Disclaimer: I do not own the properties of Kill la Kill or any of the works that belong to Kasuki Nakashima that are related to the Trigger company. I only own the canon original characters that are in the story and this is not used for any advertisement or profit, it is only for entertainment.
CHAPTER 5: Spill it Out, Akane
By the next morning, Akane had returned to campus and continued her studies. She cannot get over her conversation with Satsuki the other day. Every time she is deep into her thoughts, it will always be the same thing: Satsuki's supremacy. Her sister wants Akane to take up her sword and fight.
Fight.
Akane hates the word. It's not in her nature. Never was. Never will. It is what makes it so hard for Akane to live. All the other students who've submitted to Satsuki's rule have already started fighting. Walking down to her afternoon class, she heard her name being called from a distance. Akane turns around and finds Mako making a very big jump.
"Akane!" Mako shouted.
Akane had to dodge the tackle because she was starting to become aware of Mako's antics. She looks on as Mako pops herself back up and inclines her head. "Aww, why'd you dodge me this one?" she asked.
"I do like you, Mako," said Akane. "But you don't need to do that all the time."
Mako's beam is as bright as the sun. She pats Akane's head again like the last time. "Aw, but I kinda like your spunk," she beamed.
Akane smiles softly once Mako stops patting her head. "So, how 'bout we go find Ryūko and have some lunch togethe—"
WHACK!
Akane gasped in shock when Mako was hit with a tennis ball right in her face. The impact was so strong that it sent Mako flying back and into some of the bodies of students who just happened to be nearby. As the dust settles, Akane turns her head over to spot a platoon of One-Stars wearing tennis sporting gear. One of them is the president of the infamous Honnōji Academy Tennis Club.
The president has very long blonde hair tied up in pigtails and shark-like teeth with eyes nearly as slit as a snake. She seems to be wearing three interchangeable multipurpose lenses on her right eye and many tennis balls under the skirt.
"Hate to break it to ya, Miss Akane, but I'm afraid Mako Mankanshoku won't be joining you in your lunch today," the club president announced. "She was late for her mandatory tennis club practice after school yesterday, so we need to purge her as the result of her unmotivated behavior," said the tennis club president, holding an oversized tennis racket.
"President Omiko Hakodate! Was that necessary!" Akane shouted.
[GIRLS' TENNIS CLUB PRESIDENT]
[OMIKO HAKODATE]
The club president licks her shark teeth, smirking in gleaming satisfaction, giving Akane some sneering gaze. "If I recall, I did consider you an offer to join my girls' tennis club at expense, but you turned it down; my condolences," said Hakodate. "However, I am not here to recruit you. I am here because Mankanshoku failed her obligations to the tennis club." Hakodate points her massive tennis racket at Akane. "And because you are not a club member, stay out of this one, girl. This is officially a club business."
Akane couldn't believe the tennis president would get away with it. It was twice already, and Mako had to be the one suffering from her mistake. First, there was the Boxing Club, and now, the Girls' Tennis Club. Can't Satsuki ever spare anyone who comes close to her?
"Of course, you are welcome to watch us purge the girl for her insolence," Hakodate offered. "Just don't get in the way of our practice for the Hokkaido Interleague Tennis Match."
Akane felt her throat getting tighter, refusing to let the tears form. It was just another type of scheme to be provoked to fight. She holds her wrist, trying to remind herself that fighting is not in her nature.
After school, Akane comes over to the giant fields of tennis courts where the Boys and Girls Tennis Clubs are training very hard for their matches in the future. She can only watch because she cannot interfere due to her status as not being a club member. She witnesses Mako getting pummeled with violent barrages of tennis balls to her face, being tied to a pole while the One-Star tennis girls are swinging their bats to hit the ball with such high velocity.
She can't imagine what kind of pain Mako is going through as she gets hit with the tennis balls like a bullet to her face. As Akane was about to turn her head, she heard multiple metal thuds in the court where Mako was being placed.
"This is a surprise," Miyashiro's voice sounded off.
Akane turns to Miyashiro, who comes by to check her hanging his book bag from his back. "As I recalled, you rejected almost every sports club here in Honnōji," he pointed out. "Why come to the tennis courts?"
