Chapter Thirty

                                    

                                          
Trigger Warning: Violence, Blood, Death
                          
Nya's violet eyes were constantly scanning the courtyard, her grip on the obsidian katana remained ever strong. She knew that the enemies were watching her, stalking her like prey, she could sense them. She snarled at a silhouette on the rooftop of the castle, the acid green eyes watched her, unblinking. The sound of metal unsheathing echoed across the yard, she gave a guttural yell and launched herself up the wall. She stabbed the sword down, only to be blocked by the swordsman's own blade. Slash, slash, block. Stab, dodge, swing. She screamed again and thrust the blade forward, past the swordsman's defense. Her blade sunk deep into the stone chest, it stumbled back and tumbled off the rooftop.
                          
"You're still holding back."
                          
Nya's head snapped up, she bowed her head as the Overlord watched her.
                          
"Your powers are struggling to break free. Stop holding back," he said. The Overlord held his hand out as a purple mist formed and twisted around his fingers; the stone swordsman glowed a vibrant black and purple as the sword removed itself from its chest. The sword flew back into Nya's hand as the stone warrior stood up once again. "Do not hold back. Imagine that soldier is your brother, how would you react to his presence? What will you do?"
                          
Nya's eyes burned with hatred, she gripped her sword's handle with an iron-like grip. Don't hold back. The warrior's image changed to that of Kai; his stupid spiked hair, his arrogant grin, his vibrant crimson red suit, his hazel eyes glinting with glee. He's taunting her. Egging her on. She stalked along the rooftop, scanning his posture for an opening of attack. Anger radiated off of her as her violet eyes burned with hatred at the smug son of a bitch.
                          
"Sorry, but this club is for boys only," he sneered. "You'll never be as good as us. You're weak. You're worthless. You'll never beat me."
                          
She screamed with rage, launching herself off of the roof and several feet into the air. She slammed the sword down, only for it to be blocked by Kai's katana. Go for the throat. She slashed and stabbed, turning into a whirlwind of attacks. Kai's smug grin didn't fade.
                          
"Weak, worthless, useless," he chanted, blocking each of her attacks.
                          
"Shut up!" She screeched. Slash, slash, stab, block. Slash, dodge, stab, stab. Her attacks quickened; slash stab swipe slash dodge. She slashed her blade at his stomach, but he stepped back a second before it could make contact.
                          
Stab stab stab! Her movements turned into a blur, she felt giddy at the gleam of fear in his eyes. She swung her legs and caught his, tripped him and caused him to crash onto his back. Nya set one foot on his chest, placing immense pressure on his ribs.
                          
Kai struggled to breathe. He wheezed, "Sis, please, don't do this. I know you're still in there! Fight him!" He looked frightened as she hovered the midnight black sword above his heart. "Please, sis! I... I don't want to die! Please, Nya!"
                          
Don't hold back.
                          
Nya stabbed the sword down, using every ounce of her strength. The blade sunk deep into Kai's chest as cracks appeared in the black metal, glowing a faint neon blue. Kai's lifeless image shuddered and disappeared, revealing the stone soldier and its Venomari acid green eyes.
                          
She slid the sword out of its chest and stared at the pulsing blue light. The Overlord's voice echoed across the courtyard, "Good, my Samurai. Your power is starting to awaken, keep fighting."
                          
Seven more warriors and swordsmen marched into the courtyard, armed with butterfly swords and katanas. Their eyes glowed in the cloudy grayscale light, the metal gleamed in the purple torchlight. The soldiers themselves remained silent as Nya prepped her battle stance.
                          
Deep breaths, calm your heart rate, steady the hands. Each of the warriors' images shuddered and changed into that of her former allies; Jay, Cole, Zane, Kai, Lloyd, Garmadon, and Misako, each armed and in unique battle stances. In a split second, they broke apart and rushed around the courtyard, some leaped onto the rooftop for an advantage.
                          
Kai and Lloyd crouched on the rooftop and watched her movements as Jay, Cole, and Zane circled her on the ground. Jay attacked first, launching forward with his sword. Nya quickly blocked with her blade, pushing against his weight as she struggled to keep everyone else in mind. She shoved Jay backward and slashed at his chest while spinning around to defend herself against Zane's attack. Block, block, shove. Slash, block, dodge.
                          
She ground her teeth in frustration. The Overlord grumbled, "When you fight them face-to-face, they will not hold back. They see you as the enemy, they see you as nothing but getting in their way. They betrayed you, they don't love you, they never did. Your team abandoned you, your brother abandoned you. You were belittled,  pushed aside, you were nothing to them."
                          
Nya screamed in anger, she kicked Zane in his chest with so much power that he flew back and crashed into the wall, leaving spider-webbed cracks behind him as he sunk to the ground. Jay and Cole attacked next, coming at her from her right and left. She waited as they charged, then at the last second rolled backward, out of the way.
                          
She stood back up, guarded, as the black and blue ninjas crashed into one another. Kai and Lloyd ran across the rooftop of the walls surrounding the courtyard. Kai leaped off and swung his blade at her head, she leaned backward and felt the blade barely brush past her ear. Nya swung the blade and stabbed her brother in his side, he cried out and collapsed onto the ground. Jay and Cole regained their composure, charging side-by-side at the Samurai.
                          
Nya picked up Kai's abandoned sword and blocked the assault, her feet skidded as she was pushed backward by the weight of the two teens. Weak, don't be weak. She shoved them back and rolled to the side, stabbing Jay in the back. He screamed and fell to his knees as his blue gi turned purple from the blood. In a quick motion, she jabbed the blade through Cole's ribs and yanked back. The Earth Ninja fell face first onto the ground with a thud.
                          
Nya watched as Garmadon and Misako circled her, stepping around the lifeless ninja laying on the ground. Misako charged at her in a flurry of attacks, the blades clashed in fireworks of sparks. Block, block, dodge. Nya was pushed backward towards Garmadon. She couldn't get an attack in. Dodge, dodge, roll to the side. She swung her legs up and kicked Misako on her stomach.
                          
A strange energy flowed in her chest, brewing like a thunderstorm. A grin grew on her face as she commanded this energy into her attacks. Thrust, thrust, stab! Misako was terrified. Parry, thrust, stab! She could see more openings. Slash, stab, slash. Blood soaked into the grass. Two enemies left.
                          
Garmadon and Lloyd charged at her. Something inside told her to spin like a hurricane, release the energy. Holding her arms out, swords aimed at their chests. Spin, spin, spin. She started to spin, feeling an energy forming around her. A red and blue tornado grew from her feet, growing bigger until it covered her body. She felt unstoppable. Nya laughed like a madwoman as her Spinjitzu tornado took on a life of its own, the blades became black and silver blurs. Then, two sickening thuds.
                          
"Samurai, stop."
                          
Nya slowed to a stop; feeling energized, exhilarated, like an absolute beast. Her grin was frozen on her face as she stared at the carnage; Zane lay against the courtyard wall with his neck snapped, Kai lay beside Lloyd, who's chest was slashed open. Cole lay face-down beside Jay. Garmadon and Misako were by her feet, still and lifeless.
                          
The images of her killed enemies faded back to the stone warriors, she whined at the loss.
                          
The Overlord chuckled, "Do not worry, my Samurai. Your blade shall taste their blood soon, you shall stand victorious above your enemies. As you have unlocked Spinjitzu, your element shall break free with a few more days of training. For now, go rest. We shall continue this tomorrow."