Bara no Scarlet
Chapter 46
Devil
Anshii Himemiya looked into her mirror and after a moment of inspection, decided that she liked what she saw. She stood there, in her red Dueling Uniform, hair pulled back into a ponytail that tumbled down her back. It wasn't a braid like Juri could have done, but it would do. It wasn't worth risking Juri's safety just to have her hair braided.
Ayomi stood nearby, blue eyes still watery with tears as she worried at Anshii. "Are you sure this is the right thing to do? If you're next on his list..." She wrung her hands, unable to complete her thought.
"All the more reason to go to him. Ayomi, I'm not afraid of him. I know who and what he is, I know what he is capable of." She fixed her collar and looked at Ayomi through the mirror. "It's time. Let's go."
The walk across campus was quick, as most of the students had been sent to their dorm rooms for safety. Only a few moved about from here to there, and no-one stopped Anshii and Ayomi as they entered the Rose Tower.
Anshii keyed a code into the elevator, and they began the ascent.
The doors opened on the Dueling Platform, and as they exited the elevator, Ayomi's clothing shifted into the white gown that she'd grown to dislike. A scarlet rose and a brilliant gold chain shimmered into existence on Anshii's uniform, and her green eyes settled on Akio standing off to the side, his white uniform a mockery of what he had once worn as Dios.
"Akio. Himemiya. Ohtori. End of the World. Brother." Anshii listed his names aloud without pausing. "You are hereby challenged to the Final Duel. It's time that I undid the mistake that I made."
A sneer crept across Akio's lips. "You think that you have the abilities to defeat me? Your precious Utena didn't have what it took, or have you conveniently forgotten that?"
"You don't have me to hide behind any longer." She reached out to Ayomi. "Ayomi..."
The Rose Bride arched back, Anshii catching her in her outstretched arm and calling forth the Sword of Dios. She pulled the blade away from Ayomi and held it aloft. There was a flash, and the castle above awoke to the sword's call.
Akio glared at Anshii, his own sword in hand. "You little idiot. Do you think this is a game, like she did?"
Anshii's answer was to rush him in an attack, leaving Ayomi suddenly to catch herself and look across the platform in fear.
Akio defended, but only out of sheer reflex. Anshii's attacks were powerful, and she had managed to surprise him. But he knew how to turn that around... "What do you think you'll find in here, Anshii? Do you think you'll find Utena?" He blocked an incoming thrust, parried another. "You yourself said she'd left this world."
Anshii scowled, moving to the side to avoid Akio's sword and snapped a reply. "If I don't find her, at least I'll have finally corrected my error of thinking that you were a worthy prince!"
He side-stepped, letting Anshii run right past him. "My, my... and here I recall it as I was the one who thought that you were the goddess who had sacrificed herself to protect me."
Anshii came to a halt, spun and held the Sword of Dios in front of her. "At the price of corrupting your soul."
Akio came bearing down on Anshii and she had to step sideways and backwards repeatedly, sensing that she was coming close to both Ayomi and the edge of the Dueling Platform. "Where is your strength little sister? We've hardly begun. Will I defeat you so easily? What will you do then, I wonder?"
With his last words, he twisted his sword against hers, and to her horror, the Sword of Dios flipped out of her hands, flying off to the side and spinning to a stop at Ayomi's feet.
Ayomi hadn't made heads or tails of the conversation around the sword blades, but when she saw the Sword of Dios land at her feet, she reflexively reached down to pick it up. When she stood up and looked over to the combatants, her blood froze and her heart leapt to her throat.
Akio was standing over Anshii, his sword raised.
He was going to kill her.
Anshii Himemiya looked into her mirror and after a moment of inspection, decided that she liked what she saw. She stood there, in her red Dueling Uniform, hair pulled back into a ponytail that tumbled down her back. It wasn't a braid like Juri could have done, but it would do. It wasn't worth risking Juri's safety just to have her hair braided.
Ayomi stood nearby, blue eyes still watery with tears as she worried at Anshii. "Are you sure this is the right thing to do? If you're next on his list..." She wrung her hands, unable to complete her thought.
"All the more reason to go to him. Ayomi, I'm not afraid of him. I know who and what he is, I know what he is capable of." She fixed her collar and looked at Ayomi through the mirror. "It's time. Let's go."
The walk across campus was quick, as most of the students had been sent to their dorm rooms for safety. Only a few moved about from here to there, and no-one stopped Anshii and Ayomi as they entered the Rose Tower.
Anshii keyed a code into the elevator, and they began the ascent.
The doors opened on the Dueling Platform, and as they exited the elevator, Ayomi's clothing shifted into the white gown that she'd grown to dislike. A scarlet rose and a brilliant gold chain shimmered into existence on Anshii's uniform, and her green eyes settled on Akio standing off to the side, his white uniform a mockery of what he had once worn as Dios.
"Akio. Himemiya. Ohtori. End of the World. Brother." Anshii listed his names aloud without pausing. "You are hereby challenged to the Final Duel. It's time that I undid the mistake that I made."
A sneer crept across Akio's lips. "You think that you have the abilities to defeat me? Your precious Utena didn't have what it took, or have you conveniently forgotten that?"
"You don't have me to hide behind any longer." She reached out to Ayomi. "Ayomi..."
The Rose Bride arched back, Anshii catching her in her outstretched arm and calling forth the Sword of Dios. She pulled the blade away from Ayomi and held it aloft. There was a flash, and the castle above awoke to the sword's call.
Akio glared at Anshii, his own sword in hand. "You little idiot. Do you think this is a game, like she did?"
Anshii's answer was to rush him in an attack, leaving Ayomi suddenly to catch herself and look across the platform in fear.
Akio defended, but only out of sheer reflex. Anshii's attacks were powerful, and she had managed to surprise him. But he knew how to turn that around... "What do you think you'll find in here, Anshii? Do you think you'll find Utena?" He blocked an incoming thrust, parried another. "You yourself said she'd left this world."
Anshii scowled, moving to the side to avoid Akio's sword and snapped a reply. "If I don't find her, at least I'll have finally corrected my error of thinking that you were a worthy prince!"
He side-stepped, letting Anshii run right past him. "My, my... and here I recall it as I was the one who thought that you were the goddess who had sacrificed herself to protect me."
Anshii came to a halt, spun and held the Sword of Dios in front of her. "At the price of corrupting your soul."
Akio came bearing down on Anshii and she had to step sideways and backwards repeatedly, sensing that she was coming close to both Ayomi and the edge of the Dueling Platform. "Where is your strength little sister? We've hardly begun. Will I defeat you so easily? What will you do then, I wonder?"
With his last words, he twisted his sword against hers, and to her horror, the Sword of Dios flipped out of her hands, flying off to the side and spinning to a stop at Ayomi's feet.
Ayomi hadn't made heads or tails of the conversation around the sword blades, but when she saw the Sword of Dios land at her feet, she reflexively reached down to pick it up. When she stood up and looked over to the combatants, her blood froze and her heart leapt to her throat.
Akio was standing over Anshii, his sword raised.
He was going to kill her.