Chapter 1-6: The Warrior Goddess

"Nee-san has been training much harder ever since she met Devil. Gramps seems to think of that as a good thing, but I'm worried about her. She hasn't been sleeping well and she's scary at times."

- Kawakami Kazuko

I'm watching the battle from far behind the S army lines. The deal was that I join in when I feel like it, and now I'm waiting to see what my little bro put together for me. My thoughts turn to when Yamato first asked me out and I rejected him. He's been trying to prove himself ever since he asked me out a week ago, so I'm looking forward to see if he's outdone himself today, on my birthday.

I look out at the battle again, and I feel myself smile in anticipation. Mayumayu being one of my opponents is a no brainer, and I saw Mark fighting just a little while ago. My smile disappears. I've trained hard ever since he beat me, even though the fight was unofficial. He won't win again. But I want to beat someone else even more. I clench my fist in anger…Devil…

I shake my head and focus on the battle to get him out my head. The main fight is at a standstill and isn't long before I get bored…I see Mayumayu head towards Mark behind the battle, they talk for a bit. As usual Mayumayu gets flustered, how adorable. Mark tries to comfort her and doesn't look nervous at all, I wonder if that's because of his past experience or if he's confident because he's already fought me. He's going to be surprised if he thinks I'll go down as easily as last time.

Should I attack now? Or should I wait till things heat up? I guess I can wait a few more minutes…

(One minute later)

…Screw it! I jump over the battlefield and straight to Mayumayu and Mark. Normally I would make a big entrance, but I've been itching to try out my new skills!

Mayumayu is the first to notice me, "Watch out!" she shouts in surprise to Mark as she herself jumps back. He quickly jumps and rolls away without even looking as I crash down on where he was, pushing up a big cloud of dust.

"Nice to see you too, Momoyo," he says calmly with a friendly grin once the dust disappears.

"You act as if this happens often," I reply, a little bummed-out that I didn't get a surprised reaction.

He shrugs, "I've been ambushed enough times to not get bothered by it anymore. At least on field anyway, I may be a bit more taken aback at on the streets when my guard's down."

"Hmm, then maybe I'll do that later," I say with a smile. I move on to the real question, "Where's Devil?"

"Not even going to ask how I'm doing? If I'm still dying?" he asks, playfully avoiding the question.

"I'm guessing you aren't."

He sighs, "Thanks for caring."

"So where's Devil?" I ask again.

He looks into my eyes. After several moments he sighs again, this time fully serious. "He's not with me, he's with you grandfather." I smile in response, but he continues with a grave tone. "Leave him alone, Momoyo."

"Heheh, why are you talking like that? Are you afraid of me beating him?" I ask lightly but his disapproving gaze continues.

"I'm telling you to drop it because you can't beat him."

Now I'm starting to get angry, "I've been training hard since we last saw each other. I've trained hard just so I can beat him!"

"It's not enough to defeat him."

"And how do you know if I can't even try?!" I almost yell.

"Because I know Devil! I know his skills, I know his methods, and I know his strengths!"

"U-umm," Mayumayu tries to get a word in but quickly shies away when they both look at her, and she quickly raises up Matsukaze as a shield and talks through him, "How do you know that Devil will win when you haven't even seen how much Momo-senpai has grown?"

I nod gratefully to her before I turn back to Mark. "She asks a good question, you haven't seen me in a fight." I ready myself to battle.

"Fine, we fight like we're supposed to in this war and if I'm impressed I'll consider it," he says as he draws his sword. I quickly glance at Mayumayu, and she's ready to fight.

"Fuahaha," I hear a familiar laugh from above and quickly jump back as the figure hits the ground between me and Mark, spraying dust around like what I just did, but I don't need to see her to know that it's Ageha-sama. "You aren't thinking of starting without me have you?"

"Well you were taking your time," Mark speaks defensively, back to his less grim self. "We were starting to think that you wouldn't show up."

