- TOH SHIN DEN: To Challenge Fate -

a Battle Arena Toshinden fanfiction by Athena Asamiya and Kasumi Todoh


CHAPTER FIVE: Attacked



Translations:
ikuzou - here I come / let's go etc.
arigato - thank you
ikimasho - let's go
hai - yes
shimatta! - dammit!
yuke! - go!
nani - what
mochiron - of course


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In almost no time flat, their attackers, eight in all, had jumped them and had them pinned to the ground. All of a sudden, one of Ellis's Dirks started to glow and sparkle with flaring ki. In an instant, the Dirks spun and rocketed skyward, freeing Ellis from her assailants and knocking them over like tenpins. She ran over to where one of their captors had Eiji in a fierce hold. Ellis yelled, "Leave him alone, you bastards!" and delivered a hard roundhouse kick followed up by a slashing knife uppercut that sent the attacker flying. Eiji managed to toss one over his shoulder, which allowed him to get free and perform a Hishouzan, which scattered some more thugs. However, they weren't done yet. Their attackers were back on their feet and had the pair surrounded.
"Hmmm...eight to two." Eiji said to Ellis. "Not very good odds."
"Eiji-kun, one thing you should know about me is that I never believe in odds," Ellis replied. "If odds did exist, then I would have died with my parents that night. Hi-ya!"
With that, she jumped up in the air and flew around them once, leaving a bright trail of blue and yellow sparks that lit up the woods. "Ikuzou!!"
As soon as she landed she did a series of small, rhythmic slashes with both Dirks, four times in all, and finishing off by thrusting them forward and shouting, "French Kiss!!" In all, she managed to take out five assailants, three that had foolishly jumped into the air and two that had been slashed to the ground. Eiji took care of the other three, moving like lightening, knocking one out with a Rekkuzan, another with a Ryuseikyaku, and the third with another Hishouzan. It was all over in a few minutes. Only Ellis and Eiji were still moving, and the only sound they heard was their own heavied breathing.
"Well," said Ellis, exhaling. "I'm glad that's over with." She turned to Eiji. "You're a pretty good fighter, Eiji-kun. Never knew anyone before who could throw fireballs." She thought for a moment. "Then again, I never knew anyone with a sword before either. Except--" She stopped. "Never mind."
Disregarding the last part of what Ellis said, Eiji grinned. "Arigato, Ellis-chan. You're not bad yourself. Got quite a mean kick on you, and most people would think daggers that small wouldn't do much damage. Just what was that other move anyway?"
"Oh, that?" Ellis answered. "I call that the French Kiss. I don't use it very often. It's got a lot of power behind it, and maxes my ki out pretty fast." Ellis observed the chaos lying around her. "What was that all about anyway?" She pointed to the men lying on the ground.
"I don't know, but I don't think we should be around when they wake up." Eiji turned and motioned to Ellis. "Ikimasho!"
"Hai!"
They started to run back to Eiji's cabin. The only sound being heard in the dead of night was their hurried footsteps, and the moon almost seemed to be warning them with its bright glow. It's not over yet.
Ellis ducked under low-hanging tree branch and tried to keep up with Eiji's running. "What I wouldn't give to know what is going on here!"
"You and me both!" Eiji called back. He jumped over a few fallen branches and kept moving. I knew there was something up with this tournament. I knew it. But what about...
On their way, they passed a cabin that had some strange bangs and thumps coming from inside it.
"...Kayin-chan!" gasped Eiji, finishing his thought.
Ellis got to the door first, but found that it wouldn't open.
"Shimatta!" Eiji swore under his breath.
"It's locked," she informed Eiji. "I take it that blond best friend of yours is involved in this too?"
"Obviously. We all are, then," Eiji pulled out his scabbard, and unsheathed the Byakko no Tachi. "We gotta try and break this door down."
Ellis grabbed her Dirks, and after whirling them around a couple of times for emphasis, she grasped them tightly and nodded in agreement. In unison, Eiji and Ellis began hacking away at the door. It was surprisingly strong; and it didn't look like it was going to give way anytime soon.
"Arc Slash!!"
"Shugekidan!!"
That did it.
Once they managed to get in, Eiji flicked on the light, and had just enough time to take in what was happening before three of the intruders rushed at him. There were only six guys in the group this time, but even though two of them were already unconcious, Kayin was still outnumbered. Though he was doing pretty good, he was having trouble taking on all of them. Kayin tossed one attacker into another, and Shoulder Crushed them before either could retaliate. He ducked the punch of another and hit them with a combination of a few kicks and slashes, and finished off with a Sonic Slash. Eiji went to help him while Ellis took care of the three who tried to attack them. He dashed over to his friend.
"Need some help?"
"Sure do, and you took your bloody time," Kayin replied. He had enough time, though, to grin smartly and add, "And lay off on the fancy Japanese. You know I was never good at languages, and it's been a while since I was in Japan."
"Sorry."
Eiji turned to help Ellis, but he saw he didn't have to. All three were sprawled out on the floor, each of them out cold, Ellis standing over them with a hard look on her face. Then they took a few minutes to fill in each other on what had happened. Kayin glanced at Ellis, and then back at his friend. "Ah...that's why you were late. Got a new girlfriend?"
"Shut up!"
According to Kayin, his attackers had entered a couple minutes after Eiji had left his cabin, and he and Ellis had arrived just in time.
"That's the second time tonight someone's been attacked," Ellis remarked. "Can't be a coincidence. What is going on here?"
"I'm beginning to think that feeling of yours was right about this place, Eiji," said Kayin. "Bloody consperacies. Just how are all of us involved in this anyway? And what do they want from us?"
"We'll try to figure it out in the morning," Eiji suggested. Forget that dream. It would make me look crazy, even if these two are my friends. "Right now it's late. And it's too dangerous to sleep here."
Eiji and Kayin spent the rest of the night on spare beds in Ellis's cabin. All three agreed on locking the doors and windows, and slept with their weapons close at hand, should anything happen again.

**********

You can guess that Uranus was pretty upset when her men did come back empty-handed.
"I should've known better than to send incompetant fools like you up against two with that kind of power!" she thundered. "Out of my sight! Yuke!! Now!!!" When she was alone with Gaia, she said "Obviously I underestimated those two."
"Well, you weren't expecting that girl Ellis to intervene," Gaia added.
"No, you're right about that," Uranus replied. "Now we'll have to think of a better way to get those two, but how?" She thought for a few minutes, then got an idea. "I've got it. Let's give Eiji just what he's looking for."
"Nani?...You mean...?"
"Yes. Dare I say that this is perfect."
"There are still many things that could go wrong," Gaia replied seriously.
"That's a risk we'll just have to take. I will not lose the chance to get them on our side. I shall start making our plans right away."
"Very well. While you do that, I have some unfinished business to take care of."

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"Did you tell him?"
"Yes. I did as you told."
"Good."
"Might I ask why?"
"He needs to know. Even if it was just a warning, he needs suspicions."
"I see. What if they do manage to find out what is going on?"
"Then they find out. Nothing's stopping them."
"Except for the Himitsu Kessha."
"Yes. But they can persevere. I have faith in them."
"We do make a good team, ne?"
"Indeed."
"But must we keep up this image of evil? Why not destroy the dark ones? We have enough power together to do so."
"We could. To do so, however, would alter destiny. It is not our destiny to destroy them. It is theirs. It is his."
"Mochiron. Fate would not allow it either."
"Let us just watch, and help where we can. We can only believe in them now."
"Yes. Let's watch."

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