That Bushido Called 'Love'

Thirty seconds? Forty? Manami had forgotten exactly how long it had taken to break the last neck she had beneath her heel. It felt close to an eternity ago, closer to those days in dark corners of the city and with no one place to call home. Everything seemed so much easier back then, when her ambition was young and the prey was stupid and slow. Everyone here fought so much harder, clung to that desperation to not have their dreams dashed into the ground.

Like Eka. She had her charm, of course. Her fierce struggle for life was one of the more admirable Manami had seen. Plenty of thrashing and sputters that put all of those lithe, useless limbs into a pathetic fit. Not to mention, that shade of blue coloring her face was a little adorable to watch in retrospect. Perhaps when she finally passed away, she could-

Stomp.

The rush of danger swept across the back of Manami’s neck in a wave, sweeping all the hairs upright as the palpable hostility from a certain undue invader. The champion wasn’t afforded the time to spare a glance at her aggressor. Her wolven eyes looked off to her side towards the edge of the ring, at least where it should have been. She was greeted by the sight of a leg arcing through the air in the shape of steel made flesh, cutting the air in two with an audible whiff coming to slice her head clean from her shoulders.

Her fist came up close to her head and blocked the kick straight on, but the force alone was more than enough to throw Manami clean off the Georgian and send her into a quick roll towards the ring’s center. Pressing her hands to the floor, the Wolf Girl turned on her head and pushed off the ground mid-spin, popping right back up to her feet and already facing her would-be attacker. And not what she expected. A sturdy thing, roughly the same size as herself, although lacking in some power if the smirk on the champion’s face was anything to go by.

"Good try, but-" Manami let out a gasp as her head lulled forward, her vision going through a momentary haze as she wobbled onto her back foot. She brought her arms out to steady herself, keeping her eyes affixed to the ground tilting on an unsteady axis beneath her feet. Everything felt light inside of her skull for a moment. When it passed, she looked back toward the girl and found blazing eyes casting an unrelenting ferocity straight back at her with an...unusual fervor. What was that? Rage? Anger? No, not quite that crude. Despite the almost palpable animosity radiating off the dark-haired stranger, there was a certain composure in those mysterious eyes strong as folded steel. It was as fascinating as it was frightening.

A dark chuckle cut through the sudden silence that had fallen the ring as the Wolf Girl slowly stood back upright. The cool smile and half-lidded eyes on her expression seemed to effectively betray the slight ringing still going through her ears. It mattered little after all. This girl was the only thing that interested her now.  

“Well, that was very, very rude of you. Interrupting a friendly spar between aspiring wrestlers? It’s that kind of behavior that’s given the AFW the kind of reputation it has. Such a shameless thug." Manami waved her away. “Go away, little girl. Before I kill you along with that trash behind you.”

The force of the judoka’s kick sent the sadistic fighter rolling away from Eka’s prone form, the woman using the force of Harumi’s attack to retreat towards the center of the ring and gather some distance from her surprise opponent. Not a single movement was wasted on the strangers end, pushing off on the floor and hopping right back up onto her feet as though she had done it a hundred times before. Harumi had already positioned herself in between Eka and the green attired woman, ready to defend the Georgian despite throwing the first blow by the time she realized who was standing in front of her. The cold, stoic expression on Harumi’s face was like a mask that hid the small chill that ran down her spine as the Wolf’s piercing gaze struck at Harumi’s emerald orbs.

Manami Kuroda. Current Entropy Champion of the AFW, and one of the most violent competitors in the entire roster, Both Friction as well as Tension. Harumi herself didn’t own any sort of television and didn’t have time to go watch any of her fellow competitors' matches often, but even she had heard about the absolute butchery that was the Wolf’s debut. The way she tore into her opponent, Kaede Komatsuzaki. Manami broke not only her body, but her spirit, her pride...before dragging her away like she wasn’t even human. An overwhelming victory, and a statement that had reached even the lowest positions in the federation. In so many words, Manami was a walking nightmare in the federation. One that was currently watching Harumi with murderous intent.

But none of that mattered now.

