"What?" Tsukiko sat up straight on her mattress.

She had just woken up, with the late morning sun piercing through the small window above the top bunk.

Fumiko was still half asleep, laying across her legs. Tsuki sighed, realizing she had a few more moments of peace before she'd have to get out of bed.

Tsukiko's ringtone burst out. Fumi woke up and rolled over, grabbing the phone off of the floor, handing it over. Tsuki took the call, putting the phone up to her ear. A loud, booming voice shot out.

"Yeah, they found her in the hospital!" Haruka shouted from the other end. "Get down here quick!"

"I'll get there as fast as I can!" Tsuki tugged on Fumiko's arm as she spoke, before hanging up.

She stood up, hitting her head on the top bunk, before grabbing her uniform.

Fumi sat up, rubbing her eyes and yawning. "Wh-what're we doing again?"

"The Shakudos are at the hospital. We need to get there as soon as we can." Tsukiko said as she handed Fumi her clothes.

"Oh… oh shit!" The weight of those words finally hit Fumiko.

"C'mon, c'mon, get dressed!" Tsuki reached down to hand Fumi her shoes.

--

Tsuki and Fumi ran out of the house in a panic. The hospital was too far to run to, but their subway station was only a few blocks away.

The ride only took a few minutes, but it felt like an eternity. They both took the time to finish dressing themselves. They kept ignoring the awkward looks they were getting from the other passengers.

When they arrived at their stop, they both ran up the steps to the surface. Fumiko wanted to come with Tsukiko, but the Knight took her friend to a nearby store and shoved her inside.

"Wait here."

"Hey! Be careful." The brown haired girl shouted.

Tsukiko ran out of the store and toward the hospital. Even from a few streets away, she could hear a commotion. There were the sounds of people shouting and the distant wails of police sirens.

When she finally arrived, the scene was a violent mess. Haruka and Shizuka stood alone against what must have been over one hundred men. Tsukiko stopped for a moment to watch, before dashing through the crowd to meet up with the other Knights.

"How'd they even find her?" Tsuki shouted.

Shizuka grabbed a Shakudo and slammed it into the ground. "No idea!"

"And the Damascenes?"

"They're held up somewhere, they can't help!" Shizuka kicked the figure that she had taken to the ground.

The three of them stood together in front of the hospital, defending the stairs that lead to the front doors. The doors had been locked, and a piece of metal jammed into the mechanism to prevent them from opening.

All of this was done to block anyone from entering. If just a single figure entered, the lives of everyone inside of the building could be in danger.

"We're gonna need a new strategy!" Haruka managed to blurt out before taking a blow to the cheek.

"I'll think of something!" Tsukiko stopped for a moment to think.

Shizuka grabbed one of the figures, and threw them back into the crowd. The tightly packed attackers all fell down like dominoes. It didn't do much damage, but it kept them occupied, at least for a second.

"I got it!" Tsuki shouted. "All we have to do is hold them back! Try to knock down as many of them as you can with one blow!'

"Already ahead of ya!" Shizuka tossed another one back into the group.

Tsukiko and Shizuka relied on their brute strength to keep the Shakudos back. They had little trouble keeping their end of the entrance protected.

Haruka was more skilled in one-on-one combat. She tried her best to counter her enemies, but her energy began to fade as more and more of them came toward her.

"Need a little help here!" Haruka shouted as the crowd grew nearer.

Haruka turned to Tsukiko. She looked down at her heavy boots and powerful, wide swings. She began taking wider kicks that would swing across and hit multiple targets. They weren't as powerful, but with enough momentum in her legs, she could give herself some time to breathe.

Over time, a crowd began to grow across the street. At first, it was just a few teenagers holding their phones out. The group grew to dozens of people cheering and shouting. The local news station arrived and began interviewing people. Helicopters arrived, watching the scene from afar.

When one of the Knights took a harsh blow, people would raise their fists and urge them to keep going. When the Shakudos fell, the crowd would cheer and holler. Their newfound fans gave the three Knights the inner strength and courage to keep going.

"C'mon, you can do it!" They shouted.

The praise made Tsukiko's body lighter. At that moment, her brain stopped working. She began to attack like a machine, swifting defeating everyone who stood before her. The other Knights followed in suit.

Tsuki spotted Fumiko in the crowd, cheering with the rest of them. Distracted, a fist landed right on her cheek. Tsuki turned back and started swinging even harder. Whether she did it for the audience, for Fumiko, or for her own anger did not matter.

Little by little, the numbers of their enemies diminished. Fewer and fewer Shakudos got up after falling down. Some of them even started backing away, running away and accepting the loss.

The few that stayed behind to fight were starting to get weaker. The Knights still had a spring in their step.

A loud sound echoed, and they all turned around and started running. They stepped over their injured comrades, abandoning them as they scurried away. The crowd shouted and whistled as the Shakudos ran off.