"For Mako," Akane said, pointing at the girl getting pummeled with rapid tennis balls to the face. "The Tennis Club President, Omiko Hakodate, believes Mako should be purged due to her absence from her club duties when, in fact, Mako was taken hostage by Takaharu Fukuroda."
Miyashiro glances over to the tennis court, where Mako is tied and smacked with tennis balls. "Should you maybe do something?" he asked.
"I would, but I couldn't," Akane replied. "Hakodate-senpai is clear that this is club business, so I don't have much say in it." She gritted her teeth. "And yet…"
Out of nowhere, Ryūko somehow managed to block all the tennis balls with just the guitar case. Despite the cracks the tennis balls made to the guitar case, it held on hard. "That's enough of that," Ryūko declared.
"Ryūko!" Akane and Mako gasped, surprised to see Ryūko reappearing after who knows how long she went missing.
"The new girl's come back," said Sanageyama.
Hakodate strolls herself across the court to where Mako and Ryūko are. "So, here for another beating, huh?"
"Yeah, right, as if," Ryūko scoffed. "This time, I'm gonna knock all on your asses!" Ryūko brings up her left fist, which is sporting a red glove. "Let's go, Senkentsu!" Ryūko then pulls a pin attached to the red glove just as she enters the painful phase of transforming into her superpower lingerie suit.
"Ew," Hakodate sneered. "That looked painful and embarrassing, you masochistic stripper."
"Oh, bite me! I am not a stripper!" Ryūko shouted, offended by the insult.
"Couldn't fool me." The One-Stars that were butchering Mako a few minutes ago have assembled right behind the club president in a straight-line formation. "Ready!" Hakodate commanded. "One Hundred and Ten Million Cannonball Serve!" On her command, the One-Star tennis student hit multiple barrages of fast tennis balls heading toward Ryūko.
Ryūko pulls out her signature scissor blade out of her guitar case. Thanks to the power of her uniform, the girl manages to swiftly slice all the tennis balls in a flash. It was so fast that neither Mako nor Akane cannot see. The tennis balls fall before they peel open into nothingness.
"Whoa!" Mako howled, amazed at Ryūko's powers. "Did you see that?"
While the tennis club was distracted with Ryūko for the time being, Akane and Miyashiro were busy untying Mako from the pole she was bound to.
"Sorry, busy trying to save your life here," Miyashiro rebuked, biting one of the ropes to pull them out.
"Yeah," said Akane, untying the ropes. "She was expecting that."
"Fault!" Sanageyama suddenly blurted out. "You're disqualified, new girl!"
Akane and Miyashiro stopped and turned to the upperclassman with shock. "What?!" she gasped. "Fault!? How can that be a fault!? Ryūko hit all the tennis balls!"
"Yeah!" Miyashiro agreed. "What the effin' gives!"
"So, what the hell was that about?!" Ryūko exclaimed.
"I'll give you credit for stopping all of Hakodate's attacks, but slicing the balls is against the rules," Sanageyama pointed out. "Sure, you've won the fight but lost the match." The only response Ryūko could give was an inclined head with confusion waving at her face.
Akane looks down and realizes what Sanageyama meant. "Oh," she said. "Ryūko. You're standing in the tennis court; you were supposed to hit the ball back, not cut it into pieces."
Ryūko was even more confused and looked down at her feet, finding herself at the opposite end of the tennis court. "What?" she inquired.
"Little Miss Akane's got a point," Sanageyama affirmed. "You realize that if you are standing on the tennis court, you are not obliged to follow the rules of tennis, so you didn't win."
It was a long time to understand, but Ryūko finally pieced together the explanation, much to her fury. "What?! Oh c'mon! Now, you're getting picky? What about what happened yesterday!?" she retorted.
"Well, that was yesterday."
"You motherfu— this is crazy!" Ryūko yelled. "When we were in the boxing ring—"
"I said it doesn't matter! You're disqualified!" Sanageyama interrupted.
"No! She totally won!" All of a sudden, Mako shouted back.
The ropes Akane tried to untie were loosened, and Mako appeared right before Ryūko. Akane was taken by surprise. She was looking at the pole Mako was tied to and Ryūko where she was back and forth like something weird had occurred right under her nose. She wonders how someone like Mako could come free right when she was about to untie her in the middle of the fight.
"How'd she—?" Miyashiro wondered, pointing at Mako with disbelief.
