Chapter 26: Sibling Rivalry

"Airas!" Airi yelled as she walked through the forest.

"Airi!" Airas jumped down from a tree. "Glad you could make it, dear sibling." She smiled. "You ready to die?"

"M-My friends…Let me see them first."

"Tsh, whatever." She snapped her fingers and Hinata, Shino, and Kiba appeared in a cloud of smoke. "There."

"A-Airi! Don't do this!" Kiba begged.

"Yes! What good will come out of you sacrificing yourself! Stop it!" Hinata cried.

"Airi, please!" Shino added.

"You guys, this is something I have to do. Airas has every right to want to kill me. I've done something so horrible. I didn't tell you guys because I thought you wouldn't like me. I didn't want to be alone anymore. But…Please don't worry okay? I've gotten stronger thanks to you guys, so I'm sure I'll be able to win! Just watch."

"You're awfully confident for someone who's about to lose her pretty little head," Airas laughed.

"Shut up Airas! I'm not the little girl you know anymore! I've accepted my fate as the star-crossed Tengoku Taiga!"

"Tengoku Taiga? You're not worthy of the title 'Tengoku'. However, the title of 'star-crossed' fits you quite well. Prepare to die!"

"No! I will not lose to you!"

"Your sinful soul is not worthy of Inochi!" Airas got into a fighting stance. "HAA!" They sibling charged at each other and threw out their fists. They hit each other in the jaw and bounced back. "Oww, so you have gotten a bit stronger Airi."

"Airas, I won't lose to you!" She jumped forward, side-stepped, then punched her sister in the back.

"AAHH!" Airas fell forward, but rolled. "Hmph, b-brat!" She ran at Airi and kicked her in the chest while doing a back flip. The two relentlessly fought each other with powerful hits.

"No more Airas!" Airi threw out another punch and hit her sister in the chest. "I'm not weak!"

"KAHH!" Airas tumbled backwards and hit her head on a rock. "Mother fucker!" She held her head in pain. "God damn you Airi!"

"Airas, I know this fight was to the death…" Airi began as she walked to her sister, "…But…But I can't kill you. Please, let's stop now. I don't want to hurt you anymore."

She rubbed the blood from her mouth. "Oh no Airi, you're mistaken. From now on, I'll be the one delivering the hurt!" She held up her hand. "Indignation!" A blue light engulfed Airi.

"Wh-What! But that's cheating! You're not allowed to--AAAAHHH!" The blue light erupted in lightning.

Airas held up a staff. "In case you haven't noticed, little Airi, I've never played by the rules!"

She fell down, the stinging sensation still surging through her body. "Ughn…A-Ahh…" She shakily got up. "You…You lied…" She brought out her cards. "But I'm not a-about to p-play fair!"

"Good, you're catching on."

Airi suspended her cards in mid-air. "Pyrosis Seal!" A wave of fire headed for Airas.

"Hmph, child's play!" She held up her staff. "Tidal Wave!" A huge wave of water covered the flames and hit Airi.

"AGH!" She tumbled backwards, but jumped right back up. She pulled out a white strip of paper. "Fire Tag!" She held the tag between her fingers and it caught on fire. "YAH!" She threw the flaming tag at Airas.

"Wind Barrier!" A ball of wind collided with the tag and nullified the attack. "Airi, when will you learn?" The tag kept coming. "What! It's one of Airi's specialized Replica Tags!" The tag blew up with a blinding flash. "AHHH!"

"Now's my chance!" She ran forward, grabbed her cards, then readied herself to punch Airas.

Airas rubbed her eyes. "I think I can see now…" The first thing she saw was Airi about three feet away with her fist pulled back. "Foolish girl!" As soon as Airi was close enough, Airas stepped to the side then hit her in the back. Airi stumbled forward, but kept her footing. She spun around only to receive a powerful punch to the stomach. She staggered backwards, a trickle of blood running down the side of her mouth.

Airi smirked. "You're good, big sis--" She sweep kicked Airas's legs then body slammed her when she was on the ground. "--But not good enough!"

"Grr!" She kicked her sister in the stomach. "Baby sis, I've had enough of this! Indgi-"

Airi jumped on her sister. "Ire Seal!" She stuck a tag to Airas's forehead, then jumped off. The tag burst with a volt of electricity.

"AAHHH!" Airas picked up her staff. "Urm, Stalagmite Pinions!" Four sharp stalagmites popped out from the ground. "Airi, you're not strong enough!" The rocks were pushed straight through Airi's legs and arms. A fifth one just barley poked into her back.

"AAAHHH!" Airi was held up by the rocks. "Ughn, n-no, n-no!"

Airas walked over to her sister. "Airi, you really are pitiful." She shook her head. "Why can't you get stronger? This battle…I wasn't supposed to win!" Airi looked up in disbelief. "Airi, you promised that you would get stronger…You promised that to me. Did you forget? You were seven, remember? You said that you would get strong for you and me…Airi…" She sighed and looked away. "Release." The rocks sank back into the ground. "Look at me."

Airi looked up. "S-Sis…"

Airas shut her eyes and slapped Airi. "You broke your promise! I won't ever forgive for that either!" She slapped her again. "What the hell is wrong with you! You really are sinful, you know that!"

"Airas, please!" She started to cry. "Please, stop!"

"Stop crying. You're weak!" She looked up at the night sky. "…Go through with the ceremony tomorrow sis. Be brave and humbly accept your fate. I'm disappointed in you. I've been disappointed ever since that day nine years ago."

"A-Airas, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything."

"Saying you're sorry doesn't change a thing. Aurion is dead, so are our parents. You killed them, that's all there is to it." She sighed. "I'm leaving Airi. I'm gonna leave this village for good."

"But Airas, you're the pr-"

"I don't give a damn. I hate this place. Besides, I've attacked the one that's going to bring peace back to our village. That's a crime, which makes me a criminal. Like all criminals, I must leave the village." She picked up her staff and held it over her sister's head. "Recover." A white light covered Airi. As soon as it was gone, all of her injuries were gone as well. Airas walked over to her sister's friends. "Release." Their limbs were released as the binds went away. "Good-bye Airi and Airi's friends." She started to walk off. "…May you find eternal peace tomorrow, dear Airi…the Tengoku Taiga…" She disappeared into the shadows.

Airi's lower lip quivered. "…S-Sis…"

"Airi! Airi, are you alright?" Hinata asked as she knelt down by Airi.

"Airi, you fight well," Kiba said trying to lighten the mood.

"…Airi?" Shino whispered.

"…Airas!" Airi screamed as she burst into tears. "I'm alone again! Please! Don't leave me! Airas!"

"Airi!" The three ninjas grabbed Airi and hugged her.

"Airas…Airas, I still love you!"