Picking on somebody or how to slay a demon...

[Akira's view]

The forest was sombreous, mysterious and somehow soothing, at least to one specific person who was walking through it right now in order to chase yokais for training and to get rid of this one for good. The young trainee wore a hakama as earth-brown and a ruby haori. She stroked a flick of her coppery hair back into her high ponytail and sighed. 'This is boring. Why do I of all people have to chase this damned man-eating...' Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden noise, coming from behind her. Exercised as she was, she turned around quickly, holding bow and arrow ready to shoot. But only a man came out of the thicket. Still holding her bow ready she narrowed her eyes and waited for her opponent to come closer. The so-called „man" turned out to be not much older than herself and he had an annoying cocky grin on his face. His bluish-black hair was tied up in a long plait which reached down to his lower waist, bangs falling to his forehead. More she couldn't spot from this distance. But he didn't seem like a big threat so she lowered her bow.

„So, what're you doing here, pal?" He asked after he surveyed her himself like she had done it with him. The young man slightly moved his weapon she didn't noticed till then at all. It was a incredible large halberd carried on his right shoulder.

„A demon assaulted a village nearby. Again." She answered with restraint though she was confused by this guy. He was just weird. Why was he here? And... Why did she had a bad feeling about this?

„But why're you here then? Didn't your parents warn you about these yokai? They could easily kill ya, farm boy."

„I'm here to slay one specific demon.", she answered pretty irritated. Did this guy really think she was a man? She decided to correct this misunderstanding. „Furthermore, I'm not a farm boy!"

„You don't look like a grown-up slayer, though..." He interrupted her, moving his head slightly right towards his weapon. The young man acted like a curious boy. „How old're ya?"

„16, but..."

„See?" He grinned teasingly while he approached her until he stood only a mere meter away from her. He really hadn't noticed she was a girl. Now the 'boy-like' young woman was really getting upset. „Still a boy."

„Am not! Besides, look at yourself! You're at my age, you jerk!"

„Big mouth, huh?" The black-haired was obviously tickled. Then, he suddenly got serious. Maybe he didn't know how to deal with her.

„How old are you, then?!", she hissed with an aggressive glint in her eyes. First, the young man didn't answer but then his overconfident grin returned. He shook his head so that his long dark black plait budged.

[Bankotsus view]

„I'm 17. But I guess I'm more adult than you are. After all, I'm..."

„That's enough!" His boiling opponent yelled. His eyes grew big. The black-haired hadn't expected something like this from this youngster. He examined him again. The other was shorter than him – at least by half a head - and had a smaller frame. Additionally, his body was covered in a ruby haori, a dark hakama and his chest was protected by a breastplate. This was the only indication he was a warrior, alongside the ordinary bow in his right hand. His eyes went back to the boy's face again. He had to admit that the other one was pretty handsome even if he stared at him so angrily with his dark sparkling eyes. But the only alluring thing about him was his unusual hair which was tied up in a high ponytail while bangs were falling to his face and his hair itself was gleaming like fluid copper. 'What am I thinking! Do I turn into Jakotsu? No way!', he thought startled. However, after he listened to the other's words the black-haired regained his composure. „You questioned me, insulted me and on top of that you questioned my honour, jackass!"

„Wanna challenge me then, or what?" The plait-boy asked provocatively even if he didn't know why his counterpart was so mad. He couldn't think of one reason. However, he wouldn't have thought the copper-haired would accept his half-serious offer.

„Of course!" The boy yelled bad-tempered, then stopped in disbelief and stood there like a stone. 'What was that about?' , he asked himself curiously. The other one sighed and he seemed to have forgotten about his slaying task. Then he added, calmer now: „But without weapons. It'd be an unfair fight with your halberd against my bow."

„How do ya know I'll fight without Banryu?" The plait-boy asked curiously while his opponent laid down his arrows and his bow suddenly. He looked sternly.

„I don't. But if you do you'd lose your honour."

„And who'd know about that?" The boy really wasn't stupid with appealing his honour.

„You would." His opposite answered, smiling sweetly. 'Okay, I'll admit it: He's really good with words...', he thought, now serious again. As answer the young man rammed his halberd into the ground. He didn't think twice about it. After all, he could fight against somebody, he could measure his strength with the copper-haired boy.

