Mrs. Ohtori met Juri's eyes across the table, the blue haired
elder vampire's gaze boring into hers. A bit of blood trickled from
Juri's nose as she managed to groan out, "You like taking things by
force, don't you?"
"You're not lying," Mrs. Ohtori finally had to concede. She
closed her eyes, shutting them out as an old pain ached within her, then
she opened them. The gaze she fixed on Utena was deadly as she said, "It
doesn't matter, her blood is on your hands."
"You are in such denial...." Juri muttered, shaking her head
with a sneer.
"You impudent little whelp," Mrs. Ohtori half rose from her
chair, eyes flashing.
Utena moved fast, putting herself between the, 'We're
committed,' she thought even as she said aloud, "If you want her, you
have to go through me."
“Not inside the BAR!” Ryouko roared out, breaking the rising
tension. Both Utena and Mrs. Ohtori turned to look at her in surprise as
the blue haired bartender growled out, “If you want to have a fight,
take it outside!”
Mrs. Ohtori smiled a wintry smile, “Of course.”
“Mistress,” Shiori stood by the gorgeous vampiress’ side, the
violet haired woman meeting Juri’s gaze calmly.
“Let’s go,” Utena said, picking up her sword from the table and
putting it over her shoulder.
As Utena passed her Ayaka Kisaragi raised an eyebrow, "Do you
want me to...?"
"No thanks," Utena told the redheaded miko quietly, "this fight
is mine." Utena flashed a grin, "But thanks for the offer."
Utena turned away from the tables to calmly lead the way out of
the bar. The two groups warily eyed each other as they filed outside,
Utena and her allies forming into one group, Mrs. Ohtori, her vampire
and human slaves in another group.
Integra Hellsing eyed the vampires in the enemy camp, her silver
gray hair glowing slightly in the night. Victoria stood beside her, the
blonde vampire smiling coldly as she readied the dangerous looking
pistol she carried. On Integra’s other side Anthy raised her own pistol,
the dusky vampire filled with a dangerous kind of energy,
“I want you all to stay back,” Utena instructed her groupies
softly.
“But Utena...,” Wakaba blurted.
“If her human servants try something you can stop them,” Utena
kept her voice gentle but firm, “but the vampires are our problem,
understood?”
“Hai,” Hitomi nodded, the other girls reluctantly following
suit.
Utena walked over to Juri’s side, watching as Mrs. Ohtori,
Shiori on her side, was organizing her people for combat. “How many
vampires do you think she has with her?” Utena asked.
“Counting Shiori, there’s at least twenty with that bitch,” Juri
said, her voice crackling with barely restrained anger.
“You’re angry,” Utena said softly, “but is it because Shiori
lied to us? Or is it because she left you before you could let her go?”
“She didn’t deceive you,” Juri sighed, “you spotted something
wrong almost immediately.” She scowled, “I guess I’m angry I let myself
get deceived that way.”
“Just don’t lose your perspective...” Utena started.
“I’ve got a clear shot,” Victoria said tersely as the intense
woman grew tired of waiting around, “and I’m taking it!”
"Wait," Anthy started, but it was too late.
The gun roared loudly, all the vampires and humans startled as
Mrs. Ohtori jerked backward, blood splashing on Shiori and anyone
nearby. “NO,” Shiori cried out, her voice filled with an indescribable
pain....
“That was very foolish,” Mrs. Ohtori’s face was bloody, part of
her cheek simply gone, then it all began to knit together. Flesh and
blood flowed back up into the wound, in moments restoring torn and
broken skin.
“God....” Utena blinked in shock.
“And I only thought Arucard could do regeneration that well,”
Integra said to the others softly, “or that quickly.”
Mrs. Ohtori blurred, disappearing before reappearing right
beside Victoria, about to strike when Utena intervened. Mrs. Ohtori
seemed shocked at Utena matching her speed, the pink haired woman
meeting her gaze coolly.
“Your fight’s with me, remember?” Utena said to her evenly,
holding the vampire back just by a grip on her wrist.
“Indeed it is,” and with that Mrs. Ohtori and Utena moved
together, blurring as they struck back and forth...
“Damn it,” Juri growled, “here comes her backup!”
The vampire servants of Mrs. Ohtori, a mix of mostly young men
and woman charged at Utena’s allies, only to be met with gunfire. Anthy
headshot the leader, his corpse exploding into ash, the woman wielding
her gun with machine-like precision. Beside her Integra and Victoria
opened up, backing her up even as they kept an eye on their allies.
