Walter had waited all day, Integra had slept all day and he wondered now if it was safe to suggest a new weapon to oni, he had his wires on him just incase, he walked down to the basement and knocked on Oni's door a sharp , "what!" Came from it, and Walter hesitated for a minute and than said, "its me, we need to talk." the door creaked open and Walter stepped forth, the room was almost completely dark he saw a extremely large number of empty packets on the table but that was about it, "I wanted to talk to you about what happened last night, I heard about everything, and I want you to know that I don't ever want you to be so disrespectful to Integra again, if you do I will make sure your punished for your transgressions." a silence hung in the air and Walter continued, "I know you didn't exactly like the idea of carrying guns but I thought that now that your sword was broken, you would consider at least looking over some suggestions for new weapons, they'd all be heavily customized to your liking but you cant go into battle again without a standby weapon that battle should have taught you that very clearly." Another silence hung in the air, "are you done?" Was Oni's only reply, Walter nodded, "good, now leave."
Walter nodded and left the door closed behind him and he walked off to prepare things for Integra.
Integra threw herself up, her hair clinging to her face which was dripping with sweat. She sighed and swiped it from her brow, standing and placing the glasses back on the bridge of her nose. She cracked her neck and sat back down, looking over the paperwork she had finished. It was mostly the more important ones. She smiled softly remembering when she was a child what Oni had said, picking on her for such work. That smile quickly faded as she thought about what had happened the night before.
She sighed. A new commander would be coming in soon and she would have to brief him up on everything that has happened. She looked to the clock, seeing that she had slept almost all day… Walter would most likely be coming in soon, and maybe even Oni. Heh… Yeah. Sure. She looked down and continued with her work.
Oni decided that enough was enough he stood and phased through the wall appearing in Integra's office. He looked to her and said, "first off I want to apologize to you if I may have said or done anything to upset or offend you last night that were not my intent. Now I would like to know if it's possible why you didn't let me kill that sick twisted sideshow freak then and there, he deserved nothing less. I don't like walking away from battles, and being forced away is worse, especially since he broke my sword, which I have very little hope of replacing, it may seem stupid to you but to me my sword was much more than a piece of metal, it had kept me safe for many years and at some times in my life was my only companion, do you understand?"
She looked up to him. "Yes, I do understand, Oni." She looked into his eyes. "I know it was much more than a piece of metal, and I was going to ask you if you'd like to get another one. It may not be the one Anderson broke, but it will be the best Japan can offer." Her eyes narrowed. "I have already made the arrangements. It is your choice if you wish to go." She sighed. "For one, there is a treaty between the Hellsing Organization and the Iscariot and two, I did not want this situation to grow worse. He is receiving punishment for coming into our jurisdiction and threatening to break the treaty. We do not need more trouble than we already have." She looked into his eyes. "I accept the apology, as do I hope you accept mine." Her eyes narrowed.
Oni nodded understanding not happy but understanding, "Very well I will go to Japan today, but the making of the sword will take time even if I leave today, which I will, I will take Seras with me if it meets your approval?"
"...Yes, take her with you." She said. "If making the sword takes more than five days, I do want you to return. We can hold some things back, but not for that long. As you've said, things are growing worse. But the agents can take care of things for now. You deserve your rest as much as any others do." She said, looking back down to the paperwork. "The car will most likely be waiting for you outside." She said.
Oni smiled, "a neither car nor plane is necessary, but thank you." He nodded and walked through the wall, he appeared outside Seras's room and knocked, "Seras, come on were going to Japan."
Integra smiled softly and got back to work.
Seras woke slowly as the top of the coffin raised from her. The wound on her throat was healed, mostly anyway. She walked over to the door and opened it slowly. "Japan?" She looked into his eyes. "Why are we--?" She paused. Never mind, she thought. She turned and grabbed her jacket, placing it over her shoulders. She closed her door behind her and smiled tiredly to Oni. "...Okay? Let's go."
Oni nodded and walked into his room he grabbed the two vials off the shelf and cleared the table then moved it shoving it in a corner, he uncorked 2 bottles they looked like ordinary water, but when he laid the contents out in a circle on the ground they poured like white sand he gestured to her, "now come inside the circle, don't disturb it." Once she did he clapped his hands together and slammed them to the floor a pentagram appeared within the circle, and 5 symbols far different from that on his gloves appeared this would take a lot of power, "Control arc restriction release to level 3." The room grew dark and the symbol lit up with a blue light, "Desligrate Muri tempe Integra intervalia!" The blue symbol flashed, and enveloped them in blue light. When they could see again, they were in an alley way but it looked nothing like any English alleyway, they were in Japan. "We will have to go do some research, we first have to find out if there are any true sword smiths around and then find out if they're worth anything. He looked around seeing all the technology all of the people, this was Tokyo? He had heard some things but... this? His father would be ashamed at what Tokyo had become, "where do we start first? I would normally know but... It has changed so much, incredibly so in the last hundred years." he looked around, wondering if there were any Yakuza around, he knew that carrying swords was illegal now, and the Yakuza were all about illegal. He looked to Seras wondering if she had any ideas.
