"You...you are sure?!" *sigh* I am sorry to inform you about this Mrs. Ringoshima, but it has been confirmed. Lily was captured by a Dark Heart High student early yesterday morning on a routine patrol. She was then taken to the Dark Heart campus and used to successfuly demonstrate a death trap in shop. What is worse, our seers confirm that she has not passed into the next life, which is an indicator of being stuck on this plane through dark sorcery or some similar cause." Gripping her arm rest in raw rage the Vice-Principal of Sakura Arts, Violet Ringoshima, wept for her fallen daughter. Then she looked up, her blue eyes chips of ice. "Do we know who captured her?" "Yes. A freshman named Yuri Mikagami." Violet's eyes widened at that. This could prove... interesting. "Get me Knight School on the phone. Principal Gompachi and I have much to discuss." "Yes, Mrs. Ringoshima." Pulling out her hankerchief, Violet paused, "Oh, and one more thing." Pausing in her dialing, Emerald, the Vice-principal's personal secretary, looked up. "Yes Mrs. Ringoshima?" "Do not tell Principal Hikari about this." "Understood." --- Dark Heart High Netherworld Educational Institution for the Universal Propagation of Evil Started by Mads --- Chapter Fourty-Five: Retribution! Written by: Dragon Claw --- "Now Mikagami-kun, you know better than that." Looking at the looming form of Principle Amakusa, Yuri couldn't help but wonder why he seemed even more intimidating than normal. It was like the feeling of malice she got from him during the Blood Duel only twice as bad. Seeing his pleasant smile, Yuri gulped. Make that five times. "Well Mikagami-kun? I am waiting for an explanation." "Uh, well, you see CraighereneededhelpafterhislastgradesoFengsenseitold metohelphimafterschoolandwegotstartedlateandlosttrackofthetimeandwerereally REALLYsorryanditwon'thappenagainIpromise." Puzzling out the hurried speech with all his years in Aklo, Principal Amakusa sighed,"Well, if it is for the betterment of a fellow student, I guess I can let it go this time. But you had better hurry along." Not questioning her good luck, Yuri mumbled out a quick "thankyouverymuchLETSGOCRAIGbyebye" and got the heck out of there, pleased that she had amazingly escaped detention and dragging the beffuddled Craig with all of her might. --- Principal Amakusa watched Yuri drag Craig Maimsworth like a rag doll and began to think back. Going from a full fledged desire to gut her in a virgin sacrifice to being led along by the hand figuratively, scholastically, and literally. How quaint. A true demonstration of Yuri's immense ability. "You know Mikagami-kun," he commented to the vacated class room, "You were right that forgiveness can strengthen your own forces. By forgiving Craig and working with Bala-kun, you have managed to garner two powerful alies. Not to mention the resources that Steel Thorn Clan child is throwing your way. But you missed one little thing." Walking towards the Nurses Office to check on his nightly preparations, Amakusa finished, "Being forgiven can put someone in your power more than you seem to realize." --- "So let me see if I understand this correctly Akurei-sensei..." Seichorou the Ninth of the Doombringer clan looked at the lizard-like form of Akurei, currently suspended upside down by chains of controlled destructive energy. The smell of cooked flesh hung heavily in the room. "My brother changed the midtime announcement to demand a private duel between himself and that Balabalalde fellow of the Wargmere AND the Agherukk. They fight,and Bala manages to nearly defeat him. My brother, seeing that he's about to have his lungs ripped out, proceeds to use an Agherukk ancestral knife to disarm Balabalade. Bro then stabs him in the chest, inadvertenly releasing Bala's final ward and allowing his full potential to come out and play, incinerating my brother in a lovely show of gore. Bala then latches on to that Mikagami girl in some odd parody of affection untill the principal attempts to bind him. The initial attempt fails, so Amakusa is forced to use the school's automatic suspension removal protocol, saving Mikagami in the process." Struggling for breath, Akurei hissed, "That is correct, you louse. Now release ME!" Ignoring the lizard man, Seichorou rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Mikagami, Mikagami, MIKAGAMI! How the heck is that little slip connected to all of these things so closely? This bears investigation. But not right now." Shrugging his shoulders, the Doombringer left for