Hairu no Undoushinkei
(Live by reflex)
Prologue
Aashiru crept carefully in the shadows. He knew the boy would be coming soon. The street had already two small boys and one girl, lying face down in their own blood, because they were weak. The first one had not even seen him coming. He just felt the savage blow into his spine, and fell, without making a sound.
The second had done a little better, though. He had at least turned his head toward the attacker after he had noticed the body and ran towards him. He hadn't a chance to move, though. He only saw him, and felt the sharp pain in his gut. He only grunted and slid off the blade. The girl had done quite well, indeed, however. After she ran toward her friends, she heard him, and screamed. The scream only lasted scant few seconds however, and cut off abruptly. The girl found it quite difficult indeed to scream with a sword in her throat. Aashiru's hands were now covered in blood, still warm as he waited for his next student. "Weaklings." He thought. "These people have become soft since the revolution." All of a sudden he sharply took in his breath. His next student, a little girl, was walking down the street.
Chapter 1
"What!? There's no way I'm gonna race you! You always win, and besides, I'm tired." Maiyo Shouted.
"Aw, c'mon, Maiyo-chan! Just because you've been training alone in the dark all night, that's no reason not to race us!"
"I said no, Tsubasa! You all just run on home. and I'll have to meet you there."
"Fine. Your loss. Let's go, you guys. See ya later, Onee-chan."
And with that, Tsubasa sped off into the night. His Friend, Ikki went behind and Sakura was further behind still. The outcome of the race was quite apparent even before they sped around the corner. Maiyo Let out a sigh. "When will he learn that not everything is a competition?" She asked. She began the walk home, Bokan in hand. Her Bokan was made of white wood, with a lotus flower on the handle.
She was training alone in the park, all night. She wanted to receive proper lessons, but her father had told her that they could not afford them. She was a small girl, about 5 feet tall, and had Sandy blonde hair in a braid down to about the middle of her Shoulder blades. She had a fair complexion, and Hazel eyes. She could not even afford proper training clothes. She still wore her summer Kimono, and hair ribbon. As she walked down the lonely streets, she heard a voice Call to her.
"Hello there, little girl."
"H-hello." She replied.
The woman talking to her looked to be about in her mid 20's. She had Blue hair in a ponytail to about her waist. She was wearing a beatiful blue ribbon to hold it up, and she had a pleasant smile on her face. Her eyes were blue, and her Kimono was pink with a floral print.
"What are you doing out so late?" the woman asked.
"I was training." Maiyo replied.
"Training? What kind of training?"
"With my sword." Maiyo stated.
"Aah. I see." The woman replied, seeming to notice the Wooden sword for the first time.
"Did you Just come from a Dojo, then?" The woman asked.
"Well... Not exactly. I train myself. I wanted to take lessons, but Daddy says we don't have enough money." Maiyo gasped. She couldn't believe that she had just revealed something so personal to a total stranger.
"What's your name?" The woman asked her, seeming to read her thoughts.
"Maiyo." She said. "And you?"
"My name is Kaoru Kamiya. Pleased to meet you, Maiyo-chan. So you say you don't have enough money for lessons? I think i might be able to help you there." Kaoru proclaimed.
"Really?" Maiyo asked, incredulously.
"Mmm hmm. Have you ever heard of the Kamiya Kasshin dojo?"
"Yes, I think so."
"Well, It's right next to the south-east corner of the town market. Come there tomorrow at about lunchtime, and be sure to come hungry. Kenshin's a great cook."
"Kenshin?"
"Yes. he stays at the dojo in exchange for chores. I was wondering, if maybe you might be interested in a similar prepositon, actually."
"Really?"
"Really. Stop by tomorrow, and we'll discuss it. Now hurry home. It's not safe to be on the streets alone so late at night."
And with that, she turned, and headed off in the opposite direction.
