Rewind back to the hotel, just moments after Beth was lunged by Elsa and Inga, before training with Mandy. Beth overheard of Michelle's defeat at the hands of Kagura Sohma, Steven Nevins's arch-rival. Beth was annoyed, as she was escorted by the Choujins.
"Sheesh… I never thought I would assist you guys in the battlefield…"
This was long before their training began, as they were on their way to Venice, and the beginning of their Ty Ko Ky training.
Episode XV – Chapter 3: How the Nevins Won!
The Legend of Tiger King's Final Heroic Battle!
Beth was all alone in her room, in a small hotel, during their travels to Venice. She said, as she was thinking, "My father… I've overheard her thoughts… Auntie Michelle, I don't want it to be true…"
She still remembered, using her ESP Perk, to read Michelle's mind, right before her loss to Kagura Sohma. Apparently, Michelle kept it secret from her and June that Steven Nevins, the heroic Tiger King, has gone rogue, joining the ranks of MIO. Since then, after Michelle violently beat down her own brother, while The Gang was busy with their 27-month training, Mr. Nevins disappeared, after being fatally wounded by his own sister. The years went by, since the tragic events, leading to today, when Kagura Sohma, the last surviving minion of Tohru Honda, resurfaced.
"Father… Now that she's returned, it's the worst way possible. My sister is too fragile to avenge you… I know all about you, from Michelle…"
Kaname entered the room and asked, "Beth? You okay?"
Beth said, "Oh. Hi… Kaname…"
She was sad, as Kaname said, "You miss him, do you?"
"My father? Yes. I wish he'd help us out…" Beth replied.
She then thought, "I know she's a Choujin and NOT a psychic… I can't dare tell her the truth…"
She even swore herself to keep her father's betrayal a secret, among the others.
Kaname sat down with her and said, "There, there. I know this training will be tough… and I'm sure, wherever he is, your father is proud of you."
Beth said, "Maybe so… But I don't know if I can really see his face, again… after he abandoned me…"
Kaname smiled, "Listen, you want me to tell you everything about my father's battle with Kagura Sohma? I remembered it, two years ago, when we were a part of Moji Mikisa History. You see, Kagura Sohma was responsible for reviving dead warriors, and claiming them for her bidding, in order to eliminate Steven Nevins. After so many failed attempts, Kagura resorted to one final battle, from way atop the tower, located in China. Kagura had already slain Haruna Hiyashi, one of our fellow Choujin Brigade members, only to survive the onslaught… but…"
China – Two years ago…
Atop a huge tower, Kagura, in her green blouse and dark pants, was holding the neck of a woman in long black hair, done in a thin braid, wearing a black sports bra and white pants, and with a left shoulder pad on. The woman in danger was Haruna Hiyashi, Steven Nevins's longtime rival and friend.
Kagura snarled, "You're weak… You fool. No one can defeat my power, now. I wish to annihilate the Choujin Brigade, one by one. Steven Nevins cannot save you, this time."
She slammed a heel kick to the face, as Haruna moaned, "Ungh… Damn you…"
Kagura laughed, "AH, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! The Chinese Dragon of the Choujin Brigade… now declawed from her talons! I HAVE WON!"
She cackled evilly, as Haruna was sluggishly getting up. She moaned, as she posed, "Not… while I am… still… alive…"
She did a pose and called out, "HAAACHAAAA!"
She leapt up and landed a flying kick to the chest. But Kagura swatted the attack away and said, "Child's play."
Haruna stumbled off into the edge, as she was bleeding lightly. Kagura smirked, "Fool! Those basic attacks cannot best me! I am still the last one standing! Steven Nevins has nothing on you, and NOTHING ON ME! I wish to lacerate your pathetic Kung Fu Ass!"
She stomped onto Haruna's waist and boomed, "Choujin Kung Fu… I have found the weakness behind your miserable style!"
She posed, as she said, "Time to take you out of the way… A warrior's death…"
She then was about to stomp on Haruna's head, but a man appeared, wearing only black and orange pants and tiger-print gauntlets. He knocked her off of Haruna, as Haruna coughed in pain. It was Steven Nevins, as the Tiger King. He turned to Haruna and said, "You okay, friend?"
