A/N: Man, it looks like I managed to get this one out quicker than I thought, albeit its a shorter chapter as well. However, its been quite a good while since I've drawn battle scenes (since I often make them short in a sense). But despite this, I hope you enjoy the next installment!
The Kawasabus War Begins! Matt Wilde Vs. The Wolf of Mibu
Kawasabus, a region within the northern/central part of the state of Ohio, and known by the inhabitants for the Neo-Shogunate regime it bore within the region. While a rural region, the number of mammals residing within the region had been great. The townsfolk residing within the entire region farmers, modern samurai, or clan members residing either on the Neo-Shogunate regime or the Neo-Imperialist extremists.
And as of tonight, Kawasabus has reached the pinnacle of chaos, and all hell was literally breaking loose all across the entire region. The starting point: the town of Kawasabus itself, the rural city in which the entire region is named after. Fires were set ablaze across the town and explosives were going off in the busier parts of the rural city. Gunfire can be heard throughout parts of the town even as the fires continue to rage onward, with many of the residents and even some of the Neo-Imperialist extremist fleeing the scene of the ongoing battle.
Not even the Neo-Imperialists or the civilians aligned to them were strong enough to hold back he first and third squadrons of the Neo-Shinsengumi, whom were slaying everybody who resisted them without mercy. Many of them were currently in pursue of those involved or suspected to be involved in the affairs of the Neo-Imperialist clans.
Including both Judy Hopps and her father, Stu Hopps.
Now that the two rabbits were mentioned, both Hopps were currently in the midst of fleeing from the Neo-Shinsengumi squadrons and heading towards their truck near the other side of town. If they didn't have to take care of any last minute business within the busiest district in town, the two rabbits would've had their truck parked closer to them, and they would've been out of the region and immediately on their way back to Bunnyburrow.
Shortly after finding Thrandeer and telling him what happened in New Otsu earlier this morning, the two immediately went to the office to turn in the keys they had belonging to their temporary home here along with taking care of the necessary paperwork. Unfortunately, because many of the mammals were in the midst of getting the hell out of there, along with their own negligence to take care of the paperwork because of the search for Thrandeer, they ended up getting stuck in lines lasting so long, they were literally stuck in line throughout the entire day.
To make matters worse, by the time they managed to turn in their key and take care of the required paperwork, all hell broke loose within the town to the point buildings were set ablaze, blood painted the streets, and the Neo-Shogunate forces were attacking the Neo-Imperialists and anybody who opposed them. Hell, it even got to the point where they attacked anybody who got in their way, regardless of who they were.
On a more positive note, however, at least they (more or less Judy in this case) were better prepared for the harsh, cold weather outside.
Instead of the thin, black, slim fitting hoodie she wore this morning, she now wore a midnight blue hoodie that was much thicker in material, and was worn over her dark lavender colored thermal shirt. Het legs were still covered by a pair of tight fitting, sanded blue jeans and accentuated the curvature of her hips. This time, however, she wore a pair of black tight fitting long john pants underneath her jeans for extra warmth. Her ankles were still covered by a pair of black binds, which not only were the leg openings of her jeans tucked into them, but they gave an appearance much similar to open toe combat boots. Her hand-paws were still covered by the same cloth lavender gloves, accompanied by a pair of black samurai tekkou bracers being worn on top of them.
Stu's clothing were practically the same ones he wore this morning. His torso was again covered by a thick, brown jacket with a gray sweater being worn underneath his coat. His legs, once again, were covered by a pair of black corduroy pants, and the thick material that made them kept his legs from freezing in the bitter cold that took over the region. This time, however, his feet-paws were covered in a pair of black open toe boots much similar to his daughter's, albeit thicker and made of leather. However, he still wore a pair of black cloth gloves that were neither too thick nor too thin, just enough to keep them warm and mobile.
As Stu and Judy turn into the left alleyway with numerous civilians and unarmed Neo-Imperialists, they continue to sprint away from the first and third squadrons of the Neo-Shinsengumi. At first, it looked like they managed to get away from the Neo-Shogunate forces. But as Judy looked behind her, however, she spotted the Neo-Shinsengumi turning into the alley and gradually catching up with them. She saw how their eyes looked on their faces, bloodthirsty and filled with a sense of justice, righteous or not, the way they flew the red Neo-Shogunate flag, and how their right hand-paws were gripped on the hilt of their katanas. Her eyes widen and a loud gasp leaves her mouth, right before turning towards the front and attempting to increase the pace of her running.
