A/N: Another chapter, another day, another exam looming around the corner... :(
Chapter 19:
"I don't think I like it here," Kiyoka whimpered.
Her eyes darted from one place to another, as though she was expecting something to pounce upon her. When Kiyoka first walked to the edge of the dark forest, the poor girl was close to jumping out of her skin at the threatening form of it. Like a black wall of nothing but endless murky trees. On top of that, the thought of trying to capture Hiiragi Konoka, a supposed half-aradama woman, was terrifying in itself. When Kiyoka felt something touch her shoulder, she almost fainted from fear until she saw that it was only Chie's hand.
"It's alright, Kiyoka-chan. We're all right here for you," Chie reassured her.
Mihono chirped, "Chii-nee's right. We'll stick together, okay?"
"Hurry up!" Maki called.
They went in single file—first Maki and Kaoru, the Akabane Sword Team, and Sayaka and Suzuka bringing up the rear. Kaoru walked a little ahead of the group, trusting Nene's sharp sense of smell to direct them. What little light they had from their flashlights barely pierced through the dense undergrowth. The only one with excitement on her face seemed to be Kofuki...probably due to her anticipation of slaying some aradama along the way. After about a half-hour hike, Maki was seriously beginning to think that they were walking in circles.
'We'll have wasted all our energy by the time we catch up with Hiiragi Konoka,' she thought.
Nene sniffed the air once more, before letting out an aggressive "Ne..." Almost automatically, everyone's Spectrum Finders started going off.
"Fancy running into you all here," a voice said.
Konoka stepped in front of the group with a triumphant expression. Gone was her normal authoritative composure. Now all that was plastered on her face was the look of a crazed woman gone mad. The Akabane Sword Team, who had really only seen Konoka on television, couldn't help tensing up at seeing her face-to-face. Her green hair flowed like a mass of twisting snakes in the air, and the okatana she carried in her hand shone like glass. The other hand carried a familiar bundle that wailed in distress.
"Hiiragi Konoka," Maki snarled.
"Why do you have Kagari-chan?" Suzuka questioned.
"Unfortunately, I can't stay as I have business to settle with my little niece," Konoka yawned. "My apologies for not being able to waste time on you pathetic underlings."
"You insolent fool!"
Without hesitation, Maki thrust herself towards the green-haired woman. Konoka just laughed at her futile attempt, before swiping her okatana. A burst of lightning struck the Elite Guard down.
"Maki!" Suzuka cried.
"Don't worry about me! Get her!" Maki ordered.
"Finally, some fighting time!" Kofuki cheered, before running towards Konoka.
"Shichinosato Kofuki, be careful about the child!" Mirja warned, following close behind her.
But Kofuki had already reached Konoka by then, and had begun to swing her okatana wildly. Although she was aggressive, she was unable to strike the woman, who kept on blocking her attacks.
'Hmm...this aradama woman's a challenge. I like it!' Kofuki thought with glee. 'Looks like this will be a long night!'
"Itomi Sayaka! Mashiko Kaoru! Save Juujou Kagari-chan!" Suzuka said, before raising her own blade.
Kiyoka stepped back, letting out a gasp of fear. She clutched her okatana tightly, feeling her body freeze at the sight before her. Metal clashed against metal, as Konoka fought fiercely against her opponents. However, despite being outnumbered, she showed no signs of exhaustion or panic. Not even Nene in his true aradama form could stop Konoka's amazing speed and blasts of lightning.
'This fighting style and these aradama powers...' Suzuka thought.
At last it dawned on her.
"Hiyori-san wasn't the one who attacked us at the Origami mansion," Suzuka said. "It was you, wasn't it?"
Konoka gave an arrogant shrug. "Guilty. Now, if you'll excuse me, you are delaying my girl-bonding time with Hiyori-chan. So, you give me no choice but to destroy all of you."
"You and what army?" Kaoru frowned.
Konoka grinned, and answered, "Funny you should mention that."
Her adversaries looked at each other in confusion, until several figures appeared from the shadows of the trees. Sayaka let out a gasp, when she recognized them as many of her classmates from Renpu Girls' School. The only difference was that they all wore S-Equipment with red visors.
"Hopefully you'll have fun with my new faithful troops," Konoka laughed. "Now, I must be going."
The Renpu Tojis surrounded the Elite Guards and the Akabane Sword Team. Pressing their backs together, while holding their okatanas in front of themselves, the young women fought down their uneasiness at this new drawback. Only Kofuki threw back her head, laughing with delight.
"I knew this was going to be a long night!"
The earth buckled and shook, once Kanami's deployment pod landed in the mountains. Not wasting another second, the Minoseki Toji jumped out immediately, her determination rising. However, her resolve was put on pause once her Spectrum Finder started letting off a series of alerts.
'An aradama?' Kanami thought, reaching for her okatana.
Her eyes widened with fear, once she remembered that Konoka took Chidori away from her. What now? Without Chidori, she wouldn't stand a chance against any aradama that'd come her way. Just as Kanami was about to panic, she turned her head suddenly, wondering if she was hearing things. The moans of pain that her ears picked up were definitely not her imagination and they sounded close by.
Curious, the Minoseki Toji stumbled through the thick shrubbery to be greeted by the last person she expected to see. Tagitsuhime was flat on the ground, breathing heavily, with a pool of noro around her.
"Tagitsuhime!"
