#brigands guild

[gabriel-gabdiel]

【Draft】 Rurouni Yahiko Chapter 60: The Curtain Falls

We now discuss the aftermath of another assassination attempt by the infamous Brigands Guild.

The Seiryu Clan are now gathering to protect their masters, the hatamoto-class samurai family of the Minakatas, like it's the Tokugawa Era all over again.

As the final daimyo of Shimabara, Tadachika Matsudaira of the Matsudaira Clan pledged his allegiance to Emperor Meiji.

As a show of good will towards the tenets of "Sonno Joi" of the new administration, Matsudaira allowed the new Meiji Government to hunt the Hidden Christians down and eventually crush the new Shimabara Rebellion of Nidaime Amakusa Shiro Tokisada (Shiro Tokisada Amakusa the Second).

Soon afterwards, the Shimabara Domain was abolished in 1871 and it became part of Nagasaki.

To avenge the death of his master (the blind swordsman Hyoue Nishida) at the hands of Hyoue's nephew Shogo Amakusa (at the time known as Shiro Amakusa the Second), Kinta Minakata agreed to infiltrate the ranks of the Kakure Kirishitan (Hidden Christian) cult to destroy it from within on behalf of the Meiji Government.

With his skill with the sword, the former Mimawarigumi Battousai learned to become Amakusa's Kagemusha (literally "Shadow Warrior" but figuratively "Body Double") and master Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu as they continued their insurrection, treason, assassinations, and terrorism of Japan.  

Only for Minakata to double-cross the Christians and defeat their cult leader Shiro Amakusa (real name Shogo Muto) in mortal combat. He became their literal Judas Iscariot.

Nevertheless, successfully deploying Kinta's Nisshoku (Solar Eclipse) against a formidable supersonic technique like Shogo's Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki (Heavens Gliding Dragon Flash)wasn't possible to do with just the Aoitsuki O Tsuki Nari (Blue Moon Slash).

The Blue Moon Slash—actually a Double Full Moon Slash done at the fraction of a fraction of a second—might be able to match the Hirameki in speed, but not in power.

Especially since the Amakakeru's left-footed torque gave it enough centrifugal force to create a vacuum or vortex of empty air, thus doubling the impact of the second strike.

Instead of creating a second Full Moon Slash, Kinta used his great skill and timing to reverse the direction of his circular slash from an upwards slash to a downwards one, moving the flipped blade on the same trajectory as before but backwards.

Reversing his momentum gave his sword the torque it needed to match the strength or even surpass the speed of the Hirameki's second slash, thus enabling him to do the Solar Eclipse counter on Shogo's ultimate technique. 

Like a reverse-direction Blue Moon Slash that slashed at the same empty space he'd already slashed through previously before the air could fill it up again, resulting in a frictionless strike that perfectly transferred its total energy without any wind resistance.

That was the Tsubame Gaeshi (Swallow Return). This was the ultimate hidden skill taught to Kinta by Amakusa's Uncle Hyoue.

The same one that the black sheep of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu discovered when he hesitated to deliver the killing blow to his own master, Seijuro Hiko XII.

A reverse-momentum riposte after missing with initial the battoujutsu or iaijutsu slash that sliced faster than the Blue Moon Slash and struck as hard as the second Hirameki slash.

***

Rurouni Yahiko

A Rurouni Kenshin Continuation Fan Fiction Story by Chester Castañeda

Take a bow. The night is over. The Brigands Guild latest assassination attempt has been foiled by Yahiko Myojin, the Sanada Ninjas, and Kinta Minakata… for now.

Disclaimer: All characters used in this fanfic (save some others) are the rightful property of Nobuhiro Watsuki, Shueisha, Shonen Jump, Viz, Sony Studios, Fuji TV, Studio Gallup, Studio Deen, and ADV. This disclaimer also covers all the other copyrighted material that are far too many to mention here. Don't sue me please, I'm very poor.

***

Chapter 60: The Curtain Falls

***

Back at the front yard of the Minakata moneychanger office…

It was finally over.

"Ugh, NOOOOO! DAMMIT!" cried out Lucas Grant into the darkness, a velvet cloth of his own blood draping over his consciousness like a curtain over a theater stage, the light from his eyes fading.

He had him. Well, he almost had him. But he had him. He was so close. But he tripped at the finish line and underestimated him.

Or maybe Luke gave Kinta too much respect because his estranged brother truly was a saint among sinners when compared to the rest of his… their scumbag family.

Faster than even a Blue Moon Slash, he got sliced open from hip to shoulder. What just happened? What hit him exactly as he strode on the verge of victory?

"What was that technique?" Luke demanded to know, his body shaking like a leaf, his blood pooling below him.

"The Tsubame Gaeshi," answered Kinta while brushing away his matted hair in between belabored breaths, his face as pale as a ghost's.

While the bloody Lucas steamed with rage, high-blood pressure, and disbelief, Kinta exuded cold sweats, alabaster skin, and a dropping blood pressure.

In spite of himself, Luke laughed, blood spurting all over him in a shower. "Well done, Samurai."

The Prodigal Son then heard the self-proclaimed Fuuma Ninja Kai Hidaka scream something about getting over there.

Luke's head snapped into attention and stared to his side, only to see Kai engaged in battle with a tall blonde woman wielding a naginata.

His vision blurring, Luke had a brief dream of himself practicing the art of kenjutsu with his elder brother Kinta and that same European(?) girl he just saw like they were old childhood friends.

As if his delirium had taken over.

Only for the fantasy to shatter with the reality of him living in squalor as one of the forgotten burakumin (untouchables) of Japan, after the Minakata Family forsook him and his mother.

Only to see a vision of the Minakata’s disowned daughter working in the Red Light District of Yoshiwara to make ends meet for them, which roused him from his dead faint.

As he understood it, they quietly sent her away to preserve the dignity of the Minakata name, whatever that meant.

Tetsuo Akahori revealed the truth about him and the traitorous Minakatas who disowned his mother for having an affair with a foreign dignitary during the heightening tensions and growing anti-foreigner sentiment of Japan at the dawn of the Bakumatsu.

The single mother and her son became collateral damage against the hostility between the kowtowed shogunate, the restless samurai, and the gaijin who forced to open Japan's borders by force, revealing how backwards and primitive the country had become thanks to its isolationism.

No, wait. This was far from over.

 ***

Many years ago, before Niitsu Kakunoshin became the disciple of Hiko Seijuro XII…

A young, non-blind Hyoue Nishida faced a dilemma.

The deeply religious man needed to kill his beloved (if strict and no-nonsense) Master Hiko to learn the succession technique of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu and become the newest inheritor of the swordsmanship school. However, doing so was at odds with his beliefs.

What was he supposed to do? He really needed to complete his training to protect the Hidden Christians from exposure and persecution from the Shogunate.

He'd heard of the horror stories of how the government tortured anyone they caught practicing this forbidden "foreign" religion, such as nearly drowning them by dunking them upside-down into a well or putting long carpentry nails into their fingertips until they recanted their faith.

Some Christians even had their fingernails plucked right out of their bed. Or they were outright crucified like their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Fearing how Western nations used Christianity to colonize other countries, the Tokugawa Government had a zero-tolerance policy against any citizen converting to Christianity.

This was the reason why the Hidden Christians remained hidden in plain sight, with their churches located inside caves and their statues of Jesus or Mother Mary as well as the cross put under lock and key in secret compartments.

The pacifistic swordsman Nishida wished to have the power to protect these persecuted faithful without spilling any bloodshed. He wanted to practice the Sword of Life the same way he followed the gospel or the Word of Life.

He wished to use Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu as his Sword of Life to wield for the sake of others and to protect people. His people. The Hidden Christians of Shimabara.

He wanted to do so through the same sword that defeated entire armies and saved whole villages during the Sengoku Era.

Those wielding the Sword of Life were absolutely not allowed to kill or to lose. To lose would not only spell their doom but also the doom of the ones they were trying to protect.

If his only options were to kill his master to succeed him or get killed himself, then he'd find a third option to save them both, so that everyone could end up happy. So he wouldn’t break one of the Ten Commandments.

After praying over and over again to God for guidance, the Christian peacemaker found his answer.

'God is great. Praise be to God,' Nishida had taught at the time. 'I leave my fate in your hands, oh Lord Jesus. I trust in You. Thy will be done.'

***

Back at the front yard of the Minakata moneychanger office…

Kai Hidaka couldn't believe his eyes. The damage sponge and unstoppable juggernaut known as Lucas Grant had finally fallen against the hands of the so-called Kagemusha in a single exchange.

At the same time, he heard the righteous indignation from the voice of the blonde bombshell known as Satsuki Sakaguchi (also known as May Brooks) for good measure, with her charging forward with her trusty naginata (polearm blade) in tow.

"Keep your mitts away from Kyoko-chan and Mr. Sakaguchi!" screamed Satsuki at him.

Hidaka, her opponent, also currently looked like a dagger pincushion thanks to the efforts of Zan of the Sanada Demons.

Man, today just wasn't their day, was it? By "them", he meant the Brigands Guild.

Cursing under his breath, Kai charged, ignoring the agony of his body that served as a knife holder to Zan's daggers.

As for May's part, she saw red as soon as she got a look at the state of Kyoko Sakaguchi and her father Satoru. She didn't even have time to register that Kinta Minakata himself faced his own death match just a few yards away.

Like a purebred mare with blinders on, she focused solely on the ninja with the destroyed gas mask. A traitorous Japanese or East Asian man on the side of gaijin assassins.

He'd touch not one hair on either of them. Her Grandpa Sakaguchi's family. No, her family.

Something weird then happened. Kai found himself in the same predicament as before with Zan. Satsuki could reach and slash at him with Old or Young Moon Slashes at will with an insane reach.

Like she had an infinite supply of throwing knives that she used to suppress Hidaka from getting anywhere near Satoru and Kyoko Sakaguchi. Except it was a blade on a stick so she recycled her throwing knives by stabbing the same blade every time.

After struggling against a strange centipede version of the lion dance mascot with reinforced steel carapaces, razor-sharp limbs, and experienced Chinese kung-fu experts serving as its puppeteers earlier, she could finally let off some steam against one of the brigands.

She intended to defeat Kai like she did the gigantic human centipede mascot: By controlling the distance and taking him apart piece-by-piece, like her taking down those martial artist hooligans one-by-one. Thusly, that was what happened.

The already exhausted Fuuma Clan Ninja couldn't even touch the Caucasian martial artist, her naginata's slashing and stabbing range as far as that of a thrown projectile. Or, ironically, one of Hidaka's rope hooks and darts.

She unloaded on him like a Gatling gun onto an advancing army. Or even a Maxim gun. Every time Kai tried to get near her, it felt like he just dove face-first into a cactus patch. Or a shower of flesh-rending broken glass.

***

Many years ago, before Niitsu Kakunoshin became the disciple of Hiko Seijuro XII…

Hyoue Nishida found a way to master Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu and learn the Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki without murdering his beloved master over it, and it rooted from him hearing about tales of the inimitable Kojiro Sasaki battling against Musashi Miyamoto.

Hyoue had never seen Kojiro's signature technique before, but he heard stories about how the riposte moved so quick it allowed Sasaki to cut apart a sparrow or swallow (hence its name) in mid-flight. 

He had been secretly practicing the Swallow Return over and over ever behind his master's back since he first heard about its legend leading up to his confrontation with his master.

He tried to figure out its mechanics from merely hearing about how it worked. To reverse-engineer a move he'd only heard about from rumors, legends, and folktales.

Hyoue threw caution to the wind and let his fate in the hands of his Christian God, the Almighty Yahweh. If he died in his attempt to spare his master's life, then so be it.

That was the kind of man Hyoue Nishida was.

And so the day of him learning the succession technique arrived. He was able to do the Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki but intentionally missed with his first strike.

His master blocked then did the Kuzu Ryu Sen (Nine-Headed Dragon Flash) to force him to do the even stronger second follow-up strike. A surefire killing blow with any normal katana (as opposed to the sakabatou).

However, Hyoue refused to do the second strike that would've finished Seijuro Hiko XII off.

Instead, he did an imperfect version of the Swallow Return, resulting in him getting blown back by Master Hiko's Kuzu Ryu Sen.

A miracle then happened during the fateful duel between master and student.

Hyoue ended up slipping off the cliff he and his master fought on, dropping into the waterfall below after getting lacerated all over by his master's multi-hit move.

However, he avoided death from his refusal to do the succession technique properly because the Tsubame Gaeshi managed to shatter Seijuro's sword in turn, so his cuts ultimately ended up shallow and non-fatal.

Later on, after recovering from his wounds, he'd thank God for helping him learn not one but two new skills—the Hirameki and the Tsubame Gaeshi—while keeping his master from dying by his hands in order to learn them.

***

Back at the front yard of the Minakata moneychanger office…

Kai Hidaka had enough of Satsuki Sakaguchi's "Death by a Thousand Cuts" nonsense and pulled one of the daggers on (or in) his person to throw it at the wobbly and spent Kinta to complete their assassination mission.

Predictably, this made Satsuki charge and attack up close, deflecting the dagger before it could even reach Kinta's back. With her moving right into Kai's range so that he didn't need to close the distance between them.

"That's right. GET OVER HERE!" screamed the Fuuma shinobi.

At such a close range, her long-ranged polearm was rendered moot while Kai Hidaka could move freely with his sword daggers and entangle her with his rope darts.

"Satsuki-neechan, watch out!" cried out Kyoko as she covered her face by reflex yet peeked out of her open fingers to see what happened next.

'Ha. Women are so emotional and predictable,' thought Kai as he withstood May’s flesh-cutting slashes and dodged the stabbing attempt that would've run him through.

May Brooks smirked. For the last few weeks, she'd been sparring with Yahiko Myojin to learn how to dodge and defend herself from close-range, knowing that was her previous weak point.

'What the hell…!?' thought Hidaka as Brooks shortened her grip on her polearm and held it closer to the blade, like a regular sword.

This allowed her to parry his quicker, shorter swords with her blade or even use the freed up space on her pole to deflect his attacks from there, with her gripping it like a sword with an extra-long handle.

"MIKAZUKI O TSUKU NARI (CRESCENT MOON SLASH)!"

She could throw Crescent and Quarter Moon Slashes at that midrange as well. Whether it was from the Waxing or Waning Stance.

And, when Kai attempted to escape from her close-quarter rampage to regroup, she merely gripped her naginata normally by its base to slash at him from mid-range to long-range. He couldn't escape from her at all.

The bloody Kai dodged those slashes regardless and moved in even closer, intending to grapple with the tall woman, grab her from behind, and then slit her throat.

The adopted Sakaguchi daughter merely stepped back and responded with a, "HANGETSU O TSUKU NARI (HALF MOON SLASH)!" that, lucky for Kai, hit him by the blunt pole end instead of the sharp bladed end.

Kai dropped to his side like a bag of hammers. Fortunately, he avoided having the knives in his person stab him any worse than before.

***

After Hyoue Nishida spared himself and his master Hiko Seijuro XII from needing to kill each other to master Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu...

Nishida would later become one of the founding fathers of Musou Madden Ryu, the swordsmanship school Kinta would eventually master.

The Seiryu Clan helped him develop his own swordsmanship skills divorced from Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, which in turn allowed him to protect the Hidden Christians from harm and discovery against the Tokugawa Shogunate.

He became the bane of many an officer of the law, samurai, or local authorities in Shimabara, hiding under the masked identity of Kirisaki of the Hidden Christians. Their divine protector from persecution and death.

Notably, Kirisaki the Christian freed jailed and tortured Christians or helped them find refuge among other Hidden Christians while never taking the life of their enemies.

The ruling shogunate also tolerated Kirisaki’s presence because on top of rescuing rogue Christians, he also helped catch criminals for them.

As though exchanging the lives of the criminals for the Christians he saved.

Kirisaki became an asset to the government it defied, so they turned a blind eye on its treasonous activities of hiding and rescuing essentially fugitives of the law in exchange for his vigilantism.

Like Morihei Ueshiba with the development of Aikido, the Christian swordsman considered Musou Madden Ryu as a synthesis of his martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs.

It combined everything Nishida learned from Sengoku Era Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu and old-school battoujutsu with Hasegawa Eishin Ryu, an iaijutsu koryu from the 16th Century founded by Chikaranosuke Eishin Hasegawa.

By the way, the Sakaguchis previously studied under Hasegawa Eishin Ryu prior to the development of Musou Madden Ryu.

From under this school did Hyoue, the Sakaguchis, and several others derive their take on modern iaijutsu or iaido before and after the Bakumatsu commenced in earnest.

