Fire Princess Reviews

She could do it, she'd get really angry and determined about it and the main theme would play like DON'T LOSE YOUR WAYYYYY and then she uses the scissorblade to slice her dick off and uses life fibers to make her vagina and then Satsuki is like "hmm I see you've found the strength to move forward. not bad"

(So I decided to write a Light Novel. I still got a long way to go. But I'm whittling it away a chapter at a time. I've posted it on AO3 and Royal Road. So why not here? Yes it's an Isekai, but I'm hoping that it's different enough that everyone can enjoy it!) Summary:

In 1976 Aya Saitou roamed the streets of Kyoto as the Fanged Dragon Princess. She was a delinquent with a code. Aya lived for her gang, like a makeshift family.

But one day in a standard turf fight, Aya jumped in the way of an attack meant for a girl she had a crush on.

Aya Saitou, 17, gasped her last breath in a cold alleyway, longing for a cigarette.

Or so she thought!

Waking up in the afterlife, a goddess named Hessnia has picked her to be a 'Champion' in a cosmic game. The prize? One wish. Just one problem, Hessnia and Aya disagree on how to be a champion.

Aya doesn't want the magic. She doesn't want the glory. She just wants her lighter back, and a way home. So she'll win, but it'll be on her terms. Chapter 1: What a Drag

"Akabane!" I felt my body move before I called out to my junior. The girl from the other gang had already lunged forward. My arms stretched out, and I pushed Akabane out of harms way. Making my body as wide as possible, attempting to shield her from the oncoming attack. I felt my body collide with the attacker's, and my arms closed in around her. Gripping her as tightly as I could, I began to slam my forehead into hers until I felt her start to go limp. The attacker slumped to the ground as I released her, and I felt the warm drip of my own blood from a cut above my eye. That didn't bother me, why should it? I had been in enough of these gang fights that a cut here or there was nothing new to me.

Akabane was different, she had only joined our gang a few weeks ago, and this was her first real fight. Checking to make sure no one else needed my immediate attention, I turned to face my Junior to make sure she hadn't been hurt. That's when I was greeted with a look of shock and terror. This too didn't faze me. I had to imagine that witnessing someone being headbutted into unconsciousness for the very first time was probably unsettling. I squatted down to offer her a helping hand back up. That's when I felt a sharp pain in my side, and noticed the familiar warm wet sensation that I had only felt moments prior above my eye. That look wasn't for my actions, and as I looked to my side I saw the very thing I had sought to protect Akabane from. A knife was sunk deep into me, and the adrenaline of the situation had tapered off.

"Deep breaths, deep breaths" I repeated in my head like a mantra as my legs started to feel unsteady. I couldn't fall now, I reasoned. We were in the middle of a gang fight, and if I fell now who would look out for everyone and get us all home safe? Deep breaths, oxygen, air, I had to keep that flowing. Cursing myself a little now that I spent the last six years of my life smoking a pack a day. Every breath tasted like ash and blood, but I had to keep going. I thumped my chest with a fist a few times, commanding my heart to keep pumping blood where it needed to be. I stomped my feet begging my legs to stand firm while I held myself together. When one of the pack is injured that's when the opportunists take advantage of the situation. Being too focused on my situation I hadn't noticed several of the girls from the other gang, inch closer towards Akabane and I.

Keep beating, my heart. Keep flowing, my blood. I am Aya Saitou, feared by men and women a like as the Fanged Dragon Princess of Kyoto. I can't die here, I rationalized. There were so many more things I had left to do. Promises I had to keep. No, dying here was absolutely out of the question. Today I was walking away from this fight with my sisters, and there would be one less gang who thought they could fuck with the Fallen Dragons.

My fists swung wildly, flesh on flesh, bone on bone. One hit, it had to be one hit. If I dragged out a fight with any of them too long Akabane would be the one to pay for my mistake. Just as I flung my elbow into the side of one of the other girl's head I felt something hard and wooden break over mine. A board? A Bat? It didn't matter, my knees were buckling and I was falling forward. My eyes flicked towards my junior, another girl having taken her by her raven locks and pulled her head back, threatening to connect fist to face. I caught myself and grabbed the girl in front of me, screaming wildly as I lifted her and threw her into the one threatening to harm the pristine face of Akabane.

Everything else after that was a blur, I kept fighting, swinging whatever limb I could into whatever body I could. Collapsing in front of the girl I tried so hard to protect. The rest of our gang having finally torn away from their own quarrels to back us up. I could feel the blood at my side soaking through my uniform, and my extremities going cold.

"YEAH YOU GET OUT OF HERE! DON'T FUCK WITH THE FALLEN DRAGONS OF KYOTO AGAIN, YOU DUMB BITCHES!"

I wanted to laugh, it hurt to try, I could always count on Yamagata to scream what I would have anyway. Feeling the tears on my face, I finally noticed that my head was resting in Akabane's lap. Ah shit, a pretty girl like her shouldn't be crying. Not over someone like me.

"Fuck this looks bad, Saitou you just keep breathing." Akena's face betraying how bad it really was. Not like I couldn't feel it. That much blood on the ground? Yeah guess this is the last stop.

"Hey! Don't move dumbass!" Yamagata chided me as I reached down into my jacket pocket and pulled out a cigarette. Shakily I brought it to my lips.

"The fuckin point? I'm dying here. Might as well have one last drag right?" I chuckled, trying to bring the mood up. All the good that was doing me. Some of the toughest ladies I know looking like scared children around me. Fuck that's not how I want them to remember me.

"Don't fucking talk like that, you dumb muscle brained gorilla! You can hear the ambulance can't you?" Kanagi clearly yelling to keep from crying herself.

I clumsily fished my lighter out of a different pocket, and flipped it open. Clicking the flame on the edges of my vision were starting to go dark. This was it then, "You girls look out for each other, make anyone... who crosses you...paaa-" the last thing I felt was the lighter slip from my grip, my last cigarette unlit. What a drag.

Next there was a light, not a soft inviting light like they told me there would be. It was harsh and blinding, it hurt even with my eyes closed. I sat up and slowly blinked my eyes open, my vision blurred and coming into focus. Whiteness stretched out into the horizon in every direction around me. Closer to me was white marbled furniture, soft cushions of scarlet and violet laid out on top. And laid across them a blonde woman, with ivory like skin, and eyes that were a shade of blue that couldn't be real. Well shit guess there's an afterlife after all.

I moved to gingerly get to my feet when I noticed the pain at my side was gone, in fact the pain everywhere was gone. My knuckles didn't ache with forming bruises, the concussion I had given myself had dissipated. My mouth didn't taste coppery or even like ash. The only way you could tell I had been in a fight is that my clothes were still stained with dirt and blood. Wild to experience this after such a visceral death.

"Aya Saitou," the voice felt like it was all around me, loud and crushing. It made the hair on the back of my neck stand up, and my hands curl into fists. If there hadn't only been one other person around, I wouldn't even know where to look. The Blonde woman sat up from her opulent lounge, and began walking towards me. Flowing white robes dragging along behind her, held slightly aloft by an unseen force.

"Yes! That's it. That's why I'm picking you," She was suddenly behind me, and I swung back out of surprise only catching air.

"Easy now, I'm on your side. Or rather you're on mine." Behind me again but this time a few feet away.

"Yeah well, maybe don't do weird magic shit around a girl who just got stabbed." I spit on the ground in front of me, eyes forward, shoulders squared. "Wanna tell me what all this is? I feel like some kinda prize plucked out of a goddamn Gachapon."

"This, my dear girl, is your second chance," she answered, "I am the goddess, Hessnia. And you, my sharp edged little street tough, are my champion."

"Champion of what? Your pristine marble need polished? Your cushions fluffed?"

"Ah hahaha... charming..." Hessnia's voice was flat, "No. You've been chosen for a special game. It's very simple. Every One Thousand years Blah blah... a champion is blah blah... thrilling game blah blah..."

I felt the words slipping out of my mental grasp as they reached my ears. This bimbo looking goddess was starting to sound like my math teacher when he talked about the importance of fractions. Surely this was hell, why else would I have to endure this torture?

"Are you paying attention?"

"What?"

"Are you paying attention, I'm telling you why you're here."

"Yeah yeah something about video games or whatever."

"A game for me, yes. A bet made between other Gods. But for you a grueling fight."

"OH! A Fight!? Should have started with that! You're talking to the Strongest Delinquent of Yamagata Splendid Lotus Girls' Academy. Aya Saitou, the Fanged Dragon Princess of Kyoto. I'll put my fist to whoever's jaw and we can get this over with."

Hessnia did not look amused, but what else was new from adults and authority figures when they spoke to me. "I could have picked the police officier, or the brain dead solider... but this looked like so much more fun I said," her voice laced with regret. The goddess took a deep breath and recentered herself.

"Look Aya, it's a lot of fights, multiple people with the backing of other gods. All you got to do is beat them and you get your prize."

"Which is what?"

"One wish! Whatever you want. Fame, Money, Boysss- Okay not boys" I must have made a face for the correction, good correction. "Look whatever your little vicious heart desires."

There was a lot to work with there, I thought about an endless supply of cigarettes, all I could eat beef bowls, an arcade that never closed where your parents never came looking. And then I thought of Akabane, the other girls in the gang would look out for her of course, but they weren't me. They didn't get how special she was.

"What about going back to my world?"

"What? Why would you... fine yes, whatever. You could even wish to go back to your world."

"Then like I said, show me what jaw to connect my fist to, and let's get this over with." I was finally noticing my heart beating in my chest again. Fighting for my life? I didn't know where these other champions came from, or what their home lives were like. But for me, that was just another afternoon. And no sweet treat, no booze, not even the kiss of ash from my favorite brand of cigarettes filled me with as much joy.

"Not so fast there are things we need to take care of first," Hessnia's form grew exponentially, towering over me.

"Aya Saitou," Her voice like thunder and rain, "Do you swear to be my champion throughout this ordeal until victory or death?"

"Yeah, but it's going to be victory," I grinned looking up at her.

"Then hence forth let it be known that you Aya Saitou, the Fanged Dragon Princess of Kyoto, are under the Banner of Hessnia, Goddess of the Storm," Hessnia grew too bright to look at for a moment, and when the light faded she was back to how she was before, "Great now that that's finished, let's talk about your power."

"Oh sure, I work out every day. Been in fights since elementary school. Did some Boxing and some Karate when my parents thought I needed structure and an 'outlet'. And I can bench press three-hundred fifty pounds on a good day."

"No no, Aya. I know all that, that's why I picked you. No being my champion means you get a Special Power. Usually something tied to my personal godhood, but there have been exceptions."

"What? Special power?"

"Yes like I could make your blows electrocute your opponents, or maybe give you super speed. A Wall like you would make for an impressive freight train. Or I have weapons that can tear a person asunder with one blow. The choice is you-"

"Pass!"

"Pass? What do you mean 'pass'?"

I crossed my arms and spit at her feet, "You want me to cheat? Fat chance!"

Hessnia sighed and rubbed her temples "It's not cheating, everyone gets a special ability."

"Great then they're all weak wussies, and I'll have this done before dinner time."

"Aya this is just how things are done!"

"Get this through your thick skull, you dumb Bimbo!" I began as I stomped towards her," I don't need any of that pussy shit. You wanna force that on me, get yourself another champion and put me back in the ground."

"I-I can't! We already did the ritual!" Hessnia sputtered, "I'm stuck with you! You stupid brat!"

"Well then we better get started so I can go home and stop looking at your stupid face!"

"Fine then... You won't take a boon? How about a curse? Hmm!? SINCE I'M GOING TO LOSE ANYWAY!?"

The wind whipped up around me, the pristine floors fading and cracking around my feet. Hessnia's eyes were pure white, sparking with electricity as she pointed a finger at me. Well never punched a Goddess before, but I wasn't about to let her take me out without trying. I curled my hands into fists, and felt the muscles in my legs tighten as I prepared to charge.

"AYA SAITOU!" Her voice like thunder, breaking my rhythm instantly, I froze "NEVER AGAIN WILL YOU PARTAKE IN YOUR FAVORITE COMFORT! FOR EVER SHOULD YOU TRY YOU SHALL ONLY KNOW PAIN AND SUFFERING!"

A bolt of light shot out from her finger tip and ripped it's way through me as the wind started whirling faster and faster. I tried to push through the fierce winds, keeping my eyes as best I could on Hessnia. But as the winds picked up, my eyes felt dry, I blinked.

I felt myself falling before I opened my eyes to see unfamiliar lands getting ever closer to me. The wind passing by me so fast it was screaming in my ears. What was the point of cursing me if I was about to die to terminal velocity anyway? Well that was my second life I suppose. It was short and annoying. I hit the ground with an earth shattering crash. The dirt cratering under me a few feet before it became solid enough to stop me dead in my descent. Fuck that hurt! But not as much as it should have? I got to my feet easily and brushed myself off. Same clothes, same blood stains. That's fine, any clothes Hessnia made probably would have been to sneak in a cheat. A started looking around seeing wheat fields, and rolling hills as far as the eye could see. Where the hell am I?

Climbing out of the crater I made didn’t help. Not that it should. Akena had read enough manga like this that I shouldn't be surprised I didn't know where I was. I heard her voice pop into my head.

"You don't get it Saitou, it's interesting!" she chided one morning.

"If it ain't got martial arts or nothing, it can't be that interesting."

"The interesting part is Carol-chan being outside her own time! She doesn't get Egyptian politics."

"Ugh that sounds more like homework that something fun to read," I sneered.

"You don't ever wonder what you would do if you suddenly found yourself someplace completely new, and foreign?"

"Shit like that don't happen in the real world. Now Ashita no Joe! There's a manga that knows what's up."

Well hell, looks like I should have taken an interest in Akena's weird little fantasy manga. Sounded like a lot of crying and sand to me. I reached into my jacket pocket and felt a wave of relief at the familiar crinkle of the cellophane wrapper of a seven stars cigarette pack. I'd have to savor every last one, they probably didn't have cigarettes in... wherever I was. And nothing was as good as the rich, robust smooth flavor of a seven stars ciga-... Something felt wrong, a thinness to the pack. I looked down, there should have been at least twelve left since I bought them this afternoon. All that was left was a single stick, surrounded by the tattered remains of its brethren. One last cigarette.

I felt my body weight drop down immediately as I went into a squat. Staring a hole through the lone survivor. Shit. Shitshitshit! Making twelve cigarettes last would have been hard enough. How was I to ration a single one? I reached for where my lighter should be and felt nothing. Double shit. How I was going to ration a single Seven Star didn't matter if I couldn't light the damn thing. My eyes scanned the area. If my Seven Stars...Star was here, then surely- AH HA! About a yard away I saw it, my eyes locked onto the familiar scratched up golden metal that was my lighter. Half buried in the dirt, the dragon engraving was as recognizable as ever.

Walking over to pick it up I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. A smaller mass of shadow darted towards my lighter. I went to intercept, my footing felt off and instead of snatching up the lighter I overshot it by almost a foot. That crashlanding must have really messed with my balance. Turning back towards my lighter I saw it. A creature I had never seen before. It was green, kind of hairy, long pointy ears, and long tail that came to a tuff of hair at the end.

"What the fuck are you?... wait.. no, don't you dare."

The creature reached a spindly hand towards my lighter, and in one movement snatched it up and darted in the opposite direction of me. I felt dumbstruck for a second, and then I scrambled after it. It was small, with little legs, surely it couldn't outrun me. I found myself catching up very quickly. The loose soil was making my strides a little difficult, but not slowing me down as much as I thought it would have. I leaned down as I ran, inching closer to this mangy, little, green mutt, when suddenly it darted in a different direction. I was faster but it was more nimble. What a pain, I thought as I tried to turn only to find myself tumbling against the ground. Just what was going on with me today? Back on the pursuit, having to make up even more distance. I needed to end this quickly before I got winded. Maybe it was just the need for my lighter, but it felt like I wasn't close to getting tired. I could feel the ends of my fingers almost touching hair, when the creature dived into a hole, and I went ass over end into the dirt.

"LITTLE SHIT!" I roared, my hands digging into the dirt and ripping it up looking for that little green bastard. As I was digging I heard a scream a little ways away. A woman, maybe? That didn't concern me, I really needed that-

"I swear we have nothing left!" I caught just barely... Damn it. I threw down the dirt in my hands and wiped them on my skirt as I stood up. I listened and walked towards the direction of the shouting. Wasn't too far away, spotted them almost instantly. There were a group of people, two sides. One side was holding weapons and pointing them at the other, the other side seemed to be shrinking backwards. Five weapon wielding people with masks, seven or so on the other side.

"Awww come on now, surely you've got more for us," the lead masked man said, "What about a kiss for ol Grinhook?"

"I doubt very much that you'd leave it at that!" spat a woman with mouse brown hair, "You have our money, please leave us be!"

"Well lass, you're right about two things. We do have all your money."

"And the second?"

"Ol Grinhook and his boys want a lot more than a kiss!" He broke into cruel laughter, "Alright boys! let's have us a taste!"

"Hey! Shit for brains!" I snarled.

"Eh? And what do we have here? Oh looks like another pretty girl, come to entertain us."

Ugh, disgusting. "If getting your ass beat is entertaining for you, then yeah. This is Star Tanjo! And I'm freaking Kinichi Hagimoto."

"Coulda guessed you was some kinda magic user with them weird clothes. Hagi-What!? Is that some kind of a fancy spell?" his goons laughed.

"It means I'm about to judge you into the dirt." I clenched my right fist tight and raised my arm.

"Oh feisty!" Came a voice from another one, "Let me have her boss! I'll show her what we do to fiesty girls." He wheezed a sputtering laugh, and pulled out a knife from his belt. That's fine, it didn't matter the order. They were all about to get a lesson in Strong Style.

He charged at me, and I sprinted towards him. He lunged with his knife. I side stepped it, and dug my heels into the ground. I lowered, my muscles coiling like a spring, and I SWUNG! There was something I expected to feel. A body being flung into the dirt below us. The sensation of forearm meeting chest and throat. Instead I felt a warm spray of liquid up my side, and absolutely no resistance in my arm. What's more I had moved five feet from where I had started. Looking behind me, all I saw was a headless body just as it crumpled to the ground. I raised my arm to look at it and saw the smear of flesh, blood, and bone strewn across it.

"HOLY SHIT!?" I looked towards the other bullies with weapons "What are you people made out of? Wet cardboard?"

The look on Grinhook, as he called himself, was one of pure terror. He kept looking from the body to me, and then back to the body. All his friends were backing slowly away from me.

"WELL!?" I barked, "Someone say something! Was your friend there just weak or something!?"

"Miss? Ol Grinhook and his boys don't want no trouble. No Ma'am. No trouble at all. Just... Just gonna go about our day."

This was pathetic, but it was fine. The sooner this was done the sooner I could try and go back for my lighter.

"Then fucking get out of here already, go!"

They all fled as fast as they could, looking back at me to see if I would give chase. Bumping, crashing, and falling into one another as they made their escape. It was like watching Hachiji Da Yo! Zen'in Shugo. I'd laugh except for I just killed a guy, and I was covered in his filth. Not my best day ever. I turned towards the folks I'd just rescued. They looked just as scared as Grinhook and his gang.

"Are you all okay? Anyone hurt or anything?"

"J-just Percival," It was mouse girl, "They st-stabbed him, and took his staff."

"That's real low, stabbing an old guy like that," I spit on the ground, "So is he... dead? You people going to be okay?"

"I'm... not dead." came a groan. A few feet away, held up by a kid was a guy who couldn't have been much older than me.

"Oh shit, they stabbed you even though you can't walk?"

"No. No.. I assure you it was no walking stick. But my magic isn't as good without it." Percival, I assumed, replied.

"Magic? Like what... card tricks or something?"

Percival was helped to his feet by the kid propping him up, "No tricks. I am mastering the arcane arts!" I felt like he was putting extra bravado into this. But that's what magicians did after all. Percival lifted his arm, snapped his finger, a spark and then a small flame were produced above his fingers.

"AHH! THAT'S WHAT I NEED!" Everyone seemed to step back about a foot from me, as I shouted.

"You have need of the mystic arts? You seem to do," Percival swallowed nervously as his head motioned towards the corpse "fine without it."

"The what? No! The fire, I need that. Let me borrow your lighter or whatever. I'll give it back."

"Lighter?"

"Yeah the thing you're using to make the fire, or whatever. I'd use mine, but some hairy little green shit stole it and ran off with it. Plan to get it back but I just can not fucking think without a cigarette right now." I dug into my jacket and pulled out what was left of my Seven Stars. Half of it. I'd smoke half of it, get the lighter back, then smoke the other half. Surely this world had some form of tobacco or something close. The group of people watched with curiosity as I put the cigarette to my mouth and beckoned Percival over. With the aid of the kid, he managed to limp towards me. Holding the Seven Star in my lips I snapped and mimed the flame production for him.

"You want me to make more fire, and that's it?"

