Author's Note: Man has it been a while since I last wrote this! Well, a promise is a promise, and I've kept my word, I'm gonna finish this fic! The final volume of the Real Bout manga came out recently and that gave me the inspiration I needed to finally work on this fic again. Luckily the ending for the manga was a lot better than the anime's, I won't say much else because I don't want to spoil the ending for those who haven't read the last volume yet. Well enough idle chatter, I know you've all been waiting for this, so now, I present the latest chapter of "Between Love and Lust."

Chapter 10: The Price of Change

Three months had passed since Shizuma had swore to Ryoko that he would stop fighting. Throughout the three months, Shizuma had kept his word, not once did he strike his fist or foot against another individual, not once did he provoke anyone into a battle, and not once did he even glare at another person. Yes it was hard at first for Shizuma to keep his word, but every time he even thought about punching a guy's lights out, he would think about how Ryoko would leave him if he was to break his promise. Ryoko had meant the world to him at this point in his life, not just because she was carrying their child, but because he loved her for who she was.

No longer able to pursue his career in street-fighting, Shizuma fell back on his second passion, music. Shizuma decided to take a job at the Daimon Outlet Mall playing the keyboard so that he could support Ryoko and their child, though the pay was a lot less than what he was earning when he was still going to Ikeburo to fight. Eight-hundred yen an hour, yeah, it was definitely minimum wage, but it was an honest way of earning money for his child.

"Mr. Shizuma!" a loud, yet whiny voice echoed from the other side of the hallway.

"Hey Daisaku," Shizuma waved, greeting his girlfriend's biggest fan and follower.

"Miss Ryoko wanted me to ask you if you could pick up her homework from Geometry today," Daisaku said, immediately getting down to business, "I'm afraid her morning sickness is pretty bad this morning."

"Is she all right?!" Shizuma quickly jumped. "Just how bad is it?!"

Shizuma had gotten pretty edgy whenever it came to Ryoko these last few months, he was always paranoid about her getting hurt or sick. It's true she was once one of the toughest K-Fighters in Daimon High School, but to Shizuma, she was as delicate and fragile as a piece of glass.

"Everything's all right, Mr. Shizuma," Daisaku said, trying to reassure the navy-haired ex-fighter, "she's just throwing up a bit more than usual. She said she'll still come to her later classes, but in the meantime, she just wants you to pick up her Geometry homework so she won't have to during lunch."

"Are you sure she's okay?!" Shizuma asked again, as paranoid as ever.

"See for yourself," another voice entered the vicinity.

"Ryoko?"

Turning around, Shizuma found the samurai girl putting on her best smile when in truth her stomach was still feeling queasy. Her belly had started to swell within the last few months, but it wasn't really apparent to the naked eye since Ryoko bought a larger uniform shirt. Her morning sickness had grown a bit worse these last few weeks, the tingling in her chest worsening, and now she sometimes had cravings for strange foods. None of these mattered to Shizuma, he still found her as beautiful as ever.

"Jeez Monkey, you're so paranoid nowadays," Ryoko sighed, giving her boyfriend a small pat on the head, "I've had worse you know."

"I'm just worried about you, ya know," Shizuma explained. "I don't think you should go into work today."

Shizuma wasn't the only one to get a job at the mall. For two months now, Ryoko had been working as a cashier at the Cat-Like Fish restaurant, and like Shizuma's job, it also paid minimum wage. The manager asked her to do the "Magical Waitress Oyster Lulu Show" when she first applied, but of course, Ryoko refused. It's true she never liked doing the show in the first place, but she also thought that it probably wouldn't be a pretty sight having a pregnant teen with her belly starting to grow out parading around in that skimpy costume.

"Since when did you become such a worrier, Shizuma?" Ryoko groaned. "What happened to that Red Monkey who always spat out insults and didn't give a damn about anything? Trust me, I'm..."

Another grumble had fallen upon Ryoko's stomach, the queasiness was beginning to worsen, the furnace within her abdomen starting to boil once more causing her to hunch forward. Her throat and cheeks were starting to get the same feeling now, maybe it wasn't a good idea to go to school yet.

"Ryoko, are you...?"

"...we'll talk later," Ryoko said, forcing herself to smile once more.

Before anyone else could say another word, Ryoko's back was already facing them and her figure was growing smaller in their vision. It definitely wasn't a good idea for Ryoko to go to school yet.

"Hey Ryoko, wait up!" Shizuma called, getting ready to chase after her.

"She'll be fine," another voice assured Shizuma, the person's hand falling upon his shoulder.

"You sure, Hitomi?" Shizuma asked.

"Like Ryoko said, 'when did you become such a worrier,' Mr. Shizuma?" Hitomi repeated, giving her usual smile.

"...yeah, I guess you're right," his legs straightening once more and his arms falling back to his side. "Hey Daisaku, Hitomi, you guys got a minute?"

