Disclaimer: The characters of Fushigi Yuugi do not belong to me. They
belong to Yuu Watase-san. So please don't sue me. Unless you want
textbooks as your settlement.
Author's note: So far the most action packed chapter that I wrote. ^.^ And unlike previous chapters, I hope didn't go to fast. It was very interesting to write. I hope you all enjoy it!
~~~~~~
Chapter 6
Tasuki finally had a little time to himself. After he got up, he did nothing but walk around the grounds and have his men say how relieved they were that he was fine. He walked down the hall and stopped in front of Ruri's room. Slowly, he opened the door and entered, making sure not to wake the girl. Tasuki looked around. He hadn't been in the room ever since he showed her the first day. It was a fairly neat room, the only thing messy was the table. Books, and papers were strewn everywhere. He went over to it and stared at a couple which was draw on the top paper. Several had writing on it and several had pictures on them. He glanced at Ruri, whose back was towards him, and then picked up a piece of paper. His eyes widened. It was a picture of him and Kouji laughing. He picked up another paper and it was a picture of Chichiri meditating. Some pictures were of them and others were of the other Seishi.
Several minutes later, he set the pictures down and sat next to the bed. Ruri stirred and turned over so that she was now facing the bandit. He looked at her for several minutes and sighed. 'Why the hell are ya doin' so much for me? And I can't do anything to repay you.' He glared at the sleeping girl. 'Stupid women. Always being shy and over-emotional or aggressive, sly and damn violent.' Then he smirked. 'But some are pretty kind and good, but they're still sly.' He gently touched Ruri's face and whispered, "I promise you Ruri. I'll make it up to ya. You helped save my life and I intend to repay you." He got up quietly and left.
~~~
The next day, Ruri awoke to the delicious scent of food. She gave a long, lazy stretch… and hit someone. "Itai!" She opened her eyes to see what hit. Beside her, Takeshi was holding his face.
"Gah! Takeshi!" Ruri jumped slightly, "You really have to stop doing that."
Takeshi rubbed his face. "I think you're right."
Ruri smiled and sat up, "Well, where's my food?" Takeshi looked at her questioningly. "The only reason I got up was because I smelled food!"
Takeshi sweatdropped and laughed. "It's right here, little onna." He pointed to the food and Ruri quickly sat down and started eating. Takeshi sat in front of her.
Ruri swallowed her food and pointed at the young bandit with her chopsticks. "Are you going to keep calling me 'little onna'?"
He smirked, "Why not? It fits."
Ruri mockingly glared at him and flicked a rice grain at him. It landed smack in the middle of his head. He looked at it and there was a funny silence. Then, Ruri burst out laughing. Takeshi had an "oi" look on his face. He picked it off and flicked back at the laughing girl. It landed on her cheek and Ruri paused with Takeshi laughing. Then she smirked.
"You forget Takeshi-san. I have a whole bowl of rice while you have nothing."
Takeshi smirked back. "That may be so. Demo! I can use the ones you throw at me for my ammunition. And no matter what, you're our… little… onna."
Ruri sighed and laughed. "You win, you win!"
"Of course."
She flicked another grain of rice. "Oi, watch it. Don't get cocky."
"Of course." They both laughed.
~~~
Later that day, Ruri left her room and decided to take a walk outside. She wanted to get some fresh air after sleeping for almost a whole day.
The grounds were empty that day because most of them were out raiding or scouting. Ruri was a little annoyed because she didn't get to go, but it wasn't much of a loss. It was a time for her to be alone and love every minute of it.
~~~
It was a good haul. Everyone was quickly walking back to the stronghold. Tasuki and Kouji were smirking at the successful looting and couldn't wait to see what to keep.
The band reached the entrance of the stronghold and saw that the remaining men were out there to greet them. Everyone cheered when they saw each other and the remaining men helped the others with the loot. Tasuki handed a bag to one of the men when Ruri went up to him.
