Warning: there will be violence in this chapter!

The battle

…

- Stupid cat! Could you be more wrong than that?! – Pai asked with contempt. - I would never lie to my people! How could you even consider that I'm going to spare your life? I only meant that any defense is useless!

Zoey took a deep breath, and despite all of her distress, tried to look brave and confident. Kisshu didn't seem to be coming for her rescue, and Pai didn't seem to be giving up executing her. She must defend herself.

- In that case, I'm really sorry, but I won't let you finish me! I haven't come here to die! Nor have I come here to pick up a fight! …

- I guess it's way too late – Pai said with a cold and cruel impression on his face.

- And I haven't finished yet! – she shouted with her old passion. – I haven't come here to pick up a fight, and I don't want to fight with you as well! But if you won't leave me alone, I will have to defend myself… with whatever means necessary!

- Well-well. The kitty has shown her teeth – Pai grinned evilly. – I've known that you haven't changed, no matter what Kisshu said!

- Same can be said about you! – Zoey replied.

- Anyways… - he said and started the fight. He swayed his fan and created a wind that pushed Zoey to the ground.

The flat stones with what the streets were covered hit her hard when she fell on them backwards. But she didn't give in and jumped on her feet quickly.

- If that's what you want… - she said and stretched her right hand to summon her magic bell. But it was only materializing in her hand when Pai created another wind that tossed it out of her hands and then shuttered it. – It's not fair! – she complained.

Pai couldn't care less. He swayed his fan once again and sent lightning on Zoey. Without her magical bell, she couldn't defend it, nor did she have enough time to dodge it. The lightning hit her and she fell on the ground in great pain. She was screaming loudly, but no one who could help her heard it. Pai sent two more rounds on her. When he got bored with it, Zoey was half way to lose her consciousness.

Electricity were coursing through her body, weakening her muscles and causing her enormous pain. She were lying on the ground while seizures shaking her. Her face was showed that she sufferer hard, but she just wouldn't give up.

Pai even started to feel sorry for her, but he couldn't stop. As he said, it was too late. And he still couldn't risk that she reveal their secret dimension to anyone. He stopped with the lightning, but instead he teleported himself next to her, and kicked her lying body meters away.

She hit the ground again, now falling on her side. She felt like at least half of the bones inside her body are broken. She did fell to the ground or got hit by other things during the fights six years ago, but it was somehow different. Then, even if she got hurt, it never turned out to be serious. Also, she healed faster than other humans, but only three times faster. That won't be enough this time – she guessed.

Pai seemed to be way more cruel than back in the days. He vanished his fan and was about to continue fighting with his bare hands. She gathered her strength and slowly stood up despite all the pain and aching inside her body. Half a second later, Pai was already beside her and tried to hit her. She dodged the first punch and managed to defend the second, but the first one hit her right on her face. She'd only put her left hand on her aching face, he kicked her in the stomach and then used both of his hands to push her away.

She'd flown meters in the air when she was finally stopped by a wall of a house which was ruptured by her. So was her ribs. She didn't have much time for self pity as well, as Pai was already there and continued the fight. He didn't even give her time to stand up. He kicked her in the belly so hard, that she broke the wall behind her even further. She didn't want to show him weakness, but she couldn't help letting out a painful scream. As she seemed defeated, Pai gave her a few seconds before he ends her.

Zoey fell on her knees and was gasping heavily. She couldn't catch her breath for half a minute. She felt like if Pai didn't kill her, then the pain would. She didn't even feel strong enough to stand up. "So much for the times I spent as a Mew Mew, or my mission as a guardian of New York!" she thought. "It seemed like none of these prepared me for a fight like this. After all, we could only defeat the aliens when we were together. Divided, we fall. That's what Elliot always said. Even though I was quite successful in New York… There, I was only fighting humans. Humans, who could not teleport and were not as strong as ten others."

- So, what's it gonna be, Zoey! – Pai asked her when he got bored with seeing her panting on the ground by the wall. – Stand up already!

- Why do you care?! – she sighed I pain and distress. – You want to kill me, after all.

- That's exactly why! – he answered. – It would be dishonorable to kill someone who is kneeling on the ground. So get up and let's finish it already!

- And what if I won't? – she asked defiantly.

- Then I'll make you do it! – he claimed. – One last chance! Stand up, and your death will be fast!

- I won't! – Zoey refused to obey. – And Kisshu will never forgive you, if he learns that you killed me! – She couldn't resist to bring up his name.

