Regrets of The Fallen (Victis Honor Book 1) (15 page)

Haruka blinked. If Isabella was tougher than she’d given her credit for, that was just good news. She had to remind herself who Bella used to be, apparently; her condition definitely made the monk judge her differently. Watching her was another mistake, though, as she realized as soon as a bullet hit her shoulder. Haruka let it feed her anger and turned on her three attackers, making a dash for them.

All drew swords, providing a defense she couldn’t easily get through. Always an opportunist with a belief in being proactive, she punched two small holes in the deck and ripped out a small board. With a dark smile she slapped a hand on the board before tossing it at them. Having no idea what she was doing they simply dodged the lightly-thrown plank with confusion.

When it exploded behind them it caught them by surprise and threw them off-balance, and Haruka was in their faces to capitalize. Her fist found one pirate’s throat, collapsing his windpipe and sending him to the deck struggling for air. She spun and caught another’s face with her heel, feeling herself getting into the rhythm of combat.

Isabella stalked towards the three pirates facing her. She didn’t notice as her grey eyes darkened a shade, but they did, and each took a step back. “Backing away from a fight? That option’s
gone
,” Isabella said, launching herself at the one in the middle. The other two dodged to either side and the remaining one met her blade, fending her off with a quick defense. Bella felt the other two closing in on her flanks and she steadied her feet as the pirate before her locked their blades together.

Bella glanced over her shoulder as the other two swung. She flipped her grip on her sword and shoved the first pirate’s sword up. She slid her left foot behind her and spun left, striking both blades of the other two and knocking their points up as well. She then flipped her sword back in her grip and ducked low, spinning a second time and taking out the legs of all three, sending them to the deck.

Haruka stood between two pirates and caught both blades on her bracers. She flicked her wrists up and then shot out both hands, catching the hands of both pirates where they gripped their sabers. She shoved the hilts of the swords into the stomachs of the men, doubling them over. She then grabbed the throats of both and lifted them bodily into the air before slamming them back to the deck.

The monk then looked over at Isabella, smiling to see she’d won as well. Still, something seemed wrong… Where had the two hooded men come from? Then she spotted the other ship tied to the side of theirs, a black one that looked very familiar just like the clothing of the two men had. She looked back to Isabella and her eyes widened; Bella was checking the two strange gunshot wounds she’d received, the ones she didn’t understand.

She didn’t notice the assassin behind her. Haruka tried to shout a warning but her voice cut out
. Not now, now of all times!
Haruka took off running and Isabella looked at her, tilting her head. “Ruki…?” Shock registered on her face a second later and a blade extended from her stomach, one of the fallen pirate’s sabers. The assassin caught the woman from behind, moving a blade to her throat.

Haruka was unable to do anything as glowing bands of gold enveloped her, snapping her wrists and feet together, then her legs together and her arms to her waist. She fell but a hand caught the back of her shirt, lifting her up. She knew the bands on her well; they suppressed all chakra, leaving her unable to do anything but watch. The man holding her was a Black Sun she recognized, as was the woman who had stabbed – and was now holding hostage – Isabella.

Two more Black Sun assassins landed on either side of Haruka, and she could see more on the ship, but they were all masked. The man holding Haruka had short spiked black hair with bangs on either side of his face. “Jace…” Haruka muttered in a tone sharing her extreme dislike for the man. She turned her attention on the woman, glaring and growling out her words. “Irene… Let her go…”

The blonde woman pulled the blade from Isabella, drawing a gasp from her. She tilted her head, pulling Isabella closer and pressing the other blade against her neck more tightly. “That sounds like a bad idea, dear Haruka. For some reason you care about her, so she’s our… motivation, let’s say.”

Jace hauled Haruka to her feet. “We’ll leave her alone. She’ll probably survive,” he said in a low, calm voice. “Irene avoided her vitals. But in exchange you’re coming with us.”

Haruka shook with rage but hung her head, having no argument. “…fine.”