„Alright, I didn't wanna hurt you but if you wanna die your wish may come true, boy." He grunted and waited for the boy's attack but he didn't do anything. He was just standing there, obviously waiting for his attack. 'Well, then I'll attack first. The sooner this is over the better. After all, demons don't get slayed on their own.', he thought and swatted his right fist on the ground. His opponent looked pretty surprised when the ground blew up into dust, small and big rocks which ejected into the air and a big hole was now on the ground which reached up to the place where the boy stood. Clearly, the other had underestimated his fighting skills without his companion Banryu. But something wasn't right. 'Wait... where is that boy?', he thought and looked there again, then up in the air. The boy had jumped highly to escape his attack. Moreover, he had outgessed it.

„This all you got?" His opponent asked unsmiling while he landed smoothly on the ground again. It seemed like he was teasing the attacker with his big mouth. The boy was almost as mouthy as himself. And he did not like that. After all, he was the head of a pretty well-known band of mercenaries and so he shouldn't be made to look silly even if no one else was watching. Starting to get angry, he ran quickly to his rival, always punching directly to his weak points – head, chest, stomach – but the other one always avoided a blow. 'Man, this one's really fast.', he acknowledged. 'Even faster than me. But is he temporizing or... playing?' He wasn't sure about that. But because of his constant attacks his rival had to back away from him until they finally reached a big tree, the boy's back against it. He had no means of escape anymore and the young mercenary hauled off for his final blow but then he hesitated for a second. His rival was still a boy whose eyes widened when he saw his indecision. But then he decided to continue his attack, striked but missed him again. In that damned second of hesitation the copper-haired had jumped over his head, cartwheeled in the air, then he landed right behind his back and... poked his finger slightly to his head. 'What the...', the mercenary was surprised and turned around suddenly. The copper-haired still held his finger in front of his forehead.

„I won.", he stated, smiling slightly. The black-haired stood there stone-still while his competitor removed his hand. „But I'd suggest we call it even. After all, you could've killed me a few moments ago but you didn't. So we're even now."

„Mhm... Name..." The mercenary muttered with a low voice. His former opponent looked confused.

„What did you say?"

„I wanna know your name, man!" He said, now louder than before, regaining his former confidence. How could he have underestimated this guy only because of his mild looks? But he wanted to know who defeated him.

„It's Akira. And yours?" The copper-haired smiled brightly and the mercenary was pretty irritated. It was rare for a man in this time to smile so open like that. But it'd only be fair that his counterpart learn his own name.

„My name's Ban...", he started but was interrupted again. However, this time it wasn't the boy called Akira but a strong demonic aura which suddenly arised out of nowhere. Akira had to feel it, too, because he was quickly heading back to where he left his bow. Bankotsu didn't know what he wanted to do with that ordinary bow but he didn't ask. He was busy running back to Banryu which was still rammed into the ground. On his way back the young mercenary ducked sudden attacks by the big yokai which had crawled out of the ground. It seemded like they disturbed his sleeping time. He pulled Banryu out of the ground, holding it towards the big yokai. But first, he wanted to take a closer look. This demon seemed like a big brown creepy millepede with big red insect eyes. He was at least ten times bigger than himself. Even Bankotsu could only barely look into his eyes.

„Hey, you worm! You the one who's attacking the villages nearby?", Bankotsu asked without expecting an answer. It was one of the lower dumber demons. Most of the times they weren't a problem for humans because they were so weak. The thousand legger turned his head towards him and he smiled cocky, hoping Akira was still alive. After all, the two had a score to settle. The demon snarled loudly and started to run on his many legs towards him. He wielded Banryu towards it, yelling „Kanetsu Bakufuu!". Several blue-coloured ball-lightnings flew right towards the thousand legger, they pierced through the demon's body, leaving big holes in it, tearing its body apart. Bankotsu smirked confident again. „Well, that was too easy, I guess..."