Harumi let go of the breath she had been holding in since she realized who was standing across from her. Manami seemed to recover from her strike faster than most would have, but by then Harumi had steeled herself to her predatory gaze. Right now, she was protecting Eka. Manami might be a monster, but she was a monster Harumi knew. Despite her reputation, she still seemed shaken by Harumi’s earlier attack, almost to the point of stumbling as she took a moment to gather her bearings. Harumi’s hard gaze would only flick away from Manami for a second, sparing a glance over at Eka to ensure the steady rise and fall of the Georgian’s chest and to see the color return to her face. Once Harumi was satisfied, her focus quickly returned to Manami.

There wouldn’t be such a thing as a “clean fight” with Manami. She wasn’t shy about seriously hurting her opponents, and knowing that danger was an advantage of its own. One Harumi could work with.

The silence that clung to the air was torn apart by a disturbing chuckle making it’s way from the Wolf’s maw, the sound like a low growl from a primal beast with its kill. Even with her expression betraying her recovery, no one dared to interrupt her as she addressed Harumi like she was a mere nuisance. A stupid girl that had entered into something much bigger than herself, and offered mercy not out of kindness, but convenience.

Harumi’s eyes only narrowed under the threat.

“You speak quite a bit, don’t you?”

Harumi’s tone was...focused? Her curt response held an air of authority to it, as though Harumi saw herself as the superior of the two. In fact, the way it was said was almost akin to a teacher quickly scolding a student. Few in the gym could believe the strange girl in her work uniform could talk like that to a woman with such presence and power like Manami. There was clearly a fire in Harumi, one that was burning hot with the sight of Eka’s tormented face! But rather than let it rage and burn, the judoka seemed to focus it...Almost control it, like the flame of a blow torch.

“There wasn’t anything friendly with what I just saw. Just cruelty and sadism at its lowest form! A disgrace that I won’t let Eka touch again. Your spar with her is over. I won’t let you hurt her anymore.”

Much to everyone's surprise, Harumi actually moved forward towards Manami! The silent samurai walked with silent steps towards Eka’s tormentor, her eyes as hard as the gems they resembled and her expression a stoic mask. She came within a few feet of Manami, looking her dead in the eyes as the Wolf Mother’s fierce glare continued to rip at her form.

“I won’t let you.” She stated simply, her body tensed and ready to react. Like a scene from feudal Japan, it seemed as though a duel might break out between the two of them. A Judoka protecting her darling, and a Wolf claiming its prey. The entire Gym seemed to disappear from the world. All that was there was the ring, and the fighters inside of it.

It was odd how being blindsided by a kick to the head wasn't the worst offense this mysterious girl had given her. There were many things she could fault the faux warrior for; seizing the element of surprise would never be one of them. For the honor-bound, perhaps the notion could be seen as some great disrespect, but Manami could point to worse areas. Severely worse areas. The bold words, the haughty tone in which they were spoken, that entire disgustingly noble and pretentious demeanor as she stood definitely between the wolf and her helpless prey. But that wasn’t even close to the worst of them all.

No, the worst offense was standing before her in that outfit. Fucking disgrace.

It was an odd sense of second-hand embarrassment she hadn’t felt at any other point in her life. As if just being close to that waiter’s outfit in a setting like this was slowly but surely sapping her will to live. Manami snarled at her, gritting her teeth back with eyes full of searing malice. Who did this girl think she was? What gave her the kind of confidence to believe she could simply walk into this ring and dictate to her what-

Manami fell silent for a moment, her eyes flashing with the faint glint of realization. Her expression seemed to soften before she addressed Harumi again.

“Wait, I've seen you before. Harumi Hazama. The judo girl from that money event that was hosted a while back. I see. I was rooting for you. You made it pretty far. It was actually somewhat interesting." The Wolf Girl shut her eyes to reflect exactly on the memory, a poignant smile on her lips and a slight nodding of her head. A delighted hum of affirmation suggested the memory had been a rather fond one. Her head lulled forward with the weight of an epiphany, covering her mouth as her hums of delight gave way to half-suppressed sniggers and chuckles beneath the shade of her bangs. Her eyes snapped back to Harumi as she slowly pulled her hand away, revealing a wicked grin, contorted and malevolent with the sweet taste of venom coating her fangs. "You must be insane."

