A/N: It's too bloody hot today...I'm dying... XP

Chapter 18:

With a moan, Hiyori's eyes weakly opened, blinded by the sudden light. She could feel a dull pain in her back, as though hot fire had left agonizing burns on it. Her body was so stiff that she couldn't even move—or was it her imagination or was something holding her down? As Hiyori's vision cleared, her instincts kicked in, once she was met with the sight of Yukina and Yukari standing above her.

The maliciousness in their eyes and wolf-like smiles made Hiyori immediately start struggling against the straps around her wrists and ankles. With unsteady breaths, the Heijou Toji came to realize that they were at the Origami Estate—in a room she recognized as a lab dedicated to storing huge vats of bubbling unpurified noro. Only this time, she was restrained on top of a surgical table in the center of the room with beeping monitors around her. Trying to mask her fear with a hateful expression, Hiyori's face became dark as she stared directly at her captors.

"Origami Yukari..."

"Karasu...two years and that scowl of yours hasn't changed a bit," Yukari chuckled.

Of course, Hiyori was frightened about what they were planning to do. However, what she was afraid of the most was what happened to her team. Did they successfully get Onimaru and Oodenta and escape in time? Or were they also being held prisoner in some other room? Were they being tortured? Or worse, had they already been executed for high treason? Out of all her teammates, Hiyori couldn't help fearing for the life of a certain Minoseki Toji.

'Kanami, please be safe.'

In a bleak voice, Hiyori swallowed, asking, "What do you want? Why didn't you just end me earlier?"

Yukari threw back her head laughing as if the answer was obvious. She took a lock of Hiyori's ebony hair with a mocking smile, before answering.

"You've always been a person of interest to me since that wretched dyke gave birth to you. You see, Karasu, you and I come from families with special powers capable of letting us fuse and become one with aradama. And as your foolish mother made the mistake of refusing me, I turned my sights on you—my perfect weapon. With a power even greater than mine, you could be a perfect tool to ultimate destruction..."

Trying to restrain her fear, Hiyori then asked, "And how you found me?"

"With the little help of a friend," Yukari said, mysteriously. "I'm afraid you've been played for a fool, Karasu. Now—onto important matters. Yukina, if you please."

Reaching down, Yukina picked up from the ground a bunch of IV tubes with needles at the end. The Mokusa Toji's burgundy eyes widened and her breathing stopped, once she saw that they were all hooked to the huge vats of the glowing impure liquid.

"W-What are you doing?" Hiyori stammered, even though she could already guess the answer.

If all that noro was injected into her... Could such a huge amount even be forced into one person?!

"What are you doing?!" Hiyori screamed when Yukina didn't answer. "S-Stop! Don't do this! Get away from me!"

She thrashed desperately, but Yukari grabbed her by the chin forcing her down. "Hold still and accept it, Karasu. Unless you want the pain to be worse."

Hiyori was about to retort a foul word in response, but instead, a gasp left her lips when she felt the prick on her neck. In shocked horror, she watched as one-by-one, Yukina stabbed each IV tube into several places on her body, letting the flow of noro start entering her bloodstream. Animalistic screams came from Hiyori's throat, as what felt like an inferno tortured her frail form. Tears streamed down her cheeks at the excruciating pain and she wanted nothing more than to black out. However, Hiyori could only stare as Yukina continued bringing out more IV tubes and mercilessly plunging them into her.

With a simpering smile, Yukari bent down low to Hiyori's ear, wiping away one of her tears, before whispering, "Did you honestly believe that I'd not try to lure you out? And like a fool, you actually took the bait. Know this as your last human thought: once my forces destroy Mokusa, I will personally carve out Etou Kanami's heart for you. Heh. So much for love, huh, Karasu?"

"KANAMI, HELP ME!"

"We need to save Hiyori-chan!" Kanami cried. "Who knows what they are doing to her now?"

In the Mokusa Command Room, Kaoru let out a sigh. "Kanami, we don't even know where they've taken her."

"On the contrary," came a voice from the door.

"Saaya! Mai-Mai!" Ellen exclaimed.

"I fled right away once I saw the Special Ritual Riot Squad security vehicles parked outside the hotel," Mai explained.

She was panting breathlessly as if she had been running for a long time, which wasn't far from the truth. On the other hand, Sayaka made a less hasty escape having not been considered under suspicion yet.

