"Ugh," Kaoru groaned as he stumbled through the house in a daze. Tina insisted in another drinking game between herself and everyone there. Of course, Miyabi was suffering a terrible hangover and Aoi was still sleeping it off. Kenshin was walking around as if nothing happened.
"How can you still be sober?" Kaoru asked his teacher.
"Years of practice," Kenshin answered. "And having the Shogun Dagger helps to clear the mind once you learn how. I bet it made you sober just in time to deal with that Spirit."
"Yes, it saved my life," agreed Kaoru.
"You were careless, Hanabishi," reminded Kenshin. "It's a good thing your gaijin friend thinks it's a dream."
"She's not a gaijin," Kaoru defended.
"She's American," Kenshin rebutted.
"But she was born and raised here," Kaoru added.
"I see," Kenshin nodded. "Forgive me for my slur."
Kaoru nodded. "I sure hope Aoi-chan will recover soon."
"I think she's more distressed over you and Tina," Kenshin stated.
"What do you mean?" Kaoru asked.
"This Tina person knows you more than Aoi-san does," Kenshin told Kaoru. "Maybe she feels that you've neglected to tell her much of your life."
"Tina doesn't know about half of my life, either," Kaoru retorted.
"I'm talking about the happy times. You don't speak to Aoi-san about those," he added.
"Yes, I know, but well I haven't had much time and…"
"Excuses," Kenshin interrupted. "Anyway, you better be ready for some harsh training tomorrow morning because you missed it."
"I know…"
Kenshin reminded, "And keep the fact you you're Ronin a secret. Tina-san nearly found out about it. It was a good thing she thought it was just a dream concocted by that drink of hers."
"I don't know if I can keep this a secret from her for long…" Kaoru responded. "She can be pretty sharp when she wants to."
Kenshin took Kaoru's words to heart. Still, Tina would need to be kept in the dark about the Riders and Spirits. He didn't trust her to keep a secret this big despite being a friend of Kaoru's. Now that she was living with them, Kenshin needed to be discreet about his training with Kaoru for the sake of secrecy.
"Look, figure something out. In the meantime you can talk with Aoi-san some more and get to know each other more deeply. She's already so infatuated with you and I doubt anything can change that," said Kenshin.
"Alright, I will. I guess I've neglected to tell Aoi-chan much about my past, huh?" Kaoru said.
"You've shared with her the harsher parts of your past, now it's time to tell her about the happier times. She wants to know you from all sides, not just one. To her you're more than you ever saw yourself to be."
"Thank, sensei," Kaoru smiled.
"You're welcome, now get some sleep. You're going to need to rest up for tomorrow."
"What about Tina-san?" asked Kaoru.
"I'll take her into the empty room in the servant's quarters. After all she is a resident, isn't she?" Kenshin answered.
AI YORI AOSHI: KAMEN RIDER RONIN
The summer night was quiet at the Sakuraba house. Kaoru yawned as he leaned over his homework. Between fighting Spirits with Kenshin, dealing with Tina's carefree games, and just finding any time to spend with Aoi, Kaoru was finding himself stretched rather thin. He had to bust his butt to get his homework done in time to his usual standards before it got too late and he was forced to go to sleep late only to be woken up by Kenshin in his usual way i.e. a bucket of cold water.
"Ahh, no one said being a hero was easy," Kaoru muttered to himself.
Continuing his work, he didn't notice a feminine hand reach over and snag his can of tea before taking it away. Of course, he did notice when someone's body leaned against his back with a rather pronounced pair of breasts pressing against him. "Bwah!" Kaoru cried in shock as he turned around to face his sudden houseguest.
"Ahhh!" the catty face of Tina sighed as she gulped the last of the tea down. She was wearing apparently nothing save for an oversized black shirt and her house slippers. Her hair was done up in a ponytail as well. "Nothing like good tea right after a hot bath!"