"Come on, be a pal. I'm dying here!" I felt bad sounding this lame, but sometimes you had to swallow your pride to get a smoke. Percival raised his hand, and snapped. More fire was made. Perfect. I leaned in looking at him, I had never seen someone look increasingly sick as I got closer. Whatever, the end touched the flame and I started to inhale. This was going to be so goo- My eyes shot open. I was experiencing something I hadn't felt since I was a first year in Junior High. I started coughing. The smoke felt like acid in my lungs. I was hacking and wheezing. Falling over to my knees, continuing to cough. It felt like I was about to throw up. I did throw up. The Seven Star was ruined in the aftermath. What just happened? I smoked twenty cigarettes a day. I had been smoking twenty cigarettes a day for the last three years! I heard that blond bimbo bitch's voice in my head. Never partake in my favorite comfort again? Shall only know pain and suffering? Wait a minute... I hadn't lost my breath once? It didn't hurt to breathe? Nooooo she couldn't have. She WOULDN'T have! I got up to my feet and screamed into the sky.

"HESSNIA YOU BITCH! YOU CURED MY SMOKER'S LUNGS!?"

"OOOOOH! HOHOHOHOHOHO!" Of course she had that kind of laugh. Why wouldn't she have that kind of laugh? There she was, Hessnia. Goddess of the Storm. Coming down from the sky, laughing, she was even doing the stupid hand pose. Everyone else dropped to the ground, bowing their heads until they were crawling backwards on their stomachs.

"Ah! See there, Aya? Proper respect." I just rolled my eyes. "And yes, I took away your ability to enjoy your favorite thing."

"Yeah... noticed with the puking and everything."

"And that'll happen every time you try. Any time you get too close to smoke." She grinned a triumphant grin, "But don't worry. I still left you with the desire for them."

I was certainly feeling that. It was like a hum in my brain, and every second without one made me more aware of the hum. I felt so much hate towards her in that moment I could spit. Goddess or not I lunged at her, reaching out a hand to take a swipe at her stupid smug face. I barely noticed the look of shock on her face before she flitted out of sight.

"Tsk! You're so barbaric. Which would have been a positive if you hadn't rejected my offer. Anyway you're better off not trying to strike me. You'd never be able to catch me."

It was my turn to grin. I slowly turned back towards her, hunched over slightly and raising my fist. Between my fingers were a few strands of golden hair. "You think so?"

Hessnia looked to my fist and then felt her hair, noticing it was just slightly out of place. She quickly floated at least a few dozen more feet off the ground.

"Interesting.... You weren't that fast before." I watched her tap her chin. She was sizing me up, processing something new, " You know what Aya? Maybe not all is lost after all."

"Spit it out!"

"You're still my champion, and something seems to be working for you. So you want to smoke again? Beat the other champions, win that wish, then we'll talk."

Mentally I was pulled in two different directions. One part of me wanted to see if I could hit her with a rock from here, the other was latching on to the promise of being able to smoke again.

"You want me to wander around aimlessly challenging people?"

"No. That's stupid. I don't care really what you do most days. Thirty days, Aya. Every thirty days you'll know where the next person you're supposed to fight is. You'll see. Farewell for now."

And with that she was gone. A fight every thirty days? What was I supposed to do with myself in the meantime? Well there was always my lighter.

"Hey you.... Percival?"

"Y-yes?" he was even more shaken than before.

"You know where I can find the green turd that took my lighter?"

"I-if you mean a Goblin... there is a umm... camp, of sorts, to the woods in the west," he shakily pointed a finger to a tree line a little ways away.

"Good.. Thanks for the light."

"You're just going to leave us here with no defense!?" It was mouse girl again.

"What am I supposed to babysit you now forever?" I would have ignored her. She wasn't the one who lit their fingers on fire, and yet she was the one yelling at me. I respected the guts that took.

"Without Percival's magic we could be attacked again! If not by bandits, then by monsters. We'll be dead out here!"

I grumbled a bit, rubbing the back of my head, "You want me to go get his stick?"

"Yes... please?"

Damn it. Did she have to look at me with those big eyes? "What's your name?"

"T-Tanya.."

"Well Tanya stay put," I began as I started walking towards the direction Percival pointed, "I'll get the stick, but lighter first." (Author Notes:

Akena is referencing one of the earliest proto–otome isekai works: Crest of the Royal Family about a girl who suddenly finds herself in the middle of ancient Egyptian Politics and Intrigue.

Ashita No Joe is an old Boxing Manga

Seven Stars was a popular brand of Cigarette in Japan during the 70s, it was known for being high in nicotine and High in Tar

Strong Style is a style of Professional Wrestling made famous by Antonio Inoki

Star Tanjo! was the massive 1970s talent search show that birthed the "Idol" era in Japan it and was hosted by Kinichi Hagimoto

Aya goes for a walk in the woods, it isn't a memorable one... until it suddenly is.

What will the Fanged Dragon Princess of the Fallen Dragons of Kyoto do when she's suddenly surrounded by unseen monsters in the brush?

Whatever happened to Ol Grinhook anyway?

I hated this. Every step made me more aware of what was going on. Every breath was almost overwhelmingly sharp. The way my lungs expanded in my chest, they had never felt this full. And my steps? I was leaving deep imprints with each one. The forest floor giving way to the weight of my stride. People weren't meant to be like this. At least -I- wasn't meant to. I took a break from walking towards this camp to the west. I could keep going, I wasn't tired. And that was part of the problem. In a new world, in my body. But it felt unrecognizable. Besides that Percival guy could have been lying. After what I did to that robber, and my interaction with Hessnia, he practically wet himself when I asked where to find my lighter. Could have been trying to get rid of me. It'd be the smart thing to do.

Nah, he hadn't been lying. I didn't know what a 'goblin' was supposed to smell like, but the little green shit looked mangy and scraggly. So they probably smelled pretty bad. And the more West I went, the more it started to smell a little rancid. But that could have been a dead animal or a nasty plant of some kind. I wouldn't know till I got there. Damn it. I'm using this stupid curse again. My sense of smell had been horrible for years, but now it was like I could smell every single leaf on every tree around me. Who needs to smell this good? What am I a dog?

I frowned, it was the fifth time I had done it since entering the forest. I caught my hand reaching for my pack of cigarettes. I knew they weren't there, and worse if they were I wouldn't be able to smoke them. I let myself lean against a tree. Who the hell ever heard of a smoke break without something to smoke? I slumped to the ground and tried to ignore the buzzing in my brain. Why couldn't I be cursed to like boys? Actually that would have been worse. But she could have picked something other than my smokes! I raised my head and looked up towards the sky, watching the way the light danced through the branches in the wind.

"Isn't it so amazing, Saitou!?" Akabane had ran ahead of me towards the overlook. I, of course, needed a little extra time getting there.

"Yeah it's.. geez.. Really great out here," I was panting, trying to get my breath under control. "And I told you... You can..." My voice caught in my throat as she turned to look at me. My face felt flush in a way that I knew wasn't from all the exercise of the hike. "You can call me, Aya..." since when was my voice so small?

Akabane's face turned a light shade of pink, she probably just got a little too much sun. "Only if you call me Miu.... Now come look!"

I stood up straight and walked over to the ledge, the railing separating us from a sudden fall. Overlooking the Kiyotaki river, watching it snake through the Mt. Ogura Forest. The yellows and reds of the maples looked amazing in the afternoon sun from this height. At least that's what Akabane told me.

"It's really pretty isn't it?" she asked staring out at the wilderness.

"Yeah... it really is.." I was staring at her. I turned my head quickly towards the scenery as I noticed her head turning to look at me. She tugged at the hem of my shirt.

"Come on! Not to far from the temple now!" She giggled like a wind chime and ran ahead. Just where did she find the energy? I turned my head to follow, the sun catching my eyes causing me to blink.

My eyes opened up, and Akabane was gone. I was alone, sitting under the tree I had propped myself up against. Get the lighter back, get the stick, beat the champions, go home. That's all I had to do. Ugh what was that smell? The rancid smell that I had been following was starting to disappear, replaced by an almost overwhelming pungent, musky odor. Worse yet every way I turned seemed to have the same smell. I slowly got to my feet, everything about this stank. A rustle in the brush behind me, I turned only for a different rustle to sound off to the left. Next came a chorus of high pitched laughter that made me feel uneasy. I squared my shoulders and raised my fists as the manic laughter got louder. Another rustle, much closer to me this time, I swung a fist towards it demolishing the bush, but not hitting anything more than foliage and dirt. It happened then, a sharp pain at the back of my right ankle. My leg giving out under my weight putting me on one knee. Another rustle, this time something darting away from me. I turned my head and saw a flash of browning yellowish fur disappear into the brush. I turned myself so that I was back against the tree. I glanced at my ankle, a thin red line and a splatter of blood on my loafers.

"Alright you punks! Enough of this peek-a-boo shit! Come out and fight me for real!" the laughter intensified all around me. If I could just- I ducked my head almost a second too late. It was the glint of steel, and a change in the air that gave it away. Duck enough lead pipes from behind, it was almost second nature to be aware of things swinging at your head. There was a hard THUNK into the tree behind me, and I snapped my arm out and struck something leathery. A crunch of bone and a high pitched yelp like a dog, whatever I struck sailed back into the foliage just out of sight. I reached up and pulled worn and chipped axe from the tree. What the hell?

The laughter died down, the movement in the brush stopped. Soon it was replaced by low, vicious growling. Angry barking replacing the chorus of inhuman laughter. You'd think I was in a Nobuhiko Obayashi flick. I caught another flash of steel, another axe, this time thrown at me. I brought the axe in my hand up in a blocking slash. I don't know if it was the force I swung with, or the shoddy craftmanship, but both the axe I was holding and the thrown one burst apart. The heads of them flying in two directions. There it was, one of these stalking creatures lunging at me. It was like some ugly, mangy, hunched over looking dog man. Just looking at it made me sick to my stomach, but I didn't have time to process that. Claws and teeth were aimed at me, and suddenly found myself pushing forward with my injured leg. I stood up, and brought my fist up at the same time. Two things happened. First it twisted it's body away from the blow. Second it was pushed back by a rush of air that fanned out from the strike.

"Shit... never done that before."

I watched it get to its feet as three more exited from the bushes. Each of them growling and circling me, wearing some kind of weird, thick, sleeveless, brown top. Well at least I was standing now. I tried to put weight on my seemingly working bad leg, only for it to falter slightly, putting me off balance. Another one lunged at me, being off balance I didn't get the swing I wanted out of my punch. I connected but not with the gusto of the last punch. I felt claws against my arm as the knuckles hit the elongated jaw of this beast. It bounced to the ground in a whine but scrambled back up to its feet. I was too focused on that one and there were claws in my back, and teeth in my shoulder. The growling in my ears as I started to tip over. I was swinging wildly, every which way to keep the other three off me. Reaching back I ripped the last one off, and I drove it straight into the ground in a powerful driver that would have made Inoki proud. There was a wet sickening thud against the ground and the dog creature slumped over on its neck, and blood started to pool around my legs. I shot the other three the most terrifying look I could, stopping them dead in their tracks.

"Well? Wanna keep going!?" I didn't know if they could understand me, but they started to back up into the brush out of sight. I sat there, listened, and waited. Other than the smell of the one in front of me, the scent of the other three dissipated, and I was starting to smell the rancid smell I had been following before. I pushed myself back against the tree, even if they had left, those creatures were still out there. Shit that fucker bit me, do they have rabies in this world? Would the people of this world even have a treatment for it if it did exist? Nothing to be done about it now, that was a bridge to burn later. I looked down at my ankle, walking on that was going to be a- wait. I flexed my foot a little. My ankle was tender but there wasn't the sharp pain from before. I undid the buttons of my fuku and carefully pulled it off. My shoulder still stinging from the bite. I looked it over and cursed under my breath. My fuku was ruined, wet with dog drool and, presumably, blood. Seeing the blood I reached up to my shoulder and felt the wounds. Something felt off. I looked to the long jagged teeth of the dead one in front of me and traced where it bit. Shallow. The punctures were shallow. It felt like the teeth went deeper than the wounds would suggest. I turned my arm up to me to look at where the claws sunk in. That's when I noticed the gashes were starting to scab quickly. What's more I noticed I still wasn't breathing hard, despite all altercation. What the fuck is wrong with me?

I sighed, worrying about this wasn't going to make it go away. I wasn't smart enough to even understand how it was happening. Akabane got good grades in every class, she would have known. I ran my fingers over the holes in my fuku. Damn it. Just fucking damn it. The custom embroidery was ruined, and it no longer read 'Aya Saitou, Fanged Dragon Princess of the Kyoto Fallen Dragons'. It didn't read anything now, it was just a mess of letters and thread. Someone had to know how to sew in this world. Maybe Tanya or someone else in her group. My lighter was still at the top of my list, but that stick was creeping up the ladder.

I allowed myself a few more moments of self pity before slapping myself in the face. This was no time to feel sorry for myself. I put my arms through the sleeves of my fuku and buttoned it up. Standing and testing my ankle. It felt like I had twisted it a week ago, still sore but perfectly walkable. I turned my nose from the dead dog man, and back towards where the rancid smell was coming from. That's the target, probably. I was still guessing. I rolled my neck to pop it and I got back to my hike. Anything else wanted to fuck with me, it would learn how bad an idea that was quickly.

As I continued my hike towards the smell, my ankle improved until I only noticed how much it didn't hurt. The cuts on my arm having begun the process of fading into scars. At least I would have a cool new scar to show off to the girls when I got back. About my fifth rendition of humming Hiromi Iwasaki's Romance, the smell I had been followed reached an all time high. I spotted a break in the tree line, what laid beyond it was obscured by bright sunlight coming through the trees. For a moment I thought about just stepping through, and then I felt Manami's hand on my shoulder. Right who knew what was out there. I crouched down into the brush and peered out.

As my eyes adjusted to the light I saw it. Camp my ass. This clearing held what felt like a whole small town. Walls of logs standing side by side creating a ring around the tents and makeshift buildings. I saw more of those dog creatures barking and laughing. A bunch of those little green bastards rolling around and fighting with each other. With any luck I'd find the one with my lighter. Some slightly larger green bastards laughing at the smaller green bastards. Even larger pig nosed green bastards who joined the medium sized ones in laughing. And at the center of it all was the largest of the pig nosed green bastards, sitting on an ornate, by comparison of everything thing else in this town, chair. He was flanked by two of the larger ones and before them was a group of people on their knees pleading. Wait... I didn't know a lot of people but I knew these ones. Grinhook!?

"Now sir, Ol Grinhook and his friends didn't know those were your goblins! NOT! Not that it makes a difference!" Grinhook laughed a bit too hard for it to be genuine, "But survival of the fittest, surely a law we can all agree in right?"

The one sitting in the chair tilted its head back and forth as if pondering something.

"Aaaaand besides! Ol Grinhook freely let you have that wizard's staff to make up for the trouble. We've got coin too if that's not enough. Name your price, and we'll-"

There was a scream behind Grinhook as one of his friends was impaled by a dog man. The rest of his friends were dispatched of quickly. Grinhook shared a much worse fate. Begging and pleading for his life, shrinking backwards as the one in the chair got up. Fuck that thing must have been at least five meters tall. It reached out and grabbed Grinhook, it lifted him and then bit down on Grinhook's head. I felt sick to my stomach instantly, and had to turn to throw up. The image of Grinhook's body going slack despite screaming for mercy mere seconds before burned into my brain. Wiping my mouth I felt an ember of anger start to build. Sure I was going to beat the shit out of Grinhook and take the stick back when I found him, but this? You didn't murder someone begging for their life, and you certainly didn't... ugh... Eat them.

A new objective had been added to my list. Get the lighter, get the stick, make that pig fucker pay. And luckily for me, all three objectives could be solved here. Time to introduce those fuckers to justice, Kyoto style. (Author Notes:

Mt. Ogura, a mountain near Kyoto, and the surrounding areas are known for their beautiful Japanese Maple Trees which change color in the fall.

Antonio Inoki was one of the most prolific Japanese professional wrestlers of the 70s, having founded New Japan Pro Wrestling in 1972.

Aya is in the thick of it now. She's just one girl, and even if her muscles are getting supercharged by her fresh lungs. She has a whole camp of monsters to content with. And one of them is an absolute giant.

How is the Fanged Dragon Princess of Kyoto going to get out of this one?

Plan. Plan! I needed a fucking plan. Sure our small gang had fended off larger groups before, but it was just me now. I wouldn't have the luxury of extra eyes to watch out for me. So what did I know? There were at least fifteen of those little green bastards, they were small but even a playground full of grade schoolers could be a problem if they wanted to be. The Dog Men, they were quick and liked to do hit and run tactics, five of them had been a problem and if they cut my ankle again... I'd be a sitting duck. What I hated was the unknowns, I hadn't seen what the large green pigs could do, and the biggest pig of all was probably running things.

There was just no way to plan for everything, especially something I couldn't see. Fuck it. I'm going in, and whatever happened? Happened. I stood up and dusted myself off, then flicked the half smoked cigarette from my hand into a puddle. Just as I was about to exit the alley, and storm the abandoned factory, someone gripped my wrist and pulled me back. Only one person was brave enough to do that. I turned and looked at Manami.

"What the hell, Saitou!?" Manami hissed under her breath. She only called me by my last name when she was pissed.

"You fucking saw it," I spat, "Those fucking jerks harassed those girls, and then fucking kidnapped one of them."

"What I saw was you tearing off after them."

"Yeah and I tracked them here, and you tracked me here. So we're all good," I turned away and gripped my fists tightly into knuckles. Manami hooked her arm in mine, and spun us so that she was in my way.

"The hell you stopping me for!?"

"You're not thinking, Aya. You don't have a plan."

"Sure I do, I go in there, and start punching until everyone that needs punching is punched. Save the girl, get her back to her friends. Easy."

Manami sighed and I knew she wanted to hit me, "Those are Bosozoku. Not just any Bosozoku, the Thunder Banner Brotherhood. That's their turf. There's at least ten or more."

"Okay so that's five for me and five for you, unless you're suddenly a coward."

"Listen to me, we're the toughest girls to ever come out of the Sakyo Ward. But we're in Junior High, these are adults."

I gritted my teeth, "So what? We're supposed to just let them kidnap that girl and do... who knows what to her?"

"Of course not!" Manami snapped at me, "But we gotta be smart about this. We can't go in there, we'll get cornered and as tough as we are... numbers are numbers."

"We gotta get more girls for this gang..."

"That's not the point. The thing is, if we can't go in there? We bring them out here. Bottleneck them."

I felt a grin spread across my face, "What do you have in mind?"

Manami shared my grin, "How good are you at throwing rocks?"

Rocks! Rocks were perfect. I was no Tsuneo Horiuchi, but I could usually pitch a rock where I wanted it to go. What's more I knew what a rock could do to someone, if you had enough intent behind it. I started looking around and gathering any stones I could. Ignoring anything too small, pebbles weren't going to cut it. I managed to gather twenty-five stones each the size of a kinkan or a little bigger. Yeah this was going to work, at least it would work well enough. My main goal was to take out every dog man I could see, my ankle didn't hurt anymore, but I wasn't interested in any repeats. Hopefully the little green ones would scatter once the rocks started flying. Any of the pigs left over... I could probably take. All that mattered was clearing a path to that big pig bastard.

I stayed crouched down and looked for my first target. There were three of them yipping away in a corner of the camp. Carefully I aimed, I had to be on target. Once the first rock flew all hell was going to break loose. I pulled my arm back and I snapped my arm forward. I didn't even see the rock hit the first dog man, just heard the whistle of it flying through the air. Then I saw its head pop like a water balloon. Holy shit. The other two dog men were stunned and confused. Well that's a lucky break, I let another rock fly and saw the second one drop. I don't know exactly where I hit but it hit the ground and did not move. That was the only lucky break I was getting, the third started howling and banging it's axe along the log fence line. The whole encampment came alive with activity. I watched them looking around outside their camp. I don't know what they were expecting, but I pitched another rock and watched another dog hit the ground as its leg came clean off. Fuck, don't panic! Aim better!

Aim better? Easier said than done. After the sixth throw I was realizing the power in my arm, as a rock missed its target and hit a makeshift building behind it. The building came down, and pinned one of the pigs. It felt like I was throwing with a construction crane for an arm. Throw after throw I watched the camp become blood soaked and destroyed. And eighteen rocks in the big one released a loud noise that made my ears hurt, but I felt the shift in attention. It figured out where I was and now the camp was moving like one great beast towards me. Them grouping together like that allowed me to hit the last seven of my stones and put multiple dogs and pigs down with single throws. But there still had to be at least twenty of those dogs and pigs headed my way. It didn't matter if they could see me, they'd find me with those numbers. I started to back up until my foot hit a downed log behind me.

No better plans. Crane arms it was. I turned and gripped into the bark. I stood up all at once bringing the damn thing up with me. It wasn't that it was heavy, it was two meters long and awkwardly thick. I raised my right foot and put it down hard onto the ground to push myself off. And I was running. Seeing me the sounds of these creatures got louder. They were probably pleased to have a face to target, and given our size difference, I'm sure they thought they had the advantage regardless of the tree. I skidded to a halt twisting my body back, and then swung with everything I had. Sadaharu Oh, eat your heart out. I connected and a large number of them fell as the wood exploded from impact.