“Ruki,” Isabella said softly, “Don’t go with them-“

“I’d be quiet if I were you,” Irene said casually as she cut her off by pressing the blade hard enough to draw a bit of blood.

Jace and the two others moved back to their ship and the two masked monks began to untie it as Haruka looked at Isabella. “No choice…”

“They’ll kill you!”

“You or me,” Haruka said sadly. “Might not…”

Jace looked at her. “Your father is very… disappointed. You
might
get some mercy…”

“But I wouldn’t count on it,” Irene said with a smile. “Betrayal is a very harsh crime, Haruka. You know how he feels about that.”

Haruka growled. “Made my choice.”

“And you will live with it,” Jace stated simply, “or die. We’ll see.”

Haruka looked to Isabella, trying to think of whatever she could say that would mean as much as what she felt, but the words died in her throat. Something was happening to Isabella; those warm grey eyes were cold now, hard and piercing. Isabella spoke in a soft but commanding voice, her eyes boring into Jace. “Let Haruka go. You get one chance.”

Jace shook his head. “We’ve got orders. Sorry.”

Irene pressed the sword closer to Bella’s neck. “What did I tell you about talking?”

Isabella shot her hand up and caught the one that held the blade to her throat. Irene jumped in surprise and jerked the blade across the woman’s throat. At least, that’s what she intended to do, but the blade didn’t move an inch. Isabella’s grip was like iron as she pulled the blade from her throat. She turned around and calmly turned Irene’s wrist. The blond woman struggled against it, beginning to panic, but it meant nothing. Isabella shoved the blade up into her chest up to the hilt before shoving her away to drop to the deck.

Haruka and the other monks watched, surprised for different reasons. Isabella turned back to them and began walking towards the ship as it pulled away. Jace ordered them to get distance as the blue-haired knight stepped up to the edge of her ship. With no hesitation she pulled the grey cloth from her sword, tucked it into her belt, and drew the blade, her eyes never leaving Haruka’s.

An explosion of red flame erupted from Isabella, encasing her. She screamed in a mix of agony and rage, her features darkening as her eyes and hair took on a blood-red hue. She was lifted into the air like before but this time when she came down her appearance and personality were different. Her sword grew and shifted into a wickedly curved two-handed sword of a much greater size. Isabella’s crimson eyes refocused on the departing ship, now a good distance away. She stepped forward and pressed her foot against the corner of the ship, splintering the wood as she launched herself off, her blood-red hair streaming out around her face with the speed. To the surprise of everyone on the escaping ship her leap carried her high into the air and she came down straight at them.

Her impact shattered the deck of their ship and sent black wood flying in every direction. Monks yelled in shock but two had the reaction speed to rush her. Isabella didn’t even notice her injuries anymore. Surrounded by a cloud of wooden splinters and red flame she tilted her head up and to the side, hard crimson eyes burning into her attackers. They hesitated only a second, but after that second both of them had split at the waist. Only then did they register Isabella’s swing as their blood filled the air and their bodies hit the deck in two halves. Haruka watched with no idea how to react as Isabella turned to meet another, catching his fist in her open hand and crushing the bone in her iron grip. She tossed the man into the water as if he wasn’t worth her attention and looked back over her shoulder at Jace and Haruka.

The Isabella that Haruka knew was nowhere to be seen. She was gone, replaced by the one Haruka had heard only a little about, the one that had earned the title ‘The Golden Butcher’. Another assassin jumped at her from the side and she swatted him out of the air with her large sword
, without so much as a glance. Her eyes remained focused on Jace and he met her challenge, moving in a blur. Isabella disappeared in a blur a split second later and the two reappeared in a clash several feet up. Haruka launched herself back as the two slammed back into the deck locked in combat. The ship wouldn’t survive this fight but Haruka was paying little attention to such details.

