Well, I'm real proud of this story and wanted to continue it sooo badly, I've put a lot of effort into this and don't want it to end, which is why I fought to keep it going. Luckily for me, my 1st beta agreed to continue the story, and I can see why. After how much work they put in, I think they didn't want to give it up that easily. So I hope you enjoy how much work we put into this.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Senran Kagura characters. Just the story that my beta and I own.

Warning: Violence, swearing, minor sexual references and emotional drama.

Chapter 25 - Kat's Struggle

It took some time but the dust cloud finally cleared enough to see what had happened. I quickly started looking around for Minori, eyes darting in every possible direction. What I saw was something I never wanted to see. Minori on the ground, face down in the dirt as the rest of her body laying on its side at a concerning angle. Clothes completely devastated to the point where whatever was left clung to her body as if trying to preserve whatever minuscule modesty was still there. I rose out of my seat, cupping my hands to my face and screamed out, "MINORI!"

Kat was the next to shoot up, "Wait, Renka-Honey look!"

I looked to the other side and saw Minori's Bam Bam Pancakes split in half. Right over just about a few inches from the pancakes was Yomi on the ground too. She was laying on her back, hair sprawled out all over the place like she was just in a typhoon. Her skin had nicks and cuts all over and even bruises in some places from the attack. Her pirate outfit had seen better days with some places looking torn while a lot of the cloth was just straight up gone. Even the entire right side of Yomi's top, the part covering her breast was gone, so she was flashing for the whole world to see.

I put my hands over my mouth, "Both girls are completely knocked out."

Suddenly I heard a voice cry out, "YOMI!" I looked across the stadium and saw a very concerned Hikage-Sensei. That's a switch. Usually, you'd never see Hikage-Sensei show any emotion at all.

Murakumo looked to both girls and raised her arm, "TKO, due to both girls knocking each other out, there is no"-

"Wait!" Murakumo looked over to the owner of the voice, I saw Yomi up on her feet, breathing heavily, eyes glassy and pupils uneven. Murakumo looked over to Minori who still hasn't budged. Murakumo sighed, "TKO, the winner is Yomi Kayano."

Hikage-Sensei was the first to go down there, and I jumped down after going towards Minori, until a voice yelled out from the other side of the stadium, "Don't touch her! We have this!"

Medics ran over to treat Minori. "Easy now, lay her on her stomach. Her back is probably more injured than anything right now." The medics worked efficiently and put her on a special kind of stretcher, one with an attachable brace so her head was suspended so she wouldn't suffocate from the fabric.

My eyes went wide and my heart sank. I looked over and saw Hikage-Sensei standing in front of Yomi. Hikage-Sensei sighed, "You had me worried there, Yomi."

Yomi smirked, but it was wobbly at best and seemed to twitch painfully, "Well that's a neat trick since you don't have any feelings, Hikage-Sensei."

Our green-haired teacher nodded, and for the first time that I've ever seen, tears spilled out of her eyes and down her face, "Are you okay?"

Yomi gave a slight nod, "It's hurting a lot, but I'll be okay. Right now, I'm struggling to even keep my consciousness."

Hikage-Sensei held out her arms. "Good job Yomi. Now rest my little girl."

Yomi chuckled with a hoarse voice as she shed a few tears herself, "Y-Yes, Mom."

Almost immediately, Yomi's body started to fall forward but she was caught by Hikage-Sensei and the teacher picked her up. "You've grown up from that weak helpless girl that was on the verge of dying from hunger back then."

Without knowing it, my eyes soon shed tears of their own as well. I never thought Yomi and Hikage-Sensei had a relationship like that. I felt like I understood them both a bit more, even just a little. But even then, even if this is a tournament, I can't picture myself forgiving Yomi any time soon.

After they took off and Minori was long gone, Kat touches my shoulders, "Renka-Honey, you should head back to your seat. My match is about to start."

I nodded and wiped my face with my sleeve, "Alright."

After I got back to my seat, Murakumo raised her arm, "Next up is match number 3. Yagyu Mizuhashi, come on out here."

After only a few seconds, Yagyu came out and made her way to Murakumo and Kat. I clasp my hands together and I placed them close to my mouth to pray, "Please Kat, don't lose. We've already lost Minori, we don't need to lose you too. Win this match."

As Murakumo looked to both girls, "Well if you're both ready, let the match begin."

