The Raid Trip Commences
"Ryuko!" Shinko jumped down from atop one of the house he had run across to find the source of the scream. Beneath him on the roof of another house covered with a thin white blanket was Ryuko obviously without her Kamui.' Shit,' he leaned down and pressed index and middle finger to her throat, she was alive in fact her heart was pounding.
Without thinking he scooped her up in a fireman's carry throwing the blanket over her back as well. It would have been wrong to trot her through Honno Town in her underwear especially as the sun was going down. His hands though supporting her body were clenched angrily as the walked towards one of the few safe havens in the bed of vipers that was Satsuki's paradise.
'Shinko you're blood is pumping at a rapid rate. What are you planning?' his Kamui questioned as they walked towards Mikisugi's small slum in the No Star section of the town. Shinko kept staring forward almost single-minded in his quest to get her to safety.
"I'm going to end this Raid Trip from the inside out," he said back as the blue haired man opened his door practically hearing Shinko's footsteps to get there. The disguised man raised a brow as the black haired youth entered calmly, still with the unconscious girl upon his shoulders.
"My, my. This certainly is not good," as the door shut the teacher sighed. Shinko walked her over to the same old beat up couch that he had been on only weeks ago upon appearing at Honnoji for the first time.
The teacher took a position near a radiator though he chose not to sit on it. His messy blue hair rustled slightly as Shinko paced by surrounded by an aura of aggression and frustration.
"Don't play stupid you know who did it don't you," Shinko said hands clenching. The room was starting to get a lot smaller as a radiating aura of anger started to flow off of the youth. Mikisugi stared forward with eyebrows raised, of course that was hidden mostly behind the sunglasses upon his face.' I need to calm down, Sentokitsu is becoming more and more agitated by it. Of course I need answers too,' he felt the fibers of his Kamui start to contract.
"Shinjiro the kid you were buddy-buddy with this afternoon," Mikisugi sighed once more before sitting down. Almost arrogantly he crossed his legs and looked up at the teenager who was disbelieving.
"Impossible that kid? There is no way he'd be able to take out Matoi let alone her and Senketsu," Shinko said looking around the bleak home. He had all the right reason to be somewhat skeptical the only people to do that was Satsuki Kiryuin and..." Nui Harime," his words rolled aggressively.
"Bingo. I don't know what it is about that Nui Harime but she can do a lot of crazy stuff," the teacher replied looking at the Kamui wearer with eyes of inquiry. Shinko's posture had changed when he brought those two words into a coherent name, it was a recoil of both fear and aggression.
"Cool down some will ya? I don't know 'bout you but at the moment I'm still too tired to deal with another rampaging teenager," Mikisugi sighed staring over at Ryuko. She was only slightly beaten up on the outside but the red swatch in her hand was what got his attention.' Is that a cut? Or something else?' he narrowed both eyes upon it only to be snapped out of it by Shinko's bow of apology.
The teenager was beside himself with the stupidity that had caused such an unnecessary event to unfold." If I hadn't been so focused on Mako I would have been there to stop this," his teeth were grinding together. His hands were still clenched.
'No, you are still too tired to activate me to the point you'd need to. The injuries that were inflicted a week ago are still too fresh,' Sentokitsu with fatherly concern said. Mikisugi noticed the flinch in the teenager's posture, he knew that the Kamui had talked some sense into him.
"Beating yourself up will get you no where Kurosaki. If you want a lift though I can give you one straight to Osaka in the morning," the teacher said snidely flipping a key out from his pocket. It was for a sports car, possibly a Thunderbird, so by far not a typical car for a teacher.
"No need. I'm heading to Kobe first," Shinko sighed thinking about Gamagori. The giant had been so enforcing and arrogant about using Mako as a worker that it drove him insane." I have to get Mako out of trouble before going to fight Sanageyama," his tone was flat and filled with confidence.
Mikisugi stared at the Kamui on last time. Beneath it he could see the muscles along Shinko's frame pressing against the deactivated fabric, a strength that the Kamui had enhanced but was there all its own prior. Being a teacher he wanted to say something about how stupid it was to go and try to fight Gamagori and Sanageyama in the same day, of course as a third party he also knew that it was possible.