"Ne, how are you feeling?" She asked. Tasuki turned to her and blinked. "Daijoubu? I'm just wondering if you're feeling okay since you left shortly after recovering."
"Daijoubu! It'll take more than a fever to take down the leader of the Mt. Reikaku bandits!" The men who heard Tasuki cheered and Ruri sweatdropped.
"Well, I just wanted to know," Ruri gave a small smile, "At any rate, I don't want you to get sick again."
Takeshi heard her and winked. "It's so touching that you care so much. That's why…" Ruri gave him a look, "you're out little onna!"
Ruri got red and facefaulted while the men laughed. But she quickly recovered and stomped towards Takeshi. "Omae o korosu!" Then she punched the young bandit high in the sky.
Tasuki sweatdropped. "Where the fuck does she get all that strength?" He mumbled to himself.
~~~
Several days passed and Ruri was having more fun that before. She was hanging with the men, spending time with Tasuki, Kouji and Takeshi, and just enjoying being outside. Spending time with Tasuki, Kouji and Takeshi always resulted in someone getting hurt, usually by Ruri and talking. Day by day, Ruri had the change to know more about Tasuki and Tasuki did the same, much to the amusement of Kouji.
This particular day was a beautiful afternoon. The sun was shining brightly, not a cloud in the sky and Ruri was loving it. It was the perfect weather. She wore a tank top, a shirt over the tank and a long skirt with her hair loose. She was taking a walk wondering about what to give Tasuki as a birthday present. She heard from Kouji that it was coming up. She wanted it to be special and meaningful. She stopped and looked around her. She was at the edge of the forest with the stronghold some distance away.
'As long as I can see the building, I'll be fine.' She took off her shirt and hung it on a branch. "Just in case." With a bounce, she entered the forest.
~~~
Several men were creeping in the forest and spotted the girl. They went to tell their leader.
"Are you sure it's her?" the leader asked.
They nodded. Segetsu grinned evilly. He vaguely remembered the girl and telling about them to Genrou. It was all because of her. Luckily Kencho gave them a second chance. "It's payback little bitch. And it's gonna be one hell of a payback.
~~~
Ruri bent down to examine and smell a flower. 'I'm glad I decided to take a walk in the forest. It's so beautiful,' she thought. Several twigs cracked and Ruri whirled around, "Who's there?!" More cracking was heard and Ruri's eyes darted back and forth. She started to walk away, but shadows appeared all around her, preventing her from escaping.
Ruri glared at the shadows, eyes cold, "Who the hell are you? And what do you want from me?"
"Revenge." A voice growled. One shadow stepped forward and Ruri's eyes widened.
"You!"
"That's right," Segetsu leered at her. He nodded and someone grabbed her from behind.
Ruri screamed, "Let go!" Before she could scream anymore, a hand clamped over her mouth.
Segetsu stood in front of her and touched her cheek, ignoring the glare. "Now I call this situation being in my favor. Not only am I getting my revenge, but I also hurt Genrou where it hurts the most. It's convenient to see that Kencho's plans fit in perfectly with mine." With a cruel laugh, his hands traveled down her body.
~~~
Tasuki looked around. Where the hell could this damn girl be? He just finished having lunch and she still didn't show up, which was very unusual for her. She always told someone if she was going to be gone for a long period of time. "Oi! Ruri!" He called out. "Where the fuck are ya?!" He kept walking.
~~~
Ruri closed her eyes and kicked back, hoping to hit her target. The man immediately gasped and fell to the ground, telling Ruri that she did hit her mark. The minute she was free, she slapped Segetsu and started running.
"Get her!" Several men went after her. It didn't take long for them to catch up to Ruri. One grabbed her arm and pulled her back. She went flying to the ground and gasped at the impact. The man still holding her, yanked her up. Getting her bearings back, Ruri punched the man holding her and started running again. A man stepped in her way. She skidded to a stop and turned the other way, running in that direction. But another man stepped in her way and she was forced to skid to another stop. She turned but her ankle collapsed, and she fell. Ruri yelped in pain as someone grabbed her by her hair. "Get the fuck off of me! Let me go now!" Her ankle was throbbing and she started swinging her arms.
