Chapter 2
Unstoppable
By the next few days, Murakumo feels ready to take a dose of Haruka's new experiment. She told her that this experiment takes some time to make and test out, so the masked brunette is patient enough to let the mad scientist do her thing and do some tests on her friends and such. By the time the third day came, she came to the Crimson Squad base and Haruka beckons the masked brunette over. She comes towards the honey-blonde's lab and the beaker with bubbling greenish liquid is set on the small table.
"I've done my very best and tested it on some people," Haruka explains. "Now, there may be some errors, but all in all, this should give you a powerful boost."
"Okay," Murakumo says as she takes the beaker. She swallows hard, knowing that there's no turning back. She drinks the liquid and swallows and then takes a few deep breaths. A faint green glow surges through her entire body. And then, shortly after, it stops and Murakumo looks down at her body.
"How do you feel?" Haruka asks.
"I…I feel…a little bit strange…" the shy brunette says. "But nothing else is happening."
"It'll come to you soon," Haruka says with a wink.
Suddenly, she can feel her muscles spasm. Her body jerks, wriggles, dances... as if her nervous system is out of control.
"Ugh! Ahh! What... is... this... URRRRRRRRRGH!"
Suddenly, her pupils grow wide until her entire eyeballs are black. She extends her arm and grabs Haruka by the neck.
"GUUUGHK!" Haruka chokes out.
Her grip is powerful, unbreakable... almost crushing. Composed in the most dire situations, Haruka keeps calm and reaches over for a sedative. She quickly plunges the syringe in Murakumo's shoulder and she feels the grip on her neck release.
They both fall to their knees simultaneously, Haruka coughing and Murakumo trying to process the immense power she just felt.
"Ugh...ahh... Haruka... are you okay...?"
Haruka coughs a few more times as the oxygen flow regulates inside her. "Uhk! Agk! Ahhh... whew... that was scary. Wow. I'd say it's working perfectly~"
Once she manages to get up, Haruka goes over and puts a small chain around her neck. "Here, wear this too. It'll help you channel your power. Once this glows, it allows you to become super strong and cause some serious damage to the enemy. And also, you have the power to heal yourself any time you want. However, the regeneration lasts for a short time. So use it wisely."
Murakumo looks at the chain around her neck and then back at Haruka. "If this will help me battle Homura...then, I will use my new powers against her."
"Feeling ready, are you~?" Haruka says, putting a hand to her cheek. "My, this is unexpected. Right now, Homura-chan's out doing some shopping. She'll be back in a few minutes."
"Okay." Murakumo says. She's a patient person, but she can't wait to test her new powers against the girl that defeated her from her Crimson form.
"Fufu~! That's the spirit, Murakumo-chan," the honey blonde says, petting the shy girl. "It was weird when you attacked me like this, but don't worry. That was only just a side effect."
"R-really?"
"Mm-hmm! Now then, when Homura-chan gets back, let's show her your new power. I bet she can't wait to have a rematch with you as well."
Murakumo pumps a fist while nodding. "I'm so ready!"
They decide to wait for a few minutes until Homura gets back from shopping. Until then, Murakumo is eager to test her new powers against the tanned girl. And speak of the devil, they hear some footsteps and Homura is here with some bags of groceries.
"Hm? Ah, Murakumo, I didn't know you came to visit," she says. "Welcome. What are you up to?"
"Well, ummm..." the shy girl looks over at Haruka who winks at her and then turns back to Homura. "H-Homura...I would like to...have a rematch with you. You won last time, but this time...I'll win."
Homura grins as she puts a hand on her hip. "Ah, you came to challenge me again, eh? Very well, I accept. Let's take this outside, shall we?"
"Okay!" Murakumo nods firmly.
Haruka grins and encourages the two to step outside where there is a lot of space outside the cave and distance themselves away from each other a bit while they ready their weapons, with Homura and her claw weapons and Murakumo and her meat cleaver and spear ready.
"So what makes you so confident all of a sudden?" Homura asks, a hint of cockiness in her tone.
Murakumo, on the other hand is as meek and modest as ever. "W-well... you see... I just think this will end different. That's all..."
Homura raises an eyebrow. "What? You grow some new power while I was away?"
"W-well, funny you should ask..."
"Enough of this! FIGHT!" Haruka squeals. She's just as desperate to see Murakumo fight as Murakumo is herself.
Homura charges forward and thrusts her right hand, sending the blades soaring towards Murakumo's chest. But the brunette is able to raise her broad-bladed meat cleaver and block the incoming swords. With a CHINK! the blades bounce upwards and Homura's arm goes upwards as well, leaving her chest exposed.
Murakumo thrusts her spear, aiming for the metaphorical kill. But Homura raises her left hand and the spear head gets caught between her blades.
Homura yanks downwards, throwing Murakumo off balance and allowing Homura to tag her with a well-placed kick to the face.
Murakumo yelps as she falls to the ground, landing on her butt. Homura flies at her with another kick... but suddenly the chain glows.
"Guuuh?! GUUURGH!"
Murakumo drops her weapons and leaps to her feet like a car that just got a dose of jumper cable. She can feel adrenaline flowing through her arms as she catches Homura's leg mid-flight. With immense strength, she takes the tan-skinned girl for a ride.
"WAAAAAH!"
With only one hand on her ankle, Murakumo is able to easily lift and slam Homura repeatedly on the ground. Left, right, left, right... she slams her a total of six times before letting her opponent fall to the ground in a daze.
It takes a moment for Homura to get back to her feet after that... and her head is spinning like a globe and muscles already not responding properly.
