Chapter 4- Fighting Skills
"What are you two doing out at this hour?" one asked, a yellow-toothed smirk glinting beneath his thick mustache.
The rebels took a step forward, causing the circle to shrink. Satomi frowned at the one who had spoken, the leader. "We weren't doing anything. Leave us alone!"
"That's no way for a lady to talk to her superiors." He responded, snapping his fingers.
Two ran in and grabbed her from behind. "Ergh!" she tried to break free but they pulled her arms behind her back.
Immediately, Soujiro wheeled to face them. "You'd be wise to release her now."
They glanced over at their leader. Arata-sama, what do you want to do with these two?"
He eyed Satomi devilishly. "Do what you want with the boy. But save the girl for later."
The two nodded and began to pull Satomi out of the ring. "Let me go!" she shouted angrily, kicking her feet all the while.
Soujiro unsheathed his wooden sword and pointed it at them. "Last chance. Let her go."
They ignored him. But now, the rest of the rebels closed in on him. They began to draw their own swords.
V-VASH!!!!
Satomi wheeled around in her captors' grasp to see a blur of light. Arata took a step backward, a look of surprise on his face. All five of his men fell to the ground, the noise of their being struck echoing throughout the trees.
Soujiro's eyes shifted slowly from left to right, making sure that they were down for the count. Then, he sheathed the bokken and faced Arata. "Unless you want to end up like these fools, I suggest you tell your men to let the young lady go."
"HY-YAH!!!"
FWAP!!!
Arata and Soujiro both wheeled around. Satomi had kicked herself free of one man and was elbowing the other in the gut. "AUGH!" his hand was wrenched off her shoulder as he fell. Before he hit the dirt, she grabbed the sword protruding from his belt. Giving it a quick twirl, she lowered it against her side in a fighting stance.
"I've had enough of this." She growled.
Soujiro blinked. "Wow."
But Arata was anything but amused. Eyes narrowing, he pushed past Soujiro and pulled his own sword into a stance. "Well girly. Why don't you try that again with me?"
A smirk flashed across the girl's face. "Come on then."
Before Soujiro could do anything, the two clashed. Satomi bent back under the force of the blow, but that smirk never left her face. It just grew bigger. "HAH!!"
"What the.??" Arata gasped. She had vanished right out from underneath him!
"Where did she." he looked around the clearing until his gaze fell upon Soujiro.
The youth smiled. "You had better move to one side."
Too late. "HYAH!!!"
The last thing he saw as he looked up was Satomi's sword crashing down upon him.
Minutes later, Satomi and Soujiro surveyed the scene. "The others will live." He said quietly. "My sword is too dull to cause them to die."
"And they'll probably be like lost sheep with their master dead." Satomi concluded, swiping the sword to get rid of the blood caked on it. "But the problem is, they probably will be after me now."
"Hai, me too."
She looked up at him. "But you could always leave, Soujiro-san. You should go before they have the chance to identify you."
He shook his head. "No, I don't want to run from these people. Besides, I think that this village can be saved some day from the Rebels. I believe that maybe I can help."
Satomi smiled. "Well, then you'll be needing a place to stay aside from a little campsite. You're welcome to come stay at my house."
"It's okay. I don't mind staying out here." He said. "To tell you the truth, I have gotten used to sleeping out under the stars."
But she couldn't be discouraged. "Then at least set up camp in the garden or something. I'd rather not leave you out here all on your own."
Finally, he nodded. Satomi beamed. "Great! Let's go then." But she paused. "Oh wait.did you need anything back at your tent?"
Soujiro shook his head. "No. All I brought was my clothes and the sword."
Once again, they left the woods and headed for home.
"By the way Satomi-san, I was impressed with your swordsmanship." He added.
She blushed. "Ah, it was nothing really. It's just some skills I picked up from my parents. In a place like Shiroki, even toddlers have swords in their hands."
"I see." He looked up at the night sky once more. "I have a lot to learn about this place."