Some students followed Hyoue's pacifistic "Sword of Life" lessons. Nishida and Ueshiba shared the same goal of creating a martial art that practitioners could use to defend themselves while also protecting their attackers from harm.

Others insisted in continuing to go the path of the "Sword of Death" or old-school kenjutsu and iaijutsu because in reality, kenjutsu was the art of killing and katanas were weapons used for murder.

They merely used "Sword of Life" as a safe way to practice and temper their deadly skills. Like doing no-contact sparring and kata drills before engaging in "the real deal".

However, as Japan went to civil war and heads of state rolled in Shimabara, the old officers that tolerated Kirisaki and his protection of Hidden Christians died out.

The "Sonno Joi" movement also led to renewed hatred of everything foreign, including Christians who followed the religion of foreigners. They got hunted down like stray dogs in times of famine soon after.

Years after Hyoue rescued his young nephew and niece from being purged for being Hidden Christians, he'd later get blinded by a teenaged Shogo Amakusa because he wanted revenge against the new government.

Hyoue would later train how to use the "Sword of Life" while blind, using his other sharpened senses to deal with people safely in battle, with him only using violence as a last resort.

All this time, even during the middle of the Bakumatsu, Nishida never took a life. He wasn't a pure pacifist. He was willing to draw swords and do battle when push came to shove. However, like Kenshin as a rurouni, he followed a non-killing vow.

And his nephew Shogo bitterly blamed this vow for the deaths of their people.

In the end, the Swallow Return was also the last technique Nishida used before dying in the hands of his nephew, the self-proclaimed Second Coming of Shiro Amakusa, Shogo Muto.

That was the blind swordsman's last-ditch effort to keep his nephew Shogo from going the dark path of cult leader and domestic terrorist.

Hyoue remained defiant to the end, unwilling to compromise on his Christian beliefs and unwillingness to take a life even at the cost of his own.

***

Like a newborn fawn, Lucas stood and wobbled on shaky legs, his clicky knees knocking together like the Shinsengumi knocking on your door, thinking you were harboring an Ishin Shishi fugitive.

By sheer force of will, he trudged forward.

Despite everything, the wheezing Kinta also sacrificed himself to land that last attack when by the tail end of their protracted battle, no Full Moon Slash or Double Full Moon Slash could land on Lucas.

Doing a Full Moon Slash iaijutsu from the start subjected the swordsman’s body to muscle-tearing or even bone-crushing centrifugal forces, especially one involving a reverse-momentum riposte like the Swallow Return!

It was hard to imagine the damage he was doing to his body, but surely it was enough to push him over his own limits!

Kinta's gasping mouth went agape as his little bastard brother marched towards him. Like an unkillable zombie. Like the Ochimusha the Minakatas were allegedly descended from.

What did it take for Luke to go down? How was he still standing?!

What did he go through all those years after he and his mother were banished from the Minakata Family that pushed him beyond his human limits?

Kinta himself sheathed his sword and hobbled in anticipation of his bastard brother's final attack, his scratchy throat withholding a bloody cough.

The Prodigal Son of the Minakatas had every right to wipe out their sinful clan.

However, it remained Kinta's duty as the grandson, nephew, and son of the family to protect his uncles and grandmother.

Lucas then leaped towards his unlucky brother as soon as his body gave in and he coughed, blood spraying from his mouth.

At the side of the entrance, both Yahiko Myojin and Sho Kojima—who accompanied Tatsuya Minakata back to the office to rescue Kinta —ran as fast as they could towards the Prodigal Son as soon as they spotted him attacking a coughing and defenseless Kinta.

Alas, they were too far away to make it.

Ditto with May Brooks, who'd just made short work of the injured Kai Hidaka.

She ran blindly at Lucas Grant, unaware of his connection with Kinta Minakata, but stopped short from running him through in spite of herself.

After years of living in Japan as the only other "gaijin", it was the first time she'd seen someone who was Caucasian like her, which sent a shock to her system for about a second.

A second was all the time Luke needed to finish off the huge wall that kept him from enacting revenge at the evil Minakata Family.

A flying kunai not unlike those wielded by Zan of the Sanada Demons flew in between Grant's eyes.

 "Who…!?" a frothing Lucas demanded as used his sword's handle to deflect the weapon, his one second of opportunity to assassinate Kinta now gone.

Did that damn persistent Zan revive and get in his way again? No, it was the dagger of the other ninja bodyguard who was also from the Sanada Ninja Clan. Their young master, Kaita.

Luke swiped at Kinta regardless, blindly hitting the invisible ninja instead as his crossed short blades broke under the weight of the heavy bastard sword.

The Prodigal Son then turned and blocked a sudden naginata slash with his blade, leaving him open to a number of other incoming attacks. Turning the full-rotation Full Moon Slash into a Half Moon Slash.

"Get the hell away from Kinta-sama…!" screamed Satsuki Sakaguchi, who remembered who she was now.

Or rather, who she became: A devoted student of Musou Madden Ryu and the adopted granddaughter of the Sakaguchis, who in turn loyally served under the Minakata Family since the olden times of the Shogunate.

It was Luke’s turn to wonder where he was and why he was fighting a blue-eyed blonde Caucasian warrior woman in full martial artist garb wielding a Japanese glaive, his brain unable to process what he saw. 

'Wait a minute. This girl…!' he thought. He couldn’t possibly be mistaken.

Unless he met another tall, white (creamy pink, more like) golden-haired woman in Japan, he had seen this girl before. The chances of meeting two foreign blonde girls who spoke fluent Japanese in Japan were next to nil!

Lucas then noticed the incoming attacks of his other hindrances.

The charging Yahiko's temple then got clipped by a hook punch from the struggling Luke, but as he fell to the ground, he pushed forward and did the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu Tsuka no Gedan—Hiza Hijiki knee strike that made the Prodigal Son buckle.

Finally, Sho unsheathed his sword and let its handle fly into Luke's gut, knocking the wind out of him and making him drop his sword in wincing pain, which embedded itself to the ground.

This was another form of the Lunar Eclipse: A half-drawn blade with the handle aimed at the opponent's gut before either could fully draw their blades.

Like a rampaging gorilla, Luke punched, kicked, elbowed, and threw the people nearest him, his eyes solely focused on his half-brother Kinta, who had already recovered from his coughing fit.

Yahiko shook his head in disbelief. What did it take to put this man down? He seemed as strong as Sanosuke, if not stronger…!

Soon, a dogpile occurred. Multiple coppers were called into the Yokohama Chinatown to seize the assassin. They became messy entanglemen of limbs, sai, wooden swords, and rope.

The police finally arrived along with Chizuru Raikouji and Abelia La Cerca.

The dead-tired Yahiko surveyed the carnage. Blood spilled everywhere. Several people were injured. Multiple bodyguards were killed inside and outside the moneychanger building.

Regardless, the Brigands Guild's invasion in Chinatown had ended, at long last.

'It's finally over,' thought the exhausted Kinta as Abelia tended to him and his wounds.

***

The Yokohama Police had quite the busy night, with them arresting criminals working with foreign invader assassins left and right, most of which were Chinese nationals from the local Chinatown criminal syndicate.

However, only Lucas Grant ended up getting arrested. Somehow, someway, while they were all distracted by Luke's last-ditch attempt at taking out his half-brother Kinta, Kai Hidaka disappeared.

The aching Yahiko suspected that The Faceless had something to do with it. He probably fetched his fellow Brigands Guild member in the middle of the chaos.

He almost had him too during their duel, but the strange masked brigand had more tricks up his sleeve like the experienced mercenary that he was. Like he changed personalities and styles depending on the mask he wore.

‘Now who does that remind me of?’ the teenaged samurai thought with a smirk.

However, their boss had now been caught by the authorities. Will they still continue with their mission of taking out the wealthy and influential Minakata Family?

Meanwhile, little Abelia attended to the gasping and wheezing Kinta after applying first-aid on Satoru Sakaguchi and his daughter Kyoko along with the other medics on the scene looking for other survivors.

Bandages and salves were also handed off to Yahiko Myojin and Satsuki Sakaguchi.

The two sparring mates grinned at one another and crossed their weapons together. Their lengthy training sessions at the Sakaguchi Dojo had paid dividends tonight.

"Good work, Joshua-kun!"

"You too, Satsuki!"

Chizuru herself pinched one of Yahiko's ears like an irate mother and chewed him out for not being careful and needlessly involving himself with other people's business to the point of risking his life.

Like she didn't know better by now.

Yahiko rolled his eyes and allowed the lady to scold him as he withheld a wistful smile that sneaked into the corners of his mouth. Again, though she’d hate to hear him say it, Chizuru reminded him so much of Kaoru Kamiya back at the Kamiya Dojo.

Yahiko had actually reunited with Gan and Minoe earlier, in the middle of him, Kojima, and Kinta's uncle returning to the moneychanger office.

The pair of Munenori Minoe and the Great Gan took down the Chinese mercenaries wearing the lion dance costume in typical violent fashion.

Indeed, Minoe ended up helping out with the mission despite viewing Kinta Minakata as the traitor to Shogo Amakusa’s rebellion, but he was unwilling to join Yahiko any further.

The Tokyo Samurai Descendant thanked the wandering terrorist with the eye patch and wig regardless.

Yahiko had no idea how Kinta Minakata betrayed Munenri, Amakusa, and the Hidden Christians, but he thought better than to pry right now.

The Battousai Group was the furthest thing from his mind at the moment. He’d have to deal with them eventually, of course.

After all, there were foreign invaders afoot. Someone hired them to finish off the so-called Seiryu Clan.

He also had a gut feeling that Amakusa’s faction and the current turn of events were all interconnected somehow.

It seemed too convenient for a Fake Battousai Group to harangue the Sakaguchis, only for the real one to finish them off.

Perhaps Keisuke used the name of one of the Sakaguchis�� enemies for himself. Or perhaps the Battousai Group was the enemy of the Minakatas, which in turn made them the enemies of the Sakaguchis by proxy.

***

Kinta took a long drag of his asthma cigarettes—not made of tobacco, but instead from the leaves of Datura stramonium (thorn apple) that were widely sold in the 1800s and into the early 1900s—given to him by Abelia La Cerca to relieve his respiratory emergency.

The cigarettes provided a means of delivering an inhaled treatment that would be later known by 20th Century medicine as an antimuscarinic alkaloid.

Other than almost suffocating to a dead faint due to exhaustion, he was none the worse for wear. He barely had any cuts deeper than a laceration on him. Most of the blood on his clothes were from Lucas.

Nevertheless, he was the one who almost died instead of his stamina monster of a brother. That (literal) bastard pushed him to his (present) limits.

His whole body trembled and ached from muscle strain. He felt like going into a deep sleep, afraid it’d turn into a coma he wouldn’t wake up from.

Kinta's adrenalin probably still kept him up and standing like his brother did before he was apprehended.

"Are you okay, Kinta-sama?" said Officer Satoru Sakaguchi, who himself got injured by one of the brigands of the Brigands Guild. "It’s time for you to head home and rest."

'He still calls me, Kinta-sama, eh?' Wistfully, Kinta looked up at the endless blackness of the sky and its infinite stars then marveled:

"It's been 17, almost 18 years since the Meiji Era started. There's no reason for you to be trapped into a master-servant relationship with our family."

After a brief pause, Lieutenant Satoru answered, "Don't be silly. Just because of the administration's edicts, we're going to throw away hundreds of years of gratitude? Don't be a stranger, Kinta-sama."

"It's a stupid old tradition," insisted Kinta. "Your family shouldn’t be shackled to mine. Samurai no longer exist. The hatamoto class died out along with the Shogunate."

"Come on, don't make me say it, Sir Kinta." Satoru grinned. "The bonds between our families run deeper than mere traditions and classes. We Sakaguchis are loyal to you because we choose to! We’re bound by fate at this point."

***

Yahiko poked around and eavesdropped on the Yokohama Police chatting with the "Sword of Life" swordsman and drunkard earlier. His name was Sho Kojima, wasn't it?

Sho seemed to have finally sobered up after using his mix of the Drunken Fist and Musou Madden Ryu swordsmanship at The Faceless.

Myojin overheard something about them apprehending three of five known Brigands Guild members.

One had been jailed already—someone who almost killed a squad of Yokohama Policemen had they not been saved in time by that other foreigner girl the size of a ten year old who knew all about western medicine and drugs.

They also put in chains a swarthy hairy giant of a muscular man who wielded a huge ax like it weighed as much as an ordinary sword. They arrested him back in one of the Minakata Family’s many mansions.

And now they actually caught the mastermind of the mercenaries with a direct link to the Minakatas, Lucas Grant. Right on time too, before he could murder one member of their family.

However, it was at the risk and cost of the lives of many of Yokohama’s Finest and their hired private bodyguards, one of whom Lucas impersonated in order to get close to the family.

Had the Minakata Family drama not have national security consequences when push came to shove, Yahiko would rather not interfere with it.

Also, the Akahoris were also somehow intertwined with Minakata busines. Nepotism ran deep in the Meiji Oligarchy, after all, as evidenced by the likes of Jusanro Tani.

Could it be that the Akahoris were also in league with the Minakatas? Could it be that the shared the same enemy, which was Amakusa’s faction?

If so, then why did it seem like Minoe had nothing to do with these Brigands Guild of mercenaries? He was willing to take them down, even for Kinta’s sake.

Yahiko scratched his chin. Maybe he needed to send a carrier pigeon to the Kyoto Oniwabanshu so that he could glean more info on this Seiryu Clan and Minakata Zaibatsu.

Myojin decided then and there to keep digging deeper. What was the reason behind Amakusa's use of Kenshin's name Battousai? Why did he and Minoe’s other self, Kaede, know how to use Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu?

How was Kinta related to the Battousai Group? Did it go beyond him once being called the Mimawarigumi Battousai? Was he another Battousai wannabe too, by that logic?

Just like how Minoe, without the wig and eyepatch, or his other self, Kaede, if she were another gender, was the spirit and image of Kenshin himself?

Oh wait. That last technique Kinta did. The Swallow Return. That was legendary iaijutsu or battoujutsu invented by the famous Kojiro Sasaki himself! Musashi Miyamoto’s chief rival!

Could such a legendary technique from a historical figure like Kojiro Sasaki match the power of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu’s Heavens Gliding Dragon Flash? Yahiko could only wonder in amazement.

Moreover, was Kinta comparable to Kenshin the same way Soujiro was? The Tokyo Samurai Descendant barely touched the Heaven Sword when they fought. Was Kinta as good, if not better, than Kenshin?

'No way,' Yahiko thought, waving the notion off.

Would there also come a time when he and Kinta Minakata would clash swords themselves?

He wasn't sure. By the looks of things, Kinta and Amakusa left each other in bad terms, judging by Minoe's claims that he was a traitor.

Maybe Minakta wasn't part of the Battousai Group anymore, but Myojin wasn't sure. How loyal were the Minakatas to the Meiji Government despite being one of their favored oligarchs?

As far as Yahiko knew, Kinta and his family were on the side of the oligarchy (of course).

In any case, the Mimawarigumi Battousai was indeed a formidable opponent to be able to dispatch the likes of The Faceless and his own estranged brother like that with techniques like the Swallow Return.

However, to Yahiko, being Kenshin-like wasn’t about techniques and strength. It was more than just being named "Battousai" as well.

It was about moving forward despite all the suffering and crippling depression he faced. It was about being honorable in the face of an imperfect new government filled with corruption.

It was about the strength of defending life after being burdened by the unwashable guilt of taking so many lives. 

It was about viewing the true nature of samurai as to improve, become stronger, and become knowledgeable than you were before. Being a samurai meant self-improvement in every sense of the word.

Rather than the other face of samurai being armed thugs serving the Shogunate who were born with privilege. And when that privilege was taken away from them, the samurai became no better than bandit and criminals.

Most importantly, what was the deal with this so-called Seiryu Clan he kept hearing about?

***

"Ah! I almost forgot ‘bout you! Hold still, Señor Samurai!" said the foreign-looking little girl with rust-brown hair who appeared out of nowhere and began bandaging Yahiko’s wounds.

Yahiko took one look at the kid and then called out to the nearby police, "Hey, there’s a lost child here. Might be a foreign kid from the Yokohama Foreign Settlement or something!”

This earned him a bonk on the head from the violent kid. She was a brat, truly.

"OW! Hey! What was that for?"

"What do you mean, 'What was that for?' You called me a lost child!" the girl pointed out, her cheeks inflating cutely like a squirrel's.

Then, to Yahiko’s utter befuddlement, the taciturn Kinta turned towards him and told him, "She's with us."

This in turn earned the already injured Kinta a bonk on his head, followed by an apology. "AH! I’m sorry, Señor Kinta! But that doesn’t clear things up with him at all!"

