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Cronos never detected any motion behind him, and had no opportunity to be surprised when a lean form tackled him in the back, causing the prince to drop his object of affection. The Kenpo student cried out in pain when she felt sharp claws briefly swipe at her arm, tearing through the skin, and she folded it against her chest instinctively. Blood trickled down from the wound, wetting her fingers, staining them with the very substance that haunted her nightmares in reminder of the violent past she had as a child. She rolled on her side, until she ran into a nearby wall, and curled her body into a protective ball, her eyes opened wide and alert as they trained on watching the events unfold before her.
An agile mole was viciously slashing his built-in weapons into the chest of the jade-haired royal member, thankfully meeting the resistance of his hard golden armor. Cronos ducked from the lashes that were aimed for his head, but a sharp talon foot caught him in the face, and his hands immediately went up to shield his eyes from injury. Painful blows dug into his back instead, clawing away his attire to attack the soft, vulnerable surface of bare skin; he bent his head to cover his neck. The fiery assassin grabbed his opponent by both sides, and lifted him into the air, glaring rash red irises in his direction before throwing the older fighter straight into the wall, a mere few feet from where Uriko lay.
"Ahhh!" The frightened girl shrieked and reflexively cringed at the sight of the prince groaning as he slammed his back onto the rough surface, and slowly slid down to the floor. Cronos groggily blinked his eyes open, just in time to abruptly shove himself to the side and dodge five claws that stabbed into the ground, in the same spot where his neck had been. He leaped back up into a shaking standing position, and ducked behind a tall suit of armor holding an axe that was the only thing preventing him from taking hits by the angry mole zoanthrope. His heart hammered frantically as for the first time, he tasted real fear of losing his life, but when a thought occurred to him, he smiled confidently.
I must remove myself from within his striking distance. The seventeen-year-old chided himself as he jumped up a little ways to barely avoid a double downward slash that was aimed for his shins. The deadly assassin released a shrill screech of frustration and viciously thrust his claw toward the prince's abdomen, one of his favorite trademark moves. Cronos back-flipped several times, and that gained him a few feet distance from his opponent, and daintily landed onto the red cushion of the throne he had been sitting in earlier. A cold grin tugging at his lips, he gazed downward at the younger fighter before leaping off the chair, and closing his eyes as piercing yellow light enveloped his form.
"You are not the only elite fighter in this room…" his smoothly murmured words trailed off as he lost the ability to speak, as well as his very own human self. The mole shrieked at the sudden brightness, and used his large claws to cover his sensitive eyes, which prevented him from spying a slim figure diving at him from high in the air. Golden softness tickled at his nose, the only pleasant feeling he received, for a split second later, heat scorched his dark brown fur, while something wide beat at his face. The ninja fell back to the floor, and raised his feet, lashing out wildly in hopes of coming into contact with his opponent's body, and reveling in the sound of a high-pitched screech when he hit his target.
A violent shudder quaking through her, Uriko parted her dry lips and shied away her view of sight from the fight that was taking place so close to her current location. She did not even take a moment to see the prince's new form, as she was only thinking of her friend, of how afraid he made her feel at that very instant. The last time she had seen him in that state was a couple years ago, when he nearly attacked her Kenpo master to the point of death in their heated battle. It was as if the malicious assassin had lain dormant inside Kenji since that day, and perhaps it had been a struggle for him to keep the killing urge down.
N-no, I can't believe what Cronos said…! She shook her head in denial, trying to place her faith in her zoanthrope compatriot, rather than entrusting it into the hands of a selfish, yet skilled manipulator. The hand she had pressed against her heart curled into a loose fist and a few stray teardrops dripped out of the corner of her tightly closed eyes. She desperately wanted to gather up the courage to stand on her feet and run over to stop Kenji before he went too far in the fight, but the thought of being struck down by him had dark fear running in her veins. And what would it all be worth, just to save someone that cared nothing for anyone except for what he wanted, would not hesitate to kill her friend?
While she was pondering in her mind, the prince stretched out his brilliantly shining wings to their full length, and flew up into the air with ease, sneering down at his opponent from his higher position. His sharp-tipped golden beak was many times the size of his penguin form, and the vicious talons on his feet rivaled those of the mole standing on the ground. His feathers were thick and shielded him from being easily damaged, and the way he could take to flight and stay out of striking range gave him an enormous advantage. But what he was unaware of was that the ninja possessed techs in which he could execute to the airborne, and promise successful outcomes.
Cronos released a horribly high-pitched noise that made his opponent flinch just the slightest bit, and his huge claws moved toward his ears to cover them. Taking advantage of the short distraction, the phoenix screeched a battle cry and folded his wings back, straightening his body as he dived at the younger fighter. His large talons raked through the fur around the mole's head, and would have scratched the corner of one of his eyes if a reaction had not ensued quickly enough, but the prince was pushed away. The ninja snapped his eyes up to attention, and agilely jumped forward in an attempt to stab at the foe's abdomen, a trademark move of his.
