Chapter 37: Fight With A Summon Spirit

"Kaji…her Summon Spirit?" Shino whispered. "…But…?"

"Kaji? Is that really you?' Airi asked. She walked closer to him.

"Airi, don't-"

"It's alright Shino." She tilted her head. "Kaji, what're you doing here?" No reply. "Kaji?" Still no reply. "Kaji, what's happened! Why are you doing this! Why won't you answer me! Kaji stop this and come back to me as you were! In your puppy form, not your demon form!" The hound only began to growl. "…Shinji…what has he done to you?" Kaji took a hit at Airi, but she moved.

"Airi!" Shino shouted.

"Kaji! Please don't do this! Don't you know who I am!" He took another swipe at her. "…Kaji…"

"Airi! It's no use! He wants to fight us!" Shino shouted.

She just stood there, tears starting to form in her eyes. "Kaji…why?" He howled at the sky, then charged at her.

"Airi, move!"

Please…don't do this… She closed her eyes. Stop…

"Airi!"

Kaji! Small droplets of blood wet her face. Wh-What? She opened her eyes and found herself on the ground. "Sh…Shino?"

Shino was shielding her as Kaji's paw was pressing down hard on him. "A…Airi…m-move…"

She gasped. "Shino…why!"

"AGH! Just move!"

Airi glared. …Shinji…how dare you do this… She rolled out from under the bug ninja. "KAJI! Ire Seal!" Three bolts of lightning shot forth from her cards at hit the Fire Summon Spirit. The dog winced a bit, but kept adding pressure on Shino.

"AAAGH!"

"Shino! Aqua Cage!" A huge ball of water surrounded Kaji and exploded on him. "Kaji! Over here!" He let out a roar, then faced Airi. "That's right! Mommy's cooked up something special on tonight's menu!" She ran at the huge demon dog, then jumped on him. "A few water tags should do the trick!" She ran down his body, placing water tags on him. "Hup!" She jumped off, then ran for Shino. The tags exploded in water, covering the Summon Spirit. "Shino! Are you okay!"

"Airi…puh-please…be careful…" he muttered.

"Shino?"

"HAARRAGH!" Kaji opened his mouth and it began to glow red.

"Shino?" She whipped around and cast another water spell at Kaji's fireball. The spells exploded and pushed the opponents back. Airi quickly got up and pulled Shino over to a safe corner. "I promise I'll be careful!" She ran back into the fight and blocked Kaji's attacks. "Man, I never knew Kaji was this strong!" Kaji's ruby on his forehead began to glow, then shot out a light that hit Airi in her eyes, blinding her. "Ah! Dammit! I-I can't see!" His mouth began to glow with a red light again.

"Aqua Lance!"

"Frost Fissure!"

A lance made of water struck the dog, then the ground under him split and icicles came through. "RAAAGH!"

Airi rubbed her eyes, then looked back. "Airas! Aurion!"

"Airi, go heal Shino! Airas and I got this!" Aurion shouted.

"Okay!" She ran back over to Shino and held her cards over him. "By the great and virtuous goddess, I command that all ailments and injuries leave this man! Restore!" And with that, Shino's injuries quickly healed. "Shino?"

"…Ow…" He sat up. "Hmm? What?"

"Shino! You're okay!"

"What's going on?"

"My big sis and bro came to help." She looked back and stopped. Kaji cried out in pain as he received another blow. "…Kaji…" He…He was my friend…What did Shinji do to him? He's hurting. He's crying for them to stop…

"Airi, what's-"

"Stop!" She ran to Kaji and stood in front of him. "Stop, no more. Please don't hurt him any more."

"Airi!"

"Kaji is good at heat! He would never do something like this! Please, let me see if I can get through to him!"

"Airi, look at what he's done!" Airas shouted.

"He has to be stopped," Aurion added.

"They're right," Shino said.

"No! Just let me-" Kaji took a swipe at them, knocking them all back. "AAHH!"

Airas jumped back up. "Enough of this!" She held up her staff. "I call upon the master of Leviathan and the Seven Seas! I summon thee, come, Mizu!" A woman formed from the water on the ground. "Mizu, go!"

"Ready?" Mizu asked. "Tsunami!" She conjured up a tidal wave of water, then sent it forth towards Kaji. All of the fires were put out and he was engulfed in water.

"GRAAAAGH!" Mizu suddenly disappeared.

"Hmph, now it's over," Airas said.

Airi looked down. …Kaji… She slowly began to walk to the fallen dog.

