I looked up. The man had reappeared, smug as ever. My gloves were showing signs of wear. I shudderingly rose as my anger surged.

“Give them back. Right now!” I yelled.

“Hm, have I triggered a nerve?” The man casually walked over to me, obviously disregarding me as a possible threat.

“Araaahhhhhhh!” I yelled as I charged at him, my hands fiercely swinging again. He smiled as he sidestepped me with ease.

“I don’t even need to attack you.” He chuckled. “You’re so weak."

I slammed into where his voice was coming from, trying to tackle him. “It is honestly highly amusing to taunt you. You’re pathetic. Are you crying?”

I gritted my teeth, tears streaming from my eyes. I’d never admit it! I screamed loudly as I threw one leg over the other, repeatedly spinning in roundhouse kicks, not that I’d ever performed a move like this. The bracelet on my wrist was shining. I had no idea how to fight, so I was mimicking what I’d seen in Tekken. Trying to move like those characters was the only way I could fight since I had no training or experience. And, the man was an expert. How I was supposed to fight him when I had absolutely no skill whatsoever. RUI! I can’t do this!

I persisted, renewing my wild attacks. My fists and legs moved furiously and determinedly, despite knowing no attempt would reach him. I went beyond normal human limits and I wasn’t aware of this. Despite moving in ways I never thought I ever could, I couldn’t touch him. Panting and gasping, I desperately propelled myself forward. And he laughed all the while. He was taunting me. My anger surged again.

Rui had many trump cards but none of them had paid off. Like her, I too had one. As I attacked one-handedly, I rummaged through my belt pouch. My fingers gripped a small hard object which was cool to the touch. It was hard to get my fingers around, because it seemingly didn’t want to be handled. My legs started milling one over the other again. Exhaustion leeched the vigor from my movements. At the end of my rope, I had a feeling that even this trump card wouldn’t play out well.

SUSUMU!

I heard a voice in my mind. It echoed within the vaults of my mind.

FIGHT!

I growled softly. The man taunted me further. “Fool, you’re tiring. I can tell this game is nearly over. How disappointing, and yet appropriate. I didn’t expect anything from you despite your somewhat impressive focus.”

My fists clenched as my anger exploded. The crux of my circulation system, my heart shuddered and thundered in my ribcage, spurring me to put more effort into my strikes again. It required a great deal more effort to slip my fingers around the object, but once I was able to shift it into my palm, my hand tightly clenched around the stubborn object. I removed my hand from the pouch to immediately launch a fierce punch at my enemy. My hand seemed to glow with a silvery light. It shone brightly, moving far faster than I’d expected. My arm flew so quickly it might actually fly from its socket, but it didn’t. My fist connected with his smug face.

*BAM*

Surprise flashed across his face as he went flying clear across the plaza. I broke into a surging sprint, capitalizing on the situation. He climbed to his feet and wiped his face. A trickle of blood leaked from the corner of his twisted lips. “That surprised me a bit, but if you have that much in you, it seems I’ll have to take you more seriously.” He assumed a fighting position. His posture had been relaxed and unguarded the whole time while ‘fighting’, but now suddenly he was taking me more seriously. A quick thrust of his leg launched him at me. Those cold eyes intimidated me, but my anger countered it. It was the fire of my anger clashing against the cold of his demeanor.

*BAM BAM BAM*

Our fists met repeatedly between us. Somehow I blocked his blows one-handedly and used my tightly balled up fist full of my anger to counter his lighting-fast strikes. Our forces met and the sounds of our blows echoed across the streets.

*THUD THUD SLAM BAM*

He had only been using his arms, but he started using his legs. When he did I was overwhelmed and he forced me backwards. He moved quicker than me. My hand zoomed rapidly to counter his attacks, but my miracle defense was failing. The jade bracelet shone brightly on my wrist as my hand moved, leaving blurred trails as I intercepted each blow.

*KABAM*

I crashed into a car behind me as he backed me against it. There was no retreat. My counter-attacks were desperate, but I couldn’t hold on. More of his attacks got through. They were precise and devastating. Mine were clumsy and weak in comparison. He landed blows on my torso, arms, legs.

“That hand of yours. It’s like it’s possessed by a spirit.” I drew my arm back with great effort and struck him with the back of my fist. The man chuckled, his eyes fastened on my hand’s movement. He easily seized my wrist. “If I pin you down and disarm you, you’re nothing.” He drew his arm up to bring it down on my wrist joint.

*SNAP*

The pain was worse than any I’d felt short of my noh-face transformation, and worse, it was a conflagration of agony within my wrist. My wrist shattered under his merciless chop. I cried, “D-damn it! Damn you!”

The man smiled coldly. “I could dispatch you, but you are too amusing. Instead, I’ll take you apart, starting with each of your limbs. When you’re a helpless pile of garbage, we’ll have a little talk about how foolish you were to even attempt coming after me. At least tell me why you even bothered.”

I screamed loudly, racked with pain. “YOU KILLED REIKO! I HATE YOU!” I screamed, my anger surging again. Despite how my wrist had been shattered, the bracelet glowed brightly as though Jupiter had ignited and become a sun.

At that moment, I launched another attack with my broken hand. I found the control and willpower to open my fingers, and when they did, they flew open. “Killed her, you think? You fool! I love her! I’d never..."

*CRACK*

The man flew backwards across the plaza. A white porcelain-like object sailed into the sky, launching into orbit. He collapsed on the pavement. I was puzzled. The cat’s paw had hurt intensely when it had struck me in the head. It had knocked me down the moment it struck me. Even after ricocheting off the walls, it had enough momentum to put me out. Surely he would be out cold like I was.

I grinned broadly as I charged towards his prone body. My glove soaked up the blood of my injured wrist. Despite the pain, I’d won. I did it Reiko-chan! I beat him! I don’t care if it killed him! It’s done!

I galloped over to the man and grinned, seeing his eyes were glazed. I danced obnoxiously over him as I had when I was looking for my father’s attention that morning back then. The blood dripped down from my wrist, but I was unaffected. “It’s my win! I’ll find the girls. They’re probably in the tower..."

“Oh, yes.” I heard the man’s cold voice. I shivered from my toes to the top of my head. I turned to watch him dust his clothes off casually again. “They’re in the tower. I don’t know what sort of trick you tried just now when I had you pinned down... but I saw something fly in the air before I lost consciousness. I doubt you can pull any moves like that again. I suppose it was an artifact you attacked me with.” A trickle of blood leaked from his forehead where he’d been struck.

“What was it? I’m fascinated with you, even though you’re useless.” He chuckled as he wiped his blood away cooly. Damn! Does he think he’s a bishounen protagonist? Or one of those charismatic villains?

“Hah! It was a cat’s paw!” I mocked him. “I got the best of you with nothing but a good luck cat’s paw!” I mocked him.

“I see... I never thought it could be used in this way. Thanks for the information.” He smiled darkly. “I won’t just settle for destroying only your body. I’ll tear your mind apart. We’re done with our cute playtime.” He snapped his fingers.

I fell into darkness.