The police officer yawned loudly, while shifting his body so that he would feel comfortable leaning against the gate behind him. He gave a lazy look around the area. He and his partner had been stationed on guard for the last three nights and he was bored to death. Unlike his colleagues who no doubt were at home, or in some cases in the 'other house', the two of them were unfortunate enough to be selected for the guard detail.
"Don't let your guard down," the other man admonished, his breath creating a small mist in the cold weather. The man threw a log into the nearby fire. "We must be on guard at all times."
"Take it easy. The enemy isn't that foolish enough to go here. This is the outskirt of the town. Besides, didn't they say that the enemy will strike from the other far site, if they even attack at all?"
"That's no reason to slack."
"Yes. Yes. I understand."
The midnight wind blew and the second man had to hold his cap. "Strong wind, isn't it?" he commented.
"Yes," an unfamiliar voice replied from behind him. "Which is why you didn't hear the sound of your friend being taken down."
The sound of metal cutting through flesh was muffled by the wind and moments later, a second body fell to the ground.
The killer shook his kunai to clear the blood while his subordinates took the two policemen's bodies away. "Kenta, Haku," he called out and two person appeared from the shadow, wearing police uniform similar to the two who were slain. "The police patrol will go around in another hour so take the two's position. We don't want them to suspect anything. Should anything go wrong, I want you to ensure that the flares they were carrying would not be fired no matter what the cost so that they couldn't warn our enemy in time to stop Lord Orochi."
The man named Genta grinned and took the position of the first police officer. He pulled down his cap and pretended to yawn. "This will be so easy. I'll even pretend to snore as well."
"Shinomori."
Aoshi didn't turn at the man but instead keep gazing at the area map on the table. "What is it, Himura?"
"You're worried about the whole plan." Kenshin moved next to him. "That's why you keep looking at the map even though it's time for us to go."
"No. I'm not worried about the plan but I'm worried about the whole thing."
"What do you mean?"
"The battle that we will enter is an asymmetrical battle. It is not a simple clash of two armies so despite what Yamagata is thinking, normal military doctrine shouldn't apply to the situation." He then continued with his description. A symmetric battle involved two opposing factions that differed in organization and characteristics and as such victory couldn't be calculated by comparing their respective military strength.
"So you're saying that we're fighting a different battle with Orochi?"
"Yes. I only realized it just now. While my prediction still hasn't change in regards to the battle, I can only guess why he choose to settle this via a conventional warfare."
"But according to what we hear, he's using a lot of mercenaries and ninjas."
"No doubt but it is still a clash of our forces against theirs in a superiority match." Aoshi closed his eyes and let out a long breath. "If any, it would be reassuring if we have Phoenix on our side"
"Phoenix?"
"The legend of four Holy Beasts that guards Kyoto are being represented by four clans specializing in distinct sword styles: Tiger, Dragon, Phoenix and Serpent. Although I don't really understand the connection between Orochi and the turtle Genbu, it is noted in the archive that Oniwabanshuu has that two hundred years ago, Orochi's clan had been tasked to guard Kyoto's northern gate. That was the job the clan continued to uphold even as the other three clans moved away." He looked at Kenshin. "One of them specialized in Hiten Mitsugiryuu and the other sword style had been displayed by your stepbrother. In fact, it could be argued that if the three were still with the Shogunate, the Meiji restoration would fail."
"Wait. You mentioned about the Phoenix just now. Where is he?"
Before Aoshi could reply, an aide entered the room. "It's time."
Aoshi looked at Kenshin and nodded.
It would be the longest night.
Sojiro Seta pointed to himself. "Me?"
"Yes. Are you not Soujiro Seta, the former member of Juppongatana?" the swordsman in front of him asked.
The said man scratched his head. It would a bit troublesome if the man was one of the hunters the government had sent after him and he had to kill the man. After all, although he had yet to find the answer that he was searching for, he had come to like the village where he was at the moment, especially the pair of husband and wife that welcomed him into their modest home.
When he had stumbled across the village, half starved and suffering from the food poisoning caused by having eaten berries and leaves out of desperation, Seta had surrendered his fate and was prepared to die. However, the husband, a woodsman found him and brought him home where the wife nursed him back to health. He wanted to leave after he had recovered but the couple as well as their two children had persuaded him to put off his departure for at least another month.
In just a short while, he had become close to the family with the couple treating him like a son while the children called him as 'bamboo-oniisan', just like the tale of Princess Kaguya whose foster father found her inside a bamboo stalk.
Despite the rather strange name, Seta found himself drawn to them as well which is why he considered himself as being annoyed when the swordsman appeared, searching for him. It was fortunate that the swordsman found him away from the village as he didn't want any unnecessary damage to the place should anything happen.
"Yes. How can I help you?"
"I am Hitoki Shino, one of Lord Orochi kensais."
"I've heard about Orochi from Shishio-san. So how can I help you, Hitoki-san?"
Shino slowly unsheathed his sword. "Under Lord Orochi's order, I've been searching for you for a long time."
"What for?"
The swordsman didn't answer but instead attacked Seta at a very high speed that the latter would have been sliced into two had he not moved away. "I'm here to kill you as well as the family that housed you so that you will not interfere with his plan."
