Chapter 26. Man we've really come to so far. I'm in the process of writing chapter 30 as we speak. So I hope you enjoy the next few chapters as we near the ending of the Kohana Tournament. Hope you enjoy this.

Disclaimer: I do not own Senran Kagura, or any of the characters. I only own the plot.

Warning: Violence, gore, language, child neglect, child abuse, starvation, the cruelty of humanity towards those most vulnerable.

Chapter 26: Kohana Tournament Semifinals

I woke up the next morning and still felt as empty as the night before. With the way both Minori and Kat were injured, I might be alone for the next few days. After getting up and turning on New Tube, Miss R was the first to pop onto the screen, "Today begins the Semifinals of the Kohana Tournament. Have we got some crazy matches for you today! First up, we have Renka Mikagura Vs. Yomi Kayano."

Mister K appeared on screen from the side, sliding in a dramatic fashion. "Then we have Yagyu Mizuhashi Vs. Naraku Kaida!"

Miss R then laughed, "These matches have been explosive so far, so we're expecting the same today. Who will win and make it to the finals? Find out later today here on New Tube!"

I shut off the New App and I shook my head in disappointment. I couldn't handle them treating this whole thing like it's a joke. I know Rin and Kiriya don't mean it like that, but it still doesn't sit right with me. People nearly die and they act all clownish for what? A few chuckles from audiences? This whole tournament I swear...

After eating, and heading out to school, I found Ikaruga-Sensei and caught her attention. She looked at me and blinked a few times. "Huh? Mikagura? What do you want with me?"

I put my arms behind myself, "Ikaruga-Sensei, can you help me develop my next Ninja Art?"

Ikaruga took a deep breath and sighed as she released it. "Look Mikagura, those kinds of things take time, a lot more time than you have. It's not just something you can master before a match. You need time and training, which is something you don't have right now."

I gasped, "Are you serious!?"

Ikaruga nodded. "Afraid so. Sorry, Mikagura."

I walked away defeated and head to class in which I can barely focus on the lesson. After that and given homework I'd never finish, I went to the arena where my match would begin. Sure enough, Ryobi was out there, she raised her arm. "Let's get this shit started! Would Renka Mikagura and Yomi Kayano come on out!"

My mood still wasn't the greatest, especially with Yomi but I still went out there anyway. As I walked out there, I saw Yomi carrying her broadsword already. I guess after that last match, she wasn't gonna mess around anymore, promising a tough battle headed my way.

As soon as we both got to Ryobi, Yomi spoke to me. "Renka, at first I joined this Tournament to teach you and Kat a lesson, to sate my whole grudge against you. But after yesterday's match, I think my grudges have been long since forgotten... Especially since I almost died twice during the course of this tournament."

Yomi chuckled to herself and put a hand on her hip. "It's funny, I've been put into a position where I was reminded of how weak I was before I joined Hikage-Sensei's crew. It even got to the point that I picked up this broadsword out of respect for her…

"Why are you telling me this?" I ask her nervously, eyeing her sword and waiting for an attack.

Yomi glanced at me, a sad smile crossing her face.

"Let me tell you a story, Renka."

Yomi POV:

The earliest memory I have was when I was 4-years-old. I remember living with my parents. We were a poor family, but we got by with what we had and were grateful for it. I always remember smiling the most throughout those times, eating together with my parents and always having fun.

Until the taxes rose against the poor, despite us barely having enough to keep ourselves alive. My parents had tried to make enough for all of us, but there were days where my parents wouldn't even eat. I kept offering some to them but they told me to eat. I ate most of what we had while my parents had suffered, getting skinnier and skinnier. But no matter how much I begged they wouldn't take an ounce of our food... One day, they were unable to get up. I tried to take care of them, but what could a four-year-old do? I watched as the lights went out in their eyes, as they passed away from this world. What child should watch their parents pass away before them?

