Osaka, Japan
Saito Syndicate Compound
07.07.23
1:23 AM
Billowing gray smoke snakes out of every orifice of the building. Their stench is pungent and liberating. In the starkly dark night they’re only visible thanks to raging orange flames filling the interior. What’s visible to the eye flickers in the light of the fire like an all consuming strobe light. Every split second the action jumps forward in a perverse montage of destruction. Against this backdrop the silhouette of a tall young woman can be made out. Her eyes are locked on the flames, following their most minute movements as the whole structure is purified by fire. Not so much hypnotized by them as perhaps attempting to direct them. Each meter they dance fills her with unfettered joy. The living room where she was choked with cigarette smoke and berated for existing? Burned away. The kitchen screams emanated from as cronies begged for forgiveness? Gone. A bedroom which once was an inconsistent refuge from the dark world surrounding her? Reduced to ashes.
<”It’s beautiful, don’t you think?”>
Those playful eyes of hers slowly turn away from the inferno to take in another liberating sensation. Illuminated by her night’s work is the man responsible for her birth. Well, indirectly at least. It’s so wonderfully fulfilling to see the high and mighty Saito Gorou so completely devastated for a change. Those hands that once rose to strike her quiver almost uncontrollably as he too beholds her first true masterpiece. Despite her casual tone, he’s yet to engage with her. Maybe he can’t bring himself to face her, maybe he knows exactly who she is. Whatever the case he keeps his back turned to her as she glares down at him.
Saito Gorou: <”What the hell is this? Why are you here?”>
She laughs sharply and loudly, amused by the tough little man’s reaction. Of course he can’t understand fully what’s happened to his shitty old hovel. As flames burst out of another open window she steps forward and looks on in amusement, hands held behind her head. Watching his entire livelihood burn is such a great delight!
<”I grew up here, don’t you remember? Before you sent me away to fight for my life in squalor I was a little girl who you always treated like a cockroach. An unwelcome little pest you couldn’t get rid of no matter how hard you tried. The child you didn’t want unless she could earn you riches, power and the respect of your masters. It’s been a quarter century, Saito-san. And now everything you did has come to fruition. Aren’t you happy?”>
Saito Gorou’s head turns down to the ground and his shaking hands ball up into fists. The man who’s dealt out countless beatings of his failed minions and enemies seems poised to strike her. She doesn’t fear that outcome, though, because she knows it’s unlikely to happen. Even now with his whole world destroyed he wouldn’t dare raise his hands against her. Not now. Not after she’s changed so much from the girl he sent away.
Saito Gorou: <”Why the hell would I be happy?!”>
<”Because I’m not a disappointment anymore. Isn’t this what you wanted?”>
The poor idiot’s voice starts to raise in tenor as he responds to the obvious question.
Saito Gorou: <” That’s my entire fucking business there! If I don’t have that, then the asshole bosses around me are gonna eat me up. They’ve already been circling like sharks! You’d better take responsibility -”>
Now he dares look up at her. All the fury in his voice isn’t enough to melt the icy glare he receives in response. For a moment she debates if she should break his body for that insolence. It wouldn’t be hard. Years of brawling and punishment have rendered the body in that expensive suit brittle. The sound of his bones shattering would be a sweet symphony to her ears. But no. A little rat like him doesn’t deserve the effort. Tap, tap. Two steps closer to him, she tenses her shoulders; her posture challenges him to do something, anything.
<”You’re the one who should take responsibility. You’re the one who made all of this possible. When you made that deal in 1999, you didn’t save your life. You just postponed your demise.>
Saito Gorou: <”You’re gonna kill me, is that it? After everything I did for you, after I gave you your start in the business, this is how it’s ending?”>
How amusingly indignant he’s become when faced with actual consequences for his actions! Maybe he really is a thick headed as he acts. Her arm rushes forward and seizes him by the lapels, a malevolent grin crossing her lips.
