Chapter 3
Rocket Dive
After listening to Asuka's revelation about the sword, the shield and justice meaning nothing to all ninja, as well as all warriors. Yumi was about to ask her what happened, when the brunette changed into her shinobi garments, then lunged at her, only to be stopped by Sora who blocked the blow with his Keyblade.
"Asuka, stop this!" he cried.
"I will not stop, Sora! Not until I find the one who took my friends away!" Asuka snapped at him, until they both jumped back.
"You need to listen to me and Yumi! Swords by themselves are only capable of killing without a good reason, but with a shield, they can be used to protect anyone from death! Both are meant to be used in equal shares, so that they can have the power to decide their destiny! Don't you remember what you once said to me, before you met Yumi and taught her that lesson as well?" Sora argued.
"Everything is meaningless in this world, and everywhere else. The only thing I have left to guide me now, is vengeance!" she argued back.
"You're wrong!" protested Yumi, and she assumed her transformed state as Asuka did.
What she wore looked like a white kimono, with white tabi and sandals, which did impress Sora, but now he was deathly serious about trying to snap Asuka out of her vengeance induced stupor, as he watched her lunge at them. All three combatants clashed furiously with each other, but both received some nasty scars on them, as they were all engulfed in a cloud of thick white fog. When it cleared away, Asuka was gone.
"Asuka! Where are you?" called Sora.
"Oh Sora," sighed Yumi, as she clutched at her shoulder.
Luckily, she was able to patch up her wounds, then joined her companions in the classroom with Sora at her side.
"Oh, hey you guys, welcome back," greeted Minori.
"Hey, sorry we're late. Let's just say that we came into contact with Asuka who's no longer herself. She even said that we shouldn't enter that tournament, as she fears that it might end up becoming a trap for all of us, but we're still gonna enter it, whether she wants us to or not. That way, we'll save our friends from Senkou and Gekkou's clutches," Sora replied quietly.
"You said it, Sora. We all know how you feel about them, but we'll help you save them together," assured Shiki.
It did cheer him up a bit, until he felt Yumi's hand on his shoulder.
"Shiki's right, Sora. You will never be alone," she added in agreement.
"Then if it's alright with you, I was wondering if I could use you as a template for the heroic mercenary with that Keyblade in your hand who fights against the forces of evil. That'd probably cheer you and Yumi up," said Murakumo.
"I know that, Murakumo. But still, I really think that we should actually be ready to mount a rescue mission, after we forge a truce between both Team Crimson and Team Hebijo. Even though Asuka said that she believes that justice is dead, and that both sword and shield have no place anywhere in the realm of light. Still, we need to make sure that we reignite the fire of hope in her heart, so that she can re embrace her dreams and become the hero her grandfather, Hanzo, was before her," he replied.
He turned and faced her, but didn't even bother flinching when he looked at her mask.
"Also, I don't know why you always hide your true face behind a mask, but it's actually starting to remind me of a friend of Yusei Fudo's called Akiza Izinski. She once had a very troubled past, after her father put his work before her, causing her to be both shunned and feared, as well as called things like witch and monster, which caused her life to spiral out of control, and she even shut herself out of her family and the world. That was until Sayer, the leader of the Arcadia Movement, found her and took her into his organization, and transformed her into a battle-hardened duelist, but that only made the people of New Domino City start to hate her even more, and even shun her. She began to view both her beauty, the mark of the Crimson Dragon, and her special abilities as a curse, rather than a blessing. But all that changed after her first encounter with Yusei, who helped her see the error of her ways, and even freed her from the Curse of the Black Rose, and after apologizing to her mother and father, she learned to forgive herself, until she learned the terrible truth about what really happened to Toby Treadwell, Misty's brother. Sayer viewed him as a failure, and had him quickly disposed of, but in the end, Yusei was able to find out the real truth about what happened to Toby, and Misty was able to avenge him, despite being a Dark Signer herself. After that, Akiza decided that she'd work even harder to be better as both a person and a duelist, and even succeeded in overcoming her past, and her parents welcomed her back with open arms, after forgiving both themselves and each other," Sora explained to her.
Then to prove his point, although Yozakura, Shiki, and Minori tried to stop him, he gently removed her mask, and saw a rather beautiful face with olive green eyes, but he gently placed it in her hands, so that she'd hold onto it before putting it back on her.