Murakumo backed off, and Kat started to unleash a flurry of kicks at Yagyu, wanting to get as much damage done as quickly as possible. Yagyu was dodging every single one of them, quite easily in fact. Kat was moving pretty fast too, which meant if someone was as fast as she was and not connecting a single hit, it wouldn't be long before she was in trouble. Kat tried to speed herself up by having the wind pushing her body with each kick, but Yagyū was managing to dodge every single hit without any effort.

Kafuru scoffed, "Well, it's looking like that your girlfriend isn't as strong as you thought."

I nodded, "Yeah. That's what has me worried. When we ran into Yagyu before, she was almost completely out of power but still overpowered us."

Kafuru gave me a serious look, "You didn't object to me calling her your girlfriend. You two aren't actually dating now, are you?" I didn't give her a response, and Kafuru face-palmed, "Oh, for the love of all that's decent, why!?"

"Think of it this way, who will end up with someone at the top of a Ferris wheel. Hmm, sis?" I didn't look at her, but I made sure to smirk on the side of my face where she could see it.

"But why a pervert like her? Why couldn't you have picked someone that's not a menace to society?"

"Kafuru, your face is a menace to society. Now shut up and let me watch."I continued to focus on Kat's match while Kafuru let out an undignified noise in her throat.

Kat was still unleashing her flurry of attacks which still weren't hitting their mark at all. Kat finally stopped to catch her breath. "Damn it, why am I not able to hit her?"

"This is what I am like at full power." Yagyu threw her arms out as if to display an invisible glory. "Do you see now? You've never stood a chance to begin with. Not ever."

Kat gathered her Ki, "Well, we'll just see about that."

Kat then unleashed several kicks aided by the unpredictability of the wind. Yagyu started to dodge every single one of them, but when Kat cornered her, she picked up her leg into a vertical split and yelled, "Cross Panzer!"

Kat brought her leg down in the strongest kick I've ever seen from her to date. The very force of the kick sent my hair flying back with the wind that was picked up. But this victory was short-lived as Yagyu put her hand up and completely stopped the blow it in its tracks.

"How!? This attack may not be my strongest, but it's still pretty devastating." Kat grunted, trying to move her leg away, but the angle made any form of movement nearly impossible. "Let go damnit!"

Yagyu scoffed, and the next thing I know, Yagyu's leg shot up, delivering a blow straight onto Kat's crotch. Kat's eyes went wide as she squeaked out some kind of sound. Yagyu smirked, "You left yourself wide open, don't you know I specialize in close combat?"

Poor Kat collapsed hands between her legs, whimpering but trying not to cry out from what I could only imagine being immense pain.

"Penalty, Yagyu Mizuhashi," Murakumo announced blankly, her body was so rigid that it screamed she was so done with everyone's' shit today and our excessive attacking of particular body parts. "If you're going to treat these matches like bar fights I'm drowning the stadium in beer so that way it's at least entertaining."

Yagyu jerked her head to her, "Quiet over there! No one asked for your shallow wisdom."

Murakumo crossed her arms, "Even so, I'm still the overseer for this round. If you continue with these disregarding remarks, I won't hesitate to disqualify you. Now act like mature girls or I'll put both of you in time-out."

Yagyu snorted at her threat but soon looked over in Kat's direction now that she was on two feet. "Back for more?"

Kat got onto her fighting stance, "Apparently I've gotta guard my most sensitive parts against you." Kat surrounded herself with a wind aura, "I wanted to save this for more down the line but I need to go all out now."

Kat was floating in the air with her Dragon Rebellion transforming before my very eyes. My mouth goes slack and I whisper in amazement, "So Kat's been capable of all this?"

Kafuru sighed, "Sounds like you never even seen her at her best before."

I nodded, "Yeah... I haven't. She's always held herself back."

Kat's attacks become even faster and unpredictable without a single pattern to their movements. Yagyu couldn't predict them all and chose to block some of her attacks instead of dodging them to save energy. It was actually getting hard to keep up with Kat due to how fast she was going, zipping along quick as a lightning strike. Kat soon looked like she was going too fast for Yagyu to block and it looked like she was going to get a clean hit. But out of nowhere Yagyu closed her eye and touched her eyepatch sighing out, "Nozomi."

The sudden word was enough to throw Kat off guard for a split second, and that was all the time Yagyu needed. Her hand quickly shot up and threw Kat's kick-off course and Kat went careening past Yagyu.

