Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Kotonoha was watching as Ryuji shot four empty cans off a small table placed on her front lawn. She applauded, "Sugoi, Ryuji-kun."
"Arigatou," smiled Ryuji as he blew the smoke off the barrel of his gun. The gun in question was his SB-Cell in Phone Blaster Mode. Since Kotonoha also had one, he thought it'd be a good idea for her to learn how to use the weapon. Luckily, he'd set it on stun for her. He went over and set the cans back up. "Now, it's your turn."
Kotonoha gulped a little and took out her own SB-Cell. She'd been so happy when he'd given it to her since now they had matching cell phones. She flipped it open and pushed the top half over to the side, turning it into a gun shape with the antenna acting as the gun's barrel. "H-hai!" She was feeling a bit nervous. He went over and stood behind her, taking hold of her arms and leveling them at the targets.
"Just relax," he advised. Kotonoha shuddered as his cold breath blew over her ear. "And keep your legs firm on the ground. For first timers the recoil can be a doozy."
"Hai," she nodded as she focused on the targets.
"Now, gently squeeze the trigger," he said. "Keep both hands on the handle and put your index finger on the trigger." He placed his hands on hers to make sure she was holding it right.
Kotonoha loved the close contact. He was so close to her and she felt like she was going to melt. She got her mind focused quickly on the task at hand. "Now, I can shoot?"
"Pull the trigger," he advised. She did as told.
Bang!
One of the cans went flying and Kotonoha cheered. Ryuji stepped back as Kotonoha hopped happily. "I did it! I did it!" However, she still had her hand on the gun and well…
Bang!
"Yeow!"
"Ryuji-kun, gomen!"
She had just shot his foot.
"HEARTBREAK AND SEPARATION"
Setsuna watched as Vash stumbled into class sporting another red handprint. She hadn't known him for long but she did note how he would try to pick up girls and then ending up getting slapped for his troubles. One time he actually managed to get a date but it'd ended horribly. She never got the full details but she knew it might've had something to do with Vash doing or saying something inappropriate.
Setsuna noted how peaceful the school was now with Ryuji, Kotonoha, Kenzaki and Neko absent. The KLLA, SSSS and LLRB weren't causing any trouble either since their target of jealousy was gone. Those guys needed a life in her opinion. Trying to fight Ryuji, while he could effortlessly beat down an army, was foolish. Every time they tried to attack him, he would fight back and put them down. That was why he was excused for tardiness.
School had been weird since she returned. Well, the hometown she grew up in was no longer the same. The appearance of monsters and superheroes completely shattered the normalcy of this place. Many welcomed the Riders as heroes while other viewed them as much as a nuisance as the monsters because of the collateral damage.
Setsuna had started a website on the internet. It was mainly about the Kamen Riders. She would write about what she'd discovered about them and others could even send in their own writing regarding the Rider. One guy even claimed the Riders were aliens and Setsuna was close to believing him. The technology they had was way beyond what she knew. The suits of armor, their weapons and their vehicles were like something out of science fiction.
Setsuna had been surprised that Ryuji was one of the Riders but a part of her had suspected it. He wasn't fazed by the monsters and seemed familiar to them. He could also fight and she'd seen the way he fought and compared it to Ifrit. Only someone with a trained eye could see how similar they were.
The Riders were big news on the internet. There were numerous sighting of them which had taken place in the past. Setsuna wondered how that could be possible. One sighting had even taken place 40 years ago. This just confirmed her suspicion that the Riders were time travelers.
She knew the army would try and get their hands on the Riders' technology and she doubt it was anything good. Power like that couldn't fall into the wrong hands, even with the best of intentions.
Setsuna sometimes wondered if Kotonoha herself knew Ryuji's secret. She was the only person Ryuji was close to in the class, choosing to be distant with everyone else. However, he had started to call her friends by their given names and was starting to call her Setsuna instead of Kiyoura. He still referred to Taisuke and Makoto by their surnames, in a hostile manner. It wouldn't surprise her with the way they'd treated Kotonoha. She recalled how Ryuji was like a guard dog watching a treasure, a treasure named Kotonoha Katsura.
Speaking of which, Setsuna had once again been made the Class Rep and Kotonoha was her assistant. Kotonoha had experience as Class Rep in her previous year so Setsuna knew she could trust the girl. Kotonoha was smart, even if she was very emotional as well.
Setsuna envied Sekai and Kotonoha for finding love. When was her turn going to come? She eyed Vash and shook her head. She wasn't THAT desperate.
She then saw Ryuji enter the classroom and blinked. "Looks like he's back." Maybe she should check outside to see if there were more unconscious bodies sprawled all over school grounds.
"Nice to see you back," said Setsuna as she went over to sit down in Kotonoha's empty seat. Ryuji looked over to see the Class Rep talking to him and sighed.
"Koto-chan forced me to come," he told her. "She said I couldn't miss another day of school. I wanted to stay home and take care of her but she insisted I come to school anyway."
"Isn't your guardian staying with you?" asked Setsuna. She'd learnt that while Ryuji's parents weren't around, he lived with a guardian named Loki.
"Yeah, he is, and he's taking care of her right now. But, I can't help but worry," Ryuji admitted.
"You love her a lot, don't you?" asked Setsuna.
"I really do," answered Ryuji.
"Hope she gets better soon," said Setsuna.
"So do I," nodded Ryuji. She then took notice of Rina and Siera walking into class together and groaned. "Oh, crap."
"Good morning, Ryuji," greeted Siera.
"Morning," greeted Rina.
"Ohayo," Ryuji greeted back, exasperated.
"I'm glad you decided to come to school, Ryuji," smirked Rina flirtatiously. With Kotonoha at home she could have a chance at seducing Ryuji when they were all alone.
"We've missed you here at school," added Siera. "It's been really quiet."
"Don't your fan clubs fawn over you?" retorted Ryuji.
"Oh, they do, but they don't dare approach us," boasted Rina. "It's like they're scared."
"Well, once I'm out of the way they don't have anything to do," Ryuji rolled his eyes. "They attacked me this morning too."
"So I saw." Rina had seen the bodies sprawled all over outside the building. "You really cleaned their clocks."
"I was in a bad mood," frowned Ryuji. He much rather be at home taking care of Kotonoha.
"Well, I'm just glad you're here, darling," winked Rina. She then went to her seat.
"Me too, me too," agreed Siera as she followed after her best friend and cousin.
"Now you know why I didn't want to come," Ryuji said to Setsuna.
"Because of them," she reasoned. "But aren't you neighbors?"
"That makes it worse. They always drop by to visit. Even though I agreed with myself to be nice to them, I never agreed to this engagement," Ryuji answered. "And at least Koto-chan's at home so they can't really do anything with her there. Once I'm here, I'm all theirs."
