Chapter Eleven: It all Started with a Giant Obstacle
Fight week meant utter chaos for Honnouji University students. People were fighting left and right, and whichever way they could, in order to end up on top. Whoever defeated the most enemies would get a grade boost, for showing their prowess and skill. Ryuko did not partake in this. Instead she and Nudist Beach stayed in their underground base as the ceiling above them shook due to the impacts and explosions happening above ground.
Satsuki and the others were just watching the events from her mansion, safe from all chaos. Some students had tried to get past the gates but the guards prevented any such attempts.
Ryuko who had been relaxing on the couch next to a sleeping Mako looked up at the ceiling and sighed. It was almost the end of fight week and the day of her fight with the elite four was approaching fast. She wasn't too worried about it. Even if she lost, Satsuki still didn't seem like she would force the girl to join her side. Although it would be embarrassing to lose again, especially against Uzu.
The ceiling shook, small chunks of dust falling on Ryuko's face. She quickly rubbed it off before deciding to do something productive. She rummaged around in the fridge in the small kitchen that they had and found a coke which she quickly chugged down. Letting out a loud belch she noticed Kinagase making his way over to her as he argued with Aikuro.
"You just couldn't wait could you?"
"But Kinagase we had all the needed materials and Ryuko was in trouble, for all we knew they were going to expel her or worse, kill her."
"Kill me?" Ryuko asked planting herself in front of the two quarreling men. They both stopped their heated argument and looked at her.
"Aikuro has ruined our plans by acting hastily. He revealed us way too early, and now that we have come out into the open we can't even do anything because there are no students to save from the discipline department cause it's Fight Week!" the last part was directed at Aikuro.
"We were ready. What, are we going to wait until next year to perhaps strike down this administration? Besides getting Ryuko back was a priority. She's the one who started the whole operation, without her our people would lose faith." Aikuro yelled back.
"Guys calm down, what's done is done," Ryuko raised her hands trying to appease them but they ignored her.
"There were other ways we could have saved her. For example send Mako undercover to get her. She's with the discipline department after all," Kinagase brought his face closer to Aikuro, spit coming out his mouth. "But no you just had to show off the new tech we got and alert the enemy to the fact that we stole their stuff."
"Well excuse me for wanting to show the enemy what we're capable of. If you had your way we would seem as dangerous as a pansy!" Aikuro brought his face closer.
"Says the pansy himself. Freaking perv, riding around in that machine half naked!" Kinagase placed his forehead against Aikuro's.
"Oh rich coming from you, mister-I-have-to-act-stoic-so-I-can-be-cool-please-somebody-like-me!" a vein in Aikuro's neck stood out.
"Guys!" Ryuko started again.
"Pervert!"
"Unfeeling bastard!"
Ryuko pulled out her scissor blade and wacked them both on their heads.
They rubbed their heads angrily and glared at her. "I have something important I need to tell you," she announced taking a deep breath. This was the moment of truth-she was going to tell them everything that she knew, except maybe her true identity for now. She wasn't quite ready for that yet.
"Follow me," she said and led them to a table where she sat down. They glanced angrily at one another before sitting down as far apart from each other as possible, but close enough to Ryuko to hear what she was going to say.
The talk took longer than expected but Ryuko told them all she knew about life fibers, about Ragyo, about Nui and about Satsuki. The boys were quiet at the end of her speech, their faces contemplative, eyes avoiding meeting her gaze. She was worried how they would react to this new information and held her breath in anticipation. Will they doubt me? Call me a traitor? She fretted but let out a relieved breath when Aikuro let out a laugh, that sounded more like it was a sigh of relief and of resignation.
"Ha, I knew it. Clothing is evil," Aikuro stated a smug grin on his face as he got up, his pants already slipping off. Ryuko grabbed them and pulled them up before they could slip any further.
"Well this puts a wrench into our plans," Kinagase said rubbing his chin thoughfully. "We don't know how much we can trust to be true. We'd have to see the actual facts in front of us. For now I insist that we do nothing but wait until we can garner more information. Ryuko, we leave this in your hands. Satsuki seems to be interested in you and if you can get more out of her, than we can see for ourselves. Me and Aikuro are just here to lead the group for now, but remember you were the one the people really wanted."
