Starting Over


'Shinko we need to get down there the Elite Four can handle these cloth scraps,' Sentokitsu noted as Shinko's back was saved by a pulse of sound from Nonon Jakuzure. The third Kamui wearer rolled and beheaded the scrap Nui that was heading his way before he stood up.

"You're right but activating you might get Ragyo's attention before we want her to," Shinko sighed with a pant. Behind him the Elite of Honnoji Academy were battering the Harime clones.' I owe them one for sure,'' he said to himself before taking a run down the stands at what he could call top speed. Beneath him in the yard of the stadium, hundreds of white slaves of Ragyo Kiryuin.


Satsuki looked down at the horde her mother had under her finger. Teeth grit the young woman held the Bakuzan across her chest as her free hand reached around the blackened sword's hilt. Delicate she graced the plating under the pauldron of her dominate arm, her cool blue eyes tilting almost like slits locked upon her mother's white frame.

The three metallic blue bars dug their needle-edges into her flesh drawing blood. Her teeth grit when she felt them dig in but the power was needed to deal with the hundreds of brainwashed students. Blood flowed into the metallic needles and towards the fabric that was connected to them. A star shone out when the iron-rich blood hit the first thread.

The stars soon took shape along every thread through the complex matrix. Blood flowed through the white cloth activating its transformation into a battle ready form to conquer the students that had so long served her.

Satsuki stood 'naked' within a glowing space the matrix of the fabric around her in a cage-like shape. Behind her a burning two eyes beast with glowing eyes that matched those of the Kamui Junketsu. It devoured her body only to be strung back by a lone thread that tangled around it in a complex coil. Light began to flow out in the form of blue stars when it was fit to burst.

Her body was covered in the outlines of white light that quickly turned solid. A top that revealed the furrow of her cleavage appeared first in a starlit dance that also spawned sleeves down her arms and gloves of pure white on her hands. Down her legs long boots appeared their highlighted blue glowing brightly as the rest of the attire took shape. Struggling to stand on briefly she looked up ready to engage.

"Life Fiber: Override! Kamui Junketsu!" she shouted a massive chunk of the stage falling away in the expulsion of conserved energy. Her long blue-black hair hung down as she looked out among her once loyal student body.

"Those of you that are still fighting for the right side do not trust anyone that you once knew!" Satsuki shouted stunning her Elite Four and the Nudist Beach force. Her hands wrapped the hilt of the Bakuzan as a slow breath out keeping focus on the task at hand." Cast your hearts and mind with steel until Ragyo Kiryuin is defeated!" in a charging push that sent cracks through the stage the teenager rocketed forward.

At the end of the massive platform Satsuki jumped and flipped slashing away the first of thousands of mindless drones. Their pale frames being tossed around like paper as she whirled by with sword shining. She spun and twisted prolonging the flight as long as she could just to assure the most damage had been dealt.


"She's a show off," Shinko sighed throwing back those that lumbered towards him in a flurry of blinding strikes from a vertical platform that was just out of reach. His weaponry was just as effective though it lacked the raw power of the transformed Kamui spinning around in front of him.' Ragyo just glanced over here. She knows something more than she led on,' the youth said to himself delivering a swift right kick to the face of a student that climbed too high.

'This is getting more and more troubling. Are you sure that you will be fine without using my assistance?' the worried Kamui Sentokitsu asked his wearer with a glance up. Shinko's cheeks were beginning to red and faint beads of sweat had slowly rolled down the curvature of his face.

"I told you didn't I? We aren't showin' our full power yet," the wearer responded sending a massive hail of concrete down upon the horde with a slash to the stand he was on. A flip landed him safely back and gave space and time to think.

'Your ingenuity will only get us so far. I know you are using every trick you have and pushing yourself too hard,' Sentokitsu said with his wise voice. If anyone knew Shinko it was the Kamui and still the wearer was just grinning wildly as if excited or enticed to keep fighting on.

"I'm always on my best when I go all in!" he responded with a grit as the edge of his sword dug into and through the fabric of a Goku Uniform. With a swift snap of the wrist said mindless drone was thrown across the courtyards where he crashed into another.