It made Maiyo happy to think that she would walk out of her way to say hello and make such a generous offer. Formal training! The full realization of it hit her, and she was just about to jump for joy, when she heard a faint scream. It sounded like the girl her brother, Tsubasa, was with. Abruptly, it cut off. Probably just her brother and his friends trying to scare her, she thougt.
She began walking again, and turned onto the next street. She saw Her brother, and his three friends lying there.
"They're probably just playing a trick on me." She said aloud.
She walked forward with a calm expression on her face. As she neared, she noticed something she ad not before.
They were all lying in pools of blood.
She had hardly begun to move when she felt something. A strong feeling in her mind, that danger was afoot. All of a sudden, her body began to act before her mind could. She felt her muscles tense, and without even comprehending the speed of her own body, she Had spun to her right. She felt a bone-jarring impact go through her arms. She looked down at her hands. She was holding her Bokan in a defensive position she had spent all night practicing. A sword was embedded inside it. The cold steel had penetrated the Bokan until there was only a few splinters left, holding the two ends together.
There was a man holding the sword. He had an average build, but he was very tall. He had short, black hair, slicked back and parted in the middle. He had a large scar on the left side of his face, that extended from his upper lip down to his chin. "Not bad," he said. "most people don't see me until this sword is through their gut. I guess now, you'll have to become my student."
And with that, he pulled back his sword and made a thrust at her upper body. She went to block it, but it was an exercise in futility. The already waning endurance of her Bokan made it easy for the Katana to cut through it. Time seemed to slow down to a crawl. She could watch clearly all the things happening. She saw the shiny metal, moving in a straight beeline for her. She felt the cold steel push into her body, just above the chest plate, and emerging through her back. She felt the warmth of her own blood running down her side. All of her vision was getting dark, and suddenly she was very cold. She remembered Miss Kaoru, and her generous offer. She wanted so badly to learn, to do well. She didn't want to die. She had so much she wanted to do. She had to support her father. She didn't want to die.
These were the last thoughts that went through her head, before she lost consciousness.
(Live by reflex)
Prologue
Aashiru crept carefully in the shadows. He knew the boy would be coming soon. The street had already two small boys and one girl, lying face down in their own blood, because they were weak. The first one had not even seen him coming. He just felt the savage blow into his spine, and fell, without making a sound.
The second had done a little better, though. He had at least turned his head toward the attacker after he had noticed the body and ran towards him. He hadn't a chance to move, though. He only saw him, and felt the sharp pain in his gut. He only grunted and slid off the blade. The girl had done quite well, indeed, however. After she ran toward her friends, she heard him, and screamed. The scream only lasted scant few seconds however, and cut off abruptly. The girl found it quite difficult indeed to scream with a sword in her throat. Aashiru's hands were now covered in blood, still warm as he waited for his next student. "Weaklings." He thought. "These people have become soft since the revolution." All of a sudden he sharply took in his breath. His next student, a little girl, was walking down the street.
Chapter 1
"What!? There's no way I'm gonna race you! You always win, and besides, I'm tired." Maiyo Shouted.
"Aw, c'mon, Maiyo-chan! Just because you've been training alone in the dark all night, that's no reason not to race us!"
"I said no, Tsubasa! You all just run on home. and I'll have to meet you there."
"Fine. Your loss. Let's go, you guys. See ya later, Onee-chan."
And with that, Tsubasa sped off into the night. His Friend, Ikki went behind and Sakura was further behind still. The outcome of the race was quite apparent even before they sped around the corner. Maiyo Let out a sigh. "When will he learn that not everything is a competition?" She asked. She began the walk home, Bokan in hand. Her Bokan was made of white wood, with a lotus flower on the handle.
She was training alone in the park, all night. She wanted to receive proper lessons, but her father had told her that they could not afford them. She was a small girl, about 5 feet tall, and had Sandy blonde hair in a braid down to about the middle of her Shoulder blades. She had a fair complexion, and Hazel eyes. She could not even afford proper training clothes. She still wore her summer Kimono, and hair ribbon. As she walked down the lonely streets, she heard a voice Call to her.
