Tohka & Shiina began to fight off the demons, as Shiina used her katana, slashing down three demons in half. Tohka lunged her broadsword, Sandalphon, at one demon, impaling the small imp in the head. The demons fell dead, but more resurfaced from behind them, near the trees and bushes. Numerous imps, with skin and scales in dark shades of red, brown, orange, and blue, appeared in hordes of ten, and charged after them. Tohka and Shiina continued to fight off the demons, eviscerating the imps, slicing them in pieces, breaking their bodies, and preventing them from attacking them, but one demon in blue appeared from above and clasped onto Shiina's head. She screamed in pain, as the demon was clawing at her face. Tohka slammed it off her head, as she cried, "GET YOUR HOOKS OFF HER!"

Shiina threw her shuriken into three red and orange demons, and impaled one of her kunai into the legs of a red demon. She used her katana to slash the demon in half. They stopped, as most of the demons ran away. The blue demons reemerged, as they were brimming in dark energy. Their bodies turned black as night, and grew about three feet taller. They snarled and hissed, as Shiina sighed, "This is so stupid."

She threw her kunai at the demons, but they deflected it back to Shiina, who dodged out of the way. She gasped, "What?"

"They… How long have they had this hidden energy?"

The evil woman appeared from behind the demons, as Tohka growled, "You!"

The evil woman nodded and said, "Tohka Yatogami… Shiina…"

Shiina growled, "It's you… You evil harlot…"

"Isn't it, though?" She summoned her dark demons, "Have them in my arms."

They lunged at them, and grasped onto their arms and bodies. They tried to break free, but couldn't. The evil woman said, "How do you like my demons? I created them to become stronger than their usual counter parts. I was saving them for a special purpose."

Shiina cried, "Damn you!"

"Now… I ask you of this favor, ladies…"

Shiina snarled, "Go to hell! We'll never join you!"

"Oh? I see that you resist my temptation…"

Tohka barked, "We'll never join you, even if you kill us, first!"

The lady snickered, as the demons clawed into Tohka's face. She called it off, as the demon dispersed its talon.

"NO! Do not kill them." She proclaimed, "I may need them… alive… provided if they cooperate."

"You… What will you plan on doing to us?" Shiina said.

The lady laughed, "Oh, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho!"

She cackled, as Tohka sobbed, "This is bad."

XXXXX

That afternoon, at the dojo, Sena gave Ginti an axe. He asked, "What's this? An ax?"

"Yes. And not just any axe."

"Lemme guess. You want me to chop up some firewood? I'm not your slave!"

"NO! This isn't an axe for trees! You think I'm stupid?" Sena explained, "This is a battleaxe, forged by warriors of old. This is your weapon, in the hopes of rescuing your girlfriend-."

"Fiancé!"

"…your fiancé – and do not interrupt me – from that evil woman. You are chosen to use this weapon, but we shall see what you can do. Mio & Ritsu have already left to find Azusa… Origami chose to spar alone. So, you and Saya will spar with each other, and see what you can perform."

He asked, "Okay, but, this huge axe, I can handle it. But what do you want me to do?"

"I want to see how strong you are. Saya, over here, is our strongest fighter in the group, next to Origami and Mio."

Saya appeared from the floor, as she bowed to him. She held up her sword and said, "Prepare yourself."

Sena walked to the middle of the doorway, as Ginti asked, "Wait… Do I have to chop her head off?"

"NO!" Sena boomed, "NO KILLING! I want to see how you wield this battleaxe!"

She thought, "He may not look it, but with that energy, he may be able to harness that power."

He said, as Saya was preparing to fight, "I just want you to know… I can try to beat you, but-."

Saya slashed at him, but he dodged out of the way. He cried out, "Are you nuts?!"

Saya said, "Forgive me."

They began to fight, and he swung his axe. Saya ducked and clashed with him. She slashed forward, and he would strike back. But he swung down, and managed to nick her. She and Ginti clashed, hitting blade-to-blade, while Sena was nodding. She exposed her face, briefly, from the mouth, as she smiled. She said, "Good. They are doing good. Saya has become stronger and persevere. Ginti, however, he's trying his best."

They continued to push at each other, while Saya was blushing. She whispered, "Why? Why do I feel such… …oh… such resistance?"

She started to blush, heavily, but shook it off and kicked him in the gut. He dropped down, as she thought, "No… I can't… He's so handsome, but… Not again…"

She snarled, as she tried to resist. Her eyes started to turn red from her irises. Her hostile form was reawakened, as she snarled and hissed, "Not again… I can't fall in love…"

Ginti asked, "What were you saying?"

She roared, as he cried out, "WAIT! WHAT WERE YOU SAYING, JUST NOW?"

