Chapter 15
Welcome back
The huge shock on Kazuha and Ayaka's faces was impossible to ignore. Even Kazuha, who had gotten used to the idea that she might be there and so jumped in without delay, had to admit that having her face to face simply left him speechless.
Up close, she was even more beautiful than he had seen the day before from a distance. Her large eyes fixed only on him, her rosy cheeks, her long shiny hair, and her slim and elegant figure… Kazuha felt that he shouldn't even be allowed to see her as directly as he was doing right now.
"Kazuha…" Ayaka murmured slowly, and hearing his name pronounced in her voice made the boy jump a little, almost embarrassed. "I… was looking for…"
Kazuha was silent, waiting to hear whatever she wanted to tell him. Whether it was a claim, a shout, or an insult. Anything would be fine with him right now if it came from her. But Ayaka could not complete her statement because they both realized that the ronin affected by their clash of energies slowly began to stand up once more; also including Katsumoto.
Without either of them having to say it, they both reacted simultaneously, taking their swords and turning in opposite directions in a defensive position. Their backs pressed against each other out of sheer instinct, as they would with any fellow combatant to better cover ground. When they felt the touch of the other behind, both reacted with a start, and they turned to look at each other, embarrassed. The blush on the other's cheeks took them a bit by surprise.
Again there was no time to say anything as more and more of the enemies recovered. They stuck their backs together again, and now they did make an effort to maintain that defensive position. They fixed their gazes straight ahead and held their swords in front of them.
"Do you have a vision?" Kazuha whispered slowly, to which Ayaka nodded.
"You too?" Ayaka muttered right after, to which Kazuha responded the same way.
That was a curious coincidence, or maybe not. It was still a mystery to many how the Archons decided who to give their blessing to and who not. Either way, none of them cared too much about it. Instead, for some reason, knowing this common point between them caused them an unusual… happiness.
Thoma also started to get up at that moment. It had been bruised a bit, but nothing serious. Although looking to his side, he noticed Ouji on the ground, motionless; apparently, the blow had been much more significant for him. But for now, Thoma couldn't worry about the fallen swordsman; he had to find out what had happened, especially to see if Ayaka was okay. It didn't take long to visualize her right in the center of the dojo. And not only was she okay, but she was accompanied by someone Thoma recognized immediately.
«It can't be; it's him…» he thought, surprised and quite confused.
Thoma wasn't the only one who equally recognized Kazuha.
"It's the stupid Kaedehara boy," one ronin snapped angrily. "Let's go to…!"
A trail of purple light crossed right above their heads at that moment, hurtling like lightning. And, in fact, it seemed to be literally lightning...
The bolt struck right before the ronin, slightly burning the wooden floor. The silhouette of a person formed in a blink right at that point, standing between Kazuha and the thieves.
"What…?!" they exclaimed, astonished, instinctively taking a step back.
As the flash and smoke cleared, all that remained in its place was the figure of the wandering samurai, Tomo; his head bowed and his right-hand firm on the hilt of his sword.
"You'd better stay on the ground, my friends," the blond samurai murmured thoughtfully and slowly began to draw his weapon from its sheath. "Because this time, I'm no longer in the mood for subtleties..."
As he looked up at them, Tomo's eyes reflected a deep and aggressive coldness that was not unfamiliar to some of them but that they had only seen in true assassins. Men who looked at the others as if there were no people before them but simple things that it would not matter to cut them apart with their swords at the slightest provocation.
That guy… wasn't like the others.
Tomo yanked his sword to the side, and a purple glow of electricity drew a trail in the air right in front of him. Small bolts of lightning leaped from the blade in all directions, and the ronin had to move to avoid being hit by them.
"You're the one from last night…" one of the ronin murmured nervously when he recognized him. "Do you also have a vision…?"
"Now there are four with vision," another of them commented doubtfully.
"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea..."
The ronin began to look at each other, unsure of what to do. Some instinctively backed away and lowered their weapons. Obviously, the fight no longer seemed so even, given the two new contenders.
And who is he? Thoma thought for his part, contemplating a little confused from his position the abrupt change of situation.
Tomo's gaze softened at the reaction of the attackers, and he smiled nonchalantly again.
"That's much better," he commented cheerfully, resting his sword against his shoulder. He then turned back to glance at Kazuha, who was looking at him, somewhat surprised by his sudden entrance. "Everything okay around here, my friend?" He then leaned to the side to get a better look at the young blue-haired girl behind Kazuha, who was looking in his direction, clearly confused. "Oh, I see they are actually very okay."
Tomo raised a hand, greeting Ayaka in a friendly way. She instinctively imitated the same gesture, returning the greeting.
"He is your friend?" she murmured slowly to Kazuha.
"Well…"
Before answering, they all noticed how one of the ronin did not back down from the imminent threat and even began to advance with firm steps toward them. This alerted the four intruders alike, who immediately took up their weapons, ready to continue the fight. The ronin, however, did not attack. Instead, he stood at attention before them, his cold eyes fixed directly on Kazuha. He looked back steadily at his former teacher, Katsumoto.
"Very brave all of you," snapped the former samurai with annoyance, "hiding behind the so-called blessing of the Archons and thinking that makes you superior to us, isn't it? But when Raiden Shogun comes to take that blessing from you all, what will you have left? Will there be enough courage in you to resist it? I would like to see it..."
His words left everyone speechless for a moment.
