Chapter 50: A Christmas Chapter!
...
Wait, what? That has no continuity? Oh well...
Chapter 50: The End of the Tournament
Alrighty everyone, let's go again! Okay Stealth, two and a half months. It was four months since chapter 47, but not since 48. I will admit though, you caught me on that it was a little longer than two months :P Of course... You didn't review chapter 48, and the email messaging system was down when it came out, so no email went out for it. Not sure if you read it or not, but that may be what's confusing. I didn't make up the Ama-Ama Dangos, by the way. By the way, Konata's technique was never revealed in the last chapter, that isn't something that's been explained yet. Tsuki and Yutaka, however, was kind of something that happened off camera... One thing I constantly forget is that you guys don't know nearly as much as I do about this... So I didn't think to explain it. I'm glad everyone saw the Spongebob reference, I would have felt weird if you didn't...Thanks for all the reviews guys, that really was awesome. MOTIVATION! I had even less time to work on it than with the last chapter, but I still got it out! Anyway, I'll let you guys get to it.
One quick thing. For some reason, the underline isn't working. Thing is, when the Gods and Goddesses talk to the people in their minds, their text is italicized and underlined. Sage Mode is bold and underlined. If it isn't underlined, that's a glitch.
In the Morning
"Kan-kan, wake up." A stern voice called.
"Mmph..." Tony rolled over.
"Kan-kan." The voice said again. He rolled over to the voice and opened his eyes drearily.
"Mmmm... Tsu-chan...? We're breaking up." He said and rolled back over.
"Kan-kan, it's me." The voice said. Tony rolled over again and looked.
"Kon-kon?" Tony asked sleepily.
"Yeah." Konata said. Tony rolled back over once more.
"Kon-kon, we're breaking up." He said and went back to sleep. Konata crossed her arms and huffed. She looked over at the door and smiled. Sneaking out, she looked around the hallway to see who was up and who was still asleep. She walked over to Tsukasa's room and cracked the door open. Yutaka, Tsuki, Kagami, and Tsukasa were all still asleep. Konata began staring at Kagami. Although Kagami knew she was sleeping with a pervert in Tsuki, she had, for some reason, chosen to sleep in panties and a bra. Konata continued to stare at her for several minutes until she began to stir. Her eyes fluttered open and she drowsily looked up at Konata. She sleepily propped herself on her elbows and looked at the door, yawning and rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She saw Konata and smiled, still half-asleep. As she became aware of her surroundings, and the state of undress she was in, she realized the blanket had fallen to her stomach, exposing her top half. She looked down and back up at Konata. The Otaku gave a smile and a thumbs up, to which the Tsundere's face burst red. Glaring back, Kagami threw her pillow as she tried her best to cover up with one arm and the blanket. Konata swiftly closed the door and let the pillow hit the door. Konata stepped back for a moment and waited. As predicted, Kagami stepped out quietly while she blushed ferociously. She was very sloppily dressed.
"Pervert! What am I supposed to do with you?" Kagami asked in a loud whisper. Her face was flush with embarrassment and a bit of fury.
"What? 'Cause I stared at you while you were almost naked?" Konata asked deviously.
"Duh!" Kagami said.
"Here, I'll show you something really cool! Then we can call it all even, right?" Konata asked. Kagami was caught off guard by the question. She seemed interested in it.
"Well... That depends on what it is..." Kagami said. Konata smiled and held out a hand. Kagami, confused, put her own hand out.
"If you grab someone's hand like this... you can bring them down to the floor..." Konata went through the movements very slowly so that Kagami could analyze the mechanics like she knew she would. Kagami was brought down onto the ground slowly. "And you have... a nearly unbreakable arm lock!" Konata said. She applied pressure so that Kagami could feel it. She groaned a little in pain. "The more you try and break it with sheer power, the more it hurts! And the more strength you put into pressuring the muscle, the more pain they're in! You can use this to punish anyone who peeps again!" Konata said as she used her grip on Kagami's hand to help her to her feet. Kagami rolled her arm and smirked.
"Why don't I just use it on you then?" Kagami asked teasingly.
"I taught it to you! I know how to get out of it!" Konata said. Kagami looked a little disappointed.
"Aw... I guess you ARE right though... you WOULD know how to get out of it..." Kagami sighed.
"No punishment for me!" Konata cheered.
"And I was hoping to be able to do this and that with Kona while she was down..." Kagami sighed again. Suddenly, her eyes got wide, her face darkened, and she clapped her hands over her mouth in a futile attempt to recall her words. "Um-! I mean-! That's-!" She began shouting.
"Hm? You should have just told me, Kagamin~!" Konata chimed.
"I'm still half-asleep~!" Kagami groaned. Suddenly, the door opened behind Konata.
"Huaaah..." Tony yawned. "What's... going on outside my door? Why are you being so loud?" He complained.
"There he is! He was peeping on Tsukasa all of last night, probably having some perverted fantasy about her while she was in her panties and bra! Man, if I hadn't been there to stop him, who knows what he might have done to her while you all were still asleep!" Konata said. Tony yawned again and looked between the two.
"Hmm?" He hummed in disorientation.
"Divine..." Kagami said as she grabbed his hand. Going through the motions that Konata had showed her not five minutes ago with frightening ease, Kagami twisted his arm and took him down to the ground. "PUNISHMENT~!" She yelled out as Tony hit the ground hard.
"Ah! What?" Tony shouted.
"Are you ever going to peep again?" Kagami asked. She applied pressure.
"No Ma'am!" Tony shouted. Kagami applied more pressure.
"Do you swear?" She asked.
"I swear!" Tony shouted. Kagami, seemingly satisfied with his answer, released him.
"Alrighty then." She turned to address her girlfriend. "Wow Kona, that technique has some serious power to it!" Kagami said.
Yeah, like the power to turn the innocent into the guilty... Konata thought to herself. Kagami, happy with having learned something new so early in the morning, began skipping merrily into the living room.
"I forgive you, Kona~!" She chimed happily. Konata smiled before turning to the groaning Tony on the ground.
"Ug... What'd I do?" Tony mumbled in pain. Konata smiled and crouched down so that she was on level with him.
"Still won't admit guilt, huh?" Konata asked.
"I have no idea what you're talking about..." Tony mumbled.
"Next time, get up when I tell you and don't break up with someone over something as stupid as that." Konata scolded him.
"Uhg... Yeah..." Tony mumbled. Tsuki walked out of the room quietly and glared at the two.
"Muo! You almost woke Yu-sama!" She said.
"She didn't wake up?" Tony asked. Tsukasa yawned, walking out of the room and rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
"Yu-sama's still asleep. If she wakes up, she'll hit us all with another glitter attack..." Tsuki said. "I never should have taught her that..." She said.
"What do you mean?" Tony asked.
"Glitter Attack... It's something my Aunt taught me, if you give puppy eyes a certain way, you're sure to get what you want! The cuter you are, the better it works. My Aunt was the best at it, but Yu-sama learned it and mastered it... She kept using it... There's only so many times you can see a puppy die before your mind kind of... breaks..." Tsuki mumbled, looking away.
"That sounds scary..." Tony mumbled.
"It is." Tsuki said.
"Then let's get out of here quickly..." Tony said. They began to sneak out, picking up Kagami along the way, but Tony walked into the kitchen with a small bag and filled it with the new green dengen. He walked out to the living room and heard a yawn from the hallway. He looked at the shadow to see it was Yutaka. He began to make his escape, but heard a small voice, like the coo of a dove.
"Onii-chan... Where is everyone? Where are you going?" She asked innocently. Tony knew better than to look around.
"Um... I'm going to fight in the tournament. It's the last fight..." Tony said behind him.
"I wanna come!" Yutaka said.
"Are you sure? It's gonna be a lot of fighting and violence. Are you really interested in that kind of stuff?" Tony asked.
"Yeah! If I get to see Onii-chan fight!" Yutaka said sweetly. Tony smiled a little and gestured for her to follow.
"Alright, I guess come on then. Me, Konata, and Tsuki are fighting." Tony said.
"Cool! I can't wait!" She said excitedly. The two got out there to see Kagami tapped her foot, looking at the door expectantly.
"If you're gonna go off on your own, at least tell us first." She said, annoyed.
"Sorry..." Tony apologized. Wait, why am I apologizing for walking around in my own damn house? He wondered briefly, but decided to abandon the thought. They all began to walk to the arena.