"Sure, what is it, Mr. Shizuma?" Daisaku answered.

"When Ryoko's done with her...you know, can you tell her to meet me at the observational point," he said, his voice as calm and resolute as ever, "there's something I want to ask her. I'd appreciate it if you two can give her this message."

"Of course, it'll be a pleasure!" Daisaku jumped.

"Mr. Shizuma, are you going to ask Ryoko what I think you're going to ask?" Hitomi asked, a hint of concern in her voice.

"...yeah," he replied with a slight bob of his head. "Well, I'll see you guys later."

"Huh? What's he going to ask? Miss Hitomi, what's going on? What's Mr. Shizuma going to ask Miss Ryoko?"

The voices of his friends grew deafer and deafer with each step he took. His eyes were locked on the floor, not that there was particularly interesting about it, it's just that his mind was locked in on his thoughts. Shizuma had known Ryoko for quite some time now, about three years now, but most of those three years were spent bickering or fighting each other. As sick as it sounds, Shizuma did enjoy those times, he enjoyed teasing the "Big Woman," he was entertained by the bruises and cuts her wooden sword left on his skin. How could anyone enjoy something like that, apparently Shizuma did as he cherished every moment he spent with the samurai girl, but what he cherished the most was the last three months he spent with her in peace. No bickering, no fighting, just talking, holding hands, and the pressing of lips; who would have thought the invincible Shizuma Kusanagi was such a sucker to romance. It was obvious he enjoyed being with her, in the past and in the present, and hopefully in the future.

"Could it be too soon to ask her?" Shizuma asked himself as he continued down the path to the meeting point.

His hand began to creep into his pocket now, reaching for small cube device that was sitting in the pocket's edge. It was a small black box, the lower half entirely shaped like a box while the upper half had been smoothened out like a hill. He opened the small box after, finding inside a gold round device, it's center hallowed out and a translucent rock sitting on the top. It was as engagement ring that sent in the center of the tiny box, but to Shizuma, it was more than just an engagement ring, it was perhaps a seal to his, and her, future. It's true that Shizuma had been saving his paycheck for the baby, but there were also people who would occasionally tip Shizuma for the music he was playing. Shizuma secretly kept this money for himself, kept it so he could buy that 500,000 yen engagement ring that he always saw at the jewelry store across from where he worked. Of course, it just wasn't through tips alone that allowed Shizuma to buy the ring, his sister, Tomoe, had also gotten a bonus a few months ago, she was more than willing to help her brother out after hearing how he got Ryoko pregnant.

"You enjoy spending time with her, don't you?" Shizuma recalled a conversation he had with his sister three months ago.

"Yeah I do," Shizuma answered. "It's true that we often got into fights and arguments about little things in the past, but the truth is, I relished in all of it. I didn't relish in the pain I may have caused, I just enjoyed the fact that I was able to spend time with her. Every couple has their own unique way of saying they care for each other, you know, and I think that when we fought all those times back then, I think that was how we conveyed our feelings toward one another. But to tell you the truth, back then I couldn't decipher what each of those blows said and what each of those strikes meant until now. Fighting was the only way I knew how to express myself, until that incident that happened a few weeks ago, after that I... Oh never mind, I'm sure I'm not making any sense."

"No, I understand what you're saying, Shizuma," Tomoe answered. "You love her deeply, I can see that, but you're not exactly sure how to express it, is that right?"

"Yeah, that's pretty much it," Shizuma said as he took a seat at the table. "Who would've thought I'd be such a fool?"

"You're not a fool, Shizuma," Tomoe assured him, "love isn't something that's easy to convey. Words, actions, often times these aren't enough to convey the feelings we have for a person."

"I told Ryoko how I feel, but I don't think it's enough," Shizuma admitted. "I know I can express my heart to her more if I were to do something else, but I'm not sure what. I mean, I can just tell her I want to spend the rest of my life with her and our kid and always be there for them, but... It's just not enough!" Shizuma spat, his fist banging against the table. "Words just aren't gonna do it, just how am I supposed to..."

"Shizuma, did you just say you wanted to spend the rest of your life with her?" Tomoe asked.

"Huh? Yeah, of course, but I'm not sure..."

"Do you truly mean that?"

"Of course I do, you know if I don't say things I don't mean them."

"Here, get the girl something nice for her finger then," Tomoe said, tossing several thousand yen bills onto the table.

"Something for her finger, what do you mean, sis?" Shizuma questioned, not understanding the meaning of her words.

"I'll give you a hint, little brother, it's small round device that has a rock on it and costs a lot of money," Tomoe hinted as she took a beer out of the fridge.

"'Round device that has a rock on it,' huh, I don't get it," Shizuma scratched his head as confused as ever.

"You really are clueless sometimes, you know," Tomoe sighed, taking a sip of her beer after.

"Would this be enough to tell her how I feel?" Shizuma asked himself again for the thousandth time in the presence.