"This way, I've found them!" one of the Neo-Shinsengumi members, particularly a black and white furred timber wolf, shouted loudly enough to catch the attention of the fleeing civilians and the Neo-Imperialists alike. Stu turned his head towards the right and looked behind him, his already panicked eyes widening at the sight of the oncoming forces approaching them. He quickly turns his head towards the front and continued sprinting away from the approaching armies, despite his panting breaths becoming heavier.
"The extremists are over here!" another Neo-Shinsengumi member, another timber wolf with brown, gray, and white fur shouted loudly, even as many of the troops drew their swords from their sheaths, pointing their blades directly at their targets in front of them.
"Over here! This way!"
"Hurry!"
"C'mon, they're over here!"
Many of the Neo-Shinsengumi members, wolves, foxes, and even the occasional husky exclaimed these words even as they rush towards their targets, some of their hand-paws grabbing the hilt of their swords and some of them gripping the handles of their flashlights or lamps.
"Halt! In the name of the Kawasabus Neo-Shogunate!", another voice from one of the Neo-Shinsengumi members, this one a black and gray furred timber wolf.
Stu attempted to increase the pace of his sprinting in order to catch up with his daughter, since she was already nearly several yards in front of him. But right as he slightly sped up the pace, he suddenly slips on an unnoticeable sheet of ice and lands face first. His cry of pain immediately stopped Judy on her tracks and instantly turns towards her father.
"Dad!" Judy exclaimed with a gasp right before rushing towards her father's side, immediately kneeling down and attempting to help her father back up onto his feet-paws. Although the force of the impact was painful, Stu was lucky he only got a bloodied nose instead of a broken nose and possible broken buck teeth. "Are you alright?!" she exclaimed, completely unaware with the fact the black and gray furred wolf belonging to the first squadron of the Neo-Shinsengumi was about to attack. Stu looks to his daughter and was about to answer, but the corner of his right eye captures the sight of the wolf's raised blade and immediately gasps with shock. Not only was he terrified at the wolf's drawn blade, but with who the intended target was!
"Judy, WATCH OUT!" Stu shouted right before grabbing his daughter and pushing her out of harm's way, even if he collapsed a second time after pushing her out of the way. Judy once again turns towards her father and immediately realized the danger he was now in, her amethyst eyes widening in horror as the wolf swung his blade downward directly at her father.
"DAD!" Judy shouted and attempted to sprint towards her father, but a pair of arms similar to her size wrapped around her and stopped her from progressing, much to her dismay. She was struggling in the mammal's arms and was about to kick the person. But as soon as amethyst met sapphire, her eyes widened as soon as she realized who it was.
Stu immediately got onto his knees and crouched, shielding his head with his arms and closing his eyes. He waited for the wolf's blade to strike him down and death to claim him.
Alas, the hand of death never came, nor did the wolf's blade strike him down as the wolf intended.
Instead, an agonizing cry left the wolf's muzzle right as he was struck down by nearly two dozen sweeps of another mammal's blade, all a mixture of horizontal, vertical, and diagonal alike. Blood immediately painted the walls of the surrounding buildings along with the partially ice covered brick floor. Slowly but surely, Stu reopened his eyes and looked up at the mammal who had saved him. As soon as he laid eyes on the brown haired, orange, cream, and auburn fox in front of him, his eyes widened with shock.
Matt Wilde, a fox no less, had miraculously saved his life.
The old buck noticed Matt's upper body was covered in a black hoodie with a similarly colored, tight fitting long john shirt being worn underneath his jacket. His legs had been covered by a pair of dark green, well fitted cargo pants, with the leg openings being tucked into his black open toe combat boots. The reynard's hand-paws were covered by a pair of black cloth gloves, and a pair of similarly colored samurai tekkou bracers covered his forearms and the back of his hand-paws, much of which were covered by his long john shirt and hoodie. His long, brown hair was tied back in a high ponytail, and like much of his clothing, the ponytail itself was black to complete the coloration of much of his attire. But what caught Stu's eyes the most was the purple silk scarf that once belonged to his late aunt, Tomoe.
Gripped in his right hand-paw was his twenty six inch blade lengthed katana, which was now stained with the wolf's blood. But completely unknown to the buck, Matt was glaring directly at the Neo-Shinsengumi standing about ten yards in front of him. And as he kept his eyes fixed upon them, he raised his freshly blood stained sword with the sharp edge pointing directly at the Neo-Shinsengumi
"Leave them alone", Matt warned, his brows furrowed and his jade green eyes glaring directly at the wolf with black and white fur on his body.