"See, you may not know it, but you are beautiful. Also, I'd actually be happy to let you create a character that's based on me for your manga. Also, I learned that true beauty doesn't just come from your own looks, it actually lives in your heart, Murakumo. I know that there are plenty of guys in this world beyond Gessen who'd actually admire how pretty you look, even without that mask. Sometimes learning to face your fears can actually help you realize that you don't have the face of a monster. Yours is the face of a true angel," he said kindly to her.
Murakumo wasn't sure what to say, but she did decide that it was best to take a bit of time to think about what Sora told her about where true beauty would always be. A smile formed on her face, even as she looked at him.
"I… I guess you're right, Sora. Even though this mask I wear is meant to hide what I fear most about myself, I'm actually most comfortable when I'm around you without it. Maybe if we do go manga shopping, I'll pick some of the best genres of manga that might pique your interest," she replied.
Meanwhile, inside the hallowed halls of Hebijo, Rin, now under the name of Suzune, had received word from her students about the Shinovi Masters Tournament, which did sound strange to her. Despite that, they needed to learn more about what was actually going on, thanks to what Murasaki had told them.
"I'm more than willing to agree with your sister on this one, Imu. Sure both you and the Hanzo girls have become rivals, despite being enemies, just like how Homura and her companions became their rivals, but still, there's a fine line between good and evil. Trust me, I know, because from what I was originally doing in my world, before I became a dark hunter, and formed my own team of dark hunters called Team KRYYSTAAL, saving them is one of the highest priorities. Also, Ryona, don't make your sister go into her Doom Slayer phase where she'll rip and tear, until it's done," Kenton explained.
"Wait a second, I actually like the Doom franchise, even though the violence is extremely excessive. Sure, Ryona can be a pain in my neck, but still, I'd never do something so crazy like say I'll rip and tear her guts out. I'd actually prefer teaching her a lesson rather than killing her for no good reason. Also, even though she's annoying, I still love her, regardless of her personality," explained Ryobi.
"Well, back to the matter at hand, Miss Suzune, if I may, we all know that good and evil are of the same coin, like light and darkness, and justice and vengeance. The war between both sides would most certainly turn into a living hell for all of us. It's imperative we help them out no matter what," Kiba said.
"Yes, that does make sense," replied Suzune.
"And if we do, then that means Hanzo owes all of you guys a big favor. I think we should go to this Shinovi Masters Tournament and find out for ourselves, if you'll agree to let us go," said Trish.
Suzune nodded, then agreed to let the mission go underway, but to MIyabi, it meant that there would indeed be a lot more at stake for them. The rest of her companions agreed, and the matter was settled. Meanwhile, Sora and Yumi were now searching for Master Hanzo, when Homura approached them with bad news.
"I get it, it makes sense. You'd figured he'd know what's going on with Asuka," she said.
"Right," sighed Sora.
"Actually, there's something that we need to tell you," interjected Yumi.
They set off to the canal where Sora and Asuka left Homura after the latter splashed into the water. They told Homura about what Asuka had said to them.
"I see. Asuka really said that. That's weird," quipped Homura.
"What do you mean?" Sora asked.
"I mean, Yumi is actually telling the truth for a change. We'll just have to assume she has a good reason for her actions," she replied.
"You see, our families have some history. Asuka's grandfather and my grandfather had a bit of a falling out," Yumi said to them.
"I heard about that. I guess even good ninjas can disagree about things sometimes," sighed Homura.
"Yeah, I guess. Still, Asuka did tell me before she lost her morality, that both she and Yumi started clashing with each other, but when they went to move in for the kill, the head of Gessen stopped them from going overboard. After that, they formed a mutual understanding for one another, but hearing her say that she has no need for the sword, the shield, and justice, it doesn't make any sense at all," replied Sora.
"I know exactly what you mean. Asuka always talked about the true meaning of justice, the path of the shinobi, and all those other good ninja cliches. But then when you cross blades with her, you can feel her passion," said the tanned kunoichi, remembering the time when they once clashed with each other, until Dogen was revealed to be the true mastermind of having them fight to the death, so that both scrolls would merge together to form the Devil Scroll.
Sora knew that all too well also. He remembered how he had fought Dogen and sent him plummeting to his death, and then asked Homura to face him in a battle of truths.
"Her heart absolutely burns with it," she added.