"T-Tina!" Kaoru cried out. "At least knock before you come barging into my room!"
"Oh? Kaoru, it's not like we're strangers," Tina smiled in her catty way before she hugged the boy around the neck and pressed against his back. "Come on Kaoru. Let's be friendly."
The poor boy blushed at the close proximity of his foreign friend. She always loved to play with him like this but it just wasn't funny. She did it for kicks and freaked him out more often than not. Just why was she so clingy to him?
In truth, Tina actually harbored deep feeling for Kaoru, but she was too afraid to admit them since she didn't want to ruin their friendship. Still, being able to spend time with Kaoru like this was good enough for her. She swore to herself to one day admit her feeling to Kaoru…one day.
"Tina, I'm busy!" said Kaoru. "Can't you bug somebody else?"
"Don't you like me anymore?" she pouted.
That was when Aoi came in and said, "Excuse me, Kaoru-sama, but-" She froze at the doorway when she witnessed how close Tina and Kaoru were. Her face turned a bright red before she began to sputter, "F-F-Forgive me, it looks like I came at a bad time!"
"Aoi-chan, wait!" Kaoru called. He didn't need an incident like this so late in the evening. "It's not what it looks like! It's just Tina playing."
"Oh." Aoi breathed a sigh of relief. She still felt like her place with Kaoru was threatened by Tina since she knew him so well now rather than when he was little like the shy Sakuraba did.
"What did you want to call me for?" Kaoru asked.
"Kenshin-san wishes to see you for another training session," said Aoi.
"Tell him I'm busy with homework," Kaoru replied, hoping that Kenshin would just accept the answer and leave him be for the night.
"He knew you'd say that so he wrote this," said Aoi as she approached Kaoru and handed him a folded sheet of paper. Kaoru took it, unfolded it, and scanned it before going pale. He folded the paper as Tina stared curiously.
"Tell him I'll be there!" said Kaoru quickly. Aoi nodded before leaving.
"Say, Kaoru, why are you training so hard in kendo?" asked Tina. Before she left on her trip, she never knew Kaoru to be interested in any sports. Seeing him so focused on physical fitness was a twist, but she definitely could get used to seeing a more buff Kaoru.
"It's important that I'm able to defend myself and others," answered Kaoru, sounding uncharacteristically stoic. That wasn't really a lie. He just wasn't giving her all the details. Such details about his life as Ronin were better for her in the long run. The less she knew the better.
"Wow, so you're going to try and be like a samurai and stuff?" said Tina before she started doing sword-swinging motions.
"You…could say that."
"You're late," said Kenshin as Kaoru came out to see him for training. "Now, drop and give me 50."
"Are you serious?" asked Kaoru.
"You want to make it 100?" Kenshin glared.
Kaoru groaned and started on his pushups. Of course, Kenshin, being the cruel taskmaster that he was, also had his foot on Kaoru's back to add weight and have Kaoru give more effort. "Hurry it up!"
After the pushups, Kenshin and Kaoru sparred. So far, Kaoru's skills had improved under Kenshin's tutelage. Aoi was also improving in her handling of the naginata as well as the bow and arrow. She didn't miss the target anymore but she has yet to make a bull's-eye. Also, she hid it well, saying it was a hobby when Tina asked about the archery practice. Miyabi backed up her claim by explaining that Aoi's mother was likewise skilled in archery. The naginata thing was harder to explain so Aoi had to practice when she made sure their foreign friend wasn't looking. Sometimes she even practiced with her broom, pretending it was her naginata.
Miyabi and Kenshin also got along pretty well since they possessed similar roles as caretakers for their charges. They would often share coffee in the mornings or tea in the evenings as they chatted about things. Kenshin even got along with Tina and they could be seen drinking and chatting whenever Tina would get her hands on strong booze. Tina would pass out before Kenshin did and the samurai was amused by how she acted when she was drunk. Of course, Tina would swear she would beat him eventually.