Yagyu finally opened her eye and summoned her... umbrella? 'Wait, Yagyu's weapon was an Umbrella' I thought to myself in reminder.

Yagyu got into her battle position, "This world is broken. Full of broken people, broken dreams, and broken promises. This world needs correction, and I'm gonna correct it one soul at a time until I correct all."

Kat backed up, a bead of sweat rolling down her forehead. "Just what in the world are you here for?"

Yagyu put her hand up, "I'm here for your life." Then Yagyu made the come here gesture.

Kat, however, started charging up her Ki again, this time I could even sense Yagyu's Ki in the air as well and it was suffocating, "It's time I brought this fight to its end."

Kat started swinging her legs around her body again, planning on using her Tornado Spindel again. Kat spun faster and faster until she created a tornado and shouted out, "Tornado Spindel!"

Kat's tornado made its way towards Yagyu, and then Yagyu put up her hand near her face with two fingers up and summoned up a giant blue squid. It started launching ice spells Kat's way, which crashed into the tornado and froze part of Kat's body. Afterward, put her hand out straight at Kat, "Ice Feet."

The squid shot it's tentacles forward and hitting into Kat, knocking her back and creating more ice spells to continue to freeze her. Kat landed not too far away, body nearly frozen, "Sh-Sh-Sh-Shit!"

Yagyu landed next to her, "And now your match is over. Don't think that you're getting off, however." Suddenly Yagyu's hand shot forward and dug into her abdomen with enough force that she pierced Kat's skin and blood soon flowed out. Kat coughed out blood as she screamed in pain, trying to get away but was unable to move.

I was starting to feel sick again. Yagyu pulled her hand out and Kat coughed out more blood, struggling to breathe. Yagyu looked to her hand, "I told you, didn't I? You're gonna die by my hand."

My eyes widened, 'Was she really planning on killing her!? Why hasn't Murakumo stopped the match yet?!'

Yagyu put her hand down and grinned, showing all of her teeth. "And once I do, I'm gonna go and kill your precious 'Renka-Honey'."

My eyes widened even more than the first time, my heart jumping into my throat and I lost the ability to breathe. She was even planning on killing me? Kat coughed out a little more blood when a strange noise escaped her throat. Was that, growling I heard?

The ice around Kat's body started melting. Yagyu saw this and took a step back out of shock, "I-Impossible. There's no way you've got the power to melt my ice."

After setting herself free, Kat stood up without anything hindering her and her wound started to heal. Yagyu gasped, "J-Just what the hell are you? You shouldn't be able to do any of this!"

This was new, Kat had never exhibited this kind of power before.

A dark aura had now surrounded Kat and she looked at Yagyu with murder in her eyes, "Don't you dare touch my Renka. If you even try it, I'll kill you where you stand!"

Yagyu scoffed, "Just try it, I dare you, you stupid cow."

A dark aura flared off Kat and she took off like a rocket kicking Yagyu straight in the face. Yagyu went flying before I even knew what happened.

The next point, Yagyu got kicked by Kat into the air and Yagyu cried out in pain, before being roundhouse kicked by Kat into the ground. After seeing Kat landing in the dirt, Yagyu was still getting up, "Damn it! Being forced into using my chakra by you is disgusting."

Kat smirked evilly and rushed forward again, but this time Yagyu managed to dodge it. Yagyu's face turned angry, "Tch, I can't believe I had to use this against you."

Kat unleashed a barrage of lightning-fast attacks that Yagyu was dodging very easily again. However, I could see the same dark aura on Yagyu but barely visible as if she was trying not to reveal she had this. Kat continued her onslaught of attacks as Yagyu kept dodging. At this point, Kat backs off and quickly hurled herself forward while her body spins in the air, "Dead Screw Dragon!"

Yagyu quickly drops her umbrella, "Demon Slice!" She removes her eye patch and reveals that she never had a missing eye. It turns red and unleashed the red tentacle attack again.

Both attacks collided with unparalleled power and caused a massive explosion, which sent smoke everywhere in the stands. I coughed and choked out, "K-Kat!"

Kafuru coughed and waved a hand in front of her face, "I haven't dealt with this much smoke since Hanabi almost burned our house down that one time."

I just kept chanting in my head, 'Please be okay! Please be okay! Please be okay! Please be okay! Please be okay! Please be okay!'