his own nightly amusement. "Where are you going!?! Get me down from here!" Akurei struggled with the bonds that held him with increased, furious strength, but only managed to badly singe his arms. Suddenly, the ties that held the Vice-principal snapped, releasing him in a burst of pure dark light. "Having fun, Akurei?" Looking at the smirking form of the Principal, Akurei internally reinforced all of his personal vows of vengeance towards his superior. "Not really, Amakusa." "Come along then, I'll take you to the nurse. I need to reenforce my seals for the night anyway." --- "So Yuri-chan, how did your date..." "How many times do I have to tell you!?! IT. WAS. NOT. A. DATE!" Seeing the giggling form of Leilei, Yuri Mikagami had a sudden desire for some pain killers. Throwing her hands up in frustration, Yuri cried, "Don't ANY of you believe me?" "I do Yuri-chan!" Amy said smiling brightly. Yet, for some reason, the smile wouldn't reach her eyes. Bala blinked once. That seemed to be all that was necessary. Waving off her denials, Leilei simply plowed on unrelenting. "But STILL, Yuri-chan you were with him for hours! How late did your 'studying' go last night?" Blushing slightly, Yuri couldn't seem look her friends in the face, "Uh, after six o'clock actually." Eye's widening in surprise, Leilei yelped, "And you're still alive?! Wow! Being the oof..." Looking over at the pink haired sprite, Yuri realized that she was also staring at a pair of legs, which led to a torso which led to... "K-K-Kashin-sempai!" Bowing low, Yuri rambled, "Thankyousomuchforyourhelpafewdaysago..." Quirking a smile, Kashin nodded his head, "No problem at all Mikagami." Passing by the group, the upperclassman decided to court death for an instant. He placed his hand on a glaring Bala's shoulder. "I wouldn't look that way at your betters, Bala-kun. You might have a horribly dark legacy, but you are not my match by any stretch of the imagination." With that, Kashin headed into the school, whistling a small tune. --- The shiny golden box sat innocently on the desk of the Future Accounting Clubs meeting room, the intricate carvings and pure shine a sharp contrast to the dark and terrifying contents. Being an upperclassman, and top dog on the Senior food chain, Kashin kept his guard up while appearing bored. Cliking open ever so slowly, the tip of a dark tentacle marked the awareness of The Unbidden. "?!?what bussiness do you have with me, swordsmaN" "Yuri Mikagami." "?she is a member of my club, what do you seek with heR" "She was once a member of my team. In her short career with us, Mikagami uncovered three Sakura Arts Spies, defeated the better six of their fencing team, and bested the Principal in a Blood Duel. Yet, right after such a series of stunning victories and developments in her abilities, she changed hands. I want her back." "?and why praytell should I carE" "You might be an upperclassman, but you are still just a sophomore. Do you think that you can take on myself, Kashin, head of the Senior class?" "!ha haa ha hA !you fool ?you a mere weapons useR !?do you think to defeet a dark goD" Reaching for his blades out of reflex, Kashin was treated with the unpleasant realization that they seemed to be missing from their customary chains. "!you are even a greater idiot than I thoughT !?you seek to use weapons connected tO sub-space pockets against mE .I myself live in anOther dimension, and am most adept in shifting and changing the mechanics of such tOOlS !leave before I send your black soul into a pit of eteranl maddness fOr this insulT" Smiling tightly, Kashin hummed. "You know? You are the second one to warn me about such a deficiency in my style. Luckily, I came prepared for the occasion." Reaching into his coat, Kashin withdrew a silver hammer and a black scrap of paper with archaic Aklo symbols etched in red. Not wasting any time, The Unbidden lashed out with a blast of pure black lighting, intent on destroying the ominous tools. Imagine his surprise when the slip of paper began to glow a sickly red, absorbing the power like a sponge. Then came the pain. "!!!!!!!arrGH" "Nice isn't it? This little toy is called a Dark Seal Siphon. Any energy you throw at me with be absorbed and transferred to a new host. And the kick-back is supposed to be a quite painful." "?what foolishness is this !such things became lost eons agO" "If you mean the original seals, that is true. But I have these two little hobbies few know about. One is a thirst for dark history and lore, while the other