Chapter 3: Samurai vs. Assassin and Balance
"Tough talk for a guy wearing a mask." Ranger stated.
"Oh, sorry. Where ARE my manners?" the newcomer asked before grabbing his mask and pulling it off. He showed a tanned face with graying hair, a somewhat square jaw that jutted, aggressively, and a pair of green eyes.
"So, you out-shot me?" Ranger asked, "An old man?"
"Plan on stayin' young forever, eh?" the man asked with a snort, "Didn't your dad ever tell ya to respect your elders?"
"I don't think they meant someone THIS old." Ranger snorted.
The two glared at each other before spontaneously grinning and shaking hands. Obviously they were impressed by meeting someone as rough as they were.
"Nice to meet ya." Ranger greeted, "The name's Ranger24."
"I'm Zchazz Tsutsu." Replied the man, "Gunman of the Ex-Assassins."
The hand-shake ended as Ranger asked, "Ex-Assassins?"
"I'll fill ya in later." Zchazz said as he held out his sawed-off shotgun, "I saw ya with some others. We've gotta get back with 'em. But DON'T make me save ya. I don't like that."
"Won't HAVE to." Ranger replied as he held out his sword. Ranger then turned around and the two began walking back.
"Relax." The newcomer said, "I'm one of the good guys."
"Then why're you wearing a mask?" Ross asked.
"You want me to take it off?" the newcomer asked with a small snicker, "No complaints from me. It's hard to breathe while wearing it…"
The newcomer grabbed his mask and pulled it off. He showed that he had dark, Native American-esque skin, pure white hair, hawk-like eyes, and a playful smirk on his face.
"They call me Glory-Feather." He said.
"Your accent." Phoenix said, "It…doesn't fit Native Americans."
"Obviously." Glory-Feather replied with the smirk still glued to his face, "You humans are always so slow on the uptake."
"YOU'RE human, too." Phoenix pointed out.
Glory-Feather winked before simply asking, "Am I?"
"If you're not human, then what are you?" Ross asked.
"We could talk about that, OR we could find your friends…unless you want to be over-powered by more of their men." Glory-Feather said as he jumped over to Ross and Phoenix.
"Who's 'they'?" Ross asked.
"The Assassin's Guild." Glory-Feather replied, "But NOW, we've got to get moving."
Ross took off at immense speed and was quickly followed by Phoenix. Glory-Feather stayed behind.
"Nobody's watching…" he murmured to himself as white feathers and a striped tail sprung from his body.
"Bmot Kcor!" called someone. The man being attacked by the girl was immediately surrounded in rocks, "Kali, aren't ya supposed to be workin' with Glory-Feather?"
"I-I lost track of him." The girl said, apologetically, "Sorry, Poz."
"Hey, it's alright." The man said, "I've lost track of the feathered guy TOO many times…"
"Who're you two?" DM asked as he brought his staff down with a 'clang' to get their attention.
The two immediately turned around. The new arrival had untidy, blue hair, a pair of ragged jeans, and a ruffled-up leather jacket over a blue shirt. The girl, however, had long blonde hair.
"Oh, sorry." The man apologized as he grabbed his (yellow) Oni mask and pulled it off as the girl did the same with her mask.
The girl had an Asian look to her (maybe Chinese) and earth-brown eyes.
The man had untidy, blue hair, a more western look about him (possibly American) and purple eyes.
"I'm Kali." The girl introduced with a short bow.
"And I am Poz, master magician." The man grinned.
DM sniffed before asking, "Why do you smell like booze?"
Poz sniffed his jacket before growling, "I've been trying to get that out for MONTHS! I'm off the sauce, I PROMISE!"
"Poz, I believe you." Kali said, "Can't you cast a spell to get the alcohol out of your jacket?"
"Good point." Poz said as he pulled out a small book, "NOSIRP MAERC ECI!"
Immediately, a giant ice cream cone appeared on top of Poz. It was all DM and DW could do from laughing out loud.
"Yeah, sure. Laugh." Poz growled with a sarcastic laugh, "It's funny 'til it happens to you!"
"I-I guess you're not a MASTER magician…" DM said, trying to regain his composure, "I'm DarkMagicianmon."
"DW64." DW greeted while trying not to laugh at Poz's current position.
"I suggest we start moving." Kali said, "I think Tohokari is fighting someone…I just hope it's not who I think it is."
