me to create the effect of nails on a chalk board just by breathing. It's helped me calm down the more rowdy outbursts in class on multiple occasions."
"I believe that this 'Karaoke Queen' is using a similar device to cheat her way to victory, by attacking her opponent's vocal control centers. That's how she beat you, and probably a great deal of other young girls like yourself. Which means, in order to erase this phony debt, we're going to have to beat this cheater at her own game." Yuuna stared at her teacher with disbelieving eyes as he smiled evilly, and then looked at her with the same smile.
"Yuuna-san, it's time for a little payback, don't you think?"
_LATER…_
Nogias and Yuuna walked into a small karaoke bar, where the current contest had already begun. Nogias had to admit; for as badly as some of these people were singing, they sure were passionate. Approaching the bar, Nogias signalled the bar tender for a drink order. Nogias ordered a large glass of ice tea, while Yuuna ordered a small glass of milk. The bartended struck up conversation with a few other customers before reaching Nogias and Yuuna.
"So, what brings a guy like you out to a place like this? And… Is that our Yuuna-hime? What are you doing here? I thought the Queen said you weren't allowed back in here without her payment… Does that mean you have her money?" The bartender said, to which Nogias replied, "No, she doesn't have the required payment. I'm a good friend of Yuuna-chan, and I'd like to have a word or two with the one they called… the KARAOKE QUEEN." The vibe in the whole room shifted instantly; even the people competing stopped in mid song and gasped.
The bartender smiled nervously and announced, "HE'S JUST KIDDING! DON'T STOP YOUR SINGING!" While everyone sighed in relief and returned to their previous engagements, the bartender turned back to Nogias and said, "Sir, I don't know who you are, but Yuuna-hime's exhausted all the rematches the Queen offered her. She has already tried-" "Three times already, racking up over a million-and-a-half in debt, I know. Yuuna-chan told me everything. By the way, what's your name, so we can keep this easy? I'm Nogi-tan." Nogias extended his hand for the bartender to shake, which he did vigorously.
"Well, it's good to know there's ONE other person, aside from myself, who wants to help Yuuna-hime get back to the stage. I'm Jonas, but everyone calls me Big Jim," the bartender said, and Nogias replied, "Well then, Jonas-san, pleasure to meet you. Just tell us where to go, and we'll have a chat with her." Jonas pointed to the back of the room, where two guys blocked a large metal door. Thanking him, both downed their drinks and headed for the back, saying they'd been sent by the bartender. The two guards stepped aside ad cracked the door open. Yuuna slipped on a hooded cloak while both guards were turned away.
"Miss Queen, Two visitors sent by Big Jim-sama. They want to speak with you. A guy and … what appears to be a girl," One of the guards announced, and a seductive voice rang out from the back, through multiple moans, "*Ahn* I told you, Skull, *OH* NO VISITORS during my *Ung* PRIVATE TIME."
Nogias, sensing trouble ahead, stepped up to the door, and, temporarily calling on the powers of his play-boy associate, said, "Oh, please, Miss Queen? I promise our visit will be one that will be mutually pleasurable for all of us." After a few more moans, the order was given to let them through the door, and Nogias, retaining the same persona as before, stepped through the door with Yuuna following behind. What met them on the other side of the door shocked and disgusted them: A girl of at least sixteen sat in the only armchair in the room, wearing little more that a pair of lace panties, which were barely hanging onto her ankle. Attached to her body were three men, each latching onto an unmentionable portion of her body, uncaring of what was occurring. The girl, with long black hair matted to her head with sweat, stared at Nogias with a look of utter distaste.
"So, this is who I let through my door?" the girl said with an air of complete dissatisfaction, "from the voice I expected someone a little more muscular, maybe a little better looking than THIS."
