Tournament of Anime Heroines
Part 5: The Strategy Revealed

Lightning strikes the center of the main arena, revealing Kagome, Sango, Sakura, and Pan. The four are greeted by the Mistress of Games, standing atop her pedestal.

"Well done, young champions!" she announced, "You four have survived the tests of speed and smarts!"

Kagome raised an eyebrow worryingly.

"Survived?" Kagome asked suspiciously.

The Mistress of Games laughed.

"It is only an expression!" The Mistress said, "Fret not! The others have been returned to their home worlds safe and sound. Think not of the defeated, for tomorrow you all face the Test of Strength. Tonight, we feast and rest."

Pan's stomach then growled loudly. She held it in embarrassment.

"Now that you mention it," she said, "All this fighting had built up my appetite!"

"Same here!" Kagome said with her hand upon her stomach.

"Very well, my champions!" the Mistress said, holding her amulet in the air, "Your dinner is served!"

With that, the four girls were transported in flashes of lightning.

The Mistress stood alone for a few seconds with an evil grim upon her face. She then chuckled to herself.

"Oh, my dear brother!" she said softly, "If only you were here to see me now. Where you have failed I will soon succeed!"

She then took her amulet and put it close to her face. She gazed gleefully into it as the protesting screams and cries of Lina, Zoey, Sailor Moon and Kagura called softly from inside.

"Soon, I shall be the most powerful champion of all!" she said, breaking of into an evil laugh.

-------------

The girls dined inside a Chinese themed room decorated with red and gold streamers, Chinese lanterns, and good luck scrolls. The walls were scarlet red and the floor was pure wood. Each girl sat atop a small pillow and ate at a table that was low to the floor, just as people do in the orient. A vast banquet sat before them on the table, as it was a vast array of Chinese dishes: Rice, Eggrolls, Sweet & Sour Chicken, Lo-Mein, Dumplings, Egg-Drop Soup, and much more.

Each girl placed a plentiful amount of food on their plate and ate abundantly. They took the time they spent together to eat and chat. They talked about this and that. However, Kagome ate quietly and very little with a slightly concerned look on her face. She moved the tiny bits of her food around with her chopsticks. Sango noticed this.

"Is something the matter Kagome" Sango asked.

"There's just seems to be something bothering me amount this tournament?" Kagome replied.

"You don't like it?" Sango asked.

"I do" Kagome said, "It has been quite fun; Although it has been pretty dangerous, but then so is the rest of our adventures"

"So what's the problem?" Sango asked.

"I just don't have a good feeling about it!" Kagome replied, "I mean, why are we here in the first place? Doesn't it seem odd that we were plucked out of our daily lives just to play some games?"

The others were silent for a moment.

"Yeah, that does sound a bit strange" Sango answered.

"Not to mention something about this tournament seems very familiar" Sakura added. "It's like déjà vu or something"

"I feel the same way" Pan said.

"Me too" Kagome said.

"Strange how there's a familiarity about this place amoung all four of us." Sango said, "It can't be mere coincidence!"

"Even so!" Pan said, "What's the worst that can happen here? We were brought here to play and win prizes, right? It can't be all that bad!"

"You do bring up a point." Sango said.

"Bust something still is fishy about this!" Kagome said.

"Oh! You shouldn't worry so much!" Pan exclaimed.

"Even if something bad happens, I'm more than sure that I can handle it!" Sango said.

With that, the girls continued with their meal and conversation. Kagome still had a bit of doubt about her.

-------------

Shortly after dinner, everyone went to their assigned bedrooms for the night. Everyone was sound asleep late that night; everyone, that is, except for Kagome.

Moonlight dimly shone through the hallway. One of the doors silently creaked open. Slipping through the doorway quietly was Kagome. She slowly closed the door behind her and began to sneak through the hall. She just couldn't sleep. Even though the Mistress said the losers were sent back to their home worlds safely, Kagome just couldn't trust her. She had a bad feeling about all this and she was going to look into the matter.

She made her way towards Sango's room. She stopped in front of the door and knocked on it. The door opened, revealing a very sleepy Sango.

"Kagome?" Sango asked, half asleep, "It's late. And I don't think we're supposed to be out of our…"

"Sorry, Sango, but I couldn't sleep!" Kagome replied. "I'm still worried…"

"About the others?" Sango asked, "I'm sure they're fine. The Mistress said all the losers were sent home, safe and sound."

"Yeah, I know!" replied Kagome, "But I've just got a bad feeling. There's something weird about this game."

Sango sighed and reached for her boomerang.

"I guess it couldn't hurt to have a look around!" she said, stepping into the hall.