Outside, a sniffling figure was walking to the Sakuraba Mansion. An aura of depression and sadness was surrounding her and it was rather...intense. One had to wonder why she wasn't bawling at the moment from it all. Looking around the property, she spied some familiar faces through her glasses. Heaving a sigh, she headed towards the front door, hoping to find some friends who could help.
She didn't know that she was being followed. Followed by something less than friendly.
Kenshin disarmed Kaoru and had the tip of his shinai (bamboo sword) pointed at his student's throat. Kaoru gulped as he felt the top press against his Adam's apple with Kenshin saying in a warning tone, "Keep a firm grip on your sword."
"Hai, sensei," nodded Kaoru, "But I sensed something."
"I know," said Kenshin. "I sensed it too."
"Should we check it out?"
"Yes."
Monsters were merely a stuff of fantasy and fairytales, so Taeko never expected to see one coming at her. Being incredibly clumsy was usually a bad thing for her but now it was saving her life. She'd missed a fatal swipe from the thing's claws by tripping on her own feet but now she was wracked with fear as it came at her.
The thing that was coming at her resembled a huge spider with a humanoid body from the waist up connected to where the spider's head would be. It also possessed a pair of long arms with long fingers tipped with claws. It's head was skeletal in appearance with eight eye holes, giving the appearance of a mask. Taeko was really not taking notice, but the creature itself seemed to havepins for spider-like legs which were thick and somehow connected to its flesh. The Pin Spirit released a shriek and tried to attack her again, but Taeko continued to run as fast as she could, this time without tripping. Of course, she had lost her glasses during the first tumble so now she was as blind as a bat as she tried to get away.
Again she tripped and this time it was bad since the creature was gaining on her. She was going to die! She just knew it!
Suddenly, she heard the sound of engines roaring before a pair of motorbikes sped past her and rammed straight into the monster.
"Huh?" Taeko blinked as she saw her two rescuers. Both were donned in brilliant armor which shone in the moonlight. One was pure silver while the other was a blazing gold. They were blurry, but she could still make out the shine of their suits.
"Go!" the gold figure barked to Taeko.
The terrified redhead absently nodded before she got up and began running for the house. Every so often, she would look back to see what was happening. Unfortunately, she always tripped over something when she did so it made seeing the action hard. At best she would see flashes of gold or silver erupt from the shadows. As she managed to reach the front door of the mansion itself, she heard a screech which would haunt her forever. Then, there was light...
"TSUKUYOMI!"
"AMATERASU!"
Taeko tumbled over as light blinded her and she heard the death scream of the beast.
Ronin and Shogun had slain the beast and the Wolf Samurai gave a sigh, "That…was close." He then realized something. He recognized the girl that the Spirit had been hunting. He should, she was a member of his club at school! "Taeko-san!"
"You know that girl?" Shogun commented.
"She's a member of my Photography Club and my kohai," Ronin answered. "I hope she's alright."
"She is," said Shogun confidently. He then noticed a pair of glasses with cracked lenses and picked them up, "Though, I think she may have trouble seeing where she is going without these."
"Then we better go check on her," said Ronin. Knowing how clumsy Taeko was, she might have gotten lost out in the woods somewhere.
Taeko managed to find the front door and began to ring the doorbell frantically. The one to answer was Aoi. She recognized the girl from some of the photos Tina and Kaoru had. "Miss, what's wrong?" Aoi asked the redhead.
"Oh, thank you!" Taeko cried. She lunged and hugged the stunned woman desperately. "Something attacked me! It was horrible!"
'Spirit,' thought Aoi. "Please, come inside so you may calm yourself."
"Thank you," said Taeko, sighing in relief. "Thank you so much…" She was relieved. She had always loved the supernatural but to be almost killed by a supernatural creature had really shaken her up.
When Kaoru and Kenshin returned home after failing to track Taeko, they were surprised to see the girl sitting in the living room.