"Ryūko won! She won! She won! She won!"
As if looks can describe, everyone has a blunt expression of bewilderment. The only response was from Sanageyama and Akane uttering together, "What?"
"If Ryūko hadn't stepped in and saved me the other day, I'd be dead now! So even though she technically lost the match, because of friendship, she won! And everyone knows that winning in friendship means winning in life! If you're gonna leave like that and cheat, then you leave her no choice! Ryūko is gonna win! She's gonna win! Even in tennis! Even in tennis! Even in tennis! She will win!" Mako simpered, making so many exaggerated expressions that left pretty much everyone stunned by her.
Akane and Sanageyama had no words for what to say. However, Mako's unbelievable speech makes Hakodate more agitated than ever before. She lets out a laugh of anticipation. "If the new girl thinks she can beat me, the captain of the Girls' Tennis Club, to a tennis match, then that is her own funeral," Hakodate sniggered as her optical lenses turned red to show the fierce vicious spirit in her game.
Since no other options were left, Akane decided it was best for the fight to be decided like Ryūko played out with the Boxing Club yesterday. She picks up one of the rackets nearby and then approaches Ryūko from her left. She taps Ryūko's elbows lightly, gaining her perplexing gaze. The first-year girl offers the tennis racket to Ryūko. "Here you go, Ryūko," she said. "Do your best, okay?"
Ryūko had no idea what just happened. Other than Mako's hyperactive imagination, Akane was more simmering. Her blue gear eyes look at Akane's bright gray eyes as the little girl offers a small smile with a nod. Ryūko turns to Mako, who blinks once, giving a gleam with a smile of her turn. She faces Miyashiro and only gets blushing cheeks, and his arms cover his face. She is still shy about whether she wants to talk to him.
"Alright then," Ryūko accepted. She takes the tennis racket, full of spirit, to take on Hakodate in her own game. "Let's do this!"
When the news of the transfer girl in heavily exposed lingerie challenging the Girls' Tennis Club captain became known, the No-Stars rush outside to a designated tennis court designed for a deathmatch. There were huge stone spikes all over the walls, and barbwires were set as the tennis net on the court.
Mako settled on the right side as a precaution by Akane herself. She has a feeling that the powers of the two uniforms will probably destroy the entire tennis court. She could feel the energy was very high on the tennis court. Everyone screamed and cheered on whose side they were on. The boys from the No-Stars wanted to see more of the half-naked Ryūko in action again. The girls wished the captain of the Tennis Club to beat up Ryūko so badly due to their jealousy of Ryūko and her perfect body fit assets.
"This will be one game and one game only," Sanageyama announced. "Whose gonna serve first?"
Ryūko checked the racket by pulling the strings to test its durability against the president and her Two-Star Tennis Athleticism Augmenting Goku Uniform.
"If the rookie wants to serve, then it's fine by me," Hakodate suggested.
"Awesome," Ryūko smirked. "Then let's get this thing rolling." With such strength, Ryūko's first serve smacks the ball, sending it flying at the speed of a bullet. However, the tennis club girl easily batted it back with the massive special tennis racket she always carries. Ryūko jump to the left with inhuman reflexes and returns it with a sharp hit, all while any male students whipped out their cameras to take it up on the upskirt shot they can get.
Akane was amazed by Ryūko's sharp reflexes despite being her first tennis game. She sees the fast movements of Ryūko and Hakodate in their special uniforms. However, even a simple item like the tennis racket wouldn't stand a chance against Hakodate. She hit the tennis ball so hard that when Ryūko tried to hit it back, it went right through the racket and exploded on the spike.
"Love fifteen!" Sanageyama announced.
Ryūko didn't mind at all and threw the broken racket aside. "Nice reflexes," she commented.
"I'm just getting warmed up," Hakodate replied. "And speaking of warmed up, I hope you are because you're about to feel the stinging might of my Tennis-Spec Athleticism-Augmenting Two-Star Goku Uniform."
Akane feels like the tennis match might become even more fierce, but if Ryūko can win it, she can only hope Ryūko will stand a chance. Hesitantly, she throws another racket and a tennis ball for Ryūko to catch. At once, Ryūko serves again. "Motor Mouth!"
