Dimensional TimeWarps by Noelle Anselmo (book recommendations for young adults .txt) 📕

saw Katsume walk to the ring and jump up. I looked around and saw Daiki and Hikaru among the crowd.

"What the hell are you three doing here! I told you to stay inside!"

I snapped and he just smirked at me.

"I don't take orders from a little human, especially not a woman."

He said and I glared at him.

"What's your name?"

Algo asked and Katsume turned to look at him.

"Katsume."

He said and Algo nodded before moving between me and Katsume.

"Alright, one….two….thr-"

"Wait a minute Algo, he doesn't know the rules. He's new round here."

I said and Algo blinked in surprise before looking at Katsume.

"Alright. This is a paid fight. You both fight for fifty dollars. The winner gets the money, the loser coughs up the dough. You can't use weapons, and you can't hit below the belt. Other than that, it's all up to how well you can fight."

Algo said and Katsume seemed to be thinking about something.

"Can we make the stakes higher?"

He asked and I looked at him like he was nuts.

"How much higher?"

Algo asked and Katsume reached into his pocket and pulled out some money.

'Where the hell did he get that? He fell out of the sky from another dimension not even thirty minutes ago.'

I thought as I saw him hand Algo the money.

"Alright, the stakes have been raised to two hundred thirty dollars. Cece, do you have it?"

Algo asked and I blanked.

'Fuck, that's all the money I have to pay my rent. But I'll be damned if I throw a match because of this asshole.'

I sighed before walking over to Algo and handing him all the money I'd earned from the past week and today.

"Here."

I said and Algo looked at me sympathetically, he knew my situation.

"Alright then. One….two….three….START!"

Algo yelled before he got off the stage. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before opening them and looking at Katsume who was looking at me boredly.

"Any time you're ready."

He said and I glared at him.

"Whenever you are, princess."

I said with a smirk and almost laughed when I saw it ticked him off. He charged at me and I waited patiently until he suddenly disappeared.

"What the…?"

I asked before I was suddenly force forward. I turned around and saw Katsume as he lowered his leg.

'He just kicked me? But how?'

I thought before shaking my head and standing up.

'Focus Cece. Don't let him get to you, your rent depends on this fight.'

I thought to myself before squaring my shoulders. I lifted my hand and curled my finger three times, beckoning him to come at me. I smiled when he did. I watched him, I wasn't letting him out of my sight. He disappeared again, but I closed my eyes and let my other senses take over. I usually never had to rely on the training my grandmother taught me as a little girl, but then again I usually never fought demons. I felt Katsume's aura behind me and ducked as he went to kick me again. I turned on him and smirked up at the look of shock on his face before I swept out with my feet and knocked him on his backside. I moved to pin him down, but he backflipped and landed on his feet on the opposite side of the ring.

"Not bad, for a human."

He said and I smirked at him as I stood up too.

"You're not too bad yourself, for an asshole."

I said and heard him growl before he charged at me. I laughed before charging at him myself. He went to hit me, but I ducked and swung out with my leg and landed a blow on his side. He whirled around and hit me in the side that I'd hurt when I slid along the floor in my house. I cried out and instantly put distance between us.

"That was a dirty trick."

I said and he simply smirked at me.

'Oh I'm going to kick his ass and kick it good.'

I thought before charging at him.

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-Hikaru-

I can't believe what I'm seeing. Katsume never fights anyone that's weaker than him and to fight a human, that's just not like him.

"Why is he fighting her?"

I asked Daiki as we continued to watch the fight. I flinched when I saw Katsume land a punch to Cecelia's side, but smiled when she kicked him in the stomach.

"Because of how she acted earlier."

He said and I looked at him confused.

"What? When?"

I asked and Daiki sighed.

"When she stood up for you and yelled at Katsume. He didn't like the fact that a human would talk to him like that so he's getting back at her. Though I have to admit, I never would have thought someone as small as Cecelia would be able to hold their own against someone like Katsume. Just look at them. They're almost evenly matched."

He said and I looked up just as Cecelia sent Katsume flying.

"Holy shit!"