"Taeko-san?" blinked Kaoru. She was here the whole time?
"Hanabishi-sempai, is that you?" Taeko asked as she squinted her eyes.
"Yes," Kaoru nodded as he stepped closer to her. They were all in the living room with Miyabi being the only one not in attendance. She was busy with her paperwork and didn't hear the commotion with the redhead coming inside. "We heard some commotion outside so Sensei and I went to check it out. All we found are a pair of glasses. I'll be they're yours."
"Oh, thank you!" Taeko smiled as she took the black framed glasses back. However, as she did so she noticed the crack running through the lens. "Oh…now I'll have to get the lens repaired…-sniff-…I…I don't think I can afford it."
"What do you mean?" asked Kaoru with some confusion.
"Tae-chan got fired," Tina sighed sadly. "She worked as a live-in maid at her old place. So she lost her house when she lost her job."
"Oh dear," Aoi spoke softly.
"Why were you fired?" asked Kenshin.
"Oh, it's simply because I'm less than coordinated," answered Taeko.
'Clumsy,' Kenshin translated in his mind.
"Oh, I have a great idea!" Tina exclaimed, "Tae-chan can help with all the chores around here!"
Aoi, Kaoru and Kenshin blinked.
"I mean, Landlady-san has to do everything around here so why not the extra help? Plus, Tae-chan here is an experienced maid so she's perfect for the job!" added Tina.
Taeko blushed at the praise and said, "I'm not all that good, really."
"I think we need to ask Miyabi-san about this first," said Aoi. While the extra help would be nice, she still needed her guardian's permission.
"And I think you need some new glasses as well," added Kenshin. 'If she was clumsy before when she was wearing glasses, she'd be worse without them.'
"Oh, yes, I should,' agreed Taeko. "Luckily, I always carry a spare pair with me." She took out a case and opened it up to put the new pair on.
"You had a new pair and you stumbled all the way here?" asked Kenshin incredulously.
"Oh, it slipped my mind until just a minute ago," said Taeko, rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment.
Since it was late, Taeko was going to be sleeping in a spare room in the servants' quarters. At the moment, Kaoru, Aoi, and Kenshin were in Miyabi's office to discuss about Taeko.
"A tenant and a live-in maid?" Miyabi asked.
"She has experience," Kaoru added, "And from what I can tell she's a really hard worker."
"She's just really clumsy," added Kenshin. "And considering how big the place is, Aoi-san might need the help."
Miyabi wasn't sure if hiring Taeko would be a good idea. She, however, trusted Kenshin's judgement. "We shall see. I give her a week. However…" she eyed both Kaoru and Kenshin, "Can you promise to hide your activities from her?"
"I think we can, thought I have doubts," said Kenshin. "Her family name is Minazuki and from what I recall that family is very sensitive to the paranormal…"
"Really?" asked Kaoru curiously. He really couldn't see Taeko as some kind of mystical priestess. She confessed to loving the supernatural as the invasive 'questionnaire' that Sato tricked her into filling out implied, but she didn't seem to be the type to do anything more than appreciate it.
"The Minazuki family has a long history of dealing with the paranormal," explained Kenshin. "In fact some of the greatest priests and mikos come from that clan." He paused before adding, "But I doubt we have anything to fear from Minazuki-san finding out about our nightly routine."
"That is good," said Miyabi, having faith in Kenshin. "It's getting hard to keep a secret with all these people here."
"I expect we'll be having more tenants soon," said Kenshin.
"What makes you say that?" asked Miyabi.
"Common sense," he answered. "I mean look at this place. It's a mansion. OK, so the tenants can't be in the main building after ten at night but aside from that they can hang out in a mansion, not to mention Aoi-san is a great cook."
"Pretty good reasons to stay," agreed Kaoru. He could certainly vouch for Aoi's cooking. He hadn't tasted anything so good since he lived with the Hanabishis.