Rubbing the bump on his head as he watched the doting child scold the poker-faced Minakata, Myojin remembered where he first met the girl. Well, saw her.

It was at the Sakaguchi Dojo. She was with Kinta and that drunken swordsman dude who helped him take on The Faceless, Kojima.

According to the Yokohama Police, she was some kid that had connections with the Brigands Guild that was after the Minakatas. She helped saved them from one of the members, a poison-based assassin.

She was also a lot older than she looked apparently, like she was more of a little person than a child, but Yahiko wasn’t so sure about that claim. Big if true.

The adorable young/old person then turned towards Yahiko and asked, "What's your name again?"

"Huh? Me? Uh, it’s Yahiko. Myojin Yahiko."

"Charmed. My name is Abelia La Cerca. Como estas? I mean, how do you do?"

"Uh, I’m doing fine. Thanks."

'La Cerca?' thought Yahiko. The police told him that was one of The Faceless' many aliases. So she was related to one of the Brigands, huh? Could they trust her?  What if she was the Brigands’ mole?

"But you're just a li'l kid," he almost muttered to himself rather than to Abelia.

"Right back at you, kiddo. You're barely a teenager," said the childlike girl midget before him. Girl midget? Gidget?

"Well, you're barely pubescent!" he said. "…Right?"

"It doesn't matter anyway," she said as she attended to Yahiko's wounds with ointment and bandages.

"Heard from the police you have connections with the Minakata's present enemies, the Brigands Guild. Like you're related to some of them or something."

This made Abelia pause. "What of it, Señor Samurai? Are you accusing me of something? Even though you're more of a rando yourself, snooping into other peoples' business?"

"HEY! I'm a friend of the friend of the samurai family serving under the Minakatas, I'll have you know!" blurted out Yahiko in defense of himself. "Also, the name's Myojin Yahiko, not Senyor Samurai!"

He felt a pang of regret from leaving out the part where he decided to intervene into the Minakata Familiy's affairs because of their Kinta's to Shogo Amakusa's Battousai Group.

That info was on a need-to-know basis, but at the same time, he was ironically becoming a hypocritical interloper on someone else's business himself.

"…Heard from Señor Kojima that you're some vagabond who volunteered to become Señor Kinta's bodyguard. And you didn't do half bad against, uh, The Faceless," Abelia said, changing the subject.

Yahiko rubbed the back of his head, flattered.

"Jeez, I was lucky to get some shots in against The Faceless and his fencing style! He actually kind of reminds me of this kid at my dojo. Cat Eyes, I call him. He said he learned fencing to do better at kendo or something."

The samurai kid then caught himself babbling in time to see the Hispanic gidget sneak away from him. "HEY! Nice try, girlie! Flattery will get you nowhere!"

"You sure it didn’t work? It got you talking all giddy for a second," Yahiko heard Abelia mumble.

"Cut the crap, kiddo! Tell me how you're linked with the Brigands! Why are you helping out the Minakatas in the first place even though you're related to them?" he asked.

He then gulped, taken aback by Abelia's teary-eyed confession of, "Just because they're family, it doesn't mean I'm on their side."

"H-Hey, easy there. Don't cry! I didn't mean to make you cry…!" he started, his hands seemingly fluffing an invisible pillow, motioning her to stop.

Abelia stuck her tongue out at Yahiko while pulling an eyelid with an index finger. "As if, you dummy!" She didn't kick the boy's shin in retaliation, but he still flinched and backed away by reflex.

"Kinta-sama saved me from getting killed by mi hermano mayor," she said, trailing off. To herself, she murmured, "Saved me from my own twin brother who had lost his mind. My allegiance is with Kinta-sama, not with the Brigands."

"Oh. Is that right? Your twin brother tried to kill you?" said Yahiko, taking a mental note of the new info while trying his best not to sound too blasé.

'So she has issues with her family that's on the Brigand’s side, huh?' He rubbed his chin with a dubious pout. 'Big if true.'

Then again, Yahiko was one to speak. He also had family issues himself when he served as the yakuza's gopher and pickpocket.

"Just because he's family, it doesn't mean we're on the same side," she said. "Like Kinta-sama, I too have a complicated history with my family."

"Oh," he said. "So his deal with his long-lost brother is the same deal as your brother, huh?"

Abelia left out the part where she and her brother were born as conjoined twins, with her serving as his parasitic twin. He then lost his mind after they were separated through 18th-century surgery.

That was on a need-to-know basis.

"I'm not just flattering you, y'know? You fought to the end. You never surrendered. Even Señor Sho was impressed with the way you held your ground against The Faceless, who was able to take on Señor Kinta on even terms."

Yahiko couldn't help but beam at that last bit of praise. 'So even the great Mimawarigumi Battousai had trouble with that son of a gun!'

Abelia shook her head in wonderment. This boy. This samurai who looked like he'd be no match against her father was able to hold on and keep fighting. Never giving up. Even if it was for the sake of strangers.

Even if the Minakata Family Feud with the Brigands wasn't really any of his business, he still fought with all he had.

She let out a long exhale. "My father isn't an easy man to deal with. "

"Wait a goddamn minute. The Faceless is your father?!" exclaimed Yahiko. "And we're all supposed to believe you're on our side? I mean, their side? Your whole family are practically part of the Brigands Guild!"

She wasn't listening, though. "What pushes you to fight, Señor Yahiko?"

"Hmmm? What do you mean? I was hired as their bodyguard. I was just doing my job!"

"But they're just strangers to you who you've just met, I heard! You fought like a loved one's life was on the line!"

Yahiko scratched his cheek. "Honestly, even if I just met Chizuru and the Sakaguchis recently, they all remind me of my family back home in Tokyo. Also, I can't leave anyone who's in need alone."

"Really? You’d interfere even if it’s none of your business?"

The teen laughed in spite of himself. "Interfering with someone else’s business is more his thing, to be honest, but…"

"Who?" she asked. "Whose 'thing' was it?"

"Someone I look up to," he answered vaguely. 'Someone who also interfered in something that had nothing to do with him just to save me from the yakuza,' he inwardly thought.

Kenshin Himura. The interloper no one asked for who always came to the rescue.

That too was on a need-to-know basis.

"I couldn't leave them well enough alone either, I guess. While there's someone in need before me, I can't help but act," he said.

"Just like the original Battousai, right?" she said with a grin.

"What? How did you…?" began Yahiko.

"Like I said, Señor Sho told me everything," she replied with a giggle. "No wonder you were so brave. You've studied under the man Kinta-sama was named after by the Mimawarigumi. The Hitokiri Battousai!”

***

As the Yokohama Police secured the perimeter, tagged the bodies, interrogated the witnesses, arrested the perps, and gathered evidence, Yahiko finally left that moneychanger office in Chinatown.

He'd finally told them his eyewitness account of what happened, so he was free to go.

Go home, perhaps? Nope, he was far away from Tokyo now. Well, maybe a train ride away, at least.

However, he was already in too deep. As the inheritor of Kenshin's sakabatou and the kanji of "Evil" behind Sanosuke's back, he had a job to do.

There were people using the Hitokiri Battousai's name in vain, creating a so-called Battousai Group meant to sow discord in the Meiji Era.

He had to take these insurgents down.

Furthermore, a former Mimawarigumi member and his Hatamoto-Class Samurai Family were in peril against literal foreign invaders at that.

This man, Kinta, might be his biggest lead yet in taking down the Battousaigumi before they could reform and wreak havoc in peacetime Japan, undoing all the hard work the Kenshingumi did in defending the country against Makoto Shishio's Ten Swords.

Yahiko's eavesdropping also helped him hear whispers about a certain Seiryu Clan and their… Black Book. A book full of names and secrets that could unravel the very fabric of the Meiji Government.

A literal government conspiracy was afoot in the middle of Yahiko investigating a bunch of terrorists sullying the good name of Kenshin Kamiya (nee Himura).

'I'll cross that bridge when I get there,' he thought while rubbing his temples with his fingers. 'What's important is that I've found another potential member of the Battousai Group while keeping an eye on another.'

Yahiko took a deep breath, remembering his misadventures with the eye-patched Munenori Minoe. Or rather, the volatile Kaede Morinaga.

Nevertheless, the Battousai of Speed had finally met up with the traitor to their cause, the Mimawarigumi Battousai, also known as the Battousai of Skill.

The young man scratched his chin. To whom was Kinta Minakata loyal to? The Meiji Government? His family and the family business, the Minakata Zaibatsu?

Or this so-called Seiryu Clan that both the Minakatas and the Sakaguchis belonged to as spies playing both sides of the Tokugawa Government and the Ishin Shishi royalists back in the Bakumatsu?

What happened between him and Shogo Amakusa’s Hidden Christians in the past? Did he really act as a double agent to their rebellion to destroy their cult from the inside and preserve the peace?

Also, what of the mysterious Latina, Abelia La Cerca? Could they trust her word that she wasn’t just a spy for the invading mercenaries, the Brigands Guild? Her very family was involved with them!

The next thing Myojin knew, a faint presence made itself know before him, the darkness parting before him like curtains from a stage play. Before him, garbed like a stagehand, was Kaita.

The ninja protecting the Minakata Family ended up being the related to the ninja who hunted down Kenshin several months ago.

The old man who took a bullet for him to save him from Hitokiri Gasuke—the late Masahiro Takae.

And before him was Kaita Takae. Son of Masahiro Takae.

The ninja warrior turned towards Yahiko, who almost flinched and turned away, but willed himself to stare at him eye-to-eye.

"…." Yahiko gulped, unable to meet the shinobi's fierce gaze.

"What is your name, Yojimbo?" asked Kaita, his resolve and his unblinking eyes practically piercing through Myojin’s awkwardness and discomfort.

"Myojin Yahiko," said Yahiko Myojin. "Son of Tokyo Samurai."

"Fine. Myojin Yahiko. Son of Tokyo Samurai," Kaita Takae pointed his kunai at the teenaged swordsman. "I am Takae Kaita. Son of Shinobi. Prepare yourself when we cross paths again."

Momentarily at a loss for words, the samurai kid sputtered, "But wait…! I have no feud with you! I don’t wish you harm…!"

And indeed, Yahiko did not wish to fight the son of the man who saved his life in exchange of his own, taking the bullet meant for him instead.

"Harm?" Yahiko could hear the smirk underneath Kaita's mask. "Don't flatter yourself, Yojimbo."

"I had no idea Takae was your father," the young Myojin said to Takae’s son honestly. "He said he was the last ninja of your clan."

"He was," said Kaita. "There is no Takae Clan any longer. We’ve been absorbed into the Sanada Ninja Clan by marriage."

'So that’s what that meant,' thought Yahiko, who then sputtered, "I'm so sorry for your loss. He was an honorable fighter who…!"

Kaita interrupted Yahiko, saying, "I know he's an honorable fighter. Even after his retirement as head of our clan, he continued being a mercenary. He lived as a shinobi and died as a shinobi."

From there, the Son of Tokyo Samurai understood Kaita's implication.

Kaita didn't care about the circumstances behind the death of his father. As far as he knew, he died honorably. Then again, Yahiko was partly responsible for Masahiro's death regardless.

Had he been a touch faster or stronger, Yahiko would've… should've defeated Gasuke without him harming Takae or anyone else.

Their eyes met, then Kaita asked, "Was he able to fulfill his final wish of battling the infamous Battousai?"

Oh yeah. Masahiro Takae took on the mission of aiding Hitokiri Gasuke take his revenge against the weakening Battousai than anything else, spying on him for weeks.

Initially, Yahiko thought Takae was a coward like Gasuke, taking on Kenshin after he retired from using the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu rather than fight him at his strongest.

However, Masahiro actually forced Kenshin to use an actual sword with his skill. Even with Himura's declining health and skill, he wanted a taste of what was left of his abilities.

Perhaps Takae, like Battousai, wanted one last duel. A grand finale. A final fight to the death between two old warriors who were past their primes, showing that they still had one good match left in them.

His closed mouth shrinking into a thin line of consternation, Yahiko nodded at Kaita in earnest.

Kaita Takae laughed. "What luck. So you're also connected to the Battousai himself, huh? Thank you, Father. I get to duel against the Battousai’s student!"

"H-Hey, wait…!" said Yahiko, only for him to backpedal when Kaita asked, "Your sword when used like a normal sword cannot kill. That's Battousai's sword, is it not? My father wondered why he'd hold back like that. Was he so skilled he needed a handicap?"

"Hey! It's not like that! Kenshin…!" Myojin tried to explain, but Takae laughed him off.

"It’s no matter. I'll find out soon. I'll let our blades do the talking. This isn’t over, Yojimbo. Until I kill you, make sure no one else does."

"…."

From there, the son of Masahiro Takae who inherited all of his tricks disappeared in the blink of an eye, his silhouette fading from the light and merging back into the shadows.

***

What a day. What a helluva day.

Yahiko took on a foreign group of mercenaries to protect an influential former hatamoto family that was currently part of the Meiji Oligarchy.

Their ninja bodyguard ended up challenging him to a duel to the death one of these days to avenge the death of his retired ninja father whom Yahiko actually met and fought months ago.

Before this, he also had to save the life of another politician from the terrorist cult of the second coming of Shiro Amakusa, also known as Shogo Amakusa.  Shogo himself had an eye-patched underling who was sometimes a boy, sometimes a girl.

Furthermore, the grandson of the oligarchs is a former member of Shogo’s cult who betrayed them to the Meiji Government before they could do a proper rebellion.

All this happened in between him helping an old pirate friend, the Crimson Captain Shura, who’d become a privateer in order to avenge the death of a crewmember of hers who sank along with her ship, the Kobayashi Maru.

They rode a commercial ship and ambushed the Wokou responsible for sabotaging her before. Yahiko and friends even managed to get her, the Scourge of the Pacific, a new ship from the Wokou while they were at it.

He also almost forgot how, by sheer coincidence, he was able to meet up with his former crush, Mariko Ebisu. They had such a nostalgic time. Too bad their night turned sour in the end.

He considered leaving Yokohama and going straight to Kyoto to complete his Musha Shugyo (Warrior’s Pilgrimage), seeing that most of the members of the Brigands Guild had already been apprehended save for one.

He'd done his part in thwarting the assassination attempts of these mercenaries, even though to be honest, it seemed that the former Mimawarigumi Kinta Minakata could handle things well on his own.

Besides which, he'd already gotten his fill of training care of the Sakaguchi Dojo and the inimitable naginata-wielding blonde beauty Satsuki Sakaguchi, also known as May Brooks.

She actually beat Yahiko in their practice match, but it was a close enough match for the head of Musou Madden Ryu, Genzo Sakaguchi, to insist that they train together.

Satsuki helped Yahiko train in getting in close against long-range fighters who do a lot of thrusts, just like the foreign fencer of the Brigands, The Faceless.

'I can go to Kyoto and meet up with Master Hiko later,' thought Yahiko. 'Right now, I still have some unfinished business here with Yokohama and The Faceless. As long as he hasn't been arrested, the Brigands remain a threat to the Minakatas.'

He might as well. Helping out the Meiji Government, even though it was a hive of scum and villainy itself, was something Kenshin tended to do during his days as a vagabond.

If Yahiko truly was worthy enough to become the inheritor of the sakabatou, then taking on the yoke that Kenshin used to carry was the least he could do.

He'd been staying at the Sakaguchi Dojo for a while now to continue his tutelage under May Brooks, but as of late he'd been gradually transitioning back to roughing it outdoors with his bag of clothes that doubles as his tent.

And, as he prepared to sleep under the stars somewhere in a wooded area in Yokohama, his head full of thoughts of last night's events, he heard someone scream at him the following words:

"KECHO GIRI (MONSTER BIRD KICK)!"

"Huh…? HADOME…! (SWORD HALT…!)"

By instinct, Yahiko parried the oncoming high-flying kick with crossed wrists, with Kenshin's sakabatou in the ready in case he did the follow-up Hawatari counter.

Who just attacked him in the middle of the night in the forest?

"…M-Misao!?"

"Heheh. Long time no see, Yahiko!" declared Misao Makimachi in all her kunoichi (female ninja spy) glory, her normally long braid the size of a short pigtail that reached to the nape of her neck while decked in her full shinobi gear.

***

To Be Continued...

Yes. I combined elements of the Shimabara Arc and the Black Knights arc together for this fanfic's continuity. In light of that, you can consider this fanfic an "Elseworlds" type of story that happens directly after "Yahiko's Sakabatou".

It hinges on the alternative universe premise of "Had the Kenshingumi never met their filler villains (because Kenshin was too busy dealing with Enishi), what would've happened to them?"