'Shinko's vitals are fluctuating wildly. And yet he is not even phased what exactly is he experiencing,' the Kamui worried to itself as they thrashed through a few more students that piled in their way. He felt the blood flow increase with the strikes that followed all of which left trenches in the ground.' Shinko slow down some you do not have to stop but just keep it a slower pace,' Sentokitsu said filled with concern.

Shinko swung his sword and cleared away a ring of students his face contorting into a smile as they all crashed around him in a circle broader than the one he broke away.' I am not feeling any of that fatigue anymore. Something Sento must be doing,' he thought pivoting and positioning the blade forward.

"Sure thing I'll keep it calm for a little while," he said his breathes losing the pants that had been filling them. His body shifted and the air seemed to follow as the ring of possessed students strolled in with drool hanging in strands from their mouths.' Easier said than done though,' he spun the katana not ready to dual wield it with the broad sword on his back.


Satsuki landed over three hundred yards away from her initial jump out into the horde of her students. Around her hundreds of Honnoji One Stars were laid out in piles and in singular formation all marked across the chest or face of leg with a edge of the Bakuzan. Breathes shuddered slightly from her mouth as she straightened her weapon and glared at the monster that had birthed her.

"It is only a matter of time Ragyo. These pawns stand little resistance against my power!" Satsuki shouted keeping her eyes narrowed on the woman sitting on the stage now dozens of meters away. The white haired woman had a large smile on her face as if to prove her daughter wrong.' She still is planning something? What though there are no more students for her to use against me,' the blue eyed Student Council President thought narrowing her focus onto Ragyo.

Ragyo stood up and held up her left pinkie finger. It was a mockery from the rather upper-class culture the Kiryuin clan had been raised in for so many years and now it was mocking the daughter. The white haired woman grinned as the rainbow of light that flowed under the silvery white shone brighter. Satsuki tensed as she saw Ryuko and Shinko beating the sense out of the remaining hordes.

"Ohho, Satsuki how cute you are where you believe that you were right," Ragyo laughed in her typical degrading fashion making her daughter feel as if she missed something. Ragyo's red eyes darted across to Ryuko who was currently pounding down upon a random One Star with the hilt of the Scissor Sword." In all of your planning and scheming you made one mistake..." Ragyo grew silent knowing her daughter would but in if she continued.

"And what would that be!" Satsuki blew the struggling student's away with a lazy slash from Bakuzan their frames rolling around when they finally fell from their airborne position. She tensed and puckered her features seeing the superior look on her mother's own smooth face.

"Bringing your two strongest forces here," Ragyo laughed making her daughter even more uncomfortable. Satsuki's stony eyes darted over quickly to Shinko who was quickly putting down what every was in his way. Ryuko was fairing equally well in fact she had one of the student's by the scruff of her collar.

Then it happened a single red star twinkled out of the sitting queen's raised pinkie finger flashing out into a long rainbow hued strand of fabric. It uncoiled and expanded up dozens of feet into the air, it was easily several hundred feet long. Like a snake's strike it shot out splitting in two in mid-air reaching out towards the two rebels that had just found a common ground with Satsuki.

"Matoi! Kurosaki! Move away now!" Satsuki shouted as loud as she could. The strands however were moving too fast and getting too close for the two to do much of anything about them.


Ryuko was snatched up first both hands bound to her side by the Marionette Thread coiled around her body. She struggle and was quickly dragged from the ground and into the air, an impressive strength of the fabric capable of dragging her away and up so easily.

"Kinagase cut her free!" Mikisugi shouted firing pins upon pins at the lone thread. The red thread though had a low target size and the chunkiness of his DTR proved very hindering in keeping up with its rapid movements.

Tsumugu rushed over slashing along the way until he was tackled from all sides by One Star puppets." I'm trying but these goons don't want to get off of my ass!" he grit pulling forward even with all of them. The Tailor's Dagger was just inches away from the thread when he was kicked in the face by one of the once downed students. He fell back and the cord pulled away.

