Kagura Hearts

Chapter 24 ~ Bashful Butcher

"The next Trial's coming up, so I hope you're not getting cold feet already, little man. Otherwise, what's the point of bringing the Giant Cleaver out?" Murakumo asked.

"...GIANT…CLEAVER?!" Sora's horror was well understood as the thought of being chopped by such a tool is unheard of, making Sora ask, "Gessen's testing me to see if I'm a good guy, I get that. But what I don't get…IS WHY THEY HAVE A SERIAL KILLER ON THEIR TEAM?! ARE PSYCHOPATHS ALLOWED TO BE HEROES?!"

Murakumo looked at her Giant Cleaver and asked, "H-hey, what?! I'm not a serial killer! Where'd you get that impression from?" Sora answered, "Murder Mysteries and Movies! Riku was a big scary movie buff and would dare me to watch one of those movies without peeing myself, and I have seen PLENTY of movies where masked people, just like you, go around with scary masks and cleavers, and chop innocent teenagers to bits!"

Murakumo however argued, "I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW I'M NOWHERE NEAR THAT LEVEL OF EVIL, OR MURDEROUS! I AM AN AUTHOR, A NINJA, AND A BLADE MASTER! I HAVE NO INTEREST IN PLAYING 'SERIAL KILLER' AND GOING TO THE BIG HOUSE FOR 7 TO 23 YEARS!"

Sora was a bit surprised by one detail…

"Wait…YOU? An author?" Sora asked. Murakumo nodded, "Yes, I'm an Author of a few Manga Stories, and I'll have you know they're rather good ones." Sora then said, "...fighting a creative person…who holds a cleaver…I don't know about this…"

Yumi then said, "The Trial MUST be done, otherwise, you will incur the wrath of Gessen." Sora however asked, "It's a Cleaver! If you're so tolerant of people who chop people in the name of your so-called Justice, maybe you should call yourselves 'Evil Ninjas' instead, like the Hebijo Academy's Ninjas."

"WATCH YOUR TONGUE, BOY!" Yumi commanded, only for Sora to respond by saying, "MAKE ME, CREEPER!"

Murakumo then said, "Fear not, 'little man'! If you're feeling so uncomfortable about the Trial, then we'll change the rules. Here's my idea: You defend yourself by blocking my Cleaver, 3 Minutes should suffice. If you can block more than 10 Strikes, then you win the Trial. BUT, if you take about 5 or more Strikes, you'll fail the Trial!"

Sora smiled and said, "...that's…not a bad suggestion. Sure Murakumo, I can do that. Just let me know when you're ready." Murakumo then said, "Excellent, then you should be all set where you stand…"

At that instant, Murakumo disappeared, forcing Sora to summon his Keyblade and prepare for the onslaught his opponent promised to deliver with her giant cleaver…

Yumi and the other Gessen Girls hurried to different locations to watch Sora endure the trial…

Yumi then called out, "As Murakumo requested, the Endurance Trial will go on as she insisted. 3 Minutes on the clock, your task is to defend, 10 times, against Murakumo's attacks. Any more until the time runs out will increase your chances of passing the trial, but if you're struck 5 or more times, then you will be declared the loser! Are you ready? 3…2…1…BEGIN!"

Minutes later, Asuka, Katsu, and Yagyu managed to find Yumi, who was still watching Sora struggle to defend any more against Murakumo's barrage.

"Yumi, we need to talk! Your assumptions against Sora have gone too far!" Asuka said. Yumi however said, "...glad you can make it to the show, Asuka. Your Grandmother's puppet is putting up a valiant effort against our strongest blade wielder." Asuka however ignored Yumi's words and ordered, "Cease these Trials and spare my friend! He's innocent, and your sudden claim that he is the complete reverse is-!"

"-BULLSHIT! THAT'S WHAT!" Katsu added.