She slashed down, but he avoided the attack. She ignored his pleas, as she was very hostile. She yelled and cried out, "DIE!"

She and Ginti clashed again, as he tried to calm her down. But Sena said, "GINTI! FIGHT BACK! Reasoning with her will not work! Once she's become hostile, there's no way to bring her back!"

"FUCK!" He cried, "AND NOW YOU TELL ME?!"

He pleaded, as he was pushed back, "Help me out!"

Sena said, "No. This is your battle. I believe your axe is more than a weapon for chopping."

"OH, YEAH? WHAT DOES IT DO, FIRE LASERS OR SOMETHING?"

"Yes."

Ginti gasped, in both astonishment and confusion, "What?"

Sena called out, "FOCUS!"

Saya slashed downward towards him, but he rolled out of the way. He held his axe up and said, "Okay, what the hell am I doing? But if it's to save Mugi, so be it! But what do I do?"

XXXXX

"You're bullshitting us, if you think you're going to make us join you, for killing our sister!" Tohka barked.

The evil woman explained her role, as she said, "That may be so, but she's been an eyesore in my magic, for so long."

Shiina broke free, and shouted, brandishing her katana, "YOU FIEND!"

The evil woman brawled with Shiina, only for Shiina to slash her katana downward onto her body. The evil lady was split in half, and exploded into a shadowy smoke. Tohka cried, "BEHIND YOU!"

Shiina turned around, as the evil woman slammed her arm onto the back of her head. Shiina stumbled to her knees, but the evil woman punted her left foot into her solar plexus. Shiina was on the ground, coughing up a little blood. Tohka shrieked, "YOU MADNESS!"

"You mean "Madman"?" The woman asked, "I guess Madwoman wasn't in your book."

"Bitch!" Tohka roared, "UNBIND ME!"

The evil woman held Tohka's chin and said, "If I were you, I'd be very scared. Your sister is the one thing I wanted, and I want to end her life… and you're going to join me, one way or another…"

Tohka moaned, "Damn you!"

Shiina moaned, as she was struggling to get up, "T-To-… Tohka… Run…"

The black demon stomped on her spine and cackled. Shiina groaned in pain, as she passed out. Tohka shrieked, "NO!"

The evil lady smiled, "Aw, did I break your sister?"

"You bastard! You killed her!"

"No, he didn't… She's regaining consciousness… but for a while longer… I will let your sister live… as long as you do as I say… and assist me in killing Sena."

"Never."

"Then, Shiina dies…"

Tohka wept, as Shiina was out cold. The evil lady grabbed her hair and was about to strike. Tohka broke free, before the woman would kill Shiina. Tohka would pick up her sword and swung at her. She dodged out of the way, as the blade went towards Shiina. She halted and gasped, nearly cutting her. The evil woman appeared behind Tohka, as she said, "Even so, would I let you kill your own? I don't think so. I know in your heart… You wouldn't…"

Tohka roared, "SHUT UP!"

She slashed towards her, but the woman caught the sword with her left hand, with ease. Tohka was terrified, as the evil woman punted her chin with her right leg. Her sword dropped to the ground, and she dropped down, lying beside the unconscious Shiina.

"You lose." The evil woman cackled.

"Now… If you would be so kind, you would help me. You have no other choice…" She reached for Tohka.

The demons lifted her up, as the woman removed her mask. Tohka came to and moaned, "No… You're…"

She looked into her eyes, and started to heave. Her eyes went blank, as the color faded and became darker and decolored. Her pupils flashed red, as she spoke in a controlled voice, "Yes, my master…"

The evil woman placed her mask back on and turned to Shiina. "Revive her." She said.

Tohka said, as she helped Shiina up, "Yes, master…"

Shiina came to, as she moaned, "Oh, man… What happened? Tohka?"

Tohka said, "Look into me, Sister…"

Shiina asked, "What's wrong?"

She stared into Tohka's eyes, as the woman said, "You are to obey me. I want Sena dead."

Shiina resisted, but suddenly gave in, as her eyes went blank. She then said, "Kill Sena."

They stood in attention, as the woman said, "Yes… And now, my dear puppets, we wait. For now, train to become stronger, and when the time's right, we kill your sister."

Tohka replied, "Sena is no sister of ours."

Shiina added, "We shall obey you."

She cackled, as Tohka and Shiina bowed. They walked together, with the demons in tow, as they returned to the evil woman's citadel.

XXXXX

Meanwhile, Saya was striking at Ginti, as he tried to fight back. Sena was observing the action, as Saya struck down onto his right arm. He dropped his weapon and screamed in pain. Saya held her blade up, as she saw him bleeding. She snarled, "Good. Go to hell!"

She dashed forward, about to finish her off, but Sena dove in front of her, glowing in a dark aura, with her hood flowing off. Her black hair flowed down, as she halted Saya.

