Chapter 8

Team Hakkeshu vs Team NESTS

The tournament is drawing significantly close to its end. In the blink of an eye, there's only two fights left: one penultimate fight to determine the last of the final two, and then... the final battle itself. And yet, in the midst of this nearing conclusion, the eve is plagued with confusion and controversy. More and more of the ladies are turning up missing, nowhere to be found. The host is still unknown, still yet to show his face. Even the prize money, a fabled ten million dollars, cannot be fully trusted. At the end of this tournament, when a winner is crowned... will it really have been for something?

Kula suppresses these questions, and turns her focus to her opponents: the treacherous Hakkeshu. At this moment, she doesn't care about the prize money. Grief and anger flood her, and she wants nothing more than to unleash her wrath on the evil ladies that hurt Seirah... maybe even caused Seirah to disappear. She doesn't know if its true, but she chooses to believe it. She hates them... especially Mature. Taking them down here will be her greatest pleasure.

"SELECT THE ORDER!"

The two teams, fighting for the final spot, face each other in the ring. The venomous Team Hakkeshu are at the ready, sadistic smiles on their faces.

"I didn't get to go last time." Vice snarls. "I'm fighting first, and I'm not hearing any objections!"

Shermie giggles. "Heehee, you two can have fun first. I have a feeling there's gonna be a last girl standing... and she'll be quite fun~"

On the other side, Team NESTS is also prepared for this penultimate encounter. Kula makes her request clear:

"I don't care who goes in what order... but Mature is mine. Are we clear?"

Diana's face grows worried: she hates to see her sweet girl speak with such vengeance. It's the emotions those evil witches bring out in people. With a saddened sigh, she strokes Kula's head. "Sylvie, you go first. Then I'll go. Kula... hopefully you won't have to fight."

"I'll fry them!" Sylvie says. "I will make sure they are turned into ashes!"

Team NESTS are second to the only surviving team next to Team Heroines. On the other side, Athena seems very worried. Mai is also worried but tries to cover it up with her usual optimistic personality. Leona doesn't care at all and has her back to them with her arms crossed.

The tournament is beginning right now. Sylvie is the first to step up and Vice jumps to the ring.

"Good!" The short haired Hakkeshu says. "This will be easy!"

"Not as easy as electrocuting you to oblivion!" Sylvie shoots back. She spreads out her arms and lightning appears between her hands. "One long strike will be enough for me!"

Vice grins. "So be it, little girl. But when I defeat you, it will let you know that you are only just a weapon, just like Kula over there!"

"FIGHT!"

Sylvie delivers the first attack by shooting lightning from her finger tips. Vice grins and dodges the lightning. She gets at full speed to grab the messy blonde. Sylvie doesn't give her a chance. With another bolt of lightning, she shoots it at Vice, hitting her and as if the lightning has grabbed her, Sylvie moves her arms up and then slams the short haired woman down three times.

"Wheeeeee!" Sylvie cheers.

She goes in for a double kick with lightning appearing on her feet, hitting Vice again. She punches up and then summons her lightning to strike her down.

"Not my only trick!" Sylvie chuckles.

"Come ON!" Mature grunts. "What's wrong with you, woman!?"

"I….don't think Vice dearie is really planning on losing~" Shermie says.

Sylvie closes her eyes. She then opens them to summon a large lightning ball. She shoots it at Vice and the ball explodes with electricity flying everywhere. The crowd goes nuts.

"Yay! Way to go!" Kula cheers.

However, the celebration ceases as the smoke clears and Vice is still standing

"Wha!?" Diana gasps. "That's impossible!"

Shermie grins. "Never underestimate the Hakkeshu~"

Vice chuckles and steps forward. "I have now seen what you can do. Now to show you MY fighting style! Be sure to grab a bunch of bandages!"

Sylvie tries to summon another lightning, but a red aura is surrounding Vice as she charges at her. She shoulder tackles Sylvie hard and grabs her leg. She slams her down harder than Sylvie did to Vice and then grabs her by the collar. She slams her down and drags her on the floor and tosses her. Jumping in the air, she grabs Sylvie once again and heads straight for the ring and slams her so hard that it creates dust.

"NOOOO!" Kula cries out for her best friend.

When the dust settles, Sylvie is groaning. She is badly injured but Vice isn't done yet. She stomps on Sylvie multiple times just to be sure she never gets back on her feet.

"STOP! STOOOOP!" Kula cries. "Isn't it against the rules!?"

"Who said anything about rules?" Mature says who happens to be next to Team NESTS. "This tournament wasn't meant to be played by the rules except for winning. At any cost."

Vice gives one last stomp and Sylvie is truly down for the count.

