CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

"I thought you said you would get me in to see Jin!" complained Meiyo as the five samurai moseyed back to the dojo.

"We will, we will," they all assured him. All were stumbling slightly, from exhaustion, and from too much sake, and from the general feeling of euphoria they'd been in all night. Meiyo was the worst of them; he walked like he was just learning, tripping frequently and biting his tongue to keep from swearing.

"It's sunrise already!" he grouched, as the sun bathed the sleepy city in golden light.

"Don't worry, Meiyo. After he kills Shenji, we'll have to wait another day before we can execute him. You'll have a whole day to get even…"

"What?"

"Well, we have to kill him at sunrise or sunset," explained Saiyu. "It's just how things are done… and the fight with Shenji is going to waste this morning. So we'll have to do it the next morning. Frankly I'm against drawing it out like this, but—"

"No, the part about Shenji!"

"Oh. Yes, Shenji. Weren't you listening earlier? The fool demands a rematch. And… well, he's getting it."

"Probably because everyone wants to see Jin kill him," said Kohachiro. "Personally I always thought he was a creep. It won't be any great loss if Jin makes an ass of him in front of everyone."

"Forget Shenji. We get to see Jin in action!" exclaimed Tamasine.

"You've already seen Jin 'in action,'" grumbled Saiyu in disgust. "You went to the same dojo."

"Oh… yeah."

"You fought him, for pete's sake!"

"But this is different."

"How, Tamasine? Answer me that. How is it different now than it was then?"

"Hmm," said Tamasine, scratching his head.

The dojo came into view around the next corner. The samurai made their way toward it, sleepy and content from their night of celebration. Shopkeepers watched them walk past as they swept their floors and snapped their blankets outside to clean them of dust.

"Can't I see him before they fight?" asked Meiyo anxiously.

"Meiyo, stop worrying yourself. We promised you. We'll honor that promise," said Saiyu gently. The samurai all paused in front of the doors of the dojo to slip off their sandals. The samurai who'd come there earlier had been able to take them off inside and shelve them on the shelves that weren't broken or inhabited by bats; but Saiyu, Meiyo, and the rest were late, and forced to discard their shoes outside the door, like peasants.

"At least we haven't missed the fight," whispered Tamasine loudly as they entered the sacred halls of their old dojo.

"So, uh, just out of curiousity… where are they keeping Jin?" asked Meiyo.

"We'll show you after the fight."

"But what if Jin loses?"

"Oh, come on. Jin can't lose."

Meiyo looked doubtful. The other samurai helped him stumble towards the courtyard. Already, people were lined up around its edges and leaning out of the upper stories. There were about three or four dozen, enough to make it crowded, but hardly a majority of the students who'd once lived and studied in the dojo.

"Meiyo!" exclaimed Kohachiro, as Meiyo began forcing his way rudely through the crowd. He, Tamasine, and Saiyu forced their way after him, apologizing to the people they were pushing past. Kohachiro managed to grab Meiyo's arm; Meiyo groped behind him, like there was something on his back, then whipped around with a hiss of "let go!"

"How can you be so rude?" demanded Kohachiro reprovingly. "We came late! We shouldn't be here!"

"Shut up," said Meiyo. "I want a good view."

The others mumbled disapprovingly, but didn't return to the back of the crowd. Their view from the front was perfect.

"Psst! Kohachiro!" Shamisen scuttled across the courtyard and skidded to a stop in front of them. "I've been looking everywhere for you. I need Jin's katana."

"What? But… it's mine."

"Just give it to me!" Shamisen and Meiyo grabbed at the katana at the same time. Kohachiro protested again. Saiyu told him to shut up.

"Who's bright idea was it to give him swords, anyway?" he grumbled. "This whole fight is ridiculous…"

"Like he can really escape with all of us here."

"He can still kill! And we're right up front! We'll be his first targets!"

"Look, Kohachiro. I'm playing the world's smallest shamisen," said Saiyu sarcastically. Meiyo snorted with laughter. Kohachiro sulked.

"So, speaking of Shasimen, what's the deal with Shamisen, anyway?" asked Meiyo. "I mean, his name."

"Shamisen isn't his real name," said Saiyu. "It's just a nickname. Long story, probably all happened before you came to the dojo. It all started back when—"

"Shut up, Saiyu!" cried Kohachiro, who'd somehow been jostled to the back of the crowd. He put his hands on Saiyu head and forced him down to get a clear view of the courtyard. "Look!"

