Aka-no-Joo

Chapter 17

Before we know it, December was here and with it were random attacks on both the Scepter 4 and HOMRA. Inari had came back just in time to go on patrol with Akiyama, and I was still training Anna. She's been doing so well; I bet Mikoto and Totsuka is smiling on her from heaven. Hana would stay and look after the girl while I was at work and reported back to me when things weren't going so well. She had mentioned wanting to do more than just sit back and watch everyone fight for her, so she begged us to train her how to fight. We wanted to go easy on her, Hana had little to no fighting experience, but she insisted that we push her. So here we all are: Hana scratched and bruised, Inari huffing on the other side of me with her hair messy and teased; and myself standing by the fire hydrant while wrapping my hands tightly. I didn't get to fight much with Hana. It's mainly been Inari, but I was there to run around the city with her until we got back to the front of the bar. 

"Your turn, " Hana was still able to give me that sweet voice after she just finished the fight with Inari. "I can keep going and going.~"

"Yeah?" I arched my brow with my arms crossed. "I bet you've told Misaki the same thing."

A naughty smirk was on her face as she looks up at me. "Why? So you can put some moves on Fushimi-kun?"

I narrow my eyes at her, but Inari holds her finger to me. "I've got her, Queenie!"

Hana backs away, hiding her butt from Inari. The chase was going on and on until we have seen some of the boys peaking from outside of the bar. Most likely from the laughing and Hana's snorting. I couldn't stop laughing at them either.  

"But seriously, " Hana says while sitting next to me on the hydrant. "I want to spar with Tsubaki-chan now, just to see how far I've come from training."

"We didn't really start training you until after Inari had come back from Nagasaki." I explained. Hana nods. 

"I know...it's just that I want to be as strong as you two, and I won't need Misaki to save me all the time." Hana explains. "We're your clansmen, and we want to help you out."

I blinked in confusion. I wasn't sure that a Queen can have clansmen, after all I'm just an amplifier. I don't need them to become a tool just as I am for Kings.  But that would explain the uneasy feeling they've felt just months ago. When I was feeling uneasy from being too close to the slates. It's not something I'm alright with, having them in danger like this. Especially Hana, but if this is her decision to fight along my side. I'm not going to turn her away from what she wants to do. 

"You've learned enough techniques to keep yourself a float," Inari reminds her, "If any--"

I stopped Inari by putting my hand on her shoulder and walked towards the opposite side of the road. Stretching my arms and back. " If she wants to fight, we'll let her fight."

"But Tsubaki--"

"Please," Hana was getting into her stance. "Don't kill me."

"That's on you." I say. Hana charges towards me and starts things off with a kick, I dodge. Her punch was quick , but I blocked it and punched her as hard as I can, creating distance. She comes back and I sweep her off her feet, before stretching my leg upward and driving it down. Hana rolls out of the way just in time, but I was on her case still. watching her roll until she was able to jump back onto her feet. The moment she was on the balls of her feet, was the moment I do a roundhouse kick. Hana pushes herself back and lands on her hands. Forming a bridge.

"Good!" I praise, " Very Good." 

Heat was simmering around my legs as I start to bounce up and down, my hands were getting hot as I put some power behind my fists and charged after her. Hana ducks down, but my flame was much faster. I punch her as hard as I can, breaking her barrier she had only a few seconds to make. Hana was pushed against the wall. She evades my knee against the wall and uses her forearms to block my kick. It's a good thing her gym clothes and gloves were all fireproof. Too fast, I was moving too fast for her to handle.