<”Kill you? Ha! Your self-importance is way too big, Saito-san! As if your life was worth that much effort from someone like me. I’ve got better things to do than waste my energy crushing the last ounce of breath out of your cancered lungs. This-”>
Her left hand floats to the side to pass over the burning scene nearby.
<”Is plenty of payback. Those other bosses will come for your blood, you’ll be powerless to stop them, and not even your friends in high places will be willing to help you. Knowing that you’re going to suffer indescribably is more than enough for me.”>
As some smoke wafts past them, the yakuza laughs derisively.
Saito Gorou: <”I can’t believe that the pathetic little Yuna had the guts to do this.”>
Her grin turns lopsided as she lifts the idiot off the ground. Beginning to realize the danger, he starts to squirm to little avail.
<”Yuna-chan’s not here, I’m afraid.”>
Saito Gorou: <”The.. hell?”>
She leans in close, so close that his stinking breath fills her nostrils. But so too does the stench of his growing fear - it’s intoxicating.
<”When you’re not running like a rat from your rivals, tell your Black Company friends that I’m awake. Tell them I know who they are, and that they have no idea what I’m capable of.”>
With a low growl she hurls Saito Gorou to the gound with as much force as she can muster. As he hits the pristine pavement she swears she can hear bones snap. In the end it was simply too tempting not to break his body a little. He grimaces in great pain as he attempts to crawl away like an insect; like an insect, she stamps on him, her heel digging into his hand as more bone shatters under her foot. Blood pools around the heel, dying it the color of his blood.
<”I’m sure you’re dying to know why I’m doing this. But lucky you, I wrote it down for you so you can always have a reminder of what happened here.”>
To the backdrop of fire crackling and the man screaming in agony, she reaches into her jacket and fishes around for the note. Just where did she put it? For several long moments she absent mindedly digs around for the scrap of paper, grinding her heel into his hand all the while. Finally her fingers brush up against it and she gingerly produces it like a magician pulling a bouquet out of thin air. As Saito Gorou curses, she tosses the paper down to the ground before him. Let him read it at his convenience. Though she relishes this moment of triumph, she feels headache coming on. That annoying other is there, and she’s waking up from her nap.
<”Sadly I have to go now. Enjoy your hell, Saito Gorou-san.”>
Squick. Her heel pulls out of his battered hand and takes a considerable amount of fluid with it. She has to get on her way before the Princess wakes up. This isn’t something she’d approve of or needs to see. Tap, tap, tap. Every step clicks on that pavement as she leaves the disgraced mobster in her past. Before she reaches the end of the street she looks over her shoulder at him and sees he’s reading the note. He’ll see that it reads simply Saito Hitomi. His wife. Mother of Saito Yuna. Her mother - well, one of them anyway. Their eyes meet once more, his filled with terror and confusion as he finally starts to understand she isn’t the little girl he tormented.
Saito Gorou: <”W-who are you?”>
The abject horror in every syllable he calls out makes her overjoyed. Her smile turns crooked, her eyes narrow and she playfully flicks some hair over her shoulder. When she does answer, her voice is cold and direct.
Devil Yuzuki: <”I’m the devil.”>
Yuna Saito stands alone on the cobblestone, eyes transfixed by the sight before her. A blood red torii gate towers over her, casting a long shadow lining the path ahead. At its end looms a wooden shrine, the pure white shide rocking to and fro in the wind. Immediately she's filled with dread. This is a dangerous place. It's made doubly so by the pair of women flanking the shrine. Both have faces painted red and white, their bodies clad in ceremonial robes.
The one on the left holds her arms out in invitation.
Hidari: <"Welcome, heroine of the galaxy. You must be exhausted from your journey.">
Her voice lilts in a strange way, playful yet corrupted. Before Yuna can react the woman on the right extends her arms in the same fashion.
