This took me a few hours to do because I was able to expand this chapter into a crazy amount of heights with what will happen between both Max and Kabishi...fighting for Saori. Hopefully, this pays off.
Chapter 23: Fighting for Saori
"He did what?!" Akashi growled, in shock and anger.
Max nodded his head and explained to Akashi, "I didn't see it, but she told me that Kabishi sent in some posse over to abduct Saori and take her back to his place to marry her! This leopard told me that!"
"It's true! I was his 15th short-lived wife and 34th victim of his raping duty." the leopard responded.
Arizona could not believe that Kabishi had used and abused all those random women at hot topic and he said, "Guy's been freaking busy, hasn't he?"
"A lot. I was definitely surprised when I witnessed this as I came in this village and when I saw those group of tigers, I knew that they were a part of Kabishi's plan." she added.
"How do you know so much about this?" Akashi exclaimed.
The leopard growled at Akashi for asking such a question and replied, "Didn't I just tell you that a few minutes ago? Hello?! I was his 15th wife and 34th rape victim!"
Miyo whacked Akashi in the head and she turned to the leopard and replied, "Forgive my husband for being so clueless."
"I know this from personal experience because he forced me to be his girlfriend on the first day and I wasn't really looking for anyone then and after Kabishi...he just straight up beat me, burned me, threatened my life, raped me multiple times, chained me and shoved him down. Even whipped me on the back and forcing me to mate with him just so that he can start a relationship. And after I got forced to be married, he did the same things to me...only worse. Trust me when I tell you that all I can say it was just the horrible experience of my life with everything he put me through; especially when he steps out of the house and makes a pass at other women and he raped them as well." the leopard added.
Akashi, Max, Arizona, Miyo and Sierra were completely shocked to hear this and figured that if Kabishi forces Saori to say yes to him, those things will happen and the thought of that is definitely bugging Max to the point and he pounded his fist on the table and he said, "That guy is screwing around the wrong girl. He is not gonna get his paws on Saori as long as I'm around."
"Max...I'm siding with you on this, but if someone stands in Kabishi's way, he'll tear you alive just like that." the leopard said.
"I'm willing to take that risk for Saori...because I love her. And I want to do everything that I can to make sure she's protected and safe. If that means keeping her alive while I'm fighting him, so be it." Max replied.
"That's right, Max." Arizona said, nodding his head in agreement.
"We need to stop this wedding and get rid of Kabishi once and for all because when someone messes with my sister, they're messing with me." Akashi added.
Suddenly, Sierra noticed something in Max's bag and she asked, "What you got there?"
Max turns around and he sees that Sierra sees the bag and he lets out a big sigh and said, "I was gonna save it when I get the chance to do so, but..."
He then pulls out a little jewelry box and as he opened it, they were completely amazed by the engagement ring he bought and Akashi said, "An engagement ring? You bought it for Saori, haven't you?"
"Yeah. I don't wanna rush it or anything because I was planning on saving it for the time being." Max added.
The leopard examined the ring and she said, "You might wanna put that in good use today."
"And Max...you already have my blessing to marry her." Akashi said, smiling.
Max places it back in the bag and with a serious face, he looks to Arizona and said, "Let's crash a wedding."
Back at a faraway village
Saori was still being dragged by these five tigers and as they made their way to the temple, mounds of people were standing there waiting for Kabishi to marry him and Saori dreaded this moment would come and whispered to herself, "Kill me now."
Kabishi walked over to her and grabbed her by the arm and took her to the altar and said, "Be happy for me."
Saori lets out a fake smile and thinks to herself, 'Come on, Max...where are you?'
The minister clears his throat and he said, "Hello, everyone. We are now here to bring this man and this woman together in holy matrimony. Kabishi, seeing that this is your 40th bride..."
"40?!" Saori blurted out.
Kabishi growled at her for interrupting and muttered, "If you don't shut up..."
He then turns to the minister and chuckled softly and replied, "She's just a little nervous to be around this wonderful face."
'Or what's left of it.' Saori thought.