'You raised a mature boy Atticus, though when he's out of his element he acts a lot like Ryuko does,' he said his head nodding to either side. He had a massive amount of respect for the recently deceased researcher and it carried over to the son.
"Just stay safe then. Get some sleep or do whatever you normally do after you get out of school Matoi will be fine here," Aikuro responded standing up with an extended hand reaching towards his student. A smile was plastered upon the disguised face but it was anything but false.
Shinko returned the smile and shook the hand with a bow of respect added in. Next he walked over the door and pushed it open heading out into the now very dim-lit streets of Honno Town.
Mikisugi shut the door behind him and locked it for safety sake. Another sigh left his mouth as he flopped back down into the chair almost comically before grabbing a small remote to turn on the television he had been granted, its screen was barely the size of piece of bread but it was his and his alone. It turned on and a show from several years ago started with the buzzing of a guitar rift.
REVOCs HQ...
(Note if you want anytime you see the REVOCs heading I'd recommend playing Blumenkranz cause reasons)
The office was gigantic, it seemed capable of consuming three or four normal executive offices. It also had the view of an eagle over top of the city made of factories and shops for the super-company. A lone desk made only of the finest cherry wood was positioned in the center of the room the white flooring and lights glowing even brighter against the dim sunset sky.
Entering to the usual fanfare of rainbow lights was Ragyo Kiryuin in all of her incredible splendor. A pressure washed over the barren room just from the way she carried herself it was even more impressive than Satsuki's. Her extravagant white apparel shone out in sparkles, almost the shapes of stars, under the lights a screen descended from the ceiling.
"Lady Ragyo it appears that Lady Satsuki would like to converse," Rei, her loyal attendant, bowed as the screen buzzed with a green tint. The head of the company smiled her crimson red lips curling as the screen flickered onto the palatial room of her daughter at Honnoji Academy.
"How is the plans for your Raid Trip coming along?" the mother asked as if it were a dull dirge of an accomplishment. She of course had single-handedly taken over the world of fashion with over eighty percent of it being all REVOCs apparel so to her it was small.
"Were are planning to deploy tomorrow morning at 5 AM. Everything has been laid out," the heiress said calmly even in the face of this intimidating figure. Satsuki had hid something then just away behind her words but Ragyo nor Rei picked up on it.
"Excellent soon it would appear that region will be under REVOCs' management as well," the brilliant woman smiled still looking at her daughter on the other side of the screen." Of course that is not to say you will not face resistance. What of those other two wearing Kamui?" Ragyo questioned with red eyes focused on Satsuki's stone-like features.
"Ryuko Matoi has been dealt with at least for the moment. The Grand Couturier though banned from Honnoji Academy managed to intrude and cause Matoi's Kamui to be shredded. The parts of which are being handed to our more adept students," Satsuki said still calm albeit slightly perturbed by the fact her mother asked about it. Ragyo garnered a smile but kept her thoughts to herself.
"Well then it would appear that she had done you good. Never look a gift horse in the mouth Satsuki," chiding Ragyo kept her grin. She was most definitely grooming her daughter for something, something important.
"Yes mother," Satsuki was almost subservient but it was definitely not like that of her own subordinate members. There was a tiny hint of resentment in her voice but once again it was hidden by the respectful overtone.
"What about the second? The boy that Nui encountered?" the white-silver haired woman asked continually staring at her dictator-like daughter. Ragyo was certainly interested in the fact there was a third Kamui and that its wearer was the son of one of her former employees.
There was silence, Satsuki was too stubborn to say that he was a wildcard factor." I see then you will have at least some concern with that one. I may have to observe this myself to see this 'Kamui' in action," Ragyo ran a left hand across her silky smooth skin before locking eyes with her daughter yet again.
"No need. With the improved Goku Uniforms once completed he will be a non-factor," she assured.
"I see. Very well, Satsuki much luck to you and do remember that I wish to meet with you after this trip is finished to hear of it in detail," Ragyo said in the same venomous tone that had only moments ago complimented her daughter.
"Of course mother," Satsuki replied as the footage cut out.
The next morning...
Black armor trucks circled themselves into formation. From above it was a mass of giant vehicles covered from top to bottom with light armor and a black cloth top over the back. Supplies, weapons, sports utilities, and instruments filled up the backs of many of the military vehicles. The students which numbered well over a thousand had to pile into their own as well.