"Stop me? Let me enlighten you." The champion straightened herself and stood tall over her presumptuous foe. Despite their relatively equal height, it seemed as though a shadow had been cast over Harumi. Whether it was real or imagined depended on one’s perspective. For Harumi and Eka - oh yes, it was very real. The Wolf Girl took a step forward, invading her territory and daring Harumi to do something about it. “Your little girlfriend is feeble, weak-minded, and belongs nowhere near a ring. It's beyond revolting. She lost and thus reaps the consequences of her own pathetic nature. It's as simple as that. If you want to stand between that, there’s only one solution…”

She took another couple steps forward, closing the distance between herself and Harumi. “Make yourself my example. Summer Splash. Whatever match suits your talents best. If you stand in Eka’s place, I’ll let her go. Refuse and, well…” She drew her lips near to the judoka’s ear. “I can certainly make her next injury more...permanent.”

For a moment, it seemed neither fighter had anything to say to each other. Both Manami and Harumi stood still, glaring at one another like vitriolic statues. Even the most inexperienced fighter could see each woman’s muscles tense up, ready to either attack or defend should the other show any sign of faltering. Each woman was sizing up the other, a battle of psychology already in effect as each one held their ground in the ring like a line had been drawn between them. It seemed as though the slightest movement would set them off, and so the world itself seemed to stand still.

Manami’s glare was a disgusting thing to look at. Pride, wrath, and disgust could easily be seen in her bronze eyes. As though no one in the world had the right to be breathing the same air as her, least of all the woman who dared to stop her from breaking someone else's neck for no other reason than because she could. Such a filthy gaze made Harumi want to spit, to cleanse herself of this dirty feeling that came with being in the presence of such an egomaniac. Perhaps that was why when something changed in Manami’s eyes, Harumi managed to pick up on it right away, putting pressure on her back leg in case Manami was about to strike! But rather than move...Manami began to speak.

Harumi's eyes narrowed as the Mother Wolf began to spout off how she recognized the judoka from a previous event she had participated in. Even going so far as to mention that she was rooting for her. But being recognized by someone like Manami wasn’t something to be proud of. At least, not in Harumi’s mind. The memories of the event were like a jab in itself, as Harumi had forfeited that match out of disgust. It figured Manami would have been watching something like that, where the other competitors bludgeoned each other for a case on a string. The judoka didn’t even dignify Manami with a response, only waiting and listening to her reminisce and laugh at whatever pleasures she derived from her doubtlessly twisted thoughts.

“You must be Insane…”

…

“Hmm?”

When Manami’s hand fell from her mouth, something changed...not just in her, but even the air around her. The wicked and crooked grin seemed to be lined with razor sharp canines rather than teeth. The bronze eyes that matched Harumi’s emerald gaze grew sharper, piercing right through Harumi’s hard stare and making the fighter’s heart begin to beat a few skips faster. It felt as if she wasn’t even the same person she was a few moments prior, casting a proverbial shadow of doubt over her challenger as well as a literal one. Without warning, Manami stepped forward into Harumi's side of the ring. Onto her territory.

And the Judoka flinched.

Harumi mentally kicked herself. She should have moved! Harumi knew that she should have kept Manami back and away from Eka. The second the Wolf moved a muscle, the Judoka had planned on chopping her down! She had the plan all set up and ready to go in her head, but the second Manami’s foot hit the ground, her body refused to respond.

“If you want to stand between that, there’s only one solution…”

Another step closer. Again, Harumi’s body refused to take the initiative and move. The judoka squeezed her fists in frustration, her knuckles turning white as Manami took another step closer towards her. Within seconds, the two of them were face to face. The Judoka couldn’t bear to look at that smile or those eyes anymore. Every second she did, it felt as though Manami had one hand wrapped around her heart. Shamefully, Harumi’s gaze moved towards the Wolf’s shoulders. She was careful to look for any hostile movements...at least that's what she told herself. Manami’s words were crawling into Harumi’s ear like venomous spiders. The malicious intent with every word uttered from her maw exemplified the Wolf Mother’s killing intent. Thankfully, Harumi began to focus on her breathing, trying to calm herself down with Manami so close to her. It was the only thing that had kept her expression unreadable, and kept her shoulders from shaking. By then, Manami had already leaned in, and begun to whisper into her ear.

