SailorStar9: Chapter 16 goes up and no review. You guys don't love me anymore. *Wails*
Disclaimers: I don't own Sailor Moon and Flame of Recca since if I did own them both, the Planetary Senshi will have equal footing as Sailor Moon and the Domon/Fuuko pairing would be canon. But you don't see that happening do you? However, I do own the pairing, I hope.
Chapter 17: The Second Round! Recca vs. Kurei
At the commentary table...
"It's time to start our fourth match!" Tatsuko declared. "Will the Joker of the Kurenai crush the hope of the Hokage? Or will Koganei be victorious?"
In the ring...
"Fast little bugger." Joker remarked, Koganei having broken free of their stalemate and was attacking him rapidly.
"Kōgan Anki, Second form, Ryu!" Koganei jumped and unlock his weapon's second form.
Joker blocked the thrown sickle off course.
"And your weapon is quite unyielding." Joker added. "You may have been an Uruha benchwarmer, but you really could've been someone. Hat's off to you!"]
Koganei blinked as Joker laughed.
On the ring side...
"This guy's too laid back." Domon remarked.
"Does he plan to fight seriously?" Fuuko asked.
In the ring...
"Does it show?" Joker grinned. "Well, I'm not really in a fighting mood."
On the ring side...
"What?" Domon and Fuuko growled.
******************************************************************************************
In the ring....
"Well, if you really want to," Joker added. "Even if someone was to help this kid win, Kurei-sama still remains. The Uruha's got it anyway."
On the ring side...
"What did you say?" Fuuko fumed.
In the ring....
"This match really doesn't mean anything." Joker pointed out.
"You're so full of it!' Koganei retorted. "Recca-nii-chan's gonna beat Kurei."
"Oh, so scary." Joker kidded. "Then why has Recca-han run out on Kurei-han? Am I wrong?"
"He didn't run away." Koganei hissed. "He's getting ready to fight Kurei."
"Oh, then bring him out then." Joker replied. "This brave, new Recca-han."
"C'mon now, Joker." Midori started as Joker turned to walk off. "You two are supposed to be fighting here."
"I hate wasting my power." Joker told her. "So, I'll let the boy have this match."
"Wha?" Midori exclaimed. "Are you like, serious?"
"I'll sit down and enjoy the show." Joker replied. "I wanna see the Recca fight like you say he will."
In the stands...
"What? He's joking?" the crowd was astonished as Joker walked off.
At the commentary table...
"Oh my!" Tatsuko exclaimed. "Joker just walked away. So it seems... this match is automatically Koganei Kaoru's victory! Now the score is dead even. Everything comes down to the final match!"
On the ring side...
"That was arrogant, even for you." Kurei remarked after Joker jumped back to the platform.
"But isn't it what you really wanted?" Joker asked. "Didn't you want that, Kurei-han, you need to fight Hanabishi Recca real bad. 400 years of repressed anger must really suck."
"Right? Kurei." Kurei finished the sentence.
At the commentary table...
"So Nemi will the referee for this fifth and final match." Tatsuko announced as Nemi took over. "But where is the Hokage's Hanabishi Recca?"
In the stands...
"What's wrong, Recca?" the crows hollered. "Come out! Or are you afraid of Kurei?"
In the ring....
"Team Hokage, where is Hanabishi?" Nemi asked.
"Kurei, let's talk." Koganei requested.
On the ring side...
Kurei snorted and jumped in.
In the ring....
"It seems that Recca has realized he cannot win." Kurei scoffed. "Honestly, it's truly disappointing. I didn't think he'll act so cowardly."
"Kurei..." Koganei started. "Why should he be afraid of you?"
"Koganei..." Kurei growled.
"I'm not afraid of you." Koganei replied. "And I can prove it, if you want me to."
"You..." Kurei hissed. "Do you realize to whom you're speaking?"
"Yeah." Koganei replied. "I'll fight in his place!"
"Whatever." Kurei scoffed. "As a failing member of the Uruha, I'll dispatch you painfully."
On the ring side...
"Wait." Mikagami intervened as he jumped into the ring. "In this case, I'll be his opponent."
"C'mon ! Don't act so tough, Mikagami!" Domon scolded, following suit. "I'll take care of him!"
"Nah, I'll do that!" Fuuko leapt into the ring. "I wanna pay this guy back for last time."
In the ring....
"Please wait." Nemi started. "Hanabishi's turn is next. You can't choose who goes next."