Six... seven... nine... twelve. Twelve left. I felt my heart hammering in my chest. Pure adrenaline rushing through me. They looked confused and concerned. I took a step forward and watched as the legs of several of them twitched. They wanted to step back. Those little green rats had done what I wanted them to, scurry away when the rocks started flying. All that was left was dogs and pigs. I popped my neck and brought my fists up. Keep punching, I told myself, no matter what happens keep punching. I sprang forward and my fist impaled a dog, I swung my arm and sent the body flying at a pig. And by the time it knocked the body away, there I was. A sickening thud of knuckle on flesh. I felt the skull give way under the skin and it was on the ground.

"COME ON THEN!" I roared, trying not to throw up at my own actions. Keep punching Saitou! A pig stepped up and I swung my arm towards it. A clean chop across the chest sounded like thunder all around us. It clutched where I struck, a deep welt already forming, and then fell lifeless. They should have been able to overwhelm me, they had the numbers. But they were too scared to get close. Good. I needed that. My legs were moving before I noticed, and I was treading ground towards the last nine. When a pulse of air erupted from the camp behind them.

"ENOUGH!" The voice was like a swamp, deep and sticky. I turned my head to look and the Big Pig, the one that had eaten Grinhook, was making his way towards our fight. I felt like I had just been splashed with cold water, the adrenaline was coming down and I was feeling nauseous. His footsteps shook the ground as he approached, and I was able to gauge his height. Five Meters? Closer to seven more like, and just my luck I was only one hundred seventy centimeters. The other creatures scrambled to get out of his way, some even daring to dash past me. As much fear as I struck, they feared him more.

"YOU! GIRL!" He pointed a fat disgusting finger, "Who are you? Why attack us?"

Even though he wasn't shouting anymore, I still felt his voice vibrating in my chest. I took a breath and hunched my posture slightly. Looking him in the eye as best I could from down here, as I sank my hands into the pockets of my sukaato. I tilted my head and gave him the most insolent look I could manage.

"Three things. Your dogs bit me. You have things I want. And worst of all you broke the code."

"What code?" He rumbled.

"It doesn't matter what your problems with someone are. A man defeated? Begging for his life? You don't kill and you especially don't eat them."

"You eat cows."

"Well yeah, they're animals. They're meant to be food."

"Humans are dumber than cows. They are animals meant to be consumed by Orcs and Gnolls. Fed to goblins if they bring enough trinkets."

"Try that shit with me, you Pig Bastard. I'll give you an upset stomach."

"Women taste the best... I WILL FEAST TONIGHT!" The wind whipped around us as he shouted, and suddenly he was swinging some kind of huge spiked bat at me. The force of his swing was creating a vacuum, I felt myself pull towards it. Shit. My hands shot out of my pockets as I put them out before me. There wasn't time to dodge, the best I could do was try to defend myself. The palms of my hands made contact with the bat and my feet dug in. This wasn't any good. Even if I was strong how to you stop something that size? The heels of my feet were carving out a path as I was pushed along the ground. As his swing arced up, I left the ground and was sent flying back towards the tree line.

Turn! TURN DAMN YOU! I was trying to get my feet under me. If I could just land on my feet I could spring like I came off the ropes at hi- My back connected with a tree, and I kept going. The lumber uprooted from the force of impact. I bounced and skidded along the ground until I was nearly buried in the earth. FUCK! Falling from the sky hadn't hurt like that. I started to push myself up, and felt my arms shake. Come on move! Fucking move, Aya! They're all waiting for you. Manami, Akena, Yamagata... Akabane. You have to move NOW. With a laborious grunt I stood up. It felt like I could have fallen over again in that moment, but I heard him laughing and felt him walking towards the trees. No time to look weak.

"Little girl thought she could take a blow from Vrothu, Lord of the Dark Wood!" He boomed to the cheers of what was left of his monster squad. I straightened up and made my walk back towards the clearing. Reaching the edge of the ring before him, I allowed myself to enjoy his look of surprise.

"You're strong..." I wiped my lip and spat out some blood that had been pooling in my mouth, "BUT WHAT'S A LORD TO A PRINCESS!?"

I don't know why but when I charged at him, he froze. Maybe he was just used to ending things in one hit. Maybe he forgot what it was like to actually have a knock down, drag 'em out fight. But that was my specialty. He didn't freeze for long, large earth splintering strides being made towards me. His bat high above his head. He brought it down, but this time I was ready. I changed my run and moved a meter to the right of his swing. It crashed into the ground, and I leaped as the ground pushed me up. I landed on the bat and ran up his arm before he could swat me off.

"YOU'RE NOT SPECIAL!" He bellowed as his other hand reached for me. I threw a kick into his palm and sent it reeling back.

"I'M AYA SAITOU! THE FANGED DRAGON PRINCESS OF KYOTO!"

"DRAGON!?"

"AND YOU CAN EAT SHIT!" I clenched my fist, and pulled my arm back. I released a punch with everything I had. I felt my fist connecting with his head and it caused his face to ripple like water from the impact. I watched as the blood vessels under the skin burst outwards from the point of contact, and then his face split open in the same pattern. His body fell like a downed oak, sending shockwaves out all around us. I managed to land on my feet, and took a deep breath. Then threw my head back and screamed triumphantly. A snapping of a branch, I quickly turned my head to see one of the pigs approaching. He shrank back under my gaze, and then it and the others ran away as fast as they could. Good... I was fucking out of gas. I sank to the dirt, and let myself enjoy actually being exhausted. If my rock bombardment hadn't destroyed them, I'd find the lighter and the stick later. Right now I just needed a break. I'd kill for a cigarette. (Author Notes:

Tsuneo Horiuchi: A legendary Japanese baseball pitcher for the Yomiuri Giants whose dominance peaked in the 1970s, famous for pitching historic games and his incredible fastball.

My rest was uncomfortably short. I didn't have a watch or a clock to tell the time, but I knew that ten minutes hadn't even passed. Things that had hurt were barely aching, and my breath had caught up with me. I could have allowed myself to sit there in the dirt, next to the dead and soon to be decaying body of this pig, but what would have been the point? I sighed and got up on my feet. I couldn't explain it, but my body moved like there was more to it. Added weight. I pushed the thought out of my mind and made my way into the destroyed camp. Lighter and stick, lighter and stick. It was easy to remember I was looking for my lighter, harder to think about the stick Tanya had asked me to fetch. I assumed I'd know it when I saw it. If that stick was for making magic, it probably looked a little special.

pushed wrecked housing aside and gingerly nudged bodies around. Last thing I needed was one of these bastards deciding it wasn’t dead yet. Turns out when you throw a rock with the power of a construction crane, it could do terrible things to someone. Some of the remains were hard to look at. After about fifteen minutes I had a realization and decided to stop being stupid. The Big Pig said that goblins, those little green shit stains, got to eat when they brought him trinkets. Anything I was looking for was probably near that big chair towards the center.

There's something unsettling about moving towards the center a place that you've cleared out. The fight had just happened, but there was the weight of lives displaced that felt as thick as soup. The recent ghosts of now dispatched occupants. I felt similar to how I felt when we had stolen our hideout back home. I couldn't help but grin thinking about how excited Akena and Yamagata were when the last of the former gang high tailed it out of the abandoned factory. Manami had told us we'd never get taken seriously if we were just hanging around alleyways and parks all the time.

"We'll be back!" An older girl threatened us as she was dragging away one of her fallen friends. "This isn't the last you've seen of the Vermillion Hawks!"

"YEAH, YEAH! GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!" Yamagata shouted as she tossed the corner of a brick at the retreating girl. She missed badly, but it was enough to get the girl to move faster.

"Hey," I said placing a hand with bleeding knuckles on her shoulder, "They're retreating, we don't attack the defeated."

Yamagata gave me a sheepish look and dropped the brick she had been holding. Manami was standing a bit away from us, surveying the abandoned facility. Some old office where people used to push paper. Like a lot of places, it had never really recovered after the bomb. Akena was excitedly talking to her about using one of the offices for her art studio, when I walked up. Akena looked at me, and then quickly made her way towards Yamagata. New kid was still shy around me. Understandable after the performance I put on in that fight. Manami's face was already bruising, a cut above her eye that had stopped bleeding. She was also smiling, busted lip and all.

"So this is gonna make people respect us?" I asked.

"Of course, Aya. It's ours. Not the Hawks, Midnight Doves are still too scared to come near us. Doesn't matter who it is. Ours."

I nodded a bit. I didn't really see the vision yet. I wouldn't get it for a year and a half. To me it didn't matter where we were so long as the four of us had each other. I pulled out a cigarette and then offered one to Manami. She didn't smoke, but I always offered anyway. Rude not to.

"Well I don't get it," I admitted, "But they're happy, you're happy. So that's what matters."

"HEY COME CHECK THIS OUT! Akena found some shit they left behind! Some Suntory bottles here we can celebrate with!"

I rolled my eyes, who could drink whiskey straight? I stood in front of the oversized wooden seat, and took in its mass. It felt unreal. My brain still wanted to ask who would ever need a chair that size, but the evidence lay dead just outside of the camp. All kinds of the things were just littered around it. From fancy boxes to fancy rugs, swords and more. I started to shift through everything. Grumbling as every up turned rug, or fancy piece of armor revealed no lighter and no stick. The swords, axes, and other weapons were admittedly cool. There was a small piece of my middle schooler self begging me to play with them. But ultimately I had no use for them. Okay one sword, that couldn't waste too much time. I reached out and picked up the jeweled handle of a sword. Slowly I started to pull it out of its scabbard.

"AH! ONE TOUCHED BY THE GODS! FINALLY A WORTHY WARRIOR TO WEIL-" I shoved the sword back into the scabbard and chucked it over my shoulder with the rest of the discarded items. I had enough weirdness for one day without adding a talking hunk of steel to it. The more frustrated I became. I was hitting dirt in each pile I searched. No lighter, no stick. The only upside so far was a bunch of coins in some of the boxes. Money was nice, but, unless I was going to a pachinko parlor later, it wasn't what I wanted. Was there some other camp of monsters my lighter could be at?

"DAMN IT!" I shouted to no one, and I kicked the chair hard enough for it to shake. Then something hit my head, and then something bigger hit my arm. I looked to the ground and there it was, my gold plated lighter. The etched on dragon looked a little banged up. But who cared? I picked it up, and flipped the top back watching it produce flame. I was glad it still worked, for all the good that would do me. I turned and my foot bumped into something. A stick, narrower at the bottom than the top, purple wrappings around the middle, and some kind of shiny gem imbedded at the top. Well that's a special stick if I ever saw one. I picked it up, along with one of the chests full of money. A girl's gotta eat, and maybe gamble if there's time. And I made my way back to Tanya, Percival, and their wagons.

The walk back through the forest wasn't nearly as eventful as the first trip. If there were any monsters hanging around, they sure had gotten word about me and stayed clear. Which worked for me. I liked fighting as much as the next girl, but it was safe to say I had my fill for the day. The sun was setting as I exited the woods, and a short distance away I saw Tanya and Percival arguing, people in their group packing in a hurry. Oh this was gonna be interesting.

"We have to stay! She said she was coming back," Tanya angrily argued, poking her finger into Percival's chest. She was a whole foot shorter than him, I wonder where such a small girl kept that much spirit.

Percival rubbed the spot she had poked looking wounded, "Tanya, she's likely dead. And even if she weren't do you really want something like THAT coming back to us?"

Rude, but reasonable.

"Don't call her 'That' she's a person. And besides you saw what she did! Maybe she could survive!"

"Vrothu has ruled those woods for almost a hundred years now. I don't care what she did to one bandit, he'll kill he-" I timed my throw, gently lobbing the stick, and watching it smack into the side of Percival's head. He fell over dumbfounded.

"You're welcome," I said cooly, and turned to walk away.

W-Wh-what!?" I heard him shout, having already picked a direction away from them.

"Wait! Wait!" I sighed and stopped, turning back around to see him and Tanya running towards me.

"What? Is it the wrong stick? Looks fancy enough to me," I clicked my tongue a little in annoyance.

"N-no! It's the right one just... how did you get it back? Those bandits-"

"Were at the monster camp when I got there. By the way, camp was the wrong word. Too many to be -A- Camp."

"So the bandits were..." he didn't finish his sentence.

"Killed. That big pig bastard picked up Grinhook and ate him. Even as he was trying to bargain for his life using your stick"

Tanya looked squeamish, I felt squeamish just saying it.

"So how'd you get it back from Vrothu?" Tanya asked, finding her nerve again. "Did you sneak in? Trick him some how?"

"Oh gods, you stole it from him and now he's on his way for revenge!" Percival whined. I didn't begrudge him that. That big pig was scary.

"Hush, Percy" Tanya seemed annoyed though, "So how did you do it?"

"I punched him."

Silence hung in the air. I could hear the call of a bird in the distance waiting for someone to say anything. Watching Percival's face cycle between different emotions.

"You... punched him? YOU PUNCHED HIM AND THAT WAS IT!? You some little.... THING punched the Lord of the Dark Wood, the calamity of the forest... AND THAT'S IT!?"

I got up close to Percival, he seemed stuck in place. A hand in my pocket, a chest of coins slung over my shoulder in the other, as I tilted my head to look up at him.

"Yeah, I punched him and he went down. Is that a problem?"

Percival started chuckling, and then he started laughing. He turned and walked away from me, laughing and muttering to himself. Well that was different. I looked down at Tanya who seemed to be chewing on the information.

"Well kid, this has been fun. But I got a lot of money, and a big fight that I'm supposed to watch out for apparently. So I'm going to go find food."

"So you're strong then?" The question was more of a statement, and it felt like a part of a conversation I hadn't been a part of.

"I've always had to be, but yes. I am."

"And you don't know your way around?"

"What makes you say that?" I asked cocking an eyebrow.

"What you've done, punching one of the Calamities. You're not reacting right. And you were arguing with a God before."

"Okay so I'm not from around here. What's it to you?"

"Percival he's a bit of..." she stopped herself and rolled her eyes "Okay he's a lot of a coward. He's never really left his master's tutelage before. He knows great magic, but he freezes up."

I could see where this was headed, and I didn't... hate it. But it also felt like a lot more trouble than it was going to be worth.

"His magic has saved us before, but sometimes..."

"He goofs it," I finished for her.

"...I don't know what that means, but he panics and makes mistakes."

"What's that got to do with me?" I shifted my stance so I was resting more on one leg than the other.

"I want you to travel with us, just get us to the next town. It's only a week and a half away. I want you to protect us when Percival can't."

There it was. I looked over towards the group. Percival was waving his arms wildly about, and the others were looking over here like I was some kind of attraction at a zoo. A dangerous animal, safe to view from a distance.

"The rest of them don't seem thrilled by me being here."

"They're just nervous. Last time they saw you, you were literally yelling at a god, and trying to attack her. And now you're back, blood soaked, claiming to have defeated Vrothu."

I tried to stop and think about it from their position. If I saw some strange person I didn't know pick a fight with a train, and then go off and beat up some Yakuza boss. I'd probably feel a little nervous about it.

"I still think that means that it'll be bad news if I tag along."

"Be that as it may, I'm the one in charge of this group. I want you here, I'll make them understand."

I brought my hand to my face and sighed, pulling my palm across it. It didn't seem like she would take no for an answer.

"What if I turn out to be some crazy killer, and I turn on you all?"

"You won't. I have no doubt you'd never do that," the sureness of her voice put me a little off balance. Her piercing green eyes staring through me. It was like she had me all figured out.

"What makes you so sure?" I asked.

"You went and fetched Percival's staff, and you didn't ask us for anything in return. Someone who does something like that, doesn't just turn on people."

"Alright then..." I chewed it over, "Let's say I accept. Do you need anything from me besides protection?"

"Just your name," Tanya answered putting a hand out towards me.

I took her hand in mine and I gave it a solid handshake, taking care to not be too rough, "I'm Aya. Aya Saitou, the Fanged Dragon Princess of the Kyoto Fallen Dragons."

Something in that gave her pause, "I don't see any scales. But Aya Saitou, I'm Tanya Hawkbraid. Mistress of the Sun Raven Company. Is there anything you do need from us?"

I thought for a moment, and felt the wind at my back.

"Do you know how to sew?"

(So I decided to write a Light Novel. I still got a long way to go. But I'm whittling it away a chapter at a time. I've posted it on AO3 and Royal Road. So why not here? Yes it's an Isekai, but I'm hoping that it's different enough that everyone can enjoy it!) Summary:

In 1976 Aya Saitou roamed the streets of Kyoto as the Fanged Dragon Princess. She was a delinquent with a code. Aya lived for her gang, like a makeshift family.

But one day in a standard turf fight, Aya jumped in the way of an attack meant for a girl she had a crush on.

Aya Saitou, 17, gasped her last breath in a cold alleyway, longing for a cigarette.

Or so she thought!

Waking up in the afterlife, a goddess named Hessnia has picked her to be a 'Champion' in a cosmic game. The prize? One wish. Just one problem, Hessnia and Aya disagree on how to be a champion.

Aya doesn't want the magic. She doesn't want the glory. She just wants her lighter back, and a way home. So she'll win, but it'll be on her terms. Chapter 1: What a Drag

"Akabane!" I felt my body move before I called out to my junior. The girl from the other gang had already lunged forward. My arms stretched out, and I pushed Akabane out of harms way. Making my body as wide as possible, attempting to shield her from the oncoming attack. I felt my body collide with the attacker's, and my arms closed in around her. Gripping her as tightly as I could, I began to slam my forehead into hers until I felt her start to go limp. The attacker slumped to the ground as I released her, and I felt the warm drip of my own blood from a cut above my eye. That didn't bother me, why should it? I had been in enough of these gang fights that a cut here or there was nothing new to me.

Akabane was different, she had only joined our gang a few weeks ago, and this was her first real fight. Checking to make sure no one else needed my immediate attention, I turned to face my Junior to make sure she hadn't been hurt. That's when I was greeted with a look of shock and terror. This too didn't faze me. I had to imagine that witnessing someone being headbutted into unconsciousness for the very first time was probably unsettling. I squatted down to offer her a helping hand back up. That's when I felt a sharp pain in my side, and noticed the familiar warm wet sensation that I had only felt moments prior above my eye. That look wasn't for my actions, and as I looked to my side I saw the very thing I had sought to protect Akabane from. A knife was sunk deep into me, and the adrenaline of the situation had tapered off.

"Deep breaths, deep breaths" I repeated in my head like a mantra as my legs started to feel unsteady. I couldn't fall now, I reasoned. We were in the middle of a gang fight, and if I fell now who would look out for everyone and get us all home safe? Deep breaths, oxygen, air, I had to keep that flowing. Cursing myself a little now that I spent the last six years of my life smoking a pack a day. Every breath tasted like ash and blood, but I had to keep going. I thumped my chest with a fist a few times, commanding my heart to keep pumping blood where it needed to be. I stomped my feet begging my legs to stand firm while I held myself together. When one of the pack is injured that's when the opportunists take advantage of the situation. Being too focused on my situation I hadn't noticed several of the girls from the other gang, inch closer towards Akabane and I.

Keep beating, my heart. Keep flowing, my blood. I am Aya Saitou, feared by men and women a like as the Fanged Dragon Princess of Kyoto. I can't die here, I rationalized. There were so many more things I had left to do. Promises I had to keep. No, dying here was absolutely out of the question. Today I was walking away from this fight with my sisters, and there would be one less gang who thought they could fuck with the Fallen Dragons.

My fists swung wildly, flesh on flesh, bone on bone. One hit, it had to be one hit. If I dragged out a fight with any of them too long Akabane would be the one to pay for my mistake. Just as I flung my elbow into the side of one of the other girl's head I felt something hard and wooden break over mine. A board? A Bat? It didn't matter, my knees were buckling and I was falling forward. My eyes flicked towards my junior, another girl having taken her by her raven locks and pulled her head back, threatening to connect fist to face. I caught myself and grabbed the girl in front of me, screaming wildly as I lifted her and threw her into the one threatening to harm the pristine face of Akabane.

Everything else after that was a blur, I kept fighting, swinging whatever limb I could into whatever body I could. Collapsing in front of the girl I tried so hard to protect. The rest of our gang having finally torn away from their own quarrels to back us up. I could feel the blood at my side soaking through my uniform, and my extremities going cold.

"YEAH YOU GET OUT OF HERE! DON'T FUCK WITH THE FALLEN DRAGONS OF KYOTO AGAIN, YOU DUMB BITCHES!"

I wanted to laugh, it hurt to try, I could always count on Yamagata to scream what I would have anyway. Feeling the tears on my face, I finally noticed that my head was resting in Akabane's lap. Ah shit, a pretty girl like her shouldn't be crying. Not over someone like me.

