Chapter 4: The Shaman Fight
Rose recovered first. She tore off her mask, and quickly got into defense position, her Elemental Sword raised in front of her.
It was Hao.
"Hao. Of all people, it HAD to be you. Hello! Make any sense? You take my brother by force, I get sent into this Shaman World, and now I find you. Something is wrong with this picture.
Where's Sky? I'm going to ask nicely, because we both know what's going to happen if you refuse, right? You knew this would happen.
You… You… monster… beast… feral being… evil…" Rose knew her voice was on he edge of going hysterical, and that she was trembling slightly, but she didn't care.
"Well, I've come for you, as a matter of fact. I want to see if you've made your choice yet…" Hao simply replied, amusement in his voice.
"My choice…? What the hell…?" Rose asked, confused, and then she understood.
"No! I swore! I gave my word, and I'm not going to back down on it now! You'll have to get past me first!" Rose fought to keep her voice firm, cold, deadly, and quiet.
But Hao only laughed. "Really? Then I don't suppose I'll have to fight for it. Don't be a fool like my brother and challenge me, because I'll obliterate you."
"Really? Then I don't suppose that we should have a shaman fight between us." Rose shot back.
"As if! You don't even have a spirit to fight with!" Hao laughed.
"Doesn't matter. It's that simple. I can fight without one." Rose replied.
"Fine. When this is over, you'll be on your knees begging for mercy!" Hao told her, certainty in his voice.
"Rose doesn't stand a chance! She'll get herself killed!" Pirka said, terrified.
"She'll be fine. Why else would I challenge her?" Mikihisa Asakura explained.
"So Zeke wants to do what?" Yoh asked.
"Probably to see if he can bring her to the dark side." Mikihisa Asakura explained.
"Hahahaha! This is soo fun!" Rose exclaimed as she dodged a lethal blow from Hao.
Hao looked both amused and furious. "You little…! I'll show you the true meaning of fear!" He shouted angrily, summoning up the same giant red monstrous spirit that took Ren.
"Where's Len?" Rose angrily demanded.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Hao said, looking ridiculously polite.
"My… older… brother, you idiot," Rose replied.
"Well, he's right… here," Hao waved his hand and the spirit hand reached into the earth, then pulled up a limp figure.
"LEN!" Rose screamed, eyes wide with shock and horror.
"He looks close to dying. He's too pale. He needs more furioku, or else he will go to the spirits." Faust told the group.
"Rose, RUN!" Mikihisa Asakura shouted, but Rose seemed to be immobilized with fear, shock, and horror.
The walls that had been shielding the younger girl's emotions were now down, and what they saw on her face was something they would never forget.
Her face was filled with emotions, the look of pure terror on it.
Hao laughed and struck.
Rose stumbled back a little, falling to the floor.
"You're good as dead. Perhaps you'd like to join your brother? He'll be dead in a matter of moments, drained of furioku." Hao laughed and smiled, his weapon missing her foot by inches.
Hao struck again, and Rose screamed the only name that came to mind.
"ATHENA!"
"Your last words?" Hao laughed mockingly, the weapon coming down.
Suddenly, a great gust of wind slammed into the weapon and pushed it back, and a figure materialized out of thin air.
"Back away from Rose." A cold, firm, quiet, and angry voice said, and a hand shot out, grabbing the weapon and thrusting it back at Zeke's spirit.
"A… At… Athena! You! You're the one from my dream! Who are you, and what are you doing here?" Rose asked, stuttering, and trying to shield herself with her walls at the same time.
"Duh. I'm your spirit, you dummy. I'm Athena, daughter of Zeus. The goddess of wisdom, war, and arts and crafts." Athena introduced.
Athena was taller than Rose by a little bit. She had hair as black as a raven and eyes as fierce and blazing as emeralds. She wore golden helmet and a long pale green robe that reached her feet and was holding a shield and a spear that doubled as a staff. A sword was strapped on to her side.
"Well? Unless you want to become fish food, then I strongly suggest that you get up.
Wait. I forgot to give you your Rose Blade." Athena waved her hand and a red rose fell out of the sky and into Rose's hands.
"The Black Rose!" Rose exclaimed, slowly getting up.
Before she knew what was happening, a strong burst of light exploded from the rose and encased her in it.
She felt something as soft as silt wrap around her, and become something else.
When it was over, she wore a fancy black and red outfit; a red long sleeved shirt with black lace and a black and red skort, also with fancy lacing. There was a black masquerade mask that was somewhat like a pair of glasses and her hair was tied into two pigtails, hanging at either end of her head.
She had a rose in her hand, and when she concentrated, it became a Rose Whip, and she had her Elemental Sword. Those were her main weapons. She also had other weapons and attacks, like Rose Petals, Thorn Spiral, Silver Dust, and her legendary sword, her Rose Blade.
Then, the flash of light vanished, and she was herself again, except that she had become the legendary shaman her mother was.
She faced Hao, who looked both surprised and furious at the same time.
"It doesn't matter. I can take you on. Before long, I'll become the new Shaman King, and then you'll all kneel at my feet!" Hao drew his weapon close, and aimed it at Rose again.