"Damn it!" he tried to swing but he was pinned down without trouble the sheer strength of the dozen or so students that were covering his body too much to overcome. He git as they started wailing upon him and their sole hope was dragged away.

"What the hell!" Ryuko struggled her hands and feet thrashing in their confined spaces trying to pry the Life Fiber away. It did not work in fact it felt like the basting thread was tightening even more." Senketsu come on do something!" she was panicking realizing that her own strength was not going to get through it.' Break already!' she complained struggling with everything she had.

The top of the Kamui was moving trying to wriggle free or break out of the bindings but that was failing.' Ryuko I'm trying! This cord though is not unraveling!' for the first time the Kamui was not relaxed in fact Senketsu was down right terrified as the Life Fiber that was holding them. Senketsu kept pulling only to find that one of the threads had gone loose.

The issue? It had already bored into Ryuko's head. Her body was quivering and everything was starting to brighten to a pale white color as his struggling became less and less effective." I...ah...ahh.." Ryuko tried to mutter something but it failed as she lost control of her nervous system.

White rode up every part of her body from her shoes to her skin, it all was a pure snow white. The Kamui's red highlights paled at first as well disappearing entirely when the navy-black fabric morphed to the dull white as well. Ryuko's eyes blanked and her hair did as well to reveal the threading currently stitched through her brain. Even the red bang pale to the white mixing in entirely with the rest of her now blank appearance.


Roughly the Same Time...

"Sento come on help me out here!" Shinko was clawing at the thread bound around his torso and legs. His hands were confined and the hand with the studded gloved as wrapped up entirely so he could not even attempt to transform.' I have to be able to fight this off! Come on tear free damn it!' he was yanking his right completely wrapped hand but it was not moving from his side the bindings were too tight.

'Shinko I am trying but without the transformation I can not simply tear through this,' Sentokitsu informed moving around all of its frame only to find the struggle to be futile. It pushed out and pulled in by the Life Fiber around them did the same keeping any movement to the absolute minimum.' Shinko's heart rate and blood pressure are surprisingly calm what is going on?' Sento wondered looking up at Shinko's panicked face and struggling features.

"Then just keep trying!" he wriggled and struggled longer as he watched the Marionette Thread pierce through his ally's mind. His teeth grit as their fighting became more and more troubled.' I can't go down as a pawn!' he shouted to himself taking his teeth and gnashing at the cord around him. It failed nothing happened to it the red threading was too durable.

Like needle the edge of the thread dug through his body and towards his brain. A startling pain ran through every fiber of his being before dulling out entirely as his breathes became shallow. Drool began to spittle from his mouth and his eyes started to grow distant and stunned." Matoi..Ryuk..aah!" his fruitless screaming ran out as everything dulled away.

The Kamui's vibrant hues of red turned to a powdery white color. The 'eyes' upon the garment lost their emerald luster and faded as well losing all definition in fact like two white ports. The strength that had been present was taken away and the cloth went slack completely out of energy and control of itself.

Shinko failed just as badly if not worst. His teeth were grit tightly only for a few seconds as his mouth slacked open and his skin turned to the white hue that every no name One Star student was marked with. Drool ran from the corner of his face as his black hair turned to the white that seemed to match that of his Kamui and body at this point. His eyes glowed red only briefly as the light blue that showed just how clear his cause was vanished leaving pure white voids. His brain had been bound tightly and the netting of Life Fibers showed it.


"You're greatest allies are my pawns now!" Ragyo laughed yanking the cord. It brought down both warriors in fireballs of red their hands now locked around their weapons with a deadly intent upon their faces. Their hollow faces tightened, teeth grit in complete subservience to the head of REVOCs Corp." It is such a tragic turn. Now then my puppets," she smiled her ruby lips contorting upwards.

"Snap out of it Matoi!" Satsuki shouted drawing the Bakuzan up ready to fight. She was shaken and considering her strongest threats were no hindered by nothing except the will of her mother made it even more frightening.' They aren't listening,' she tensed as they stood stoic awaiting the instructions of Ragyo, their new master.