is..." Pushing his glasses up his nose, Kashin smirked, "...Calligraphy." Waving his tentacles in indignation, The Unbidden's box shook with rage. "Now then, as I understand it, you extra dimensional beings need some sort of physical medium to interact with this plane. Your acquaintance Ryuji uses dead bodies while you use this little box. Without that medium, you have no way of reaching this particular corner of reality without coming in your true form. A process that is rather... unpleasant." Suddenly, Kashin's right hand was a blur. A corner of the box fell to the ground, blackening. The Unbidden stopped its movement in shock. "A dwarven hammer that happened to find it's way into my personal collection. Now then, what should I do first? Use the seal to prevent you from releasing power without pain? Or maybe I should crush your box slowly into sand?" One crimson eye glanced through the lid in trepidation. "?is there a third optioN" Blinking at his arrogance, Kenshin shifted to Villainous Smirk #173: There's always something worse. "Well, I DO have this packet of explosive red bean buns that Ramida the Unscrupulous sold me. I hear they have a mix of her SPECIAL spices. Care to try one?" Closing the lid tightly, The Unbidden shuddered. ".as you wish mortaL !the Mikagami girl is yourS" "Excellent." Kashin then proceeded to slap the seal on the closed lid and knock the other three corners off the box. "!?!wwwhat do you do mortaL" "My insurance. You get unsealed when I get my swords back and Mikagami is transferred to my club roster. The corners... well, that was just for fun. Bye bye." Kashin left to the wondrous sounds of The Unbidden screeching in rage. Ah, life was good. --- The Unbidden eventually got tired of screaming unholy death curses, and focused upon its goal. Concentrating other worldly senses upon the binding, it gnashed its metaphorical teeth. The seal seemed to reflect ninety percent of its power right back onto its essence, feeling like someone had run him over with a tanker. The remaining ten percent was siphoned into another seal, empowering whoever bore it. Hmmmm... Experimenting, The Unbidden sent out a small spark of power, equivalent to roughly one trillionth of it's full capabilities. The resulting pain was a mere pinprick upon its senses. If The Unbidden had a mouth, it would be grinning from ear to ear. Although the bolt of dark lightening was a mere fraction of its true strength, for your average mortal, it would be like a dark energy steroid. Too much would cause various side effects which included, among other things, a gradual dependence. And if the swordsman was introduced to too much power at once... *BOOM* An excellent plan, perfect for dealing with that over confident senior. But first, a tactical withdrawal. --- "What!?" When Yuri had gotten a message during lunch that Unbidden-sempai had a task for her, pictures of defeating the Sakura Arts fencing team, dealing with uncle Melvin, and infiltrating Knight School had flashed through her head. Expecting something equally disturbing, death defying, and hair whitening, this seemingly simple request threw her for a loop. "!you heard me Mikagami .in return for your autographed shirt, you will take a sabbatical from our club and rejoin your compatriots in the Fencing teaM" Looking at the battered and sealed form of the unholy evils home, Yuri couldn't help but scratch her head in confusion. "Ah, are you feeling alright Sempai?" ".perfectlY .now go play with the nice sharp objectS" --- "So what did Unbidden-sempai want, Yuri-chan?" Sitting down to Study Hall, (Feng-sensei was recovering from seven simultaneous poisoning attempts), Yuri shrugged, "For some reason he wants me to take a break from the FAC and rejoin the Fencing team. It even promised me my autographed shirts back if I did so." Smiling slightly, Amy returned "Oh, that's nice." Now while Yuri wasn't the most observant of people at times, she did hate to see her friends in pain. So noticing the shadows in Amy's eyes, Yuri worriedly asked. "Is something wrong, Amy?" Struck by the sudden question, Amy opened her mouth as if to deny something, then stopped. The sincerity that she could see in Yuri's soul was like a beacon in the darkness of the school's background mental noise. Sighing, she decided to come clean. "Well, after yesterday, I feel kind of... nervous." Looking at Yuri's clear eyes, Amy felt her resolve firm. "You see, I know that you think that I was simply acting during the presentation, but that was actually me! I