It seemed like an eternity as Shizuma sat at the bench in the observational area, his eyes constantly locked in the sparkles that lay on the ring's diamond. Many students had passed by the navy-haired street fighter, and for once, ignored him as they passed by. Shizuma was constantly in need of attention during his K-Fight career, heck, he was still the center of it when he stopped fighting, always trying to impress the crowd now with his keyboard. Attention was the last thing he wanted now, he didn't want the other students to see him nervous or fumbling over words.

Words, something Shizuma was not good at conveying when it came to Ryoko. This was especially not an exception, just a word from Ryoko could alter their future forever. Many scenarios were painted in Shizuma's head, some with Ryoko in his life, others without. He knew that she loved him, but what he didn't know was how much. Would she love him enough to spend the rest of her life with him, or was it only enough to spend with him until high school ended? Whatever the answer was, Shizuma had to know.

A shadow began to cast over Shizuma now, the person standing right in front of him. The street fighter was still locked in his thoughts though, he was totally unaware of the person's presence. Predictions of the future continued to flash through his mind, questions such as "how does she truly feel about me?" and "is she willing to spend the rest of her life with me?" were constantly asked, but all of those thoughts were put to an end with the person's voice.

"Shizuma?"

Looking up, Shizuma had found a pair of lavender pupils greeting him. His heart immediately began to strike at his rib cage the moment his eyes met with her, his throat suddenly becoming parched, and his limbs growing weak. The smell of her red hair added to the spell she had cast on him, leaving his breath short.

'Now's not the time to sit there like an idiot,' Shizuma thought to himself. 'Say something before she gets impatient and leaves.'

"Hey Ryoko," were the only words he can muster at the moment, "you got a second?"

"Sure," she answered.

"We've known each other for how long now?" Shizuma asked as he got out of his seat, walking toward the ledge of the observational area.

"Three years about," Ryoko answered, taking the spot beside him. "I remember how we met, I was fighting some punks in the bad part of town when you suddenly came and tried to save me, only to fall to the floor because you were hungry," she let out a small chuckle. "Later that day though, you really did save me and Hitomi, you knocked a gang member out and helped me out with the rest of his gang. It was a shock though when you came to school the next day for the martial arts tournament. You were always the center of attention ever since you came here," Ryoko recalled, "I never liked that to be honest. To tell you the truth, I didn't want you to be in everyone else's attention, I just wanted you to be in mine. It's selfish of me, isn't it?"

"No, I don't think so," Shizuma answered, "in fact, I wouldn't mind having it that way."

"Shizuma..., do you really mean that?" Ryoko asked, her breath as short as his.

"Yeah, I do."

This was quite a shock for Ryoko, Shizuma not minding to just be her center of attention. For as long as she knew him, Shizuma always had to be in everyone's eyes, he always had to be the attraction of a crowd. She knew he loved the attention, he couldn't get enough of it, but knowing that he only wants hers, it brought much relief to Ryoko's heart.

"Thanks Shizuma," Ryoko smiled, a small tear falling down her cheek, "that really means a lot to me. Do you remember our first K-Fight?" Ryoko recalled, turning toward the school.

"Yeah, I remember," Shizuma nodded, "it was at the park during Spring Break three years ago. You were doing some Kendo practice and Daisaku and I saw you. I asked you if you wanted to do a little practice match, and well, it just went on from there. Come to think of it, we haven't really gotten into K-Fights with each other in the past."

"Yeah, we mostly just got into arguments over tiny things," Ryoko remembered, "things like you calling me names, who was right or wrong over questions, or me getting the last custard pastry at the cafeteria."

"Hey, that pastry was mine and you know it!" Shizuma retorted.

"And knowing that made it even sweeter," Ryoko teased.

The two broke into a small fit of laughter after, something the two never really did until lately. After a few moments, the two began to settle down, their sites once again returning to the school.

"What happened between us these last three months," Shizuma began to recall again, "they meant a lot to me, more than any fight can ever pay me, and more than you can ever imagine."

"Shizuma..."

Again Shizuma shocked her; even Ryoko never knew Shizuma could be such a romantic. Her heart was racing as fast as a hummingbird's wings now and her cheeks as red as roses. She never felt so uneasy in her life, but at the same time, she never felt so happy.

'Could this be a dream?' Ryoko thought to herself.

"Ryoko, there's something I'd like to ask you," Shizuma said, reaching for his pocket, "something that means a lot to me, and I hope that it also means a lot to you too. Before I ask you, there's something I'd like you to know. What I'm about to ask you, I'm doing it because I care that much about you, it wouldn't have mattered if you were carrying my child or not. And so Ryoko, I'd like to ask you," his knee falling to the floor, taking her hand onto his, "will you marry me?"