The Elite Four stood by their allocated vehicles where armies of their students marched forward. Each student wore a new Goku Uniform that matched the color of their leaders. Jakuzure stood there in full pink attire with shorts that were to be considered very short beneath her jacket top. A little further over was Gamagori in yellow jacket and a pair of sweat pants that matched. Sanageyama had a sheathed sword made of sheer bamboo strapped over his shoulders over his green jacket. Inumuta sat in a blue suit like the others.
"The three lead parties get ten pieces of the Kamui Senketsu," Shiro Iori commented strolling through the arranged ranks of soldiers. He was carrying a keyboard that had statistics of a normal student upon it compared to those of the enhanced students." Those given the parts of Senketsu will have enhanced capabilities and should lead the charge," the continued the morning air forming a small layer of frost on the inside of the orange mask.
A clicking sound resounded over the entirety of the courtyard as a golden light radiated from the top of the center tower of the Academy. The sound of blue heels walking along the tiles of the tower came through in the early haze of the faint morning light. Satsuki appeared at the edge wielding the Bakuzan in her crossed hands the left one swaddled in a red glove.
"Students of Honnoji Academy! Our final journey to claiming every High School in Japan is about to begin!" she said in the echoing tone that could be heard by all. Those below all paid attention even a half-sleeping Mako who was struggling to keep her eyes open." You have survived many perils leading to this point but those experiences have only made you stronger!" she continued charismatic as ever.
The last line also carried a great deal of truth. Those that had survived recent events including the Natural Elections were proven to be the best of the students at the Academy and they had gotten stronger for it. Even beyond that though were the facts that their Goku Uniforms had been increased astronomically thanks to data provided by the two rogues that had entered the school. The vital date Inumuta protected was becoming clearly some of the most important to their cause.
Every Goku Uniform had been enhanced with the Kamui data. It made them longer lasting, more effective in dealing damage, and most importantly more defensive in case there was any chance of a challenge on the trip. That was not even mentioning the improvements brought along by adding parts of the Kamui Senketsu to a select few uniforms.
"This is the beginning of our siege of the Kansai region! The Tri-City School Raid Trip begins now!" Satsuki shouted loudly her black haired being whipped around by a descending helicopter's blades. Students below piled into their trucks and started to zoom off like an army of ants towards rival colonies.
From above the roads leading from the island looked clogged by black. Headlights and spotlights appeared along the way from the trucks themselves slowly, methodically heading towards the Kansai region. Sounds of engines buzzing along continued for what felt like forever until ever single convoy of vehicles had emptied out of the base-like High School.
On the last bridge out of Honnoji Academy a young man stood looking as the convoys reaching the branching paths away from the school. One turned right onto the exit for Osaka, it had mainly sports and practice equipment. Another headed straight forward towards Kyoto, the sounds of percussion instruments jumbling in the back telling the leader was Nonon Jakuzure. The last one turned down the only remaining exit to the Kansai region, it was headed towards Kobe.
'Are you sure Mako is with Gamagori? She was just being ordered around by him like every other student,' Sentokitsu said calmly as his wearer took a few steps away from the last of the travelling vehicles.
"No but we're already in for a penny," Shinko said pulling the hood from his unzipped jacket up over his head. Both of his gloved hands clenched ready to loosen themselves slightly. His blue eyes glared towards a motorcycle hidden at the corner of the bridge, it was held beside an old newspaper stand by a large rusty chain.
'Is this that old vendor's motorcycle again?' the Kamui asked as his wearer straddled the small white scooter-like motorcycle. Shinko smiled kicking the chain down and breaking it away the two leather bags on either side jostling with the motion.
"Yeah, I left all the money I could scrounge up in the corner of his newspaper stand. It was more or less an 'I owe you'," the ignition turned with a heavy buzzing sound. In the distance the last lights of the Raid Party disappeared, it was now or never. The engine revved one more time before smoke jostled out in back in a neat black cloud of smoke.
'So a few yen and a note?' Sentokitsu asked eyes rolling.
"And my word," Shinko defended as he gripped the handle bars tightly." All he really needed to know was that this is the only thing I can assure he'll get back!" the black wheels spun against the pavement and pushed forward with a whirring sound. Shinko's messy black hair flapped from beneath the hood as they drove down the center of the road, along the tire treads left by the behemoth vehicles.
