The Wild Dance of Gaiki

Tsuruko's surroundings flew off. The ground she was standing on was also greatly gouged out and changed into a crater. The windows of the buildings completely cracked, and the outer wall was collapsing. Tsuruko's whole body was wrapped in the greatest mass of aura it had ever had.

Tsuruko thrust Dragredder at Kirika. The far-off trees in the background were blown away from the force of the aftershock of the single motion of the blade. The clouds in the night sky were broken apart from Tsuruko's roar. The full moon which had been hidden appeared.

Kirika flew out at Tsuruko—who didn't feel slow. She got away from that spot and kicked Kirika in the side as she flew. "…How did you surpass me in speed!?" Like how could Tsuruko know—she was relishing the moment of surprising Kirika, catching up with Kirika who was moving at the speed of light with no trouble.

"I've been meaning to do this for a long time!" A hit to Kirika's abdomen with her right fist. At the same time she activated the dividing power she had just transplanted and felt the aura covering Kirika decrease sharply.

"This is for all the pain you put us through!" While Tsuruko declared this, Kirika spat out bile from her mouth as Tsuruko continued attacking like that without interference. A hit to the face! Tsuruko completely broke her helmet. The jets on her back from which her wings of light originated were destroyed effortlessly by Tsuruko's hands. Tsuruko vigorously kicked Kirika high into the air, before tackling Kirika with extreme speed. Kirika vomited blood from such an extreme tackle.

"Blow away, Super Galaxy King!" With that, Kirika impacted against the ground. Maybe…Tsuruko was debating on whether or not to strike Kirika once more.

In contrast to Tsuruko, who was giving her all, Kirika just gave a seemingly happy smile. It was sickening. "You do understand, don't you? In short, our fight is not simply a scuffle, BUT ONE WITH YOUR OWN BODY AT STAKE!!" Kirika bellowed, before rising to her feet, shooting forward like a bullet, covering her body with the black armour, preparing to take Tsuruko head-on.

Tsuruko punched Kirika in the face, though she was also struck! Tsuruko just kept on hitting her! Kirika also kept on hitting Tsuruko. The face. The stomach. The chest. The arms. Tsuruko just continued hitting and she also continued getting hit. The armour shattered. Even if it got repaired on time, she hit Tsuruko, aiming for it. Each blow Tsuruko and Kirika gave each other started to destroy their bodies. The continent shook every time it happened. The ground split open and holes were created in this dimension.

It was just stupidly straight forward with insanely high-powered attacks. That was the fist fight they were having. Tsuruko didn't care about defending; she didn't have time to defend. If she didn't hit her…If she didn't keep on hitting her, Kirika wouldn't go down. That's why Tsuruko just hit her. This wouldn't finish even if they broke each other's bodies. Tsuruko wouldn't be able to take this woman down unless she fought until she shattered her spirit.

It was a fist fight… An incredible fist fight. It didn't have any magnificent tactics, it wasn't a fight of fine-tuned magical powers, it was a close range fight like a children's brawl. Hitting and getting hit… Something simple like that was incredibly intense and seems like it would break Four.

The purple aura covered Tsuruko's right arm, and her right arm morphed into that of a purple gauntlet. She'd increase the impact by nailing down the percussion hammer and increasing the damage. Her fist shot deep inside Kirika's stomach. She shattered the Super Galaxy King's armour. Her fist even plunged deep into Kirika's physical body—Tsuruko did the same thing she did to Rosa before…

Receiving the punch, Kirika dropped on her knee. Her legs were shaking. It seemed like the damage was serious. Kirika then became enraged at her foot. "I won't go down.

Kirika took a big step, and stood up. She still had magical energy around her body. But the amount of magical energy decreased from before. The victory was within Tsuruko's grasp. But this dream in front of her increased her will to fight.

Tsuruko attempted to punch Kirika, who rushed at her. Tsuruko then pulled her arm back and released her kick; aiming for her calf. There was a slight opening in her defense because of her feint.

