"Insanity of the Vespa Woman"
By: Ggultra2764
Chapter 4: The Sword vs The Guitar
After scrambling up the stairs, Haruko comes to a halt looking straight at the hallway of all the second floor rooms. She is still holding onto Keitaro and her huge yellow bag.
"So, where's my room, Kei-kun?"
"Room 206."
"Then I'll settle into the room. Wait here, Kei-kun."
She runs at full speed towards the room Keitaro tells her of leaving him at the staircase in awe over her speed. She passes Room 201 occupied by Shinobu. Shinobu is about to walk into her bedroom to go to sleep as Haruko darts by her.
"Oy, Shinobu," Haruko yells out. When Shinobu looks towards Haruko, the girl freaks out as she tries to rush into her room. But, Haruko rushes by too quickly making Shinobu twirl around from the impact with Haruko who is still running down the hallway towards Room 206. After twirling around for a minute, Shinobu is dizzy and passes out on the floor.
"Haruko-san. You've ran into Shinobu-chan," Keitaro yells from the staircase. Obviously, Haruko couldn't hear Keitaro yelling as she is still running towards her room. She then runs past Room 205, Kitsune's room. In her room, Kitsune is still sampling the French wine that Haruko gave her earlier and has gotten drunk. She notices Haruko running by despite her current condition.
"Yo, Haruko," Kitsune yells out drunkedly. This stops Haruko who peers her head into Kitsune's room.
"I see you're enjoying the wine."
"Yeah, it's the best I've had in a while." She then lets out a hiccup from her drunkenness.
"Since you're so into it, I'll let you in on the name of the vendor who gave me that wine tomorrow when you're sober."
"Sure, no problem." She then passes out as she must have had other alcoholic drinks before sampling the French wine. Haruko looks a little amused with Kitsune's state, then notices that her room is right across from Kitsune's room.
"I guess this makes us neighbors, fox girl." She then walks into her room to unpack.
Meanwhile, Keitaro is tending to the passed out Shinobu still dazed from her collision with Haruko. Shinobu regains consciousness as she looks up to see Keitaro looking down at her. She immediately gets flustered upon seeing him.
"Se-se-se-sempai."
"Are you okay, Shinobu-chan?"
"H-h-h-hai." She calms herself down and is still a little embarrassed upon seeing Keitaro. She raises herself up from the floor as Keitaro sits down beside her.
"What happened to me? I last recall seeing Haruhara-san running towards me."
"You were dazed when she passed you towards her room and then passed out."
"She's very fast."
"There seem to be some strange things about Haruko-san I'm baffled about as well."
"Keitaro," yells a familiar voice. Shinobu and Keitaro's conversation is interrupted as they turn their attention towards the staircase at Naru. She looks very angry and is raising a fist. Keitaro becomes very nervous upon seeing Naru as he waves his hands in front of him pleading for mercy.
"Uhhh, this isn't what it looks like, Narusegawa." Naru doesn't accept Keitaro's comment as she runs towards him and delivers one of her punches to him sending him flying down the hallway.
"What is that pervert doing this time," she yells out. A nervous Shinobu then darts into her bedroom afraid of how Naru would act towards her.
"I'm going to bed now. Good night, Naru-sempai," she nervously yells out as she closes the door to her bedroom. Naru then snaps out of her temperament and while a little annoyed, proceeds to go up the staircase to the third room so she can study in her bedroom.
Meanwhile, Keitaro is still flying towards the end of the hallway. As Haruko is stepping out of her room after unpacking, she notices Keitaro about to fly towards her. She makes a grin and sidesteps out of the way as Keitaro slams into the wall at the end of the hallway. As he falls to the floor with his arm twitching, there's a crack in the wall where his head made impact with it. Haruko then walks towards Keitaro's battered body looking amused.
"That violent girl do this to you?"
"Yeah."
"She has some indecisive issues."
"Indecisive issues?"
"She doesn't know how to approach you."
"Approach me in what?"