Segetsu stopped one of her arms. "We'll let go once you're suitably punished," he sneered. Her grabbed her top but Ruri lashed out with her other arm and scratched his face. Segetsu held his face, angrily crying out. Then, Ruri elbowed the man holding her. And when he let go, she started to run, ignoring the protests from her ankle. Segetsu looked at the running girl and gestured to the other to get her. Three parallel red lines could be seen on his face.
She was then tripped and she fell on her hands and knees. This time two men grabbed each of her arms and forced her up. Segetsu walked over, lifted her face and gave a resounding slap. A trickle of blood trailed down her mouth and Segetsu laughed.
"It's time for your punishment." His hands slowly went towards her but she clamped onto his finger and bit hard until she tasted blood. Segetsu pulled back his hand and glared at the girl. "You bitch. Now you'll really pay."
Ruri spit out the blood. "I'm not the easy."
"With an evil glint Segetsu drew a knife and Ruri's eyes widened. He slashed down her top causing it to open and a cut to form on her chest. Ruri winced in pain and tried to struggle out of the grip of the two men. Another slap went across her face and her hair fell over half her face. He then cut down her skirt and across. He yanked the material, making it rip and revealed blood running down her left thigh. Ruri inwardly shivered as she had an idea of what was going to happen.
Segetsu nodded and the men holding her started to force her down.
With her thoughts of what was going to happen confirmed, Ruri started screaming, yelling, and struggling. "Iya! Let go! Hanashite! Someone help!"
Segetsu leered down at her and gave a malicious grin. He saw fear in those brown eyes, fear of him. He ran his hand up and down her body, peeling away the rest of her clothes.
"IYA~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!!!" Ruri struggled even more. Her cuts stung and her ankle ached every time she moved it. She didn't care though. She had to get away. "DON'T TOUCH ME! STAY AWAY!! TASUKI~~~!! HELP ME~~!!!!"
Segetsu then punched the side of her head, dazing her, and laughed cruelly. "Ya shouldn't have strayed girl. No one's comin' to save you. You're at my mercy."
~~~
Tasuki was getting annoyed. He still hasn't found Ruri yet and he was getting worried. 'Where the fuck is she?' The bandit ran his hand through his hair and looked around. Something caught his eye. Something fluttering. He went over to get a closer look and found it to be a shirt. "Hold on. This is Ruri's shirt. What's it doing all the way out here?" He then heard it. A desperate cry. It couldn't have been her. Tasuki took several steps into the forest, listening carefully. Then, he heard it again. "DON'T TOUCH ME!"
Tasuki broke out into a run, "Fuck! It's Ruri!"
"TASUKI~~~~~~!! HELP ME!!!"
With a burst of speed the Suzaku Seishi headed towards the girl. He stopped when he arrived at the scene. Several men were laughing and watching something. Tasuki took a closer look and saw a man lying over someone with two men beside him. An even closer look, he saw a wave of dark hair. His amber eyes flashed and he brandished his tessen. "Get the fuck off of her right now," he said in a very dangerous, low voice.
Segetsu turned his head to see the leader of the Mt. Reikaku bandits. "Well, Genrou, here to save your bitch?" He forced Ruri up. "Well, here she is."
One look at Ruri and Tasuki's eyes filled with rage. She completely naked with scrapes bruises and cuts all over her body. She only slightly struggled and there was a dazed look on her face.
"You fuckin' bastards!!" Tasuki yelled. "I'll kill you!" With that he attacked the men. "LEKKA SHINEN~!" A wave of flames swept over the men and several went down. Using his speed as an advantage, Tasuki quickly took out the rest of the men, one by one leaving Segetsu left standing.
Tasuki stood in front of Segetsu. "Give me the girl now!" He yelled, baring his fangs.