"Fuck this looks bad, Saitou you just keep breathing." Akena's face betraying how bad it really was. Not like I couldn't feel it. That much blood on the ground? Yeah guess this is the last stop.

"Hey! Don't move dumbass!" Yamagata chided me as I reached down into my jacket pocket and pulled out a cigarette. Shakily I brought it to my lips.

"The fuckin point? I'm dying here. Might as well have one last drag right?" I chuckled, trying to bring the mood up. All the good that was doing me. Some of the toughest ladies I know looking like scared children around me. Fuck that's not how I want them to remember me.

"Don't fucking talk like that, you dumb muscle brained gorilla! You can hear the ambulance can't you?" Kanagi clearly yelling to keep from crying herself.

I clumsily fished my lighter out of a different pocket, and flipped it open. Clicking the flame on the edges of my vision were starting to go dark. This was it then, "You girls look out for each other, make anyone... who crosses you...paaa-" the last thing I felt was the lighter slip from my grip, my last cigarette unlit. What a drag.

Next there was a light, not a soft inviting light like they told me there would be. It was harsh and blinding, it hurt even with my eyes closed. I sat up and slowly blinked my eyes open, my vision blurred and coming into focus. Whiteness stretched out into the horizon in every direction around me. Closer to me was white marbled furniture, soft cushions of scarlet and violet laid out on top. And laid across them a blonde woman, with ivory like skin, and eyes that were a shade of blue that couldn't be real. Well shit guess there's an afterlife after all.

I moved to gingerly get to my feet when I noticed the pain at my side was gone, in fact the pain everywhere was gone. My knuckles didn't ache with forming bruises, the concussion I had given myself had dissipated. My mouth didn't taste coppery or even like ash. The only way you could tell I had been in a fight is that my clothes were still stained with dirt and blood. Wild to experience this after such a visceral death.

"Aya Saitou," the voice felt like it was all around me, loud and crushing. It made the hair on the back of my neck stand up, and my hands curl into fists. If there hadn't only been one other person around, I wouldn't even know where to look. The Blonde woman sat up from her opulent lounge, and began walking towards me. Flowing white robes dragging along behind her, held slightly aloft by an unseen force.

"Yes! That's it. That's why I'm picking you," She was suddenly behind me, and I swung back out of surprise only catching air.

"Easy now, I'm on your side. Or rather you're on mine." Behind me again but this time a few feet away.

"Yeah well, maybe don't do weird magic shit around a girl who just got stabbed." I spit on the ground in front of me, eyes forward, shoulders squared. "Wanna tell me what all this is? I feel like some kinda prize plucked out of a goddamn Gachapon."

"This, my dear girl, is your second chance," she answered, "I am the goddess, Hessnia. And you, my sharp edged little street tough, are my champion."

"Champion of what? Your pristine marble need polished? Your cushions fluffed?"

"Ah hahaha... charming..." Hessnia's voice was flat, "No. You've been chosen for a special game. It's very simple. Every One Thousand years Blah blah... a champion is blah blah... thrilling game blah blah..."

I felt the words slipping out of my mental grasp as they reached my ears. This bimbo looking goddess was starting to sound like my math teacher when he talked about the importance of fractions. Surely this was hell, why else would I have to endure this torture?

"Are you paying attention?"

"What?"

"Are you paying attention, I'm telling you why you're here."

"Yeah yeah something about video games or whatever."

"A game for me, yes. A bet made between other Gods. But for you a grueling fight."

"OH! A Fight!? Should have started with that! You're talking to the Strongest Delinquent of Yamagata Splendid Lotus Girls' Academy. Aya Saitou, the Fanged Dragon Princess of Kyoto. I'll put my fist to whoever's jaw and we can get this over with."

Hessnia did not look amused, but what else was new from adults and authority figures when they spoke to me. "I could have picked the police officier, or the brain dead solider... but this looked like so much more fun I said," her voice laced with regret. The goddess took a deep breath and recentered herself.

"Look Aya, it's a lot of fights, multiple people with the backing of other gods. All you got to do is beat them and you get your prize."

"Which is what?"

"One wish! Whatever you want. Fame, Money, Boysss- Okay not boys" I must have made a face for the correction, good correction. "Look whatever your little vicious heart desires."

There was a lot to work with there, I thought about an endless supply of cigarettes, all I could eat beef bowls, an arcade that never closed where your parents never came looking. And then I thought of Akabane, the other girls in the gang would look out for her of course, but they weren't me. They didn't get how special she was.

"What about going back to my world?"

"What? Why would you... fine yes, whatever. You could even wish to go back to your world."

"Then like I said, show me what jaw to connect my fist to, and let's get this over with." I was finally noticing my heart beating in my chest again. Fighting for my life? I didn't know where these other champions came from, or what their home lives were like. But for me, that was just another afternoon. And no sweet treat, no booze, not even the kiss of ash from my favorite brand of cigarettes filled me with as much joy.

"Not so fast there are things we need to take care of first," Hessnia's form grew exponentially, towering over me.

"Aya Saitou," Her voice like thunder and rain, "Do you swear to be my champion throughout this ordeal until victory or death?"

"Yeah, but it's going to be victory," I grinned looking up at her.

"Then hence forth let it be known that you Aya Saitou, the Fanged Dragon Princess of Kyoto, are under the Banner of Hessnia, Goddess of the Storm," Hessnia grew too bright to look at for a moment, and when the light faded she was back to how she was before, "Great now that that's finished, let's talk about your power."

"Oh sure, I work out every day. Been in fights since elementary school. Did some Boxing and some Karate when my parents thought I needed structure and an 'outlet'. And I can bench press three-hundred fifty pounds on a good day."

"No no, Aya. I know all that, that's why I picked you. No being my champion means you get a Special Power. Usually something tied to my personal godhood, but there have been exceptions."

"What? Special power?"

"Yes like I could make your blows electrocute your opponents, or maybe give you super speed. A Wall like you would make for an impressive freight train. Or I have weapons that can tear a person asunder with one blow. The choice is you-"

"Pass!"

"Pass? What do you mean 'pass'?"

I crossed my arms and spit at her feet, "You want me to cheat? Fat chance!"

Hessnia sighed and rubbed her temples "It's not cheating, everyone gets a special ability."

"Great then they're all weak wussies, and I'll have this done before dinner time."

"Aya this is just how things are done!"

"Get this through your thick skull, you dumb Bimbo!" I began as I stomped towards her," I don't need any of that pussy shit. You wanna force that on me, get yourself another champion and put me back in the ground."

"I-I can't! We already did the ritual!" Hessnia sputtered, "I'm stuck with you! You stupid brat!"

"Well then we better get started so I can go home and stop looking at your stupid face!"

"Fine then... You won't take a boon? How about a curse? Hmm!? SINCE I'M GOING TO LOSE ANYWAY!?"

The wind whipped up around me, the pristine floors fading and cracking around my feet. Hessnia's eyes were pure white, sparking with electricity as she pointed a finger at me. Well never punched a Goddess before, but I wasn't about to let her take me out without trying. I curled my hands into fists, and felt the muscles in my legs tighten as I prepared to charge.

"AYA SAITOU!" Her voice like thunder, breaking my rhythm instantly, I froze "NEVER AGAIN WILL YOU PARTAKE IN YOUR FAVORITE COMFORT! FOR EVER SHOULD YOU TRY YOU SHALL ONLY KNOW PAIN AND SUFFERING!"

A bolt of light shot out from her finger tip and ripped it's way through me as the wind started whirling faster and faster. I tried to push through the fierce winds, keeping my eyes as best I could on Hessnia. But as the winds picked up, my eyes felt dry, I blinked.

I felt myself falling before I opened my eyes to see unfamiliar lands getting ever closer to me. The wind passing by me so fast it was screaming in my ears. What was the point of cursing me if I was about to die to terminal velocity anyway? Well that was my second life I suppose. It was short and annoying. I hit the ground with an earth shattering crash. The dirt cratering under me a few feet before it became solid enough to stop me dead in my descent. Fuck that hurt! But not as much as it should have? I got to my feet easily and brushed myself off. Same clothes, same blood stains. That's fine, any clothes Hessnia made probably would have been to sneak in a cheat. A started looking around seeing wheat fields, and rolling hills as far as the eye could see. Where the hell am I?

Climbing out of the crater I made didn’t help. Not that it should. Akena had read enough manga like this that I shouldn't be surprised I didn't know where I was. I heard her voice pop into my head.

"You don't get it Saitou, it's interesting!" she chided one morning.

"If it ain't got martial arts or nothing, it can't be that interesting."

"The interesting part is Carol-chan being outside her own time! She doesn't get Egyptian politics."

"Ugh that sounds more like homework that something fun to read," I sneered.

"You don't ever wonder what you would do if you suddenly found yourself someplace completely new, and foreign?"

"Shit like that don't happen in the real world. Now Ashita no Joe! There's a manga that knows what's up."

Well hell, looks like I should have taken an interest in Akena's weird little fantasy manga. Sounded like a lot of crying and sand to me. I reached into my jacket pocket and felt a wave of relief at the familiar crinkle of the cellophane wrapper of a seven stars cigarette pack. I'd have to savor every last one, they probably didn't have cigarettes in... wherever I was. And nothing was as good as the rich, robust smooth flavor of a seven stars ciga-... Something felt wrong, a thinness to the pack. I looked down, there should have been at least twelve left since I bought them this afternoon. All that was left was a single stick, surrounded by the tattered remains of its brethren. One last cigarette.

I felt my body weight drop down immediately as I went into a squat. Staring a hole through the lone survivor. Shit. Shitshitshit! Making twelve cigarettes last would have been hard enough. How was I to ration a single one? I reached for where my lighter should be and felt nothing. Double shit. How I was going to ration a single Seven Star didn't matter if I couldn't light the damn thing. My eyes scanned the area. If my Seven Stars...Star was here, then surely- AH HA! About a yard away I saw it, my eyes locked onto the familiar scratched up golden metal that was my lighter. Half buried in the dirt, the dragon engraving was as recognizable as ever.

Walking over to pick it up I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. A smaller mass of shadow darted towards my lighter. I went to intercept, my footing felt off and instead of snatching up the lighter I overshot it by almost a foot. That crashlanding must have really messed with my balance. Turning back towards my lighter I saw it. A creature I had never seen before. It was green, kind of hairy, long pointy ears, and long tail that came to a tuff of hair at the end.

"What the fuck are you?... wait.. no, don't you dare."

The creature reached a spindly hand towards my lighter, and in one movement snatched it up and darted in the opposite direction of me. I felt dumbstruck for a second, and then I scrambled after it. It was small, with little legs, surely it couldn't outrun me. I found myself catching up very quickly. The loose soil was making my strides a little difficult, but not slowing me down as much as I thought it would have. I leaned down as I ran, inching closer to this mangy, little, green mutt, when suddenly it darted in a different direction. I was faster but it was more nimble. What a pain, I thought as I tried to turn only to find myself tumbling against the ground. Just what was going on with me today? Back on the pursuit, having to make up even more distance. I needed to end this quickly before I got winded. Maybe it was just the need for my lighter, but it felt like I wasn't close to getting tired. I could feel the ends of my fingers almost touching hair, when the creature dived into a hole, and I went ass over end into the dirt.

"LITTLE SHIT!" I roared, my hands digging into the dirt and ripping it up looking for that little green bastard. As I was digging I heard a scream a little ways away. A woman, maybe? That didn't concern me, I really needed that-

"I swear we have nothing left!" I caught just barely... Damn it. I threw down the dirt in my hands and wiped them on my skirt as I stood up. I listened and walked towards the direction of the shouting. Wasn't too far away, spotted them almost instantly. There were a group of people, two sides. One side was holding weapons and pointing them at the other, the other side seemed to be shrinking backwards. Five weapon wielding people with masks, seven or so on the other side.

"Awww come on now, surely you've got more for us," the lead masked man said, "What about a kiss for ol Grinhook?"

"I doubt very much that you'd leave it at that!" spat a woman with mouse brown hair, "You have our money, please leave us be!"

"Well lass, you're right about two things. We do have all your money."

"And the second?"

"Ol Grinhook and his boys want a lot more than a kiss!" He broke into cruel laughter, "Alright boys! let's have us a taste!"

"Hey! Shit for brains!" I snarled.

"Eh? And what do we have here? Oh looks like another pretty girl, come to entertain us."

Ugh, disgusting. "If getting your ass beat is entertaining for you, then yeah. This is Star Tanjo! And I'm freaking Kinichi Hagimoto."

"Coulda guessed you was some kinda magic user with them weird clothes. Hagi-What!? Is that some kind of a fancy spell?" his goons laughed.

"It means I'm about to judge you into the dirt." I clenched my right fist tight and raised my arm.

"Oh feisty!" Came a voice from another one, "Let me have her boss! I'll show her what we do to fiesty girls." He wheezed a sputtering laugh, and pulled out a knife from his belt. That's fine, it didn't matter the order. They were all about to get a lesson in Strong Style.

He charged at me, and I sprinted towards him. He lunged with his knife. I side stepped it, and dug my heels into the ground. I lowered, my muscles coiling like a spring, and I SWUNG! There was something I expected to feel. A body being flung into the dirt below us. The sensation of forearm meeting chest and throat. Instead I felt a warm spray of liquid up my side, and absolutely no resistance in my arm. What's more I had moved five feet from where I had started. Looking behind me, all I saw was a headless body just as it crumpled to the ground. I raised my arm to look at it and saw the smear of flesh, blood, and bone strewn across it.

"HOLY SHIT!?" I looked towards the other bullies with weapons "What are you people made out of? Wet cardboard?"

The look on Grinhook, as he called himself, was one of pure terror. He kept looking from the body to me, and then back to the body. All his friends were backing slowly away from me.

"WELL!?" I barked, "Someone say something! Was your friend there just weak or something!?"

"Miss? Ol Grinhook and his boys don't want no trouble. No Ma'am. No trouble at all. Just... Just gonna go about our day."

This was pathetic, but it was fine. The sooner this was done the sooner I could try and go back for my lighter.

"Then fucking get out of here already, go!"

They all fled as fast as they could, looking back at me to see if I would give chase. Bumping, crashing, and falling into one another as they made their escape. It was like watching Hachiji Da Yo! Zen'in Shugo. I'd laugh except for I just killed a guy, and I was covered in his filth. Not my best day ever. I turned towards the folks I'd just rescued. They looked just as scared as Grinhook and his gang.

"Are you all okay? Anyone hurt or anything?"

"J-just Percival," It was mouse girl, "They st-stabbed him, and took his staff."

"That's real low, stabbing an old guy like that," I spit on the ground, "So is he... dead? You people going to be okay?"

"I'm... not dead." came a groan. A few feet away, held up by a kid was a guy who couldn't have been much older than me.

"Oh shit, they stabbed you even though you can't walk?"

"No. No.. I assure you it was no walking stick. But my magic isn't as good without it." Percival, I assumed, replied.

"Magic? Like what... card tricks or something?"

Percival was helped to his feet by the kid propping him up, "No tricks. I am mastering the arcane arts!" I felt like he was putting extra bravado into this. But that's what magicians did after all. Percival lifted his arm, snapped his finger, a spark and then a small flame were produced above his fingers.

"AHH! THAT'S WHAT I NEED!" Everyone seemed to step back about a foot from me, as I shouted.

"You have need of the mystic arts? You seem to do," Percival swallowed nervously as his head motioned towards the corpse "fine without it."

"The what? No! The fire, I need that. Let me borrow your lighter or whatever. I'll give it back."

"Lighter?"

"Yeah the thing you're using to make the fire, or whatever. I'd use mine, but some hairy little green shit stole it and ran off with it. Plan to get it back but I just can not fucking think without a cigarette right now." I dug into my jacket and pulled out what was left of my Seven Stars. Half of it. I'd smoke half of it, get the lighter back, then smoke the other half. Surely this world had some form of tobacco or something close. The group of people watched with curiosity as I put the cigarette to my mouth and beckoned Percival over. With the aid of the kid, he managed to limp towards me. Holding the Seven Star in my lips I snapped and mimed the flame production for him.

"You want me to make more fire, and that's it?"

"Come on, be a pal. I'm dying here!" I felt bad sounding this lame, but sometimes you had to swallow your pride to get a smoke. Percival raised his hand, and snapped. More fire was made. Perfect. I leaned in looking at him, I had never seen someone look increasingly sick as I got closer. Whatever, the end touched the flame and I started to inhale. This was going to be so goo- My eyes shot open. I was experiencing something I hadn't felt since I was a first year in Junior High. I started coughing. The smoke felt like acid in my lungs. I was hacking and wheezing. Falling over to my knees, continuing to cough. It felt like I was about to throw up. I did throw up. The Seven Star was ruined in the aftermath. What just happened? I smoked twenty cigarettes a day. I had been smoking twenty cigarettes a day for the last three years! I heard that blond bimbo bitch's voice in my head. Never partake in my favorite comfort again? Shall only know pain and suffering? Wait a minute... I hadn't lost my breath once? It didn't hurt to breathe? Nooooo she couldn't have. She WOULDN'T have! I got up to my feet and screamed into the sky.

"HESSNIA YOU BITCH! YOU CURED MY SMOKER'S LUNGS!?"

"OOOOOH! HOHOHOHOHOHO!" Of course she had that kind of laugh. Why wouldn't she have that kind of laugh? There she was, Hessnia. Goddess of the Storm. Coming down from the sky, laughing, she was even doing the stupid hand pose. Everyone else dropped to the ground, bowing their heads until they were crawling backwards on their stomachs.

"Ah! See there, Aya? Proper respect." I just rolled my eyes. "And yes, I took away your ability to enjoy your favorite thing."

"Yeah... noticed with the puking and everything."

"And that'll happen every time you try. Any time you get too close to smoke." She grinned a triumphant grin, "But don't worry. I still left you with the desire for them."

I was certainly feeling that. It was like a hum in my brain, and every second without one made me more aware of the hum. I felt so much hate towards her in that moment I could spit. Goddess or not I lunged at her, reaching out a hand to take a swipe at her stupid smug face. I barely noticed the look of shock on her face before she flitted out of sight.

"Tsk! You're so barbaric. Which would have been a positive if you hadn't rejected my offer. Anyway you're better off not trying to strike me. You'd never be able to catch me."

It was my turn to grin. I slowly turned back towards her, hunched over slightly and raising my fist. Between my fingers were a few strands of golden hair. "You think so?"

Hessnia looked to my fist and then felt her hair, noticing it was just slightly out of place. She quickly floated at least a few dozen more feet off the ground.

"Interesting.... You weren't that fast before." I watched her tap her chin. She was sizing me up, processing something new, " You know what Aya? Maybe not all is lost after all."

"Spit it out!"

"You're still my champion, and something seems to be working for you. So you want to smoke again? Beat the other champions, win that wish, then we'll talk."

Mentally I was pulled in two different directions. One part of me wanted to see if I could hit her with a rock from here, the other was latching on to the promise of being able to smoke again.

"You want me to wander around aimlessly challenging people?"

"No. That's stupid. I don't care really what you do most days. Thirty days, Aya. Every thirty days you'll know where the next person you're supposed to fight is. You'll see. Farewell for now."

And with that she was gone. A fight every thirty days? What was I supposed to do with myself in the meantime? Well there was always my lighter.

"Hey you.... Percival?"

"Y-yes?" he was even more shaken than before.

"You know where I can find the green turd that took my lighter?"

"I-if you mean a Goblin... there is a umm... camp, of sorts, to the woods in the west," he shakily pointed a finger to a tree line a little ways away.

"Good.. Thanks for the light."

"You're just going to leave us here with no defense!?" It was mouse girl again.

"What am I supposed to babysit you now forever?" I would have ignored her. She wasn't the one who lit their fingers on fire, and yet she was the one yelling at me. I respected the guts that took.

"Without Percival's magic we could be attacked again! If not by bandits, then by monsters. We'll be dead out here!"

I grumbled a bit, rubbing the back of my head, "You want me to go get his stick?"

"Yes... please?"

Damn it. Did she have to look at me with those big eyes? "What's your name?"

"T-Tanya.."

"Well Tanya stay put," I began as I started walking towards the direction Percival pointed, "I'll get the stick, but lighter first." (Author Notes:

Akena is referencing one of the earliest proto–otome isekai works: Crest of the Royal Family about a girl who suddenly finds herself in the middle of ancient Egyptian Politics and Intrigue.

Ashita No Joe is an old Boxing Manga

Seven Stars was a popular brand of Cigarette in Japan during the 70s, it was known for being high in nicotine and High in Tar

Strong Style is a style of Professional Wrestling made famous by Antonio Inoki

Star Tanjo! was the massive 1970s talent search show that birthed the "Idol" era in Japan it and was hosted by Kinichi Hagimoto

Aya goes for a walk in the woods, it isn't a memorable one... until it suddenly is.

What will the Fanged Dragon Princess of the Fallen Dragons of Kyoto do when she's suddenly surrounded by unseen monsters in the brush?

Whatever happened to Ol Grinhook anyway?

