Thanks for the reviews esp. to DayDreamer9, Ve1vet and Motokonobaka. I promise more battles as the nationals begin!
Again i state that the respected angels, Deuses and others are respceted properties of thier respceted creators/ companies- nuff said!
Battle Phase 1-21: Unexpected and Unintentional
Friday. With the nationals due to start in the next 20+ hours, Misaki was hurrying to get some things into her backpack- among them a martial arts kimono- blue one with a name tag with of course, Misaki's name. That particular uniform was from Kotaro personally, after Misaki agreed to take a "crash course" in self-defense and offensive techniques. 'Short can be powerful'- that was Kotaro's guiding words, not only about Hikaru, but Misaki's as well. Misaki had been a bit successful in flipping some of the younger Kobayashi members- particularly Hatoko and her cousin Shinobu. But when it came to Kotaro- her grip always weakened at that point- enough said.
"And just where are you going?" Shinji asked as he spotted Misaki going down from the second floor.
"Um... you see dad... it's because..." Misaki stammered.
"She'll go to the Kobayashi Dojo for her weekly lessons..." Shuuko, who was in the kitchen, preparing breakfast, answered. "That Kotaro can be helpful at times..."
"Ah... I see..." Shinji replied back "but there is no point in attending lessons when you are hungry- eat first, then, I'll even take you there personally..."
"But dad..." Misaki puffed as they headed towards the dining room. They sat and began to eat breakfast, with Misaki pouting about what her father had said earlier.
"It's not polite to have a face like that..." Shinji further spoke "what is wrong with taking you to a place of training?"
"Dad..." Misaki puffed "I usually go there, alone..."
"And?"
"You don't know the way there..." Misaki added.
"Oh my... I forgot..." Shinji puffed and scratched his head in disbelief "I'm sorry there... four years abroad and I've forgotten all of Japan... Silly me..."
"Well then dear..." Shuuko cut in "since you are not going anywhere, why not help me around in the house- it will serve as your punishment..."
"Ok..." Shinji puffed as he took away his dishes to the sink.
"You know your father... sometimes too determined that he forgets the basics- kind of like you, actually..." Shuuko commented.
Misaki almost choked on that one.
While Misaki's parents struggled to relieve their daughter, Miharu in the meantime, was being visited by Yukinari-from next door. The boy was telling stories about his exploits in the layer.
"So, I forgot to ask... why name him Aizen Teppa?" Miharu asked.
"Remember our top 10 classmates back in grade school?" Yukinari begun to talk.
"Ah... the 'Ten Star Warriors'..." Miharu answered "I remember (pen names of Miharu's classmates)... Hinata (Miharu), Donatra (Rachel), Aizen Teppa (Yukinari), Fuse (Karen), Ryoko (Meemi), Ikaruna (Kakashi), Akashi (Ami), Nikita (Yumi), Touka (Saori) and Nami (Nami). I see, so you've named your angel after your pen name... how easy..."
"How about you?"
"Well, I named Hinata even before the warriors were established... and I used Hinata's name for that."
As the two conversed on, Misaki was already on her way to the Kobayashi Dojo, a few blocks from Tamayo's house. Then, after a few minutes of talking, something came over Miharu. She immediately grabbed her chest, breathe shallow and began to sweat hard- big, cold drops.
"Miharu? Are you alright?" Yukinari asked, worried. "Is it acting up again?"
"Yuki... my medicine please..." Miharu managed to speak.
Yukinari took from the table a medicine bottle with Miharu's initials- MRH. He twisted the twist key and 3 pills appeared from the bottle's dispensing end- red, blue and white. Miharu quickly took all of them without water, and her face showed that she did not like them one bit. A few moments later, Miharu was normal again.
"I'm sorry... I was a bit late taking them..." Miharu explained.
"Do your new friends know about this?"
"They still don't know..." Miharu answered, wiping the cold sweat off her head "but I'll tell them one day. It's strange that me, a very active girl was born with a very weak heart- literally. Only the doctor's medication had allowed me to live up till now- 8 years to be exact... I still need to wait after the nationals to get a transplant- after my 14th birthday, or the operation's stress may kill me..."
"Rina..." Yukinari softly spoke and held his friend's hand. "Don't worry, you'll turn out okay, I promise..."
30 minutes later, Kobayashi Dojo. Misaki had arrived-
"Just on time... and another day of flip-ups begin..." Hatoko and Kotaro's cousin Shinobu puffed.
After a few minutes to change, the lessons began. And as the usual, Kotaro was really trying hard to teach Misaki on how to use her foe's weight against him / her- and he used Rushina's technique as a focus point, demonstrating on poor Ohjiro, who was "stationed" by his brother Ichiro- actually, he had done a bad thing to his brother so... you know what happened. Luckily (for the others, not Ohjiro's) Ogata was there, to give him some "words" (not words of advice or cheer- Icchan ordered him to laugh at Ohji-san, as a reward on doing a certain task.).