"Most men would love to be in your place," Setsuna gave her opinion.
"Those men are outside in pain right now," Ryuji pointed out.
Setsuna smiled a little. It amused her how Ryuji didn't know she knew he was a Rider. She then changed the subject, "Well, great work at Radish, by the way. Sekai's mom thinks you're doing great work."
"I try my best. It's my favorite hangout. I might as well do something to repay them for the great service," Ryuji said.
"She actually likes how you deal with our more…rambunctious customers," said Setsuna.
"No man should treat a woman like objects," said Ryuji proudly.
"Well, I do hope you continue working there when Kotonoha-san comes back," said Setsuna.
"Oh, I will," Ryuji nodded. It was hard to believe that he was having fun working at Radish. The fawning girls he could do without. When he'd been walking through the hallway, some girls were giving him appraising looks. It didn't annoy him as much as it should.
Kotonoha was still required to rest in bed for a few more days but she was slowly recovering.
"I'll go and get your breakfast," said Ryuji.
"Ryuji-kun, please don't strain yourself," said Kotonoha in concern. He was so busy taking care of her, going to school, going to work at the Radish, training and doing his schoolwork that he was looking exhausted. He didn't look like he'd been having enough sleep lately. She realized this when he came to sleep with her…around 4 am in the morning.
"I told you it's alright. You've taken care of me before so now it's my turn to do the same," he smiled. "I'll be right back."
Kotonoha watched as he walked out the door. As she waited, she couldn't help but feel how lucky she was to have the boy in her life in living with her. Despite his earlier behavior, she'd been able to see the real him. Deep down he was a kind person and…
CRASH!
"RYUJI!" Kotonoha heard Loki yell and gasped in shock.
Kotonoha panicked and ran down the stairs. Even if she was in bed rest she could still walk and wasn't as weak as she'd been before. She was close to recovery now thanks to Ryuji and her friends.
Kotonoha's eyes widened in horror as Loki dragged an unconscious Ryuji out of the kitchen. Kokoro and Eros were present as well. "Ryuji-kun!" She ran over. "What happened?"
"Kotonoha-san, you shouldn't be out of bed," said Loki.
"What happened?" asked Kotonoha again. "Loki, please, tell me!"
"He suddenly collapsed when he was carrying your breakfast tray," said Loki. On the floor was said tray and the ruined food.
"Onee-chan," Kokoro said worriedly. "Will Ryuji-niichan be okay?"
"He will be," said Kotonoha. "Loki, let me help."
"Alright, grab his legs," instructed Loki.
"Exhaustion?" Kotonoha questioned after she and Loki had put Ryuji to bed for rest. His skin was a pale grey color, like ash.
"With taking care of you, doing his schoolwork, going to school, going to work and training," Loki listed, "He didn't get much time to rest."
Ryuji was in bed, fast asleep. Kotonoha ran a hand over his cold cheek and frowned. "Ryuji-kun…you put yourself in danger because of me."
"He was happy to do so," Loki defended. "Even though it was tiring, he was willing to do anything for you."
"Souka," Kotonoha realized. "He's been taking care of me since my miscarriage that I couldn't see how he was suffering."
"He would suffer anything for you, Kotonoha-san," Loki clarified. "That's just the way he is."
"Well, it's now my turn to take care of him," said Kotonoha. "I'm going to call a doctor."
"Is that wise?" frowned Loki. "You do know that Ryuji's physiology is different from normal humans."
Kotonoha winced. Loki was right. Ryuji wasn't human even if he looked like one. His graying skin was a tell-tale sign of it. Who knows what the doctors may find?
"Ugh," Ryuji groaned as he slowly came to. "What happened?"
"Ryuji-kun, you need to rest," advised Kotonoha.
"Koto-chan, you should be in bed," he said weakly.
"Not anymore," she said poking his chest firmly. "Now it's your turn."
"You nearly exhausted yourself to death, Ryuji," explained Loki.
"I did, huh?" Ryuji sighed.
"Why do this to yourself?" asked Kotonoha. "I know you wanted to take care of me but you've been neglecting yourself." She didn't want him to harm himself because of her.
"Because I wanted to do whatever I could to repay you for everything you've done for me," Ryuji said honestly.
"I'll leave you two alone," said Loki before exiting the room. He closed the door to give the couple more privacy.
"What do you mean?" asked Kotonoha.
"You helped to pull me out of the darkness, Koto-chan," he answered. "You've helped me change for the better. Now, it's my turn to help you." He took hold of her hand and pulled her forward so she was on top of him. She blushed. "It's my way of paying you back for everything you've done for me."
"Oh, Ryuji-kun…" Kotonoha sighed. He then pulled her to his face and pulled her down for a deep kiss. Once they broke the kiss, Kotonoha breathed out. The coldness surroundingthem made her breath visible. "Sugoi…"
"Now, get to school," said Ryuji. "Since you're better now it's time to get this cute butt of yours there." He smacked her bottom, causing her to shriek.
"Eek!" She pinched his cheek. "Ryuji-kun!" Even when he wasn't well, he was still utterly perverted…and cute at the same time. She got off the bed and smiled down at the boy who was now resting in bed. "OK, I'll go to school. I hope you'll be alright."
"I just need rest," assured Ryuji. "Once you get back then you can give me some TLC." He gave a flirtatious smirk that made her giggle before leaving the room. Once he was sure she was out of earshot, he sighed.
"This is nothing, Koto-chan," Ryuji murmured. "I would die for you if I have to."
Soon enough, the roles were reversed. Kotonoha took care of Ryuji as he recovered from exhaustion. While Kotonoha knew she had to take it easy, she had to get back on her feet sooner or later. She might as well start now. So, she finally decided to go back to school and work. She'd given Youko a call and the woman was very understanding and told her to take it easy. Hearing what happened to Ryuji only made her very concerned. Youko had taken a liking to the young man even though he had to get physical with some of the rowdy customers.
In fact, Ryuji's presence was helping her business. More female customers were coming in the see the good-looking waiter who was protecting the waitresses from disorderly customers. The waitresses seemed to enjoy their jobs a little more now that they didn't have to worry about someone getting fresh with them.
The school seemed to have mixed feelings about Ryuji being absent. The three student associations took it as an opportunity to scheme better ideas on defeating Ryuji or scoring with the girls they lusted for. Makoto and Taisuke breathed sighs of relief since it meant they wouldn't be terrorized by Ryuji. The various friends confessed worry over them.
"I'm glad you're back in school, Kotonoha," Sekai said to her friend.
"I am too, but I feel like I should be at home taking care of Ryuji-kun like he's been taking care of me," frowned Kotonoha sadly.
