- TOH SHIN DEN: To Challenge Fate -

a Battle Arena Toshinden fanfiction by Athena Asamiya and Kasumi Todoh


CHAPTER NINE: Challenger



Translations:
-chan - honourific used for children or close friends
niisan - informal version of oniisan; elder brother
ikuzou - let's go


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Ellis was shocked for a moment. Me? Why challenge me? she thought, confused. She started to say something, but Eiji stepped protectively in front of her.
"No way!" he angrily shouted at Gaia. "You'll have to beat me first!"
"Eiji-kun," Ellis said quietly, "let me try. I can beat him."
Eiji looked unsure. "But, Ellis-chan, I--"
Ellis shook her head. "No. I'm not going to learn anything from having my friends fight my battles. I'm going to do this."
"Yes, Eiji," Sofia added. "Let her try. Even the unexpected can bring about surprises."
Defeated, Eiji finally said "All right. Ellis-chan, be careful."
Ellis smiled. "You know I will, Eiji-kun." Slowly, bravely, she turned to face the massive and feared Gaia. "I accept your challenge."
The rest of the fighters filed off the arena to the sidelines, as Ellis and Gaia squared off on opposite sides of the arena. Gaia regarded the petite girl in front of him with some interest.
"You have come this far for a reason," Gaia said. "What is that reason?"
"To--to find my father," Ellis replied, her confidence never wavering.
"That may not happen."
"Maybe not. But that's why I'm here."
"Bout One! FIGHT!!"
Ellis opened up by leaping into the air and performing her Homing Swallow attack, spinning into a dizzying set of somersaults and leaving a trail of blue fire like a comet. She landed on her feet with ease behind Gaia, and proceeded into her Flaming Crescent, digging into the back of his heavy armour. Gaia recovered quickly and, while Ellis was coming down from the air, counterattacked with a Devil's Explosion, the fist of hyperkinetic energy slamming into Ellis and knocking her to the ground. Ellis sprang back up quickly and took a defensive stance. Gaia lashed a series of explosive fireballs at her from his upper appendages, but Ellis managed to cartwheel out of the way just in time. She dashed into her knee slide, followed by two slashes to the shin, an uppercut, and finally, another Flaming Crescent, knocking Gaia onto his back for a K.O. Ellis's audience cheered, and even Ellis looked pleased with herself. However, Bout Two proved to be another story. Gaia seemed to get a second wind, and launched a Devil's Fist at Ellis with no time for her to avoid it, the flaming projectile ripping into her defenses and blasting her backwards off her feet. Gaia fired another Super Sting at Ellis, but this time she dashed forwards and ducked under the string of fireballs. Ellis jumped up, and shot towards Gaia calling, "ARC SLASH!", her Dirks releasing a blast of fire on contact. Gaia was knocked back a few paces but retaliated by slashing at her with his enormous sword and whacking her with one of his appendage's claws. He lauched his Super Sting for a third time, and this time it didn't miss. Ellis was pounded to the floor, almost at a knock-out. She waited for the final blow, but was surprised to see that it didn't come.
"What the hell is that sonofabitch doing!?!" seethed Eiji in the stands. "If he hurts her anymore than he already has, I swear I'll cut him open myself!!"
Tracy nodded in enthuasiastic agreement. "I'm with ya, Shinjo. I'd like to be part of the ass-kickin' too. Who knows how much more the kid can take?"
"No," said Sofia, shaking her head. "We have to believe in Ellis. We all know she can do it if she tries."
"I suppose," replied Eiji half-heartedly. He glanced out onto the arena floor again. Ellis-chan, ganbatte!
"Why don't you just get it over with?" Ellis was confusedly asking. "What are you waiting for?"
But Gaia didn't move or answer. He simply waited until the time expired, and he was declared the winner of Bout Two.
Up in the spectator stands, Eiji suddenly felt that now-familiar feeling--he was being watched. He turned around and saw a tall, dark figure standing in the shadows near the door, regarding the fight--and the other fighters--intently. Unfortunately, Eiji was unable to get a good look at the figure, and turned to see if any of the others had seen the mystery spectator. The other three seemed to be absorbed in the fight and hadn't noticed at all. Eiji looked again to see if the dark silhouette was still there, but no, whoever it was had disappeared into the shadows. Eiji turned back to the fight, but something important that he couldn't quite get ahold of nagged at him. It was something about the way the figure was standing...carelessly, leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, sword-sheath dangling from his hip...his sword-sheath?? Eiji's eyes flew open, and he whipped around quickly to see if he could spot where the shadow-spectator had gone. He couldn't, but the realization he just made had left him breathing hard and shaking inside. It couldn't have been...
