On the third morning of the Kanritsu Shageki Taikai, Ukyo walked into Kougakyo, making his way to Sengo Muramasa's gun shop. The old man was waiting for him, a pot of coffee in hand.

Ukyo staggered into the shop, blinking in the dim, smoky air. "Muramasa-sama…you said the Benzaiten would be ready?" Muramasa smiled thinly, pouring a cup of coffee for himself and a large mug for Ukyo, who looked as though he hadn't slept all night.

"It is. However, Ukyo-sama…there is something very important I must discuss with you. Drink this, first." He motioned to the mug in front of him, which Ukyo drained in a single gulp. Newly awake and caffeinated, he blinked and asked, "Yes?"

Muramasa sighed. "You haven't really thought about what your winning might mean, have you?"

Ukyo shrugged, and the elderly gunsmith groaned. "Listen to me. It's been almost a year since the new Amanushi—your cousin--took the throne. He is a good and fair man, and a capable ruler. However…he faces a potential rebellion from a separatist group seeking to put an Amanushi clone in his place. Currently, they are scouring the country for a suitable heir."

Ukyo blinked. Wait…the only Amanushi clones left are me and Kyoichi-kun. But the capital doesn't know about Kyoichi-kun, so that leaves… "Me. You're saying I could be in danger if I win the tournament?"

Muramasa nodded. "The winners of the Kanritsu Shageki Taikai are listed in all the newspapers. They will find you, and they will stop at nothing to force you to aid them…including harming those close to you. Are you sure you still want to compete?"

Ukyo stared into the bottom of his empty mug. If I win, Kirara or the whole village of Kanna might be in danger. But if I lose…Dokumi will have won. I can't let that happen. "I have to compete. I owe it to myself."

Muramasa sighed. Young people are so single-minded…I can't believe I was ever like that. He stood up, crossing the room to a table scattered with small guns and one large gun—Benzaiten. Single-handed, he picked it up and tossed it to Ukyo, who caught it automatically. "Here. Go win that tournament—it will reflect badly on both of us if you lose. Oh, and your sister still needs to give me that gun."

As the teenagers filed off the area floor, Akemi elbowed Kirara in the ribs, motioning to the grownups as they made their way down. "Look—both rifle schools are represented! This is gonna be so cool." At Kirara's blank look, she clarified. "There are two rifle schools in Houtedo—Shiratora and Nakuryuu. And they hate each other. (1.) That woman with the black and white stripes on her sleeves is from Shiratora—see her? She's standing next to my brother. The old man dressed like a Buddhist monk was my brother's sensei from Nakuryuu."


Ukyo's sensei? Hmm…that could be tough for him to beat. Kirara squinted to get a better look at him. He had dark brown skin and the shaved head and austere robes of a monk. Kirara shifted her gaze to Ukyo. Ukyo…please win. Show Dokumi that you can't be beaten. I believe in you.

The judge snapped, "Begin!" The air was filled with the sound of gunshots echoing in the stadium. Ukyo steadied his breathing, closing one eye in order to line up the sights. Still...I have to be very, very still…Now! He fired his ten shots. The woman from Shiratora sneered at him. "You took too long. There's no way you'll win." Ukyo gave her a polite, meaningless smile as the targets were brought back to the range and inspected by the judges.

"The winner of the rifle competition, standard division, is…Ukyo Sadomura!"

Ukyo bowed, a mocking grin on his face. Next to him, the woman cursed. As Akemi cheered and clapped her hands wildly, Kirara smiled, meeting Ukyo's eyes.

As Kirara left the arena, a woman with a nametag asked, "Excuse me?" She blinked. "Me?"

"Yes, you. Are you Kirara?"

She nodded. The woman continued. "My name is Takara Ueda. I'm the range mistress here. Your boyfriend mentioned you yesterday, and I wanted to let you know that yesterday afternoon, I saw a woman loitering around Ukyo-sama's rifle."

Kirara's eyes widened. Dokumi. It has to be her. "Did you get her name?"

"Yes…I think. Hang on." Takara flipped through the papers on the clipboard she carried. "Let's see, let's see…ah! Her name was Dokumi Yamakagashi. She's registered to compete in the shotgun tournament, standard division."

The young mikumari bowed politely. "Thank you." She hurried to catch up with the others, deep in thought.