"Indeed it does," replied Yumi.
"You wanna know something else, Homura? I've also come to realize that people, regardless of who they are, which family they're from, whatever their upbringing is, or which side they're on, anyone can be capable of anything. Also, I was wondering if you'd be participating in the Shinovi Masters Tournament, just like Yumi, Miyabi, and the rest of us," said Sora.
"Yeah, I don't want a bunch of strangers picking the strongest shinobi when I'm around. 'Course I'm in," replied Homura.
"I'm glad to hear that. I'll also be participating as well, not just to be the champion, but to ensure that the girls from Hanzo Academy are saved from Senkou and Gekkou. I can't let them down. Or rather, We can't let them down. Also, the reason why Yumi's hurt is because Asuka attacked her and me, after she said that everything she believes in is dead," he explained.
"Hey, don't worry. Sounds like you need a hot spring. And luckily for you, I know the perfect spot," replied Homura.
"Agh, I just hope I don't have to participate in a mixed bathing day," groaned Sora.
"It's okay, Sora. I know for a fact that Asuka believes you're a respectful guy, after I explain things to the others," assured Yumi.
That night, the same girl with black hair and black eyes walked silently towards the shadowy being, which turned out to be a yoma. Its demonic presence was a welcome sight to her, as she gently stroked its head. However, the next day, Sora, Yumi, and their friends were now at the hot springs, but of course, she apologized to Homura, but the tanned kunoichi assured her that they had to look their best. Both the Gessen girls, the Crimson Squad, and Sora need to take this moment to relax for a while. Haruka did observe that Mirai's appearance had slowly changed a bit, as she was becoming a bit more mature.
"I think it's fair if you go with Haruka's judgment, Mirai," called Sora, who was still keeping his thoughts to himself.
They relaxed in other hot springs from outside, although Sora would still have his swim trunks on, but also warned them not to remove them, so as not to see his business. Yozakura tried to warn Minori not to run about, but her friend landed safely upon her.
"Nice catch, Yozakura," said Akeno.
"Oh, thank you, Akeno. Ah, geez, I can't believe I'm here with Haruka 2.0," replied the blue haired kunoichi.
Listen, don't judge Akeno, or she might use something similar to Pikachu's thunder attack, and have us all suffer some severe electrical burns, Yozakura. Still, even with these hot springs, I'm pretty much doing the same thing Sora is, keeping my trunks on. It's probably imperative to keep it together," Kenton said to the others, keeping his thoughts to himself.
However, Murakumo, despite her intense training, still wanted to write more manga, but of course she needed some inspiration. Haruka had to agree, but in a shrine, three girls called Renka, Hanabi, and Kafuru Mikagura were sweeping the courtyard with their brooms. They decided to take a little break, even as more leaves fell, but Hanabi wanted something more, due to her love of fireworks.
"Right, this festival won't be much fun anyway," sighed the eldest of the three sisters.
Their luck soon changed when the girl in the fur coat appeared before them.
"Renka, Hanabi, Kafuru. You're the three Mikagura Sisters, aren't you?" she asked them.
"Who are you, and how do you know our names exactly?" demanded the youngest sister.
"If the three of you are here, then I must be in the right place. Tell me where I can find Kagura," the girl remarked.
"We would never give out that information," Renka snipped at her.
Suddenly there came a dark cold chuckle.
"So you refuse to tell us, even if we forced it from you," Sephiroth said to them.
"I suppose we have little choice but to turn the three of you into nothing but bones," added Nuno.
Just as a fight was about to break out, Kagura appeared, wanting to know what this was all about.
"And so the Yoma Slayer herself appears," grinned the blonde swordsman.
"What do you want?" she asked them.
"Kagura, you were born with the express purpose of slaying yoma. So I thought it would be wise to ask if you would be willing to join the Shinovi Masters Tournament," the dark haired girl said.
Kagura was surprised, but after being told that the one who was the victor, would be crowned both champion and strongest of all shinobi, and that they would clash with the ultimate yoma itself. At the same time, Murakumo had finally found both her motivation and inspiration.
"Well, I'm just glad you found something to help you write your next manga, Murakumo. Still, every girl's appearance is something that Sora would never dream of judging, after his first meeting with Tifa back in Radiant Garden," said Lizbeth.