"So, why aren't you?" asked Sekai.
"He insisted I come to school," Kotonoha said. Actually, he more like forced her to go to school. She'd missed a lot and he really didn't care if he went or not unless it meant spending time with her. He had taken to heart of how important education was so he had Loki shove her out the door to resume her educational needs. He'd told her he would be fine at home. Loki would be taking care of him.
"It's hard to believe he can get sick," said Sekai. "I mean he's always trying to look tough."
"I agree," added Rina. She couldn't believe Ryuji could get sick and almost accused Kotonoha of hiding him from her. "He's usually stronger than that."
"He's only human," said Kotonoha figuratively.
"Well, if he didn't exhaust himself taking care of you then he wouldn't be sick," huffed Rina. She was feeling jealous, really.
"I just hope he gets well soon," said Siera. "I miss seeing him at school."
"We can always visit," shrugged Rina. "We do live in the same neighborhood."
"Maybe we should all visit him," suggested Sekai.
"I don't think that's a good idea, Sekai-san," objected Kotonoha. "Ryuji-kun needs his rest. If you all come he may get angry."
"Oh, well," Sekai sighed. "Tell him I said hi. He's really not so bad once you get to know him."
"Thank you," smiled Kotonoha.
"Oh, by the way, do you know what happened to Kenzaki-san and Neko-san? I asked Warren-sensei but he wouldn't tell us," said Sekai.
"Well, I haven't seen them lately," frowned Kotonoha. She knew the couple was hitting a rough patch in their relationship. Kenzaki was nowhere to be found and Neko was still at Kat's.
"Oh, come on," Sekai urged. "Kotonoha, I know you know something's up." Sekai hated being out of the loop especially when her friends were involved. She knew something was happening to the two, and she wouldn't stop till she got answers.
The next day, Ryuji woke up after many hours of sleep, looking completely refreshed and recovered. Kotonoha made him promise her to never strain himself again. He gave her his word and meant it. So, he started to come back to school again the next day. He was going to take it easy for her.
The KLLA, SSSS and LLRB members were still in the hospital. Apparently, they'd caught him on a bad day and were in intensive care. That meant there were a lot of absences in school today but Ryuji didn't give a damn.
He commuted to school with Kotonoha, Rina and Siera. Even though he was still upset over this engagement thing, he wasn't being fair by treating them harshly. He would treat them as friends but make sure they realize they didn't stand a chance at getting him as a husband. Rina just took it as a challenge.
Neko and Kenzaki both met awkwardly at the gate. Behind her were Rose, Cathy, Bobby and Kat. Kenzaki and Kat both traded hostile glares but said nothing. Neko looked over her shoulder at the others. "Nee-chan, you and the others please go in first."
"Are you sure?" asked Kat, still glaring at Kenzaki.
"Yes, I am," nodded Neko. Kat sent one last glare at Kenzaki and hissed before she, Rose, Bobby and Cathy continued toward the school. Kenzaki and Neko looked at each other, but tried to avoid making eye contact.
"So, how have you been?" asked Kenzaki.
"Can we go someplace else to talk, in private?" asked Neko. Kenzaki nodded in agreement. The pair went behind the school building to continue their talk.
"So, how have you been?" repeated Kenzaki.
"I've been fine these past few days. I've been staying at my sister's. What about you?" asked Neko.
"I've been fine, trying not to get into trouble," answered Kenzaki.
"You haven't been fighting the Imagin as of late," noted Neko. "Neither have I."
"I've spent the last couple of weeks trying to figure some things out" said Kenzaki.
"Like where we stand, right? What our relationship is?" questioned Neko.
"Mostly that, yes," nodded Kenzaki.
"Are you still upset that I rejected your proposal?"
"A little bit, yeah."
"I've been doing some thinking too. I really want things to go back to the way they were but that's impossible, right?" Neko asked fearfully.
Kenzaki shook his head. "I don't know if it is or not. I do love you, but I don't know if our relationship will ever move forward."
Neko tried to change the subject. "So, how are the others?"
"They're fine. Kumiko seems to be enjoying high school. Okami's still pissed at everything, Raion still plays his music way too loud, and Byakko tries to keep Buraki in line."
"So, life as usual on the GaroLiner," mused Neko.
"Sort of. It feels like something is missing though. It's like everyone's just going through the motions."
"I'll come back, if you want me to."
"Of course I want you back. The question is; what do you want?"
"For you to stop hating my sister, my darker half," said Neko.
"I'm sorry, Neko," said Kenzaki as he shook his head. "I've tried, but there are some things even I can't do."
"I see," nodded Neko as she tried to hold back tears. "We should get to class or we'll be late." Neko walked away depressingly. Kenzaki followed soon after.
"OHAYO!" Kat greeted as she slapped Ryuji's back when he came into the entrance.
"Kat!!!" Ryuji yelled as he messaged his back. "Damn it, every time!?"
"Hey, it's my special greeting," his psychotic sister grinned.
"Why do you look so damn happy?" Ryuji asked suspiciously.
"Oh, it's a secret," she winked. "You'll be hearing about it soon."
"Come on, Kat," said Rose as she grabbed Kat's arm. "Or we'll be late to class."
"OK, see ya!" waved Kat as she was dragged by Rose.
"She's the evil one, right?" Rina pointed, wishing to make sure. She had met Neko and Kat and had trouble telling them apart unless she looked them in the eye. Neko had blue eyes while Kat's were red.
"Yes, she is," Ryuji nodded. "Now, come on."
"Long time no see," Ryuji greeted when he saw Kenzaki back in school. At least he wasn't in some bar getting himself drunk. Neko was back too. He smiled. At least things were starting to get back to normal, or so he would like to think.
"Oh, Warren talked me into coming back," said Kenzaki.
"And so have you talked to Neko-nee?" asked Ryuji. "You know, about the…thing?"
Before Kenzaki could answer, a voice was heard coming from the PA system.
"ATTENTION ALL STUDENTS OF SAKAKINO HIGH!!!"
That was Kat's voice.
"Kat!?" Kotonoha gasped.
"Oh, shit," Ryuji groaned. He knew she would do something like this.
Everyone looked up as they heard Kat's voice over the school's loudspeaker. "Attention everyone! Kenzaki Tsukuba has proposed to Neko Hasuma! And she said NO!! Serves you right, Kenny!" This was followed by her maniacal and victorious laughter.
"Nee-chan!?" shouted Neko. She then ran off to find her sister.
"I saw this coming," muttered Ryuji. "Koto-chan, call the ambulance and police."
"Kill her…I'm gonna kill her…" growled Kenzaki.
