Chapter 19: Tokaku vs. Ulith

The steel arrow above the Selector battlefield continues to spin slowly for which color would get the first move. In the spectating area, the non-participating Selectors and Lrigs, except Nio were surprised as they see an old friend, reluctantly siding with one of their worst enemies. "That's Tama?" Nio asked as they see the white Lrig on Ulith's side, "It looks like something got her down or something." Ruko, out of the group, was shocked the most to see Tama alive, but not well. "Tama…Thank goodness, you were okay…Tama!" she cried with small tears of joy.

But Tama did not turn to Ruko's face as she looks down with regret, much to the latter's confusion. "But…why is Tama-chan there?" asked Hitoe. "Well, that too, but…" Yuzuki watches as the white Lrig is on Ulith's table, "…why is Ulith a Selector?" The red Lrig angrily turns to Iona, "Isn't she supposed to fulfill your wish?!" Iona did not turn as she calmly watches, "My wish is, to a certain extent, already fulfilled…but…" Hitoe felt confused, "Then why battle now?" "You know something, don't you?" Yuzuki asked again with anger, "Even about Tama…"

Iona lowered her head with denial, "Not at all…really." The black Lrig then raises her head to view the battlefield. "That's just like her. Such tasteless play…" Nio becomes even more oblivious than before. "You know, I don't really get it," she said confusingly, "By 'her,' are you talking about this 'Mayu' something or other Yuzuki mentioned earlier?" Iona simply turns her head to the arbitrator and sighed. "Possibly…"

XXXXX

Mayu sits in front of a large window as she watches Tama entering the battlefield. "Poor Tama," she said to herself with little sympathy, "But it's scary! She'll get hurt again." She then smiles to herself as the battle is about to begin.

XXXXX

The steel arrow stops over a small white rectangle. "I go first," Ulith said to herself. She then turns to Tama and gives out the command, "Grow." Four white rectangles rose from where the white Lrig was standing at and transforms her. The small Selector, overfilled with excitement, strikes a pose and shouted, "Battle Staaart!" Eldora sighs and bows her head in front of the opposing side. "Please go easy, okay?"

Ruko becomes increasingly worried as she was forced to watch her former Lrig beginning to battle. "Tama! Don't!" she cried. Ulith calmly turns her head to the spectating area and spoke to Ruko, "Can you please not speak to her? Tama is my Lrig." She then starts to make her move. "Wish Crisis!" Ulith commanded. Tama gathers up a ball of energy and fires it at the blue Lrig. Eldora defends herself as Chiyori puts on her goggles to protect her eyes from the blast. Nio couldn't believe her eyes what she just saw. "Whoa, did she just fire that energy ball at her?!" she exclaimed, "This isn't some sort of special effect, is it?" "This isn't a movie we're watching, Nio," said Yuzuki, "This is a real fight between Selectors and their Lrigs. There is nothing we should be excited here."

"Yaaargh! So Strong!" Chiyori squealed joyfully, "Seriously?! Is it happening?! Finally happening?! My rival appears?! All righty! This is getting exciting!" Eldora got back on her feet after the small Selector took off her goggles. "This isn't anything to be happy about…" said the blue Lirg irritably. Chiyori puts one arm out and cheerfully shouted, "Chorizo in the Fantasy!" "Say the name of the move properly!" Eldora exclaims to the child in comical anger. Chiyori then gives out the command, "Cloth Crash Flash!" Eldora charges up blue bolts in her hands and shoots it out at the white Lrig. But Tama puts one arm forward and blocks it. "Yahoo!" Chiyori cried excitedly, "So strong!" The blue Lrig was heavily surprised by Tama's stunt, "Seriously?!" Tama unleashes another energy blast, which comically shocks Eldora. "Owww!" interjected Eldora.

Yuzuki and the other spectators, except Iona, watch the match with anxiety. "It's so one-sided…" Yuzuki noted, "At this rate, Chiyori's going to lose." "Just how strong is this Ulith?" asked Nio. "I fought against Ulith when she was an Lrig and lost to her," said Hitoe, "After that, she gave me my third loss and I couldn't remember Ruko and Yuzuki at that time." Nio shook her head, "You mean after you lost three times, you lost your memories of your own friends? That's crazy!" "You're not the only one who was surprised about this," Yuzuki lamented, "It hurts us too after we learned what happened." Ruko couldn't stand watching Tama doing whatever command Ulith ordered her. "Stop…Tama!" she cried.

The white Lrig begins to regain some self-control as she heard her former Selector's pleading voice. "Ru…" "There's no need to listen to her," Ulith told the poor Lrig coldly, "She threw you away." Tama turns to her new Selector, "N-no! Ru was…!" "Get Bound," the Selector ordered her. Tama reluctantly faces her opponent and prepares to start another attack. "It…It's coming!" Eldora told Chiyori. An orange and white bolt protecting Tama flies straight to the blue corner. Eldora manages to block the attack, and the white Lrig jumps back to the table of the white corner.

Tama charges through Eldora again until Eldora protects herself, forcing Tama back. The blue Lrig fires a long blue volt at Tama, but the latter blocks it with ease. "Eldora, grow!" Chiyori commanded, "And now, Kozame!" After leveling up, a water geyser rose behind Eldora and forms itself into a barrier, protecting her. Eldora jumps and charges at Tama, but the water protecting her vanishes from the white Lrig's touch. Tama looks down as she mind is consumed with remorse, "Ru…I'm sorry…Tama was a bad girl. That's why I went bye-bye from Ru, right?"

Nio looks closely at Tama's face after the latter landed. "That look on her face…it felt like that she is doing this against her free will…At first, I thought Ruko was the one who is sad, but now that I have to watch this fight, it's Tama who's more desperate! If they do face each other one day, what will Ruko do?" Iona smiles as she turns to her current Selector, "It seems Tama is fine without you. Look how vividly she's enjoying herself. Nothing changed about her ever since she was your Lrig. But not for me… Ru, you're…the only one for me."

