"Fire Drive: MAGMA ORB!!"

Right before the flame makes contact with my body, I roll to the left. A bad move. Bringing myself closer to the cliff edge, I stumble backwards when I get up and slip, falling over its side. I collide with the branches of trees on the way down.

GASHIN!

I land on my back and gasp for air. I look up...

"Fire Drive: Volcan Kick!"

Mydrea-sama performs a dropkick right down at me. Instinct alone makes me backflip from the impact zone a few seconds before collision.

GGGGAAASSSHHHIIIINNNNN!!!!!

"Mydrea-sama, what is the meaning of this!?!?!?"

"I am Mydrea Tsumetei. Codename: Phoenix. Fifth strongest member of the military division of the Kyusen; the Keisetsu."

(What!? I thought that division was just a myth!?)

"On orders from my superior, coupled with the intel gathered by El Escudo, the Kyusen's information gathering division, we have tracked the source of comatose incidents in New Vegas to a group of individuals led by Selot, the 'Tainted Blade'. By my superior's orders, my duty is to terminate the source of this civil unrest. Oren, no, SELOT, I am here to terminate you!"

"ARE YOU INSANE!?!?!?"

Traitor....Traitor....

Now I finally understand.

"Fire Drive: ERUPTION VOICE!!!"

I cartwheel to the right, barely dodging the brunt of her pillar of fire. The tip of my cloak is scorched, but it immediately repairs itself.

"I am not Selot!!"

"Like you already said...!"

Using her rhime to create jet-like bursts of fire around her elbows, she rockets towards me, ready to punch me in the face. Before we collide, I lean to the left.

"Selot is confirmed male."

She does a rocket propelled spin kick. I backflip over it before it hits my back.

"He is a skilled swordsman."

She envelopes her left hand with her rhime and makes another attempt to punch me.

"And knows much about New Vegas, compared to most outside of said city. Fire Drive: Volcan Punch!!!"

It's a direct hit across my right cheek, launching me backwards into a tree. Expecting another attack, I roll towards my right. I can hear that Mydrea-sama has collided with the tree behind me, snapping it in half and setting it aflame.

(Man, she's fast! Much faster than any of the plant and animal tones I've fought!)

"But many important bits of information were left out!"

She again engulfs her hands and feet in flames.

"His disguise is confirmed to be a full body cloak."

(What?!)

Mydrea-sama rushes at me and attempts to barrage me with punches and kicks. What kicks and punches I cannot dodge, I block with a kick of my own or push away with my elbows.

"Has abnormal amounts of rhime."

Another punch to the face! But I still continue to dodge.

"Is confirmed not to be a plant or animal tone!"

A kick to the stomach. Are her attacks getting faster!?

"Has left the area of New Vegas!"

She kicks me in the jaw. I fall on my back.

"AND KNOWS HE IS BEING TRACKED!!!"

"Fire Drive: Volcan Punch!"

Seeing I am outmatched, I quickly go for the sword hidden in my cloak! I really wish it didn't come to this! But I can't let that vision happen!

"You cannot confirm that I am who you think I am!"

"Then why did you hide your sword on a day of rest!?"

(SHIT! I didn't expect it to raise more suspicion!)

(Soul Conversion 5...BEAT!!!)

Using this new energy, I push Mydrea-sama back till she hits the side of the cliff. I quickly get up and go into my custom-style sword stance, with my sword pointing horizontally in her direction.

"I thought...you said...," she pants, trying to recover from the collision, "You ran out of rhime during the fight?"

(Crap! Not again!)

One of my personal gifts is the ability to recover rhime really fast. Easily 20% of all my rhime in one hour! Yet another excuse for her to believe the folly that she does!

"For the last time, I AM NOT SELOT!!!"

Mydrea-sama quickly ignites her joints again and rushes towards me. She grabs my sword with her flaming hands.

"Then tell me, WHO. ARE. YOU!?"

"I've told you everything I know!"

"Liar!!!"

She kicks upwards again, knocking the sword from my hands.

"Then why did you answer so many of my questions with vague answers!?"

She starts kicking me in the stomach faster and faster. She is...way too strong!! What...what is she!? Once again, I get launched backwards, this time landing in the stream near the wishing tree. I slowly roll onto my stomach, then try to push myself up.

Geho! Geho!

As I struggle to get up, I cough up blood into the running water.

"Those answers...were the clearest I could give to anybody!"

Mydrea-sama jumps into the air, small orbs of fire in both hands.

"Then tell me...why is that the case!?"

As soon as the orbs reach their maximum size...

"Fire Drive: MAGM.....!!!!!!"

"IT'S BECAUSE I LOST MY MEMORY, ALRIGHT!!!!"

Mydrea-sama throws her magma orbs downwards in my direction. However, they both miss their target by a good meter or so. With that, Mydrea lands on her feet, making a small hissing splash in the creek.

"This creek," I continue to say, "Was where I was found three years ago. Skull cracked open. On the brink of death. According to both Doryoko and Sueka, my recovery was nothing short of a miracle. I managed to survive, but I didn't make a full recovery in every way. I lost...I lost my memory! I don't have any memories of anything beyond the past three years! I don't know anybody who could tell me what it is I have forgotten. I promised my family that I would learn the truth about myself. I promised that, in order to truly become part of the Tsurai family, I would join them with nothing to hide! I promised! I PROMISED!!!"

Once more, silence ensues, with the exception of the sound of the following creek. I slowly get up, and struggle to remain balanced.

Bachi... Bachi...

!!!

"Fire Drive: MAGMA ORB!!!"

(Soul Conversion 5...BEAT!!!)

I roll to the right, splashing as I go. I manage to dodge the full first magma orb but...

"AAAA!!"

My left foot is directly hit by the flames. The searing pain flows through my body and intensifies as I roll on my foot.

"You don't honestly expect me to believe such a cliché excuse, do you?"

"Why...?"

"It's one of the lamest..."

"Why would I...?"

"What?"

"Why would I be so foolish...as to trust...a backstabbing bitch...like you!?!?!?"

"Pardon!?"

"Why would I want to save a traitor like you!?!?!?!?!?!?"

"Save me? Whatever do you mean!?!?"

"CAN'T YOU SEE!? YOU'RE BEING USED!?!? LIED TO!?!? DECEIVED!?!?"

"I am of the Kyusen! Our intel is the best in the world!"

"OPEN YOUR EYES!!! YOU'RE HUMAN, AREN'T YOU!?!? WHY FOLLOW ORDERS SO BLINDLY!?!? WHH...!!!!"

BASHI!!! With a sharp surge of pain, I feel something really hit me hard in the back of the head. I land face first into the creek once more, and slowly turn my head. I look up, and see Darius Dives...holding a tree branch in his hands. Normally, this wouldn't hurt me as badly as this, but...after Mydrea-sama's assault...

"Enjoy your last moments..." Darius says slowly. "Demon."

BASHI!!!!!