"Who the hell are you?" the black and white furred timber wolf asked, yet the stern look was never erased from the fox's face.
"I'm only gonna give you one chance to withdraw. Either go back the way you came…" Matt ordered, his grip on the hilt of his sword tightening slightly, along with both his brows furrowing and eyes slightly narrowing. But even the slightest furrow of his brows and the slightest narrow of his eyes made a BIG difference in the way his gaze pierced the others. "Or die" shortly after the fox said those words, the wolf narrowed his own eyes and took a closer glance at him. But as soon as he saw a couple distinguishing factors on the fox, his eyes widen with shock and he, along with many others, began to tremble with fear.
"H-holy shit…" the black and white furred wolf muttered, his voice trembling and his jaw quivering with fear.
"Brown hair… a cross shaped scar on the left cheek…!" another Neo-Shinsengumi member muttered in fright, this one being a brown, black, and light gray furred wolf. "He can't be…"
"Dammit! It's the Battousai!"
"Matt Wilde!"
Even as the words left his mouth, many of the Neo-Shinsengumi troops were already trembling in fear, many of them even starting to take a few steps away from the Battousai. Even in his presence, however, none of them heeded Matt's warning and remained where they stood. Whether they feared the assassin or not, fleeing the scene would go against an old samurai motto that became the one true sense of justice amongst the modern samurai in Kawasabus.
Aku Soku Zan! Meaning 'Swift Death to Evil' or more commonly translated as 'Slay Evil Immediately'. It was the one true justice shared between both the Neo-Shinsengumi and modern day manslayers alike. It was also the motto the original Shinsengumi and other manslayers, shogunate and imperialist alike, followed during the Bakumatsu period.
Even as the Neo-Shinsengumi remain where they are, Matt turns his head to the left and gazes directly at Judy, whom was no longer held back in Jenny's arms and now resided next to her father. He gazed at the rabbit looking at her father and asking if he was alright. And in that moment, he knew what he had to do… even if it was abhorred. The tod closed his eyes and grabs a hold of his wakizashi by its sheath, pulling it off of his his belt and keeping a firm grip on the fox-sized weapon.
"Judy…" Matt began, causing the gray furred bunny's ears to perk upward and turn her attention at the fox. "You're going to need this", while the words left his mouth, the fox pulls his wakizashi back a bit and throws the sheathed weapon towards her, with Judy managing to catch the weapon with both arms at the last second. The weight of the weapon was honestly not surprising in the least since it was meant to be carried by a fox. But what surprised the hell out of her was the fact not only was the blade length of the wakizashi sixteen inches long, but the hilt was somewhere around six inches in length.
Yet as she held the weapon in the midst of chaos, everything suddenly clicked and her eyes immediately widened at what he was implying.
"W-whoa, hold on a second, Matt!" Judy was about to refuse and throw the fox-sized wakizashi back to Matt even as the words came out of her mouth, but the tod raised his left hand-paw upward and silenced whatever words prepared to come out of the bunny's mouth.
"Listen to me carefully, because I'm only gonna say this once", the tone in which Matt said those words immediately caught the Judy off guard. As calm as they were, his words were stern on a level the rabbit couldn't comprehend. "I'm giving you my wakizashi because its your last chance to get out of here alive with your father. And if you wanna get out of this god forsaken place, you have no choice but to get your hand-paws stained with blood", as soon as that left his mouth, Judy suddenly gasped with shock, her mouth agape, and her eyes were wide open. She was about to reply, but again, the fox held his left hand-paw up and prevented her from speaking. "Listen, I understand your reluctance on the matter. Believe me, believe me, I was like that when Thrandeer gave me the proposition four years ago. But in order to get out of Kawasabus alive, you're gonna have to slay every mammal you cross that tries to kill either one of you without hesitation", the fox explained, right before pausing briefly enough to let a calm sigh leave his mouth. "I'm sorry, Judy… but that's the inevitable truth", he added, right before turning his head back towards the Neo-Shinsengumi and narrows his eyes at them.
"Matt…" Judy spoke softly, lowering her arms even as her grip remained firm on the weapon in her possession. But before she could say anything else, her ears perk at the sound of footsteps heading towards their direction. She turns her head towards the Neo-Shinsengumi and spotted the source of the noise.