Akemi, who hadn't heard Kirara's conversation with Takara, was surprised when Kirara grabbed her arm. "Tell Ukyo I'm going to look for a place for us to eat dinner tonight, okay?"

"Why don't you tell him yourself? He's right over—Oh." Akemi had caught sight of her brother, surrounded by people he knew and attempting to carry on conversations with all of them at once. "I'll tell him when he's done talking."

When Ukyo returned to the motel (after selling his broken rifle to a collector), Kazuo was waiting outside, holding his shotgun. He gave Ukyo a pleading look. "Is the range empty?"

"Yes, but—"

"Excellent. I need to practice; can you watch my daughter?"

Ukyo blinked. He just asked me to baby-sit an eight-year-old. How can I get out of this? "Um…I'd like to, but…" Komachi interrupted. "That would be great!" Ukyo turned to his sister, who shrugged. "Sorry. I'm going to the pistol range for a bit. Have fun."

As Kazuo strode off, Ukyo clapped a hand to his forehead and groaned. I hate kids. Well, not Komachi-chan—but she's my future sister-in-law, so it doesn't really count. Where the hell is Kirara when I need her?

Kirara made her way down a side street, glancing around nervously. I can't believe I forgot the program. Now I'm lost and I don't have any way to contact Ukyo…How long have I been walking? Hours? I hope Komachi is alright… A clicking noise from behind caught her attention, and she turned around slowly.

Dokumi walked out from between two stalls, smirking. "Hey, Kirara-chan! What are you doing here? You're not lost, are you? Or…wait, I know. Did Ukyo-chan ditch you? So sad…"

Kirara glared, reaching for her gun. "He didn't ditch me. I told him I was going to find somewhere for us to eat tonight, and I got lost. Now, if you would be so kind as to tell me how to get to the main stadium?"

The older woman drew closer. "Hmm…I think not. Tell me, does Ukyo-chan still love you? Or do you just think he does? You can't really expect to keep his interest without giving up something in return…" Kirara snorted derisively and turned to leave, but was stopped as Dokumi spoke again.

"How did the rifle tournament go? Ukyo-chan couldn't have won, could he?"

Kirara gasped. Spinning around, she drew her gun and leveled it at Dokumi. "You! You were the one who sabotaged Benzaiten!"

Dokumi shrugged. "Of course. Such a shame he didn't try to use his ki…that would have been fun to watch." (2.) Kirara's finger tightened on the trigger, and Dokumi's smile grew. Unnoticed by Kirara, she pulled out a small derringer. "Oh, are you going to shoot me, then? You couldn't hit a barn if you were standing in it."

A shot rang out, and Kirara screamed in pain. Dokumi holstered her gun and calmly walked away.

A short distance away, Akemi and Kazuo stared at each other. Kazuo asked, "Was that Kirara-san?" Akemi had gone pale. "Yeah. Let's go." They found her a thousand yards away in a small alley. She was clutching her left hand, which was bleeding. Her gun lay nearby, shattered.

"Kirara-chan! What happened here?"

She winced, leaning on Akemi as the other girl inspected her hand. Her fingers were bleeding, but there was no bullet wound. "Dokumi…she confronted me." Akemi made a shocked choking noise as she continued, "I was so angry…I had my gun out, but before I could fire…she fired first. Akemi-san, she broke Unkai! Look at it—it's shattered. What should we do?"

Akemi blinked, looking hopefully at Kazuo and mouthing, 'She's not seriously asking me for help, is she?' Kazuo looked baffled, and she sighed, turning back to Kirara. "Can you move your fingers?" Kirara shook her head.

Akemi heaved a dramatic sigh, helping Kirara to her feet. "Okay. Let's head back to the motel—here, lean on me. We'll have to get Komachi to heal you. Kazuo-san, can you get what's left of Kirara-san's revolver?"

He scraped the pieces off the ground, careful of the sharp edges. "Who's this Dokumi person, what the hell is going on, and why did she attack Kirara-san?"

"My brother's evil ex-girlfriend, it's a long story, and she's insane."

Meanwhile, Ukyo was organizing the canvas bag he had brought with him. At the very bottom, he came across a tattered folder. Curious, he pulled it out. 'Results of the Imperial Cloning Project'…I remember this! I thought I lost it. Maybe this will help me learn more about that separatist group Muramasa-sama was talking about…If I'm lucky, I won't be their only target.