Her heart was practically jump out of her rib cage now, her throat so dry, and her entire brow covered in sweat. Ryoko's legs began to quiver suddenly, her consciousness starting to feel like it was slowly peeling away from her. Time was practically frozen now for the samurai girl, so many thoughts and emotions were swirling inside her now.

'Oh my God, this has got to be a dream!' Ryoko screamed inside. 'Please, don't let this be a dream, and if it is, don't wake me up!'

It wasn't a dream, no matter how many times Ryoko bit her inner cheek, she still felt the pain and the image of Shizuma kneeling before her with his hand in hers never vanished. Her eyes were beginning to water now, but her lips were as wide as ever. No words could escape Ryoko's mouth at the moment, but she knew one thing, the answer to his question. The will to say those words was blocked out by her swirling emotions and thoughts, but one thing was for sure, Ryoko knew the answer long before he asked the question.

"Shizuma,...I..."

"Nagi!" a voice suddenly erupted in the area. "Nagi!"

The two immediately recognized the voice, it was Shizuma's number one fan, Sarah. Grumbling, Shizuma returned to his feet, his day practically ruined now. Ryoko definitely wasn't in the best mood now that Sarah was here, she didn't even give her a chance to answer Shizuma's proposal. The two were practically glaring at Sarah as she approached them, but unfortunately, Sarah was blinded by her reluctance to see Shizuma again to notice.

"Nagi, it's been so long, where have you been, what have you been up to?"

Unfortunately for Sarah, Shizuma had not informed her of his retirement from fighting, much less talk to her. Everyday for the last three months she would go to Ikeburo or warehouse twenty-six at the docks to see if her Nagi was fighting. She would try to call his house every now and then, but Shizuma would never pick up the phone or Tomoe would tell her that Shizuma had gone out for the day. She couldn't go to Daimon High much either, Sarah's parents had insisted that she spend more time with her school work since she was failing practically every subject. Finally though, her grades had gone up and she could risk ditching one day of class.

"Sarah, you didn't exactly choose the right time to visit me," Shizuma said, trying his best to control his temper.

"You can say that again," Ryoko grumbled.

"Huh? I don't get it, did something go on between you again?" Sarah asked, obviously clueless over the situation.

"This where he at?" another voice began to enter vicinity.

Another familiar face had arrived on the scene, it was one Shizuma had only seen twice. Mussy hair, a scar on his temple that stretched from ear-to-ear, and muscles and veins that practically bulged on every inch of his body, Shizuma immediately knew who this man was.

"Hiroyuki Watanabe," Shizuma immediately recognized the man.

"Huh?" Ryoko said puzzled.

"The guy who...hired me to fight at the docks three months ago," Shizuma explained.

"Nice goin', kid," Watanabe said, patting Sarah's head for a mere second, "you found him."

"What's this all about?" Shizuma asked.

"Let me blunt, kid," Watanabe then focused his attention on Shizuma, "you haven't shown up at the docks for three months."

"Why's that a big deal," Shizuma shrugged, "I only fought at your place once."

"You wanna know why it's a big deal, kid, I'll tell ya," Watanabe spoke as he pulled a cigarette from his pocket. "Ever since you showed up at my place three months ago, more fighters were comin' in lookin' to pick a fight with you. Your reputation is better than you think kid, people only thought you were a legend 'til you showed up in my docks. Anyway, even though more fighters came, even more left the docks since you weren't showin' up these past few months; that's bad business for me, kid. So what I'm askin' you is if you would come back to the docks?"

"I'd love to do that," Shizuma answered.

"What?!" Ryoko fumed in the middle of her shock at her boyfriend's answer.

"...or so I'd like to say," Shizuma continued, causing Ryoko to breath a sigh of relief, "but you see the thing is that I've retired from the street-fighting business. 'Fraid you're gonna have to find someone else for the crowd."

"Nagi, why?" Sarah asked, surprised at Shizuma's answer.

"I have my reasons, Sarah," Shizuma explained.

"I see...," Watanabe said, his voice as low as ever, "I thought this would be the case, that's why I'm bringing the fight to you."

Watanabe's fingers snapped for a mere second, the entire area behind him filling up with thugs and other lowlifes. Some were more muscular than others, others more scarred or foul-smelling. Chains were in the hands of some, more had knives, and a few had a lead pipe in their hands or a baseball bat. Shizuma had recognized some of these fighters, they were opponents of his when he was last at the docks three months ago.

"You gotta be kidding me," Shizuma said as he glanced at the possibly infinite number of opponents.

"Wait a second, you never told me you would do this!" Sarah yelled at Watanabe. "You said you were just going to ask him to come back."

"I lied," Watanabe responded.

"Just wait a second here!" Ryoko yelled at the top of her lungs. "Watanabe, right? What's the point of all of this, why'd you bring all this guys here in the first place? Don't you get it, Shizuma's not interesting in fighting anymore, so...!"