Putting on a pair of special shades, Nogias stared at the girl, who now, to him at least, appeared fully clothed and lacking in the sexual area, and said, "Well, when my friend described your apparel on the day you defeated her, I took you for just a kooky, innocent girl who didn't know what it was she was putting on. Now, just from looking at you, I can tell that your daddy must have really, REALLY hated you. How much did it cost you to purchase that skanky outfit? Were the idiot men attached to you included in the price? About six million yen? Or did it only cost you an endless eternity of constant petting? What are you really? A panda bear?" Yuuna couldn't help but laugh softly when her teacher called this… indecent woman a panda bear, but quickly stopped when they were motioned to sit down, while the men on the girl's body were told to leave the room. As soon as they were alone, the girl began to put her clothes back on, in slow, agonizingly painful steps that were too much for Yuuna to bear.
At last, she finished and Nogias pulled off the shades, smiling as he addressed the girl, "So, with whom am I speaking? And DON'T say Karaoke Queen. I want you're real name. That way I know what name to send to EVERY karaoke bar in this district, as well as every other karaoke bar in Japan. Because, once my friend and I have exposed you for the cheater you really are, we're going to make sure you NEVER sing karaoke anywhere in Japan, EVER again."
The girl stared at Nogias with a dumbfounded expression on her face, before getting her composure back and saying, "Fine. I see no reason not to. It's not like I really AM a cheater. I've won ALL of my competitions fair-and-square. My name is Yumi Kenai. That's no lie, cross my heart."
Nogias wrote the name down and said, "Alright. My friend here is convinced that you cheated, and I have the proof to get you kicked out of karaoke for the rest of your life. But, since you took her win form her through evil methods, she would like to challenge you to ONE, FINAL contest. It'll be a grudge match with everything on the line; if we win, you admit to being a cheater and leave here in shame, never to go to ANY karaoke place ever again. The terms for YOU winning will be decided upon AFTER you win."
Yumi thought it over for a moment before accepting. Yuuna pulled her hood off and, upon seeing her face, Yumi laughed, "OH MY GOD! YOU? I BEAT YOU ALREADY! Back for more punishment, are we? NOW I KNOW I'm gonna win!" Nogias excused himself to the bathroom, but quickly ran to the machine and checked around for anything unusual. Finding nothing, he walked and sat down at a table.
In mere seconds, the Karaoke Queen took the stage, and belted out the best sounding rendition of "Climax Jump" by AAA he'd heard in ages. She was followed by Yuuna, who had chosen to sing "Wind" by Akeboshi. As soon as the words began to flow from Yuuna's lips, Nogias KNEW there was something wrong. He hadn't found ANYTHING wrong with the equipment, and yet, for as perfect as he knew Yuuna's voice was, she was still hitting the notes incorrectly, far off pitch and off-key in all areas. The judges gave her the same score she'd gotten three times before, and the two met Yumi in the back shortly afterwards.
"So," The girls said, her face now a mixture of sadistic joy and total disregard for the other people around her, "How do you intend to pay off your losses, now that you're well over three million yen in debt to me?" Nogias and Yuuna looked at each other and shrugged. They hadn't counted on this woman ACTUALLY winning.
"Well, since you had NO arrangements set up for my victory, I suppose I'll set my own. I'll lift your debt…" She let her voice trail as she watched Yuuna's face light up with hope, "…IF you serve as a play toy for my boyfriends until you're out of college!" She laughed maniacally as Yuuna's face fell back into shock and despair. Nogias stared at the ground, terrified at what he'd gotten Yuuna into. How could his plan have failed? He'd checked everything from the speakers to the karaoke machine itself… but, wasn't there more to karaoke than…
"Can I borrow Yuuna-chan before you take her?" Nogias asked, and dragged Yuuna aside, saying, "Yuuna-san, I need to you to go with this for a minute. I need to check something. I overlooked a part of the equipment and need to check it again. I'll be back shortly, I promise nothing will happen!" Nogias shot off as Yuuna shouted for him to wait. However, her cry was cut short as a hand clamped around her mouth and dragged her back into the room. Yuuna could do little more than stand in place as multiple burly hands ran over her body, grabbing her in areas she couldn't protect…
Nogias ran to the machinery and grabbed the mikes. Running back, Nogias smashed into the room JUST as one of the muscular bodyguards raised Yuuna's skirt and reached for her panties. Yuuna clamped her eyes shut tight as she awaited the grope that never came. Seconds later she opened her eyes to find a sword over her shoulder, extended in the direction of the guards who had backed away from Yuuna. Turning her tear-filled eyes behind her, she saw her teacher standing over her with an enraged look on his face.
