Kids Will Be Kids by kingfishers_game

Chapter 11: When in Rome, Do as the Germanic Tribes Did [pt. ii]

"This body...is stronger than my usual one. It's the strength of my 19-year-old self. I'm gonna use it to prove to that stupid brother of mine that by the time I'm as old as he is now, I'll be just as strong, uh-huh. I'll show him that I'm not weak, once and for all."

"And how do you plan on doing that? Weightlifting competition?"

Kagura looked uncharacteristically serious, the effect doubled by her matured features. "We're going to settle this. Like members of the Yato clan."

Sougo raised an eyebrow. 'Like members of the Yato clan'? Really? Could she be any more dramatic?

But still...her meaning was clear. If she was going to try to prove her strength to her brother by fighting him, maybe drama was appropriate. Sougo knew firsthand how good a fighter Kagura was, but this was something else. Borrowing the strength of your 19-year-old self to show your 19-year-old brother that you're on the same level as he is—it was a plan that only Kagura would have thought of.

"That guy's way past you in terms of strength," Sougo informed her matter-of-factly. "Have you ever fought him before?"

"Twice." She was going to stop there, but Sougo looked interested for some reason. "Once was when we were trying to protect the Shogun, uh-huh. He was injured-"

"Where?" Sougo interrupted, remembering his own fight with Kamui during that arc.

"In Iga."

"No, where was he injured?"

Kagura paused and tapped a finger on her lip. That fight happened over a year ago, but she could remember it clearly, if only because of the significance of her opponent. "You remember, don't you? You were the one who did that to him. He was hurt on his hand. And on his chest. It was lucky for me, uh-huh. I was probably only able to survive in that fight because of those injuries."

Sougo felt something twitch in his chest, something like satisfaction. He did remember, clearly, that he was the one who'd given Kamui those wounds. He wasn't sure why he wasn't lording it over her that she owed him her life (just like he hadn't lorded it over her when she'd brought it up in that alley after Shige Shige's death), but it still felt good to know. "Did you win or lose?"

"We didn't get to finish." Kagura answered, reflecting on the battle. It was the first time he'd bothered to really acknowledge her (aside from his nonchalant murder attempt in Yoshiwara) since he left their home all those years ago. Kagura had learned then that the only way they could communicate was with their fists...

"And the other time you fought? How did that turn out?"

"We both gave up, uh-huh. He lost control—all of us Yorozuya plus that Oji-san from the ship were fighting him, and then he and I both gave up and passed out."

'Lost control'...so he awakened? Sougo hadn't forgotten Kamui's little Yato biology lesson from the pirate ship. With Kamui in that state, the entire Yorozuya plus a experienced Yato hadn't been enough to secure a victory? "What are you going to do if you're not strong enough? Even if your 19-year-old body has better muscles, it's still being controlled by the same stupid 15-year-old."

"Shut up, sadist! I'm not like you Earthlings, uh-huh. Us Yato use our instincts and our bodies to fight. I'll adapt."

"And if you still can't beat him? You have no guarantees this body is strong enough."

Kagura clenched her fists. "It is. It's strong enough."

It had to be. Because this time, there was no going back. If she couldn't win this time, she'd really have to let go of hope. Let go of the past. She'd tried to do it so many times, but in the end the Yato always learned with their fists. She didn't know how to give up on her brother, so this time, she had to win.