Yumi shook her head and said, "We have our sources to confirm he is not without his imperfections. It's almost shameful for a Good Ninja to defend one she barely knows." Asuka however said, "I know him well enough to be a decent and kind-hearted swordsman who doesn't just kiss any woman, LIKE YOU!" As Yumi looked annoyingly at Asuka, Asuka continued, "And how DARE you mock my Granny by calling poor Sora her 'Puppet'! I can understand certain people have their secrets, but my Granny is the most heroic-if not the most protective-Shinobi who has ever earned the Rank of Kagura! She summoned Sora to help me save OUR world! If you have a reason to distrust my friend, take that issue up with HIM, face front and honestly while looking him in the eye!"

Yumi angrily said, "He-...he's a man! Men are flawed, untrustworthy, and disgusting! It doesn't matter how puppy-eyed and gentle he appears, inside, he's pure Ape!" Yagyu however said, "Seems to me this is more 'Cowardice' than 'Factual'. She's attacking Sora BECAUSE he's a man alone, and not because they have evidence of his so-called villainy."

"HOW DARE YOU! HIS GUILT IS WITNESSED AND KNOWN TO GESSEN ACADEMY!" Yumi argued. Until Katsuragi grunted and grabbed Yumi by the back of her Kimono and said, "This is from a lady who tried to sleep with him: This is for your own good!" At that instant, Katsu disappeared WITH Yumi…

Back outside, Sora had just finished the trial while holding Murakumo's Ogre Mask. As he goofed around with it, Hibari and Ikaruga managed to find and reach Sora. Hibari then asked, "Sora! Are you OK?! I-I thought they were going to tear you to shreds and throw you in the ice-!" Sora shook his head and said, "It's alright, Hibari, check it out! I passed 2 Trials already! I caught that girl who made it rain Nerds and Troii candy, THEN I managed to avoid and endure a Cleaver-Wielding Girl! I even got a funny mask out of it."

Sora then puts on Murakumo's mask while acting silly and spooky at the same time, "WOO, CHECK ME OUT, HUMANS! IMMA SPOOKY SPOOK WHO TEASES FOXES AND SNORTS MOOSE-CLOUDS UPON THE UNDESERVING! WOO-WOOO-SPOOKY-SPOOKY!" Hibari laughed like nuts while Ikaruga chuckled…

However, Ikaruga snatched the mask off Sora's face and said, "Y-(ahem), you're quite the Card, Sora, but the Trials are far from over. These Gessen students seem rather agitated with you, and they won't stop tormenting you with these random and stupid Trials until you're proven guilty!" Sora however said, "Look Ikaruga, as dangerous as they seem, I don't think they want me dead. They just think I'm too good to be true, I mean, Master Sayuri summoned me from out of nowhere, so I can see why they'd be a little on edge around a stranger. I agreed to complete their 5 Trials so they can put their fears of me to rest."

Ikaruga however grabbed Sora and said, "But what if it's too much?! What if you get crushed along the way?!" Sora gently held her hands and got them off his shoulders while explaining, "Don't worry Ikaruga, I've got this!" Ikaruga blushed as she saw Sora smile so heroically…

"W-WHERE IS I-I-I-I-IT?"

Sora, Hibari, and Ikaruga turned towards the building Sora came out of, alerted by the new voice behind them…

"M-MY-(sniff), M-MY MA-A-A-ASK…S-SOMEONE STOLE…(sniff)...MY MA-A-A-ASK!"

Sora looked at the Ogre Mask…

"...so…that was…Murakumo?!" Sora asked. Ikaruga sighed, gave the mask back to Sora, and said, "Apparently so. The girl has an unusual connection to this Mask. When she wears it, Murakumo is like a completely different person, she's brave, she's passionate for battle, and she becomes all the more determined when it comes to her Manga art…but…WITHOUT her mask-."

"She's a chicken we tell you! A giant chicken!" Hibari alerted.

Sora looks back to see the pitiful form of Murakumo, as she whimpers and searches the building wreckage for her precious mask…

Sora sighed and took the mask back from Ikaruga while saying, "A man has to be a man…this mask shouldn't be a trophy anyway…" Sora then walked over to Murakumo and said, "Um…h-hey, you put up a good fight, mam. I-um…I knocked this off, so…I'm sorry I knocked your mask off your face."