Komachi leaned over his shoulder. "Whatcha doin', Ukyo-niisan?" He yelped and dropped the folder, scattering papers on the floor. "Don't do that to me! Where's Yuzu-chan?"

Komachi sighed. "Reading. She brought a lot of books with her—most of them are really silly. We can't even explore this place, because every time she tries to run anywhere she winds up coughing a lot. I'm bored…When's oneesama coming back?"

Ukyo shrugged. "Soon, I hope." The sound of footsteps caught his attention, just before the door burst open. Kazuo held the door open as Akemi entered, supporting Kirara. Ukyo's eyes widened as he saw the blood on her fingers.

"Kirara-kun! What—you're bleeding! Komachi-chan, get the water crystal." She gestured to her wrist, where she was already wearing it. Ukyo uncapped a water bottle and poured it over Kirara's hand, while Komachi pressed the glowing crystal to her sister's wounds. Although they bled freely, the cuts on her fingers were not Komachi's concern; she was more worried about the nerve and muscle damage in the rest of Kirara's hand. (3.) She squeezed her eyes shut tightly as she prayed, and the injuries were gone.

"What happened?"

Kirara sighed, wiping her hand off and settling herself on the edge of the bed. "Dokumi happened. She was the one who sabotaged your rifle—she admitted it to me. And she threatened you…she was hoping you'd use your ki to win the competition. She insulted my shooting ability, and she…she shot Unkai out of my hand; look at it!"

Ukyo growled as he inspected the shattered remains of Kirara's revolver. "I can't believe she'd do this…no, wait. I can. If we tell Security, they'll throw her out of the tournament for this, and we won't have to worry about her. Sound like a plan?"

"No."

He turned to look at Kazuo, who was leaning on the doorframe. The man continued. "She's competing in the shotgun tournament; I saw her name on the roster. I want to beat her myself."

Akemi raised an eyebrow. "Okay…but you do know she's not sane, right? And it wouldn't be much of a challenge to beat her. She's only been shooting since she was 17, and you told me you've been using that shotgun since you were a kid. There are better opponents for you to face."

"Yeah, but this one hurt somebody I know. What does she look like?"

Ukyo replied. "Black hair, purple eyes, and a pierced eyebrow. She'll probably try to cheat by tampering with the sights on her gun, so watch out for that, okay?"

Kazuo nodded. "I'll keep that in mind. Yuzu and I are going to get dinner now—I hope your hand is better, Kirara-san." With that, he left; they heard the door across the hall open and then close.

Kirara and Ukyo looked at each other. Ukyo started to speak, but paused. "I—no, you first. Tell me what's been happening."

Kirara stared at her hands. "I…ran into Dokumi yesterday. She told me…oh, I know she was lying, but I just can't stop thinking about it! She said…that you had tried to rape her. Ukyo-san, are you alright?" He had gone an odd shade of purple, and was making a strangled choking noise. Finally, he burst out, "I—wha—oh, I'm going to kill her! Kirara-kun, please, in the name of all that's good and holy; please tell me you didn't believe her!"

The mikumari shook her head rapidly. "No! But…like I said, it's a bit hard to put it out of my mind…"

Akemi leaned over and poked her brother in the head. "See? This is because you were such an idiot when you first met her! So what are you gonna do about it?"

Ukyo sighed, burying his head in his hands. "…I have no idea. Kirara, you must know I'd never do that to anyone." Kirara smiled at him, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know. I trust you. So, what were you going to say before?"

"Oh, right! Well, when I went to pick up my rifle from Muramasa…" He told them about the separatist group seeking to put an Amanushi replica on the throne. Kirara gasped and Komachi's eyes widened.

"Then you're in danger! Ukyo-niisan, what are we going to do?"

Ukyo shrugged. "According to them, I'm the next Amanushi. I don't really think they'd harm the rightful heir to the throne; do you? Besides, I may not be their only choice. Komachi-chan, can you hand me that folder?" She did so, and he paged through it, explaining, "I was the 49th clone of the emperor. Every one before me died because they couldn't pass the test—except Kyoichi-kun."

Akemi stared at him. I thought so…they're too similar for it to be otherwise. What a coincidence…I wonder how he escaped.