"That brother of mine can be such a pain in the- ack!" Ohjiro puffed as Shinobu slammed him yet again, with Ogata laughing on.
Then it was Misaki's turn. She was a bit embarrassed, since she had a crush on him for a while and the rumors- that this guy and a certain pop idol were seen secretly dating each other- even before the idol debuted, made certain that her feelings for him were reduced to a trickle.
"Why should I be careful with him?" Misaki thought as she faced the "test subject" "true, I had a crush on him, but... I have only regarded him as a brother since..."
Misaki then looked at her "instructor"- Kotaro, who keeping stray glances at her. She was embarrassed as she again thought "But Kotaro... he's sooo cute! And really nice, once you get to know him... wait! What am I thinking!" Misaki shook the red off her face. "Steady now Misaki... flip him now, Kotaro later... Ahh! What is it about him! I can't seem to finish a sentence without Kotaro in it... not again!"
"Please no... Please no..." Ohjiro silently prayed, for he knew how powerful little Misaki Suzuhara can be... at least thru Hikaru. Misaki still shook her head.
"Focus trouble..." Shinobu called "break time! Let's go Hatoko..." and she went with Hatoko into the house.
As Kotaro called off the training for the day, Ohjiro finally blew a sigh of relief- at least Misaki did not pound him into the floor like what Shinobu did earlier. At the Piffle Princess shop near the train station, a certain male Deus was practicing with his female angel Ace- it was Ryou Misaki, Misaki Suzuhara's supposed "rival". Ace had never battled in any formal tournaments and definitely, had not battled Hikaru before.
"Nice job, Ace... I know that your enhancements will suit you well..." Ryou praised his angel. Ace was the same form as Nike but had other accessories to its credit- particularly a new helmet and the same pistol / tongfa baton configuration as Rushina, even though she only had baton- Rushina had 2. Then someone tapped him on the shoulder.
"Can I have a battle?" a girl, the same age as him or any of the class 1-A to F students in the academy, spoke to him. The girl had short, fiery red hair that was cut in a way similar to Mei Narusegawa. Ryou could not do a thing as the girl sat on the other chair, her angel at the ready- and entering the layer.
"Rina Superstar! Dazzle those who see you!" the girl called, releasing her angel, Rina.
Amazingly, Rina looked a bit like Ringo Seto (if you arrange Ringo's "pigtails"-or what ever you want to call it, into straights and not curled ones and add a visor similar to Shadow Panther- Hikaru's very first foe- that how Rina looks, roughly) on one hand there was a bracelet and on the other, a device that looked like a katar (or sword or dagger- call it what you like fitting). Her battle dress was exceptional; with the enhancement thrusters hidden in the rear pleats of her skirt (those pleats were the longest ones- at the back)
As the battle began, Misaki was resting on the dojo floor when Kotaro came close. He sat down beside her and offered her a cold drink.
"Thanks..." Misaki cheered as she got the drink from his hands. They blushed slightly as for a millisecond, their hands touched.
"Do you mind if I explain the physics of what I have been teaching you?" Kotaro suddenly asked. Misaki knew that 1 on 1 lessons were a part of the course- but in every case, some other Kobayashi would be sitting and learning from (or looking at) them- not this time, it was pure 1 on 1.
"Sure..." Misaki called, standing up "Why not..."
"You see..." Kotaro began, placing his arms around Misaki. Misaki was shaking.
Then Misaki suddenly flipped the boy, not completing the boy's words or the flip itself- Kotaro impacted against the wall, hurting him much more.
"Nice work..." Kotaro blew as he slumped to the floor, Misaki suddenly snapping out of something.
"Kotaro! I'm sorry..." Misaki bowed with embarrassment.
"It's okay, I know that you'll pull through..." Kotaro commented. Then the two laughed on.
Back at the shop, Ace was beaten hands down by Rina- her swift slashes being the final blow. In the control room, Ringo had noted the red haired Deus.
"Oh no..." she puffed as called Yuko and Sayaka "Rika..."
"What is it chief?" the two asked.
"Dim and extract..." Ringo clipped, rushing towards the exit "Kill it when I say so..."
"Thanks for the battle... by the way; I'm Rika, Rika Seto... Ringo's younger sister. I heard that my sis is here..."
Upon hearing the 'R' word, some fans came to Rika. Ringo was at the layer rental table- nervous.
"Of all the people in Japan, why her? She's one of the few who would know me in this hairstyle... if the fans know my other identity / face, who knows what could happen..."
Rika suddenly spots Ringo.
"Sister! I'm here!" she called. The fans look at the straight haired head of backstage. It was too much.
"Kill it!" Ringo called over the intercom, putting on a pair of shades- compact night vision devices to be exact.
Then the lights in the public areas went off, the only lights active were those of the active layers and of sunlight streaming in the windows- but all that light was still not enough to see in- for the others. Ringo rushed to where her sister was and dragged her towards the employees' elevator, with the lights reactivating as the doors closed. The fans were mystified as to what have happened.