"Kan-kun, how are you? Do you have energy? Are you going to be okay?" Tsukasa asked.
"Tsu-chan, I have a master martial artist with what I think is a perfect defense and a girl with powers that can shoot laser beams from her fingers. What team could stand up to us?" Tony asked. He almost added Hachiman to their assets, but remembered that he couldn't be called for a little while. He would have to ask the god about that later.
"I dunno, if they're tougher ninjas than what you fought last round, we might not stand a chance." Konata chuckled. "Unless you call down your god again."
"Can't do that for a little bit Kon-kon. Dunno why, but I think I kind of exhausted him. Something with that last attack..." Tony said.
"Well, we're on our own this time! No divine intervention!" Tsuki said.
"Good luck guys." Kagami said.
"We're not even at the arena yet Kagamin~." Konata chimed.
"We-well I can still wish you luck..." Kagami averted her gaze. "Not that I care." She added, almost an afterthought.
"Kagamin is so transparent now..." Konata giggled a bit.
"Shut up." Kagami said. They began making attempts at small talk for a while, but again ran into the same problem. There simply wasn't much to talk about that the others hadn't been privy to. So, the four people who had spent so much time together, turned to the one with the least spot light in the group.
"Yu-chan~." Konata chimed, drawing her name out.
"Hm? What is it Nee-chan?" Yutaka asked.
"You still never got to tell me all the details of your little rendezvous with Minami." Konata said. Yutaka smiled, looked down at the ground, and blushed simply at hearing her name.
"No... No you didn't..." She began to fidget.
"Rendezvous? Did you and Minami finally get together?" Kagami asked with a smile. Yutaka blushed deeper.
"What do you mean "finally"? Am I really that obvious?" Yutaka asked, in an adorably panicked manner.
"Sorry to say, you're even more obvious than these two." Konata gestured to Tony and Tsukasa.
"Well, I don't know about that, they were pretty obvious." Kagami smiled.
"Aren't we talking about Yutaka right now?" Tony asked.
"Yep! So come on Yu-chan! Spill!" Konata said. Yutaka smiled a bit wider and remembered back.
The Not Too Distant Past
Yutaka was skipping down the street, humming a happy little tune to herself. She was getting looks from all around her and comments on how cute she was, but she didn't mind it. In fact, she barely paid any attention to them at all. She was going to see her Minami and that alone made her happier than she thought she ever could be. She found the diner that she knew Minami was in and entered. She looked around, trying to find the girl she thought she might love. On not seeing her, she walked up to the nearest employee. It was an odd diner with a very western feel, so there were actual people serving with a laid-back personality.
"Um... Was there a Minami Iwasaki here?" Yutaka asked. The server looked around.
"Hmmm.." She hummed, looking around for the girl.
"She has pretty mint hair, the most beautiful blue eyes, she plays the piano like an angel, she-" She began describing.
"Yu-chan." Minami mumbled. Yutaka jolted to attention.
"Mi-Minami-chan!" She turned around to see her standing right behind her. Did she just get here too? She wondered.
"Booth for two." Minami said to the waitress coolly. Yutaka was in a bit of a panic.
Did she hear what I was saying? She wondered.
"Right away!" The waitress said. She led the naturally quiet Minami and the embarrassed-to-silence Yutaka over to a booth. They were seated and handed menus to order from. On seeing a sundae, Yutaka very suddenly found herself in the mood for one. Her embarrassment overpowered by her lust for ice cream, she addressed her would-be date.
"Minami-chan... Could we get sundaes?" Yutaka asked meekly. Minami smiled, though shifting her eyes to the clock to see what time it was.
"It's so early though Yu-chan." She said. The smile she had on her face was a caring, loving smile that sent Yutaka's head into a haze.
"I know... but I really want a sundae..." Yutaka mumbled. Minami smiled.
"Sundaes please." She quietly said to the server. Said waitress nodded and shuffled off to complete the order. "How have you been feeling recently, Yu-chan?" Minami asked.
"I've been okay! I haven't been sick recently or anything! Um, how about you? I didn't get you sick or anything, did I?" Yutaka asked. MInami smiled again, that same smile that Yutaka loved to see.
"No, my immune system is relatively strong." She said. Her smile disarming, Yutaka couldn't help but sigh in relief.
"I'm so glad... I'm sorry I waste all of your time." Yutaka apologized. "You've been spending so much time taking care of me, you haven't been able to do anything fun for a little while, have you?" Yutaka asked, looking down. Minami shook her head.
"That's isn't the case at all." She said. Yutaka looked back up at the girl across from her.
"When did you have time to do anything? We were spending all of our time in that room!" Yukata said.
"Is me spending time with you really that boring?" Minami's smile faded. It was replaced with a look that others saw to be impassive, but Yutaka could easily discern that the taller girl was sad. Yutaka shook her head, her blush darkening slightly with each shake.
"No, it isn't boring at all! I really enjoyed the time we spent together!" Yutaka burst out quickly. She gasped a bit and put her hands over mouth, as if attempting to stuff her words back in her mouth. Minami's eyes softened again and she smiled.
"I'm glad. It was very fun for me as well." Minami said. Yutaka blushed again.
"Oh- I'm... glad..." Yutaka smiled and looked down at the table to hide her blush. Minami smiled a bit wider seeing the little loli blushing so deeply. Suddenly, the server came back and laid down a sundae before scurrying off once again. Yutaka and Minami looked at the sundae, both wondering if she was coming back with another one or not. They waited a moment without speaking to see, but she never came back.
"She must have misheard me..." Minami said, looking off into the bustle of people going through the diner to try and find their server. "I'll... try and flag her down again. Go ahead and eat." Minami said. Yutaka shook her head.
"N-No, it's okay... We... We could just share, ya know?" Yutaka asked. Minami turned back to Yutaka and looked just a little confused.
"Are you sure? You aren't going to get as much..." She said. Yutaka smiled warmly.
"Then we'll get another and share that one too!" She said. "I don't really mind as long as we both get some!"
"Even if you say that... I feel a little bad." Minami said.
"Don't! I love-... sharing!" Yutaka began, her face extremely red. What was that? She wondered. Minami, seemingly oblivious to Yutaka's slip, smiled. She took a spoonful of ice cream and carried it over to Yutaka.
"Say aw..." She smiled. Yutaka blushed, though this was nothing new. Whenever she was sick and staying with Minami, the taller girl would always feed her. It made this no less embarrassing. All of those times were in Minami's house, in private. This was right in the middle of everyone. She bit onto the spoon happily, if not embarrassed. Minami then took the same spoon, took another spoonful and put it in her own mouth. Yutaka blushed even harder. "The ice cream here is really sweet." Minami commented.
I didn't notice it being any sweeter than normal... Yutaka thought. The two shared the sundae together in that fashion, Yutaka never losing her blush. Finally, the ice cream was finished. Minami smiled.
"Yu-chan, you missed a little bit." She looked lovingly. Yutaka blushed deeper and looked around.
"Huh?" She began rubbing her cheeks and nose.
"Here." Minami smiled. She reached out and swiped her finger across Yutaka's mouth. There was melted ice cream that Yutaka was surprised she could miss. Minami put her finger in her own mouth and began sucking it.
Mina...mi...chan... Yutaka's head began swimming. Her face looked like it was about to burst.
"Mm. That was the sweetest of all." Minami smiled. She saw Yutaka's blush and immediately got serious. "Are you absolutely sure you're okay?" She asked. She dashed around the table as Yutaka began to put her hands up. She began to refute it, but Minami grabbed her hands with one hand. She took her other hand and put it behind Yutaka's head, bringing it close. Closing her own eyes, she put their foreheads together. "Your temperature is a bit high... but it doesn't feel like it's an illness..." Minami said seriously. "Even so, we should probably get you home." Minami said, standing up. She reached her hand down to the still dazed Yutaka. The smaller girl looked at the hand and took it on instinct. Minami pulled her up and the two left began to leave, Minami paying for the sundae as Yutaka replayed what had just happened in her head a thousand time. Minami pulled Yutaka out of the diner, the latter still being practically dragged around. Minami looked back in worry at the girl. She had all but gone limp other than her legs that were barely supporting her.
