Asakusa: Asuka's appartment

  A girl with short hair lay in bed with a sleeping mask on. She was breathing heavily and moaning softly. This was interrupted by a knock on the door.

  *Knock, knock!*

  She woke up. "Who's there?"

  "It's me, Yumi."

  "Yumi!?" "Oh crud!" Come in!"

  The door opened to reveal a gray-haired girl with icy blue eyes in a gray school uniform.

  "Asuka? Have you been in bed this whole time?"

  "I… didn't get enough sleep last night," said a sweat-dropping Asuka, scratching the back of her head. A shiver ran up her spine, causing her to squirm.

  "You okay?"

  "Yeah, just feeling a bit under the weather. Sorry about that. I know how much this year's Christmas shopping means to you, especially since you reconnected with your sister. How is Fubuki, anyway?"

  A bandaged woman in a brown cloak flashed in Yumi's mind. "She's alright. Especially since the Ninja Council determined that all sentient Yoma will be treated as citizens, as long as they follow the rules of this Earth. Much to some of the other ninjas' dismay." As she spoke, Asuka breathed slowly, heavily, and quietly. "It's been an entire year since that day, and I want our first proper Christmas together to be special."

  *Smack!*

  Asuka hit her sheets, drawing Yumi's concern.

  "Sorry, thought there was a bug."

  "Asuka, you should use a fly swatter if you're not going to grab it by the fingers."

  "Got it. Are the girls at Gessen available?"

  "I haven't even gotten them gifts yet."

  "Well, you could bring just one."

  "You're right, I can do that. However, as a shinobi, I prefer to take the stealthiest option I can get—and in this context, having you as my partner was my best choice. Ikaruga and Katsuragi graduated, Yagyuu and Hibari are joined at the hip in a romantic sense, and any interaction with the elite Hebijo students has a good chance of being awkward at best."

  Asuka rubbed her arm. "Yeah, I can see where you're coming from. The Ryou twins are not even an option. Murasaki's a shut-in, and Imu would most likely join you if you were shopping for Miyabi. In fact, Miyabi is the most logical choice, but I bet she'd probably rather train or take Imu out for a date than shop for her rival team." Yumi giggled. "What's so funny?"

  "I never thought I'd even entertain the thought of hanging out with Hebijo students, but here we are—and that's before getting into Homura's Crimson Squad. How's it been since the… disbandment?"

  Noticing the shift in Yumi's tone, Asuka smiled reassuringly. "Everyone's doing well. Ikaruga and Yomi are eliminating poverty, Hikage is helping Katsuragi find her parents, and as for Mirai and Haruka—they've been loving their retirement together."

  "What about Homura?"

  "She's doing the same thing I've been doing since enrollment—mastering the path of the shinobi. And regardless of whether we're light or renegade shinobi, we're not going to die until we do it together."

  Yumi smiled. "Alright, in that case, I'll take my leave." Yumi turned around

  "Don't worry, I'll be down there. Just give me about… fifteen minutes—"

  "Pardon the interruption, but I'll do this myself. You get some rest. And, Asuka," Yumi gave a knowing smile, "don't let your romance consume your duties as a shinobi."

  *Click*

  The door closed.

  A few seconds later, Asuka raised her sheets. "She's gone, Homura—" She didn't get to finish. A tanned girl bit her on the neck like a snake striking a frog—hard enough to leave a mark, but not hard enough to draw blood. "Homura!"

  "That wasn't very smart of you, granddaughter of Hanzo. Forming plans with another girl without telling me is one thing, but not even locking the door? And I think I remember telling you to place a sock on the doorknob, but you were so eager to let me ruin you, huh? Be honest with yourself, you love my ass, don't you?"

  Asuka could deny it—say it's the other way around—but with them not even wearing anything, what was the point?

  "*Sigh* I'm not even going to deny that."

  Homura blinked. "Wait, what? Isn't this the part where you say no, then try to one-up me, and with enough rival banter we have sex?"

  "It is—but last night, you didn't do any of that. You went straight to kissing me, didn't give me time to think as you proceed to have my way with me without warning."