It was at that point that I realized... I was truly alone in this world. After that, I tried to get a job, but no one would even take me seriously being as young as I was. So I was forced into stealing as I lived out in the streets... and let me tell you, living like that is hard. Especially with some storefront providers being complete and utter assholes. Many days I went without food… and my body truly displayed what I did not have.

I remember stealing a few apples and the manager was hot on my trail. Adults were fast but if you gained enough of a distance you could get away but that day I was really hungry so I wasn't at my best. I had finally tripped and fell to the ground smashing some apples and a few even fell into the nearby puddle.

I heard the store manager getting mad and screaming out "You stupid little bitch! That was my merchandise and you completely ruined them!"

I felt a kick connect into my abdomen and all of the air in my lungs blew out of me. My hands immediately held my gut, crying out in pain. The man, however, did not care, "Now how am I supposed to make money off of those apples since you destroyed most of them huh!?"

I soon felt a broom deliver a hit into my face and I started sobbing at how… how helpless the situation had become. I felt the man pick me up by my dress and I looked at him through the blood in my eyes. He held nothing back, he slapped me across the face several times and punched me straight in my stomach even though my entire frame was thinner than his bulky arms. I remember coughing up blood… I couldn't see very well and all I could do was beg for forgiveness. "Mister, please I'm sorry! I'm sorry I destroyed your apples. I'm just so hungry!"

The man only got even more infuriated with me. "Sorry!? Sorry! Sorry's not gonna get me back my merchandise now, is it!?"

Suddenly, the man smiled… it was the darkest, cruelest smile I had ever witnessed in my short life up to this very day."But this fabric you're wearing. Will fetch a pretty price." The man started to rip off the dress on my body. I screamed as this man did his evil deed and after he had what he wanted he threw me to the ground and had what remained of my dress in his hands. "Yes... this will fetch a nice price. Wonder where you stole this dress from."

I had scooted to the corner bringing my legs to my chest, only my underwear covering me as I cried. I vaguely remember the cold harsh wind hit my bare skin. Have you ever felt that, Renka? Your nearly naked body being soiled by the filthy air and dampness of an unclean ground? Probably not.

The man had almost turned away from until he stopped suddenly. "Wait, there is one more thing I can do."

I had looked up immediately as I heard him say this, connecting his line of sight to my lower half. I remember thinking, 'He's… he's not gonna… is he?'

I tried to crawl away as fast as I could but the man was too fast as he snatched my underwear. All I could do was scream out "NOOOOOOO! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

I felt my underwear fall off my butt and down my legs. I slipped out of them easily and the man stood up after, "Yes! I can fetch a good price for clothing for a little girl."

The guy took off, leaving me alone on all fours, completely naked and vulnerable. A sob escaped my lips, as my tears hit the road. I had... never been so humiliated before. I noticed that the two apples that were in the puddle were still there. I took a hold of them and walked back to my new place, naked, in the cold. A lot of people stared as I walked by, staring at me with judgemental eyes with no pity for the naked child who looked more skeleton than human. They all pointed and called me names. Looking back on it… things could have been worse.

It was a long trip home but I made it. I was living in the abandoned Mansion to avoid the cold and rain. For a time I did have extra clothes but I knew I couldn't afford too many mistakes like that. Especially as I get older, cause these men might actually take advantage of me. I sat down and started to eat the apples peeling off the dirty skin with my teeth… I sometimes wonder if the dirty water improved the taste or not.

I lived like this for a while until one day it started raining. I didn't get to go out and get food cause of the rain. I suddenly heard the alarm for the city go off. I knew that that only went off in a state of emergency, so I ran to the window on the second floor and saw the city I lived in my entire life engulfed in fire. There was a lone ship docked at our port. I watched as all the people that ever laughed at me, called me names or beat me were all killed by what looked like pirates.

While the carnage was happening in the town, I noticed one lone pirate coming to the abandoned mansion. A certain green-haired woman in red. Others were following right behind her, seemingly trying to stop her it looked like. I opened the window to listen in on their conversation.

"First mate Shiraishi, you heard Captain Kurusu!" I heard one say. "There might not be anyone living here because she heard that this old place is abandoned! Are you doubting the captain, you expressionless freak!"

