Chapter Thirty Five

Kay and Ryo stepped back as the once wheel chair bound man stood up and began to grow in size. His shirt pulled apart as his muscles swelled and two long tendrils poked out of his back and scooped forward like horns. Ryo asked again, "are you sure we can't..."

"I'm starting to rethink my rule," she answered.

"And I'm starting not to care," Ryo said as the man roared. The two long spikes on his back fired energy at random and the walkway shook, "super soldier serum mutant with nether realm inspired demon energy spikes on its back? Yeah, I don't care."

She saw his eyes glow brightly and she gulped, "that's not Allistair anymore."

"Obviously not."

His eyes were filled with a clever and evil that she knew all to well, "that's Badiman."

"Hello, Priestess," Allistair smiled.

Kay and Ryo stood in defense and Kayura said, "I thought you passed on."

"Yes, well, you know how unsettled Yurei are. Don't you Priestess," he smiled. Allistair was gone. "You know, I like this body a lot more than that small one Talpa forced me into. Raijin will be an amazing emperor."

Ryo asked, "do you need another exorcism? I more than happy to give it to you."

"Oh, not likely," he said holding up the mirror. It started to glow, "you don't want to wear your armors, that's fine. It makes it all the easier to beat you from this side."

The two looked at each other and pulled out their orbs in a bright flash they were in their subarmors. Allistair blasted a hole in the ceiling and jumped through, "it's almost sunrise."

She realized that the mirror only worked when the sun was out and she ordered Ryo, "you go get the others, I'll try to delay him."

He nodded, "armor time, good call!"

She saw Ryo ran off and she jumped through the gap after him. It looked like it was easier for the monster Allistair to blast his way through the stories of building that take the take the stairs or elevator. Kayura kept up easily and summoned her full set of armor, she had to slow him down, "Ko Rai Sei!"

She threw her sickle forward and her chains shot after the monster. Allistair turned to faced her and shot beams from the spikes which disintigrated any chains that would have reached him. He laughed, "oh, you are clever."

She hopped from chain to chain trying to catch him like a spider catching a fly. A huge monstrous fly that would technically be bigger than the spider itself. She needed to leave the spider things to Dais. She dodged a falling piece of debris that he threw towards her and threw another chain shattering another huge rock. He stopped on a floor and she jumped through to face him, her sickle whirling in her hand. He set down the mirror and charged her with his fists. She dodged each blow, grabbing the handle of her blade and slashing at him between his own strikes.

He jumped back a thin line of blood trickled down his chest and she smirked, "that looks like it stings, shall I give you another?"

"One paper cut for all the damage that I have already done to you," he bellowed with laughter. "You are delightfully insane, Kayura-chan."

She bit her lip angrily, she hated that nickname. Talpa had called her that. She threw her sickle, he dodged left and grabbed the chain under his arm. He yanked hard and she crashed into a wall. He quickly whipped her chain around her and pulled her to him so he could slam her down to kick her. He grabbed the mirror and continued his to blast his way outside. She unwrapped herself from her chains, and felt a terrible pain in the side where she had been shot. She leaped immediately after him and heard, "Kay!"

She looked back and saw Ryo, Cye, and Sage in their armors, leaping after her. She asked, "where are the warlords?"

"Meeting us at the top with Cap," Ryo said.

Kay cursed under her breath as they followed. It wasn't long before they could smell fresh, cool, air and they found their way to the roof. It was still dark but Kay could see the sun slowly brightening the sky in the distance. Cap and the warlords wearing their armors broke through the roof access, Hoshi walked through behind them with Raleigh and Leah carrying the weird rifles by their sides. Kay met Steve's eyes only briefly before Allistair said, "all hail the Queen."

He held up the mirror and the first rays of san danced through the sky and the mirror shot off a thousands beams of light in every direction blinding the group of young warriors. When their eyes were clear their world was dark as the day Kunito invaded. Thunder and lightning roared through the sky and Allistair said, "Lord Raijin wants your throne."

A bolt of lightning struck between him and the group of warriors and an Akuma roared as it appeared. Cye said, "did I ever mention that I am not fond of these creatures?"

Raleigh held her gun up, "don't you dare wuss out on me, hubby."

This Akuma was even larger than the one at the party and charged them with a large stone looking axe. The group broke as the beast slammed the axe down, and the whole building shook angrily. The smoke cleared and they could smaller Akuma crawling over the sides of the sky scraper. Kayura ordered, "take 'em down."

"Thought you'd never say that," Kale grinned as he brandished a long blade.

Hoshi and Raleigh held up their guns as the warriors clashed against the Akuma. Leah said tossed her gun to Hoshi, "mind if Ameterasu gets her mirror back?"

"Go right ahead," Hoshi said.

There was a large flash of light and Leah's golden aror broke the night, "Kusunagi No Tsurugi."

There was a bright cut of white light and some of the Akuma fell back. Hoshi saw Captain and Kayura fighting back to back and she remembered when she fought alongside Kento and Rowen. Raleigh shot a small Akuma, "you know, reminds me of the old days."

"Which part fighting nether realm creatures or being over whelmed?"

"Both," she responded as they shot at singular Akuma that had been charging them with a sword.

Allistair appeared behind Hoshi, "so you're the bearer of the Owari? You haven't succumbed to its curse then yet?"

Hoshi held up the gun as Raleigh came to her side, "I'm stubborn like that."

He charged them, knocking Raleigh away knowing she could only make armor. Hoshi threw the gun away, and pulled out her knives. Allistair tried to grab her but she cut at each of his moves. Raleigh tried getting to her feet but an Akuma grabbed her and threw her into the midst of the fight. Hoshi dodged and then slashed, thankfully her small stature made it hard for him to grab her. He roared, "put on your armor."