Migi: <"You have suffered greatly, but it's all brought you to where you belong. Join us.">
Tendrils of smoke billow out from the shrine suddenly. The shide catch fire. Blood flows from both women's eyes. They step closer to Yuna, who hurriedly backpedals, her body attempting to flee before her mind's caught up. WHAM. She crashes to the ground hard. Those women draw closer and closer, the sickly sweet smell of rot rising around them.
A sharp pain pierces the back of Yuna's head, her heart pounding. She reaches back to clutch it, but finds it is wet and tangled. What?! A glance at her hand - it's covered in blood. Her head snaps up and the women stand over her.
Hidari: <"You have been marked.">
Migi: <"You have been chosen.">
Each one extends a hand toward her.
Hidari and Migi: <"Join us at the shrine.">
Yuna holds her arms up defensively, her heart now beating so hard and fast it might burst from her chest.
Yuna: <"NO!">
Lake Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture
07.10.23
4:00 am
She shoots up lightning quick, the image of two bleeding women burned into her mind. But there's no one here. Her heart pounds on but gradually slows as she orients herself. No shrine, no ominous women. A traditional paper wall sits to her left, a simple wooden window to the right. Sticky cold sweat covers her body, causing her yukata to cling in several places. Something in her mind tells her it's a ryokan, but there's something off.
She gazes down at the futon beneath her and sees an empty space.
Yuna: <"The Violet Belt! Where is it?!">
Her greatest accomplishment, her beloved treasure is gone! She always keeps it close to remind herself of reality, that she's one of the best wrestlers in the world. It's vanished. In a hurry she runs through all the possibilities. Stolen? No. Left at a station or on a train? No, she doesn't remember taking any trains last night. Then the memory of Ryugoku Hall hits like a typhoon.
Yuna: <"That's right.. I lost it. Caponata-san ripped out my heart in front of the world..">
As she realizes her new reality, all of the pain of her failure returns in force. Faced with the challenge of two ambitious, dangerous women she couldn't defend the ring of dreams. Everyone looked to her for hope, a hope that's gone. She clutches her hand to her chest. There's a gaping chasm there where a champion's pride once rested. Emptiness. Everything which she achieved dashed in that one instant. She tenses up and focuses herself in that sensation, trying desperately to avoid bawling again. Even still it hurts indescribably.
All of the pain, suffering and joy of the past year seem to mean nothing now. When it mattered most the hero couldn't beat back the enemies of hope. Somewhere in Tokyo Costanza Caponata was holding her former prize. And the first Interstellar Dream? She's in a ryokan away from that world.
Wait. When and how did she get here?
Yuna: <"Where am I?">
A million questions and doubts swirl in her mind, so much so that she knows returning to sleep is impossible. Sitting here with her thoughts won't solve anything. With a bit of strain she pushes herself up off the tatami floor. There's an ache in her back from sleeping there on the thin futon. It seems like she may have been here a while? She's too out of sorts to make sense of it. Slow steps take her to the window in the hopes of determining her location.
It's dark but starting to get lighter out. To either side of the building stand tall, verdant guardians. Trees. From beyond them the sound of water and - is that Mt. Fuji?!
She has to get moving and work off this shock. Yuna scoops her phone up from the floor and glances at the display.
Yuna: <"How is it the 10th already?">
She clutches the phone tightly and makes her way to the door, determined to escape her thoughts. In a swift movement she slides the door open and slips into the hallway. It's early and her mind is clearly muddled. Coffee might help. Yuna says a silent prayer for a single vending machine and then sets off down the hall. Her steps are soft as she passes door after door. Best not to disturb the other guests.
Even now in complete disarray and anguish, she can't shake the manners constantly pounded into her by society. She turns the corner into a wider open space - the lobby! There by the door is her savior in gleaming blue metal - Boss Coffee. Like a moth to the flame she flits over to the machine. It's only then she realizes she doesn't have any cash with her.
Thunk-thunk-thunk. The lights below the various drinks come alive.