"Enough!" She boomed.

She slammed Saya to the ground, in an acrobatic flip, and then grasped her in a sleeper hold. Saya started scream, but was suffocating to Sena's hold. Saya's eyes started to slowly close, as she was passing out. Sena let go, as Ginti was astonished, "Whoa… What the heck was that?"

Saya's eyes suddenly returned to normal, as she came to, "What happened?"

Sena said, as she replaced her hood on, "I'm sorry… But you are not to kill him."

"My apologies, Sena… But whenever I have an enraging flashback, my body starts to feel… unsympathetic… and resentful…"

Sena felt her and said, "I know what you are feeling. And yes, I'm aware of that horrifying incident with… him. Yes, I can see that."

Saya turned to Ginti and bowed, "I am sorry."

He yelled, "WHAT THE HELL? You become angry and vicious, and now you're apologetic, five seconds later?"

Saya replied, "It's fine. I was only to spar you."

He got up and barked, "You know what? My sympathies to your allies!"

He marched off, holding his arm, as Sena said, "Ginti! Do not leave!"

"Fuck you! I don't care if I let Mugi die! I'm done! You girls are freaks!" he screamed.

Sena said, "You don't have a choice…"

She held her arm out, and the doors suddenly slammed shut, preventing Ginti from leaving. Sena explained, "You have much to learn, red-haired person. Yes, I admit that my teachings and the students' powers and traits are misleading and unorthodox, but I am only training them to condone their chi, to make sure that they cannot die for this mission. This evil woman wants to kill us all, and she's already got Nodoka, Yui, & Ui. If you walk away, Mugi dies."

He stopped and turned to Sena, "Then, can you, at least, train me to use this? If it shoots lasers, where's the button for it?"

"There's no button." Saya said, "It's from pure Ty Ko Ky energy."

Sena added, "To which you do not have… But you will, once we train you to learn our abilities."

Ginti asked, "Tie Cookie?!"

Sena said to Saya, "You, too, Saya. Origami, Mio, Ritsu, & Azusa have already mastered it, but it seems that you two need to learn more."

Saya bowed, "Yes, Sena…"

Ginti barked, "Now, wait a minute! Are you saying that Tokyo Key is the key to saving Mugi? I thought I was the key!"

Sena said, "You are. If you learn Ty Ko Ky, Ginti, then, you could be the one to save your beloved. This may take time… since you and Saya failed…"

Ginti asked, "But I want to know one thing, Sena… What is this Ty Ko Ky?"

Sena explained to him about Ty Ko Ky, as night began to fall.

That night, at 4am, Azusa was in a dark room, tied in rope, with her wrists tied to the ceiling, and her ankles to the floor. She was naked, with just her skirt on, and her long black hair flowing over her bare scarred body. She moaned, as she was sobbing, "Yui-Senpai… save me…"

The man returned, with his cane sword, and said, "Well, well, well… Good morning…"

"You…" Azusa weakly yelled, "You did this to me… You pervert!"

The man held her panties up and said, "Now, now… You shouldn't be angry at me, because I am doing a favor."

"A favor? AND WHERE DID YOU GET THOSE?"

"These? Purest fabric that I ever felt. In fact, growing up, I never learned about silk or lace, because I was polyester and cotton, through and through. I sometimes wish I knew what underpants felt like. They may be wool, cotton, fabric, and thread, but what of the female of the dainties?"

"You bastard!"

"uh-uh-uh…" he scolded, "There will be time for lechering in the afterlife… Besides, I love to see you squirm, much as Nodoka did… when I tortured her, like this…"

He stabbed her in the waist with his sword, lightly and carefully, as he said, "Of course, I do not want you to die, at all…"

Azusa roared, "YOU KILLED NODOKA, UI, AND YUI! WHY ARE YOU, SUDDENLY, SPARING ME?"

He said, as he slowly cut Azusa's skin, lightly, "You know me… I want to own you, much as I did the others… Nodoka, Ui… they belong to me…"

Azusa sobbed, "But… They're dead…"

He replied, as he held his blade up, "Yes… but their shadows are mine."

"Shadows?!"

He held his cane up and jabbed the floor, where Azusa's shadow is placed, through an ambient light that shone on her left side. He explained, as he rubbed Azusa's bare chest, "Pretty kitty, do you want to know what, why, and how I killed them? Well, they still live on, inside me… for I am only to make a delivery. You see, I have been eyeing your shadow, and it's beautiful… They say that without a shadow, you don't even exist."

Azusa moaned, "No… What are-?"