The tennis ball was right in front of Hakodate's range, and the tennis club president smacked it so hard that it left a very deep dent on the ground when it bounced back up. Ryūko smacked the ball back but didn't go back out because the force was so strong that it bounced up on Ryūko's face, sending her crashing to the spiked walls below Akane and Mako.
"Love thirty!" Sanageyama announced.
"Ryūko!" Akane called, leaning forward to see if Ryūko was okay.
Miyashiro peeks his head over to see Ryūko. "I'm sure she must be fine with—" Unexpectedly, Miyashiro's face turns red when he stares at Ryūko hanging on to the spikes upside down with her skirt flapped down in view. He gasped, unable to control his nosebleed, and then ended up getting knocked out over the view.
Akane watched him with a deadpan expression before focusing back on the transfer student. "Ryūko! What are you doing!? Suppose you don't get your head in the game. In that case, you're going to die!" she shouted, ignoring the highly hormonal males surrounding her with nosebleeds, holding crotches, and cameras flashing all over her.
"Whoa, you're flashing the crowd, Ryūko!" Mako shouted.
"Now's not the time!" Akane yelled. "Come on! Ryūko! You've got to step it up!"
"I can handle it!" Ryūko shouted back. She props herself back in the game and gets another tennis racket and ball. Steams are starting to vent out from her uniform's vent, showing how much effort she is putting into it all. Ryūko starts to serve, but as the racket hits the ball, both items suddenly shatter in thin air. Akane was shocked.
"And fault!" Sanageyama declared.
Akane gave her another set, the same with the shattered ball and racket. The third time, Ryūko focuses and manages to hit the ball, but instead of the fast bullet pace, the ball bounced high instead of going across.
"Double fault! Love-forty."
It looked bad for Ryūko. Akane can't figure out what is causing so much trouble for Ryūko. "What is happening to her?" she questioned. She recaps yesterday during Ryūko's battle against the Boxing Club president. The uniform does have the properties of the Goku Uniform, but it seems like it's a different class. Suppose the uniform was able to withstand Takaharu's Goku Uniform. In that case, the powers of Ryūko's uniform may be stronger.
"Ryūko," Akane called to her while trying to snap Miyashiro awake. "This is your last shot! You've got to end this now!"
Ryūko thought about what to do because her last shot had to count. The problem was the power of her uniform was too much for the racket. She then turns to Mako and Akane as the brown-haired girl, of all things to be doing, sleeping on a red scissor blade. She had another plan that might work. "Akane! Mako, my scissors!"
"Huh? Oh!" Akane was confused at first until she realized what Ryūko was trying to do. Akane at once wakes Mako up. "Mako, give Ryūko her scissor blade!" Mako plants her feet on two spikes and yanks the scissor blade from the wall, chucking it right toward its owner.
"Catch!"
Ryūko caught it with one hand and pulled one of the strings from her skirt, tying it around the open handle quickly before setting her feet in position to make her serve. "Okay then, this should do it. I'm back in the game."
"You can't be serious! That's not regulation!" Hakodate accused.
Sanageyama blew a whistle and shouted, "Faul—"
Right as he was about to declare a fault, a shine of bright lights gleamed from the pedestal of the school, catching everyone's attention. Akane can see it through her hands, looking up closely to see Satsuki standing tall and mighty from the top.
"No," Satsuki declined. "It's fine, Hakodate. Keep playing." Her smooth, authoritarian voice echoes from the pedestal and toward the people at the tennis courts. "Show her the power of your Two-Star uniform."
As if it were an order, Hakodate and Sanageyama cross one arm over their chest and bow their heads in obedience with strong loyalty.
"My lady."
There was no question about the loyalty of the president clubs they display. Akane wonders how much devotion the students in Honnōji Academy would go far to show their worth in Satsuki's eyes.
"Sister," Akane whispered lowly.
Ryūko didn't hear her, much to Akane's relief, but she is showing strong defiance against the student council president. "There she is, same as always," she said in a plummy annoyance. "Satsuki Kiryūin, you looking down on people from the top of that pedestal like some queen, barking orders to the slaves down below." She spits out of frustration. "Such a poser."
Satsuki takes the insult very well, but it doesn't prevent her from showing any annoyance. "I'm just here to observe," she said. "You will show me how much power you can draw from that Kamui."
