AN: (Sniffles) Such supportive reviews, I'm touched!
(Gets shot by readers and fellow writers) Urk... At least there won't be many mistakes, thanks to Niak's proofreading!
As always, Love Hina and its characters belong to Ken Akamatsu. Original characters belong to me and may be used with permission.
Bloodstained Heritage
Chapter 9: Decisions
Upon smelling the aroma of what could only be Shinobu's cooking, Naomi slowly opened her eyes to a very pleasant surprise. Not only was the said food in her room ready to be served in bed, but Keitaro had been the one sitting beside her to be the one feeding her. This drew a smile from the fashion model, who sat up with a wince that was immediately noticed by the landlord.
"I still think you really should go to the hospital to get this treated, Naomi..." Keitaro spoke his concern as he helped her sit upright, to which she waved off the comment.
"And then what...?" She smiled at Keitaro. "There'll be questions... You're a nice guy, Keitaro..." She then sighed. "I'm not going to have the press ruin this dorm's reputation just because some freak attacked me."
"That's what you said before, but still..." Keitaro blinked as Naomi silenced him with a finger on his lips.
"I noticed you've been kind enough to bring Shinobu's five star cuisine to me..." Naomi then smiled. "So thoughtful of you, it'll be the first time I've been served breakfast in bed followed by a strip show..." The comment made the landlord nearly stumble in preparing a bowl of soup for the fashion model, who giggled at seeing him struggle.
"By the way, I've been meaning to ask..." Keitaro began as he scooped a spoonful of miso soup and offered it to Naomi, who sipped at it with a thankful smile. "Your sister left first thing in the morning... Is she off to get you medicine?"
"Well, along the way I suppose..." Seeing Keitaro's confused look, she giggled and began standing with a pained expression, and was eventually helped up by Keitaro. "Be a dear and help me to the living room, will ya?" Seeing him about to complain, she smacked the back of his head playfully with a smile. "Serve your tenants properly, landlord."
"Yes ma'am..." Keitaro sighed, knowing it was futile to argue, and supported her down the stairs and into the living room, where the other tenants quickly cleared a spot on the sofa for her. As she settled in, the fashion model informed Kitsune to switch the television to the fashion channel, and everyone was surprised at what they saw...
"And now, it is my pleasure to announce the winner for Model of the Year for the fifth time in a row..." The announcer, who was a short and chubby man, smiled at the camera. "...The Co-Founder of the Giovanni fashion line, Miss Naomi Giovanni!" The crowd was in an uproar of cheers and applause as a person looking every inch like the fashion model waved at the crowd cheerfully as she approached the podium...
"Oh wow!" Kitsune's eyes were wide open in surprise. "I didn't realize you and your sister looked THAT much alike!"
"Yeah..." Naomi smiled. "Like I've said before, she can help take over when I absolutely need it." She then shrugged. "Besides, it'd raise too many questions if I didn't show up, but they don't care too much if the sister who does the paperwork doesn't..." Everyone nodded at the logic, and turned back to the television...
"Miss Giovanni!" One of the reporters stood and raised a microphone, drawing the woman's attention. "With this award and your fashion line breaking the annual sales records, why is your sister not able to attend on such a special occasion?"
"Silly boy..." The model replied with the trademark smile and cheerful tone that Naomi uses. "It's only natural that the better looking sister come to the parties, no?" This drew laughter from everyone present as she shook hands with businessmen and signed autographes for fans...
"Gee..." Shinobu smiled. "If we didn't know better, even I could've sworn that was Naomi herself!"
"Yeah, well..." Naomi sweatdropped. "Sometimes she imitates me a little too well..." She then turned to Keitaro with a smile. "So handsome... going to be a dear and service me in bed like you planned?" The comment made Keitaro flush beet red as he struggled to contain a nosebleed, while Motoko, Kitsune, and Naru stared in shock.
"You damned pervert!" Naru yelled, connecting with a spin kick that caused Keitaro to sail through the front screen door to the front yard. "Of the nerve! Taking advantage of poor Naomi when she's wounded!"
"My my..." Naomi smiled sweetly as Shinobu and Kaolla helped the landlord back to his feet. "Whoever said I wasn't a willing participant?" Giggling, she made her way slowly towards the landlord, not realizing that three pairs of eyes glared at her back jealously...
The Lady Fang snarled in anger.
It wasn't because she had waited on the road for over eight hours for her prey, nor was it because the explosion had obliterated her favorite tie...
It was because her victim refuses to die.
"I'm impressed, old lady..." Fang smiled as she ripped off the burnt stub that was once her tie. "I'm hoping your nephew will put up as long as you have, it'll give me some sport..."
"You leave Keitaro alone, monster..." Haruka growled. Though bleeding from a small cut on her forehead and sporting bruises all over, she assumed a fighting stance. "I don't know what you people intend to do with his blood, but you'll have to get past me first!"