So it became official, Taeko would be given a trial period to see if she would be what Miyabi was looking for in a maid for the building. Taeko was of course overjoyed at the opportunity and thanked both Miyabi and Aoi profusely. Soon enough, she was donned in a cute maid uniform and set to work with the tasks that Miyabi had set out before. Since breakfast had just ended, Taeko went to work on the dishes. Cleaning them hadn't brought any problems, but…
"Uhh, I don't think that's a good idea, Taeko-san," Kaoru said, gulping, as he saw what Taeko tried to do. Taeko was done cleaning dishes and was in the process of putting them all away. The only thing that worried Kaoru was that Taeko was trying to put almost all of them away at once.
"D-don't worry, Hanabishi-sempai. I've done this before," Taeko said as she stacked the plates together in a hazardous way. "Okay now all I have to do-eek!" She suddenly shrieked as she tripped and let go of the plates.
Kaoru jumped and manage to get all the plates before they hit the floor.
"Excuse me, Kaoru-sama but..." Aoi stopped to see Kaoru balancing on one foot as he had plates in both his hands, on his head and on his other foot that was raised behind him "What an amazing trick!" Aoi cheered, clapping with Taeko slowly getting up
"Help." Kaoru pleaded as he tried to keep the plates from dropping.
4 Days Later…
"I want her gone," said Miyabi. She was in her office with Kaoru and Kenshin. Four days into Taeko's trial period and it wasn't looking good for the bespectacled girl.
"What? But it hasn't been a week!" Kaoru protested.
Miyabi reached under her desk and pulled out what appeared to be a blouse fit for a small doll.
"What is that?" Kenshin asked. He never pegged the older woman as the type who would cling to her childhood by collecting dolls. Not that there was anything wrong with a hobby, but he never would have guessed.
"That was one of my blouses after Taeko-san put it in the wash," said Miyabi. "It was clearly labeled as 'dry-clean only'."
"Was that the time she put too much detergent and flooded the laundry room with soap and water?" asked Kaoru. He remembered the suds and mess that Taeko had created by accident when she misread the detergent instructions.
"Miraculously, no," said Miyabi. "This was just yesterday."
"So, she made a tiny mistake," said Kaoru. Miyabi glared at the mention of 'tiny' since her blouse was tiny now. "Uh…"
"Then there was that miso soup she prepared a few days ago," said Miyabi.
"Oh, the one with the obvious 'crunch'," Kenshin recalled. The food was edible, but Taeko had put too much of the extra ingredients into it and not enough actual miso. The end result was a soup that had to be chewed instead of sipped.
"Then the time she was replacing a light bulb and it fell on me," Miyabi continued. The light bulb had slipped out of Taeko's hand and hit Miyabi in the face. Fortunately, it had not shattered but it still ticked her off. "And let us not forget her attempt at making dinner."
"She's creative," said Kenshin.
"But chocolate does not fit everything," Miyabi seethed. "And then Aoi-sama has to clean up her messes. It's just disgraceful. That's why I want her out and we can't afford to keep her around."
"But she has no other place to go," argued Kaoru.
"That is not my problem," said Miyabi sternly.
"But Tina likes her," insisted Kaoru.
"Tina-san likes anybody she can grope," she countered.
"You have a point there," Kaoru relented.
"And also she nearly caught you two during your private training sessions," said Miyabi. "The ones involving you-know-what."
Kenshin and Kaoru knew she was referring to the Ronin and Shogun Daggers. They were mystical and Taeko had nearly caught them using the magical properties of the daggers. It was almost like every time they intended to use them, Taeko was drawn in like a homing beacon. While she apparently didn't seem to have any training like her family would have had in the past, the gift of the Minazuki seemed to be within her just the same.
"I did mention that her family is very spiritually sensitive," reminded Kenshin.