I hated this. Every step made me more aware of what was going on. Every breath was almost overwhelmingly sharp. The way my lungs expanded in my chest, they had never felt this full. And my steps? I was leaving deep imprints with each one. The forest floor giving way to the weight of my stride. People weren't meant to be like this. At least -I- wasn't meant to. I took a break from walking towards this camp to the west. I could keep going, I wasn't tired. And that was part of the problem. In a new world, in my body. But it felt unrecognizable. Besides that Percival guy could have been lying. After what I did to that robber, and my interaction with Hessnia, he practically wet himself when I asked where to find my lighter. Could have been trying to get rid of me. It'd be the smart thing to do.

Nah, he hadn't been lying. I didn't know what a 'goblin' was supposed to smell like, but the little green shit looked mangy and scraggly. So they probably smelled pretty bad. And the more West I went, the more it started to smell a little rancid. But that could have been a dead animal or a nasty plant of some kind. I wouldn't know till I got there. Damn it. I'm using this stupid curse again. My sense of smell had been horrible for years, but now it was like I could smell every single leaf on every tree around me. Who needs to smell this good? What am I a dog?

I frowned, it was the fifth time I had done it since entering the forest. I caught my hand reaching for my pack of cigarettes. I knew they weren't there, and worse if they were I wouldn't be able to smoke them. I let myself lean against a tree. Who the hell ever heard of a smoke break without something to smoke? I slumped to the ground and tried to ignore the buzzing in my brain. Why couldn't I be cursed to like boys? Actually that would have been worse. But she could have picked something other than my smokes! I raised my head and looked up towards the sky, watching the way the light danced through the branches in the wind.

"Isn't it so amazing, Saitou!?" Akabane had ran ahead of me towards the overlook. I, of course, needed a little extra time getting there.

"Yeah it's.. geez.. Really great out here," I was panting, trying to get my breath under control. "And I told you... You can..." My voice caught in my throat as she turned to look at me. My face felt flush in a way that I knew wasn't from all the exercise of the hike. "You can call me, Aya..." since when was my voice so small?

Akabane's face turned a light shade of pink, she probably just got a little too much sun. "Only if you call me Miu.... Now come look!"

I stood up straight and walked over to the ledge, the railing separating us from a sudden fall. Overlooking the Kiyotaki river, watching it snake through the Mt. Ogura Forest. The yellows and reds of the maples looked amazing in the afternoon sun from this height. At least that's what Akabane told me.

"It's really pretty isn't it?" she asked staring out at the wilderness.

"Yeah... it really is.." I was staring at her. I turned my head quickly towards the scenery as I noticed her head turning to look at me. She tugged at the hem of my shirt.

"Come on! Not to far from the temple now!" She giggled like a wind chime and ran ahead. Just where did she find the energy? I turned my head to follow, the sun catching my eyes causing me to blink.

My eyes opened up, and Akabane was gone. I was alone, sitting under the tree I had propped myself up against. Get the lighter back, get the stick, beat the champions, go home. That's all I had to do. Ugh what was that smell? The rancid smell that I had been following was starting to disappear, replaced by an almost overwhelming pungent, musky odor. Worse yet every way I turned seemed to have the same smell. I slowly got to my feet, everything about this stank. A rustle in the brush behind me, I turned only for a different rustle to sound off to the left. Next came a chorus of high pitched laughter that made me feel uneasy. I squared my shoulders and raised my fists as the manic laughter got louder. Another rustle, much closer to me this time, I swung a fist towards it demolishing the bush, but not hitting anything more than foliage and dirt. It happened then, a sharp pain at the back of my right ankle. My leg giving out under my weight putting me on one knee. Another rustle, this time something darting away from me. I turned my head and saw a flash of browning yellowish fur disappear into the brush. I turned myself so that I was back against the tree. I glanced at my ankle, a thin red line and a splatter of blood on my loafers.

"Alright you punks! Enough of this peek-a-boo shit! Come out and fight me for real!" the laughter intensified all around me. If I could just- I ducked my head almost a second too late. It was the glint of steel, and a change in the air that gave it away. Duck enough lead pipes from behind, it was almost second nature to be aware of things swinging at your head. There was a hard THUNK into the tree behind me, and I snapped my arm out and struck something leathery. A crunch of bone and a high pitched yelp like a dog, whatever I struck sailed back into the foliage just out of sight. I reached up and pulled worn and chipped axe from the tree. What the hell?

The laughter died down, the movement in the brush stopped. Soon it was replaced by low, vicious growling. Angry barking replacing the chorus of inhuman laughter. You'd think I was in a Nobuhiko Obayashi flick. I caught another flash of steel, another axe, this time thrown at me. I brought the axe in my hand up in a blocking slash. I don't know if it was the force I swung with, or the shoddy craftmanship, but both the axe I was holding and the thrown one burst apart. The heads of them flying in two directions. There it was, one of these stalking creatures lunging at me. It was like some ugly, mangy, hunched over looking dog man. Just looking at it made me sick to my stomach, but I didn't have time to process that. Claws and teeth were aimed at me, and suddenly found myself pushing forward with my injured leg. I stood up, and brought my fist up at the same time. Two things happened. First it twisted it's body away from the blow. Second it was pushed back by a rush of air that fanned out from the strike.

"Shit... never done that before."

I watched it get to its feet as three more exited from the bushes. Each of them growling and circling me, wearing some kind of weird, thick, sleeveless, brown top. Well at least I was standing now. I tried to put weight on my seemingly working bad leg, only for it to falter slightly, putting me off balance. Another one lunged at me, being off balance I didn't get the swing I wanted out of my punch. I connected but not with the gusto of the last punch. I felt claws against my arm as the knuckles hit the elongated jaw of this beast. It bounced to the ground in a whine but scrambled back up to its feet. I was too focused on that one and there were claws in my back, and teeth in my shoulder. The growling in my ears as I started to tip over. I was swinging wildly, every which way to keep the other three off me. Reaching back I ripped the last one off, and I drove it straight into the ground in a powerful driver that would have made Inoki proud. There was a wet sickening thud against the ground and the dog creature slumped over on its neck, and blood started to pool around my legs. I shot the other three the most terrifying look I could, stopping them dead in their tracks.

"Well? Wanna keep going!?" I didn't know if they could understand me, but they started to back up into the brush out of sight. I sat there, listened, and waited. Other than the smell of the one in front of me, the scent of the other three dissipated, and I was starting to smell the rancid smell I had been following before. I pushed myself back against the tree, even if they had left, those creatures were still out there. Shit that fucker bit me, do they have rabies in this world? Would the people of this world even have a treatment for it if it did exist? Nothing to be done about it now, that was a bridge to burn later. I looked down at my ankle, walking on that was going to be a- wait. I flexed my foot a little. My ankle was tender but there wasn't the sharp pain from before. I undid the buttons of my fuku and carefully pulled it off. My shoulder still stinging from the bite. I looked it over and cursed under my breath. My fuku was ruined, wet with dog drool and, presumably, blood. Seeing the blood I reached up to my shoulder and felt the wounds. Something felt off. I looked to the long jagged teeth of the dead one in front of me and traced where it bit. Shallow. The punctures were shallow. It felt like the teeth went deeper than the wounds would suggest. I turned my arm up to me to look at where the claws sunk in. That's when I noticed the gashes were starting to scab quickly. What's more I noticed I still wasn't breathing hard, despite all altercation. What the fuck is wrong with me?

I sighed, worrying about this wasn't going to make it go away. I wasn't smart enough to even understand how it was happening. Akabane got good grades in every class, she would have known. I ran my fingers over the holes in my fuku. Damn it. Just fucking damn it. The custom embroidery was ruined, and it no longer read 'Aya Saitou, Fanged Dragon Princess of the Kyoto Fallen Dragons'. It didn't read anything now, it was just a mess of letters and thread. Someone had to know how to sew in this world. Maybe Tanya or someone else in her group. My lighter was still at the top of my list, but that stick was creeping up the ladder.

I allowed myself a few more moments of self pity before slapping myself in the face. This was no time to feel sorry for myself. I put my arms through the sleeves of my fuku and buttoned it up. Standing and testing my ankle. It felt like I had twisted it a week ago, still sore but perfectly walkable. I turned my nose from the dead dog man, and back towards where the rancid smell was coming from. That's the target, probably. I was still guessing. I rolled my neck to pop it and I got back to my hike. Anything else wanted to fuck with me, it would learn how bad an idea that was quickly.

As I continued my hike towards the smell, my ankle improved until I only noticed how much it didn't hurt. The cuts on my arm having begun the process of fading into scars. At least I would have a cool new scar to show off to the girls when I got back. About my fifth rendition of humming Hiromi Iwasaki's Romance, the smell I had been followed reached an all time high. I spotted a break in the tree line, what laid beyond it was obscured by bright sunlight coming through the trees. For a moment I thought about just stepping through, and then I felt Manami's hand on my shoulder. Right who knew what was out there. I crouched down into the brush and peered out.

As my eyes adjusted to the light I saw it. Camp my ass. This clearing held what felt like a whole small town. Walls of logs standing side by side creating a ring around the tents and makeshift buildings. I saw more of those dog creatures barking and laughing. A bunch of those little green bastards rolling around and fighting with each other. With any luck I'd find the one with my lighter. Some slightly larger green bastards laughing at the smaller green bastards. Even larger pig nosed green bastards who joined the medium sized ones in laughing. And at the center of it all was the largest of the pig nosed green bastards, sitting on an ornate, by comparison of everything thing else in this town, chair. He was flanked by two of the larger ones and before them was a group of people on their knees pleading. Wait... I didn't know a lot of people but I knew these ones. Grinhook!?

"Now sir, Ol Grinhook and his friends didn't know those were your goblins! NOT! Not that it makes a difference!" Grinhook laughed a bit too hard for it to be genuine, "But survival of the fittest, surely a law we can all agree in right?"

The one sitting in the chair tilted its head back and forth as if pondering something.

"Aaaaand besides! Ol Grinhook freely let you have that wizard's staff to make up for the trouble. We've got coin too if that's not enough. Name your price, and we'll-"

There was a scream behind Grinhook as one of his friends was impaled by a dog man. The rest of his friends were dispatched of quickly. Grinhook shared a much worse fate. Begging and pleading for his life, shrinking backwards as the one in the chair got up. Fuck that thing must have been at least five meters tall. It reached out and grabbed Grinhook, it lifted him and then bit down on Grinhook's head. I felt sick to my stomach instantly, and had to turn to throw up. The image of Grinhook's body going slack despite screaming for mercy mere seconds before burned into my brain. Wiping my mouth I felt an ember of anger start to build. Sure I was going to beat the shit out of Grinhook and take the stick back when I found him, but this? You didn't murder someone begging for their life, and you certainly didn't... ugh... Eat them.

A new objective had been added to my list. Get the lighter, get the stick, make that pig fucker pay. And luckily for me, all three objectives could be solved here. Time to introduce those fuckers to justice, Kyoto style. (Author Notes:

Mt. Ogura, a mountain near Kyoto, and the surrounding areas are known for their beautiful Japanese Maple Trees which change color in the fall.

Antonio Inoki was one of the most prolific Japanese professional wrestlers of the 70s, having founded New Japan Pro Wrestling in 1972.

Aya is in the thick of it now. She's just one girl, and even if her muscles are getting supercharged by her fresh lungs. She has a whole camp of monsters to content with. And one of them is an absolute giant.

How is the Fanged Dragon Princess of Kyoto going to get out of this one?

Plan. Plan! I needed a fucking plan. Sure our small gang had fended off larger groups before, but it was just me now. I wouldn't have the luxury of extra eyes to watch out for me. So what did I know? There were at least fifteen of those little green bastards, they were small but even a playground full of grade schoolers could be a problem if they wanted to be. The Dog Men, they were quick and liked to do hit and run tactics, five of them had been a problem and if they cut my ankle again... I'd be a sitting duck. What I hated was the unknowns, I hadn't seen what the large green pigs could do, and the biggest pig of all was probably running things.

There was just no way to plan for everything, especially something I couldn't see. Fuck it. I'm going in, and whatever happened? Happened. I stood up and dusted myself off, then flicked the half smoked cigarette from my hand into a puddle. Just as I was about to exit the alley, and storm the abandoned factory, someone gripped my wrist and pulled me back. Only one person was brave enough to do that. I turned and looked at Manami.

"What the hell, Saitou!?" Manami hissed under her breath. She only called me by my last name when she was pissed.

"You fucking saw it," I spat, "Those fucking jerks harassed those girls, and then fucking kidnapped one of them."

"What I saw was you tearing off after them."

"Yeah and I tracked them here, and you tracked me here. So we're all good," I turned away and gripped my fists tightly into knuckles. Manami hooked her arm in mine, and spun us so that she was in my way.

"The hell you stopping me for!?"

"You're not thinking, Aya. You don't have a plan."

"Sure I do, I go in there, and start punching until everyone that needs punching is punched. Save the girl, get her back to her friends. Easy."

Manami sighed and I knew she wanted to hit me, "Those are Bosozoku. Not just any Bosozoku, the Thunder Banner Brotherhood. That's their turf. There's at least ten or more."

"Okay so that's five for me and five for you, unless you're suddenly a coward."

"Listen to me, we're the toughest girls to ever come out of the Sakyo Ward. But we're in Junior High, these are adults."

I gritted my teeth, "So what? We're supposed to just let them kidnap that girl and do... who knows what to her?"

"Of course not!" Manami snapped at me, "But we gotta be smart about this. We can't go in there, we'll get cornered and as tough as we are... numbers are numbers."

"We gotta get more girls for this gang..."

"That's not the point. The thing is, if we can't go in there? We bring them out here. Bottleneck them."

I felt a grin spread across my face, "What do you have in mind?"

Manami shared my grin, "How good are you at throwing rocks?"

Rocks! Rocks were perfect. I was no Tsuneo Horiuchi, but I could usually pitch a rock where I wanted it to go. What's more I knew what a rock could do to someone, if you had enough intent behind it. I started looking around and gathering any stones I could. Ignoring anything too small, pebbles weren't going to cut it. I managed to gather twenty-five stones each the size of a kinkan or a little bigger. Yeah this was going to work, at least it would work well enough. My main goal was to take out every dog man I could see, my ankle didn't hurt anymore, but I wasn't interested in any repeats. Hopefully the little green ones would scatter once the rocks started flying. Any of the pigs left over... I could probably take. All that mattered was clearing a path to that big pig bastard.

I stayed crouched down and looked for my first target. There were three of them yipping away in a corner of the camp. Carefully I aimed, I had to be on target. Once the first rock flew all hell was going to break loose. I pulled my arm back and I snapped my arm forward. I didn't even see the rock hit the first dog man, just heard the whistle of it flying through the air. Then I saw its head pop like a water balloon. Holy shit. The other two dog men were stunned and confused. Well that's a lucky break, I let another rock fly and saw the second one drop. I don't know exactly where I hit but it hit the ground and did not move. That was the only lucky break I was getting, the third started howling and banging it's axe along the log fence line. The whole encampment came alive with activity. I watched them looking around outside their camp. I don't know what they were expecting, but I pitched another rock and watched another dog hit the ground as its leg came clean off. Fuck, don't panic! Aim better!

Aim better? Easier said than done. After the sixth throw I was realizing the power in my arm, as a rock missed its target and hit a makeshift building behind it. The building came down, and pinned one of the pigs. It felt like I was throwing with a construction crane for an arm. Throw after throw I watched the camp become blood soaked and destroyed. And eighteen rocks in the big one released a loud noise that made my ears hurt, but I felt the shift in attention. It figured out where I was and now the camp was moving like one great beast towards me. Them grouping together like that allowed me to hit the last seven of my stones and put multiple dogs and pigs down with single throws. But there still had to be at least twenty of those dogs and pigs headed my way. It didn't matter if they could see me, they'd find me with those numbers. I started to back up until my foot hit a downed log behind me.

No better plans. Crane arms it was. I turned and gripped into the bark. I stood up all at once bringing the damn thing up with me. It wasn't that it was heavy, it was two meters long and awkwardly thick. I raised my right foot and put it down hard onto the ground to push myself off. And I was running. Seeing me the sounds of these creatures got louder. They were probably pleased to have a face to target, and given our size difference, I'm sure they thought they had the advantage regardless of the tree. I skidded to a halt twisting my body back, and then swung with everything I had. Sadaharu Oh, eat your heart out. I connected and a large number of them fell as the wood exploded from impact.

Six... seven... nine... twelve. Twelve left. I felt my heart hammering in my chest. Pure adrenaline rushing through me. They looked confused and concerned. I took a step forward and watched as the legs of several of them twitched. They wanted to step back. Those little green rats had done what I wanted them to, scurry away when the rocks started flying. All that was left was dogs and pigs. I popped my neck and brought my fists up. Keep punching, I told myself, no matter what happens keep punching. I sprang forward and my fist impaled a dog, I swung my arm and sent the body flying at a pig. And by the time it knocked the body away, there I was. A sickening thud of knuckle on flesh. I felt the skull give way under the skin and it was on the ground.

"COME ON THEN!" I roared, trying not to throw up at my own actions. Keep punching Saitou! A pig stepped up and I swung my arm towards it. A clean chop across the chest sounded like thunder all around us. It clutched where I struck, a deep welt already forming, and then fell lifeless. They should have been able to overwhelm me, they had the numbers. But they were too scared to get close. Good. I needed that. My legs were moving before I noticed, and I was treading ground towards the last nine. When a pulse of air erupted from the camp behind them.

"ENOUGH!" The voice was like a swamp, deep and sticky. I turned my head to look and the Big Pig, the one that had eaten Grinhook, was making his way towards our fight. I felt like I had just been splashed with cold water, the adrenaline was coming down and I was feeling nauseous. His footsteps shook the ground as he approached, and I was able to gauge his height. Five Meters? Closer to seven more like, and just my luck I was only one hundred seventy centimeters. The other creatures scrambled to get out of his way, some even daring to dash past me. As much fear as I struck, they feared him more.

"YOU! GIRL!" He pointed a fat disgusting finger, "Who are you? Why attack us?"

Even though he wasn't shouting anymore, I still felt his voice vibrating in my chest. I took a breath and hunched my posture slightly. Looking him in the eye as best I could from down here, as I sank my hands into the pockets of my sukaato. I tilted my head and gave him the most insolent look I could manage.

"Three things. Your dogs bit me. You have things I want. And worst of all you broke the code."

"What code?" He rumbled.

"It doesn't matter what your problems with someone are. A man defeated? Begging for his life? You don't kill and you especially don't eat them."

"You eat cows."

"Well yeah, they're animals. They're meant to be food."

"Humans are dumber than cows. They are animals meant to be consumed by Orcs and Gnolls. Fed to goblins if they bring enough trinkets."

"Try that shit with me, you Pig Bastard. I'll give you an upset stomach."

"Women taste the best... I WILL FEAST TONIGHT!" The wind whipped around us as he shouted, and suddenly he was swinging some kind of huge spiked bat at me. The force of his swing was creating a vacuum, I felt myself pull towards it. Shit. My hands shot out of my pockets as I put them out before me. There wasn't time to dodge, the best I could do was try to defend myself. The palms of my hands made contact with the bat and my feet dug in. This wasn't any good. Even if I was strong how to you stop something that size? The heels of my feet were carving out a path as I was pushed along the ground. As his swing arced up, I left the ground and was sent flying back towards the tree line.

Turn! TURN DAMN YOU! I was trying to get my feet under me. If I could just land on my feet I could spring like I came off the ropes at hi- My back connected with a tree, and I kept going. The lumber uprooted from the force of impact. I bounced and skidded along the ground until I was nearly buried in the earth. FUCK! Falling from the sky hadn't hurt like that. I started to push myself up, and felt my arms shake. Come on move! Fucking move, Aya! They're all waiting for you. Manami, Akena, Yamagata... Akabane. You have to move NOW. With a laborious grunt I stood up. It felt like I could have fallen over again in that moment, but I heard him laughing and felt him walking towards the trees. No time to look weak.

"Little girl thought she could take a blow from Vrothu, Lord of the Dark Wood!" He boomed to the cheers of what was left of his monster squad. I straightened up and made my walk back towards the clearing. Reaching the edge of the ring before him, I allowed myself to enjoy his look of surprise.

"You're strong..." I wiped my lip and spat out some blood that had been pooling in my mouth, "BUT WHAT'S A LORD TO A PRINCESS!?"

I don't know why but when I charged at him, he froze. Maybe he was just used to ending things in one hit. Maybe he forgot what it was like to actually have a knock down, drag 'em out fight. But that was my specialty. He didn't freeze for long, large earth splintering strides being made towards me. His bat high above his head. He brought it down, but this time I was ready. I changed my run and moved a meter to the right of his swing. It crashed into the ground, and I leaped as the ground pushed me up. I landed on the bat and ran up his arm before he could swat me off.

"YOU'RE NOT SPECIAL!" He bellowed as his other hand reached for me. I threw a kick into his palm and sent it reeling back.

"I'M AYA SAITOU! THE FANGED DRAGON PRINCESS OF KYOTO!"