Alas, she, along with Matt, spotted a folf with light gray and white fur, with black fur on his forearms and forelegs, both of which were covered by a pair of black samurai tekkou bracers and black open toe combat boots respectively. His eyes glistened a brown color and his hair matched the color of his eyes. With the exception of his bangs, the folf's hair was tied back in a high ponytail, much similar to how most samurai had their hair tied back. He was roughly about a foot taller than Matt, yet the difference in height didn't bother the Battousai one bit.
Matt narrows his eyes at the folf as if he were discerning his features. It didn't take him long to recognize who he actually was.
"Lieutenant?" one of the Neo-Shinsengumi members, brown, black, and white furred timber wolf asked upon seeing the folf step forth
"I've found you at last, Battousai. I was beginning to think I'd have to hunt you down myself, but it looks like you saved me the hassle by coming out into the open", the folf said with a soft smirk plastered on his face, his brows slightly furrowed and his eyes half-lidded even as he grabs the hilt of his katana and drew his blade out of its sheath.
"I could say the same to you, Okita Soji, leader of the first squadron of the Neo-Shinsengumi", Matt replied, his tone calm, yet his expression was cold and determined to the core.
Both men kept their eyes locked on one another and their blades drawn, none of them making a single movement. Curiosity and anxiety began to fill the ongoing stillness between one another, everyone waiting to see who would be the first to attack. It was almost starting to become excruciating to say the least! Will the leader of the first squadron of the Neo-Shinsengumi be the first to strike, or the Neo-Imperialist assassin? Nobody was certain.
The question was soon answered the instant Okita started dashing towards the fox with his weapon raised upward, his eyes widening slightly and the smirk removed from his muzzle. He strikes the fox with a vertical sweep, but the Battousai blocks the attack swiftly with a loud 'CLINK', the fox's blade tilted perpendicularly in order to properly block it. Matt seizes the opportunity to push Okita back in an attempt to attack. However, the Neo-Shinsengumi leader quickly counters by thrusting the blade in front of him. Alas the attempt failed when Matt easily evaded the attack by jumping nearly eight yards backwards with a back flip.
As soon as the assassin landed on his feet, the fox rushes towards the folf with his blade pulled back. He performs a diagonal sweep an attempt to slay his opponent, but Okita was swift enough to block the attack with little effort. Okita's left hand-paw pressed against the back of his own blade to add more than enough force to push the fox backwards. Again, he immediately sought the opportunity to strike his opponent with another thrust. But because of Matt's lightning speed, he dodges the attack without a single effort.
But that didn't stop the leader of the first Neo-Shinsengumi squadron from continuing his feeble attempts.
As the battle between Matt Wilde and Okita Soji continued to progress, the Neo-Shinsengumi, along with Judy, Stu, and Jenny watched the entire fight with their very eyes. Both parties had to admit both warriors had an incomprehensible level of swordsmanship, both almost seeming to be on par with one another. The Neo-Shinsengumi, while silently rooting for their leader to win the fight, had to admit Matt was much better than they had expected. Jenny, Stu, and Judy, while rooting for Matt to win the battle, also admitted Okita was much better than they had expected as well.
Now the only remaining question now is who would be the winner of the battle. Will it be Matt? Or Okita?
But their thoughts were lost as soon as they heard a loud 'SHIIIIING' sound caused by Okita's blade sliding against Matt's raised own. Okita attempted to thrust his blade at the assassin a moment ago, but the fox easily blocked it with his blade raised, thus causing the back of Okita's blade to slide against the sharp end of Matt's own.
Yet right after his failed attempt to strike the assassin down, the folf suddenly started coughing almost violently to the point blood started spattering out of his muzzle. That immediately sent questions coursing through the minds of all witnesses within the area. Why was Okita coughing up blood all of the sudden? And was it because of the force behind Matt's defense? Or something else.
The questions continued to form in everyone's minds, yet as they kept staring at the folf, Jenny's eyes widen slightly and immediately recognizes the symptoms.
"Tuberculosis…" Jenny uttered softly, but both Judy and Stu's ears perk at this and instantly turn towards her. "He has tuberculosis", the bunny repeated right after turning her attention towards the other two rabbits. But before she could continue, Okita's panting breaths catch their attention and notice how the corners of his mouth were dripping in blood.
"That's enough, Okita, you can't beat him in the condition you're in", a voice from one of the Neo-Shinsengumi members immediately caught everyone's attention, with both Okita and Matt turning towards the one who suddenly spoke up.
