The Legend Continues

Chapter Three First Fight

By Sukunami Taka

Thundering footsteps upon wooden floors thudded past, jerking Sagara Shota awake……nani……pushing himself upon his elbows, his large fawn-like eyes stared sleepily at the closed shutters. Curious of the muffled yells coming from the adjacent room, Shota quickly pulled on his shirt and peeped through the slight opening to see a raving Myojin Yahiko cursing the air while Gensai Suzumi giggled in fear. All of a sudden, the door slammed open, nearly trapping Shota's fingers as he fell backwards with his feet in the air, his face showing pain. Opening one eye, the lad grinned sheepishly at the frowning Yahiko who lugged him on his feet….

"ow! Hey, watch the wound!"

"if you can yell, you're better……now, where did you say those swordsmen were?"

"huh?"

"S..w…o…r..d..s……m….e….n…….wakata? where?"

"hu…huh?"

"man, did you also inherited your father's stupidity? Baka that Sano……..where are those swordsmen who you very stupidly went after alone yesterday? That other baka Kyo has disappeared and I can guess what she's up to……"

"kyo? Masaka!"

"great……just as slow too…….Sanosuke number two………"

"…………"

"are….oi! mat te!"

"Yoshi? Sagara-san? Moh……where did they all go…….there's chores to be done…..Ayumi!"

Two dark figures raced through backyard alleys and past rundown shacks to the north of town-

~a glimmering sword slices upwards, rendering three men unconscious and then cut through in a crescent shape, finishing off another two…..~

"I mean……..maybe she'll realize that she can't do anything and just go back…." Panted Shota, trying not to stumble…

"yeah…like you did as you were drenched in your own blood," Yahiko answered dryly, "Anyway, that dratted girl has got my sword…"

~a smile played upon the cherry pink lips as the slim girl bends forward, her right foot steady but light in front. With her left, she pushes forward and in one clean swipe, pulls her sword out and up, "Hiten mitsurugi-ryu rai ryu sen!", then doubled up and hit another grimacing man on the back, "Kamiya kasshin style! Hah!"~

"maybe they won't do anything to her…….just hurt her a little bit……if she's lucky…."

"Hah! I'm more worried about what she'll do to them!"

"she's that good?"
"better than you…at least she's got a sword….."

"che…….."

~ "Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah……..Rai ryu sen! Orra!" Seven bodies slumped forward, widen eyes glazed…….~

Shota and Yahiko burst through the open doorway, chests heaving as they panted. The young sensei of Kamiya Kasshin Dojo gripped his wooden sword, prepared to fight if the rogues would not surrender Kyoshi to them………only to see rows of flattened swordsmen lying dazed on the ground and a complacently beaming Himura Kyoshi in the middle of the square, scratching her head as if she did not know quite what had happened…

"Kyo! What the heck!"

"Hehehehe…..ichi………komen…….they just went down so easily……..heheh…."

"That is NOT what I meant! You baka child! sheesh…. I knew this would happen when Kenshin and Cori got married………you, get over here right now!"

"mou……nanda yo?? It's not my fault that they were so easily defeated……one hit and boom….down they went……che……dangerous swordsmen indeed……….."

At this moment, a twitching nerve was pounding upon Shota's forehead. He glared in disbelief at the befallen men, recognizing a few that had defeated him and his hand clenched at the thought that a…..a…..a girl had wiped out the very syndicate that had given him so much trouble……………sornna…….

---

"Hahahhahhaha……….oi yu shi………mortto!!! Onegai!!!" Kyoshi happily chomped on the fish, her small mouth sucking on the chopsticks. Around her was the entire gang……. Yahiko was ordering more sake, while Ayumi chatted with Tsubame, and Suzumi diligently putting in more meat into the steaming pot……..and a very sullen Shota was sulking, chewing on his piece of blowfish in the corner……he still could not believe the fact that she wiped out the Tsurugaka Syndicate…….baka….

"hahahahahaha……." Kyoshi blushed while baring her full set of teeth, "Nande mon naiyo……hahaha…….just a few men, that's all!! Hehehehe….."

As a few kids gazed up at her adoringly, Shota had had it…….he placed his bowl down in a clatter and leapt up, "che! That baka roo could not have possibly done it herself! I bet that they were already beaten by some other warrior and that she just went in there at the right time!"

"NANI! Say that again!!!!!"

"what?!! Can't you hear??? You baka roo!!!!!!"

"why you!!!!!"

A chibi Kyoshi jumped on Shota, strangling his little neck forcefully as his palm smashed her face against the wall…..they pushed against one another and ended up rolling on the floor…..

Yahiko sighed…….and called for more sake…………