"What a loser, isn't he?" Kat continued to talk through the microphone. The room she was in was the broadcasting club's room and where they did their morning announcements. She then heard the door open behind her and spun around in her seat. She could see Neko standing at the door, panting and staring at her.
"Nee-chan, stop," Neko warned. "Please."
"What's wrong Neko-chan?" asked Kat innocently. "I'm just spreading the news since it's true."
"Kat-neechan, you're going too far," said Neko. "You don't need to humiliate him like this."
"I haven't gone far enough…" Kat cackled.
"Oh, Kat…" groaned Rose as she entered. She knew Kat would do something like this.
"Kat-neechan, please stop this. You may not like Ken-kun but that doesn't give you the right to do this!" exclaimed Neko.
"But it's so much fun!" laughed Kat. "Don't you remember what it's like, Neko-chan? To be free to do anything you want without fear of consequence?"
"Nee-chan…" sighed Neko. She then shot up as Kenzaki burst through the door, looking murderous.
"And here comes the jilted lover," hissed Kat.
"End this Kat…NOW!" growled Kenzaki.
"Oh, it's all over the school, Kenny. Sorry, but I can't do anything to stop it. Say bye-bye to your rep, Wolf-boy!" Kat laughed. She was shocked when Kenzaki suddenly appeared in front of her, punching her in the face and sending her flying. "And now it starts! Rinki time!" Her body flared up with her Lioness-Ken Rinki.
Kenzaki, however, looked calm. "Kat, do you even know why you're still alive?" asked Kenzaki.
"Because I'm an evil genius with an escape plan," boasted Kat.
"No, it's because of Neko. If it wasn't for the fact that I loved her, I would have killed you the second I saw you."
"You would've killed her without any hesitation if the Titans didn't stop you," Kat hissed menacingly.
"The WAS true. But I love Neko more than anything NOW. So if you don't shut the fuck up and back off, I'll show you what I wanted to do 2 years ago" threatened Kenzaki.
"Let's see you try," Kat smirked. "You kill me, her sister, and she'll hate you. Sure, she'll get over it but then things won't ever be the same. Either way, I win. In any case, I have things to do and places to go. See ya!" Kat then teleported away.
"Rose, get a tighter leash for that girl of yours," growled Kenzaki.
"I can't control her, only restrain her insane tendencies," sighed Rose. "She's bored, and when she's bored she's unpredictable, Kenzaki."
Kat had teleported into the school's sports equipment shed. She'd hidden something here and now was the time to use it.
"Oh, this is gonna be sweet," she chuckled as she retrieved the item, which was glowing with malevolent Confrontation Ki.
"Please, forgive my sister, Ken-kun," requested Neko.
"Neko, I may care about you, but even I have my limits," Kenzaki frowned angrily. As they walked through the hallway, students were staring, pointing and whispering. It was all over the school and he hated how Kat had turned him into the centre of attention. Could this get any worse?
Kat wasn't far behind. Once she caught sign of their behinds, she notched the arrow with the bow and aimed. "Ringi," she murmured, "Arrow of Loathing." The arrow she had wasn't a normal one. It was actually one of Eros' Love Arrows but it was now a Loathe Arrow due to Kat continuously pumping her Rinki into it. She placed all her hate into it and with it she could make anyone hate anyone. She planned to use this to make Neko hate Kenzaki.
"Sayonara to my sister's love," she grinned before letting the arrow fly.
Twang!
Kenzaki's sharp hearing caught the sound of the arrow being fired and spun around quickly. He saw an arrow shooting straight toward Neko. "Neko! Look out!" shouted Kenzaki as he pushed her out of the way.
Thunk!
"Ken-kun!" shouted Neko. Kenzaki, because he couldn't feel pain, hadn't realized what'd happened. He looked down and realized that the arrow had pierced his chest.
"That's weird. The only things than can get past my metal is the same type of metal or magic…" said Kenzaki as he reached and yanked the arrow out of his chest. He then looked up and saw Kat standing there, a bow in her hand. "You!" growled Kenzaki. His blue eye turned blood red and both his eyes began to glow. His Fierce Ki exploded off his body like a violet blaze. His face became more canine in appearance, and his entire body became covered in silver fur. This horrified all the students when they witnessed the transformation and they immediately ran, screaming for their lives. However, they weren't his targets. He already had one in mind.
"YOU!" roared the enraged werewolf Kenzaki as he lunged for Kat.
"Oh, crud," Kat grimaced.
"Ojou-sama, we need to stop this!" Gekiryuken exclaimed.
"Yamette!!!" screamed Neko as she watched her lycanthrope boyfriend attack Kat. The werewolf swiped at Kat with his claws but luckily for Kat she had awesome reflexes and was able to dodge the claws. However, one mistimed step allowed for Kenzaki's claws to rip open her shirt, revealing a black sports bra.
"Kuso!" Kat cursed as she continued to dodge. Kenzaki's claws were coming for her face when she saw saved by Ryuji, who tackled Kenzaki from behind and forced the werewolf to the ground.
"Kat!" shouted Ryuji. "What did you do!?" he demanded as he struggled to keep his changed ally under control by holding him down.
"What makes you think this is my fault?" Kat shot back in an attempt to deny any involvement in this.
"Because it always is!" he snapped right back. Before Kat could give an angry retort, the werewolf tossed Ryuji off him. The Rider slid along the floor to stop at Kat's feet. The werewolf too had picked himself up and reared his head back to unleash a howl. At the same time, his Violet Geki flared out.
"AWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
The Geki-infused howl shattered all the windows, causing glass to scatter. Kat and Ryuji covered their sensitive ears. The werewolf then lunged for the two of them. It swiped its claws at the Yin twins. Ryuji ducked and used an uppercut on Kenzaki. While the werewolf was sent reeling by the hit, Kat hit Kenzaki in the midsection with a sidekick, forcing him back some more.
"We gotta get him out of here before he hurts someone!" Ryuji cried out.
"Yeah, like us!" agreed Kat.
"Move!" shouted Warren as he arrived. Kat and Ryuji leapt out of the way. "Bakudo Number 62! Hyapporankan!" A rod formed of energy shot toward Kenzaki, before disintegrating into numerous short rods which pinned Kenzaki to the wall, rendering him immobile.
"Will that hold him?" Ryuji asked.
"A level 62 Bakudo? It should. So, who wants to tell me what's going on?" asked Warren.
"Ask her," said Ryuji, pointing at Kat.
"I had nothing to do with this!" hissed Kat. Obviously she was lying.
"Kat, you know you can't lie to me," pointed out Warren.
Kat let out a defeated sigh. "OK, if you must know…" Before she could finish her answer, Kenzaki's Fierce Violet Wolf Geki intensified as it broke apart Warren's binding spell.
"You said it would hold!" shouted Ryuji.