"I know, I know," Ryuko rubbed the back of her neck. Damn, it seemed like everything was riding on her. There was so much pressure to do right, when she didn't even know the first step to doing it. Senketsu settled around her shoulders reassuringly,
You'll be fine Ryuko. I'm here to help you. I promise you.
Ryuko exited the Nudist Beach hideout and marveled at the damage caused by the warring students. Whole buildings lay demolished and there were explosion marks everywhere, along with blood and various clothing articles, or pieces of broken weapons. As she walked towards the plaza where her fight was going to be, she noticed some students lying unconscious on the ground. She couldn't believe that Satsuki created such a brutal event, but if it was true that she was trying to find the strongest warriors to fight her mother, than it kind of made sense.
Ryuko almost didn't recognize the plaza as she approached; it had been transformed into some sort of stadium. Tons of students were sitting in the seats, bruised and injured but alive and chatting excitedly. Ryuko stood in the entrance of the stadium and marveled at what was going to happen. Floodlights fixed themselves on a small stage set up in the middle of the giant dirt field.
"Students of Honnouji University," came Satsuki's loud voice from the stage and she was barely visible amongst all the lights. "I congratulate you, who have survived fight week. As a result you have passed the test and will be advanced a rank."
The students cheered from the seats, a thunderous roar that hurt Ryuko's ears.
"And now to top off our spectacular week we will have a special fight." Ryuko swallowed nervously- this was it. She left the entrance and padded towards the dirt field a spotlight immediately following her. "We will have Ryuko Matoi face against the four heads of the departments!" a loud cheer came from the crowd and they stomped their feet in excitement. The ground beneath Ryuko's feet rose up and she was thrust towards the sky on a pillar.
Four more pillars rose from the ground, on them standing the four heads. Then a huge stage rose from the very center of the field and Ryuko's pillar moved towards it, as did one of the fours- the giant who had driven Mako yesterday.
"First up is Gamagori Ira, head of the discipline department." The pillars deposited the two fighters onto the stage and more cheers came from the audience. Ryuko looked around quickly. They were high up, the people resembling ants. It wouldn't be a good fall if she fell from this height. Mako and Aikuro as well as Kinagase said they would come support this fight but Ryuko couldn't spot them anywhere.
She turned her attention back to her opponent. He was a hulking man, with blonde hair and big furry eyebrows deeply furrowed. He was wearing a gray outfit with huge shoulders spikes and three stars stitched onto it; the outfit emphasized his large muscles, barely keeping them restrained. He stood with his hands behind his back and appraised Ryuko coolly. "You have caused me and my lady great trouble, therefore for her sake I will put an end to this farce. I will make you beg before me Matoi!" he roared suddenly and his uniform exploded, fibers thickening and wrapping around himself until he resembled a giant mummy with a mouth gag. "Shackle Regalia!"
"Wow, impressive," Ryuko said in a tone that implied the complete opposite.
"You won't be saying that when I'm through with you," Gamagori barked out through the bindings.
"Fine, let's get this over with," Ryuko transformed as she cried out. "Life Fibers Synchronize!"
Hefting her scissor blade she ran at him hitting the massive form in front of her multiple times. But instead of causing any damage, the form got bigger and bigger until it exploded in mass of ropes.
"Whoa," Ryuko jumped back trying to avoid the ropes sent flying at her.
"Scourge Regalia!" Gamagori called out the name of his uniform as Ryuko got a cleaner look at it. It had transformed a second time and was a giant black armor complete with spikes, making him even bigger than before.
"Taste my whips!" He roared and the ropes that had been floating idly around her began hitting her back and forth. Ryuko slashed them down as quickly as she could but for every one she cut down two more seemed to appear, and she couldn't keep up with all of them, some slapping her across her unprotected body.
"Damn it, there's too many of them," she grunted as she felt the barrage of whips sending her closer and closer to the edge of the stage. Then as quickly as they appeared the ropes retreated. Ira returned back to his initial form of Shackle Regalia.