As Yuuna's tears overflowed and ran down her now overjoyed face, Nogias said, with a menacing air about him, "If you lunk-headed, muscle-bound, brainless perverts take one more feel of her, you'll be feeling the cold, hard edge of my steel instead. STAY AWAY. She is no longer in service to your lying, whorish mistress, as I now have the proof I need to get you ALL kicked out of here." Nogias sheathed his sword and took both microphones and unscrewed the tops, removing from one a small, ovular micro-chip-shaped device.
"I see I was right. NICE TRY, Ms 'KARAOKE QUEEN'," Nogias said, producing his own NEPL device and, using visual comparison, showed them to the girl, saying, "But it looks like you lose this contest, onna-san. If there were a next time, I'd suggest finding a FAR more ingenious place to hide the device, but… HEY, JONAS-SAN! COME HERE! THERE'S A CHEATER AMONGST US!" When Jonas came over and saw the two devices and learned of their function, his face became a devilish shade of crimson.
"SO! IT APPEARS MY HOSPITALITY HAS BEEN FOR A CHEATER, EH?" he shouted, grabbing the girl by her collar and dragging her to the stage, then tossing her to the floor.
"LADIES AND GENTS, OUR SO-CALLED KARAOKE QUEEN IS A CHEATER! SHE'S BEEN USING SOUND-ALTERING MACHINERY TO MAKE HER OPPONENTS LOSE!" As everyone in the contest heard this, they all advanced on the girl, demanding their money back. After everyone else had gotten their winnings back from the cheater, Nogias and Yuuna stepped up.
"It would appear that you've taken something very precious from my student," Nogias said, and in response to the girl's stammer of "S-s-student?So you're her-", he said, "Yes, her teacher. Yuuna and I talked while everyone was collecting from you, and we've come to the conclusion that you don't deserve to share the same planet as the rest of us. Therefore," Nogias said, unsheathing a single sword and placing it alongside the girl's neck, "I apologize. But the world will be slightly better off without you. Sayonara." Yuuna turned away for a second before quickly throwing her hand in the path of Nogias' sword and catching it in her palm. Nogias stared blankly at Yuuna, while the girl, tears in her eyes, crawled over on her knees to thank Yuuna, only to be pushed back by Yuuna's free hand.
"Yuuna-chan, why did you stop me?" Nogias asked, turning to meet the forgiving gaze of Yuuna's eyes as she replied, "Killing for revenge isn't right, sensei. Everyone's life is special. Some people just don't know how to properly use theirs. I may not know a lot about you, and I may have to learn a bit about that later on, but right now, none of that matters. She may have wronged me and many others with her cheating, but there's still a chance for her to make up for it. And sucking up to me isn't going to do it for you, onna-san." The girl stood up and walked past the bar, where Jonas requested her Karaoke Queen badge and stripped her of the title. As soon as the girl was kicked out, a shrill scream was heard, followed by muffled sobs. No one dared to get up, for fear of gang activity.
"Well, ladies and gents, I present you with your new Karaoke Queen!" Jonas said, pinning the small badge onto Yuuna's shirt, smiling as he did so. Yuuna smiled, tears still in her eyes as she stepped up.
"I'm honoured to be awarded this title, BUT," Yuuna said, removing the badge and giving it back, "I haven't EARNED this from tonight's contest. I can't accept this." Nogias smiled as he clipped the badge back on Yuuna's shirt.
