Renya struggled to her feet as she recovered her sheath and sword. She still shook a little from Ichi's ridiculous form. A guffaw lilted out from time to time in the minute it took Renya to recover and put back on a straight face. Meanwhile, Ichi had his arms crossed in a challenging pose. He assured himself that this was fine. He needed to assure himself that this was fine.

"Are you serious?" Renya said.

"This is what I look like when I'm being seventy percent serious." Ichi uncrossed his arms, drawing attention to his broad chest.

Renya whipped her sword around in a perfect circle. She danced forward cutting diagnonal across Ichi's chest. The blade caught in the hair. Ichi's white fist punched Renya's katana by reflex. Renya pulled back trying to free her katana, but her feet dug into the roof as she did. The katana wouldn't budge despite her strength. She sensed an attack and let go of her sword, blocking with her sheath as a glowing black fist ploughed into her. Her whole body bounced into the air from the hit.

Renya saw a crack form in her sheath as she floated through the air. Gauging her bodyweight perfectly, she spun in the air and landed on the roof. As Renya landed, her foot slipped, she spent a second awkardly regaining her balance, widening her stance.

Renya puffed air in and out as her eyes swam before her. Without that katana, she'd lose. Renya already planned for a loss. Against the 'Worst' Seer's Coucil member, Scipio. She'd run in confusion after Ichi's death using the fleeing cat spirit as a distraction. She didn't want to fight against Scipio. She never imagined she'd have trouble against the small fry Ichi.

Renya breathed out slowly, grasping her cracked sheath with two hands. She gave him the bait to attack here, tonight.

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"My parting gift, Syon." Renya whispered under her breath.

Despite that, Renya felt for the first time that she'd lose even before meeting him. Renya had no idea that Syon, Myon, Rikya, and even Satou were all involved. The reason why was the hairy tanuki in the form of bigfoot in front of her united them against their common foe, the Seer's Council, all because of Rikya's magic deducing Renya's involvement with Scipio. Renya couldn't use magic. Renya knew nothing.

Renya understood from the start her actions to deny the transfer of the cat to her were pointless. Renya knew that if she denied the ritual or killed Ichi, she'd be punished. However, she was tired of waiting for two years for something to happen. That's why she tried to get involved with Ichi. That's why she wouldn't back down here against such a ridiculous looking foe. Especially not someone looking like this. Renya's pride flared up as she looked down on Ichi under the moon. She held out sheath in a striking pose. Ichi saw Renya mimic a samurai.

Renya didn't know that she had no chance of winning. Renya knew that she didn't want to lose.

"Ichi." Renya addressed the tanuki.

"Yes?" Ichi pinched the katana stuck to his white fist in two sausage fingers and tossed it lightly to Renya.

Renya shifted her sheath with both hands, aiming to catch the sword. The katana slid into it perfectly, and Renya drew it with a flourish.

"Give me a hundred percent." Renya said.

Ichi stared at her. Then shook his head.

"Survive my seventy first." Ichi slammed his fists together and the air vibrated with a pulse of energy. Renya had to push forward with all her strength to stay on the rooftop.

"If I do, then you'll be dead by then, I assure you," Renya said.

"I'll feel better about being dead than going one hundred percent right now." Ichi nodded.

"Going easy on me because I'm a girl?" Renya mocked him, flexing her blade she advanced.

"Yeah. If you were a man, I'd have gone for the kill from the start."

Renya and Ichi grinned in unison as battle began.