"Anyway, that's not important. There were more clones after me—younger than me, naturally. A lot of them died—you can see where the experiments were marked unsuccessful. If some of them survived…" He reached the end of the lists, and blinked. "Well…there's one, but he's younger than Katsu-kun, so I don't really think he counts…"

Komachi repeated her question. "What are we going to do?" Her stomach rumbled, and she turned red. Ukyo grinned at her. "Where do you want to go for dinner?"

Akemi piped up, "Anywhere but that noodle place by Amami-sensei's stall—I'm starving! We can talk about this stuff after we eat."

The next morning, Kazuo was competing in the shotgun tournament. Ukyo, Kirara, Komachi and Akemi showed up for moral support—and to keep an eye on Yuzu, whose condition had worsened. While waiting for the Standard division to start, Kirara flipped through the program. She stopped at a particular page, staring, before nudging Ukyo in the ribs.

"Ukyo-san…take a look at this. It's the prize money for the competition."

Ukyo stared at it for a few seconds, reading it out loud for the benefit of Yuzu, Komachi and Akemi. "Handgun, junior division—120 thousand yen and the handmade gun Akehime. Handgun, standard division—180 thousand and the 7-shot revolver Suigetsu. Rifle, standard division—300 thousand and the 15-shot autoloader rifle Setsugekka. Shotgun, standard division—360 thousand and the bolt-action vierling shotgun Enrai." (4.)

Akemi's eyes widened. "Holy crap, we're rich again. Now, what to buy first?" She pulled a pencil and a notepad from her bag, scribbling furiously. "New bridge to Kanna…transport ship-thingy…what machines can we use to help with the rice crop? I'll have to check that with Gisaku…new clothes, a better stove…"

Kirara tapped her on the shoulder. "Before you get carried away, don't forget we still have to pay for the stuff you bought, not to mention the food and the rooms."

Yuzu grabbed her arm and pointed down at the arena. "Look! It's my dad and that mean lady he was telling me about!" Kirara followed the girl's line of sight. Sure enough, the standard division was filing down onto the arena floor. Kazuo was scanning the area as he walked, until his eyes fell on Dokumi. He pulled her aside and spoke to her in a low voice. In response, she laughed cruelly, and Kirara saw him clench his fists in rage.

Ukyo sighed and shifted anxiously in his seat. I guess now we'll find out if Kazuo has what it takes to win this. I hope he does, for Yuzu's sake. She started to cough, and Kirara handed her a tissue.

"And…begin!"

The contestants brought their guns to their shoulders and fired. When the smoke cleared, the judge brought the targets back to the range and inspected them, occasionally placing one behind the other for comparison. Finally, he cleared his throat and spoke. "The winner of the shotgun competition, standard division, is…Kazuo Morita!"

Ukyo glared at Dokumi. She looked up, eyes falling on him, and smirked. Although he couldn't hear her words over the crowd, he had no doubt they were full of malice. In return, he shot her a cheery grin. Let's see you plot to destroy me when you're banned from every gun tournament in the country. You won't even be able to buy ammunition at a hardware store.

As the stadium emptied, Ukyo left his seat and maneuvered through the crowds until he reached a heavyset man wearing the uniform of a security guard. "Excuse me, sir? Ukyo Sadomura, from Kanna. I think there's something you should take a look at." Out of his pocket, he produced the shattered remains of Unkai, which he handed to the guard. "For evidence."

The guard blinked. "Wow, this gun…there's a bullet hole in it. Is that blood on the grip? What happened?" Ukyo nodded. "A friend of mine was injured when this gun was shot out of her hand…by Dokumi Yamakagashi. Do you see her? The woman in the button-down shirt? She's coming this way."

As she passed, the guard reached out and grabbed her wrist. "We'll have to take you in for questioning, miss." She struggled wildly, slapping the guard in the face with her free hand. By this time, Kirara and the others had caught up to Ukyo, and they watched as more security guards arrived to subdue her.

Ukyo caught Kirara's eye and informed her, "Even if they don't find any evidence that Dokumi tried to shoot you, the fact that she's resisting arrest is enough to ban her from the tournament permanently. By the way, they had to take your gun as evidence; sorry about that."

Kirara replied, "It's alright. The gun was totally broken anyway…although I will miss shooting."

Later that night, the main stadium was once again in use, as the winners received their prizes. This time, it was a different judge—a red-headed woman—who announced the winners. As she said each name, the champion crossed the arena to receive their prizes.