It was like an exhibition boxing match. The crowd loved seeing their new heroes fight off the masked villains. Fortunately, at least for the audience, there was still one more left for the Knights to deal with.

"It's Flowers… and the other guy." Tsuki yelled to the other Knights.

"Oh… uhh… who is that again?" Shizuka scratched her head.

"Yo, Third Knight!" Flowers shouted. "We're not done yet!"

Tsuki's head sank. "Oh, goddamnit…"

Flowers tossed her robes aside. "This time it won't be easy."

"God that's so lame." Haruka started walking down the stairs to meet Flowers on the street.

"Back off!" Flowers pointed toward Tsukiko. "Only her!"

Haruka stood for a moment, staring at the black mask, before turning her back and walking away. "She's all yours!"

Tsuki sighed and walked down the steps. Her eyes met those of the Floral Masked Shakudo on the black asphalt.

"What do you want?" Tsuki growled.

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"A rematch." Flowers adjusted her stance.

"And? Why would I give you one?"

"Honor?" Flowers asked with confidence.

"Honor doesn't concern me." Tsuki spoke bluntly.

"…for fun?" Flowers asked innocently.

"At least you're honest." Tsuki put her fists up.

Flowers grabbed her mask and tore it off. It was a bold move that seemed to shock nearly everyone in the crowd. Even Haruka gasped a little as he watched the mask hit the pavement and bounce, rolling to a stop at his feet.

Beneath the mask was the face of a smiling girl. All intimidation faded when it was revealed. She seemed to be having fun with it all. Next, she tore off her robes, revealing even more about her.

Sweat glistened off of her rather toned abdomen and lower chest. Her outfit was that of a boxer, lightweight and simple, nothing more than a pair of tight shorts and a sports bra. She shifted her weight from side to side, holding her fists tight.

The excitement around their duel turned to that of a professional wrestling match. The flashes of camera phones clicked and flickered in the distance. The helicopter above stopped moving, trying to get a clean shot of the action.

The tanned girl ran forward with all her might. She moved wildly, and without fear. She reeled her fist back and came down with a powerful, but easily dodged smash.

"Do we really have to?" Tsuki shouted.

Flowers kicked her leg, sweeping the Third Knight off her feet and onto the ground. She rolled away just in time to dodge a stomp.

"Of course, of course!" Flowers laughed as Tsukiko got back up.

The circled one another for a second before Flowers took a swing. Tsukiko moved to the side and countered with her own punch. Several more strikes landed before Flowers could back away.

"Still goin?" Tsuki stared the girl down.

"Y-yeah…" Flowers looked almost dazed before she could focus again.

She ran at Tsuki again, this time opting to trick her. Instead of running straight forward, she ducked. Flowers swung around and hit the Knight in the back of the head.

Tsukiko fell face first into the asphalt, her hands grasping her own stomach. Flowers kicked her in the side, forcing her to roll over onto her back.

"C'mon, you can do better than that." Flowers teased as she brought her leg up.

"What happened to honor?" Tsuki coughed.

"I wanna see how a Knight fights! I wanna see you fighting without limiting yourself!" Flowers smiled a toothy smile.

When Flowers brought her leg crashing down, Tsukiko caught it. She grabbed Flowers's ankle, and then her thigh, forcing her down to the ground. The crowd cheered with delight as Tsuki got back on her feet.

"Yeah, I definitely can." Tsuki laughed.

Tsuki kept her grasp on the girl's thigh, keeping her pinned down. Flowers swung and hit her in the shoulder, breaking her grasp. She rolled away and stood back up, running toward Tsuki again. They began to fight like boxers, trading blows at an extreme speed.

One strike would miss, and another would hit the face. Some jabs got blocked and others hit the opponent in the stomach. This back and forth went on for a while before Tsuki finally got a lucky shot. Flowers went reeling down to the ground.

"Stay down!" Tsuki shouted.

Still, Flowers staggered back up. Her breathing was harsh, and she was covered in bruises.

"No way!" she shouted as she ran toward Tsukiko.

The Third Knight put her fist to her side as the tanned girl sprinted toward her. As Flowers drew close, Tsuki widened her stance.

In the split second before her opponent could react, Tsukiko brought her fist up. She struck Flowers in the jaw hard, making her fall to the ground in a heap, like a ragdoll.

"Works every time." Tsuki muttered under her breath.

The crowd broke into a roar of cheers and applause. Tsuki looked around to see dozens of adoring fans. She couldn't help but feel happy. It was a strange feeling.

There was a sense of fulfillment, but also a sense of fear. It felt like stage fright. Her hands were shaking and her breathing was wild.

Fumiko jumped out of the crowd and hugged Tsukiko. "That was amazing!"