"Get him outside!" commanded Warren. "I'm gonna need to use a stronger Bakudo!"
"Ken-kun! Yamette!" pleaded Neko.
Gekiryuken shouted, "Ojou-sama, it's dangerous!"
"Can't you stop time!?" Ryuji asked Warren. "Or cast a stasis field or something?" After learning about magic, he knew the type of spells that could be cast.
Warren said reassuringly, "Trust me, I know what I'm doing, kohai. Now get him outside!"
"OK, time to BEAST OUT!" Ryuji looked at Kenzaki and let out his own roar before changing into his Orphenoch form. He and Kenzaki both fought, literally, tooth and nail, as they clawed and bit at each other.
"Ringi! Ganji Gatame!" She used a Rinki whip to bind Kenzaki. "Now, outside!" She leapt out the broken window, pulling Kenzaki with her. The Ifrit Orphenoch followed. Warren too leapt out the window to follow them.
Warren pointed his palm at Kenzaki. "Walls of ironsand, a priestly pagoda, glowing ironclad fireflies. Standing upright, silent to the end. Bakudo Number 75! Gochutekkan!" Five giant pillars fell from the sky and forced Kenzaki to the ground.
"OK, that's cool," admitted Kat.
Unfortunately, none of them would have time for a reprieve when the Ki around Kenzaki took the form of his GekiBeast, the violet GekiWolf. The GekiBeast unleashed a loud howl which sent out shockwaves that shook the school. The pillars trembled before they shattered apart. Kenzaki was getting stronger.
"Kat, we're going to have a long talk after this. Ryuji, go get Neko and Eros, I have a feeling as to what caused this," ordered Warren.
Ryuji shifted back into human form. "Are you sure you can handle this?"
Warren smiled, "Trust me, I've dealt with worse."
"Right," nodded Ryuji. "I'll call Kokoro-chan to have her send Eros over." Ryuji then ran back into the school building to fetch Neko and make a quick call.
"Henshin!" called Kat. Her armor formed over her body. She twirled her axes around and gripped them tightly. "You and me now, wolf-boy."
Kenzaki roared and lunged at CopyKat. She got the wind knocked out of her as Kenzaki's shoulder connected with her stomach. She never realized that he was this strong. CopyKat swiped at him but he wasn't an easy target to hit with her axes. He was so fast and agile. His claws slashed at her, causing sparks to fly. She then leapt back and tossed her axes at him but he leapt after her. CopyKat's eyes widened when he grabbed her shoulders and then pulled her to him before biting down on her shoulder. "ARGH!!! GET OFF! GET OFF!" she screamed.
"Bakudo Number 30! Shitotsu Sansen!" called Warren as beams of light shot from his hand. Kenzaki was hit by the 3 beams of light and pinned to the ground. "Don't move!"
Warren ran over to CopyKat who was in pain and holding her shoulder. "Ugh, think he gave me rabies! Why don't you put him out of his misery already!?" she shouted.
Warren's hands glowed as he began healing her shoulder. "You'd like that wouldn't you? No more Kenzaki around to take Neko from you."
CopyKat remained silent.
"Got them!" shouted Ryuji as he ran to the spot with Eros and Neko in tow.
"Yup, definitely one of my arrows, but it's not supposed work like this," said Eros.
"You have Kat to thank for that." Warren asked, "Now, can you help reverse it?"
"I need to know how it was done," said Eros. All eyes were now on CopyKat.
"Nee-chan, tell me how you did it, onegai," pleaded Neko.
CopyKat gritted her teeth. She just felt weak whenever Neko looked at her like that. She just couldn't refuse her. She cracked under Neko's gaze. "I infused the arrow with my Rinki," explained CopyKat.
"Your hatred, right?" questioned Ryuji.
"I was trying to use it…" she then trailed off.
Neko gasped in realization, "To make me hate Ken-kun."
"I needed to make you get over him. I never meant to turn him into a monster," said CopyKat.
"Well, he did," pointed out Ryuji.
"So, if Rinki did this, then Geki can reverse it, right?" asked Warren.
"Worth a shot. Ojou-sama, are you up for this?" questioned Gekiryuken.
"I am," nodded Neko.
"Here" said Eros as he handed an arrow over to her. "Do it."
Neko stared at the arrow and at Kenzaki who looked like he was suffering. Closing her eyes, she allowed her Geki to flow from her body and into the arrow. In a matter of seconds, the Love Arrow was filled with Geki.
Eros took back the arrow and notched it in his bow. He took aim and fired upon Kenzaki. The werewolf howled when the arrow hit his heart and faded. The Violet Geki around Kenzaki slowly faded as he slowly turned back. The grey fur withdrew into his skin as his muzzle shrank back into his normal nose and mouth. The pointed ears also turned back to normal. CopyKat snorted and looked away. Another failure it seemed.
"And where do you think you're going?" asked Warren as his Bakudo faded around Kenzaki. Neko immediately ran to Kenzaki's side, relieved that he was back to normal.
"Out of here," answered Kat as her armor disappeared.
"You're not going anywhere, bitch," growled Kenzaki as he stood up.
"What are you going to do about it?" sneered Kat.
Kenzaki again appears in front of her, grabbing her by the throat and lifting her into the air. "Whatever I want!" he growled. He gripped harder, his claws digging into her neck. She tried to pry his hand off but he just tightened his grip.
"Ken-kun! Stop! Please, stop!" cried Neko.
Kenzaki glared at Kat, before he let out a growl and dropped her. She messaged her bruised neck.
"Nee-chan, what you did was terrible. I think you need to be punished so you can think about what you did," said Neko.
Kenzaki pulled out a pair of handcuffs. "I couldn't agree more," said Kenzaki as he snapped the handcuffs on the sociopathic girl.
"I'm under arrest, huh? What charges?" Kat hissed.
"You have an E-Class bounty on your head. I don't normally go after small fry like you, but I'll make an exception in this case," said Kenzaki with a smirk.
"E-Class!?" shouted Kat. She felt insulted. "Small fry!?"
"Exactly," smirked Kenzaki. "You're the lowest of the low."
"Cheh, whatever," scoffed Kat. "Neko, tell Rose and Cathy I won't be coming home for dinner…for awhile."
"Neko, anything you want to say to your sister before she goes away?" asked Kenzaki.
"Kat-neechan…I do hope you learn something from this," said Neko.
Kat rolled her eyes, uncaringly, "I'll get out anyway. You'll see."
Neko walked up and hugged her sister, before whispering to her. "Kat-neechan, at least stay there for a day to make it look believable," whispered Neko. Kat winked at her.
The GaroLiner showed up to pick Kenzaki and his captive. Kenzaki quickly and roughly shoved Kat through the open door and entered. The door closed and the train flew off.
