***Chapter 6***

"In fighting and in everyday life you should be determined though calm. Meet the situation without tenseness yet not recklessly, your spirit settled yet unbiased. An elevated spirit is weak and a low spirit is weak. Do not let the enemy see your spirit."

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From the moment that Kiota emerged from Kugo's forest, he became a celebrity of sorts to all the prides that were even remotely near to him. Shinmen's attempt to ambush the rogue was seen as a disgrace and soon the Vita mercenaries fell apart and were disbanded, both from lack of leadership and from a poor reputation. Kiota's victory over the mercenaries' skyrocketed him to fame and silenced any enemies that he had made with his previous duels. No one dared to risk offending the seemingly invincible warrior; he was practically a legend. Some even claimed that he utilized a divine advantage of sorts and was backed by the fighters of the past. Now he only faced the best of the surrounding prides, though it was seemingly just as futile for them to try to defeat him as it was for the inexperienced young lion. Kiota didn't mind either way; he was getting plenty of fights and more importantly, he was learning. Every fight made him stronger and every victory made him smarter; in time there was no technique he had not seen and no opponent that he didn't know how to face.

More months passed and his opponents were beginning to dwindle as the best were killed and the mediocre were intimidated into hiding from his death-sentence challenges. He received countless offers to lead Kings' armies and to train their forces, but he declined every time. The thought of remaining in one place indefinitely and dealing with inferior fighters every day just made him nauseous. It was not a lifestyle for the 'mighty' Kiota and he avoided it at all costs. Instead, he roamed the surrounding prides as he always had in search of new opponents and leaving rivers of blood in his wake.

King Toyo was one of the most insistent kings in the area; he offered Kiota anything he wanted to teach, or lead, or do anything to help his troops, but every time he asked, the offer was declined. It was kind of interesting for Kiota to say the least; he had killed the king's guard, deserted his army, killed his hired mercenaries, and had since then killed many of his fighters, yet the king still wanted him. Like anyone of any reasonable logic, he figured, Toyo simply preferred to have him as an ally rather than an enemy.

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"I've told you before; I will not be your subordinate." Kiota replied again with a rather bored tone.

Toyo sighed, "You would be subordinate only to me, and I would give you all the freedom you could want."

"No."

"Surely there must be something that you desire?" the king pleaded with him.

Kiota paused as he thought the question over. "I… What I want is an opponent who knows as much about fighting as I do."

The king frowned. "I've offered you duels with my top soldiers and you've killed them all easily."

"Well then you have nothing that I want."

An angry growl escaped Toyo's throat. "You just don't get it! There is no one that knows as much about fighting as you, you are the best!"

The rogue snorted indignantly. "Well I hope not."

"The only hope you have to find someone of equal ability is if you make them yourself!"

"No…" Kiota said to himself. "I think that I'll keep looking."

King Toyo shifted irritably on his stone and glanced around frustratedly at his surroundings. "Well I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I don't have any new fighters that are willing to fight you today."

"None?"

Toyo was about to repeat himself when a cheetah approached his side and whispered something in his ear. He listened intently for several moments while Kiota waited patiently at the base of his rocky throne. Whatever he was being informed of, it was apparently quite interesting. Kiota understood that as king, Toyo had a lot to do and was frequently multitasking many different things, usually about his wars and conquest.

The king nodded and waved his messenger away. "Well…" he began with a grin as he turned back to Kiota. "I think that I have what you want."

"Someone that knows as much as I do?"

"Yes… he's on his way to fight you."

The rogue's ears perked up in anticipation. "Who?"

"Has name is Ojiro, but they call him the 'Devil of the Southern Prides'."

"He's good?"

Toyo nodded. "Just like you, he's never been defeated. He's actually a prince of sorts, but not in line for the throne. He's been taught by the best that the Southern prides had to offer and he's beaten everyone he's ever faced."

Kiota nodded slowly. "He's coming here?"

"Apparently he wants to fight someone of equal prowess. He should arrive in a couple days."

"Well I'll be ready for him..." he responded in a slight daze. It just seemed too good to be true; finally he had a worthy opponent to face! He wasn't some random lion looking for a shot at fame, but a trained prince! Surely with a name like the 'Devil of the Southern Prides' he had some decent skill.

Toyo tried to hide a smile, but it slipped out. "Do you think that you can beat him?"

Kiota blinked at the stupid question. "I don't know anything about him."

"I told you plenty abou-"

"I know nothing about him as a fighter. His heritage and history don't mean much."

"Ah." Toyo said shortly. "Perhaps he-… never mind."

Kiota raised his brow in feigned curiosity. He didn't really care what the king wanted to say, but clearly Toyo wanted to say it without being too forward. "What?"