"Handguns, children's--Tatsumi Amami, Ryuuza. Handguns, junior--Akemi Sadomura, Akehime. Handguns--standard: Ukyo Sadomura, Suigetsu." In the stands, Muramasa beamed. Tatsumi and Akemi grinned at each other as they ascended the stage that had been set up. Ukyo studied his gun, turning it over in his hands and noticing the waves engraved on it.

"Rifles, children's—Sora Kindaichi, Amakaze. Rifles, junior's—Yoshiko Hitsugaya, Raihane. Rifles, standard—Ukyo Sadomura, Setsugekka. Heavy artillery…" Ukyo stopped paying attention, inspecting his new rifle. It's so pretty. And so bright—I bet I could use it for a mirror. He snapped back to attention when the last name was called.

"Shotguns, standard—Kazuo Morita, Enrai! That concludes this year's Kanritsu Shageki Taikai. Winners, you will receive your prize money on the way out upon presentation of your ID cards, after expenses have been deducted."

Reporters nearly mobbed the stage, and Ukyo instinctively grabbed his sister's arm. "Don't you hate it when this happens?" She yelled back, "Yeah—but I know you don't! Do you see Kirara anywhere?" No sooner did she ask this question than she caught sight of Kirara's red headdress, and waved away the reporters. "Okay, calm down, nothing to write home about, move alo—HEY!" One had moved a little bit too close for comfort. "MOVE IT! Go interview someone else and leave me and my brother alone!" Sensibly, they retreated, leaving Akemi and Ukyo by themselves.

While Akemi went off in search of Muramasa, Ukyo approached Kirara, holding out his new revolver. "Here."

She stared up at him. "But…I can't take this! It's yours; you won it." He pressed it into her hands, bending her fingers around it. "You need to be able to protect yourself, Kirara. Please, take it. It seems to have been made for your hands." She blushed, sliding the gun into her holster before suddenly burying her face in his chest.

"I swear I'll always treasure it, and I'll work hard to master it. You'll never need to rescue me again."

The next morning, a shabby-looking man burst into a barber shop, ignoring the "Closed" sign on the door and waving the morning paper. "Ikemizu-sama! We've found him!"

The barber looked up from his novel and snapped. "Well, don't just stand there, idiot! Show me the article!" He skimmed the paper, grinning as he saw the picture someone had taken of Ukyo as he received his new rifle.

"Excellent. Good job, Terada. I can finally cease this miserable excuse for an existence and regain my rightful place! I believe our next Amanushi may require some convincing, though…"

Author's Notes

1. Shiratora means "white tiger" and Nakuryuu means "crying dragon." There is a legend that when a dragon and a tiger meet, they will always fight. The rivalry between the two schools stems from the fact that while their colors are similar, their Houtedo styles are radically different. Shiratora focuses on rapid, accurate fire, while Nakuryuu focuses on inner calm—holding the body still until a perfect shot is lined up. Because of this, Nakuryuu masters never miss.

The legend of Nakuryuu (borrowed from a real-world legend about some temple in Japan) goes like this. A grand temple was built, with a dragon painted on the ceiling. When the people went to the temple to pray, the dragon gave a great cry, as though in joy or pain. Later, the temple was abandoned, and Ukyo's sensei founded the Nakuryuu School of Houtedo as a division of the older Ryugujo School.

2. If Ukyo had tried to channel his ki through a gun as badly damaged as Benzaiten, it would have shattered. The correct stance for a rifle involves bringing the stock to your cheek and using both hands to hold it. If it had broken, Ukyo would have been seriously injured or killed, and Kirara was aware of this.

3. Having something shot out of your hand would result in severe damage to your fingers, palm, and wrist. If Komachi had not healed Kirara right away, she would never have been able to use that hand again.

4. A vierling shotgun is a gun with four barrels. Since a bolt-action gun would need to be reloaded after every shot, having four barrels means the shooter can go four times as long without reloading. Enrai means "distant thunder", while Setsugekka (Ukyo's new, shiny rifle) means "snow, moon, and flowers", and Suigetsu means "water moon."

Next Chapter

The gang returns to Kanna, and Sanae's had her baby! (Remember she was pregnant?) But while they celebrate, a new force begins to threaten Kanna-mura and everything Ukyo holds dear…When the riches and power he once gave up are offered to him again, will he accept, and leave Kirara behind? Or will love for her prove stronger? Don't miss the next chapter of Second Chances!