Forehead to forehead... Finger on my lips... Yutaka constantly repeated. Sucking on it... She barely took notice of her surroundings. Until she realized that she was no longer standing. Her whole body was bobbing up and down. She came back to her senses kind of, and paid a bit of attention. Her feet weren't on the ground, and she was being held. She shook her head and looked around. Minami was carrying her like a bride closer to her house. Finally, it clicked in her head. There's no way I couldn't know now... I love Minami... I love Minami! Yutaka shouted in her head.
"Hm? Yu-chan? Are you okay? You zoned out for a while." Minami said.
"I'm fine Minami! Thank you for much!" Yutaka hugged her quickly. She blushed again as she lost a little control. "Um... I've-gotta-go-do-something!" She shouted as she wiggled from Minami's grasp and dashed into the house, leaving a very dumbfounded Minami. After a moment passed, Minami smiled.
"She didn't put an honorific after my name..." She smiled. "How cute..." She mumbled to herself as she began to walk herself home, confident that the little loli had made it safely to her room.
"Ojii-san, Onee-chan! I'm in love, I'm in love, and I don't care who knows it!" Yutaka exploded into the room...
Present time
"And I think you know what happened after that..." Yutaka said.
"Yeah..." Tony mumbled.
"From your account of events, I still think that Minami loves you." Konata said.
"I really, really hope that's true..." Yutaka said wistfully.
"Totally." Kagami smiled reassuringly to the cute little girl. They fell into silence for a moment.
"Oh!" Tsukasa seemed like she remembered something important. "Kan-kun, you'll never guess who we ran into earlier! While we were going out to get the ingredients for the Ama-Ama Dangos!" Tsukasa said excitedly. Tony perked up a little.
"Oh? Who?" He asked.
"Teri-chan and Mika-chan!" Tsukasa said.
"Really? Tereya? But... Mika-chan?" Tony asked.
"Teri-chan's friend... You... didn't know her name?" Tsukasa asked. "How could you not know her name? You... dated Teri-chan, but you didn't know her very best friend's name?" Tsukasa asked.
"Well, I..." Tony began to try and explain. It's true, he had never heard her name before.
"That's like if you didn't know Onee-chan's name even though you're dating me!" Tsukasa said.
"Hey, it isn't my fault I've never heard her name! In fact, I don't even know anything past Mika-chan!" Tony said.
"Mikado. Her last name is Mikado." Tsukasa said.
"Well... What did you guys talk about?" Tony asked. They looked to see they were nearing the arena.
"Stuff, but I'll tell you later! They'll be at the tournament watching your fight!" Tsukasa said.
"Cool! I'll have to see where they're sitting." Tony smiled.
"You're... getting a little excited to see her..." Kagami said cautiously.
"We're friends. Why wouldn't he be?" Tsukasa asked before Tony could respond. Tony smiled.
"Thanks Tsukasa." He said.
"Team Taiseishiki, this is your last call! Please, come to the arena!" Akira announced over the loud speaker.
"Crap! Let's go!" Konata shouted. Kagami pecked her on the lips.
"Be careful. Don't push yourself too hard." She said sternly.
"Gotcha!" Konata waved. Tsukasa pecked Tony on the lips.
"Same thing. Come back safe or I'm gonna be really mad at you." She said.
"Understood!" He saluted and joined his sister. Yutaka looked at Tsuki with one of her by-now infamous puppy eye looks.
"Please come back..." She mumbled. Tsuki burst into tears.
"Don't worry! Whatever occurs, I will find you!" She shouted as she ran towards the arena. The three girls walked over to the stair and walked up. In the stands were Miyuki and Masuta, already seated, with a convenient amount of space for them to sit. The three went over and sat down.
"I was wondering when you guys were getting here!" They heard Matsuri shout from behind them. They all turned to see the Hiiragi family sitting behind them.
How did we miss them? Kagami wondered. "Cool! You guys all came to see this actual fight this time?" Kagami asked.
"Yeah! Totally couldn't miss seeing this team up! Besides, we've heard that the team their fighting is crazy awesome! They've completely dominated everyone they've fought!" Matsuri shouted.
"We couldn't wait to see this kind of fight." Inori added.
"I-I just hope Kan-chan d-doesn't get too hurt..." They heard from beside them. They all looked over to see two more familiar faces. Despite the heat, Tereya was there wearing a long sleeve shirt while Mikado sat beside her, a huge grin on her face.
"Don't worry Teri-chan. Kan-kun is really strong." Tsukasa said reassuringly.
"Besides, he has my Kona looking after him." Kagami said with a smile.
"I s-suppose..." Tereya mumbled. Tsukasa couldn't help but notice Mikado give a short, sad glance to Tereya, only reminding her of what they had talked about. Before she could go far into her memory of the event, however, Akira announced the beginning of the fight.
Team Taiseishiki vs The Cataclysm Combatants
"The Final Match!" Akira announced. "Team Taiseishiki versus The Cataclysm Combatants! This will surely be as great a battle as when Ryū Tora no Kami, a fighter of Team Taiseishiki, fought with Shin!" Akira said. "And I'm honored to be able to host them both!" She continued. While she announced, Tony sized up the other team. They had an air of confidence and simply gave the aura that they were going to be difficult to defeat. The energy they gave off unsettled Tony incredibly.
"Tony..." Tsuki mumbled.
"You feel it too, huh?" He asked.
"Yeah..." Tsuki muttered.
"Feel what?" Konata asked.
"These guys' energy is... sinister somehow." Tony explained.
"This is going to be a very tough fight..." Tsuki said gravely.
"We may die..." Tony mumbled just as gravely. Tsuki nodded and the two looked at each other.
"Isn't it great?" She smiled widely.
"Yeah! I'm so excited!" Tony smiled as widely.
"So you two weren't serious about dying..." Konata sighed in relief.
"No, I was entirely serious. But until me and my future wife can kiss again, there's no way I'm gonna die!" Tony shouted quite loudly. Tsukasa suddenly blushed deeply, her sisters all giggling and nudging her with their elbows. Despite the blush, Tsukasa was smiling widely.
"Sounds like a nice philosophy. Mind if I steal it?" Konata asked, giggling.
"Sure thing!" Tony smiled. They looked each other in the eye for a moment, understanding what to do without the need of words. The two turned simultaneously and knelt in front of their respective Hiiragi.
"Queen!" Konata shouted.
"Princess!" Tony shouted.
"We who are about to die salute you!" They both shouted, causing their girls' faces to have a blood flood.
"You better not die!" Tsukasa shouted, recovering rather quickly.
"We'll kill you if you do!" Kagami shouted.
"Not a bad way to go, really." Konata catgrinned.
"Let's kick ass." Tony got up.
"Yeah!" Konata cheered.
"Well, the ass kicking I can't promise, but I guarantee you'll die." The middle man said. Tony turned to him.
"Hey, we're all friends here, aren't we?" Tony asked. "What's with the threats?" Tony asked.
"Taeru?" The front man turned to another teammate. It was a bald man with less muscles than his teammates.
"Of course. That's what we get paid for. Isn't it Kyōbōna?" Taeru asked the last remaining teammate. It was a man with even larger muscles than Recoome, veins bulging all around him. He looked disgusting.
"YEAH, YEAH!" He yelled. He was obviously one who was not called on for his opinion often. Takai smiled.
"So, are you ready Senkou?" He put emphasis on the name. Tony's eyes widened. He suddenly got a LOT more serious.
"More assassins?" Tony snarled.
"When Manten failed, we were sent in to clean up his foul up. If the idiot had any trace of competence, you'd be dead." Takai said.
"Yeah, but I beat Manten!" Tony said. "I can win here!" He smiled. Takai laughed.
"We are twenty times stronger than that miserable little oaf." Kanzen said.
"Ha. Right. Is that supposed to intimidate us?" Tony asked.
"No, literally. I am twenty times stronger than Manten. Taeru is eighteen times stronger and Kyōbōna is forty times stronger." Kanzen said.
"Forty?" Tony deadpanned.
"Kyōbōna is not very smart." Kanzen said flatly.
"YEAH! WE SMASH!" Kyōbōna shouted.
"You see?" Kanzen said.
"Yeah..." Tony muttered. "But please, I beat Manten when I had no energy. I'm at my peak now!" Tony shouted.
"And he's got us!" Konata shouted.
"Please. A mortal who's in over her head and... Who are you?" Kanzen asked Tsuki.
"Tsuki Senninriki. Why, who are you?" Tsuki asked.
