Mayako backed away a bit as she stared at Sanda, "What, What are you doing here? How are you here?" Sanda chuckled "I guess you heard from my brother about me being asleep?" Mayako nodded Sanda chuckled again "Yeah, I was asleep, but, as you can see.." he spread his arms "I'm wide awake" he sneered Mayako's body shuddered. There was something way off about Sanda, "And you know what the first thing I heard when I woke up was?" Sanda stepped forward Mayako stepped back shaking her head, "The first thing I heard was, your brothers dead" his eyes filled with rage and his face contorted in anger. Mayako began to tremble, "Do you know? How I felt hearing that my brother was dead?" he took a hard step forward "Knowing my brother died while I was asleep?" he took another step "And you..." he growled "Are the one that killed him..." Mayako shook her head as she started to back away as Sanda got closer.

  Sanda growled in fury, "Your the monster that took my brother from me!" Mayako froze in her tracks, Sanda was right she had killed Maroku, Sanda had every right to want revenge on her, she should have expected as such. Sanda chuckled when he saw how scared Mayako was, "Aw, is the monster scared?" Mayako gritted her teeth, she wanted to slug Sanda but, her fear and regret was keeping her from doing so "Your scared, just like my brother must have been when you killed him" Mayako started to hyperventilate. Sanda chuckled, "I trained non stop once I was able to stay on my feet" he grinned sadistically "The only thing on my mind, was getting stronger to kill you" he started to laugh manically "Now, I'm going to tear you limb from limb until there's nothing left!" his eyes showed Sanda had snapped. Mayako was frozen in place as Sanda slowly walked over to her laughing, "Just stay right there, make this easy on yourself" he grinned Mayako couldn't move she wanted to run.

  Sanda started to get closer and closer to her, but then Arita threw his arm in front of her Mayako looked over in surprise "A-Arita?" Arita smiled at her and then glared at Sanda, "Hey you" Sanda stopped and looked over at Arita "Who the heck are you?" Arita smirked "I'm the guy that's here to protect her from creeps like you" Mayako blushed. Sanda growled in anger, "Your going to defend that monster?!" Arita nodded Sanda gritted his teeth "I'll have you know your little girlfriend killed dozens of students at her school, including my brother" Arita had a shocked look on his face. He had been told by Mayako's father that something bad had happened at school but, he had no idea that was what happened he looked back at Mayako "Is that true?" Mayako's heart sank, was Arita going to be scared of her now? Was he not going to want to protect a monster? Mayako saw no reason to lie.

  She lowered her face and nodded, "Yes, it's true, I killed a lot of people, I'm nothing but a monster like he said" Sanda started to laugh "See? I told you, she even knows she's nothing but a monster!" Arita was in disbelief "Mayako..." he muttered Mayako didn't look up at him, she was shaking "I should just die..." she mumbled. Arita gritted his teeth, there had to be more then what was being said that had gone on, there was no way Mayako would kill someone so easily, with that Arita glared back at Sanda and stayed in his position. Sanda growled "What the hell? Why are you still protecting her!?" Mayako looked up and sure enough, Arita was still right in front of her his arm out stretched in protection, "Arita?" he looked back and her with a bright smile "Don't worry, I said I'll protect you, and I'm going to keep my word" Mayako blushed. 

  Sanda growled lowly, "How can you say that? You heard it from her what she did!?" Arita scowled at Sanda "I don't care! I'm going to protect her no matter what she did!" Mayako's heart started to beat hard, "But why?" Sanda scowled "Why would you protect her knowing what she is!?" Arita scowled harder "What she is? What she is, is a girl that's being chased and hunted down for something that wasn't her fault!" Sanda growled. Mayako was amazed, she had thought once Arita had found out about what she had done he wouldn't want to protect her anymore but, it seems her fears were wrong she sighed in relief, "Wait? Why am I relieved that he'll still protect me?" she asked herself. Sanda started to laugh manically, "I see, so your going to protect the monster no matter what eh?" he smirked evilly "Then I guess I'll have to kill the both of you!" with that Sanda rushed at them.