"I'll explain it to you later. Right now, you've still gotta introduce me to those two other roommates."
"Oh. Motoko-chan and Su-chan."
"Yeah. Let's go."
Like earlier, Haruko takes Keitaro by the hand and scrambles rapidly up to the third floor of the inn as she seems anxious in wanting to meet the two girls. When Keitaro and Haruko arrive on the third floor, Haruko stops her advance as she lets go of Keitaro's hand and both start walking down the hallway. Suddenly, both notice a missile coming their way. Keitaro starts to scream as the missile approaches him and Haruko.
"If only I had my guitar," Haruko exclaims, "I still have it out on my Vespa." She then lets out a grin. "Yo, Kei-kun. You'll be my shield."
Haruko grabs Keitaro and throws him into the path of the missile.
"What the hell are you doing," Keitaro yells.
"Relax, Kei-kun. You're immortal remember."
"But I'm not a masochist."
"Maso-what?"
The missile explodes as Keitaro is struck by it. As Keitaro's charred body is flying into Haruko, she sidesteps out of the way as Keitaro is slammed into the wall above the staircase and as he plummets down the wall, his body falls down the staircase as well. Haruko looks down at Keitaro's body. Keitaro gets up and wipes off the dust from his clothes. His clothing is a bit torn up from the impact with the missile.
"You okay, Kei-kun?"
"Why did you throw me into the missile?"
"You're immortal. Did you forget that?"
"No, but I hate receiving pain. I'm not a masochist."
"What's a masochist?"
Before Keitaro can let out an answer, Haruko turns her attention towards the one responsible for firing the missile approaching the top of the third floor staircase at a fast speed. The attacker was Kaolla Su, Hinata Inn's hyperactive foreigner who is a second year junior high student at age 14 and a mechanical genius. Haruko looks a bit surprised that Kaolla is carrying a missile launcher which she just invented and was using Keitaro as a test subject for the weapon.
"Yo, Keitaro," Kaolla yells. Before Kaolla is about to jump off the stairs to "greet" Keitaro, she notices Haruko and stops her advance turning her attention towards the new resident.
"You must be that new resident Shinobu was talking about."
"Of course, you little sadist."
"Sadist? Is that a food?"
"No. It actually means…"
"Don't tell her what it means," Keitaro interrupts as he scrambles up the staircase.
"But is 'sadist' a food, Keitaro," Su asks.
"No it isn't."
"Okay then." Keitaro then has Kaolla turn her attention towards Haruko to introduce her.
"Su-chan, this is Haruko Haruhara. Haruko-san, this is Kaolla Su, our foreigner resident."
"Pleasure," Haruko exclaims as she waves a hand up into the air to greet Kaolla.
"Can you play with me," Kaolla asks.
"I've still got to meet this 'Motoko' that Keitaro was talking about earlier?"
"Oh, Motoko. She's in Room 302 right across from me. Come along."
Kaolla and Haruko rush towards Motoko's room as Keitaro is left to tend to Su's missile launcher at the staircase which he is barely able to lift it.
"How the hell can Su-chan carry something like this?" He slowly carries the missile launcher to Room 301, Kaolla's room. Barely able to hold onto the weapon, he notices the door pulled open for him. Kaolla and Haruko are still waiting to get a response from Motoko's room as Kaolla had pulled the door open for him.
"Thanks for taking care of my missile launcher, Keitaro."
"Why did you invent something like this," Keitaro asks as he struggles to walk into Kaolla's jungle infested room with her missile launcher. Haruko glances into the room and is a bit surprised at the room.
"What a strange girl you are, Kaolla."
"Having my room this way allows me to think of home."
"Where are you from?"
"That's a secret. Since you're not a native, where are you from?"
"That's a secret as well, for right now."
While Kaolla and Haruko are in their conversation, Keitaro can no longer hold onto the missile launcher as he drops it to the ground as the weapon lands right on his right foot. Keitaro holds onto his foot and yells in pain as he's hopping around the room. He slams into one of the palm trees as several coconuts fall onto his head as he passes out on the floor.