This was the first time Akane had ever heard her sister speak with such a different understanding. She would realize that Satsuki knows what exactly Ryūko has in her possession. "A Kamui?" she queried. "What's a Kamui?"
Ryūko, on the other hand, was angry, now fully aware of Satsuki's knowledge about her uniform. "You bitch," she growled. "How'd you know this thing is a Kamui!?"
Satsuki makes a scoff. "Oh please, your opponent is right over there," she said.
Hakodate slams her tennis racket bat down, now fired up with Satsuki watching her loyalty. "I'm gonna use you as live-fire target practice to loosen up for the Hokkaido match," she derided.
"Then let's get you loosened up," Ryūko replied, giving one final serve with her outfitted scissor-blade tennis racket. She smacks the ball right into Hakodate's side, and the powerful force of the ball drags the club president along the ground. She returns back, hitting the ball with all her might.
However, with sheer determination, Ryūko caught the ball and shot it right back at point-blank range, hitting Hakodate's racket. Ryūko does it again and again, with each hit getting stronger. The last one was powerful enough to send Hakodate flying into the opposite wall. The impact ricocheted the spikes on the opposite wall, flying from the structure like heavy rocks along with the club president.
Ryūko whacks all of the spikes out of her way before she flips her scissor blade once she sees Hakodate sailing towards her. She sliced through the air with one fast slash from Ryuko's scissor blade. She destroyed the Goku Uniform like Ryūko did to the Boxing Club president, earning her second victory.
[SEN-I-SOSHITSU (FIBER LOST)]
The club president flew to the stands where the first years and Akane were. She was coming fast, like a rock being thrown at them.
"Duck!" Akane shouted before she and Mako ducked for cover.
Miyashiro was just recovering himself after getting exposed to seeing Ryūko. "Huh? Duck for what?" He looked up and saw Hakodate coming and completely naked. Shocked, Miyashiro's eyes were bug-eyed as Hakodate crashed into him, and both players recoiled back against each other, throwing Miyashiro further into the stands and Hakodate onto the spikes below the male students.
"You did it, Ryūko!" Mako cheered.
The first-year girl popped her head over before looking at Miyashiro on piles of bodies. "Miyashiro, you good?" she asked nonchalantly of Miyashiro's condition.
"Can't talk, having a concussion right now," Miyashiro grunted, his head now bleeding from the impact. "I'm seeing doubles…do you have a twin sister?
Akane rolls her eyes and hops over the bleachers. She runs up toward Ryūko, who twirls her scissor blade around. "That was awesome, Ryūko!" she beamed. "You were amazing down there!"
Ryūko turns down to the first-year girl, smiles delightfully, and places her hand on Akane's head. "See, told ya I can handle it, nothing to worry about," she smiled, making Akane smile even wider. Ryuko looks over her shoulders, spotting the defeated Hakodate at the spikes being pictured by sexually hormonal boys taking flash photos. "Well, looks like this game's a total wash." As they were about to head out, the girls noticed Sanageyama and a One-Star platoon assembling a formation right behind him.
Sanageyama looked extremely indignant, his right eye twitching with fury, teeth grinding against each other. His hands in his pocket would probably be fists clenching together. "Not quite," he growled angrily. "Don't get full of yourself, you cocky little bitch."
It was a look Akane had never liked to see from Sanageyama. All with black intent, ready to deal with Ryūko himself, but then, a voice from Satsuki sounds off. "Wait, Sanageyama, she's right. It's over; the new girl wins this match."
Out of nowhere, Satsuki appears in the middle of the tennis court, creating multiple waves of gasps from everyone around her. In one swift move, the barbwire tennis court net was removed, the One-Stars stands clear of Satsuki, and all the students except Ryūko bowed their heads.
"Lady Satsuki!" Sanageyama inhaled, kneeling before the council president.
Ryūko had her scissor blade ready to make one swing at Satsuki. "Now that we're face-to-face again, I want to know if you're the one who killed my dad," she accused.
As winds blow around them, something has happened to the uniform Ryūko is wearing. A large piercing cut was slashed across her uniform, a slash that was deep enough to fit all five fingers. Akane looked up and saw it. She can feel her back sweating with anxiety as she sees her stepsister finally drawing out her most prized weapon: her sword.