"Hiyori's at the Origami Estate," Sayaka said. "They've got her—President Takatsu and Origami Yukari. I left as soon as I could, once I was dismissed."

"What are they doing to her?" Kanami asked, dreading the answer.

Sayaka's face was closed off. "I don't know—but it can't be good."

At the far end of the long rectangular table, Akane, Sana, and Yuzuki were talking together in low whispers. All three women had doubtful expressions, as they examined the two okatanas in front of them. After a period of debate, they withdrew. Taking off her magnifier glasses, Yuzuki let out a long sigh.

"Well, it's the real Onimaru and Oodenta for sure," she said. "But, we'll never be able to use their powers."

"Huh? Why not?" Ellen exclaimed.

Yuzuki said, "Appears that they can only be activated if the wielder has aradama noro in their blood."

Letting out a sound of exasperation, Kaoru threw her hands up in the air. "You didn't tell us this before we went through all this hard work because...?"

Yuzuki gave her an equal look of distaste. "Because one can't tell by sight only. One has to actually touch the okatanas to know."

"So, then what do you suggest?" Sana asked. "Are you saying we stole Onimaru and Oodenta for nothing?"

Putting on her usual calm and controlled front, Yuzuki said, "No. I think we should select a candidate from my Myouga Project to do the task."

Akane rose from her chair with wide eyes. "Yuzuki-senpai, you don't mean—"

"But man alive! Such an idea is something Origami Yukari would suggest!" Sana said.

Even though she was afraid of the answer, Mai asked, "What is the Myouga Project?"

An arrogant look appeared on Yuzuki's face. Her normally dead blue eyes sparked with a fiery passion.

"The enhancing of Toji's skills and strength with the injection of noro," she answered. "So far, all of my Tojis have shown nothing but good results. I assure you it is completely safe and I am certain one of them is fully capable of doing the task at hand. We need Onimaru and Oodenta's true powers if we wish to defeat Yukari."

Then, with half-closed eyes, she added delicately, "However, it would require more noro to be injected into them. After all, the okatanas were once those of an aradama princess."

"But using noro in Tojis..." Sayaka breathed.

"It's wrong! Just wrong!" Ellen agreed. "If you inject more into one of them, how potent would it be? They might lose control or worse, turn into a full aradama!"

"I'll do it."

Everyone turned to look in shock at the Minoseki Toji who had spoken. Kanami's light-brown eyes glared at Yuzuki with hate, as she stood with clenched fists.

"I can't let you use any of the Myouga Tojis like that, but I also understand the importance of activating Tagitsuhime's okatanas," Kanami said. "So, inject me with the noro. I'll do the deed myself and save Hiyori-chan."

"Kanami-chan, no!" Mai protested.

"Kanamin!"

Only Yuzuki looked pleased. "Excellent. I knew you were a strong Toji in both strength and spirit, Etou Kanami."

"Yuzuki-senpai, you can't do this!" Akane said. "I refuse to let you. This is madness."

"Do you want to stop your older sister or not, Akane?" Yuzuki asked.

"I do, but—"

"Then, I suggest you start listening to me for once. Yukari is taking drastic measures. It's only right that we fight fire with fire..."

The protests on everyone else's lips were brought to a halt when on one of the large computer screens, a broadcast started playing. Maki and Suzuka appeared on the screen, both with hard expressions and standing tall.

"By order of Origami Yukari, all Tojis in Japan must report to the Origami Estate. Additional instructions will be carried out upon arrival," Maki commanded.

"You see? Now is our chance!" Yuzuki said. "With every Toji heading there, our forces can easily blend in and recapture Kamakura."

As convincing as her words were, Akane stared at the blue-haired woman with a hard expression. Part of her wondered whether there was a hidden motive underneath Yuzuki's battle plan suggestion. Suspicious as she was, Akane had to agree with the Ayanokouji president by a small amount. This was indeed a stroke of luck on their side.

Taking a deep breath, Akane said, "Kanami-san, I am putting you and your team in charge of rescuing Hiyori-san."

Then, with a swift look from Yuzuki, she added, "And also capturing my older sister."

"Excellent," Yuzuki said. "Sana, I suggest talking with Richard Friedman about battle formations so he can help deploy the S-Equipment for the attack."

Then with a cruel smile, she added, "Etou Kanami, come with me...whenever you're ready..."

A/N: With Hiyori captured, what will happen? And will Kanami and her friends save Hiyori?