In the waiting room, Homura sat in her chair drinking iced coffee, just as Sora joined her in his regular clothes, after informing Yumi and the others that he had something to do.
"Something wrong, Sora?" she asked.
"I sense Asuka's presence," he replied.
They stepped out onto the roof.
"Come on out, Asuka. Sora said that he sensed you," called Homura.
"Homura," Asuka replied, still sounding cold.
"Asuka, listen. I don't know exactly what happened, but you gotta think about this. Do you really want to end up like General James Ironwood and Professor Leonardo Lionheart, after they lost all sense of hope and purpose in their lives?" Sora asked her.
"Don't participate in the Shinovi Masters," she said.
"I see, you're giving us the same warning you gave Yumi. I would be fine with passing on the tournament," remarked Homura.
"Even still, saving your friends is something we both share in common with each other, but you can't do this on your own, not without us, even if Homura says otherwise. All I'm asking is that you stop this foolishness before it destroys you," the spiky brunette added.
"But if words cannot sway you from the truth, then I believe actions may speak a lot louder than what Sora has told you," smirked Homura, and she attained her new shinobi transformation state.
"I'm afraid Homura may be right. I believe a battle may be the only way to help you see the truth of how you shouldn't do things alone," sighed Sora, and he readied his Keyblade.
The combatants charged at each other, and their clash of blades had begun, despite Homura's belief in being rivals.
(Oh boy, play Tower of Lies by Axel Rudi Pell, from the album Into the Storm for this deadly clash)
"What can you hear ? Can you believe it ?
Should we remember all the words outta your mouth ?
Livin' a lie, no guts, no glory
No sign to surrender, you're the devil in disguise
Expect no mercy
You are responsible
We're looking ahead
On the train to tomorrow
Oh…
Catch your wounded pride
High above
In your tower of lies
Oh…
You're on a never ending ride
High above
In your tower of lies
Is it all true ? Drawing conclusions
All of your stories, we're passing in review
A liar's not believed, even when he speaks the truth
You stand convicted, leaving you in loneliness
Expect no mercy
You are responsible
We're looking ahead
On the train to tomorrow
Oh…
Catch your wounded pride
High above
In your tower of lies
Oh…
You're on a never ending ride
High above
In your tower of lies
(Guitar Solo)
Ohh!
Oh…
Catch your wounded pride
High above
In your tower of lies
Oh…
You're on a never ending ride
High above
In your tower of lies
Oh…
Catch your wounded pride
High above
In your tower of lies
Oh…
You're on a never ending ride
High above
In your tower of lies
Oh…
Tower of lies
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
Tower of lies"
"What's wrong with you? Do you want to forsake us? Come on, get up! Your grandfather always believed you were better than this," Sora said firmly, after Asuka had been put down.
"Actually, you're wrong," Asuka remarked, then she struck back, only for Sora to deflect the blow with his Keyblade.
"Holy crap!" Homura gasped in surprise.
"Justice and vengeance are two sides of the same coin, Asuka. Do you really want to submit to the opposite of what you believe?" he asked her.
"If I must submit to vengeance, then so be it!" she said firmly, then lunged at the two warriors.
"I won't let you do this! What of the many times you clashed with Homura, your friend and riva!? Despite your differences, you both knew that killing each other wasn't the perfect way to see who was the better rival!" cried Sora, and the two of them fought even more furiously.
"Don't bother listening to them, Asuka. You were born to kill. That is your destiny," Sephiroth's voice said in Asuka's head, just as Homura assumed her crimson state.
But Asuka quickly retreated after one of her swords got flung out of her hand, until Homura lunged at her, only for Sephiroth to appear before her and block the killing blow with Masamune.
"Retreat for now, Asuka. I will stall Homura and Sora for now," he said to her.
He then cast dark water upon her, which in turn gave Asuka the advantage she needed, and fled for her life.
"How dare you, Sephiroth," she coughed, then fell unconscious.
This only made Sora angry at the One-Winged Angel, and he charged furiously at him.
"Sora, don't!" cried Asuka, but Sephiroth cleaved through the building with his sword, then blocked Sora's killing blow.
"A touching reunion," he smirked, then sent him plummeting to the ground below, with Homura landing beside him in a crumpled heap.
"SORA!" she howled despairingly.
Yumi sensed that something was wrong when she heard Asuka calling out Sora's name in the distance, making her feel uneasy at what she was sensing.