"Senninriki?" Kanzen's eyebrow raised.
"Pssst..." Akira whispered. "The fight started ten minutes ago. The fans are getting restless!" She said.
"Very well. Let the execution begin!" Kanzen shouted.
Tony could see he would be fighting Kanzen. He ran up and threw a punch. Kanzen caught it with little apparent effort. He threw his own strike, but Tony ducked down to dodge. Kanzen's foot came in contact with Tony's face and sent him across the arena. His hands touched the ground and he pushed off. He landed again to see Kanzen with his fist drawn back.
A flash off, I see... Tony thought in that instant. He looked back at where his hands had touched and smiled at his seal. He teleported to it and took a deep breath. "YOL TOOR SHUL!" Tony shouted, a massive gout of flames erupting from his mouth. It attacked Kanzen, who looked back at it with a smirk. A shimmer of air later, the fire vanished.
"Such a pathetic attack... Are you insulting me Senkou?" Kanzen asked. "That was almost offensive." He said. Suddenly, his image seemed to shimmer and a shine came over him, as if he had been dipped in gloss. Tony gulped. Kanzen seemed actually offended by Tony's attack.
"What was that?" Tony asked. Kanzen smiled condescendingly.
"Energy armor. It was of my Master's invention. Completely impervious to conventional attacks." Kanzen smiled. Kanzen flashed in front of Tony and pounded him in the stomach. Tony doubled over and coughed blood. Kanzen moved his arm to elbow Tony in the face. Tony was sent off his feet into the wall. Tony pushed off the wall and took out his knife. He threw it and caught Kanzen across the face. It bounced off harmlessly. "Pathetic!" Kanzen shouted. Tony flashed to his knife and threw a power punch into Kanzen's chest. It felt as if he had hit a wall. "You're not actually serious, are you?" Kanzen asked, sounding a little stunned.
Damn it... he wasn't kidding... Tony cursed in his head. He jumped away and hit the ground. Kanzen elbowed him in the back, sending him bouncing off the ground. Kanzen spun and kneed Tony in the face, sending him to around half way across the arena. Tony flipped and landed. Damn it!He cursed. Maybe... He thought. He ran up and hit Kanzen in the stomach. He swung his leg and caught Kanzen across the head. Neither blow even budged Kanzen, let alone hurt him. Both, however, hurt Tony by themselves. He had kicked with enough force to crack the bone in his leg. He landed on the ground and slid away on his feet. He shifted his weight to his other foot. How can I beat this armor... It's crazy powerful! Tony thought. He took a good amount of his energy and shot at Kanzen as fast as he could. He punched the man in the face with all his strength. Kanzen just stared at him. He then struck Tony across the cheek, sending him across the arena. Kanzen flashed over and brought his knee and elbow together on Tony's stomach. Tony yelled in pain and fell to the ground. He couldn't even move; the pain was so intense.
"Wait... You mean to tell me you WERE serious?" Kanzen asked mockingly. He laughed. "Are you kidding me? That's pathetic! I thought you would put up at least SOME kind of fight!" He kicked Tony over to the side, causing Tony to vomit blood.
Konata took her stance against Taeru. She wasn't sure how she was going to do much to him. Manten had been able to beat Konata if he had wanted to, and if this man lived to his claim, so too could he. Taeru rolled his eyes and sighed.
"Why do I always get the small fries? The other two at least get opponents with powers, I just have some run-of-the-mill mortal to play with." He complained loudly. Konata sighed and emptied her mind.
"Don't underestimate me because I'm small!" Konata said, clearing her mind directly after. She decided her best technique was in order. She attuned her mind to the flow of everything around her. She may not have the ability to use energy like her two teammates, but when she made her mind completely serene like this, she could sense the flow of energy, the flow of sound, the flow of wind, everything. She took in the mixing streams into her heart. Like this, she felt one with the world. One with the flow of the world.
"Please." Taeru said. He flashed forward. As he began to attack her, there was a massive ripple in the flow of everything, which disrupted the streams in her heart. Like a leaf moving through a stream, she let the wave push her aside. She let her hand follow the flow connecting her and Taeru, just as she had against Tony. Konata deflected Taeru's blow and landed one herself against an unguarded portion of his stomach. His punch hit the ground and sent a shock wave through the air, causing Konata to block on instinct. Her hair flailed back violently. The air itself seemed to pass around her though, so only the energy sent her back. Taeru looked back up at her. "Ah, so the mortal has a little skill." He smirked a little.
"This toothless dog has some bite." Konata said sarcastically. Taeru smirked again. She initiated her serene mind once again.
"Then let us test your bite." He said. He flashed again. Another massive disturbance in the flow. Konata moved to the side and allowed her foot to follow the flow. She kicked down and let her foot get swept away. The kick caught him on the back on his leg. His knee hit the ground and his momentum sent the rest of his body crashing into the ground. Konata fell into a knee to his back and sent a flurry of strikes to the back of his head. As he was about to get up, Konata rolled off and popped back up. Taeru got back up and cracked his neck. "Alright, you have some skill. You shouldn't be able to keep up with me." Taeru said, rubbing the back of his head. Konata smiled and nodded.
I can't. But I don't have to. You're way too strong. Konata smiled. "You're fast. Faster than I can see." Konata said.
"Then how?" Taeru asked.
"Because. I can feel the flow around us. You're creating way too big a disturbance." Konata smiled. Taeru scowled.
"What on earth are you talking about? I haven't any idea what you're saying." Taeru said.
"I'm good at that." Konata smiled and took one more stance. She knew her taunt would get to him.
"Not good enough!" Taeru flashed forward again. Konata made her move the instant before he disappeared and made contact with his chest. It was a one inch strike that sent him across the arena, but the sheer force of Taeru's movement sent Konata across the arena and the contact broke her hand.
Tsuki smiled and rolled her arms.
"Alright you big ape, let's get this party started!" She cheered. She pointed at him and pulled the trigger. A beam of energy shot out and exploded on the behemoth. The smoke cleared to show an annoyed Kyōbōna. No scratches. No dirt. Just a very angry Kyōbōna. Tsuki's jaw dropped. "You're kidding me..." She muttered, her eyes wide.
"I KILL!" Kyōbōna yelled. He ran up and punched. Tsuki pressed down on his fist, but didn't deflect it. Kyōbōna's punch was strong enough that it took less energy for Tsuki to push herself into the air than it did to deflect the blow. She flipped into the air and straightened out upside down.
"Reigan Rendan!" Tsuki shouted. Several shots went from her finger and hit Kyōbōna's back. When the smoke cleared, he was hunched over a little more than he had been a moment ago, but looked altogether unaffected. "Damn it!" Tsuki shouted as she landed. Kyōbōna looked back at her with a psychotic look in his eye.
"YOU ANNOYING." He said flatly.
"You're not exactly a catch yourself." Tsuki said breathily. Kyōbōna roared with energy. Tsuki crossed her arms in a guard, a shield of energy protecting her. The force blew Tsuki back over to the side.
Tony hit the wall and fell on his back. Pain blared in his mind, erasing any hope he could have of thinking. Konata rolled off her shoulder and popped up on her feet. She retook her stance, but she knew her hand was useless. Pain clouded her mind, but she didn't let it distract her. Tsuki skidded on her feet over to the group. She uncrossed her arms and looked at the other two.
"Damn! What happened to you?" She asked Tony.
"..." He coughed blood. Tsuki flared her energy at him.
"Chiyu!" She shouted, healing him to the point he could speak.
"Stronger... faster than I anticipated." He muttered.
"Believe me, it's not very fun for us either." Tsuki chuckled hollowly. "You alright Konata?" Tsuki asked.
"Broken hand. Nothing compared to what Kan-kan is feeling." Konata said. Tsuki edged over to her and grabbed her hand.
"Chiyu." She said. Green energy mended Konata's hand, but the discomfort caused her to lose her cool disposition. She squirmed and groaned as bone moved and repaired itself under her skin, moving around sinew and veins. After a moment, she flexed her hand to find it completely fine.
"Thanks." Konata smiled.
"No problem..." Tsuki said, out of breath. "Hey Tony, a Big Damn Hero moment would be pretty damn convenient right now!" Tsuki shouted at the fallen boy.
"Trying..." He muttered. He had energy in his ring still, but his mind was much too disorganized by pain to even begin to tap into it. Tsuki growled in frustration.