It follows portions of the 1996 anime and the manga's Iinchu Arc but skips the filler episode seasons altogether. I do think that characters like Shogo Amakusa were wasted potential, especially since he was supposed to be more skilled than Kenshin and has his own signature move.

Shogo's Uncle Hyoue also fascinated me, particularly his motivation for learning Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu as a Hidden Christian.

Danke, Abdiel

[cb-writes-stuff]

Can you explain the gilded palm? Or perhaps how the mercenary company works? (Bonus question for fun if you want; everyone’s thoughts on their employers)

Thank you for asking!

The Gilded Palm

The Gilded Palm is a thieves’ guild. The only thieves’ guild. Most thieves only care about themselves—that’s why they’re criminals in the first place. However, the brothers and sisters of the Gilded Palm are exactly that: brothers and sisters. It’s about than just stealing things, it’s about lifting each other up, providing for each other, making sure no one is lacking—and of course, the glory and infamy. The biggest heists, the unsolvable cases, and the tallest tales all come from the work of a Gilded Palm member.

Their bases of operation are called “nests”. They have these nests all over the continent, so a Palm member always has a place to hang their hat. Nests are often set up in cisterns below the city, which isn’t always pleasant. Some are actually quite nice—the nest in Kem lon-Dalan, for instance, is built in carved-out offshoots of the city’s underground tunnels, meant for maintaining the complex network of pipes that provided its inhabitants with water. Some nests are manors owned by an especially wealthy Palm member, or long abandoned palaces in the middle of falling to ruin.

The top two positions, practically equal to each other, are the Guildmaster, currently filled by a man named Li Chen, and the Silk Shadow, a mysterious thief also named Pelian Tip who has somehow been active for over 300 years.

Behind the Scenes: Is the concept of a thieves’ guild very impractical? Yes, it is. But it’s also really cool. Also, the Silk Shadow may or may not be a Dread Pirate Roberts situation...

Their symbol is a golden hand, spread open. A circle is cut out from the center of the palm.

Enveil’s Company

There are many mercenary companies, some operating with the knowledge of one or more ruling parties from different countries, some not doing that. Einveil’s Company, led by the eponymous Captain Einveil, is the latter. They don’t do anything illegal, of course. That would make them brigands, which they’re not. Brigands are morally bad. Enveil’s Company are mercenaries, which are morally gray. There’s a difference.

Enveil’s Company isn’t usually hired by royalty or nobility, at least, not for public matters.. They handle smaller jobs, guarding caravans or escorting prisoners. There are roughly 100 men married, and about a quarter of their wives travel with the Company. The only woman in the Company not married to one of the mercenaries is Gloria, a mercenary herself. Aside from that though, she doesn’t stand out much.

I’ll answer the other part of the question in another post!

[oblivions-dawn]

SEXIEST SKYRIM FACTION POLLS MASTERPOST

Currently in: Round 5, the Grand Finale

Round One! Tribunal Temple vs. Morag Tong Khajiit Caravan vs. Vigil of Stendarr Frostmoon Pack vs. Skaal Bards College vs. Silver Hand Pentius Oculatus vs. Blackblood Marauders Blades vs. Synod Crimson Dirks vs. Volkihar Clan Imperial Legion vs. Blackwater Brigands Blood Horkers vs. Skyrim Guard Thalmor vs. Greybeards Warriors of Thirsk vs. Miraak's Cultists College of Winterhold vs. Forsworn Thieves Guild vs. Summerset Shadows Dark Brotherhood vs. Solstheim Pirates Psijic Order vs. Dawnguard Stormcloaks vs. Companions Round Two! Volkihar Clan vs. Penitus Oculatus Imperial Legion vs. Morag Tong Miraak's Cultists vs. Companions Dark Brotherhood vs. Greybeards College of Winterhold vs. Bards College Skaal vs. Dawnguard Skyrim Guard vs. Thieves Guild Khajiit Caravan vs. Blades Round Three! Khajiit Caravan vs. Dawnguard Dark Brotherhood vs. Thieves Guild College of Winterhold vs. Volkihar Clan Morag Tong vs. Companions Round Four! Khajiit Caravan vs. Morag Tong Volkihar Clan vs. Thieves Guild Round Five! THE GRAND FINALE! Khajiit Caravan vs. Thieves Guild

[warsofasoiaf]

If Aegon I really did prophecise the return of the Others (as HOTD claims), shouldn't he have tried to reform Westeros' military structure to prepare? A standing army might be too difficult to keep fed in a world with variable winters. However, in some medieval themed stories I've read there have been kingdoms with a "central band" that is always active, and is augmented by levies when a war actually occurs. Also, in your response to my last question you mentioned the possibility of making those eligible for military service train for a certain number of days every year.

I did mention that, but I also mentions that such a provision, even for a kingdom not as ridiculously huge as Westeros, would be laughably unenforceable. Even countries with greater bureaucratic organization, like Rome or Byzantium, struggled with mobilization and readiness - time spent doing drill is time not spent having a living. In later eras, governments tried all sorts of carrots and sticks to make sure there was at least some levels of training: everything from fines for people who did keep their kit in good order such as in the Asize of Arms to the Anglo-Saxon fyrdsmen being trained by the regions to act as a first line against raiding Vikings to militiamen getting free food and beer to show up for drill day in the Thirteen Colonies. Enforcement for these provisions was typically done at the local level simply because having a national-level system for doing so was simply not feasible. You could have a smaller organization have regular training, such as town watches which might be able to organize with the help of city-wide entities like burghers and guilds. So while that would be very smart, it is likely beyond Aegon's capacity.

There is an entity that can act like this, and in fact, is supposed to act like this: The Night's Watch. Regular tithes and donations to the Watch to help support cashflow problems that early armies would struggle with (hence why mercenary companies frequently turned brigand when there were no wars to sign up for), but it's simply not sufficient without regular payment. If Aegon wanted to support this in a way that was much more politically feasible - he'd mandate a percentage of taxes taken in be sent to the Night's Watch, or possible tax forgiveness up to a certain amount for donations to the Watch. This is a little bit easier to manage, as tax assessments could be made a little more regularly than unit inspections of far-flung regions and the Night's Watch can easily record donations received to help simplify the accounting process.

The fact that this isn't done, and that Aegon is smart enough to know this, is yet another indication that this "plot twist" is not integrated very well in the story. As I've said in the past, it feels like poorly-executed, tacked-on nonsense and significantly hurts Aegon's characterization, introducing a bunch of plot holes while addressing only one rather insignificant question regarding Aegon (why conquer Westeros?) that wasn't even all that important to begin with.

Thanks for the question, Ryu.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

[lyllianhawke]

Jandelaine .. the eccentric aesthetician

I don't know what was more surprising as I was wandering around the city of pirates, walking off my meal from the tavern.. a short lass screaming for help or the brightly colored lad shrunken in abject terror at her.

He begged me for help, that he had been wrongly accused. Some brigands had accosted him on his journey into the city proper and stolen all the tools of his craft. Would I please go to the masters of the guilds of Woodworking, Alchemy, and Smithing so that he could get yet another set of tools of his trade. He bade me just tell them his name and they would agree.

What is a traveler to do? I had some time on my hands so I agreed to help. Jandelaine began to thank me most profusely, while still slightly cowered from the lass' stare.

Off I went to gather the tools. Each guild master had words about the eccentric man. Forgemaster was quite cross, as she'd only replaced his sheers mere weeks ago from similar circumstances. Chief alchemist merely chuckled, something about kindred souls. Then the timbermaster, shook his head merely stating all brilliant craftsman have their quirks.

It's a good thing that airship travel isn't too expensive. It took me the better part of the day to visit all and return. When I gave Jandelaine the tools he begged me to retrieve, he was like a different man all together.

The lass that was flailing and screaming, changed her tune as well because she had gotten a makeover in a flash, and realized who the man truly was. The famous Aesthetician Jandelaine.

He turned on me, with flair and a quip stating if i ever had a bout of aesthetic ennui to just call for him. He would rush to my side as fast as a teleport would land him. I took his calling card and tucked it into my pack.

When I looked up at him he'd already was on his way.. almost skipping along. The lass with the new do was chasing him begging for another appointment.

I had to wonder.. if my sister had a similar run in with the man, knowing her and how long she'd been travelling in Eorzea, chances were that she had.

[nejackdaw]

forbidden and thane for the ask game 👀 any/all OCs you like

(Obi-Wan voice) hello there 👀👋

I've gotten a few asks [link], and because nepotism he's the most developed of my Skyrim characters, I'll be answering them all with Askild :)

-- Forbidden: if you could choose to betray any guild Dark Brotherhood style, who would it be?

For Askild, it would have to be the Companions. He was forcibly inducted into bandit ranks as a boy, and bandits, brigands, and the like have left a bad taste in his mouth since. A company of warriors had seemed a good enough place to find safety until he could get his bearings and vanish after surviving Helgen--bandits are hardly suited for polite company, and he hates cities--but he quickly discovered that they were, in fact, mercenaries: and what are mercenaries but brigands for hire? He carried out his first task (I didn't leave because I couldn't pass up the opportunity to beat up Nazeem) and reluctantly followed Farkas to Dustman's Cairn, but afterward? When all was said and done and he saw the golden light of the setting sun? He'd have nothing more to do with the lot of them. Brigands and bandits and cutthroats are awful enough, but werewolf brigands? He'd have turned them over and vanished into the night.

-- Thane: if thrust into a position of power such as a Jarl or a particularly influential Thane, how would you react? What kind of ruler would you be?

Askild would panic. He's not a good man--he could be a worse one, but he's not a good one, either--and under no circumstances is he to be given authority. He fears having it. He knows what power and influence turn men into, and, as established, he's already not an upstanding one. He was named the Jarl of Whiterun--and fled. He was named Jarl of Riften--and fled, albeit back to Fort Dawnguard, which operates on the edge of the Rift. His disappearances had as much to do with his dislike of cities (loud, crowded, dangerous and anxiety inducing) as it did the influence they tried to hand him. He doesn't like people knowing his name, his face. If he sees someone twice he considers himself unlucky. He's a drifter, not a leader, not a man with a rational head on his shoulders and a desire to settle and rule. Fleeing is easy; after over a decade serving as a bandit, leaving is what he does best.

[dragoon-mid-jump]

Ok I'm really laughing at you mentioning Y'kouha's attachment to the Rogue's Guild in his shipping bingo with I'lyrha because. The Rogue's Guild has it out for her.

That's actually what kicks off her big Change of Heart story arc. She was working a slaving job that the Rogue's Guild caught wind of and ambushed. Lyrha was badly wounded but escaped... long enough to collapse on a roadside out in Vylbrand, where a certain wandering Red Mage found her and nursed her to health hahahaha

Y'kouha would quite possibly recognize her on sight as a notorious brigand

Yes, he would....

....but, it's a good thing Y'kouha is a believer in second chances if he can see that the offender truly has changed for the better, albeit after subjecting them to a lot of subtle scrutiny, and even if they were fortunate enough to escape the Guild's judgement previously. Yes, he does have a strict code to uphold, but he's not gonna go all Inspector Javert on her over her past criminal activities after seeing her with X'rhun enough. However, he'll warn that other guildmates might not be as gracious as he, though she most likely knows that already.

I can't pin why, but there's something about doing Kouha's bingo for I'lyrha that reminds me of classic comic book hero/villain darker romances.

[estrogenandspite]

It’s important to note that there are other convergent examples of this, and everything above me is true, you must be careful. Maids, knights, stable workers, the castle blacksmith, castle guards, and nobles of minor houses (among others) should not be confused with those that adapted to a similar but divergent niche.

Replace the undying loyalty with “wanderers” and what you have is a niche that absconds with princesses before absolutely railing the decorum out of them. This niche is occupied brigands, pirates, scoundrels, adventurers, and dragons (among others).

These however serve an important role in the ecosystem. Princesses who get fucked until they’re crossed eyed will usually abandon their life of prestige and comfort in exchange for adopting their mate’s wandering lifestyle and are happy and horny for it. Rarely, however, there will be a child from these unions. Raised by their princess mother to lead and by their other parent to be bold, they will create brigand armies, pirate armadas, thieves guilds, chosen ones, or begin hoarding people.

This is how Royalty creates their nests (also known as kingdoms). In a healthy fantasy ecosystem, the abductor niche being filled means princesses who are desperate to escape their stuffy life and get absolutely ravished, panting and sweating have their needs met. Absent that, Royalty can turn to hostile nest creation which causes war and strife.

Bards are an invasive species in both these niches and unless a kingdom lacks maid types or dragon types, can safely be limited to their natural habitats of taverns, where the local and hardy wench population is adapted to handle their advances.

It is a well known fact that princesses go into heat regularly and would die if not for the symbiotic role played by maids

[theiceman9047]

Religion and Loyalty : Lean Times in Lankhmar

Lean Times in Lankhmar : The Values of Religion 

The story begins with Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, two famous adventurers that find themselves in a chaotic world of religion in Lankhmar. These two men used to be friends, but they now have different lives to lead, in a world where religion functions as a marketplace. The temples are dedicated to lots of deities competing for the follower's donations, and the religion when it becomes larger moves closer to the Citadel. Fafhrd joins a minor god, Issek of the Jug, and becomes a preacher alongside Bwardes. This religion is all about peace and resilience. While the Gray Moser works for what is essentially a thief's guild, under the head named Pulg, men steal and have an eye for gold. Fafhrd and the Grau Mouser’s loyalties through the story grow to the point of tension between the two (Though it is one-sided due to Fafhrd’s beliefs). Eventually there is a violent fight between the goons of the thief's guild and Fafhrd. Fafhrd prevails, and Pulg is disappointed in Mouser. Mouser then sets out to trick Fafhrd into drinking himself dumb, then the followers then think that Fafhrd is Issek of the Jug. The two friends then reunite and set off once again 

In Lean Times in Lankhmar, Fritz Leiber shows how religion can be corrupt when it is more about money and power the real beliefs and values. In the chaotic city of Lankhmar religious temples are there to make a profit, and they compete for followers. As the text states, “Lankhmar itself and especially the earlier-mentioned street serves as the theater or more precisely the intellectual and artistic testing-ground of the proto-gods after their more material but no more cruel sifting at the hands of the brigands and Mingols.” Though that is the beautiful thing about Issek of the Jug, the people were poor, and the money did not matter. The values came first for what we could see for the first time in the story and maybe the history of Lankhmar. There are temples for all kinds of obscure gods, and each one tries in their own unique way to bait in people in, whether that be through offering miracles or blessings or protection. This may be just out of actual belief; but the realists see that it is a way that these temples make money and have influence. Unless there is a religion that is pure peace and where money means nothing. Furthermore, in the text we see that these temples are advertising and competing with one another rather than having a spiritual experience.  

Again, religion is treated like a hot commodity here sure that could work, but when there are few intelligent conversations about the deities that were, “as numberless as the grains of sand in the Great Eastern Desert.” There was much talk about money stealing and hierarchy, but the exploration of the religion was few even though there were mentions of philosophers. Reaching, philosophers did send a message because they stopped so often to hear Fafhrd and Bwardes preach they were mesmerized by a religion that could swoon people without the glorious aspect of moving closer to the Citadel. Perhaps an idea so unfamiliar their minds were changed or amazed. This however does not matter because of the fact that even the main characters did not believe the idea that Issek was real as other people did though make a thoughtful impact on the future of what the religions of Lankhmar could look like, the author states: 

‘Not I,’ he said at last. ‘There are always other tales to be woven. I served a god well, I dressed him in new clothes, and then I did a third thing. Who'd go back to being an acolyte after being so much more? You see, old friend, I really was Issek.’”  

He recognizes that Issek was gone forever. However, he did something good for that religion, showing that it was possible to become great in a world full of capitalism, and life ran by money.  

While the religion in Lankhmar is wondersome, and interesting to read about, there was another prevalent theme that need not to be ignored: Friendship and Loyalty. The friendship between fafhrd and the Gray Mouser is changed from their past adventures when they chose different lives in Lankhmar’s religious sea. Fafhrd follows humility, peace, and compassion, while the Gray Mouser, was hired by a mafia (Pulg) of sorts being a mercenary of people's money and lives. The division of friends creates a direct opposition. Thier relationship then seems lifeless at the time, in a way, other than Mouser setting people up to contest Fafhrd. This then shows that there is still love in the Mousers heart, there were direct orders for Mouser to go and contest Fafhrd but instead the greed took over and he took valuables from someone else instead of having the perfect tactics to tear Fafhrd down. The sneaky thought though is in the conversation between Pulg and the Mouser we see the love in Mouser's heart with the following, “’You're not still soft on him, are you, son?’ The Mouser arched his eyebrows, flared his nostrils and slowly swung his face from side to side.’” Pulg sensed it from the beginning, there is no other reason for him to be asking that question to former comrades. All of this does not matter though. In the end of the story when “Issek” appeared and ran into the darkness with Mouser, then we see them reminiscing about each other and the time that they had in Lankhmar. The ending states: 

“’I have no regrets for Lankhmar,’ he said, lying mightily, though not entirely.   