Shino studied Kaji. "…Wait…Airi, get back!"

"Hmm?" She turned and looked at him. "Why?"

"AAAWOOO!" Kaji howled, then shakily got to his feet.

"No! Impossible!" Airas shouted.

Airi jumped back. "But how?"

"Airi, Airas!" Aurion exclaimed. "Let's combine our special attacks and take this dog out!"

"But Aurion, he'll be-"

"We don't have a choice! It's either him or us!" He held up his sword. "I, the Tengoku Saru, summon with the flight of flashing swords, the Sword of Divine Power!" A huge glowing sword appeared behind him.

Airas held up her staff. "I, the Tengoku Kitsune, summon the power of the five points!" She made a star with her free hand. "Thunder Star!" A star appeared under Kaji.

Airi hesitated. "I…the Tengoku Taiga…" she held up her cards, "summon the power of the Seven Deities! Prism Seal!" A glowing ring formed on top of Kaji.

"GO!" The star burst with lighting and the ring erupted with blinding light. The huge sword headed straight for Kaji and exploded with the other attacks. "AHH!" Everyone was blown back from the explosion.

XXXX

Airi opened her eyes and sat up. "Owie…"

Shino held her in his arms. "Hey, you finally came to. You alright?"

"What happened?" She looked around as all of her friends were there, helping clean up the rubble. "Ka-Kaji?"

"Over there," the bug ninja answered as he pointed to Airas and Aurion huddled over something. "But Airi, you shouldn't-"

"Thanks." She got up and walked over.

"H-Hey Airi?" Airas exclaimed.

"Don't come over here!" Aurion cried.

"Why not?" She froze as she stared at the creature on the ground. "…No…" She fell to her knees and her eyes widened. "…No…" Her heart suddenly shattered.

"I did it! I did it! Kaji, I summoned you!"

The dog looked up at Airi. "Airi, long time no see!"

"No, no, no, no, no…" She picked up the bloody puppy.

"Are you sure you don't need help!" Airi called out.

"Part of being a Summon Spirit is protecting your master! Airi, if I can't protect you, then what good am I!"

Airi smiled. "Kaji…"

"No, no, no, no…" She suddenly let out a horrible scream, causing all of the ninja to look at her.

"Yes it is! Quit lying to yourself Airi! You love Shino more than anyone else! You even love him more than Airas and Aurion! You need him and he needs you."

"…Kaji…"

"KAJI! AAAHHH!" She squeezed Kaji tightly. "NO!" The floodgates opened and tears streamed down her cheeks. "WHY!"

"A-Airi…" He looked up at her.

"I won't allow you to die, not after all those years we've been together. You were my first Summon Spirit, so I'll protect you just like you protect me." Kaji, I love you, that's why I have to protect you! She closed her eyes and the dog slowly began to fade away. Please return to my Summon Crystal… Little red orbs were absorbed back into her body.

Lightning cracked across the sky and the rain poured down. "Kaji…Ka-Kaji…" The Summon Spirit began to fade away. "No! No, no, no! Please, don't go! Don't leave me!" Kaji then disappeared in little red orbs. "KAJI!" She covered her face. "Kaji…I…I loved you…I'm so sorry that…I couldn't protect you…Kaji…" Her friends covered her from the rain and hugged her. Kaji…You were my best friend…I'm so sorry…Please forgive me…I'll never forget you…

XXXX

Airi held up her garnet. "I wonder what Summon Spirit this is. My big brother and big sister got cool ones. I hope I don't get a lame Summon Spirit…"

The stone glowed brightly, then transformed into a small dog. "Arf! Hello!"

"Eep! Who are you?"

"Don't you know anything? I'm Kaji! The Summon Spirit of Fire! Pleased to meet cha!"

"I'm Airi. So you're a Summon Spirit of Fire?"

"Yep!"

"Can you do anything? You're so small…"

"Hey? I can do lotsa stuff! I might be small, but I'm powerful! I come in two forms. My puppy form and my demon form! My demon form is practically unbeatable…but it's hard to come out of it. It's actually kinda painful…But what about you! You're small too!"

"I'm just a kid!" Airi cried.

"Excuses get you nowhere!"

"Hey?"

"I'm just kiddin'! I like you, you seem like a really sweet girl." She blushed. "We're gonna have fun, okay Airi?"

"Hee hee! Yes! Kaji, you'll be my best friend!"

He smiled. "Thank you Airi. I swear that I'll protect you and help you in any way I can!"

"Me too!" He licked her face. "Hee hee! Kaji!"