Oni sighed and began to walk looking around for anything that would give him a clue, he saw nothing of course, he closed his eyes and looked over the city, and it was huge! grown 3 times at least since he had been there he saw a museum that was just opening as the sun was rising, "come on" he walked down the road forgetting he was still in his kimono he walked up to the museum entrance and went inside just as the rays of the sun crested the horizon. He approached the counter and the woman said "Good morning how can I, oh I'm sorry I thought you were a museum patron" she laughed and said, "you must be new, from now on use the back entrance. Go on back." Oni sighed, "I am a museum patron the kimono is... well a dare." She nodded and after they paid he walked through.
The turn style and began to explore, he found an exhibit on Ewasimono swords and found another Nagasome kotetsu, "So old friend your works survive even now." He reached out to grab it out of instinct and was pulled away by a person, "Sir don't touch the artifacts." Oni sighed and turned, "Their not artifacts, their true weapons, and the only one I used" he swiftly realized his mistake and said, "Would have used. If I were there. I'm looking for information on current sword smiths, people that still make swords the old fashioned way." the museum worker led him and Seras to a booth about current sword smiths he got all of their names and in what order, and now he knew where to go looking, it seemed the top ones all lived in Edo, or Kyoto as it was called latter. He turned to Seras, "let's go."
Seras followed closely -- a feeling creeping up through her chest. Her eyes scanned over the faces hearing their heartbeats in her head. It wasn't that that was bothering her, it was… something else. It felt like something was watching them. She fell in step beside Oni and looked to the names. "For not knowing your way around here, you're doing pretty well." She smiled. Most of the names she couldn't even pronunciate, but she would have to try.
Oni nodded, "Japan is Japan, even though this city is 3 times its size since the last time I checked its still Tokyo, the people may change but they remember the customs of old I think, that and I'm doing a lot of mind reading" he laughed as they walked to a empty part of the museum, "well unfortunately, we have to wait here for a few hours until dark, explore, do what you want just don't reveal yourself and don't kill anyone."
Seras cocked a brow. "I won't..." She smiled. "Unless they try to kill me first." She chuckled softly. "Yes, Master." She turned and started to walk away, her crimson eyes continuing to scan over everything. That feeling continued creeping up her throat making her want to scream, but she stayed silent. She let her hair cover her eyes for the most part; she really didn't want to explain why her eyes were blood-red to humans. It would be… awkward. She smiled softly and walked through the darkness of the museum, making sure to keep a low profile and wait until night fall.
The hours passed slowly for him, this museum was a sad thing, he had no want nor need to explore it, he had lived it, he saw how it was now kids women men all looked at this as ancient artifacts, how sad, in truth he couldn't believe that he was this old, that Japan was that old, that they had turned completely away from the old ways. he sat in a old chair in a museum display, the Japanese village, had lots of pictures and things, many actually stopped to talk to him and before too long even though he didn't want it he was surrounded by a crowd as he told the tail of a samurai and his part in the tokagowa shoganate, and the Meiji regime, he made sure to keep it in third person but in truth it was parts of his story. And many seemed truly interested.
Seras had been watching everything for the passed few hours. She had stopped to look at one of the swords and sighed. Its sheath was a red dragon's body and the handle of the sword was its head. It held black jewels for its eyes and massive claws that extended outward to the side. Her eyes scanned over the gold and silver frame before she backed away. The night had yet to come and she was beginning to grow anxious. She stepped away from the cases and walked around, seeing Oni with a crowd around him. She cocked a brow with a small smile. What trouble was he getting into now?
Oni sighed and looked to Seras, he wanted to stop but these people seemed almost mesmerized by his story, so he continued, "The man walked along the Kyoto trail, wondering what he would find when he reached Kyoto, he had fought in wars before but this was in a city and he had never fought like that before, As he approached the city he saw it was a picture of hell, houses were burning there was death in the streets, and everywhere he looked he saw battle, the two sides the tokagowa shoginate and the revolutionists fought day after day, the Meiji revolutionists were trying to bring about a new era, and the shoginate was trying to stop them with everything they had, men flung themselves into battle and there wasn't a day where something wasn't burning, truly Kyoto had become hell on earth. The man met another and they knew that they were destined to fight each other, for the man was under orders from his shogun to go and battle in Kyoto to prevent the fall of the empire, the man looked into the eyes of the stranger, both were cold and piercing, suddenly in a flash the men attacked their blades struck and made a thunderous noise, they fought for a time sparks and the flashes of light off their blades was all that could be seen, the stranger stopped and said, "Why do you fight for a shogun? You know he can't care about you he's just using you, the Meiji government will come to power, it has to, can't you see all the innocent lives that are suffering? Cant you see what your doing?" The man launched again and they fought for a time, but suddenly the man used one of his most powerful Attacks, the amakakaru ryu no heromeki, and the strangers sword snapped, "what will you do now?" the stranger asked, "I wont beg for my life, it is yours, but for the sake of everything, please don't continue to make others suffer, the shoginate will fall I know this, but if you continue on your way, when it is over you will regret your actions." And that is where I will leave it, come back tomorrow if you wish to know the rest of the tale." The crowd slowly disburse and oni sighed remembering so much from back then he looked to Seras, "you ready?"