The three fighters then ran off, leaving Poz behind.
"HEY! I'M STILL TRAPPED IN HERE!" Poz shouted from his ice cream prison. He sighed, "Guess I'll have to eat my way out…" Poz then began licking the ice cream, but smacking his lips after the first lick, "Hey, it's chocolate…"
Poz then continued licking his way out.
"Kusanagi Yumi…" he snarled. He spun his regained katana as it immediately slid apart so that it resembled a bow. He pointed it at Hikari and made a motion like pulling back a bowstring. A silvery bowstring then appeared along with a silvery arrow made out of energy, "Ninjas killed: seventeen."
"Sorry, but if you're gonna mess with MY comrades, we're gonna have a problem!" Nukid shouted as he jumped into the air and kicked the teen, causing half of his mask to break.
The broken half hit the ground with a clatter, revealing a steely-gray eye.
The other half of the mask slid off the boy's face and revealed his face.
He was obviously Japanese, judging by his skin-tone. His eyes were as gray as steel, black hair held up in spikes (which looked vaguely familiar to Hikari), an odd-looking headband with a red crest on it, and a face filled with pure rage.
"Why? It's scum like HER who killed the only woman who loved me…" the boy growled as he tightened his grip on the katana.
"She's also my friend." Nukid countered.
"Ninjas aren't capable of friendship." The boy snarled, "They're scum whose loyalties go to the highest bidder. I've sworn my life to serve and protect a few people…AND THOSE ARE MY COMRADES!"
The boy held his katana in a battle-ready pose.
"Sound like you've had to put up with some crap." Nukid said as he held out his hands, also in a battle-ready pose, "Let's see if your fighting style's are as crappy as your life."
The boy let out a savage yell as he charged at Nukid.
"TEKKAI!" the assassin shouted, making his skin iron-hard. The boy's katana bounced off his skin.
"Coward…" he growled before placing his first katana on the ground, "KUSANAGI TREMOR!"
The ground began to shake, causing Nukid to lose his balance and fall down. Hikari immediately pulled out Twinsegia and charged at the teen, who immediately countered with a block from his other katana.
"I expect nothing less." He growled before deflecting the blow and wheeling around to slice Hikari in half.
Nukid regained his balance and immediately tackled the boy. He pinned him to the ground with a foot.
"I'm Nukid." He introduced, "And it's honorable to know the name of the person to be killed."
"Tohokari." The boy replied, "Koutetsu Tohokari."
"Well, Tohokari, looks like you've lost." Nukid stated.
"Not…quite." Tohokari said as he grabbed his first katana and held it out, "KUSANAGI BALLISTIC!"
The tip of the blade shout out and struck Nukid's shouted, causing blood to spurt out like water. Tohokari then kicked Nukid off and sweep-kicked him. He then pulled out the tip of his blade from the assassin's shoulder.
"My quarrel isn't with you…" Tohokari whispered, "I'll be back to finish what I started, but I have my vow to fulfill."
Tohokari then placed the blade on top of his first katana, which immediately sealed back on.
"STUPEFY!" Hikari shouted.
Tohokari began to spin his blades around, "KUSANAGI SHIELD!"
A silver barrier immediately formed and the stunner immediately bounced off.
"Now, ninja…YOU DIE!" Tohokari shouted, "KUSANAGI REAPER!"
He thrust out his blade and it immediately began to extend until it could rival Sephiroth's Masamune. He brought it up and then down.
The blow never met. Hikari thrust out her hand and water erupted from the sewers and hit Tohokari, full on, deflecting his blow. Tohokari looked at his sopping form, embarrassed and enraged.
"Oh, you'll wish you didn't do that…" Tohokari growled as he retracted his sword. He seemed to vanish into thin air.
"Where is he?" Hikari asked herself as she looked around with her Sharingan eyes.
"Right here." Replied a familiar voice. Hikari felt something pierce her skin. She looked down to see blood pouring from a wound on her side. It wasn't deep, though. She felt another nick with something sharp, THIS one across her cheek. More and more cuts began to appear on her. Tohokari was moving at a speed so great that even her Sharingan couldn't register it.
Nukid staggered up, blood was still pouring from his wound. He looked over and saw Hikari, kneeling on the ground and covering her face. Tohokari was making small slashes in her skin. If he kept this up, she would bleed out.