  He was too quick for Arita to react, Arita was roundhouse kicked into the side of the house they were between "Arita!" Mayako cried she glared back at Sanda who was snickering as he set his eyes on Mayako "He didn't last long did he?" Mayako growled "You son of a bitch!" she roared with that, all the fear she had before vanished. She threw her bag down and rushed at Sanda and punched him in the face and sent him flying back crashing into a wall, he groaned in pain blood trickled from his mouth, he staggered to his feet he smirked, "I see you much stronger then before but.." he chuckled "This won't be like last time, you won't beat me that easily" he started walking towards Mayako. Mayako went into a fighting stance, "Your going to pay for what you did to Arita!" in her mind Mayako was confused, why was she so angry after seeing Arita get attacked like that? Why was she brimming with anger when moments ago she was scared to death? Sanda chuckled "Aw, does the monster not like that I hurt her little boyfriend?" Mayako scowled.

  She roared in anger as she ran at Sanda who smirked, "Too simple.." with one small move he was already in front of Mayako who's face filled with shock and surprise "What the!?" she gasped she wasn't able to throw up her guard and Sanda landed a kick into her stomach which sent her flying out of the alleyway. Mayako groaned as she held her stomach, just one kick had done this to her, just how hard had Sanda trained in order to get revenge? How strong was he now? "Get up kid! He's coming!" shouted Kurookami, Mayako bared the pain in her stomach and got to her feet which she was lucky she did as Sanda was already on her. Sanda threw a punch that she was ready for, she ducked down and came back up and kneed Sanda in the chin he fell back a bit but he regained his footing and went back on the attack. He circled around with a kick that Mayako caught with her tails, Mayako then picked Sanda up before he could get free and slammed him into the ground twice before Sanda was able to somehow get free, Sanda wiped his bloody mouth "Your not a monster for nothing" he smirked Mayako growled and ran at him.

  Sanda smirked, again Mayako had fallen for his provoking he rushed at her which Mayako wasn't expecting and his knee connected with her abdomen, it knocked the wind out of her as well as knocked her to the ground before she could get up Sanda was on top of her. He rained punches down which Mayako had a hard time blocking, each blow was heavy and filled with anger and was matched with the anger shouts and growls Sanda left with each punch. He started to laugh crazily each time he hit Mayako, "Hahah! This is what you get! This is what you get for killing my brother!" Mayako could feel her self slipping with each hard blow was this how she was going to die? "Don't give up kid!" came Kurookami's voice Mayako clung to consciousness. "Fuck off!" she shouted and as Sanda was reaching back to throw down another punch Mayako was able to strike him with hers which sent him flying off of her with that Mayako was able to get to her feet.

 As did Sanda who had a fist shaped bruise on the bridge of his nose which was dripping blood, "You just don't know when to quit do you!" Sanda growled Mayako smirked "What can I say? I'm harder to kill then you think" Sanda gritted his teeth "That's it!" he shouted that's when a blue flaming aura surrounded him. Mayako was pushed back a bit, "What the hell?" she gasped Sanda's spiritual energy was going up at a crazy rate that it was almost unbelievable, Sanda chuckled and glared at Mayako "I'm not going to hold back anymore" Mayako shuddered what Sanda had been using up till now wasn't his full strength. Sanda's eyes went bloodshot "This time, you won't get back up" Sanda then vanished before Mayako could try to track him Sanda's leg connected with her back and sent her flying and she smashed through a house. 

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   Mayako layed on a pile of broken wood and groaned in pain, the blow she had just taken was much stronger then the ones she had taken before Mayako's back was on fire and her body was wracked with pain, through her pained expression she could see Sanda was coming towards her. Mayako quickly got up and she decided to start fighting seriously cause she felt if she didn't, she would really be dead Mayako focused her spiritual energy and she  rushed at Sanda who smirked and did the same. Mayako vanished in a flash and he chuckled, "Cute..." with that he too vanished and took Mayako by surprise with a clothesline and slamming her into the ground, Mayako wheezed as Sanda applied pressure to her neck a huge grin on his face. Mayako fought for air but she couldn't get Sanda's arm off her neck desperate, she lifted her knee and she felt it connect with Sanda's stomach she smirked and focused her spiritual energy and blasted Sanda off of her. 

  Mayako sat up to catch her breath, she didn't have time to fully get her breath however as Sanda was already up clutching his stomach Mayako clicked her tongue and stood up as well Mayako wasted no time, she wasn't going to let Sanda make a move she rushed at him with enhanced speed. Sanda was to slow to guard and got a punch to the cheek that sent him falling to the ground but, he didn't fall like Mayako wanted and he was gearing for a counterattack when Mayako decided to twirl around and slam two of her tails into him. Sanda however, blocked them and smirked and was about to throw a punch when Mayako made a third tail slam right into is stomach fallowed by the fourth which sent him crashing to the ground. Mayako was hoping that was enough to put him down but to her dismay Sanda stood up again blood dripped from his mouth the fight continued on it was at that time that Arita had come to, he was laying on broken pieces of wood and his head was on fire "Ah, man, my heads killing me" he groaned "What happened?" it was then everything flashed into his head "Mayako!" he gasped.