"Hey, Iona-san…I'm sorry, but can you shut up for a moment?" asked Nio while watching the one-sided battle. "Why? What's the matter?" asked Iona. Nio looks on to the fight with disgust, "Whenever I began to look at this match, I thought this would be exciting. But after seeing that pitiful look on that white Lrig's face, I just realized something…" "What was it, Nio-san?" asked Hitoe. Nio turns to the other Selectors and pointed her finger at Ulith's side of the battlefield as she continues to speak, "This is torture for her! Tama is just being forced to do the bidding of that bitch! If whoever is in that girl's body keeps on using her like this, Tama is gonna break! And I don't mean physically, just psychologically and emotionally… Anyway, Ruko, you need to act! Because if you don't, that Selector will—"

Suddenly, Nio felt a small jolt on the tip of her finger, which crossed over the spectating window. The jolt then became larger and electrically shocked the trickster with the power of nine hundred volts. Ruko jumps back from seeing her roommate getting shocked. Nio was then pushed back to the end of the area and fainted. Ruko runs to her aid as she picks her up. "Nio! Are you alright?" Ruko asked desperately. "Does anyone of you have any rubber accessories?" Nio asked dizzily. Yuzuki and Iona then turns to the battlefield as the start to notice something strange outside the window. "What was that?" asked Yuzuki, "How did Nio get shocked all of a sudden?"

The red Lrig slowly reaches her arm out of the window until she also feel small red volts on her hand. Yuzuki quickly pulls her arm back as she realizes what she just felt. "A forcefied?! Where did that come from?! This wasn't there before!" "It looks like she's starting to become cautious…" said Iona. Everyone in the spectating area caught the black Lrig's attention. "What are you talking about?" asked Yuzuki. "Since Ru was transferred to Myojo Academy, Mayu has been watching over her current actions and decided to add some new rules just in case someone like Nio tries to interfere," Iona explains, "which is why she planted this forcefield we see here."

"Was this because of the people with special instincts?" asked Hitoe. "It has to be…" Iona answered calmly, "Now that she is aware of it…this is going to make things either intriguing…or rather difficult for us…"

XXXXX

Mayu quietly laughs at herself as she watches the scene. "You silly girl…" said Mayu, "…do you actually think I'm going to leave the Selector battles unprotected after watching Ru's every move in that weird school?" The white girl smiles slyly at the image of a dazed Nio, "I have no clue what you are scheming, but your little competition of killing this Haru girl is absolutely low. You and those so called 'assassins' will be trapped in my little game. And once they have the potential of becoming Selectors… the cycle will continue on until there is no sign of life left."

XXXXX

"Baroque Defense," Ulith commanded Tama. Chiyori, unnerved of her opponent's next move, yells out a command for Eldora, "Sh…Shiira!" The blue Lrig tries to stand as she tries to charge herself up for a counterattack, "Attack!" But nothing happens… "…Or, maybe not." The small Selector was not amused. "Aw, c'mon, do it," Chiyori complained. "That's not something you say when they're prepped, y'know?" Eldora told the young Selector crossly. Four small fireballs appeared near Tama's hand and then swiftly flew straight at the opposing side, sending the blue Lrig flying and fall at the table.

"This isn't fun…" Tama thought to herself sadly, "Why…? Battle was so much fun before. It was fun doing it with Ru. It's not fun because I'm with Ulith…?" "Salvage!" ordered Ulith. Tama heard the command and reluctantly jumps from the table to attack the blue Lrig.

"Are you trying to say that Tama is not enjoying herself?" Iona asked Nio coldly. Nio got back on her feet with Ruko's help and leans to a wall. "What else am I going to say? Someone would might go, 'Hey, look at the face of that white Lrig! She may look like she's enjoying it, but she's not because some girl is abusing her!'" Ulith slowly turns her head to the spectators. She was not amused to what Nio just said. "Well…that wasn't very nice…" she said expressionlessly before turning her attention back to the battle.

"But we told Ruko that she shouldn't battle," Yuzuki told Nio, "I mean, you heard about what happened during our shopping trip, remember? None of us saw what was coming for her!" Nio quickly regained her balance after recovering from the forcefield and gave Yuzuki and Hitoe a serious look. "Battle or not, that Selector holding Tama needs to be stopped!" Nio exclaimed, "If she goes on like this, she'll antagonize the other classmates of Class Black whenever she gets to Myojo Academy, and there won't be another chance to get Tama back!" Iona lowers her head as every word from Nio's mouth came to her mind. "As much as I hate to admit it…Nio appears to be right," she said in her thoughts, "If Ulith does continue like this, we won't find out who is the Selector in the academy. There has got to be a way to get Ru to battle again…"

Ruko took one step forward in the spectating area while watching Tama beating Eldora. As she looks on to the battlefield, she starts to feel guilty for lying to Tama during the Fan Event. Having enough of this, Ruko shouts out, "I'm sorry, Tama!" The white Lrig finally heard Ruko's voice after landing an attack on Eldora. "When I was battling Iona-san, I didn't think I could return," she cried, "I thought I was going to become an Lrig. Tama, Yuzuki, Hitoe, and all of the other girls who turned into Lrigs…If everyone could be saved, I thought that would be okay. But…that was wrong." "Ruko…" muttered Hitoe. "This isn't really your fault, Ruko," Nio told Ruko, "Don't try to blame yourself too much."

Ruko continues to apologize to Tama. "I was lonely," she said sadly, "I was lonely without you, Tama." Tama looks down while listening to her former Selector's apology. "Tama was…lonely too…" the white Lrig thought to herself, "It's my fault." "It's because I didn't talk about my true feelings," Ruko cried again, "It's because I made you worried, Tama." Tama shook her head as she looks down. Ruko continues as tears are dropping from her eyes, "I'm sorry…I should have talked more to you, Tama. Talked so you would understand! Because Tama, you're my…You're my precious friend!"