Mizuki: <"Here, my treat.">
Someone's found her. Is it one of those women from the shrine? The Instinctively she spins around, ready to defend herself. There's indeed a woman there, but no face paint in sight. Just a red t shirt over yoga pants.
Mizuki: <"Yuna, are you okay? Where have you been?">
At the sudden appearance of her mentor, Yuna staggers back a couple steps. A new pain shoots up her arm as she elbow smacks into the front of the machine. Any other thoughts of pain subside as she rubs her elbow and attempts to answer Mizuki.
Yuna: <"I-I'm not sure. And I'm.. okay.">
Mizuki: <"What do you mean you're not sure?">
That’s a loaded question whether Mizuki realizes it or not. Somehow Yuna’s lost a considerable amount of time and woken up in the shadow of Mt. Fuji. Wondering what she did in that missing time terrifies her. She shivers at the thought, even as a possibility occurs to her.
Yuna: <"I don't know. I went out to do some grocery shopping. And then I woke up here a few minutes ago.. I-I'm scared, Suzumi-sensei.">
Well aware how crazy it sounds Yuna looks away, eyes settling on the shute at the bottom of the machine. Coffee. Just focus on the coffee, she tells herself. Her arm reaches for the canned caffeine, the journey seeming to take far longer than it has any business being. All the while she notices something even more unsettling than missing time. Something else that’s missing. There’s no voice speaking to her, telling her to discard her mentor. For once her mind is devoid of anything but her own thoughts.
Mizuki: <"You've been gone for four days. We thought we'd lost you.">
The concern in the older woman’s voice is palpable, but in this state Yuna’s barely holding herself together. If she can’t get one little thing done she might just fall to pieces. Warmth radiates through her hand as it wraps around the can. Mission accomplished.
She pulls it out and suddenly an image flashes across her mind’s eye. Fire. Flames consuming an entire structure. For a moment she can smell the smoke and nearly coughs. Her whole body trembles and she grips the can in both hands in a sudden shock of fear.
Only a gentle hand gripping her arm steadies the former Interstellar Dream.
Mizuki: <”Are you sure you’re okay?”>
All of the pain and fear is too much for her inhibitions. Rather than avoid burdening her mentor with the troubles, Yuna trembles more.
Yuna: <”No, I’m not.. I’m not okay.”>
Mizuki nods towards the nearby door.
Mizuki: <”Let’s go for a walk.”>
With a light nod Yuna follows Mizuki outside onto a stone path. For a moment she freezes again - the pattern of the stones is nearly identical to the one in her dream of the shrine. It was just a dream. That’s all. She takes in a deep breath of the crisp morning air and tries to wash out all the howling emotions filling her heart and mind. Keeping them in isn’t helping. Hiding herself away only leads to an endless cycle of spiraling thought. But where does she start?
For a while they both just walk in silence down the path. Out here everything seems a little more vibrant than the room she awoke in. A few early rising birds chirp from the woods. As they share their desires with the world, Yuna looks over to Mizuki and manages to stave off the tears. Mizuki tilts her head expectantly, curious eyes watching Yuna’s every movement.
Yuna: <”Everything hurts. Not like after a difficult battle, but deeper. I’m not sure how to explain it. I thought that I’d transformed myself and become a hero everyone could rely on. Three months ago I did something no one ever expected me to and I really thought I could change the world. I thought I could protect the special place that gave me hope and helped me become the woman I always hoped I could be. But in two months I failed my friends, my fans, my leader. And last month I had everything ripped away from me.”>
Mizuki sighs and nods along with the explanation as they pass a row of carved stones.
Mizuki: <”It’s natural to feel that way after a reign ends, Yuna. I’ve been through that my-”>
Yuna growls a little, her body twitching in sudden irritation.