"What are you two doing out at this hour?" one asked, a yellow-toothed smirk glinting beneath his thick mustache.
The rebels took a step forward, causing the circle to shrink. Satomi frowned at the one who had spoken, the leader. "We weren't doing anything. Leave us alone!"
"That's no way for a lady to talk to her superiors." He responded, snapping his fingers.
Two ran in and grabbed her from behind. "Ergh!" she tried to break free but they pulled her arms behind her back.
Immediately, Soujiro wheeled to face them. "You'd be wise to release her now."
They glanced over at their leader. Arata-sama, what do you want to do with these two?"
He eyed Satomi devilishly. "Do what you want with the boy. But save the girl for later."
The two nodded and began to pull Satomi out of the ring. "Let me go!" she shouted angrily, kicking her feet all the while.
Soujiro unsheathed his wooden sword and pointed it at them. "Last chance. Let her go."
They ignored him. But now, the rest of the rebels closed in on him. They began to draw their own swords.
V-VASH!!!!
Satomi wheeled around in her captors' grasp to see a blur of light. Arata took a step backward, a look of surprise on his face. All five of his men fell to the ground, the noise of their being struck echoing throughout the trees.
Soujiro's eyes shifted slowly from left to right, making sure that they were down for the count. Then, he sheathed the bokken and faced Arata. "Unless you want to end up like these fools, I suggest you tell your men to let the young lady go."
"HY-YAH!!!"
FWAP!!!
Arata and Soujiro both wheeled around. Satomi had kicked herself free of one man and was elbowing the other in the gut. "AUGH!" his hand was wrenched off her shoulder as he fell. Before he hit the dirt, she grabbed the sword protruding from his belt. Giving it a quick twirl, she lowered it against her side in a fighting stance.
"I've had enough of this." She growled.
Soujiro blinked. "Wow."
But Arata was anything but amused. Eyes narrowing, he pushed past Soujiro and pulled his own sword into a stance. "Well girly. Why don't you try that again with me?"
A smirk flashed across the girl's face. "Come on then."
Before Soujiro could do anything, the two clashed. Satomi bent back under the force of the blow, but that smirk never left her face. It just grew bigger. "HAH!!"
"What the.??" Arata gasped. She had vanished right out from underneath him!
"Where did she." he looked around the clearing until his gaze fell upon Soujiro.
The youth smiled. "You had better move to one side."
Too late. "HYAH!!!"
The last thing he saw as he looked up was Satomi's sword crashing down upon him.
Minutes later, Satomi and Soujiro surveyed the scene. "The others will live." He said quietly. "My sword is too dull to cause them to die."
"And they'll probably be like lost sheep with their master dead." Satomi concluded, swiping the sword to get rid of the blood caked on it. "But the problem is, they probably will be after me now."
"Hai, me too."
She looked up at him. "But you could always leave, Soujiro-san. You should go before they have the chance to identify you."
He shook his head. "No, I don't want to run from these people. Besides, I think that this village can be saved some day from the Rebels. I believe that maybe I can help."
Satomi smiled. "Well, then you'll be needing a place to stay aside from a little campsite. You're welcome to come stay at my house."
"It's okay. I don't mind staying out here." He said. "To tell you the truth, I have gotten used to sleeping out under the stars."
But she couldn't be discouraged. "Then at least set up camp in the garden or something. I'd rather not leave you out here all on your own."
Finally, he nodded. Satomi beamed. "Great! Let's go then." But she paused. "Oh wait.did you need anything back at your tent?"
Soujiro shook his head. "No. All I brought was my clothes and the sword."
Once again, they left the woods and headed for home.
"By the way Satomi-san, I was impressed with your swordsmanship." He added.
She blushed. "Ah, it was nothing really. It's just some skills I picked up from my parents. In a place like Shiroki, even toddlers have swords in their hands."
"I see." He looked up at the night sky once more. "I have a lot to learn about this place."