"K.O! Vice wins!"

Diana doesn't even wait a second for Vice to breathe. By the time the K.O announcement is made, she is already in the ring and swinging her rapier. "YOU VILE SNAKE! I'LL MAKE YOU BLEED FOR THAT!"

Vice cackles as she dodges a swipe, followed by a second swipe. "KUKUKUKU! You can't hurt me with that thing!"

Diana thrusts hard; Vice sidesteps it and catches the arm, ramming a knee into her stomach. She attempts a second knee... but Diana brings her own knee up to block it, and she opens her fingers, flicking the rapier from her captured hand into her free hand. A massive left hook crashes into Vice's temple, the handle of the rapier cracking her across the head.

Vice stumbles back in pain, and Diana shoots forward, slashing her across the chest, then clean across her thigh. She spins around and, leading with the handle, busts Vice in the nose. The redhead is on the retreat.

"GO DIANA GO!" Kula cheers. "MAKE HER PAY!"

Vice doesn't quit. "Youuuu..." she hisses. "I'LL KILL YOUUUU...!"

That same red aura courses through her as she dashes at Diana with a shoulder charge; but Diana is too agile, and she goes airborne, vaulting over Vice's head and turning 180 in mid-air. Vice yelps in pain as a clean gash tears across her back, courtesy of another rapier slash. Another slash, across the back of her leg.

Finally, Diana dashes forward with a translucent pair of butterfly wings... one last slash across the side, and Vice collapses to the ground, Diana appearing right in front of her, just in time to watch her fall.

"KO! WINNER IS... DIANA!"

Diana stands triumphantly, one foot resting atop the back of the defeated redhead. She then points her rapier towards the blonde. "You're next! Get in here!"

Mature immediately takes displeasure, her blue eyes cold as ice. "Youuuu... you messed up big time thrashing my sweet Vice, and you've made an even BIGGER mistake calling me out! I'll shred you to ribbons right in front of the sweet little ice brat!"

Kula angrily takes a step forward... but Diana calls out to her. "NO, KULA! She's mine."

"Diana, no!" Kula argued. "I said-"

"Do what I say, Kula!" Diana commands. "I know what's best for you. Now... let me handle this."

Mature steps into the ring, grinning at Kula. "Do what your Mama says, little one. I may be too much for you anyways~"

"D-Diana…." Kula sits back down to watch what horror awaits her.

The fight begins right away. Diana lunges forward with her rapier, but Mature is quicker than her. She performs a variety of slashes, one after the other and then performs a cross slash, forming a large white X, sending Diana flying.

"NO!" Kula cries.

Mature chuckles and rushes forward. She slashes back and forth, not giving Diana a chance to retaliate. She slams her down on the floor and lands next to Diana.

"I told you. You made a huge mistake…" Mature crushes the woman's rapier and grabs her by the collar to get her back up. "Now I shall finish you."

Some slashes here and there and screams of agony follow. Athena and her teammates can hardly watch.

"Wh-wh-what has become of the Hakkeshu….!?" Athena trembles.

"It's Hakkeshu…" Leona says. "It's what they do. No one shall tell them otherwise…"

Mature slashes Diana one last time and she is down for the count.

"K.O! MATURE WINS!"

The blonde kicks the woman off the ring with a chuckle. "Pathetic. You couldn't even last 5 minutes~"

Kula runs over to her mother. "No…no! I told you! You shouldn't….!" She grits her teeth and looks up at the blonde. "Now you are REALLY going to get it…!"

She steps into the ring, her expression as cold as ice. She clenches her fists.

"Get ready to taste some cold…"

There is no fun and games. This is the real deal. The Hakkeshu MUST be defeated.

"Okay, NESTS freak!" Mature taunts. "Let's see what you're made of!"

Mature charges at her, ready to slash her, but Kula freezes her right in place. She spreads out her arms and breaks the ice, damaging Mature greatly. She skates around, firing ice shards one after the other, hitting Mature multiple times until Mature blocks them with her slashes.

"I will NOT let some child beat me!" Mature charges and starts to slash.

But Kula creates an ice wall to distance herself from the blonde and then skates around to get behind Mature. She fires ice shards and then throws her arms wide, summoning a blizzard that sends Mature flying. She lands with a thud. She struggles to her feet, panting from all the hits she's taken.

"I will…not lose…" Mature grunts.

Kula skates toward her with a cold expression. She raises her arms and then slams them on the ground, creating ice spikes. They hit Mature hard and it sends her flying again. She falls to the ground again, facing the sky. Kula comes over to her again and holds out her hands. She freezes Mature solid for a good 10 seconds before breaking it and knocks her off the ring.