Yuna: <”It’s not the same, Suzumi-sensei. You had success before those titles. The Interstellar Dream is the only title I’ve ever won, maybe the only one I ever will! I trained harder than I ever have, I fought harder than I ever have and I’m still back where I was before I came here. I’ve failed two months straight and now I’ve got nothing. There’s this big empty space in my chest that aches like something really crucial’s been torn out.”>
She stares down the path, out towards the lake, rather than focus the outburst on her mentor.
Yuna: <”I’m not the hero I thought I was. I couldn’t protect anything! And then I got myself humiliated in front of the world by a woman I swore I’d defeat. And even if she isn’t with Shuko-san or Crush-san, the thought of her with that beautiful title hurts so much.”>
Mizuki looks down the path as well. Her voice is low and calm as she replies.
Mizuki: <”It’s like that any time you lose a title. As many as I’ve won, that means I eventually lost them too. I won’t say it gets easier, because it doesn’t. But I’m going to be honest here, Yuna - you are still a hero even if you don’t feel like one. And you’re still just as strong even if you fell short.”>
Yuna’s long legs carry her a few steps ahead, past a small stone torii gate. There she turns around and shakes her head.
Yuna: <”How can I be strong if I can’t even be the leader everyone thinks I am? All of GDF looks to me for hope and I just showed them there isn’t any. Even Caponata-san treats me like the leader of GDF! As if I have the power to get everyone on the same page! She’s going to get us all destroyed by the real enemies because her ego won’t let her see the truth. I could’ve prevented that by winning, showing her the power of my dreams and what Miracle Galaxy Pro really is. The darkness that’s coming is my fault.”>
The air grows still as she stands there in silence, half expecting that voice to chime in about how it’d been right. But the silence endures.
Mizuki: <”What happened is frustrating and I can see how much it hurts, but we can’t dwell on that. Because like it or not, there’s another fight coming.”>
She walks past Yuna, away from the shrine grounds nearby and heading for the lake instead. Being alone right now still sounds awful, so Yuna follows - right under the shide hanging from another torii gate. The way they flutter so freely in the wind makes her want to fly away too. Away from all the pain and fear her life’s become. It’s Mizuki’s voice calling to her from down the path that snaps her out of the reverie.
Mizuki: <”And despite what happened, you’re still the Beating Heart of GDF.”>
Snap-crack. Yuna’s fingers deftly open the can of Boss Coffee, freeing the energy giving beverage inside.
Yuna: <”I don’t even know if I’m that. When I won the tournament I didn’t do it alone. And when I tried to defend the Ring of Dreams, I wasn’t alone. It’s not a that, it’s a her. All this time there’s been this voice in my head that turns out to be.. Another me? A sister? I don’t know.. Telling me that I need her to win. That I’m weak without her. Sakamochi-san kept turning up to tell me that too. But everyone else said she was just a rumor and wasn’t real. Devil Yuzuki is real. And I can’t control her.”>
Just as Yuna’s about to take a sip of her Rainbow Blend, a sudden intensity cuts through the air. The normally understanding and calm Mizuki suddenly has a fire in her eyes. Thump. Thump. Mizuki stomps up to her not as a concerned mentor but as a woman who’s been issued a challenge. Not a coach, but the Scarlet Emblem. Yuna has to tilt her head back to avoid being poked in the eye by an accusatory index finger pointing at her.
Mizuki: <”Stop that right now. Devil Yuzuki might be real, and she might be inside of you. But she’s never won a thing in her damn life and you know it. It wasn’t Devil Yuzuki who struck fear into the hearts of Shuko MURDER-Gun or pinned Aria Knight in Korakuen. That was all Saito Yuna. You don’t need her, she needs you.”>
It’s clear from the woman’s tone that she isn’t about to accept any other answer. Slowly Yuna starts to see some of the point too - even if she’s certain the other her played a role, those achievements were hers. Her successes. It’s humbling. Yuna raises the coffee up to her lips, takes a swig rather than a simple sip. The empty feeling aches away as she stares down the pathway to the lake shore. Both women resume their walk as slowly the world begins to lighten a little.