"Sheeeeerrrrr!" The golden bird cried shrilly as he arose higher in the air, out of range, and retaliated by shooting out a wave of heated flames from the gleaming feathers of his wings, as if the fire had merely melted off. The mole rolled away and barely had a thin sheen of his fur scorched, but the damage was too little for him to take alarm to, and he immediately crouched his legs in preparation to launch up toward his opponent. Extending both of his heavy muscled arms, he grabbed the bird around the chest area, and spun him multiple times in midair, ignoring the dizziness that threatened to settle in his consciousness. The prince was soon flung down to the ground face-first, and he shrieked soundly in pain, then flapped his wings frantically to escape a possible following assault.
Ugh… Uriko moaned inwardly, her eyes blinking close instinctively when she heard a sickening crack that might have meant Cronos had broken a bone, or perhaps several. His flying ability indeed appeared hampered when one of his wings were moving awkwardly, not in-sync with his other one, and that made him unable to soar as high as he intended to. He could not get away quickly enough, and howled as sharp points viciously slashed at his back, snagging a few bright yellow feathers in the claws. The bird squawked and his flapping slowed unwillingly, which gave his mole opponent the opportunity to tackle and knock his unprotected form to the floor.
The Kenpo student gasped and almost jumped to her feet when she witnessed the scene, but froze in fear when her friend turned his head in her direction and glared with menacing red irises. She backed up until she felt the wall pressed behind her, and he returned to his business, seated firmly atop the prince's abdomen, proceeding to smack his beak around. Cronos twisted his head to the side and managed to bite one of the clawed wrists that was attacking him, and the mole retracted with a furious squeal. He was rewarded with a harsh blow to his face, and he snapped back, stunned, when another brutal strike hit him on the side of his forehead, and his muscles relaxed as he slipped into unconsciousness.
"No-! Don't do it!!" Uriko shouted to her changed and berserk friend when he pointed snow-white daggers at each of the prince's eyes, silently threatening to stab him blind. She took a step forward with her hand raised in emphasis with her previous statement; quietly and slowly, he arose from his sitting position, and snatched his opponent's neck, forcing him up to stand on his feet. The mole turned around swiftly and glared at the girl, eyeing her throat as his free hand stretched out the individual fingers and the claws shifted in a tantalizing motion. His long nose twitched, making his thin, sensitive whiskers move, and what seemed to be a sadistic expression crossed his face as he glanced at the prince, then back at the feline zoanthrope.
She knew that he was challenging her to try and stop him from doing away with his victim, and fear shook her because there was a great possibility she could lose not only the battle, but also her very life. But even at that cost, she had to stop him before he killed Cronos; if he succeeded in doing so, she knew that her Kenji would be lost to her forever. When or if he ever regained a hold of himself, he would remember that he had taken another life, and the still-fresh memory of his assassin days would overcome his mind. He'd never again allow himself to believe that he could redeem his sins, and his spirit would die, shrivel up and dwindle away until he was consumed with emptiness.
It was time to repay him for traveling so far to rescue her from this hellhole; now, it was her turn to help him, and she had to save Kenji from his brutal and merciless assassin counterpart. Brushing the stray bangs out of her eyes, Uriko heaved a shaky breath and nodded ever so slightly in acceptance, while her hand tightened its grip on her shoulder. Still holding onto the torn material modestly, she gasped when her friend released a shrill cry, and reared back his arm, aiming for Cronos' vulnerable throat. Her mind had not even caught up to the realization of her body morphing by its own will until she was halfway across the room, darting toward the two male fighters.
"Sto-op!!" She cried in resistance, her voice strangely sounding garbled, and that was when the girl looked down at herself and spied the thick tan fur of her cat beast form spread out where her skin used to be. Small but deadly claws protruded from the former position of the nails on her fingertips, and delicate, acute feline ears were growing atop her head, nestled in her auburn tress. At the base of her spine, a tail twitched in motion with the air, and stuck up rigidly when Uriko stopped, as if it had sensed her surprise and alarm. The instincts of her animal made her knees bend slightly, and her back slouch in a combat-ready pose, with her arms poised near her face for immediate protection.
Wariness mingled with surprise briefly registered on the mole's face, but he quickly discarded the expression, and averted his attention to delivering the fatal blow to his captive. The nimble cat leaped from her current position, and extended her paws, digging her claws into his fur as she was launched toward the assassin, but only grazed his back when he barely dodged to the side. She fell to the floor and blinked as she shook her head dizzily, and looked over her shoulder to notice that her move made his hold on Cronos loosen, but not enough to let him go. Her friend growled menacingly and glowered down at her as he kicked her in the stomach with his sharp talons, bringing a pained mew out of her throat.
Ugghhh… She groaned inwardly, and howled when five points stabbed her arm, retracting only when her feet instinctively swung around to knock away the harmful presence near her body. A coppery odor trickled over to her nostrils, followed by a wetness that she felt near her elbow, and she knew that he had penetrated deep enough to break through the skin. Ignoring the ache that arose after the initial numbness had worn off, Uriko propped herself to her knees, and then stood up shakily. The mole was no more than a yard distanced from her, and he did not show any sign of remorse or regret for hurting her; rather, he emitted an aura of satisfaction that had barely been fulfilled.