"I don't have time to heal you, get up!" Tsuki shouted.
"Why don't you finish them off, Kyōbōna." Kanzen said.
"YEAH! I KILL!" Kyōbōna shouted and nodded. He opened his mouth and energy began glowing. Taeru got off the wall, Konata's strike having turned his momentum against him and sent him into the wall. He coughed and rubbed his chest.
"Taeru, lend your energy to his attack." Kanzen ordered.
"I'm healing myself first... We don't all have the skill to use armor..." Taeru said.
"Bah. When you're finished." Kanzen said. Tsuki and Konata could see he was charging a massive attack. They could also see Kanzen behind him, feeding energy into the giant's attack.
"Damn it!" Tsuki shouted.
"See to Tony." Konata said seriously.
"What?" Tsuki asked.
"I said see to Tony! Get him healed." Konata said. "I'll take care of them." Konata dropped her stance and put herself between them and her brother.
"No way Konata!" Tsuki shouted. "These aren't people you can fight by yourself!"
"Listen. If I had taken part in the last fight, I would have been borderline useless. But I have something this time. I may be able to stall them. Heal Tony." Konata said. Tsuki looked and saw Konata was about to attack all three of them by herself. Simply to buy time for her brother.
She loves him too much sometimes... Tsuki thought. "Fine... Leave some for us." Tsuki said and began working on Tony. She knew Konata stood no chance against the three, but she could at least show some semblance of her usual optimism.
"I'll try." Konata nodded. She looked back to see Kyōbōna's attack nearing completion.
In the stands...
Kagami and Tsukasa hugged each other, extremely worried about their respective love.
"What do you think Kona can do?" Kagami asked.
"I have no idea Onee-chan! She was good before, but now?" Tsukasa asked. Miyuki had seen the situation and unconsciously hugged onto Masuta in worry. She looked up to see him, but noticed he wasn't paying attention to the fight in the least. She followed his view up towards the door to the stairs and saw a robed figure with a hood pulled over their head. She noticed them looking extremely intently at Konata and Tony in particular. Miyuki, perplexed by this person, decided to remember what Kanarazu had told her. She began paying attention to the smallest details rather than a broader picture.
Projections from the chest, hips feminine, two straight projections from the back rear. One straight and long, one round and long. Weapons? She wondered. She questioned Masuta on it.
"No, one seems to be a sword. The long, straight one. The round one is too wide to be any practical weapon that's worn at the side. Besides, it's in the lower middle of the back. Unless it's keeping it between it's legs, it isn't a weapon." Masuta said.
"I think it's a female. It seems to have breasts and hips that don't look like a males." Miyuki said.
"Short hair, based on how the hood moves when she does." Masuta said.
"She's wearing something under the robe." Miyuki said.
"Yeah, something constraining." Masuta said. "Metal, most likely." He added.
"I wonder why she's staring at those two so intently. It doesn't look like she's interested in Tsuki-san at all." Miyuki said.
"True." Masuta said. "Is it just me being his brother, or has she been watching Tony more than Konata?" Masuta asked.
"I do believe you're correct. She's only just now taken an interest Konata-san." Miyuki agreed. They both turned their attention back to the arena, neither noticing Masuta's arm around Miyuki's shoulder.
Back in the Arena
Konata breathed deeply. "Alright... For our friends..." She said.
"And our loved ones..." Tony muttered before coughing. He hated what Konata was doing, but he could barely talk, let alone stop her.
"Yes, and for our loved ones." Konata agreed.
"And for Venice." Tsuki added.
"Yes, and for Venice. But mostly the first two." Konata said and put her hands together. "Hear me, Fujin of the Wind; in the name of the contract, entrust me with your power." She said. A green light began glowing from her chest. "Alright you time traveling assholes, listen up! See this? THIS!" She moved her hands to cup around the growing light. "Is my TRUMP CARD!" She shouted. As it began to completely envelop her, she began shouting. "Super special awesome ultra special super sexy transformation sequence! In 3D!" She shouted. Wind with strength enough to crack the glass between the audience and the fighters and cut the stone beneath them began picking up. The hair of the Hiiragis began to fly around chaotically as Kagami beheld her girlfriend. The green light now obscuring her entirely, Konata flew into the air and circled around. Green wings of light were on either side of her, a trail of green light behind her. She sped around and circled until she was aiming straight for her massive opponent. She flew directly between her opponents and her friends. Kyōbōna's attack released and headed straight for Konata. It made contact and dissipated harmlessly.
"What's this?" Kanzen shouted.
"OH SHIT!" Kyōbōna yelled and braced. He crossed his arms to guard and put up his most powerful shield of armor as Konata made contact. He, Kanzen still behind him, was sent crushing into the wall. Luckily, the seats behind him were empty as the wall, glass, and stone seats all crushed and were sent back into the area behind that section of arena. In an almost suspiciously convenient turn of luck, the area behind those stairs was also vacant. Kyōbōna laid on the ground, his chest crushed in and both arms broken. Kanzen was laying nearby, coughing and recovering from being hit with Kyōbōna. Konata, who was invisible behind a barrier of wind, floated down, hovering about half a foot above the ground in front of Tony and Tsuki. The wind died down. Konata, who was no longer obscured and had her eyes closed, now wore green armor that, while light, as anyone who was remotely familiar with armor could easily see, was also extremely powerful. She bore translucent wings on her back, with green lines of armor where the bone would be on a bat. Tsuki gasped.
"I only saw a green streak of light..." She muttered. Konata opened her eyes to reveal the center of them was blue as the azure sky.
"Ah, desu desu bitches." Konata smiled.
"Actually Konata, your eyes are both still green, so that reference doesn't work... One would need to be a different color completely than the other." Tsuki pointed out. "Neither to Yu-Gi-Oh Abridged or Rozen Maiden." Tsuki specified.
"Alright! It just seemed like something cool to say!" Konata shouted. She looked back to see Taeru standing in awe.
"You-You were holding back all of that that whole time? You... You were just supposed to be some stupid mortal girl who had no idea what she was getting into!" Taeru shouted. Kanzen coughed again and looked hazily up at Konata.
"So, you made a contract with Fujin. I see. I hadn't expected that..." Kanzen said, looking exhausted. He got up and walked over to Kyōbōna. He put his hand on the large man's chest and pressed a little. Kyōbōna screamed in agony.
"Forfeit and care for your injured! Leave and never come back!" Konata shouted. Kanzen looked up at her and blinked. Then, he looked incredibly amused.
"The price of failure is much too steep. I'm doing him a favor." He said.
"What?" Konata asked. She looked at the fallen man to see a panicked look on his face. He began thrashing as white foam poured from his mouth. Soon, he was motionless. Kanzen stood up fully and cracked his neck.
"Ah, much better." He said.
"You... heartless bastard!" Konata shouted. "You could have healed him!" She said.
"But what's the point?" Kanzen asked. "That would have left us both of little use! At least now, the two of us can complete our task." Kanzen said.
"Not if I beat you first!" Konata shouted. She landed on the ground and braced to take off after him. Suddenly, her wings flared and a white light snapped, blinding and disorienting everyone who saw. When the light was gone, Konata was on her knee, gasping for breath, regular again. Damn it... I used all my energy... She thought, looking up at her opponents through blurred eyes.
"It seems you've reached your limit. Too bad." Kanzen mocked. "It looks like you won't live to your claim of beating us." He said.
"I will... somehow..." Konata bluffed.
"Then let us see you try!" Kanzen shouted as he and Taeru began to take off. Konata stumbled to her feet and took a stance, but she was shifted backwards by an invisible force. Tsuki stepped forward.
"I told you to save some for us! Tony can heal himself the rest of the way!" Tsuki shouted. She clapped her hands together just as Konata had, then put her arms in a loose X in front of her face, as if to hide it from view.
"Tsuki?" Konata asked, leaning against the wall. She looked down at Tony to see him in a meditative pose. "What are you doing?" Konata asked.
"Something she taught told me never to use it unless a very specific condition was met..." Tsuki said.
"What's that?" Konata asked.
"That is..." Tsuki concentrated. The air around her began to distort. A pillar of pure energy rose around her.
In the seats that haven't been destroyed
"Kakashi-sensei, what's going on? What is she doing?" Sakura asked her former teacher. Kakashi took his headband away from his eye.
"...!" He looked surprised. "She's opening the third gate!" He shouted.
