Chapter 11

Castle Showdown

Yomi stood before them, as Sora and Ikaruga stepped forward to face her in battle.

"I'll give you credit for making it this far, but you've reached the end of the line," she said to them.

"We've come here to rescue our friend, and we'll be taking our super secret ninja scroll back too," Ikaruga remarked, as they readied their weapons.

"That's right, Yomi. We're not gonna lose to you," agreed Sora.

"If you think you can come into that school and take that haughty tone with me, you're gravely mistaken. You spoiled rich kids are so demanding," sneered the blonde.

"Maybe, but turning tail and running away is something we won't do, Yomi," Sora replied bravely.

He turned to Asuka, Yagyu, and Katsuragi.

"We'll distract her. You guys go and find our friend," he said to them.

The three of them nodded, and soon raced towards the guards, while the three combatants stood their ground.

"Judging from the noise above, I'd say it's safe to say your friends have arrived," observed Haruka.

HIbari was surprised to hear that, but she was happy that they'd come to her side, just as her rival asked Rin if everything was going according to her plan. She tried to protest this, but Haruka told her that they too weren't going to lose either. But Rin spoke otherwise, and said that underestimating someone was not a good idea, whether it was Hanzo, Kiriya, or anyone else, and that through defeat, they'd learn to be better than before, regardless of who won or lost. Haruka asked if it was because they were pushed to fight them in order to make them stronger. This caused Haruka to question whose side her former teacher was on, even though she was grateful to her for saving her life, even though she still had her sights on Hibari. Above, Yomi, Sora, and Ikaruga clashed blades with each other, and so told their friends to press on. Suddenly, Yomi saw that Ikaruga had cast a kekkai, shrouding them in her own dimensional barrier, with Sora in toe.

"Don't worry about us, you guys. Just go. I'll catch up with you after we beat Yomi," Sora called to them, as they vanished.

Katsuragi knew that Sora was right, and they soon pressed on, with faith in their hearts. At the same time, the RGRO armada arrived over Hebijo, and the fighters along with the Ark would begin the assault, while the gunships would deploy their ground troops.

"All teams report in," Kenton said.

"This is Red Squadron standing by," said the first pilot.

"This is Gray Squadron standing by," another added.

"This is Green Squadron standing by," the third pilot stated.

"Gunships deploy all ground units near the main entrance," Kiba said through the ark's intercraft.

The gunships did just that, and soon, several land vehicles and soldiers poured out of the loading ramps, with all of Sora's friends leading the charge.

"Sora's up ahead, everyone. Fight your way through these guys as best you can, and stay alive as best you can. Medics tend to our wounded and make sure they survive," Riku said, taking command authority of the ground assault.

"Donald, Goofy, you're with me, fellas," Mickey said to his companions.

"They'll be alright, Sailor Moon. I promise," Tuxedo Mask assured the blondeodango-twintail.

"I hope you're right, Mamo. We can't let them down," agreed Sailor Moon.

On one gunship, Luna turned to Haruka who was Sailor Uranus.

"If Sephiroth escapes, he'll find other worlds to help him in his cause," she said.

Suddenly, cannon fire whooshed towards them but the gunships evaded them. One of them spotted something in the distance, and Sailor Mars soon took note of it.

"Aim at those barracks and fire!" she said.

The pilot nodded, and sent a volley of missiles at the smaller building. It soon exploded into thousands of pieces.

"Great call, Rei," praised Chibi Moon.

Ground troops soon began rushing towards the academy grounds, causing several underprepared kunoichi to fight them as best as they could. In a war room, some of the Hebijo staff soon received wind of what was going on, when they heard explosions from outside, as they looked at the battle map.

"These Hanzo girls managed to marshal a massive army," one said.

"It might not seem possible, but how is it that they were able to come up with an army this quickly?" questioned Sephiroth.

"We must send all of our available students into battle," another spoke furiously.

"No, there are too many of them," countered the One-Winged Angel.

"Our comm station has been destroyed in the attack, and we can't contact Dogen," replied Nuno.

"Several more gunships arrived, until one of them was shot down, taking several soldiers with it.

"Pilot! Land in the assembly area!" Hotaru called over to the pilot.

"I'm on it," replied the pilot.

The gunship soon landed near them, and she and Xion stepped off, their weapons held at their side.

"Ma'am, I have a squad of elite troopers who are willing to follow you," a commander said to them.

"Take me, Luna, and Diana to the forward command center," Artemis said to the pilot.

They soon lifted off, as the massive RGRO army soon charged forward, with most of the Warriors of light at the lead.

"Sailor Saturn, this way!" Xion called over the soldiers ushering a battle cry as they charged.

The opposing side was now trying hard to continue the struggle, by charging towards them as well, despite their lack of training. The entirety of Hebijo Academy had now become a warzone.

"Strike at those training grounds, hurry!" Aqua said.

The gunships fired at the grounds, setting them ablaze. Soon Reeve saw the gunship carrying the two cats towards their command post.

"Ah, Luna, Artemis, Diana. Good news. All of our troops are on the move," he said to them.

"Good work, Master Reeve," Diana replied.

