"You won't get away with this you bitch!" Hanna yells after Tsubaki.
"I already have!" the tanuki declares as she marches Chika away and out of hearing range.
Hanna struggles to break free from her bonds to no avail. "Dammit! I can't break free!"
"You can't give in yet!" Xander encourages. "Keep trying!"
For several moments, both canids thrash and yank, desperate to try and break the ropes restraining them, but all they manage is to pull the ropes tighter.
"It's no use," Hanna sighs, panting from her exertions. "There's no breaking out of this… That bitch did too good a job."
"I hate to say it… but I think you're right," Xander agrees. "Chika's going to die… and there's nothing I can do… to prevent that."
"On the bright side… you'll be joining her not long after," Hanna replies.
"What makes you say that?" Xander asks.
"You don't think Tsubaki will leave us alive, do you?" Hanna explains. "Once she's killed Chika, she'll be back for us. In fact, I'm surprised we're not dead already."
"How can you be so calm about this?" Xander demands.
"How long have you known me?" Hanna counters.
"Long enough to know you won't give up until you're actually dead," Xander answers.
Hanna brings her arms around in front of her face, her ultra‑sharp claws fully extended. "Damn right!" she grins.
"This isn't the time to be joking around!" Xander snaps as Hanna rolls over and unties her ankles.
"You're right, this wasn't the time nor the place," Hanna agrees as she cuts Xander free. "I just couldn't resist."
With the ropes cut and discarded, Hanna helps Xander to his feet. Xander then grabs Hanna by the neck and lifts her off the floor. "I'm only going to say this once," he growls. "Don't ever do that to me again."
"OK, OK, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Hanna croaks in apology.
Xander drops Hanna back to the floor. "Now we're on the same page, let's go save my girlfriend."
"If you weren't my friend, I'd‑" Hanna begins, halting under Xander's withering stare. "Tell you what: I'll stop talking."
"Smart move," Xander replies.
At the top of the tallest observation tower, Tsubaki marches Chika to the south‑facing viewpoint, where she ties the otter to the rail so she has no choice but to stand and look out over what remains of Mizutani.
"That's it, take a good look," Tsubaki gloats. "This is all your fault, of course. If you hadn't betrayed the Jade Alliance, you'd still have your dojo and your city. But then I wouldn't expect someone who's fucking the enemy to understand."
"Leave Xander out of this," Chika demands. "This is all your doing, you and that insane co‑conspirator of yours."
"Kaede is a useful ally," Tsubaki replies. "Without her contacts, I wouldn't have been able to turn your Red Scarf friends against you. What did you think you'd gain, negotiating with those barbarians? They have no interest in maintaining peace. They've seen what we can do. They know we have the power to sack an entire city. Do you think they'd allow us to survive for long? No. We're a threat to their monopoly in the Origin Kingdoms. They know we could just walk in and take over any time we wanted. Far better to destroy us while we're still contained in the Gotoshi. But then you knew all this already. It's no secret that you don't like the way some of us operate. You sit here in your dojo, all high and mighty on your crystal pedestal, pretending that you're somehow better than the rest of us. But you're not. You're a career criminal and mercenary for hire, just like the rest of us."
"I've been working to ensure the Scarves and the Jades can work together," Chika states defiantly.
Tsubaki grabs Chika's hair and forces her to look out over the city, where the besieging forces have advanced over the moat, and are now attacking the dojo itself. "Liar! You have been working to bring down the Jade Alliance from the inside! Confess!"
"I will never confess to crimes I did not commit!" Chika growls.
"You don't even have the honour within you to confess before you die," Tsubaki states flatly. "Had you confessed, I would have made your execution quick. But since you defy me, I have no choice but to make it slow and painful."
Tsubaki takes a step back, and draws her shorter katana with the metal‑overcoming‑water motif, ensuring the draw is as obvious as possible. Sword drawn, she tests its sharpness with a spare piece of rope. Satisfied, she pulls back to thrust the sword through Chika's abdomen‑
A feral orange beast slams into Tsubaki with such force, the tanuki drops the sword. The beast slams Tsubaki into the floor hard, then jumps backwards into a combat stance, standing between Tsubaki and Chika, Tsubaki's water katana in hand.
"Get away from her you bitch!" Hanna growls, snarling viciously.
Tsubaki pushes herself to her feet and draws her longer fire katana. "That sword is mine. Hand it over."
