Chapter 5: Contact

Yukari slowly lifted herself, pain rippling through her. She shook as she sat, hoping she hadn't broken anything, She gasped as she came to a sitting position. Her chest was incredibly sore, and her limbs felt like lead. She didn't fell like anything was broken, however, and after a few seconds, she had the strength to stand. As she stood, a wave of nausea crashed over her and she stumbled into a wall. She leant on it for a while until she heard a voice behind her, smiling in its tone. It was a voice that sounded like it belonged to a young boy, about ten or eleven years old, and was loud enough that it sounded like it could carry over a screaming crowd. Yukari turned and the boy tried again, "Can you hear me, newcomer?"

She looked at him and nodded slowly. He smiled, "Welcome to MBI's private property, as of right now you are my opponent. I am the third member of the New Discipline Squad, Number 21, Dururan" he drew his blade and pointed the end at Yukari, "Feel free to introduce yourself, miss intruder"

Yukari stumbled as she moved away from the wall. She crouched into a position that vaguely resembled a fighting stance and waited, knowing that there was no way she could beat a Sekirei. Dururan's smile became a grin, "Come now, don't be a spoil sport, introduce yourself like the unspoken rule says you should, it's only etiquette"

Yukari tried to speak but couldn't form words, still too winded to even make enough vibrations to whisper. Dururan shook his big head, his shaggy mop of grey hair moving hypnotically. He inhaled deeply and swished his sword to his side. His expression became calm, "If you cannot fight, I will not force you to just yet. Allow me to report to my superiors and I will allow you time to recover from your fall. Deal?"

Yukari nodded slightly and he moved away, not out of sight but still far enough that she felt safer. She tried to breathe and found herself slowly regaining the ability. She watched Dururan as he took a small handheld radio from his pocket. She heard only snippets of conversation, but what she heard scared her.

"Got number four here, don't know who she is but she landed pretty"

"Got it, when I'm done"

"Help with others"

"Talk later, sir"

Yukari watched the boy turn and walk back toward her. Until now she hadn't had the chance to truly look at him. He was about as tall as she was, slightly good looking, but not overwhelmingly so. His grey hair hung down to his shoulders before curling into rings. His face bore what seemed to be marks from smiling too much. Unmatched to his voice, he appeared to be about seventeen. He wore a kimono emblazoned with the Sekirei symbol and his number '21'. His sword was a small rapier with a golden guard. It was unadorned, having no decoration whatsoever on it. He nodded to her, "Ready yet?"

Yukari licked her lips, "My…" she took a breath, "My name is Yukari Sahashi, I was known as the" she couldn't speak any more than that.

He smiled, "Catch your breath, I don't want to fight someone who cannot do the same"

Yukari looked at him sideways, "Why wait, I'm open now?"

He shook his head, "I'm not like that, it's boring to fight someone who can't fight back" he shrugged, "I don't want to be bored"

Yukari inhaled sharply and shook her head to clear it. She jumped away as his sword slashed past her, brushing against her ear but not cutting her. He smiled, "Back up to speed? Good, now. FIGHT ME!" his grin became maniacal and he gained an air of insanity that Yukari could never have expected from someone of his appearance. He lunged at her and she dodged, once again he narrowly missed her. Yukari begged her legs, legs that had only been used as weapons for kicking people, to obey for one move. She jumped, leaping far to the side and traveling away from Dururan. She ran in the opposite direction, fleeing from the Sekirei.

Rocks rocks and more bloody rocks. Yukari couldn't tell where she'd gone or how far she'd run. She just knew that the Sekirei was still chasing her. His panting filled her ears, and she glanced back. He was about arm's distance from her. She leapt away just as he swung. She landed underneath a rock outcrop, cornered before number 21. She looked up at him as he looked down on her, "Wow, you can run, girl"

She caught her breath and growled, "What are you doing this for?"
"A bit of fun, Miss Yukari Sahashi"

"Fun?"

"Be ready" he shifted his weight and swung, his blade stinging as it bit into her. She moved back at the precise correct moment for the blade not to injure her badly. She grabbed the wound, a shallow cut above her breast, and glared at the Sekirei. She jumped, her instincts kicking in, and his eyes widened slightly. Her foot rammed into his head hard enough to send him flying. His blade skimmed across the ground and Yukari stood on top of him.

"I am Yukari Sahashi, I'm 19 years old, and I used to be known as the Demon. Let me show you why"

*CRUNCH*

Yukari walked away to begin searching for her brother and her friends. Dururan wasn't moving, curled into a permanent foetal position with both of his hands on his groin. A constant, high-pitched whimper the only sound coming from the mouth that he was so proudly running off just minutes before. Yukari shook her head as she walked, "Have fun, Sekirei"

Once again, nice and short ^_^

END OF CHAPTER