"And now we gotta fix this mess," said Ryuji, referring to the broken windows and witnesses.
"Not problem," said Warren. He then cast a spell, "Sleep!" At the sound of his command, all that had witnessed the fight passed out and fell asleep. "And now, Forget!" The spell washed over the students. "By the time they wake up, they won't remember a thing."
"And the windows?" Ryuji deadpanned.
"What do I look like? A construction worker?" joked Warren.
"So, Kat tried to reverse one of Eros' arrows?" asked Kotonoha.
After school, Kotonoha and Ryuji both went to lie in bed to cuddle for a bit. After settling in, Ryuji decided to explain just what had happened at school that day. Needless to say, Kotonoha was mildly surprised.
"Yes," Ryuji nodded. "She hoped it would make Neko-nee hate Kenzaki, but she hit Kenzaki instead. After that, all it did was boost the hate he already had for her. He turned into a werewolf and tried to kill her several times. Warren had to put him down with strong spells before Kat and Eros made a stronger love arrow to nullify it." He grumbled, "Kat can't seem to stay out of trouble."
Kotonoha asked, "So what happened?"
"Well, Kenzaki arrested Kat and turned her in for a bounty," Ryuji explained. "I'm starting to get a little worried though. This feud he has with Kat is getting worse and I'm afraid that things are going to get more violent soon."
"Probably will," Kotonoha agreed. "From what I've seen, Kat-san is fiercely protective of Neko-san, but I don't think it's fair that she's trying to force Neko-san to break out with Kenzaki-san. Then again, Kenzaki-san seems to be having a problem with Neko and Kat being so nice to each other."
"Now that's a huge problem," Ryuji sighed.
"Will they try to force her to choose?" asked Kotonoha.
"Probably sooner or later," Ryuji nodded. "They're at a stalemate and they'll try to convince her to choose one over the other and Neko probably won't. She cares about both."
Kat was in her cell, throwing darts at a picture of Kenzaki that was stuck onto a dart board. "I wonder if anybody misses me?" she wondered out loud. "I know Rose and Cathy would." Then she sensed someone approaching. She looked to see a man in a hood and a mask. "Who the hell are you? A Phantom of the Opera wannabe?"
"No, I'm someone with a proposition for someone of your talents," said Nanimo in his cold metallic voice.
"Sorry, but I don't swing that way," snorted Kat, turning back to her dartboard.
"Not even if the target is Kenzaki Tsukuba?" asked Nanimo.
Kat looked up, an evil smirk on her face. "Tell me more," she said, suddenly interested.
"Not here. I'll contact you later with more details. But first…" Nanimo grasped the bars of Kat's cell and ripped them clean off. "I need you to escape. But you never saw me."
Kat walked out of the cell and turned to Nanimo. "OK…let's go. They got this collar on me so I can't port out." She pointed to the collar for emphasis.
Nanimo, like the cell bars, grasped the collar and ripped it off. "I have plans to complete here. Just make sure he knows you escaped."
"OK, deal. Who are you anyway?" she asked.
"My name is of no importance. Now, I believe you have a job to do," said Nanimo.
Kat smirked and picked up one more dart. "Hey, if it's messing with him, I'd do it for free." She then threw the dart, hitting Kenzaki's picture right between the eyes.
Siera and Rina had also been witnesses to the disaster at the school that day. Thankfully the mind wipe didn't apply to them. Kotonoha and Ryuji were quiet about it and didn't feel like talking. Then again, the pair didn't talk that much when they were walking next to the god/devil pair. It hurt Rina and Siera's feelings that their common love interest didn't want to talk to them, but they were still determined to woo him eventually.
As a demon, Rina could understand grudge matches better than her cousin. Obviously, Kenzaki and Kat had a rough past and didn't like each other that much. Hearing that he had proposed to Neko and she turned him down, she assumed that Kat was as happy as a clam about it. Telling the school was just icing on the cake to her. Of course, trying to split them up so publicly was just sloppy. There were much better ways to break lovers up and not have to worry about fallout. Obviously Kat was confident that Neko would be able to stop Kenzaki from clobbering her one day.
Siera felt her heart go out to Kenzaki. It must have been hard for him to be turned down by the woman he loved. Kat was just being cruel by telling the whole school about the event. Siera wasn't usually so vindictive, but love was a precious subject to her. In her opinion, Kat deserved every pain she got for that stupid stunt she pulled. The punishment she would receive was only an extra treat. Why didn't anyone try to rein her in? This feud she was having with Kenzaki was getting out of control.
The next couple of days were quiet following Kat's absence and incarceration. The windows had been repaired and as Warren promised, nobody remembered Kenzaki wolfing out. This gave Kenzaki and Neko time to mend their relationship.
Rose and Cathy were upset, though, but they were also confident that Kat would get out. Bobby was confident his partner would escape anyway. Kenzaki didn't see how she could since she was in a highly secured prison.
The day began as usual. Ryuji was surrounded by three fanboys. They were the Nakayama triplets. Each was a member of the KLLA, SSSS and LLRB.
"I am Nakayama #1, of the KLLA and president of the science club." He was holding what looked like a paintball gun.
"I am Nakayama #2, of the SSSS and vice-president of the science club." He was carrying a sack of smelly socks.
"I am Nakayama #3 of the LLRB and secretary of the science club." He was holding a bicycle pump.
"TOGETHER WE ARE THE NAKAYAMA BROTHERS UNITED!" they announced together, going into a stupid sentai pose. Ryuji yawned, bored.
"Ryuji-kun!" Kotonoha said, looking frightened.
"Hey, need help?" asked Kenzaki who'd shown up for school to see the spectacle.
"Nah, I'm good," smirked Ryuji.
The Nakayama brothers connected the pump to the paintball gun and then connected them to the sack of dirty socks. They all put on gas masks.
"Stink bomb?" Ryuji guessed as he quirked an eyebrow.
"NOW, PREPARE YOURSELF! YOU'LL SMELL SO BAD THAT NO GIRL WILL WANT YOU!" Nakayama #1 aimed the gun at Ryuji s Nakayama #2 pumped the odor of the dirty socks into the gun.
However, before they could fire, someone shouted out, "RAIGO DAN!" A ball of Confrontation Ki went sailing and exploded, sending the Nakayama brothers flying.
"Nani?" blinked Neko. "That Ki signature..."
"Kat?" questioned Ryuji.
"Hello!" Kat waved as she appeared. "Look who's back!"
The Nakayama brothers all landed in a smoking heap, in pain, and their equipment ruined. Kenzaki's eyes were on Kat. "How are you back?!" roared Kenzaki
"Good behavior," said Kat with a smirk as she walked over.
