Kagura raised her arm to her face, shielding herself from the cloud of dust.
—Did she really crash into the beam? Even with her abilities she shouldn't have… —the thought died in her throat.
Out of the curtain of smoke Yume emerged, hurled at high speed, her hand stretched out toward her opponent.
With a quick beat, Benibane spread its wings and lifted Kagura off the ground just in time.
—Good… —Yume thought, tense.
The girl pitched forward, but instead of falling she let her body glide along the floor; her hand on the ground guided the slide.
Meanwhile, Kagura landed again.
"Benibane, Wind Fire!" she called.
Another wave of heat was about to erupt when suddenly the woman felt something strange. A weight. An abrupt halt.
—My legs!?— she thought.
She looked down and saw that the ground beneath her was changing: the solid surface had turned into a pool of liquid concrete, thick and sticky, which was sucking her in and holding her fast.
"Was that you!?" Kagura shouted, struggling to free herself, her eyes fixed on Yume, who in the meantime had gotten back to her feet.
"When Kaito was wounded by that member of the Reikeitai, you healed him…" Yume's voice cracked for a moment as she watched Kagura's legs now nearly submerged.
Then she returned her gaze to her opponent, incredulous. "How do you have two abilities… a healing one and this?!"
"I don't have two abilities," Yume replied, advancing slowly toward her. "My spirit's power is to return everything to its original state."
"Return things… to their original state?" Kagura repeated, puzzled.
"Exactly," Yume nodded. "If a person is injured, I can bring their body back to how it was before. The same goes for objects."
A thin smile touched Kagura's lips as she tried to free herself from the pool holding her. "And you think telling me that was a smart move?"
Kagura wrapped herself in spiritual energy. With a burst she broke free: the pool of cement exploded upward, hurling debris, dust and shards that struck part of the warehouse.
Panting, she climbed out of the crater that had opened in the floor.
"What I don't understand," she said, eyes fixed on Yume, "is why you never used it before…"
"My power… I don't know how to control it," Yume admitted, her voice uncertain as she stared at her hands. "I can heal people, but I have trouble using it on objects…"
"You know, Yume…" Kagura replied with a cold smile, "you'd make a really… fantastic prize."
Then she lunged forward: the precise, lethal techniques of her training mirrored in every movement.
Yume didn't back down. With agility and focus she dodged and parried blows, finding openings to counterattack.
"Benibane, Flame Dome!"
In an instant Yume found herself surrounded by a dome of searing fire; large enough to cover part of the warehouse, the flames danced threateningly all around.
—Damn it! —she thought, spinning to touch it and shape it.
Just as she was about to succeed, Yume was suddenly yanked backward.
"What?!" she cried, as her arms and legs were seized by tendrils of fire that burned her skin where they touched.
"Wind Fire!" Kagura shouted.
Looking up, Yume saw her launching the technique into the air.
The strike hit the dome directly and made it explode.
The blast hit her squarely; Yume's body tumbled for several meters, throwing up sparks and dust.
When she stopped, she rose with agility despite the pain.
When she looked around again, Kagura was gone.
"Where is she?!" she searched the area, clutching her side, breathing hard.
A gust of wind rose behind her. When she turned she was struck and suspended in the air, crushed against the empty space behind her: the wind held her trapped, immobile.
The sound of the shattered wall echoed behind Yume.
When the wind subsided, her body fell to the ground with violence.
"She's lost… she's lost…" the prisoners murmured, growing more agitated.
Mothers hugged their children to their chests, the men restrained their anger, the children cried in fear.
Kagura advanced toward them, her gaze cold.
"I warn you… as soon as I find the stolen goods, I will punish all of you too."
She turned and walked away, Benibane hovering threateningly at her side.
Meanwhile, Yume lay on the ground, her body full of burns and blood running from her head.
"You're weak… and useless."
A voice echoed inside her.
When she opened her eyes again, she was no longer in the warehouse. She found herself in a dilapidated house: broken windows, cracked walls, sunlight filtering through the slats of the roof.
"This place…" Yume murmured, clenching her fists. "I know it…"
"Don't worry — I'll make you useful,"
Yume spun around at the voice; she knew it very well, arrogant and cold.
"Shirogane!" she spat the name with disgust, her eyes full of anger.
"It's been a long time since we met…" he whispered, beginning to circle her with slow steps.
"And to think that now you're getting put in trouble by a giant butterfly." He sneered, his gaze sharp.
"Where has your strength… and the brazenness you had when you faced me on that terrace gone?"
"Shut up! What do you know?!" she snapped back.
Shirogane stopped. "I know a lot about you, far too much. I taught you how to fight." His voice grew darker. "And now you hold back… only because you consider her a friend."
Yume didn't answer.
"Now I'll show you what you should do!" Shirogane stepped toward her.
"Tsk…" a groan escaped her lips.
The phantom plunged the shadow blade into her chest. The blade's chill slipped into her, so real it took her breath away.
"We'll meet again." His smile vanished into the dark.
The pain was so sharp it ripped her from the vision. Yume shot upright, jolting.
Kagura was still walking away when she stopped abruptly. A shiver ran through her. "What is… this spiritual energy?!" she whispered, whipping around.
Before her, Yume had risen. The spirit floated beside her.
Suddenly, in front of Kagura's eyes they vanished. "Benibane… do you see them?!" she asked the spirit.
"I—"
She didn't have time to finish: a piece of iron steeped in spiritual energy came crashing into her, striking her squarely in the chest.
The impact threw her to the ground, cracking the floor into fragments.
"Benibane!!" Kagura screamed.
Behind her Yume reappeared.
Kagura tried to turn, but the girl anticipated her.
A lateral kick struck her with force. Her body flew through the air, crashing into one of the warehouse's largest cages.
A thunder of broken iron, vases shattering, paintings tearing like paper.
Through the dust, Yume's voice rang out clear. "Be strong, Kagura… I'm here."