Yuna: <”Maybe you’re right.”>
Mizuki nods confidently.
Mizuki: <”I am right.”>
Yuna taps the lid of the can lightly.
Yuna: <”Fine, you’re right. But I’ve got three missing days I can’t account for now.”>
Mizuki steps a little closer to her until they’re shoulder to shoulder.
Mizuki: <”That’s concerning, but the important thing right now is that you’re safe. We’ll figure out the rest.”>
It sounds ridiculous, but what can she do? Yuna takes another swig of coffee.
Yuna: <”I guess.. All that I can do is go forward. There’s still a war coming. GDF might have to fight this war on its own, and I don’t think I can trust Tatsumaki-sensei to lead us. She threw away a golden opportunity to strike a major blow to Shuko MURDER-Gun and ruined Vex-san’s efforts for pride. She just had to try to beat them at their own game! I’m sure she must have known something about Devil Yuzuki too, but she just kept lying to me and telling me Devil wasn’t real. Then her stupid stunt got things escalated to the point where the one person in our unit who knew something about Devil Yuzuki and admitted it got kidnapped! How are we supposed to trust someone who does that?!”>
Yuna shakes her head and picks up the pace. The lake is near, and she feels drawn to it for some indescribable reason.
Yuna: <”I’ve got to do this my way. And I’m going to do it one member of MURDER-Gun at a time if that’s what it takes to stop their alliance and get my teammate back. Starting with Zolotath.”>
Next to her the veteran snickers, drawing an annoyed glare from Yuna.
Yuna: <”What? What’s so funny?”>
Mizuki smirks.
Mizuki: <”Zolotath was a member of Black Dahlia.”>
Yuna’s eyebrow shoots up.
Yuna: <”What? How?! And what do you mean was?”>
Mizuki: <”She’s left Miracle Galaxy Pro entirely.”>
Yuna: <”Then who am I fighting?”>
Mizuki: <”Aiko-chan from Stargazer.”>
A fifteen year old rookie rather than a menacing monster. Yuna takes one last swig of her coffee, emptying the can.
Mizuki: <”It’s the best they could do at short notice.”>
Yuna: <”I’m sure she’ll fight hard. Maybe I can show her a thing or two in the ring so she can be stronger. I still want to protect what I can of the Ring of Dreams so girls like her can follow their dreams.”>
Mizuki smiles cheekily.
Mizuki: <”There’s the Yuna I came all the way from Tokyo for. I tracked your phone here, but I wasn’t sure I’d be able to find you.”>
They arrive at the edge of the lake at last. Yuna stares out across the open water as the sky turns pink and the sun peeks out from behind the rolling hilltops. Even in this pain, there’s beauty there.
Yuna: <”You didn’t have to do that.”>
Mizuki: <”Of course I did. And whatever happens from here, even if everyone else is fighting other battles and Tatsumaki-san’s unreliable, you can count on me. That’s not a promise from Suzumi Mizuki the trainer, that’s a promise from the Scarlet Emblem. Give me the word and I’ll step back in that ring.”>
Yuna: <”You would? But didn’t you tell me your in ring days were over? That you wouldn’t wrestle again for all the money they could stuff in a truck?”>
Mizuki pats her on the shoulder.
Mizuki: <”This is for more than money. I think your vision is worth fighting for, no matter what happens. We need to win.”>
The unexpected solidarity brings a smile to Yuna’s lips as she watches the sunrise.
Yuna: <”It’s going to be a fight against the Gaijin Assault Army eventually. And the Black Company.”>
Mizuki shrugs.
Mizuki: <”Bring them on. But let’s fight one battle at a time. So what's first?”>
Yuna takes a deep breath, pushes the lingering doubts and aches to the back burner.
Yuna: <”I’m going to remind the world who I am.”>