"And why are you here!" Ringo's first question came "And of all the family members, why you, my obnoxious sister!"
"Hey... I'm not that kind of person! Rika called back "Daddy heard your 'little speech' and was worried, so he sent me. And also... for the nationals! I'm the top Deus in our prefecture, you know..."
"In Chiba!" Ringo was taken aback "No way!"
"'No way is not my way'" Rika answered.
"And so do I... but you see here, I have other things to do- first of all, call daddy..." Ringo puffed as she reached for her cell phone.
As Ringo railed her father with various questions- all about her career and Rika, Yayoi had finished her work and was taking a soak in the tub. She was floating at the surface when suddenly, Miharu knocked, breaking her concentration- settling her to the bottom of the tub.
"What is it dear?" she asked as her head popped out of the water.
"Can I come in?" Miharu asked.
"Yes, you can come in..."
Miharu entered, wearing a bathrobe. She sat at the tub's boundary, hand dipping the water.
"How are you feeling mom?"
"Well, my work for today is done... and rest assured, the dome will be in top notch condition when you see it..." Yayoi assured.
"Mom... can I join in?" Miharu asked, standing up.
"Why not..."
Miharu took off her robe and went in the tub. As soon Miharu relaxed herself. Yayoi came to her.
"Let's see how ticklish my little Rina is..." Yayoi spoke as she began touching her daughter all over.
"Mom... hey, that tickles!" Miharu pleaded, giggling "mom... stop it! That tickles... hey! Don't touch me there... hahaha... it tickles! Stop!"
Water and giggles splashed all over the bathroom as mother and daughter tried to tickle each other into surrender. Then in the middle of the "fight", Yayoi suddenly embraced her daughter, Miharu, her fingers pointing at her heart.
"How are you feeling dear?"
"I had an attack a while ago... but it was okay- I just forgot to take the medicine on time..." Miharu answered.
"My little child has grown into a strong lady... surviving 8 long years in that state..." Yayoi spoke in a kind, motherly voice "just a few months more and you'll be safe from your illness... all thanks to your aunt..."
"Yeah..." Miharu called "Mom... I do miss aunt Hinata. Besides you and dad, aunt Hina was one of the best people in the world"
"Eh... what about your best friend, Yukinari?"
"What about him? Um... he's very special to me, and I can't bear not to see him... mom, can you do me a favor?"
"Sure dear, what is it?"
"Can you tell the elders that... I want to push through with my engagement..."
"Are you serious?" Yayoi asked, taken by the fact that a 13 year old had said those words.
"I may die the next day or even later, so I must live today like it was my last one..." Miharu explained, sounding mature.
"You will not die..." Yayoi tightened her hug on her child "as long as I'm your mother, you are not allowed to even think of death... is that clear?"
"Yes mom... I love you..."
"Well then..." Yayoi called, standing up and wearing her bathrobe. "Let's bunge (fall, act of falling someone- adapted from the word bungee) some pilots, shall we?"
"Um!" Miharu cheered, also going out of the bathroom in her bathrobe.
Throughout the day, the two were busy playing an online game, gunning their foes into oblivion- eroding the ground beneath their mobiles and "bunging" (make them fall) them out. Pilots of various ranks- from lowly newbie chicks to the respected, experienced and feared red dragons came and were beaten by the mother / daughter team- along with 2 other allies in a 4 on 4 match- the two Hoshikawas were holders of the highest in-game rank- the silver dragon. Even game masters and network administrators and their toy mallet (squeaky hammer) ranks were no match, and that was in a server that allowed avatar armor properties, such as attack, defense, pit angle and life (AKA "Avatar on", odd numbered servers) - the other servers only allowed the "popularity" aspect (AKA "Avatar off", even numbered servers). So much for online gaming. Back in Ringo's fold, Rika was being dragged off yet again, this time into Shoko's car. And in Misaki's area, she was being escorted home by her instructor. Upon reaching her house...
"Well, see you tomorrow... and good luck..." the boy stammered. "I'll count on Hikaru winning..."
"Same to you as well. And, I'll also do the same for Wizard..."
"Um..." the two suddenly spoke. Kotaro was now embarrassed.
"Bye then..." Misaki spoke as she turned around, winking at the boy.
"Eh..." a voice suddenly came from behind him. He turned around and saw her – Lady T, in a white hood and the same blue shades. "How lucky... a few more years and maybe, she'll become your girlfriend."
"What do you mean?" Kotaro asked "and who are you?"
T approached him. As she got close, she punched him in the midsection, making Kotaro kneel- but giving him a clue as to who she really was.
"That punch... it can't be..." the boy thought as he was T walking away. "It's impossible... could it?"
"My dearest Kotaro... in a few more days, all will be cleared..."
(Finally, the finals will begin! Watch out for more spills and action as the ladder is being climbed... go forth and be your purest, hopefuls of heaven!)