Elvengirl: Hey everyone, sorry for the late update. I've just been really busy lately.
Legualt: Guess it's time for the usual rant.
Elvengirl: Yup. Kyoto arc is going well. I'm at the Saitou vs. Kenshin fight now, and I got volume seven of the anime back from my friend so I rewatched that fight, and now I'm going start writing it. Chapter eighteen if you can believe it. G-project is also going well. I have all the information I need now, and ideas are coming smoothly so I should have chapter one up soon. We also got Naruto on my local anime provider. The dub's not bad...I'm just starting to think that the show's overrated.
Legault: And now, the sad news.
Elvengirl: I might not be able to update next week as I am catching up to myself. I want to get ahead in my notebook by at least one volume before I update again. So expect the next update in about two weeks, or so. but now, on with the fic.
Cast:
Tsukuyama Yuzaemon: Moulder.
"Isurugi Brendan...wish I hadn't missed him. He sounded interestin," sighed Hector, chewing on a fishbone.
"Interesting?" Lyn exclaimed, "Maekawa Dojo has to close because of him!" She began to swing at Hector with a shinai. Hector caught it at the tip and held it fast. Karel and Guy watched.
"But that's life, right? Sure that Carlyle -guy lost, but it was a legit match. You can't blame the other guy for being "to strong", right Karel?" Hector glanced at his silent friend. Karel nodded, to deep in thought to respond. 'That man was past dojo challenges, so why would he, who despises shinai and uses satsugin-ken go around challenging dojos?'
"Excuse me, but is Himura Karel-san available?"
Guy, Lyn, and Hector looked over. Karel awoke from his thoughts. An older man, dressed in western fasion, stood at the gate. Karel stood up.
"This one is Himura," Karel walked toward the man.
"Here you are." The man handed Karel a piece of paper.
"An invitation?" Karel questioned, turning the paper over. The man nodded. Karel blinked. The name on the back was Isurugi Brendan.
"Invitation...or letter of challenge?" Hector asked skeptically.
"I am only the butler, but I do have a carraige outside so please..."
What else could Karel-gumi do but aquiest.
The carraige ride took them to a large house. It was of traditional Japanese design, with a massive garden in the front. The butler had given Karel-gumi directions to the front door, but all they could do was stare in awe. Finally, after about three minutes, Karel began to walk to the door. Lyn, Hector and Guy followed like sheep.
"So...this Brendan-guy. He some sort of rich, gambling guy?" asked Hector, looking at Lyn.
"No way. He's a scruffy, muscle-man," she replied with a snap. She was still annoyed at Hector for earlier. Hector looked away, unbothered by Lyn's tone.
"You must be Himura-san," said a voice. Karel and the others looked up. An older man was coming towards them. He wore traditional Japanese clothing, but of the highest quality. Clearly this man was a merchant. Hector turned to Lyn.
"Izzat Brendan?"
"Nope."
"I'm the owner of this house, Tsukuyama Moulder at your service."
"Tsukuyama...so you're that little jerk's father!" Guy exclaimed, before recieving a kick to the head.
"Who's a jerk!" yelled Nils, "Brendan-sensai only invited Himura! You're not supposed to be here!"
"Nils, these are our guests. Be nice," Moulder ordered. Nils turned away with a glare. Guy stared at him with ferocity, desperate for vengence. Moulder bowed, slightly embaressed.
"I apologize for my son's rudeness."
"No need," Karel bowed back.
"I'll take you to Brendan-sensai now. Nils, please entertain his friends." Moulder headed toward another part of the garden, Karel in tow. Nils glared at them, then gave an annoyed glance to Hector, Lyn, and Guy.
"Well, c'mon. You can have the leftovers and dregs of the tea," sighed Nils. Hector blinked and began to unwrap his wristbands. He gave Nils a secretive smile, which caused Nils to take a step back.
"Such hospitality, but I'm afraid we'll have to decline."
Karel followed Moulder through the garden, half-listening to the older man's ramblings. Moulder explained that he exported Japanese katana and other swords to Europe as works of art. Prosperity had a price, however and he and Nils had been attacked by bandits months prior. Brendan Reed was on the same road and stepped in to save them. Since then, Brendan had stayed with them, agreeing to train Nils in swordsmanship."
"...A man must always be prepared for combat, wouldn't you agree?" Moulder asked.
"Oro? Oh...uh..." Karel never got a chance to answer the question, as they had arrived at their destination. They had reached a small pond. There was a small bridge that lay across the pond. Brendan Reed stood with his back to them. He wore clothing similar to that of Moulder, but in black, and still gave off an intimidating aura. He turned to look at Karel as he approached the bridge. The two stared at each other in silence.
