Chapter 1: Marise Taji vs. Manzo Danno

My name is Marise Taji. I am the new leader of the Yakuza. Everything happened so fast. Just a few days ago, I was still the Alpha Princess of Yakuza. Now, I am Queen. My father, the king, has been killed. Of course, nobody will attempt to overthrow me, not after what I pulled that day. The day I returned was bloody. My dark brown almond shaped eyes record everything, and I can remember it as if it just happened.

Flashback: "Goodbye master." I said to Baek Doo San. As I turned to exit the ship of which we had used to get me home again, I glanced into Hwoarang's eyes. "Goodbye Hwoarang." With that, I stepped down the ramp to exit. But Hwoarang was persistent, always was. "Marise, you don't have to go. You could stay with us and learn more of our Tae Kwon Do technique."

I laughed at him and replied "Hwoarang, I think I've learned enough. Besides, I'm getting tired of kicking your ass up and down Korea." He frowned and laughed. "Well, maybe you just got lucky." I smiled and said "Lucky? I got lucky hundreds of matches then." Inside, I laugh at how oblivious they are. They don't know me. I made up a story. I was a runaway, trying to get revenge on a group of men who ditched me all alone on a field trip. Losers. They don't know how I do. If they knew that I was involved in the Yakuza, would they have helped me?

I turned around and left the ship, entering the back alleys of Japan. As I walked through the alleys, I kept my hand in my jacket pocket. I was holding on to my knife, just in case someone wanted to get smart. In time, I was standing in my former headquarters. The various members of the organization stared me up and down with disgust as I stood before my father. I had a proposal to make. "Father, as you can see, I resist exile. I have trained intensively to come here for revenge. Father, I know that it wasn't your fault that I was exiled. That's why I am here. To avenge my mother, as well as myself. I hereby challenge the Three Elite Assassins!" Everybody gasped in shock at my request. This challenge would require three days total. One day per assassin. To defeat each assassin, one must challenge them in both weaponry combat, as well as hand-to-hand combat. If I was to win each challenge, then I would be re-admitted into the organization. If I lost, well I'd be killed for coming back for a challenge that I wasn't ready for. But I was ready.

My father looked at me and said "Daughter, this is a very difficult task. Are you sure you wish to continue?" I looked firmly and replied "Either way, my ass is grass for returning uninvited." Father smiled at me, proud of my bravery, or my stupidity. He announced from his throne "Very well. Lady Marise Taji will begin her first challenge in one hour. This is the time she will have to prepare for weaponry combat." I nodded to myself and walked over to the weapon room. Upon seeing a weapon that I desired, I stepped out and prepared to face my first opponent.

Awhile later, my opponent arrived. He was the Third-Rank Assassin. His name was Manzo Danno. He was feared throughout Asia, like all assassins of the Yakuza. He wore a black robe with his long hair braided back behind his head. On top of his head, was a black Japanese hat. With his hands neatly folded over one another, he walked into the center of our battle arena. It was a dark area, the only light being that in the middle. I was wearing a black skirt, with a yellow tank top. My silver jacket was now tied around my waist. My long dark brown hair was tied high up behind my head in a ponytail, my bangs falling almost over my eyes. Many people I met were often scared of this, that they weren't able to see my eyebrows.

I stepped forward into the center with him and gave him a semi-respectful bow. After all, the three assassins were the core group who sent me into exile, all because of their dumb-ass rules. We stood facing each other. As these duels went, the assassin usually revealed his/her weapon first. Third-Rank Assassin Manzo Danno did so, as he revealed a slim yet deadly looking saber. He unsheathed it, holding the sheathe in one hand and the saber in the other. I smiled and revealed my weapon. Two bladed fans. He nodded with respect as father stepped close to us. He explained "You both know the rules." He then stood back and sat in his throne. "Fight!" he yelled. I jumped forward into the air, spinning as I did so. I opened both of my bladed fans, listening to that pleasing "Shing!" noise that they made.

Manzo swiftly swung his saber at my side. I was prepared for this, as I blocked it with one fan and sliced at his neck with the other. He moved back, barely missing the metal murder. He obviously under-estimated me, for he was fighting far too slowly. I was cocky, and proud of it. I ran after him again and attempted to sweep kick him. He leaped over me, stabbing down at my head with his saber. I rolled both fans over my head quickly and reflected the point of the saber before it could pierce me. After jumping to my feet, I waited for him to make the move now. He ran at me, spinning the sleeves of his robe in my face, trying to confuse me. Reacting rudely, I opened both fans and blocked both my face and lower body. Suddenly, I felt the urge to block my ankles. As I moved the fan down, I heard the saber clash against it. The devil almost had me there. I grabbed his right sleeve and sliced it off with one of my fans.