- What makes you think that he cares about you the least?! – Pai shook his head in contempt. – He hasn't even come to rescue you!

Pai touched her weakest point with that. It was true. Kisshu haven't showed up since she arrived, not even after she was attacked.

- But he might haven't realized, that I'm here! – she replied.

- Doesn't matter now. Stand up! – he ordered again. Zoey still refused to do so, so he attacked her with lightning again. She screamed even louder this time.

After a minute, there was very little life left in her, but her stamina helped her to fight back again. With the rest of her strength, she summoned the strawberry bell again, and this time she didn't let it fade away. She used it to create a shield that defended her from previous attacks. She used that time to catch her breath and broke out. She left the wall behind and reached for the center of the main square.

- So she still had some backups to save herself! – Pai concluded. – Not for much longer! – he decided with an evil smile. Part of him didn't even recognize himself right now, but he kept on fighting her. He thought it was for the wellfare of the Cyniclons. He went after her with evil desire.

Zoey was running through the square, half way to the statue, hardly being able to stand on her own feet, when he gained upon her again. Pai tripped her up, so after a somersault she fell on the ground for the umpteen time.

- Get up and face your fate! – he ordered showing no mercy.

Zoey groaned painfully, but then she clumsily stood up again and looked up at him with fear in her eyes.

- Please… - she gasped of exhaustion. – You don't have to do this…! Please…!

- That's exactly what I have to do – he responded and attacked her again.

They fought for one last minute, while Zoey used up all of her backup energy. She managed to dodge many of his kicks and punches, but yet he hit her a few times. And that few attacks happened to hit her on the most painful areas. By the time they finished, there were wounds and bruises all over her body and fractures inside it. However, although she had also hit and kicked him a few times, Pai seemed to be unhurt.

Finally, Zoey used the magic power of her strawberry bell, but even that didn't work. Pai simply dodged it the first time, and defended the next with his fan. She didn't have enough power for a third magical attack.

In the end, when he saw that Zoey barely managed to find her balance or to move her limbs, he materialized a sword in his hands. He appeared next to her and tried to stab her. She defended the first few attacks with the magic bell, but she was too weak to attack again in any kind of way. So Pai soon tossed the heart shaped bell out of her hands that made it disappear. His next attack already touched her and cut into her arms she raised to defend herself.

She started to run again, away from him, but he space-jumped in her way, pointed his sword at her, and it was almost like she ran into the blade. The sharp metal wounded her abdomen and her left arm deeply. With the previous wounds, now she was bleeding so much, that she fainted as a result of the blood loss.

When she regained consciousness a few seconds later, she was kneeling on the ground again and Pai was standing next to her. He held the blade of his sword tightly to her neck. She could even feel the cold of the metal cutting into her skin. She looked up at him with fear and begging in her pink eyes, but his face was cold and ruthless as before.

- I remember what I said earlier about killing a kneeling person would be dishonorable…, but I don't care anymore! – he claimed decidedly. Zoey didn't even feel enough strength inside her to ask for mercy. But then she yet managed to whisper a few words.

- Please…, don't… - she begged, as Pai raised his sword to begin his last strike.

…

Montana, Tectum, inside the cathedral,

- What is taking Pai so long? – Taruto complained as there were some decisions they couldn't make without their third co-leader.

- I have no idea! – Kissho shook his head. – But I'm going to check this out at last!

- I'm coming with you! – Taruto claimed.

- Then who would stay with the elders? – Kisshu asked. Taruto was about to turn back to the table sadly, when an elder spoke up.

- It is time for a break, anyway. Go and breathe some fresh air – the elder suggested to the leaders.

- As fresh as the air in this dimension can be – Kisshu mumbled sarcastically and headed to the exit. Taruto followed him eagerly.

- I'd really like to eat something! – Taruto said.

- Alright – Kisshu agreed. – Then we look for Pai and then get some lunch!

They stepped out the cathedral just to get more surprised than ever. They ran to the top of the stairs to have a better look. The main square that used to be full of people by this part of the day was nearly empty. However, a man was fighting with a pink haired girl in the middle of the square. And they were…

- Is that Pai?! – Taruto exclaimed. – And… Zoey?!

- What is she doing here?! – Kisshu exclaimed in fright, looking at Taruto for answers, although he knew Taru knew as little as himself. – And why are they fighting?!