Back in the arena
"To protect the life of someone precious!" Tsuki yelled, throwing both her arms to her sides, her skin blood red. The ground around her crushed downward. She disappeared.
"What's this?" Kanzen asked.
"Where did she go?" Taeru asked. His question was answered as pain hit him in his gut.
"OODAMA RASENGAN!" Tsuki shouted. The Rasengan ground against the man's stomach and sent him spiraling into the ground. He skidded on the ground until he hit the center. Kanzen reached her and roundhouse kicked her. She ducked, now easily up to speed with him. She swept his leg out from under him. She circled around and grabbed him by his jaw. She kept spinning and threw him, sending him careening into a wall. She jumped to the side to dodge an energy blast from Taeru and rolled onto her feet again. She pounded him in the stomach with a punch and kneed him in the cheek. She jumped into a back flip, avoiding another blast from Kanzen. She landed directly behind him with a smile on her face.
"Hm?" He spun to try and meet her. The second he was around again, he felt grinding in his stomach.
"OODAMA RASENGAN!" Tsuki shouted. Another Rasengan blasted Kanzen into the opposite wall, shattering the glass that was on that wall. The audience shrieked with terror and took cover under their arms to protect themselves from the falling glass as best they could.
"Damn it..." Kanzen growled through his teeth. "The energy I got from Kyōbōna isn't enough... I can't compete..." He muttered. He pushed off the wall and exploded forward, using energy to push off the ground and increase his speed. As he got near, Tsuki bent over and raised a foot. It caught Kanzen in the stomach and allowed Tsuki to dodge Taeru's kick. Tsuki straightened out and threw her momentum into a kick that caught Taeru on the bottom of the chin. He was sent flying into the air. She jumped, dodging Kanzen's blast. She caught up with Taeru and brought her fists down like a hammer on top of his head, sending him crashing in to the ground again. She landed in time to see Kanzen with a sphere of energy in his hand speeding towards her. She had time to caught him by the arms. He sent energy through the bottom of his feet, making him press against her harder. Her arms began trembling with the effort of keeping him away.
What would Mom do... She wondered. It came to her. She sent her foot out and kicked Kanzen's foot out from under him. It sent his energy ball into the ground. It exploded and sent him flipping into the air. Tsuki appeared above him and hammered him into the ground next to Taeru. She landed a few yards away from them. "Let's settle this with one burst!" She shouted. She ran and hit them both so they bounced off the ground. She reached the opposite wall, jumped off and hit the roof. She jumped off the roof towards the two in the center of the arena.
"Total... Destruction...?" Kanzen muttered.
"GRAAAH!" Tsuki shouted from the exertion. She pulled back her hand to reveal her attack. She shredded half the arena by the size of it. "CHOODAMA RASENGAN!" She shouted, crushed the two beneath the power of her attack. The energy exploded in a cloud of dust. Tsuki rolled out, looking regular again, until she came to a stop near Tony and Konata.
"Whoa..." Konata muttered.
"Ouch..." She groaned.
"Great job Tsuki..." Konata crouched next to her friend.
"I get 'em?" Tsuki asked, her voice full of pain.
"Yeah... yeah you got 'em." Konata smiled.
"Great..." Tsuki sighed and let her head rest. Konata stood up and smiled over to the opening to the arena.
"Akira? You calling this thing or what?" She asked.
"Well..." Akira mumbled. Konata looked back over. Kanzen knelt over Taeru, a hand on his chest.
"Rest, brother." He said.
"Brother... Live... Complete the mission, kill... that..." Taeru coughed blood.
"Rest well." Kanzen said eyes closed. Taeru coughed blood once more, and was still. Kanzen stayed there a moment, paused by the death of his teammates. Then, he stood up and cracked his neck. "That he had this much energy left is surprising." Kanzen looked at his hand, flexing it. He looked back over to see Konata standing shakily.
"Damn..." Konata muttered. She was still exhausted from her attack earlier.
"You've done well to come this far, I'll give you that, but..." Kanzen breathed. His image shimmered again. Konata growled as Kanzen's energy armor shined on him. Konata took a shaky stance. "It seems you have reached your limit. I'll admit you surprised me with your little transformation, but it took everything you had. Do you really think you can stand between him and I?" Kanzen asked.
"I'm gonna try!" Konata shouted.
"Thanks." A voice came from behind her. She turned around to see Tony, standing strong. "But it isn't necessary." He said. "I didn't know you were holding that kind of power Konata." Tony smiled.
"Yeah, neither did I..." Konata smiled and sat down. Tony looked back at their opponent.
I haven't got near the power I should, and he's a lot stronger than I am. That energy armor is insane. I wish I could call on Hachiman, but he said not to call him... Tony thought.
"You're a very poor loser. You should give up." Kanzen said.
"Never gonna happen man." Tony said. Wait... Hachiman... Tony thought.
KID! Hachiman shouted... Armor of pure energy.
How did Naruto beat that...? Tony wondered. Energy... Energy was grinding against it...
"Go Kan-chan!" Tony heard, his ears perking up from a voice he hadn't heard in a while. He looked up and saw Tereya, standing up even though there was no longer any glass to protect her. Tony smiled warmly.
"You can do it Kan-kun!" Tsukasa, very close to her, shouted.
Tereya... Tsukasa... He smiled. ... That's it. He got an idea. Then he put his fingers to his temples. That's how I win... He smiled. I don't have anywhere near the power for an attack like that right now... Hachiman... Tony thought. Yet another idea occurred to him.
"It's a little late for strategizing." Kanzen began walking towards him. "Against me, all strategies are useless."
He told me never to even begin to try it... But if I put all of my energy to its containment... Tony thought. He put his right hand out palm up. Well, let's hope this works, or everyone around here is dead. He thought. How cliche. He thought before he began using every resource he had to search above his hand.
"You'll never defeat me like that. I don't know what you're trying, but it won't work." Kanzen shouted, quickening his stride. He was entirely ignored.
Come on... I've got to raise it higher... Tony thought, concentrating the hardest he ever had. He grabbed his right wrist with his left hand. He found what he had been looking for. There... He smiled. He broke the atom. The sudden rush of energy instantly began overwhelming any defenses he had put up, flowing over the relatively meager amount of energy he had been able to assign to the job. Suddenly, the well of energy he had taken from to heal Sojiro returned in force. Again, he couldn't figure out how much energy was in the well. His first notion was that Hachiman had sensed his distress and come to his aid, and it did feel like energy from Hachiman, but the God would have said something by now... Tony wasted no time in taking its power to contain the blast. With his attention fully on the ball of extreme energy desperately seeking direction, he couldn't keep an eye on the well, so he wasn't sure of how much of it the blast was taking to contain.
"Kan-kun!" Tsukasa shouted.
Wha... That... Tony had the urge to smile. The effort of suppressing the energy made most coherent thought impossible, but he had intention. The energy began swirling in his hand, forming an orb not unlike another move he had devised earlier.
"You're quite stubborn." Kanzen said in disgust.
Perfect... Tony looked at it.
"Who the hell to do you think you are?" Kanzen shouted. Tony moved his head up. The blast contained in his attack, he began taking from the well to refill himself.
"A Big Damn HERO!" Tony shouted. "Alright, listen up." Tony said. "This... Is the power of Love!" He shouted, holding the ball up. It shined with a power and beauty unmatched thus far. The energy inside, given direction by Tony, swirled at speeds the eye could barely follow, and so many strands of pure energy were inside, it was impossible to keep track of any single one. He lowered his hand and put it behind.
"Just give up!" Kanzen shouted, taking off into a run.
"Not on your life!" Tony shouted as he ran at Kanzen.
"What's the point of doing all that?" Kanzen shouted.
"To win!" Tony shouted.
"It won't go that well!" Kanzen shouted and threw a punch with all his power, intending on killing Tony with one strike.
"TSUKASA!" Tony shouted as he shifted down and let the attack go over his shoulder. He thrust his attack and made contact with Kanzen's stomach. The power behind it shattered the armor on his stomach. Tony smiled a faint smile. The lapse in concentration was enough to make the grinding attack expand to encompass him and all the arena around the two for a full meter. Kanzen screamed in agony as pure energy ground against him and against other strands of energy, tearing the man apart of the seams. Tony gritted his teeth and put what defense he could against it while keeping containment.