Manzo jumped back and looked at his arm. It was bleeding. I had scratched him. My smile was low, but inside my joy was unrivaled. With one devious glare, I rolled on the ground underneath him. He spun around, eyes wide with shock. A second later, the bottom half of his robe collapsed, revealing his undergarment. I heard many gasp in the audience of criminals. "What's the matter Manzo, can't handle an eighteen year old girl?" I knew that my taunt was highly disrespectful. One in a lesser position was NEVER to address one of the three Chief Assassins by their first name. I didn't care. Manzo looked around with his cheeks red. I smiled and said "You're getting old…and weak." Manzo disreguarded his situation and attacked me, swinging the saber into my face. I ducked down, barely avoiding the attack. Clearly, the old Manzo Danno that I knew was returning. As I ducked, Manzo hit my head with the scabbard of the saber. The sleek metal slammed into my skull, but I rolled backwards just in case. It may have saved my life because as I was rolling back, his saber sliced off a piece of my knee-reaching skirt.

One thing that I had learned throughout all of my training, was never to attack out of anger. So, I stood up and held my head, glaring Manzo down. He glided towards me this time, saber pointed at my chest. With one thought, I blocked his weapon with my own and spun around him, leaving my mark on his back. He landed on the floor and cried out as blood dripped down his back. "Betta recognize…" I said to him, taunting him further. He didn't move, he just stood there yelling in pain. I eased in slowly, preparing to attack when suddenly, he spun around and sliced my cheek with his saber. I jumped back and cried out in shock. He cut me, looks like he's got some tricks up his sleeve too. Blood ran down my cheek as I stood in peril. He smiled at my disorientation. He wouldn't win this though, not by a long shot. I smiled deviously and stood back into a crouching defensive stance, licking the blood that fell to the corner of my lips. He appeared shocked at my behavior.

While he was focusing on my eyes, I spun around in circles, twirling the two fans through the air, hearing their metallic hissing sound form. As I was spinning, I reached my hand into a pocket of my silver jacket around my waist. As I got closer, I pretended to attack him, but instead I dropped a small silver ball onto the ground in front of him. In a second, white mist exploded upwards in between us. Out of the smoke swung his saber. After cartwheeling away, I threw one of my bladed fans as I would a Frisbee at the smoke. The whistle of the fan made it way to my ears, followed by a loud cry. With caution, I approached the smoke which was fading, fan ready to defend/offend. To my surprise, I had accidentally killed a bystander, one of the lesser thief-guild members of the organization. I frowned as Manzo's shadow approached me from behind. Quickly, I back flipped into his face, knocking the saber from his hands. I hit the floor and watched as Manzo ran for his weapon. "Ah-ah-ah!" I murmured as I threw my other fan at him. The fan hit his leg and he collapsed just a few feet away from his saber. I jumped to my feet and flipped over him, grabbing hold of the saber. Cockily, I spun around and held the saber to his neck saying "You…Lose." The audience gasped and silence filled the air. I stood up and tossed the weapon away, looking to my father. He reluctantly avoided a smile and announced "Challenger Marise Taji has won the weaponry combat. Next is the hand to hand." Manzo took a break to change his cloths, or what was left of them.

The whole five minutes that he was gone, I practiced my martial arts, waiting to destroy. After changing his attire and patching his wounds, he stood before me. He specialized in Ninjutsu. I wasn't afraid. We stood facing each other again. I sat in my Krav Maga stance, waiting for him to attack. He ran at me and kicked at my face. I blocked his leg, but with his other leg, he kicked my stomach. As I grabbed it, he jammed his elbow down into the back of my neck. I collapsed, only to be kicked again in the chest. "You old bastard, wait for me to get up!" I yelled as I rolled away from him. He laughed at me, before running over and attempting to punch me in the face. I stood in my stance and caught his punch, landing my right fist into his face. He jumped back and grabbed his nose. I moved from my Krav Maga stance into my Tae Kwon Do stance. As I held my hands into front of my face, I hopped up and down quickly, just like I had learned to do. I ran at him and used my Rusty Knife attack. As I swung my fist around and him, he dodged and attempted to kick my knee. I jumped up and kicked his head, making his hat fall off.

Manzo was still tired from the weaponry combat. I tripped him to the ground and said "You call yourself an assassin?" I spat on his face, causing him to rise up with a series of kicks aimed at my head. I caught his foot and twisted his ankle. snap! He cried out in pain. I wasn't finished yet. I thought about using my Swooping Sparrow attack, so I decided to use it. I ran up to him and grabbed his arms. With my right leg, I kicked his face, resting it on his shoulder. Then, I let my body fall in between his legs. Using my momentum, I swung underneath his legs, behind his back, and back-handspringed over his head. As I put my hands on the ground, I grabbed his head in between my feet and fell to my stomach, causing him to fly into the air. He landed on his back and yelled out. As soon as I rose to my feet, he was unconscious. I got out of my stance and looked to my father. I could tell that he was proud. With a cold glare, I said "I'll be resting for tomorrow's opponent."

I turned around and left as the medical experts tended to Manzo Danno. On the way out, I bumped into a woman. Her hair was long, black in color. Her cheeks bones were high and she wore red lipstick. She was beautiful, but deadly. She wore a black kimono. She was the Second-Rank Assassin. Her name was Akakami Fukuyama. She eyed me down before walking past me, her icy trail being felt. She was tomorrow's opponent. Bring it on.