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Chapter 24 – Fire & Ice

Aside from Ayane's troubles against Dokon, Mishu and Aisu were already in the midst of their own battle. Such sights of Mishu's magical Fire Power and Aisu's deadly Ice Magic were already displayed as the two fighters threw and dodged each others mythical attacks.

Mishu's sword was already ablaze and to counter his attacks, Aisu had created sais made of pure solid ice. Anytime Aisu would send an ice projectile in Mishu direction, he would quickly melt to a watery mess before it made any type of contact. And anytime Mishu would attack with a river of fire, Aisu would use her own self-taught technique to interrupt his technique with a powerful ice blast of her own.

By the time all of the magic was done, the two rested panting from exhaustion, staring at each other coldly as they both clenched their fist tightly. Aisu's hand was covered in the same frost winds which exemplified her powers and Mishu's hand was covered in smoke which exemplified his. Aside from the exhaustion, the first round of the battle left a watery mess within Aisu's quarters, they were now standing in a thin layer of the liquid which was brought as a result from their encounter.

"I don't get you." Aisu spoke with gritted teeth, still panting. "Why would you leave?" Mishu kept quiet. "What have we ever done to you so horrible to where you decided you wanted to turn your back on us?" Still no answer. "You don't speak because you do not have an answer, do you?"

"I do." He finally spoke.

"Then enlighten me, Kaki. What ever did we do to you?" She asked coldly.

"No one did anything to me, It's the Dokugumo-Ureeru."

"The Dokugumo-Ureeru? Why has that damned sword become so important to you?"

"Because it is a threat to this world!" He yelled.

Strangely, a smile crossed her face. "A threat to this world?" She even began to giggle. "You leave us because the Dokugumo-Ureeru is a threat to this world?" Just then she quickly threw an ice blast in Mishu's direction, to which quickly dodged it and set his hands on fire ready for an attack. "Don't give me that save-the-world crap!" She then yelled at him. "You spent 20 years of your life here knowing of the Dokugumo-Ureeru's power, now you want to play the hero?" Again Mishu kept quiet, but only this time there was a look on his face that told Aisu a different story. She spoke, "Wait, you're hiding something aren't you?" She looked closer at his face as Mishu gave away guilty eyes. "I know that look, what is it Kaki, tell me."

He never told her his secret to which he kept away from the clan for so long. It was the first thing he told Ryu and the others, but never the people that considered him family.

"Tell me!" She yelled again throwing another ice projectile at him as another quick battle went underway.

Mishu quickly used his magic to melt the projectile only to have to add to water that already littered the quarters. Aisu then jumped at him with a kick. Mishu swayed from and delivered a punch but was quickly blocked as the two engaged into a hand to hand combat. Both were shown to be evenly matched until Aisu managed to land an open palm hit to Mishu chest which sent him rolling across the wet ground. Mishu propped himself to his knees to see Aisu reforming her icesicle sais.

"What is it, Kaki? Have you joined with another clan?" She asked keeping her eyes focused on Mishu. "Did you join that kunoichi's clan?" He knew she was referring to Ayane. "Tell me!"

For a long time, Mishu just stared at her. This was the woman he fell in love with and was in love with her for years. Even now his heart was still attached to her. And for the first time, he realized he has been lying to her for over 20 years. Did it have to stop now? "I am not who you think I am, Aisu."

"You turned your back us." She emphasized. "Tell me something I don't know."

Again, he stared at her practically reluctant on telling her who he really was. But alas, he refused to lie to her any longer. And what seemed to have been an eternal wait, he finally spoke, "I am an agent." He forced himself to blurt those words. "An undercover agent."

Out of anger, Aisu threw her iced sais at him, to which he dodged easily. "What type of fool do you think I am!?" She yelled. "An agent? You actually think I would believe such nonsense."

But Mishu looked with guilt, it already hurt him enough to reveal the secret that he posed to work himself deep within the Black Spider Clan, but to reveal after so long to someone he loved so deeply hurt him the most.

Aisu took notice to his look of guilt, "Oh my," She spoke as if all of the breath left her lungs. "You're telling the truth." She spoke in disbelief. She looked at him. "How long?"

Mishu didn't want to admit the length of time he posed as a Black Spider Ninja. In truth, it was all of his life, rather than speaking it, he only looked down and implied it. "I'm sorry."

Her mouth was open in shock, she couldn't believe what she was hearing. The same ninja that grew up next to her through her life was actually an agent bent on taking down the same clan that raised the both of them. "So that's why you grew close to Mitsuri?" Mishu didn't reply, his silence was his answer. "That's why you dedicated so much devotion in being the best?" Again no reply, her questions were now rhetorical as she looked at him with tears in her eyes, "That's why you made me fall in love with you?"

"No, Aisu." Mishu had to speak up on that accusation. The others may have been true, but during his time as a clan member, his love for Aisu was real. "That's not true."

Aisu face cringed in anger, "Liar!" She yelled. "You never loved me! That's why you gave your heart to that purple haired bitch!" She yelled as she attacked him with her iced sais in hand desperately trying to pierce into Mishu's body.