felt every word, meant every threat and desired Lily's pain! My mother warned me that when I came here, it would change me, but I didn't realize what that meant until now. It's like a stain, Yuri-chan, a stain on my soul! I feel the darkness, the evil, overtaking me. And at times, it scares me." Eyes widening, Yuri patted the former magical girl's arm. "Oh, Ami..." "There is another reason, but that is the main concern that I have. That I will lose myself to this place, and loose sight of what I am? Please don't hate me..." Rolling her eyes, Yuri drew the surprised Ami into a hug. "Oh don't be silly. I'm not going to hate you just for questioning how you're changing! I'm sure it's quite a shock, but you'll be ok! Don't worry about it! I'll still be your friend!" Eye's tearing up, Ami basked in the beauty that was Yuri's soul. "Thank you..." Handing Ami a handkerchief, Yuri had a sudden thought. "Uh, Ami? What was the other reason you were upset?" Blowing her nose, Ami paused, "Umm, well, you see, there might be a slight problem. The magical girl we terminated in the death trap..." Eyes dimming at the memory, Yuri nodded. "Yes, what about her?" Scratching her head in embarrassment, Amy said, "She was Lily Ringoshima, a.k.a. Little Princess Lightning Laughter, and daughter of Violet Ringoshima, formerly known as Princess Purple Thunder of the Stupendous Storm Singers." Wondering what the big deal was, Yuri raised an eyebrow. "And?" "Violet Ringoshima is the Vice-principal of Sakura Arts. And she can be kind of...irritable...when someone crosses her." Yuri Mikagami thought about fainting, but decided that would be to cliché. It was a close thing though. --- Kashin frowned at the freshman that had dared to show herself in his training area again. "So, Mikagami. You wish to once again be a part of my team?" Gripping her mothers sword case tightly, Yuri nodded slightly. "You see, I sort of have these autographed shirts I promised my parents that Unbidden-sempai said it would only give them to me when I did something for it and it told me to rejoin the Fencing Team and..." Holding up a hand to forestall the torrent of incoherent rambling, Kashin frowned. "Well, while you were gone, we managed to find a replacement equipment manager. If you want to rejoin our mighty club I guess a few of our weaker members could use a sparring partner." Frowning at the thought of further fighting, Yuri suddenly had an unpleasant flashback to a gleaming broad sword aimed at her chest... Maybe it WAS a good idea to learn how to use her Mother's sword properly. Sighing, Yuri reached for her sword hilt, "It would be an honor..." "Stop!" Looking at Upperclassman Kashin's angry frown degrade into a full blown scowl of dark emotion, Yuri nearly shrunk into herself in fear. Glancing around, Kashin barked "MAIMSWORTH!" Trudging over to the captain, the armored boy sighed muttered, "Yes *SEMPAI*?" After cutting through the black shoulder guards, shin guards and breaches Kashin calmly stated, "Now Maimsworth, respect your elders. Find a reasonable training weapon for Yuri to use during practice. That purity sword would be most... unpleasant... to deal with for simple sparing." Focusing through the ringing in his ears, Craig woozily stated an affirmative, and headed off, leaving a trail mangled armor plates in his wake. Looking at the hopeful, bright eyes of Yuri Mikagami, Kashin felt a slight stirring in his stomach. Maybe he should have left it at two blood fudge bars, because something was making him queasy. "All right Mikagami, I'll let you in on a TRIAL basis. You will be on time or early every day for practice, your mother's *sword* will NOT be used nywhere except official matches, and if you so much as look at me funny, I'll ship your mutilated corpse to Tokiko-chan for target practice. Do you understand?" "Hai Kashin-sempai!" "Then get to work!" Looking at three club members suddenly converge upon her location, Yuri started to dodge, praying that she had made the right choice. --- Noticing Yuri frantically dodge while Craig took his time to get a new sword, Kashin allowed himself a small smile while gripping his own weapons of destruction. His team had gained a great victory over Sakura Art earlier in the year, but all of Yagami's hard work had been undone with the defeat in the sports match. It was be difficult to take the same team who won with one member seriously when they lost at full strength. His victory had been stolen by a blasted special technique of Knight School Team