- She's already defeated… - Taruto said, pointing at the fountain with his hand.

Kisshu quickly looked there. Zoey was kneeling on the ground and Pai… Pai was about to strike down with his sword! "What the hell, Pai!" he thought.

- I need to save her! – Kisshu shouted, and flew away.

- I hope you will – Taruto said, as he saw the intrepidity in Pai's eyes. And like a blue light was gleaming in his eyes for a second. Taruto shook his head and followed Kisshu. He decided to help him save Zoey.

"What the hell is wrong with Pai?" he wondered during flying.

…

Montana, Tectum, main square,

- Say goodbye to your pretty head! – Pai said in response, and raised his sword even further to make the upcoming strike more effective.

Zoey couldn't help, but break out in a cry. Tears rolled down her face as Pai gave her a few last seconds to say goodbye to her life. She couldn't run away, she couldn't even move. She was too weak to do anything, even breathing became a wheeze. She saw that Pai's about to strike down soon, so she closed her eyes and waited for the worst. She heard Pai taking one more breath and put his sword into motion. She crouched as an instinct, when…

The last lethal strike she was counting on just hadn't come. Instead she heard the bang caused by a clash between two metals. She didn't dare to open her eyes for a few more seconds, but when she finally did, she saw a man standing in front of her. He was wearing black and brown clothing, and it seemed like he prevented the attack with the two daggers he was holding in his hands. He was actually still holding Pai's sword back with using both of the three-ended daggers.

- This pretty head is still going to remain on its position for a long time! – her savior stated firmly. Then he looked behind his shoulders to check on her. Their eyes met.

- Kisshu?! – Zoey shouted quietly. She seemed to be more surprised than the last time he saved her from dying. – Kisshu, you came! – she sighed as she was gasping of pain and exhaustion. Her eyes were full of tears but she seemed to be finally relieved. She felt that Kisshu came to help her.

The green haired guy than turned back to his opponent, who happened to be his co-leader. Pai was so surprised that he didn't even speak for a few moments.

- What on Earth were you thinking, Pai?! – Kisshu yelled at him in anger and disapproval. – Picking up a fight with her?! Inside our city?! Many innocents could have got hurt!

Zoey, because of this, thought that Kisshu only came to prevent the collateral damage of their fight. But Kisshu was indeed worried about her. Meanwhile, Pai finally gathered his thoughts and replied.

- I commanded them to go inside a shelter! – he defended himself. They were still holding their weapons hooked up in the air. – You can see that there's no one of them around!

- Still! What the hell was your purpose with this stupid battle?! – Kisshu continued questioning him. – Did you want to kill her, or what?!

- Like it wasn't obvious! – Pai answered.

- How did you dare?! – Kisshu yelled at him, then his voice turned to be more uncomprehending. – Why? Why would you want to kill her?! She might be our ex-enemy, but I ensured you that she wasn't up to anything that would harm us!

- And yet she broke into our city! – Pai claimed. – She needed to be punished!

- But with death?! We haven't used capital punishment for thousands of centuries. The prohibition of it is in our basic law!

- As I remember those lines… It says that sentencing Cyniclons to death is what's forbidden! There's nothing in our basic law regarding humans!

- So you thought this simply gives you permission to kill her?! – Kisshu couldn't believe his own ears. - Haven't we told our people not to kill humans?!

- That didn't apply to us!

- But we should show them an example! – Kisshu stated.

- She's a Mew Mew, not completely a human! – Pai disagreed.

- And you're not being completely rational! You're acting insane! Since when killing someone is your priority?!

- Have you forgotten what we were trying to do six years ago! I'm just finishing it!

- No, Pai. You're taking revenge. But you should be wiser than that! It will lead nowhere.

- She was distracting you way too much! – Pai revealed his true reason. – I couldn't let you fall in love with her and lose your mind once again!

- I can't believe this… - Kisshu stared at him thrilled. - You tried to kill her… because of me?!

- You were wasting your time with her. I should have killed her six years ago.

- I don't even recognize you right now, Pai. Filled with anger… You're so…!

Kisshu didn't finish the sentence as he heard Zoey gaps harder and more painfully. If he was wasting his time with something, than it would have been the previous conversation with Pai. So he gathered his strength and pushed Pai back along with his sword. Pai attacked back, so they started a short fight.

