CHAPTER 7- ALTER EGO
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN, BOY?!" came a sharp voice, one of a big bulk of a man.
Soujiro paused in his pursuit and slipped behind a tree. He watched with dark eyes as little Eisuke stopped at the door of his house, head bowed low.
The man stepped out closer, wobbling slightly. He was drunk. "I ASKED YOU WHERE YOU WENT! ANSWER ME!"
Eisuke's voice trembled. "I.I went to school, Father."
CRACK! Barely an instant found the child sitting on the ground, a fresh bruise on his cheek. He gazed up at the man with a terrified look.
But the brute didn't stop there. He picked the boy up by the shirt and brought him up to eye level. "I TOLD YOU NOT TO LEAVE THIS PLACE! YOU WERE TOLD TO STAY HERE, YOU LITTLE BRAT!"
Eisuke winced tearfully, waiting for the blow. After all, he was used to this by now.
That did it. Soujiro stepped out of the shadows and faced them.
The drunken man spotted him first. "Eh? Who the hell are you?"
Eisuke gasped. "Soujiro-san?"
Soujiro's eyes darkened even more. "You have less than a second to put him down."
The drunk scoffed. "Hah! Why should I? Are you challenging me?"
A hand grasped the bokken. "I will not allow you to abuse your own son!" He charged, attacking faster than he had ever attacked before.
Satomi came running up the road, looking for where her friend had gone. "Why did he follow Eisuke? What was that I saw in him?" She had never seen him so angry. It was almost scary. That was when she saw it all.
Eisuke was cowering on the ground as Soujiro ripped and slashed at a large man. Satomi gasped. Who was this man who was slaughtering the other? How could this man, armed with only a bokken, yet moving at god-like speed? What was that strange smile on his face?
BOOM! The man fell to the ground, bruises all over from where the blunt wooden sword had hit him. Eisuke covered his eyes and screamed in terror. But Soujiro wasn't done.
"HAH!" He leapt high into the air, ready to bring down one final blow. Satomi saw the murder in his eyes, a look she had never seen before. It seemed as though he had lost his mind! She had to do something!
"SOUJIRO-SAN!!!" She broke into a run, vaulted over little Eisuke, and landed over the battered drunk.
Somewhere within, Soujiro paused. He knew this face, this woman standing in his path. She wasn't his target. He couldn't hit her!
With lightning fast reflexes, he darted off to the side and landed on his knees. His aura seemed to undulate out and away from him.
"S-Soujiro-san?" Satomi murmured, feeling him weaken.
Eisuke stood up slowly.
Soujiro drooped his head low. The bokken fell from his hand. His whole body trembled. Was he hurt?
"Soujiro-san!" Satomi ran over and knelt before him. She placed her hands on his shoulders. "Are you okay? Please Soujiro-san! Talk to me!"
He raised his head slightly, his eyes meeting hers. She was shocked to see he was crying. He drew in a deep breath. "It.happened to me too.I.I couldn't hold it back." With that, he collapsed into her arms.
Eisuke ran past his downed father and to their aid. "Come on Hanahara-san! Let's get out of here!"
He was right. They had to leave before the Rebels came. With the boy's help, Satomi carried her friend home.
Eisuke stayed at her house from that day on.
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN, BOY?!" came a sharp voice, one of a big bulk of a man.
Soujiro paused in his pursuit and slipped behind a tree. He watched with dark eyes as little Eisuke stopped at the door of his house, head bowed low.
The man stepped out closer, wobbling slightly. He was drunk. "I ASKED YOU WHERE YOU WENT! ANSWER ME!"
Eisuke's voice trembled. "I.I went to school, Father."
CRACK! Barely an instant found the child sitting on the ground, a fresh bruise on his cheek. He gazed up at the man with a terrified look.
But the brute didn't stop there. He picked the boy up by the shirt and brought him up to eye level. "I TOLD YOU NOT TO LEAVE THIS PLACE! YOU WERE TOLD TO STAY HERE, YOU LITTLE BRAT!"
Eisuke winced tearfully, waiting for the blow. After all, he was used to this by now.
That did it. Soujiro stepped out of the shadows and faced them.
The drunken man spotted him first. "Eh? Who the hell are you?"
Eisuke gasped. "Soujiro-san?"
Soujiro's eyes darkened even more. "You have less than a second to put him down."
The drunk scoffed. "Hah! Why should I? Are you challenging me?"
A hand grasped the bokken. "I will not allow you to abuse your own son!" He charged, attacking faster than he had ever attacked before.
Satomi came running up the road, looking for where her friend had gone. "Why did he follow Eisuke? What was that I saw in him?" She had never seen him so angry. It was almost scary. That was when she saw it all.
Eisuke was cowering on the ground as Soujiro ripped and slashed at a large man. Satomi gasped. Who was this man who was slaughtering the other? How could this man, armed with only a bokken, yet moving at god-like speed? What was that strange smile on his face?
BOOM! The man fell to the ground, bruises all over from where the blunt wooden sword had hit him. Eisuke covered his eyes and screamed in terror. But Soujiro wasn't done.
"HAH!" He leapt high into the air, ready to bring down one final blow. Satomi saw the murder in his eyes, a look she had never seen before. It seemed as though he had lost his mind! She had to do something!
"SOUJIRO-SAN!!!" She broke into a run, vaulted over little Eisuke, and landed over the battered drunk.
Somewhere within, Soujiro paused. He knew this face, this woman standing in his path. She wasn't his target. He couldn't hit her!
With lightning fast reflexes, he darted off to the side and landed on his knees. His aura seemed to undulate out and away from him.
"S-Soujiro-san?" Satomi murmured, feeling him weaken.
Eisuke stood up slowly.
Soujiro drooped his head low. The bokken fell from his hand. His whole body trembled. Was he hurt?
"Soujiro-san!" Satomi ran over and knelt before him. She placed her hands on his shoulders. "Are you okay? Please Soujiro-san! Talk to me!"
He raised his head slightly, his eyes meeting hers. She was shocked to see he was crying. He drew in a deep breath. "It.happened to me too.I.I couldn't hold it back." With that, he collapsed into her arms.
Eisuke ran past his downed father and to their aid. "Come on Hanahara-san! Let's get out of here!"
He was right. They had to leave before the Rebels came. With the boy's help, Satomi carried her friend home.
Eisuke stayed at her house from that day on.