The one called Shiraishi summoned a giant broadsword and cut the nobody who spoke to her in half, scaring the others with her. "I never said I doubted Hinata. This is just me being cautious. There could be townspeople gearing up to counterattack for all we know. Best to silence them now. Third Mate, you come with me. The rest of you head back into town and seize anything that looks valuable."

The group split off except for one guy and they both entered the mansion. I quickly hid inside a closet and she came up the stairs very cautiously and she came into the room where I was hiding in the closet. The third mate came in and closed the door behind them. He seemed suspicious, "Are you satisfied? There's no one here Shiraishi. This house is abandoned just as Captain Kurusu said."

The green-haired woman looked around. "This is why I came to confirm that no one was here. We need to make sure there's no threat to the Captain." She looked around a little bit more and noticed the window was open. "Hold on, that window is open."

The third mate sighed, "It's probably been opened for years, First mate."

"Then why is the floor not rotten with 'years' of rain and snow? Hm?" I heard her asking.

As she was examining the window, I tried to get a closer look but I had knocked something down and made a very loud noise. Both the First and Third mate looked my way immediately. Her serpent eyes narrowed into slits and she started to cautiously approach my hiding spot. I didn't know what to do, so I sat against the back wall and brought my knees to my chest in protection. She took a hold of the knob, her bloodlust radiating off of her that I thought I would die just from being near her. She was fully intending on killing whoever was hiding in the closet. But as she opened the door quickly, her look of murder vanished and her eyes went wide as she saw me. "A-A little girl?"

Her voice was really quiet as she said this. The Third Mate took that surprise as an opportunity to pull a knife. The First Mate looked to me, "Can you speak little one?" Her eyes actually looking at me with kindness instead of how everyone else looked at me.

I saw that the Third Mate was ready to stab her, I quickly pointed behind her, "Look out!"

Her serpent eyes narrowed into slits again and she quickly turned around but couldn't stop the blade aimed for her stomach. So she moved her body to the side as much as possible to receive as less damage as she could. The Third Mate plunged the blade into her side and the green-haired woman backed off the blade coming out of her newly received wound. The guy laughed evilly as she clutched her slide, blood decorating her hand. "Awwww, what's wrong First Mate Shiraishi? With you out of the way, I'll be that much closer to taking control of the Sadistic Berserker Pirates."

The First Mate coughed out blood. "You can keep dreaming." She threw a senbon hidden in her person and knocked the blade from his hand. The blade landed on the ground and slid right next to me. She then ran at the man and head-butted him and he fell back onto the ground.

Afterward, she clutched her bleeding wound, she looked back to me, looking like she just barely remembered my existence. She made her way to me, the back of my mind screamed out 'she's gonna kill you.' But I was hoping that that wouldn't be the case. She approached as close as she could be, her hand reached out and she touched my cheek, her touch didn't have any emotion behind it. "Thanks, kid." My eyes widened as I heard her voice, it was… the most gentle sound I've heard anyone give me in a long time. "You got a name kid?"

Her eyes like before, held no contempt as I looked into them. She was the first person to actually look at me, and not outright reject my existence. My lip quivered and my voice kind of broke as I spoke, "Y-Yomi K-Kayano."

The First Mate remained expressionless as she nodded, "Hikage Shiraishi. Nice to meet you kid."

At that point, hands wrapped around Hikage's throat, and she made a choking sound. The man laughed insanely. "I'm so sorry, Captain! Hikage was killed by an enemy ambush! I only had time to save myself!"

His continued laughter stung my ears, so I picked up the knife and threw it at him. It's point landing dead center in his throat. He struggled for a second, blood flowing out, but soon fell back. He struggled, making gurgling sounds but soon stopped moving.

After he let go of Hikage she coughed and gasped for air. She soon looked up to me, "Why did you help me?"

I stood up and tried to make my way towards her, but she backed away, meaning she didn't fully trust me. I stared at my feet, "Because you were the first person since my parents to actually look at me and see the real me and not outright reject my existence."