‘I can see now that if I'd stayed I'd have gone the way of Pulg and all such Great Men-fat, power-racked, lieutenant-plagued, smothered with false-hearted dancing girls, and finally falling into the arms of religion.’  

Even though the deception, and the opposite paths, they stay the people they were before, and I assume that there were more adventures after this with the other books that were published. Would anyone be able to stay friends when they attempted to kill you, or get you so drunk you pass out? What kind of person does that take? How much loyalty do these two have? 

[gabriel-gabdiel]

【Draft】 Rurouni Yahiko Chapter 59: The Swallow Return

Lucas pushes his half-brother Kinta to the brink while Yahiko realizes something about the Seiryu Clan's personal ninja Kaita.

Will they be able to handle the machinations of the Brigands Guild or not?

Many years ago, during dinner with Kinta's late grandfather, Toshiro Minakata...

Both Toshiro and Kinta Minakata ate in silence at a long Western-style high table in contrast to the smaller and lower traditional family table typical of the Japanese.

The strict and imposing Toshiro was a vanguard among hatamoto samurai.

Realizing that the samurai after the Sengoku Era and during the peaceful Tokugawa Shogunate Era were essentially soldiers without a war to wage, he had tried his hand at business and trade.

He worked to make the Minakata coffers and fortune grow even as many impoverished samurai ended up seeing the merchant class rise and become more powerful during this period of peace.

He made sure the Minakata Clan would survive in the coming eras in every way possible, whether it was by wealth or political privilege.

Toshiro proved himself ahead of the curve, even though he was cut-throat enough to resell the confiscated black market opium of Wokou pirates to his fellow Japanese citizens or even export them back to China as a profit.

He found ways to thrive in both wartime and peacetime. Like a rat or a cockroach. Crafty as a fox, he was.

"I've heard you've been chosen as part of the Kyoto Mimawarigumi (Kyoto Patrolling Group)," probed Toshiro.

"Yes, Grandfather," answered a teenaged Kinta.

No older than his fellow iaijutsu (sword-drawing) practitioner, the Hitokiri Battousai (Battousai the Manslayer) on the side of the Ishin Shishi (Patriots).

"And how are your studies?"

"There are no issues there either."

"That's fine. Keep doing both like you used to."

"Of course, Grandfather."

"Being well-versed in letters and arms, a man from the Minakata Family must excel in all fields. My eldest, your Uncle Tatsuya, became a banker. My second child, your Uncle Kaneda, became a lawyer. Your mother, my youngest..."

Toshiro trailed off and cleared his throat while Kinta stared at him, unblinking. Pretending he didn't notice his grandfather's pause.

"Remember, Kinta. The strongest of people are born from the strongest of adversities," his grandfather said with such confidence, Kinta just knew that he spoke from experience.

Whether it was him battling Wokou pirates in the South China Sea or dealing with local Tokugawa Era politics like he was Julius Caesar amidst the traitorous Roman senate, his every word dripped with veteran knowledge.

He did everything he could to keep himself from swimming in the middle of a sea of daggers and a pool of his own blood, whether in the hands of sea-faring criminals or landlubber backstabbing politicians.

Toshiro continued. "Bring honor back to the Minakata Family. Honor both your father and your mother. Erase any stains the name might have by excelling in what you do. Prove yourself to be a worthy heir of the name and the fortune of the Minakata Family, Grandson."

"I will, Grandfather."

As far as the Minakatas were concerned, winning was everything. The world was composed of winners and everyone else.

***

Rurouni Yahiko

A Rurouni Kenshin Continuation Fan Fiction Story by Chester Castañeda

The Swallow Return makes an appearance after Kinta is pushed into a corner.

Disclaimer: All characters used in this fanfic (save some others) are the rightful property of Nobuhiro Watsuki, Shueisha, Shonen Jump, Viz, Sony Studios, Fuji TV, Studio Gallup, Studio Deen, and ADV. This disclaimer also covers all the other copyrighted material that are far too many to mention here. Don't sue me please, I'm very poor.

***

Chapter 59: The Swallow Return

***

Back inside the memories that Kinta Minakata had of his grandfather, Toshiro Minakata...

Kinta's grandfather told him long ago the following.

"The world is a tough, unforgiving place, Kinta. It's a dog-eat-dog world out there. In an eye blink, a king can become a pauper and a pauper can become a king. Those who adapt the most consistently in a merciless world that's always changing are those that survive in the end. Today, we eat like royalty. But tomorrow, what if the bakufu lost its power? What if Japan was colonized by foreign powers? What would happen to the hatamoto?"

Kinta answered, "We would become nothing."

Toshiro nodded. "Yes. That's why I'm building our family fortunes. So that the Minakatas can survive the dawn of a new century or even a new millennium. If tomorrow, samurai ceased to exist and all our political clout became moot, our wealth will keep us afloat. Always remember to keep moving forward and changing with the times, my grandson."

In order to remain on the top of the food chain and survive, one must win. Always win in everything they did. It was the rules of nature. It was survival of the fittest.

In their world, the winner was acknowledged and the loser was disavowed.

Like how his mother was banished from existence and forgotten as the black sheep of the family, for example.

The clan of rumored ochimusha (defeated samurai during the Sengoku Era considered as low class citizens) that stole away the name and valor of the original deceased Minakata clan knew as much.

They did what they could to save face, thus they were able to pluck victory from the jaws of defeat to cur favor from the Tokugawas.

To the ears of any member of the Minakata Clan, what Kinta's grandfather Toshiro was implying was crystal clear.

His orders were to erase the shameful actions of Kinta's shameless mother by becoming a standout among the Mimawarigumi ranks.

Just like how their ochimusha (fallen warrior) ancestors became hatamoto retainers to the Tokugawa Shogunate, so too should Kinta remove from memory the embarrassment of having an adulteress for a mother and a cuckold for a father.

Winning was the only thing that mattered.

Kinta simply had to keep his head high and win. That was all he needed to do. Because he was victorious over all, he deserved to win.

"Keep on winning, Kinta. Keep on winning because you're a Minakata. And Minakatas are born winners, through hell or high water. Even in spite of fate itself conspiring against us," his grandfather would always say.

There was nothing more important than winning at all costs. This was how the Minakatas survived through centuries. Millennia. Ages.

Toshiro also regularly said, "You know that old saying, 'It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game'? That's bullshit. The bottom line is winning."

This was how Kinta earned his place at the Minakata table despite his uncles despising him, his father committing suicide, and his mother bringing shame to the family name.

He looked at his plate. The pristine chinaware was where he ate foreign food like the Salisbury steak.

If it were broken, it'd be thrown away. A plate could never be restored once it had a crack. But if it was still usable and you were desperate, what you had would suffice.

Besides which, winning was the liquid gold that helped glue together even broken pottery or ceramics, thus making it whole and beautiful again in its own right.

That was the art of Kintsugi or Kintsukuroi (Gold Repair), after all.

***

Back at the abandoned building within the narrow alleyway near the Minakata Moneychanger Office…

Yahiko Myojin gasped for air, his face beet-red, his hair somehow messier than usual, and his whole body an aching mess. Also, his shirt and pants were in tatters.

However, it was him who was left standing. It was Fabian La Cerca, the infamous "Faceless" of the foreign assassination squad, "The Brigands Guild", who ended up on the floor on his posterior, his mask shattered into pieces.

God. Dammit. That stubborn, agile gaijin finally fell down.

Unbeknownst to the slightly concussed Faceless, Yahiko had set him up from the start with the Genei Gami (Phantom God).

Yahiko let Fabian memorize his tempo of overhead swings to train him to always anticipate and parry swings from the direction, thus allowing Myojin to blindside him with a side-swiping strike to the temple.

Aware that he couldn't time him by virtue of his odd rhythm, Yahiko instead baited him to counter repeatedly until he followed the samurai kid's more predictable rhythm.

The Tokyo Samurai Descendant bet on Fabian's weakness—his over-reliance on counters—and made his usually broken rhythm more predictable as a result.

Even then, he couldn't have landed his trap on The Faceless had Kaita not arrived to assist him with timely kunai or shuriken throws.

This foreign fencing genius from the West could give most of the members of the Oniwabanshu (Guardians of the Gate) or the Juppon Gatana (Ten Swords) a run for their money! Probably.

'How's that, Cat Eyes? Here's the proof of concept of my anti-Cat-Eyes training! Everything is going according to plan.'

Yahiko grinned from ear-to-ear, feeling himself in the moment.

However, he broke a cardinal rule of being a martial artist or even an old-school samurai from a bygone era. He became overconfident and let his guard down.

It wasn't composure but pride that led to his fall.

"Good work, Yojimbo!" appraised Kaita. "Now let's finish off the assassin before he recovers and goes after the Minakatas!"

"Wait. Let's just take him down and let the police handle him," insisted Yahiko, which made the ninja pause. "He might be useful in learning the whereabouts of their gang or something!"

"He's too dangerous to be kept alive!" argued the young shinobi. "I'm authorized to kill him. I don't answer to the police."

"No! Let the coppers arrest him and have him answer for his crimes!" insisted the samurai boy, going by what Kenshin or Kaoru would normally do in such a situation.

What he said to The Faceless about the sakabatou being a life-giving sword wasn't just empty words. He lived by that code of honor and ethics in swordsmanship.

Kaita realized he couldn't reason with the child, remembering the spiel he overheard from him about a Sword of Life—a reverse-edged blade was blunt on its outside curve, yet he didn't use it like a sickle or scimitar.

Something about the kid's "life-giving" sword sounded familiar to him though. Like he'd heard about the unusual weapon somewhere before in the recent past.

In an eye blink, the shinobi disappeared from Yahiko's midst. However, the teenaged samurai figured out where he went and shielded La Cerca from the incoming ninja throwing knives.

"Despite your looks, you're quite the tenacious guy, Yojimbo," said the unseen Kaita, who kept evading Yahiko's probing strikes with his blunt weapon.

"The name's Yahiko, Ninja Dude!" Yahiko said as he swung blindly at air yet still felt the presence of the ninja by reading his bloodlust. Just like how Kenshin would.

Soon, Yahiko's sakabatou found its target, with Kaita blocking the longer blade with the Okinawan three-pronged weapon known as the sai.

"You know, you remind me of someone I fought months ago. What was his name? Take? Taikai? Tatakai?" Yahiko tried to remember the name of the aged ninja assassin who went after Kenshin several months ago.

The Tokyo Samurai Descendant faced the camouflaged shinobi on behalf of Kenshin Kamiya (nee Himura). 

'Wait.' Something then clicked inside Kaita's mind just then.

 "Oh yeah, Takae! Takae was his name! His invisibility trick was amazing, just like yours! I couldn't see him at all when we fought!"

"…Battousai," said Kaita, which made Myojin's head snap into attention and La Cerca stir in his own stupor. "That's the Battousai's sword."

Yahiko and Kaita then just looked at each other before they asked in unison:

"How did you know that name…?"

***

"Like waves from the sea," said the blood-stained Lucas Grant with a deep exhale. "The high tide and the low tide. The ebb and flow of the limitless ocean."

"…What are you talking about?" asked Kinta Minakata, who only looked a little scuffed up with tiny cuts and bruises while his half-brother looked like he had one foot on the grave.

Or an undead, vengeful zombie soldier from the foreign legion that refused to die.

"Facing your Musou Madden Ryu is like dealing with the rising tides. Your attacks come in waves. You even have a move named 'Tsunami', for goodness' sake," said the bilingual Lucas.

Curiously, even with the crimson mask on his face, Grant's slashes, stabs, chops, and pummels (from his bastard sword's pommel) seemed to increase in strength the more damage he received.

Was it the swell of adrenalin? A second or even third wind? Or perhaps sheer willpower? Kinta couldn't tell. He was just tired of trying hard to land a strike, only for his long-lost bastard of a brother to shrug it off like nothing.

Lucas Grant was no John Rathbone. Nothing about his swordsmanship was elegant or skilled. He kept on coming like a caveman, almost.

However, what he lacked in finesse he more than made up for in undeniable, sobering power. He was the difference between skillfully untying a knot and gnawing the rope apart.

More importantly, after repeatedly receiving the different techniques of the Musou Madden Ryu, Luke had started timing his blocks and parries better.

Kinta was still several moves ahead of him in every exchange, but by sheer trial and error, the stamina monster tanked enough shots to learn their timing, thus allowing him to slip past them better.

Like a sailor navigating his boat through treacherous waters and weathering the storm from experience. Unwilling to sink. Unwilling to let nature take its course and send him down the depths of the unforgiving sea.

Like villagers waiting out a typhoon until it left the area, resiliently rebuilding everything in the wake of its devastation because life always moved on.

Kinta then noticed that like the Prodigal Son of the Minakatas, he was only managing to do nicks and bruises on his half-brother.

The (literal) bastard was blocking most of his strikes with every inch of his heavy bastard sword, including its thick hilt and hammerhead-like pommel. None the worse for wear.

Well, not exactly. But all the major damage he currently had were ones he got earlier from Kinta and Zan. Wounds that might as well looked worse than they really were because of how nimble Grant moved regardless, like he'd long ago recovered from them.

Like the bloodstains all over his body were just war paint. Like his lacerations were scars or tattoos.  They were just for show and he was actually completely unharmed.

Luke had nerves of steel. And the pain threshold of a rock to boot.

A shiver ran through Kinta's spine in realization. Lucas had taken his best shots and remained standing. Could he take one of Lucas's best shots or any one of them in turn…?

His breathing had become heavier and heavier as the battle drew on. The same problem he had with the more skillful Faceless, but this time his half-brother exposed his weakness through a war of attrition.

His arms felt tired from just slashing at his brother over and over with strikes that would've normally plowed down hordes of Ishin Shishi rebels one after the other.

For someone who used techniques based on the moon phases and sea tides, it was Kinta who ended up getting dragged down deep waters by the inimitable, unfettered Lucas.

"Let me be the cliff that stands steady as your waves uselessly crash against my rocks below. The high ground where your waters couldn't reach," said Grant.

***

Yahiko crossed swords with Kaita, his mind racing a mile a minute. Or a kilometer a minute. Or roughly 1.6 kilometers a minute if it were still measured in miles.

"How do you know about Takae…?" Myojin asked Kaita, pushing the ninja away with his hard sword block.

"That's my line!" Kaita countered in words while also countering by disappearing from Yahiko's midst and stabbing him with his twin sais. "His last mission was to take out the Battousai. How did you end up with the Battousai's reverse-edged sword?"

Not knowing what else to say, Yahiko responded, "That's none of your business...!"

Unable to see him in time, the samurai kid attempted to blast the unseen shinobi away with a blind Dou Gami (God on Earth) to the floor, which his fellow bodyguard chose to parry and expose his location anyway by reflex.

The concussive force of the technique then bent and snapped one of Kaita's sais apart.

As Yahiko followed through with the Tsui Gami (Hammer of God) to break apart Taikai's other sai, the two combatants heard a voice from the blue.

"It's because he's Takae Kaita. The son of the man you apparently met. And fought. Did he die by your hands or the Battousai's?"

The recovering Fabian La Cerca had just spoken. Or was he John Rathbone this time around? The Minakata bodyguards couldn't tell.

"No, it couldn't have been you," hissed Fabian, referring to Yahiko. "You would've spared Takae with your foolish beliefs regarding a life-giving sword."

'Takae is Kaita's father?!' Yahiko's blood ran cold in realization. He'd been fighting alongside and crossing swords with the late Masahiro Takae all this time? He didn't know what to think or what to do next.

'Oh no, The Faceless is awake…!' Kaita finally disengaged from crossing blades with Yahiko to face the formidable Brigands Guild member.

Suddenly, the remnants of Fabian's broken saber then ended up on the now-visible Kaita Takae's neck before, a split-second later, his blood-spurting body got replaced by a plank of bloodstained wood wearing the ninja's clothing, the sword wedged deep into it.

With a thousand thoughts colliding inside his mind like a derailed train wreck, Myojin hesitated in attacking the charging unarmed gaijin in that same split-second, which proved to be his undoing.

Yahiko aimed and swung at The Faceless's shoulder with a simple downward sword strike, electing not to use any of his Kamiya Kasshin Ryu Revisal techniques for fear of the blunt-force trauma finishing off the man before him.

