Stories of the Meiji
Chapter: 3
The Blonde Swordsman
Next chapter up and a new character. A/N: the sword of light while a trademark is just too weird for this idea so Gourry has normal sword. A/N: The zanbato is a fictional weapon but it is supposed to be a sword big enough to cleave a rider and horse in half just so you get the picture.
Lina stretched as she walked around the Sairoon dojo. She had slept decently but could not stay in bed late like she normally did. Today was different in that Lina had a feeling like something was out of place. A feeling as if something or someone was watching her. 'Get a hold of yourself Lina. I doubt there is much of anyone left who would care about you. There are some of the imperialist that would like to have me back but that's nothing to be worried about,' she thought to herself as she looked around.
The Sairoon home and dojo was a simple place. The grounds were laid out in that the main home that was connected to the dojo. On the back side of the grounds where an open courtyard used for outdoor practice and leisure, and the large storage house at the end next to the wall marking the end of the property. Lina looked at the place for a few more minutes before deciding that there was nothing out of place on the grounds. She yawned before stretching again and saying, "I'm beginning to get paranoid."
She walked back into the house completely unaware of the figure that was watching her and waiting for his chance.
He walked down the street with a large object on his shoulder. Most people moved well out of the way of this stranger as he moved down the street. The man himself did not look that frightening or unappealing but at the same time the amount of strength he had was truly freakish. He walked down the street, smile on his face all the while, with the large and heavy looking object on his shoulder. He continued to march down the street until a man stepped out in front of him and asked in a low tone, "What exactly is that?"
The man stopped and looked the man that stopped him over. He was a bit shorter than himself and held an air of confidence and coldness around his being. His sapphire eyes looked up and down as if assessing the situation. The man was dressed in the uniform of a police officer and did not seem to be threatening. After a minute he set the bottom of the object on the ground before saying, "Just a family heirloom is all."
Zelgadis or should it be Goro Fujita looked the man over after the reply. The man was about a head taller than Zelgadis with bright blonde hair. The blonde man's blue eyes shown in the light but did not display the same hardened edge as Zelgadis'. Zelgadis took out a pad and pencil before asking, "Name?"
The man was dressed in a white outfit. The white pants were baggy and came up to his waist. The white shirt was more of an coat that stopped at his chest and exposed some of the muscle there. The final piece was the blue head band tied around his head. The man smiled and replied, "Gourry Gaberiv."
"And, what are you planning to do in my city Mr. Gaberiv," Zel asked as he wrote down the name.
"I'm here to find work or a dojo that will hire me to teach swordsmanship," the man replied without loosing his sunny demeanor.
Zelgadis had to clench his teeth as the beaming smiled made his stomach flip. After the feeling had passed he smirked and said, "Well, Mister Gaberiv I have to register you before you can work. Go down by the river. There is a small outcropping there. Wait until I send word for you."
"As you wish officer," Gourry replied before picking the large object back up and moving along.
Zelgadis kept himself from laughing as he walked into a back alley. He had two stops to make before this idea came full circle.
Lina stood out in the courtyard of the the Sairoon dojo as she began her normal practice. She started by spreading her feet and positioning herself for a sword draw. She placed her right hand just above the hilt of the blade. She placed her palm on top of the hilt and stood for a few moments. Lina began to slow her breathing as she prepared herself for her exercise. Lina breathed in and began to move; just as she was about to draw her sword she heard, "Is there a women with bright red hair living here?"
Lina quickly dropped her stance and released the sword back into the sheath. She began to walk towards the front where she saw Amelia and an older looking gentleman. She stopped in front of them as Amelia announced, "This man says this letter is for you...but why is it made out to a Bat...," Amelia couldn't finish before the letter was snatched away.
Lina opened the letter and read quickly, "Battosai: I'm issuing a challenge to the strongest of the imperialist. Meet me down by the river where we can see who the strongest really is."
Lina nodded before crumpling up the note and walking towards the river. "Miss Lina where are you going," Amelia called from the gate to the main house.
"Out. I'll be back later," Lina replied as he toned seemed dark.
Gourry stood on the small inlet that the police officer had told him about. About an hour later the same officer showed up. The officer sighed before saying, "Okay I've got a lot of paper work to do...of course if you do a favor for me I can see about getting you a permit quicker."
"Of course. Anything to help," Gourry smiled which tended to show off that he was not that bright.