"Only Matoi? What is it that makes her special enough to earn your concern?" Ragyo asked staring at the female servant currently before her in offensive position. Then the smile grew greater as her daughter's face grew more grim." Not that it matters. She can not hear you even if she wanted too. Her nervous system is bound up tight," the woman snarled with laughter.

"Destroy her," Ragyo laughed coldly before flicking her pinkie finger forward. Her two puppets fired off like missiles aimed for the Kiryuin heir.

'Schlink!' two swords running along the Bakuzan as Satsuki swung it over in defense. Both teenagers against her were adept at their weapon skills and without concern they were more than formidable.

'Crick!' the black bladed katana was pushed down by the pair force as stars began to shake out from the exchange. An explosion followed and tore a rut across the area behind Satsuki that was twenty or so feet deep and easily fifty feet across.

'Scrreee!' the blades slid together again and the stars continued to flutter out blowing away the ground behind her. Satsuki grit throwing her hands forward and repelling the strikes briefly to open up a window for conversation.

"Both of you are the most hard headed and stubborn people I know! It is clear though that I underestimated your resolve!" Satsuki pushed back using Junketsu to its maximum, the two were tossed away again giving even more time to talk.

"Oh, Satsuki how adorable you clearly do not know what Mental Refitting does do you? They are going to destroy you," so calm and cold Ragyo said watching as her first and sole daughter raged forward into the combat. Satsuki turned and batted them both away with a harsh spinning swing of her blade, a star shaking out and blowing more debris into the air.

Satsuki ran through and slashed at both of them being deflected from the edge of the swords both of them were holding as she ran forward. Her focus narrowed on her mother knowing that one solid strike would kill her and set the duo free. Outnumbered Satsuki knew that this was the only way to win and it was rather haphazard to preform.

'Thud!' a right hand floored her sending the Kamui wear rolling across the ground just as she approached the stages footing. Ryuko was standing there with the Scissor Sword hanging from the right arm Satsuki's blood on the extended hand.

She rolled as Ryuko's sword came down and crashed against the crossed katana a ripple crushing the ground beneath the young lady as she lay there. Both feet were raised and put cleanly into the center of the controlled girl's abdomen being retracted like those of a kangaroo before it would jump. With an elastic push Ryuko was flung backward in a burst of sound.

The controlled puppet landed on her feet and glared down confused still grasping the Scissor Blade at her side. Shinko ran as fast as he could to get over there but it was appearing that Satsuki had an opening to claim victory.

"Matoi die or snap out of this!" she roared throwing herself forward and closing the gap between them. The Bakuzan shimmered in the long haired teen's hand as it readied to strike.

Satsuki straightened up and took towards Ryuko again a risk worth running for sure. The Bakuzan was in a piercing stance and aimed for Ryuko's heart the teenager swung down the Scissor Sword and missed by just a narrow margin the blade racing towards her chest unhindered.

A white hand reached out and grabbed her wrist stopping the moment and leaving Satsuki awestruck. Shinko was there his right arm extended and wrapped around her leading hand, his body was positioned like a partition between Ryuko and Satsuki. Teeth grit he pushed her back leaving a stunned look on the teenaged girls face.

'Interesting I did not order him to do that,' Ragyo watched on as the male Kamui wearer stumbled down to his knees. His hands hit the ground and a red film began to form along the inside of his wrist, the part that ran along the top of black sword as it passed to Satsuki's hands.

He shivered and tears began to streak from his eyes. The drool from his mouth stopped running and he looked down at the bloody pool running from his right arm to the flooring below. Green radiated from his chest were the eyes had been and stars slowly began to race out around the Kamui, starting from the gloves sitting in the bloody pool.

He shivered and fell forward face down on the ground the color returning to his body. Black filled his messy hair as his skin and Kamui differentiated their hues from one another again." Get...out of...my head!" he clawed, still keeping his face buried in the dirt the blood caking said onto his face.

His right hand reached and shifted towards his temple. He cried out in pain as his index and middle fingers poked and attempted to crack through the thin bone and reach to the thread." Satsuki..deal with Ryuko.." Shinko cried out in shallow breaths the strikes digging into his skin.


