Prelude of a Showdown
As the winds of October 31st touched Kyoto, Japan, the kids of Shiketsu High School were busy going to another place to party for Halloween. Orochi wasn’t amongst them, far from it.
Her day was hectic. What should have been a joyous occasion where she and her classmates bonded and enjoyed their time together was nothing but a headache in her mind. It wasn’t their fault, but rather Orochi’s. She didn’t want to be there.
Another thing occupied her mind. It demanded all of her attention. Contrary to the others, she hadn’t enjoyed the festivity. She couldn’t in her state of mind. “I’m sorry, Inigo, Nyoro.” They tried their best to make this enjoyable.
But Orochi couldn’t enjoy anything in her state. Her mind planned strategies and tactics for her fight. She was a jerk, an asshole for not wanting to be there, enjoy this small moment of peace with her friends.
She knew it was wrong, it wasn’t the party’s fault she had a fight to be fought, her war to wage. She bloody knew it better than anyone else. She was anxious, ready to start a true fight at any moment, not just against those small fries.
Her mind was preparing itself for the fight of her life. It capitalized her. She counted the hours for the time of her battle.
“I’m sorry, Yui, Chris… everyone.” She couldn’t be with them. She couldn’t enjoy the party because of the whirling thoughts inside her mind. Everything tasted with a bitter aftertaste. The party with her friends was tainted by the incoming battle against her old friends.
It wasn’t fair to them. It wasn’t fair she spoke those words out of their earshot when it meant nothing. Hollow apologies.
“This happened in a bad time.” She has to bear it silently, not let her emotions show and worry her friends. This is cruel. Very cruel. What would they think if they knew her thoughts were over a fight against her old friends and not their party?
That her smiles and actions are fake? Feigned her smiles to not worry them? For someone who was poisonous, the bitter taste in her mouth was insufferable. ‘It will be over soon.’ Lies and falsehoods won’t end. The lies of how she feels are traded by what she does.
She can’t tell them the truth, but she doesn’t want to fool them any longer about her feelings; she doesn’t want to deceive them about her emotions, and her soul. She never wanted to be at this party for fear of breaking their hearts if her facade dropped.
Her mind was worried about Rui, Sasha, and Umi’s fight. She can’t afford to be distracted and think about anything else. ‘I feel so bad…’ She can’t delay it any longer. “I’m sorry, but we depart here.”
Orochi stepped out of sight. She used the afterglow of the graveyard cleaning to slip away. They were busy cleaning the party. They talked about where they would go next… ‘I hope you guys can enjoy your Halloween.’
Hers wasn’t anything but fight and emotional turmoil in a queue to explode. Orochi grabbed her costume by the shoulder and ripped it apart with little effort. She tossed the remains of it on a trashcan.
Beneath her costume, she wore a gym outfit. Something better for the heated combat she was going to join in a few minutes… after a few bus stops. “Time won’t stop for me.” And it won’t stop for anyone else.
(Scene break)
Edith was busy with her friends. The party Myoga and Nyoro had planned was almost perfect. The stories, the food, the costumes, everyone was having fun! But once again, she and Maxine were the ones left out.
Faith, Hailey, and Minerva were with their boyfriends. To not play third wheels, they decided to let their friends enjoy the party. ‘It isn’t as if they ditched us to go with their boyfriends.’ Edith’s grasp over her phone tightened.
‘It isn’t as if I’m annoyed.’ She bit the tip of her tongue.
“Oh shit. Hey Edie, Hang in there, okay? I… have some grievances to deal with. I will be back in a sec, no biggie.” Maxine stepped away. Edith squinted. She attempted to see if a laser ray would come out of her eyes and hit her friend.
‘Today is not the day I develop a secondary quirk.’ Maxine went out for some reason again, probably her not-boyfriend. ‘I don’t see the appeal. Seriously, who would prefer a boy or a girl over their friends?’ They weren’t even married or anything like that.
They were teenagers in school. Crushes and boy toys shouldn’t be that important in comparison to your friends and school… ‘Right?’ As Edith coped with the choices of her best friends. She saw a strange sight away from the others.
Orochi stepped away from the others. At first, it wouldn’t be something of importance. After all, everyone needs space to breathe. ‘Wait, Orochi is going away?’ Edith blinked. She checked her vision once or twice.