Zelgadis smiled evilly from behind his notepad as he replied, "Good. There is a local gangster that comes here daily. She is a bit shorter than me with long red hair and a cross-shaped scar on her cheek. If you could just take care of her then I'll take care of you."
"Done," Gourry said as he stood up and walked to the middle of the inlet to wait.
'So far so good,' Zelgadis smirked as he walked away, 'I can see if her skills have stayed sharp without showing myself. If she wins then I won't have to deal with this idiot...and if she loses then I will know she isn't worth my time.'
Lina arrived to find a tall, blonde man in the middle of an inlet in the river. She glared as she drew closer and noticed the large object resting on his shoulders. She stopped about ten yards from him before saying, "Who the hell are you and how do you know me?"
The blonde man looked confused, which threw Lina off a bit, before he replied, "Your the person I'm supposed to take care of."
Lina blinked before grinding her teeth, 'Great not only is there someone out there who knows me but they sent a fighter for hire.'
The man pulled the object off his shoulder before setting the end down and saying, "Well if I'm going to get my half of the bargain then I better get started."
Lina watched as he tore a paper covering off of the object until it became obvious it was a sword. She stared at it before shouting, "You fight with a zanbato?"
Gourry lifted the huge sword off the ground and pointed towards Lina as he assumed a wide stance. "Yeah, I think it fits me."
Lina sighed, 'Well at least this won't be a long fight,' before dropping into her stance.
Hidden in the underbrush of the river Zelgadis watched the two through a pair of field glasses. He smiled as the two squared off. As he was about to just watch he noticed a glint from the other side of the river. He zoomed on the glint to find a young girl doing the same thing he was. 'You not very good at sneaking around are you,' he thought to himself.
He took note of her looks before focusing back on the fight at hand and thinking, 'Now which will win?'
Lina stayed in her stance as she waited for her opponent to charge. After a minute he patience paid off as the man charged. To Lina's surprise he was much faster than she had suspected. She dodged to the side at the last moment before the large blade slammed into the ground. The ground seemed to shake but Lina would not be caught off guard again. As soon as her left foot touched the ground she jumped towards his open back as she drew her sword. The blade flew out of the sheath at a blinding speed and connected with the man's head. After the connection Lina continued with her momentum and jumped away. She began to sheath her sword when she heard, "That hurts."
Lina turned and gasped as the man was still standing. He pulled the zanbato up and regained his stance. Lina's eyes widened as she thought, 'He was able to take that blow like it was a knock on the head. A normal man would be out...I see he isn't my normal opponent.'
Zelgadis looked on as he was just as surprised as Lina. 'Why isn't he dead...the strike was on target,' he thought.
'Her skills are a bit rusty but still good enough to provide a challenge...but why didn't that strike slay or at least wound this idiot,' he continued to ponder and he focused on Lina with his binoculars.
He watched as Lina drew her sword, releasing that one shot did not work, before he gasped, 'What is this? A reversed-blade sword?"
Zelgadis focused on Lina's face before asking lowly, "How far have you fallen?"
Lina held her sword in one hand and waited. The man charged again and slammed the large sword through the air as the form of Lina disappeared. He looked for his opponent before hearing behind him, "You know this weapon is way too predictable and clumsy to defeat me."
Gourry looked behind him to see the woman perched on the top of the raised zanbato. She looked at him with what looked like contempt before running down the sword. Gourry tried to knock her off but she connected with another hit to the head. He rubbed his head before picking the sword up and spinning it above his head. He jumped into the air and shouted, "Take this," as he swung at her.
"You fool," Lina whispered as she charged under the swing radius of the sword.
Lina jumped into the air and attacked the man with a flurry of sword blows. Most of these attacks would kill but with the reversed-blade sword they inflicted bruises and broken bones. After a mass of blows Lina landed and sheathed her sword as the blonde man hit the ground in a lump. She looked at him before thinking, 'I need to find out who hired him,' before turning and see Amelia's bad hiding spot.
"Amelia get a doctor...I want to interrogate this man once he wakes up," Lina ordered and Amelia was off.
He crumpled the notepad in his hand to contain his anger. 'How could she...how could she become like this,' his mind roared.
He took a few breaths to calm himself before he thought, 'I can find that out later...for now I have another problem to take care of.'
Zelgadis slipped away from his hiding spot and began to plan how he would get rid of a certain blonde swordsman that was supposed to die at the hands of Battosai the man slayer.
Disclaimer: Any characters or ideas from The Slayers do not belong to me. I am not selling this material, just writing for the heck of it as I go.
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