Allistair grabbed her by the hair and threw her. She rolled and Steve helped her to her feet. She panted, "any brilliant plans, Captain?"

"Walk it off," he answered.

"Gee, you're inspiring," Kayura said joining her other side. Her helmet vanished, "don't put on your armor."

"Wasn't planning on it," she said tossing up her blades and catching them.

Allistair clapped, "heroics won't get you far. If you won't wear your armor, then I will force your fate!"

He grabbed a sword from an Akuma and Kayura realized what he was doing. She grabbed Hoshi's arm, "Steve, shield now!"

Allistair was a lot faster than either of them realized, and Kay tried to pull Hoshi behind her but the woman planted her foot and threw her into Steve as he tried to shield them. The blade pierced her through her chest. Steve scrambled as he helped Kay up and heard a laugh come from Hoshi. She reached out to the blade Allistair was holding, "hello, Lord Badiman."

The battle was still around them as they started to feel an energy come from the woman who had a sword through her chest. Allistair pulled it free and she still stood a blood drenched her from the gash in her chest. Steve looked at Kay who's eyes were wide.

Hoshi looked up, her eyes had turned completely black. It was like someone had pulled Hoshi out and put someone in. She summoned a long blade that was taller than she was, "I always disliked you."

She held up the blade a for every Akuma appeared what looked like smaller armored beings in gun metal gray armors. Their eyes burned red and they carried a variety of weapons from, to chain and sickles, and swords. The Akuma roared as Allistair raised a hand, "we won't do this now. Meet me in downtown at sundown and we will finish this properly."

She smiled, "agreed."

There was a flash of black lightning and both sets creatures were gone along with Allistair. Kay gripped her sickle tight and charged her. They clashed sending bolts of black lightning in each every direction. Steve saw the warlords charge behind her, but Hoshi swung the long blade and knocked them all flat and their armors all vanished. Steve caught Kay, "what in blazes are you doing!"

She spat blood as Hoshi stood in front of them with a smirk, "yes, Kayura-chan. What are you doing? Don't you have anything to say to your Emperor."

Ryo hissed, "Talpa."

She giggled, "Rekka, it's so wonderful to see you."

"I thought we exorcised you," Cye said.

"Hardly,"she smiled as she let the sword vanish. "You should have known better than that."

Kayura grabbed one of the blades that the Akuma had dropped and charged again. Talpa sighed, "oh brother..."

Dais grabbed her and pulled the sword from her hand, "calm down, Oni."

She shoved him away, "we all know what happens if he inhabits her."

Steve pulled Kay back and off as the others stood in defense, although it was obvious if Hoshi really wanted to she could harm them. He asked, "calm down..."

He saw how dark her eyes were but she didn't respond to him.

Hoshi said with a snicker, "yes, Kayura-chan. You should explain to him what happens."

"At sundown, Talpa is going to claim his thrown in the nether realm," she paused. "He can open the gates..."

"Yes, and Lord Raijin is obviously excited for my return," she said with a smirk. "Honestly, I really do like this body you picked out for me so many years ago. It was just a matter of time before she succumbed to her curse or realized I was more useful than she herself or the spirit in her head."

Kayura continued, "he's going to unleash the Akuma on Earth so that he can reclaim his thrown and possibly invade himself if he wins."

Ryo snarled, "we won't let that happen."

"Really," Talpa snickered. "Either way, I'm going to open the gates that Kayura worked so hard to keep closed..." She held up a hand and Steve could see the door appear in downtown, "I can open it and let you all suffer slow deaths or you can join me."

"What if we just kill you before you do anything," Sage said trying to charge her with an axe.

Hoshi dodged under it and slammed a punch into his gut sending him rolling into Sekh. Talpa then spoke, "I am not opposed to killing you all while Raijin ravages this world. Might be fun to hunt down those two kids and rip the armors from their weak defenseless hands and be whole again. What do you think Kayura-chan? You all can die or choose to live as my hands."

She looked away angrily.

Talpa rolled her eyes, "I will be at the mansion if you change your mind. I would like to see new bearer of Strata."

She vanished in a black bolt of lightning.

Ryo looked at Kay, "did you know about this?"

Kayura replied, "I didn't think Hoshi would be so stupid as to incite her own death. It was a risk that if she summoned the Owari in this battle that it would end with her being Talpa, but I figured we would deal with it then."

Leah crossed her arms, "she was actually pretty brilliant."

The group looked at her, "what?"

Leah repeated what she had said, "Miss Hoshi was actually pretty brilliant."

"How exactly is that brilliant in your book," Raleigh growled.

"Think about it, I doubt Talpa can defeat Raijin on her own," she paused as she crossed her arms. "She has the nether soldiers, but the armors is where the power is. Raijin needs to get through you all before he can conquer this planet for his own. Had we defeated him on his own, and Hoshi became Talpa then, then we risked be annihilated because we weren't needed. She gave Talpa a reason to keep us alive."

Ryo shrugged, "that's a very risky way of keeping us alive."

"No one can say Hoshi didn't care about us," Kayura said quietly. Steve had remained quiet during their talk. She assumed he knew that this wasn't part of his decision to make. She said to them, "well...let's go do this but there is a way to win."

Ryo asked, "how, even with the inferno, I have no swords of Ferver."

She smiled at Steve then looked back at him, "I know where they are but we have to go along for now."

She saw them walk back into Oscorp first and Steve wrapped an arm around her, "Kay..."

She pulled away from him and he saw how dark her eyes had turned, "I love you Steve. If things go badly...and we don't seem like ourselves. You and the Avengers are going to need to kill us before we turn on the Earth ourselves."