"As you know, Kiota," he said as he looked up to the sky. "I am trying to extend my kingdom, both towards Kugo's former lands and into several other directions. I was hoping that you would be able to help me in this conquest, but your refusal has placed me in a difficult position."

Kiota nodded. "You want Ojiro to replace me?"

"I don't think replace is the right word, considering that you have refused countless times to join me."

"You know what I mean."

Toyo nodded. "If he kills you… then just maybe I'll have a new master that is morewilling than you have been."

"It almost sounds like you want me to lose."

"I'm indifferent. Either way, I win."

"How so?"

The king shrugged. "If he kills you, I'll have him. If you kill him, then you will be the greatest fighter in existence. There won't be anything more for you to do."

"So you think that I'll just join you out of boredom?"

"It's a possibility."

Kiota snorted. "I think we're done here."

"Yes… maybe so. Like I said before, he'll be here in two days."

The rogue nodded silently as he turned away towards the exit. "I'll be there."

Kiota left Toyo's stony fortress as he always did. The king frequently offered him a cave to stay in, and to anyone else it would have been luxurious, but to Kiota it was irritating. Besides his dislike of confined spaces, he hated to be reliant on anybody for anything, even if it was for only a few nights. No, he was better suited to the solitude of the wilderness. Around here, however, it wasn't really wilderness like he had started out in. It was more like neutral and lion-less lands that fell in between the surrounding prides. There was plenty of food and places to find shelter, and the prides were hardly a day's walk away.

It was out in this isolation that Kiota spent his time before Ojiro arrived in Toyo's kingdom. He hadn't met the lion yet, but it seemed that this would be his most difficult fight yet and he wasn't going to take any chances. He avoided the usual duels for fear of receiving some minor injury and being hindered when he faced the 'Devil.' Kiota decided to play it safe and stay in seclusion until the time came when he would have to face his new challenger. It was boring to say the least, but roaming around unpopulated lands was something that he was used to. It gave him time to think and contemplate his combat strategies. The last thing he wanted was to be unprepared for his fight.

The days passed slowly, but tolerably. Soon enough though, the day arrived. Kiota woke early and headed back to Toyo's lands for the meeting. He passed the guards easily; they knew him well enough by now to know that it was a bad idea to try to stop him. The pride members all watched him arrive with mixed emotions. Some disliked the cold killer, while others found him to be an entertaining and interesting visitor. Whether they liked or didn't like him, they always watched him from afar; his reputation for killing was enough to keep them away.

The rogue entered Toyo's main area for what was likely the twentieth time and quickly located the king on his usual stone. He approached the familiar lion and eyed the large stranger at his side with caution.

"Ah, Kiota!" Toyo exclaimed in forced friendliness. "I'm glad that you arrived at a reasonable hour this time."

He nodded silently and sat in front of the king, eyes never leaving the unfamiliar lion at his side.

"This is Ojiro, the Devil of the Southern Prides." Kiota could see that Toyo was very pleased with Ojiro, and frankly, so was he. Ojiro was simply massive and would have been a challenge just due to his sheer size. If he had any skill at all, it would be a great duel indeed. He nodded to his challenger in acknowledgement, and Ojiro returned the gesture.

"I have heard that you are the best from the surrounding prides." He said in a deep and low voice.

Kiota nodded. "I've heard that you are the greatest where you come from as well."

The two stared at each other in tense silence for several moments before Ojiro spoke again.

"I'm not one for small talk, so why don't we cut right to the chase."

"Agreed."

"Can we say tomorrow at dawn?"

"On the large hill to the north."

Ojiro nodded. "I know the one you mean."

"I'll be waiting."

Toyo smiled, pleased that the time and place had been organized so easily. "Then it's settled. Tomorrow at dawn."

Kiota nodded and turned away to leave, pleased at the briefness of the meeting. The others just watched him go without a word.

He left at his own pace, neither slow, nor rushed. He passed by the grouping of pride members who all watched him with interest again. He navigated the familiar tunnels and passageways with ease and exited the rocky kingdom soon after. The guards parted and allowed him through, though he didn't even make eye contact with them. He proceeded back into the savannah for the night, but also toward the hill where he would fight at dawn.

He walked through the brush at a decent pace and with minimal stealth. As the greatest fighter in the area, except maybe Ojiro, he had little to fear from anyone else. Nevertheless, he was still cautious.

"SNAP!"

He dropped to the ground and froze at the sound of a twig breaking not too far away. He laid there for several moments, but no further sounds came from the wilderness. When he felt more secure, he rose and continued on his way. Several more minutes later, a rustling in the nearby bushes made him drop again. This time, he waited longer and observed the foliage more intently. At one point, he swore that he saw a pair of eyes, but they vanished before he could identify them.