She looked at her phone many times, checking if she wasn’t seeing things. She wasn’t. Orochi somehow slipped away from everyone else and was putting a distance between her and the class.
No one else seemed to notice. Chris was busy with Faith… her other friends were also with their boyfriends and their friend groups. Yui was with Chris and Kaylee. Nyoro with Myoga. There was no one to pay attention to Orochi going away?
Blah, who I am to question what she does with her free time.’ It wasn’t as if she was doing anything at the moment either. Orochi stepped away further and further, like a mirage in darkened horizons. Maybe the Atsushi just needed space to breathe— “Holy shit she ripped off her costume.”
Edith hadn’t the best vision in the class, but even she could see clearly what Orochi needed. Her sixth sense said something was going on. Something the others were too busy to see. ‘Whatever. I’m not doing anything at the moment.’
Edith chose to follow Orochi. What was the worst that could happen?
(Scene break)
Tanaka wasn’t a person with many friends. Honestly, he didn’t care beyond the basics. If he had friends along the way to his objective? Good. The freedom would be worth the lack of school friends. Some students had it worse than him in the friendship topic, there was no room for complaint on his side.
Yet there were still sights capable of impressing him To see one of the “cool kids” go out of the party was a little surprising, but no one cared, so he wouldn’t point it out.
Stranger still was to see one of the Korean girls chase after Orochi, the hot topic of the last few weeks alongside Chris and Kaylee.
In his mind, they were the “hospital children”. It wasn’t normal for the trio of friends to all go to the hospital because of nasty injuries. It was a little surprising to be sure, the determinators amongst them got strapped to a bed for a few days.
No big deal. Somehow, things got weirder. Edith of the Koreans chased after Orochi. He wasn’t up today regarding the cliques of his class, but as far as he knew? Those two weren’t friendly towards each other.
‘All, we all got into the same team that one time.’ It was a trip, and a very nice one. He couldn’t say anything about their combat prowess, they were top-notch. Although like himself, Edith could be a little… destructive.
‘The price of area-denying quirks.’ This topic aside, what does it mean for a Korean to chase after the white snake? They hadn’t the most friendly of terms.
Tanaka clicked his tongue and went to check on the trail left by Orochi and Edith. Something was smelling foul, and he will find what is it. He followed their trail and found a garbage can with the magician’s outfit Orochi was wearing.
It was in tatters. Orochi was suspicious.
These circumstances were suspicious. “Hm. It should’ve been better for me to stay away, but…” It was strange for someone like Orochi, who had “many friends,” to ditch the party so easily and throw away her costume. Edith wasn’t far away from where he was.
“I should go after them, just in case.” The regenerator snake got herself in the hospital. She needed someone watching over her, and in his opinion, Edith wasn’t a good option for that. ‘I fear they can set ice on fire.’
Two headstrong girls. Two insanely headstrong girls. He should try and mug— get them to pay him for his concern and worry over them. ‘I can feel a headache.’ He didn’t act yet, but his brain was already complaining.
“Let’s get this through.” Tanaka walked towards Edith, and thus, Orochi.
(Scene break)
Orochi found herself not far away from where their old hideout stood, the warehouse. Someone tried to chase after her, but she lost them in the sea of streets between the graveyard and this place.
‘I know I got my face on a few journals, but stalking is too much.’ Orochi will talk with her father about stalkers later. Her plate is filled to the brim with problems, she won’t tolerate a new one.
Orochi took her time to look around. It was an abandoned commercial storage area that required demolition. A prime and ripple zone for meddling delinquents in need of hideouts. ‘Hell, we beat back hordes of other delinquents who wanted this spot back in the day.’
Yet no one cared about demolishing it, so it became a nest of vultures. It had many buildings in a somewhat good state many groups could use as a hideout, and no one cared enough about thugs and delinquents. Police officers had “bigger” fish to catch, and heroes were busy with villains.
It was a festering garbage with all shorts of petty criminals who couldn’t rise above the gutter. Although Orochi and her group were different. There were some other gangs who “ruled” over this area.
The fact her friends managed to protect their territory from other gangs and secure some buildings proved their growth and strength.
