A Mentor's Hand (文豪ストレイドッグス)

15

"Well we can play now."

Kiyo kicks out, making contact before Mai can react. She is flung back, but manages to keep her ground.

Racing forward, Mai charges into Kiyo with both fists, then slams into her body using her shoulder. Kiyo catches the slam, uses the motion and attempts to pin her to the ground.

Mai yells something incomprehensible, then turns onto her back and kicks at Kiyo's stoamch wound before Kiyo can fully capture her. Kiyo just barely blocks Mai's kicks, but inhales sharply as her blocking arm takes the damage. They spin back, both on the sudden defensive.

When did she get so strong? Kiyo thinks.

Summoning up Chuuya's ability, Kiyo puts pressure on the ground, making it crumble. Taking the pieces of cement with her bare hands, she chucks them at Mai, who ducks, but still gets caught by one.

Kiyo starts to float, feeling the fresh sea air under her feet and around her body, which was rising to dangerous temperatures. Mindlessly, Kiyo drops herself on top of Mai, and struggles her to the ground.

Already, Kiyo's ability runs out of it's ten minute usage, and she's forced to use her own power.

Mai struggles as hard as she can, and finally grabs Kiyo's hair, pulling it ruthlessly. Kiyo shrieks, and punches up to Mai's face with a desperate force.

Mai tumbles back, drops of blood forming under her chin, from her mouth. "I didn't know you could fight, Kiyo," she sneers, wiping the red liquid off with her arm and panting helplessly.

Kiyo threatens, screaming every word,"don't say my name, you infested worm!" She stands up fully, ignoring the white pain from her side.

Mai lunges with hiss, and attaches herself to Kiyo. They fall to the ground, both trying to kill eachother and survive all the same. Both of them are dead inside.

They roll through the gravel Kiyo made with her gravity, and Mai pins Kiyo under her. She moves to the side, and drags Kiyo through the gravel.

Kiyo flings her entire body on top of Mai, and holds her by the neck. She pushes Mai's head all the way back, to the point of breaking, making her struggle to breath.

Mai gasps, and grabs Kiyo's arm. She squeezes it with her fingers until blood is drawn, and Kiyo has to use her strangling hand to fight it off. Mai takes that moment to use her head and knock it into Kiyo's chest, leaving them both to gasping for air.

Kiyo scrambles back, out of Mai's reach. She stands up, catching her breath before the other girl. Still breathing hard, Mai digs into the only pocket she has, and grabs a small pocket knife. Kiyo smirks as Mai holds it in front of herself for protection.

Mai stands up, and now they are facing eachother again. For awhile, both of them stand there, and the sound of the vast ocean washes over their thoughts.

The clean sound of a blade cutting through wind.

The blade Mai was holding buries itself into Kiyo, taking the sun's rays while doing so. Kiyo collapses, screaming.

"How long had it been, Kiyo?" Mai says smoothly, dragging herself up to Kiyo, who is on her knees, clutching the knife.

Mai stands directly in front of her, and grabs her chin, forcing Kiyo to look up. "We are what, fourteen now? Fifteen? You were injected at six, so it's been almost ten years. Ten years since we saw eachother."

"That's not true. Don't lie."

"Oh? And how would you know?"

"The government," Kiyo growled, " they said that I was an orphan, who had been living in an orphanage until I was seven. They said..."