"What is up with this noise? I can't concentrate on my meditation with such ruckus."
Kaolla and Haruko turn around to see Hinata Inn's resident swordsman of 16 years of age, Motoko Aoyama. She is standing at the entryway to Kaolla's room looking annoyed.
"Oh, Motoko," Kaolla exclaims, "Keitaro was putting away my invention."
"Urashima's in here." Motoko turns her attention towards Keitaro who is still knocked out lying on the ground underneath one of Kaolla's trees. Her annoyance turns into anger as she draws her sword and charges forward to attack the unconscious Keitaro.
"Urashima. A pervert like you doesn't…" Motoko's advance towards Keitaro is stopped when her right arm is grabbed.
"Su, what are you doing? I'm not in the mood to…" As she turns around angrily, she is surprised to see that it is Haruko who had grabbed her.
"…play."
"It's not nice to attack a fallen person."
"Who are you?"
"The name's Haruko Haruhara, new resident here at the inn."
"Why are you defending Urashima? He wants to take advantage of Su."
"You're just like that violent girl who kicked Kei-kun when I met him earlier today."
"What are you…?"
"Both you two rush to conclusions about Kei-kun's actions without thought."
"Why are you judging me?"
"But, you are a bit different than that violent girl."
"From Naru-sempai?"
"I ran into two guys earlier today in town who were running quite fast and scared while I was driving to the inn. They mentioned something about a woman with a sword who hates all men and attacked them. You're that woman aren't you, Motoko?"
"I hate all men. They are corrupt and have impure thoughts. I can't stand being in their presence."
"Then why is Kei-kun in the inn if you say you hate all men?"
"Because I…" Haruko's question has Motoko lost in thought and speechless as she can't think of an answer with Kaolla watching with a clueless look being oblivious to the true point of the argument and Keitaro regains consciousness and listens in on Motoko and Haruko's argument.
"What are you two talking about," he asks. Neither Motoko nor Haruko hear Keitaro as they are still in argument.
"Could it be that you are in love with Kei-kun," Haruko asks. This question puts Motoko in a mixture of anger and embarrassment as a visible blush appears on her face.
"Shut up. I told you that I hate all men, including Urashima."
"You must be denying it to yourself. It's obvious that you have some affection for him. What are you, afraid of love?"
Motoko becomes increasingly angry as she prepares her sword to attack Haruko rushing towards her.
"You annoying woman, don't pry into my mind. I won't become weak like Aneue." Both Keitaro and Kaolla become shocked at Motoko's actions as she rushes towards Haruko.
"Aneue? What are you doing, Motoko-chan? This isn't like you," Keitaro yells as he gets up to try stopping Motoko's attack.
"Shut up, Urashima," Motoko yells, "This woman must suffer for prying my thoughts."
As Motoko starts to launch a strike at Haruko with her sword, Haruko quickly stops the strike by grabbing onto the blade of the sword with both of her hands. This stuns Motoko as she suddenly senses something within Haruko.
"You wanna fight me," Haruko exclaims, "How amusing. It's been a while since I last fought someone. Meet me outside of the inn and we will fight. I'll go get my 'weapon.'" She releases the blade to Motoko's sword from her hands as she rushes out of Kaolla's room to head outside of the inn. Motoko stands motionless and stunned from what she sensed.
"That woman isn't human. She's emitting an unusual amount of ki which is different from mine and Naru-sempai's. What is she," she thinks to herself.
"Are you okay, Motoko-chan?" Motoko is brought out of her thoughts by Keitaro.
"Urashima, leave me alone. I must fight Haruhara to figure out what she is." She pushes by Kaolla and Keitaro as she rushes after Haruko. As Motoko is going downstairs, Naru enters Kaolla's room.
"What is up with all the commotion," she asks.
"Motoko's gonna fight that new resident," Kaolla says.
"Motoko is what?"
"I don't know what's going on, but it appears Haruko-san provoked Motoko-chan into a fight," Keitaro says.
