Chapter 35: Syrup Village VII
Opening Theme: Shining Days (Mai-HiME)
Erebus ducked under a sword swipe from Tamanegi and parried Ninjin's sauce pan. Erebus kicked Tamanegi back and locked weapons with Ninjin who dug his feet in to hold his ground. Rising to his feet Tamanegi rushed in and swung down. Erebus slid to the side to dodge. Seeing this Tamanegi pivoted on the ball of his foot and missed hitting Ninjin and cutting Erebus' arm. Ninjin kicked Erebus' leg out from under him and swung down with his sauce pan.
Erebus blocked with his sword and jumped away from them. Tamanegi charged at Erebus swinging at his hip put his attack was parried. Ninjin swung down aiming at Erebus' kneecap. Erebus leapt over the pan and kicked Ninjin in the face while clashing blades with Tamanegi.
"Rubber…" Hanabi said stretching her arms back behind her as she dived towards Luke. Luke who was flying up towards Hanabi let his hands rail behind him waiting to intercept the attack. When the two were inches from each other Hanabi began to retract her arms while Luke brought his forwards towards said girl. "Bazooka!" Hanabi shouted as their hands smashed into each other creating a shockwave that shattered the windows of the hospital.
The force of their attack canceled each other out and forced the two away from each other. Hanabi brought her leg over her head and let it stretch up towards the sky. Luke stepped off the air and shot towards Hanabi punching her in the stomach. She grabbed a hold of his shoulder keeping her from flying back. "Take this Rubber Battle Axe!" Hanabi shouted slamming the heel of her foot into Luke's skull sending him flying down towards the ground. Luke crashed into the ground but bounced back up like he hit a cushion.
"What the hell?" Hanabi asked in shock as she noticed the dust cloud wasn't hitting a small rectangle area. She looked over and sure enough Shield was standing with her hand out. Hanabi had forgotten about her while she was fighting Luke.
Luke shot up towards Hanabi with his leg up ready to kick her. He was then hit by a large bird of fire. He flew away from Hanabi and fell to the ground screaming in pain from the fire. Hanabi looked towards the hospital to see Usopp without his mask on and his Black Kabuto out. "Fire Bird Star!" He called with a smile.
Hanabi landed next to Usopp looking into the hospital. "Where's Sogeking?" Hanabi asked.
"Um… he said he had something to take care of so I came out to help you," Usopp said nervously.
"Oh, okay," Hanabi said turning back to the two they were fighting.
Luke forced the flames away before standing up his clothes slightly burnt. Shield walked to stand next to him. Usopp took a step in front of Hanabi. "I'll take the guy if you take the girl," he told her.
Hanabi stared at Usopp for a moment before glaring at Luke. "No way!" she said much to Usopp's shock. "I have unfinished business with him. I'll fight him."
"Thank god!" Usopp said with sweat flowing down his face. "Then I'll take her out quickly." He aimed at the two with Black Kabuto. "Six Chamber Pit-Viper Star!" Usopp called firing his attack.
Luke and Shield jumped away from each other to dodge the attack. Hanabi took this time to dash towards Luke. Shield brought up her hand to protect Luke but was obstructed by a smoke screen created by Usopp. She looked over towards Usopp who was aiming at her.
"I'll be your opponent!" he stated. Shield narrowed her eyes at him and turned to face him completely.
On the other side of the smoke cloud Hanabi was sending punches at Luke who dodged most of them but others he just let bounce off his body thanks to his power. Luke grabbed one of Hanabi's out stretched arms and turned around while bringing it over his head. Hanabi was lifted up and over him as he flipped her into the ground. Hanabi however stretched her leg out while she was flipped through the air. Her foot hooked onto his shoulder sending him down too.
Hanabi jumped back to her feet and leapt at Luke with her leg over her head. She brought it down but Luke rolled out of the way resulting in her making a foot print in the ground. Luke got to his feet and punched Hanabi in the face while using his power causing her head to be sent flying back. Her body was still connected however as her neck stretched out. "Rubber Bell!" Hanabi shouted as her neck retracted and her head slammed into Luke's delivering a severe head butt.