"K.O! KULA WINS!"

"Yes! Just one more!" Athena cheers.

"If…Kula can beat Shermie, it will be a miracle…" Leona says.

"What do you mean?" Mai asks.

"Shermie is extraordinarily powerful... but just think... Kula beats her here, and that's the end of the Hakkeshu's evil...the end of the danger... my agony..."

"Leona..." Athena spoke her name consolingly.

Kula is still taking in her victory, staring down at the fallen body of Mature, with eyes as cold as the powers she commands. "I told you I'd get you back. For hurting Seirah... for Diana..."

"Wow wow wow~" an unwelcome voice makes herself known, Shermie marching into the ring, as the final opponent. "You really messed them up! Oh well. At least now we get to have all the fun to ourselves, teeheehee."

Kula's eyes glow red. "For my friends that you and your lackeys hurt... I'll punish you just the same!"

A devious smile spread on Shermie's lips. "Well okay then ice girl. Let's have a good time~"

Shermie does a couple of front flips to close gaps with her opponent. Kula skates around the redhead and fires some ice shards on her back. She skates forward, ducks under and trips her, sending her flying and freezes Shermie while in the air. She spreads out her arms to break the ice and then slide in to perform a straight kick. It hits Shermie and sends her toppling down. As Shermie gets back on her feet, she jumps high to dodge Kula's ice spikes and gets behind her.

But Kula just wants her there. She turns around and breathes ice to freeze her once again and then summons her ice spikes to send her flying again. Shermie falls to the ground and Kula hops on top of her.

"You are no match for me…" Kula says as she holds out her hand. Her hand turns into a giant spike. "I shall kill you…"

Athena gasps. "Is she going to do it!? Is she really winning this!?"

"Ohhhh, Shermie underestimated the little NESTS girl~" Mai says.

But Leona closes her eyes. "Wait for it…."

Kula approaches Shermie with eyes glowing bright red, prepared to end the madness of the Hakkeshu once and for all.

...But Shermie only responds with a smile and a giggle. "Tee hee~"

KACRACKLE! A bolt of lightning comes down on Shermie, blowing Kula backwards... Shermie rises to her feet, her appearance drastically changed, as if a curtain were pulled over her and then removed. Her usual pink attire is now red, her once-chestnut locks down purple... and a terrifying electrical aura sizzles all around her.

"Now you see my true form." Shermie speaks with a distorted voice. "The power of my god courses through me... and grants me the power to smite the weak vermin that pollute this earth! Tee hee hee~"

"Oh no... not that!" Athena fears. "I remember that year... such terrifying power!"

"The power of a demon of destruction." Mai grits her teeth.

Leona can only turn away... the sight of this horrific power terrifies and disgusts her. A reminder of what she herself lives with...

Kula's eyes glow red. "I don't care what powers you have... it's not gonna save you from me!"

Kula skates towards her with her hand drawn back, preparing to slash... Shernie just laughs and blows a kiss, sending a concentrated orb of electrical energy bursting into her stomach. Kula screams as her ice is shattered, her body knocked to the ground. Shermie just stalks forward... slowly... her body sizzling with lightning bolts.

"Kula-chan, you can't beat her!" Athena cries.

"I CAN!" Kula grunts back to her feet. "I will!"

Kula spins with a graceful pirouette, sending a flurry of icicles soaring towards the Frenchwoman... but she extends her hand and a dark violet electrical aura melts them as they approach. Kula spins through and charges forward with the momentum, throwing a wide spinning kick with the blades on her feet, Shermie ducks and weaves the first one, and the follow-up, and Kula tries to come forward with an ice spike thrust... and that is the last thing she does as a conscious person.

"RAIKOUKEN!"

Athena, Mai and Leona watch with horrified eyes as Shermie buries an electrical fist into her stomach, and a massive ball of lightning aura sizzles Kula where she stands, bathing her in a dark purple light. All they can hear is Kula's scream, before the attack subsides... and the ice girl collapses to the ground, unconscious.

"KO! WINNER IS... SHERMIE!"

It's over. It's all over. The Hakkeshu won. Shermie reverts back to her old self and waves to the croud while leaving. It is then that Mai, Athena and Leona see it. Some sand that creeps over Kula and envelopes her, dragging her down to who knows where.

"Kukri-san!" Athena exclaims.

"That was HIM all along!" Mai says. "The very reason why all the losers disappeared!"

"New mission!" Leona says. "Infiltrate his lair and find the prisoners!"

"But first…we need to deal with…THEM…" Athena bites her lip.

"It's up to us to put an end to it once and for all," Leona says. "And then we will stop Kukri."

"I'm with you on that one," Mai says.