"Like you know what it means to be good," growled Kenzaki.
"Well, whatever," she said before turning to Neko. "Told you I would get out, as always."
Kenzaki looked at Neko, hurt in his eyes. "You…knew…?"
Neko looked away from Kenzaki. "We can talk about this later…"
Kenzaki looked at Neko angry. "Yes we will…" he growled. He then turned his back on her. "Until then, don't talk to me."
Warren was at the front of the class giving a lecture as the students took notes. Well, almost all of them were taking notes. Taisuke had fallen asleep midway through the class because he spent last night watching porn.
Kenzaki and Neko weren't focusing either. Kenzaki was trying to ignore Neko while the girl herself kept staring at him. They hadn't spoken a word to each other once they entered class and it was starting to depress her.
"Hey, welcome back," said Nanami.
"Aw, you missed me," grinned Kat. She went to grope Nanami and had her hands smacked. "Itai. Nanami-chan is so mean…"
"I may like you, but that doesn't mean you can just come up and grope me all the time," frowned Nanami. Kat kept grabbing onto her. Even if Kat was a proud lesbian, she needed to set some limits.
"Oh, don't be a prude," Kat teased.
"Where have you been?" asked Hikari. "You haven't been to school for days."
"Oh, I was grounded," stated Kat.
"Grounded?" Hikari blinked in confusion. She then narrowed her eyes. Did it have something to do with what happened several days ago? Maybe she needed to talk with Benitora after school ended.
"You knew!?" roared Kenzaki. Both he and Neko were on the roof during lunch.
"I did. She was going to escape. She told me she would and I knew she was capable of doing so," admitted Neko.
"So, you knew your CRIMINAL sister was going to escape prison, and instead of telling me, you make me look like an idiot by bringing her in, just to have her break out."
"Ken-kun…I…" began Neko.
"I can't believe that you agreed with me, just because you knew that lunatic would get off completely free!" shouted Kenzaki.
"Kat-neechan always escapes," said Neko. "And, you wanted to catch her. She only allowed herself to be captured because she knew she could get out."
"Yeah, but YOU allowed me to turn her in knowing that she would get out," said Kenzaki. "I thought you were on my side, Neko."
"I am on your side but Kat is family. Family comes first," explained Neko.
That had just made the situation worse. "OK, fine. I'm not family. I get it," said Kenzaki, his voice cold. "So, your lunatic sister comes before the guy you claim to love. Makes perfect sense."
"Ken-kun, don't make this a big deal," said Neko, oblivious to how pissed off Kenzaki was. "Did you expect Kat to stay in prison once you captured her?"
And with that Kenzaki finally snapped. "Don't make a big deal?! You pretty much just told me you care for a psycho more than you care for me! I was hoping that she'd finally learn her lesson! I thought you loved me more than that! But I guess I was wrong on both counts."
Neko's eyes began to water. "I love you! That's true! But Kat and I share a bond! We shared the same body for years. True, she's not exactly mentally stable but she does care for me! In a warped way, she was looking out for me and trying to do what was best for me. But, I guess, if you can't understand that…"
"You're right, I don't understand," growled Kenzaki. "I don't understand how after she tried to KILL me and after she tried to get YOU to kill me, that you can still care about her more."
"I don't understand it myself but all I know is that she never meant harm to any of us," said Neko, trying to calm down the situation.
"Weren't you listening to what I just said!?" shouted Kenzaki. "She was bored so she tried to kill me, and yet you still defend her."
"She also helped us in Kyoto," pointed out Neko.
"She helped herself," retorted Kenzaki. "You know that if I was in Kotonoha's place, she'd be helping Nanimo, not us."
"Ken-kun, one day she'll save your life…"
"Wrong Neko, one day, either I'll kill her, or she'll kill me. And given what you've been saying, you'd be sadder if Kat died than if I did. Hell, you'd probably help her celebrate. Tell me, Neko, if you had to choose who would live, me or Kat, who would you choose?"
She didn't answer. She couldn't answer.
"Answer the question, Neko," he demanded of her, "If you have any faith in our relationship, you'll answer the question."
"I…I can't…I can't choose!" cried Neko.
"That's all I need to hear. No matter what, I can never come before Kat, can I?" asked Kenzaki.
"Ken-kun, what you're asking of me…I don't know if I can make such a choice," said Neko.
"You just made your choice Neko."
"Ken-kun…gomen."
"Save it!" growled Kenzaki.
"No!" Neko denied. "Please, Ken-kun, don't make me choose!" She placed a palm to her heart. "I can't choose!"
"Then I guess there's no reason for us to be together anymore," Kenzaki said solemnly.
Neko's eyes widened in fear of the words he had just spoken. "Wh…what are you talking about Ken-kun?"
"I mean that until you can make a choice, there's no way we can be together. Goodbye, Neko." He turned away from her and left. The girl watched, stunned before falling to her knees and breaking down in tears.
It was after school and Ryuji was walking home from a trip to a convenience store with a bag of goods. The rain didn't bother him that much since his mind was on other things. Kenzaki had broken up with Neko again because she apparently would choose Kat over him. Ryuji thought it was logical since Kat and Neko used to be one person. If Kenzaki wanted a chance at being picked first, he would have to be with Neko for at least the same amount of time as Kat and Neko had as one person. Instead, he was drinking himself stupid and whining because Neko was being a decent person and defending family. Ryuji swore to smack him next time they met.
"Ryuji Hasuma!" three voices shouted.
Ryuji groaned and turned around. To his annoyance, the three Nakayama brothers were aiming at him with some kind of homemade gadgets. Their last attempt had been bad enough and he didn't want to deal with them right now.
"What do you guys want? As if I don't know though," Ryuji sighed.
"Today we liberate our idols from you!" Nakayama #1 called as he aimed a nozzle attached to a pack on his back at Ryuji. His two brothers did the same.
"This glue will leave you stuck here for days!" shouted Nakayama #2
"Enough time to free our loves!" sobbed Nakayama #3.
"Cut with the bull!" Ryuji snapped. "I was gone for one day and none of you even tried to talk to them! You guys act tough but you don't even have the gonads to talk to a girl! Pathetic!"
"We…we do so!" shouted Nakayama #1. "We were just wary of you attacking us for it!"
"Whatever," Ryuji snorted. "Try again when you actually hit puberty."
"Enough!" shouted Nakayama #3. "Fire!"
All three of them pulled the triggers to their nozzles. Nothing came out though. Instead, the hoses bulged like balloons before exploding in a gray ooze that covered the three up to their waists. It hardened almost instantly even in the rain.
"What the-?!" cried Nakayama #2
"Thus the virtue of fighting instead of talking," Ryuji smirked. "While you guys were busy trying to not look like pansies, I threw some rocks into the nozzles of your guns. Pretty cool huh?"