Her friends are no slouches, she can’t afford to be one. Orochi made her way towards one of the abandoned buildings, where two people were guarding it. The building was another abandoned factory or storage area they took for themselves years ago.
It wasn’t important, but the two “guards” were the telltale she found the right building.
“Yo, Piche. You stuck with them after the end, huh?” Orochi greeted one of the “guards,” a relatively (to her size) small boy covered in black goo.
One of the original members of her gang. He was covered in goo most of the time, it was rare to see his face. As far she can remember about him, he had blonde hair(?), despite his lack of discerning features because of the goo covering his body, he was a nice lad.
“Hey, Orochi. Long time no see. The new guys are calling you insane for challenging the four kings. They haven’t met you they don’t know, heh.” He let out a gurgling laugh, the other guard, a child of twelve or so years, looked at her.
Her entire body was covered in bandages, a ragged-looking cloak wrapped around her shoulders. “She is Orochi? The way big sis described her, I thought she would be scary.”
The child spoke with awe as if meeting a childhood hero. ‘She is in her childhood, but who is she?’ She wasn’t there the last time she was in the gang. A new member, most likely. Piche took notice of Orochi and the child trading stares and coughed to call their attention.
“Hm. Mika, this is Orochi, our old boss. She is here today to fight against the bosses. Orochi, she is Mika. Benkei recruited her after… that happened.” Mika raises her left arm and waves slightly.
“Hello, Mika. My Name is Orochi, as Piche said. Nice to meet ya.” Orochi raised her right hand, the little girl took it without thinking twice, and they shook hands.
“Nice. The boss said for you to enter when you came. So, huh… Piche. Do we step away?” The little girl stared at the goo-covered boy, who stepped away.
“Yeah Mika, we step away. Good luck there, Orochi. You are going to need it.” Despite the fight between his bosses, old and new, the black-tar boy wished good luck towards Orochi, it made her smile a little.
“Thanks, Piche, Mika.” The Hydra girl dropped the hand of the small child, who opened the door for her to enter the abandoned building. ‘I will need it. They got someone to replace Suzuka, and I know nothing about her.’
Piche spoke about the Four Heavenly Kings. There is one unknown factor in this battle. ‘Just what I needed to make my night.’ As Orochi entered the building, a crowd was waiting around a circle.
Both on the first and second floor, it almost looked like a Mosh Pit. There were many people, far more than what she had recruited back in the old days. The crowd was almost triple the size of the old gang.
‘You always had an eye for people, Rui.’ Not that Umi and Sasha are any less sociable, but they have their quirks that make conversation and socialization harder with other people. She made good use of her time as a leader.
The crowd was silent, it had a steel chair leading to a second floor with the middle open, which gave a nice view of the floor below. Most of the gang was reunited on the second floor. It will give them a better view of the spectacle…
On the middle of the ground floor, stone walls made the boundaries of the circle, a makeshift arena where Rui stood in its middle.
“You took your time. Now, I will say the rules and we can begin.” Orochi’s childhood friend smiled pleasantly.
She spoke with unshakable confidence, an unwavering smile on her face. “You will face each one of us in a single battle. No stops or breaks for you. If you defeat one of us, the next will come right after.”
She wields a hammer, something that wasn’t part of her kit two years ago. ‘You all grew, too.’ Orochi knew that this would only make this battle harder, but she was happy at the sight of her friends’ growth.
“So, who wants to start? You, Sasha, Umi, or the new guy?” Truth be told, Orochi didn’t know if the new member was a girl or a boy, but it didn’t make any difference in the grand scheme of things. She will beat them all the same.
Someone whistled from the crowd. “So you knew they got a new member. Guess I will—” A girl stepped up from the crowd on the first floor. She has black and white hair and an expression of disinterest.
“No, Kaka. I will go first.” Before “Kaka” could step up in the arena, Rui called her out. The monochromatic-haired girl stepped back into the crowd, her face a mix of confusion and embarrassment.
“So, come now, Orochi.” Rui smiled with confidence, her right hand up. She waved for Orochi to come at her for once.
Instinctively, her middle hydra head took a defensive stance. Her right one stared in Rui’s direction. The left one was a little aloof.