Tears slowly drop down from Tama's eyes. Hitoe walks close to a crying Ruko and comforts her. Iona stares back at her Selector as there was one thing Ruko said that she do not understand, "Friend…" "It seems that you're curious about something," Nio told Iona. The black Lrig turns to the arbitrator with small confusion, "What's so curious about a 'precious friend'?" Nio leans back to a wall and crosses her arms. "Iona-san, have you ever made a friend before you became an Lrig?" she asked. Iona simply shook her head, "Why would you ask me something tedious as this? The only thing I never understood is why Ru would spend more time with them instead of me…"

"Perhaps you haven't made…a strong connection with Ruko," Nio answered. Iona's interest slowly grows as she willingly listens to Nio's answer. "A strong…connection?" the black Lrig repeated. "Think about something like…you wanted to talk with Ruko more," advised Nio, "For example, try thinking about other interests that you both share beside Wixoss, like what's your favorite food or type of hobby. Find something that would…improve your relationship with her. Make up with something in your mind that would help her feel better. That's how friends are able to connect with each other." Iona looks down and thinks to herself, "Connections…friends…something a Selector and Lrig have in common...what's the difference between these terms? But, then again…could they be the reasons why Ru is not battling anymore?"

Back at the battlefield, Eldora sighs as she starts to wear out from Tama's attacks. She then suddenly hears her childish Selector sobbing with her face buried flat on the table. "And…what the heck are you crying for?" she asked gawkily. Chiyori raises her head and big watery drops are flowing out of her eyes. "Because! Tama and Ru were friends!" she cried while feeling touched, "Them now battling as enemies is so cliché! So cliché! Of course I'm gonna cry…I love clichés! I can get my satisfaction just with clichés!" Nio stares at the crying Selector with an unexpressive look and rolls her eyes. "Does she even know what the word, 'cliché,' means?" Nio asked herself in her mind.

"I really don't think this is the time to be saying things like that…" said Eldora as she sadly shook her head. "What? Huh?" Chiyori confusingly replied. They both then faced against their opponents on the white side one more time. "With the next attack, we're going to lose…" said Eldora, "Then…" Tama slowly turns her head to the spectating area and forlornly stares at Ruko. "Such a horrible girl," Ulith scoffed, "Doing it with me, and yet thinking of someone else…What a turn-off." Ulith then faces her opponent and grins darkly, "Let's finish this! Arc Aura!" A bright aura covers Tama and she charges straight at the table on the blue corner. Eldora readies her giant hammer in defensive and tries to protect herself. The attack, however, was proven to be too strong and a large burst of lightning rose from Chiyori's table after Tama's attack struck Eldora. The spectators were left horrified as they were left with no other option but to watch. And after the final blow was struck, the entire battlefield turns black…

The Selectors and Nio's minds has returned to the real world after the battle was over. The small Selector collapses to her knees from the intense battle she had experienced. Ulith simply smirks as she faces the two Selectors and Nio while holding Tama between her fingers. Tama looks down with a sad expression on her face. Ulith then turns around and walks to the stairway next to her. "Wait a minute!" cried Ruko as she runs after Tama's new Selector, "Give me back Tama!" "Ruko, wait! You can't tell her something like that!" said Nio as she follows Ruko, "She's not the type of person who can give something back to you easily!"

Ulith stops at one step close to the exit before turning around to face them. "If you want her back…" Ulith derided Ruko, "…battle me." Ruko stops halfway up while Nio stops three steps behind Ruko and glares at the dark-haired girl. "No!" shouted Tama, "Ru, don't battle! Never!" Ruko and Iona looks at Tama with confusion after what the white Lrig told the former. "I can't wait for our battle," said Ulith, "You too…Iona." Iona narrows her eyes as she stares at her former Lrig.

Suddenly, Ulith hears a small metallic cock from behind and slowly turns around, only to realize what sort of situation she is in. Tokaku appears right behind Ulith, holding her at gunpoint! "Tokaku-san!" cried Ruko. Iona becomes surprised by the blue-haired girl's arrival, "How did she find us?" "You idiot, don't take a weapon out in a public place like this!" Nio chastised. Hitoe's body shook from what she just saw and both she and her Lrig raised their hands, "Wh…who…who is she? And why is she holding a gun?" "Um…Ruko…please don't tell us that she's also from your class," Yuzuki remarked nervously.

"Tokaku-san, wait up!" Haru manages to catch up with her aloof friend. But at that moment, Ulith, unfazed from the threat, took a glance at the pinkish-red haired girl. Haru, immediately staggered by the former Lrig's expression, stopped where she stood and hid behind Tokaku. "What is this feeling?" Haru thought to herself as her body starts to shake, "She may look like a normal person, but there's something inside her that is not…" "Ichinose, step away from here. This one is not like the others," Tokaku ordered her sternly. Haru took a few steps back while her body was trembling from Ulith's presence.

Tama remembers what Mayu told her before she was sent back to the outside world. "Are those two…Ru's new friends?" Ulith slowly turns to the stoic assassin and calmly smiles at her, "Oh, yes. I know your face. You must be the heir of the Azuma clan, Tokaku, wasn't it?" "And you must be the Lrig who took over Iona's body…Ulith!" Tokaku coldly assumes. Ulith slowly raises her eyebrows in impress, "Interesting, so you know who I am. That's quite encouraging. Nice to know you're not completely clueless, despite the fact that you're not a Selector. So tell me, how were you able to find us?"

"Kominato texted Ichinose and when we got there, we saw your motionless bodies and two cards glowing," Tokaku elucidates Ulith, "I thought you were in the middle of something, so I hid my presence until it was over." Ulith simply smirks while the others watch in awe. "Well, aren't you persistent? Perhaps you should be a worthy opponent as a Selector." "Wrong," Tokaku declared angrily, "I will never become like you. Kominato told us the whole truth about the Selectors. The Eternal Girl, the fact about losing three battles and the fate that awaits them once they get their so-called 'wish' granted. I'm not going to become part of your twisted game, and neither will Ichinose."