"I'm just surprised she hasn't burnt the house down and if we keep her any longer that will soon change," said Miyabi. She looked to Kenshin, "I'm not surprised that Kaoru-dono wants to keep her around. He is a softie." Kaoru seemed slightly offended at that, "But you…"
"I like her determination," said Kenshin. Frankly, he thought the reason Taeko screwed up so often was because she was trying to do too much at once. Mix in the workload she tried to take on with her natural clumsiness and it was a recipe for disaster. Kenshin intended to have words with the bespectacled girl if Miyabi saw fit to give her a second chance.
"Even if she is determined, she's not very skilled at her job. I now realize why she got fired from her last one," said Miyabi.
"But she's passionate. You don't see that kind of passion in anyone," said Kenshin. "Isn't that right, Kaoru?"
"Yes, and Taeko-san told me that her mother was a maid too and Taeko-san wants to be just like her," said Kaoru. "I think she just wants to honor her mother in some way."
Miyabi sighed. These two men had a point. A rather emotional and compassionate point, but a point nonetheless and as tough as Miyabi was, she wasn't made of stone. Not after hearing a reason like Taeko's. "Alright, she has three more days and then she's gone and my decision will be final. She has three more days to prove herself."
"Thank you, Miyabi-san," said Kaoru. The door opened and Aoi poked her head in.
"Ah, Aoi-sama," said Miyabi. "What brings you here?"
"It's time for Kaoru-sama's calligraphy lesson," she said. "I hope I am not disturbing anyone."
"No, you're not," said Miyabi.
Taeko focused as she vacuumed the floor. She was being very, very, VERY helpful in cleaning the place.
"Can't blow it, can't blow it, can't blow it," she chanted repeatedly unaware of the strings that were sliding through the door and towards her.
Aoi smiled as Kaoru put the brush down. "That's very good, Kaoru-sama. You're progressing very well."
"Thanks to you," said Kaoru. It'd been a long time since he did calligraphy. It wasn't exactly something he enjoyed and his grandfather (the old bastard) had practically forced him into it. However, Kenshin had emphasized that Kaoru needed practice with his calligraphy. He had the basics down since he could use the Ronin Dagger to write in the air and materialize what was being written but he needed to be perfect. Aoi, fortunately and happily, volunteered.
Aoi scooted closer, admiring her fiancé's work. He'd written her name. She looked up and noticed how close they were sitting together. Aoi looked away, blushing, as did Kaoru.
Aoi had prepared almost all her life to become Kaoru's wife and was determined since she'd loved him since their childhood. Even when she'd been told the engagement had been broken, she would not give up. She even tracked him down to know the truth. Kaoru, on the other hand, had either forgotten or had not been aware of the engagement in the first place and even rejected Aoi when he thought she'd been sent by the Hanabishis to get him back. However, that had been proven false and he'd apologized for doubting the young woman with him.
She looked so fragile, but she still had the strength to defy her family and come to him. She found her strength in him and he'd found someone to…love?
Would that be too early? He knew he cared about her but did he love her? He had not rejected the idea of the engagement and even her mother approved now since he was the holder of the Ronin Dagger. Still, what about her father? What would he say?
Would Kaoru even care? If her father got between them then he would fight but wouldn't that hurt Aoi as well?
"Kaoru-sama, what's wrong?" she asked. "You look troubled."
"I'm fine," said Kaoru. It's just. He grunted as he felt the familiar pounding in his head, like a pulse. Even the Ronin Dagger was pulsing. "A Spirit," he detected. He pinpointed it, "IT'S ON THE GROUNDS!"
"WHAT!" gasped Aoi.
CRASH!
Shogun was sent flying by the blow and he went tumbling. He groaned as he picked himself back up and shook his head. "Alright, not my best performance." He stared up at his opponent. "And how am I supposed to fight this?"
"Sensei!" Ronin shouted as he exited the mansion. "Where's the Spirit?" He ran towards Shogun He blinked in confusion, "Taeko-san?"