Mrs. Ohtori and Utena faced each other in absolute silence,
standing still a moment on the dusty street. A bit of blood trickled
down the side of Utena’s face and she reached up, wiping it away with
the back of her hand.
“First blood to you,” Utena said.
“I’m impressed,” Mrs. Ohtori’s dress swirled around her as she
smiled oddly, “I haven’t had a fight like this in ages.” Around her an
aura of power began to rise, light fading away almost as if she was
absorbing the light around her. “But it ends now, youngling...” she said
coldly.
Utena staggered slightly under the sudden attack, the power
beating down on her like some kind of unearthly hammer. She forced
herself to stand up straight, meeting Ohtori’s stunned eyes as she
snarled, “Like hell it is.”
Juri searched the mob of enemies as the three women fired into
the vampire force, then suddenly moved like a shot. “Got you,” the
taller woman cried as she grabbed Shiori by the wrist, holding the girl
as Juri stared down at her. She paused a moment, then quietly asked
Shiori, “Why?”
“You didn’t love me,” Shiori looked up to meet her former
lover’s eyes, “not the way that I ever wanted.” Her gaze softened,
“Ohtori loves me, she has shown me more caring in a few nights than you
ever did.”
“I could stake you,” Juri said, her voice barely a whisper, “I
should, really.”
Shiori actually smiled, "We all do what we have to."
Utena met Mrs. Ohtori’s gaze, a faint glow shining around her as
she met the elder vampire’s eyes. Again and again Ohtori tried to break
her guard with her unearthly powers, tried to strike at Utena, but she
stood her ground.
“Should we...?” Integra nodded towards Utena.
“No,” Anthy shook her head firmly, “Utena would want to face
this alone.”
Anthy watched the nearly invisible battle of wills continue and
realized something: she didn’t love Utena. Admire, yes, and she would
continue to care for her... but Utena’s decision to turn to Juri had
ended any deeper emotion. She was free.
Ruka felt a flash of anger as he punched the boy in the face,
dropping him out cold. 'Wish Utena would finish this,' he thought.
Beside him Ami, Hitomi and the rest drove Mrs. Ohtori's entranced human
servants back, the girl's fighting like hellcats.
"If you don't give up," Ami Mizuno said, "I'll have to break
your knee." He charged, she kicked out and there was a wet crack. "Told
you," Ami sighed as he dropped.
Wakaba and Excel had ganged up on another, the woman on the
floor as Excel sat on her, holding her down. "Stay down," Wakaba conked
the pinned woman over the head, then she and Excel exchanged a hi-five.
Keiko lead the boy backwards, "You don't want to do this." He
followed her in, then Hitomi hit him over the head with a plank.
"We warned you," Hitomi tossed the board aside.
Utena and Mrs. Ohtori struggled on silently, invisuible powers
clashing between them. Then... the elder vampire faltered a moment, her
power not enough to continue the fight. Utena seized the moment, drawing
the katana smoothly as she forced forward, cleaving Ohtori's power by
the force of her will. She reached the woman's side in a moment, sword
raised, then swung downward!
"No!" Shiori rushed from Juri's side, catching the sword, Utena
pulling back the force of the blow enough to save the girl's arm.
"Stand aside," Utena said, eyes almost glowing in the darkness.
Shiori looked up, meeting her eyes steadily as she firmly said,
"I won't." More gently she added, "I love her, Utena."
"So?" Utena's voice was hard as steel.
"You'll have to kill me first," Shiori said. She tilted her head
to the side and smiled, "Spare her life, Utena. Show that you're
different than her."
"I took Kanoe's life," Utena slid the sword away with a steely
rasp, "and I'm sparing yours." Softly, "That makes us even."
"I will remember this," Mrs. Ohtori's voice was ice cold as
Shiori helped her back to her feet, "until the end of my days, I will
not forget."
"So will I," Utena agreed, "and I'll be stronger in the future.
Try this again," her voice dropped dangerously, "if you dare."
Juri walked over to stand by Utena, looking on as Shiori and
Ohtori walked away together. "I couldn't do it," she said softly,
"couldn't kill her."
Utena flashed a sudden smile, "Good."
"Leaving her alive is a mistake you'll regret," Integra Hellsing
said, lighting a cigar. Anthy put her hand on the woman's arm, shaking
her head.
"So what do we do now?" Wakaba asked, leading Ruka and the other
girls over.
"We've got a party to finish," Utena looked over to where Anthy,
Integra and Victoria stood so closely together, "and farewells to make."
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