As soon as they laid eyes upon a familiar arctic wolf, the eyes of many widen with surprise, with the exception of both Matt and Okita. The arctic wolf's fur was as white as snow, and his long hair as black as the feathers of a raven. While almost all of his hair was tied back in a high ponytail, four antennae-like forelock bangs can be seen in front of the wolf's face, and did nothing to hide the narrow, piercing eyes that matched the color of flames.
The eyes of the Wolves of Mibu. The same, piercing eyes that were glaring directly at the ill folf himself.
"But Saito! I-"
"Its fruitless", Saito interrupted the folf before he could continue, the arctic wolf walking towards the assassin even as he continued. "You wouldn't stand ghost of a chance against someone who smells of so much blood, Okita".
Even as the wolf continued to walk towards the assassin, Matt turns his body directly at the wolf and gazes directly at Saito closely. His eyes watch the wolf getting into his stance by dropping into a partial crouch, both knees bent, left arm drawn back and right arm extended forward. The wolf grasps the end portion of the hilt of his sword with his left hand and rests the tips of the fingers of his right hand-paw on the blade near the blades tip.
As soon as the wolf got into this stance, Matt's eyes narrow only the slightest, but immediately recognized what it was.
"Gatotsu… another variant of the Hirazuki technique", Matt thought within his mind even as the vulpine flicks the blade of his sword to remove the excess blood off of it prior to putting the sword back into its sheath. "I've heard rumors about the technique, but I've never been up against it until now…" the fox continued, right before the vulpine got into his battojutsu stance, gripping the weapon's hilt with his right hand-paw. "If I am to get out of this alive, I should tread with caution", and there was no lie to his thoughts, because right after his train of thought ended, he caught the wolf smirking directly at him maliciously.
Whatever Saito had in hand, it wasn't going to be good.
"Have at you, Battousai", as soon as those words left the wolf's mouth, Saito immediately darts towards the vulpine with great speed and thrusts his sword directly at the fox. Matt, however, quickly unsheathes his blade and blocks the attack with a diagonal slash, knocking the wolf's blade back before jumping nearly several yards away from his opponent.
But even if the fox blocked the wolf's attack, that didn't stop Saito from sprinting directly towards Matt at a speed matching the Battousai's. It also didn't stop Matt from dashing directly towards the wolf and attempted to strike him down with a vertical sweep. Alas, Saito quickly blocks the attack and knocks the fox back with a strong enough sweep, but the fox quickly recovered with a back flip and rushes back to the wolf.
In that moment, the wolf immediately got into his Gatotsu stance and thrusts the blade towards Matt. But the attempt to strike the fox failed once again when Matt knocks his blade to his right with a wight diagonal sweep. Yer despite the fact Matt blocked the attack, that didn't stop the wolf from immediately raising blade and swiftly striking the fox with a vertical attack. But just as the blade was about to connect with Matt's body, the fox swiftly blocks Saito's blade with his own, with Matt's blade being perpendicular with the wolf's own blade. Matt used his left hand-paw to hold the back of the blade in an attempt to strengthen his defense, which was fortunately enough to keep the wolf's sword at bay.
But a hint of a smirk soon formed on his face, and it seems he still has another trick up his sleeve!
The fox started growling with his sharp fangs bared and the muscles on his left arm started to bulge a bit, with veins bulging noticeably on his forearm and bicep respectively. He quickly releases his grip on the back of his sword and clenched his left hand-paw into a fist. It was in that moment Matt punches the back of his sword with enough force to knock Saito's blade off of his own and knocking the wolf himself back a good couple of yards,
Both parties gasped audibly and the Neo-Shinsengumi began chattering amongst one another, but Judy and Stu were watching the entire battle with their eyes wide and mouths slightly agape. Yes, both of them saw Matt fight before eight days prior, with Judy having a slightly bit more knowledge on Matt's caliber. Yet as Stu was watching the ongoing battle, his brows lower and his mouth partially closes, almost as if he were trying to discern the sword technique he was using.
It was a deadly sword technique, yet it looked… familiar?
Judy, however, while shocked about the level of skill Matt had, was gazing directly at the wolf he was fighting. Her eyes not only were filled with shock (and perhaps a bit of terror), but eyes filled with recognition. It was as if she knew saw him somewhere before, yet she couldn't put her finger on it… at least not until she got a brief, but clear glance at the wolf when Matt had blocked another vertical sweep with his sword.
And in that instant, she recognized who the wolf was!