Haruna moaned, "I am fine… Sorry if I wasn't… strong enough…"
He growled, as Haruna passed out. He roared, "KAGURAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
He boomed, pointing at Kagura, "Tiger King isn't playing games with you, boy! You can threaten my family, you can try to steal my secrets, and you can take over the world! But no one, NO ONE, hurts or kills my friends in a savagely fashion! Kagura Sohma, YOU DONE FUCKED UP NOW, BOY!"
Kagura smiled and posed, "I done fucked up? That's where you're wrong. Your martial art is simply about power and smashing people's faces in. You left out one key of detail in battle – When learning a new power, you must hone your energy, stay calm, and remain one with the balance of one's power. In life, for every power, comes every responsibility… and what matters is that you use it, at certain points! YOURS, however, ARE FAILURE TO COMPARISION! AS I SHOW YOU NOW!"
She landed a left hook to him, but he ducked out of the way. He landed a swift kick to her chest, as she groaned, "What? How did he-?"
He said to her, "Not bad for a 40-plus year old… still with his youth inside him. You forgot one thing… In order to condone your chi, one must be in sync with one's heartbeat. And Kagura Sohma… a heart beating is something you do NOT HAVE!"
He landed a barrage of punches towards her face and chest, "SUEU-SUEY-SUEY-SUEY-SUEY-SUEY-SUEY-SUEY!"
She flew off, and landed on one knee. Steven N said, "Must you be so arrogant about power? You will never win, being what you are now – a no-good undead corpse, alive because of an evil force that wants you to live forever!"
Kagura panted, as she was in disbelief, with her eyes widened. She thought, "It's… It can't be true… I had him! Just when I had him cornered, just to ruin his life and take it, he… he comes back stronger! It's not true… I'm the most powerful being in the worlds, other than my master, Tohru Honda! How… am I… losing… TO HIM?"
She called out, "You got some nerve, telling me that I have no discipline, because I'm dead! Well, truth to be told, even the dead can rise up and be stronger than ever! It's proven, time and time again! Specters, deities, revenants, mortals, even those that earn power by choice or by blood… And how you win in battle, doesn't matter at all!"
She stood up and said, "That is why… I owed my very existence to end the man that began a revolution! I have studied you, Steven Nevins… and I long to have your body laid to waste, for your ambitious wiles! Being trained by the world's greatest black man isn't enough! No matter who you're trained, you will learn that offense is never the answer! Neither is defense! No! I'm talking about determination, skills, smarts, and the ways of life! I denounced life, only to grow stronger! Because, what I do, I do it for malice, greed, hatred, and pure anarchy!"
"You don't even know what anarchy means!"
"HAH! You have that in the UK!"
They prepared to stare down and do Karate and Kung Fu poses. Kagura said, as she posed, "Sohma Clan Deadly Boar!"
Steven N posed and boomed, "Nevins Family Tiger Fist!"
They stared down, in the poses, and quietly waited. Thunder boomed, and the two fighters charged at each other, landing kicks to each other, clashing and kicking. Steven N lands a swift punch attack, but she ducks. She strikes back with a deadly elbow to gut and a knee to the chin. He remains standing, and launches a powerful heel kick to her head. She dropped down and swept him off his feet. She jumped up, and then landed a barrage of closed hand jabs. She jabbed at his chest and waist, and knocked her to the floor. She lands a kick to the head. He drops to the ground, and Kagura jumps up and stomps on him. He rolls out of the way, and then was on one knee. He lands a swift palm strike to her chest, and she drops back. He lands a swift kick combo to her chest, and a roundhouse to the head. He lands punches, but she blocked each punch, and swung a kick to his waist. He lands a deep swinging hook and cross combo, and a rapid strike to the torso. Kagura knocks him up with a backhand to the face, and a knee to the gut. She clawed at him, but he ducked her fingers, nearly about to rake him. He did a high kick to her face, and was badly bruised. Steven N held his fists up and slashed at her face, in a diagonal strike. She shrieked in a demonic howl, as she held her face. She roared, as she was in pain. Her face was bleeding, and her left eye was covered in blood. She hollered in pain, as Steven N steps back. He then said, "Walk it off… I'm not here to make you suffer… I'm here to kill you! You crossed the line… for the last time!"
