"How can you betray your family?" the High Priestess spat as she attempted to swipe at Ashi with her claws. "He killed your sisters! And you let him live?"

"No! You killed them! We were made for one purpose: to kill! Our fate was sealed the day we were born!" Ashi shot back as she blocked her mother's attack. Her words were breathless and strained as the exhaustion from the fight was starting to set in.

Ashi's fatigue was not unnoticed by the High Priestess. She saw Ashi single-handedly defeat an entire army and knew that must be weighing down upon her. All she needed was one mistake, one sloppy move, one block to slow, and…

Bingo.

The High Priestess saw an opening and shoved one of her claws into Ashi's abdomen. Ashi cried out in pain. The pain magnified as the claw was pulled out of her body with a disgusting slick. Now unhindered by her mother's claw, blood poured freely from the wound.

Ashi would have collapsed if her mother did not grab her by the hair. She pulled her face close to Ashi's and said, "Your fate was sealed when you decided to protect the samurai."

With that, she threw Ashi aside and advanced towards Jack. Ashi tried with all her might to get back up, but her arms would simply collapse under her. Unable to move, all she could do was reach her arm out as her mother got closer to Jack. "No…Jack…"

As Ashi's vision turned black, her final thought was that her mother was right: she failed. She failed Jack.

"The samurai is our enemy," said the High Priestess ignoring how the samurai was going through some sort of mystical transformation that changed his clothes and hair as well as granting him a new sword. All the mattered to her was killing him before he escaped his trance. "He must die at all costs."

Jack's consciousness returned to the real world. He barely had time to rejoice having his sword back before he used it to block an attack from behind him. As he turned around, his eyes fell upon a limp figure behind his attacker. "ASHI!"

Jack pushed his attacker away from him and tried to run to Ashi. But the woman's relentless attacks forced him to stand his ground to defend himself.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ASHI?" Jack screamed.

"It is her own fault for betraying her mother."

"You…you are Ashi's mother?"

"As far as I'm concerned, she is no daughter of mine." The High Priestess took a swing at Jack, which he promptly dodged.

"You harm your own daughter?" Jack seethed. "You are no mother. You are a demon!"

He swung his sword at the Priestess who blocked it with her claws. "You will die, samurai. You defied Aku, corrupted Ashi, and killed my daughters!"

She took another swing at Jack, who flipped over her to avoid the hit. His sword and her claw clashed as they both attempted to hold the other.

"Before I killed your daughters, I told them their choices led them to me. Now I see I was wrong. Your choices led them me."

The High Priestess attempted more blows on Jack, but his sword did not allow her to touch him.

"I am sad that I had to slay them," said Jack. "But I am not sad that I had to slay you."

Jack plunged his sword into the woman's chest. She let out a grunt of shock and pain. Her hands went limp and her body slid off Jack's sword and onto the ground.

Jack wasted no time running to Ashi's side. He put his hand under Ashi's head and gently lifted her up. "Ashi?"

She did not answer him, making Jack fear the worst.

He saw that she had a grievous wound on her abdomen. He pressed his ear to her chest. He breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing a heartbeat: faint, slow, but there.

"Hold on, Ashi." Jack tore off a piece of his new gi and wrapped it around Ashi's wound. He then slid her arms under her knees and back to gently pick her up. He had to get her somewhere safe.

"You'll be alright, Ashi," Jack whispered. "Just hold on."