  That made Homura wince. "Did I… scare you?"

  "A little at first. But I decided to go along with it for two reasons. One—you were being gentle. You knew what you were doing was outside our usual routine. Otherwise, you'd have been rough instead. Two—you were distracted all through our date. And whenever you get like that, you try to avoid talking about it entirely. Yesterday was supposed to be our night, and you felt so guilty about not having me on your mind, you went straight to making love as an apology, didn't you?"

  Homura sighed. "Leave it to my rival to thoroughly read me like a book."

  Asuka's face hardened. "Homura. I'm not even going to kiss you unless you tell me what's going on."

  Homura relented as she got off her. "I'm sorry, babe. I'll tell you what's on my mind. Just promise me you'll at least try to believe me. Because I'm having trouble believing it myself."

  Asuka looked uncertain, then nodded. "Okay. Go ahead."

  "There's this dream I keep having. I was… transported somewhere. Somewhere not of this world. This… other world had others pulled in, too. Female warriors, to be exact. And we were fighting this girl who was supposed to be a corrupted version of a book for some reason. And through the entire dream, my body was on autopilot. I fought without reason. Without conviction. I fought… like a hollow corpse."

  Asuka gasped. Ever since Homura was betrayed and disowned, fighting was the only way she felt alive. Hearing that she didn't—it was a red flag. "Why?"

  Tears welled in Homura's eyes. "That's the scary part, Asuka—I couldn't remember."

  "What?"

  "My memories were gone. I was a blank slate. I couldn't remember anyone—Suzune-sensei, Haruka, Mirai, Hikage, Yomi… and worst of all… you. At some point, I got my memory back, and I was furious. Being taken from you physically and mentally felt worse than when those two bastards betrayed me."

  Asuka knew she meant her childhood confidant and her former princip, l—and chose not to press it.

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  "After trial and tribulation, I woke up in a cold sweat. Haruka and Mirai were at my side. I told them it was a bad dream—but it felt so real."

  "Homura…"

  "I honestly don't expect you to believe such a ridiculous story. Like I said, I can hardly believe it myself. But the thought of not remembering who I am… made me feel like I was dead—"

  Asuka hugged her from behind, tears in her eyes.

  "Asuka!?"

  "I don't care if it was real or a fantasy! My strongest friend—no, my girlfriend-was—was carrying this the whole time, and I didn't even know!"

  "Hey, I chose to keep it to myself. There's nothing you could've done except believe in me if you had known. Besides, didn't you tell Yumi that we'd master the path of the shinobi together before we die?"

  "Yeah… I did."

  "You're still here. And you make me feel even more alive than fighting."

  Homura kissed her forehead. "We should leave and train soon. We'll continue this later." Homura walked to the door.

  "Yeah. Don't want you to worry about me, after all."

  Homura stopped. "Who said I'm worried?" She asked as she turned to Asuka

  "Good point. But you were super mad about not being by my side."

  Homura stutters, "T-th-tha-that's because I didn't even remember you! If it were physical separation, then whatever. We may be lovers—but we're still rivals, you know. I'm not clingy."

  "Not unless someone else defeats me in battle. I wonder if you were so mad you started worrying I'd be defeated."

  Homura's eyes narrowed. "What are you trying to say?"

  Asuka's tone turned flirtatious. "You once said I'm yours to defeat, so…" She crossed her arms under her chest, pushing her breasts up. "…defeat me."

  Rational thought fled Homura. She chuckled. "You're right, you are mine to defeat. You and your cheeky boobs!"

  Homura pounced, pushing Asuka onto the bed with a grin that was all teeth and heat.

  “Wait—are you wearing that already!? I was only here for three seconds!”

  “Three seconds too long.” Homura leaned in, her voice a low growl near Asuka’s ear. “Any last words before I make you regret leaving me unsupervised?”

  “Yeah,” Asuka whispered with a smirk, matching her rival’s energy. “You better not hold back.”

  Homura’s laugh was feral, and her lips met Asuka’s as the world around them slipped away—leaving only heat, rivalry, and the warmth of a bond stronger than any blade.