He boomed, "Even if you try to counterattack me, you know what happens next! Your feet on ground, my foot up your arse, and your body on ground, bloodied!"
She held her face, covering her bloodied eye, and hissed, "You bastard… You dare scar me… ME? THE UNDEAD WARRIOR OF TOHRU HONDA? YOU SON OF A BITCH! GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Her body was emitting a dark aura, and then snarled, turning her skin into a rice layer.
"What the hell is that?"
She roared and hollered, "YOU BASTARD! YOU WILL PAY FOR RUINING MY FACE! YOU UNHOLY ASSHOLE, I WILL MAKE YOU PAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!"
She was transforming into her ultimate form, Nigirimeshi, similar to Tohru's evil form. She turns her skin white and lumpy, like rice, and then produced fingers for California Rolls, eyes of plums, parts of her scars were made of seaweed, and razor-sharp teeth made of cold steel. Her clothes were tattered, and her hair was flowing down. Her face also produced tusks from her mouth, and roared at the top of her lungs.
"GYOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" She boomed a thunderous howl, as Steven N stepped back. Kagura was now a beast-like monstrous rice yeti, standing at 20 feet tall.
"No way… What is that? Kagura… transformed?!" He gasped, as he was stepping back.
Kagura laughed, in a deep demonic voice, "DO YOU SEE IT NOW? THIS, STEVEN NEVINS, IS YOUR ENDGAME! I KNOW IT IN MY HEART THAT YOU'RE LONG TO SUFFER AT MY COLD DEAD HANDS! IF DISCIPLINE DOESN'T WORK, THEN WIN… BY FORCE!"
She slammed her huge claw-like hand onto the ground, and swatted Steven N down, burying him from within. He was badly hurt, as he dodged Kagura's next pounce. She boomed out, "DIE, TIGER KING! DIE! DIE! DIE!"
She kept slamming her fists down and boomed, "RUNNING WON'T SAVE YOU, THIS TIME! SUFFER THE WRATH OF ONIGIRI! SUFFER MY WRATH!"
She caught him and squeezed him with his hands. She snarled, "You dare… scar the greatest warrior in Tohru Honda's ranks? FOOL!"
She slammed him down to the ground, and bellowed, "REST IN PEACE, YOU HALF-BAKED FOOL!"
He was slammed down into a crater, and moaned in extreme pain. He thought, as he was losing sight, "How… can this be… She's… She's beating me… within… an inch… of my life… And for what? She's… She's all-powerful…"
Kagura laughs evilly, seeing that she's won. He was regaining his strength, as he moaned, "Damn you… Kagura… Sohma… I will… not… let you… SUFFER!"
He regained his strength. But the problem was that he's struggling to get up. Steven N's bones were broken and smashed by Kagura's sheer force. Kagura smirked, as she looked below, "Awww… Not enough to be flattened? I wished you died sooner, you old fart! Now you will see why the heroes sometimes win… because EVIL ALWAYS WIN, IN THE END! AND I… AM TRUE EVIL! THIS, TIGER KING, MARKS THE END… OF YOUR LEGACY!"
She then proceeded to slam her left hand down on a downed Steven N, who was still badly hurt. KAgura hollered, in an evil chortle, "GOODBYE, STEVEN NEVINS!"
SLAM!
Kagura slammed her hand down and squashed Steven Nevins, in a flattened pancake. She lifted her hand up and sneered, "It's over…"
She gasped, as she saw that Steven N was gone. She cried, "WHAT THE-?"
She looked to her right and saw a wounded Haruna, rescuing Steven N, holding onto his injured body. Kagura snarled, "DAMN! I FORGOT ABOUT THE WEAK DRAGON!"
Haruna asked, "You okay, Mr. Nevins?"
Steven N held his body, "urrrgh… Steven Nevins… can't take this pain… much longer…"
Haruna nods, and agrees, "You rest. This is my problem. Save your strength for later. I've got enough power to defeat this giant from Hell. No one invades my hometown, and uses it for her apocalypse, and gets away with it!"