Segetsu gloated. "What're you gonna do about it? You're not going to do anything to hurt your bitch." To prove his point, he ran his hand down her body, watching Tasuki shake with rage.
"You fuckin' bastard! If you weren't such a fuckin' wimp, you'd actually fight me, instead of hiding behind a girl. I'm sure every fuckin' woman in the country can kick your ass." Tasuki smirked, rage still flickering in his eyes.
"NANI?!" Segetsu bellowed. "You'll pay for that remark!"
Ruri was starting to regain consciousness and saw everything blurry. She though she saw a glimpse of orange, bit didn't have time to think. She was suddenly shoved violently aside and her head made contact with a tree. She cried out in pain before everything went black.
Tasuki heard her cry out and saw her slump to the ground, face hidden by her hair. Glaring at Segetsu, who was gloating, fire burned in the Seishi's eyes. Gathering his chi, Tasuki brandished his tessen and yelled, "LEKKA SHINEN~~!!!" A wave of fire flew toward Segetsu who saw the flames but was late in jumping out of the way. When the flames died down, Segetsu's left side was brunt. Tasuki ran towards him and Segetsu raised his sword, and then brought it down when Tasuki came closer. At the last minute Tasuki moved to the side, folded his tessen and swung as hard as he could at Segetsu's head.
Segetsu's eyes glazed over and fell hard on the ground. A trickle of blood streamed out. Tasuki glared at the body and few moments longer, catching his breath. Then he felt a sting on his right arm and saw a small cut. All the anger and rage slowly left him and he turned around to Ruri.
He quickly went over to her and knelt down next to her. He eyes glinted in anger. 'Dammit! I should've kept a closer eye on her! Baka!'
Luckily, Ruri didn't have too many major injuries. Brushing her hair from her face revealed a bump on the head and a sprained ankle and two major cuts. The rest were minor scratches and bruises.
Tasuki removed his jacket and wrapped in around Ruri. He then took her shirt he found and wrapped it around her ankle. Then he gently took her in her arms and started to the stronghold. When he was out of the forest, he started running. "Don't worry Ruri, you're gonna be fine." He said.
Author's note: So far the most action packed chapter that I wrote. ^.^ And unlike previous chapters, I hope didn't go to fast. It was very interesting to write. I hope you all enjoy it!
~~~~~~
Chapter 6
Tasuki finally had a little time to himself. After he got up, he did nothing but walk around the grounds and have his men say how relieved they were that he was fine. He walked down the hall and stopped in front of Ruri's room. Slowly, he opened the door and entered, making sure not to wake the girl. Tasuki looked around. He hadn't been in the room ever since he showed her the first day. It was a fairly neat room, the only thing messy was the table. Books, and papers were strewn everywhere. He went over to it and stared at a couple which was draw on the top paper. Several had writing on it and several had pictures on them. He glanced at Ruri, whose back was towards him, and then picked up a piece of paper. His eyes widened. It was a picture of him and Kouji laughing. He picked up another paper and it was a picture of Chichiri meditating. Some pictures were of them and others were of the other Seishi.
Several minutes later, he set the pictures down and sat next to the bed. Ruri stirred and turned over so that she was now facing the bandit. He looked at her for several minutes and sighed. 'Why the hell are ya doin' so much for me? And I can't do anything to repay you.' He glared at the sleeping girl. 'Stupid women. Always being shy and over-emotional or aggressive, sly and damn violent.' Then he smirked. 'But some are pretty kind and good, but they're still sly.' He gently touched Ruri's face and whispered, "I promise you Ruri. I'll make it up to ya. You helped save my life and I intend to repay you." He got up quietly and left.
~~~
The next day, Ruri awoke to the delicious scent of food. She gave a long, lazy stretch… and hit someone. "Itai!" She opened her eyes to see what hit. Beside her, Takeshi was holding his face.
"Gah! Takeshi!" Ruri jumped slightly, "You really have to stop doing that."
Takeshi rubbed his face. "I think you're right."