"Y-yeah." Tsuki was breathless.

A few minutes passed, the crowd still shouting and cheering. The helicopter over head watched carefully, filming the entire fight from the sky. The once distant sirens started edging closer, signalling the arrival of the police.

Immediately, they approached the Third Knight with their batons and guns ready. Tsukiko shoved Fumiko away, standing before the police on her own. She turned around and saw that she was standing alone.

Tsukiko looked forward again and saw Fumiko, standing in the crowd. Haruka and Shizuka, who had both pulled off their hats and jackets, dragged Fumi away into the crowd.

Tsuki took a deep breath as the police officers approached with their weapons. The crowd got louder and louder. Some shouted, others threatened the officers.

Instead of arresting Flowers or any of the other Shakudos, they only came for her. They pushed Tsuki and put her in handcuffs that were far too tight.

They shoved her into one of their patrol cars. One of the officers grabbed her head and bashed it against the roof. She tried to protest, but he shoved her in without a word.

The pain in her head throbbed, but there was a sense of satisfaction knowing that the people sided with her. Even through the glass, Tsuki could hear people shouting at the people who had mistreated her. A slight smile stretched across her face.

--

The officers treated Tsukiko coldly. There was silence as they pulled her out of the police car. There was silence as they stripped her of her things and shoved her into a cold, dark cell. The other cells were mostly empty, save for a few people too tired to speak.

The cell was quiet. It was so quiet that it made every sound much much louder. Tsukiko could almost hear her own heart beat.

When she moved, she could hear the sound of the fabric of her jacket moving. She could hear parts of her body crack and pop as she tried her best to relax in her temporary home.

She had no real idea what was going to happen to her. There was nothing she could really do on her own. She only had to stay calm and hope that things would work out for the best.

"Himura? Himura Tsukiko?" A voice called out. "No… no…"

Tsuki slowed her breathing, as the idea of dealing with the police made her blood boil. The voice got closer and closer. Her body shook with each footstep that echoed down the hall.

A dread settled in as she realized she would have to deal with yet another officer. Part of her was afraid that she would be trapped for a long time.

"Hey, are you… Tsukiko?" A young officer looked at a clipboard.

"Yeah." Tsuki barely mustered an answer.

"I'm gonna need some info. Just the basics. You kids don't carry around ID and bookkeeping is a hard enough job as it is." The young officer sounded too casual.

"Fine, ask." Tsuki stared at the cold concrete floor.

"Himura Tsukiko… I'm only gonna need you to confirm some info. You're… already in the system." he kept pausing to read off of his paper.

"Yeah."

"…so you're actually Tsukiko, right?"

"What do you think?" Tsuki glared at the man.

"Ahh, the notes were right. You are sassy." The officer chuckled.

"Huh?"

"N-nothing."

"Alright." Tsuki groaned.

"I'll keep it simple, don't worry. Nothing too personal. I don't trust the people down here either." he winked.

"Hey, fuck you buddy!" someone shouted from another cell.

"So, you live a couple blocks from a subway station, huh?"

"Yeah."

"I said I'd keep it simple." The officer repeated himself.

"Alright, what's next?" Tsuki finally turned to look at him.

"Your previous arrest was in the last week of June?"

"Yeah. What the hell kind of a question's that?"

"Your birthday's in a week or two." The man ran his finger down his clipboard.

"Yes, it is. It's… late July." Tsuki tried to answer formally.

"and your friend… was… stabbed?" he struggled to read it.

Tsuki grimaced. "Yes, she was."

"Who stabbed her?"

"Someone in a mask." she looked away.

"Yep, you're definitely Tsukiko. I'll be back, I gotta go tell the Chief." The officer turned and started walking away.

The footsteps slowly meandered away. They were deafened by the sound of a door slamming open, and the sound of frantic footsteps.

"You'd better have treated her with some respect! She did your goddamn job for you!" A familiar voice came crashing down.

The frantic footsteps came careening toward her. Tsuki lowered her head again out of embarrassment. She wasn't sure if she wanted to see the Chief in this sort of state. At least she could breathe easier knowing that she had his support.

The Chief stopped and grabbed the bars of Tsukiko's cell, bowing his head. "He didn't mistreat you, did he?:

"No. He asked some weird shit, but if it's for bookkeeping, then--"

The Chief looked like he was about to explode. "I can't believe they arrested you. They let all the Shakudos get away, but they go after you! What happened to good samaritans just helping--"

"Are you sure you can just let me go?" Tsuki stood up from the bench in her cell.

"I'm not letting you go because I can. I'm letting you go because I have to." The Chief reached into his pocket.

"Why?" Tsuki asked as she stood up to leave.

"Cuz if you got left here, we'd lose all our progress. No way we'd stop them without you." The Chief inserted a key into the door and turned it.