At the same time, most of Sora's friends had managed to follow the other girls and caught up with them, while everyone else was fighting outside.

"Who are you guys?" Asuka asked Riku.

"I'm Riku. This is Kairi, Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang, Sailor Venus, and Momo Yaoyorozu. We've come to help you out, and even rescue someone you cherish," Riku replied.

With Katsuragi leading the way, despite it being labyrinth-like, they had to press on. At the same time, Hibari wanted to know why someone like Rin, a student of Hanzo Academy, was saved and turned to the side of darkness, when she realized that she was the one who wrote the message on Shinobi Island. Rin was surprised that Hibari remembered it.

"To think that he could teach his students to tap into the second scythe technique. Impressive, Kiriyia-sensei," she said.

Rin then began explaining about the ninjutsu being the skill of mind, and Hibari saw that she was repeating the same things she heard before. Suddenly, she soon unleashed a burst of power, and struck down her captors, and told Hibari was a part of being a true ninja, and vanished. Meanwhile Yomi, Sora, and Ikaruga were now in a two on one duel, and the fight was on, despite her biting words towards the dark-haired swordsman. Suddenly, Ikaruga realized what she truly meant by that, even as she remembered how she saw her on television, even as they fought furiously against each other. Ikaruga endured it, but somehow she knew that Yomi was indeed hurting after what happened in the past.

"You had a family who gave their lives so that you might survive. I don't think you realize just how lucky you are. If your family had cared half as much, I wouldn't have suffered as you did," she said to her opponent, as she walked unfazed towards her, despite her outfit being in tatters.

"I'm lucky!? You have no idea what I've been through!" protested Yomi.

"You may be right, Yomi. I may not know why you've ended up like this, and even though there are other ways of settling this, we'll help you see the truth," Sora replied.

"I agree with Sora, so I hope you're prepared for this," agreed Ikaruga, as she unleashed her full power.

At the same time, Yagyu and Katsuragi fell through a trap door, right towards Hikage and Mirai, who had been waiting for them. Luckily, Terra and Riku joined them, and stood beside them.

"Asuka, go! Don't worry about us! Just find that scroll, get this Hibari, and get out of here!" Terra said, having heard their names from them as they hurried through Hebijo Castle.

Asuka tried to protest against this, but she had to accept that their hearts were telling her friends what they needed to do. Together they took as many of them down as best they could, until their rivals arrived, despite their disappointment.

"Who are they?" Riku asked.

"Hikage and Mirai. And I'd be careful around them, you guys," warned Yagyu.

"Wait a minute. I don't think I've seen you before!" MIrai said, pointing to Riku.

"Yagyu, Riku, take care of Mirai. Katsuragi and I will deal with Hikage," Terra said to his friend and new ally.

"Okay… we'll do our best," replied Riku, even though the kunoichi in the cat-like outfit quipped about Yagyu.

He turned to Mirai.

"I may not know much about you, but if it's a fight you want, then it's a fight you'll get," he said to her.

The two of them transported them into their own dimensional worlds, via a shinobi Kekkai. Katsuragi and Terra were now in a boxing ring with Hikage who said that they'd lose their battle, while Riku and Yagyu fought Mirai around a tree. The four of them knew that they had to keep up the fight, regardless of what would happen next. Hikage remembered that emotion was a weakness and had no place in battle, causing her to realize that the look in her rival's eyes was trying to bring out something within her that she held back. It seemed strange to her, as they fought, as if everything was slowly breaking down.

"Emotion may have no place in battle. I can understand that, when I tried to hold back the darkness in my heart, Hikage. But, these feelings are also what make us human, even when we fight for different reasons," he said.

They fought furiously, even though the two girls were now evenly matched, regardless of their desire to not lose. Daidoji and Kiriya saw what was going on up ahead of them, because the battle was growing more intense by the minute. Inside her Kekkai, Yagyu, Mirai, and Riku fought, even when they heard her saying that she also had something important to her, remembering how she was regarded as a bunch of terrible things by other people, and that her friends were a true force of power, which Yagyu understood, even as she batted her aside.

"Yes, you used to be a good person. But darkness overtook your heart, and subverted your beliefs with hatred and vengeance. Don't you see? You're not the only one, who knows what it's like to feel ignored and cast aside. I felt the same way, when a witch told me how Sora turned his back on me for new friends. It made me feel jealous, hateful, and that I wanted to kill him so badly. You're not the only one who's suffered, Mirai. I have as well, and I've never forgiven myself for my transgressions. But I have people I can count on as well, thus making us kindred spirits," Riku explained to her.

"Kindred spirits, you say? Ha! There's no such thing as kindred spirits! There's only power, and nothing else!" Mirai shot back, and attempted to blast them to oblivion with one of her firearms.

