The clashing sound of the swords, the screams; they were gone. Shuzo could not hear anything now from behind the corner. He ran through silence. Slowly it was broken by the subtle rain, which fell onto his face and turned the dark street's ground into mud. Finally he reached the corner and almost slipped as he turned. But immediately he stood straight again and drove his hands to his sword. There was someone in the shadow, showing the back to him. And there lay something. Two human bodies. Sakihe. Higashiki. They did not move now, not an inch. Only the man above them was heavily breathing, like desperate. He held a bloodstained sword in his right hand and seemed to stare at the bodies like a maniac. He did not seem to notice Shuzo or the rain, which was getting thicker every moment and had made his clothes and his long red hair completely wet. Shuzo was wet too, but he was perfectly aware of the entire situation. All he did not know for sure was who this man was. He suspected, but he did not want to believe it. Damned, this was no more than an asshole and the murderer of his companions! One who had to die. That was the law those days.
The man still didn't notice him. Shuzo ran onto him from the back as he drew his sword, which clashed onto the one of the man. The assassin jumped back over the bodies and slid a bit deeper into the alley as he landed. He had, after all, noticed Shuzo in time and reacted quick enough to stop an attack from his rearguard. Shuzo had to do an effort again to keep his balance on the bloodstained mud. The assassin had instinctively landed in a fighting pose, but now he looked at his sword and left it down again. His eyes seemed confused, disoriented, almost blind. There was a scar on his left cheek... It was him. Yes, it had to be him.
-The Battousai- Shuzo whispered.
Things like that, so legendary, come to seem unreal, even if you come to see what they have done. Especially if you have seen what they have done. But there he was, the most savage assassin ever to have stepped onto Japan. The Battousai. But, after all, he was human. He could be beaten. And he had stepped into Shuzo's path. It was their fate to fight then. It was Shuzo's fate to fight the ultimate battle. He'd have to use all he had. He sheathed his sword and stood firmly. The battou position. So did Battousai. It was to be expected.
As quick as he had the first attacked, it was obvious that if the assassin would draw his sword first Shuzo would not be able to stop him. He had to be the first one to draw, but without giving the Battousai time to react. The raindrops slid over the concentrated faces of the samurais. The corpses were in the middle distance between them, so they'd have to jump to face each other. Sakihe. Higashiki. Shuzo bit his teeth together. He ran and jumped and pulled his sword that got hit backwards as he was drawing it, in middle of the air. Time froze. The Battousai was there, shoulder to shoulder with him, jumping against him. The assassin had come to draw his sword first and still, all he had done was keeping Shuzo from attacking. Shuzo waited for a second hit onto his body, but there was none. He landed on Sakihe's broken chest with the right foot and in a puddle of his blood with the left one. Battousai landed on Higashiki with his guard low and Shuzo drew his sword then, Battousai tried to stop him but doubted for a fraction of a second, then stopped his sword in midst of the air and jumped back again. The darkest assassin, the most feared man in the country, the legendary Battousai, was only defending. Still he did not run to leave the battle. He just stood there, looking into nowhere.
-What do you think you're doing? - Shuzo asked his enemy.
-I... I don't know- the assassin whispered, staring at the ground- Maybe... I just try not to kill you.
-What?
Shuzo was astonished, but did not lower his guard. This guy... maybe this was all just made up and any moment he would take him down. Still he looked so miserable, wet and dirty, completely confused. Maybe he was not...
-Aren't you the Battousai?
-Thus they call me.
-Oh, damned, you've just killed my two companions. How can you talk about not killing?
-There's always a first time, they say.
-Well, I think this will also be the last one because I do live in the current times. I'll give you a quick death.
-I'm afraid I can't let you do that.
-Then you'll have to die slowly, sorry. I didn't mean to do this.
Shuzo swung the sword crossing his face. Poor repented fool. It was too late for him now. Shuzo lifted his right foot, then hit the ground with it and jumped to the left like a thunder, stepping again on his left to return onto his adversary with his blade striking frontally. Masatu no Tarai - the crossed attack. This secret technique was what had kept him alive all these years. If someone saw him do it he'd already know how to block it on the second occasion, so it only worked once on the same person. But it always worked, and once was enough. He felt his sword cutting into something in the moment it should. But it was no flesh. The Battousai had stepped away on time and Shuzo had driven his entire blade into the nearby wall, which now cracked and collapsed as he pulled his sword out. It revealed a small dormitory, but there was no one home. Two little beds, probably of children, and a landscape hanging on the wall. The Battousai still had his confused look. Shuzo left his sword down angrily. Maybe this guy was all they said he was, but now he didn't want to be it. What to do with a warrior stronger than anyone but who does no longer want to fight? He had to fight for the government, that was what he did.
