Hachi Academy, inside Hikage and Yomi's shinobi barrier
"My gosh!"
Yomi screams, dodging and countering not without effort the Yû's dogs' attacks, Yû who's avoiding Hikage's attacks without even trying to fight back.
Yû is fighting with a club more than simple, and looks confident in her victory.
Hikage, who usually doesn't have any emotion during her fights, is starting to show an annoyed face, probably because she's losing precious time.
Yomi is in a complicated situation, not only because Yû's dogs are way stronger than she thought but also because she doesn't want to hurt those pets.
By seeing that, Hikage makes a decision.
"Yomi, attack Yû."
She says in a pretty high voice.
Yomi, even if she's confused, immediately obeys Hikage and performs an art.
"Secret Ninja Art, Sigmund!"
She yells, making her sword growing before trying to slash Yû.
"Secret Ninja Art, Loyal Dog's leg."
She says, turning her club into a huge rock made god's leg and hitting Yomi's sword.
The clash is violent, but the winner is obvious.
"Kyaaa!"
Yomi screams, launched into flight, whereas Yû didn't move at all.
But Yû remembers Hikage went to fight her dogs, and…
"Secret Ninja Art, Shanking."
She says before lightly injuring three of the four Yû's dogs, the last one managed to dodge.
Of course, Yû is worried and immediately join them, even if they're not in danger.
"Your dogs are well-trained, I didn't have to go easy to not kill them…"
Hikage claims in a monotone voice.
Yû is reassured, and strangely, not angry toward Hikage. But she still makes a decision.
"All of you, stand back, I'm going to fight alone… I'll be back soon…"
She orders her dogs before standing back and facing both Hikage and Yomi, who feels better now.
The three girls are ready to fight, and Yomi makes the first move.
"Secret Ninja Art, Niflheim!"
She yells while targetting Yû with her ranged weapons, opening the fire without hesitation.
Yû takes a defensive stance, and faces the attack.
After several explosions, a big smoke screen hides Yû, but she doesn't use this opportunity to run and trying a surprise attack.
And once the smoke screen vanished…
"N-No way!"
Yomi scream, seeing Yû barely wounded and her shinobi suit almost completely intact.
"My turn now, I'm gonna mark my territory there…"
Yû says before launching a new attack.
"Secret Ninja Art, Loyal Dog's Territory!"
She says.
Yomi and Hikage and preparing themselves, but they're astonished when they see nothing special happening.
But after only two seconds, they notice something...
"W-What is this horrible smell?!"
Yomi asks, covering her nose because of a sudden terrible smell, so horrible she cannot even stand up.
Hikage is in the same situation, she struggles not to vomit.
"Thioacetone, the most stinking molecule of the world, impossible to resist… But I'm used to it, my dogs too."
Yû claims, as she said, she doesn't look bothered at all.
"You think this is enough to defeat us?"
Yomi asks, her voice weakened by her hand.
"Ridiculous…"
Hikage says before rushing toward Yû.
"Secret Ninja Art, Gouging!"
Hikage yells before starting to move her knives like a whip in front of her, but she can't touch Yû.
However, Yû did nothing to dodge, actually, she didn't even move. Hikage was just so disturbed by the atrocious stench that she couldn't even move correctly. As is it wasn't enough, the confusion created by the situation added to the nausea caused by the smell make her lose her balance.
"Hikage!"
Yomi screams by running to join Hikage, despite the smell attacking her nose but also her other senses, she manages to join her.
Hikage is trying to stand up, but stopped by a sudden vomiting.
Yomi, trying not to do the same, now has to admit Yû's art is terribly efficient, a less strong person would have already passed out.
"What a shame, we haven't been trained for such a situation, and we can't avoid it…"
Yomi thinks, trying to find a solution, but Yû doesn't plan to let her do anything.
"Time to end this, Ultimate Secret Ninja Arts, Loyal Dog's Canine!"
Yû yells in a determinate voice while brandishing her club with both hands.
Then, an earthquake, and behind Yomi and Hikage, a rock mass emerge from the ground. A mass that, from their point of view, looks like a predator's jaw.
And it is, actually, Yû has summoned a giant Labrador's skull, skull that fall on her enemies in a flash.
"KYAAAAAAAAAA!"
The two victims scream before the powerful noise of the stone clashing with the ground suddenly stops it.