"We have to stop them," Naru worries.
"Let's go," Keitaro says.
Naru, Kaolla, and Keitaro proceed to rush downstairs as Kaolla appears anxious to see the upcoming fight between Motoko and Haruko. Naru and Keitaro are worried for both Haruko and Motoko's sakes as they rush to try halting their fight.
Meanwhile, Motoko is outside of the inn as she is looking around for Haruko.
"Where are you, monster. I'm ready to fight you."
"ORO," a voice exclaims. Motoko looks to her right as she discovers Haruko dressed like Rurouni Kenshin's Kenshin Himura dressed in a white hakama with sandals and purple robes with the trademark cross scar on the right cheek and a rough attempt at emulating his hair style. Motoko is dumbfounded by Haruko's attire.
"Who's a monster," Haruko exclaims. Motoko snaps out of her dumbfounded look as she regains serious composure.
"I can sense your ki. It's unnatural compared to a human's when trained. You must be some sort of demon."
"Demon? Nope. But, you're right on the fact that I'm not really human. I'm really an alien."
"What is your purpose in our world?"
"I need Kei-kun's help to help me get something when he is good enough for it."
"Urashima is a weak man. He's just a fool."
"Enough talk about Kei-kun, sword girl. You wanted to fight me so let's go."
As Haruko is saying this, Keitaro, Naru, and Kaolla have just arrived outside of the inn as they see Motoko and Haruko getting ready to fight.
"Stop it, you two. This fighting is pointless," Keitaro yells to the two.
"Shut up, Urashima," Motoko exclaims, "I must fight this monster."
"Quit calling me a monster," Haruko yells out as she takes her weapon from her back; the weapon being her guitar.
"You must be kidding yourself if you think you can beat me with that instrument."
"This isn't an ordinary Rickenbecker guitar, sword girl. Let's go." Haruko rushes towards Motoko to attack holding onto the handle of her guitar with both hands. Motoko prepares her sword as she rushes towards Haruko to prepare an attack. As both strike with their weapons, they clash against each other. Motoko is slightly surprised that her sword didn't cut through Haruko's guitar.
"I can't cut it," she exclaims.
"I told you this wasn't an ordinary guitar."
Both dash backward and then rush forward again to attack as both their weapons clash against each other as both attempt to make several strikes at each other. Meanwhile, Naru, Keitaro, and Kaolla are watching their battle. Kaolla is cheering on both combatants and Naru is surprised at the fighting of Haruko.
"Haruko-san isn't an ordinary woman. What's up with that guitar," she exclaims.
"I've been wondering that as well. By the looks of things, she can hold her own against Motoko-chan," Keitaro says.
"But what made Motoko-chan get provoked by Haruko-san?"
"Haruko said something about Motoko being in love with Keitaro if she hates all guys," Kaolla answers.
"What," both Naru and Keitaro exclaim in surprise.
"Motoko-chan mentioned something about aneue, her older sister from earlier. Do you know anything about her sister, Narusegawa," Keitaro asks to Naru.
"Motoko-chan did mention to me one time that her sister mastered the Shinmei-ryu sword style, but later left the dojo and never returned to be the master of the dojo. She never told me why her sister left. You're aware that all of us are here at the inn because of personal problems in our families."
"Then Motoko-chan must be here because of whatever happened to her sister. But does Haruko-san know anything about her?"
Meanwhile in the battle, Haruko and Motoko are still equal in battle. Motoko is starting to get exhausted while Haruko is still fresh, yet starting to look bored.
"This is staring to get boring," Haruko exclaims. She dashes backward releasing the clashing of her guitar with Motoko's sword as Motoko rushes backward as well.
"Are you giving up," Motoko angrily asks while heavily breathing from some exhaustion.
"No, but you're not really at my level. You get angry quite easily. I'd like to see what would happen if I were to strike you with my guitar since you have plenty of inner conflicts."
"You won't be striking me with that instrument. I won't be defeated in such a way."