"I didn't want to intrude on your conversation," she says politely. Mark gives off a priceless 'I just screwed up' expression, but she doesn't see it. Instead she looks at me, "You don't look as surprised as I thought you'd be."

"I felt that way just a little while ago. Honestly though, who else would it be?"

She lunges at me and punches, but I easily dodge the strike and jump into the air and charge up my energy, but she quickly follows and interrupts my attack. "You didn't think you could get away that easily, did you?"

I can feel myself grin as I block her strikes, before punching her down with a well-timed hit. Mark quickly dashes and catches her while Mayumayu takes her place and slashes many times, but I quickly see through her cuts and catch her blade with my hand. While she's surprised, I flip and drop-kick her towards Mark and Ageha-sama and then quickly chase after her.

"Mayucchi, catch!" I hear Mark shout as he throws his sword. Mayumayu spins and sheaths her katana in one motion before catching it. She quickly twirls with the blade outstretched and I raise my hand to seize it. As I try to clench my fingers on the blade, though, they go through it. I don't have time to voice my surprise before my arm and hand gets cut. Mayumayu continues her defense with more strikes, though at a much slower speed than with her katana. But even with the slow speed I'm too close to avoid them.

"Now move!" She quickly maneuvers to the side and exposes Mark, who quickly delivers a powerful kick to my chest, sending me flying away from them as Mayumayu lands. As I land on my feet, Ageha-sama rushes me again and delivers countless punches, which I match with my own fists. As I throw my attacks, Mark comes up on my right while Mayumayu takes my left. Left with no choice, I let Ageha-sama score a direct hit to my stomach get her as close as I can. She smirks in satisfaction, but when she sees my smirk it quickly vanishes.

"Kawakami-style, Human Bomb!" I shout before my energy explodes, engulfing Ageha-sama and covering me in a black smoke. I use Instant Recovery as the explosion occurs, so I'm not hurt by the attack. As I start to get confident, I'm hit in the face, and then in the gut three time in quick succession before being blown backward. "Damn it!" I spout in confusion as I recover.

Ageha-sama wasn't blown back by the technique! "You alright, Ageha?" Mark asks.

"I'm fine, thanks for the help!" Ageha-sama replies gratefully. I can sense Mark's energy on Ageha-sama, and when I see the black marks on his face I finally piece it together. He surrounded her with his barrier just before I exploded, shielding her instead of himself! I grimace in annoyance.

"Training and experience are two different things Grand Master Kawakami." Devil and Grand Master Kawakami are watching the battle from afar. "They seem similar in theory, but a seasoned warrior can see the difference."

Grand Master Kawakami nods. "Comparing Momoyo and Mark, there is quite a difference."

"Survivor has learned that every life counts in a war, so he prioritizes the safety and support of others. Kawakami's training, by contrast, makes her more short-sighted, so she focuses on defeating her opponent quickly to win the battle."

He chuckles, "That's a rather black and white observation."

"It does not help that the two cancel each other out when they collide. Experience does not beat training, and training does not beat experience."

"Which of the two do you have the most of?"

"I like to believe that I have an equal amount of both. My first four years were focused on experience and then, when I knew my abilities, I focused on training. But that is irrelevant right now."

I growl as I grow more and more frustrated. Every attack I perform gets countered by Mark's support, and every time I get close to him he double teams me with either Ageha-sama or Mayumayu! He's just outside of my reach, teasing me, mocking me!

"ENOUGH!" I shout angrily as I pick up a nearby tree and throw it at them horizontally. Ageha-sama and Mayumayu are too close to dodge and get caught in the branches. Mark quickly rolls under it and leaps at me, with his sword raised. "Finally!" I dodge his slashes, but he cuts me as I throw him behind me. "Now you're mine! No one's going to help you now!"