"It's over…"
Yû claims, but she quickly notices something strange.
The shinobi barrier is still active, and doesn't even look disturbed. Which means that…
"They're still able to maintain it? But how…"
Yû asks herself, looking with attention to the place where her art hit.
The dust risen by the shock is dissipating, to finally let Yû see a shocking scene.
Hikage is on the ground, not as injured as she should be.
And Yomi is standing up, above her friend, her sword planted in the ground right on the left of Hikage's head. Hikage who's as shocked as Yû.
The young woman has protected Hikage with her own body, and thus, her body is severely wounded, her shinobi suit completely ripped off, and her back covered by blood.
But Yomi doesn't fall, it's even the opposite, she takes her sword to use another art…
"Ultimate Secret Ninja Art… Ragnarök!"
Yomi yells, starting to turn like to create a tornado around her and Hikage, but without moving from her place.
Yû and Hikage are first astonished, how does Yomi plan to hit Yû without trying to reach her?
The answer is simple, that's not what she wants, she's actually targetting the stench Yû created sooner.
And in only a few seconds, the air becomes pure again thanks to the shinobi force inside Yomi's tornado.
The air is breathable, but Yomi is done, she falls and passes out right after finishing her attack.
Hikage is worried by her friend's health, but she knows that in order to save her, she must beat Yû first.
Yû is disturbed, for her, a will like the one Yomi just shown can only exist as a miracle.
But what she doesn't realize is that she actually knows where that will comes from…
Her faith in her sister-in-arms, the one who's currently facing her with a determinate face.
"Ultimate Secret Ninja Art, Pure Bliss!"
Hikage yells, a purple aura starting to appear around her and changing her behaviour as if she was possessed.
Feeling the danger incoming, Yû is preparing herself for the next clash, the two shinobi are sure about one thing, it's gonna be a violent one.
Withotu saying a single word, Hikage charges Yû in a flash, but it's not enough to surprise Yû, who manages to stop her knives with her club.
Yû then tries to crush Hikage's head, but she dodges before tying to slash again, but Yû counter again.
This struggle lasts by keeping the same pattern. Hikage attacks, Yû counters and fights back, Hikage dodges and attacks again, Yû counters again and fights back again, Hikage dodges again…
This series of action only lasts half of a second, the two fighters are aware that any mistake would involve the end of the fight.
Then, during a series similar to the tens others before it, Hikage feels her art is about to end, so, she tries a desperate move.
Using a moment when Yû attacks to strike her without her being able to counter…
She waits the right moment… And when Yû tries to smash her, she takes her chance.
"Uh!"
She screams, trying to stab Yû's heart; Yû who tries to step back, but it's tto late…
However, Hikage's made a mistake... Yû is still attacking…
"Khu?!
"Ghu…"
Even if she couldn't hit the head, Yû club severely damages Hikage's left shoulder.
Hikage avoided a fatal hit in her head, but many bones of her torso are crushed, and since she was already injured, it's enough to beat her.
But Yû doesn't espace unscathed, even if Hikage's slash had been deflected by the sudden and violent impact of her club, Hikage stabbed her left shoulder. But unlike Hikage, she won't fall for this.
Hikage, who understand she lost, is now falling.
But before passing out, Yû tells her something that astonish the usually emotionless girl:
"By the way, I've made my choice… I choose to be loving."
She says, and before Hikage's vision turns to darkness, she believes she can see a little smile on Yû's face.
A few minutes later
Here are Yomi and Hikage, Yû is already gone.
The shinobi barrier disappeared, Yû won… But one thing wans't planned.
"Um…"
The two beaten girls are still alive.
"Eh?"
Hikake reacts while waking up, not understanding why she's not dead.
"Ah…"
She hears behind her a little moan, she turns back, to see a living and conscious Yomi.
"Yomi, are you alright?"
Hikage asks in a rare worried voice.
"I… I think…"
Yomi manages to answer.
Hikage is looking at Yomi's wounds, which, of course, are very serious/
But she's quickly interrupted by a presence…
"Who?!"
She yells, but then she looks behind her, she faces a strange scene.
It's one of Yû's dogs, holding in its jaw a med kit.
Hikage is confused for a second, but then slowly takes the kit, that the dog joyfully gives.
"Where are… The other dogs… And Yû?"
Yomi asks.
"I don't know…"
Hikage answers before opening the kit.