"KAN-KUN!" Tsukasa shouted, leaping from her seat and hitting the small wall that separated the audience from the fighters. In her adrenaline rush, she put her foot on the top of the wall and jumped. Masuta grabbed her by the collar and pulled her back into the stands. She fell back and hit the stone seats and winced.
"Don't do things like that!" He scolded her. "Let's go around." He shouted as the energy stayed for a moment or two, but then dissipated at it was used up ripping at the two people inside. Tony was collapsed on the ground, shirt in tatters but his pants still miraculously intact.
"No..." Tsukasa muttered, horrified. She felt a hand on her arm pulling her. She looked over to see Masuta had grabbed her and pulled slightly. She nodded and followed him down. They ran inside the pit as Konata pushed herself onto her elbows and watched, hoping that her brother was okay. She would be over checking on him as well, but she barely had the energy to look, let alone walk. She glanced over at Tsuki to see the girl had deemed it appropriate to simply lay there, though Konata expected she had given too much to get over it so quickly.
"Ototo..." Masuta mumbled as Tsukasa ran over and collapsed on her knees next to Tony, hugging him.
"Kan-kun... No..." Tsukasa mumbled. Masuta knelt down and felt Tony's neck.
Damn... His pulse is weakening. He began thinking. He looked over to the collapsed Tsuki. Maybe... He walked over.
"Come back to me Kan-kun..." Tsukasa said.
Come back to me Kan-kun... Tony heard. He was in darkness. He recognized this place. He had been here once before. Back, all those years ago, after Sarnia. He was on the border between his world and the next. A river of Yomi. He could hear other's screams where he couldn't before. In the place Sarnia once stood to block him, there was a great light. It was extremely comforting, as the screams of the dead were driving him near insane. They stabbed his ears like ice picks and gave him a horrible headache. The light soothed him. The light comforted him. He wanted to go into it so badly. Please come back... He heard a voice cutting through the screams. It wasn't from the light. It offered him no comfort. Why should he listen to such a voice? The voice gave no sign as to who it was. It just was.
"Hey, you use energy like Ototo, right?" He asked Tsuki, producing a bag. She merely grunted in assent and nodded a bit, being on her back. "Here, this is called Dengen. Eat all you can. It will give you a LOT of energy." Masuta said.
"Good?" Tsuki asked.
"Yeah." Masuta said.
"Gimme." Tsuki muttered. "Feed." She requested. Masuta opened the bag he had and put some into her mouth, only enough to give her the energy to eat on her own. She instantly gagged, but the position she was in forced her to swallow the dengen.
"Good?" Masuta asked with a smirk.
"Hate your soul." Tsuki muttered. She suddenly perked up. "Oh! Wow, you're right..." She pushed herself into a sitting position. "I suppose I can stomach some of that. Besides, now I'll be able to heal Tony..." She smiled and ate some more, refilling her energy. She pushed herself to standing and walked over.
"Can you heal him?" Tsukasa asked.
"Of course." Tsuki smiled and knelt. She put her hand on him. "..." She hesitated a moment. "..."
"Tsuki?" Tsukasa asked.
"Um..." She looked panicked. "I... don't know what to do here!" She said in a panic. "I can't even make out what kind of damage is done to him, let alone how to heal it!"
"Kan-kun!" Tsukasa shouted at her boyfriend. She hugged him and cried.
Kan-kun! Discomfort. Tony grunted with discomfort in the darkness. He looked back at the light and felt comfort again. He began to make his way to it.
Tsukasa shook Tony with all she had. Medical teams began coming in.
"NO!" Tsukasa shouted at them. "Tsuki, you have to do something!" Tsukasa shouted at the girl. Tereya ran over. She fell on his knees, putting her momentum in a hit to Tony's chest. She hit him again.
"Come on you selfish bastard! You're not allowed to die until you kiss your future wife, remember?" Tereya shouted. She put both hands on his chest and pressed down two inches. She did it again and again. Suddenly, a pink haired girl and a blond with spiked hair landed near them.
"Here, I'll help!" Sakura said. She knelt and put her hands on him, Tereya backing off and shrinking, realizing she was out in front of everyone. Her friend came over and put her arm around her back, hand on her opposite shoulder. Sakura concentrated a moment. "This is... This is extremely advanced stuff..." She mumbled. "This is the kind of stuff that would challenge Lady Tsunade..." She muttered, shaking a bit. She bowed her head in apology. "I can't help... I'm sorry..."
"No one?" Tsukasa looked around. She looked back at Tony.
"Now!" She heard in her head.
What? What's going on? She asked in thought, beginning to freak out.
"Foolish mortal, it is I, Amaterasu! Must I spell it out for you? The song! Sing the song!" Amaterasu screamed in her head. "Honestly, you mortals are so clueless..." She complained. Tsukasa blinked a time or two.
That's... Right... She remembered. She took a breath.
"Spirit gleam Divine...
Let your power Shine...
Make these wounds benign
Bring back what once was mine..."
Suddenly, there was an incredibly bright light from her pocket. She brought out the white gem to see it shining with a powerful light. She clasped it in between her hands, as if to pray.
"Heal all that's malign...
Change our fate's design..."
The stone Konata held began shining with a light as strong as Tsukasa's. She brought it out and looked at it.
"With our pow'r combine,
Bring back what once was mine..."
The stone Tony kept began glowing.
"What once was... Mine..."
All of their stones began shining almost painfully bright. Tsukasa's light enveloped Tony. There was a snap and he coughed.
"...Wha...?" He cracked his eyes open.
"KAN-KUN!" Tsukasa rammed her head into his stomach. It hurt him a lot, but she didn't even care anymore.
"Demonic ponies... What's going on?" Tony asked, almost hyperventilating.
"Demonic ponies?" Tsukasa asked.
"Who's been dancing on my chest?" Tony struggled and pushed himself up. He looked over at Tereya with a hard look. She blushed and averted her gaze. "Did you call me a selfish bastard?" He asked.
"P-Probably..." She muttered. Tony breathing, though still considerably faster than normal, slowed a bit. He looked around at everyone.
"Who... What happened? Did you heal me Tsuki?" Tony asked.
"No~!" Tsuki said. Tony looked around again and remembered his fight with Naruto.
"You pink hair?" Tony asked.
"My name is Sakura!" Sakura shouted. "And I didn't heal you."
"Then... who?" Tony asked.
"It would be that girl nestled in your stomach." Mikado pointed. Tony looked at Tsukasa and smiled. He put a hand around her.
"Well then... I guess I owe you my life again, Tsukasa..." Tony said. Tsukasa looked up at him and shook her head.
"No... You being alive and with me is more than enough. You don't owe me anything." Tsukasa said. She hugged him again. Tony ached all over, but didn't care. He hugged her around her back and stood up, bringing her with him. His legs trembled under his weight, but Tsukasa somehow was able to help him support his weight along with him. Akira came back out.
"I guess that makes you guys the winners!" Akira said. She brought her voice down so only group could hear her. "Due to a survey with the last audience we had for a tournament here, we decided to give out the prize money right after the last fight. Some of them couldn't be there to see you accept it, so they were a little angry..." Akira said.
"Cool, so we get money now?" Konata asked.
"Yep!" Akira said.
"Awesome!" Konata cheered.
"Seeing as how there are three of you, you each get a portion of the money!" Akira said. As three checks were handed to each of them, Akira began to announce. "The winners are Team Taisei-"
"HEY!" An unfamiliar voice shouted. Tony and everyone looked over to see a redheaded girl with a wooden sword run out. "Those Cataclysm whatevers were cheating! I dunno how, but they totally cheated us out of that victory!" She yelled.
"Ayano, calm down." A man strolled in casually. "We'd have lost anyway." He said. The girl named Ayano turned and pointed her sword at him. Suddenly, it lit on fire, but took no damage.
"Quiet you! This is all your fault Kazuma!" She yelled at him. "If you had taken the fight seriously, those guys would have been no problem!" She shouted.
"But I didn't. It wasn't worth the effort. Plus, they paid me a ton of money to throw the fight." The man named Kazuma said casually.
"You know I really wanted to win this tournament, didn't you? That's why you threw the fight, wasn't it?" She asked, brandishing her weapon at him.
"Why do you care?" He asked. A smaller, blonde boy looked out from the entrance the three had taken.
"Um... Ayano?" He mumbled.
"Um..." Tony mumbled.