He moaned, as she walked off, "Ha-, Haruna! Ouch… Haruna, don't you dare walk away from me! I'm serious! This woman… She's… too strong!"
Haruna said, without looking, "That never stopped me, you Englishman…"
She posed, "KAGURA SOHMA! EVIL DEMON! I WILL NOT LET YOU HARM ANOTHER INNOCENT SOUL!"
Her aura shone gold, as she called out, "Spirit of the Dragon – I beseech to thee! Awaken my powers! I am the Dragon Queen – Haru Lei Hiyashi! For my country, and for the world, your reign is over!"
Kagura smirked, "So… You want another round? FINE! I'LL KILL YOU, FIRST!"
Haruna said, as she avoided a swat from Kagura, "The only way to weaken this monstrosity is to find its weakness. Whatever you have, undead zombie beast, you know that you're wide open!"
She rushed in the air and landed a huge left leg lariat to her chest. She shouted, "LEG LARIAT!"
Kagura remains standing, as Haruna landed another kick to the spine. Every kick she made, Kagura started to groan in pain. She cried out, "AAAAAAAAAAGH! THAT POWER! SHE… SHE CANNOT BE THAT STRONG! I underestimated her… didn't I?"
She was staggering, as Haruna pointed at her, "Now, devil beast, it is time to send you away… TO A BODYBAG!"
She leapt upwards and prepared a flying kick. She roared, "TORYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
SLAM!
Kagura slammed Haruna with her right hand. Haruna stumbled to the ground, and moaned, "What? How did she?"
Kagura hissed, "Just a fly… You're all talk, and all show… but you're so tiny, compared to me!"
She stomped around, but Haruna avoided her heavy stomps. She whispered, "I don't believe it… She knew my ultimate attack. But why did she know I was going at her? I did everything in my power!"
Kagura continued to slam her stomps and hand smashes around, as Haruna continued to avoid the assault. Haruna said, "How? She's too fast! Did she-?"
She avoided every attack, as Haruna was growing tired. She whispered, "No… What the hell is she?"
Kagura's arms crossed, as she brimmed in a dark aura. She snarled, "This is your ending, Dragon! I am going to end you, once and for all! I WILL BEST YOU AND STEVEN NEVINS! NOW DIE!"
She launched a huge dark energy ball, as Haruna whimpered, heading closer, "I… I can't… I can't dodge it!"
She closed her eyes, as the energy ball went closer. It nearly hit her, as Kagura snickered, "I'd never kill you… with this energy blast…"
BOOM!
The blast went in front of Haruna, as the impact of the blast pushes Haruna off the tower's roof, and flown into the air, plummeting into her apparent death. She was battered and bloodied, in tears.
"Steven… You Englishman… It's all… up to you… now… Please… Tiger King… … … end… this… nightmare…"
She plummeted down to the darkness, heading to her death. She called out, "Steven Nevins… my remaining power… as a Chosen Choujin… Use it well… Steven Nevins… … … Goodbye…"
That was the last time anyone ever saw Haruna Hiyashi in the Moji Mikisa. Steven N hollered, "HARUNA! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Kagura cackled, as she sneered, "Born and raised… and dies in China… What a pathetic and sad display of a master of Kung Fu…"
Steven N gets up, as he was seething, "Haruna… I'm sorry… I'm sorry that you had to die… I know you and I are powerful allies and rivals… but… I won't let you be dead, in vain… Kagura Sohma, this ends now…"
Kagura laughs, as Steven N steps forward, still badly hurt. She snarled, "You can't believe that you, alone, that you cannot beat me. I'm going to enjoy killing you, much like this fine Chinese pretty girl. She dies an honorable dead! And you, you'll die… DISHONORABLE!"
She slammed her hands on Steven N, but he avoided each attack. He then said, "It ends, Kagura… I'm chopping you down… LIKE A REDWOOD!"
Kagura roared, as she slammed her right fist down, "YOU'RE DEAD, ENGLISH PRICK!"
She smiled, "TIGER KING – DECLAWED!"
He leapt upward and then roared, "FORBIDDEN TECHNIQUE – TIGER SPIRIT ASSAULT!"