Seta slowly unsheathed his sword. What was the burning feeling inside him caused by that man's comment? Ah, it must have been anger. Anger because the man dare threaten his family. "I wouldn't forgive you if you don't retreat."
"Then show me your Shikuchi," Shino said before disappearing from view.
Seta brought up his sword to block the slash aimed at his head. His opponent smirked even though he had failed to kill him and then disappeared again. Not wanting to be on defensive, Seta counterattacked.
There were only footsteps and occasional clanging sounds as the two blade masters fought at high speed, with the loser being the person who made the first mistake.
Even as he focused on defeating his enemy, a small part of Seta wondered what was happening at the outside world.
"Fire the signal."
At his command, a signal flare gun was fired into the air, illuminating the place. There was a loud rumbling sound coming from a position in the back of his group; he smiled as the sound signified that the flare had been seen.
"Hello, Himura," he said conversationally as Kenshin's group appeared right in front of him. "Shinimori," he continued, nodding as the said man eyed him and then Yuri. "And of course the famed Mibu Wolf."
"Hey! How come you didn't mention me?!" Sanosuke demanded.
"Oh yes, not to forget you…" Orochi turned toward Yuri. "Who is he again?"
"Sagara Sanosuke, Sagara," Sano said, incensed at the slight.
"Tch… Rooster always crow and crow needlessly," Saitou said while throwing his cigarette. "Don't you know that he's trying to get a ruse from you?"
"You're no better if you think like that," Orochi said. "I wouldn't waste my time playing petty mind tricks against my opponents. Of course, I remember you, Sagara. Well, then, since it comes to this, why don't we play around a little bit?"
"What?" Sano said. "You can still say that even though you're surrounded?"
"By whom?" Orochi asked as the area around them was bombarded by artillery shells. "Are you referring to the detachment that is supposed to follow you here?" He chuckled.
"Damn you…" Sano seethed as he realized everything had been predicted by their enemy.
Kenshin took a step forward. "By purposely isolating this position… are you planning on settling everything here?"
"After all this planning? You're mistaken, Himura," the man said as he unsheathed his sword. "This is just beginning."
Misao clucked her tongue in annoyance. "Second team will handle engage the enemy spotted in the west. Third team will provide support. Seventh will aid with rescue mission while ninth will stand by." Behind her, Okon was busy placing markers on the Kyoto map. Unlike the fight against Shishio where the Kyoto inhabitants were less organized, this time the defense had been planned carefully by Aoshi. The current leader of Oniwabanshuu had made sure to reactivate and reenlist former members to help and had appropriately provided them with the necessary equipments.
The action by him was not in vain as the police force was in complete disarray. Their stations were taken out and their commanding officers had been targeted, they were rather hopeless in fighting against the mercenary ninjas under the employ of Orochi. Aoshi had explained that while Orochi himself didn't plan to destroy Kyoto, the ninjas were more likely raze the city to the ground.
He had explained to Misao that he believed Orochi wanted to turn Kyoto as the base to take over Japan. Thus, the man planned for the ninjas to create havoc in the city and if the plan succeeded, the man would come to save the city. It was a classic stratagem of 'creating something out of nothing' and given the mistrusts some of the Kyoto inhabitants had over the reformists, it was possible for Orochi's plan to succeed. Thus, Misao was tasked with ensuring that such plan would never work.
A runner barged into the room. "We detect smoke coming from a store in sector twenty," he said.
"Okon, lead the ninth to the sector and put out possible fire. Take Shiro there as well."
"Eh? Are you sure?"
"Okina would be coming in soon so the old coot can help me here. I need you there just in case there were enemy ninjas waiting to ambush the ninth team."
"Understood," Okon said she left the room.
Misao continued gazing at the map, looking over the details. She then snorted in annoyance. "If you want to backstab me, can you please do by not raising the kunai so high?" she asked the runner who was about to attack her from the rear. "I can't see the map clearly."
The runner jumped back and brought the kunai in front of him defensively. "You're just lucky that I made a little mistake."
The kunoichi turned toward him. "Lucky? It's more of you being incompetent." She and Okon knew from the very beginning that there was something wrong with the runner as he didn't really look out of breath while delivering important news that required urgent action. That meant that man didn't run to deliver the report; he probably want to save the energy to kill her. "Are you part of Orochi or just his hired lackeys."
"What difference is it going to make?" the man said while grinning murderously "You're going to die in just a moment." Before he could attack, there was a loud thwacking sound at the back of his head and the would-be assassin's eyes rolled upward as his body fell to the ground.
"You're late, you perverted old coot," Misao said.
The old man laughed. "Sorry," he apologized as he glanced at her left hand. "You might want to put that away so that we won't have his blood dirtying the room. It would be quite hard to get the stain off, you know."
The kunoichi smiled as she replaced the small kunai that she was holding. "You're right. Now, let's save Kyoto again!"
1
Author's note (23 February 2010)
1. Losing most of the story parts and bits is really a strong disincentive for me to write this story. But seeing that it's actually few more chapters to go, well, it's rather sad if I don't continue. But no promise though. Writing this chapter itself is very hard because I started from almost zero, unlike my other stories. As a result, the chapter is rather short but if I'm to compare with the chapters in ESA, it's pretty average.