"No." Koran intervened. "As this tournament's promoter, I'll allow it."
At the commentary table...
"Mori-sama..." Tatsuko blinked.
On the screen...
"These are the finals of the Ura Buto Satsujin and a disqualifying decision wouldn't be right.." Koran added. "I ask you Hokage. Is Recca coming?"
In the ring....
"Of course he'll show!" Fuuko snapped as Mikagami nodded in agreement.
On the screen...
"Then you shall one final chance." Koran remarked. "All of you will fight Kurei until he shows up. But if you all die before Hanabishi Recca shows up, the Hokage will lose."
In the ring....
"What?" Domon growled.
On the screen...
"This will be pure entertainment." Koran chuckled. "Kurei, don't go easy. Use this ring to crush them all. All I want to hear is each one of their dying words."
In the ring....
"Shut up!" Kurei snapped.
On the screen...
"What?" Koran growled.
In the ring....
"Father. Why can't you mind your own damn business?" Kurei retorted.
On the screen...
"Kurei!" Koran barked.
In the ring....
"I gave you a warning." Kurei reminded him. "If anything interferes with this fight, not even you will survive."
On the screen...
"You brat..." Koran growled. "You dare speak against me? Take that back or I'll dest..."
In the ring....
"Father." Kurei interrupted. "You need to understand. Using that card will end your life as well."
On the screen...
"Bastard..." Koran growled.
In the ring....
"Put your mind to rest." Kurei assured him. "I will still fulfill your final request of me. I can entertain myself by killing the Hokage. You can even have the healer when I finish. But I won't fight for you anymore for your ambitious designs. I wish to use this tournament to cut off our relationship."
On the screen...
"Okay, I promise it." Koran added. "But remember this, Kurei. You aren't the strongest. I'm the one who controls the real power."
In the ring....
"Well, shall we begin?" Kurei turned to the Hokage after Koran turned off the screen.
"Kurei, what are you really fighting for?" Koganei asked. "I may be a kid, so I don't get it. But why does it have to be this way?"
Flashback
"To rebuild this rotten world, fight with me." Kurei had told him. "Until then, I'll be your brother as you grow up."
"Kurei..." Koganei smiled.
In the ring....
"I know you're still good down deep." Koganei insisted. "You keep it hidden, right? Now that you're through with Koran, you didn't have to be the bad guy anymore. Am I right? Please say I'm right!"
"Koganei, is this all you have to say?" Kurei asked in front of him.
"My answer." he lifted his hand.
Anhara had jumped in before Kurei stuck the younger teen.
"Kaoru, didn't I tell you before that," Anhara hissed, glaring at Kurei. "Talking doesn't work on this guy!?"
"I fight to become stronger." Kurei replied. "Any good in me died a long time ago."
"What a Flame..." Domon gaped as Kurei powered up.
"It's a Flame." Mikagami added. "But very different from Hanabishi's. It reminds me of Kurei, a cold Flame."
"Well, come and get it." Kurei challenged. "Only fools follow a coward who has left them behind."
"Shut your mouth!" Domon hollered as he charged.
"Kimura..." he stopped in his tracks when the ice wielder's freezing air froze his feet.
"Hara-nee..." Koganei blinked as Anhara's freezing aura reached over to him, Mikagami and Fuuko.
"What can she do that we can't...." Fuuko trailed off when she saw Anhara's power flare as she transformed. "Oh that."
"Kurei, do you know why Koran had the Celestial Stars killed?" Holy Mercury asked.
"Because he's afraid of what we can do." she answered her own question.
With a simple wave of her hand, she dispelled Kurei's flame completely.
"Impossible..." Kurei was shocked at the tremendous power the girl held.
"Nothing is impossible for us Senshi." Holy Mercury told him.
Kurei said nothing and simply disappeared.
"And here I thought I'd proven this in the battle with Tsukishiro." Holy Mercury remarked unamusedly. "Shadows don't work on me!"
"Auger Frost!" she disappeared, reappearing behind Kurei and blasted the flame caster with her ice ball.
"Deja vu." Fuuko muttered, noticing how the attack was coating Kurei's fist with its ice. Kurei growled and used his Flame to melt off the ice.
"Guess I forgot to mention that Mercury is also the God of Speed." Holy Mercury winked at the grinning wind wielder.
"She's such a tease." Mikagami smirked.
"And you're dating her, why?" Fuuko joked.
