Bara no Scarlet
Chapter 28
Exigency
Anshii stood in front of the Dueling Arena gate and looked at it. Miki stood beside her, having walked the entire way to the gate with her. He worried at her until she gently but firmly told him that she would be fine. He sighed, but reluctantly agreed. At the gate, she took his hand in hers and thanked him for walking her there.
He stammered, blushed, grinned like a little boy, and offered to wait for her.
"No, Miki. Staying here won't help me. But there is something that you can do for me," she said, smiling and letting go of his hand.
"What is it, Anshii? Tell me what it is!" He asked, eagerly.
She smiled at him. "Go play your song for me. On the piano, if you will. Maybe it will give me strength."
Miki nodded eagerly and ran off for the Music Hall, hoping to get there before Anshii made it to the top of the Dueling Platform. Anshii watched him for a moment with mild amusement before turning and triggering the gate.
When she reached the top of the staircase, Anshii paused. There were easily a hundred violets in little pots all over the floor, and she was vaguely disconcerted by their presence.
Even more disconcerting was the redheaded woman standing at the far end of the platform. Mariko Kunahita was taller and thinner than Anshii, and she struck an imposing figure in a dueling uniform. Her long red hair was pulled back into a very severe ponytail, and her bangs framed her face just so. Anshii was almost doubtful of her own appearance and ability when the fragile notes from a piano touched her ears.
The music gave her the boost that she needed, and she walked over to Ayomi, extending her hand to the woman, then calling forth the Sword of Dios and facing off against Mariko.
The other woman attacked almost immediately, and Anshii found herself on the defensive all too quickly. She was parrying almost constantly, defending against the rapid-fire onslaught of swordplay coming from Mariko. It was suddenly very clear to Anshii why Juri had told her that one of Mariko's nicknames in the Fencing Club was Red Lightning. Her attacks were unbelievably fast.
Anshii sidestepped repeatedly, and found herself uneasily close to the edge of the platform. At this rate, she was going to lose. She took a deep breath, summoned her courage and darted towards Mariko.
The castle burst into light, and Anshii felt Dios embrace her. The scent of roses completely enveloped her, and the world shifted. She felt him move with her, felt his hands on hers, directing her movements. She heard Miki on the piano, the music rising to a thundering crescendo, felt Dios lunge, felt the tip of the blade slice through the rose perched on Mariko's chest.
The world fell silent.
Bells chimed, a sudden and jarring sound. The duel was over and Anshii had won. She'd managed to win. She staggered, Ayomi catching her in fear and concern. "Miss Anshii.?"
Anshii faltered again, still caught in Dios' touch. For a moment, all she could see was darkness, and then, suddenly, she could see. It was as if Dios had opened his eyes.
There was a little girl in a black jumper curled up in a bed of roses. Almost instantly, she recognized the little girl as Utena, and she tried to reach out to her.
She fell backwards, landing in someone's arms, hearing a voice calling her name. "Anshii! Anshii!"
She opened her eyes and looked into Ayomi's worried blue eyes, blinking. "Oh. what happened?"
"Miss Anshii, are you okay? You just fainted after the duel. I was afraid that Mariko had hurt you!" Ayomi said worriedly.
Anshii sat up, putting a hand to her head and rubbing her temple slowly. "I'm. I'm okay. Just a little more tired than I ought to be. It's been a very long day." She chuckled at herself and stood up, looking over to Ayomi. "Let's go back to the dorm. I could use a long hot bath, a good meal, and bed."
Ayomi smiled. "I did say that I'd cook dinner, didn't I?" She stood and followed Anshii to the stairs.
Mariko stood before Akio and bowed her head. "I lost, Chairman. I'm sorry."
Akio stood before her, white jacket open in the front, light hair loose. He reached out and took her chin, gently lifting her face so that her eyes met his. "Mariko. come."
Hesitantly, she stepped towards him, and he pulled her into an embrace that was almost too gentle, almost too caring. As he kissed the side of her neck, he undid the buttons on the front of her jacket.
She gasped softly, whispering into his ear. "You aren't. angry with me.?"
He continued to make a trail of kisses, moving down the front of her now-open jacket, pushing her back towards his desk while pulling out her ponytail holder, her long red hair cascading down her back. "Let me show you."