La Cerca simply dodged and stabbed the young samurai with three retractable claw blades that shot out of his left arm brace. They looked suspiciously like the claws that the late Hannya from the Tokyo Oniwabanshu.

"You're an amateur after all. To defeat an enemy without killing him... How naïve are you? You should've finished me off when you had the chance."

However, unlike Hannya, Fabian only had a single pair of the claws instead of having both hands sport the hidden weapon.

"Why won't you stay down, Faceless?!" demanded Myojin.

"If you had given me the final blow, that wouldn't be a problem. Also, the name's Haruka now,"  answered The Faceless.

For The Faceless was not Conde (Count) Fabian La Cerca any longer. Instead, he was Haruka. The half-Japanese burakumin (outcast) who had his own unique style of hidden-weapon ninjutsu.  With the destruction of one mask, he had donned another.

"Show me the power of that so-called life-giving sword you have, kiddo!" said The Faceless as he replaced his broken mask over his featureless face with another.

Regardless, Myojin blocked the claws in the nick of time with a parry from his iron sheath just before their pointed tips could pierce all the way into his vital organs.

'Magnificent,' thought Haruka, who blocked Yahiko's riposte with his other arm brace. 'The boy does not disappoint!'

"Kenshin's life-giving sword protects both you and me! That's the promise I made to both my master and Kenshin!" Yahiko spat out as his mouth spewed blood.

"Spoken like someone who has never killed a man. Naïve and foolish. If you try sparing my life, it will come at the expense of your own!" said Haruka. "Remember this painful lesson, boy. When at war, mercy is for the weak!"

Personally, Myojin wasn't as closed-minded about killing as the vagabond version of Kenshin who promised his late wife Tomoe Yukishiro to never kill again.

He knew there were times when he had no choice but to kill, especially when defending himself and/or others. However, he also wanted to emulate his idol Kenshin as much as he could.

He wanted to match his resolve as the inheritor of his reverse-edged blade.

"If you won't die so easily then neither will I!" retorted the young samurai with a bloody grin.

***

And just like that, the tables had turned. Or rather, the tides of battle had changed. Kinta's tides had started receding while the tides of Lucas grew in turn.

The exhausted Kinta looked pristine compared to his bloody bastard of a long-lost brother. However, the way they moved belied their appearance.

Like with The Faceless, Minakata had started to tire out and sweat hard. This manifested with his shortness of breath and slower movement. He also hesitated and made more mistakes than before that kept him from finishing off his brother earlier on.

Meanwhile, the bloodstained Lucas Grant kept attacking, swaying, ducking, and countering against quick-draw shots and ripostes like he could still go into battle for many hours longer.

Like Luke was a spry younger man or spring chicken dancing circles around a sickly senior citizen or an anemic old rooster at death's door. In contrast, his estranged sibling wheezed and struggled through every exchange like he was in stuck in quicksand or a tar pit.

It also helped that Grant's seemingly inexhaustible stamina and toughness allowed him to figure out his brother's swordsmanship using a similarly superior blade made of superior European steel versus the pig metal of Japanese swords.

For example, Luke figured out that Kinta relies on momentum and centrifugal force in order to make his iaijutsu strikes increase in speed and power whenever he performed one of many Tsunami kata variations.

The first few shallow strikes served as probing slashes to gauge the distance of the target and the last few strikes ended up the more deadly accurate bone-cutting attacks based on the information gathered by the initial swipes.

By refusing to get herded by Kinta's first few strikes that he also allowed to hit nothing but air to find his range, Grant could sidestep and counter or riposte the deeper cuts with his harder swings.

However, what made the Mimawarigumi Battousai truly dangerous was that he could go from zero to a hundred on the first slash by doing the Mangetsu O Tsuku Nari (Full Moon Slash) straight from the scabbard or even the Aoitsuki O Tsuku Nari (Blue Moon Slash) in case the first slash missed.

Alas, as Kyoko Sakaguchi herself discovered, doing that devastating technique from the start instead of building up to it with momentum-gathering Tidal Wave technique could literally tear a person's body apart.

When used over and over, the double-edged technique sapped the stamina of its user. Or if it was done incorrectly, it could even injure him.

Luke also pressured Kinta to counterattack and react over and over while keeping himself safe with feints, fakes, stabs, and his own probing strikes only to switch to a hard block, parry, or dodge at the last second.

His excessive, elaborate swings that would've been discouraged because of his many openings served as traps for him to catch Kinta with a slash or two. If he got slashed back, he could block or simply absorb the damage with his resilient body.

Whenever Kinta hesitated, Luke turned his feint into an actual attack care of recoveries or follow-throughs like a trap activated by a tripwire.

The Brigands Guild member pushed the hapless iaido master into a corner and made him backpedal from his accurate attacks and automatic counters.

Having both The Faceless and his son Cain scout Kinta's skill level and disseminate his abilities first before Lucas faced off with him had paid dividends for their mission.

The Brigands Guild had caught the Mimawarigumi Battousai unawares and flatfooted with their schemes, research, and preparation.

Kinta's shoulders reached nearly up to his neck as he gasped for air, his red hair matted with sweat and blood.

The Kagemusha (literally meant "Shadow Warrior" but also meant "Body Double") drowned in a whirlwind of steel while his own attacks got deflected, absorbed, swallowed, or tanked by the walking disaster area himself.

An earthquake. An avalanche. A landslide. The irresistible human tempest indulging in a roaring rampage of revenge.

***

"What pushes you to act now?" asked Haruka the Outcast. "You have no relation to the Minakatas. What is your purpose for risking your life for them?"

If Yahiko were honest, he'd admit to pushing through this bodyguard gig partly because he thought it'd be a waste to not use what he'd learned training with May Brooks/Satsuki Sakaguchi at the Sakaguchi Dojo.  

The samurai kid responded through grit teeth, "I met them through a friend of mine. Also, even if we're strangers, what good is the life-giving sword of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu if I can't save the lives of those under my protection?"

"There you go again with your lies," hissed the foreign super spy and assassin. "A sword is a weapon. The art of swordsmanship is learning how to kill. To believe otherwise is to invite death at your doorstep. Or to give a child a gun to play with. Don't be so gullible."

The Faceless twisted his claw knives around Myojin's abdomen, which made the boy swallow down a guttural scream he wouldn't release to not give his opponent the satisfaction of seeing him in agony.

"I feel like I've heard that speech before," said Yahiko. "I believe in life-giving swords. There is such a thing as a sword that protects. I've seen it with my own eyes."

He didn't actually hear it the first time Kenshin told Kaoru those same words. However, the Kamiya couple did have discussions about their first meeting later on that the boy did listen to.

Dully, Yahiko wondered who could save him now? Munenori Minoe? Gan? The police? A wandering Kenshin Kamiya looking after him? Sanosuke Sagara back from America? Or even Seijuro Hiko himself like when he faced off against Fuji's gigantic blade?

It certainly wasn't going to be Kaita, if what Haruka said about him being Takae's son were true. He might even stab him in the back instead.

Maybe this was it. His luck finally ran out. He bit off more than he could chew.

"…Gesshoku (Lunar Eclipse)!"

"UGH! MIERDA…!"

The next thing Yahiko knew, he ended up on the floor, blood spurting from the three wounds on his abdomen while he saw a lanky man with huge hands grab hold of The Faceless's face and slam it down to the concrete ground.

"…Kiddo. I've learned long ago that the Shword of Life doesn't exist. All shwordsh are Shwordsh of Death. The Shword of Life is one big joke. A deadly one that could getchoo killed," said Yahiko's ultimate rescuer with a slight drunken slur.

"Who the hell are you, man?!" exclaimed Yahiko as his eyes stared at the man before him from his coiffed head to his sandaled toes and his flowery pink haori and hakama (shirt and pnats) in between.

"The name'sh Kojima Sho." The man smirked and let go of the struggling Faceless before standing up and retreating from the swipes from the masked man's claws. "…Ah, screw it. Let me be that silly fool. Let's make the Sword of Life into a reality!"

It was at that point that Myojin noticed the weird man had six fingers on each of his two humongous hands, giving him extra grip on his sword or on Haruka's masked face. Also, his face was as pink as his haori for some reason.

Was he drunk right now? Oh gods. Yahiko's rescuer was a drunkard. Yahiko could smell the booze from Sho's breath from where he lay. "Get away, old man! You'll get killed!"

Also, for some reason, the drunkard reminded Yahiko of Hitokiri Gasuke.

No wait. That was wrong. He actually remembered him. This was the guy who was with Kinta Minakata when they first arrived in the Sakaguchi Dojo!

Meanwhile. Haruka growled, "It's always one thing after another…!" as he jumped around and swiped his claws at Kojima in every which way. It had been quite a long day so far.

The unsteady, hiccupping Kojima unsheathed his cane sword but wielded it strangely. Like it was a scythe. He blocked and parried The Faceless's claw strikes with the spine instead of the edge of his katana.

'Was this the Sword of Life this guy was talking about?' wondered Yahiko, who by now found the strength to sit up. 'A way to wield ordinary swords so that they don't immediately finish off opponents like the sakabatou…?'

Sho then fell into a wobbly Waning Stance of the Musou Madden Ryu, with his back turned against his opponent and his face giving him a sidelong glance at most. Just like the favored stance of his fellow student, Lieutenant Satoru Sakaguchi.

Unlike Minoe and his/her split personalities, The Faceless remembered everything his other identities experienced because he merely donned different guises rather than transform into someone else entirely.

Therefore, he remembered the iaido stance from his bout with Kinta Minakata and prepared to counter it in kind.

The burakumin thusly charged at Sho to stab his back or his neck then sidestep to the right or clockwise to avoid the right-handed quick-draw slash from his scabbard.

It was his way to trip the trap without getting caught in it, just like he did when he faced off against Baku the Bat Ninja.

Only for him to get blindsided by Kojima swatting the back of his head with his scabbard instead of his blade, much to his surprise.

***

Kinta Minakata was one of the few people who've met all the Shidai Nikuya (Four Butchers)—Hitokiri Shinbei, Hitokiri Izo, Hitokiri Hanjiro, and Hitokiri Gensai—of the Ishin Shishi.

They were also known as the Four Hitokiri (Manslayers). The hitokiri who worked under orders of Hanpeita Takechi and Ryoma Sakamoto.

He didn't face off against Hitokiri Shinbei (Shinbei Tanaka) as a Mimawarigumi at 14 years of age, but he did assist his kenjutsu masters in hunting him and his partner at the time, Hitokiri Izo (Izo Okada), down when their identities were still a secret.

Kinta's masters were also the founders of Musou Madden Ryu—Genzo Sakaguchi, his father Azuma Minakata, and Kyo "Sword of Death" Kojima.

The  Shidai Nikuya cried out "Sonno Joi" (Revere the Emperor, Expel the Barbarians) even as the Shinsengumi shouted in turn, "Aku Soku Zan" (Kill Evil Instantly).

He'd later meet and cross swords with Izo, Hanjiro, and Gensai (or Izo Okada, Hanjiro Nakamura, and Gensai Kawakami) at different points of the Bakumatsu.

On top of the Shidai Nikuya were the Choshu Han Hitokiri working in the shadows—the Hitokiri Battousai and the unnamed hitokiri rumored to have a flaming sword—under the orders of Kogoro Katsura and Shinsaku Takasugi.

The Hitokiri Battousai rose to prominence as shogunate forces concentrated their might on taking out the more prominent hitokiri of the Four Butchers, with them dying one by one.

In turn, the Mimawarigumi Battousai rose to prominence himself, such that a fateful duel between two Battousais was expected to happen during the Boshin War. Let the true Battousai emerge victorious in the end.

Alas, they never crossed swords. Battousai Himura ended up fighting mostly Shinsengumi forces while the Kyoto Mimawarigumi moved to Osaka and dealt with the rest of the Satsuma Domain.

As Kenshin Himura battled against his closest rival Hajime Saito, Kinta Minakata instead dueled against the inimitable Kawakami Gensai.

By the time the two Battousais could've crossed swords in the Battle of Toba-Fushimi, the Mimawarigumi had to retreat back to Osaka to regroup with other Shogunate forces on January 31, 1868, after their leader Tadasaburo Sasaki was fatally injured.

The Kyoto Mimawarigumi was even temporarily renamed the Shin Yugekitai (from January 8 to 19) and permanently renamed the Sogikitai (April 10) a day before the Tokugawa Shogunate surrendered to the newly established Meiji Government (April 11). The group disbanded soon after.

Like with Hajime Saito and Kenshin Himura, Kinta Minakata was offered government positions in the military, cabinet, or police in recognition of his skill, contributions, and heroic exploits during the Bakumatsu and beyond.

He turned them all down, but the rest of his family were quick to cur favor with the new government to allow them to keep their wealth and remain a privileged oligarch family even as the samurai caste was abolished.

***

Back at the front yard of the Moneychanger Office…

Kinta Minakata should've finished Luke off when he had the chance. Like behead him or cut his jugular before he could even draw his superior European steel bastard sword against his inferior katana.

Lucas Grant merely walked the haggard Kinta down at that point, running him ragged like a fully grown adult manhandling an asthmatic child having a temper tantrum.

There was nothing his privileged samurai half-brother could dish out to him that he couldn't handle. His deadened nerves had gone through  much worse than this.

Good thing Lucas forced Minakata to drag the fight out with the revelation that they were half-brothers. Had the skilled Kinta not held back, Lucas might've ended up half-dead or wholly dead without touching a hair on him.

'Dammit,' thought Luke. 'What a waste for someone like him to get in the way of my revenge.'

To conduct his revenge against the Minakatas properly, Lucas did his due diligence and researched about his estranged family who disowned his mother and removed her from their family registry.

If they weren't as wicked as he believed them to be, he'd spare them from his vengeance. Had the Minakatas repented and changed for the better, Lucas would've not bothered continuing his plans for revenge.

Alas, they were perhaps greedier and more evil than even he anticipated. All of them except Kinta.

Learning about the compromised health of his brother, fighting a war of attrition, and practicing counters to some of his moves beforehand with The Faceless before experiencing the rest firsthand during the fight had paid dividends for the young Grant.

"Sorry, Aniki (Big Bro). In another life, we could've been friends. Or even real brothers," said Lucas while swatting away another iaijutsu attempt by his tiring sibling.

He'd been researching and observing from afar his estranged brother while masquerading as one of the Minakta bodyguards. He'd learned of both his exploits in the Mimawarigumi and the Hidden Christians of Shimabara.

The Minakatas had long been spoiled rotten by money, but Kinta actually fought for his ideals. Like the Shogunate Forces or even the Ishin Shishi of the past.

When Kinta's father got dishonored by Lucas's father by having an affair with their mother, Kinta's heroic exploits in the Mimawarigumi helped recover the reputation of the Minakata name.

While Kinta's relatives filled the family coffers so they could still live a life of privilege after the Ishin Shishi took over, he went and avenged the death of his master then took down the leader of domestic terrorists who claimed himself the Son of God and the descendant of Shiro Amakusa Tokisada.

He infiltrated the Hidden Christians ranks as Shogo Amakusa's Kagemusha (Body Double) before ultimately betraying the cult leader at the cost of his health, even.

 At that point, none of Kinta's Musou Madden Ryu techniques could escape Lucas's automatic blocks and parries, like he'd memorized their patterns and tells over the course of their protracted battle.

"It's over, Kagemusha. You've already lost. Enough is enough."

"…."

Luke had no doubts that six years ago, he wouldn't even have a chance against his venerable elder brother in his prime.

"I don't fault you for what your family did to my mother. In fact, I'm truly honored to fight someone like you. What a damn shame, seeing honorable men like you die for the sake of the wicked."

Kinta had fought for the Shogunate and saved Japan multiple times in several wars and countless battles, only for the leeches he called relatives to reap the rewards of his exploits and prestige, taking government positions and privileges originally offered to him.

It disgusted Luke to his very core.

Kinta's greedy family of swindlers, drug dealers, and money launderers turned oligarchs who control politicians with their blood money didn't deserve to live. They bring shame to the honorable Seiryu Clan.

Kinta, unlike the rest of his corrupted kin, was a man of principle.

***

Back at the abandoned factory…

Instead of a sword-drawing technique, the pink-shirted drunkard did a sheathe-drawing technique and swung it at Haruka's noggin like a hollow baseball bat.

Its impact also got doubled by the brigand sidestepping right into the unexpected strike.

"SHINGETSU O TSUKU NARI (NEW MOON SLASH)…!"

As expected of a loopy drunkard. Yahiko had half the mind to believe it wasn’t a real technique.

The New Moon Slash hit The Faceless strong enough to fling him into another set of windows, with him crashing right into them. He could've died right then and there from the shards alone, but when Yahiko and Sho checked the wreckage, he was gone.