After what seemed like a short eternity, the smoke finally cleared, and we were all able to see what happened. When I finally focused my sight on the battlefield, I saw Yagyu putting back on her eye patch, "Tch, I'm all out of Chakra. What an annoyance"

I saw Kat, on the ground, unconscious and she wasn't moving. My tears quickly flowed and I coughed again, lungs burning from the smoke, "N-N-No! NO! KAT!"

Murakumo looked to Kat, "TKO, the winner is Yagyu Mizuhashi! Medics!"

Yagyu, however, started approaching Kat like a predator that found its prey in a trap, "It's time you die now."

At that instant, I shot my thunder straight at Yagyu, and she barely dodged out of the way because she didn't see it coming. I jumped down as quickly as I could and got in between the both of them. I barred my teeth and was glaring at Yagyu, "Don't you even think about it! If you even try it, I will kill you where you stand Yagyu!"

Yagyu just started laughing uproariously, "That's what you're friend said to me. What are you gonna do? Go crazy at me too?"

I summoned my Rei Tei, "Bitch I might!" I was lying but she didn't need to know that. All I had to do was get Yagyu to back off.

Yagyu's weapon vanished, "Tch, I'm out of chakra. So thanks, but no thanks."

Yagyu finally turned and went back into the stadium. I quickly turned around and found that Kat still hadn't moved. I got onto my hands and knees, tears flowing down my face, "Kat, No! Please don't die! You can't be dead! You just can't!"

I broke down and a wrecked sob escaped me, it felt like a part of me was dying inside, the pain was worse than anything I had ever felt before. Like a knife was drilling into me and twisting throughout my body. Seeing the most important person in the world to me like this, it was heartbreaking. I just kept crying and crying for what seemed like forever, until I heard, "D-Don't… c-cry… Re-Renka… H-Honey…"

I removed my hands from my face and found Kat looking at me. She was alive! I couldn't help the next words that came out of my mouth, "Thank god, you're alive." I sobbed again, pressing my forehead against hers, holding her warm face as a physical reminder that she was alive. She was alive and not cold.

After that, medics came and grabbed Kat. She was immediately rushed into surgery with Nurse Haruka. She had a lot of bad injuries, most of it was internal. I sat at the doors for what seemed like hours. The fourth match finished long before Kat got out, but I only heard from Kafuru about what happened. Shiki withdrew, making Naraku the winner of the last match. Several more hours passed and it began to grow dark outside. Finally, Nurse Haruka came out.

I jumped out of my seat. "Nurse Haruka, how is she?"

Haruka sighed and ripped off her bloodied gloves, disposing of them in a hands-free trash container, "I've done all I can. The best thing for her now is to get some rest. We had to do a specialized heating system to revitalized the frozen parts of her body but we were able to save all of her internal organs. She needs to be put on several I.V. drips to regain damaged and removed fluids but she should make it."

I just breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank god..."

Haruka rubbed the sleepiness out of her eyes. "There's nothing more you can do for her here, Renka. Go home and get some sleep. You've got your match against Yomi, right? She's gonna make a full recovery, but she'll have to miss school to recover enough in time."

A thought occurred to me, "And… Minori?"

"She'll live. She's in intensive care right now with several healers watching her around the clock. How that girl is still alive is beyond me but she's a tough cookie, I'll give the kid that." Hakura praised, rubbing her shoulders and cracked her neck. "It'll pay to get some rest so you don't disgrace them. Poor girls, I'm sure they'd appreciate you giving them a good fight and coming out on top."

I nodded again, "Alright. Take care of Kat and Minori, Nurse Haruka."

Haruka waves sleepily, "Will do."

I headed back home and noticed how empty the house felt without Kat. I dragged myself upstairs and into Kat's room where I plopped myself face-first into the bed. All I saw was Kat's goofy smile half the time and I felt the tears flow. 'I almost lost her today,' I thought to myself.

'If she had died, I don't know what I would've done.' I pulled the covers onto my body. I needed to sleep, 'Maybe I should ask Ikaruga-Sensei for tips on how to make my Super Secret Ninja Art. I will need that if I'm ever gonna win against Yomi, or even Yagyu. Hell, I might even need an Ultimate for Yagyu.' I slowly lose consciousness as I drift off to sleep.

Chapter End

I hope things are getting excited now. The Semi Finals are next. With Renka taking on Yomi, what will happen? Well, find out next time. Till next time, Ayame out!