“Ugh!” Kuu staggered back after a sharp kick from her sister, her back against the wall of the training hall as the two girls catch their breath.

“Had enough?” Mii asked between pants.

Kuu pushed herself off the wooden wall, fists raised. “Not yet!” She rushed forward, ducking under her Mii’s punch and nailing her in the side with a knee, right at her stomach. Kuu saw the Mii’s eyes go wide as she staggered back, dropping to her knee.

“Okay… you got me good there…” Mii groaned out, clutching her side. “Yeah… yeah, I think you killed me, Kuu.”

Kuu stood up, let out a breath. “Please don’t exaggerate.” Kuu said, deadpan.

Mii flopped onto the mat, letting out a loud, dramatic groan. “Nope, I’m dying. You’ll have to be the family breadwinner.”

Kuu gave a blank stare at Mii, looking over her for a few seconds before yanking her up by the arm. “Didn’t you say being the oldest meant ‘little sister punches do nothing to me’?”

“You kneed me. Doesn’t count.”

Kuu rolled her eyes, dropping Mii on the spot once they were off the mats.

“Evil! Evil little mongrel!” Mii shouted, arms and legs splayed across the floor in dramatic fashion. “My precious little sister has betrayed me! She just lets me die her on the cold, wooden floor of the training hall after sating her unquenchable bloodlust! Is mother next? Are the children next? Must I fight through the agonizing pain and defeat my own flesh and bloo- Agugah!”

Kuu poured the rest of her water bottle onto Mii, rolling her eyes again. “If you’re quite finished.” Kuu drank the little remaining water from her bottle, glancing around the training hall. Despite what the two called it, the place was just an big, empty storage shed with some sandbags and mats in it. Nothing special or fancy, but it was a good place to set up a place to train. Reminding me to clean up the place when we’re finished here.

“Ugh, little mongrel!” Mii sat up, shaking the water from her hair. “Jeez, lucky I didn’t do anything with my hair today, or I really would kill you.”

“Says the one that dropped after I kneed her once.” Kuu walked over to her bag, fishing out a water bottle and tossing to her sister who caught it with ease. “See, you’re fine.”

Mii rolled her eyes. “Physically? Yes. Emotionally? No. Actually, you ruined my hair so scratch that, and I’m hurt inside and out.”

“Sure you are, Mii. Sure you are.” Mii finished her water bottle, throwing it away. “But if you’re this sloppy in the tournament, you’ll be knocked out before the preliminaries like last time.”

Mii frowned at the comment. “Way to go for the deep cuts, lil’ sis.”

“… … …”

Kuu let out a sigh. “Sorry, didn’t mean to hit a sore spot.”

The Daziki Climax. A tournament held in Pei-Shi City, the City of Combat. Every year the surrounding villages and towns sent a handful of fighters to the city as a representative for the competition. For every fighter sent the city would pay the village a sum of money, and the fighters themselves got a large sum as well if they climbed high enough through the ranks. Fights would then be broadcast across the area, and the villages and fighters receive more money as their respective fighters advanced. Then at the final stages of the tournament those few remaining would get a chance to fight in front of the City’s elite to decide the winner, with that winner being crowned champion and earning all sorts of money, fame, and favor among Pei-Shi City.

For Kuu and Mii’s small farming village, the extra money from participating helped keep the village in order and paid for equipment and maintenance. There was a training hall for people workout and train, but village had no real masters or fighting styles to speak of. Mii was the best fighter in the village, or at least the toughest person of age that could afford to leave. She had participated in the Daziki Climax last year, getting past the preliminaries and earning just enough money for the village before getting knocked out in proper competition… quite literally. A fighter from a different city took her out quite efficiently with a few throws. Since then Mii was working nonstop, forming a style around clinches, knee strikes, and elbows to hopefully counter any grappling style.

And forced Kuu into learning it as well by being a practice dummy.

It was fun at first, basic training and hanging out with Mii was always fun, at least until Kuu took a knee to the gut nearly threw up the first week. ‘Don’t eat so much before training.’ Mii said before showing Kuu elbow strikes and nearly knocking a tooth out. ‘Learn to block properly’ Mii said before trying out chokeholds on her. It had only been recently this past month Kuu finally took enough beatings to learn out to give one back. She didn’t consider herself much of a fighter, but she could at least say this past year had given her a sturdier body and sharper movements.