It seems he's run out of power now, Ryuko.
Then let's hit him again, and hope we can get through before he transforms himself.
No, Ryuko I think that's how he gets his power to transform. Let's not hit him and see what happens.
But that's so boring.
But Ryuko waited and nothing happened. Ira couldn't attack. "Huh, so you do power up when people hit you," she stated.
"Yes that is true, and now since you figured it out I guess you won't hit me, will you?"
"Nah I won't." Ryuko peered over at the president's stage which had also risen up so Satsuki could watch the fight. "Yo, so I win right, if he's just not going to move."
"Patience Matoi," Satsuki smiled as she took a sip of her tea.
"If you're not going to punish me, then I'll punish myself!" Ira used some whips and started hitting himself.
"Hey, that's not fair," Ryuko shouted childishly at her opponent, who grew bigger and bigger as he absorbed his own attacks until he burst again, powered up and ready. His whips flew at Ryuko who dodged and slashed the best she could but then one of the whips grabbed her legs and she was airborne.
It threw her up a good ten feet from the stage before tugging down hard and letting her taste cement. Ryuko spat out concrete before the whip raised her again and slammed her back to the ground. This happened repeatedly. "Oi," slam. "Cut," slam. "It," slam. "Out!" Ryuko had at last lodged her sword into the ground preventing the whip from picking her up again. The whip gave up on trying to tug at her and instead several of them joined together. Ryuko let herself drop back to the floor just in time to be greeted by the big whip. It pummeled her in the stomach but she hit, clawed and bit at it in order to stop it from pushing her off the cliff. Then it started moving up and down, wiggling left and right until it flung her off. She barely managed to stop herself from rolling off the stage, digging her blade in she pulled herself to a stop just an inch before the edge.
"Tell me Gamagori," Ryuko asked as she dodged his big whip again, the two dancing around the stage, but her keeping clear of the edge. "Why are you so loyal to this lady? What has she done for you?" Ryuko wanted to get a better feel of the enigma that was this school president.
"Lady Satsuki is a pure human being with a noble cause. She strives to do what is right despite knowing she is risking everything on this one goal." Gamagori retreated his big whip and went back to using his smaller whips which managed to hit Ryuko. She blocked them with her blade and tried to get out of their reach, but one wrapped around her hair jerking her back hard. She stopped in her tracks as the whip pulled her up and tried to toss her back down but she just cut it off this time before he could use it to slam her body into the floor.
"And you serve her on just that belief alone?" Ryuko asked massaging her sore roots with one hand while trying to cut down a barrage of whips with her other hand.
"No. My beliefs are not unfounded. She gave me a purpose to my life." Ira's mind flooded with memories. He had been in middle school and prided himself on being on the student council. He kept the students in check and made sure anyone caught bullying would be punished accordingly. There had come an afternoon where a particularly stressful situation had arisen. Three female students were trying to get this poor studious kid to jump off the school roof. Gamagori had found out about this too late, when he arrived the poor kid had already plunged off the roof.
"You monsters!" he screamed at the students, anger welling up in him. They had no reason to hurt this kid who had done nothing to them.
"Oh stuff it you old fart, you can't do anything to us, my father is a cop."
Ira dropped to his knees, his anger unspent as they laughed at him. It was true. He had had trouble with this group because he could never truly punish them, since the lead girl's dad was a cop and could get him in trouble.
"You pigs in human clothing," a harsh voice cut the three girls' laughter short. Ira raised his massive head in order to see a small girl with heavy eyebrows and black hair coming from the stairwell; she stood in between him and the three girls, placing a sheathed sword on the ground in front of her.
"You think you can do anything just because your dad is a cop? Think again. I have just bought out that company, it now belongs to me and I have taken it upon myself to fire your father for being a dishonest cop."
"No," the girl had her eyes wide open. "That's not possible."
"It is, now run along before I reveal the fact your mother works as a prostitute to the whole school and you really start to have problems."
The girl burst into tears and ran towards the stairs her friends calling after her, "Hey wait," before following her.