"But how will people believe you?" Ulith asked with tranquility, "Some people would rather accept that fate, rather than staying in their miserable boring lives forever. They wouldn't give a damn about becoming Lrigs after having accepted the Laws of the Selectors. They get stirred up in battles; they will do whatever it takes to make their wish come true, no matter what the risks they would face. As for the Lrigs, they will have no other option, but to accept those wishes to continue to live on while remaining in their Selector's bodies." "Don't try to talk your way out of it!" Tokaku growled, "You're just an impersonator, nothing more!"

Ulith brushes off the comment aside as she lets out a small laugh, "You sure are an intriguing person, I'll give you that." She shrinks her smile a little as she spots Haru, hiding behind a telephone pole. "Though, I have to wonder..." she said curiously, "Why would an assassin, like you, protect someone who unwillingly used her own family to be her human shields?" The question greatly struck Haru's heart and Tokaku narrows her eyes while tightening her grip on the gun.

Yuzuki and Hitoe were shocked and confused after what they just heard. "Assassin? Human shields? What does that have to do with anything?" Yuzuki asked surprisingly. "Ru…Ruko, do you know what's going on here?" Hitoe asked timidly. Ruko, realizing that her two friends are now involved with her new classmates, anxiously looks around the situation she's in right now, "N...no. I don't know anything about this either." Nio was shocked and angered at the same time as she watches. "Don't tell me…" she said to herself nonverbally, "Does she knew about the 'Queen Bee' ability?!"

Ulith, still undaunted from the gun pointed at her face, took one step closer to the blue-haired girl. "So what did you really came here for?" she asked intrepidly, "Are you here to assassinate me? Did I do something to strike a nerve on you? Are you here to pick someone up? Have you come to retrieve Tama from my grasp? Or what if…maybe…you might be trying to reclaim your intention to kill right at this very spot where I'm standing?" Tokaku's eyes slowly shrank as she steadily aims her gun with both of her arms. But at the same time, her body begins to shake. "What the hell are you talking about?" she asked angrily, "You don't know anything about my past!" Ulith took one step forward and slowly raises her left hand. She puts her hand on top of Tokaku's wavering hand that was holding the gun and stares at her blue eyes.

"I can see through your eyes and the trembling of your body, Tokaku Azuma," the former Lrig stated, "You were supposed to be born for the sole purpose of carrying out assassinations. As a child, you never understood the meaning of life, nor what was death like. But you weren't completely emotionless at that time. Someone tried to get close to you to give up on becoming a murderer and start a normal life as a human being. However, that certain someone was found out and killed right in front of your eyes. That was when you start to wear the mask of a detached killer, and hide your broken, fragile self inside of you. True, you may look like the distant girl you are today. But behind your cold nature, you're nothing but a poor little girl crying for the death of a dear, dead relative."

Tokaku's coldness began to drop as the taunt of the dark-haired girl flows into her mind. She shook her hand out of Ulith's hand before aiming her weapon at her new enemy's head. "Don't listen to her, Tokaku-san!" cried Haru, "You mustn't let her get to you!" Ulith suddenly notices a small trace of Haru's permanent scars on her thighs under the skirt. The naïve pinkish-red haired girl quickly caught on what was being stared at, and covers the scars before hiding back behind the pole. "Those are some interesting scars you've got there," Ulith commented amusingly, "You even have more than that poor shell of a girl."

"'Poor shell of a girl'?" Yuzuki repeated mentally, "What does she mean by…" Something then clicks into Yuzuki's head. "Hey, Ruko, I think she might be talking about Akira," she told Ruko. Ruko took one step forward as she holds on to Iona between her fingers. "What did you do to Akira?" she asked resolutely. Ulith turns her head back to Ruko, retaining her venomous smirk on her face, "I brought Akira back into the modeling agency so I can make some great use to her." This remark angered the red Lrig, "'Use?!' How can you say something like that?! You must be playing with Akira's mind to get her by your side!" "What's your point?" Ulith asked pitilessly, "Humans are always victims for manipulation. If they can't be fooled easily, then what makes them so special?"

The blue-haired girl shoves the front of her gun to Ulith's chest and readies her finger to pull the trigger. "Well…are you going to do it?" taunted Ulith, "You should realize that you can catch people's attention and get arrested for murder." Tokaku exhales from her nose and regains her cool and lowers her head to the white Lrig. "Are you what Kominato was looking for?" Tokaku asked. Tama, scared of what was happening, nodded slowly while trembling, "Y…yup…" She then turns her attention back to the new white Selector. "If you want to live…drop that card you're holding on to and leave," she coldly demanded. Ulith looks at Tama while acting with minimum disappointment and puts her hands up, "You mean Tama? I just got her from the card store. And we were having so much fun in battling too."

"How can you call that fun?!" Nio asked angrily, "You're the one who's tormenting an infant!" Chiyori got back on her feet and turns to Nio with an annoyed look on her face. "I'm not an infant! I'm only ten years-old!" "I don't think she's talking about you, Chiyori," Eldora said to the young Selector deplorably before putting her palm on her face, "Why did I get the feeling that I was right about putting ourselves into danger?" Tokaku turns the safety from her gun off and aims it at Ulith's chest. "I will not repeat myself again…" she threatened firmly, "Drop the card and BACK OFF!"

Ulith coolly looks around to whatever was surrounding her. She took a quick glance at Ruko's group before turning to Tama and grins. "Very well then…" Ulith calmly replied without breaking a sweat. She holds Tama with the tips of her right thumb and index finger and slowly reaches her arm out in front of Ruko. "Hey, scum…" Ulith taunted Ruko, "…catch." She lets go of Tama and the card falls like a feather. "Tama!" cried Ruko as throws Iona back and rushes to her former Lrig. Nio quickly catches the black Lrig before she can reach the ground. "I do not like where this is going…" Iona says distrustfully. "No argument here," Nio replied back, "Something doesn't feel right."