"So that's Brendan?" muttered Hector, as he, Lyn, and Guy watched from one end of the pond. Lyn looked over at him.
"Are you sure the kid's going to be okay?" she asked.
"Who cares about him?" Guy responeded snarkly. Using Hector's wristbands and Guy's shinai cord, they had tied Nils to a tree and gagged him.
"Shut up, they're talking," Hector snapped.
"What did you want, Brendan?" Karel asked in a quiet voice, looking up at the big man.
"Himura...what do you think of today's swordsmanship? Do you find it starved in spirit? Weak? It gets weaker every year. It is a law of nature that the weak shall always be conquered. Himura, will you join Shinko-ryu and help us revive Japanese sword arts?"
There was a long silence, as everyone waited for Karel's reply.
"Become your student?" Karel inquired.
"No. All you need is to be strong," Brendan replied, regarding Karel intently.
"So, it's not so much a school as it is a league of swordsman..."
"I have scoured many dojos all over Japan and found few swordsman worthy of joining Shiko-ryu. You are the first to dodge the Izuna. If you join shinko-ryu, we can put an end to the five hundred schools of modern-swordsmanship."
"An end? Were you not just speaking of a revival?" Karel asked, not liking where this was going.
"It is a revival, but first the trash hs to be cleared. First we crush "shinai swordsmanship" and then, bring back true kenjutsu, with Shinko-ryu setting its standards! And never will we weaken! With quality, rather than quantity, will we achieve an invunerable kenjuts, one that will not fall. Lend me your strength, Himura."
"Ancient kenjutsu is satsujin-ken, meant for war. Are you aware of that?" Karel's eyes had narrowed into a glare.
"Of course. Kenjutsu was originally the art of killing. Shinai kenjutsu is a sham."
"If those are your true feelings, then we shall never agree. Killing is what this one prohibits."
"Do you not care for the future of swordsmanship?"
"Of course I do, but if it means a future of wonton killing, then this one wants no part of it. Go start shinko-ryu is you must, but if you remove those who don't share your ideals, then you can expect this one to stop you."
"It looks like the only way we can communicate now is through our blades." Brendan drew out a large katana. Karel simply glared back, unmoving.
"They're not moving," said Guy with impatience.
"Neither is is the kind to charge straight out. Both are waiting for the other to move first," Lyn explained.
In an instant, Brendan had leapt and begun a downswing. Karel drew out his katana with the god-like speed of the Hiten-Mitsurugi style, blocking the attack. They moved back, each waiting for the other to make the next move.
"So this is a match between two great swordsman," said Moulder, coming up behind them. "Don't mind me, I'll just leave the tea here."
"The moment's lost...we'll postpone this, but you will join me or die," Brendan delivered his ultimatum.
"Neither is accepted," was Karel's reply. Brendan left, leaving Karel standing on the bridge.
"So that's over," muttered Hector.
"I feel like I'm forgetting something..." Lyn trailed off until it hit her like a brick.
"I will never forgive any of you!" Nils exclaimed, after they returned to untie him.
"Whatever," sighed Hector, giving Nils a pat on the head, no remorse what so ever.
"DON'T PAT ME!"
"You tied him to a tree?" Karel glanced at Lyn.
"Hector...not me."
"You're all talk! If you're so good at swords, then you can face me, but with a shinai!" Guy challenged Nils, as they left. Nils glared at Guy long after he was out of sight.
The Next Morning...
Nils stood outside Kamiya dojo, in a cloak and holding a shinai.
"I came like you said," he told Guy, who stood with Lyn and Karel, all of them bleary eyed.
"Do you know what time it is?" asked Guy, rubbing his eyes.
"We didn't set a time! Now fight me!"
A few minutes later, Guy faced Nils in the dojo. Karel watched from the sidelines. Lyn stood between the two kids.
"Round one...go..." Lyn muttered. She was still not awake. Guy slammed his shinai on her head, in order to wake her up. Lyn hit Guy back. Karel got up and seperated them.
"Let's go!" yelled Nils, who held the shinai with his hands together, up near the hilt.
"You're holding the shinai wrong..." Guy began.
"Yeah, you usually hold it with one hand at each end," Lyn explained.
"I've only been trained for real swords! So what if I can't hold a shinai!" Nils exploded.
"Real swords and shinai are held the same way..." Karel smiled, sheepishly. There was a long silence.
"So you were just bluffing all this time. You came early to catch me when I was sleepy. What a waste of time." Guy turned and left. Nils just stood there, unable to say anything. Guy had hit the nail on the head.
"Brendan doesn't teach you?" Karel asked.
"He's to busy with Shinko-ryu. I can't be selfish and get in the way," Nils answered in a somber tone.
"Well, since you came all this way, I'll teach you," smiled Lyn, who knelt down and began to position Nils's hands in the correct way to hold a shinai. Nils blushed, not expecting the sudden attention.
