"Our life always involves us in going away, sometimes close to home and more often far away. We hallow the memory of our birthplace in our hearts, sometimes going back in our daydreams to the summer days, verdant grass fields, and colorful toys to relive those precious moments when the trees were a little greener and the sky a little bluer." --Me
He could sense the sound of the footsteps as they closed in on him from afar.
"You wait!" sounded the voice, and out of a mist stepped out a young girl. Still panting from a long run, she held tightly a wooden katana with both of her hands. Her child-like face, reminiscent of the innocence, which his heart left long ago, longingly called out to his heart. However, her masculine garments and hairstyle, not much different than his own, didn't resonate as very attractive, nor did the next sentence that she uttered.
"I have finally found you! You're much weaker looking than I have expected, Battousai, the Legendary Manslayer." In a moment she was charging on forward, with an astonishing gravity in her innocent face. With a quick footwork and a leap forward it wasn't difficult to dodge the attack. Though he had to admit to himself, her speed was quite impressive. But the barrels he leaped on suddenly gave away under his feet, and he came crushing downward.
"Ara ara ara…" He kept on muttering. His back sure hurt from the fall, but this pain didn't feel like anything to him.
The girl's completion momentarily softened with concern, surprised at the accused man's weakness. In disbelief she looked confused as if unwilling to admit that she had the wrong person.
"Are you really the Legendary Manslayer? I heard you slew three more people tonight…" However, her train of thought was interrupted, as the man finally sat up, and kindly smiled.
"I'm just a wanderer. Merely a wondering swordsman, that I am." Her eyes watched him carefully in wonderment. "Would you think I could slay anyone with this sword?" He extended his hand, and offered her his sword in a way empowering her to kill him if she wished to right that moment. Unsurely she drew the sword. The silver blade flashed in the darkness.
"What is this? Why is the blade on the wrong side?" She uttered in her astonishment.
"It's a reverse blade sword?" The wondering swordsman said gently, only to have his words received with a puzzled look. "This sword couldn't kill anyone, and it shows it too."
The girl's eyes inquisitively examined the impeccable blade not finding a single trace of blood.
"True, there isn't a single chip on it. And it looks as good as new."
"Then I've proven my innocent." The wonderer got up, and brushed the dust off his cloth
But to his surprise, instead of apologizing, the girl's eyes flashed with anger. "How could you wonder around the streets at night, when there is a manslayer on the loose, going around killing people in the dead of the night. If you walk around with a sword anyone would think that you're the Legendary Manslayer. And according to the Meiji Era's laws, it is forbidden to carry a s--," She didn't finish her incentive statement, when, fortunate for the stranger, a muffled whistle sounded interrupting her angry speech. Both looked concerned in the direction of the sound. It didn't take the girl a long time to make up her mind.
"It must be for real this time!" She spun around with the sword flying out of her hand into the air. The wanderer was left with more than wonderment at the girl's identity, but also wonderment if he would survive, as the flying sword finished its loop, falling fast with its blade downward. Giddily he edged backwards against the fence, but thankfully katana fell right before him safely in its sheath.
She could feel it, the blood dripping, as she ran toward the sound. She could see two silhouettes in the mist emerging before her, then falling before her, and then they were gone to the Halls of Hades. Behind the slain men, stood a behemoth. She didn't feel fear before the noxious blade of the giant man that stole human lives. Her determination only soared as she witnessed the transgressing act. She leapt forward charging at the giant, with a pure heart burning inside of her.
It all happened before she could blink. She felt stinging pain across her arm, as the Legendary Manslayer swung his sword at her, but she was fast to dodge. The successful dodge landed her backed up against a solid wall of fence. With the next blow the manslayer slashed her wooden sword in half. Already the second strike was on its way, blade fiercely splitting the air, and it was too late for her to stop it from coming. Before her eyes, she could see her life flashing before her.
"This is it. I have failed to defend my family's honor." She felt prepared for the black wings of death to sweep her under, forever erasing her from this Earth. When she felt someone lift her; blade fell down splitting the wall against which she stood. The predator's eyes, most likely just as astonished as she was, scanned the proximity for its prey to discover the girl held by a man a safe distance from him. He couldn't allow a prey to escape, but as more police reinforcement was summoned he had no choice but to run and hide before anyone could identify him.
"I am the Bottasai the Manslayer of the Kamiya Kesshin Style," were his last words, as he sped past the reinforcement troops who were too scared to oppose him.
The young girl's eyes for a second became tortured with pain, as she reached out, and was ready to chase after the murderer in spite of her unsuccessful earlier encounter with the manslayer. But the man who saved her held her tightly in his arms.
"It's reckless, it is." Said the wanderer kindly, still with a concerned look over the girl that just a moment ago mistaken him for a murderer.
"Kamiya Kesshin Style is my family's style. He's randomly slaying people in our name!" She exclaimed vehemently, struggling against the stranger's grasp. However, the wound on her arm already was taking a toll on her. In the midst of her zeal, her vision blurred, and she lost conscience.
"What a brave girl that she is…" The wanderer smiled kindly. He was sure to take good care of this precious child.