CHAPTER 2- SOUJIRO
Jiani gazed long and hard at the city that lay before her. 'Kyoto.' she thought. 'You remain as you were when I last laid eyes on you.'
This was a lot of things for her. Kyoto was her birthplace, the city of her upbringing, the place where she was left alone and starving. It was also the city of the Juppon Gatana, and where somewhere, hidden from view, her father roamed. She had come at last. It was time for her to begin the battle.
Jiani's hand clamped hard upon the hilt of her sword. "I will find you, Father. And beware, Juppon Gatana."
...........
Miles away, Sanosuke paused along the trail for some rest. It was warm and his shoulder still bothered him some. He decided on finding a tree to lie down under. He found a large tree and flopped down in the grass. "Ah! Hooray for shade."
He gazed up at the blue sky. He had been so proud of himself for the past few days, ever since he had mastered Anji's Futae no Kiwame. He had mastered it within a week's time, faster than any other man could. With this new ability, he was fairly sure of himself. He thought that he would be able to put up a good fight against Shishio and the Juppon Gatana.
He wondered about his friends as he lay there. He always thought of them in a free moment. He wondered if Kaoru and Yahiko were on their way to Kyoto as they said they would. He wondered if Megumi was faring okay with all the patients she had to deal with. He wondered how far ahead Jiani was and if she was safe. He also wondered what had become of Kenshin.
It struck him as funny. His feelings toward Jiani had changed over the past while. She was his exact opposite, which intrigued him a great deal. She was quiet and calm while he was feisty and stubborn. She preferred not to fight while he relished every opportunity to throw a punch. She liked Kaoru's cooking!
And yet, they were the same in some ways. They both enjoyed being strong and free like eagles. They were both excellent fighters. In addition, they were both loyal to themselves and the people around them.
Sanosuke's eyes widened. Realization hit for the first time. "I can't believe.I didn't realize it before..."
...........
Jiani sensed danger the moment she entered the bar. Still, she was hungry and was fixed on finding something to eat before finding a place to rest for the night. So, she approached the counter with the most extreme of caution. She had to be ready to unleash her sword at any time.
Once she was seated, Jiani ordered green tea and Miso soup. It was bland to the taste, but she found that she enjoyed it. She had, after all, eaten a lot worse. While she ate, her eyes scanned the crowded bar for any trouble.
Suddenly, she felt that eerie feeling grow tremendously. A chill ran up and down her spine. Someone was right behind her. She whirled around and drew her sword.
A young man stood there, just out of the sword's range. He smiled at her in a way that was far from startled or afraid. Jiani didn't like the gleam in his brown eyes.
"Ah, so you are not Himura Battousai." He declared, his voice unusually light and cheery.
Jiani felt his aura. 'His power is incredible.' She thought. 'It's the strongest I've ever felt!' She stood up, abandoning her meal. "Tell me who you are."
He gave her a toothy grin. "My name's Seta. Seta Soujiro. Nice to meet you."
"Eh?" Jiani was puzzled by this all. Then, she frowned again. "And how do you know of the Battousai?"
Soujiro shrugged. "Only because he is wanted by Master Shishio's Juppon Gatana."
'As I thought.' Jiani said to herself. 'He is part of the Ten Swords.'
"Seta Soujiro."
"Yes?"
Jiani pointed her sword at him. "As the daughter of Himura Battousai, I cannot allow you to hunt him down. I challenge you."
Soujiro giggled. "Really? This'll be my first fight with a woman! Sure, let's go!"
With that, they headed outside into the dark seclusion of the Kyoto streets.
...........
"We made it!" Yahiko declared ecstatically.
The boat came to a halt in the harbor. He and Kaoru were the first to leave it.
Kaoru gazed at the city. "So, this is where the Juppon Gatana is? Wow."
Just then, she felt something strange come over her. "Huh? What's this feeling?"
Yahiko glanced over at her. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know. But something doesn't feel right."
............
"Sorry I'm late, Shishio-san!"
Soujiro dashed into headquarters, covered in cuts and blood.
Shishio and Yumi cocked their eyebrows. "What on Earth happened to you, boy?" Yumi asked.
Soujiro smiled his usual smile. "Oh, I got challenged to a fight by someone."
............
Outside of the bar, in an alleyway, a still figure lay in a pool of blood. It was a young woman, facedown on the ground, her long, untamed red hair resting freely across her. Jiani's eyes were lifeless and white. She had lost the battle.
