.hack//SIGN Fan Fiction ❯ Yasashii Ryoute (Gentle Hands) ❯ Chapter 3

Yasashii Ryoute (Gentle Hands)  by Sakura (aka L-sama no Miko)   Chapter 3   The tournament wasn’t that bad. At least that was what Haseo had thought, but he’d only just gotten past the preliminary rounds and placed in the top ten ranks. All the other fighters he fought were mostly small fry demons or weak humans and beastmen forced to fight for the enjoyment of the demons watching. He had no qualms about killing the demons, but did whatever he could not to kill his human or beast opponents, which of course didn’t sit well with the audience. But the audience’s opinion was the farthest thing from his mind now. He had to win, for Silabus’ sake if not his own. He paced nervously around the waiting room with the other competitors, most of which were either glaring at him or cringing and clinging to the shadows as much as they could. <<Are you sure you’re alright?>> a large black and yellow demon asked, watching the silver haired angel pace. “I’m fine, Skeith,” he answered sullenly, “They never laid a hit on me.” “Hah!” spat one of the glaring demons, “You haven’t seen what I can do, human! When I’m through there’d be nothing left of ya!” Haseo sneered at him, he knew a bluff when he saw one, especially when the idiot thought he was a puny human. “Oh yeah tough guy?” he spat back cockily, “Bring it!” The demon growled, his claws poised to strike. “Save it for the arena you punks,” scolded a girl with shoulder length red hair dressed in a black halter top and loose black pants. Haseo stared at the strange fan like decoration sticking out from her top and wondered what the heck it was for. The demon glared at her and started to say something, but went suddenly pale at recognizing the girl. She gave a cocky smile to the demon and winked at the silver haired angel. Haseo was about to ask her what that was all about, but then the announcement for the start of the first of the final rounds distracted him. “Good luck, hot stuff,” she said winking at him again. “Ya better not lose ‘cause I wanna see how good you really are.” Haseo blushed a bit, never really used to being complimented on his looks. “Heh! No way I’m gonna lose,” he boasted, giving a cocky grin of his own. “You’re the one who shouldn’t lose. I could use a challenge myself.” “You’re on, pal! There’s no way I’m gonna lose to a lousy human!” she retorted striding over to one of the many mini Chaos Gates scattered about the room. <<You’d better go,>> Skeith said as several others headed for their respective gates. Haseo stared after the girl. She had called him human. Did that mean she was a demon? Or was she a human too and just didn’t want to lose to a male of her kind? She certainly was cocky enough to be a demon though. He shook his head. He’d think about it later after he’d won the tournament. He headed to his designated gate, the golden rings spinning calmly around the glowing green center. Sighing he let the gold rings that had formed around him warp him to his next match. “Ha, ha, ha,” the burgundy haired woman laughed as he appeared at his end of the arena. “A human!” she roared in amusement, “They send me an itty bitty human!” She continued to laugh, holding her sides at the pain she was causing as herself. “You’re one to talk!” shouted Haseo, eyeing her black sports bra like top and tight barely there shorts. “Is that really your battle armor or do you always dress like a slut?” The woman stopped her guffawing and narrowed her crazed burgundy eyes. “You’re gonna pay for that remark!” she growled. She leapt off the platform she had been standing on and onto the main fighting area. The silver haired angel followed suit and drew out the spiraled twin blades Ovan had provided him with. “You’re going down!” he yelled, going into an attack stance. “Gale Blade!” he shouted and launched a series of furious, snake fast strikes at her. The woman scoffed having been barely touched by the attack. “Ogre Sword!” she cried and drew her twisted spiked sword. The sheer force of the draw knocked him back against the kekkai(barrier) surrounding the stage. “You’re playing with the big boys now, little human boy,” she sneered, then brought the sword down upon him. Haseo quickly rolled to the side and kicked himself back up onto his feet, striking her in the arm as he sprinted to the other side of the stage. His opponent howled in rage and dashed after him. “Is that it?” she asked after several minutes later. He had managed to wear her down to half her strength, but he could barely stand up and was covered in blood, most of which was his. Haseo panted, then lunged at her desperately. “DIE!!!!!!!!” he yelled, lashing blindly at her with his blades. She cruelly laughed as she sidestepped him and kicked him back with one spiked boot, the sharp heel digging into his abdomen before he was sent flying backwards. Haseo landed on his knees and started struggling to get back up. The burgundy haired woman laughed triumphantly at the fallen angel’s efforts. ‘This can’t be it,’ Haseo thought to himself as he knelt panting, desperate for air. “Oh what’s the matter?” she asked, striding over to him, “Did the wittle baby get a boo-boo?” she said using a baby talk kind of voice. “Not much for words now are you?” she sneered. “Hey! Get up!” She tapped his head with her sword, the spikes poking painfully into his skull. “I’m not done playing yet!” Haseo could only kneel there, still panting for breath. He was almost completely wiped out. That last attack had the last of his strength in it. ‘I can’t die here!’ he scolded himself, ‘Everyone’s counting on me! If I lose now, who’s gonna protect Silabus? I have to win or Silabus may die! And it’ll be all my fault!’ He forced himself to stand, his legs trembling in protest at being made to support his weight. He grasped his head with one hand and glared at his opponent. “I swear, I’ll kill you with my bare hands!” he bellowed. “Do you hear me Ovan?! I’m going to kill you!!!” Meanwhile, a certain cornflower haired demon lord was grinning like a Cheshire cat, enjoying his champion’s struggle immensely. The honey brown haired slave next to him kept his head down, having turned away from the fight when Haseo started to lose. He didn’t want to see his friend get slaughtered, he couldn’t bear it. “Not enjoying the tournament?” Ovan asked, yanking the chain and forcing him to watch the battle below. “Y-Yes master,” Silabus said weakly. “Hmm. Perhaps I shouldn’t have brought you then,” he said with mock gentleness. He pulled the angel into his lap. “But I think I know what would make you feel better,” he murmured in his ear wolfishly. The green and gold clad angel shuddered as a hand crept below his waist and the demon’s lips connected with his. Silabus blushed profusely, not believing that his master would do this in public. But a quick glance around him told him that his master wasn’t the only demon lord who brought along their pleasure slave.   Back at the stage…  <<Haseo!>> came Skeith’s rumbling voice. <<Take my power!>> he cried. The silver haired angel then saw that he was suddenly surrounded by yellow and black sparkles and suddenly felt an immense power flowing through him. He readily embraced the demonic power, drinking it in as a thirsty man would after hours in the desert. Gods it was wonderful! He could feel his strength returning and he was still getting stronger! He laughed in ecstasy as Skeith’s power welled upside him, his eyes widening into an insane berserker stare. Now he was the stronger one. Now that *beep* was the prey and he was the hunter. He licked his lips. Oh he was going to enjoy this! Laughing crazily, he stretched his arm out to one side. In it appeared a red staff that ended in what looked like a Celtic cross at one end. The staff glowed brilliantly as if it were red hot and the cross at the end morphed into a red and gold scythe. Several eyes stopped and stared at the ‘human’ when they felt the familiar power. “Don’t do it,” whispered a blond boy in a jester type outfit, visibly shaken by what he knew was about to come. The two twin short – for their kind – demons next to him looked at him in sympathy. The blue twin placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder in comfort. <<Do you wish to leave Bo-sama?>> he asked. “N-No,” he replied fearfully. “I-I want to watch. Besides, onee-san (Big Sister) will get angry if she misses Endrance-sama’s fight.” <<So?>> asked the pink twin with the sun motif. <<I can tell this is upsetting you. We’re leaving. Now.>> She then started to pull him from his seat. “Stop it Gorre!” he cried, digging his feet into the floor. “I’m NOT going to miss Master En’s fight and that’s it, you got that?!” The pink twin sighed, the boy’s ‘onee-san’ had woken up. <<Yes, my lady,>> she said sitting back down. In another part of the arena audience, a blue haired and winged angel stood up and slammed his fist against the railing of his box, his pink haired companion standing calmly at his side, however her narrowed pink eyes belied the calm she exuded. Inwardly, Pi was pissed. It was forbidden for an angel to use the power of a demon, especially that of a Knight of Morganna. “Stop right now Haseo!!!!!” commanded the blue haired angel. He knew what his friend would do next. After all the power they had felt was that of a Knight of Morganna. Meanwhile, Haseo was still laughing like a maniac, drunk on Skeith’s demonic power. “W-What are you doing?!” the woman stammered, unnerved by the boy’s insane eyes and grin. “H-Hey can’t we talk this over?” she pleaded, her hand clenching and unclenching the hilt of her sword. “Hey, lemme apologize. Just take it easy, calm down, and.... DIE!” She rushed him only to be thrown back several feet by one wave of his hand. “Say goodbye,” the silver haired angel said, enjoying the feeling of having power over another being’s life. Oh he had enjoyed killing demons before, but never like this! The power was intoxicating! He let out a yell of triumph as he ran to the cowering woman. He laughed again as he brought the scythe down. There was a red and gold streak as it swung at his opponent. The woman screamed in terror and agony as she was cut neatly into two halves. Her upper torso flew back and hit the kekkai before landing onto the stone floor with a loud wet thud. There were now two rapidly forming pools of black demon blood where the halves now rested. Haseo crouched, half expected another attack, panting slightly as the power started to fade. Seeing that the match had ended and they had a winner, the audience clamored and cheered the angel’s rather gruesome victory over his opponent. However, the silver haired angel didn’t hear them, nor did he care. He laughed softly as he laid there, his knees had given out as Skeith’s power left his body. Within moments he was out cold, the insane grin still on his otherwise stoic face.   **********   He felt something cool and wet on his face. Opening his eyes and blinking groggily, he saw his yellow and black friend hovering over him. <<Forgive me,>> he said, feeling guilty for what his power had done to the silver haired angel. “For what?” Haseo said, sitting up on the infirmary cot he’d been placed on. “If you hadn’t helped me back there…” He grimaced, not wishing to dwell on what would have happened if he did lose. <<But still my power was never meant for your kind, Haseo.>> “Stop beating yourself over it, Skeith,” scolded Haseo, “You can’t change the past.” The Knight of Morganna sighed, he knew his charge wasn’t going to back down. He had wanted to say more, but was interrupted when a black and blue streaked demon entered the infirmary. <<He’s awake? Good.>> Corbenik said, glaring at Skeith {Master isn’t exactly pleased about you helping him against orders} he ‘whispered’ to his fellow knight. <<And him losing is?>> Skeith answered, choosing to let the angel in on their conversation. <<Have you forgotten that Ovan-sama intends to win this year?>> <<Don’t you take that tone with me, Skeith!>> he shouted, one black and blue claw poised to strike the shorter demon. <<I of all people should know what Master Ovan wants!>> <<I only did it so Ovan-sama could win,>> he shot back, icily. Haseo shrank away, the tension between the two Knights of Morganna was so thick that he could have cut it with one of his twin blades. He decided that if they were going to have a full fledged quarrel, he’d better be far away as possible. He knew exactly how much damage a Knight of Morganna could do, so he began to quietly start to walk toward the nearest exit. <<I find that highly unlikely, coming from you ‘Terror of Death’,>> he spat, mocking the title the goddess had given him. <<Didn’t you come here to check on Haseo?>> Skeith asked narrowing all three of his eyes. <<Hmph. If he can walk, he fights.>> Corbenik said, noticing the angel trying to sneak away. He then picked up the boy by one arm and began to carry him none too gently out the infirmary, making Haseo look very much like a rag doll. “Hey!” he yelled, “Take it easy will ya, I can’t fight with just one arm!” Corbenik looked down at his prisoner. <<Shut up!>> he grumbled, putting him down but not letting go of him. Instead, he placed one claw on his shoulder and began to roughly push him forward. <<Get moving!>> “Whatever, blue boy,” the silver haired angel spat, but obeyed as he felt the claw on his shoulder start to dig into the skin.   *************   “Glad to see you’re okay, hot stuff,” said the red haired girl from before as she jumped from the starting platform. “That was pretty good fighting back there, for a cheater.” “What do you mean, cheater?!” Haseo asked following her, having already drawn his twin blades. “I won that match fair and square!” “Yeah right!” she said rushing at him only to have him block her twin Dorje Hatchets with his blades. “Somebody helped you! Don’t you try to deny it, I felt that power flow!” ‘Who is this girl?’ he wondered as he pushed her back with his weapons. ‘How’d she feel Skeith’s power like that?’ “So what if someone did?!” he shot, pouncing on her and catching her off guard. She fell backwards and both landed on the ground with the silver haired angel on top. “How’s that cheating?” The girl blushed at the closeness of her opponent. “A real warrior shouldn’t need help!” she said, rolling over so that she was now the one on top. She smirked pinning him down and making him blush. “Did you think I’d let you trap me that easily, big man?” Haseo lay there flustered for a few moments before remembering he was supposed to be fighting this girl, not let her flirt with him. He struggled for a few moments then gaped in surprise as his opponent lazily rose off of him and backed away. “So what’s gonna be, hot stuff?” she taunted “Ya gonna fight me or did you come here to just flirt?” Haseo flushed, embarrassed that he had a rather cute looking girl on top of him. He quickly shot up and went back into a battle stance. “Well that’s more like it!” she said, smirking. “Oh and just so you know, I’m persistent and I never give up!” She went into one of her signature attack stances and began to glow with a greenish light as she readied one of her special attacks. ‘This’ll be over quick,’ she thought. “Sparrow Counter!” the silver haired angel shouted and slammed into her, knocking her into the air as his twin blades slashed into her a few times before they landed back on the ground. “Not bad for a human,” she said panting slightly, a gash on her shoulder started seeping black blood down her arm. “I guess you do know how to be a gentleman after all. Anyone else would  have gone for my face when given the chance, but you didn’t.” “Y-You’re a demon!” he said in shock. His opponent smirked. “Thought I was just some weak human girl did you? I’ll have you know I’m the former demon emperor, Alkaid.” Haseo’s eyes went wide. He was facing an emperor?! ‘This can’t be good,’ he