With Stu becoming lost in his thoughts, Jenny continued watching the entire battle with a calm look on her face, a calmness that brought confidence within herself. She knew without a doubt her fox would be able to win this fight, or at the very least get out of it alive if whatever reason the battle went south. A soft, hardly noticeable, yet genuine smile formed on her face even as she continued to watch her fox fight one of the Wolves of Mibu.
But even as things were looking up in the ongoing battle, that didn't necessarily lessen the risk of Judy or Stu being killed in Kawasabus.
It was in that moment, Jenny turns her gaze away from the fight and shifts her attention directly towards the other rabbits. Her brows furrowed and gazed directly at the Hopps with a stern expression occupying her face.
"Stu, Judy, the first and third squadrons of the Neo-Shinsengumi are currently distracted with the ongoing battle", Jenny began, her tone calm, yet bore a serious urgency within it. Her tone of voice was more than enough to catch their attention, with Stu taken out of his thoughts and Judy shifted her gaze from the wolf to her friend. "Use this chance to get out of here while you still can. This is your last chance to get out of Kawasabus alive", right after she said that, the Hopps' eyes widen and turn their gaze towards one another, as if her suggestion was as mad as a March hare!
"Are you crazy?!" Stu turns his sights back towards Jenny right after he exclaimed those words, grabbing the sides of his head and shaking it several times. "If we leave now, the Neo-Shinsengumi will kill us! Even if we somehow manage to get out of this god forsaken town, the other squadrons are bound to kill us on sight!" he threw his arms forward right after he finished, but the English-born bunny's eyes narrow at him with a fierce glare. She sure as hell wasn't gonna take this for an answer, even with their lives at stake.
"That's why Matt gave y'all the wakizashi so the two of you would have a chance to get out of Kawasabus alive, even if it means you have to shed blood in order to ensure your escape!" Jenny shot back, her tone fierce and urgent. But even the ferocity of her words were not enough to hinder the fear rising within the Hopps patriarch.
"Are you insane?!" as Stu shouted those words, he threw his arms towards the female doe ecstatically. "We can't just go around killing mammals even if it's to increase our chances of getting out of this god forsaken place alive!"
"If you'd listened to us the first time we've warned you and headed back to Bunnyburrow, then none of this would've happened in the first place!" Jenny argued with a raised voice. "We've told you multiple times to get out of here, and you didn't listen until the entire city plunged into absolute chaos!"
"We didn't think the entire town would start breaking out in an all out war zone! We didn't know Kawasabus was being ruled under a Neo-Shogunate regime! And if we knew about this beforehand, Judy and I would've never-" Stu was practically shouting those words right before hearing the battle cries of both Matt and Saito, snapping their attention away from one another and shifting it directly towards the two. And it was then they saw Matt blocking a series of sweep and thrust attacks with his blade, albeit was starting to struggle on keeping them at bay.
"Would you guys cut the chit chat already and get the hell out of here?! I'm starting to have a hard time keeping the Mibu Wolves at bay!" Matt yelled towards the group, more specifically towards the Hopps. Although Matt's gaze never left Saito, the fox's attention was pointing directly at the group behind him. "Jenny's right, Stu! If y'all listened to us in the first place, y'all wouldn't be caught in the situation you're in right now!" even as the fox continued to speak, he manages to counter Saito's downward thrusts and knocks the wolf back a few paces, allowing Matt to regain his stance and turn his head towards them, his jade green eyes having turned a golden yellow during the duration of the battle. "Stop arguing with Jenny and take the chance to get out of here!" after the fox urged the Hopps to get out of here, he turns his attention back towards Saito just in time to catch and block another downwards thrust with a diagonal sweep.
Even as the battle raged on, Judy and Jenny turn directly towards Stu and glared at the male rabbit.
"He's right! If we're gonna get out of here alive, we have to take the chance while we still can!" Judy urged her father, her expression stern and her brows furrowed at the male buck. Stu's eyes were wide even as they were looking back and forth between Jenny and his daughter. He contemplated for a moment on whether or not they should heed Matt and Jenny's warning and take the chance to flee now, or find a refuge to take place until the chaos recedes enough for them to escape without issue.
But even if he wanted the latter option, there was no lie in Matt and Jenny's warning. If they wanted to get out of here alive, they have to take the chance now and get out of here alive… even if it meant they have to take lives and face the consequences of their actions later in order to succeed. In that moment, Stu had come to a decision on what they have to do. With a heavy sigh, he turns towards Jenny and gave a nod towards the doe.