"Fuuko...." Mikagami growled.
"Fuuko, don't make me freeze you." Holy Mercury threatened.
Just then, a blast of fire entered the ring.
"Oi, Kimura, were you going to start this without me?" Recca grinned as he jumped into the ring.
"Recca-nii-chan..." Koganei smiled after Holy Mercury released the rest of the Hokage from her prison.
"Wasn't going to kill him." Holy Mercury replied.
"Hanabishi!" Domon beamed.
"You came back!" Fuuko exclaimed.
"Sorry about the slacking." Recca apologized. "But I think I can handle Kurei."
"No prob, but if you lose and I'll kick your butt." Koganei grinned.
"Didn't know I could lose." Recca returned his grin.
"To protect my master, is the job of a ninja." he turned to Yanagi.
"Don't worry." he told her. "I'll protect my Hime."
On the ring side...
"Recca-kun." Yanagi smiled.
In the ring....
"Well." Recca turned to his half-brother. "Let's get started!"
On the ring side...
"He looks like he's really been fighting." Yanagi noted. "Recca-kun, what kind of training did you do for this match?"
In the ring...
"Not much." Recca replied. "I might be too warmed up to beat Kurei!"
"I've come for you, Kurei." he added. "Today's the last say I look at your ugly face!"
"Stop babbling, you insect." Kurei retorted.
"Is this the first sentence, the man, Kurei, who will die soon talked to me?" Recca barked. "Bet you think Koganei's a bug also? Koganei, at least thought of you as a brother!"
"He betrayed the Uruha. He will die." Kurei concluded.
"You..." Recca growled.
"Well now, Kurei versus Recca will be the last match." Nemi declared. "Final match, begin!"
At her declaration, the two half-brothers charged.
Recca jumped into the air at the last second and summoned his Flames.
"Homura, Saiha, Nadare!" he released three of his Flame Dragons.
"Combined Flame Dragons, Flame Sickle Bomb!" he came down on Kurei, sending his fiery sickle at Kurei who jumped to dodge the attack.
"What?" Kurei gasped when Nadare's fireballs emerged from the sickle and attacked him.
From the smoke, the fire chain wrapped around Kurei before the sickle pierced his back.
"Amazing!" Nemi announced. "Hanabishi Recca's opening attack is an all new combo, never before seen in this tournament!"
On the ring side...
"Nice going, Hanabishi!" Domon cheered.
"His training must have paid off." Mikagami noted. "He can easily control more than one Flame Dragon."
"Make him choke on it!" Fuuko encouraged.
At the commentary table...
"This is the first time we've seen Kurei hurt in all his matches so far!" Tatsuko declared. "And the Flame whip tightens around Kurei's burning body!"
In the ring...
"How about it, Kurei?" Recca barked.
"So, does this mean you've won?" Kurei remarked.
"What?" Recca growled.
Flaring up, Kurei used his Flame to break free of his confines.
"C'mon, that's what you counter with?" Recca asked as Kurei replicated himself.
"Setsuna!" he summoned his fourth Dragon.
On the ring side...
"Oh no. Recca-san summon Setsuna." Raiha noted.
"No good, Kurei-han." Joker warned, Setsuna having found the real Kurei. "Setsuna's a blind Dragon, bu he's able to see you!"
In the ring...
Setsuna had opened his single eye, engulfing Kurei within his flames.
On the ring side...
"That's gonna leave a mark." Holy Mercury noted.
"Hanabishi..." Mikagami started. "Can even handle Setsuna that easily."
At the commentary table...
"This is yet again unbelievable." Tatsuko declared. "Kurei seems to have been flame broiled by Setsuna's Shun En."
On the ring side...
"Lookin' good!" Koganei beamed. "Recca-nii-chan can win this match!"
"Without Kurenai coming out?" Holy Mercury quirked a brow. "I don't think so."
In the ring....
Kurei chuckled as he stood in midst of the flames.
"What?" Recca was shocked.
With a scream, Kurei dispelled the flames with an explosion.
"What?" Recca demanded.
On the ring side...
"Setsuna's flames is..." Mikagami was stunned.
"Defeat!" Domon and Fuuko exclaimed.
"Who wants to bet it's all Kurenai's doing?" Holy Mercury asked.
In the ring...
"I hope you learnt something else with your training." Kurei replied. "Someone who controls flames can't be hurt by it easily. Too bad for you. Even with the level you've achieved, you'll still never defeat me. Until that flame protects me is extinguished." as Kurenai appeared behind him
On the ring side...