"I don't think so." Rose waved her hand casually, and then said clearly, "Silver Dust! Thorn Spiral! Memory Check!" She said, pointing the memory spell at everyone but herself, so they wouldn't remember her as the Black Rose of Death.
A sweep of silver dust surrounded them, making it nearly impossible to see Hao and Rose, but then it cleared… only to be replaced by fierce winds carrying thorns that all aimed at Hao.
"Arrgh!" Hao yelled, trying to brush the thorns aside. He was filled with deadly anger. "That's enough!" And there was an explosion.
BOOM!
"Ahhh! Lennnn! Watch ouuutttt! LENNNN! GET OUT OF THE WAAAYYYY! ZEKE! LEAVE HIM ALONE. WHAT DID HE EVER DO TO YOU?" It was Rose, screaming at the top of her lungs.
She was carrying Len in her arms, and there was another explosion.
BOOOMMM! It was stronger than the first, and twice as deadly.
"Oh, no! Rose! Will she be all right?" Pirka looked close to tears, her eyes filled with concern for her young friend.
"Why worry about her?" Ren asked, obviously not caring.
"Well, you idiots gave her every right to reject us, and she didn't! Besides, it's our fault that Hao got here! You should at least do something to help her!" Pirka raged.
The smoke cleared and it revealed Rose, wearing regular clothes, and bleeding at the waist, but still standing.
Hao was there as well, clothes ripped but he was more fortunate than Rose.
"Hey! She's here! Her! I see her!" Some voices shouted into the clearing, and no sooner than ten seconds later, emerged about twenty people. The boys were all dressed in black and the girls in red.
"Fans?" Hao grinned wildly, then struck again, at one of the girls, who shrieked.
The girl looked thirteen years old, had gentle green eyes and light brown hair tied into two pigtails that dangled on either side of her head. She looked absolutely terrified.
"NO!" Rose shouted, jumping, and shoving the girl to the side, and in doing so, got struck by Hao's weapon.
"AHHHH!" Rose heard herself scream, and collapsed to the ground, her hands damp with blood.
Her right leg was bruised and bleeding badly, and the right side of her waist was bleeding.
But Len was safe. Nothing else mattered, but that Len was out of harm's way. He could probably be saved.
Rose let herself fall to darkness.
"She's bleeding very badly. She may as well be dead. Look at all that blood. And I think Hao plans on killing her." Faust said quietly, and Pirka started to sob.
"Wait. Look over there!" Anna pointed to the spot where Rose lay.
Rose's hand was moving, towards her Elemental Sword, and she snapped open her eyes.
"No!" Rose brought up her sword just in time to interpret with Hao's attack, stopping it, standing up and forcing him back.
Scowling slightly, Hao said, "There is a destiny for everybody. Yours? Death!" And went in, attacking with his weapon, as if trying to cut her in half.
"Oh, no you don't!" Rose cried out, doing the exact same movement, but holding her ground.
Hao was closer, then closer, then – BOOM!
"Ahhh!" Two voices, Rose's and Hao's screamed.
Smoke was everywhere, surrounding the two of them, and around them as well.
When the smoke cleared, Yoh could make out two figures lying in the dust. Rose and Hao.
They were opposite of each other, for the blast knocked them at least ten feet apart.
Apparently, the last blow had knocked both of them unconscious, but Hao regained consciousness first. It had been too much for Rose, who had been hit on her waist again, same spot on the right.
This time though, it was obvious who would win.
Shaking himself as he slowly got up, Hao looked angrier than the last time he faced Yoh.
"You're dead, like your brother. You fool. You're much stupider than I thought. There is a difference between bravery and stupidy, but you picked both. I'm undefeatable!
If you had let me destroy the Asakura temple in the first place, then there would be no reason to die, but too late!
Prepare to say hello to your father, Rose Asakura Death!" Hao shouted, positioning his weapon on top of Rose's head, and swung the weapon down.
BOOM! Another explosion shook the ground and cut off Hao's lethal attack, forcing him back.
Emerging from the dust was a boy, about fifteen years old. He had dark purple hair (that reached up to his chest) that somehow looked dark black in the sunlight and dark eyes.
He was carrying Rose bridal style, her head on his shoulder, and dropped her in Ren's arms, who dropped his weapon and quickly reacted to supporting her weight.
"I did NOT ask for this!" Len protested, but the boy jumped back into the fight.
"Go Zeke. Destroy something elsewhere, but not here.
Had Rose still been conscious, then she would have defeated you. Yes, even I admit, she is the strongest shaman I know besides you. Now go!" The boy said to Hao.
Hao looked as if he might masquerade them all. "Fine. Next time, we meet, I will kill that girlfriend of yours." He said, then vanished.
"Ow… ow… oww… h…how's L… Len? I… is he a…all r… right?" Rose asked weakly, and with a satisfied sigh, she collapsed, her head on Len's shoulder.
"Hey!" Ren protested.
"Hmm… hello Ren." The boy was back.
"D… D-D-Damon?" Ren yelped in shock and surprise, eyes popping out.