"You've got moves…" Nukid said, weakly, "Well…SO DO I! RANYAKU!"
Nukid made a kick and a burst of air came out and hit Tohokari, full in the stomach.
Hikari stood up, her cuts causing her to become light-headed.
"Thank…you…" was all she could manage.
"TOHOKARI!" shouted a group of voices.
"HIME-CHAN!" shouted DarkMagicianmon as he ran over to Hikari.
"Oh sure." Nukid sighed, sarcastically, "Ignore ME."
Zchazz, Kali, Poz, and Glory-Feather immediately helped Tohokari to his feet.
"I've…gotta kill her…" Tohokari growled.
"Whoa, whoa, kid." Zchazz said, "You need to understand."
"SHE'S A NINJA!" Tohokari roared. Zchazz and Poz grabbed his arms as he tried to run over to Hikari and finish his job, "LET GO OF ME! SHE'S A NINJA! THEY KILLED HER!"
"Tohokari, just LISTEN…FOR ONCE!" Zchazz barked, "She's an Author Fighter, therefore, she's an ally."
"What's with him?" Phoenix asked.
"I don't know." Glory-Feather replied, arching a white eyebrow.
"I think I can heal your wounds." Ross said to both Hikari and Nukid. He pulled out the green Life Aura and shouted, "HEAL!"
A green light surrounded the two. Nukid's shoulder healed as did Hikari's cuts.
Tohokari growled before stopping his struggling.
"FINE." He growled, "I won't kill her…but don't expect me to be happy."
"You did this to her?" DM asked as he walked up to Tohokari. The latter nodded. DM's response was to punch him in the gut, winding him.
"HEY!" Zchazz barked.
"THAT was for Hikari." DM said, "Now, why did you try to kill her?"
"She's a ninja." Tohokari spat out, "I've vowed to kill them on sight."
"Is there an echo in here or what?" Poz asked.
"She's NOT a ninja…not entirely, at least." DM said, "She's a Balance."
Tohokari gave a glare that obviously meant that didn't change his opinion on the class of warriors in the slightest. He tore his arms free from Zchazz and Poz's grips. He turned around and began walking away.
"What's HIS problem?" DW asked.
"He'll be fine." Glory-Feather said, "He just needs…some time alone."
"Which reminds me, who are you guys?" DM asked.
"The Ex-Assassins." The four members replied in unison.
"When WE appear, it usually means the Assassin's Guild aren't too far behind." Zchazz continued.
"What's the Assassin's Guild?" DM asked.
"Did ya ever hear of the Yakuza?" Poz asked.
"I did." Nukid replied.
"Well, the Assassin's Guild is basically the same thing…only more deadly." Poz replied.
"We used to be members of it." Zchazz said, jabbing a thumb at his tattoos, "The longer you stay, the more you get on your tattoos."
"I…wasn't there for a while." Poz said with a nervous chuckle as he held up his hand, showing a dragon head wrapping around it, "Kali and Tohokari have been in there for a while now and Zchazz has been in here the longest."
"I found this band of misfits shortly after they quit." Glory-Feather said with his usual smirk.
"Why'd you quit?" Ross asked.
"That will have to wait." Kali answered.
"NOW, we've got bigger problems." Zchazz said.
"How can I work with HER?" Tohokari snarled as he kicked a can across a street, "She's a ninja. I'm a samurai. We hate each other on principle…" he jumped onto a fire escape and began to climb up it. He jumped up, pulled out his blades and sat, cross-legged, on top of the building with his katana in his lap.
'Just me and you now…' he thought as he closed his eyes and saw a woman's face in his mind. His face of anger changed to one of calm and maybe a smidgen of happiness in it as he thought one last word, 'Mother.'
"Your best men FAILED?" shouted the man as he tossed his chair across the room.
"It wasn't their fault, sir." The woman said.
"Those authors were joined by our original targets." The man with jerky movements said.
The man stopped and smirked before saying, "They're back? Does Tohokari still have my gift?"
"Yes." The short man replied, curtly.
"Perhaps we could work this to our advantage then…" the man smirked.
And that's it for chapter three.
I'm kinda short on plot-threads. If anyone has any suggestions, I'd welcome them.
Once again, read, review, and con crit is MORE than welcome.