"Yeah, I'm alone. But that doesn't make me less dangerous!" he exclaims as he charges his sword and puts bright white energy in his free hand. That's the attack that I can't touch, I remind myself as I put my power into my hands. I feel myself smile from ear to ear; the excitement of a threat flooding through me! This is it!

We charge at each other as we both shout! His sword slashes high, so I duck! Then he pushes his hand towards me to take advantage of the opening he made, but I'm already ahead of him! I quickly move to the side and dodge the orb of energy and then I deliver a well-placed punch at his arm! The orb flies away from me!

"Oh, I'm fucked," leaves his lips as he watches the energy scatter on the ground.

Now that he's wide open I start my attack! "Kawakami style, Energy One-Two!" I yell happily as I drive my left fist at his chest, but he desperately catches myfist with his free hand. My power blows through his arm, and is so strong that the sleeve rips apart! I continue pushing for a few seconds, but he doesn't let go, instead he diverts the attack to the side. As I pull back my right I catch a glimpse of him gritting his teeth in pain, a sign that he's almost done! I strike him dead center in the chest with the rest of my energy! He's thrown back like a ragdoll, tumbling end over end as his sword flies ahead of him, embedding itself in a far tree just before it's master crashes just below it.

I pant from the encounter, my heart is racing with the thrill of defeating a tough opponent! "I did it," I say aloud. "Yes! I did it! I've beat him!" I laugh like a child. "I've beaten my first target, now I-"

"Momo-senpai!" a voice comes from behind me.

"Mayumayu! I did it!" I turn in excitement to her and Ageha-sama, but when I do she backs away fearfully. "What's wrong?! Oh yeah, the war! Don't worry I'm-"

"Momoyo, you need to calm down," Ageha-sama says sternly.

"Hah? Why are you guys so serious, all of a sudden?" I feel something warm on my hands slowly dripping down onto the ground. Curious, I look at them, and I get shocked to the bone.

Devil is tense and is pacing back and forth anxiously, his eyes never leaving Survivor's location.

"What's wrong?" Grand Master Kawakami asks unknowingly.

"Survivor is wounded."

"He was just hit with a powerful attack, of course he's wounded."

Devil looks at him like an impatient teacher scolding a student. "You do not get it. He is no longer strong." Grand Master Kawakami looks back uncomprehendingly so Devil explains, "The attack he performed is called the Aura Reap and is performed by imploding one's own energy to absorb anothers energy, like a black hole. It is a devastating attack that is crippled by the fact that it must hit the target."

"But in this case it didn't."

"Exactly, his energy has imploded without drawing out another energy source so he has nothing left to protect himself with!"

Grand Master Kawakami looks back at Survivor. "He doesn't look too bad."

"I was not implying he needed help, I just do not like seeing him like that."

He laughs at the comment.

I slowly turn towards Mark. He's lying there, not moving at all. I-I can't… I couldn't have done this…This was an accident…We were just fighting and I… This isn't my fault! I didn't want this! I…They can't see this! Not Yamato, not Wanko, no one will want to be with me anymore…I'll be alone!

Wait! He just moved! "He just moved!"

"I'm not done yet…" he mumbles as he shambles to stand. He's alive! Whew, I didn't kill him after all! Wait a minute…he's getting up…how in the hell is he getting up after an attack like that!

"I'm not seeing things, am I?" I ask no one in particular, but Mayumayu answers.

"No, he's really getting up."

The pain alone would have crippled a normal person, maybe even a trained fighter, but he still rises from the ground using the trees to support him. Then, at full height, he pulls his sword out of the tree before turning toward me exposing his injuries. The bones in his free arm have shattered and even some of the splinters grotesquely stick out of his flesh. There is a fist sized crater in chest where the second blow struck. Then as I look at his face, he spits out some blood and smiles.

"I'm called 'Survivor' for a reason. Now should we continue or are we having a break?" I'm impressed, relieved, awestruck even. A flare explodes in the sky, signaling the end of the Kawakami War.