Luke stumbled backwards while Hanabi stretched her arms back. "Rubber Bazooka!" Hanabi shouted bringing her arms back. Luke jumped over her arms as they shot out at him. He landed on them forcing them to the ground and driving them into it. While Hanabi tried to get them out Luke gave her his own axe kick causing her head to go into the ground as well. Hanabi then used the momentum of Luke's attack to flip and kick him in the chest knocking him back. Hanabi proceeded to struggle to get her head and arms out of the ground.
Luke slid to a stop a few feet back and kicked off the ground and glided towards Hanabi. He lifted his leg and hit her in the shoulder digging her out of the ground and sending her flying backwards.
"I'm out!" Hanabi cheered before she noticed Luke charging in to continue his assault. Hanabi began to unleash a flurry of rapid fire punches. "Rubber Gatling!" Hanabi shouted.
Luke continued to fly forwards as Hanabi punches headed towards him. Once they hit him they bounced harmlessly off his body and sent flying in every direction. In the mist of her shock Luke punched her in the face and sent her crashing into the ground. Hanabi kicked him in the chest sending him flying into the air. She then back flipped to her feet and jumped towards him.
Luke stopped his movement by placing his palms behind him. He looked down to see Hanabi was inches from him with her arms behind herself. "Rubber Twin Pistol!" Hanabi shouted sending both of her fists forward and punching Luke in the chest. He narrowed his eyes as he felt the force of the attack hit but succeeded in forcing most of it back making her arms bounce back.
"I've had enough of this game," Luke said as energy encircled his right hand. He placed his palm to Hanabi's chest. "Buddha's Palm: Force Repulsion!" Hanabi's eyes widened as her back began to expand backwards as a ball of energy was created from Luke's palm. The back of her shirt burst open as the energy raged through her and to the ground creating a perfect huge imprint of a palm. The rest of the energy expanded like an explosion and forced Hanabi into the center of the palm forcing it deeper into the ground. Hanabi bounced off the ground her eyes rolled into the back of her head from the pain of the attack. Blood flew out of her mouth as she landed back onto the ground.
Hearing the sound of the attack Usopp looked back to see Luke looking down at what seemed to be a hole. Hanabi however was nowhere to be seen. "Don't tell me Hanabi…" Usopp began but didn't dare finish his sentence. Luke looked back at him with cold eyes.
"Sorry but we have to be somewhere," Luke said putting his palm up to face Usopp. "So I need you to die here." He used the same attack blasting a huge palm shaped hole through buildings and the forest as Usopp stayed in the same place with his eyes rolled back. Once the attack was over she stumbled forwards and fell face first. "Thanks for the assist Shield."
Shield nodded before taking down her wall she used to make sure Usopp took as much damage as possible. She walked forward to stand next to Luke. She knelt down to stare at Hanabi who lay unconscious in the palm shaped crater.
Mikoto spun around dragging Miroku across the ground creating a HiME mark. In the center she stabbed Miroku into the black vortex that appeared. "Skandha Rupa!" Mikoto shouted.
"Let's see what you can do!" Hatchet shouted with a smirk. He summoned heat into his hands changing his body back to normal. "Heat Death Bomb!" He shouted forming a huge ball of heat energy before throwing it at Mikoto.
Mikoto swung Miroku to the side causing the ice covered ground in front of her to rise up. The earth took the form of a hand and completely blocked the attack. "Mahabhuta: Pruthavi!" Mikoto shouted as the heat and ice created a huge cloud of steam.
Hatchet covered his face with his arm as the steam covered the cliff side. He looked around but couldn't see anything around. He had no choice but to wait until the steam cleared up. Once it began to clear he saw Mikoto in the air with Miroku over her head. "Too easy!" Hatchet said pointing his hand up to attack but nothing came out. He looked down to see that the ground around him was completely frozen over. "Crap I used too much of the heat around me and don't have enough to attack with!"
