Senran Kagura BURST: Replica Ascending

What We Choose To Be...

"B-But...if you're Shota..." Miyabi pointed at me, and then to Shota. It answers a massive question, but also made a disappointing reveal; we're not siblings at all.

"No, No, don't cry...look, just think of Kagemitsu as a second brother! He has a small part of me, so it shouldn't change that, right?" He spoke to Miyabi.

"Heh...still an optimist," She replied with a weak laugh, kneeling towards him. "But how did you survive? That Yoma swallowed you into the abyss,"

"...I dunno'. I'm not a Shinobi. But I guess there was nothing the Yoma to take since, well, there wasn't a lot of darker emotions they could feed off of," True. He was an optimistic child.

If he happened to not be as distraught or remorseful during that exchange, the Yoma couldn't possess him fully. Nor would he adopt any powers with his body being weak at the time. Perhaps his parents...well, our parents assumed wrong about his potential as a Shinobi. There was a power that transcended even his health.

"That's some twist..." I commented on the reveal. Looking back towards the Orochi. it slowly got up. There wasn't time for a reunion. "Shota...I need to get up to Kagura,"

"Yes. It's possibly the only way this ends without further destruction," Miyabi added, as he nodded. There would be questions. But right now, the mission would take precedent.

In the few moments of shock we all experienced, Shota turned into his Fenghuang form, allowing me to fly upwards. Despite Orochi manipulating space to Dogen's advantage, there wasn't much that could stop Shota. Below, the girls gave me a farewell, waving off to me as they themselves prepared to start the second round.

***

Faster we made it to the arena, the more intense the pressure of Kagura's power enveloped me. Both Asuka and Homura were still dwarfed in scale, meaning they have no chance at the moment. Soon, we headed towards the exposed throne room, skidding with a halt. Kagura, now fully grown and adorned in armor stared in shock. Not at me...but I could guess who she was staring at.

"...That damn bird again..." Kagura never flinched as Homura and Asuka attempted to blindside her, quickly blocking both attacks without pause. In an instant, they were flung away with her crimson energy. "Why do you persist!? This is my duty, now begone!"

"...No,"

"Wait the bird can talk?" Homura questioned. "Did we miss something important down there? Eep-?!"

She was as surprised as Asuka when the Fenghuang turned into a little child. Kagura of course never faltered in her stoic expression. Nothing seemed to really faze her at this point.

"You don't want to do this. Kagura-chan, there is a better way-"

"Enough! Since I started my mission, you've been hounding my mind. Seeding doubt. This is my purpose. Destroy all Yoma. Nothing will stop me from achieving this goal!"

"What...is she...?" Asuka noticed something, making me aware of a fact that Kagura, an all-powerful being, was shedding small tears. "I don't think you want to,"

"That doesn't matter...what I want. Do you know what happens if I stop? Do you think that these Yoma won't overwhelm you. Even now...your friends can barely keep up with Orochi. They are pathetic in their attempts to destroy that creature," Looking over the field, it was true; it was still ongoing. "This is trivial to me."

With a flick of her arm, the entire Orochi was erupted in her energy becoming a puddle of blackened ooze, with Dogen hysterical at the sudden loss. Screaming. In just one attack, that beast was dead. Not even combined we stood any chance to fight Kagura head on. And now, she simply glared at us four, my nodachi already out.