Captain Power Prince Silver Sword, and it still left him with a violent pain behind the eyes. After hearing the gloating, the laughing, the SPEACHES! It was too much to bear. But no more. With the attention Mikagami had garnered, he KNEW she had a level of potential that could bring him and his team to glory. The purity weapon gave her an edge against fellow schools of darkness, while the dark power of misdirection she welded was exceptional. The schools of light couldn't bring anything to bear that would take her out either. Not after surviving a purity grenade and magical girl special attack. But she couldn't know that it had been his intervention that had brought her back to him.It just wouldn't do to let Mikagami know her place in the true big picture. Besides, Tokiko might get the wrong idea. After all, there was no rule that said the Principal could be the only person to groom a successor. Just one little detail to check. Reaching within his coat, Kashin withdrew another slip of dark paper. Unlike the previous seal, this one held no marks whatsoever. Rather, it was slowly changing from black to crimson. An indication of the power absorbed from The Unbidden, it was already a quarter full. The young wannabe god's plan was so simple on the face of it. Overpower your captor with clearly superior energy reserves, beyond what he was capable of handling. A rather elegant yet blunt way of endgame. To bad HE wasn't the one with the other energy seal. And who better to possess the source of power than someone who wouldn't notice such a miniscule amount of dark energy? --- "Ok Bala, just a minute. You can hold it for that long, can't you?" Leilei hurriedly unwrapped Bala's arms and torso enough to allow bathroom usage, not noticing a small circle of glowing black paper fall to the ground. Any one of Bala's PROPER seals stayed on no matter what. --- "So we are agreed?" "I don't know Violet. Are you SURE that it was Mikagami that infiltrated our school?" "I have it from a group of our most reliable students. A boy matching your description was intercepted on the day of the event. 'He', however, was using a sword that belonged to Mikagami, and such items can only be used by females. Despite that alibi Amakusa cooked up, it was Yuri Mikagami that infiltrated your school and it was Yuri Mikagami who defeated some of the best Sakura Arts and Knight School had to offer. This menace must be nipped in the bud before she matures into something worse than her father." "Very well then. I agree to your proposal. We have no desire to deal with another Hellstorm. But what about Hikari?" Smiling slightly, Violet stated. "What Hikari doesn't know won't hurt her." --- Traditionally, these sorts of meetings were done in the black of night. The shadows obscuring the faces of the participants in an eerie and disturbing manner. However, being an institution of the highest degree of honor and light, Knight School did not have an appropriate meeting room for such ambiance. So they simply went to the auditorium. Principal Gompachi, a rather unassuming man whose blond hair was thinning with age, stood at the podium, addressing the assembled students with pride. Mikagami was about to meet her match! "As recognition for your immense talents and victory in the sports meet, the Knight School Fencing Team is being offered a special extra credit assignment in honorable retaliation." A picture of a running girl in a leather fuku is shown on the projector. She is firmly carrying another student, the traitor Amy Angeleye by all accounts, and stuffing a piece of toast down her throat. Typical for your average Sakura Arts student, but VERY atypical for the standard Dark Heart High spawn. "This fair lass is Yuri Mikagami, a freshman at Dark Heart High, our eternal enemy. Although she is young, she is descended from Troi 'Hellstorm' Mikagami, one of the most infernal creatures in the history of the planes. She is the result of an unholy pairing of the basest kind, and possesses all of the power such a birth can cause. Despite her Freshman status, Mikagami has already shamed and disgraced our school by thwarting our security system, and our sister school Sakura Arts as well by butchering their fencing team. To neutralize this threat, we are offering an automatic one hundred percent on any test this quarter to the one who can take her out." --- Vice-Principal Ringoshima had a similar problem in finding a suitable l ocation to debrief her elite forces, but made do with the teachers dining hall. "For those