"How did you do that?" Ira stood up, his stature back then, while nothing compared to his current body, was still bigger than other middle school students.
The girl didn't say anything, instead she looked towards the railing, where the boy who had jumped was bouncing up and down slowly. He had landed on a trampoline safely, previously placed by her there.
"You managed to save him when I could not. I am ashamed to call myself a student council member." Ira hung his head in shame.
"Do not be ashamed, instead help me with my goals. I need someone with resolve like you, someone with your strength."
The girl turned to him now and raised her head to look him in the eyes. No one ever did that, they were all too scared to do so. "But I am weak. I could not even truly save that one boy."
"Let not your past failures hold you back, come with me where we can make them work towards your success."
Gamagori was shaken by this girl's determination. "Very well," he bowed in front of her, one knee up and one arm placed on the ground. "I will help you with your endeavors. I will become your impenetrable shield!"
After that Ira had stayed back two years in order to graduate with her on time, so that he could always be by her side.
Ira's mind was pulled out of his memories when he noticed Ryuko had somehow managed to get past his whips and was now within striking distance. As she raised her blade he sent out a long whip from above his crouch, thicker than the last one. This sent Ryuko flying, head over heels she tumbled on the ground toward the edge. But at the last moment she managed to stop herself with her blade dug into the ground, her heels on the edge of the stage, her body leaning preciously over it.
She straightened herself up and then pulled herself towards the fight once more. Ira had run out of juice and needed to retreat to power up. He recalled his whips but Ryuko just ran amongst them. What is she doing? He wondered and got his answers as she plastered herself to his body and his whips wrapped themselves around her, trapping her in with him. While Ira's mind had been trained on the past, Ryuko managed to come up with a plan with Senketsu. If Gamagori couldn't be attacked from the outside maybe he could be attacked from the inside.
"Matoi, while your plan is clever, it won't work if I crush you first!" Ira announced as he realized what her plan was. He tightened his ropes and they began to strangle Ryuko, crushing her to his body.
Senks I don't suppose you have any bright ideas now? Ryuko muttered.
I think I do, just give me a moment.
Hurry before I lose consciousness, Ryuko could see black spots dancing in front of her vision.
I've wondered if I could change form and I think I can, he informed her before giving her the name of the transformation.
"Senfuku blade," Ryuko barely squeaked out as her kamui transformed, blades rising all over its body; they began to spin cutting through Ira's ropes and freeing Ryuko.
"Man am I glad to be free," Ryuko gasped air into her lungs and pulled herself free.
"No, my Shackle Regalia!" Ira yelled as he looked frantically at the broken pieces of rope around him.
"That's right big guy, not so tough now." Ryuko smiled and hefted her scissor blade. She launched at him striking him hard and fast and all Ira could do was take the hits. He couldn't even stop them, they were too fast.
Wow, I think we got even faster than before, Ryuko smiled.
Yea I think we did, we're synchronizing even better than we normally do too.
At last Ryuko was ready to deliver the last strike. She raised her blade above her head and it suddenly grew into twice its size. "Whoa that's awesome," she muttered before slicing through Ira's outfit with one slash. "Decapitation mode!" the impact from her blade sent Gamagori flying to his knees, the ground cratered around him. His outfit dissolved into a single fiber that was absorbed by Senketsu. "This can't be! I'm lady Satsuki's impenetrable shield!" he cried out in anguish.
"What was that?" Ryuko asked her kamui as Ira continued to stare at his hands in shock.
I don't know, but I think I just absorbed the outfit's life fibers.
A buzzer sounded ending the match and Gamagori dejectedly raised a chunk of sharp debris he had found around him. "I am no longer fit to fight for lady Satsuki," he announced as he readied the point to his abdomen. Ryuko too busy listening to the cheering crowd didn't notice this, but Satsuki did.
"Gamgori raise your head and steady your hand. I am not upset at you."
"But lady I failed you."
"Remember what I told you in the past. Our failures can guide us. Take this opportunity to learn."