'He is far stronger than I gave him credit for,' the white hair queen looked surprised while staring down at the scene. She knew his parents and their ties to Life Fiber Research within REVOCs.

"Lady Ragyo, he is snapping out of your Mental Refitting!" Rei gasped from beside the woman watching the entire scene roll on. Satsuki and Ryuko had also begun to fight again.

"So be it. His strength is negligible when compare to this Matoi girl's. Her own abilities without Synchronization are proving far beyond even Satsuki's own," Ragyo was nonchalant about it. She still had one pawn and in her eyes it was the stronger of the ones that were dealing with Satsuki.

"Of course," Rei bowed with respect as the sounds of swordplay continued.


Satsuki and Ryuko were throwing their blades at whirlwind speeds and unfortunately it was enough to shred away the ground. Red and black swords swung and met in series that sent out explosive force through the entire scene. Both girls were swinging around and dealing blows that raced on and on for several seconds at a time, all the while Shinko whined and struggled to free himself completely from the threading.

"Snap out of it Matoi! You have the resolve to break out of this," Satsuki said her blade sliding down the Scissor Sword towards Ryuko.

Sparks flew and heated up, they rained down as the blades kept their frictional force up. Then it happened the two blades met deadlock in the form of the pivot hole where if the blade had been complete a circular pin would have been. They froze briefly pushing one another with everything they could and from Ryuko that meant a lot as they could not overcome one another.

Both young ladies threw their weapons away the blades flipping through the air and falling to the ground. They instead went in for punches aimed at one another to deal a blow that would topple. They raced forward right hands coiled into tight balls ready to strike. Their screams filling the empty chasm of Honnoji Academy raced out in loud strands.

Then in an instant it was over. Blood trickled from a face onto white fabric. The bloody rain leaving small dots along the lapel of a Kamui, the Kamui Senketsu. Ryuko's right hand was balled into her cheek with enough force to bust open her nose. Satsuki grinned seeing the struggling girl continued to grind her hand within her face.

"You...aren't holding...me..down...with string!" Ryuko roared her body shaking as she struggled to reach up to her head. Her hand, the left covered in the Seki Tekko, gripped a handful of hair and then reached into the inside of the skull. The red thread was picked free and gripped tightly in Ryuko's hand.

Teeth grit she yanked and pulled using the strength she had to pull it free. The entire spectrum color began to return with her as the long red cord of Life Fibers were dragged out of her head. Blood rolled down under her hair and to the skin below as she yanked it entirely free. A gasp landed Ryuko on her knees blood running down the left side of her face and falling to the ground beneath her.


'Ryuko freed herself...if only I was more like her,' Shinko complained feeling all of the resolved leave him. The color that had struggled to reform on him was washed away as if coated in bleach. Atticus Kurosaki's son lost as he could not tear into his head fast enough, it strung tighter and he rose up like a mindless puppet once again.


"Le vie est Drole," Ragyo remarked feeling an odd sensation rush through her body when Ryuko broke free. Her lips coiled into a smile and grew broader as her hands cupped her face.

"Lady Ragyo?" Rei looked over with concern as Ragyo kept this look on her face.

"Oh? It appears that we still have a valuable pawn," Ragyo laughed as Shinko's colorless features turned stony and still. She smiled and twitched her finger, the teenaged boy moving with the instructions from the simple tug.

Shinko's left hand reached over to his right. The stud that was in the center of the right glove was pressed in and the needle drilled through a layer of flesh that was tender. Blood rose up the syringe and into the fabric of the Kamui. Stars began to flow as they had earlier except this time it was different, they kept flowing out as if the transformation was actually kicked into activation.

"Now let us see what he is truly capable of," Ragyo laughed as the transformation continued.


What is going on here? One's weakness leads to the enemy's strength and now there is a grand battle about to take place! What could possibly happen when the combustible element of a Mind Stitched Kamui user goes against the resolve of two warriors that bear Kamui of their own?

Thanks for reading,

~Herodan3