"Isn't that..." Domon stammered. "We've seen it before..."
In the ring....
"Kurenai?" Recca blinked at the fire sprite.
On the ring side...
"That's the girl who Koran killed." Koganei realized.
In the ring....
"I was wondering when that bitch would show up." Recca remarked. "But if I remember, Kurenai couldn't even beat a weaker me!"
On the ring side...
"Because she was holding back, idiot!" Holy Mercury hollered.
In the ring....
"She's right, you know." Kurei replied.
"Kurenai, you've waited so long for this day." he told her. "Crush that insect for me."
At his command, Kurenai cried and charged at Recca.
"Madoka!" Recca summoned his shield Dragon, the flame barrier holding against Kurenai's attack. With a louder scream, Kurenai's attack broke through the shield, her blast imploding the barrier.
On the ring side...
"Madoka's barrier..." Koganei gasped.
"Shattered?" Mikagami finished his sentence.
"As I said, holding back." Holy Mercury replied.
"Recca!" Kagerō gasped.
"Recca-kun!" Yanagi screamed.
"Recca!" Fuuko exclaimed, the flame wielder being held in Kurenai's chokehold, the fire sprite shooting up into the skies.
"He's being burnt by Kurenai's flames!" Domon shouted.
In the sky above the ring....
Kurenai dropped a screaming and flaming Recca back to the ground.
"Recca, this ends here." Kurei declared, approaching the fallen Recca who had rolled over the douse the flames. "Suffer the pain of having to lose someone you love."
Kurei... I gotta admit that he's really strong... Recca mused. Damnit!
Recca, now is the time you must fight hard. Kokū's voice boomed in his head.
"That voice is..." Recca gaped. "Old man, Kokū."
You must summon all seven Dragons. Kokū told him. Only then will the eighth Dragon appear.
"The eighth Dragon?" Recca echoed.
If you have the strength to endure it. Kokū added.
"Then, I'll do it." Recca decided. "To protect my Hime, I'll endure anything!"
On the ring side...
"Recca-kun...." Yanagi gasped as Recca stood back up.
"He's up..." Koganei blinked.
In the ring....
"Still wasting my time?" Kurei asked, unamused.
"Now to make you pay for everything." Recca replied, summoning all seven Fire Dragons in one go.
"Come out, seven Dragons!" he instructed.
"What?" Kurei took a step back as Recca's fire aura exploded, the seven Flame Dragons appearing on his back. "What the?"
On the ring side...
"All seven were summoned at the same time." Kagerō remarked.
"What I'm more worried about is whether Hanabishi has enough energy left in him to support them." Holy Mercury added.
In the ring....
"Well, please!" Recca called to the eighth Dragon. "Please, come out! My last Flame Dragon!"
At his call, Resshin appeared.
On the ring side...
"The Eighth Dragon..." Kagerō echoed.
In the ring....
"Resshin you finally came out." Recca beamed.
"Don't misunderstand." Resshin told him. "I came to be entertained."
"What?" Recca exclaimed.
"I just come to look." Resshin replied. "Recca and Kurei, the battle of brothers and the winner becomes the true Flame Master. C'mon Recca, if you want to have my power, beat him with all you got!"
"Your final hope has abandoned you." Kurei chuckled. "You're in trouble, Recca."
"Then, I've got no choice." Recca replied, his aura flaring up as the seven tattoos on his arms burnt.
On the ring side...
"Hanabishi, what are you going to do?" Domon exclaimed.
"What if he tries to..." Fuuko gasped.
"Combine all seven Dragons!" Mikagami realized what Recca intended to do.
In the ring....
The seven summoned Dragons entered Recca's burning aura.
"What?" Kurei was shocked as Recca exploded.
On the ring side...
"Amazing..." Fuuko awed.
"He combined all of them..." Domon gasped.
"It's official." Holy Mercury remarked. "He's suicidal."
"Recca-kun!" Yanagi exclaimed.
In the ring....
"Please, seven Dragons..." Recca pleaded. "Give me... give me the power I need! Nadare! Saiha! Homura! Setsuna! Madoka! Rui! Kokū!"
"I shall shatter all hope!" Kurei declared. "Kurenai, burn them all!"
At his command, Kurenai charged.
"GO!" Recca hollered as his combined Flame Dragons met head-on with Kurenai.
SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.