Bloody Roar III: Deception Strikes From Within

Bloody Roar III: Deception Strikes From Within

By Tiger5913

Sequel to Bloody Roar III: Reunited by Chance, a Reflection of the Past

Chapter 4

The First Fight For Nobility

"Oof!" the man grunted as his back slammed into the hard trunk of a tree and he slid down to the ground.

Standing over him, the dark-haired ninja glared at him, his eyes narrowing as he said coolly, "No one insults her and gets away with it."

A chilling smirk spread over his foe's lips. "That's what you think."

Without warning, he grabbed a fistful of dirt from the flowerbed nearby him and flung it at the teenager. The dust particles entered into his irises and he let out a loud yelp, stumbling back as he held his arms up before his face in weak defense. Taking the opportunity, the older male smirked and arose immediately, then stepped over to his opponent and swept the floor with his leg, knocking Kenji in the back of his knees. He fell with a strangled cry, cursing out loud and rolling away as fast as he could to avoid further penalty.

"Ohh, what's the matter? Run out of tough talk?" came the saucy taunt. "Guess your little wench isn't going to have a big strong guy to protect her, eh?"

His head shot up, his disability forgotten. …What did he just call Uriko?! Although his vision was blurry and fuzzy, he forced his eyes open and trained his sight on the man, growling lowly. He can insult me, I don't care, but if he starts dissing Uriko, he's dead meat.

Springing up from his feet, he pounced on the other fighter, tackling him forcefully and smirking inwardly when he heard a yell of surprise mingled with pain. The mole zoanthrope dug his elbow into the individual's throat, pressing down hard, paying no heed even when he started to emit choking sounds. Wincing, Bruno quickly shot his knees foreword and kicked the seventeen-year-old in the chest, pushing him off. Arising, he rubbed his neck vigorously while watching his opponent clutch his injury with a hand, grimacing.

That little brat! He thought, scowling. Grrrr, I'll be glad to dispose of the worm!

A couple yards away, his fiancée was holding her ground, ducking at waist-level and shoved both of her palms at the other woman. She lurched a little, but recovered and backhanded the feline zoanthrope across her cheek, one of her nails scratching a mark into her skin. Letting out a shriek, Uriko cupped the bleeding scar with her hand, her face scrunching up into a look of distaste.

"You just wanna make everyone look as unattractive like you, huh?!" she retorted, rearing her leg and launching it foreword to catch her right under the chin.

Charlene's head snapped back and she screeched out her anger, then grabbed a tight hold of the youth's ankle. Yanking in an upward motion, she made the Kenpo student lose her balance, and watched with wicked glee as she fell hard. Leaning over, she snatched the bunch of her long auburn hair that was tied together in a braid, and pulled on the silky lock. Tears filled the teenager's eyes, but she refused to give her foe any satisfaction and struck with her foot to trip her.

Successful, the woman joined her on the ground, and she punched her square in the jaw, rotating away before a counterattack could occur. Flipping up into a standing position, the cat zoanthrope raised her fists and bent her knees slightly, waiting for her opposition to stand as well. Within minutes, the two were trading and defending against each other's blows, none of the hits that landed wavering either of them.

Nearby, the ninja felt his vision become more clear as a breeze swept by and blew away some of the dirt. Smiling thankfully, he darted at the other man and jumped into the air, briefly planting his feet on his shoulders before bouncing off. Twisting sideways, the soles of his sneakers met a tree trunk, then he retracted and flew in a half-circle, kicking Bruno in the back of his head, landing safely afterwards. Standing as soon as he could, the male antagonist sprang up and sought to charge at the teenager; Kenji remained immobile, closing his eyes as she held up two fingers.

Briefly waving them around, he pointed foreword while a trail of fire emitted from the tips, scorching their way through the air toward their target. Caught off-guard by the tech, the foe cried out in surprise when the flames caught his clothes and flared while they attacked him aimlessly. He immediately dropped to the floor, rolling around in the grass, trying to get rid of the blaze while the dark-haired zoanthrope couldn't help the small smirk that creeped onto his face.

"Grggh!" His contender hollered. "How the hell did you do that?!"

The dark-haired youth raised an eyebrow and replied matter-of-factly, "All zoanthropes have an elemental tech. I'm waiting to see yours."

"?! Z-zoanthrope??"

"What??" Charlene cried, pausing to look at her partner. "What about those freaks?? Do you see one somewhere?!"

"Yeah, there's one right here!!" Her female opponent shouted, narrowing her eyes distastefully at the "freak" remark.

Both of the foes jolted, seeming distressed upon finding out the information. Bruno screeched, "We weren't notified that they were zoanthropes!!"

His accomplice agreed, "We aren't getting paid enough to risk our lives like this! Let's get the hell out of here!!"