"Shut up, girl!" Watanabe retorted. "I promised each of these guys that they would each get a piece of the invincible Shizuma Kusanagi, and I'm a man of my word."

"Ryoko, get back!" Shizuma spat, holding his arm before her.

"No, I'm fighting too!" Ryoko retorted.

"No, you can't!" Shizuma repeated, his words as serious as ever. "Not in your condition, your life isn't the only one at stake anymore, remember?"

"But I...," she tried convincing him once more, only to give up after realizing the truth behind Shizuma's words. "Dammit!" were the only words she could say after her defeat.

Before any other words could be said, Shizuma suddenly felt a force pushing against his cheek, forcing his head to spin to the east, his body following in the same manner before he found his hip striking against the ground. There was no time for Shizuma to lie down and recover from the pain of the strike because the next thing he knew there was a piece of lumber falling before his eyes. Without wasting another second, Shizuma forced all of his weight into his side, forcing his body to roll to the side. Unfortunately, more weapons fell upon his path as he moved away from the initial strike, some of the weapons finding their marks on Shizuma's side.

"Argh!" Shizuma couldn't help but scream upon impact.

"Shizuma!" Ryoko screamed.

"Nagi!" Sarah's cry followed.

"Bastards wanna play dirty huh?" Shizuma glared as he took the blunt of more attacks. "Fine, Guren Senpuu!"

Several of Shizuma's opponents fell back afterward, falling before the rising spin kick which returned Shizuma to his feet. More enemies, however, rushed in after Shizuma's attacks, their weapons ready to strike. The first thing that came into Shizuma's sights was a knife that one thug had lunged forward. Somehow Shizuma had found room within the fight to dodge the stab, and even more lucky, he found a mere second's time to grab his attacker's wrist and toss him into some of his other comrades. Unfortunately his next opponent was not patient enough to wait for Shizuma to turn around, striking him the back with a kick. Falling forward, Shizuma couldn't help but fall victim to another one of his attacker's strikes, this one an uppercut. The strike was not very strong luckily as Shizuma was able to recover from it quickly.

"Honoo no Tora!" Shizuma cried, unleashing another one of his trademark attacks upon another volley of enemies.

The flames had easily grazed down several thugs, but unfortunately for Shizuma, it looked like even more thugs had taken their place the moment they had gone down. Readying his fists again, Shizuma found himself surrounded once more, this time all of his opponents standing still. Nothing but enemies were all Shizuma could see, no matter where he turned. Something was definitely up, all of them weren't doing anything, just readying their weapons or their fists. Shizuma could already feel his heart already beating rapidly, his lungs taking in more air than usual, and his entire body already drenched with his own sweat. Could this really be the end of Shizuma Kusanagi, the once invincible K-Fighter?

"Mr. Shizuma, here!"

It was a voice Shizuma knew well, it was Daisaku. Looking into the air for a moment, Shizuma found a device falling in his direction, one he hadn't used in the longest time. A pair of nunchaku, the only weapon Shizuma had used in a K-Fight, and only used it once for that matter. It normally wasn't Shizuma's style to use weapons, he thought it gave himself an overwhelming advantage over his opponents, but in this case, it was obvious that Shizuma was the one being outclassed.

The moment the weapon had fallen into Shizuma's hands, one of his opponents had sprung forward, a lead pipe in his hands that was now swinging for Shizuma's skull. Swinging the flail-like device to his opponent, Shizuma's weapon had wrapped around the pipe, bringing his attacker to a stop. With a pull of his arm, Shizuma tugged his attacker forward, delivering a backhand strike to him in the same second. More attackers jumped in now, but it appeared Shizuma had the advantage now with his weapon. With a quick spin of his body, Shizuma forced half of his opponents' attacks on the thug he had caught earlier, and in the last part of his spin, Shizuma kicked the thug off his weapon, knocking the other enemies away. The next half of his opponents' attacks followed after. With his weapon now free, Shizuma spun his weapon forward and to the side, swinging it wherever he saw the whites of someone's eyes. Finally it looked like the number of opponents were beginning to diminish, but they were still as far as the eye could see from Shizuma's perspective.

'These guys just don't let up, do they?' Shizuma thought to himself.

"Daisaku, get me my wooden sword," Shizuma overheard Ryoko's voice from outside the fight.

"What, but Miss Ryoko..."

"Don't give me the details, Shizuma needs help and now!" Ryoko yelled, grabbing Daisaku by the collar of his shirt.

Ryoko didn't forget about what Shizuma had just said a few minutes ago, but unfortunately her emotions were blinding her from the importance of Shizuma's words. She couldn't stand to watch Shizuma get hurt any longer, even if he was given a bigger chance of winning now. Even with his nunchaku, Ryoko still knew that Shizuma wasn't a match for this number of experienced opponents. He needed help, and quickly because it looked like Shizuma was having difficulty once again.

"Miss Ryoko, please calm down," Daisaku tried to plead once more.