'This is more than reckless coming for you especially,' Sentokitsu commented as they started at a faster pace. His rider let a small smile cross his face before regaining a serious glare in his eyes.' I thought of you more cautious than that.'
"The last time I was more' cautious Senketsu got shredded and Ryuko was left unconscious. At the moment I just can't overthink things," he responded back seriously as the sun's warm glow slowly crept up over the horizon line. The morning was just beginning to dawn but the dangers had already arose.
Satsuki looked down from her helicopter which departed only moments after the last vehicle. On the path below she made out the small shape of a motorcycle riding along the road behind the massive convoy.
A smile crossed her face as her loyal butler Soroi poured a fresh cup of tea.' It seems that he is planning on being a factor after all. Now to see what he does,' Satsuki thought to herself as she picked up the finely ornamented porcelain cup.
Mikisugi's House...
'What no! Stop!' Senketsu's voice echoed within her mind. The scene was that of the Kamui glaring forward at something rather disturbing the edge of a purple sword meant to destroy Life Fibers.
'Please stop!' the sword came forward before the Kamui and left long scratches of purple light through the frame. His sole eye was twitching as the cuts expanded into full sized tears.
'Nooo!' he roared before bursting apart in a flutter of stars and loose fabric.
"Senketsu!" Ryuko sat up her gear-shaped eyes frantic. To her surprise she was no longer in that back alley or anywhere hostile at least places that had been previously hostile. She had been covered up in a warm white blanket and laid on a somewhat comfortable couch so it definitely was not Satsuki's doing. Then her eyes locked onto him.
Sitting there smugly on the edge of another chair in full garb was Aikuro Mikisugi. The old teacher had a toothpick out of the corner of his mouth and the pair of blue-green aviator sunglasses covering his youthful eyes. He adjusted his black tie as she stood up the blanket falling away to reveal her under white and blue stripped under garments.
"Did you find me like this?" Ryuko drew the Scissor Sword from the couch and pointed it at the teacher's nose. She instantly was getting the wrong idea and taking it out on the very pacified man sitting before her.
"Now, now Ryuko don't get any wrong ideas," he said calmly pointing his right index finger to the edge of the glimmering red sword. He pressed it down some allowing any thrust to miss any vital portion of his body." Kurosaki was the one that found you this way and he brought you here for safety sake. On other notes you have a neat habit of going around in your underwear why not just become a Nudist like me?" he laughed slightly.
"I hate your jokes!" the sword was brought up against Ryuko now clutching the blanket as close as possible to her exposed body. The teacher raised both eyebrows before letting out another nervous laugh.
"Fine, fine I'm done making jokes. Wanna explain what left you and Senketsu so vulnerable?" he knew the answer already but it felt right to get the information from the source to assure. He was a very thorough man for just being a strange exhibitionist. Ryuko slacked the edge of her half of the Scissor Sword aimed back towards the ground as he eyes were downcast.
"Shinjiro Nagita. The Newspaper Guy was actually Nui Harime," Ryuko sighed her red highlight drooping over her gear shaped eyes. It appeared that this was another blow to her ego, much like snapping a few days prior." Senketsu and I could not Synchronize fully and she shredded him. Its all my fault," the hardened teenager began to show frustration at everything.
'Ryuko no she did not kill me. Or rather all of me,' a voice very familiar came from Mikisugi's direction. This infuriated the teenager even more and the sword was slung up again in a swift upwards slash.
"I told you stop the stupid jokes!" Ryuko grit her face turning darkly stern. The blue haired man looked at her slightly confused as to what she was accusing him of doing or not doing.
"Me I haven't done anything," the man said calmly hands extended up in defense. He had a valid point if anything Ryuko should have been attacking Shinko for bringing her there.
'He's not lying Ryuko. Just calm down,' once again the familiar voice of the Kamui Senketsu rang out in her mind. She growled sticking the sword firmly forward a small glimmer of light running down its razor-edge.
"You're making Senketsu's voice! Stop it!" her face stayed stern and the sword kept pressing upwards. Mikisugi looked at her face, the shaking in her lips showed that she was vulnerable emotionally or at least less stable than usual on that front.