Ruko's sad smile gradually grows as she reaches her arm to catch Tama, "Tama! Tama!" "Ru!" cried Tama. Suddenly, small red jolts appeared between Tama and Ruko's fingertips. Ruko then felt that she is pushed down the stairs with great force. "Ruko, hang on!" exclaimed Nio. Ruko was thrown into Nio and they both fell down the stairs. "Ruko! Nio! Are you two okay?!" Hitoe asked desperately as she runs to the injured girls. They both steadily get back on their feet and brushed off the dust on their outfits. "We're fine," Nio answered, "And so is Iona-san." "What's going on?!" asked Yuzuki, "I thought Ruko was able to catch Tama! What happened?!"

Tokaku pointed her gun again at the back of Ulith's head. "What did you just do?" she asked coldly. "Nothing, really…" Ulith answered as she shrugs, "This is just a new rule added by Mayu." Ruko, Yuzuki, and Hitoe were shocked after listening to the former Lrig's response. "Unless it's in protective gear, like Uemura's for example, a Selector cannot be allowed to touch someone else's Lrig in case of any theft," Ulith informed them with a dark grin, "Therefore, since I'm Tama's Selector, neither of you can touch her…except for me." Both Ruko and Tama feel devastated of the new rule as the former fell to her knees. "It's not fair…" Ruko spoke in anguish, "It's just not fair…"

The black-haired Selector then turns her head back to her attacker. "By the way, Tokaku, there is one advice I should give you…" she told Tokaku as she lowers her arms, "…guns aren't meant to be used for threats. They are used to act!" Ulith quickly knocks the gun away from Tokaku with the back of her hand, raises her left leg, and swings her left foot. Tokaku ducks before the kick could reach her and jumps back. The blue-haired girl takes out a knife from her boot and throws it at Ulith. But the black-haired girl catches the flying knife by the handle between two fingers, flings it upward, and catches it with her hand without cutting herself. "Impressive throw," said Ulith, "But you lack your killer instinct."

Another knife has been taken out from the back of Tokaku's belt. "How can I not see this coming?" Tokaku thought to herself, "A normal human wouldn't knock the gun out of my hand like that. And this scent…it smells even worse than Inukai. Just what is she?" "You're wondering why I am able to fight back, correct?" Ulith asked Tokaku, "Despite the fact of being in this body, I still have the experiences as an Lrig and studied the measures of close-range combat, along with the knowledge of deaths and assassinations. In short, I already know about your clan, the Kuzunoha clan, Hanabusa Financial Clique, and the powerful family where the girl behind you came from." Tokaku readies herself with a knife in her hand and grins in an irascible manner, "You are one sick girl," Ulith simply grins back, "It's what I am." The wind blows from the side of their heads as they were waiting for a chance to deliver the first strike. A sound was made from a fallen leaf and the two knife wielders rush toward each other with the blades of the knives making contact.

(Cue A Human Bullet-Puella Magi Madoka Magica)

They both struggled to push someone back with all of their strength until they jumped one step back. Tokaku jumps forward and attempts to make the first knife thrust on her new foe, but Ulith swiftly moves to one side without getting grazed. The black-haired girl uses her empty hand to grab Tokaku by the back of the collar from her shirt and threw her to the pole near the staircase with great force. Ulith proceeds toward the blue-haired assassin and swings the knife in a straight horizontal angle. Tokaku barely recovers from the impact and moves away before the edge of Ulith's knife reaches her cheek. The swing of the blade left a large permanent mark on the pole without leaving a small chip on the weapon.

Tokaku gets back on her feet and reverses the grip of her knife. "She's strong…too strong…" the bue-haired girl thought to herself, "I never thought she can possess this amount of strength. If Ulith does keep this up, it's possible that she would surpass the other assassins. Either way, I can't let anyone go near Ichinose…even if that someone is a Selector like Kominato." Tokaku jumps and attempts to strike the sadistic Selector by the shoulder, but Ulith caught the assassin's wrist in a blink of an eye and lower her arm while grasping it. "Damn you…" Tokaku cursed Ulith. The blue-haired girl used her free arm to reach for another weapon behind her belt. Suddenly, she felt a hard low kick on her right ankle and starts to lose her balance. Ulith twirls the knife in her hand and struck Tokaku by the shoulder with the bottom of the knife handle. The black-haired Selector clenches the assassin's arm even tighter, she wouldn't let go too easily. "You actually thought I would lower my guard once my hands are full?" Ulith taunted the injured Tokaku while grinning viciously, "Think again…" Ulith twists Tokaku's arm until she can hear the sound of a bone being completely broken and kicks her in the gut with her kneecap. The blow from the kick was severe, Tokaku nearly collapses until she falls to her knees and drops her blade.

Blood was coughed out from Tokaku's mouth as she tries to recover from the blow. Ulith picks up the assassin by the hair and pushes her to the pole. "What's the matter?" asked Ulith with a bloodthirsty grin as she licks her lips, "I thought you would put up more of a fight!" The black-haired Selector distracts Tokaku by dropping the knife and gives her a fast, hard punch in the face. Ulith then steps on Tokaku's foot with her heel and kicks her in the gut again. She shoves the blue-haired girl's head back to the pole and backhands her neck. Before Tokaku's body can touch the floor, Ulith grabs her by the shirt collar and pins her to the other side of the pole. The new white Selector then began to deliver a rancorous beatdown. As Tokaku gets bruised up all over her body, she starts to lose the strength to protect herself. Ruko and Hitoe couldn't bear to watch the blue-haired assassin getting herself brutally beaten, while Nio, Iona, and Yuzuki were shocked. Haru was increasingly horrified as she helplessly watches the sadistic Lrig in Iona's body beating her friend to a pulp. "What should I do?" Haru asked herself quietly, "Haru wants to help Tokaku-san…but…I can't get closer because of her…Why? Why can't I do anything?" Ulith gave Tokaku a few more hits in the chest and stomach with strong punches and kicks. She then raised both of her arms and double chopped the assassin between the neck, causing the latter to gradually fall on her knees again. Ulith moved next to Tokaku and raised her leg in a straight horizontal angle while her grin grows wider. "And stay down!" Ulith exclaimed darkly. The black-haired girl swiftly drops her foot like an axe, with her heel landing on Tokaku's nape and smashing her head to the ground. Tokaku's face was buried to the ground, her battered body became unresponsive.