"How can I calm down?!" Ryoko's grip on Daisaku's collar tightened. "Shizuma needs help and..."

"Allow me," a third voice suddenly entered the two's ears.

"You?" Ryoko and Daisaku said in unison upon seeing the third voice's face.

Shizuma had found himself lost in Ryoko and Daisaku's argument just before the third voice entered their conversation. Shizuma was in worse condition than he thought in this short period of time. His throat felt so dry now, every time he took in a breath it felt like sandpaper was being rubbed against his trachea, his entire body was drenched with sweat, part of his torso and areas of his arms and legs were also mixed with blood, his own and some of his enemies. His entire body just seemed to weigh several tons now, it was a challenge to even stand now. Regardless of how he felt, Shizuma had to continue fighting, regardless of his chance of coming out victorious being slim to nil.

Before Shizuma knew it, another assailant had lunged forward, this one with a baseball bat in his hands. By the time Shizuma had found this attacker within his sights, he knew that in his current condition there was no way for him to dodge. Instead, Shizuma brought his arm toward his face and shut his eyes preparing for the worst. The blow never came though, instead he heard the sound of wood striking against bone and a cry of pain from his attacker. Peeling away the darkness from his eyes slowly, Shizuma found another figure standing before him; long raven black hair, a red bandana on their brow, a pink ribbon tied around the back of their white kimono, a red hamaka to go around their legs, and annoying laugh that everyone in Daimon High School knew too well.

"Aha ha ha ha, this isn't like you, Mr. Kusanagi," the current K-Fight champion smiled, "I would think thugs like these would be no problem for you."

"Azumi Kiribyashi, what're you doing here, rich girl?" Shizuma asked.

"I couldn't help but walk in on your little fight," Azumi explained, "it's bad enough these people just come to our school to pick a fight with you, but it's the fact that they're making you break your word to Miss Mitsurugi that really upsets me. This is out of respect I have for the previous K-Fight Champion, I believe I owe her this favor after she showed me numerous times in the past that my skills needed improvement."

"Well thanks, I guess."

"Enough, here they come!" Azumi warned.

Azumi was the first one to attack this time, swinging her naginata above her head in a helicopter like fashion before bringing down its wooden blade onto a single thug's skull. More thugs ran toward Azumi now, striking from all directions. Right, left, up, and behind, Azumi had swung in each of these directions, striking at least one opponent in each one, all of them falling before the pole or bladed part of her weapon. Shizuma had returned to the fight as well at this time, using his nunchaku to wrap around an enemy's limb or weapon, then pulling them inward to deliver them a punch or kick. Again the numbers of the attacks began to diminish, but many still remained.

"The kid's legend doesn't even come close to his real self," Watanabe thought to himself as he watched the fight from the sidelines. "Still, I can tell something's holding him back from going all out, but what?" he asked, taking a breath from his cigarette. "Hm, that's it!" he realized the moment he saw a certain figure on the other side of the sidelines.

"Huh?"

Ryoko knew something was wrong at this point, it was an intuition she had picked up from her previous K-Fight experiences. It didn't have something to do with Shizuma though, it felt as if Ryoko herself was in danger. Looking into the fight, Ryoko couldn't see any thugs coming after her, but she definitely knew something was wrong. A small hole opened up in the fight that was before her eyes, and at the other side of that hold, Ryoko could see Watanabe standing there, a device in his hand that was pointed at Ryoko. Ryoko couldn't make it out at first, but the moment she saw Watanabe's finger beginning to move, she knew what it was; it was a gun! Before she could react, a loud bang had filled the area, but for some reason, Ryoko didn't feel the impact of the shot, nor did she feel her blood flowing down her body. A second later, Ryoko realized that she had blinked the moment Watanabe had pulled the trigger, and in front of her stood Azumi Kiribyashi, arms opened and legs spread, acting as a shield for her. Another bang fell upon the area, Ryoko's former rival staggering shortly after as a spurt of crimson burst from her shoulder. A third blast, this one causing Azumi to hunch forward and causing her to cough up a ruby-colored fluid. A final blast had fallen upon the K-Fight Champion, this one knocking the mighty Azumi Kiribyashi to the floor. Silence had fallen upon the entire area after, the fighting had come to a standstill as smoke emitted from the barrel of Watanabe's pistol.

"A...Azumi Kiribyashi-senpai...!" Ryoko couldn't help but gasp.

"O...oh my god!" were the only words Daisaku could fathom.

The way Azumi lay before her feet and the expression on her face, it was nothing she had ever showed Ryoko in any of their K-Fights. Pain, it was the sign of pain and discomfort that she wore. For once her beautiful face and form was covered in blood. Craters in her skin were etched in her shoulders, one on her left leg, and one in her stomach. Blood was escaping between the gaps of Azumi's teeth, her eyes shut as tight as ever. Her entire body was trembling, for once she could not fake a smile upon her injuries.