"Why are you blushing, pervert?" smirked Guy. Nils glared at him, infuriorated.
"Guy, don't tease him," scolded Lyn.
"Fooey."
The rest of the morning went without a hitch. Lyn was impressed at how quickly Nils caught on and worked on his skills. Guy, on the other hand, sat in the corner and sulked. After a few hours, Karel came in with food.
"I think it's time for a break, that I do. I brought some onigiri." Karel handed a packet to Guy, who tore into the meal with ferocity.
"Guy is sulking..." Karel whispered into Lyn's ear, as he handed her her meal. Lyn mearly snubbed the comment off, much to Guy's annoyance. Karel smiled and wandered over to Nils, who promptly refused the offer.
"It's alright, these are much safer than Lyn-dono's are." Karel recieved a blow on the head for that comment. "Anyway, is kenjutsu with shinai fun?"
"It's just play," Nils complained.
"Isn't play supposed to be fun?"
"I suppose, but it won't get me stronger." Nils's eyes burned with a sudden fire.
"Oro?"
"I'm going to be an invicible swordsman like sensai. I'll show my father, who threw away his pride, becoming a merchant, selling katana, the soul of the samurai, to foriegn countries. I will show him how a true samurai lives!"
Karel nodded, realising that despite the different reasons for fighting, both Nils and Guy had a similar pride. Lyn realised it to.
"Nils, you won't get stronger if you're not taught, so if you're up to it, why not join this dojo?" Lyn asked. Guy gasped.
Outside, four men stared at the dojo sign.
"Kamiya Kasshin ryu...this must be it..."
"The master has acknowledged this man.."
"Don't let your gaurd down."
"Me...join Kamiya-Kasshin ryu?" Nils repeated the request.
"The idea has merits," Karel agreed.
"Like none! He's Brendan's apprentice! A second-rate punk! WHAT ARE YOU AND KAREL THINKING?" Guy protested.
"Are you afraid that if I train here, I'd get stronger than you?" Nils asked with a smirk. Lyn and Karel fell over. Guy almost snapped.
"You'll never get stronger1"
"What did you say?"
Nils and Guy were at each other's throats. Lyn was trying to pull them apart. Karel looked up toward the door.
"Everyone! To the wall!"
Lyn grabbed Nils and Guy, flying to the wall just as a spearpoint flew through the door. Karel split the door with his sword, as three swordsmen leapt into the dojo, landing in a circle around him. They all wore pointed hats, similar to that of Brendan's. Each removed their hat in turn.
"We are..."
"The hat makes it obvious. Brendan's shinko-ryu, correct?"
"Yes, then we'll cut to the chase," A tall man holding a double-bladed katana spoke, "Will you join us?"
Each member of Shinko-ryu pointed their weapon at Karel.
"Whether you've some to argue or threaten, this one's answer will not be changed."
"Then death awaits you!" the four chorused, lauching into a group assault. Karel leapt up. The large spearman thrust his weapon upward. Karel intercepted the spearpoint with his blade, slidding down to connect with the man's face. The spearman was knocked out.
"Impressive, but can you handel three-on-one?" asked a goblin-like swordsman.
"You mean two-on-one?" corrected Karel, as the other member of shinko-ryu fell. The remaining two realised that when they struck as a group, Karel had taken out one in midair.
"I will go," said the man with the double-blades. He attacked, faster than Karel, putting Karel on the defensive. There was little room for a counterattack. The man began another attack, giving Karel just enough of an opening to take him out.
"You...are strong. This is why...he wanted...you...destroyed..." The man collapsed. Only the goblin-like one was left, and he decided to bolt. Hector grabbed the man's head as came in the door.
"Running away and leaving your comrades. Less than impressive."
"Let him go Hector. Go and tell Brendan to come by himself, or stop making this one fight unwanted battles."
Hector watched the man run, then turned to Karel.
"Why am I always gone when you have the fun fights..."
"Maybe they are fun for you..."
Nils sat back against the wall, staring at Karel in amazement.
"He is really powerful. Who is this man?"
Elvengirl: I'm so sorry this is late. I kept getting sidetracked and kept running out of time. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter at least.
Reviews:
Nightmare3: Thank you very much. It's good to hear that I've improved. I hope I can keep doing so.
Authorofthedark: Thanks. And if you want I could read your stories and critique you...not that my advice is worth much.
Wandering Cat: I'm glad that you like this version better to. I totally prefer this to the anime. Raijuta's defeat is so much cooler, but I won't say much to avoid spoilers. If you want to read the actual version, it's in volumes five and six of the manga. I'll get back to you with the chapters.
Next time: The Raijuta Arc concludes.