"Now...Kabishi, do you take this woman to be your wife?" asked the minister.
"I do. And she does too." Kabishi quickly said.
"Uh...but the bride must speak whether she wants to marry you or not."
Kabishi looked up at him and replied, "She does wanna marry me."
"I would like to hear from her though." the minister added.
Saori groaned at this and when Kabishi faced her, he whispered in her ear, "You better say you want me."
Saori growled softly and replied, "No, I don't."
Kabishi growled at him and screamed, "YES, YOU DO!"
Then, he looks up at the minister and said, "She does."
The minister didn't really know what else to say and he then said, "If anyone objects to this union, speak now or forever hold your peace."
Everyone was dead silent and Kabishi lets out a very evil smirk that no one has objected to this marriage and the minister said, "Then, by the power invested in me...I now pronounce you-"
It was soon interrupted when Max burst in the room and shouted, "I freaking object!"
Everyone turned around and was surprised to see Max come in for the first time and Saori was completely happy he came in and stopped the wedding and she ran towards him and hugged him tightly and kissed his lips and said, "I knew you'd come for me."
"Of course I did. I'd rather spend the rest of my life with you than that punkhole." Max replied.
Kabishi chuckled angrily as he saw this unfold and replied, "Seriously?! You'd rather be with that punk of trash?!"
Saori growled at Kabishi and he said to his face, "That's right. I'd very much rather be his punk than your bitch."
Then, with one look at Max, she exclaimed to the entire crowd, "I love Maximus Bushido-Akio!"
Max smiled at her and she has always loved her from the very beginning and if she can proclaim her love for him, he was gonna say it out loud and proud. He stood by her side and exclaimed, "And I love Saori Tora Okami!"
"I've always loved you when we were cubs. Now it's all true. And you're the reason why I left him for you." Saori replied.
Kabishi's rage began to rise up when he heard Saori admit his love for Max and figured that this was not happening at all and he lets out a dangerous roar in front of everyone and looked completely enraged and shouted, "You useless no-good son of a bitch!"
"You're the bitch!" Max shot back.
Everyone exclaimed in agreement that Max made a comeback at Kabishi and Max said to him, "She's better off without you!"
Then, he went towards both tigers and said, "If I can't have Saori, no one can!"
He then punched Saori in the face and shoved her down to the ground and as he started to bodyslam her, Max brought Saori out of his way and landed on the floor and he started panting heavily and he got back up and punched him in the face, jaw and kicked him in the stomach hard and flipped him across the ground.
Kabishi grabbed Max and punched him in the stomach, back and head and shoved him to the ground and he ran towards him and attempted to whack him with a mallet, but Max immediately dodged his moves and ran between his legs and bit him in the back, causing Kabishi to roar in pain.
"Go, Maxim!" Saori cheered.
"Don't root for this punk!" Kabishi growled.
Max grabbed Kabishi from behind and wrestled him straight to the ground and said, "This punk is gonna teach you a lesson!"
Both of them rolled around on the ground, trying to knock each other out and when Kabishi kicked Max in mid-air, he grabbed onto the ceiling with his claws and then swung his entire body around and did a corkscrew kick and slugged Kabishi in the jaw.
Kabishi gets back up and growls at Max and he said, "Big mistake!"
Just then, Arizona comes leaping by and pins him to the ground and onto the wall and said, "This is for my brother...and every single women you've messed with!"
Kabishi shoved Arizona down to the ground and he replied, "Who the hell do you think you are?!"
"We know you're a serious sex offender!" Arizona spat out.
The rest of the audience gasped in horror to learn that the groom is the convicted sex offender and Kabishi looks up and sees the others in shock and fury that Saori almost married this sex offender and that took Saori by surprise and she said, "I knew you were trouble then!"
Then, Kabishi immediately went over and pinned her down to the ground and slit her dress open and punches her in the face and claws her and has the intent to claw her clothes, but got stopped by this Bao guang power and when he turned around, he saw Akashi coming by to fight him and said, "So...we meet again."