She blinked timidly at the dead, soulless look she spied in his eyes, and in that very instant; he and the prince disappeared into what seemed like thin air, with only thin gray smoke lingering in their wake. Remembering his Smoke Bomb tech, the feline immediately whirled around, her acute senses becoming aware of the slightest movements in the room. A breezy whisper passed by her cheeks, and she turned in the direction of the contact, only to find a large hand slashing deadly claws across her chest. A surprised yowl escaped from her as she hurriedly stepped back out of reach, and her heels caught against a firm object on the ground, causing her to stumble.
Teetering a bit off balanced, Uriko flailed her arms, trying to get her feet down into a proper standing position, when a sturdy brown palm thrust forward and shoved her to the floor. She descended, roughly landing on her rear, which caused her to elicit a small cry and her paw reflexively went up to her mouth so she could lick the fur in comfort. Shaking her head, she ridded herself of the feline instinct, and slowly lifted her eyes up to face her predicament, just as several dagger tips stole underneath her chin, pointing at her susceptible neck. The frightened cat girl mewed shrilly and began edging backward along the ground on her bottom, but those sharp death threats followed her until she was pressed against a wall.
There's only one thing I can try… I have to… Oh, but it's dangerous… She silently debated in her mind, and made her decision when the mole tensed his muscles, and his claws quivered in anticipation of stealing her life. Uriko dropped her shoulders and sighed what seemed like a motion of defeat, causing her friend to hesitate for a second, and regard her with curiosity. Without warning, she shot up from her sitting pose all of a suddenly, and she quickly dug her claws into the assassin's hands, knocking Cronos out of his grasp. She curled her body in a circular shape as she folded the other fighter and herself into a ball of electrifying energy that shielded and prevented them from escaping.
Consciousness and awareness escaped her senses as the cat zoanthrope felt her form being flung about the walls of the room, the colorful sphere that imprisoned her crashing into many of the surrounding aspects. Pain struck the back of her head and her mouth flew open in a silent scream, but she refused to emit any sound that would reveal a single sliver of her distress. Thin edges caught onto the white sleeves of her outfit, and when they snagged onto her securely, they were forcefully torn off as the ball continued to bounce around. She felt battered and weakened by the time that she and the mole elevated a bit into the air, then plummeted rapidly and slammed down onto the ground.
Normally, Uriko would bounce back on her feet and her head would sway around dizzily as she wailed aloud from the aftermath effect of her beast drive, but this time, she could not even find enough energy to stand. Her knees buckled when she tried to raise her body off from the cold, hard surface of the floor, and she slumped, retaining her previous lying position. Fatigue pierced her muscles while fiery agony flickered through her veins, making her groan unwillingly as she fought to keep her eyes open. She desperately wanted to shift her head so she could look behind her, and see what damage her friend suffered, or if he was even still conscious.
"What a foolish, not to mention wasted, attempt." A calm voice spoke lowly; barely reaching her ears as the auburn-haired girl moved her hands to grasp at her chest, and hide the new areas exposed by her clothing's tears. "You would sacrifice yourself for this worthless excuse of a person. All I wanted to do was… teach him a lesson, acknowledge him to keep his mouth shut when he's around someone who can make him pay for whatever words he would regret saying later. It was his stupid decision to push my buttons as if my purpose was to entertain and amuse him, so he had to live up to his mistake."
"Y-You're still…" she started to murmur, feeling icy fear prick at her nerves when soft footsteps sounded, approaching her weakened body. The Kenpo student winced as she turned her figure around so that she was lying on her back, and struggled to sit up onto her bottom and be able to face her fate. A hand clamped on her shoulder, gripping so tightly that she almost whimpered in pain, but she held it in, and leisurely raised her eyes to see the assassin. Crimson irises glared down at her, baring the malicious intentions that lay dormant within, showing no mercy when she cringed and tried to move away.
"I'm still alive." He filled in for her, a small bunch of stray blue bangs drifting to graze his forehead as a wicked smile curved his lips when he then asked, "Are you disappointed?"
"N-No, of course not…" Uriko replied, unable to resist turning to the side when he bent to her level, keeping his iron grip, and brought his face close to hers, his hot breath fanning her skin.
"I'm not easy to kill." Her friend informed, chuckling slightly when he saw her give the faintest motion of nodding, and nudged her smooth cheek with the tip of his nose. "But others, however, I can't speak for." He briefly glanced back over his shoulder at Cronos' still body that lay motionless on the floor, as if he were in a comatose state.
"I-Is he dead…?" She whispered in question, her eyes averting to where the prince was presently located, and a lump formed in her throat when she saw him so stationary, not even detecting any movement from his chest to indicate that he was breathing.
"If he is not already, then he will be soon enough." His quiet tone betrayed no emotion, and she felt him lean in close to her ear, his lips tickling her sensitive lobes as he murmured provocatively, "And you will too. I wasn't planning on killing you, but since you interfered, I'm afraid you'll have to suffer the same consequences as him."