The Ryukyuan's piercing grey eyes ran over the interior and he noted a group of five men in a corner. Four who wore swords were gathered around a man dressed in an expensive kimono, sporting a high ponytail and flashy rings. He was sitting between two girls and they all laughed as he thrust a hand down the front of one's kimono and she stiffened, her expression a mixture of fear and disgust.

He frowned, turning away from the sight of the obnoxious jerks and almost bumping into a girl in a pink kimono. "What can I get for you, sir?" she asked. It was the same voice that had greeted him when he walked in and he sat by the door and looked up at her. She was a little thing, way too skinny for his taste, but there was something about her….Mugen was used to seeing distrust and unfriendliness in people's expressions, or at best indifference. This girl was smiling a little, her shining brown eyes open and honest, looking at him as if she thought he was just as good as anybody else.

It was oddly disconcerting and Mugen doggedly shoved the warm feeling the girl's expression gave him to the back of his mind. "Water."

She frowned. "Excuse me?"

"Get me some water."

"I'm sorry, but we only serve paying customers. You'll have to order something more than water."

The Ryukyuan's eyes went again to the group in the corner. One of the men was pulling up a girl's kimono and she had tears in her eyes as she pulled it back down. He beckoned and the waitress came closer. "Fifty dumplings. Is it a deal? You feed me and I'll take care of those guys for you."

The girl looked over at the unruly customers. "Maybe for twenty."

Mugen glared. "Are you kidding? Fifty-not one less."

"Hey, Fuu! Where's my tea?" The man with the ponytail was yelling and the waitress straightened up, sighing.

"Yes, sir, coming right up." She stopped by the kitchen to pick up a little tray with a teapot and a cup on it and started for the corner.

Mugen lolled on the bench. Fuu. What a stupid name. A girl should have a pretty name, especially a little skinny girl who didn't have much more going for her than the most beautiful brown eyes….He shook himself. Why was he even still here? He wasn't going to get anything to eat so he might as well be on his way. Then the waitress tripped and any thought of leaving disappeared from his mind.

Green tea splashed all over the man in the corner and he sat up straight, an expression of outrage on his face. "What's wrong with you, you stupid little…."

"I'm very sorry, sir." Fuu's voice was shaky but she stood her ground. Mugen found himself admiring her courage-anybody could see the guy was a bully but he supposed she was used to dealing with people like this.

"I don't want to hear you're sorry." The man smiled unpleasantly. "I want to hear how you're going to make it up to me. One finger or two? I suppose one ought to be enough. Go ahead, Hayashi, you've been wanting to give your new blade a test cut."

Now Fuu did shrink back as two of the other men grabbed her and bent her over the table, pulling her hand forward. A third drew a sword and slashed at the air, smirking. "Sounds good, Matsunusuke. She'll do just fine."

Mugen's eyes widened. Even by his rude standards, this was going a little too far. He looked completely relaxed, laying on his side on the bench, but the hand propping up his head was only an inch from his sword and his legs were curled, ready to spring to his feet. He wasn't about to get involved, but for some reason he felt reluctant to walk out. He was almost positive the men were just having some rough fun with the girl and she would come to no real harm, but he wanted to be sure before he left. He held his breath as the sword grazed her cheek.

"Stop struggling or you'll lose more than just a finger." The sword ran lightly over Fuu's face and she whimpered, going very still as the cold metal touched her. "That's better. Now what'll it be? Your nose, maybe? Or how about an ear?"

"One hundred dumplings!" she cried as the men exchanged puzzled looks.

The Ryukyuan jumped up. If she was scared enough to offer that many dumplings, maybe he should do something about it. It wasn't every day he was offered that much free food. "Well, boys, your lives ain't worth squat, are they? I figure a hundred dumplings works out to five dumplings a pop."

His math was off but the message was clear and the men released the terrified waitress and drew their swords. Hayashi sneered, "You're a gutsy little punk. Now shut your mouth before I decide to try my sword out on you."

Mugen saw Fuu run for the kitchen. "Bring it on." The man lunged at him, swinging his sword with more enthusiasm than skill, and Mugen dodged lazily, bringing his blade down on his opponent's arm. Hayashi went white with shock, staring at the bloody stump where his arm used to be, and Mugen laughed. "Come on, boys. Don't worry about the formalities coming one at a time-I'll take you all on!" He whipped the blood off his sword, his eyes darting from one to another, and the remaining three charged. The Ryukyuan danced to one side, impaling the first man to reach him, and the other two backed off, eyeing him warily as he approached their friend in the corner.

Matsunusuke's jaw hung open as he contemplated the destruction. It had all happened too quickly for him to process-one minute he had been having a little harmless fun with that stupid girl, the next there was blood and body parts and one of his men dead on the floor. He pulled himself together, glaring at Mugen. "Are you some kind of moron?" The Ryukyuan's lack of response encouraged him and he sat up straighter, his voice taking on an ugly tone. "You just don't get it. My father is the governor so anybody who messes with me pays for it big time." He laughed uproariously. "Fact is, they don't live long enough to see the next sunrise." He cringed as Mugen leaned over and grabbed his ponytail, slicing it off and dropping it on the table in front of him. "Are you crazy? Don't you understand what I just said?"

Mugen grinned. "I'm from Ryukyu, pal. I couldn't care less about what you just said."

Matsunusuke blanched. "My….my father has three expert bodyguards. Leave now and I won't have them kill you."

The Ryukyuan glanced around the room. The waitress, Fuu, was standing in the kitchen door, her eyes huge with fear, and something about that look caused his anger to surge. He snarled at Matsunusuke, "Give me your hand." The man pulled back and Mugen grabbed his hand, glaring at the two remaining friends. "You're going to leave and I'm going to count to ten. You have until then to get those bodyguards back here." He pressed hard on a finger, smiling darkly as it snapped and Matsunusuke screamed in pain. "That's one." The two men ran out the door as Mugen snapped another finger. "And two."

He started to press on a third finger and Matsunusuke moaned, "No, don't….please, don't…." His voice trailed off in incoherent sobs as light flashed across the room from the raised curtain at the door.