Receiving a nod from him, the two turned and darted off hurriedly, front-flipping over the brick wall enclosing the area and disappearing from sight. Remaining in the section, Uriko blinked in confusion, a bit taken back from the sudden change in behavior that was invoked by the attackers. She shot her fiancé a look, noticing that his expression resembled hers, baffled yet curious about the events that had just occurred. A split-second later, he recovered, reclaiming the fiery flame of life in his pupils, glaring at the spot where the other duo had ran away.

"…Cowards," he said lowly. "Nerve-less, whimpering, cowards."

Her face scrunched up. "Kenji, aren't you being a little mean-"

"Why do humans keep thinking that zoanthropes 'freaks'?" He inquired, his voice even, although she could detect anger dwelling beneath the surface. "Just because zoanthropes have a special ability, that has to isolate them from being with so-called 'normal' people."

"I-I don't know, they're just close-minded, I guess…" she grew quiet when she saw that his breathing became hoarse, and he was staring at the wall as if he could burn a hole through it. Clearly, he had been very effected by the insult that the couple and the rest of the zoanthrope race was labeled with, she analyzed, but… she wasn't sure why he was reacting this way. "…Are you okay…?"

Turning his head toward her direction, the smile he gave her was stiff and appeared albeit forced. "Yeah. I was… just a little annoyed at hearing that diss. It's not the first time for any of us, after all."

"I… know what you mean…" Her gaze lowered to the ground as a chilled feeling trickled into her mind, distantly reminding her of the times she had hidden her zoanthrope powers from others in her childhood upon her mother's request. Anytime that her human so-called friends had spoken of her kind, they had a distinct disapproved and shunning attitude in their tones. All throughout her scholar years, she never mentioned her abilities to anyone outside of her small circle of very close friends, like her sister and the rest of her allies. But sometimes, when she thought of how she couldn't confide in her "normal" friends, a forlorn sense overtook her, making her feel melancholy.

"…Let's go search our section now," Kenji suddenly spoke up, startling the Kenpo student out of her chain of thoughts. "We have to meet our friends at nightfall, and tell them what happened, what we found out."

"O-oh… okay." She replied. "I… am gonna have to follow your lead, since you seem to have more of an idea of what to do…"

"You'll get the hang of it soon," he assured her, remnants of his former warmth returning to inhibit his mood.

"Hope so," the teenager said with a wry smile.

"We should get the hell out of here," her compatriot suggested. "Just in case anyone saw the four of us leave the restaurant through the back way, and feel suspicious about it."

"Sure," she agreed.

Giving her a quick look at which she detected a hint of affection in, the dark-haired ninja went to the fall opposite the one that the troublemakers had gone over, and front-flipped over it. Quickly trailing after him, his fiancée cast a glance at her surroundings before copying his movement, shivering as she wondered how many more people would be sent after the couple.

*****

"…What has been done to this innocent toy is rather disturbing."

Peering at her companion delicately observing the stuffed wolf animal, Jane frowned. "Who the hell in their right mind would mangle a helpless child's plaything?"

The leader of their group remarked wearily, "I guess either someone who hates toys… or is trying to threaten me."

"You mean that Alica person?" The nurse inquired. "But… but only a psychotic person or someone with a mental problem would do such a mean thing like this!"

"Hate to break it to you Ally," her boyfriend had a weak smile plastered over his expression. "But this world does have psychopaths and people with mental problems. Hey, take that freaky-haired, limp-wristed bastard back at home - there's no excuse for how he came into existence, eh?"

Seated on the living room couches of the apartment that he shared with his significant other and their guides, they all chuckled at that, but the Kenpo master briskly sobered. He adverted his attention to gazing at the scenery outside through the apartment's window, watching a small robin land on the balcony's railing. The bird hopped into the feeder that hung from the overhead ceiling, nipping at the tiny seeds and grains that sat dormant for the taking.

As much as Busuzima is detested by many, he was indeed brought into existence to play an important role; he mused silently to himself. Though that role was to bring pain to others and should definitely not be a necessity…

His attention went back to the robin while it remained perched on the edge of the structure, oblivious to its hazy, sunbathed position, a tan blur suddenly zipped through the air and claimed the creature of flight. Long grimaced as the cat pawed at the small animal that it had pounced upon and he looked away before shed blood would be visible. But he got a chilled feeling when realizing how the situation he and his friends were in somewhat resembled the feline and the bird.

"…Prey…" he murmured subconsciously.

The other couple continued their conversation, but his fiancée heard what he said and turned to peer at him with a curious look. "…? Prey?"