"Ugh... ooog... h-how did you do that...?" she mumbles.
"S-sorry! I told you things would be different! Heh heh..." Murakumo chuckles bashfully.
Meanwhile, Haruka is grinning evilly. "Excellent~"
Murakumo allows her opponent to regain her senses, as Homura raises her blades and prepares for a round two. It's not over yet.
Murakumo feels she can do well without her weapons after all since she witnessed the increased strength she has every time she gets the chain glowing. Homura charges at her with her claws, swinging them left and right, but Murakumo dodges them all and ducks under her when she jumps. The brunette then punches her hard, back and forth at least 3 times before grabbing her and then tossing her about 5 feet away. The tanned girl recovers, readying her weapons, but gets pummeled by Murakumo's fists again before she can even attack. Back and forth her punches go, up and down and then she grabs Homura and tosses her overhead until she falls flat on her back hard.
Murakumo stomps over toward the tanned girl to kick her away, but Homura jumps to her feet and finally lands a hit on Murakumo by slashing her hard to keep distance. A couple more slashes to the chest and face and then a double kick to the chest for good measure. Murakumo staggers back, but clenches her fists and slowly raises them, creating a white glow to her entire body.
"Wh-what!?" Homura cannot believe what she's seeing. Her wounds are closing up just from that glowing.
However, Homura cannot watch it for long as Murakumo charges at her with her ninjas speed. Homura uses her own ninja speed to dodge it and jumps on top of a tree, only for Murakumo to catch up quickly. Jumping from branch to branch they go until they land on the ground again, and then charge at each other once more.
Homura delivers a hard kick to the stomach, followed by a couple more slashes in all directions, sending Murakumo flying upward until she lands with a loud thud. She recovers quickly and clenches her fists again, raising her arms until the white glow appears again to heal herself.
"Not this time!" Homura shouts as she summons her Crimson form.
"Finally..." Murakmo mutters. "Just what I've been waiting for."
She charges at the Crimson Homura, but she is quicker than before and lands some hits on Murakumo before she can attack. Fire appears on her sword as she strikes at her back and forth with a trail of fire following, hitting the shy girl repeatedly until she falls to the ground. But she struggles to her feet and ties to regenerate once more. However, Homura doesn't give her a chance.
"THIS... IS... IT!" Homura cries out. She soars forward like a meteor and everything goes by in a flash...
Seconds later, Homura is standing opposite of Murakumo with her blades brandished, having just finished her swift strike. Murakumo groans weakly as she falls to the ground, her clothes shredded... her strength gone... her consciousness fading...
But as Homura turns around to confirm her victory, the smirk on her face is wiped away and replaced by pure shock and terror.
A bolt of lightning descends from the sky and strikes Murakumo's body head-on. Her pupils grow wide once again, enveloping her eyes in black as her body glows green. Like the rising undead, Murakumo slowly gets up to her feet and faces her opponent once again.
"That's... not possible!" Homura shouts.
Murakumo has no words, only a ferocious growl.
"GRAAAAAAGH!"
Homura desperately charges forward, intending to finish the job. But an outstretched hand intercepts her neck and lifts her off her feet.
"GAHK! GUUUGHK!" Homura's voice is a choked gargle as Murakumo raises her high and choke-slams her onto the ground. Immediately, the strength is sapped from Homura's body as her muscles shut down from the hard impact.
Murakumo walks over to her discarded meat cleaver and picks it up. Immediately, Haruka's face grows with concern.
"Oh no! What if she can't control it..." she mutters, secretly preparing to use a sedative if necessary.
Homura struggles back to her feet and raises her claws, but she is immediately struck in the stomach with the flat end of the meat cleaver, like being whacked with a boat paddle.
"OOOOUF!"
Murakumo spins around and delivers another smack to Homura's face, knocking the girl out cold with the flat of the cleaver.
Homura is sprawled out on the ground, seeing stars, as blood trickles from her forehead.
"Ughhh... aghhh..."
Still blinded by the power, Murakumo raises the meat cleaver and prepares to finish the job.
"MURAKUMO, STOP!" Haruka cries out.
In an instant, when Murakumo turns around, the sedative immediately comes in contact with her neck. The brunette lowers her hand shortly after and drops to her knees with her eyes going back to normal and looking around.
"Wh-what?" she turns toward the injured Homura and gasps. "Oh, no! Did I just...did I just..."
Haruka puts her hand on Murakumo's shoulder. "She'll be alright. You just...have to be very careful when using your new powers. Remember, you were the one who asked for this."
"Yes...I'm sorry..." Murakumo nods, almost about to cry.
"Don't worry," Haruka says. "All you need to do is try to control them and you'll never do something like that again."
Murakumo nods again. "I'll...I'll try to." She looks over at the unconscious Homura. She won the fight, but it was not what she had in mind. This new power of hers is still something she needs to get used to, but with full control instead of being blinded by power. Still, she's glad that she didn't actually kill Homura if it wasn't for Haruka.
"I...I have to go now," Murakumo says. "I'll see you later."
"Okay..." Haruka just watches the shy brunette leave the base with a worried expression. She needs to treat Homura immediately before doing anything else.
For the first time in her life, her experiment created the most powerful being: The Unstoppable Murakumo.
A/N: I would like to thank Jojo-san for working with me on this cause…I had no idea where this was going to go. But I asked him and he accepted. So hope you like this chapter. A little brutal yes, but it was for a purpose when Murakumo has these powers.
Long and detailed reviews are appreciated.
Have a nice day!