Yes, he was looking at Taeko, the clumsy redhead who seemed to make a mess more often than she was able to clean them up just somehow managed to send Ronin's sensei flying with naught but a pole-arm in her hands. Oddly enough, she had no emotion on her face and instead seemed as emotionless as a doll.
Rather than be surprised at Ronin's appearance,Taeko stared at him blankly and attacked.
"WOAH!" Ronin shouted as Taeko raised a pole-arm that had a hammer on one end and an axe-blade on the opposite end. He nearly got crushed when she used the hammer end on him.
"Taeko-san!" She didn't response. "Sensei, what's going on?" Ronin uttered in confusion. From what he'd seen Taeko was a clumsy girl but now she was fighting like a pro.
"She's being controlled," said Shogun. "Spirit possession, I believe."
"OK, not good," said Ronin.
"Heh, heh, heh!" Both Riders turned to see someone in the tree. It was a puppet-like monster with hands that looked like a mess of strings. It was wearing a comical outfit. Its head bore the resemblance to the infamous Mr. Punch from 'Punch and Judy'. "Hello Shogun and Ronin. My name is Puppet Spirit."
"It can talk!" Ronin shouted, surprised. Up until now, most of the Spirits he'd seen were mindless monsters.
"Of course! I do admit that my species lacks the proper ability of speech, but there are those among us who are gifted with the ability of speech," the Puppet Spirit said, smiling darkly, "And unlike my compatriots, I don't like facing my opponents head on. I prefer forcing others to fight for me!"
"So you took control of this girl!" Shogun snapped
"I confess, YES!" The Puppet Spirit laughed sinisterly.
"I knew I should've set up a barrier," mumbled Shogun, but he'd been so busy and no Spirits had dared to attack before.
"And since you value her life, you will not be able to go all out!" boasted the Puppet Spirit. "And then you will die and the legacy of Ronin and Shogun will end!" The Puppet Spirit then commanded, lifting his fingers up and moving them about, "Now, finish them my puppet!"
Taeko jumped at the two and brought her weapon down, smashing it to the ground with enough force to cause a crater as Shogun and Ronin dodged out of the way.
"Sensei, how do we fight this?" asked Ronin.
"You deal with the girl," said Shogun. "I'll deal with the puppeteer here."
Ronin nodded, not arguing with the Tsukitaiyo head as he charged at the Puppet Spirit but then his advance was blocked by two figures. "Miyabi-san? Tina-san?"
"Oh, I took control of these two as well," said the Puppet Spirit. Tina and Miyabi, like Taeko, wore blank expressions on their faces.
Ronin, meanwhile, was dodging and blocking as he defended himself from Taeko's attacks. She was definitely strong while under the Spirit's control and a blow sent him staggering back. He spotted Tina and Miyabi, also under the Puppet Spirit's control. "Not a good night."
The Puppet Spirit laughed and then it suddenly howled out in pain. Shogun and Ronin blinked and saw the Puppet Spirit reaching behind its back and pulling out an arrow. Enraged, the monstrous puppet turned around to see who had shot at it, but received a second arrow to the chest. Thanks to the holy properties of the arrowheads, they did considerable damage and in the case of the second arrow actually knocked the Puppet Spirit out of the tree.
Ronin wondered where the arrows had come from and then spotted Aoi near the entrance of the mansion. She was gripping a bow and had a quiver of arrows strapped to her with her sleeves folded up. She had another arrow notched and pulled the bowstring taut.
"Aoi-chan…" Kaoru was amazed. She had shot two arrows and they had hit their mark. That in itself was surprising since most of Aoi's shots in practice were grazing blows or hit far outside of the centre, indicating that her aim needed some work.
"Damn bitch!" the Puppet Spirit hissed and then it launched its strings at her.
SLICE!