"The focus seems to have shifted..." Konata commented.
"You hush!" Ayano pointed her flaming weapon at the two. "I challenge you to a battle! I'LL TAKE ALL OF YOU ON!" She shouted.
"You're gonna get your ass kicked." Kazuma commented.
"SHUT UP!" Ayano yelled.
"They won. You lost. Deal with it." Kazuma said. "You though..." He turned his orange-brown eyes on Konata.
"Hm?" Konata hummed inquisitively.
"You're beginning to use the powers of the wind, aren't you?" He asked. Konata studied him for a moment.
"Yeah. Why?" Konata asked.
"I'm a wind magic user myself. I could give you a great tip that'll help you come along if you want." Kazuma said.
"Wow... really?" Konata asked. Kazuma smirked.
"Of course, not for free." He said. "That'll be your portion of the tournament winnings." He said. Ayano looked at him.
"Oh, that was your plan. Collect on their bribe and get your portion anyway." Ayano sighed.
"Sorry, but I have plans for that money..." Konata said.
"I'll buy it." Tsuki said. She put her hand with the check out. "Give her that tip now!" She said.
"You can't do that Tsuki! That's too much to give just for something that I'll probably learn eventually!" Konata said. Tsuki shook her head.
"That money isn't going to do me any good where I'm going. Besides, you've helped me out so much already, letting me stay with you guys and everything, even though you hardly knew me. I've gotta give you something back." She said with a smile. Kazuma, while they were chatting, took the check from her hand.
"Looks like everything's in order." He said as he began to walk out. "You're commanding the power of the wind. You can't do that. If you don't listen to the Spirit of the Wind, you're not gonna get very far." Kazuma said.
"Do you mean Fujin?" Konata asked. Kazuma laughed.
"No. Tell me, are you able to hear the voice of the wind? If not, then you'll never manage to be able to use the power of the Wind to it's fullest." He said. He turned back to her for a second, a smirk on his face. "The voice of the wind is telling me it wants to rage around more. If you don't listen to her, you'll never begin to draw real power." Kazuma said before he left the arena. "Come on Ren. We're going."
"Ah, hehe... Sorry guys..." He waved over at the small crowd of people. Ayano looked at Kazuma, then at Konata, then ran after him.
"WHAT DID YOU MEAN HER?" She yelled.
"Her?" Konata repeated to herself. He was referring to the Spirit of the Wind. So, the Spirit of the Wind is female? How do I talk to her though? Konata wondered.
"Travel to the Forest of Spirits..." She heard in her head. She recognized the deep, slow voice. Fujin was talking to her.
What? Where's that? Konata asked.
"Travel to the Forest of Spirits..." Fujin said again. She felt his presence vanish.
Damn it, he couldn't help me to which forest it is? She thought. Maybe I can ask Kagami... She thought.
"Hey! Um..." Naruto addressed Tsuki.
"My name's Tsuki!" She said.
"Yeah, Tsuki! Where did you learn the Rasengan? Did Pervy Sage teach you?" Naruto asked, kind of hoping to meet someone else who knew him.
"Hm? Pervy Sage? Who's that?" Tsuki asked.
"Lord Jiraiya." Kakashi said.
"Um... Never heard of him... " Tsuki said.
"Oh... Then who did you learn it from?" Naruto asked.
"Well, a man taught my Dad, and he taught me!" Tsuki said.
"Huh..." Naruto said.
"Tsukasa, how did you heal me?" Tony asked.
"Amaterasu taught me a song that was really strong!" Tsukasa said.
"What's up with the songs? Are you just going to use all kinds of spells with songs now?" Tony asked.
"Well, Amaterasu said something like "My voice was the voice that would prawn the heavens"... Or something like that..." Tsukasa said.
"I think you mean "pierce", Tsukasa." Konata said with a smile.
"Oh... That doesn't make much sense either..." Tsukasa said.
"Either way, I'm glad that you healed me. Otherwise, I'd be dead. Stone dead. Definitely deceased. Passed on. Ceased to be. Expired and gone to meet my maker." Tony said.
"A stiff. Bereft of life, he'd rest in peace." Konata added.
"Pushing up daisies." Tony said.
"His metabolic processes are history." Konata said.
"Off my twig." Tony said.
"Kicked the bucket." Konata said.
"Shuffled off this mortal coil." Tony said. "I'd be an ex-man." Tony said.
"I think we should stop this, it's getting silly." Konata giggled.
"Yes, too silly, far too silly." Tony said.
"So Kan-kan, what's with your eyes?" Konata asked.
"What do you mean?" Tony asked.
"Your eyes glowed when you were using that attack." Konata said.
"Which one?" Tony asked.
"Tsukasa." Konata said.
"Never use that move again!" Tsukasa shouted.
"What? Why?" Tony asked.
"A move named after me almost killed you! I don't want to be the one who killed you!" Tsukasa said.
"Well, that kind of sucks." Tony said, chuckling.
"What happened, anyway? Your eyes glowed when you used it." Konata said.
"I... don't know. I didn't notice anything." Tony said.
"That's weird..." Konata said. She turned to her girlfriend. "Hey Kagami, what are some really spiritual forests?" Konata asked her, seeing as how she was a miko.
"Hm? Odd question, what brought this on?" Kagami asked.
"Well, I was thinking... That guy, Kazuma, said I needed to speak with the Spirit of the Wind. Then Fujin told me to go to the Forest of Spirits. But he didn't tell me where that was!" Konata said. Kagami smiled, crossed her arms and hummed, nodding.
"Gotcha..." She began thinking.
"I think what you're looking for is Seifa Utaki." Tadao said.
"Hm? What Dad?" Kagami asked.
"It's the holiest sanctuary of Rikyu Shinto. From what I remember, I think they're particularly animistic. If you're looking for a legitimate spirit that dwells in a forest, I think that'd be the place to go." Tadao said.
"..." Everyone was silent for a moment.
"That's... really far away..." Kagami mumbled.
"By car, that's gotta be almost two full days straight driving..." Miki said.
"Across ferries..." Konata said. "And I doubt Fujin would lend me a hand getting there..." She said. Tony had an idea.
That well... Tony thought. "I might have a way of getting there..." Tony said. Everyone looked at him.
"What? How?" They all asked.
"The Divine Well." They heard a voice.
Luckier Channel
"Luckier~! Channel~!" Akira shouted. "Hiya Luckies~! I'm your navigator, Akira Kogami~!"
"And I'm the assistant, Minoru Shiraishi!"
"Alas, that concludes the story of our dear protagonists." Akira said. "Moments after the voice said that, the sun suddenly exploded, creating a supernova that annihilated everyone." Akira announced. "It then turned into a black hole and destroyed even their atoms, just for good measure." She continued her report. "A tragic tale, one to remind you that no matter what is going on, a cosmic event can kill everyone at any given time for no reason whatsoever." Akira said. "So that's the end. Goodbye." Akira said.
"Wait... What?" Minoru asked.
"Meh... Never mind. I take it all back. That was just the alternate ending." Akira said.
"Okay... Alternate ending? There were some of those, huh?" Minoru asked.
"There are hundreds. They're constantly changing, too." Akira said.
"Wow..." Minoru said.
"Kan-chan was almost killed my assassins!" Akira said.
"Er... Yeah. They just read that, Akira." Minoru said.
"Assassins really impress me..." Akira said.
"Yeah, I understand. They train so hard to be really good at... what they do." Minoru said.
"No, that's not it." Akira said. "They fit the word "ass" in there twice..."
"Oh... I guess that does make sense." Minoru said.
"You seem like you're a little startled Minoru... What's wrong?" Akira asked.
"Nothing... I just... Nothing." He said. Akira noticed he had been looking at her for a bit. She blushed, surprising.
"Well... Okay then. I guess we should... end?" She suggested.
"Sure." Minoru said.
*Music Tone*
"I... guess that's all the time we have for today... Hope to see you again next chapter! Bye-nii~..." She waved, embarrassed under Minoru's gaze.
"..."
"So what's wrong Minoru?"
"It's nothing Akira, just kind of distracted."
"Is... is that so...?"
*End*
Aftersection
No, the story isn't over. Got it out before two months! I've had it mostly done for a little while, but simply couldn't get the time to work on it. Plus I hit a block with Yutaka and Minami's part. It's the reason I never write for the other characters :P Anyway, better cut it short before I run out of time to work on this.