Ruri smiled and sat up, "Well, where's my food?" Takeshi looked at her questioningly. "The only reason I got up was because I smelled food!"
Takeshi sweatdropped and laughed. "It's right here, little onna." He pointed to the food and Ruri quickly sat down and started eating. Takeshi sat in front of her.
Ruri swallowed her food and pointed at the young bandit with her chopsticks. "Are you going to keep calling me 'little onna'?"
He smirked, "Why not? It fits."
Ruri mockingly glared at him and flicked a rice grain at him. It landed smack in the middle of his head. He looked at it and there was a funny silence. Then, Ruri burst out laughing. Takeshi had an "oi" look on his face. He picked it off and flicked back at the laughing girl. It landed on her cheek and Ruri paused with Takeshi laughing. Then she smirked.
"You forget Takeshi-san. I have a whole bowl of rice while you have nothing."
Takeshi smirked back. "That may be so. Demo! I can use the ones you throw at me for my ammunition. And no matter what, you're our… little… onna."
Ruri sighed and laughed. "You win, you win!"
"Of course."
She flicked another grain of rice. "Oi, watch it. Don't get cocky."
"Of course." They both laughed.
~~~
Later that day, Ruri left her room and decided to take a walk outside. She wanted to get some fresh air after sleeping for almost a whole day.
The grounds were empty that day because most of them were out raiding or scouting. Ruri was a little annoyed because she didn't get to go, but it wasn't much of a loss. It was a time for her to be alone and love every minute of it.
~~~
It was a good haul. Everyone was quickly walking back to the stronghold. Tasuki and Kouji were smirking at the successful looting and couldn't wait to see what to keep.
The band reached the entrance of the stronghold and saw that the remaining men were out there to greet them. Everyone cheered when they saw each other and the remaining men helped the others with the loot. Tasuki handed a bag to one of the men when Ruri went up to him.
"Ne, how are you feeling?" She asked. Tasuki turned to her and blinked. "Daijoubu? I'm just wondering if you're feeling okay since you left shortly after recovering."
"Daijoubu! It'll take more than a fever to take down the leader of the Mt. Reikaku bandits!" The men who heard Tasuki cheered and Ruri sweatdropped.
"Well, I just wanted to know," Ruri gave a small smile, "At any rate, I don't want you to get sick again."
Takeshi heard her and winked. "It's so touching that you care so much. That's why…" Ruri gave him a look, "you're out little onna!"
Ruri got red and facefaulted while the men laughed. But she quickly recovered and stomped towards Takeshi. "Omae o korosu!" Then she punched the young bandit high in the sky.
Tasuki sweatdropped. "Where the fuck does she get all that strength?" He mumbled to himself.
~~~
Several days passed and Ruri was having more fun that before. She was hanging with the men, spending time with Tasuki, Kouji and Takeshi, and just enjoying being outside. Spending time with Tasuki, Kouji and Takeshi always resulted in someone getting hurt, usually by Ruri and talking. Day by day, Ruri had the change to know more about Tasuki and Tasuki did the same, much to the amusement of Kouji.
This particular day was a beautiful afternoon. The sun was shining brightly, not a cloud in the sky and Ruri was loving it. It was the perfect weather. She wore a tank top, a shirt over the tank and a long skirt with her hair loose. She was taking a walk wondering about what to give Tasuki as a birthday present. She heard from Kouji that it was coming up. She wanted it to be special and meaningful. She stopped and looked around her. She was at the edge of the forest with the stronghold some distance away.
'As long as I can see the building, I'll be fine.' She took off her shirt and hung it on a branch. "Just in case." With a bounce, she entered the forest.
~~~
Several men were creeping in the forest and spotted the girl. They went to tell their leader.
"Are you sure it's her?" the leader asked.
They nodded. Segetsu grinned evilly. He vaguely remembered the girl and telling about them to Genrou. It was all because of her. Luckily Kencho gave them a second chance. "It's payback little bitch. And it's gonna be one hell of a payback.