"Alright… we'll take the chance", Stu replied right before he turned towards his daughter, his expression understandably uneasy given the current circumstances. "I don't like this one bit, Jude. I'd much rather find a place to hide long enough for the whole thing to blow over, and I'd rather not take lives even if it increases our chances getting out of here… but if we stay here any longer, I'm afraid our chances of survival will crumble like an avalanche", even as the Hopps patriarch said those words, Judy nodded in agreement and had unknowingly placed the wakizashi through her belt on the left side of her body. The buck turns back to face Jenny before taking a step towards her. "Are you coming with us?" Jenny's ears perked at this question only for a moment before they became droopy. Her eyes closed and the English-born doe shook her head.
"No…" Jenny reopened her eyes a moment after she had answered the buck. "My place is here with Matt. Its my job to keep him alive no matter the cost… and my job as his sheath to keep him from becoming an unrepentant killer", she explained right as she turns her gaze towards her mate, whom continued to clash against the leader of the third Neo-Shinsengumi squadron. She did turn back towards the Hopps before giving them a soft smile.
In that particular moment, she quickly wraps her arms around the two rabbits in a tight hug, shutting her eyes even as she held them in an embrace. The hug lasted only for five prolonged seconds before she removed her arms from them, her eyes reopening and gazing at the two bunnies with a glossy look in them. Even in the midst of the growing chaos, she gave the Hopps a very soft, but genuine smile on her face.
"I appreciate everything you two did for me over the past months. However…" Jenny paused, her right hand-paw moving to grab a hold of the rabbit sized katana she had got shortly after she and Matt had arrived to Kawasabus earlier this evening. With the hilt clutched tightly in her grip, she pulled the sword out of its sheath before turning towards the other Neo-Shinsengumi members. "You need to get out of here while you still can! This is your last chance to get out of here alive!" even as her blade was drawn, the other members of the Neo-Shinsengumi, aside from Okita, immediately turn towards the bunny after she drew her blade. "I'll hold off the others and buy you some time to escape!" right after those words left the doe's mouth, Stu's eyes widen right before he attempted to approach her, as if to try and change her mind one more time.
"But Jenny-"
"Get going!" Jenny interrupted the buck a bit too harshly with the tone she said them, but it was necessary if she had to get her point across.
Immediately after the doe said those words, Judy grabs a hold of her father's right arm and starts dashing away from the battle and continuing their own journey towards the their truck located in one of the neighboring districts in the town.
For a moment, while Matt was blocking numerous attacks from Saito's Gatotsu technique, the fox turns his head back enough to spot the Hopps hastily fleeing the scene. And with that, a soft smirk formed on his face.
"Good, now that the Hopps are hightailing it out of here…" Matt paused the thought coursing his mind only brief enough to widen the smirk plastered on his muzzle. "I don't have to hold back anymore", and with that said, the fox immediately started striking the wolf's blade enough to push the Wolf of Mibu back a few steps, allowing him enough room to put the vulpine on the offense.
The Neo-Shinsengumi immediately noticed the rabbits fleeing the scene and began dashing towards them hastily.
"Hey, get back here!"
"You won't escape from the Neo-Shinsengumi!"
Shortly after those words left the mouths of two Neo-Shinsengumi wolves, Jenny immediately dashed in front of the two with her blade drawn. Her sapphire eyes gaze directly at the first and third squadrons with a piercing glare, burning with a fire many samurai within the entire region possessed. She may be a bunny fighting against a group of wolves, let alone pregnant, but she sure as hell had no intention of letting them pass her so easily.
"If you think you're gonna pass through this bunny so easily, you're sadly mistaken", Jenny said to the wolves with a voice filled with malice, a tone not even her fox had heard her speak with before. "Your fight's with me!"
If Kawasabus wasn't in an all out war between Neo-Shogunates and Neo-Imperialists, the Neo-Shinsengumi would be laughing hysterically at the rabbit. But given the current circumstances, that never happened! No, nearly a dozen of them narrow their eyes at the bunny with a deathly glare and immediately dash towards her with their blades raised and ready to strike her down.
Oh, if they only realized sooner that would be the biggest mistake they'd ever make in their lives… and how fatal that decision truly was.
Before the Neo-Shinsengumi who dashed towards the bunny could comprehend what was going on, their bodies were hastily slain by the rabbit's blade and their blood quickly painted the walls and ground a crimson red. They weren't as fast as Matt's own attacks, but they were more than enough to eliminate the Neo-Shinsengumi samurai who attempted to slay the bunny. For those who witnessed the deadly killing, they immediately started to tremble with fear and began stepping away from the rabbit.