of you who have yet to face this menace, I must reiterate. Do NOT underestimate her because of youth or inexperience. This *CREATURE* is to be treated with the utmost caution. Do not fear, though, for our allies at Knight School are also on the hunt. Yes Tomoyo-chan?" Blue-gray eyes shadowed with worry, Tomoyo aka Pretty Princess Snow Crystal, lowered her hand. "Uh, sensei? I heard this rumor... Looking down at the little brunet, Violet gave a pleasant smile in an attempt to put her best purity channeler at ease. "Go ahead." "Well... some people said, and I think that I saw it too, that Mikagami used Lavender Fairy Heart Skittle's sword? And that she might be her daughter? If that's true, then isn't there any chance that she could be brought back into the light?" Violet couldn't help but Wince at the whispers that the little bit of data caused between some of the others present. She had hoped to prevent that tidbit from being remembered. Sighing, Vice-Principal Ringoshima placed a comforting hand on Tomoyo's shoulder. "You have a kind soul Tomoyo-chan, and it is a credit to your nature that you seek peace. But I am afraid that is no longer possible. She has spilled our fellow warriors' blood and taken three of our members from us. She is now and forever our enemy." Trying to diffuse the sudden somber mood, Violet forced a smile. "Remember! It's an all you can eat ice cream party to the team or individual that takes her out!" --- Words from the author OK! My first attempt at an Improv fanfic! I hope that I didn't do to badly. I'm also sorry about the delay. First, I must give many thanks to those who helped me with this chapter. Bradley Wilton, The Apprentice, Mingdi, Mervyn the Wonder Slug, and Madsman (especially for the new chapter name idea). If I missed anyone, I am truly sorry. Jeeze, this was a lot harder than I thought it would be. I know that there were some concerns about my chapter, so I will try to address them. First, to those who thought that sticking her back on the fencing team might put the story in a rut, keep in mind that she HAS killed members of Sakura Arts already. It was very likely that she would become a target of Princess Cherry Cherry Bang Bang and the other members of the group anyways, so I simply tired to give Yuri a fighting chance so to speak. As for leaving the FAC, well I had The Unbidden say 'sabbatical' for a reason. She is free to be reclaimed by The Unbidden once the seal is removed, the threat is past, or Kashin no longer needs her. If you though that he was being unreasonably tough about her request to rejoin the team, keep in mind that he doesn't want to let on that it was his intervention that caused her return. It's partially covering his tracks, so that he doesn't seem to be favoring Yuri. It's also to stop Tokiko-chan from getting the wrong idea. ;-) I know that making Yuri a target for members of Sakura Arts AND Knight School might appear to be the prelude to all out war, but that's NOT my intention. Only the Knight School Fencing Team and the top students at Sakura Arts are involved in this fight. Why? First, it controls the situation somewhat. Second, it allows showdowns between such pairings as Princess Cherry Cherry Bang Bang/Yuri and Power Prince Silver Sword/Kashin. (PCCBB and PPSS *might* be related, which could potentially turn the whole Yuri issue into a sibling rivalry contest. That's up to another writer.) Also, by specifying the best of Sakura Arts, we get weapons other than swords. Ribbons, crystals, lipstick, the possibilities are numerous. Knight School's Fencing team, however, is a focus of contempt because they defeated Dark Heart in the Sports championship. So they're better as is. I know that it was a little Yuri-light, but my mind just doesn't think in a way that writes good Yuri Mikagami. I even added another scene with Yuri after pre-readers expressed concern, but it feels forced. Oh well. Now, I think that I fixed all of the biggest mistakes. If I didn't, just contact me and I'll either let you know how it is not a mistake or take the lesson to heart for future chapters. It's not perfect, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway. Ja ne! --- Classes for Dark Heart High had just let out for the day, releasing the hordes of evil to return home, go to a club, or head out to the local parlor for a snack of blood and guts ice cream. The lonely hall seemed to grow darker and darker, however, as time went by. The only occupant a single piece of black paper. Then, it was not alone.