Chapter 19

It was the last of the prep.

After her chat with Yuko, Yua went back to assisting Eso in the kitchen. She had been helping him all day with dinner meals and having things at the ready for the students to cook. "Thanks again, Yua, I appreciate this" Eso called as she took her leave.

"No problem Eso, I just wished I didn't drop that marinade on me earlier… I reek!" she snickered.

It was time for a hot shower.

She wondered out of the communal kitchen, when she saw the Itadoris approach her. "Oh, you two feeling better now?" she asked curiously.

However, the two stopped oddly, their heads were moving from side to side as if they picked up a scent. But then, their attention turned to her. A strange look came over their faces as the Itadoris approached her oddly.

"You two… okay?" she asked.

Their eyes shifted to that of a dragon, they began to growl lowly and yet at the same time, kept smelling the air until they were at her side. They began to get up close, too close for comfort. "Hey, what's with you two!?" she demanded.

Something caught their interest. Suiryu was getting rather brazen as he grabbed her arm and then… started to lick it!

She wrenched it away in disgust. "What the hell Suiryu!"

Only to have Yuuji do the same thing with her other arm!

She shoved them both off and yet, the looks… they stared at her now like a meal!

"Suiryu… Yuuji… calm yourselves…" she said slowly. But then, they vanished. "SHIT!" she shouted.

She was quick to put up a barrier, those who were out and about froze as she did, but then, Yua dodged twice!

Suiryu attempted to strike her from the left. Yuuji came from behind her, but they were determined to take her down! "You are not in your right minds right now are you?" she asked.

"YUA!"

Gojo was on the outside looking in, he was about to try and break the barrier when she shouted at him to stop. "DON'T!" she roared at him. "Suiryu and Yuuji are not thinking clearly! If that drops everyone is a target!"

"WHY ARE YOU IN THERE?!" he snapped back.

Well, she will answer him as soon as she survives this!

#

Eso was just finishing up in the kitchen when he heard the commotion outside. The ground also began to tremble oddly, perhaps Suiryu and Yuuji were getting overly competitive again?

Curiosity won out as he stepped out of the kitchen. He froze as a large barrier was up and yet… inside of it was Yua… fighting off Suiryu and Yuuji!? "What on earth?! LITTLE BROTHERS WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" Eso roared.

His words didn't reach them, they continued to try and land a strike against Yua, and yet… how come they couldn't? She appeared to be anticipating their moves, she prepared for who is going to strike and where, however the problem is that his little brothers tend to adjust and reevaluate their moves if one doesn't work.

"ESO!"

He turned as Choso came running. Junpei was close behind as they paused to the barrier. "What…" Junpei whispered.

"Suiryu and Yuuji have gone nuts. They are attacking Yua!" Eso explained.

Choso rushed to the barrier, he began to yell at them to stop, but they refused to do so. Eso turned to Gojo. "Why aren't you helping her?" he asked.

But, that lost look on his face, even with his blindfold down, he looked to Eso and shook his head. "Then what? I can't face them. Yuuji and Suiryu are on a whole different level. Yua… contained them so they wouldn't hurt anyone… but, she can't get out of her own barrier without bringing it down…"

"Why are they attacking her?" Eso asked.

Gojo appeared at a loss too, but then he froze.

Eso peered in and saw blood starting to drip to the ground. Suiryu landed a scratch across Yua's stomach. His eyes widened in surprised as he started to lick the blood off his fingertips.

"Oh God, he has a taste for her now…"

In fact, Yua has been cut up all over her body. The wounds weren't deep to be serious, but the loss of blood and the fact the two have a taste for it now…

"Lady Tiamat… we need Lady Tiamat!" Eso announced.

But there is no way to call her, is there?

Eso was worried as Yua started to limp, she glared down the two, as they appeared ready for their final strike. Suiryu and Yuuji lunged. Yet…

SMASH!

The barrier shattered.

Yua fell back, but was relieved to see Yuuji and Suiryu were pinned in place.

Lady Tiamat had just arrived!

She was kneeling on the ground, and yet held a firm hand to the back of them. They were also a good five feet into the earth and couldn't break free from her clutch.

They roared aloud in anger, they fought and tried to twist themselves out of her hands, until… eventually they calmed down… and began to make the sound of a baby dragon when hungry.

"Wait… they attacked her because they were hungry?!" Gojo demanded. "WHAT THE HELL YOU TWO!"

"Satoru! They couldn't help it, ease up…" Yua snapped back as Junpei helped her to her feet. Lady Tiamat slowly released Yuuji and Suiryu, but was quick to pick them up and place each of them over a shoulder.

"Shhh… It's okay, I should have known you two would grow up faster… Ssshhh," she cooed to them. They settled themselves. Lady Tiamat sighed. "Yua, I am so sorry for this,"

But she waved off the apology. "I understand, Lady Tiamat… they weren't in their right minds. They never would have harmed me if they were…"

"Even so, the fact remains that they did. Yua. I am truly sorry… oh my… just a moment."

Yua started to glow oddly, but the wounds she had inflicted upon her were quick to heal over. Eso sighed with relief, as she was no worst for wear. "Lady Tiamat… how did you…" he began to ask.

Yet she turned and her eyes came upon Choso.

His right hand had turned black. Everyone froze at the sight of it all. "Choso…" Yua whispered and was quick to inspect his hand. "Are you… oh God… Lady Tiamat!"

"He will heal. In fact, reverse jujutsu will be just fine… he channeled all of his curse energy into the dragon mark to call upon me. Very wise of you."

He merely nodded but clenched his hand rather painfully. "They were going to harm Yua… but we would have no way of stopping them if they broke out of the barrier…"

"Indeed, so for the time being. I'll be taking these two for a while. Please tell Yuko and Kiyoshi of Yuuji's absence… Nobara… I'll take good care of Suiryu." She vowed. Lady Tiamat then vanished with them.

Eso was quick to rush to Choso's side, so did Junpei. The other brothers happen to be out at the time. Yua however was quick to fix Choso's hand, it was as good as new in no time. "Thank you," he said humbly.

"I owe you a debt of gratitude." She replied. "Please, if there is anything I can do for you…"

Choso snickered. "You have done more than enough. I just hope my little brothers are okay… they never would have harmed you, Yua…"

"I know," she said.

When she turned, Yua was snapped up into the arms of Gojo. He refused to let her go. "Don't… do… that… again!" he protested to her.

She returned the embrace but then broke down crying. Eso felt that she was holding back her emotions on this. Two people she truly cared for… tried to kill her to eat before the masses.

He couldn't blame her for being upset. He was ashamed of the fact that it was his own younger brothers who caused such pain to a woman they admire. "Yua… how about you go rest up for a while, Gojo can go with you. I'll make you dinner tonight and you can rest up okay?" Eso said aloud.

She merely nodded as Gojo led her away.

Everyone was silent as they stopped and stared at Choso and Eso. No one understood what set Yuuji and Suiryu off… many worried it will happen again!