"Your sister is trash! Why would someone like this punk love a worthless trashy whore like her?!" Kabishi shouted.
Akashi straight up punched him in the face and he grabbed him by the neck and said, "Don't you ever call my sister that! And this is for all the times you put not only her, but us through!"
Akashi shoved him down to the ground and he comes over to him and scratched, claw, bit and shoved him down to the ground, but Kabishi came back swinging as he unleashed his dark aura everywhere, with his dark claws and fangs growing out and he starts fighting uncontrollably and planned to kill Akashi, but Akashi dodged it with great panache and he comes in and punches him out, slit his outfit open, exposing his bare chest and Kabishi growled at him and comes after Akashi, punching him and flipping him around.
"That was a 200 yuan tuxedo!" Kabishi exclaimed.
Akashi got up and replied, "Well, now it's half off!"
Kabishi growled and began to punch Akashi out and when he got out his sword to kill Max, Saori unleashed her Rakurai powers to create a bolt of electricity and struck Kabishi in the back, causing him to roar in pain and shouted, "Get away from my boyfriend!"
Kabishi slowly walks over to her as Akashi gets behind Max and touches his shoulder, which gave him half of his aura and suddenly, he looks up at Akashi and he said, "Let's get him together."
"Yeah." Max agreed.
Kabishi slapped her in the face and grew seethingly angry at Saori for loving Max and he said, "You're just like the others! You just straight up abandoned me on purpose! Now...you'll know how I felt!"
He pulls out his sword and plans to stab her, but got stopped when a surge of Bao guang landed on his back, which made him fall down to the ground and Akashi stood there and said, "Nice one, Max."
Max was pretty much surprised with what he just did, but he had no time to question it as they were ready to knock Kabishi out big. Kabishi came towards both of them and Akashi punched him in the face and jaw while Max grabbed his tail and threw him in every which way but loose and then used his aura to punch, kick, bite and claw him everywhere.
Kabishi wasn't gonna let them win this one and he was willing to do everything to stop this fight and he went over to both of them, but both of them got out of the way and Akashi went ahead and punched, slugged and flipped him down pat and then, he threw him across the air and kicks him in the face while Max comes ahead and dodges every single blow Kabishi's giving him.
Kabishi got frustrated with both Akashi and Max dodging their punches and he would love to do nothing more but to kill both of them and when he was gonna stop them with the use of his sword, Akashi looked up at Max and asked, "Ready for the super Bao guang?"
"Don't know what that is...but let's do it!" Max exclaimed.
Both of them held their paws and they just jumped up in the air and released a dual super bao guang and aimed it directly at Kabishi, to which he was screaming in unstoppable pain as he was struck by them and he was no match for them and after that, he just fell down to the ground.
Max and Akashi panted heavily and as Max checks on Saori, Akashi brought out his katana just in case there's any movement with Kabishi and when he saw him trying to get up, he immediately stabbed him in the back with the katana, causing him to roar in pain and ended up with him getting arrested.
After that happened, Max runs to Saori and he just wrapped his arms around her and kissed her passionately and Saori completely accepted the kiss as he felt Max's warm embrace all around and when they let go, Saori told him, "Thank you so much! You were amazing!"
"So were you." Max replied.
Akashi stood behind him and he re-touched his shoulder, retrieving his aura back to him and he said to him, "Propose, my friend."
Max knew that this was gonna happen eventually, but for whatever happens, he knew that he was gonna spend all eternity on her and he looks at Saori in the eye, got down on one knee and pulls out the ring...to which Saori receives a huge shock.
"Saori Toka Okami...will you marry me?" asked Max.
She was overwhelmed with tears and without any hesitation, she replied, "YES! It's about time!"
Both of them hugged each other and kissed each other again and both of them knew that they'd be together forever and Akashi knew it for the first time and he said, "I am so proud of you, Max. I know you will take good care of her."
"I know I will." Max replied.
Wasn't it worth watching?! Max and Saori are finally getting engaged! Next stop...the wedding!