The tiger zoanthrope smiled faintly at her and nodded. "The six of us, we are like prey to our enemy, our predator. I felt that you and I were being observed in secret today, and atop that, Yugo shows us an innocent child's toy decapitated."

She grimaced. "That was a pretty damn twisted thing to do."

"I agree."

"…You think it was a message that our enemy has some grudge against Yugo? I mean, a stuffed wolf getting it's head torn off, and him being a wolf zoanthrope - I doubt it's a coincidence-"

"Hey, look guys!" Alice's voice suddenly cut through the conversation.

"What?" the blonde-haired woman inquired, looking slightly agitated at being interrupted.

"It's raining!"

Everyone's attention turned to peer outside, and discovered that with the sun slipping into the hills in the distance, a drizzle had taken its place. Heavy raindrops fell to the earth, making plopping noises as it collided with the floor, and other aspects around the area. The stony sidewalks below turned a darker shade of color with the dampening from the wetness that was quickly spreading all over the place. Clouds overhead gathered together to combine their forces and let out a more resolute sheet of water pour and descend.

"Da-amn, it's a freaking shower," Yugo remarked, whistling lowly.

"You think my sister and Kenji are okay?" his girlfriend asked, biting her lip a little. "Why aren't they back by now??"

"Hey, relax Ally, I'm sure they're fine!" He assured her. "Probably just got caught in the rain or something; they'll be back before you know it."

"If they are not present in this room by the time fifteen minutes passes by, then I am sure that they have returned to our apartment and are presumably resting," the Kenpo master spoke up.

It's nine-thirty already… the nurse thought worriedly. I hope they're not still stuck outside in the rain…

*****

Slam! "Looks like I got the room, teehee!!"

"Hey-! That's not fair Uriko, you got a head start!"

She giggled. "Oh well, you still lost, so you gotta go change in the bathroom!"

"Alright, alright…" he grumbled.

When she heard footsteps squeaking away from her direction, she sighed and shook her head, a small smile playing about her lips. The two had been wandering out in their section all day until it'd begun raining, then they immediately headed for the complex. But to no avail, their clothes were soaked practically the whole way through, which forced them to change outfits. The young woman had invoked a contest for the privacy of the bedroom or the bathroom when both of them started sprinting toward the apartment, racing against each other. I'll make it up to Kenji later on somehow…

Walking over to her closet, she shivered and hastily tugged a silky pale rose-colored robe from a hanger; stripping her sopping attire off, she slipped into the soft article of clothing, reveling in the warmth over the previous cold feeling. Tossing her former outfit into a hamper inside the closet, she shut the door and proceeded to her bureau to pick out new apparel.

Knock, knock, knock!

Looking up from her dresser, the feline zoanthrope called, "Kenji?"

"Yeah, it's me," came the answer from the other side of the tall wooden frame.

A grin danced about her lips. "Need something?"

"Uh, well, some clothes would be nice…" he replied.

She pulled the handle of a drawer and retrieved a pair of navy blue jeans, followed by a white cotton shirt, slinging them onto her arm. Just then, she caught sight of a satin ivory-colored nightgown of hers, the frilly material aligning the sleeve edges, and smiled mischievously. Setting down the outfit that she had previously selected for her fiancé, she grabbed the smooth attire and went to the door, opening it slightly as she stuck her hand through the space.

Suppressing a giggle, she felt him take it and saying, "Thanks," then a split second later, heard an exclaim of surprise, "What the-!!"

The teenager laughed cheerfully, and fortunately backed away at that moment, for the door suddenly swung open and Kenji stood before her, holding her gown with a dumbfounded expression on his face. Giving her a bewildered look, he questioned, "You want me to wear your pajamas, Uriko?"

She was snickering too hard to answer, not even noticing that he clad in only a towel that wrapped around his waist, leaving the rest of him bared.

"Hey, I know that it's nighttime and everything, but I kinda prefer sleeping in jeans and a T-shirt or something of that sort," he told her, quirking an eyebrow in bemusement.

"Heehee, well, I thought maybe you wanted a change of pace!" she piped, glancing at him, batting her eyelashes innocently.

He gave her a half-smirk. "A change of pace is one thing, but this is pushing it a bit, don't you think?"

His companion chuckled some more; a slow grin made its way to his mouth as he quickly set the pajamas down onto the bedpost and strode over to her. Before she could figure out what he was going to do, he snaked an arm around the insteps of the underside of her legs, placed his other hand on her back, and lifted her up into the air. She barely was able to squeak a protest when he dropped her down onto the mattress and moved his body to cover hers to prevent her from scampering away. Smiling devilishly, the dark-haired ninja dug his fingers into her sides, tickling her furiously and instantly invoking a reaction from her.

"Ahhhh!" she shrieked, her cry albeit shaky. "K-Kenji you jerk-!"