"Hello there, little girl."
"H-hello." She replied.
The woman talking to her looked to be about in her mid 20's. She had Blue hair in a ponytail to about her waist. She was wearing a beatiful blue ribbon to hold it up, and she had a pleasant smile on her face. Her eyes were blue, and her Kimono was pink with a floral print.
"What are you doing out so late?" the woman asked.
"I was training." Maiyo replied.
"Training? What kind of training?"
"With my sword." Maiyo stated.
"Aah. I see." The woman replied, seeming to notice the Wooden sword for the first time.
"Did you Just come from a Dojo, then?" The woman asked.
"Well... Not exactly. I train myself. I wanted to take lessons, but Daddy says we don't have enough money." Maiyo gasped. She couldn't believe that she had just revealed something so personal to a total stranger.
"What's your name?" The woman asked her, seeming to read her thoughts.
"Maiyo." She said. "And you?"
"My name is Kaoru Kamiya. Pleased to meet you, Maiyo-chan. So you say you don't have enough money for lessons? I think i might be able to help you there." Kaoru proclaimed.
"Really?" Maiyo asked, incredulously.
"Mmm hmm. Have you ever heard of the Kamiya Kasshin dojo?"
"Yes, I think so."
"Well, It's right next to the south-east corner of the town market. Come there tomorrow at about lunchtime, and be sure to come hungry. Kenshin's a great cook."
"Kenshin?"
"Yes. he stays at the dojo in exchange for chores. I was wondering, if maybe you might be interested in a similar prepositon, actually."
"Really?"
"Really. Stop by tomorrow, and we'll discuss it. Now hurry home. It's not safe to be on the streets alone so late at night."
And with that, she turned, and headed off in the opposite direction.
It made Maiyo happy to think that she would walk out of her way to say hello and make such a generous offer. Formal training! The full realization of it hit her, and she was just about to jump for joy, when she heard a faint scream. It sounded like the girl her brother, Tsubasa, was with. Abruptly, it cut off. Probably just her brother and his friends trying to scare her, she thougt.
She began walking again, and turned onto the next street. She saw Her brother, and his three friends lying there.
"They're probably just playing a trick on me." She said aloud.
She walked forward with a calm expression on her face. As she neared, she noticed something she ad not before.
They were all lying in pools of blood.
She had hardly begun to move when she felt something. A strong feeling in her mind, that danger was afoot. All of a sudden, her body began to act before her mind could. She felt her muscles tense, and without even comprehending the speed of her own body, she Had spun to her right. She felt a bone-jarring impact go through her arms. She looked down at her hands. She was holding her Bokan in a defensive position she had spent all night practicing. A sword was embedded inside it. The cold steel had penetrated the Bokan until there was only a few splinters left, holding the two ends together.
There was a man holding the sword. He had an average build, but he was very tall. He had short, black hair, slicked back and parted in the middle. He had a large scar on the left side of his face, that extended from his upper lip down to his chin. "Not bad," he said. "most people don't see me until this sword is through their gut. I guess now, you'll have to become my student."
And with that, he pulled back his sword and made a thrust at her upper body. She went to block it, but it was an exercise in futility. The already waning endurance of her Bokan made it easy for the Katana to cut through it. Time seemed to slow down to a crawl. She could watch clearly all the things happening. She saw the shiny metal, moving in a straight beeline for her. She felt the cold steel push into her body, just above the chest plate, and emerging through her back. She felt the warmth of her own blood running down her side. All of her vision was getting dark, and suddenly she was very cold. She remembered Miss Kaoru, and her generous offer. She wanted so badly to learn, to do well. She didn't want to die. She had so much she wanted to do. She had to support her father. She didn't want to die.
These were the last thoughts that went through her head, before she lost consciousness.