It is the first time she's seen her stepsister draw out her sword in the open. Satsuki never did that before. Akane couldn't believe her eyes that Satsuki had drawn out her sword and struck one slash that damaged even as hard as Ryūko's uniform.
"What the…" Ryūko was also surprised by the sudden damage to the uniform. She had no cut marks from the slash, but it was deep enough for Ryūko to be shocked.
"If you wished to know the answer, then fight me for it," Satsuki stated.
"No way…" Akane uttered. "She's drawn out the Bakuzan."
[SECRET SWORD: BAKUZAN]
"The Secret Sword: Bakuzan, it can cut through anything, even a Kamui," Satsuki proclaimed. In Akane's eyes, she can see what Satsuki's next move is about to do. Satsuki raises her Bakuzan in the and then makes another slash to Ryūko.
It was right there and then that Akane had to decide. She knows Ryūko is exhausted from her fight against Hakodate, and for Satsuki to come down and face Ryūko is suicide. She doesn't want anyone else to be fighting again. One fight is good enough for Ryūko, but if she does, she'll deny Satsuki the opportunity to have a chance with Ryūko in her so-called Kamui. Will she be defying her sister again? Is she going to be taking the risk to defy Satsuki?
In a split second, right as Satsuki's Bakuzan could even touch Ryūko's scissor blade, it halted. The sharp blade of the Bakuzan cuts some of Akane's hair, barely touching her skin. Akane was about to catch the sword, just her two palms at the side of the blade. Still, Satsuki was well-disciplined enough to stop herself from harming the little stepsister.
Akane did not falter or cringe at the sight of the blade close to her eyes but was about to stop the blade before Satsuki stopped herself. Right as the swing of the Bakuzan came to a halt, the energy was so strong that it was enough to blow the back of the circle, sending the students flying back from the sheer force of the swing.
Ryūko was caught off guard by Akane's hasty move. "A-Akane?" she wheezed, steams starting to vent out of her uniform.
Satsuki's cold blue eyes stare down at Akane with hatred and silent anger. She draws herself back away, regaining her posture with her Bakuzan still unsheathed. Her emotions are boiling red over Akane's disobedience again. "You dare to defy me again, Akane?" she questioned.
"No, Lady Satsuki, please," Akane pleaded. "I don't want to fight you, but I don't want any more fighting today." She addresses her formally to try and hide any relations of her stepsister from Ryūko. "Omiko Hakodate is already hurt, and Ryūko Matoi's tired. She can't even stand on her two feet right now." To show respect and compliance with her stepsister, Akane bows her head. "Please. Can't this wait another time? Can't you leave Ryūko for another day?" she requested.
"You don't get to make demands to Lady Satsuki, you insignificant worm!" Sanageyama accused angrily, loud enough to make Akane cringe from his outburst before Satsuki raised a hand holding the sword to keep silent from anyone else.
Akane kept her head bowed, hoping Satsuki would comply with her request. Of course, deep down, she knows Satsuki would just entirely refuse her and her request. She was prepared for any case scenario to get the punishment she deserved.
"You have the galls to stand in my way, and now you speak to me like this? Do you want to take the burden for everyone here?" Satsuki questioned the little girl, with eyes burning the antipathy of Akane's actions right before. Akane didn't answer back, only to keep her head low with her eyes slightly looking up at Satsuki, making her revolt just by staring at her sister. "You disgust me, Akane. A complete and utter failure of your worth."
It's not like Akane cares about how worthy she is to her. She just wants to settle this peacefully. Ryūko, however, didn't like the way Satsuki treated Akane. She can feel her blood starting to rage. "You shut your filthy mouth about Akane, you piece of shit!" she shouted. "She's worth a hundred times better of a person than you'll ever be."
Instead of being offended, Satsuki simply smirked with interest. "Oh, then is it worth it? Do you think Akane is worthy of being better than me?" she questioned.
"Yeah, she is," Ryūko affirmed. "She's a lot better than you in every possible way."
Akane has never known how defensive Ryūko is toward her, even if she did get in the way of Satsuki's slash. She can't express what kind of words she would say to Ryūko.
"Oh, really then?" Satsuki dared. "Then tell me this, Little Miss Akane." How Satsuki's tone changed into something delightful could mean bad news for Akane. "Do you think kindness will ever work here in Honnōji Academy? Are you willing to accept that your kindness does not mean anything here?"