He should be proved right because other yokai like the one he just defeated bursted out of the ground in a flash. It had to be at least a dozen new demons. 'I knew it. This'll be fun.' Bankotsu thought thrilled by the fight. 'But... I can't use my strongest attack... Damn it!' He realized because Akira was still out of sight, 'Damn it, you foolish boy!'. „Banryusen!", he yelled, wielding his halberd towards a bunch of demons which were erased by a pink light without even being touched by his sharp blade. „That was fun. But they're still too weak...", he mumbled satisfied, raising Banryu again. The young man looked around briefly but there was still no sign of the other boy.

„You stupid fool!" A dark, shattered voice behind him laughed. Bankotsu turned around quickly just to see an even bigger thousand legger with a kind of human face between his red eyes rising in front of him. „Do you really think you can defeat me, youngster?"

„I've beaten bigger and more dangerous yokai than you, ugly!" The young mercenary stated but was carried off his feet when a leg of that demon hit him hard. At least the big halberd was still in his hand. Moaning, he tried to lift Banryu again from his lying position but he couldn't move it somehow.

„You insulted the wrong person, fool.", were the last words from this yokai before he moved quickly towards Bankotsu, his mouth open to eat. His fangs were gleaming dangerously while drivel was trickling from them.

„You took the words right out of my mouth.", an angry voice yelled all of the sudden, closely followed by an arrow covered in pure white-blue light. The demon was just as surprised as Bankotsu was when they turned towards the voice. Then, the arrow hit the big yokai exactly in his somehow human face, resulting in a pained scream that sounded like „Damn you!". Within a second the thousand legger was completely encased by the light blue light before he decomposed into ashes. Bankotsu jumped to his feet instantly, looking to the arrow's origin again which was his former rival who was still holding his bow ready to shoot. 'So Akira has spiritual power... I wouldn't have thought of that.', he realized, grinning. Then he yelled towards him: „Get over here immediately!"

The copper-haired reacted on his order by starting running towards him, then turning his back towards Bankotsu. He raised his bow again and shot at the remaining demons. They fell into ashes in the second the blue light of the arrow touched them. Bankotsu himself raised Banryu towards the sky to make his final attack. „Ryuraisen!" He yelled. „This should finish 'em off."

The blue lightning ball hit the clouds in the sky, causing them to sent lightnings back to the ground. Every one of them hit a demon which fell burnt dead to the ground. Some remaining yokai tried to attack them again, others tried to escape but all of them were finished off after another minute by lightnings and more arrows. Breathing heavily, Akira looked over the dead bodies and ashes of the yokai, then looking at his temporary battle companion. Then he lowered his bow, strapping it on his shoulder again, while the black-haired shouldered his old companion.

„We're done here." Akira sighed relieved as if he had already forgotten about the young mercenary who was still bearing his company. Bankotsu looked at the other boy lightly cross. Would he go just like that? „Gosh, now I can take my rightful nap..."

„Are you serious? Is that all what you can think about?! We still have a score to settle, remember!?" The mercenary snapped at the copper-haired barshly. He closed his eyes for a second to cool himself and wondered why his battle companion was getting on his nerves so heavily. When he opened his eyes again he could hardly believe them. There stood Akira placidly who was stretching himself currently and yawned loudly, leaving his hand behind his head. He appeared completely unbent. This made the black-haired even more annoyed, causing his eyebrow to twitch. „You!"

„Are you coming along or what?" Akira asked calm and a bit tired on his way through the dead bodies, wandering towards the direction he came from. It seemed as if he hadn't even listened. 'How did he get there?', Bankotsu wondered puzzled. Then he decided it wasn't that important. „I thought you wanted to collect your reward or something like that..."

„Don't boss me around, you bossy kiddo!" The black-haired complained sore. Why did this stupid boy acted so natural... just like they were friends. What wasn't the case. So why? He didn't understood this guy and this fact bothered him. After all, he had always jugded others correctly but he couldn't predict Akira's behaviour.

„Oh, that hurt... Very inventive, Ban." The copper-haired answered snippy and tauntingly while Bankotsu unwillingly followed him.

„It's Bankotsu, not Ban!" He corrected tart.

„Yeah, yeah. Relax." He tried to stop the young mercenary with a wave of his hand but this made him even angrier. Himself didn't know why he did get worked up about this.

„YOU!"