She heaved, as she was moaning in arousal, as he held up a knife, and jabbed her stomach, in the center. She sobbed and moaned in pain, as he lifted up his cane, chanting in a quiet language. Azusa's shadow was slowly absorbed into the blade, removed from the light. He held the cane up and said, "Of course, they say that you have about 2 to 3 days, after you slip into a coma, after losing your shadow. But my process takes ten minutes… and I only had to do this… Make you feel relaxed, whilst my sword pierces your shadow, just to avoid running away, and then stab a knife into your body, to inject the pain. Then a little incantation, will take your shadow away, and from there…"

He concluded, "Shadow, shadow, such a stroll… Stripped away, from a fair maiden's soul… Beautiful, and cute as a cat… your nine lives are up, because one is that… Like your shadow, it belongs to me, like all the rest, as you can see…"

He showed Azusa's shadow to her, which was a huge floating orb of darkness, hovering besides two others. He stated that those were Nodoka and Ui's shadows. And he said that they died, because they were stripped of their shadows. Azusa sobbed, "No… How could you? What will you do to them, you demonic sick freak? You killed them, and they died, without a shadow!"

He laughed, "YOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO~!"

Azusa said, as she was panting, "But wait… Why am I still alive? Your plan failed! You took my shadow, but-."

She gasped, as she cried, "Wait a minute… What is going on?"

He explained, as he opened the window, in which it was still dark out, "It's almost sunrise. I forgot to tell you… At sunrise, Nodoka and Ui died, the minute I stole their shadows, and how I abuse them was accurate. I am not a pervert… just a merchant that wants your shadows and souls…"

"No shadow in sunlight? That makes no sense!"

"Then, answer me this? You've ever seen how a vampire dies in the sun?"

He walked off, and then shut the door, locking it. He was on the other side of the room, as Azusa pleaded, "WAIT! Don't go! Come back! You didn't answer me! What did you do to Yui? And give me my shadow back! You freak of nature!"

He leaned by the door, as he listened to her pleas. He held up a watch and said, "It's 5am… and Azusa dies soon… I just can't bear to watch, since it's horrible to see her die, like that."

It was now 5:30, as Azusa saw the sun rise from the window. She gasped, as she whimpered, "Oh, no… What did he mean? I am not a vampire! And even so, how can you die, without a shadow?"

"Oh, it's instant death, since you have not a sight… Because without darkness in you, you're doomed in the light…" he replied.

He continued, "Don't worry. The sun always rises from this area… but it's a shame you didn't have sunblock. There isn't any SPF to block this fate of yours…"

The sunlight drifted to the window, as it reaches Azusa's feet. It started to smoke from the skin, as she screamed in horror, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAH! IT BURNS! MY FEET ARE BURNING!"

Minutes passed, as the entire room was in bright sunlight from dawn. He said, as he looked at his watch, showing it's now 6am. He said, "Right on the dot… annnnnnnnnnnnd…"

Azusa shrieked from the other side, as she was succumbed to the sunlight, screaming in pain, with her entire body being burned and turned into vapor. She hollered in pain, trying to break free, but try as she might, her body was still being burned away by the broad sunlight. The man didn't mention this to her, fully. Should she be removed of a shadow, she has to avoid exposure to sunlight, indefinitely, or she would turn to ashes. Of course, he also added that Azusa would've freed herself, since it was an easy escape. But without a shadow, her life would be in danger. Her shrieks and screams continued to grow loud, as he smiled and said, "I'll come back later… and get your clothes. And then, I can clean up this place, to make room for my next victim… I had to torture you, and then go to sleep, wake up at 3am, and visit you… just to see the procedure done. Now, I have three shadows…"

He walked away, "Now, if you'll excuse me… I have a date with a dainty woman that I am delivering these shadows to…"

He sneered, "Whilst you, dear kitty girl… have a date… with DEATH!"

He laughed evilly, walking away from the torture room of his. Azusa kept screaming in pain and horror, for ten more minutes, before she stopped. As the sun moved upward, the sunlight went away from the window. And all that was left of Azusa… was a pile of ashes that was once her body. The man who killed Nodoka & Ui has killed Azusa Nakano. But why take her shadows, like that? And who would he deliver them to?

XXXXX

Meanwhile, from far away in the forest, Mio sensed Azusa's life energy. She cried, "Ritsu! I found her!"

Ritsu asked, as she was waking up in her sleeping bag, "Huh? What's wrong, Mio?"

Mio said, "It's her. Azusa! She's in danger! I hear her screams! Come on!"

She and Ritsu rushed off, heading to the man's hideaway, to rescue Azusa. But will they arrive and find that they were already too late?

The man was outside, as he viewed from a distance, "Ah, more visitors… Well, I'll deal with them later… Right now, I have to go make a delivery."

He strutted off, with his shadows in his hat, as he hummed a tune, heading to his destination. He decided to spare Mio & Ritsu… … …for now.