"I will not fight you, Lady Satsuki," Akane claimed. "But I will not let the violence of this school go on like you wanted."
It was becoming strange for Ryūko. She had always known about Satsuki and her totalitarian dominion over her subjects, but Satsuki talks to Akane like she knew her before she came here. Her eyes dart between Satsuki and Akane, suspicious of their connection.
"Akane, do you happen to know Satsuki Kiryūin?" Ryūko asked, but Akane did not answer. The only thing she gets is Akane turning her head around and making a wince as if she didn't want to answer Ryūko's question. There was no way out of it.
Satsuki makes a small chuckle of satisfaction. "Go on, Akane," she persuaded. "Tell her how you knew me." It is like the older girl is pressuring the first-year girl to make her answer. "You wanted to tell her yourself, so this is your chance. Tell Ryūko how you knew me personally."
Now, Ryūko was getting more suspicious of Akane with every word. The way Satsuki and Akane talk like some old friends means they are connected. Akane wished it hadn't been in front of the entire audience of One-Stars. It wasn't fair for Satsuki to force her to reveal her secret to Ryūko Matoi. Akane thought she could finally have someone she could call a friend after she left her old ones when they all came to Honnōji Academy.
"Please, don't make me," Akane pleaded.
"You've left me no choice," Satsuki replied. "The new girl has to know. I will not let you be so kind as to let this slide while I run this school. Now tell her. Tell Ryūko about yourself."
Akane turned her head to look at the ground, thinking what words to say to Ryūko. She can only hope it won't be as bad as she thought. "Ryūko. Please just go home and let me talk to Satsuki about this," she requested.
Ryūko was bewildered by Akane's response. "What?"
Akane looks at Ryūko with a beseeching gaze in her eyes, unable to even look at her directly. "Please, just go home and rest. I will talk to Satsuki, and then it will be okay," Akane requested.
"Are you insane?!" Ryūko bellowed, making Akane flinched. "Satsuki Kiryūin treated you like garbage, and now you're asking me to leave while you get trash-talked by her? Of all people?" Ryūko couldn't believe Akane's words. She went in Satsuki's way to protect her, and now she's asking her to leave while Akane deals with Satsuki's wrath. "Why are you being so defensive? What's she got to do with you?"
"Please, Ryūko," Akane begged lowly. "Just go."
"What makes you think I can just leave?" Ryūko questioned. "Akane, what is it that you aren't telling me? What are you, her friend? Was she your senior? C'mon, Akane. You know this is BS right here." Even Akane agrees with Ryūko's opinion on the school rules, but she has reasons why she has to comply with Satsuki.
"I know that, but this is my concern. It's not yours," Akane argued, dejected about the situation escalating.
"What do you mean? This has to do with everything about you. What makes you think this is none of my—"
"Because Satsuki's my family!" Without any thought or other choice, Akane shouted loud enough for Ryūko to hear the words she wanted to say. Akane pants like she is tired from the shout, but the adrenaline that rushes into her lungs makes her feel relief. To be honest with herself, it lifted some of the burden off her shoulders, but it now comes down to the hardest part.
When Akane revealed her lineage to Ryūko, she knew right there that her friendship with Ryūko was more likely to be over. When Akane sees her eyes, she can see the shock and surprise from Ryūko. Her blue gear eyes widened in revelation. Her mouth makes an opening, almost speechless.
"She…she's your family?" Ryūko inquired.
The corner of Satsuki's mouth curves slightly upwards, pleased by Akane's resolve to tell the truth. "Indeed," she affirmed. "We are family." Closing her eyes, she only thinks of getting Akane to fully submit to her. "Allow me to properly introduce you to my stepsister." She slowly raises her sword to point it at Akane. "Ryūko Matoi, meet my little stepsister, Akane Kiryūin."
Ryūko has no way to express how she is feeling. All the emotions running through her are everything she can think of about Akane. Anger. Sad. Betrayed. Upset. Confused. Perplexed. Ryūko should've seen it right through Akane.
In comparison, Akane doesn't resemble anything to Satsuki. There isn't anything in common between Satsuki and Akane. She was so lost in her train of thought that whatever emotions she felt caused her uniform to depressurize steam from the vents, engulfing the entire area with thick clouds. As the clouds settled, Akane saw Ryūko and Mako from the distance.