"Tokaku-san!" Haru cried as she runs toward her fallen friend. Ulith walks right into Haru's way, forcing the latter to stop as her body trembles. "Haru Ichinose, I presume?" Ulith asked triumphantly to the frightened girl, "I have to admit, you sure know how to sweet talk an assassin to your side." Haru shook her head as she took a step back, "You're wrong. Haru would never do something like that!" "Is that what you think?" Ulith asked again as she walks towards Haru, "Tell me. What's your purpose for being here today?" Haru grasps her vest as she tries to gather up the courage she can muster. "Haru was born…to live…" she said nobly, "Haru's mother told Haru to keep on smiling and not to cry after protecting her with her dying breath. And no matter how much worse things could get, Haru will keep moving forward until the bitter end!" Everyone in the shrine stood in silence after hearing Haru's speech. Ulith suddenly begins to laugh after some brief silence, much to Haru's confusion. "Is there…something wrong?" Haru asked curiously. The black-haired Selector laughs even harder, everyone else is disturbed by it. "What's the deal?" asked Yuzuki, "What's there to laugh about for her? More importantly I have no idea what is going on!" Ulith regains her composure as her laughing dies out. "Yes, you're right," she told Haru while grinning evilly, "Your mother did protect you…so she can have her little human weapon roam around the earth and force everyone to die by your hand!"

Haru's heart sank even deeper than before as she was heavily shocked from Ulith's venomous words. The Selectors and Lrigs are still confused with what the situation was about while Nio clenches her fist in anger. "What…what are you saying?" Haru asked brokenly. Ulith points her finger to Haru as she gives out her reason, "You were born with an illness that can manipulate a human being to stay by your side forever until that person dies. Every person you come in contact with, every person you gave your trust to, and every person who would do everything for you…are killed off because of your inner nature!" "No…that's…that's not true…Mom would never call me something like that," cried Haru, "Haru's family always care for Haru, they even helped me learn how to get a good life!" "Then why did they protect you from the assassins who were going after your head?" Ulith asked venomously, "Surely, they know the reason about what you really are. Adding insult to injury, you weren't aware about your family's true objective, nor the fact about why you were able to outclass almost every assassination attempts." Haru gradually collapses to her knees as she starts to break down. "You're lying…my family is never what you think they are!" she cried while bursting in tears, "I just wanted to have a normal life…I wanted to have lots of friends…I wanted to graduate from Myojo Academy!" Ulith lowers her legs and puts her hand on Haru's wet cheek while the latter's tears are running from her eyes. "But no matter how many times you would try to get along with others, you reaped everything away from them. Their goals, their wish, their dreams, their spirit, and most importantly…their lives…" Haru cries even more, she became lost in words. Ulith moves her other arm towards Haru's pigtail and twirls the poor girl's hair. "You may appear as an innocent girl in front of everyone, but deep inside…you're nothing but a manipulative little coward who was only trying to save your own pitiful hide." Iona feels sickened as she watches her former Lrig torment on the girl. "It's been too long since the last time Ulith and I confronted Akira like this..." the black Lrig thought to herself, "However…I never thought she would damage a naive girl like Haru in that manner…"

Suddenly, Ulith felt that her right ankle is being grabbed from behind. She slowly turns around and sees Tokaku's bloodied body crawling to her with the last ounce of strength she can gather up. Tokaku slowly raised her head and glares at the black-haired Selector. But instead of getting afraid or irritated, Ulith simply grins as she lifts up the blue-haired girl by the neck. "Ah yes…I almost forgot what I was going to break first…" Ulith said formidably as she puts two fingers out and reaches her arm back to aim at Tokaku's chest, "Your spirit…or your body?!" Ulith lets go of Tokaku's neck and jabs her by the collarbone. Tokaku's blue eyes fade slowly as she loses her consciousness from the blow and her body fell down the stairs until she stopped at the ground. Ruko rushes to Tokaku and tries to shake her unconscious, battered body. "Tokaku-san, are you alright?! Please, answer me!" cried Ruko, "You're not the type of person who can go down easily! Wake up!" Nio puts two of her fingers on the pulse of Tokaku's arm and barely feels a few small heartbeats. "Tokaku-san is alive," said Nio, "but she's going to have to recover for one week." "This is cruel…" Hitoe said softly, "This is too cruel…" "First, Ulith won against Chiyori, then she beats up an assassin, and now she broke a girl by lecturing her? What kind of a nightmare are we in right now?" Yuzuki asked in shock.

Ruko turns around and sees Tama lying on the ground next to Chiyori. By the time she notices the small girl's mittens, an idea struck in Ruko's head. "Chiyori-san, could you please let me borrow one your mittens?" asked Ruko. The small Selector turns to Ruko. "Why?" she asked. "Ulith said that other Selectors are not allowed to touch someone else's Lrig," Ruko explains, "If I use your mitten just this once, maybe I won't get shocked or pushed off." Yuzuki became impressed by her friends thought. "Oh yeah, good idea," she said before turning to Chiyori, "Chiyori, I know those pair are part of your outfit, but you have to help us right now!" Chiyori took off her right mitten and prepares to toss it, "Okay, catch!" But before she was able to do so, two knives were thrown. One stopped in front of Chiyori and the second landed next to Tokaku's head, staggering Ruko. Chiyori jumps and falls down on her butt. Ulith walks down the stairs and picks up Tama from the floor. "I'll be taking her back, thank you," said Ulith while putting the white Lrig in her shirt. "No! Ru, hel—" Tama pleaded before the white Selector puts her away. Haru runs down the stairs to get to Tokaku and the others, but when she sees Ulith walking back up, she suddenly stops halfway and tries to slowly move out of the Selectors way. The black-haired Selector stops right next to Haru and turn her head towards her. Intimidated by the white Selector's presence, Haru steps back until she bumps into a wall. Ulith took a few steps toward Haru and puts her hand on the wall, next to the latter's left side of the face. "Please...don't..." Before Haru can do any attempt to defend herself, Ulith lifts her chin and stares at her face.