Jiani gazed long and hard at the city that lay before her. 'Kyoto.' she thought. 'You remain as you were when I last laid eyes on you.'
This was a lot of things for her. Kyoto was her birthplace, the city of her upbringing, the place where she was left alone and starving. It was also the city of the Juppon Gatana, and where somewhere, hidden from view, her father roamed. She had come at last. It was time for her to begin the battle.
Jiani's hand clamped hard upon the hilt of her sword. "I will find you, Father. And beware, Juppon Gatana."
...........
Miles away, Sanosuke paused along the trail for some rest. It was warm and his shoulder still bothered him some. He decided on finding a tree to lie down under. He found a large tree and flopped down in the grass. "Ah! Hooray for shade."
He gazed up at the blue sky. He had been so proud of himself for the past few days, ever since he had mastered Anji's Futae no Kiwame. He had mastered it within a week's time, faster than any other man could. With this new ability, he was fairly sure of himself. He thought that he would be able to put up a good fight against Shishio and the Juppon Gatana.
He wondered about his friends as he lay there. He always thought of them in a free moment. He wondered if Kaoru and Yahiko were on their way to Kyoto as they said they would. He wondered if Megumi was faring okay with all the patients she had to deal with. He wondered how far ahead Jiani was and if she was safe. He also wondered what had become of Kenshin.
It struck him as funny. His feelings toward Jiani had changed over the past while. She was his exact opposite, which intrigued him a great deal. She was quiet and calm while he was feisty and stubborn. She preferred not to fight while he relished every opportunity to throw a punch. She liked Kaoru's cooking!
And yet, they were the same in some ways. They both enjoyed being strong and free like eagles. They were both excellent fighters. In addition, they were both loyal to themselves and the people around them.
Sanosuke's eyes widened. Realization hit for the first time. "I can't believe.I didn't realize it before..."
...........
Jiani sensed danger the moment she entered the bar. Still, she was hungry and was fixed on finding something to eat before finding a place to rest for the night. So, she approached the counter with the most extreme of caution. She had to be ready to unleash her sword at any time.
Once she was seated, Jiani ordered green tea and Miso soup. It was bland to the taste, but she found that she enjoyed it. She had, after all, eaten a lot worse. While she ate, her eyes scanned the crowded bar for any trouble.
Suddenly, she felt that eerie feeling grow tremendously. A chill ran up and down her spine. Someone was right behind her. She whirled around and drew her sword.
A young man stood there, just out of the sword's range. He smiled at her in a way that was far from startled or afraid. Jiani didn't like the gleam in his brown eyes.
"Ah, so you are not Himura Battousai." He declared, his voice unusually light and cheery.
Jiani felt his aura. 'His power is incredible.' She thought. 'It's the strongest I've ever felt!' She stood up, abandoning her meal. "Tell me who you are."
He gave her a toothy grin. "My name's Seta. Seta Soujiro. Nice to meet you."
"Eh?" Jiani was puzzled by this all. Then, she frowned again. "And how do you know of the Battousai?"
Soujiro shrugged. "Only because he is wanted by Master Shishio's Juppon Gatana."
'As I thought.' Jiani said to herself. 'He is part of the Ten Swords.'
"Seta Soujiro."
"Yes?"
Jiani pointed her sword at him. "As the daughter of Himura Battousai, I cannot allow you to hunt him down. I challenge you."
Soujiro giggled. "Really? This'll be my first fight with a woman! Sure, let's go!"
With that, they headed outside into the dark seclusion of the Kyoto streets.
...........
"We made it!" Yahiko declared ecstatically.
The boat came to a halt in the harbor. He and Kaoru were the first to leave it.
Kaoru gazed at the city. "So, this is where the Juppon Gatana is? Wow."
Just then, she felt something strange come over her. "Huh? What's this feeling?"
Yahiko glanced over at her. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know. But something doesn't feel right."
............
"Sorry I'm late, Shishio-san!"
Soujiro dashed into headquarters, covered in cuts and blood.
Shishio and Yumi cocked their eyebrows. "What on Earth happened to you, boy?" Yumi asked.
Soujiro smiled his usual smile. "Oh, I got challenged to a fight by someone."
............
Outside of the bar, in an alleyway, a still figure lay in a pool of blood. It was a young woman, facedown on the ground, her long, untamed red hair resting freely across her. Jiani's eyes were lifeless and white. She had lost the battle.