Seras listened to the story, knowing it was his own. She looked down for a moment and nodded. "Yes, master." She turned after looking back up into his eyes. He had a past that probably no one else did. She didn't know what exactly they were going to do now, but she'd do whatever he told her. She looked back to see the people that were captivated by his story and smiled. "They're quite interested in you, Master." She smiled.
Oni smiled, "perhaps but by tomorrow, they'll have forgotten me, my story and everything here, and they'll watch TV... its nothing more than a passing interest but thank you. In answer to your question, were going to go see the top sword smith on the list, Mr. Tobushima, he lives in Kyoto, well teleport there." With that they disappeared and reappeared in a quiet street, this had more of an old feel to it thankfully, they had added new things yes but this at least had the feel of Japan to it that he remembered, and "this is his house." He knocked on the door before opening it led into a large yard with the house in the middle, like in the old days. An older man approached them, "yes what can I do for you?" Oni bowed respectfully and said, "your Mr. Tobushima are you not?" The old man nodded.
Oni said, "I would like to speak with you then if I might?" The old man nodded again, knowing this man had the spirit of a swordsman, something extremely rare in today's culture. He led them into the old house and sat down behind a table with food on it, "I was just sitting down to dinner would you like some?" Oni shook his head, "Thank you it is kind of you to offer but no I have already had my evening meal. I came here because... I know you have a true sword smith spirit, and I need you to build for me a sword, if you would kindly consider it." He bowed again and knelt on the floor, "I know many Japanese swords are now put in museums and used as trophies or artwork but I... use them in battle, and in my last battle an enemy broke this," he handed the man his broken sword, he unsheathed it and looked at it, "a nogisome kotetsu? How did you get this? And you say it broke?" Oni nodded and hesitated he didn't want to lie but he had no choice, "I bought it in an auction." The man scowled, "No." Oni opened his eyes in shock, "but I must have a new sword if I don't the next time I'm forced into battle..." the man looked to him "then don't lie to me. You carry the old swordsman's spirit and your chi is very strong, now how did you come by this sword? If it is a secret I swear I will not reveal it to anyone under pain of death." Oni looked to him, "Wasimono... was my family's friend, and he gave it to me as my day of ascension present."
Seras walked behind Oni closely. She eyed the old man and bit her lip as Oni told the truth. She really didn't know what to say at the moment, so she stayed silent. She looked to the broken sword for a moment and sighed. She hated that bastard, she herself wanted to rip him apart. He had attacked her without even the slightest bit of warning. It scared her almost to death. She let her hair fall into her eyes, listening to their conversation.
The old man nodded, "I see, I will ask no more, but you must show me your true self, show me your swordsman spirit. Then I will decide." oni nodded and stood, his eyes changed from that of a simple blue to that of his self in battle, and everyone in the room would be able to feel it quite clearly it spoke of incredible strength and it spoke of the deaths of the guilty he had caused, it was a clear and well defined swordsman spirit, the man nodded and oni sat back down, "I will make you a sword that surpasses the nagisome kotetsu." Oni nodded and said, "I thank you for your help that I do." The old man nodded, "come back in one month's time and it will be ready." Oni stood bowed and turned to leave.
Seras watched Oni as he changed, feeling a sickening feeling come over her. She looked to the old man after a moment and gave a small smile as Oni turned to walk out. "Thank you, sir." She smiled and turned to follow. She looked to Oni. "What will you do for a whole month?" She asked.
Oni looked to her as he walked out, "I don't know, Walter is anxious to make me use a gun so I suppose for a time I will." Come on lets return home." He teleported them back to the spot where they teleported, he leaned back, "I'm not looking forward to it unfortunately." He walked into the circle and waited for her to walk in with it. When she did he began the chant again, they appeared in his room.
Once they were finished she looked over to him. "Guns aren't that hard to handle. Some with the recoil maybe, but with the strength we have its nothing. Guns can do just about the same amount of damage as blades can do if you use them properly." She looked into his eyes with a small smile. "I am sure Walter will give you a good gun, just as he did me." She gave a small smile. Walter's work on her gun gave her the confidence in more ways than one. "In some ways, the blades are better… but in other ways, guns are better." She reassured him.
Oni raised an eyebrow, "if you say so." He nodded "good night Seras." He phased through the ceiling and walked through Integra's office wall, "were back, and I have good news and bad news. Good news, I will have a new sword, bad news it will take time." He looked to her and wondered what she would think.
Integra looked up and gave a tired smile. "...Good. Welcome, Home. I am sure Walter will equip you nicely so have no worries. If you wish, you may even use mine. After all, you did give it to me… and I am willing to allow you to use it if you wish." She threw down a pen and leaned back in her chair with a sigh. "And we do have some problems, but… as for now, they can wait until tomorrow night to be dealt with." She looked into his eyes. "I am sure you are both tired from your journeys."
Oni nodded, "no your blade is yours and yours alone. I'm sure Walter will get me something... useful." He nodded and phased back through the wall knowing tomorrow night would be interesting.