The aradama princess weakly turned her head towards the Toji. Her eyes were blank with no sign of haughtiness. The only expression on her face now was one of defeat.
Kanami's words of confusion spilled forth. "Why are you like this? What happened? Why are you here? Is Hiyori-chan okay?"
"Silence. Your curious rambling can drive anyone up a wall," Tagitsuhime hissed. "And I can ask you the same questions. Hiiragi Konoka was supposed to kill you."
"Guess I'm good at surviving then, huh Tagitsuhime?" Kanami grinned.
Then, she bit her lip once she thought about how that would sound to the wounded aradama princess before her. Tagitsuhime rolled her eyes.
"Tagitsuhime, tell me...is Hiyori-chan alright?" Kanami asked.
When the aradama princess looked away, Kanami pressed, "Is she safe?"
Tagitsuhime sighed, "She won't be."
When she recounted what happened to Kanami, the Minoseki Toji grabbed her by the shoulders. Several emotions were on her face: fear, despair, and anger.
"We need to save Hiyori-chan and Kagari-chan!" Kanami declared.
Tagitsuhime scoffed, "It's pointless, you dense hatchling. For one thing, you don't have an okatana and I just so happen to be weakened."
"We can't just give up!" Kanami protested. "There must be another way."
"You are clearly an imbecile to think that there is one. Even if we do get help, Hiiragi Konoka will have already reached the Onryō Shrine. And even if Juujou Hiyori is able to hold her off with her newfound powers, what's going to stop Konoka from threatening her by using my daughter?! Or maybe even just killing her right there and then?!"
The more Tagitsuhime thought about it, the more futile and hopeless the situation seemed to be. Kanami gazed at the aradama princess. It was so strange to see the once mighty evil goddess now so helpless and weak. Kanami grasped Tagitsuhime's deathly-white hand.
"Tagitsuhime...you really care for Kagari-chan, right?"
A scorned look passed over the aradama princess's features, as she replied, "She's my hatchling! Do you really think I'd wish for harm to befall her?"
"Then you need to help me. I can save both her and Hiyori-chan," Kanami insisted. "Please."
She suggested, "Can't you summon your okatanas for me to use?"
Tagitsuhime stared at Kanami's two hands holding hers. A sigh escaped her mouth, as she shook her head.
"It's hopeless. I'm too weak to do so," the aradama princess began, then paused after a new thought struck her. "Unless..."
"Do you have an idea?" Kanami asked, excitedly.
"There is a way...but you won't like it."
Hiyori bitterly yanked the silver hairpins and fan-shaped headdress out of her hair, allowing her blue locks to fall loose around her shoulders once more. She tried searching for her uniform, but after ending up unsuccessful, concluded that Tagitsuhime must have gotten rid of it. Which meant she was stuck having to wear this ridiculous, tight bridal gown. A lump made its way up Hiyori's throat, as she stared at herself again in her mirror.
Whenever she'd imagine wearing a wedding dress (which was very rare), it would always be when she'd dream of her marriage to Kanami. But even her wistful yearnings were crushed by Tagitsuhime. Tagitsuhime took everything from her. Everything that reminded Hiyori of Kanami had been destroyed by the merciless aradama princess.
Hiyori furiously wiped away the tears beginning to form in her eyes, as she made her way to the window. She was now a strong aradama princess herself. She could not show any weakness. She refused to. In the distance, a lone crow flew towards the shrine, before perching on Hiyori's outstretched arm.
"So, only you have returned," Hiyori mused. "Show me what you've seen."
Hiyori's cerulean eyes shone as her loyal spy obeyed her, allowing his mistress to tap into his memories. It did not take long for the Heijou Toji to learn about the danger she and her daughter were now in. Hiyori clutched Shitsuren tightly until her knuckles turned white.
"It appears we'll be having an unwelcome guest," Hiyori said to her feathered minion, as she made her way down the stairs.
Lo, and behold, right when she reached the bottom floor, the entrance doors to the honden were blasted to smithereens. Illuminated by the flashes of lightning from outside, came the dark silhouette of Hiiragi Konoka. Her stormy grey eyes now gleamed the same vivid blue as Hiyori's.
"So sorry to come unexpectedly, Hiyori-chan. Or should I say, Hime-sama?" Konoka chortled.
Blue energy crackled around Hiyori's body as she growled, "Put my daughter down."
Konoka rolled her eyes at the small fretful baby in her arm and replied, "Fine, but only because the brat was a hinderance during my last fight."
She set Kagari down, before stepping closer to Hiyori. Her wicked eyes flashed with victory as she drew her okatana. Hiyori's crow, sensing the danger, immediately flew off his mistress's shoulder to watch over Kagari.
"Once I'm done with you, then I'll get rid of that bastard child of yours," Konoka seethed. "Only way to stop me is to kill me. So...ready for a fight to the death, Hiyorihime?"
Hiyori sneered, taking her stance. She cursed at how tight her dress was and prayed that her powers would at least make her an equal match to Konoka. Both Konoka's okatana and Hiyori's double-bladed one gleamed as their owners wrapped themselves with aradama energy.
Konoka cackled, "Now, let the final battle begin."
A/N: I made sure to include the game characters in this chapter. FYI, they will have more appearances later on.
Hmm...and just what do you think Tagitsuhime suggested to Kanami that they do? I would love to hear your theories. Feel free to tell me in the comments.