They were fighting with their weapons, and kicks happened a few times too. Kisshu seemed to be in advantage from the beginning. He never got hurt and managed to wound Pai instead. After a minute, Kisshu kicked out the sword from Pai's hand, and pushed him to the ground. Then kneeled over him and put both of his daggers to his neck forming an X around it.

Kisshu looked at Pai firmly and with determination.

- You try to hurt her or only touch her one more time, and your head going to be separated from your body! – Kisshu threatened him angrily.

- Look at you! – Pai grinned in pain. – This little harlot has already spoiled your mind.

- Watch your mouth! – Kisshu yelled as he tightened the daggers around Pai's neck. – One more assault on her or on any other humans, and I will end you!

- I wasn't planning to hurt anyone else… - Pai groaned.

- You stay away from her! – Kisshu ordered at last, and left his co-leader on the floor. He wasn't sure if Pai has understood, but if not, he was ready to defeat him again.

Kisshu then turned his back on Pai, and rushed his way back to Zoey. He hoped that it won't be too late. He only realized seconds later, that they ended up at the other side of the square while fighting, so he rather used teleportation.

…

Meanwhile Kisshu were debating with Pai,

Zoey was thinking of what Kisshu were saying. He wasn't really defending her, at least not literally. But it was obvious that he cared about her really much. She wished that she was strong enough to speak and tell him why she came here in the first place. But she was about to lose consciousness once again. Her blood was painting her hands red as she kept them on her wounds, trying to reduce the bleeding.

A warm hand touched her shoulder as she was bleeding out on the ground. That's when she realized that despite the Mediterranean climate, she was being cold. She was so cold, that chills started to shake her body and made her feel even more weak and sick than before. The owner of the hand than kneeled down next to her and wrapped his left arm around her back. She looked at his face.

- Taruto…? – she sighed silently. Taruto had grown so much, she felt lucky to even recognize him.

- Are you okay? – he asked with worry in his voice.

Zoey shook her head while tears flooded her eyes.

- No… I… I didn't want to cause anyone trouble – she gasped, looking into Taruto's eyes.

- I believe you. – He smiled at her kindly and put his right arm on Zoey's biggest wound on her abdomen. He tried to help her reduce the bleeding. He was holding her tight.

That was the point when Kisshu pushed Pai back and they started to fight.

- They're fighting… because of me! – Zoey said in deep regret.

- It's not your fault! – Taruto tried to cheer her up. He embraced her more strongly, as he felt she was about to collapse. He had never imagined he would see the leader of the Mew Mews being so weak and hurt. And now her tears started to flow again.

- Yes, it is! – she cried. – It's my fault that the leaders of your people turned on each other…

Taruto wanted to claim the opposite, but both of them knew it would have been a lie. So he tried another way.

-It might have something to do with you that they had some disagreements. Actually, they were debating last day because of you…

Zoey felt so bad again, and not just because of the pain and sickness.

- I didn't mean to. I'm so sorry – she cried on. – I've never should have come here…

- No no no no! – Taruto asked her as he felt that her aura is about to fade if she's going on with hurting herself. – Stop this! You're only hurting yourself!

- But it's…

- It's not your fault that it ended up in a fight! It was Pai's own, stupid decision. That's what I wanted to say!

- But Kisshu…

Zoey's voice had become so quiet by now, it was only whispering. Taruto had to hold her stronger to prevent her from falling to the ground.

- He's fighting for you! – Taruto told her with a warm smile. – I've haven't seen him being this passionate for six years.

- But I… thought…that… - Zoey's eyes were about to close, and her voice faded.

- Zoey! Hey, Zoey! Hold on! – Taruto shouted in fright. She can't die in his arms! Kisshu would be shattered. And also he was kind of concerned about her as well. – Zoey!

- I wasn't…sure… - she groaned powerlessly, - …if he…still…loved me… - She took one last, forceless breath and fainted in his arms.

Taruto was really scared. He lied her down in his lap, holding her head in his arms.

- Zoey! Come back! – he shouted at her. – Wake up! …He loves you! You hear me?! Wake up! He loves you…!

He even tried slapping her gently, but that didn't work either. She did not wake up. She was lying in his arms lifelessly, without a single movement. He grabbed her wrist and measured her pulse. Or he would have measure it but there was nothing to measure. He then tried to hear her breathing but she wasn't breathing either. That was when he heard someone running towards them from far above.

He looked up, and it was Kisshu, reaching for them from the other side of the main square. Then he disappeared and after a second he was already standing next to them.

…