"Then I guess I'll have to make you then." Haruko turns her guitar parallel as she grabs onto the side of it with her right hand and has her left hand on the handle." Keitaro recognizes this tactic from Haruko's threat to Ggultra2764 earlier about the fanfic rating.
"Watch out, Motoko-chan," Keitaro yells out to her, "She's gonna fire at you."
"What," Naru exclaims.
Haruko fires off an exploding shotgun shot at Motoko. She sees the shot as she dodges it.
"Gotcha," Haruko exclaims. While Motoko is in the middle of dodging the shot, Haruko rushes rapidly towards Motoko with her guitar ready to strike. Motoko is in shock as she is about to be struck by Haruko's guitar.
"You're my guinea pig, kendo girl. Itadakimasu," Haruko yells as she strikes Motoko in the head with her guitar. The strike knocks Motoko back a good distance as she slides to the ground after flying about 10 yards from the attack.
"Motoko-chan," both Naru and Keitaro scream out. Both are in shock over Haruko's blow to Motoko. Kaolla is quite excited by the conclusion of the battle with how Haruko fought.
"Way to go, Haruko," she yells out. As Naru and Keitaro run out to check if Motoko's okay, Haruko notices them and advances towards the two and blocks their path.
"Hold it right there," she exclaims.
"Get out of the way. Motoko-chan might be seriously injured because of your attack," Naru angrily declares.
"Yeah, she might need our help," Keitaro declares.
"With her problems, N.O. will open up very shortly. I needed her as a test to trigger it."
"N.O," Naru and Keitaro both say confusingly.
Meanwhile, Motoko is still on the ground. She is still conscious, though quite stunned that she allowed herself to be defeated by this alien visitor with a guitar.
"I've failed in battle," she silently says, "I've disgraced the warriors of Shinmei-ryu style. I allowed that alien woman to manipulate me into battle and face eminent defeat. If I can't live by the sword, how should I live? I don't want to be with a man. Aneue became weak after being with one. I don't want such a thing to happen to me. I want to carry out the will of Shinmei-ryu. If I can't live my life by the sword, then there's no point in me living."
Suddenly, Motoko feels her head throbbing as she is in pain letting out a painful scream. A loud roar can be heard echoing throughout her head as the size of her head builds up in a massive size. Her expanded head starts to form a bunch of lines and turns into a mixture of light green and dark green color tones which resemble a giant turtle shell. The shell releases itself from Motoko's head as Motoko is flung into a tree and knocked unconscious. Coming out of the green shell appears a giant turtle head. The turtle's eyes are shut and as they open, its eyes glow a bright red as it roars ferociously. Naru and Keitaro become frightened by what they are seeing. Haruko looks curious and amused at Motoko's predicament.
"What's happened to her," Naru yells.
"She's triggered the N.O," Haruko answers becoming excited, "It's time for a real fight."
Chapter 4 Ended.
Next Chapter: Giant Turtle
The giant turtle which pops out of Motoko's head attempts to attack the unconscious Motoko somehow being drawn to her as Haruko clashes with the turtle.
Japanese Terms:
Hakama- Feudal Japanese clothing which is worn on the legs which are quite large, a 'one size fits all' type of clothing. The hakama would normally be put together by tying fabric across the waist to secure the hakama onto the person wearing it.
Ki- a person's inner energy, normally 'sensed' by warriors in action-adventure anime.
Oro- an exclamation for 'huh' which is normally exclaimed by Kenshin in the Japanese version of Rurouni Kenshin.
Aneue- an old way of saying older sister during feudal times in Japan, it's out of style in modern Japan.
This took me about five hours total for me to type up when I found the time to do so. Anyway, the genre of this fanfic now has a drama aspect to it which I've added to the fanfic. Originally, I planned on making Haruko and Motoko's battle a bit more comical, but I felt making it a little more serious would express the events for the next chapter better when I find time to type it up. Anyway, review my fanfic and I'll find time to type up Chapter 5 of Insanity of the Vespa Woman.