Tsuruko's destroyed Kirika's calf along with the armour covering it. If her legs were getting weak, then she would be aiming for it. Kirika's body trembled. Without a moment to spare, Tsuruko nailed her fist into her face. Kirika's helm became broken in half, and Tsuruko's fist struck directly onto her face. Kirika was blown away backwards.

Tsuruko expanded her phoenix-wings and made the cannons appear from it. In this form, the cannons were stored inside the phoenix wings. It charged up silently and the energy was gathered in a lower charge time than that of the regular Lucifer's Hammer.

A golden aura was shot forth, enveloping Kirika. After creating a huge explosion, the smoke stopped and created a large crack on the ground. At the center of the crater, Kirika was lying on the ground. She didn't seem like she could move. The blast went through. Kirika wouldn't be able to stand now. She took a lot of damage and it seemed like she used up all her strength in the attack Tsuruko unleashed a few moments ago.

"SKRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Kirika roared—That was the howl of a magnificent demon that sounded brave but also sad. The area shook violently.

Even Tsuruko was shaking.

Fear.

Shiver.

Enchantment.

Excitement.

All those feelings mixed inside Tsuruko were making the cells in her body boil. She could still fight with Kirika…she could finish the fight with her. Just thinking about that brought out a power within her that spread through her whole body.

In a bruised and battered state, Kirika shot forward at Tsuruko.

"I...! I can't lose!" Tsuruko rushed forward while declaring that. Both of their fists struck each other's faces in an instant—causing a stinging pain to resound throughout both of their bodies. Kirika wouldn't go down no matter how much Tsuruko struck her. She continued to hit Tsuruko while not losing the light inside her eyes. All of her hits were something that felt like it would take everything away from Tsuruko.

Where? Where did Kirika get this strength from…!? Even if Tsuruko struck her in the stomach. Even if Tsuruko struck her in the face, the strong foe in front of her showed no signs of stopping her fists. Tsuruko would be taken down if she paused for a slight moment! Kirika would take away her consciousness!

Then how could Tsuruko make her lose consciousness!? How many times did she have to hit Kirika to take her down!? The Super Galaxy King…the woman in front of her was strong enough and an insanely strong foe; the strongest Tsuruko had ever faced.

Tsuruko would be downed immediately if she thought about defeat. Kirika was strong overall: power, speed and defense. But there was a decisive difference between them; a really obsessed thought about winning. She'd lose everything if she lost. There was no second chance. A resolution of accepting death. A spirit where she could bet everything she had for her dream. It seemed like a strong will where she discarded the option of retreating was pushing her to go this far!

"…I'll lose everything if I lose! Everything I built until now will crumble. For someone like me who has a dream, this was the only path for me. That's why I have to win...!" Kirika snapped.

"The finale!" Tsuruko howled; even though she was about to lose the power to maintain Gaiki, she continued hammering away on Kirika with her fists; before the two leapt back.

Tsuruko's punch reached Kirika; it was a punch that even she could tell was effective. From the sheer force of the blow, Kirika's body trembled...and yet, she didn't fall.

"...One more time then! The finale!" However, Tsuruko finally lost the power to maintain her armour; as Gaiki disappeared.

She couldn't reach her...Tsuruko's body also trembled. But she went ahead with just her body with the remaining strength she had. She could fight as long as she could grasp her hand. When Tsuruko was about to go ahead with just her fist……

"Tsuruko Sejren..." Kirika softly whispered, "You're the victor."

As Kirika began to fall...Tsuruko suddenly grabbed her hand; much to Kirika's surprise. Tsuruko honestly smiled at her, as she proposed, "Let's be friends, Kirika. Rosa would've wanted that."

"Honestly..." Kirika sighed, obviously somewhat bemused by this woman. "...What are you?"

Tsuruko puffed out her chest, rapped her fist against her chest a few times before she pointed said hand at Kirika. "Allow me to burn my face and name into your mind! Tsuruko Sejren! I'm the one who will befriend everyone in the universe!"

Tsuruko's hand didn't lower, so Kirika used her armoured hand to grip Tsuruko's, "That's quite a claim, especially since I'm not a human."