-They sent you to kill me, didn't they? - Shuzo asked.
-Yes- the Battousai whispered.
-Won't you be in a mess if you don't even try? I mean, you'd be betraying them.
-There must be another way... More war will not bring peace. All I do, I thought it was just for people to live in peace and... - he faded out and finally just stayed silent. Then he turned and started walking away through the rain, maybe not caring about Shuzo anymore, who didn't understand anything now.
The man still didn't notice him. Shuzo ran onto him from the back as he drew his sword, which clashed onto the one of the man. The assassin jumped back over the bodies and slid a bit deeper into the alley as he landed. He had, after all, noticed Shuzo in time and reacted quick enough to stop an attack from his rearguard. Shuzo had to do an effort again to keep his balance on the bloodstained mud. The assassin had instinctively landed in a fighting pose, but now he looked at his sword and left it down again. His eyes seemed confused, disoriented, almost blind. There was a scar on his left cheek... It was him. Yes, it had to be him.
-The Battousai- Shuzo whispered.
Things like that, so legendary, come to seem unreal, even if you come to see what they have done. Especially if you have seen what they have done. But there he was, the most savage assassin ever to have stepped onto Japan. The Battousai. But, after all, he was human. He could be beaten. And he had stepped into Shuzo's path. It was their fate to fight then. It was Shuzo's fate to fight the ultimate battle. He'd have to use all he had. He sheathed his sword and stood firmly. The battou position. So did Battousai. It was to be expected.
As quick as he had the first attacked, it was obvious that if the assassin would draw his sword first Shuzo would not be able to stop him. He had to be the first one to draw, but without giving the Battousai time to react. The raindrops slid over the concentrated faces of the samurais. The corpses were in the middle distance between them, so they'd have to jump to face each other. Sakihe. Higashiki. Shuzo bit his teeth together. He ran and jumped and pulled his sword that got hit backwards as he was drawing it, in middle of the air. Time froze. The Battousai was there, shoulder to shoulder with him, jumping against him. The assassin had come to draw his sword first and still, all he had done was keeping Shuzo from attacking. Shuzo waited for a second hit onto his body, but there was none. He landed on Sakihe's broken chest with the right foot and in a puddle of his blood with the left one. Battousai landed on Higashiki with his guard low and Shuzo drew his sword then, Battousai tried to stop him but doubted for a fraction of a second, then stopped his sword in midst of the air and jumped back again. The darkest assassin, the most feared man in the country, the legendary Battousai, was only defending. Still he did not run to leave the battle. He just stood there, looking into nowhere.
-What do you think you're doing? - Shuzo asked his enemy.
-I... I don't know- the assassin whispered, staring at the ground- Maybe... I just try not to kill you.
-What?
Shuzo was astonished, but did not lower his guard. This guy... maybe this was all just made up and any moment he would take him down. Still he looked so miserable, wet and dirty, completely confused. Maybe he was not...
-Aren't you the Battousai?
-Thus they call me.
-Oh, damned, you've just killed my two companions. How can you talk about not killing?
-There's always a first time, they say.
-Well, I think this will also be the last one because I do live in the current times. I'll give you a quick death.
-I'm afraid I can't let you do that.
-Then you'll have to die slowly, sorry. I didn't mean to do this.
Shuzo swung the sword crossing his face. Poor repented fool. It was too late for him now. Shuzo lifted his right foot, then hit the ground with it and jumped to the left like a thunder, stepping again on his left to return onto his adversary with his blade striking frontally. Masatu no Tarai - the crossed attack. This secret technique was what had kept him alive all these years. If someone saw him do it he'd already know how to block it on the second occasion, so it only worked once on the same person. But it always worked, and once was enough. He felt his sword cutting into something in the moment it should. But it was no flesh. The Battousai had stepped away on time and Shuzo had driven his entire blade into the nearby wall, which now cracked and collapsed as he pulled his sword out. It revealed a small dormitory, but there was no one home. Two little beds, probably of children, and a landscape hanging on the wall. The Battousai still had his confused look. Shuzo left his sword down angrily. Maybe this guy was all they said he was, but now he didn't want to be it. What to do with a warrior stronger than anyone but who does no longer want to fight? He had to fight for the government, that was what he did.
-They sent you to kill me, didn't they? - Shuzo asked.
-Yes- the Battousai whispered.
-Won't you be in a mess if you don't even try? I mean, you'd be betraying them.
-There must be another way... More war will not bring peace. All I do, I thought it was just for people to live in peace and... - he faded out and finally just stayed silent. Then he turned and started walking away through the rain, maybe not caring about Shuzo anymore, who didn't understand anything now.