Mishu swayed from the attacks once again, preventing any damage to come to him. He fought back using his sword, but Aisu's mind was purely on offense, forcing the young ninja to stay on his guard, any wrong move would result in his death.

"How could you?!" Aisu yelled as she continued her attacks. She was filled with rage and hatred all built from the sudden emotions of betrayal.

Mishu kept on his defense until he found his opening. Aisu threw a quick sai jab, to which Mishu quickly swayed, he then grabbed her wrist and quickly set his hand on first burning the Queen of Ice. Aisu gave a loud scream in pain, but before giving her a chance to pull away her arm, Mishu gave her a quick knee to her gut as she pulled away holding both, her wrist and stomach in pain.

She stumbled back looking at him, "Those are tactics you learned from the Black Spider Clan. The same clan you are trying to destroy." Mishu ignored her and set his sword on fire ready to defend himself against the now relentless Aisu. He noticed the winds swirling around her hands were growing more fierce. More fierce than he had ever seen before, he already predicted an deadly attack was coming his way. She spoke, "And this is a tactic I learned from the Clan that wants to see you dead."

She clenched her fist and quickly dropped to her knees and delivered a devastating punch to the wooden ground. On impact a small splash was let off from the thin layer of water. But to Mishu's surprise, nothing happened. He stood watching, waiting, and wondering what type of attack Aisu was planning.

Suddenly, it was either his instinct or sixth sense which told Mishu to leap away from where he stood. When he did, a huge frozen ice spike shot from the ground. It's intent: to drive itself through Mishu's body to render him lifeless.

Surprised of the attack, Mishu began to leap and flip in various directions and as predicted more spikes shot up, each time missing him only by inches. All of his ninjitsu techniques taught to him by the late Gamja suddenly came in to play as he now found himself flipping successfully across the slippery wet ground, leaping from wall to wall, and using the environment within to quarters to keep himself mobile. His intentions was the resistance of the iced spikes forcing itself into his body.

Just as he leaped from another spike attempt, he caught notice of a spike arising from the ground where he had the intentions on landing. He was already descending from mid-air and was unable to maneuver himself to detain the spike meeting his body, he only knew of one tactic that could save him. As he descended he quickly engulfed his entire body in flames as spurred a large river of his Fire Magic toward the awaiting spike. To his fortune, the spike melted just as he landed safely above a small crater where the spike once reside.

"NO!!" He heard Aisu scream out and quickly snapped his head in her direction and saw immediately throwing another punch to the ground.

Already predicting the attack and with his body still in flames, Mishu aimed his hands down at the crater and let off a strong blast, to where the pressure quickly shot him into the air. As he elevated, he saw another spike driving through his flames, darting up towards him. This time, Aisu made the spike solid enough to pierce through his flames.

Mishu elevation came to a halt when he felt his feet touch the ceiling. He quickly pushed himself off the ceiling and away from the direction of the large darting ice spike as he heard it drive into the ceiling behind him. Now, as intended, he was darting straight for Aisu. Unfortunately, she saw him descending towards her, she threw her hands in his direction and release several tiny ice projectiles, all speeding toward the falling and flaming ninja. The projectiles stuck to his skin as intended, but it didn't stop Mishu from his attack as he tackled Aisu to the ground. The two fighters rolled a short distance, before Mishu gained the upper hand, kicking his opponent away. Aisu flew in the air from the impact, and came to an immediate halt when her back slammed against a nearby wall.

All was now quiet, Mishu extinguished the flames and all that could be heard were the two panting in exhaustion.

Still laying on the ground, he called out to her, "When did Gamja teach you that?"

Panting heavily, she responded. "When you left us." She said. "He knew you and I would battle." Then she asked. "When did he teach you elevating technique?"

He replied, "He didn't." Still panting heavily. "I conceived that on my own."

The two then slowly stood. The panting was greatly decreasing in both fighters, but it was mostly a camoflauge to not show the other any weakness. Mishu had his sword in hand as well as Aisu prepared her iced sais, "I cannot let you live, Kaki. Especially if your intentions are taking down the Clan."

The both shared a cold stare awaiting for possibly the fourth of fifth round of their intense battle. Their fight was just as Mishu had predicted. Fierce, deadly, and of course wet. The only prediction he could derive was who would walk out as the victor. He had his strengths just as Aisu had hers. And she had her weaknesses just as he had his. And now to add to his weakness, parts of Mishu's body wounded with cuts from Aisu's recent projectile attack. What makes it more interesting is that the two lovers are too familiar with each other's style to simply say would win the bout.

Mishu readied his sword, "I can't let the Dokugumo-Ureeru continue on it destructive path."

Aisu's lip curled in anger, "Then come fight me, Kaki."

Mishu readied his blade in preparation for attack, until something caught a glimpse in his eye. He slowly turned his head to its direction and his eyes popped open in shock.

"She still has it?" He thought to himself.

A model, an artifact, an item of remembrance.