All three charged at each other and continued their clash, complimenting their fighting styles. As they fought, Asuka hurried through the corridors as fast as she could, only to run right into Homura who had been waiting for her. The tanned kunoichi told her that in order to proceed she had to fight her, and the two of them were soon transported into a Kekkai of Asuka's making, and they soon prepared for battle. In her cell, Hibari tried to reach for the keys, when Haruka picked them up, surprised to see that Rin was gone. The poor girl tried desperately to ask her to be released from her cell, so that she could warn them about what was going on, only to hear that defeating them was part of finishing the mission, when Roxas came towards them with Two Become One in hand. As he did, Haruka began explaining her past to Hibari about what happened before, when her father was the public general of a hospital, with a high reputation, even though he was pure evil, and that he barely spent time with her and her mother, who treated her like a doll she could put different clothes on at will, and that it was even more difficult during her middle school years, until she snapped and decided to destroy everything, until Rin came to her and told her of a different path, and that it was thanks to her she was saved from her despair, just as Roxas made it to Hibari's side.

"Wait, who are you?" she asked, as she crawled towards Hibari.

"I'm Roxas. And I say you keep your hands off this young lady," Roxas replied bravely.

"Roxas, huh? Well, I must admit. You really are handsome, just like Sora is," she cooed, as Hibari jumped back.

"Sora? Enough about Sora," quipped Sora's brother.

He turned to Hibari.

"Listen, I may not know your name, but if you want to defend yourself, then now is the time," Roxas said to her.

Hibari nodded and changed into her ninja outfit, then transported them into her Kekkai. As she asked about what the Yoke technique was, all Haruka could do was shake her head dismissively, as if she didn't have the answer, but then said that it would activate unless the person was able to accept defeat.

"If that's what it takes, then the best thing to do is fight to a stalemate," Roxas said.

"That's exactly what I want to hear, dear Roxas," agreed Haruka, and the two of them soon fought.

Hibari was shocked to see that although Roxas was strong, Haruka was the stronger of the three of them, but the former nobody didn't give ground, as Hibari called Mr. Rabbit to her side, and when she tried to stop him, she was suddenly outwitted by her companion.

"Good work, Hibari!" cheered Roxas, as he landed beside her.

Haruka crashed to the ground, and Hibari alerted everyone about the Yoke Technique, saying that if one of their foes had been beaten and accepted it, it would result in their deaths. The news struck like a bolt of lightning on a stormy sky above. Sora had to agree, so he decided to let everyone know that they had to protect themselves, rather than let the fight continue on. Asuka on the other hand, was disappointed in Homura, and the others had to agree as well, as they asked why that was the case. All five of the Hebijo girls countered that it was indeed their destiny.

"I guess even though Hibari's okay, she makes a valid point, but we're not gonna let this go on, even if we have to fight you. But if I know Sora, he wouldn't want you to die, even if you are on the side of darkness. Those who are truly lost to it, are nothing but monsters," Riku said to Mirai.

"Wow, I'm really starting to hate when you say that crap!" quipped Mirai.

"Riku's right, because we believe in each other!" Yagyu remarked.

Hibari and Roxas knew that they had to reach the headmaster's office, but Haruka quickly intercepted them, forcing the Key of Destiny to hold her back, and dispelled the Kekkai.

"Impressive, Roxas. But this cutie is mine," she said to him.

"I don't fear you, Haruka," remarked Roxas.

"Then you will vanish, and return to Sora!" sneered the dirty blonde.

At the same time Ikaruga, Katsuragi, and Yagyu, with the help of their new friends, had managed to damage Yomi, Hikage and Mirai. Their dimensional barriers broke, but suddenly their foes had followed them out. They tried to interrogate them, but suddenly a set of stairs had been raised for the four allies to escape. Katsuragi agreed to go on ahead with Terra at her side, while Yagyu and Riku would search for Hibari. However Yomi was surprised by how Ikaruga and Sora had managed to beat her, without defeating her, as they tried to convince her to join forces to stop the headmaster of that school. Ikaruga told her rival that even though her pride as a good ninja was a reflection of what she was, but then said that she was born a commoner, she had been adopted by her father, who lost a lost of people, despite being a philanthropist, and to continue his family legacy due to Murasame failing immensely, and that she'd live that life to the end, which shocked Yomi to know end, until Sora knelt down and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Also, as I told you before. It doesn't matter to anyone who's born rich or a commoner. Hatred and vengeance give way to darkness, but love, friendship, compassion, and respect, are what create light, Yomi. I know that, because Ikuraga wasn't the only one who was born a commoner. I too was born a commoner, but I had a loving mother who gave natural birth to me after she met my father who left me, after I found out on my sixth birthday. So, you see, you're not the only one who knows what real hurt feels like," he explained.

Despite what she heard, Yomi, unable to bring herself to fight back against Sora, suddenly felt his arms wrap around her in a gentle hug, and she too decided to do the same.

"Tell me, Sora. How is that you're so strong, even though we're on opposite sides?" she asked.

"Because, like Asuka and the others, I have something worth fighting for, and it's my friends. They're what make me strong, Yomi. I may not know who your parents are, but I know what it's like to have one leave you, even after you were born. And, to tell you the truth, I understand you, Yomi. More than you know," he replied.

They soon parted ways from each other, but Sora gave her a gentle look that made her feel at ease.

"If we see each other again, I'll be sure to buy you plenty of bean sprouts, so that you can make a nice home cooked meal for us," Sora said to her.

Then he broke into a run, and for the first time, Yomi smiled happily at this strange boy who understood her pain.