"Hey Princess, you all right?!" Shizuma quickly rushed to her aid. "Hey, is anyone there?!" Shizuma yelled, trying to snap her out of unconsciousness. "Hey!"

"...it's beautiful...isn't it...?" Azumi said weakly.

"What?" Ryoko said puzzled.

"...the gift of life...," Azumi answered the best she could, her eyes barely open. "What you two have...it really is...a beautiful...thing..."

Her hand began to rise now, her arm trembling and weak. Somehow she managed to find Ryoko's, taking it into hers for a second before placing it into Shizuma's. Her hand lay upon theirs for a few seconds before slowly pulling away. The two looked at their hands which rested upon each other after, taking a few seconds to observe before their attention returned to their injured senpai. Her lips began to move once more, slowly stretching in their usual manner. It was the best smile Azumi could put on for the moment, the best smile should could hopefully leave this world with.

"Azumi Kiribyashi-senpai...," Ryoko called again, her eyes filled with tears. "Senpai...?" her voice louder than before.

"Princess...? Rich girl...?" Shizuma tried calling once again.

"SENPAI!!!!!!"Ryoko screamed.

"Looks like my aim was off a bit," a sudden clicking noise fell upon Shizuma and Ryoko's ears at that moment.

"Why...," Shizuma asked, his teeth practically grinding into each other, "she had nothing to do with us, so why? WHY THE HELL DID YOU HAVE TO GET HER INVOLVED?!?!?!?!" Shizuma screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Your girlfriend or this bitch?" Watanabe spat at the feet of Azumi. "Face it kid, you definitely got potential, the only thing that's holding you back is this chick and your friends. I knew it when I first saw you kid, you can definitely become the greatest fighter in the world, the greatest champion history could ever know."

"I don't care about any of that," the grip around Shizuma's fists tightened, "none of that means anything compared to being the champion of someone's heart."

"What, so you're willing to sacrifice all that glory for some girl? Women come and go my friend, a thing such as love is only an illusion. Lust is the only thing that exists it this world, it's what drives us into the arms of another. What causes us to fall for another's looks, their personality, it's not love, it's lust. It's because we want them for what they have, that's what really drives us to another."

"It may be the drive, but it's love that holds a couple together," Shizuma explained, trying his best to hold back his tears. "When you get to know another's feelings, their faults, their lives, their selves, when you want to share these things with them, that's what love is, that's what keeps people together. What I feel for Ryoko, it's not lust, it's love, something a selfish bastard like you would never know!" Shizuma seethed.

"It's a pity, kid," Watanabe said, taking another breath from his cigarette, "seems like a waste to kill you and your woman."

"No!"

The next thing anybody knew, Sarah had jumped in, trying to push Watanabe's pistol away from her Nagi and Ryoko. Daisaku had also joined in the struggle now, doing their best to keep harm out of their idols' way. Unfortunately the two were easily pushed away by Watanabe's superior strength, but unfortunately for Watanabe, Sarah and Daisaku were only acting as a distraction so Shizuma could attack.

"Akai Kiba!"

Fists of fire struck against Watanabe's rib cage now, each punch searing his insides. Just the burn from the attack was enough to make Watanabe drop his gun, but unfortunately for him, Shizuma's attack had now stopped there.

"Guren Senpuu!" Shizuma delivered his trademark jump kick now, striking Watanabe's chin. "Honoo No Tora!" Shizuma finished with a final punch, causing Watanabe to suddenly burst into flames.

The force of Shizuma's final strike forced Watanabe several feet away, his charred form falling before the feet of his companions. The rest of the fighters stood in shock as they saw their boss's entire body burned; yes he was still alive, but barely, but just the sight of this made each of the thugs tremble with fear. All of them were definitely ready to run now, they definitely knew Shizuma was more than a match for each of them now.

"What's going on here?!" Principal Todo's voice suddenly fell upon the area now.

"Daimon Police Department, freeze!" a group of several police officers suddenly arrived as well.

"Ryoko are you and Mr. Shizuma okay?" Hitomi suddenly appeared afterward. "Oh my god, Azumi Kiribyashi-senpai!"

"She's still breathing," Ryoko noticed, bringing her ear to her lips, "Hitomi, quick, call an ambulance."

"Right!"

The entire observation point was filled with sirens shortly after. The road next to it filled with police squad cars and ambulances. Azumi was the first to be taken into an ambulance, she had to be hooked up to several emergency care machines as she was carried out. Several thugs, including Watanabe, were also carried out by ambulances, though their wounds were unfortunately less severe than Azumi's. Each of the thugs were arrested for attempted murder and vandalism, there was no way any of them were getting of prison any time soon. Watanabe, however, was also charged with illegal gambling and being the head of the incident, he would be given a life sentence for his crimes.