"DRAGON!?"

"AND YOU CAN EAT SHIT!" I clenched my fist, and pulled my arm back. I released a punch with everything I had. I felt my fist connecting with his head and it caused his face to ripple like water from the impact. I watched as the blood vessels under the skin burst outwards from the point of contact, and then his face split open in the same pattern. His body fell like a downed oak, sending shockwaves out all around us. I managed to land on my feet, and took a deep breath. Then threw my head back and screamed triumphantly. A snapping of a branch, I quickly turned my head to see one of the pigs approaching. He shrank back under my gaze, and then it and the others ran away as fast as they could. Good... I was fucking out of gas. I sank to the dirt, and let myself enjoy actually being exhausted. If my rock bombardment hadn't destroyed them, I'd find the lighter and the stick later. Right now I just needed a break. I'd kill for a cigarette. (Author Notes:

Tsuneo Horiuchi: A legendary Japanese baseball pitcher for the Yomiuri Giants whose dominance peaked in the 1970s, famous for pitching historic games and his incredible fastball.

(So I decided to write a Light Novel. I still got a long way to go. But I'm whittling it away a chapter at a time. I've posted it on AO3 and Royal Road. So why not here? Yes it's an Isekai, but I'm hoping that it's different enough that everyone can enjoy it!) Summary:

In 1976 Aya Saitou roamed the streets of Kyoto as the Fanged Dragon Princess. She was a delinquent with a code. Aya lived for her gang, like a makeshift family.

But one day in a standard turf fight, Aya jumped in the way of an attack meant for a girl she had a crush on.

Aya Saitou, 17, gasped her last breath in a cold alleyway, longing for a cigarette.

Or so she thought!

Waking up in the afterlife, a goddess named Hessnia has picked her to be a 'Champion' in a cosmic game. The prize? One wish. Just one problem, Hessnia and Aya disagree on how to be a champion.

Aya doesn't want the magic. She doesn't want the glory. She just wants her lighter back, and a way home. So she'll win, but it'll be on her terms. Chapter 1: What a Drag

"Akabane!" I felt my body move before I called out to my junior. The girl from the other gang had already lunged forward. My arms stretched out, and I pushed Akabane out of harms way. Making my body as wide as possible, attempting to shield her from the oncoming attack. I felt my body collide with the attacker's, and my arms closed in around her. Gripping her as tightly as I could, I began to slam my forehead into hers until I felt her start to go limp. The attacker slumped to the ground as I released her, and I felt the warm drip of my own blood from a cut above my eye. That didn't bother me, why should it? I had been in enough of these gang fights that a cut here or there was nothing new to me.

Akabane was different, she had only joined our gang a few weeks ago, and this was her first real fight. Checking to make sure no one else needed my immediate attention, I turned to face my Junior to make sure she hadn't been hurt. That's when I was greeted with a look of shock and terror. This too didn't faze me. I had to imagine that witnessing someone being headbutted into unconsciousness for the very first time was probably unsettling. I squatted down to offer her a helping hand back up. That's when I felt a sharp pain in my side, and noticed the familiar warm wet sensation that I had only felt moments prior above my eye. That look wasn't for my actions, and as I looked to my side I saw the very thing I had sought to protect Akabane from. A knife was sunk deep into me, and the adrenaline of the situation had tapered off.

"Deep breaths, deep breaths" I repeated in my head like a mantra as my legs started to feel unsteady. I couldn't fall now, I reasoned. We were in the middle of a gang fight, and if I fell now who would look out for everyone and get us all home safe? Deep breaths, oxygen, air, I had to keep that flowing. Cursing myself a little now that I spent the last six years of my life smoking a pack a day. Every breath tasted like ash and blood, but I had to keep going. I thumped my chest with a fist a few times, commanding my heart to keep pumping blood where it needed to be. I stomped my feet begging my legs to stand firm while I held myself together. When one of the pack is injured that's when the opportunists take advantage of the situation. Being too focused on my situation I hadn't noticed several of the girls from the other gang, inch closer towards Akabane and I.

Keep beating, my heart. Keep flowing, my blood. I am Aya Saitou, feared by men and women a like as the Fanged Dragon Princess of Kyoto. I can't die here, I rationalized. There were so many more things I had left to do. Promises I had to keep. No, dying here was absolutely out of the question. Today I was walking away from this fight with my sisters, and there would be one less gang who thought they could fuck with the Fallen Dragons.

My fists swung wildly, flesh on flesh, bone on bone. One hit, it had to be one hit. If I dragged out a fight with any of them too long Akabane would be the one to pay for my mistake. Just as I flung my elbow into the side of one of the other girl's head I felt something hard and wooden break over mine. A board? A Bat? It didn't matter, my knees were buckling and I was falling forward. My eyes flicked towards my junior, another girl having taken her by her raven locks and pulled her head back, threatening to connect fist to face. I caught myself and grabbed the girl in front of me, screaming wildly as I lifted her and threw her into the one threatening to harm the pristine face of Akabane.

Everything else after that was a blur, I kept fighting, swinging whatever limb I could into whatever body I could. Collapsing in front of the girl I tried so hard to protect. The rest of our gang having finally torn away from their own quarrels to back us up. I could feel the blood at my side soaking through my uniform, and my extremities going cold.

"YEAH YOU GET OUT OF HERE! DON'T FUCK WITH THE FALLEN DRAGONS OF KYOTO AGAIN, YOU DUMB BITCHES!"

I wanted to laugh, it hurt to try, I could always count on Yamagata to scream what I would have anyway. Feeling the tears on my face, I finally noticed that my head was resting in Akabane's lap. Ah shit, a pretty girl like her shouldn't be crying. Not over someone like me.

"Fuck this looks bad, Saitou you just keep breathing." Akena's face betraying how bad it really was. Not like I couldn't feel it. That much blood on the ground? Yeah guess this is the last stop.

"Hey! Don't move dumbass!" Yamagata chided me as I reached down into my jacket pocket and pulled out a cigarette. Shakily I brought it to my lips.

"The fuckin point? I'm dying here. Might as well have one last drag right?" I chuckled, trying to bring the mood up. All the good that was doing me. Some of the toughest ladies I know looking like scared children around me. Fuck that's not how I want them to remember me.

"Don't fucking talk like that, you dumb muscle brained gorilla! You can hear the ambulance can't you?" Kanagi clearly yelling to keep from crying herself.

I clumsily fished my lighter out of a different pocket, and flipped it open. Clicking the flame on the edges of my vision were starting to go dark. This was it then, "You girls look out for each other, make anyone... who crosses you...paaa-" the last thing I felt was the lighter slip from my grip, my last cigarette unlit. What a drag.

Next there was a light, not a soft inviting light like they told me there would be. It was harsh and blinding, it hurt even with my eyes closed. I sat up and slowly blinked my eyes open, my vision blurred and coming into focus. Whiteness stretched out into the horizon in every direction around me. Closer to me was white marbled furniture, soft cushions of scarlet and violet laid out on top. And laid across them a blonde woman, with ivory like skin, and eyes that were a shade of blue that couldn't be real. Well shit guess there's an afterlife after all.

I moved to gingerly get to my feet when I noticed the pain at my side was gone, in fact the pain everywhere was gone. My knuckles didn't ache with forming bruises, the concussion I had given myself had dissipated. My mouth didn't taste coppery or even like ash. The only way you could tell I had been in a fight is that my clothes were still stained with dirt and blood. Wild to experience this after such a visceral death.

"Aya Saitou," the voice felt like it was all around me, loud and crushing. It made the hair on the back of my neck stand up, and my hands curl into fists. If there hadn't only been one other person around, I wouldn't even know where to look. The Blonde woman sat up from her opulent lounge, and began walking towards me. Flowing white robes dragging along behind her, held slightly aloft by an unseen force.

"Yes! That's it. That's why I'm picking you," She was suddenly behind me, and I swung back out of surprise only catching air.

"Easy now, I'm on your side. Or rather you're on mine." Behind me again but this time a few feet away.

"Yeah well, maybe don't do weird magic shit around a girl who just got stabbed." I spit on the ground in front of me, eyes forward, shoulders squared. "Wanna tell me what all this is? I feel like some kinda prize plucked out of a goddamn Gachapon."

"This, my dear girl, is your second chance," she answered, "I am the goddess, Hessnia. And you, my sharp edged little street tough, are my champion."

"Champion of what? Your pristine marble need polished? Your cushions fluffed?"

"Ah hahaha... charming..." Hessnia's voice was flat, "No. You've been chosen for a special game. It's very simple. Every One Thousand years Blah blah... a champion is blah blah... thrilling game blah blah..."

I felt the words slipping out of my mental grasp as they reached my ears. This bimbo looking goddess was starting to sound like my math teacher when he talked about the importance of fractions. Surely this was hell, why else would I have to endure this torture?

"Are you paying attention?"

"What?"

"Are you paying attention, I'm telling you why you're here."

"Yeah yeah something about video games or whatever."

"A game for me, yes. A bet made between other Gods. But for you a grueling fight."

"OH! A Fight!? Should have started with that! You're talking to the Strongest Delinquent of Yamagata Splendid Lotus Girls' Academy. Aya Saitou, the Fanged Dragon Princess of Kyoto. I'll put my fist to whoever's jaw and we can get this over with."

Hessnia did not look amused, but what else was new from adults and authority figures when they spoke to me. "I could have picked the police officier, or the brain dead solider... but this looked like so much more fun I said," her voice laced with regret. The goddess took a deep breath and recentered herself.

"Look Aya, it's a lot of fights, multiple people with the backing of other gods. All you got to do is beat them and you get your prize."

"Which is what?"

"One wish! Whatever you want. Fame, Money, Boysss- Okay not boys" I must have made a face for the correction, good correction. "Look whatever your little vicious heart desires."

There was a lot to work with there, I thought about an endless supply of cigarettes, all I could eat beef bowls, an arcade that never closed where your parents never came looking. And then I thought of Akabane, the other girls in the gang would look out for her of course, but they weren't me. They didn't get how special she was.

"What about going back to my world?"

"What? Why would you... fine yes, whatever. You could even wish to go back to your world."

"Then like I said, show me what jaw to connect my fist to, and let's get this over with." I was finally noticing my heart beating in my chest again. Fighting for my life? I didn't know where these other champions came from, or what their home lives were like. But for me, that was just another afternoon. And no sweet treat, no booze, not even the kiss of ash from my favorite brand of cigarettes filled me with as much joy.

"Not so fast there are things we need to take care of first," Hessnia's form grew exponentially, towering over me.

"Aya Saitou," Her voice like thunder and rain, "Do you swear to be my champion throughout this ordeal until victory or death?"

"Yeah, but it's going to be victory," I grinned looking up at her.

"Then hence forth let it be known that you Aya Saitou, the Fanged Dragon Princess of Kyoto, are under the Banner of Hessnia, Goddess of the Storm," Hessnia grew too bright to look at for a moment, and when the light faded she was back to how she was before, "Great now that that's finished, let's talk about your power."

"Oh sure, I work out every day. Been in fights since elementary school. Did some Boxing and some Karate when my parents thought I needed structure and an 'outlet'. And I can bench press three-hundred fifty pounds on a good day."

"No no, Aya. I know all that, that's why I picked you. No being my champion means you get a Special Power. Usually something tied to my personal godhood, but there have been exceptions."

"What? Special power?"

"Yes like I could make your blows electrocute your opponents, or maybe give you super speed. A Wall like you would make for an impressive freight train. Or I have weapons that can tear a person asunder with one blow. The choice is you-"

"Pass!"

"Pass? What do you mean 'pass'?"

I crossed my arms and spit at her feet, "You want me to cheat? Fat chance!"

Hessnia sighed and rubbed her temples "It's not cheating, everyone gets a special ability."

"Great then they're all weak wussies, and I'll have this done before dinner time."

"Aya this is just how things are done!"

"Get this through your thick skull, you dumb Bimbo!" I began as I stomped towards her," I don't need any of that pussy shit. You wanna force that on me, get yourself another champion and put me back in the ground."

"I-I can't! We already did the ritual!" Hessnia sputtered, "I'm stuck with you! You stupid brat!"

"Well then we better get started so I can go home and stop looking at your stupid face!"

"Fine then... You won't take a boon? How about a curse? Hmm!? SINCE I'M GOING TO LOSE ANYWAY!?"

The wind whipped up around me, the pristine floors fading and cracking around my feet. Hessnia's eyes were pure white, sparking with electricity as she pointed a finger at me. Well never punched a Goddess before, but I wasn't about to let her take me out without trying. I curled my hands into fists, and felt the muscles in my legs tighten as I prepared to charge.

"AYA SAITOU!" Her voice like thunder, breaking my rhythm instantly, I froze "NEVER AGAIN WILL YOU PARTAKE IN YOUR FAVORITE COMFORT! FOR EVER SHOULD YOU TRY YOU SHALL ONLY KNOW PAIN AND SUFFERING!"

A bolt of light shot out from her finger tip and ripped it's way through me as the wind started whirling faster and faster. I tried to push through the fierce winds, keeping my eyes as best I could on Hessnia. But as the winds picked up, my eyes felt dry, I blinked.

I felt myself falling before I opened my eyes to see unfamiliar lands getting ever closer to me. The wind passing by me so fast it was screaming in my ears. What was the point of cursing me if I was about to die to terminal velocity anyway? Well that was my second life I suppose. It was short and annoying. I hit the ground with an earth shattering crash. The dirt cratering under me a few feet before it became solid enough to stop me dead in my descent. Fuck that hurt! But not as much as it should have? I got to my feet easily and brushed myself off. Same clothes, same blood stains. That's fine, any clothes Hessnia made probably would have been to sneak in a cheat. A started looking around seeing wheat fields, and rolling hills as far as the eye could see. Where the hell am I?

Climbing out of the crater I made didn’t help. Not that it should. Akena had read enough manga like this that I shouldn't be surprised I didn't know where I was. I heard her voice pop into my head.

"You don't get it Saitou, it's interesting!" she chided one morning.

"If it ain't got martial arts or nothing, it can't be that interesting."

"The interesting part is Carol-chan being outside her own time! She doesn't get Egyptian politics."

"Ugh that sounds more like homework that something fun to read," I sneered.

"You don't ever wonder what you would do if you suddenly found yourself someplace completely new, and foreign?"

"Shit like that don't happen in the real world. Now Ashita no Joe! There's a manga that knows what's up."

Well hell, looks like I should have taken an interest in Akena's weird little fantasy manga. Sounded like a lot of crying and sand to me. I reached into my jacket pocket and felt a wave of relief at the familiar crinkle of the cellophane wrapper of a seven stars cigarette pack. I'd have to savor every last one, they probably didn't have cigarettes in... wherever I was. And nothing was as good as the rich, robust smooth flavor of a seven stars ciga-... Something felt wrong, a thinness to the pack. I looked down, there should have been at least twelve left since I bought them this afternoon. All that was left was a single stick, surrounded by the tattered remains of its brethren. One last cigarette.

I felt my body weight drop down immediately as I went into a squat. Staring a hole through the lone survivor. Shit. Shitshitshit! Making twelve cigarettes last would have been hard enough. How was I to ration a single one? I reached for where my lighter should be and felt nothing. Double shit. How I was going to ration a single Seven Star didn't matter if I couldn't light the damn thing. My eyes scanned the area. If my Seven Stars...Star was here, then surely- AH HA! About a yard away I saw it, my eyes locked onto the familiar scratched up golden metal that was my lighter. Half buried in the dirt, the dragon engraving was as recognizable as ever.

Walking over to pick it up I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. A smaller mass of shadow darted towards my lighter. I went to intercept, my footing felt off and instead of snatching up the lighter I overshot it by almost a foot. That crashlanding must have really messed with my balance. Turning back towards my lighter I saw it. A creature I had never seen before. It was green, kind of hairy, long pointy ears, and long tail that came to a tuff of hair at the end.

"What the fuck are you?... wait.. no, don't you dare."

The creature reached a spindly hand towards my lighter, and in one movement snatched it up and darted in the opposite direction of me. I felt dumbstruck for a second, and then I scrambled after it. It was small, with little legs, surely it couldn't outrun me. I found myself catching up very quickly. The loose soil was making my strides a little difficult, but not slowing me down as much as I thought it would have. I leaned down as I ran, inching closer to this mangy, little, green mutt, when suddenly it darted in a different direction. I was faster but it was more nimble. What a pain, I thought as I tried to turn only to find myself tumbling against the ground. Just what was going on with me today? Back on the pursuit, having to make up even more distance. I needed to end this quickly before I got winded. Maybe it was just the need for my lighter, but it felt like I wasn't close to getting tired. I could feel the ends of my fingers almost touching hair, when the creature dived into a hole, and I went ass over end into the dirt.

"LITTLE SHIT!" I roared, my hands digging into the dirt and ripping it up looking for that little green bastard. As I was digging I heard a scream a little ways away. A woman, maybe? That didn't concern me, I really needed that-

"I swear we have nothing left!" I caught just barely... Damn it. I threw down the dirt in my hands and wiped them on my skirt as I stood up. I listened and walked towards the direction of the shouting. Wasn't too far away, spotted them almost instantly. There were a group of people, two sides. One side was holding weapons and pointing them at the other, the other side seemed to be shrinking backwards. Five weapon wielding people with masks, seven or so on the other side.

"Awww come on now, surely you've got more for us," the lead masked man said, "What about a kiss for ol Grinhook?"

"I doubt very much that you'd leave it at that!" spat a woman with mouse brown hair, "You have our money, please leave us be!"

"Well lass, you're right about two things. We do have all your money."

"And the second?"

"Ol Grinhook and his boys want a lot more than a kiss!" He broke into cruel laughter, "Alright boys! let's have us a taste!"

"Hey! Shit for brains!" I snarled.

"Eh? And what do we have here? Oh looks like another pretty girl, come to entertain us."

Ugh, disgusting. "If getting your ass beat is entertaining for you, then yeah. This is Star Tanjo! And I'm freaking Kinichi Hagimoto."

"Coulda guessed you was some kinda magic user with them weird clothes. Hagi-What!? Is that some kind of a fancy spell?" his goons laughed.

"It means I'm about to judge you into the dirt." I clenched my right fist tight and raised my arm.

"Oh feisty!" Came a voice from another one, "Let me have her boss! I'll show her what we do to fiesty girls." He wheezed a sputtering laugh, and pulled out a knife from his belt. That's fine, it didn't matter the order. They were all about to get a lesson in Strong Style.

He charged at me, and I sprinted towards him. He lunged with his knife. I side stepped it, and dug my heels into the ground. I lowered, my muscles coiling like a spring, and I SWUNG! There was something I expected to feel. A body being flung into the dirt below us. The sensation of forearm meeting chest and throat. Instead I felt a warm spray of liquid up my side, and absolutely no resistance in my arm. What's more I had moved five feet from where I had started. Looking behind me, all I saw was a headless body just as it crumpled to the ground. I raised my arm to look at it and saw the smear of flesh, blood, and bone strewn across it.

"HOLY SHIT!?" I looked towards the other bullies with weapons "What are you people made out of? Wet cardboard?"

The look on Grinhook, as he called himself, was one of pure terror. He kept looking from the body to me, and then back to the body. All his friends were backing slowly away from me.

"WELL!?" I barked, "Someone say something! Was your friend there just weak or something!?"

"Miss? Ol Grinhook and his boys don't want no trouble. No Ma'am. No trouble at all. Just... Just gonna go about our day."

This was pathetic, but it was fine. The sooner this was done the sooner I could try and go back for my lighter.

"Then fucking get out of here already, go!"

They all fled as fast as they could, looking back at me to see if I would give chase. Bumping, crashing, and falling into one another as they made their escape. It was like watching Hachiji Da Yo! Zen'in Shugo. I'd laugh except for I just killed a guy, and I was covered in his filth. Not my best day ever. I turned towards the folks I'd just rescued. They looked just as scared as Grinhook and his gang.

"Are you all okay? Anyone hurt or anything?"

"J-just Percival," It was mouse girl, "They st-stabbed him, and took his staff."

"That's real low, stabbing an old guy like that," I spit on the ground, "So is he... dead? You people going to be okay?"

"I'm... not dead." came a groan. A few feet away, held up by a kid was a guy who couldn't have been much older than me.

"Oh shit, they stabbed you even though you can't walk?"

"No. No.. I assure you it was no walking stick. But my magic isn't as good without it." Percival, I assumed, replied.

"Magic? Like what... card tricks or something?"

Percival was helped to his feet by the kid propping him up, "No tricks. I am mastering the arcane arts!" I felt like he was putting extra bravado into this. But that's what magicians did after all. Percival lifted his arm, snapped his finger, a spark and then a small flame were produced above his fingers.

"AHH! THAT'S WHAT I NEED!" Everyone seemed to step back about a foot from me, as I shouted.

"You have need of the mystic arts? You seem to do," Percival swallowed nervously as his head motioned towards the corpse "fine without it."

"The what? No! The fire, I need that. Let me borrow your lighter or whatever. I'll give it back."