"You may NOT have earned this tonight, Yuuna-chan… But you earned it before school started, so it's yours by right. Well, at least for tonight, anyway. No need to be noble right now. So," Nogias said, grabbing the mikes and putting them back together, "ISN'T THIS SUPPOSED TO BE A PARTY?" the entire building lit up and screams of joy erupted in ALL directions as Nogias took the stage. Seconds later, the lights went out, only to be turned back on upon the sound of fingers snapping. On stage, Nogias stood with his back to the audience.
"This one goes out to a girl who's got a lot going for her. She's been through a lot, and deserves a little time to let loose tonight. Yuuna-chan, this one's all yours!" Nogias said, as the music of a familiar song came on the machine, and Nogias sang:
"Ow, she's a brick house
She's mighty, mighty
Just lettin' it all hang out
Ow, she's a brick house
I like ladies stacked, that's a fact
Ain't holdin' nothin' back
Ow, she's a brick house
Well-built together, everybody knows
This is how the story goes
She knows she's got everything
That a woman needs to get a man, yeah, yeah
How can she lose, good stuff she use
36-24-36, what a winning hand
Cause she's a brick house
She's mighty, mighty
Just lettin' it all hang out
Hey, she's a brick house
Oh, like ladies stacked, that's a fact
Ain't holdin' nothin' back
Oh, she's a brick house, yeah
She's the one, the only one
Built like an Am-a-ka-zon
Mmm, the clothes she wear, her sexy ways
Makes old men wish for younger days, yeah, yeah
She knows she's built and knows how to please
Sure enough can knock a strong man to his knees
Cause she's a brick house
Yeah, she's mighty, mighty
Just lettin' it all hang out
Hey, brick house
I like a lady's stacked, that's a fact
Ain't holdin' nothin' back, ow
Shake it down, shake it down, down
Shake it down, shake it down, down
Shake it down, shake it down, down
Shake it down, shake it down, down, down
Shake it down, shake it down, down
Shake it down, shake it down, down
Shake it down, shake it down, down
Shake it down, ow
Brick house
Yeah, she's mighty, mighty
Just lettin' it all hang out
Ow, a brick house
Yeah she's the one, the only one
Built like an Am-a-ka-zon, yeah
Shake it down, shake it down, shake it down, down
Shake it down, shake it down, shake it down, down
Shake it down, shake it down, shake it down, down
Shake it down, shake it down, shake it, shake it
Shake it down, shake it down, shake it down, down
Shake it down, shake it down, shake it down, down
Shake it down, shake it down, shake it down, down
Shake it down, shake it down, shake it"
Yuuna couldn't help but laugh as her teacher made a fool of himself on stage, while complimenting her at the same time.
_LATER…_
Yuuna leaned against Nogias for support as he walked her back to her father's house. She was so tired that she couldn't stand without holding his arm.
"Sensei," Yuuna asked, "Was there a different reason for your helping me tonight?"
Nogias, quickly covered his tracks and said, "No, Yuuna-chan, there wasn't any other reason. I'm your teacher and I have a duty to see you in class safe and sound every day. Tonight, all that happened was me carrying out that duty, and making sure you don't have to go back to those ridiculous street fights. Although," He said, tapping her nose with his finger, "I'm interested to see what that's done for your fighting style. Mind giving a demonstration next class?"
Yuuna smiled and agreed, and silently walked with her teacher, enjoying the quiet atmosphere. Along the way, Yuuna tripped and almost fell on her face. Nogias, however, acted on instinct and caught Yuuna, scooping her into his arms, as if she were a princess. Yuuna was surprised, but too tired to think on it much. Letting exhaustion take her, she fell asleep in Nogias' arms, and remained that way long after he'd dropped her off in her bed at her father's house and explained the past problems to him. With both men in agreement over a future course of action, Nogias smiled, turned, and left. He was smart to do so, for not even Yuuna's father could have been prepared for what Yuuna said in her state of deep sleep…
"Nogias-sensei… I think… I love you…"
THE STORY IS OVER. FOR NOW…
Errolas: Wow… incredible… to think I came up with this AT WORK… where ALL my creativity is drained… Anyway, this has been chapter 12, marking my return! R&R, CONSTRUCTIVE FLAMES ALLOWED.