As all of this was going on, Shizuma and Ryoko and found themselves sitting in one of the police vans, Ryoko given a blanket and a cup of tea, while Shizuma was bandaged by the medical crew. The day was definitely not easy for either of them; what was supposed to be the best day of their lives ended up being the worst.

"Are you two okay?" Hitomi asked, taking the seat next to Ryoko.

"Yeah, we're fine, Hitomi," Ryoko answered. "I heard from Daisaku that he told you to call the police the moment he walked in on the fight."

"Yeah, that's right," Hitomi nodded, "I'm afraid I didn't call them fast enough though."

"Either way, you did great, Hitomi," Shizuma complimented.

"Yeah, those punks would've gotten away if you didn't call like I asked," Daisaku suddenly appeared.

"You did great too, Daisaku," Shizuma complimented after. "Thanks to you and Sarah, I was able to take down Watanabe."

"It was nothing," Daisaku bragged after, a big smile stretched across his face.

"Um, Nagi...," Sarah followed after, appearing behind Daisaku, "I'm sorry, it's because of me that this whole thing happened."

"No Sarah, it was my fault," Shizuma assured, "I shouldn't have jumped at the opportunity to fight at the docks three months ago. You tried to stop me back then, but being as hard-headed as I was, I still went. But if I owe anyone an apology, it's to you, Ryoko," Shizuma turned to his girlfriend after.

"To me?" Ryoko said puzzled.

"I'm afraid I broke my promise again today," Shizuma explained, "and I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it, Mountain Monkey," she assured him, giving a slight nudge to his ribs, "it's okay, I'll let you off this time. You know, I haven't answered your proposal yet," Ryoko changed the subject.

"Oh yeah, that's right," Shizuma recalled, "I've been too caught up on everything else today that..."

"I'll give you your answer later," Ryoko interrupted.

"What?!" everyone in the van exclaimed.

"Why Ryoko?! Oh jeez, it's 'cause of what happened today, isn't it?" Shizuma groaned. "Now you're gonna have second thoughts because..."

"Actually, that's not it...," Ryoko said, pointing to a certain purple-haired aunt who was running this way.

"Oh my gosh, Ryoko, are you okay?!" Madoka quickly took her niece into her arms. "I was so worried after hearing about what happened that I got out of work the moment I got the news and... This is your doing again, isn't it?!" her eyes quickly glared at a certain navy-haired street fighter.

"What, me, no it wasn't... You're still gonna chase after me regardless of what I say, aren't you?" Shizuma asked. "I guess I'll just do my usual small head start and...," Shizuma said, starting to slowly creep away.

"Hold it right there you son of a bitch!" Madoka yelled.

"Yup, definitely later!" Shizuma yelped before bursting into a sprint.

"I SWEAR TO GOD I'M GONNA KILL YOU!!!!!!" Madoka screamed, doing her best to catch up with the navy-haired street fighter.

"Aunt Madoka, can you ever give him a break?" Ryoko sighed.

"Um, Ryoko," Sarah addressed her after.

"Yeah?"

"What is your answer to Nagi's proposal?" Sarah asked. "I had no idea you two were going out and...well..."

"Yeah Miss Ryoko, what is your answer to Mr. Shizuma's proposal?" Daisaku was the next to jump the question.

"What is it Ryoko, please tell us?" Hitomi practically jumped before her best friends.

"Woah, hold on a second," Ryoko said, trying to push all of her friends away, "just because I didn't tell Shizuma doesn't mean I'll tell any of you."

"What, why not? C'mon Miss Ryoko," Daisaku begged, now on his knees. "I'll do anything, please, just tell me now!"

"Nope, sorry," Ryoko shook her head, "I'm not telling anyone before I tell Shizuma."

"Well can you at least tell us when you'll answer his proposal?" Sarah asked.

"Later," Ryoko answered simply as she made her way out of the van.

"When later?" Hitomi called as Ryoko began to make her way out of the school. "Later today, later this week, when Ryoko?"

"Later," Ryoko responded again as she disappeared into the sunset.

Author's Note: Whoa, that was a pretty tough chapter for me to write, tough because it's been a while since I last wrote this fic, and because I had a tough time on how Ryoko would answer Shizuma's proposal. As for Ryoko and Shizuma met, I'm not sure how it was supposed to be in the anime, so I used the manga version, along with some of the events that happened between the two in it. The nunchaku was also something that was also only in the manga, in the final volume actually. Well, one chapter left for this story along with the epilogue, I'm sure you're all gonna be looking forward to the next chapter of this fic, it'll be Ryoko's answer to Shizuma's proposal. Oh, and if you're worried about Azumi, don't worry, she's not dead, she'll be back in the next chapter actually. Well if you'd like, please review, but no flames as usual please. Anyway, I'll try to post the last chapter up as soon as I can, I doubt I'll take another year to do so. Well that's it for now, hope you all enjoyed this new chapter, later people!