Eventually he decided that someone was, in fact, following him, but he didn't feel like searching them out. Instead, he continued on his way and waited patiently for his stalker to make an appearance. He followed a slow moving stream that he knew flowed from the hill top and ignored the sounds of his pursuer behind him. He soon reached the base of the agreed- upon hill and decided to stop there for the night. In the morning he would climb to the top to meet Ojiro at sunrise. The thought of fighting the monstrously huge lion made him almost shake with anticipation. This was the battle he had been searching for.

Footsteps from behind him made him turn to look. He watched as a young lioness emerged from the long shadows of the afternoon and stopped several yards away from him. Kiota looked her over intently, his eyes locking with hers. Her eyes were extremely familiar with their intense focus and determination.

"Kiota" she hissed furiously.

"You found me." He said, causing her ears to flatten in fury. "Have you been following me?"

"I've been watching you for months."

He nodded and observed her angry posture for several moments. "Who are you?" he finally asked. "You seem very familiar."

The lioness' eyes narrowed angrily. "My name is Kya, and I want to challenge you."

He laid himself down on the ground. "You got right to the point, now didn't you."

She nodded. "You killed my father."

"I've killed a lot of lions," Kiota replied in a bored tone. "You're going to have to be more specific."

My father was King Nario. You came into our home and forced him to fight you."

Kiota blinked. "Was he the one that tried to refuse, but wouldn't forfeit?"

Kya growled. "Yes. You murdered him for no reason."

"There was a reason, I wanted to fight him."

Kya roared angrily as she began to pace back and forth. "You're a monster…"

"I'm a fighter."

"You're a killer." She corrected. "The world would be better off without you."

Kiota almost smiled. "Are you planning on killing me?"

"I would like nothing more than to rip your throat out and watch your blood flow out."

"Maybe you're unaware, but I'm the greatest fighter in the area. What makes you think that you can beat me?"

"I've been watching you for months. I know how you fight and I know what to expect."

"How many lions have you killed?"

She growled. "I've been in plenty of fights."

"But you've never actually killed anyone?"

"I'll kill you."

The rogue nodded and thought over the challenge. He was sure that he could beat her easily, but there were natural risks involved. He looked her over intently, remembering what she was like before. The frail teenage lioness that he remembered from Nario's kingdom was gone and had been replaced by this adult, if young, lioness. She had more muscle than average, and was frankly quite beautiful. He anger and hatred shown through her focused and determined eyes. Truly, he would dislike killing her; given enough time she could become a great fighter.

"Normally I would accept your challenge," he replied. "But I don't want to waste my energy for tomorrow."

"I will kill you!" she said angrily. "Whether you accept my challenge or not!"

"How about tomorrow at midday." He offered. "If I'm still alive, I'll fight you then."

Kya was silent for a while as she thought it over. "Where?"

"The top of this hill." He answered concisely as he gestured to the hill behind him.

"Fine. Midday, tomorrow."

Kiota smiled coldly. "I'm glad that you agree. Now if you would, leave me be."

Kya stared at him for several moments before turning away. Before she disappeared into the brush, she looked over her shoulder. "You know, Kiota… someday you will have to pay for everything that you have ever done. The kings of the past don't help people that don't honor them."

"Leave, Kya." He told her darkly.

She obeyed and disappeared into the foliage.

Kiota lay there on the ground for a long while, staring into the brush in which she had left into. Her words made him think back to the stories of the kings of the past. He didn't believe in them of course, but still… if they were real, he might be able to get some help from them. This coming duel with Ojiro was starting to bother him. For the first time in a long time, he was getting nervous. Maybe asking the gods for help wasn't such a bad idea after all. He looked up at the sky to see stars beginning to appear in the falling night.

"Um…" he said quietly to the stars, feeling slightly foolish. "I was just thinking about my fight tomorrow… and I was hoping…"

No. He froze. This was wrong. Maybe the kings were up there, and maybe they would help him if he asked them to, but there was something wrong with asking. He had never asked the kings for help before, and to ask them for help now would be wrong. He had made his world by himself, and he would face it by himself. He didn't need anyone's help, especially not the assistance of false gods. He looked up to the stars again with apprehension. If they were real, he figured that they would be pleased with his decision.

***Author's Note***

There will be one final chapter in Part 1 after this one. At the end of that chapter, I will explain everything about the quotes and more about the origins of Kiota. Stay tuned and keep reading!

I didn't really care for this chapter; I found the dialogue to be a bit difficult to write. Comments regarding the conversations would be appreciated.

-Ben