She blocked his attack, but he went through her hands, with a transparent afterimage attack. She gasped, as Steven N lands a barrage of kicks, followed by a huge blast of punches to the chest, fierce and fast like the tigers. Kagura was standing in pain, as she roared, "DAMN YOU! NO ONE CAN PIERCE MY ARMOR, YOU TIGER PUNK!"
She swatted him away, but he leapt forward and lands a huge right roundhouse to her neck.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH… SUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!"
POW!
Kagura was slammed in the neck, as she was tumbling down to the ground.
SMASH!
She crashed to the ground, in a huge crater. She roared in pain, and then snarled, "Damn it all…"
Her giant body started to bulge and shrink. She moaned, "No… I'm melting… NO… NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
She shrunk back to her normal size, as she moaned, looking at herself, "Eh? I'm not melting? Oh… Oh, fuck…"
She stood up, as she moaned, holding her bruises, "This is nuts… I cannot be bested by that-."
POW!
"TO THE FACE!" Steven N shouts, landing a swift punch to the face.
He then lands a barrage of punches to the face, as Kagura blocked the attack. She lands a kick, sweeping him off. He lands a side kick to the face, and she delivers a punt kick up to his chin. But he blocked it with his elbow. She stepped back, as she growled, "You think you're tough…"
He said, "I am tough, sucka. Steven Nevins is the strongest there is! For my friends, and for my family, Steven Nevins will teach you a lesson in pain! Because I'm about to kick yo arse!"
He posed, and they resumed clashing punches and kicks. Kagura lands a heavy right, only for Steven N to block the attack. They resumed, as Kagura delivers a swift kick to his face. She drops a huge right, but he blocked her attack, landing a volley of kicks to the chest. He swept her off, and landed his foot on her chest. He grabbed her neck, but she shoved him off, pushing him back. Kagura lands a huge elbow to the spine, but he lands a kick to her gut. He stood up, turned away from her, and lands an elbow and fist to the body. He then lands a kick to the back of the head. She drops down, as she was moaning. She thought, "Damn… He's… He's besting me… How did he know my counters?"
He lands a combination of chops and punches, as she was coughing blood. She broke free, as she cried out, "DAMN IT ALL!"
They resumed clashing with chops and punches, as she knocked him down, and resumed in a barrage of chops and punches in the chest. She continued to land blows, only for him to drop to the ground. He flipped up and shouted, "Now you made me mad!"
She posed in a demonic pose, as she said, "It's on, now… You die, in my hands… I WILL NOT BE BESTED BY THE LIKES OF YOU! I AM THE GREATEST WARRIOR THAT'S EVER LIVED!"
He charged at her, but she lands a swift kick. He counters the kick with a huge dropkick to the knees. She dropped to the ground, as her body was aching. She was weakening, as he called out, "Kagura… NOW, IT ENDS! YOU DONE MESS UP!"
She roared, as she charged at him, about to strike. He lands a huge roundhouse to the skull and hollered, "THIS IS FOR HARUNA! DIE!"
SMASH!
He lands a huge kick to the face, smashing her face and skull into pieces. She croaked, as she was croaking, "How… did I… let… this happen?"
She was stumbling back, badly hurt and moaning, "I… I am Ka… Kagura… Sohma… I'm… supposed to be… invincible… How… can I lose… to the likes of you? I hate you, Steven Nevins…"
He stepped back and said, "It's over, Kagura. You failed. THAT was for Haruna Hiyashi, you bitch!"
She was at the edge of the roof, as she was coughing, "I'm… I'm… I… ammmmm… defeated… I lost… I…"
She sneered evilly and barked, "NO! I WILL NEVER GIVE INTO YOU, STEVEN NEVINS! Under my rule and my mistress's evil reign, NO AMOUNT OF KUNG FU CAN EVER BEST ME!"
She pointed at him and hollered, "Mark… my… words… I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE… TIGER KINNNNNNNNNNNNG!"
She fell off the roof and plummeted into the darkness, screaming in pain.
He rushed to the edge and cried, "KAGURAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
He clasped onto her wrist, as he saved her, saying, "You mad, girl? You can't do that!"