I yelled in surprise, but Katsume flipped midair and landed on the edge of the ring before glaring at Cecelia and charging at her. She blocked most of his attacks, but he landed some vital hits on her stomach. I saw blood come out of the corner of her mouth.

"Katsume stop! You'll kill her!"

I yelled, but he ignored me. Everyone did.

"Hold up Hikaru, watch."

Daiki said as I moved to get towards the ring. I saw Cecelia wipe the blood off her chin and smirk at Katsume.

"Alright then, I guess I'll get serious."

She said and my eyes widened. She hadn't been taking this fight seriously? I saw as she all but vanished, a feat considering a demon's sight was better than a human's. When I saw her she was behind Katsume. She wrapped her arms around him as if giving him a hug from behind, before she planted her feet and flipped him over her shoulder. He landed on his back and she moved quickly to pin him down. I could feel shock in Katsume's aura though it didn't show on his face. He struck upwards and hit her in the chest making her cough, but she hit him back and landed a blow on his face. I flinched as I remembered how it felt when she hit me, but she had been holding back. Katsume grabbed her arms and flipped them so he was ontop pinning her down. She tried to get up, but he wouldn't let her. He raised his hand and went to hit her in the face, but stopped inches before her nose.

"I win."

He said before getting up and jumping off of the stage and landing next to me and Daiki. I noticed he had the money in his hand.

"Dammit!"

I heard Cecelia say as she hit the stage as she got to her feet. I looked back at her as Algo helped her to the ground and watched as she pushed off from him and headed to the locker room.

Daiki, Katsume, and I waited as everyone else left. We waited until Cecelia finally came out of the locker room. Her hair was wet and slightly curly and she was in a black sleeveless t-shirt and a yellow skirt.

"Thanks Algo, I'll see you tomorrow."

She said as she walked towards us. I noticed instantly that she winced every time she breathed.

"That's alright Cece, you can rest a couple of days."

He said, but she shook her head.

"That's fine, I'll be here. Seven o'clock on the dot."

She said before walking straight past us and out the door. I looked at Daiki and Katsume before getting up and following her.

"Are you okay?"

I asked and she ignored me and kept walking.

"Hey."

I said as I grabbed her shoulder and turned her around so she was looking at me. I noticed she winced and let her go.

"I'm fine."

She said and noticed she refused to look me in the eyes.

"No you're not human. You're bruised and you'll barely be able to get out of bed tomorrow."

Katsume said as he walked towards us and I noticed that Cecelia glared at him.

"Screw you asshole. You have no idea what you just cost me!"

She snapped at him and he scoffed as he brushed past her.

"What are you talking about Cecelia?"

Daiki asked, but she sighed before turning around and walking back towards her house. She walked past Katsume and didn't look back.

"Did anyone else notice she seemed a little pissed off?"

I asked and Daiki nodded in agreement while Katsume just kept walking silently.

"Wonder why?"

I said more to myself than to the others as I followed them back to Cecelia's house.

You Should Be Grateful

-Cecelia-

I tried not to wince as I walked through the main gate of my family's shrine. I could tell that Daiki, Hikaru, and the asshole were following, but I didn't care. I threw my bag down, kicked off my shoes and headed straight for the bathroom right next to my room on the second level.

"Cecelia, where are you-"

Hikaru started to ask, but I just slammed the bathroom door and started running the hot water. It didn't take long for the tub to fill so I stripped and gently lowered myself into the water. I'd already taken a shower, but soaking my body in the mineral water would help them ease back up and heal. I sighed as I laid my head back against the ring of the tub.

'Just what the hell was that guy's problem anyway? He acted like he genuinely wanted to kill me.'

I thought then sighed as I remembered what losing that fight meant for me.

'Fucking dickwad. Now I'm going to have to beg Mr. Akuto to give me an extension on my rent. Fuck.'

I thought as I opened my eyes and stared up at the white ceiling of the bathroom.

'I could always move back here, but I hate staying in big places it makes me feel alone. And I mean come on, who the fuck has thirteen rooms in a house when only two of them are actually being used?'

I thought and sighed again. I moved so I was laying on my stomach in the water and put my arms up on the ring of the tub and laid my chin on