-------------

And so Kagome and Sango wandered down the hallways of the coliseum. In a few minutes, the two made their way down one particular hallway. They stopped and peeked around the corner. Kagome gasped at what they saw. Sango quickly covered Kagome's mouth.

In the domed arena, a shadowy figure was seen flying around atop a giant feather.

"Kagura?" Kagome whispered.

Sango dashed to a nearby staircase. She stood crouched on a step or two motioning Kagome to follow her. The two climbed the stairs which lead to a balcony overlooking the arena. The two crouched at the edge and peered down below. They saw the figure fly around for a few laps and then stop in the center. Sango and Kagome were shocked to see the figure in the moonlight. For it was not Kagura, But the Mistress of Games riding the giant feather.

The Mistress of Games landed the feather in the center. She jumped off, making the feather return to normal size and fit behind her ear. The Mistress of Games was now dressed in an outfit similar to Lina's with a tail like Zoey's. Her hair was also tied into two ponytails and odangos like Sailor Moon's hair. In her hand she held a fan like Kagura's.

"Kagura, Lina, Zoey, and Sailor Moon!" she said, picking up the amulet around her neck, "All of their powers: Mine! My brother may not have been successful, But soon, I shall. I will capture the others and harness their powers."

Kagome gasped loudly. Sango tried to stop her by covering her mouth, but it was too late.

The Mistress heard Kagome and turned to their direction. She looked up towards the balcony. Kagome and Sango ducked out of sight. It was too late, for the Mistress had spotted them.

"Well! What do we have here?" she asked out loud, creating a fireball in her hand, "Spies?"

She then threw the fireball at the balcony, obliterating it. The debris of the balcony fell towards the ground along with Kagome and Sango. Sango landed on the floor safely and gracefully. Kagome took hold of a nearby banner causing it to tear away from the ceiling. Kagome used it to swing down safely to the floor. Both girls stood next to each other, glaring at the Mistress standing afar.

"You're not taking anyone else!" Kagome exclaimed, grabbing her bow from behind her and placing an arrow in it, "I finally figured out who you are!"

"Really?" The Mistress asked amusingly.

"You're the sister of the Master of Games!" Kagome announced, "The demon that made Inuyasha and Miroku fight in the tournament so he could trap them and use their powers. Inuyasha told me all about it, but I never remembered until now!"

"You're nothing but a copy cat!" Sango exclaimed, taking her boomerang and readying it.

"The game is over!" Kagome said, pulling back on her bowstring.

"Hikaratsu!" Sango exclaimed, throwing her boomerang.

"Sacred Arrow!" Kagome exclaimed, shooting her arrow.

The mistress just stood there undaunted as the projectiles came flying at her. In a split second she leapt into the air, dogging the attacks. Floating in the air, she took the fan and pulled it back behind her.

"Dance of the Dragon!" she exclaimed, waving the fan forward. Two tornados flew towards Sango and Kagome. They tried to dodge the attack, but they were too late, as they were hit. The attack flung them across the arena at the wall. They lay on the floor, disarrayed by the attack.

"The game is never over," the Mistress exclaimed, landing on the floor. She then pulled out her amulet and pointed it towards Kagome and Sango. "Except for you two. You're disqualified!"

Sango and Kagome picked themselves up. They gasped as they saw red beams of light fly towards them out of the amulet. The beams took hold of them and drew them into the amulet screaming. Their shouts were dimmed when they became trapped inside.

The Mistress gazed into her amulet with an evil grin.

"Six down and two to go!" she said as Sango's boomerang appeared over appeared behind her along with Kagome's bow, "And soon I shall be the champion!"

She then laughed loud and evilly alone in the arena.

-------------

The next morning, Pan and Sakura walked into the arena, ready for the competition. Sakura tuned to Pan.

"Good luck in the competition" she said.

"You too!" Pan replied. "Say, you know where the other two are?"

"I don't know" Sakura answered, slightly concerned "I haven't seen them all morning!"

"I'm afraid they won't be joining us today!" the Mistress said, appearing before the two upon her pedestal. The two drew their attention towards her.

"Kagome and Sango were caught sneaking around last night" she continued, "They were disqualified and sent back to their worlds."

"Wait?" Pan asked, "If they're gone, than that means…"

"You two will compete in the final round!" The mistress said, "A one-on-one duel to the finish!"

Pan and Sakura then looked at each other, shocked and speechless.

The mistress raised her amulet in the air. Two lighting bolts teleported the two out of the arena in a flash.

End of Part 5
Next: The Final Showdown

Well, how's that for a twist? The fic is coming to a climax here, get ready!

Six down and two to go! The only one's left are Pan and Sakura. Place your bets, folks, place your bets! Who will win? Place your bets! Eye on the winner!

Review please:)