"Yes my lady," Ira said with happy tears in his eyes as he wrapped himself in the cloth that Satsuki offered him and then headed to sit down on the bleachers.
"Next up, Inumuta Houka, head of the academics department." Satsuki announced as the crowd finally quieted down and Ryuko who had been raising her sword triumphantly and soaking in the applause turned to face her new opponent. The pillar with a slim blue haired boy approached the stage depositing him. He was tapping away at his phone the whole time and not even looking at her.
"Ryuko Matoi," he announced. "Eighteen years old, blood type o, currently averaging B's in all her classes, rooming with Mako, her adopted sister and best friend. Owns a kamui named Senketsu and a scissor blade, both of which have currently exhibited new abilities."
He looked up at this and pushed his blue tinted glasses up. "You have evolved quiet fast," he stated. "It would be my pleasure to gain more information on you," then pocketing his phone, transformed. His gray outfit with three stars and a high collar transformed into a skintight cybernetic outfit. There were buttons all over it which he started pressing in a mad dance, assuming various weird positions.
Ryuko just stared at him, unnerved by what he was doing. "Uh is this gonna take long?" she asked scratching her stomach.
"Oh I'm ready whenever you are," he replied and then disappeared from view. "Activating Probe Regalia, Optical Camouflage."
"What, what the-" Ryuko cried out as something punched her in the stomach. "He can disappear?" she grunted as more hits connected with various body parts. She waved her sword around trying to keep him at bay but he just sidestepped them.
"I cannot completely disappear, it's not humanely possible. However, I can appear to disappear to your sense by blocking your optical nerves with my outfit's special ability." This explanation was followed by a punch to her face. Ryuko staggered back noting how close she was becoming to the edge.
Senks you think you can cook up a transformation for this?
I'm afraid not, but I do have an idea. Use me to figure out where he is.
And how do I do that?
Use your eyes or better yet mine.
Another punch and a kick.
Use my eyes huh? Fine, I will. Gathering up all of Senketsu's material into a giant eye the size of the stage she slammed it down, the fabric causing Inumuta to be knocked to the floor, and the impact cracking the foundations supporting the arena. Now Ryuko could tell where he was. Reverting Senks to his natural state she was pleased to find that Inumuta had reappeared again.
"You've broken my cloak," he muttered angrily tapping away on his buttons.
Ryuko clutched her blade as she ran at him "I'll do more than just break that," she informed but to her surprise he put his hands up.
"I give up. I forfeit this match." This stopped Ryuko in her tracks
"What?" she asked shocked.
"I got all the information I need. There's no reason for me to take more bodily damage."
He untransformed and took off his outfit, turning towards lady Satsuki who was still on her stage, drinking her tea. "I give back my uniform as an acceptance of my failure." He tossed it at her and she caught it with her free hand. Then he clothed himself with a spare pair of clothes and sat down on the bleachers next to Gamagori.
"You coward!" the giant huffed. "How dare you endanger the honor of lady Satsuki over your own skin?"
Inumuta just shrugged, his nose already in his phone. "It was never my intention to come to spars with Ryuko. But since I was forced into this situation I decided to collect some data on her that would be helpful to lady Satsuki. And according to my calculations I am glad to have forfeited. She is evolving at an outstanding rate. So much that she may even overcome lady Satsuki's abilities."
"You must be lying!" Gamagori sputtered. No one could ever be greater than Satsuki. She was the epitome of strength and purity; a god amongst men. And to think a dirty rascal like Matoi, brought up in trash heaps, could outshine her? Impossible!
"It's the truth," Inumuta stated matter of factly.
Meanwhile the cheering crowd once again was hushed as Satsuki made her next announcement.
"Next up is Nonon Jakuzure, head of the department of music."
The pillar began to move forward and Ryuko just smiled. She was starting to feel confident that no one would take her down. She felt even more and more powerful each time she faced a new opponent.
Is this normal? She asked her kamui.
It must be, since you've accepted that you're made of life fibers their now responding in tune to my life fibers, giving us more power.
Ryuko just smiled and patted her kamui happily. "Alright Nonon be prepared."