"The next time I see you again, Satsuki Kiryūin, we'll finish this! Let's bail Mako!" Ryūko exclaimed.
"Okay."
In the blink of an eye, Ryūko and Mako left the school tennis courtyard with only Akane, Satsuki, and Sanageyama. Akane couldn't believe Ryuko would just leave her like that. It felt so hard for Akane. It's like another hammer punched a nail to her core. She turned to Satsuki, "Forgive me for interrupting, sister. I just don't want any more fighting."
"You don't apologize if you think you aren't ready to handle the situation," Satsuki rebuked. She glances at Sanageyama, who bows his head in disappointment.
"Forgive me, Lady Satsuki, I underestimated Matoi," said Sanageyama.
Akane cannot tell if Satsuki is extremely angry or disappointed with today's outcome. She never shows any emotions on the outside. She listens to Satsuki's command. "Demote Hakodate to No Star and set up an interleague match with the Sumo Club for Hokkaido," Satsuki ordered, getting a nod from Sanageyama. Turning back to her sister, Satsuki's eyes show an even colder side Akane has never seen before.
"And as for your punishment because of your interference, I will be cutting your allowance by 50%," Satsuki announced, earning a gasp from Akane. It sounded even harder than getting banished for Akane. "Once everything is settled here, I will talk with you immediately."
"When?"
"Until I call you," Satsuki replied. "Do I make myself clear?"
Nonetheless, Akane has to accept her sister's condition because she's been defying her sister for too long and too much since she first came to Honnōji Academy. She cannot disappoint Satsuki again.
"Yes, sister," Akane complied, slightly bowing her head in acknowledgment.
"Good. Now head back home before it gets dark," Satsuki advised. "It's about to get cold at night, so please be well."
"Yes, big sister." Akane turns around and walks out with her head down, upset about how things turned out for the worse. She holds her tears to keep herself from crying. She doesn't want to cry today, not in front of Satsuki. She felt her hands unconsciously clenched into a fist, hurt by her fallout with Ryūko.
Akane didn't notice until now that Miyashiro came over with his forehead already bleeding. He wipes the forehead and throws away the paper towel. He saw how Akane was depressed and realized why she was. "I'd take it things didn't look so good with your sister?" he asked.
"I'm not in the mood, Miyashiro," Akane responded. "Now, let's go and get you to the infirmary. We need to do something about that forehead." She lightly taps Miyashiro's head. It was right there that Miyashiro finally realized he was bleeding.
"Oh, shit." Miyashiro wipes some of the blood off. "Didn't know that."
Satsuki watches her sister and friend disappear on the horizon with her sword unsheathed but lowered in her calmness. She wasn't expecting Akane to be defying her again. Still, it wasn't much of a threat to her despite being the one to step in and stop the fight that could ended up being nearly cut down by her Bakuzan. She should have been rather angry with Akane for her defiance, but she was impressed with Akane's willpower to take the hit instead of Ryūko. She wonders what drives Akane to step in and stop her. Despite being compliant with her rule, Akane never truly submits to her. She's passively defying her, but she isn't taking aggressive action. She acts like a peacekeeper in her domain, a job description only fitting for the Disciplinary Committee Chair.
"Are you certain we should let Little Miss Akane be like this?" Sanageyama questioned. "She has defied you one too many times. Surely, she deserves a harder punishment than that."
"My sister is a fool sometimes, yes," Satsuki agreed. She turns to the Bakuzan, the sword she nearly cut Akane with. "But she isn't a problem for me. Akane still has room to grow. Eventually, she will come to me." She felt the right corner of the mouth curving up. "It's just as I thought, they are quite powerful…the Kamuis are more powerful than I expected." She seems invigorated after seeing the power of the uniform called the Kamui.
"And soon, they will all submit." Seemingly satisfied, Satsuki starts bringing her blade up and slowly sheathing it.
Here is the fifth chapter for the Kill la Kill story, and I hoped you readers are so far enjoying the content, if you like what you want to read, then don't forget to leave down a comment on what you thought of the story, what you might like to see, and recommend it to some of your friends and other readers. Choy. Have a great day.