I could tell she was debating something for a second, but looked at me and held out her hand. This time she willingly drew closer to me, "Come with me, Yomi. I need to repay you for saving my life. Plus, you look like you could use a hot bath and some food."

I didn't hesitate, I took Hikage's hand and she led me out of the mansion. At that point, we went back to her ship, and as we approached it several other Pirates approached and yelled out, "Get away from our First Mate!"

Hikage shouted out, "Stand down!" They stopped their attack and Hikage looked to me. "Yomi, please help me get on board." I nodded and did my best to carry her onto the ship. I could hear the pirates behind us, "Captain, First Mate Shiraishi is coming on board the ship. She has a young girl in tow."

We arrived at the ship soon after and started to walk up the board way to get onto the ship. At the top on deck, was the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. She looked more like a model than a pirate. Her skin was silky smooth too. She was staring at us at first until she noticed Hikage was injured and she came rushing out, "Hikage, my god! My poor baby, what has happened to you!?"

I released Hikage as this woman picked her up, putting her arm around her shoulders. "Our Third Mate had betrayed us. He planned to kill me and take over our ship. This girl here, she saved my life."

The woman looked to me, brow rose in what I could only describe as a prideful fashion, pride that was directed at my actions. "You got a name kid?"

I nervously played with my hair, "Y-Yomi Kayano."

The woman nodded, "Hello Yomi. I'm Hinata Kurusu. Thank you for saving my child."

She motioned for me to come closer, and as I approached, her hand pushed me against her body and patting my back. I was surprised. She was hugging me and I could feel the warmth from her body.

Soon after the hugging was done, Hikage was rushed to the infirmary. She had barely made it back too, but after I devoted my time to taking care of her, she pulled through. I awoke one morning to Hikage rubbing my head silently. I didn't move as I wanted her to continue doing that uninterrupted cause I really liked it.

I heard someone walk into the room after some time had passed and I realized it was the Captain but only after she spoke, "So, now what are you going do Hikage?"

Hikage strokes my head again, running her fingers through my hair, "I don't know. I just don't know." I felt her fingers trace my body lightly as she was trying not to disturb me, "Just look at her Hinata. She's all skin and bones. Lord knows what that heartless village did to her. She… kinda reminds me of me."

The Captain slightly chuckled, "She may be all skin and bones, but she's certainly got the energy to spare. She's been taking care of you these last few days. She hasn't eaten a single thing since she boarded the ship."

I could feel Hikage paused with her rubs, "Sh-She has? W-Well that makes sense. Sh-She did say that I was the first to look at her and not reject her existence."

The Captain outright laughed next, "Awww, Hikage. There's no need to blush about it, you know!"

For the first time, Hikage spoke without her monotonous tone, "I-I'm not blushing, Captain! Please don't make fun of me!"

The Captain just continued her laughing and the next time I felt Hikage touch me, her cold stiff touch was warm and gentle.

"You know I've been thinking. I don't know where this girl's parents have gone, but I think I want to take care of her. You know, like you did for me." Hikage had been getting the knots out of my hair as she said this.

The Captain sighed, "Hikage, you and I both know that you're not old enough to raise a child. You're barely seventeen, and are still in your second year at New World Academy."

I heard Hikage quickly say, "Yeah, I know! But you and I both know how it is to have no parental figure around, Hinata! I can't in all good conscious leave her behind in a town that has burned to the ground. She'll die! I can't turn my back on her, not after what she has done to help me!"

I heard the Captain give a sigh and groan in the same breath, "If that's what you want, then I won't stop you. But please try to keep this to a minimum of one. I'm not running a daycare, you know?"

At that point, she leaned in close and whispered into my ear, "You hear that? From now on, I'm your mother… I promise I'll take care of you." I felt her kiss my cheek.

I couldn't fight the tears that spilled over after and I heard the Captain say, "Wait, she's been awake the entire time?"