He shook his head. "Payback is fair, Riko!"

Even as she was squealing in what seemed to be delight, the Kenpo student struggled against his hold, trying to push him off of her. Unfazed by her show of resistance, he continued his task, soon hearing breathless gasps spill out from her lips, filling the formerly serene environment. If the couple were in a different situation than their current one, then the position that they were in would have felt awkward to both of them. She twisted her figure in many directions, attempting to wiggle out from under him, but it was hard for to concentrate while she was laughing from the tickle assault.

After a few more minutes dragged on, he finally stopped, and she released a sigh of relief, which became cut short when he pinned her wrists firmly to the pillow her head was lying upon. Her lips curled into a pout as she said, "Okay, you got me back, so we're even… Can you let me up now?"

He grinned slyly. "Hmmm… …no."

"Grrrrrrr…!" she growled.

The seventeen-year-old glanced downwards briefly, and was surprised when he discovered that the knot securing her robe had fallen loose. Blinking, he caught a glimpse of the curves that shaped the sides of her breasts, her creamy skin causing him to swallow hard. His gaze traveled to her smooth stomach that quivered slightly as she tried to regain control of a regular breathing rhythm, her small bellybutton calling to his attention. Realizing that he was acting rather lecherous, looking at her in the way that he had been, the mole zoanthrope squeezed his eyes shut, not wanting to disrespect her any longer.

Seeing his eyelids close, Uriko peered at him curiously, wondering why he had done that. Something brushed against the naked flesh of her abdomen, and she jolted a little, then moved her head to look at the source. A flap from one side of his towel was dangling, coming in contact with her skin, but that wasn't her main concern. Her chocolate brown irises widened when she saw that the material encircling his waist was hanging very, very loose… If she had allowed herself to delve any further, she would have gone into his personal territory, and she didn't want to invade his privacy.

"U-um, Kenji…" she mumbled timidly. "Y-your towel is kinda-…" her voice trailed off when he slowly opened his eyes and she spied the unspoken hunger that had arisen in them.

"Riko…" With a strangled groan, he turned his face away from her as dark flush crept up on his already-burning cheeks. "I-I'm sorry, I really didn't mean for this to get… out of hand…"

He shouldn't be embarrassed; we were just playing around… She felt him shift a bit uncomfortably, releasing her arms from their imprisonment, and a small gasp slipped out from her when his hard anatomy touched her belly through the thin barrier of his yellow cotton towel. Her mouth went dry and he flushed even more deeply when he found out that she knew how his body was responding to the their current situation.

A shudder trembled through his form and he said hoarsely, "S-Sorry, I'll go and sleep on the couch outside tonight… you can have the room to yourself."

The young woman gave him a tiny, shy smile. "But… what if I want you to stay here, with me…?"

He coughed wearily. "Riko, if I stayed here, I would want to-…" his eyes bore into hers intensively, "…erm, well…"

She slipped her arms around his neck and brought his face down close to hers, whispering into his ear simply, "…I know…"

I-I would want to make love to you… he finished silently as their lips met in the first kiss they'd shared since they arrived in the States.

She sighed, a shaky, tentative sound that collided with his ragged breathing as he held her a little more tightly, embracing her body to his. He lied over her, his fingers splaying into the small of her back while she gave the base of his neck an affectionate squeeze. Sunlight had vanished along with its source, so the lighting in the room was very dim, but didn't have an affect on the couple. His cheek pressed against hers, the heat transferring to her from him while the male youth began kissing her face. His lips brushed over her eyelids, closing them, then slid down to her nose before going to venture around the smooth skin of her chin.

We're late for the meeting… she thought absentmindedly while her fiancé started teasing her dainty skin, scraping her flesh slightly and gently with the edges of his teeth. Ohh… but I'd rather stay here then leave…

Her heart skipped a beat when she felt his hands slip underneath the open folds of her robe and delicately stroke her, delicately shaping her soft curves with his palms. Leisurely pushing aside the material, his embraces became more insistent as his breathing increased, while the towel slid off of him and dropped to the carpet floor. She bit back a moan as he caressed her, his cyan blue bangs tickling her chin when he lowered his head to pay more avid attention to her neck.

"Kenji…" the auburn-haired teenager murmured gaspingly.

Their embraces grew more passionate, and as if on cue, the door to their room swung in an arc, clicking as it closed shut. Leaving the couple enveloped in darkness, neither of them paid any heed to what had just happened, and concentrated on each other. The only light came from a digital alarm clock that sat on the dresser, the screen blinking as seconds turned into minutes and those into longer periods of time. As time slipped by, the young woman's robe slithered soundlessly to the floor while husky words of affection whispered into the air…

End of Chapter 4