"Impossible! S-she's almost as fast the Battousai!"
"Probably just as fast!"
"Handling the Battousai is one thing, but fighting a second is an entirely different story!"
"There's no way she's on par with the Battousai! There's no way!"
There was honestly no lie in some of the words the Neo-Shinsengumi were uttering out of their now terrified mouths. While she wasn't as fast as Matt nor necessarily on par with the assassin, she did learn the basics (and then some) of Matt's Hiten Mitsurugi sword technique within their two month stay in New Otsu, from the day after their arrival up to the seventeenth of December. Even when they were busy with their temporarily defunct business and attending school during that time, they still managed to put aside some time for Matt to train Jenny in swordsmanship just in case.
And it was a good thing Matt trained her, too, or otherwise Jenny would've most likely died or suffered serious injuries at the very least. Even with just the basics and a bit extra, along with the beginning of her pregnancy, she was still able to hold her own without a single issue.
Speaking of holding her own, Jenny raised her katana towards the others and gave a light smirk towards those who remained.
"Who's next?" almost immediately after Jenny asked that question in particular, most of the Neo-Shinsengumi scream in terror and immediately fled the scene. For the very few who had the cojones to remain, they immediately declined out of terror and stood on the sidelines to watch the ongoing fight. Seeing this brought a satisfied smirk on the rabbits face even as she flicked the blade clean of the blood and pulled a white cloth from her left pocket. "I thought so", she added even as she used the cloth to clean the blade thoroughly with one wipe, thus placing her sword back into its sheath and continues watching the ongoing fight between Matt and Saito.
Speaking of both Saito and Matt, both swordsman were on even ground in terms of both strength, swordsmanship, and agility. Not a single scratch was seen on both of them despite the deadly caliber behind their attacks. But even as the battle progressed, along with their swords continuing to clash against one another with numerous 'CLINK' and 'CLANK' noises, their energy began to diminish. It would seem their endurance and will to fight would be the deciding factor on who will win the fight…
… or that would've been the case if several explosions didn't suddenly start going off with loud 'BA-CHOOM' noises unexpectedly within the area! Matt and Saito ceased what they were doing and immediately started dashing away from one another, with the fox quickly sheathing his sword and scooping up his mate bridal style. And it was a damn good thing they did, too! If they hadn't done that, they would've been caught in one of the two explosions that went off right near the spot they once fought at.
A raging fire now occupied the spot Matt and Saito once fought at and burned everything within its path, bodies and all, with both warriors standing a safe distance away from the flames. But even if that were the case, the eyes of both Matt and Saito stared at one another narrowly with furrowed brows.
"Today's your lucky day, Battousai", Saito thought within his mind even as he started baring his fangs directly at the fox. "The next time our swords cross paths, you won't be so fortunate", and with that last part of his thought coursing his mind, the wolf, along with the remainder of the Neo-Shinsengumi, immediately flee the scene and journey through other parts of the burning rural city.
Even after the Neo-Shinsengumi left the place where they held their battle, Matt continued to gaze at the direction Saito once stood, as if the Wolf of Mibu were still there. His eyes narrowed slightly, and his golden yellow colored 'manslayer' eyes slowly return to their normal jade green color. However, his narrowed eyes open fully before turning towards the pregnant bunny in his arms.
"We should go", Jenny suggested in which Matt responded towards his bunny with a calm nod.
"Right", Matt agreed with the bunny right before turning his back against the scene where the battle previously took place, with the raging fire continuing to burn through sections of the alleyway. "We gotta scout the remainder of the city and meet with the rest of the Neo-Imperialists soldiers", right as the fox finished, the reynard secures his grip on his mate carefully and started fleeing the scene, his brows furrowed and keeping his senses sharp.
As Matt continued to sprint away from the scene with the bunny in his arms, Jenny wraps her arms around her fox's neck and rested her head against the head. Her sapphire eyes gaze briefly up at her fox, seeing the tod return his gaze towards her with a gentle smile before refocusing his attention on the path ahead of him. She smiled in content knowing she was safe in the arms of her fox, and closes her eyes shortly afterwards to allow herself to rest a bit.
As of right now, no longer can they worry about the Hopps anymore, but the current situation at hand. Matt had given them the chance they'll need to escape the region, but whether or not it was enough, he didn't know.
Completely oblivious to him, however, giving them the wakizashi would give the Hopps a much better chance of escape than he'd anticipated… but with results that were much deadlier than he realized…