Isabella was cold and focused with murder in her eyes, a total stranger. She whipped her sword around not to take Jace’s legs from under him but to take his head from his shoulders, an attack he barely dodged. This change was frightening to Haruka. She’d met other people like this, it wasn’t new, but she’d never met anyone like the Isabella she knew, and all she knew was that she wanted her back. This Isabella didn’t look like she’d ever laughed or even smiled; she didn’t look like she even understood the concept of a joke. She didn’t look like she cared about anything or anyone. There was no kindness or generosity or reassurance in her expression, only a cold, burning rage and hatred.

Jace had used his specialty, creating a blade of shadow magic over each arm. With these he fended off the large blade that sought his death, but it was only a matter of time. Isabella attacked from one side and then the other, whipping the blade around faster than one of its size should move. The impacts were so forceful that Jace had to brace himself for each of them. Left, right, left, right, left, right, a rhythm was forced as the blade moved back and forth. Jace and Haruka had both seen this tactic before; create a pattern your opponent can recognize, then break the pattern suddenly to surprise them. Jace watched the blade carefully, refusing to fall into the alternating swings. Left, right, left, right… Soon enough it would be left, left, or right, right, but he would see it and take advantage.

Isabella’s crimson eyes gave nothing away as she continued the pattern. Then, suddenly… there it was! The blade struck his left, right, left, and then came back at his left, and Jace shot forward to his right. Isabella’s open left hand was already waiting for him and met him as he moved straight into it, slamming his chest with an open palm that blasted all air from his lungs. His eyes went wide but the crimson-haired knight didn’t give him a chance. Her foot shattered his right knee and her hand gripped his clothing, yanking him down to his knees. She whipped the blade around and drove it down through his chest, severing sternum, ribs and spine along with everything in between. The sword continued straight through with no resistance until it pierced the deck behind him.

Jace coughed and blood spattered Isabella’s face, but she paid it no heed. She yanked her sword free and kicked him straight off the ship into the ocean. The bands around Haruka disappeared as Jace’s life-force faded, leaving her free. She stood up and stared at Bella with no words. Isabella just grabbed her wrist and took a few steps before launching into the air again. They landed back on their original, now crewless, ship, and Isabella released her, looking back at the empty ship they’d just left. Haruka rubbed her wrist, examining the woman before her with mixed emotions. “Bella…?”

Crimson eyes found her and softened immediately, a hint of familiarity entering them. Isabella touched the point of her blade to its scabbard and sheathed it; Haruka watched as the blade returned to its original size as it entered the scabbard. A pulse of energy washed over her and Isabella’s normal colors returned; soft, dark blue hair and gentle grey eyes. The knight immediately fell to her hands and knees, panting and shaking. Haruka knelt beside her, tentatively setting a hand on her shoulder. “Bella…”

“Don’t,” Bella said as she swatted the hand away. She forced herself back into her feet and stumbled backwards, but caught her balance. She looked at Irene’s body, multiple emotions crossing her face. Haruka watched her worriedly but she shook her head, dropping to her knees again. “I gave them… gave them a warning,” she said.

Haruka moved towards her, kneeling in front of her again. “You killed,” she said as both a statement and a question.

Isabella met her eyes. “I warned them. I told them not to try to take you. I’ve already made the decision, Haruka.” Her arms shook weakly and Haruka caught her before she collapsed. Bella rested her head on Haru’s chest, forcing her breathing to slow down. “I’ve made… my decision,” she reiterated. “I don’t want to kill… But if it’s your life at stake… I’ll slaughter the whole goddamn world.”

The conviction in the knight’s voice frightened Haruka. She realized then that the ruthless warrior from the past wasn’t gone; she was just buried, hidden in Isabella’s other emotions. “Shouldn’t…”

Isabella looked up at her, lightly gripping the edge of her coat. “I don’t know why… No…” She looked down. “That’s a lie… I do know why… But it’s… frightening. Haruka… All I can say is that I’ll kill to protect you. I’ll become that person again if I have to.”

Haruka lifted her chin, making sure she was listening. “I… like
you
,” she stated firmly.

Isabella smiled softly. “Sorry, Ruki, but like this I wasn’t going to beat them. I had no choice.”