~~~
Ruri bent down to examine and smell a flower. 'I'm glad I decided to take a walk in the forest. It's so beautiful,' she thought. Several twigs cracked and Ruri whirled around, "Who's there?!" More cracking was heard and Ruri's eyes darted back and forth. She started to walk away, but shadows appeared all around her, preventing her from escaping.
Ruri glared at the shadows, eyes cold, "Who the hell are you? And what do you want from me?"
"Revenge." A voice growled. One shadow stepped forward and Ruri's eyes widened.
"You!"
"That's right," Segetsu leered at her. He nodded and someone grabbed her from behind.
Ruri screamed, "Let go!" Before she could scream anymore, a hand clamped over her mouth.
Segetsu stood in front of her and touched her cheek, ignoring the glare. "Now I call this situation being in my favor. Not only am I getting my revenge, but I also hurt Genrou where it hurts the most. It's convenient to see that Kencho's plans fit in perfectly with mine." With a cruel laugh, his hands traveled down her body.
~~~
Tasuki looked around. Where the hell could this damn girl be? He just finished having lunch and she still didn't show up, which was very unusual for her. She always told someone if she was going to be gone for a long period of time. "Oi! Ruri!" He called out. "Where the fuck are ya?!" He kept walking.
~~~
Ruri closed her eyes and kicked back, hoping to hit her target. The man immediately gasped and fell to the ground, telling Ruri that she did hit her mark. The minute she was free, she slapped Segetsu and started running.
"Get her!" Several men went after her. It didn't take long for them to catch up to Ruri. One grabbed her arm and pulled her back. She went flying to the ground and gasped at the impact. The man still holding her, yanked her up. Getting her bearings back, Ruri punched the man holding her and started running again. A man stepped in her way. She skidded to a stop and turned the other way, running in that direction. But another man stepped in her way and she was forced to skid to another stop. She turned but her ankle collapsed, and she fell. Ruri yelped in pain as someone grabbed her by her hair. "Get the fuck off of me! Let me go now!" Her ankle was throbbing and she started swinging her arms.
Segetsu stopped one of her arms. "We'll let go once you're suitably punished," he sneered. Her grabbed her top but Ruri lashed out with her other arm and scratched his face. Segetsu held his face, angrily crying out. Then, Ruri elbowed the man holding her. And when he let go, she started to run, ignoring the protests from her ankle. Segetsu looked at the running girl and gestured to the other to get her. Three parallel red lines could be seen on his face.
She was then tripped and she fell on her hands and knees. This time two men grabbed each of her arms and forced her up. Segetsu walked over, lifted her face and gave a resounding slap. A trickle of blood trailed down her mouth and Segetsu laughed.
"It's time for your punishment." His hands slowly went towards her but she clamped onto his finger and bit hard until she tasted blood. Segetsu pulled back his hand and glared at the girl. "You bitch. Now you'll really pay."
Ruri spit out the blood. "I'm not the easy."
"With an evil glint Segetsu drew a knife and Ruri's eyes widened. He slashed down her top causing it to open and a cut to form on her chest. Ruri winced in pain and tried to struggle out of the grip of the two men. Another slap went across her face and her hair fell over half her face. He then cut down her skirt and across. He yanked the material, making it rip and revealed blood running down her left thigh. Ruri inwardly shivered as she had an idea of what was going to happen.
Segetsu nodded and the men holding her started to force her down.
With her thoughts of what was going to happen confirmed, Ruri started screaming, yelling, and struggling. "Iya! Let go! Hanashite! Someone help!"
Segetsu leered down at her and gave a malicious grin. He saw fear in those brown eyes, fear of him. He ran his hand up and down her body, peeling away the rest of her clothes.
"IYA~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!!!" Ruri struggled even more. Her cuts stung and her ankle ached every time she moved it. She didn't care though. She had to get away. "DON'T TOUCH ME! STAY AWAY!! TASUKI~~~!! HELP ME~~!!!!"