"Dukkha: Goldstein!" Mikoto shouted swinging down and cutting Hatchet from his shoulder down to his hip on his right side. Blood burst out of the wound as he fell back unconscious. Mikoto landed on the ground breathing hard to catch her breathe.
"Mikoto!" Rein and Winry called running down to their friend. Hearing her name being called Mikoto looked over at them. Seeing who it was she smiled.
"Rein, Winry," Mikoto said running to meet them half way. "I won. I beat him, I told you I could!"
"Yeah you were amazing, incredible and completely cool out there!" Rein said with a wide smile on her face.
"I'm glad you okay," Winry said before she noticed the burn on her hand. "Are you okay!?"
Mikoto looked down at her hand. The fight and gripping Miroku had caused the blisters to burst open and blood was flowing out of them. "I'm fine," Mikoto said before her stomach growled. "Actually I'm hungry." Mikoto fell forwards onto Winry with swirls in her eyes.
"If she gets like this after a long battle I think we need a cook fast," Rein said.
"No kidding," Winry said before the two laughed.
Ninjin and Tamanegi were gasping to catch their breath as they stared Erebus down. They had several slashes on their bodies in multiple places. Erebus had received several cuts himself. Turns out fighting against two opponents were harder than he thought. For some reason Celica hadn't returned from fighting the other member of the trio. Either he was stubborn when dying or he beat her. No, that couldn't have been it. If he had won he would have come and helped his friends in the fight by now.
Ninjin and Tamanegi charged at him again. Tamanegi pulled ahead and prepared to swing. Erebus went to parry the attack but was blocked by Ninjin who charged ahead at the last minute and used his pan to smack the sword away. Unable to defend himself Erebus was slashed across his torso by Tamanegi. Blood poured out from the wound as Erebus fell backwards and to the ground. Erebus coughed as blood filled his mouth.
"We did it!" Tamanegi said with a sigh of relief.
"Yeah now we have to find Piiman," Ninjin said swinging his pan and knocking Erebus out.
"Come on Shield we have something to attend to," Luke said as he walked around the crater. Shield complied and jogged over to join him. They reached the other side of the massive hole and began to advance to the hospital. Suddenly something grabbed Luke's ankle and he couldn't advance anymore. Looking back he saw Hanabi on one knee panting and holding his leg with a stretched out arm.
"I'm not done yet," Hanabi said as she rose to her feet. "I'm not going to lose to you."
"Shield deal with her please," Luke said as he continued to move forward. Shield turned to Hanabi but was hit in the side by a huge green wolf. The wolf was made of grass and its nose was giving off a powerful shockwave that wreaked Shield's body. Shield was sent flying into a house and was rendered unconscious.
Looking to the left he saw Usopp standing there with his Black Kabuto out. "Green Star: Impact Wolf!" Usopp said with a smirk.
Luke sighed in annoyance and turned to face Hanabi once again. "Let's end this!"
"Right!" Hanabi said getting ready to finish the fight. "Usopp you go inside and check on your treasure I'll finish him."
"You sure Hanabi?" Usopp asked.
"Yeah, just go!" Hanabi confirmed. With a nod Usopp complied and ran into the hospital.
"I'm surprised my crew mates haven't arrived yet," Luke said putting his hands in his pockets.
"I'm sure my crew mates are resting after winning their fights," Hanabi said with a smirk.
"If that's the case I'll have to go and kill them too," Luke said earning him a glare from Hanabi. "Shall we finish this fight then?"
"Yeah!" Hanabi said leaping towards Luke.
Piiman lay unconscious on the ground as a shadow appeared over him. With blank eyes Celica stared down at him. She whipped the blood from her lip and glanced at it before looking back down at the man before her. Celica raised her arm as it turned into a wing.
Ending Theme: Kimi ga Sora Datte (Mai HiME)