"…Dammit, he got away," said Sho Kojima with a hiccup, a stinky belch as he rubbed his stomach and cleaned his ear with his pinky finger.

'So much for the Sword of Life, huh?' Then again, Sho himself didn't really believe it such things. He himself called it a joke.

Then again, unsheathing the scabbard instead of the blade to catch an opponent by surprise with your unorthodox iaijutsu was quite the out-of-the-box thinking. So was using the flat part of a katana to take people out.

"Well, I hope you're happy, kid. You just helped save your enemy," began Sho, only for him to trail off as he saw the bodyguard tend to his V.I.P.

"…You okay, Mister Thin Man?" asked Yahiko to the shook but otherwise unhurt Tatsuya Minakata. "The Faceless didn’t stab you while we weren't looking, did he?"

"'Bout time you remembered me," the sullen Tatsuya rasped, trying to look like his old boisterous self, but his white complexion belied his bluster.

Myojin exhaled. As far as he was concerned, as long as he was able to protect the people around him, his mission was accomplished. To Sho, he asked, "If you think the life-giving sword doesn't exist then why do you practice it?"

Kojima smirked and winked at Yahiko. "Probably for the shame reashon you do, Kiddo. Shomething a drunkard would come up with, y'know?"

The man with the huge bouffant hairdo and colorful clothes then assisted Kinta's uncle back to his feet and guided him out of the building, with Yahiko following close behind them.

The young samurai pondered those words. As th son of Tokyo Samurai, he'd heard how they had the right to cut down peasants who offended them. "Kirisute Gomen" or something to like that.

The teenager found the prospect of having the power to judge who lived and who died by something as petty as being annoyed by them as quite grisly. Like a politician such as Jusanro Tani abusing his power over the poor and underprivileged.

Like with Kenshin, he'd rather follow the edicts of Kamiya Kasshin Ryu than indulge in the uglier side of being a privileged, rich samurai.

He didn't want to be judge and executioner over criminals. He'd rather protect those before him as he sought the same strength Kenshin had. Let these villains pay their crimes in jail or have their chance at redemption.

Yahiko had always admired Kenshin and how he never used his sword for anything but protecting the weak. He never bullied anyone weaker than him but instead kept bullies at bay without serving as their executioner.

No matter how strong, Kenshin would never wield his sword for his own battles or bloodlust. His sakabatou always existed only to protect other people.

He never drowned in his own strength. He never had any meaningless fights to show that might or strength justified any action.

This was why the Tokyo Samurai Descendant took Kenshin's non-killing vow to heart even though he personally never killed anyone. Not directly, at least. Not by his own hands, certainly.

He didn't need to become someone with a body count attached to his name to do this. He didn't need to atone for murders he'd already committed. He didn't have to make a vow to a loved one he accidentally killed to avoid killing again.

If Yahiko wanted to be as strong as or even stronger than Kenshin Himura/Kamiya himself, the least he could do was be as careful as Kenshin was whenever it came to protecting human life, including his own.

Myojin wished to be pushed as much as Kenshin was before he became willing to take a life to spare others. The Kenshin who still upheld his refusal to kill no matter how angry he got.

That was the vagabond's true strength—his ability to tame the bloodthirsty Battousai inside him and make killing an absolute last resort.

That Kenshin, the Kenshin that risked his life to save others and had the willpower to live on as well, was the strongest man in the world in Yahiko's eyes.

Even stronger than Makoto Shishio, Hajime Saito, or even Kenshin's master Seijuro Hiko.

Even against monsters like Shishio, Saito, or Hiko, Kenshin's resolve allowed him to always find a way to win. That was the kind of man Yahiko wanted to become.

For Kenshin Kamiya (nee Himura) was a man of principle.

***

The gasping Hatamoto Samurai Descendant refused to give up, much to the chagrin of his bastard half-brother. Much to the detriment of his own health. Like the principled man that he was, he intended to go down swinging.

Like there was nothing else he could do but fight. A Shadow Warrior who was a shadow of his former self.

Thusly, he launched another Tsunami that Lucas anticipated, blocking the first few slashes to prevent the waves of slashes from gaining any momentum while the tides were low.

'You were something else when you aided your masters in hunting me down, kiddo,’ said a voice from within Minakata from out of the blue.

A familiar voice from Kinta’s past. The voice of Shinbei Tanaka (Hitokiri Shinbei). A ghost from his past. 'I saw your potential from the start.’

Also known as the Ansatsu Taicho (Captain of the Assassins), Shinbei had previously crossed swords with the Seiryu Clan’s best and brightest swordsmen under the Musou Madden School of swordsmanship, before his identity was exposed and he was arrested for treason.

The young prepubescent Minakata merely served as support to the adult swordsmen battling the rebel forces of the Ishin Shishi and their top assassins like Shinbei.

However, Kinta showed his mettle by saving their hides from time to time by fighting alongside them and showing off his early mastery of the Mikazuki o Tsuku Nari (Crescent Moon Slash), which was able to keep even the skilled Assassin Captain at bay.

Kinta started landing those Crescent Moon Slashes on his brother again after a long stretch of him failing to penetrate through the gaijin bastard’s impregnable defense. As though Luke had long ago memorized all the tricks in his bag.

Shinbei also died in July 11, 1863 by seppuku at 31 years old while under custody of the police. The same year as the establishment of the Shinsengumi and a year before the establishment of Kinta's own group, the Kyoto Mimawarigumi.

'That flat, bored look on your face pisses me off!’ said the Izo Okada (Hitokiri Izo) in Kinta’s mind. Izo was Shinbei’s partner-in-crime for most of their assassination missions. 'You look like an emotionless mannequin, you’re so creepy!’

The man they’d later identify as Hitokiri Izo had said as much to Kinta’s face when they themselves battled each other—Musou Madden Ryu versus Nakanishi-Ha Itto Ryu.

So his expressionless face gave Okada the creeps? As far as Kinta was concerned, the feeling was mutual. Izo's manic smile as he slaughtered his foes unsettled him in kind.

Compared to the more patriotic and straightforward Shinbei who wanted to deliver “Tenchu (Heaven’s Retribution)” on every weak and submissive head of state who submitted themselves to the Western nations, Izo was a wild card who enjoyed his job as butcher of men a bit too much.

From Kinta’s encounters with him, Okada fought like a wild beast. Or a serial killer. Izo certainly demonstrated resiliency bordering on the supernatural in their duels against each other that would put Lucas's current performance to shame.

Okada would later get arrested for assassinating Toyo Yoshida. He’d then get tortured, crucified, and then beheaded in May 11, 1865 at 27 years old.

Half-delirious from the pain and exhaustion of the prolonged battle, Minakata soldiered on against Grant. Unwilling to let himself falter against his long-lost brother who tried his best to keep up with him.

From there, he got his second wind and pushed back with swinging ripostes and counters to Luke’s hard blocks, parries, and attacks.

Meanwhile, someone else said, 'You really are a true samurai, Minakata Kinta. Your father would be proud,’ to Kinta’s mind. It was the ghost of Hanjiro Nakamura (Hitokiri Hanjiro).

Nakamura would later be more famously known by the Meiji Administration’s history books as Toshiaki Kirino. The longest surviving hitokiri among the Shidai Nikuya.

As Kirino, he lived all the way to 38 years old before getting killed in action on September 24, 1877 during Saigo Takamori’s samurai rebellion against their fellow Ishin Shishi and the Meiji Government they helped build.

A practical and pragmatic man in life and in combat, Hitokiri Hanjiro’s Ko-Jigen Ryu reminded the Mimawarigumi Battousai a lot of The Faceless’s fencing swordsmanship.

Every move they did was deliberate and calculated, with  one move always leading to another five moves like a high-speed game of chess or go, but enacted by sword attacks, counters, ripostes, and feints.

Thusly, Kinta began focusing more on tactics and strategy.

Luke used wide sweeping swings with his blade that would normally lead to straightforward stabbing counters or precise well-timed ripostes, but he didn’t just swing randomly.

He baited the Counter Attacks changed the levels of his swings every so slightly to deflect, recover, and angle his own Counter Times, like The Faceless himself would with his rapier.

He also only needed fewer strikes to cause major damage while he treated most slashes to his persons like annoying if prickly paper cuts.

Also, even though the wounds on Minakata’s body weren’t as deep as Lucas’s, his body was apparently frail enough to get affected by them. His movement slowed to a crawl compared to his “fresher” yet bloodier brother.

This was an insult to Kinta’s manhood. He hadn’t been as damaged as his little brother yet he was the one on the brink of defeat?!

'What is this? You can do better than this, surely,’ drawled another voice. 'You survived the Bakumatsu. This li'l brat is nothing compared to what you’ve been through.’

This time it was from Gensai Kawakami (Hitokiri Gensai). The Mimawarigumi Battousai’s greatest rival and most common opponent.

Despite the pain, injuries, and depleted oxygen, the Mimawarigumi Battousai dully remembered his battles against another swordsman who also drew comparisons to the famous legendary manslayer, the Hitokiri Battousai.

Hitokiri Gensai was the closest thing Kinta had to that Battousai versus Battousai duel that neve happened during the Boshin War. He couldn’t imagine the whirling dervish that was Shiranui Ryu to be any less dangerous than the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu.

An underrated tactician, Gensai’s savagery in the battlefield belied his intelligence that could challenge even the likes of his fellow brainy manslayer, Hitokiri Hanjiro, when it came to cerebral battles.

Kinta truly dealt with better slashes than those thrown by Luke. Bone-cutting strikes that killed many a man from one of the deadliest hitokiri of the Shidai Nikuya, Gensai Kawakami.

This frightful man would later go by the name Genbei Kouda. This name change was the reason why by the time Kinta learned that Kawakami had been incarcerated for harboring Kiheitai stragglers, it was too late.

Kinta learned months later that Gensai had already been executed on January 13, 1872 at 38 years old before he or the Minakatas could pull some bureaucratic strings and have him pardoned for his crimes.

All the Shidai Nikuya ended up dying before hitting the age of 40.

Thanks to their mutual sacrifices, they paved the way for a much stronger Japan with a brighter future than becoming another potential colony for foreign superpowers.

Was Kinta headed for the same fate as Gensai and the others? Maybe he'd learn the answer in the next exchange.

' You should've taken me with you, Gensai. To heaven. To hell. To limbo. It doesn't matter,' thought Kinta. 'I can't wait to face off with you in the afterlife, old friend.'

The Mimawarigumi Battousai dodged and parried the chops and slashes at him from Luke’s bastard sword, his body remembering the extreme quickness of Gensai’s Shiranui Ryu compared to his brother’s comparatively clumsy Western swordsmanship.

'There’s still some life in his swings,’ thought Grant. 'What will it take to take you down, Aniki…?’

***

'Man, that Kagemusha is hard to kill,' thought Kai Hidaka with a head shake and a heavy sigh. 'And here I thought Luke was resilient!'

He stood on wobbly feet. Winning his fight against Zan the Sharpshooter Ninja and his gigantic warfork took its toll on him.

However, it was only a matter of time. This second wind from Kinta should be his last. The Mimawarigumi Battousai of yore was no more, replaced by a sicklier version of him with low stamina and respiratory problems.

The Battousai became a mere Kagemusha. A copycat of either the more famous Hitokiri Battousai or the seditious Christian rebel Shogo Amakusa.

Kinta Minakata was the moon to Shogo Amakusa's sun. The satellite orbiting Battousai Himura's planet. 

Kinta actually served as the body double of Shogo until he betrayed the cult leader, in fact. Minakata was merely a shadow of people stronger than him. Or he was supposed to fill that role.

Could it be possible for the shadow to be greater than the man…? A Kagemusha that became his own protected dignitary? An imposter that usurped the role of leader?

Fine. If Luke failed to finish his brother off, it was his duty as a fellow brigand to complete the mission for him. They had a 90 to 100 percent completion rate on all their assassination missions for a reason.

He looked over his options. The recovering cop and daughter was still nearby, unable to escape because they were still worried about Kinta's state of health and mind while battling his half-brother.

They could again serve as Kai's hostages, distractions, or meat shields when push came to shove. Or he could be the distraction himself to allow Luke to land the final blow.

However, just as he was about to again pounce on Officer Satoru Sakaguchi to avenge himself from their exchange earlier, a golden blur arrived at the periphery of Hidaka's vision.

No, not a golden blur. A blonde blur with a huge warfork-like naginata (glaive).

'What in the world…!?'

***

What was Kinta Minakata's reason for living? For the sake of his family? To honor his deceased father and estranged mother? To uphold his honor, whatever that meant?

What was the gold lacquer that kept his fragile, broken self together? How did apply kitsugi in his own broken life and home?

He needed to win. He needed to always win and survive. To save his loved ones or even those who weren't beloved to him, he had to shoulder the burden of always winning no matter what.

If he won, the world kept turning. If he lost, their world would stop. It would be the end of the Minakatas and even the Sakaguchis by proxy.

He couldn't let that happen. Not when he still had a lot to fix. Not when he still had a lot to atone for.

As long as he had the resolve to win, his fragile self would not break apart. Like broken ceramic kept together by gold lacquer.

But still, maybe dying here in the hands of his family's bad karma made flesh wasn't so bad.

If it was his fate to die here in the hands of his half-brother then so be it. He couldn't have written a better end. Surely better than committing seppuku in jail or getting crucified.

Kinta took careful breaths to calm himself down and conserve his energy. His counters to his brother's counters were enough to make the (literal) bastard hesitate for once.

Besides which, he'd been playing defense all this while to brace himself for the tidal wave to come. Like waves on the beach receding like an extreme low tide before a big tsunami hit it.

Luke had a feeling that something big was coming though. Through trial and error, he'd memorized the essence of Musou Madden Ryu combat in his heart and soul.

And so finally, Kinta stopped dodging then charged forward in his Waxing Stance or iaijutsu/battoujutsu form.

Grant grabbed his bastard sword's handle with both hands, bracing himself for a heavy impact.

So should Kinta do the Blue Moon Slash? His body felt like it was about to break. Like how his Akatsuki sword banging against the slab of steel that was Luke’s bastard sword.

At this point, after being hit by it over and over, Luke could see even the supersonic iaijutsu technique coming a mile away, allowing him to block, sidestep, dodge, or counter by reflex.

Luke's reaction time was also fast enough to recover from any feints done to him. The half-breed swordsman could course-correct and turn a missed swing into a stab or a parry at the last second.

Also, the effort of doing that body-straining technique would only hurt Kinta in the end. It was almost not worth doing.

The thicker European sword used more high-grade carbon-rich steel versus the multi-layered Japanese steel folded unto itself that made up for the lack of carbon by putting powdered carbon into the melted metal during the forged process.

However, the Akatsuki katana was different. It could take the hardness of foreign steel because it was made from melted European swords during his grandfather’s exploits against pirates and stolen weapons from the galleon trade.

Toshiro broke his sword and Genzo Sakaguchi reforged it with high-carbon European steel and folded it unto itself to create a new, better sword.

It was a Japanese sword that used Western steel to forge something stronger. Not unlike the old primitive Japan being reforged into the current modern one after the Sakoku (Closed Country) policy was lifted.

The Western steel was the kintsugi to his katana. Like a broken bone mended so that it'd grow stronger afterwards.

With the fall of the bakufu, the New Japan—a stronger, modernized nation-state version of Japan that mixed Western technology with Eastern sensibilities--would hopefully get a seat on the table of world affairs.

Where both Western and Eastern superpowers viewed Japan as a respectable peer instead of a primitive, backwards country ripe for colonization and invasion.

'Heh. What am I even thinking?' thought Kinta. The way he mused about the Akatsuki, you'd swear he was thinking just like one of the Ishin Shishi.

And so the Akatsuki sword flew from its scabbard. At this point, Kinta's resolve was thusly if Lucas could win against this exchange then he deserved to kill him.

All this time, the Prodigal Son had been blocking any point-blank iaijutsu with the intention of tiring his brother's body with the mere effort of doing Full Moon Slashes.

However, Lucas realized that if this was a last exchange then his half-brother had every intention to cut through the block.

He could see it in the X-shaped scar in the middle of Kinta's face that deepened like wrinkles every time he strained himself. That was his most telling of "tells".

Grant then used the Tactical Wheel that The Faceless drilled into his very core.

Simple Attacks were beaten by Parry and Ripostes or Counter Attacks. Counter Attacks were beaten by Counter Times (feints used to draw out the counter). Counter Times were beaten by Feints in Time (feinted counters to draw out the counter times).

So Luke expected Kinta to feint a Mangetsu O Tsuku Nari by half-unsheathing his blade then sheathing it back again (Counter Time) and responded with a Feint in Time (feinting a counter).

