CHAPTER 9- KYOTO BATTLE
Not long after Hotaru completed her secret training with Gempachi, the cold returned. The entire inn was restless. Himura and Tokaji remained in at night, but were still dark-eyed and wary. Soon, Hotaru found out why.
"There's going to be a battle?" she gasped.
Okami-san placed a finger to her lips. "Hush! We're not supposed to know that!"
'It's just been assassinations at this point.' Hotaru thought. 'Now it's an all-out battle?' She frowned to herself, burning with resolve. 'I'll be ready!'
And, within another two days, all hell broke loose.
The battlefield: the inner streets of Kyoto. The fighters: The Shogun warriors against the Ishin Shishi. The time: night.
Tokaji and Himura had left the inn and were fighting somewhere in the streets. Meanwhile Okami-san and Hotaru remained, staying in the kitchen. Check that: Okami-san stayed in the kitchen. Hotaru was watching from a bedroom window.
'All I can see are flashes of light,' she thought. 'Could be explosions or fires of some kind.'
"Hotaru-chan! Come back in here as soon as you can!"
Okami-san sounded anxious.
But determination flashed through Hotaru's eyes. Now was the time.
'Protect your loved ones!' Gempachi had told her.
Without a word, she ran to put on her hakama. She'd sneak out the back door.
............
CLASH! VASH! Tokaji raced through the crowds, slashing at every enemy in front of him.
"There's so many!" he muttered to himself. "Where do they all come from?"
Nearby, a circle of Shogun surrounded Himura.
"Give it up!" one ordered, pointing his wakizashi menacingly at the redhead. "You don't have a chance against 10 of us!"
Himura didn't budge. His eyes only darkened. Apparently they didn't realize that Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu put one against many.
But Tokaji knew this and kept on going. Himura wouldn't need his help. This became apparent in the series of death shrieks that followed.
A freezing rain poured down from the gray night skies. That and the blood created a gruesome slick surface on the streets and wherever the fluids were spilled.
Meanwhile, Hotaru raced through town. She could hear the sounds of battle coming up ever closer. That was when she realized that she had no sword! She would have to find one.
Elsewhere, Tokaji ran through an alley, looking for the enemy. Things were going well so far. The Imperialists and Loyalists seemed evenly matched for the moment and the Ishin Shishi was beginning to push back the Shogun warriors. Perhaps it would only be a matter of time.
Suddenly, something sharp cut into him from the side, driving him hard into the wall. "AUGH!" Fury surged through him. Who had ambushed him?
A tall, youthful figure emerged from the shadows, sword poised to kill. His green-blue eyes glowered under his long black hair.
Tokaji staggered to his feet, responding in silence to the challenge. He had his opponent.
.........
"There!" Hotaru saw an abandoned sword lying just beneath one of the market tables. She dove to catch it, her gi flapping in the rain. Her hand grasped the hilt and pulled it towards her. It was a katana, heavier than what she was used to with a shinai. However, this was just what she needed.
"Now to find Tokaji-san!" She resumed running.
Everything was changing as she plunged deeper and deeper into the city. At first, there were only a few fights breaking out. But now, she had to duck and dodge just to get through the street. It was pure chaos!
'So this is what a real battle is like.' she thought.
Just then, she saw something out of the corner of her eye, a flash of red. But it wasn't blood. It was someone's gi, a gi she knew. "Tokaji-san!" Whirling around, she raced after him. "Tokaji-san!"
He was in trouble! She could tell by the way he stumbled in stride and faltered under the blows of his opponent. He was bleeding all over! It looked as though the scar across his chest had been reopened!
Blindly she charged faster than ever before. Never could she run so fast. Her eyes narrowed. She swung her new katana, ready to strike. The Shogun warrior had his back to her. Perfect.
'Use your momentum to add strength to the blow.' She said to herself. 'Twist your body with the strike!'
Tokaji, despite his situation, saw her coming. "H-Hotaru!"
The Shogun paused. "Hotaru?"
It was too late. "HYAAAAAH!!" Hotaru threw herself forward, swinging as hard as she could.
VVVVVVAAAAAAAASSSSSSHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!
Her eyes were squeezed shut, but she felt something warm spray her. 'Blood?'
"Ho.t-ta.ru."
'Wait, I know that voice!' Her eyes shot open just as the Shogun fell. That ponytail, that voice! She knew this man! "GEMPACHI!!!"
Tokaji fell back in shock as the little girl scurried forward and turned the rival over. What was she doing?
Hotaru's voice trembled. "G-Gempachi?"
He opened his eyes, but they were glazed over. It was then that he smiled slightly. "So this.is what you meant.by protecting.your family." He broke off coughing. Blood ran out of his mouth and mingled with the pool that grew beneath his slashed body.
"I'm.I'm sorry I."
He shook his head. "Don't be.This.is the way.a warrior.dies." With that, he fell limp.
"Hotaru-chan." Tokaji murmured.
Crying hysterically, Hotaru hugged Gempachi's body. "No.NOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!"
The battle ended within the hour.
Himura learned of what had happened the moment he returned to the inn. Hotaru had come charging into the battlefield and killed a Shogun.
Okami-san was crying at the news. "I can't believe this." She sobbed. "She's just a little girl!"
In their room, Tokaji held the sobbing Hotaru in his arms. They both knew that she was cursed to killing now.
Himura closed his eyes and sighed. "In one stroke of the blade, a child has bloodied her hands with death. And now, she is one of us."
And so, as fall changed to winter and rain turned to snow, another Ishin Shishi assassin was born. Her name: Hitokiri Hotaru.