"With pleasure!" darting in and nearly catching Haruka off guard, the pit fighter swung her fists viciously with lightning speed, but was surprised to see them either parried or dodged. She was further startled that the teashop owner was retaliating with equally brutal attacks with alarming speed, and decided to end the fight with a blazing fast punch to Haruka's chest, forcing the recipient to collapse on her knees, coughing as Fang glared down at her.
"I'm impressed..." Fang smiled. "Not many people force me to speed up my metabolism more than it already is..." She then raised her boot to crush the woman. "I'll be sure to show up at your funeral to mourn a worthy fighter..." Looking up, Fang's smile turned to a look of disbelief.
"What the hell...?"
The pit fighter never got the chance to finish her thought, as a white van flew over the flaming wreckage of the shipping truck and collided into her with its bumper, snapping her neck with the impact. Flying through the air, Fang's body landed just milliseconds before the van, its back tires landing on her body with a sickening crunch. Oblivious to what had happened, the driver of the vehicle exited and blinked at the scene.
"Goodness, Haruka..." The man smiled, wearing thin glasses and a lab coat which signified his position as a university professor. "You okay? You really should be more careful driving next time..." He then suddenly gagged, as the woman he spoke to dragged herself to her feet using his tie, before punching him back into the van on the passenger side.
"We're going to the Hinata-Sou, Seta." Haruka said to the man as she got into the van and began driving. "I need to warn my nephew about something..."
"Wonderful!" Seta replied with a smile, still oblivious to the dangerous situation she was in. "I've got a few things to talk to the part-timer about!"
As the van disappeared into the distance, a gloved hand could be seen twitching for a second, before Fang sat upright with cracking sounds. As her bone structure returned to its normal position, she narrowed her eyes at the van, which disappeared over the horizon...
"Lucky bitch..." Fang whispered. "I'll get you yet..."
Having helped Naomi back to her room, the landlord closed the screen door only to be confronted by the resident swordswoman. Blinking, he quickly thought that she was going to punish him for Naomi's comment from earlier, and struggled for an excuse...
"Ah, Motoko..." Keitaro began. "About earlier..." He was then surprised to see her hold up a hand with a smile.
"Relax, Keitaro." Motoko smiled. "You sound as if I was going to punch you like Naru did..." Seeing the expression on the landlord's face at her comment, she shook her head with a chuckle and handed him a piece of paper. "There's a tournament today that my sister and I are participating in, and I was wondering if you and the others would like to come and watch?"
"I'd be honored, Motoko. I'll go tell the others." Keitaro replied with a smile, as he departed to inform the others, he failed to notice that faint blush on the swordswoman's face...
"Explain why we're here again?" Hakon asked with a raised eyebrow. Beside him, Tsunari chuckled as he straightened his white gi and black hakama.
"I know that two of the target's accomplices will be at this tournament..." The spirit replied, combing back his human form's hair into a tail. "...And speak of the devil..."
Having finished registering Motoko and herself, Tsuruko thanked the people at the booth with a warm smile. As she turned to leave, she blinked at the taller form of Tsunari, who bowed respectfully as he offered a wrapped bundle to the swordswoman.
"Here is a gift from my school, Lady Aoyoma." Tsunari spoke.
"My goodness, thank you very much!" Tsuruko smiled as she took the bundle and returned the bow.
"I'm looking forward to seeing you fall, Shinmei-ryu puppet..." The spirit added, and Tsuruko's head snapped up. Gasping, she saw Tsunari's eyes glow green before he left her with a grin. Stunned, it took the swordswoman a moment before she opened the bundle and she nearly dropped its contents in shock...
It was her mother's katana, shattered and covered in blood...
Wearing a ceremonial gi with the Shinmei-ryu mon and eyes filled with confidence, Motoko arrived at the tournament to join her sister in representing their school. The other tenants of the Hinata-sou were not far behind her, everyone eager to cheer the resident swordswoman towards victory. Seeing Tsuruko in a shaken state, the younger of the Aoyomas rushed over to speak with her. After a few moments of tearful explanations, Motoko stood with hate in her eyes as she strode over to where Tsunari and his collegues stood...
"You...!" Motoko snarled with barely controlled rage, to which Tsunari turned and smiled at her. Enraged, the swordswoman slid her katana from the sheath a few inches with her thumb, but the spirit merely raised an eyebrow in amusement. Realizing that several people nearby were watching, she cursed herself for stumbling into a clever trap and resheathed her weapon.
Smiling, Tsunari leaned down to whisper in Motoko's ear. "Go ahead and strike, little girl... if you value revenge more than your honor." The spirit taunted, causing her to clench her fists in anger. "I'll look forward to seeing you in their, hopefully you'll put up a better fight than your mother..." He then turned and walked away, all while keeping the same smile on his face...