"No, no. I have him right here," Mikisugi said calmly still holding his left hand out as a temporary truce to use the right to reach back. It gripped a soft fabric piece that quickly was brought around to the front of his khaki pants. It was red with a strange eye-like pattern on the front of it almost ready to talk if it had a mouth to do so.
"Senketsu you're alive!" she smiled jumping over and grabbing the scrap of cloth. Curiously she pulled it before her expecting the fully in tact form of the sailor uniform instead she was met with the reality that it was only a scrap.
'Yes only because you gripped so tightly,' the Kamui fragment remarked staring at his wearer with warm emotion.
"But where's the sleeves? The skirt? The top?" she peered around at the piece of Life Fibers. To be honest she was expecting more to be left Nui had shredded Senketsu into large chunks at least that was what she had remembered anyway.
"That was all Kurosaki brought you here with. Supposedly he found you covered in the white blanket though so it means someone was there before he got there," Aikuro remarked almost with a laugh. The sight of Ryuko looking around at the scarf with large round eyes looking for the rest that should have been with it carried a certain degree of priceless to it.' She cheered up a lot though. It appears she got over that mental block,' he noted having observed what she had been through prior.
'That's right I can feel it now. My body is spread around,' Senketsu added onto the teacher's thoughts. He had noticed as soon as he was was found what had happened after being slashed to bits.
"Where?" Ryuko asked not thinking or perhaps thinking too excitedly.
'Kansai. It appears I've been divvied up among several of the students involved in the Raid Trip,' the Kamui said with almost a sadness to his words. It had been embarrassing enough to sentient clothing to be shredded but being placed among the enemy made it far worst.
"Satsuki Kiryuin," the teenager growled clutching tightly to the sole piece of her Kamui. It appeared that she would be taking a trip to the Kansai region for something that meant a lot to her.
"If you're that crazy for Kansai. I have some clothes in that wardrobe," he pointed to a small chestnut cabinet positioned against the wall. It had two doors and behind were many different shelves and drawers filled with spare shirts and pants.
"Thanks," Ryuko said grabbing a maroon sweatsuit with white highlights from the wardrobe. Moments later she had changed into it and tied the scarf Senketsu around her neck." I owe you one Mister Mikisugi," she rushed out the door.
"More than one Matoi. But I'll take a thank you," the blue haired man sighed hearing an engine rev up and buzz off in the distance. He shook his hair out of the mess to a slightly more professional look of flattened with spikes. In the background he could hear the cries of 'Satsuki Kiryuin, I'm coming for you!' and cries of confused town folks as their homes were jumped over by the motorcycle.
After a few more minutes he strolled out the door a set of car keys spinning around his fingers in sequence. He walked to the middle of the dusty slum street he had spent the past year and half living on. The sights and smells were still ever fresh in his mind as he turned his back to the shack he had called home.
"Today I shed my disguise as Aikuro Mikisugi, Homeroom Teacher of Second Year Class K and History Teacher of Honnoji Academy," his tie burst away and his shirts buttons slipped out of their designated notches. Purple light radiated from his nipples shining out in an very disturbing and confusing fashion as he snapped his fingers, the pants falling away and unbuckling.
"And head to the Kansai region as a first class Nude Officer of Nudist Beach!" his aviator glasses burst away revealing two youthful eyes that could fill one with determination.
"Come Nude Shooting Star!" the keys clicked together and through the smoke a modified sports car rocketed out.
Road to Kobe...
'Shinko you seem even more focused than usual,' Sentokitsu commented as the sounds of the vehicles continued to buzz off in the distance. They were only a few hundred feet apart at this point.
"Mako is a friend. Getting her safe is something key before I take on Satsuki and the rest of her clown squad," he responded as they kept soaring forward over the asphalt the back license plate of the last truck in the convoy becoming legible.
'I see,' the Kamui remarked looking at his wearer with a new degree of respect.' Matoi had made an impact on you indeed.'
"Yeah sure. You must not remember anything from before we got here," he smiled. All those times that he had to work his way out of trouble that Ryuko caused or had to save a friend from him being too selfish instantly coming to mind.
It appears the path of the Kansai region is getting even more crowded. With so many factors heading to the same locations it would appear that things are indeed about to heat up. Stay tuned for the next exciting chapter of Don't Stand Alone.
Thanks for reading all the support is appreciated,
~Herodan3