Kagura hissed, as she was dangling in the air. She broke free of his grip and resumed falling. She called out, in her final words, to her sworn and worthy opponent, "STEVEN NEVINS… I'LL… BE… BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK! HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HAAAAAAaaaaaaa…!"
She disappeared into the darkness, and was never seen, since then.
He growled, as he was kneeling down, "You fool… Why would you kill yourself, over your anger? I promise… I will not forget our battle, as the greatest match we ever had. Kagura Sohma, Steven Nevins called you a worthy foe… but I disapprove of your powers…"
He turned away and said, "Haruna, it's over… Your death is avenged… Rest in peace, Dragon Queen…"
He prayed in the middle of the rooftop, and wished his condolences to Haruna Hiyashi, who was gone in the battle against Kagura Sohma.
Kaname said, as Beth was worried, "And since then… Kagura resurfaced… and these two never met, since. Mr. Nevins vanished, moments after Kagura resurfaced to awaken our three enemies. Haruna's death was hurtful to us… But we're not sure if she's alive or not. After that, he decided to train, on Haruna's behalf. Two years later, the rest was history… of course, Mr. Nevins never bothered to resurface from training. Kagura would lay the groundwork to get her revenge… so he could show up. But so far, we haven't seen him, since two years ago. From last we heard, he was hanging in Manchester, visiting his father… and tragedy occurs…"
Beth whispered, "And that's when he became evil."
"Huh?"
"Nothing."
"Anyways, Kagura would do anything to kill him… even if it means she would kill his family, too; namely you. Not his father… During his holiday at home, his father was killed in a fire…"
Beth thought, "No… Not how I remembered how Grandfather died…"
Of course, what really happened, that Kaname doesn't know… Clifton Nevins didn't just die… he was murdered by Mio Akiyama, prior to the events that took place.
Beth said, "It's amazing how Father learned so much, only to best such a fighter like Kagura Sohma."
Kaname said, "True. But even so, Kagura is ever vigilante and vile, waiting her time to strike. She's like the cobra, crossed with the boar. We lost the dragon of our group. It's no secret that Mr. Nevins and Miss Hiyashi were once arch-rivals. They both excel in Kung Fu, and are experienced fighters. But it's forever a rivalry between the Tiger and Dragon. But now… Haruna's dead."
Beth replied, "Maybe she will turn up, one day… Maybe she didn't die, but survived the fall."
Kaname said, "I'll believe it."
She stood up and said, "When we were looking for where Haruna fell, her body was gone. So, to put in assumption, maybe she crashed into one of those trees, fell into the river, or… in your perspective, she may have survived. But we can't be so sure. Mr. Nevins never bothered to look for her. He felt bad about not saving her, but he said that he'll honor the memory of his fallen ally. And the rest… well, we knew what happened next."
Beth thought, "Only because Auntie Michelle knew… Father has turned traitor… to an evil deity…"
Kaname said, "Well, I better get going. We have big plans for tomorrow."
She stopped by the doorway and said, "I don't want to lose anyone else… I'm happy to have friends like Mr. Nevins, Haruna, Kyo, and Subaru… But I wish they remained with me… forever…"
She walked off, as Beth said, "Kaname… She, too, is having hardships. Father's evil, after his friend died, and Grandfather was killed… and Auntie Michelle…"
She clutched her fists and said, "I won't cry! This is the final! I'm cementing this promise, until I say different! I won't rest, until Kagura Sohma is defeated, once and for all! I'm going to honor Father's legacy, not before he abandoned me! She's going to pay! Her, and those three freaks!"
She was tired out, as she moaned, "But… First, I need shut-eye…"
She went into bed and went to sleep. She thought, as she was relaxing, "I know it's not too much to bear… but Father would've done the same thing… if he was still here… learning Ty Ko Ky…"
She fell asleep, getting ready to prepare for Venice.
Back to present day (seven days until the gems dissolve), in a huge temple in Italy, Kagura was plotting over the plan to achieve her goal. As she was planning, Inga was looking through the door, and whispered, "Our Master… She is that bloodthirsty. Corruption flows inside this woman…"
She left to another room, with a huge table and a stone mask. Anya was sitting in the table, thinking. Inga said to Anya, "Miss Anya, dear sister, is it wise to trust the human?"