  Asakusa streets

  As Yumi walked down the streets, she pondered how the rest of her girls were doing. "Shiki might be helping Murakumo with her manga while Yozakura is supervising Minori for something childish again. Wait a second—why don't I call Gekko and Senko? They worship Fubuki after—"

  *BOOM!*

  A sound like glass breaking across the heavens. A massive green crack tore through the blue sky, fracturing like a spiderweb of light. Violet-red energy bled through the gap, followed by a deep, unfeeling voice: […Missing pieces detected. Commence retrieval.]

  Yumi's breath caught. This wasn't a secret ninja art, nor Yoma—it was something far worse. Suddenly, her instincts flared—danger. Shadows pooled at her feet, forming into grotesque monsters with glowing yellow eyes. Sleek, metallic Nox Nyctores drones dropped from the tear above, and strange black entities—Voids—began warping into existence.

  "What is this…?" she whispered, drawing her fan.

  Before the swarm could descend, two blurs shot down from the treeline.

  "Yumi!"

  "You're not fighting this alone!"

  It was Asuka and Homura, fully clothed, swords drawn, already cutting through the first wave. Despite their legs quivering due to their...“exotic” date earlier, they moved in sync beside her.

  Yumi smirked. "Nice to see you two taking my advice to heart."

  Asuka and Homura blushed in dismay. "You knew!?" "God damn it!"

  "More are coming," Yumi points out. More invaders poured onto the scene. Blitzsoldiers, Drexler constructs, and now Yoma were taking over.

  "We're surrounded."

  Suddenly, bursts of energy lit up the slopes—blossoms of ice, wind, lightning, and steel. Asuka, Homura, and Yumi looked and saw the remaining members of their three factions. Standing behind them are other light shinobi from other factions such as Milky Pop, Zodiac Guiding Star Association, Amagi Sealing Congregation, and so many more.

  "Homura, Yumi, look!"

  "Now this is what I call a cavalry!"

  "I'm amazed how fast you all got here. I expect nothing less from our squad."

  "Don't count us out yet!"

  Everyone turned to see a masculine girl with spiked white hair and golden eyes, along with four other girls. Behind them, an army of dark shinobi

  "Miyabi!"

  "You took your time getting here."

  Miyabi scoffs, "Only because I want to make sure all members of Hebijo are accounted for this fight. So do you want our help or not, renegade?"

  Yumi cut between the two. "Save it for after the battle, you two. Right now, we need to stop this invasion. Shinobi—TRANSFORMATION!"

  Yumi pulled out a scroll, and in a light blue flash, her clothes disintegrated into sparkles, replaced by a white and light blue kimono.

  Asuka nodded. "Everyone! Back-to-back! Watch each other's blind spots!"

  From the clouds above, Grimm beasts, Blitzsoldiers, and even Drexler alchemic constructs joined the onslaught. The unnatural mix of enemy types overwhelmed even the most seasoned shinobi, (Yes this also means that some of the girls' outfits were starting to shred, to the point of exposing their T&A. This IS Senran Kagura after all) but, for Asuka, Homura, Yumi, and Miyabi, that was nothing compared to what they saw in the distance. Legendary shinobi were struck by beams of binding light from the rift: Kiriya, Master Sayuri, Hanzo, Daidouji, Rin, Gekkou, Senkou, and even Fubuki. They screamed, frozen mid-technique, then were pulled into crystalline containment shards and drawn into the rift.

  "No!" Yumi reached out, but it was too late. All of the ninjas stared in shock and ceased movement.

  However, a mental voice rang out in one of their heads. "They're still alive."

  Homura's head. "What the!? Who's there?" She looked around for the source.

  "I'm not an enemy. I'm part of the captives. Whatever you do, don't let anyone fall."

  Miyabi's tone went dark. "I don't know what the hell's going on." A Void attempted to ambush her, only to be cut down. "But I'm not letting these things erase our legacy!"

  As the sky split further, a rift tore open beneath their feet, glowing with unnatural energy.

  "EVERYONE, JUMP!" Homura shouted.