And what she said finally shattered that stoic mask.

Rather unexpectedly, Harumi’s arm suddenly jerked to life! Giving Manami’s shoulder an incredibly rough shove, Harumi sought to give herself some space from the Wolf Mother’s vile presence! Her emerald green eyes glared at the monster that stood across from her, angered by her threats and comments! The fear that lingered in her mind had been pushed back, Harumi intentionally stoking the flames Manami had set in her heart to push back that shameful feeling. And it seemed to be working, as Harumi advanced a step towards Manami, glaring into her hellish gaze once more.

“Summer Splash…fine.” She spat. Harumi’s tone was cold, but the underlying malice was undeniable. “I’ll be your opponent. In return, you won’t ever bother Eka again. No matter what happens. I’m taking her place, so this ends with me. If that is understood…”

Another step, this one practically bringing the wolf and the Judoka chest to chest!

It was like an endless stream of cockroaches getting in her way, one after the other.

Why were they so insistent on making their inane blabbering heard? Was it the mere act of clinging to those frail ideals the only way they could maintain sustenance for their fruitless existence like overgrown parasites to a rotting corpse? So many disgusting insects under one roof. It was beyond her how this federation had managed to support its grand schemes and soaring ambitions with such a pathetic foundation. As if anyone could call either of these two “talented”.

A wide-eyed foreigner with nothing going for her beyond a pretty pair of eyes and her equally deluded significant other with a below-average skillset. This is the kind of strength that AFW prognosticates as the best anywhere in the world.

Manami sincerely begged to differ. The very notion was making her stomach turn in the most irrevocably irritating way possible. She hated every second she had to breathe the same air as people such as this, share the same halls, be measured as just another of these animals content to feed on their troughs of vanity. Showmanship? Popularity? Integrity? How many times did she have to prove what really led the world? She thought that lesson would have reverberated far and wide with her ascension to the championship table, but apparently, her ambitions had to grow higher still. There were still those like Eka under the impression this arena was welcome to them. There were still those like the girl before her now that dared to look at her with those goddamn eyes.

Pyrena. Cicilia. Valley. Manami couldn’t help but stare back at them in wonder. Black pitch ferocity manifested deep inside of her as she stared straight back at those solemn emerald gems gleaming with a samurai’s resolve. Clinging to every word, every promise that didn’t falter even as Harumi shoved her back a single yet solid step and pushed herself close. This bottomless determination, where it came from she would never know.

There was a shift in the judoka’s aura. The way she composed herself, the surprisingly sturdy stance against a superior foe tickled Manami’s senses in the most intriguing way. She had no intention of accepting those kinds of conditions at first, even with the Entropy obligations weighing her desires down, but then she realized what Harumi had done in laying her pride on the floor. She was staking everything on this fight. Shouldn’t she do the same?

Nearly. The wolf’s wild gaze hadn’t faltered, not an inch. Her spine ran with chills as the samurai’s ice-cold demeanor permeated the air around them, chilling her hot blood to the core. All around them the murmurs and whispers froze along with the lips of every bystander. The silence was only broken an instant later by a mad and sudden cackling. A voracious maw laughed right in Harumi’s face, its hot breath wafting over every cheek and each eye. Manami slowly brought a hand to her mouth, composing herself quickly before she straightened herself with that familiar, eerily confident sneer.

“You think you’ve saved her. How adorably vain.” The champion afforded herself a slight chuckle at her expense before she turned to one side and patted Harumi once on the shoulder. A single eye stared back at the Judo girl from the dark veil of her brown strands, a ray of light reflecting off her clear iris. “I accept your conditions, Hazama Harumi. Perhaps when this is over, you two can reflect on your new life together in the fall season. Crushed, humiliated, holding each other in those arms of yours that couldn’t protect a single thing. The Broken Samurai. Wouldn’t that be a delightful haiku.”

