After Kaye woke from her suspended animation, she glanced around her surroundings. She noticed there were no windows or doors, at least any she could see from the inside. There was just her and the altar. The effects Kaye was under still haven't left her system. She started to nod off and then jerk awake a few moments later. Her arms and legs still were a bit sluggish, but at least they still functioned. 'I could have sworn I heard Kento's voice earlier. But where...' Kaye thought to herself when she heard Sana's voice vibrate from somewhere above her.
"I hope you had enough rest because you're going to need it."
Kaye glared up towards the camera as she clenched her fists at her sides. "Why don't you come to wherever here be and face me one on one instead?"
Sana laughed, "You still have your spirit, good because you're going to need it."
"You took the man I cherish from me. So what else do I have to lose?"
Unrestrained and heartless laughter erupted through the speaker as it sent an uneasy sensation up and down her spine. 'What the hell?' Kaye scowled as she scanned the ceiling and caught sight of the security camera. "If you reach towards your neck, you'll realize there's something else I have taken from you."
Kaye's eyes went wide when the realization hit, 'She can't mean...' She reached up with her right hand and felt along her neck. Her kanji orb was gone. 'Kuso.' Her eyes narrowed when she lowered her hand.
"Feeling a bit helpless, are we? No mystical armor to help you. No exit as far as you can see. Trapped and alone."
A hint of anger was laced in Kaye's voice, "If you believe I'm helpless because you have my orb somewhere. Then think again. I can still hold my own, Sana."
"Good, I was expecting you'd still have some fight in you."
Kento growled a bit in his throat. He watched the screen while sitting next to her in the viewing room. "Quit taunting Kaye Sana. Just let her go."
Kaye's eyes shot wide again when she heard Kento. Her eyes became soft when she looked away from the camera. 'Kento...'
Sana laughed, "Kento, remember what I said when I first showed you she was here. Kaye is to stay where she is as an insurance policy for you to be my loyal husband."
"You don't need to keep her as a prisoner! I gave you my word, isn't it enough?" Kento shot back at her.
"I believe in actions, not words, so your verbal promise means nothing to me. But you should see for yourself, I mean what I say. So keep watching, dear husband. The show is about to start."
A whooshing sound from behind made Kaye whirl around to see someone enter through a door. Kaye shifted into a fighting stance as she saw her opponent shift into one as well. 'Great, just great, just what I need right now. I'm not at full strength yet. The ceiling is too low for me to bring out my wings to hover. Plus, Sana has my orb somewhere.'
The assassin knotted her knuckles and rushed Kaye at full speed.
'Here we go!' Kaye thought to herself as she dodged the best she could but still got clipped in the left shoulder from the passing blow. She winced a bit. But then recovered and grabbed onto her opponent's arm and shoved her to the side.
The assassin stumbled a little but then regained her footing and launched towards Kaye with a kick to her stomach. Made her fold forward, then her opponent struck Kaye between the shoulder blades with her elbow as she sent her to the ground.
"Kaye!" Kento shouted as he stood up from the seat. His hands clenched at his sides, eyes narrowed. "Come on, Kaye! Get up!"
Kaye braced herself on her hands and knees as she winced. Her left hand went to her stomach as she felt her body tremble a bit. 'Ok, I'm in trouble. She's strong. Come on. Use your head. Think!' Kaye snapped her head up when she heard the assassin's feet rushing towards her. At the last moment, Kaye saw the next kick coming straight for her head. She grabbed the assassin's foot and shoved it as hard as she could to force her opponent to fall on her back. It gave Kaye enough time to roll out of the way and get back on her feet. Her breathing was a bit heavy as she watched the assassin regain her footing.
She studied Kaye with a careful eye and noticed this was not a fair fight. From what Lady Sana told her, this girl was supposed to be a strong opponent. But what she witnessed, she's been struggling. Then the assassin realized the reason. 'She was awakened from her suspended animation just before our fight.' She glanced towards the camera for a split second and then back at Kaye. The two of them started to circle one another as they watched for the next open moment.
Kaye saw something register in the assassin's eyes, "You figured it out, you know. I guess Sana doesn't have much faith in your fighting ability since she had to sabotage me for you to win."
The assassin's eyes narrowed, a growl erupted from her throat, "Shut up! Lady Sana has complete faith in my abilities!"
"Sure she does, then why did she have me weakened before the fight even started?" Kaye taunted as she shifted her feet. "Why are you loyal to someone who doesn't care if you live or die?"
"I'm an assassin! I trained all my life with Lady Sana! How dare you try to taunt me!"
Kaye shook her head as she kept her sights on her opponent. "How can you take a life? Don't you feel anything?"
The assassin took her shot and jumped above Kaye. Bringing her leg straight towards her head. "No, but you will sooner than you think!"
Kaye raised her arms and blocked the oncoming kick, and shoved her back. She then raced towards her and faked a punch. She followed up with an elbow to the face. Backing up a bit, and regained her fighting stance.
The assassin dropped to the floor and landed on her side. She raised her hand to her face and seethed while glaring at Kaye.
"Yeah!" Kento exclaimed as he threw up one of his fists into the air and whirled around as he glared at Sana as he brought his fist down. "Call off your assassin. She's finished! Or she will be soon enough."
Sana leaned back in her seat and pulled out her cell. She raised a brow towards him. A sinister smile crept upon her face. "You are so right. She is done, but not in the way you believe."
Kento blinked in confusion, "What are you saying?"