"Lighter?"

"Yeah the thing you're using to make the fire, or whatever. I'd use mine, but some hairy little green shit stole it and ran off with it. Plan to get it back but I just can not fucking think without a cigarette right now." I dug into my jacket and pulled out what was left of my Seven Stars. Half of it. I'd smoke half of it, get the lighter back, then smoke the other half. Surely this world had some form of tobacco or something close. The group of people watched with curiosity as I put the cigarette to my mouth and beckoned Percival over. With the aid of the kid, he managed to limp towards me. Holding the Seven Star in my lips I snapped and mimed the flame production for him.

"You want me to make more fire, and that's it?"

"Come on, be a pal. I'm dying here!" I felt bad sounding this lame, but sometimes you had to swallow your pride to get a smoke. Percival raised his hand, and snapped. More fire was made. Perfect. I leaned in looking at him, I had never seen someone look increasingly sick as I got closer. Whatever, the end touched the flame and I started to inhale. This was going to be so goo- My eyes shot open. I was experiencing something I hadn't felt since I was a first year in Junior High. I started coughing. The smoke felt like acid in my lungs. I was hacking and wheezing. Falling over to my knees, continuing to cough. It felt like I was about to throw up. I did throw up. The Seven Star was ruined in the aftermath. What just happened? I smoked twenty cigarettes a day. I had been smoking twenty cigarettes a day for the last three years! I heard that blond bimbo bitch's voice in my head. Never partake in my favorite comfort again? Shall only know pain and suffering? Wait a minute... I hadn't lost my breath once? It didn't hurt to breathe? Nooooo she couldn't have. She WOULDN'T have! I got up to my feet and screamed into the sky.

"HESSNIA YOU BITCH! YOU CURED MY SMOKER'S LUNGS!?"

"OOOOOH! HOHOHOHOHOHO!" Of course she had that kind of laugh. Why wouldn't she have that kind of laugh? There she was, Hessnia. Goddess of the Storm. Coming down from the sky, laughing, she was even doing the stupid hand pose. Everyone else dropped to the ground, bowing their heads until they were crawling backwards on their stomachs.

"Ah! See there, Aya? Proper respect." I just rolled my eyes. "And yes, I took away your ability to enjoy your favorite thing."

"Yeah... noticed with the puking and everything."

"And that'll happen every time you try. Any time you get too close to smoke." She grinned a triumphant grin, "But don't worry. I still left you with the desire for them."

I was certainly feeling that. It was like a hum in my brain, and every second without one made me more aware of the hum. I felt so much hate towards her in that moment I could spit. Goddess or not I lunged at her, reaching out a hand to take a swipe at her stupid smug face. I barely noticed the look of shock on her face before she flitted out of sight.

"Tsk! You're so barbaric. Which would have been a positive if you hadn't rejected my offer. Anyway you're better off not trying to strike me. You'd never be able to catch me."

It was my turn to grin. I slowly turned back towards her, hunched over slightly and raising my fist. Between my fingers were a few strands of golden hair. "You think so?"

Hessnia looked to my fist and then felt her hair, noticing it was just slightly out of place. She quickly floated at least a few dozen more feet off the ground.

"Interesting.... You weren't that fast before." I watched her tap her chin. She was sizing me up, processing something new, " You know what Aya? Maybe not all is lost after all."

"Spit it out!"

"You're still my champion, and something seems to be working for you. So you want to smoke again? Beat the other champions, win that wish, then we'll talk."

Mentally I was pulled in two different directions. One part of me wanted to see if I could hit her with a rock from here, the other was latching on to the promise of being able to smoke again.

"You want me to wander around aimlessly challenging people?"

"No. That's stupid. I don't care really what you do most days. Thirty days, Aya. Every thirty days you'll know where the next person you're supposed to fight is. You'll see. Farewell for now."

And with that she was gone. A fight every thirty days? What was I supposed to do with myself in the meantime? Well there was always my lighter.

"Hey you.... Percival?"

"Y-yes?" he was even more shaken than before.

"You know where I can find the green turd that took my lighter?"

"I-if you mean a Goblin... there is a umm... camp, of sorts, to the woods in the west," he shakily pointed a finger to a tree line a little ways away.

"Good.. Thanks for the light."

"You're just going to leave us here with no defense!?" It was mouse girl again.

"What am I supposed to babysit you now forever?" I would have ignored her. She wasn't the one who lit their fingers on fire, and yet she was the one yelling at me. I respected the guts that took.

"Without Percival's magic we could be attacked again! If not by bandits, then by monsters. We'll be dead out here!"

I grumbled a bit, rubbing the back of my head, "You want me to go get his stick?"

"Yes... please?"

Damn it. Did she have to look at me with those big eyes? "What's your name?"

"T-Tanya.."

"Well Tanya stay put," I began as I started walking towards the direction Percival pointed, "I'll get the stick, but lighter first." (Author Notes:

Akena is referencing one of the earliest proto–otome isekai works: Crest of the Royal Family about a girl who suddenly finds herself in the middle of ancient Egyptian Politics and Intrigue.

Ashita No Joe is an old Boxing Manga

Seven Stars was a popular brand of Cigarette in Japan during the 70s, it was known for being high in nicotine and High in Tar

Strong Style is a style of Professional Wrestling made famous by Antonio Inoki

Star Tanjo! was the massive 1970s talent search show that birthed the "Idol" era in Japan it and was hosted by Kinichi Hagimoto

Aya goes for a walk in the woods, it isn't a memorable one... until it suddenly is.

What will the Fanged Dragon Princess of the Fallen Dragons of Kyoto do when she's suddenly surrounded by unseen monsters in the brush?

Whatever happened to Ol Grinhook anyway?

I hated this. Every step made me more aware of what was going on. Every breath was almost overwhelmingly sharp. The way my lungs expanded in my chest, they had never felt this full. And my steps? I was leaving deep imprints with each one. The forest floor giving way to the weight of my stride. People weren't meant to be like this. At least -I- wasn't meant to. I took a break from walking towards this camp to the west. I could keep going, I wasn't tired. And that was part of the problem. In a new world, in my body. But it felt unrecognizable. Besides that Percival guy could have been lying. After what I did to that robber, and my interaction with Hessnia, he practically wet himself when I asked where to find my lighter. Could have been trying to get rid of me. It'd be the smart thing to do.

Nah, he hadn't been lying. I didn't know what a 'goblin' was supposed to smell like, but the little green shit looked mangy and scraggly. So they probably smelled pretty bad. And the more West I went, the more it started to smell a little rancid. But that could have been a dead animal or a nasty plant of some kind. I wouldn't know till I got there. Damn it. I'm using this stupid curse again. My sense of smell had been horrible for years, but now it was like I could smell every single leaf on every tree around me. Who needs to smell this good? What am I a dog?

I frowned, it was the fifth time I had done it since entering the forest. I caught my hand reaching for my pack of cigarettes. I knew they weren't there, and worse if they were I wouldn't be able to smoke them. I let myself lean against a tree. Who the hell ever heard of a smoke break without something to smoke? I slumped to the ground and tried to ignore the buzzing in my brain. Why couldn't I be cursed to like boys? Actually that would have been worse. But she could have picked something other than my smokes! I raised my head and looked up towards the sky, watching the way the light danced through the branches in the wind.

"Isn't it so amazing, Saitou!?" Akabane had ran ahead of me towards the overlook. I, of course, needed a little extra time getting there.

"Yeah it's.. geez.. Really great out here," I was panting, trying to get my breath under control. "And I told you... You can..." My voice caught in my throat as she turned to look at me. My face felt flush in a way that I knew wasn't from all the exercise of the hike. "You can call me, Aya..." since when was my voice so small?

Akabane's face turned a light shade of pink, she probably just got a little too much sun. "Only if you call me Miu.... Now come look!"

I stood up straight and walked over to the ledge, the railing separating us from a sudden fall. Overlooking the Kiyotaki river, watching it snake through the Mt. Ogura Forest. The yellows and reds of the maples looked amazing in the afternoon sun from this height. At least that's what Akabane told me.

"It's really pretty isn't it?" she asked staring out at the wilderness.

"Yeah... it really is.." I was staring at her. I turned my head quickly towards the scenery as I noticed her head turning to look at me. She tugged at the hem of my shirt.

"Come on! Not to far from the temple now!" She giggled like a wind chime and ran ahead. Just where did she find the energy? I turned my head to follow, the sun catching my eyes causing me to blink.

My eyes opened up, and Akabane was gone. I was alone, sitting under the tree I had propped myself up against. Get the lighter back, get the stick, beat the champions, go home. That's all I had to do. Ugh what was that smell? The rancid smell that I had been following was starting to disappear, replaced by an almost overwhelming pungent, musky odor. Worse yet every way I turned seemed to have the same smell. I slowly got to my feet, everything about this stank. A rustle in the brush behind me, I turned only for a different rustle to sound off to the left. Next came a chorus of high pitched laughter that made me feel uneasy. I squared my shoulders and raised my fists as the manic laughter got louder. Another rustle, much closer to me this time, I swung a fist towards it demolishing the bush, but not hitting anything more than foliage and dirt. It happened then, a sharp pain at the back of my right ankle. My leg giving out under my weight putting me on one knee. Another rustle, this time something darting away from me. I turned my head and saw a flash of browning yellowish fur disappear into the brush. I turned myself so that I was back against the tree. I glanced at my ankle, a thin red line and a splatter of blood on my loafers.

"Alright you punks! Enough of this peek-a-boo shit! Come out and fight me for real!" the laughter intensified all around me. If I could just- I ducked my head almost a second too late. It was the glint of steel, and a change in the air that gave it away. Duck enough lead pipes from behind, it was almost second nature to be aware of things swinging at your head. There was a hard THUNK into the tree behind me, and I snapped my arm out and struck something leathery. A crunch of bone and a high pitched yelp like a dog, whatever I struck sailed back into the foliage just out of sight. I reached up and pulled worn and chipped axe from the tree. What the hell?

The laughter died down, the movement in the brush stopped. Soon it was replaced by low, vicious growling. Angry barking replacing the chorus of inhuman laughter. You'd think I was in a Nobuhiko Obayashi flick. I caught another flash of steel, another axe, this time thrown at me. I brought the axe in my hand up in a blocking slash. I don't know if it was the force I swung with, or the shoddy craftmanship, but both the axe I was holding and the thrown one burst apart. The heads of them flying in two directions. There it was, one of these stalking creatures lunging at me. It was like some ugly, mangy, hunched over looking dog man. Just looking at it made me sick to my stomach, but I didn't have time to process that. Claws and teeth were aimed at me, and suddenly found myself pushing forward with my injured leg. I stood up, and brought my fist up at the same time. Two things happened. First it twisted it's body away from the blow. Second it was pushed back by a rush of air that fanned out from the strike.

"Shit... never done that before."

I watched it get to its feet as three more exited from the bushes. Each of them growling and circling me, wearing some kind of weird, thick, sleeveless, brown top. Well at least I was standing now. I tried to put weight on my seemingly working bad leg, only for it to falter slightly, putting me off balance. Another one lunged at me, being off balance I didn't get the swing I wanted out of my punch. I connected but not with the gusto of the last punch. I felt claws against my arm as the knuckles hit the elongated jaw of this beast. It bounced to the ground in a whine but scrambled back up to its feet. I was too focused on that one and there were claws in my back, and teeth in my shoulder. The growling in my ears as I started to tip over. I was swinging wildly, every which way to keep the other three off me. Reaching back I ripped the last one off, and I drove it straight into the ground in a powerful driver that would have made Inoki proud. There was a wet sickening thud against the ground and the dog creature slumped over on its neck, and blood started to pool around my legs. I shot the other three the most terrifying look I could, stopping them dead in their tracks.

"Well? Wanna keep going!?" I didn't know if they could understand me, but they started to back up into the brush out of sight. I sat there, listened, and waited. Other than the smell of the one in front of me, the scent of the other three dissipated, and I was starting to smell the rancid smell I had been following before. I pushed myself back against the tree, even if they had left, those creatures were still out there. Shit that fucker bit me, do they have rabies in this world? Would the people of this world even have a treatment for it if it did exist? Nothing to be done about it now, that was a bridge to burn later. I looked down at my ankle, walking on that was going to be a- wait. I flexed my foot a little. My ankle was tender but there wasn't the sharp pain from before. I undid the buttons of my fuku and carefully pulled it off. My shoulder still stinging from the bite. I looked it over and cursed under my breath. My fuku was ruined, wet with dog drool and, presumably, blood. Seeing the blood I reached up to my shoulder and felt the wounds. Something felt off. I looked to the long jagged teeth of the dead one in front of me and traced where it bit. Shallow. The punctures were shallow. It felt like the teeth went deeper than the wounds would suggest. I turned my arm up to me to look at where the claws sunk in. That's when I noticed the gashes were starting to scab quickly. What's more I noticed I still wasn't breathing hard, despite all altercation. What the fuck is wrong with me?

I sighed, worrying about this wasn't going to make it go away. I wasn't smart enough to even understand how it was happening. Akabane got good grades in every class, she would have known. I ran my fingers over the holes in my fuku. Damn it. Just fucking damn it. The custom embroidery was ruined, and it no longer read 'Aya Saitou, Fanged Dragon Princess of the Kyoto Fallen Dragons'. It didn't read anything now, it was just a mess of letters and thread. Someone had to know how to sew in this world. Maybe Tanya or someone else in her group. My lighter was still at the top of my list, but that stick was creeping up the ladder.

I allowed myself a few more moments of self pity before slapping myself in the face. This was no time to feel sorry for myself. I put my arms through the sleeves of my fuku and buttoned it up. Standing and testing my ankle. It felt like I had twisted it a week ago, still sore but perfectly walkable. I turned my nose from the dead dog man, and back towards where the rancid smell was coming from. That's the target, probably. I was still guessing. I rolled my neck to pop it and I got back to my hike. Anything else wanted to fuck with me, it would learn how bad an idea that was quickly.

As I continued my hike towards the smell, my ankle improved until I only noticed how much it didn't hurt. The cuts on my arm having begun the process of fading into scars. At least I would have a cool new scar to show off to the girls when I got back. About my fifth rendition of humming Hiromi Iwasaki's Romance, the smell I had been followed reached an all time high. I spotted a break in the tree line, what laid beyond it was obscured by bright sunlight coming through the trees. For a moment I thought about just stepping through, and then I felt Manami's hand on my shoulder. Right who knew what was out there. I crouched down into the brush and peered out.

As my eyes adjusted to the light I saw it. Camp my ass. This clearing held what felt like a whole small town. Walls of logs standing side by side creating a ring around the tents and makeshift buildings. I saw more of those dog creatures barking and laughing. A bunch of those little green bastards rolling around and fighting with each other. With any luck I'd find the one with my lighter. Some slightly larger green bastards laughing at the smaller green bastards. Even larger pig nosed green bastards who joined the medium sized ones in laughing. And at the center of it all was the largest of the pig nosed green bastards, sitting on an ornate, by comparison of everything thing else in this town, chair. He was flanked by two of the larger ones and before them was a group of people on their knees pleading. Wait... I didn't know a lot of people but I knew these ones. Grinhook!?

"Now sir, Ol Grinhook and his friends didn't know those were your goblins! NOT! Not that it makes a difference!" Grinhook laughed a bit too hard for it to be genuine, "But survival of the fittest, surely a law we can all agree in right?"

The one sitting in the chair tilted its head back and forth as if pondering something.

"Aaaaand besides! Ol Grinhook freely let you have that wizard's staff to make up for the trouble. We've got coin too if that's not enough. Name your price, and we'll-"

There was a scream behind Grinhook as one of his friends was impaled by a dog man. The rest of his friends were dispatched of quickly. Grinhook shared a much worse fate. Begging and pleading for his life, shrinking backwards as the one in the chair got up. Fuck that thing must have been at least five meters tall. It reached out and grabbed Grinhook, it lifted him and then bit down on Grinhook's head. I felt sick to my stomach instantly, and had to turn to throw up. The image of Grinhook's body going slack despite screaming for mercy mere seconds before burned into my brain. Wiping my mouth I felt an ember of anger start to build. Sure I was going to beat the shit out of Grinhook and take the stick back when I found him, but this? You didn't murder someone begging for their life, and you certainly didn't... ugh... Eat them.

A new objective had been added to my list. Get the lighter, get the stick, make that pig fucker pay. And luckily for me, all three objectives could be solved here. Time to introduce those fuckers to justice, Kyoto style. (Author Notes:

Mt. Ogura, a mountain near Kyoto, and the surrounding areas are known for their beautiful Japanese Maple Trees which change color in the fall.

Antonio Inoki was one of the most prolific Japanese professional wrestlers of the 70s, having founded New Japan Pro Wrestling in 1972.

(So I decided to write a Light Novel. I still got a long way to go. But I'm whittling it away a chapter at a time. I've posted it on AO3 and Royal Road. So why not here? Yes it's an Isekai, but I'm hoping that it's different enough that everyone can enjoy it!) Summary:

In 1976 Aya Saitou roamed the streets of Kyoto as the Fanged Dragon Princess. She was a delinquent with a code. Aya lived for her gang, like a makeshift family.

But one day in a standard turf fight, Aya jumped in the way of an attack meant for a girl she had a crush on.

Aya Saitou, 17, gasped her last breath in a cold alleyway, longing for a cigarette.

Or so she thought!

Waking up in the afterlife, a goddess named Hessnia has picked her to be a 'Champion' in a cosmic game. The prize? One wish. Just one problem, Hessnia and Aya disagree on how to be a champion.

Aya doesn't want the magic. She doesn't want the glory. She just wants her lighter back, and a way home. So she'll win, but it'll be on her terms. Chapter 1: What a Drag

"Akabane!" I felt my body move before I called out to my junior. The girl from the other gang had already lunged forward. My arms stretched out, and I pushed Akabane out of harms way. Making my body as wide as possible, attempting to shield her from the oncoming attack. I felt my body collide with the attacker's, and my arms closed in around her. Gripping her as tightly as I could, I began to slam my forehead into hers until I felt her start to go limp. The attacker slumped to the ground as I released her, and I felt the warm drip of my own blood from a cut above my eye. That didn't bother me, why should it? I had been in enough of these gang fights that a cut here or there was nothing new to me.

Akabane was different, she had only joined our gang a few weeks ago, and this was her first real fight. Checking to make sure no one else needed my immediate attention, I turned to face my Junior to make sure she hadn't been hurt. That's when I was greeted with a look of shock and terror. This too didn't faze me. I had to imagine that witnessing someone being headbutted into unconsciousness for the very first time was probably unsettling. I squatted down to offer her a helping hand back up. That's when I felt a sharp pain in my side, and noticed the familiar warm wet sensation that I had only felt moments prior above my eye. That look wasn't for my actions, and as I looked to my side I saw the very thing I had sought to protect Akabane from. A knife was sunk deep into me, and the adrenaline of the situation had tapered off.

"Deep breaths, deep breaths" I repeated in my head like a mantra as my legs started to feel unsteady. I couldn't fall now, I reasoned. We were in the middle of a gang fight, and if I fell now who would look out for everyone and get us all home safe? Deep breaths, oxygen, air, I had to keep that flowing. Cursing myself a little now that I spent the last six years of my life smoking a pack a day. Every breath tasted like ash and blood, but I had to keep going. I thumped my chest with a fist a few times, commanding my heart to keep pumping blood where it needed to be. I stomped my feet begging my legs to stand firm while I held myself together. When one of the pack is injured that's when the opportunists take advantage of the situation. Being too focused on my situation I hadn't noticed several of the girls from the other gang, inch closer towards Akabane and I.

Keep beating, my heart. Keep flowing, my blood. I am Aya Saitou, feared by men and women a like as the Fanged Dragon Princess of Kyoto. I can't die here, I rationalized. There were so many more things I had left to do. Promises I had to keep. No, dying here was absolutely out of the question. Today I was walking away from this fight with my sisters, and there would be one less gang who thought they could fuck with the Fallen Dragons.

My fists swung wildly, flesh on flesh, bone on bone. One hit, it had to be one hit. If I dragged out a fight with any of them too long Akabane would be the one to pay for my mistake. Just as I flung my elbow into the side of one of the other girl's head I felt something hard and wooden break over mine. A board? A Bat? It didn't matter, my knees were buckling and I was falling forward. My eyes flicked towards my junior, another girl having taken her by her raven locks and pulled her head back, threatening to connect fist to face. I caught myself and grabbed the girl in front of me, screaming wildly as I lifted her and threw her into the one threatening to harm the pristine face of Akabane.

Everything else after that was a blur, I kept fighting, swinging whatever limb I could into whatever body I could. Collapsing in front of the girl I tried so hard to protect. The rest of our gang having finally torn away from their own quarrels to back us up. I could feel the blood at my side soaking through my uniform, and my extremities going cold.

"YEAH YOU GET OUT OF HERE! DON'T FUCK WITH THE FALLEN DRAGONS OF KYOTO AGAIN, YOU DUMB BITCHES!"