Segetsu then punched the side of her head, dazing her, and laughed cruelly. "Ya shouldn't have strayed girl. No one's comin' to save you. You're at my mercy."
~~~
Tasuki was getting annoyed. He still hasn't found Ruri yet and he was getting worried. 'Where the fuck is she?' The bandit ran his hand through his hair and looked around. Something caught his eye. Something fluttering. He went over to get a closer look and found it to be a shirt. "Hold on. This is Ruri's shirt. What's it doing all the way out here?" He then heard it. A desperate cry. It couldn't have been her. Tasuki took several steps into the forest, listening carefully. Then, he heard it again. "DON'T TOUCH ME!"
Tasuki broke out into a run, "Fuck! It's Ruri!"
"TASUKI~~~~~~!! HELP ME!!!"
With a burst of speed the Suzaku Seishi headed towards the girl. He stopped when he arrived at the scene. Several men were laughing and watching something. Tasuki took a closer look and saw a man lying over someone with two men beside him. An even closer look, he saw a wave of dark hair. His amber eyes flashed and he brandished his tessen. "Get the fuck off of her right now," he said in a very dangerous, low voice.
Segetsu turned his head to see the leader of the Mt. Reikaku bandits. "Well, Genrou, here to save your bitch?" He forced Ruri up. "Well, here she is."
One look at Ruri and Tasuki's eyes filled with rage. She completely naked with scrapes bruises and cuts all over her body. She only slightly struggled and there was a dazed look on her face.
"You fuckin' bastards!!" Tasuki yelled. "I'll kill you!" With that he attacked the men. "LEKKA SHINEN~!" A wave of flames swept over the men and several went down. Using his speed as an advantage, Tasuki quickly took out the rest of the men, one by one leaving Segetsu left standing.
Tasuki stood in front of Segetsu. "Give me the girl now!" He yelled, baring his fangs.
Segetsu gloated. "What're you gonna do about it? You're not going to do anything to hurt your bitch." To prove his point, he ran his hand down her body, watching Tasuki shake with rage.
"You fuckin' bastard! If you weren't such a fuckin' wimp, you'd actually fight me, instead of hiding behind a girl. I'm sure every fuckin' woman in the country can kick your ass." Tasuki smirked, rage still flickering in his eyes.
"NANI?!" Segetsu bellowed. "You'll pay for that remark!"
Ruri was starting to regain consciousness and saw everything blurry. She though she saw a glimpse of orange, bit didn't have time to think. She was suddenly shoved violently aside and her head made contact with a tree. She cried out in pain before everything went black.
Tasuki heard her cry out and saw her slump to the ground, face hidden by her hair. Glaring at Segetsu, who was gloating, fire burned in the Seishi's eyes. Gathering his chi, Tasuki brandished his tessen and yelled, "LEKKA SHINEN~~!!!" A wave of fire flew toward Segetsu who saw the flames but was late in jumping out of the way. When the flames died down, Segetsu's left side was brunt. Tasuki ran towards him and Segetsu raised his sword, and then brought it down when Tasuki came closer. At the last minute Tasuki moved to the side, folded his tessen and swung as hard as he could at Segetsu's head.
Segetsu's eyes glazed over and fell hard on the ground. A trickle of blood streamed out. Tasuki glared at the body and few moments longer, catching his breath. Then he felt a sting on his right arm and saw a small cut. All the anger and rage slowly left him and he turned around to Ruri.
He quickly went over to her and knelt down next to her. He eyes glinted in anger. 'Dammit! I should've kept a closer eye on her! Baka!'
Luckily, Ruri didn't have too many major injuries. Brushing her hair from her face revealed a bump on the head and a sprained ankle and two major cuts. The rest were minor scratches and bruises.
Tasuki removed his jacket and wrapped in around Ruri. He then took her shirt he found and wrapped it around her ankle. Then he gently took her in her arms and started to the stronghold. When he was out of the forest, he started running. "Don't worry Ruri, you're gonna be fine." He said.