mused as he tightened the grip on his weapons and eyed her for any sort of opening. “Can’t have been a good emperor then if you’re the former one,” he said cockily, hoping that would cause her to goof up somehow. However, he’d come to realize later that that was one of the biggest mistakes he’d ever make. “H-How DARE YOU?!!!”  she screamed, enraged that a mere cheating human would have the audacity to insult her ability to rule like that. “If that jerk Endrance hadn’t cheated, I’d still be emperor!” She began to glow red and the fan on the back of her top shattered as it fell off and toward the floor. Alkaid doubled over as the sash wrapped around her pants unraveled and formed into the white tufted tail of a fox. Twin fox ears shot up from her head and her hands formed razor sharp claws. She stood and glared at him, growling in fury. “I’ll tear you apart!” she bellowed, sharp fangs bared and throwing her weapons aside. The fox demon snarled as she rushed him and pounced on him quicker than he could follow. The force of her full body slam knocked him into the kekkai. He shoved back at her, desperately trying to avoid being shredded to ribbons by her sharp claws. He managed to shove her aside somehow and started running toward the other side of the stage. He only got a few feet away when Alkaid slammed into his back, grabbing hold of his arms and pinning them to his side. She pushed him down until he was lying on his stomach while she pressed into his back. She quickly brought his arms behind him and held onto the angel’s wrists with one hand. She smirked and ran one razor sharp nail along his jawbone. “Not so tough now are you, big guy?” she taunted smirking. Haseo struggled, but not matter how hard he tried, the fox demon had him pinned down completely. “You know,” she purred, snaking her clawed hand down to his throat, making sure he felt the nails dragging across the skin. The silver haired angel gulped, knowing the end was near. “If you surrender and apologize, I just might let you live. As my servant of course.” She pressed harder into his back, painfully trapping his arms. She then snaked her other hand underneath him and dragged the nails lightly across his bare tattooed stomach. “I can use a fighter like you.” The demon’s feather like touches sent shivers down his spine as he desperately fought the reactions they caused. ‘I’m gonna die,’ he thought, forcing his body to remain still lest he cut himself on her claws. “So are you gonna answer me or do you think playing possum is gonna get me to back off, hmm?” she purred into his ear, making him shiver again. He felt the sudden rush of Skeith’s power flowing into him again. Grateful for his friend’s help he allowed himself to go limp. “Answer me dammit!!!!” Alkaid demanded, digging her claws into his skin, causing droplets of red to form wherever they touched. “I… won’t… LOSE!!!!!!!!!!!” Haseo pushed back against her again, emboldened by the demonic power flowing through him. Alkaid gasped as the force of his shoving rolled them over so she was on her back and under him. The silver haired angel then kicked his now freed legs and he flew forward onto his feet, finally freed of the fox demon’s grip. Alkaid was quick to recover and leapt back onto her feet as well. Growling and snarling, she lunged at him again, intent on goring him on her claws on the spot. However Haseo saw her coming and sidestepped the attack at the last possible moment, causing the enraged demon to slam into the kekkai. Seizing the opening, Haseo summoned the scythe he used in the previous fight and brought the staff part down on her head while she struggled to get her bearings. It wasn’t an honorable thing to do, but he did have to win. Alkaid’s eyes widened in shock as she felt the blow to her head. Seconds later, she collapsed. Alkaid, the former emperess of Helba had lost the tournament for the second time.   ****************   ~TBC!~     Sakura: Gods I hate doing fight scenes. I suck at ‘em big time. T_T   En-sama: I thought you were doing well so far.   Sakura: Aww, that’s sweet En-sama! But we all know fight scenes aren’t really my thing.   Silabus: At least you gave it a try.   En-sama: By the way Sakura-chan, I thought I was going to be in this part.   Sakura: Gomen koi. I really did want to finish the tournament part this time, but it just didn’t work out that way. I just couldn’t cut out Bordeaux and Alkaid’s parts like I did Matsu.   Matsu: Hey! Yeah what about that?! Why’d you cut me out for?!   Sakura: Because 1) I didn’t think you were important enough for this fic, and 2) As good looking as you are, I don’t particularly care for you that much.   Matsu: T_T   Haseo: Boy, she shot you down real good.   Matsu: SHUT UP!!!! I’m going back to Moon Tree.   Sakura: All of us En-sama fans, fear not! Our beloved emperor WILL be in the next chapter!!!!!   En-sama: My heart beats with anticipation.   Haseo: Mine doesn’t. You don’t know what she’s planning do you?   En-sama: As a matter of fact I do. ^_^   Haseo: And you’re ok with it?!   En-sama: Of course. I get to be with the one I love most. ^_^   Sakura: En-sama!!!! Don’t give it away before it’s even written!!! Anyhoo, any and all feedback is greatly appreciated.   Bo: Except flames. Sakura-san really doesn’t like them so, please don’t send her any.