I opened my eyes and saw Hikage looking at me warmly for the first time. Her usual serpent-like eyes had love emanating behind them. I climbed into bed and hugged her, burying my face in her bosom. I felt her put her arms go around my body in reciprocation.

For the next four years, Hikage raised me like her own child. She even taught me how to fight and trained me up to be a Shinobi. One day, a turf war began with rivaling Pirates. When the Captain called Hikage in, I stayed at the door and listened in. I heard, "Hikage, word has been circulating that I was responsible for the deaths of two of her crew."

I heard Hikage speak next, "H-Her? You don't mean, Daidoji-Sama?"

I heard the Captain starting to walk around, her heels clicking sharply against the floor, "Yes, the very one and the same. Leader of the Senran Tiger Pirates. She's known as the wild tiger of piracy and she's accusing me of killing her crewmates. I need to straighten this out. That's why I need to go ashore to her territory and negotiate with her."

I heard Hikage take a step forward, "With all due respect Captain, this is Daidoji Asakawa we're talking about here! The woman who tore apart the very nation she now controls with her bare hands!"

The Captain sighed, "I know, but I need to clear the air with her. This is something I must do."

I heard Hikage soon relent after, "Alright."

I don't know why the Captain was so dead set on making this happen, but we eventually went ashore to the Tiger Territory. I remember the day the Captain left, she told Hikage to hold down the fort while she was gone. I wasn't too happy about her leaving but I had to believe in the Captain. She was like a second mother to me after all. I watched as she walked off the ship and went into town. The entire time I watched her, I felt like I was never going to see her again.

I hate the fact that that feeling was right because when it was time for the Captain to return from her negotiations, she never showed up. I knew something was wrong, so I ran down into the ship and found Hikage. "First Mate Hikage, Captain Kurusu has failed to return from her negotiations!"

The look on Hikage's face said that she wasn't expecting that, "Search the town Immediately! Get the whole crew on this task!"

I yelled, "Aye aye!" Then I went throughout the whole ship alerting the crew.

Hikage and I searched desperately for her for the whole week. We had no idea why the Captain hadn't returned but we needed to find some trace of her. One day, while it was raining, Hikage and I were still looking while the entire crew had given up. The rain was pouring that day. While we were searching, we came across a nasty smell that hadn't been there before. I covered my nose and said, "Good god! What is that horrible smell?"

Hikage sniffed, "That's the smell… of a corpse!?"

Hikage looked to me, "You don't think…"

We both ran and tracked down the source of the smell and came across a dumpster in an alleyway. Once Hikage opened it up, I fell on my butt as we both got a good look inside. We had found the Captain. Her body was slashed to ribbons with her prized knife laying next to her. The smell was so sickening that I lost my lunch before I knew it. My mind went blank as I was screaming. Screaming for her to be alive, begging her to not be dead… it was… painful.

I was thrown off guard when I saw Hikage take a step forward. I turned to look at her and her face was frozen in shock, her eyes inhumanly wide. The rain hitting her face made it look like she was crying. I sniffed and tried to get her attention, "H-Hikage?"

My calls went unheard as she fell to her knees, she stared at the woman who raised her. She reached in and took hold of her mother's prized knife. She gripped it tightly as if that single blade bore her mother's soul. She held it close to her and closed her eyes, her body arched over the ground. I drew as close to her as I could and uttered one single word.

"Mommy?"

It was the first time I ever referred to her as such.

Her eyes looked to me without ever moving from her position. I drew closer and closer to her until my arms were around Hikage. Hikage never physically cried but I could tell that her soul wept.

We went back to the ship. When we came on board the crew all of the crew questioned if we found the Captain. Hikage nodded, "We found her body thrown away in a dumpster. Her body was cut up by a knife."

The crew erupted in shock and one pirate asked, "Who's gonna lead the crew now?"

I quickly stomped my foot, "Don't ask such a stupid question! First Mate Hikage is gonna take over because she was the Captain's second in command!"

The crew didn't like my answer cause another said, "Yeah right! Hikage's too young! She's not strong enough. She's barely come of age! I'm not taking orders from someone like her!"