"Just keep watching," Sana replied as she hit a button on her cell. It activated a small hidden hideaway. It opened right next to the assassin who laid on the floor. She reached inside and pulled out a dagger. The opponent glanced up at the camera. She nodded and then turned her attention back to Kaye as she regained her footing.
Kento narrowed his eyes and turned his attention back to the screen. "You have no honor. None of you do!"
Sana laughed as she put her cell back into her pocket. "I don't care about honor. All I care about is getting whatever job completed. No matter what it takes. Keep watching. Things are about to finish up sooner than you realize."
Kaye saw the dagger in the assassin's hand and adjusted her stance as the two of them started to circle one another again. 'Perfect.'
The assassin knew what it meant when Sana sent the dagger to her. She accepted the fate which was to come. 'For you, Lady Sana!' She clenched the weapon and pointed it towards Kaye as she launched at her and swiped it across her face.
Kaye felt the blade swipe across her right cheek. Blood oozed from the wound. She seethed from the searing pain and then put her hands up and tried to deflect the blade from making any more contact.
The assassin swiped a few more times towards Kaye's hands. She could see blood dripping from her opponent's palms and forearms.
Kaye arched her body back as she barely missed the stab towards her stomach. She then grabbed onto the assassin's hands and launched forward while at the same time hooked her leg behind her opponent's. The move caused both of them to fall to the ground.
The two grappled with the knife between them. The two fought hard. The assassin smiled at Kaye, "Your blood innocence is mine."
"Wait! What?" Kaye started to ask. Was cut off when the assassin in the last-ditch effort. Shoved Kaye's hands into the assassin's stomach with the dagger and tore open her stomach. The blood erupted like a fountain spraying Kaye.
Kaye's eyes went wide. Her heart raced. She shoved the dead assassin's body off of her as she still held the dagger. Kaye couldn't tear her eyes from the lifeless form in front of her. Kaye squeezed the cold steel within her hand. She glanced at the weapon and threw the dagger screaming from the top of her lungs. The anguish of what she did tore into the very core of her being. As a result, Kaye's wings shot out and then dropped behind her back. A few loose feathers drifted down to the floor and landed in the pool of blood. Tears sprung from her eyes as she curled into a fetal position on the ground. Terror started to encase her mind as soon as she realized what she had done. Yes, she was used to fighting for her life and the life of those she wanted to protect. But she never took the life of a human. Her body trembled as she stayed in her fetal position, too afraid to see the lifeless body still in front of her.
The camera turned off in the room. An insane laugh erupted from Sana's throat. 'How interesting. The angel's wings appear when she's in deep emotional pain. I'm curious to see if it's true with physical pain as well.' She stood from her chair and looked over at her husband.
Kento growled as he launched from his chair and charged at Sana as he shoved her into the wall. His eyes on fire. His voice grew cold, harsh, and stony, "You bitch! Was this your plan the whole time? You told your assassin to force Kaye to kill her! Why? Kaye hasn't done anything to you!"
Sana's eyes locked onto Kento's. She had not one ounce of humanity in them. "Because my husband, I enjoy making people suffer. Since she, you, and your friends fought before, this should not signify so much of a shock."
Kento pulled Sana away from the wall and slammed her back into it again. "The ones we fought in the past weren't human!"
"It doesn't matter if they were human or not. Any life is a life. They all had souls of some kind. So don't you dare go all high and mighty! We are all the same."
He let go of her and walked back a bit, "No! We're not the same! You and your assassins fight to take lives. We fight to protect!"
Sana wiped down her clothes as she checked herself over. "Fighting is fighting no matter which way you look at it. The reasons should not matter."
Kento turned his back on her, "I want to see Kaye."
"No."
He glanced back with a scowl, "No? Why not? She needs me! I need to be there to help her through this!"
"I shouldn't have to explain myself to you, Kento. You're smart enough to figure out why." Sana said as she turned her back on him and walked to the doorway. Before she opened it, she glanced back at him, "You can still talk with her through here. Providing, of course, she wants anything to do with you."
Kento clenched his fists, "At least remove the body. She shouldn't have to be around it to remind her what happened."
"You have no place to tell me what to do. Keep in mind. You are to be loyal to me and me alone." Sana shot back as she left Kento alone in the viewing room.
Kento yelled as he whirled around and picked up the chairs. He hurled them into the far wall. The chairs shattered upon impact. He hurried over to the screen and turned it back on. Kento saw Kaye still laid in the fetal position next to the dead assassin. His heart wrenched when he saw her in shock. It was his fault Kaye was here. It was his fault she killed her opponent. All because Sana wanted to secure her hold over him. First, it was the forced marriage, and now this. Kento reached down and pushed the button, "Kaye, I don't know if you want to hear me. But I'm so sorry, my angel. I promise, no matter what, I'll find you. Then I'll bring you home. I'll make Sana pay for everything. I swear to you!"
"Ken...Kento..." Kaye replied with a scratchy voice as she choked back a sob.
The orange Ronin closed his eyes tight as he was making a wish or a silent prayer. He then opened his eyes and looked at the screen. 'There has to be a way for me to somehow get the word out to the guys without Sana or her assassins finding out what I'm doing.' His eyes became soft as he continued to watch his beloved in torment. "Try and stay strong. I know you can. I believe in you." Kento didn't want to leave the room, but if they stood a chance to survive, he had no other choice. He turned off the screen and walked towards the door as he called on the intercom to Sana to disengage the door. He waited and saw the door open and then went through and rejoined his wife.