"I'd rather kill you with it," Hanna challenges.
"You just couldn't wait for your turn to die," Tsubaki sighs. "Very well. You should know I'm the finest swordsman in the Gotoshi."
"Yet you couldn't defeat a kitten," Hanna smirks mockingly. "And now you're up against the best CQC fighter in the Red Scarves."
"The childwoman?" Tsubaki inquires. "She made a very useful slave," she adds with a malevolent smirk.
Hanna can take no more: with a feral bellow of pure rage, she charges Tsubaki.
As the vixen and tanuki begin their battle, Xander starts to untie Chika. "I don't care what you say, I'm getting you out of here," he states with finality.
"Best news I've heard all day," Chika sighs, tears of both sadness and relief rolling down her cheeks.
"Did she hurt you?" Xander asks.
"Only emotionally," Chika answers. "She really does believe our relationship is part of a conspiracy to destroy the Jade Alliance from the inside."
"What matters is we know we're doing the right thing," Xander comforts, discarding the last rope. "Time to run."
"What about Hanna?" Chika asks.
"She can handle herself," Xander assures.
Chika follows Xander back down the stairs, leaving Hanna alone with Tsubaki.
Tsubaki, noticing Chika escaping, redoubles her efforts against Hanna, speeding up her attacks. Hanna attempts to counter, but within moments, she's overwhelmed, and is forced backwards against the rail that runs around the observation point. Tsubaki attempts to finish the vixen with a brutal two‑handed downward swing, but instinct is on Hanna's side: she blocks the swing with the flat of the water blade.
"Surrender and die with honour!" Tsubaki demands, leaning over Hanna, using her weight to push the fire blade closer to the vixen's face.
"So you can hunt and kill my friends?" Hanna grunts, the effort of keeping the fire blade slicing her face in two showing clearly. "Like that's going to happen!"
"Then you shall die in shame!"
Tsubaki suddenly backs off, causing Hanna to lower her sword. Tsubaki then sweeps down again, but for the second time, instinct is on Hanna's side. Rolling out from under the swing, Hanna puts a bit of distance between herself and Tsubaki before charging again. But Tsubaki is ready for the move. With a powerful sweep of the fire blade, she rips the water blade from Hanna's hands.
With a curse, Hanna halts her charge. Desperately dodging Tsubaki's swings, she attempts to get near the water blade to retrieve it, but Tsubaki's too skilled. Steadily, Hanna is driven further from the water blade until she's pinned in a corner, unable to escape.
"That didn't go to plan," Hanna comments to herself.
Tsubaki lunges for Hanna, slamming her into the low wall hard enough to daze, the fire blade on the vixen's neck. "No‑one can defeat me."
"You sound just like me," Hanna smirks.
Tsubaki hesitates. Hanna takes advantage of the opening: she rakes the full length of her claws across Tsubaki's face. The tanuki backs away, howling in pain.
"You'll pay for that!" Tsubaki bellows, lunging for Hanna again. But Hanna's already moved: she sprints across the observation deck, reclaims the water blade, and turns, ready to fight once more.
"I've survived worse situations," Hanna smirks. "I'm not about to die to a racoon who dresses like a slut."
With a primal yell, Tsubaki charges Hanna‑
The observation tower shakes violently as a shell strikes it halfway up its ascent, throwing both combatants to the floor.
"That's not good," Hanna comments to herself, the battle momentarily forgotten. She starts to move towards the stairwell, but Tsubaki gets there first.
"There's no escape for you, vixen!" the tanuki growls.
Another shell strikes the tower, causing it to list alarmingly.
Hanna starts to slide backwards, away from the stairwell. "Oh shit…"
Tsubaki, sensing Hanna's vulnerable, starts advancing. Hanna tries to regain her footing, but her boots refuse to find purchase, and she continues to slide. A few moments later, she slides into the rail. That's solved one problem at least.
Tsubaki halts her advance. "This is your end, vixen. Surrender, and I'll make it quick."
"You made that promise to Maria," Hanna growls back. "And you broke it. Plus, I never surrender."
A third shell strikes the tower.
Sensing the tower won't hold much longer, Tsubaki elects to retreat before it's too late. "Sayonara, vixen" are her final words before she descends the stairwell.
Hanna attempts to follow, but the lack of grip from her boots means she's unable to reach the stairwell.
The tower lurches violently.
"Fuck."
The tower collapses.