Anshii stood in front of the Dueling Arena gate and looked at it. Miki stood beside her, having walked the entire way to the gate with her. He worried at her until she gently but firmly told him that she would be fine. He sighed, but reluctantly agreed. At the gate, she took his hand in hers and thanked him for walking her there.
He stammered, blushed, grinned like a little boy, and offered to wait for her.
"No, Miki. Staying here won't help me. But there is something that you can do for me," she said, smiling and letting go of his hand.
"What is it, Anshii? Tell me what it is!" He asked, eagerly.
She smiled at him. "Go play your song for me. On the piano, if you will. Maybe it will give me strength."
Miki nodded eagerly and ran off for the Music Hall, hoping to get there before Anshii made it to the top of the Dueling Platform. Anshii watched him for a moment with mild amusement before turning and triggering the gate.
When she reached the top of the staircase, Anshii paused. There were easily a hundred violets in little pots all over the floor, and she was vaguely disconcerted by their presence.
Even more disconcerting was the redheaded woman standing at the far end of the platform. Mariko Kunahita was taller and thinner than Anshii, and she struck an imposing figure in a dueling uniform. Her long red hair was pulled back into a very severe ponytail, and her bangs framed her face just so. Anshii was almost doubtful of her own appearance and ability when the fragile notes from a piano touched her ears.
The music gave her the boost that she needed, and she walked over to Ayomi, extending her hand to the woman, then calling forth the Sword of Dios and facing off against Mariko.
The other woman attacked almost immediately, and Anshii found herself on the defensive all too quickly. She was parrying almost constantly, defending against the rapid-fire onslaught of swordplay coming from Mariko. It was suddenly very clear to Anshii why Juri had told her that one of Mariko's nicknames in the Fencing Club was Red Lightning. Her attacks were unbelievably fast.
Anshii sidestepped repeatedly, and found herself uneasily close to the edge of the platform. At this rate, she was going to lose. She took a deep breath, summoned her courage and darted towards Mariko.
The castle burst into light, and Anshii felt Dios embrace her. The scent of roses completely enveloped her, and the world shifted. She felt him move with her, felt his hands on hers, directing her movements. She heard Miki on the piano, the music rising to a thundering crescendo, felt Dios lunge, felt the tip of the blade slice through the rose perched on Mariko's chest.
The world fell silent.
Bells chimed, a sudden and jarring sound. The duel was over and Anshii had won. She'd managed to win. She staggered, Ayomi catching her in fear and concern. "Miss Anshii.?"
Anshii faltered again, still caught in Dios' touch. For a moment, all she could see was darkness, and then, suddenly, she could see. It was as if Dios had opened his eyes.
There was a little girl in a black jumper curled up in a bed of roses. Almost instantly, she recognized the little girl as Utena, and she tried to reach out to her.
She fell backwards, landing in someone's arms, hearing a voice calling her name. "Anshii! Anshii!"
She opened her eyes and looked into Ayomi's worried blue eyes, blinking. "Oh. what happened?"
"Miss Anshii, are you okay? You just fainted after the duel. I was afraid that Mariko had hurt you!" Ayomi said worriedly.
Anshii sat up, putting a hand to her head and rubbing her temple slowly. "I'm. I'm okay. Just a little more tired than I ought to be. It's been a very long day." She chuckled at herself and stood up, looking over to Ayomi. "Let's go back to the dorm. I could use a long hot bath, a good meal, and bed."
Ayomi smiled. "I did say that I'd cook dinner, didn't I?" She stood and followed Anshii to the stairs.
Mariko stood before Akio and bowed her head. "I lost, Chairman. I'm sorry."
Akio stood before her, white jacket open in the front, light hair loose. He reached out and took her chin, gently lifting her face so that her eyes met his. "Mariko. come."
Hesitantly, she stepped towards him, and he pulled her into an embrace that was almost too gentle, almost too caring. As he kissed the side of her neck, he undid the buttons on the front of her jacket.
She gasped softly, whispering into his ear. "You aren't. angry with me.?"
He continued to make a trail of kisses, moving down the front of her now-open jacket, pushing her back towards his desk while pulling out her ponytail holder, her long red hair cascading down her back. "Let me show you."