  Arita jumped up and he winced in pain, his body was a wreck, he could tell that he had some broken bones but that didn't matter, the only thing that did was "Mayako" he grunted and he slowly got up and staggered out of the hole that he had been sent flying through. Arita saw the big hole in the building to his left "Whoa" he gasped what had he missed while he was knocked out, he shook his head this wasn't the time to think about that! Mayako was fighting alone, he had to go and help her with that he started walking out the alleyway as he did he could hear the sounds of battle he gritted his teeth, even though his body was screaming at him to stop he didn't listen, he wanted to help Mayako. When he stepped out the alleyway he was meet by the most shocking sight, he say Mayako, she was bruised and was panting hard, blood was dripping from small scratches on her body "Mayako!" he shouted but Mayako didn't look his way, it was like she was more focused on something else.

  And that something was the four tailed fox spirit that she had called Sanda, Arita looked at him and saw the damage he had taken, just like Mayako he had bruises all over and blood was dripping from his mouth and nose as well as many cuts on his body. It was then Arita saw the destruction around them, houses were smashes, building had human sized holes in them, some parts of the ground were smashed up as well as had holes the size of a person. Arita couldn't believe it, the two of them had caused so much destruction in such a short time, "So,this is what happens when two evenly matched beings fight" Arita felt worthless, seeing the scene before him made him believe there was no chance for him to jump in. Arita decided that it was best to just watch, at that thought his hand trembled in anger, he was suppose to be the one protecting her, he even went and said he would in front of Sanda, "I'm all talk..." he mumbled.

  Not knowing that Arita was now conscious and watching them Mayako and Sanda kept at it, Sanda rushed at Mayako with a punch and she narrowly avoided it and then counter attacked with her tail, slamming the broadside of it into his stomach Sanda didn't go down he caught his footing and went back at Mayako. This time he used a feint, he made as if he was going for another punch and Mayako started to move just like he wanted, with that Sanda smirked he then vanished and before Mayako could react caught Mayako in the face from behind with a punch. Mayako stood tall, she then wheeled herself around as Sanda was gearing for another attack and caught him with the heel of her foot in the cheek sending him sailing to the ground. 

  Sanda growled as he got back up and lunged at Mayako who received a swift kick to the gut, Mayako layed on the ground for a bit but, not too long as she got up quickly when she sensed Sanda coming in for another blow it was then Mayako noticed something. Something deep inside of her was causing her to enjoy the fight so much so, that she unconsciously smirked she which Sanda and Arita noticed "She's, enjoying this?" was their collective thought. Sanda smirked, he too was enjoying the fight, he didn't want it to end, but, that was when the two of them were surrounded they snapped their attention to the dozens upon dozens of people surrounding them. "Who are these guys?" Sanda wondered he looked at Mayako and she had a look of displeasure on her face which confused him, Arita who was seeing the whole scene cursed, the people that were surrounding Mayako and the Sanda guy were none other then the Elder Council operatives that he and Mayako were trying to avoid.

  Sanda growled "Who the hell are you? What do you want?" he growled a bit, "Are you trying to get in my way?" the people surrounding them said nothing that was when a man stepped forward, he had long blonde hair and his eyes were a piercing red. He looked over at Mayako and he then took out a piece of paper and looked over it, he looked at Mayako occasionally after a bit of that he looked up with a smirk "I see, so it is you" he turned the paper to where Mayako could see. Her eyes went wide, it was a poster with a drawn picture of her, the Elder Council sigil was stamped on the corner of it as well, the blonde chuckled "Though it seems you changes a little bit" he looked at the four tails swirling angrily behind Mayako. Mayako growled, "Either way, you'll be coming with me" he smirked Sanda growled "Bastard!" the blonde looked over at him "Oh, who might you be?" Sanda grumbled "I'm the guys that's going to deal with her, who the hell are you!?" the blonde gave a sarcastic gasp "I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself" he bowed. 

  "My names Yumito Kurosawa, I'm an operative of the Elder Council" he rose up and looked at Sanda with a smirk "The Elder Council!?" the blondes smirk turned into a evil grin "Yes, and I'm here to take her into custody" he looked over at Mayako who glared at him with a fire in his eye. [Ch.24 END]