Anya said, "I sensed her. She's no longer human, but rather a living corpse, powered by the gems. I sense it within her."
Inga said, "Then… She's one of us?"
Anya replied, "No…"
She held up the mask and stated, "The spines that this mask uses can pierce the human brain… much as how the power cores of Mount Fuji can pierce the human heart… However, they don't have the power to probe our immortal brains. Combined as one, the mask and power core, they are the perfect combination of immortality. The solution is finding more power."
She held up a red gem and shone it over a candle. The candlelight shone into the gem, and shot out a laser, heading straight for Inga's arm. It blasted into her left arm, only piercing a small hole.
Inga asked, "My god… What is that?"
Anya said, "The mortals called it the Red Stone of Fuji. This little gem can refract light inside, at least a billion times. This power is perfect for our kind. The end result… is light of purity and strength. This amplified light holds power untold."
She threw the stone mask into a pile of broken masks, "BUT THIS ONE WON'T DO!"
She held the gem and added, "This little pebble isn't powerful enough. We need more capacity and strength, with it!"
She crushed the power core with her bare hands and continued, "To complete our quest, we need that gem that is utterly flawless… We need… A Super Fuji! Once we have that, we shall conquer the sun, and then become the final perfect step in evolution!"
Mandy explained, the following day, to the others, "The gems were created, long ago, by a woman named Ikara Tokisaki. She lasted from the prehistoric era to today. She is currently deceased. Throughout history, Tokisaki was responsible for events of the world, for 15,000 years. The gems have been buried all around Japan, since the dawn of time, causing tragic events to occur. Six years ago, Fukushima erupted, and rewrote history of Tokisaki's evil ambition. That led to the woman in question that wants the power for herself. She was the creator of the powerful gems, assisting Miss Tokisaki. Her name… is Anya."
They gasped, as Mandy said, "Anya, Inga, and Elsa… They are servants of the gem, or as they would call it, Power Cores. These gems are powerful enough to give a human or dying corpse long-lasting life. And they crossed the Atlantic, searching high and low, looking for the right gem."
A boy in a black suit appeared with a red gem, "Ma'am, I got the gem you asked for."
Mandy took the gem and said, "Thank you, Kevin."
Kevin bowed, as Mandy showed the others the stone, which is attached to a chain, "What I have here is the gem that these Jewel Women wanted… This is a perfectly flawless stone, known as a Super Fuji."
She held it up high, as Beth cried, "You've been carrying around the red stone, this whole time?"
The gem absorbed the sunlight, and shot out a huge laser from the stone. Everyone dodged out of the way.
"Long ago, an event took place, involving the gems. The village who uses Ty Ko Ky were eradicated by the Jewel Women. This stone was almost in their grasp. But for now, I am the one who will be its sole guardian."
Kyo seethed, as Beth thought, "Kyo, I know how you feel… The Power Cores… not only it took the life of my Grandfather, but countless others, as well; and what's worse, my Father abandoned my family, to join the dark side. And now, we're learned the creator of the Power Cores – Anya! Kagura Sohma isn't just out for revenge! She's just a slave to that demon!"
She called out, "Just break it! Smash the damn thing into pieces, and those girls will cry!"
Mandy said, "No! I can't do that. Legend has it says that the three Jewel Women can be defeated, if the stone was involved, in the process."
Beth cried, "What? That's crazy! Why would that be?"
Mandy said, "I don't know… but… I will perform myself as the guardian of the gem, for as long as I can. Beth… Subaru… Kyo… Kaname… I believe the time has come for your final examination."
They shouted, "WHAT?! A FINAL EXAM?!"
Mandy instructed, "Kyo, you will spar with Kaname… And Subaru, you do the same with Beth. Come nightfall, we shall begin your test and see if all of you are worthy."
They nodded, and said, "Yes, ma'am!"
Episode XV – End
The final test begins! Now that we know the origins of the Red Stone, the Power Cores, and Anya, what lies ahead for our heroes?
Time is running out… Beth has now six days left! But will she be able to learn Ty Ko Ky, and hold the secret to her Father's betrayal, at the same time?
Find out in the next episode…
To be continued…