"That doesn't matter!" Tsuruko replied as she began to shake Kirika's hand. "Human, demons, symbiotes, machines, I'll befriend everyone! That includes jerks like you." Tsuruko smiled brightly as she pulled her hand away, only to use her fist to tap into Kirika's hand, then bump it from top and whap it from the bottom. Kirika blinked a few times as Tsuruko smirked wildly. "And with that, we're true buds, Kirika!"

"I can't believe that's all it takes for you to consider me a friend," Kirika admitted with a roll of her eyes.

"Nah, that's not all," Tsuruko chuckled as she tapped Kirika's shoulder a few times. The friend loving girl pointed towards Kirika's belt. "Anyone who uses the powers of knights isn't a baddie."

"Oh?" Kirika questioned with a hand to her chin.

"Yeah! You're a knight like me, deep down!" Tsuruko started to say until she stopped. "We're warriors who fight humanity's enemies in secret!"

Kirika's eyes widened when she heard that, then with a sly look of her own, she just sighed. "You really are a handful..."

"Right back at ya!" Tsuruko laughed as she threw her hand around Kirika's neck. "And that's why we're friends!" Tsuruko immediately became seriously, however. "But, about before...when you said I dreamt you up. Even though we're not connected anymore, there's something I want to tell you, Kirika. Kirika, you're Kirika Hotsuin, not Tsuruko Sejren. You're you. We're not the same. That's what I wanted to tell you. That you deserve, just as much as I do, to be your own person."

Taken aback, Kirika genuinely smiled at Tsuruko. "Tsuruko Sejren, see? That's why you won...you're able to say such things without any problems."

Tsuruko looked at her, worriedly, asking, "But Kirika...why did you kill my dad?"

"...Huh?" Kirika glanced at her incredulously. "I didn't. What makes you say that, huh?"

"Dad said you did—"

"I wasn't even alive then. I was created a few years later."

All of a sudden, a gigantic magical circle was cast from the discarded Philosopher's Stone—manifesting in the air above the two. This glyph; it was crimson, and raven, all demonic colours!

An intense vibration shook the entire city as a very ominous aura was emitted from the magic-circle.

A cold air rushed through the city; it gave Tsuruko chills. An intense pressure she had never felt before was coming from the magic-circle. A pressure that froze both her body and soul…. She felt like a frog that was being glared at by a snake…

A gigantic ominous thing started appearing from the magic-circle…

Head.

Torso…

Black-wings.

A cross….?

Someone was impaled into a cross. Restraint tools were intensely binding its body. There were so many restraining tools placed all over its body and there were creepy letters written on the tools! There were ones that were placed on its eyes and there were tears of blood dripping from them.

The moment its whole body appeared from the magic-circle, Tsuruko's breath stopped because of the bizarre existence. It had the lower-body of a……. snake! No. There were scales on it. ……A skinny appearance like that of an Asian dragon. The upper-body of a fallen-angel and lower-body of a dragon! On both hands, tail, and all over its body, there were countless nails driven through! Even on its black wings.

Just looking at its appearance told Tsuruko how painful it is! …… A pebble demon dragon……that is being restricted……..?

A crucifixation done to a criminal who has done something very serious….

The being looked like it was the personification of anger from the one who judged it…A creepy voice emitted from the criminal's mouth echoed throughout the city. From its mouth covered in fangs, there was blood and saliva coming out as well.

Pain.

Jealousy.

Suffering.

Resentment.

A sound that is mixed with all kinds of negative emotions.

Tsuruko could tell it was a being that was judged by someone who harbored great anger towards it. There was a black aura and mist coming out of the dragon was spreading throughout the city.

…..A sensation where Tsuruko's skin was being poked with needles…..a disgusting sensation that covered her whole body…..

"You!" Kirika gripped Tsuruko's pauldron, as she snarled, "That's Amadam! We need to get out of here, right now!"

"Ama...dam?" Tsuruko stared at Kirika, puzzled; "What's Ama—"

"Tsuruko!" A voice called out; it was Giselle! "Kirika's right, just get out of there, this instant!"

"But what about—"

"GO!"