However, Minakata's feint itself was a feint and he went ahead in the split-second he motioned to re-sheathe his sword, he instead unsheathed it.

The iaijutsu expert turned his Counter Time into a Simple Attack, which was the best way to counter a Feint in Time in lieu of two swordsmen continuously saber-rattling and posturing against each other without ever actually attacking.

However, Lucas was a bunch of nerves himself, his adrenalin rush slowing time enough for him to notice the change and electing to do a hard block (Parry and Riposte) instead.

The Full Moon Slash created a flash of steel that rotated fully and turned into a moon-shaped perfect circle, shining like a second moon that appeared on the ground.

As though Kinta used his iaijutsu and twisting movement to create a perfect circle using his sword and his center of balance like a protractor.

The Aoitsuki O Tsuku Nari worked like the Tsunami in that it built upon the momentum of the first perfect-circle Mangetsu O Tsuku Nari. Using foot pivots, full body rotation, centrifugal force, and the empty air left by the Full Moon Slash, the Blue Moon Slash should travel at double the speed and power.

This broke through Luke's defense, but he'd been memorizing the timing of the expected Blue Moon Slash all the while. With one hand on his claymore-like bastard sword, Luke prepared his riposte.

The bastard child knew what to do. Sidestep then stab at the center of the Full Moon Slash as the swordsman prepared to do a second one. In other words, stab the eye of the spiraling storm. This will drill the sword into the body of the rotating samurai.

A grisly death for sure, but an honorable one at least. A warrior's death in the line of duty.

However, none of that happened. Instead, halfway into Kinta raising his Akatsuki to do a Blue Moon Slash, as Lucas timed his stab, the Mimawarigumi Battousai flipped his sword, reversed his momentum, and did a downward slash.

Somehow, the bloody Lucas became even bloodier than before, producing a fountain of red from his sudden chest laceration. His deepest wound yet. 

Grant had forced the gasping, cornered Minakata to do his ultimate forbidden hidden technique.

The legendary technique of yore known as Tsubame Gaeshi (Swallow Return). The same technique he used to defeat Shogo Amakusa.

And now Luke was the one gasping and cornered in turn.

Originally the signature technique of the legendary swordsman Kojiro Sasaki, the Kagemusha himself learned the similarly legendary skill from his second swordsmanship master, the blind swordsman Hyoue Nishida.

The maternal uncle of Shogo and Sayo Amakusa (formerly Muto). The black sheep of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu.

Nishida's Tsubame Gaeshi allowed him to survive his master's Kuzu Ryu Sen (Nine-Headed Dragon Flash) when they were doing the succession duel to pass on Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu to a new successor.

The pacifistic Christian Hyoue actually learned the technique solely to find a way to counter the Kuzu Ryu Sen without killing his master, Seijuro Hiko XII, with the Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki (Heavens Gliding Dragon Flash).

Regardless, that last technique from out of the blue was the straw that broke the camel’s back. That ripped the last thread of the rope that kept the hanging Lucas from falling into the abyss below.

Lucas had finally hit his limit.

***

To Be Continued...

The exchange between Toshiro and Kinta is based on the exchange between Seijuro Akashi and his father from Kuroko's Basketball. The Faceless and his ornate masks are also based on Baldwin IV of Jerusalem, who wore elaborate masks to hide his crippling leprosy.

Also, Lucas Grant's first name is taken from George Lucas, who famously created the Star Wars franchise that started with a movie about an orphan forced to fight a relative in the backdrop of an intergalactic war.

Also, thusly, Lucas uses Form IV (Ataru) of Lightsaber Combat when fighting against his half-brother's more precise and rigid iaijutsu reminiscent of Form II (Makashi) of Lightsaber Combat.

Danke, Abdiel

[thetldrplace]

Sicily: An Island at the Crossroads of History. Ch. 9- Piracy and Revolution

The second half of the 1400's saw two cataclysmic events: The fall of Constantinople to the Turks and the expulsion of the Moors from Spain. Those events saw a proliferation of rootless vagabonds that turned to piracy. Lots of rootless vagabonds appearing in a short time can be a real problem, 'cuz a guy's gotta eat after all, and if your job gets eliminated and your desperate... stealing might start to look like the only viable method for procuring what you need. 

Sicily, due to its proximity, had maintained friendly relations with North Africa. But after the fall of Constantinople, the conflict between Spain and Turks, the two remaining powers in the mediterranean, was inevitable. The ultra-conservative Spanish King Ferdinand refused any kind of dealings with the infidels, so legitimate trade between Spain and Ottoman was out. Kheir-ed-Din Barbarossa was the principal pirate threat during the early 1500's. Sicily suffered, because of that aforementioned proximity, and no town within 10 miles of the coast was safe. Charles V, the Spanish king, was bored with the Barbary coast and recognized that 1) it could not be reconquered, and 2) was ruinous in lives and finances to try and protect against it. He left Sicily unprotected and shifted his attention towards northern Europe. 

Sicily no longer had a navy, and given their lack of independence, had little incentive to try and build one. But, in this age of flourishing piracy, they had discovered another highly lucrative trade: slaves. 

Sicily under Spanish domination had remained largely lawless. Brigands ran free in the interior where the Spanish officials never bothered going. The interior peasants lived as they always had. If it was corrupt, it was probably no more corrupt than the colonial governments. If it was violent, it was no more violent than the baronage.  

And then there were the genial fun-lovers instigating the Spanish Inquisition. They were actually separate from the Church, and had their own police force, largely operating without interference. From the author John Julius Norwich: 

"Sicily was a desperately unhappy island. Only once in her long history had she been united and independent, and that was during the time of the Norman kings, whose successive reigns lasted less than 70 years. Since then, thanks to her Angevin and Spanish masters, she had become hopelessly demoralized and deeply corrupt. She had no national pride, no loyalties, no solidarity, no discipline. In consequence, she vegetated, suffering much and achieving nothing apart from the occasional unsuccessful revolution...." 

Sicily's hero in the early 1600's was one Pedro Téllez-Girón, 3rd Duke of Osuna. He arrived in Palermo in 1611, was appalled by what he saw, and set about to make some changes. He had cleaned up the streets within two weeks. Then he turned his attention to defense and ordered new ships. After that, he set about reforming the economy. He found one-third of the annual revenue was unaccounted for. So he instituted tight controls and within a few years had restored government credit. But he left in 1616.  

In 1624, an outbreak of bubonic plague hit.  

Almost as disastrous was the Thirty Years War, starting in 1618. It started as a protestant/catholic dust-up, then became an excuse to revive some age-old feuds across Europe. None of this would have meant much to the Sicilians, except Spain was busy scraping them for every penny it could get. 

But, "From bad to worse" being the unofficial motto of Sicily, the economic situation worsened and dissatisfaction grew. By Feb 1648, revolt broke out. Order was restored by the maestranze, guilds that had developed into social networks. 

If the first half of the 1600's were bad, the second half was worse: Chronic food shortages, constant tax demands from Spain, and the refusal of the barons to pay their share. This last lay, perhaps, at the heart of Sicily's suffering.  

The situation was only aggravated by the old rivalry between Messina and Palermo. Messina claimed ancient precedence. Palermo had the old-school aristocracy, while Messina were more merchant/nobles. But Palermo was grander and more elegant. But since times of old, each city had considered itself the more important and had learned to hate the other's guts whenever one got some slight bit of advantage. This self-destructive attitude; rejoicing in the degradation of your rival even if it meant the entire island would suffer, including yourself, could serve as another bullet point for the island's problems.  

[joriontel]

If the Guild of Bandits, Brigands and Highwayfolk did a general strike the whole civil war would be over in a fortnight.

In Skyrim they present to you that half of the country is Imperial controlled & half is Stormcloak, but this is not true. rather, collectively Imperial & Stormcloak control about 2% of the land and the rest is very solidly controlled by the bandits

[nahte123456]

"You know, I know you said you wanted to thank me for helping you out with those brigands, but a threesome was not the reward I was thinking of. Especially when I said I didn't need a reward," Ron had Cow Girl on the edge of the spring with his cock in her pussy, and he was fingering the Guild Girl's pussy. He was unaware this was not what either girl had planned

Guide Girl tried to think of how to explain this wasn't a plan or anything. Cow Girl had wanted to peek on him and she had tried to stop her and they both just kind of fell into the spring, face level with his truly dangerous sword.

But just saying that would clearly ruin Cow Girl's constant orgasms, and Guide Girl couldn't do that to a friend. So instead she kissed Ron to shut him up, and leave Cow Girl's moans and the smacking of hips as the predominant noise instead.

[rose-from-ashes]

"Why that rotten—!" Her fur bristled as they walked away from the shop stall, halfway glaring behind her despite herself. People are usually pretty subtle when snubbing her and she's not as likely to notice if it's towards herself, but that shopkeep had taken one look at Vynathr and declared not to have any wares for sale despite clearly being well-stocked. She hadn't been so vexed in ages!

"Who needs that guy anyway, I bet all his wares are sub-par anyway! We can do much better than that." And they would even if it meant she'd have to pick up a mortar and pestle and learn to brew herself! || Eremina for Vyn!

Vynathr huffed a soft chuckle. How easy it was, for people to act out in cruelty against him. Shops closing in his face were less common nowadays, but other, subtler things would rise up to take their place. His grey skin and scars would always mark him a brigand, a threat. He was too tired to be outraged, most days. Eremina... Not so much.

'It's alright. I would rather give my coin to someone kinder.'

He thought for a moment, then perked up, thinking of a better alternative. 'Why don't we speak to the guild? We can get new wares fresher there, and see a more interesting variety than what he had to offer.'

[willtheweaver]

Adventuring in robot

The contract was a simple one: defeat and capture a highwayman who had been terrorizing the mountain villages.

The trio of new adventurers spent the time to get to know each other. Marcus was a city stablehand who wanted a more exciting life. Devan grew up on stories of his families’ exploits and wanted to continue on the legacy of adventuring. And Aliya wanted to to satisfy her curiosity about the world, as well as to discover her past.

After several days, they reached the pass that the bandit liked to haunt. It didn’t take long for him to appear.

“Well, well… look what we have here.” The highwayman was clad in mossy green leathers, with a sword in his hand and a grin on his face.

“Is this the best those fools of a guild could do… three kids???” He chuckled. “Now be good and hand over all your valuables before I have to send you all back crying to your parents.”

The trio were not amused. They drew their own weapons. The bandit was no longer smiling.

“Fine then… if this is what you want.” He grunted. “I’ll teach you to not interfere in the affairs of your elders.” He then luged at the three.

The attack was so swift that the trio barely had enough time to react. Aliya and Devan dodged the blow whilst Marcus attempted to parry. The bandit was a skilled fighter, however. He deftly swerved so that his blow landed on the young adventurer.

Marcus was knocked out almost immediately. Aliya and Devan turned to see what had happened.

“Make sure he’s alright, I’ll deal with this brigand!” Aliya shouted. Devan did not object.

And so Aliya and the bandit went back and forth. Strike, block, strike, parry. The rhythm of battle went on. Eventually Aliya misjudged the bandit, and his blade made contact. It sounded like the sword hit wood.

Aliya looked at the perplexed bandit. His attack was a viscous one, but it didn’t hurt a bit.

“It that the best you’ve got?” She taunted. “Come on! Try and hurt me!”

The highwayman let out a wild roar before renewing his attack. But no matter how many strikes he landed, Aliya showed no signs of injury. Minutes passed. The bandit landed a particularly powerful blow. There was the sound of something being forcefully thrown, then Aliya falling to her knees.

But instead of triumph, the bandit had a look of bewilderment, mixed with a touch of fear.

Aliya didn’t have time to wonder what was going on. She rose to her feet and delivered a strike of her own. One blow to the head was all it took to render the bandit unconscious.

Aliya huffed from exhaustion. She turned to see if her companions were alright. Both Marcus and Deven were on their feet and were looking no worse for wear.

“Well, that wasn’t too bad.” Aliya exclaimed as she sheathed her sword. “Let’s tie this troublemaker up before he wakes, then hand him over to the authorities.”

Silence answered her. Aliya was perplexed.

“What? Why are you staring at me like that?”

“H-how are you not bleeding?” Deven stammered.

“How are you not dead??” Marcus added. “Your arm was taken clean off!”

Aliya looked surprised.“I lost my arm?” She turned back and forth, her eyes darting all the while.

“Oh, there it is!” She exclaimed.

There in the grass was Aliya’s right arm. She picked up the appendage and looked over it intensely. Satisfied, she proceeded to reattach it.

“Only pulled out…The joint is intact, and so is the ball and socket” she muttered to herself. “… just need to get it to fit correctly…ah there we have it!” There was a metallic click. Everything back in place, Aliya flexed her arm, making sure everything still worked.

She turned to her companions, and was shocked. Devan had fainted, and Marcus was on his knees muttering. His word were incoherent, but “Wooden arm” , “clockwork”, and “automaton” could be made out amidst the blabbering.

It was at that moment that Aliya realized that she was not human.

[unusualindigo]

Corentin Quinn Backstory

My earliest memories are of a warm and loving home. My mother, a beautiful Sorceress, would entertain my twin brother and I for hours with tricks. My favorite was her walking on the surface of a nearby lake like it was the ground. My father was a fearsome Dunmer, known for his striking azure eyes. Many in the village referred to him only as "that Spellsword." But to us, he was a loving and doting father.

As we both grew into our seventh year, it was apparent that I alone had an affinity for magic. Soon I was able to walk on the water's surface myself, laughing at my brother’s vain attempts to sail away from my splashes in his humble rowboat. I remember my parents talking about an evil Battlemage, Jagar Tharn, and how it was known in their circle that he had usurped the power of the land away from the emperor, Uriel Septim VII. No one dared move against him. My brother and I learned how to hide underwater for as long as we could, afraid that his agents would come to snatch us away. My father began to teach me how to harness the destructive energies around me to defend what I cared for, though I could never master it as well as my mother’s artful magics.

In my fifteenth year, a group of visiting Redguard Warriors came to rest in my village. Curious, I persuaded one of them to tell me stories of their province, Hammerfell. He spoke to me at length of the Battlelords, to whom his Guild held allegiance, and of their god, Reymon Ebonarm. He spoke reverently of a man who could march between armies and ensure both left victorious in peace, leaving roses in his wake. So utterly enraptured by his tales of the Ninth Divine was I that I begged to know how to worship Ebonarm and learn his secrets. The man smiled and gave me several scriptures, and bade me to study them at length. I was all too happy to oblige, even after they were gone.

One day in my nineteenth year, a courier arrived at my village with the news that Gyda Warhaft, a powerful Nord Knight, had killed Jagar Tharn and restored ‘the rightful emperor’ to the throne. Even my gruff father could not help but laugh at such news. The courier also brought the news that there would be a great celebration in the Imperial City and that all the people who had worked secretly to depose Tharn were to receive invitations.

Once the courier left; I asked my parents if we could go to the celebration. My mother and father looked concerned and explained that there was not enough gold for all four of us to make the trip. My brother also told me that he had accepted an apprenticeship to a visiting merchant caravan and would not be able to make such a trip, even if the money had been present. Downcast, I tried to hide my disappointment. My father, however, turned to me and said that it was time I made my way into the world. He gave me his longsword and sent me on my way.

After many weeks of travel, I finally approached the Imperial City. I noticed a small band of travelers only a short distance in front of me, dressed in jewels and silken finery. As I was about to hail them, brigands who had been lying in wait in the woods along the road attacked them. I rushed to help the other travelers. As I approached one of the brigands raised his claymore to strike me. In a natural reflex, I tried to deflect the blow with the flat of the longsword that my father gave me. As our blades struck one another, a great bolt of lightning erupted from mine, and both weapons shattered. The brigands and the travelers all stopped and stared at me. As the thunder subsided, a group of soldiers came from up the road, led by Sir Ata Amata, bearing their arms. The brigands ran back into the woods. The travelers mobbed me, thanking me profusely for saving them, members of the imperial family who had been visiting the country and were returning to the Imperial City for the celebrations. They insisted that I come with them to the palace and have an audience with the emperor, and Sir Amata made it official.

Emperor Septim was very impressed by my bravery and now knew me as a loyal supporter of the empire. He presented me with an ebony longsword. The celebrations continued for weeks, and to my surprise and delight, Emperor Septim often called on me for informal talks. When I was not in his presence, I usually spent my time learning how to dance and spar with the nobility both on and off the polished floors.

One night, Emperor Septim called upon me in a manner such that I knew the business was serious. He met me in his study and there told me he had a favor to ask. Thus began my voyage to the kingdom of Daggerfall.