It was all Motoko could do to refrain from striking the spirit down in public, as she clenched her fists to where her nails nearly drew blood...
"Be careful, Tsuruko!" Keitaro warned as he handed the elder Aoyoma her wooden bokken. "Those Syndicate people can't be up to any good!" With a determined look, she took her weapon from Keitaro's hands and offered a small smile, before approaching the center of the competition mat...
Tsunari waited with a grin, his arms crossed before his chest. "Greetings, Aoyoma." The spirit then kicked up his own bokken with his foot, catching it in his left hand with a smile. "Such a glorious day for a duel, don't you think?" The swordswoman merely scowled at him, as the pair bowed to the judge and each other. Everyone held their breaths as they waited for the duel to commence...
Eyes narrowed, Tsuruko tried to read the spirit's movements in his eyes, but found that she could not. Allowing herself a small smile in sudden realization, she gathered all of her energy into the bokken, and released it in a sudden burst as she swung forward. The resulting force blew Tsunari back a step, while several weapon stands, practice dummies, and even punching bags were obliterated.
"Zanmaken, the strike of exorcism," Tsunari smiled, much to Tsuruko's dismay. "Impressive force, but you're doing it all wrong..." He then raised his bokken with a murderous glint in his eyes. "Allow me to demonstrate!" Much like a mirror image of Tsuruko's attack, the force struck his target head-on. But unlike the spirit, the swordswoman's face was that of silent shock, before she toppled to the ground.
"Sister!" Motoko cried, as she and Keitaro rushed forward alongside the medical staff. Seconds later the fallen swordswoman was carried away on a stretcher to be treated for internal injuries. Furious, the younger Aoyoma replayed the scene in her mind. 'The execution of the Zanmaken was identical, except...' She then gasped. '...Of course! The Zanmaken was designed to strike a demonic presence without hurting the possessed body, but he perverted the technique to do just the opposite...'
"Tsunari!" Motoko roared, to which the spirit turned from his collegues with a raised eyebrow. "I challenge you to a duel!" She then pointed her bokken towards the spirit. "...Or are you afraid of someone younger going to show you up as your superior with the sword?" Everyone's attention turned to Tsunari, eager to hear his reaction to the challenge...
"Unfortunately, regulations state that a competitor can't compete in multiple fights per round..." He smiled at seeing the swordswoman's face as she fumed in frustration. "...But of course, I'm sure one of my teammates will be more than happy to oblige in answering your challenge..." Motoko's eyes narrowed further, before turned into a look of confusion as one of Tsunari's collegues stepped forward...
"I'll be happy to take on the challenge..." Michael Blade smiled, straightening his tie. "...On the condition of course, that my opponent be Keitaro Urashima..." Eyes narrowed, Keitaro began to push past Motoko, but was held back by the swordswoman.
"Your fight is with me, or you can go home the cowards that you are." Motoko replied.
"Motoko, no!" The landlord and Kanako tried to restrain the swordswoman. "He's their leader! Forget about all this, and let's just go and check up on your sister!" He was then shoved back along with his sister, as the swordswoman made her way towards the mat, where Blade was already waiting...
"Seeing as you're a friend of Kanako's, I will give you a chance to walk away." Blade commented, his bokken held low to his side. "If your older sister cannot defeat Tsunari, you're not even in my league..." Seeing Motoko get into an offensive stance, his eyes narrowed. "You will regret this, little girl..."
"I am Motoko Aoyoma, heir to the Shinmei-ryu, not a little girl!" The swordswoman snarled. "I will avenge my sister, and end the threat of your organization today!" She watched with surprise as the Chairman stepped into his stance, and gasped in recognition...
'That's the same stance Keitaro uses in practice...!' She thought to herself, and then nodded to the judge. And upon seeing her opponent do the same, she immediately unleashed her attack. With a roar, she concentrated every ounce of her energy into channeling the biggest Zanmaken strike, and the end result nearly tore the bleachers and threw everyone off their feet...
Unfortunately, Blade remained standing with a neutral expression on his face. But in the instant the attack struck, Motoko stared in horror at the aura that was revealed around the Chairman...
"Dear gods..." Motoko whispered. "You're an abomination that surpasses that traitor..."
Michael Blade merely smiled, before striking out with his bokken. A fiery explosion blew Motoko off her feet and launched her clear off the platform and into the Hinata-sou tenants, who stared at the scene in horror as Keitaro quickly rushed to tend the wounded swordswoman. Pulling back the charred sleeve of her gi, the landlord placed two fingers to the inside of her wrist, before he looked up in shock.
"She..." Keitaro blinked, struggling to fight back tears. "...She has no pulse..."
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Well, I'm glad this chapter came along faster than the one before... Hopefully for those of you who've stayed on that this has been another entertaining chapter! Stay tuned, as more are in the works!