Meanwhile, Bout Three, the tiebreaker, had begun. Ellis vowed to herself silently that she would win this fight, and find her father, or go down in the attempt. However, it was clear that getting past this fight was going to be a problem. She couldn't go on forever, and everyone, including her tough opponent, knew this. Still, Ellis decided, I have to try. She ran in close, and started into her Goodnight Baby super-special attack, leaping into a fiery, flashy combination of her normal special moves. Gaia was caught offguard, hitting the ground with an loud clang. He rose off the ground slowly and launched another Devil's Fist at Ellis, but she was ahead of him and landed a number of kicks and slashes for a combo of about nine hits. Gaia was knocked to the side, but then started into his Ultra Desperation Attack, his sword whirling and slicing through the air, Ellis with it. Stumbling from the hard-hitting move, Ellis tried to get up but fell again. One more hit, and she'd lose. It seemed that Gaia was going to let the time run out again. Suddenly Ellis heard Eiji shout to her.
"Ellis-chan! Use your French Kiss!"
Ellis considered her options. Of course, there were no others. She would have to try this as a last resort. Fueled by her confidence in herself and the desire to find her father, Ellis launched into her French Kiss. Holding one Dirk back, she gathered her ki and leapt into the air, shouting "IKUZOU!!". Bursting into an explosive ball of blue and yellow flame, she circled around Gaia, slicing him as she went. As soon as she landed in front of him, she slashed him several times over and over again. Then, to finish the assault off, she cried "FRENCH KISS!!" and slammed her sparkling daggers into Gaia.
Gaia fell to the floor.
And didn't get back up.
"The winner--ELLIS!!"
Ellis swayed for a second and nearly collapsed herself. Eiji and Kayin rushed to the floor to help her, Sofia and Tracy right behind them.
"Are you going to be okay?" Eiji asked.
"Just give me a few minutes and I'll be fine," she answered weakly.
Meanwhile, Gaia had gotten up and came over to them. "You fight very well," he said to Ellis in his monotone voice. "You'll make a fine champion someday."
Ellis didn't answer. She was too busy focusing her attention on something that had dropped to the floor during the fight. A silver heart locket. Identical in every way to hers.
"Y-You have the same locket as me," Ellis said in disbelief. She held up her own locket for evidence. "The same one my mother gave me. Are...Are you my father?"
For a brief moment, Gaia thought about telling her. In the end, he decided not to. He didn't want her to see him like this.
"I have no daughter," he answered gruffly. "My daughter died in a car accident when she was very young."
"My mother died in an accident as well!" Ellis exclaimed. "But I survived. And here I am. I have the same locket as you. You must be my father!"
Gaia did not reply, but instead turned to Eiji. "You, Eiji Shinjo, are the leader of this group, am I correct?"
"Well, uh..." Eiji started, confused. "Yeah, I guess."
Gaia looked amused. "We at the Himitsu Kessha do not usually see fighters find out as much as you five have."
"Well, get used to it, pal," Tracy broke in, annoyed. "We ain't the normal group of stupid fighters you get here."
Gaia shook his head. "No. You are different. You may spell the end of us...Uranusu knows it as well."
"Uranusu?" Eiji questioned, quickly thinking back to his fight against Duke. "Is that Uranus?"
Gaia did not answer that question, but instead, looked long and hard at Eiji. "You came here for your brother, didn't you?"
Eiji was taken aback. "Yes...I did. Why? What do you know about it?"
Gaia snickered, but then fell silent. "Your brother works for us now. If you know what's wise, you will leave now. We are getting angry. And soon your time will run out. Even you, Eiji Shinjo, cannot defeat your brother. The end is coming. Only destruction awaits."
Eiji didn't say anything. He was too shocked. Kayin decided to take this opportunity. "If you know that then, tell me this: Who was the winner of the tournament last year?"
"You idiot boy," Gaia replied. "You and Eiji are looking for the same person."
"What?" Kayin said. "What do you mean--" Suddenly he realized what Gaia meant. "No..."
"You cannot get away with this, Gaia," Sofia interrupted. "We will destroy your organization."
"Yeah!" Tracy joined in, excited at the prospect of some real action. "I'm gonna take you in for questioning and beat the crap oughta ya till ya tell me where the rest of your flunkies are hiding!!"
Gaia simply turned, and started to walk away.
"Wait, Father!!" Ellis cried out.
"Remember..." he said as he was leaving, "only destruction awaits. Be prepared for the next battle."
And with that, he was gone.

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