“Actually Mii, are you going to be okay this year? Last time you came back with a broken arm.”

“Eh,” Mii shrugged. “The docs there patched up me with cast, shot up some fast-healing serum thingy in me, and I was good after three days. Don’t worry.”

Kuu frowned. “That doesn’t make me feel better.”

Kuu’s annoyance aside, the tournament could be dangerous. Fighters could get really hurt, some even got crippled in a few of the matches. Save for an age range and a few basic rules there wasn’t much limit to what could be done in a battle. Last year Kuu remember seeing Mii shatter someone’s ribs in a fight, and that person was still fighting until they were knocked out.

“Just… be careful, okay Mii?”

Mii smiled. “Don’t worry, I can take a hit or two.” She said, ruffling Kuu’s hair.

“That’s what I’m worried about…”

Just as the two were wrapping up their conversation and training session, Kuu spotted someone at the door. A striking woman with light brown hair and sharp green eyes, wearing long black pants and a black shirt showing her midriff. She looked… dangerous, like a wolf looking at prey. She walked inside the training hall, looking at the two girls for a moment before focusing on Mii. It felt like she was staring daggers at them.

“Can we help you?” Mii asked, standing in front of Kuu. “I don’t think you’re from our village.”

The woman looked over Mii with a cocky smile. “Me? I’m just here killing time.” She said, looking around the shed. “Nice little place you got here. Didn’t think a backwater village like this had fighters in it. You two joining the DC?”

Mii frowned, looking at Kuu for a moment before pushing her a little closer. This woman was bad news, Kuu could feel it. She had the energy of someone wanting to start trouble. The fact that she mentioned the Daziki Climax was worrying too. I heard of a few cases where fighters would take out other competitors before the tournament, but… this isn’t some famous village with martial artists. Kuu inched closer to Mii, hugging her side tight. The woman shot Kuu a glance before turning her attention to Mii.

“Look lady, this is just an empty building with some sandbags and mats in it, not some expensive gym, famous training hall, or fancy dojo.” Mii said. “Yeah I’m in the DC, so what? You here to start something?”

“Heh, maybe.” The woman’s smirk didn’t fade. “And what if I did wanna’ start something?” She asked, coming closer. “What, you gonna’ make me leave? Rough me up a bit?” She poked at Mii’s shoulder, pulling back before Mii could swat her hand away. “Well, big girl? What are you gonna’ do?”

The room was silent. Whether it was the cold sweat that ran down Kuu’s spine or the actual tension, the training hall felt frigid. Why wasn’t this scary woman going away. Why was trying to cause trouble?

“Kuu,” Mii said. “Get going,”

“But Mii she-”

“Kuu,” Mii glanced at Kuu pressing down on her head. “Don’t worry about me. Just go.”

“I wouldn’t worry about her.” The woman said. “I’m just interested in you.”

In a flash, the woman grabbed Mii’s shirt and threw her over her shoulder to the ground.

“Mii!”

“Kuu, get back!”

Mii was back up in an instantly, fists raised. She blocked the low kick with her leg, darting to the side before nailing the woman with an elbow to the jaw. She grabbed hold of the woman by the neck and kneed her in the stomach in several times before pushing her off. “Jeez…” Mii rolled her shoulders, brushing herself off.

“Are you okay?” Kuu asked.

“Yeah,” Mii stretched out her back. “Like I said, I can take a hit or two.” She smiled, patting Kuu’s head. “There are a few people in the DC that send fighters to take out hopefuls in the tournament. Usually bigger villages or people with ties to some organization or dojo. They try to eliminate as many people as they can to reduce the chance of their representative being taken out or injured early.”

“O-Oh…” Kuu frowned. “Have you… fought people like that before?”

“Eh, not usually” Mii answered. “Still, kinda’ weird how they’re targeting our village.”

“I… I see…”

Mii ruffled Kuu’s hair again. “Don’t worry Kuu, I’ll be fine.”

Kuu heard the woman groaning, getting up off the ground. “Oh… so you can fight.” The woman said, standing up.

“Oh? You want some more?” Mii asked, smirking.

“Don’t get cocky, brat.”

It seemed Mii’s elbow cut her forehead pretty good, there was a trail of blood coming down her head. Despite the wound though, the woman’s smirk turned to an excited smile. “Oh no, I’m going to have some fun with you.”