"CURSE YOU!!"
"Who are you and what are you doing in my train?" demanded Kenzaki as he saw the strange man seated in the dining car of the GaroLiner. He was dressed like the Mad Hatter of Alice in Wonderland fame and drinking a cup of tea.
"Oh, just a simple businessman and merchant. I buy and sell things. You can even call me a trader," stated the strange man.
"Well, if you don't have a ticket then get off," ordered Kenzaki. "I'm not in the mood for new people."
"I don't have a ticket, but I do have this," said the man as he tossed a card at Kenzaki who snatched it out of the air.
"Topper?" Kenzaki read. "That's it? That's your name?"
"Yes, and like I said I'm a businessman. I may be able to help you even with your…problems," said Topper with a smile.
"Whatever you're selling, I'm not buying," stated Kenzaki.
"You wish for the girl you love to stop loving your enemy," stated Topper bluntly causing Kenzaki to go rigid. "Unfortunately this enemy is also a member of her family. Sister, perhaps?"
"How do you know?" Kenzaki growled. Was this guy some weird stalker?
"Oh, I have my ways, but I can help you get what you desire…for a price," smirked Topper before sipping his tea. "And the price shall be equal to the desire."
"Before we agree on the price, why don't you tell me what these…services include," said Kenzaki, sitting across from Topper.
"Anything your little heart desires," smirked Topper. "If you want her to love you and only you, I can arrange that. If you want the person who is the cause of this conflict to be…taken care of, then I can arrange for that too. If you want her to be completely and utterly devoted to you then I can arrange for that as well…" He pushed a sheet of paper, a contract, towards Kenzaki, "But you must also sign a contract with me that will free me from all responsibilities if anything were to go wrong. The responsibility will fall on you. Also, you must pay with something of equal value to your desire."
Kenzaki grabbed the contract and looked it over. Topper was slightly surprised. Most people would jump at the chance to get their heart's desire, no matter the price. But this man was taking a very business oriented approach to the situation. "Not interested," Kenzaki stated simply before handing the sheet to Topper, unsigned.
"Are you sure?" asked Topper.
"Asking for your help would be like selling my soul to the Devil. Letting you take care of my problems is the coward's way. I won't do it. This is between myself and Neko," said Kenzaki.
"I could sense your desperation," said Topper as he rolled up the contract. "I wouldn't be here if you weren't desperate for a solution."
"I'm still not interested. I'll take care of this myself," said Kenzaki firmly.
Finishing his cup, Topper turned it over and placed it on the saucer. "As you wish. If you change your mind you know how to contact me." He got up, thanked Shiori for the tea, and walked out of the train before leaving a cryptic message, "I'll be back."
"Don't go near her either," warned Kenzaki with his back facing Topper.
"Her?" Topper wondered aloud.
"You say you sense desperation. Well, do not go near her," warned Kenzaki.
Topper gave a neutral look before answering, "Very well. I won't go near her. But if she seeks me out herself then it's not my fault." He stepped off the train and vanished.
Kenzaki looked at where the man once stood. "I don't like this. Not one bit."
"Itadakimasu!" said Benitora happily as he dug into the slice of cherry pie Hikari had placed before him. He was sitting in Hikari's family's shop. He was a regular there and considered to be one of their best customers. Hikari then sat across from him.
"So, Tora-kun, do you know what happened a few days back?" asked Hikari.
"Hm, not really. I know that there was a lot of Reiatsu being thrown around and a lot of fighting," said Benitora. He took a bite of the pie and grinned widely. "This tastes great!" For some reason, this was the only way he could enjoy sweet things. Whenever he ate spirits, he always went after the evil, bitter ones. This may have taken out a lot of his strength, but he didn't care. So what if he was a picky eater?
"You mean you didn't go see the fight?" asked Hikari.
"Nope," said Benitora. "I needed to make sure Hikari-chan was safe."
"So, are you willing to do anything to be back with him?" asked Topper. He was sitting across from Neko at a table in Radish. In front of her was the contract that she would sign and guarantee her wish would be granted. She nodded. "Then, place your signature." She was about to press the tip of the pen on the dotted line when a glove covered hand held her wrist in a firm yet gentle grip. She looked up to see whose hand it was and gasped when she saw him.
"Ken…kun?" she questioned.
Kenzaki turned to glare at Topper, "Bastard, I told you to stay away from her."
"She came to me," answered Topper casually as he took a scoop of ice cream into his mouth. "It's not my fault. I told you that I will find people who are in desperation. Usually they are the ones who come looking for me." He took another scoop, "And this is a simple business transaction and doesn't concern you. It's not like you care for her."
"I do care," Kenzaki insisted.
"And yet you tried to make her choose between you and family," countered Topper. "Not really fair, is it?"
"I don't want to hear that from someone who makes a living on others' suffering." growled Kenzaki. "Even if we're no longer together, Neko is still my most precious person. If you do anything that could possibly harm her, I will destroy you."
"Suffering? Moi? People bring suffering only upon themselves," smiled Topper casually. "I merely provide solutions…for a price."
"Well, like I said, I'm not buying and neither is she," said Kenzaki before pulling Neko from her seat and dragging her away. Topper watched and then gripped his glass before pouring the melted ice cream into his mouth. He then wiped his mouth clean.
"Hm…"
"What was that about, Ken-kun?" demanded Neko. "Don't you want us back together again?"
"Not like this. Not by taking the easy way out, Neko," said Kenzaki sadly. "I thought you knew better."
"I just…" she trembled. "I wanted you back. I was desperate. I just wanted things to go back to the way they were."
"But for that we need to sort ourselves out, not sell our souls," Kenzaki retorted. "That guy…he was going to take something for giving you something. Whatever it was would be…"
"Of equal value," Neko finished. "He told me and I was willing to do it."
"Still…are you willing to sell your soul to just be with me again?"
"Yes…I would. I love you so much Ken-kun and I would do anything just to be back with you again!" she cried as she swung her arms up to hold him. However she was shocked when he caught her arms, keeping them from latching on to him.
"Then you know what you need to do."
"But Ken-kun, I want to be together with you and you want to be back with me! Can't we just put this behind us and move on?"
"I can't, Neko. I trusted you, more than anyone else I've ever known, but you betrayed me. I love you, I truly do, but I don't know if I can ever trust you again."
ZK Chromedragozoid: Things aren't looking so good for the Riders, are they?
Ten-Faced Paladin: Okay, here's another update. Things are really getting testy aren't they?
Shadow Element 13: Oh no! Things are getting even worse for Kenzaki and Neko. And now Kat's working with Nanimo. Things are not looking up right now.