A single swing from Ronin had cut the strings in half. The Puppet Spirit then realized that the girl had only been a distraction. The Puppet Spirit felt heat emanating nearby and shakily turned its eyes towards Shogun who approached it. The Shogun Katana was in his hand and held up straight as the image of the sun appeared behind him, blazing hotly. The blade of the Shogun Katana also began to ignite as Shogun prepared the finishing blow.
The Puppet Spirit prepared to counter his move but Ronin was quick to counter the Spirit's counter as well as he wrote using the tip of his sword. The Kanji for 'Wrap' appeared and then it flew towards the Puppet Spirit. All of a sudden, its strings wrapped around it instead, effectively immobilizing it.
"AMATERASU!"
A downward swing from Shogun's sword sliced the Spirit in half and it exploded in a blaze, leaving behind the Kanji for 'Seal' before it faded away.
After the Spirit had been dealt with and Miyabi, Taeko and Tina had been put to bed, Kenshin and Kaoru spent the rest of the evening setting up a protective barrier around the mansion. It was something Kenshin had neglected to do and had not been able to do until Kaoru fully mastered his abilities. After all, a proper barrier needed to be created by them.
Fortunately, Kaoru's practice with calligraphy allowed him to write the proper Kanji for the barrier and he and Kenshin worked together in fortifying the defense.
Kenshin stated, "You know I'm impressed with Aoi-san. She might be a novice but she was still able to shoot two arrows and hit her target, especially at night."
"Yes, she really is amazing," Kaoru agreed. She had looked so determined to protect him. 'She must really love me.' He asked, "Will they remember what happened?"
"They'll likely think it was all some kind of dream," said Kenshin. "I wouldn't put too much thought into it. They were in a trance so the likelihood of them remembering being controlled by a Spirit is highly unlikely."
"That's good." There were some questions Kaoru didn't want to answer right now.
Miraculously, within three short days, Taeko was able to improve. She was more careful now with her work. There had been a few close calls but no disasters. Fortunately for her, this worked in the bespectacled girl's favor.
Miyabi, with a sigh, officially had the girl hired as their live-in maid and the girl joyously hugged her, much to the older woman's surprise. Tina wanted to have a drinking party to celebrate.
Meanwhile, Kenshin smiled at the festivities. He knew that giving Taeko a good luck charm would work. Still, there was something about her that was intriguing. Maybe she did have the gift or maybe she didn't but she was definitely spiritually sensitive to a limited sense. He had banked on her innate abilities to trigger the charm's power and it seemed to be working. Of course, positive thinking was just as powerful if one believed it so either way it was a big help for the girl.
Glancing at Kaoru and Aoi, Kenshin was thinking of what his clan would think of the new Ronin. He hadn't gotten any word but then again the elders of his clan took a long time to debate and deliberate. The most likely conclusion was that they had sent a member of the Hoshikage Clan to observe the new Ronin and report to them personally.
The Hoshikage Clan was a clan of ninjas who served the Tsukitaiyo Clan loyally. Kenshin wasn't too clear on the details on how it began but the Hoshikage Clan had served the Tsukitaiyo Clan for generations. It had been that way for centuries now. Where the Tsukitaiyo excelled in the way of the sword and the samurai arts, the Hoshikage were just as skilled in the way of the ninja and their own arts. They could literally be in a room filled with people and no one would notice them unless they wanted to be noticed. If anyone could get the elders the information they wanted, it was the Hoshikages.
Still, only time will tell. He also had to admire Aoi for her courage. She definitely had talent and skill in order to shoot an arrow like she had that night against the Puppet Spirit. Maybe she had some considerable talent in archery despite her…less than stellar beginnings. He would need to see if her talent manifested more in training.
"Wow, Taeko! Your boobs are getting bigger!"
"Tina-sempai, you're drunk! My glasses! Where are my glasses?"
"Stop this improper behavior right now!"
'Provided we get any room to practice in this growing madhouse,' Kenshin thought to himself.
A/N: And finally we have another update. I know a lot have been waiting for this so thank you for waiting this long.
