A and K Chapter 80: Yui's Turn

Yui, Rie, Alexandria, and Isao break into the warehouse. The note that had been recently left at the house stated that Kei and Kokoa were here. As they bust in, they are greeted by Saki’s presence at the other end of the building. Kei and Kokoa look down from the cells.
Saki: Welcome protégés.
Yui: Don’t worry Kei! We’re here.
Kei: That’s what I’m worried about.
Saki: I am glad you all answered the call.
Yui: Why’re you holding Kei hostage?
Saki: Does it really matter now?
Yui: I...suppose not...but I’m still really mad about it!
Saki: You should thank me, honestly. His wounds from his fight against 
Kazuhiro would not have bandaged if not for me.
Kei: (sighs) That’s not really asking a whole lot.
Saki: Oh shut up.
Rie: Enough of this. Give Kei and our mother back to us!
Saki: I will, on one condition.
Rie: And what’s that?
Saki: One of you must defeat me.
Rie: Defeat you?
Yui: (Whispering, to Rie) We just got these weapons, there’s no way we can beat someone like this.
Rie: (Whispering, to Yui) Doesn’t mean we can’t try.
Yui: (Whispering, to Rie) Why don’t we just use our weapons and free Kei instead?
Rie: (Whispering, to Yui) Does he look like he’s in any condition to fight?
Yui and Rie both look up at Kei.
Yui: (Whispering, to Rie) You...have a point there….
Saki: Enough whispering already, who will be my first opponent?
Yui steps forward.
Yui: I’ll try my hand.
Yui pulls out her staff and twirls it slowly using one hand.
Saki: (Thinking) A Bo staff, very old school.
Yui charges at Saki, and Saki simply just stays put. Yui attacks swinging her bo staff left and right. Both Saki and Rie seem unimpressed.
Rie: (Thinking) You look like you’re trying to swat a fly at home…
Saki, using Yui’s predictableness against her, manages to catch the bo staff and then punches Yui in the gut. She winces a bit as she backs off. However, Kei notices something odd.
Kei: (Thinking) There’s no way Yui stands a chance against Saki, but Yui is still standing after a punch from her? I get the feeling, at some point, Saki did learn to hold back. She’s just playing with Yui right now.
Saki: You may have a weapon, but you’re a complete novice with it.
Yui: Yeah, so what? Doesn’t mean I can’t try.
Saki: Try all you want, the result will still be the same.
Yui charges in again, and instead of going high, goes low. She tries to sweep the leg, and Saki jumps over. Only to be met with a Bo Staff straight in the gut. Saki falls backwards from the hit, but quickly recovers. Rolling backwards, Saki quickly gets back on her two feet and rubs her stomach a slight bit.
Saki: You think out of the box…
Yui: I’ve been known to adapt quickly.
Saki: Doesn’t change anything.
Yui: (Thinking) This weapon...maybe if I treat it like…
Yui begins twirling her bo staff, she seems to notice something interesting.
Yui: (Thinking) If I treat it like my favorite ride, the ferris wheel, I think I can get the hang of it. I need to keep my hands in the center, and then slowly twirl it, and then just think about when to stop and strike.
Kei watches from above, and is impressed with Yui’s quick adaption to her new weapon.
Kei: (Thinking) Yui has always loved math. She’s smart enough to know how easily it is to balance a ball and when she was a kid she was always balancing herself on the couch. She knows how to use the weapon, but enough to beat Saki is a stretch.
Saki: It takes a master years to completely know his weapon, and even then, there is always more to learn.
Yui: Doesn’t mean I stop trying to win.
Saki: If you would have me treat you seriously, little pup, I will finish this battle before you even have a chance.
Kei: Yui! Be careful!
Yui hears Kei’s words and keeps her attention on Saki.
Yui: I will.
Saki: So little pup, do you want me to get serious.
Yui: No, not really.
Saki: Good, because I’d rather not harm your pretty face.
Yui: Nor would I want to harm you. So let Kei and my mom go and we can all just put this behind us.
Saki: Sorry, no deal.
Yui charges, but this time uses her bo staff to launch herself like a pole vault. Saki catches her and then throws her into the ground. Yui holds her staff as she rolls away from Saki, still in pain.
Saki: Whoops. That was unintentional. It was instinct.
Kei: (Sighs) You can hold your punches back but not your wrestling maneuvers, great…
As Saki approaches Yui, Rie moves in front of her holding her fans.
Rie: That’s enough of that.
Saki: So you’re up now, huh?
Rie: I’m not ‘up’, whatever that means. I’m going to tend to my sister, and if you had any dignity, you’d allow me to.
Saki: Please, be my guest, I am not so heartless.
Saki backs away, allowing Rie to check on Yui.
Rie: Are you okay?
Yui: Yeah, I’m okay. Had the wind knocked out of me.
Rie: She’s strong, that’s for sure.
Yui: We knew that, maybe we should double team her instead.
Rie: Never said we couldn’t.
Yui stands up and the two stand next to each other. Alexandria and Isao watch on.
Saki: Oh? Two-on-one? I like a good challenge. Bring it.
Rie charges first. Swinging her fans just trying to hit. Saki avoids them skillfully. Yui jumps over both of them, using her bo staff as a pole vault again, forcing Saki to stay between them. Yui and Rie force Saki to contort into uncomfortable positions as she tries to avoid the strikes before rolling backwards and away from the two of them. She uses the momentum to get back on to her feet.
Saki: You two barely know how to use your weapons, but its easy to double team, can you do it efficiently?
Saki charges in and begins her counterattack. She dodges Yui’s strike, grabs her bo, and pulls her forward causing her staff to strike Rie. She uses Rie’s attack to strike against Yui, but Yui manages to dodge. The two back off, retaining their weapons.
Yui: Sounds like you’re used to holding off more than one person.
Saki: I could hardly be called skilled if I couldn’t handle more than one person at a time. Or would you like Kei to explain?
Yui: What does that mean?
Kei: Saki and Kazuhiro were friends of mine, back in the war.
Yui: Huh? In the war?
Rie: You mean...
Kei: Yes, back then, Saki and Kazuhiro were my sensei, teaching me more advanced moves as I tried to learn as much as I can.
Yui: She’s your friend?
Kei goes silent.
Yui: What kind of a friend kidnaps people?
Rie: I’m with Yui, this person is no friend of ours.
Kei: At least hear me out, what happened back then...is a long story…
Category:Novel Chapter
Category:A and K