"There's no need to be afraid anymore," Ulith said seductively, "I'll take very good care of you…" The black-haired Selector moves her face toward the startled Haru until both of their lips touched each other. Haru's eyes widen while blushing about what was happening to her right now. Ruko, Yuzuki, and Hitoe drop their jaws as they watch in shock, Iona blushes, and Nio quickly covered Chiyori's eyes before it happened. "Don't look! It's a horrible sight!" Nio exclaimed. "Huh, what's happening? What's going on?" the small Selector asked innocently. "Oh my…" said Eldora as she covers her face. The pinkish-red haired girl tries to struggle herself out, but Ulith pins both of her arms to the wall and continues to make lip contact with her. The heat in Haru's body becomes more intense and she loses her strength to fight back. "This is…this is a…forceful kiss…" Haru says in her thoughts, "I can't breathe…someone please help…Tokaku-san…Ruko…" Haru gradually loses her conscious and Ulith lets go of her after finishing her kissing, making the pinkish-red haired girl fell down the stairs. The black-haired Selector wipes her lip and licks her finger. "A little sweet on the inside, but at least she will look lovely with that desperate look on her face…" said Ulith.

Nio uncovers the small Selector's eyes and rushes to Haru's insentient body. "Haru, wake up! Are you okay?!" The naïve girl becomes so dizzy, she couldn't even respond. "Aw, crap! This is so not good!" Nio said to herself worriedly, "Ruko! Hitoe! We have to do—" But when she tries to turn to Ruko and her friend, Nio sees the two Selectors and Yuzuki passed out from watching Ulith kissing Haru. "Oh, come on! Don't faint on me now!" cried Nio. "Why are they asleep?" asked Chiyori. "They passed out, Chiyori. That little scene earlier got the best of them," sighed Eldora. Ulith then turns to Nio, "You're Nio Hashiri, correct? You must be the arbitrator from Myojo Academy." The arbitrator looks at the white Selector in the eye with a disdainful expression, "I'm guessing that you must have learned about us after you got inside Iona-san's body." "Partially, but yes…" Ulith affirmed, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about your little secret about why you're bringing Haru to this school of yours. What I want to know is that why were you watching our match with Ruko and Tama at the top of the construction site?" Nio stood up from the unconscious bodies while facing her, "So, you knew I was hiding during that 'Fan event' Iona-san set up?" "Of course," the black-haired Selector replied, "You must have been watching for a very specific reason…" Ulith turns to the fainted Ruko before turning back to Nio, "By the way you and Ruko interacted to each other, I'm guessing that you must have brought her to your school for something that even I'm not aware of. Was it because she broke after losing Tama, was it because she wanted to avoid other Selectors, or perhaps…you were aware of the Selector hiding in Myojo Academy?"

The arbitrator became shocked from Ulith's third guess, while Chiyori and Eldora were surprised as well. "How did…how did you—" "How did I know about that?" Ulith interrupted, "An hour ago, I was in the car, trying to find another Selector before I found Chiyori. But when I passed your school, Tama has sensed a large presence of an Lrig coming from the center of the school. I knew I wouldn't be ready for it, so I decided to let that go for now. But when I saw both her and you, I just figured out what you were hiding the whole time. You were planning to let Ruko face the Selector once the assassins are gone, weren't you?" Nio grins irritably while twitching her eyebrows, "Ulith…you just struck a bullseye…" Chiyori got herself overexcited about what she just heard. "I want to battle her! I want to battle the Selector in Myoki Academy!" cried Chiyori. "It's Myojo Academy, Chiyori," said Eldora. "I wouldn't face her if I were you," Ulith told the small Selector, "The Selector from this academy is not like any other. She is a very powerful one, no one wants to go near her until someone will foolishly be ready to face her…" Ulith then turns to Nio before she heads up, "If you happened to bump into her, I want you to deliver a message to her…" "And what is that?" Nio asked angrily. The white Selector walks up the stairs without looking back. "Tell her that when I get to Myojo Academy, her days are numbered…and so will Ruko's…" She turns back to Nio one last time and smirks, "See you again, scum…" She went into the back of her black car and the driver drove away from the shrine.

After seeing the car left one minute later, Nio inhales and angrily punches the wall. "AUGH! That proves it! I hate that bitch and her stuck-up attitude! Who the hell does she think she is?!" While Nio rants, Chiyori gently pokes on Tokaku's body. "Chiyori, what do you think you're doing?!" asked Eldora. "I'm trying to wake her up to see if she's not dead," said Chiyori. "Didn't you hear what Nio-san just said?" Eldora reminded her Selector, "That girl is just knocked out. It's possible she might wake up in less than a minute!" Chiyori notices a gun holder on Tokaku's right knee, carrying a gun. "Wow, that gun looks real!" the small girl commented, "Can it shoot bullets?" "Hey, wait a minute!" Eldora cried nervously. Suddenly, a hand grabs Chiyori's wrist before she could reach to the gun. The small Selector turns around and got scared by Tokaku's cold glare while her forehead was bleeding. "Children and guns do not mix. Ever!" Tokaku coldly scolded. "EEEEKK! She's a zombie!" Chiyori interjected in fright. "I told you she could get up on her own!" Eldora told the small girl.

Nio quickly stops her ranting and turns to Tokaku. "I thought you wouldn't die too easily, Tokaku-san," said Nio. "Shut up," Tokaku told the trickster. The blue-haired girl feels the throbbing of her bruises and her left arm. "That's right…Ulith knocked me out," she said to herself before turning to Nio, "Where is she?" "She's gone," Nio answered, "After you were beaten, she took Tama away and just left." Tokaku tries to get up on her feet, but her wounds were too moderate, she limbs against the wall instead. "What about the conditions of Ichinose…and Kominato?" asked Tokaku. "Don't worry about that," Nio replied cheerfully, "None of them got hurt…except for the fact that they fainted." Tokaku turns her head as she looks at the three dazed girls, lying on the ground. "They're going to get burns on their skin if nobody wakes them up," she said in a deadpan tone. Nio feels a vibration from her shirt and takes out her phone. "I'm sorry, could you excuse me for a moment? I just got a call right now." Nio went upstairs and presses her thumb on the call button. "Hello? Oh, hey there, chairwoman, what's up?"