Meiyo and Saiyu had been so busy talking they'd failed to notice Jin and Shenji, who were standing on opposite ends of the courtyard. For a moment, no one else seemed to notice either. But then a thick silence fell over the dojo; the only noise was the anxious rustle of the spectators. Overhead, a bird fluttered, singing shrilly. The rising sun cast a disproportionably large shadow over the courtyard; it slid over Jin's face, but he didn't even blink.

Shamisen pushed through the crowd and stumbled inelegantly into the middle of the courtyard. He cupped his hands and yelled, "Do we need an introduction or should they just go at it?"

There were mingled shouts of "yes!" and "no!"

Shamisen compromised. "You've all heard the rumors, so I'll make it quick," he shouted through his cupped hands. "Jin and Shenji—a Takeda and a Miyazaki, respectively—have agreed to battle with only their daisho; the winner gives his life to the loser. I don't know why we're doing this… it's stupid, if you ask me…"

"We didn't ask you!" shouted Tamasine. There was a ripple of laughter and few appreciative shouts of, "Good one, Toshi!"

"Tamasine!" screamed Tamasine, spraying everyone in his immediately vicinity with spittle. "Tamasine!"

"Whenever you're ready, start!" yelled Shamisen. He darted back into the crowd, not wanting to get in the middle of the fight. But neither Shenji nor Jin charged. Everyone waited with baited breath.

"What are they doing?" whispered Kohachiro.

"What's wrong with him?" asked Meiyo, who was all but being held back by Saiyu.

Saiyu squinted. Certainly, Jin looked different. He looked sick; his eyes were bloodshot and unfocussed, and he slouched a little, like he was so tired he could barely stand. And, unless Saiyu was mistaken, he was swaying, like they'd already been fighting and he was injured and exhausted. Then again, Shenji looked tired too. Neither one looked ready to fight.

The atmosphere tensed as, on some unseen command, Jin and Shenji both slowly began walking toward each other, closing the gap between them.

"Charge him… charge him… charge him," whispered Meiyo anxiously.

Both stopped, about four meters away. Jin's hands moved to his swords. Shenji was already gripping his. It was quiet enough to hear a pin drop as Jin, slowly and deliberately, unsheathed both his swords. Shenji raised his, ready to fight. A few people fidgeted nervously, having bet money on Jin to win; and judging by their stances, Shenji seemed far more prepared than him.

"Come on…" whispered Meiyo.

For a moment, Shenji and Jin just looked at each other. Then Jin, finally, moved.

He threw both swords at Shenji's feet and bowed his head.

The entire dojo erupted with noise.

"WHAT! You're forfeiting? You can't forfeit!" screamed Tamasine.

"Don't submit to him! You're better than him!" yelled Saiyu.

"Kill him! Kill him!" shouted Kohachiro.

The whole dojo suddenly fell silent again; everyone realized Jin was speaking and caught their breaths to hear him. "…more honorable to give myself willingly than to be forced to a fight a hopeless battle," finished Jin softly.

"Jin, you can't lose!" yelled Meiyo. "Kick his as—I mean, his butt!"

Excited by Meiyo's yell, the rest of the dojo began shouting as well. Jin took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. Everyone immediately was silent again as he opened his mouth to speak.

"I'm tired of fighting," he said.

"Look, Jin!" yelled Kohachiro abruptly, yanking away from Saiyu, who was holding his arm, and striding across the courtyard to him. "You have to fight him! The only reason you're yielding is because you know we can't kill you if you belong to him! You're a coward!"

Faster than lightning, Jin hit Kohachiro's face with the heel of his hand. Kohachiro crumpled, gushing blood. The dojo erupted into noise again.

"EVERYONE BE QUIET!" screamed Koto.

Everyone caught their breaths again.

Jin nudged Kohachiro's body away with his foot, like it was something distasteful. Saiyu, held back by Tamasine, made a few crazed squawks.

"Now, listen!" yelled Koto. "There's no reason Jin can't forfeit to Shenji! That's his choice! We can't force him to fight—are we barbarians? Shenji is a Miyazaki, and deserves Jin's servitude. You should all be ashamed of the way you've been acting! You're all upset only because you've placed bets on Jin to win—is it Jin's fault you've lost your money by gambling? And who's to say death is worse than this—we all know it's more dishonorable to be a living servant than a glorified corpse. I'd think you would have all preferred this outcome!"

Doubtful murmuring swept the crowd. Koto was making a persuasive argument. And whatever counter-arguments anyone had were suddenly quashed by a shout from someone upstairs: "Jin's wife is here! And she has their baby!"