Not long after Hotaru completed her secret training with Gempachi, the cold returned. The entire inn was restless. Himura and Tokaji remained in at night, but were still dark-eyed and wary. Soon, Hotaru found out why.
"There's going to be a battle?" she gasped.
Okami-san placed a finger to her lips. "Hush! We're not supposed to know that!"
'It's just been assassinations at this point.' Hotaru thought. 'Now it's an all-out battle?' She frowned to herself, burning with resolve. 'I'll be ready!'
And, within another two days, all hell broke loose.
The battlefield: the inner streets of Kyoto. The fighters: The Shogun warriors against the Ishin Shishi. The time: night.
Tokaji and Himura had left the inn and were fighting somewhere in the streets. Meanwhile Okami-san and Hotaru remained, staying in the kitchen. Check that: Okami-san stayed in the kitchen. Hotaru was watching from a bedroom window.
'All I can see are flashes of light,' she thought. 'Could be explosions or fires of some kind.'
"Hotaru-chan! Come back in here as soon as you can!"
Okami-san sounded anxious.
But determination flashed through Hotaru's eyes. Now was the time.
'Protect your loved ones!' Gempachi had told her.
Without a word, she ran to put on her hakama. She'd sneak out the back door.
............
CLASH! VASH! Tokaji raced through the crowds, slashing at every enemy in front of him.
"There's so many!" he muttered to himself. "Where do they all come from?"
Nearby, a circle of Shogun surrounded Himura.
"Give it up!" one ordered, pointing his wakizashi menacingly at the redhead. "You don't have a chance against 10 of us!"
Himura didn't budge. His eyes only darkened. Apparently they didn't realize that Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu put one against many.
But Tokaji knew this and kept on going. Himura wouldn't need his help. This became apparent in the series of death shrieks that followed.
A freezing rain poured down from the gray night skies. That and the blood created a gruesome slick surface on the streets and wherever the fluids were spilled.
Meanwhile, Hotaru raced through town. She could hear the sounds of battle coming up ever closer. That was when she realized that she had no sword! She would have to find one.
Elsewhere, Tokaji ran through an alley, looking for the enemy. Things were going well so far. The Imperialists and Loyalists seemed evenly matched for the moment and the Ishin Shishi was beginning to push back the Shogun warriors. Perhaps it would only be a matter of time.
Suddenly, something sharp cut into him from the side, driving him hard into the wall. "AUGH!" Fury surged through him. Who had ambushed him?
A tall, youthful figure emerged from the shadows, sword poised to kill. His green-blue eyes glowered under his long black hair.
Tokaji staggered to his feet, responding in silence to the challenge. He had his opponent.
.........
"There!" Hotaru saw an abandoned sword lying just beneath one of the market tables. She dove to catch it, her gi flapping in the rain. Her hand grasped the hilt and pulled it towards her. It was a katana, heavier than what she was used to with a shinai. However, this was just what she needed.
"Now to find Tokaji-san!" She resumed running.
Everything was changing as she plunged deeper and deeper into the city. At first, there were only a few fights breaking out. But now, she had to duck and dodge just to get through the street. It was pure chaos!
'So this is what a real battle is like.' she thought.
Just then, she saw something out of the corner of her eye, a flash of red. But it wasn't blood. It was someone's gi, a gi she knew. "Tokaji-san!" Whirling around, she raced after him. "Tokaji-san!"
He was in trouble! She could tell by the way he stumbled in stride and faltered under the blows of his opponent. He was bleeding all over! It looked as though the scar across his chest had been reopened!
Blindly she charged faster than ever before. Never could she run so fast. Her eyes narrowed. She swung her new katana, ready to strike. The Shogun warrior had his back to her. Perfect.
'Use your momentum to add strength to the blow.' She said to herself. 'Twist your body with the strike!'
Tokaji, despite his situation, saw her coming. "H-Hotaru!"
The Shogun paused. "Hotaru?"
It was too late. "HYAAAAAH!!" Hotaru threw herself forward, swinging as hard as she could.
VVVVVVAAAAAAAASSSSSSHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!
Her eyes were squeezed shut, but she felt something warm spray her. 'Blood?'
"Ho.t-ta.ru."
'Wait, I know that voice!' Her eyes shot open just as the Shogun fell. That ponytail, that voice! She knew this man! "GEMPACHI!!!"
Tokaji fell back in shock as the little girl scurried forward and turned the rival over. What was she doing?
Hotaru's voice trembled. "G-Gempachi?"
He opened his eyes, but they were glazed over. It was then that he smiled slightly. "So this.is what you meant.by protecting.your family." He broke off coughing. Blood ran out of his mouth and mingled with the pool that grew beneath his slashed body.
"I'm.I'm sorry I."
He shook his head. "Don't be.This.is the way.a warrior.dies." With that, he fell limp.
"Hotaru-chan." Tokaji murmured.
Crying hysterically, Hotaru hugged Gempachi's body. "No.NOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!"
The battle ended within the hour.
Himura learned of what had happened the moment he returned to the inn. Hotaru had come charging into the battlefield and killed a Shogun.
Okami-san was crying at the news. "I can't believe this." She sobbed. "She's just a little girl!"
In their room, Tokaji held the sobbing Hotaru in his arms. They both knew that she was cursed to killing now.
Himura closed his eyes and sighed. "In one stroke of the blade, a child has bloodied her hands with death. And now, she is one of us."
And so, as fall changed to winter and rain turned to snow, another Ishin Shishi assassin was born. Her name: Hitokiri Hotaru.