With a light push against the girl’s shoulder, Manami walked away and stepped through the ropes to the ring floor below. Immediately, the crowd of onlookers parted a way to the exit for her. From an angle, one could catch the slightest glance of that hungry smile before the beast slipped through the doors and disappeared into the halls.

As the chilled silence lingered between the two fighters, everyone in the gym watched on, waiting to see just what would happen. Harumi had announced her terms, and the moment she did, Manami looked as though she would reach over and tear the woman’s head off! Worse still, Harumi seemed as though she would have her own deadly strike waiting. The woman’s arms had visibly tensed to the point where it looked as though there was steel inside her limb instead of muscle. There were those that wanted to stop the two of them. Maybe someone would have attempted to do so if their killing intent wasn’t radiating off them like a foul stench! Were they monsters? No one was sure anymore.

Thankfully that silence was destroyed by Manami’s cold laughter. The chilled chortle echoed out into the silent gym, bouncing off the walls and returning to their creator. It was as though there were more than one person laughing. But when Manami stopped, so too did the chorus of terrifying tittering. Harumi hadn’t budged an inch. Neither of them did. The Wolf Mother’s grin clashed with the cold mask her foe still wore. Even as the wolf bared her fangs and her breath hit her face, the silent samurai held her ground. Ready to cut the wolf down if ever she needed to.

For all the laughter Manami did, and the tactics she pulled...Harumi didn’t understand why Manami linked herself to the wolf of all animals. Not when a Hyena matched her twisted personality so much more. A pack animal, often associated with trickery and savagery. They even shared the same disgusting laugh! The comparison might have made Harumi chuckle if not for the serious situation she was in. The only thing she wanted to think about was Manami’s response to her offer.

What she got didn’t inspire confidence.

The Wolf mother placed her hand on the Judoka’s shoulder. The shoulder she gripped might as well have been a rock! Harumi leaned in slightly, putting pressure on her feet in preparation to fight. She held back, only because of the look in the Wolf woman’s eye. She was turning away, as though she were leaving. It was frustrating Harumi even more, but she held her tongue even then. She needed an answer, because it would determine if she would be fighting at summer slam, or right there in the gym.

Manami could never touch Eka again

But that didn’t seem necessary. Manami accepted Harumi’s condition, but that didn’t relieve the tension even a bit. Manami kept talking, and Harumi just wanted to lash out and strike her! To crack the woman across the jaw and get her to keep her mouth shut even if it's just for a few minutes! But Eka’s presence behind her kept those actions at bay. A fight here and now would be dangerous for her wounded lover. At Summer Splash, the Judoka could fight normally. She just had to wait until then.

“Tsk!”

Manami roughly shoved Harumi, but she only lost one step this time. The Wolf Mother had her say, and the second she turned and left the ring, Harumi retreated towards Eka. A solitary eye watched Manami’s back as she left, ensuring she did not come back to try and attack while her back was turned. Only when she had disappeared for a full minute did Harumi’s mask disintegrate, revealing a scared, concerned woman.

“Eka! Are you alright? I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! I should’ve been here soon, I shouldn’t have gotten food! I just-”

All of that fear of Eka’s injuries, the memories of her anguished expression, it all came up at once as Harumi dropped down to her girlfriend, checking her condition. She tried to brush her bangs aside, and out of her face, but realized that her hands were shaking. Those once strong, hard emerald eyes blinked at the sight of her once powerful hand shaking like a leaf in the wind. Something tickled her cheek, and it was only when the gym’s doctor stepped in did she realize that tears were rolling down her cheeks.

The Georgian seemed to be alright, if unconscious. A small comfort, but better than the alternative. The Gym doctor quickly had some of the surrounding audience members go get a stretcher and help Eka onto it. She would need some rest, but the doctor assured her recovery. Harumi couldn’t respond. She simply followed them, never taking her eyes off Eka’s slumbering form.

To be continued...