  Everyone did. However, a portal opened behind Yumi.

  "YUMI, NO!"

  Grabbing two recoiled ropes from under her skirt, Asuka leaped for Yumi and threw one end at her, the other to Homura, who grabbed it, joined by a few other ninjas from Hanzo, Gessen, and the Crimson Squad.

  "FOCUS ON THE BATTLE! THEY'LL SAVE YUMI!" Miyabi commanded.

  Asuka was hanging for dear life..

  "YUMI, CLIMB!"

  Nodding, Yumi did just that. Once she climbed above Asuka, the latter started climbing too. The ninjas on the other side pulled hard. It continued until the two were just feet away.

  "Almost there!"

  But before Homura could grab Yumi's hand, the portal closed, cutting the line.

  "No…" Yumi whispered as she and a screaming Asuka fell to the other side..

  Reactions to the loss of Asuka and Yumi were devastating, to say the least. The Hanzo and Gessen girls were horrified—at least one of them was on the brink of tears. Miyabi and her squad, though more stoic, still recognized the two shinobi not just as rivals, but as valuable allies in times of crisis. The Crimson girls were almost as distraught as Hanzo and Gessen, though their primary concern was Homura. She stood silently, staring at the spot where her girlfriend had fallen.

  Her mind flashed back to their conversation in the apartment:

  "Who said I'm worried?... If it were physical separation, then whatever. We may be lovers, but we're still rivals, you know...Didn't you tell Yumi that we'll master the path of the shinobi together before we die?"

  "Yeah… I did... Mastering the path of the shinobi… and regardless of whether we're light or renegade, we're not going to die until we do it together."

  Homura put away her swords. The invading horde surrounded her, much to her squad's panic as they rushed to help. But as the horde closed in, Homura took a deep breath as tears formed in her eyes.

  "I won't die…"

  Her hair turned red.

  "Nor will my beloved Asuka…"

  She drew her final sword, now bathed in crimson flame.

  "Not until she and I…"

  A tear stroked down her cheek, as Asuka's face flashed in her mind.

  "Master the path of the SHINOBI!"

  *BOOM!*

  Crimson flames erupted and burned everything around Homura, clothes included, much to the horde's dismay. The Crimson Squad halted their movements as an undergarment-clad Crimson Homura took center stage.

  "LISTEN UP, EVERYONE! ASUKA AND YUMI ARE FINE! THEY'RE STRONG ENOUGH TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES! OUR JOB HERE IS TO TAKE OUT THE INVADERS—EVEN IF IT MEANS ENDING UP IN ONE OF THEIR HOLES!"

  "So you're not even going to try to rescue your girlfriend?" Miyabi asked, provoking Homura's ire.

  "Don't put words in my mouth, Miyabi. You and your squad have a choice: remain here while the rest of us search for Asuka and Yumi, try to save as many people as possible, or at least gather intel on the bastards who managed to poach our sensei."

  Miyabi smirked. "Get intel? Hebijo will do a lot more than that."

  "Going to pick a fight with them, huh? And you call me hot-blooded."

  The two morally complex shinobi leaders turned to their teams. "Each of you has a job to do. Fan out—and let's get it done!"

  Everyone nodded and performed one last technique before disbanding.

  "Shinobi—KEKKAI!"

  A gigantic multicolored dome formed around Asakusa and trapped the crack. Hebijo headed for the massive rift in the sky, while Homura and the remaining shinobi jumped into the holes, much to the mysterious voice's dismay.

  "You didn't follow my orders."

  Homura smirked. "Sorry to tell you, Voice, but I'm a renegade shinobi. Nobody tells me what to do that easily."

  "In that case… try to find the other world warriors you encountered before."

  Homura's eyes widened. "Wait—so that WASN'T a dream?!" There was no response. "Wow. PERFECT time to shut up!"

  Asuka's image appeared again in her mind, hardening her expression.

  "Wait for me, Asuka. We may be rivals—but we're still lovers. And I'm not letting you fall that easily."

  With crimson flames blazing behind her, Homura propelled herself toward the hole leading to the other side.