Everyone was speaking the same way and I turned to Hikage hoping she would help, but she was motionless. My thought was, 'Is she still processing the Captain's death?'

However, Hikage chuckled, "Not taking orders from me huh? Not strong enough, you say? Too young?"

Hikage started laughing. It sounded psychotic and it kept on building and building, getting louder and louder until she screamed out and a dark aura flared off of her.

We all looked to her very frightened. Her breathing was loud and unstable. A smile spread across her face as she placed her hand on her hip, "Funny how everyone is quiet all of a sudden." She took out the Captain's knife and unsheathed it. "I don't tolerate an unmanageable crew! Are we clear!? If any of you think you have the balls step forward now! But I would advise against it unless you want to die that is!"

The whole crew remained quiet and no one moved or protested. Hikage and I headed into the Captain's old room. She still had a faint trace of that aura and she rubbed her face against the Captain's knife, "Yomi, come here."

I went over to her and said, "Yes, Mommy?"

Hikage summoned her broadsword, "As Captain, it's my duty to inherit this knife."

I nodded, "It's fitting if you do."

Hikage suddenly threw the broadsword in front of me, "I want you to have this Yomi."

I looked to the broadsword wide-eyed. "But mommy wasn't that a gift to you from the Captain!?"

Hikage nodded in response, "Yes and now I'm gifting it to you."

I took hold of the blade's handle, but couldn't lift it off the ship's deck. Hikage sighed, "Get used to it. From this day forward, you are the new First Mate of the Sadistic Berserker Pirates."

I looked up with a shocked look on my face at first, but determination had filled my entire body. I wanted one thing and one thing only: to make her proud. "Yes Mom- I mean, Yes Captain!"

Renka's POV:

I wiped the tears off of my face, as Yomi had done the same. I never knew that was what her life was like. She continued speaking, "After that, I spent the next few weeks training up my body enough to even hold my sword. I was one of the best First Mates of all time. If it was in my mom's name, I wasn't afraid to take a life. It's sort of how my mean streak developed. It's why I've been holding grudges until now. But after stating death in the face, I've found out how petty and meaningless all that truly was. Almost losing to your friend gave me the greatest wake-up call of all time. Now, I want to fight you, one on one, no grudges between us."

I nodded, I think I finally understood how Yomi became the way she was. I got into my fighting stance, "All right Yomi. Out of respect for you and what you went through, I won't hold back! Let's do this man to man- Er… I mean, woman to woman!"

Yomi gripped her blade and got into her battle stance, "Nice catch there. You better not hold back either, this will decide everything!"

Ryobi looked to the both of us, a big smile plastered across her face. "I'll take it that that means you are both ready to fight?"

Both Yomi and I nodded to her words. Ryobi chuckled, "All right then. Let's crank things up! Semifinals match one! Renka Mikagura Vs. Yomi Kayano! Begin!"

Ryobi backed off immediately and Yomi smirked, "I'm so happy that I actually get to face you in combat today."

I nodded, "Me too. Now don't hold back."

Yomi nodded, "Right!"

Yomi lifted her broadsword high into the air and pounded it into the ground and suddenly threw her body forward and it looked like she was spinning forward coming at me at such a speed that shouldn't be possible with how heavy her weapon was. When she got to me, time suddenly slowed down as I saw her coming at me full force about to smash her broadsword on top of me.

And just like that... I knew I was no match for her. She had had so many more years of battle than I've had and was so much more experienced in combat than me. I'd be lucky to beat her at all. Somehow, I dodged out of the way in time as she crushed the ground before her. I stared at Yomi with wide eyes and she smirked.

Chapter End

Well that was one hell of a chapter. I loved setting up Yomi's backstory and giving her a reason why she's been acting up till now. I hope you all will go easy on Yomi as she has had a rough life. The next chapter features Renka Vs. Yomi. Will Renka win? Or will Yomi move on in the tournament? Find out next time! Until then Ayame out!