Tokaku leans her back to the floor as she tries to recover from her wounds. She then looks at her broken left arm since she can't move it. "Damn it…she really broke my arm," she said to herself in silence, "I probably won't play my part in this condition…" Chiyori slowly walks to the injured assassin with her Lrig attached in her goggles. "Are you feeling okay, Azuma-san?" asked Eldora. The blue-haired girl turns her attention to the small Selector and her Lrig. "I'd take it that you are a Selector with an Lrig?" she asked stoically. Eldora nods as she bows her head, "Yes, you're right. I'm Eldora, and this is my Selector—" "Chorizo the magnificent!" Chiyori loudly interrupted. Tokaku's flattens her eyebrows in a straight line and gives the child a bummed look. "Sorry about that," Eldora replied politely, "Chiyori is just a little lost in her mind." "That's one fact I cannot deny," Tokaku answered expressionlessly. Chiyori walks to Tokaku and clasps her hands to the blue-haired girl unbroken hand. "That fight was so amazing, I have never seen something like that in my life!" the small Selector exclaimed excitingly with stars sparkling in her eyes, "First, you appeared behind Iona-san with a gun in your hand, Iona-san learned kung-fu, and then you fought against her like a ninja! Tell me, do you play 'ninja' before?" "I should be the one asking you first," Tokaku told Chiyori, "What kind of outfit are you wearing? Are you some kind of pilot?"

Eldora clears her throat to catch their attention, "With all of that aside, let's just get to the serious part. How's your arm, Azuma-san?" Tokaku turns to the broken arm Ulith caused. "Still painful," she uttered, "Ulith may not be an assassin, but she's not the type of person who can bluff." Chiyori stares at Tokaku's severely injured arm to see how serious it was. She untied the bowtie of her long white scarf and takes it off of her coat. The small child rolls up Tokaku's sleeve, wipes the blood off with her handkerchief, puts the scarf behind Tokaku's neck and immobilizes her broken arm. "This scarf is part of my outfit, so be sure to give it back once you're done using it," said Chiyori. Eldora seems rather amused to the small girl's kind act, "Wow, Chiyori, I'm impressed. Since when did you learn how to fix a broken arm?" "My dad works as a doctor. I never see him much until nighttime," Chiyori explained, "Even when he was always busy, he does teach me how to treat an injured person." Tokaku stares at her arm, tied to Chiyori's scarf, before raising her head to her. "Kid…" Chiyori turns to the blue-haired girl, "Yes, ma'am?" Tokaku nods her head once and said only one word, "…thanks…" "You're welcome," said Chiyori with a smile on her face.

Iona, who didn't pass out like her Selector and Yuzuki, watches the small scene with confusion. The black Lrig lowers her head as she gazes at her arm, imagining herself being the victim and Ruko nursing her back. "Pain…" Iona said to herself mentally, "Humans can feel pain, right? So, how come Lrigs can't feel pain? Why can't I feel pain?" "Wait a minute, are you sure about this?" Iona quickly turns as she sees Nio continuing speaking with the chairwoman on the phone. "Mm hmm…okay…gotcha…yes, she's with me…uh huh…alright…I will…see you around…bye…" Nio hangs up her phone and went back down the stairs.

"I'm guessing that the chairwoman wanted to tell you something?" Iona asked Nio. "Sort of…" Nio answered back, "Things are starting to get rather complicated today…" "What do you mean?" the black Lrig asked. Nio turns to Chiyori and Eldora, "Chiyori…Eldora…when everyone wakes up, I'm going to tell you part of what's going on, that is all." "Didn't you just say that you're not allowed to have anyone outside of Class Black involved?" asked Tokaku. "Yeah, I did say that," Nio replied, "but since they saw your fight and heard that conversation, she told me that it's alright to tell them." Nio leans towards the small Selector and winks as she puts her finger close to her mouth, "But whatever you heard about will be our little secret, so don't tell anyone, okay?" The Selector and Lrig looked at each other confusingly before facing Nio. "What kind of secret?" Eldora asked nervously.

The black car Ulith was riding on stops in front of a two-story apartment. Ulith got out and walked up the staircase to the second floor. She then stopped at the fourth door and knocks on it. The door was opened by a woman in her early thirties. "Good afternoon, Aoi-san," greeted Ulith. "Iona-san, thank you for coming over," said Akira's mother. "How has Akira-san been?" asked Ulith. "She calmed down quite a bit, all because of you. Thank you," the mother answered kindly. "Not at all," said Ulith, "May I see her?" Akira's mother steps back to clear a path for her, "Yes, please, go ahead." Ulith took off her shoes and walks through the small hallway. She opens the door to Akira's room, where she was waited by a very pleased Akira. "Ulith! You actually came to see me!" Akira cried tearfully. Ulith walks to Akira and sits next to her on the latter's bed. "Guess what, Akira? I have a very interesting story to tell you. Would you like to hear it" Ulith asked Akira seductively. Akira nods a few times, "Yes, yes! I'll do anything! Please tell me!" "That's a good girl," Ulith said coolly.

Inside Ulith's shirt, Tama cries to herself in a fetal position, only to be consumed by nothing but despair…

XXXXX

(Cue undelete-Mami Kawada)

*Note: For those who are reading this, I do not own Selector Infected/Spread Wixoss and Riddle Story of Devil. Both of these shows belong to their respective owners.

**I know it took me a long time to finish this chapter, but I had some other things in hand. As much as I like Ulith, I pretty much see her as the female version of Shogo Makashima from Psycho-Pass or Izaya Oihara from Durarara.

***Oh yes, and one more thing, I do not want you to put any speculations in your reviews. It will ruin the story. Because if you do, I will either try to block that user or cancel this story myself.

****I decided to take out the part where Ulith licks a tear off of Haru's face. Way too suggestive and inappropriate.