Authoress' note: This chapter won the prize for "most fun to write. EVER." It illustrates the length to which swords can be given a Freudian twist. Or not. ROFL!

Original Character Interview

by artisanrox

CHAPTER 7. BANRYUU.

Once the door closed, Akiko was left alone in the room to freak out over what she wanted to use with which to challenge Bankotsu.

She worried as she looked around the weapons room. She saw every weapon one could imagine lining the walls, and absolutely none she had any experience using. She saw the katanas, nunchukus, sais, bos...

Hey, this isn't Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Akiko thought.

She saw more weapons that looked like sharp claws, and passed by some awful-smelling little containers as she made her way around. She also saw a strange, hollowed-out gourd that had straps attached to it, as if it belonged on a leg or arm.

That's better.

When she reached another wall, she spied a huge weapon. It had a crescent of sharp metal on one end, a staff like a halberd in the center, and a royal purple fabric covering something very large and possibly menacing on the other end.

Akiko had never seen anything like it before. She wondered what was underneath that purple covering. What an odd weapon! She brought a tiny hand up and touched the fabric, using her fingers and palm to try and feel what was underneath. The cover seemed to be a hiding a humongous, solid piece of metal. Her eyes went wide and her little mouth formed an O. Wow! If that's one big piece of metal under there...then...this thing must weigh a ton! she thought. I don't even want to think about how strong one has to be to wield it! This must belong to that really, really big guy out there.

Absorbed in thought and still running her hand along the purple covering, Akiko never heard the door sliding open and shut.

"Hah. That's my Banryuu."

Akiko, horrified, spun around on her heel, and there was Bankotsu, grinning, his arms crossed. She flattened herself against the wall in fright, then snapped her arms under her sleeves.

HE wields this weapon? Akiko couldn't wrap her head around it.

Bankotsu continued. "Just came in to check on you." He tossed his head toward the Banryuu. "You're more than welcome to try and use it, but I doubt you'd be able to pick it up," he said with a laugh. "Three of my own men had to put it in here when we moved."

Whoa. Akiko couldn't decide if the thought of the young man regularly using this weapon was terrifying...or hot. Right now she'd settle for terrifying. Yup.

Bankotsu strided right towards her. Akiko scurried out of the way, and Bankotsu untied one end of the covering. "There's a lot of story behind this weapon of mine." He put a hand gently under a corner of the fabric, and quickly at first, then slowly and caressingly, started to ease the cover off with one finger, sliding it toward the end a little at a time, away from the sharp crescent. While he was doing this, he glared at Akiko with a menacing smirk. He was obviously enjoying every moment of it.

Due to the width of the blade, he had to push the bottom of the cover a little, then the top, over and over. He had his face close to it, almost running his cheek along the side of the weapon, and the trailing hand flattened against the exposed blade. "Mmmm...yeah. A lot of story," he whispered.

"I got it as a gift, " he continued in an eerily low voice as the steel was exposed. "I designed it myself. It took one year and over fifty men to make. Before it was begun, a strong swordsman, one of the strongest men in Japan, challenged me to a duel, and he lost. His weapon is folded into the steel." He paused the motions of taking the cover off for a moment. "Do you know why?" he rhetorically asked Akiko, cocking an eyebrow, then continuing to play with the fabric.

Akiko, very frightened, her eyes widened, shook her head ever so slightly sideways.

Now that the cover was almost all the way off, he closed his eyes for a bit, and he was absorbed in the moment. His breathing became slower and started to enter and exit through his teeth. He fiddled playfully with the purple covering, as it still encased what Akiko could tell was a very, very sharp point. He almost growled as he eeever so slowly and painfully inched the cover toward the end, to the point where it almost fell off, were the rack on the wall not blocking its way.

He opened his cobalt eyes. They seared right through Akiko in the lessened light of the equipment room. "To make it hungrier," he said, breathing out the last word.

Akiko startled backward, and let out a whimper, bringing her little cloaked hands up to her face.

Suddenly, a loud banging on the screen to the main room could be heard. Akiko could hear the men outside saying all kinds of nasty things. It was clear they were getting impatient.

Bankotsu's face turned into a scowl, and he sideglanced the door, unhappy with his comrades' noise. "Excuse me," he quickly said, his eyes snapping back to her. He picked up the massive weapon with one hand, to Akiko's amazement, slung it over a shoulder, and walked toward the screen. The purple cover fluttered to the floor. He opened up the door to the main room, and walked through it, closing it after him.

Akiko heard the noise outside end at the drop of a hat, without even trailing off first. To use a more modern illustration, it was as if someone hit the "stop" button while listening to a recording of a bunch of angry men.

The door slid open again, and Bankotsu entered, carrying the Banryuu on his shoulder. "Well, heh, they won't be a problem for you anymore now!" he said boyishly, with a huge grin. He picked up the covering off the floor, and slid it over the huge blade. He returned the weapon to the wall. He turned to Akiko again, and said, "You know, you can leave anytime you'd like. It's your decision. Wanna look around a bit more?"

Akiko nodded decisively. This is for shopping sprees! "Y...yes...yes I do!" she said.

Bankotsu took a few more steps toward her, and Akiko let out a little gasp. What was he going to do now?

"Hmmm," Bankotsu said quietly, his cobalt eyes reflecting in Akiko's strange yellow eyes. Akiko saw one of his large, tanned hands coming toward her. She opened her eyes wide and stood petrified, hardly breathing.

Bankotsu raised his hand to her eyes...and stroked Akiko once, ever so lightly on her cheek. "Very interesting girl..." he whispered, smirkingthoughtfully, lowering his brows and narrowing his eyes. Akiko found his meaty hands rough, but warm, on her skin. But she couldn't tell whether his mouth was curled up on one side in a flirtatious grin...or a sneer.

With a total change of mood, he returned his hand to his side, and snapped around, walking toward the screen. His braid moved along with him. "Come on out when you've decided. I'll be waiting!" he called over his shoulder.