Murakumo stood up, looking at Sora with a beautiful and adorable face, dripping with tears from her big eyes. Murakumo shyly then asked, "...you beat me…yet you…you would still give my mask back to me?" Sora answered, "Of course I would. I mean, what jerk takes away a writer's muse? I hope after the Trials, you could show me one of your works. I'm…I'm really sorry I knocked this mask off too. Will you…ever forgive me?"

Murakumo took the mask, and nodded at Sora after wiping the tears from her eyes.

Then, as soon as she puts her ogre mask back on, she changes her tone of voice and attitude and yells, "I EXPECT NO LESS FROM MY CHOSEN RIVAL! You truly have a noble heart, young man (loud & proud laughter)!" Sora then nodded politely while saying, "R-right…rival. Anyway…I'm glad you're OK now, but out of curiosity…the next trial, I believe it had something to do with Strength? Could you explain it to me?"

Murakumo proudly answered, "Well Swordsman Sora, I'd be happy to! The Trial of Strength has you matching all your power against the Gessen Academy's strongest member! With your bare hands, you must over-power her, or suffer the shame of Yumi's judgment!"

"HANG ON THERE, HALLOWEEN, CHANGE OF PLANS!" Shiki yelled.

Sora, Hibari, Ikaruga, and Murakumo were surprised to see Shiki land before them and point out, "A Hanzo Student has just kidnapped Yumi, and we can't just do nothing while our leader is in the hands of an opponent, ESPECIALLY an opponent like Katsu!"

Sora was startled while Ikaruga asked, "WAIT, KATSU KIDNAPPED YUMI?! For what purpose would she-?!"

"SORA, OVER HERE!" Katsu yelled. As Sora turned, he saw Katsu, standing on a building roof over them while holding a frustrated Yumi in her arms! Yumi then barked, "RELEASE ME YOU DISGUSTING CHIMPANZEE! HAVEN'T YOU HARASSED THE GESSEN ACADEMY STUDENTS ENOUGH?!" Kat answered, "I haven't even started with you, babe. But first things first: I'm going to show you WHY Sora's a better man than you give him credit for."

At that moment, Katsu threw Yumi down!

"KAT, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Sora yelled as he charged!

He rushed as fast as he could to try and rescue the falling Yumi…

He jumped from wall to wall at great speed to try and catch the falling woman…

Reaching out, Sora managed to catch Yumi right before she could touch the ground!

Yumi felt herself being lifted up, and looked at the face of her rescuer, as Sora cradled her close with a scared look on his face, and a relieved tone in his tired voice…

"...Miss Yumi…a-(deep breath), a-are you OK?" Sora asked.

Yumi's eyes widened in astonishment…

…while her heart pounded fast, simply by looking at someone who she felt nothing but suspicion and disgust towards, who risked his lingering strength to save her.

Sora helped Yumi back on her feet, and soon collapsed onto the ground, clearly spending all his energy defending himself against Murakumo's powerful Cleaver attacks…

Katsu appeared next to Sora and helped him up just as Asuka and Yagyu arrived. Katsu then explained, "You girls gave your all in only two tests, he nearly ran himself dry to keep up with two of them, and there was a good chance he would have collapsed from exhaustion during the 3rd Trial of yours. But he was more than ready to spend ALL of what remained to keep your neck from snapping, Yumi. Sora is a hero…and all this time, you suspected Sayuri of summoning a suspicious sonova bitch. Do you STILL think he should be tested any more than he already has?"

"...Katsu…" Asuka smiled in astonishment from Katsu's speech while Yumi looked at Sora…

Yumi then said, "...Keybearers haven't been seen in our world since the last one was taken away by his master…only to be subject to his treachery…Yes, I did suspect Sora of being a villain, only because I'm familiar with the darkness a Keyblade Master was capable of…what Master Xehanort was capable of."

End of Chapter 24