I wanted to laugh, it hurt to try, I could always count on Yamagata to scream what I would have anyway. Feeling the tears on my face, I finally noticed that my head was resting in Akabane's lap. Ah shit, a pretty girl like her shouldn't be crying. Not over someone like me.

"Fuck this looks bad, Saitou you just keep breathing." Akena's face betraying how bad it really was. Not like I couldn't feel it. That much blood on the ground? Yeah guess this is the last stop.

"Hey! Don't move dumbass!" Yamagata chided me as I reached down into my jacket pocket and pulled out a cigarette. Shakily I brought it to my lips.

"The fuckin point? I'm dying here. Might as well have one last drag right?" I chuckled, trying to bring the mood up. All the good that was doing me. Some of the toughest ladies I know looking like scared children around me. Fuck that's not how I want them to remember me.

"Don't fucking talk like that, you dumb muscle brained gorilla! You can hear the ambulance can't you?" Kanagi clearly yelling to keep from crying herself.

I clumsily fished my lighter out of a different pocket, and flipped it open. Clicking the flame on the edges of my vision were starting to go dark. This was it then, "You girls look out for each other, make anyone... who crosses you...paaa-" the last thing I felt was the lighter slip from my grip, my last cigarette unlit. What a drag.

Next there was a light, not a soft inviting light like they told me there would be. It was harsh and blinding, it hurt even with my eyes closed. I sat up and slowly blinked my eyes open, my vision blurred and coming into focus. Whiteness stretched out into the horizon in every direction around me. Closer to me was white marbled furniture, soft cushions of scarlet and violet laid out on top. And laid across them a blonde woman, with ivory like skin, and eyes that were a shade of blue that couldn't be real. Well shit guess there's an afterlife after all.

I moved to gingerly get to my feet when I noticed the pain at my side was gone, in fact the pain everywhere was gone. My knuckles didn't ache with forming bruises, the concussion I had given myself had dissipated. My mouth didn't taste coppery or even like ash. The only way you could tell I had been in a fight is that my clothes were still stained with dirt and blood. Wild to experience this after such a visceral death.

"Aya Saitou," the voice felt like it was all around me, loud and crushing. It made the hair on the back of my neck stand up, and my hands curl into fists. If there hadn't only been one other person around, I wouldn't even know where to look. The Blonde woman sat up from her opulent lounge, and began walking towards me. Flowing white robes dragging along behind her, held slightly aloft by an unseen force.

"Yes! That's it. That's why I'm picking you," She was suddenly behind me, and I swung back out of surprise only catching air.

"Easy now, I'm on your side. Or rather you're on mine." Behind me again but this time a few feet away.

"Yeah well, maybe don't do weird magic shit around a girl who just got stabbed." I spit on the ground in front of me, eyes forward, shoulders squared. "Wanna tell me what all this is? I feel like some kinda prize plucked out of a goddamn Gachapon."

"This, my dear girl, is your second chance," she answered, "I am the goddess, Hessnia. And you, my sharp edged little street tough, are my champion."

"Champion of what? Your pristine marble need polished? Your cushions fluffed?"

"Ah hahaha... charming..." Hessnia's voice was flat, "No. You've been chosen for a special game. It's very simple. Every One Thousand years Blah blah... a champion is blah blah... thrilling game blah blah..."

I felt the words slipping out of my mental grasp as they reached my ears. This bimbo looking goddess was starting to sound like my math teacher when he talked about the importance of fractions. Surely this was hell, why else would I have to endure this torture?

"Are you paying attention?"

"What?"

"Are you paying attention, I'm telling you why you're here."

"Yeah yeah something about video games or whatever."

"A game for me, yes. A bet made between other Gods. But for you a grueling fight."

"OH! A Fight!? Should have started with that! You're talking to the Strongest Delinquent of Yamagata Splendid Lotus Girls' Academy. Aya Saitou, the Fanged Dragon Princess of Kyoto. I'll put my fist to whoever's jaw and we can get this over with."

Hessnia did not look amused, but what else was new from adults and authority figures when they spoke to me. "I could have picked the police officier, or the brain dead solider... but this looked like so much more fun I said," her voice laced with regret. The goddess took a deep breath and recentered herself.

"Look Aya, it's a lot of fights, multiple people with the backing of other gods. All you got to do is beat them and you get your prize."

"Which is what?"

"One wish! Whatever you want. Fame, Money, Boysss- Okay not boys" I must have made a face for the correction, good correction. "Look whatever your little vicious heart desires."

There was a lot to work with there, I thought about an endless supply of cigarettes, all I could eat beef bowls, an arcade that never closed where your parents never came looking. And then I thought of Akabane, the other girls in the gang would look out for her of course, but they weren't me. They didn't get how special she was.

"What about going back to my world?"

"What? Why would you... fine yes, whatever. You could even wish to go back to your world."

"Then like I said, show me what jaw to connect my fist to, and let's get this over with." I was finally noticing my heart beating in my chest again. Fighting for my life? I didn't know where these other champions came from, or what their home lives were like. But for me, that was just another afternoon. And no sweet treat, no booze, not even the kiss of ash from my favorite brand of cigarettes filled me with as much joy.

"Not so fast there are things we need to take care of first," Hessnia's form grew exponentially, towering over me.

"Aya Saitou," Her voice like thunder and rain, "Do you swear to be my champion throughout this ordeal until victory or death?"

"Yeah, but it's going to be victory," I grinned looking up at her.

"Then hence forth let it be known that you Aya Saitou, the Fanged Dragon Princess of Kyoto, are under the Banner of Hessnia, Goddess of the Storm," Hessnia grew too bright to look at for a moment, and when the light faded she was back to how she was before, "Great now that that's finished, let's talk about your power."

"Oh sure, I work out every day. Been in fights since elementary school. Did some Boxing and some Karate when my parents thought I needed structure and an 'outlet'. And I can bench press three-hundred fifty pounds on a good day."

"No no, Aya. I know all that, that's why I picked you. No being my champion means you get a Special Power. Usually something tied to my personal godhood, but there have been exceptions."

"What? Special power?"

"Yes like I could make your blows electrocute your opponents, or maybe give you super speed. A Wall like you would make for an impressive freight train. Or I have weapons that can tear a person asunder with one blow. The choice is you-"

"Pass!"

"Pass? What do you mean 'pass'?"

I crossed my arms and spit at her feet, "You want me to cheat? Fat chance!"

Hessnia sighed and rubbed her temples "It's not cheating, everyone gets a special ability."

"Great then they're all weak wussies, and I'll have this done before dinner time."

"Aya this is just how things are done!"

"Get this through your thick skull, you dumb Bimbo!" I began as I stomped towards her," I don't need any of that pussy shit. You wanna force that on me, get yourself another champion and put me back in the ground."

"I-I can't! We already did the ritual!" Hessnia sputtered, "I'm stuck with you! You stupid brat!"

"Well then we better get started so I can go home and stop looking at your stupid face!"

"Fine then... You won't take a boon? How about a curse? Hmm!? SINCE I'M GOING TO LOSE ANYWAY!?"

The wind whipped up around me, the pristine floors fading and cracking around my feet. Hessnia's eyes were pure white, sparking with electricity as she pointed a finger at me. Well never punched a Goddess before, but I wasn't about to let her take me out without trying. I curled my hands into fists, and felt the muscles in my legs tighten as I prepared to charge.

"AYA SAITOU!" Her voice like thunder, breaking my rhythm instantly, I froze "NEVER AGAIN WILL YOU PARTAKE IN YOUR FAVORITE COMFORT! FOR EVER SHOULD YOU TRY YOU SHALL ONLY KNOW PAIN AND SUFFERING!"

A bolt of light shot out from her finger tip and ripped it's way through me as the wind started whirling faster and faster. I tried to push through the fierce winds, keeping my eyes as best I could on Hessnia. But as the winds picked up, my eyes felt dry, I blinked.

I felt myself falling before I opened my eyes to see unfamiliar lands getting ever closer to me. The wind passing by me so fast it was screaming in my ears. What was the point of cursing me if I was about to die to terminal velocity anyway? Well that was my second life I suppose. It was short and annoying. I hit the ground with an earth shattering crash. The dirt cratering under me a few feet before it became solid enough to stop me dead in my descent. Fuck that hurt! But not as much as it should have? I got to my feet easily and brushed myself off. Same clothes, same blood stains. That's fine, any clothes Hessnia made probably would have been to sneak in a cheat. A started looking around seeing wheat fields, and rolling hills as far as the eye could see. Where the hell am I?

Climbing out of the crater I made didn’t help. Not that it should. Akena had read enough manga like this that I shouldn't be surprised I didn't know where I was. I heard her voice pop into my head.

"You don't get it Saitou, it's interesting!" she chided one morning.

"If it ain't got martial arts or nothing, it can't be that interesting."

"The interesting part is Carol-chan being outside her own time! She doesn't get Egyptian politics."

"Ugh that sounds more like homework that something fun to read," I sneered.

"You don't ever wonder what you would do if you suddenly found yourself someplace completely new, and foreign?"

"Shit like that don't happen in the real world. Now Ashita no Joe! There's a manga that knows what's up."

Well hell, looks like I should have taken an interest in Akena's weird little fantasy manga. Sounded like a lot of crying and sand to me. I reached into my jacket pocket and felt a wave of relief at the familiar crinkle of the cellophane wrapper of a seven stars cigarette pack. I'd have to savor every last one, they probably didn't have cigarettes in... wherever I was. And nothing was as good as the rich, robust smooth flavor of a seven stars ciga-... Something felt wrong, a thinness to the pack. I looked down, there should have been at least twelve left since I bought them this afternoon. All that was left was a single stick, surrounded by the tattered remains of its brethren. One last cigarette.

I felt my body weight drop down immediately as I went into a squat. Staring a hole through the lone survivor. Shit. Shitshitshit! Making twelve cigarettes last would have been hard enough. How was I to ration a single one? I reached for where my lighter should be and felt nothing. Double shit. How I was going to ration a single Seven Star didn't matter if I couldn't light the damn thing. My eyes scanned the area. If my Seven Stars...Star was here, then surely- AH HA! About a yard away I saw it, my eyes locked onto the familiar scratched up golden metal that was my lighter. Half buried in the dirt, the dragon engraving was as recognizable as ever.

Walking over to pick it up I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. A smaller mass of shadow darted towards my lighter. I went to intercept, my footing felt off and instead of snatching up the lighter I overshot it by almost a foot. That crashlanding must have really messed with my balance. Turning back towards my lighter I saw it. A creature I had never seen before. It was green, kind of hairy, long pointy ears, and long tail that came to a tuff of hair at the end.

"What the fuck are you?... wait.. no, don't you dare."

The creature reached a spindly hand towards my lighter, and in one movement snatched it up and darted in the opposite direction of me. I felt dumbstruck for a second, and then I scrambled after it. It was small, with little legs, surely it couldn't outrun me. I found myself catching up very quickly. The loose soil was making my strides a little difficult, but not slowing me down as much as I thought it would have. I leaned down as I ran, inching closer to this mangy, little, green mutt, when suddenly it darted in a different direction. I was faster but it was more nimble. What a pain, I thought as I tried to turn only to find myself tumbling against the ground. Just what was going on with me today? Back on the pursuit, having to make up even more distance. I needed to end this quickly before I got winded. Maybe it was just the need for my lighter, but it felt like I wasn't close to getting tired. I could feel the ends of my fingers almost touching hair, when the creature dived into a hole, and I went ass over end into the dirt.

"LITTLE SHIT!" I roared, my hands digging into the dirt and ripping it up looking for that little green bastard. As I was digging I heard a scream a little ways away. A woman, maybe? That didn't concern me, I really needed that-

"I swear we have nothing left!" I caught just barely... Damn it. I threw down the dirt in my hands and wiped them on my skirt as I stood up. I listened and walked towards the direction of the shouting. Wasn't too far away, spotted them almost instantly. There were a group of people, two sides. One side was holding weapons and pointing them at the other, the other side seemed to be shrinking backwards. Five weapon wielding people with masks, seven or so on the other side.

"Awww come on now, surely you've got more for us," the lead masked man said, "What about a kiss for ol Grinhook?"

"I doubt very much that you'd leave it at that!" spat a woman with mouse brown hair, "You have our money, please leave us be!"

"Well lass, you're right about two things. We do have all your money."

"And the second?"

"Ol Grinhook and his boys want a lot more than a kiss!" He broke into cruel laughter, "Alright boys! let's have us a taste!"

"Hey! Shit for brains!" I snarled.

"Eh? And what do we have here? Oh looks like another pretty girl, come to entertain us."

Ugh, disgusting. "If getting your ass beat is entertaining for you, then yeah. This is Star Tanjo! And I'm freaking Kinichi Hagimoto."

"Coulda guessed you was some kinda magic user with them weird clothes. Hagi-What!? Is that some kind of a fancy spell?" his goons laughed.

"It means I'm about to judge you into the dirt." I clenched my right fist tight and raised my arm.

"Oh feisty!" Came a voice from another one, "Let me have her boss! I'll show her what we do to fiesty girls." He wheezed a sputtering laugh, and pulled out a knife from his belt. That's fine, it didn't matter the order. They were all about to get a lesson in Strong Style.

He charged at me, and I sprinted towards him. He lunged with his knife. I side stepped it, and dug my heels into the ground. I lowered, my muscles coiling like a spring, and I SWUNG! There was something I expected to feel. A body being flung into the dirt below us. The sensation of forearm meeting chest and throat. Instead I felt a warm spray of liquid up my side, and absolutely no resistance in my arm. What's more I had moved five feet from where I had started. Looking behind me, all I saw was a headless body just as it crumpled to the ground. I raised my arm to look at it and saw the smear of flesh, blood, and bone strewn across it.

"HOLY SHIT!?" I looked towards the other bullies with weapons "What are you people made out of? Wet cardboard?"

The look on Grinhook, as he called himself, was one of pure terror. He kept looking from the body to me, and then back to the body. All his friends were backing slowly away from me.

"WELL!?" I barked, "Someone say something! Was your friend there just weak or something!?"

"Miss? Ol Grinhook and his boys don't want no trouble. No Ma'am. No trouble at all. Just... Just gonna go about our day."

This was pathetic, but it was fine. The sooner this was done the sooner I could try and go back for my lighter.

"Then fucking get out of here already, go!"

They all fled as fast as they could, looking back at me to see if I would give chase. Bumping, crashing, and falling into one another as they made their escape. It was like watching Hachiji Da Yo! Zen'in Shugo. I'd laugh except for I just killed a guy, and I was covered in his filth. Not my best day ever. I turned towards the folks I'd just rescued. They looked just as scared as Grinhook and his gang.

"Are you all okay? Anyone hurt or anything?"

"J-just Percival," It was mouse girl, "They st-stabbed him, and took his staff."

"That's real low, stabbing an old guy like that," I spit on the ground, "So is he... dead? You people going to be okay?"

"I'm... not dead." came a groan. A few feet away, held up by a kid was a guy who couldn't have been much older than me.

"Oh shit, they stabbed you even though you can't walk?"

"No. No.. I assure you it was no walking stick. But my magic isn't as good without it." Percival, I assumed, replied.

"Magic? Like what... card tricks or something?"

Percival was helped to his feet by the kid propping him up, "No tricks. I am mastering the arcane arts!" I felt like he was putting extra bravado into this. But that's what magicians did after all. Percival lifted his arm, snapped his finger, a spark and then a small flame were produced above his fingers.

"AHH! THAT'S WHAT I NEED!" Everyone seemed to step back about a foot from me, as I shouted.

"You have need of the mystic arts? You seem to do," Percival swallowed nervously as his head motioned towards the corpse "fine without it."

"The what? No! The fire, I need that. Let me borrow your lighter or whatever. I'll give it back."

"Lighter?"

"Yeah the thing you're using to make the fire, or whatever. I'd use mine, but some hairy little green shit stole it and ran off with it. Plan to get it back but I just can not fucking think without a cigarette right now." I dug into my jacket and pulled out what was left of my Seven Stars. Half of it. I'd smoke half of it, get the lighter back, then smoke the other half. Surely this world had some form of tobacco or something close. The group of people watched with curiosity as I put the cigarette to my mouth and beckoned Percival over. With the aid of the kid, he managed to limp towards me. Holding the Seven Star in my lips I snapped and mimed the flame production for him.

"You want me to make more fire, and that's it?"

"Come on, be a pal. I'm dying here!" I felt bad sounding this lame, but sometimes you had to swallow your pride to get a smoke. Percival raised his hand, and snapped. More fire was made. Perfect. I leaned in looking at him, I had never seen someone look increasingly sick as I got closer. Whatever, the end touched the flame and I started to inhale. This was going to be so goo- My eyes shot open. I was experiencing something I hadn't felt since I was a first year in Junior High. I started coughing. The smoke felt like acid in my lungs. I was hacking and wheezing. Falling over to my knees, continuing to cough. It felt like I was about to throw up. I did throw up. The Seven Star was ruined in the aftermath. What just happened? I smoked twenty cigarettes a day. I had been smoking twenty cigarettes a day for the last three years! I heard that blond bimbo bitch's voice in my head. Never partake in my favorite comfort again? Shall only know pain and suffering? Wait a minute... I hadn't lost my breath once? It didn't hurt to breathe? Nooooo she couldn't have. She WOULDN'T have! I got up to my feet and screamed into the sky.

"HESSNIA YOU BITCH! YOU CURED MY SMOKER'S LUNGS!?"

"OOOOOH! HOHOHOHOHOHO!" Of course she had that kind of laugh. Why wouldn't she have that kind of laugh? There she was, Hessnia. Goddess of the Storm. Coming down from the sky, laughing, she was even doing the stupid hand pose. Everyone else dropped to the ground, bowing their heads until they were crawling backwards on their stomachs.

"Ah! See there, Aya? Proper respect." I just rolled my eyes. "And yes, I took away your ability to enjoy your favorite thing."

"Yeah... noticed with the puking and everything."

"And that'll happen every time you try. Any time you get too close to smoke." She grinned a triumphant grin, "But don't worry. I still left you with the desire for them."

I was certainly feeling that. It was like a hum in my brain, and every second without one made me more aware of the hum. I felt so much hate towards her in that moment I could spit. Goddess or not I lunged at her, reaching out a hand to take a swipe at her stupid smug face. I barely noticed the look of shock on her face before she flitted out of sight.

"Tsk! You're so barbaric. Which would have been a positive if you hadn't rejected my offer. Anyway you're better off not trying to strike me. You'd never be able to catch me."

It was my turn to grin. I slowly turned back towards her, hunched over slightly and raising my fist. Between my fingers were a few strands of golden hair. "You think so?"

Hessnia looked to my fist and then felt her hair, noticing it was just slightly out of place. She quickly floated at least a few dozen more feet off the ground.

"Interesting.... You weren't that fast before." I watched her tap her chin. She was sizing me up, processing something new, " You know what Aya? Maybe not all is lost after all."

"Spit it out!"

"You're still my champion, and something seems to be working for you. So you want to smoke again? Beat the other champions, win that wish, then we'll talk."

Mentally I was pulled in two different directions. One part of me wanted to see if I could hit her with a rock from here, the other was latching on to the promise of being able to smoke again.

"You want me to wander around aimlessly challenging people?"

"No. That's stupid. I don't care really what you do most days. Thirty days, Aya. Every thirty days you'll know where the next person you're supposed to fight is. You'll see. Farewell for now."

And with that she was gone. A fight every thirty days? What was I supposed to do with myself in the meantime? Well there was always my lighter.

"Hey you.... Percival?"

"Y-yes?" he was even more shaken than before.

"You know where I can find the green turd that took my lighter?"

"I-if you mean a Goblin... there is a umm... camp, of sorts, to the woods in the west," he shakily pointed a finger to a tree line a little ways away.

"Good.. Thanks for the light."

"You're just going to leave us here with no defense!?" It was mouse girl again.

"What am I supposed to babysit you now forever?" I would have ignored her. She wasn't the one who lit their fingers on fire, and yet she was the one yelling at me. I respected the guts that took.

"Without Percival's magic we could be attacked again! If not by bandits, then by monsters. We'll be dead out here!"

I grumbled a bit, rubbing the back of my head, "You want me to go get his stick?"

"Yes... please?"

Damn it. Did she have to look at me with those big eyes? "What's your name?"

"T-Tanya.."

"Well Tanya stay put," I began as I started walking towards the direction Percival pointed, "I'll get the stick, but lighter first." (Author Notes:

Akena is referencing one of the earliest proto–otome isekai works: Crest of the Royal Family about a girl who suddenly finds herself in the middle of ancient Egyptian Politics and Intrigue.

Ashita No Joe is an old Boxing Manga

Seven Stars was a popular brand of Cigarette in Japan during the 70s, it was known for being high in nicotine and High in Tar

Strong Style is a style of Professional Wrestling made famous by Antonio Inoki

Star Tanjo! was the massive 1970s talent search show that birthed the "Idol" era in Japan it and was hosted by Kinichi Hagimoto