Venturing Graces

Chapter Sixteen: Show down

(Fox House Arc)

"Stop right there!" Ren yelled. A knife stabbed their shoulder. "Shit!" Ren jumped back, avoiding the next knife. They took out their giant swords. 

"Sorry! I just want the prize!" Aki yelled. Everything in the room began to float. Aki held down their skirt. Ren used the wall to launch themselves towards Aki and punch them. They spun back into a chunk of land. Land chunks floated around the room. 

"There's a shaft up there!" Ren realized. Yuka flew up after them. "No, we're floating." Ren wobbled and felt sick. "If I threw up would it float?" Yuka created a glowing red knife. A ring of knives surrounded Ren. They were all attached to a wire. 

"Wahh! I have to make sure these don't float away," Aki cried. The knives curve up towards Ren. Ren blocked with their swords. 

"There's not much I can do while I wait for my magic to replenish," They thought. That's when Mariposa floated out of their bag. "Wait!" The orange scales floated to the top. Yuka blocked Aki's knives before sending a cloud of ash their way. Ren covered their face. The ash drowned out the scales. 

"I really wanna win!" Aki declared. They used the floating rocks to propel themselves up. Ren began to chant and Yuka screamed. 

"Sorry Yuka," Ren thought. They looked down at the girl who had once wanted to be with them. The girl who looked at them with round tender eyes. Ren finished the sealing spell before floating up after Aki. They quickly undid the sealing spell. "Orochi, wake up."

"What?" Orochi hissed. 

"Fujin Arrow Mode," Ren thought. They pointed their finger at Aki. "We only have one shot." A whirlwind of knives descended down on Ren. "Agni whip mode!" Orochi poked its head out of Ren's sleeve and breathed fire, melting the knives. "Fujin Arrow Mode!" Orochi flew out of Ren's sleeve and above Aki. A large gust of wind pushed Aki down. 

The red boa stretched all the way into the shaft above. "Ren! Use that!" Rose yelled. Ren grabbed it and used it to pull themselves up. "I never really cared about winning," She said. 

"Neither do I," Kashi admitted. 

"Go Renfeng! Go!" Tsubaki cheered. Ren scaled the boa with Aki at their heels. "Look out!" Aki dug the knife into the boa and began to slice at it. 

"I want a boa that can never break!" Rose declared. Ren held on for dear life. Aki dug the knife into their leg. Hot pain shot through their leg. The feeling overwhelmed their senses. "Ren!" Their blood floated through the air like splattered butterflies. 

"It's pretty," Ren commented. They started chanting and focusing their healing magic. Ren used their giant swords to block the next attacks. "I can't focus on this and Aki at the same time." Orochi floated back down towards Ren. Yuka scaled the boa. 

"I'm going to win!" Aki declared. Ren grabbed their leg and pulled them down. They kicked Yuka in the face. 

"She should still be weak from the sealing magic I used," Ren thought. They slapped a red talisman on her forehead. Yuka tried to stab Ren in the leg with a knife stolen from Aki. Ren drew their leg back. 

"We have to go help them," Tsubaki said. 

"Nah, this is something those three should fight out. Don't you see it? One person from each time gunning for the top," Kashi said. 

"What sort of poetic bullshit is that?" Scimitar asked. 

"Aren't you Yuka's friend?" Rose asked. 

"Whose side are you on?" Scimitar questioned.