Kazuha seemed to be the first to recover and quickly moved forward, stopping in front of Tomo and Ayaka to face Katsumoto squarely.
"This is over, Katsumoto," the Kaedehara boy snapped. "Let Ayaka go; your business is with me."
"That's true. The only ones to blame for all of us ending up in this place and time are the Kaedeharas."
As he made that statement, Katsumoto took his sword firmly in both hands and placed it right in front of him; its blade pointed right in Kazuha's direction in an explicit pose of defiance.
"Tell me, master Kazuha. Do you have the courage and honor to face me in a genuine one-on-one swordsmanship duel? Without using that vision and only the true qualities of a warrior?"
The air became tense, and everyone's attention focused on the one who had been challenged. He seemed clearly hesitant.
"Kazuha…" Ayaka muttered worriedly, looking from her position at the boy's back. And before she could say anything else, Tomo cautiously approached Kazuha's side. And being there, he whispered slowly for his ears only:
"If that's what you want to do, I'll support you. But there is nothing you need to prove. You know that, right?"
Kazuha looked at him out of the corner of his eye for a moment, then immediately turned back to Katsumoto, who was clearly waiting for his answer. After a few seconds of reflection, everyone saw how Kazuha took his sword, and in a single movement, he put it completely back in its sheath. This took some by surprise, and they believed it would indicate that he would reject the challenge.
Still not saying anything, Kazuha turned around and started walking away from Katsumoto. He advanced on Ayaka but passed by her, barely exchanging glances with her. But as short as it was, Ayaka knew just from that what his decision was.
Taking his position, Kazuha quickly turned back to Katsumoto, planting his feet firmly on the ground. His right hand positioned itself millimeters from the hilt of his sword, more than ready to draw.
"Alright, Katsumoto," Kazuha exclaimed without any hesitation. "We will do it as you want..."
His voice resonated in the echo of that place, and once it faded, only silence remained. Katsumoto smirked and then spread his feet slightly apart, ready to attack too. No one said anything or even moved as if everything had been frozen in time. Even the other ronin remained still and expectant in their positions to witness the duel that was about to take place; deep down, they were all still samurai, after all.
But Ayaka did not share the same emotion. She was still quite dazed and confused by the sudden appearance of just the person she was looking for. And now, she just had to stand there and watch him be part of that confrontation as a mere spectator without being able to do anything? She aspired for it to be a peaceful meeting when she entered that place, and now it all ended in that.
She couldn't help feeling that all of this was her fault. If she hadn't gone there...
At that moment, Ayaka felt a firm hand on her shoulder, making her startle and quickly alert. Her hand instinctively raised her sword, but she held it still as she turned and saw that same blond samurai at her side, smiling broadly at her with absolute calm. Ayaka didn't even know this guy, but something in his smile and gaze was reassuring.
"Don't worry, Ms. Kamisato," Tomo murmured to her slowly and then began to guide her gently to one side so that they were both out of the middle of what would be the battlefield in a moment. "This is something Kazuha wants to do; for him and his former teacher. You, as a swordswoman yourself, I know you will understand."
Ayaka didn't answer, although a part of her certainly did understand, or at least she could get an idea. She knew that despite what she might feel or think about Katsumoto, it couldn't compare to what Kazuha must be going through right now. That man was practically a second father to Kazuha or even more than his own father or uncle. If it hurt her to see him like this, she could only imagine what he was feeling.
"Lady Ayaka," he heard Thoma's voice calling from her right hand. He approached her cautiously from the side, his spear still firmly in his hand.
"Thoma, are you okay?"
"Yes," agreed the servant. Once standing with her, he turned to the new combatants, still in position. "Things ended up getting much more complicated than we thought, right?"
To say the least, Ayaka thought anxiously.
Katsumoto was still a great swordsman despite the years. Could Kazuha defeat him without using his vision?
Ayaka wondered how much it would serve to pray to the Archons right now for the boy's well-being...
The stillness and silence in which everything had been plunged were suddenly broken at the exact moment in which Kazuha launched himself forward, dashing towards his opponent. His sword was still in its sheath, but his hand remained close and ready.
Everyone held their breath for a few moments at this sudden change, and their eyes were wide open to see everything that was happening.
Being close enough, Kazuha pulled his sword out of its sheath in a blink. Following the momentum of his movement, his entire body began to spin. Seeing him approaching like that, Katsumoto quickly raised his sword to the side, then brought it down with great force diagonally, straight at the boy. Katsumoto's sword collided directly with Kazuha's, stopping his spin. Both managed to effectively stop the other's attack. However, Katsumoto's physical strength was more significant, and Kazuha's body was pushed back after blocking that first blow.
Katsumoto wasted no time or composure. He immediately pulled his sword forward again, repeatedly attacking his opponent with lethal attacks, most of them directed at the boy's torso and neck. Kazuha moved quickly to dodge and parry his attacks, though he was forced to step back to put some distance between them. But Katsumoto didn't make it easy for him because his attacks were fast and too strong; each clash of swords made Kazuha's arms tremble, and his sword nearly slipped from his grasp.
"Is this all you have?!" Katsumoto snapped, annoyed, without stopping attacking. "Do you really have nothing without your vision?! It is a shame!"
Katsumoto brought his sword down courageously towards Kazuha in a slash so tremendous that it would possibly cut him in half if it reached him. However, the Kaedehara boy quickly moved to the side with incredible agility, his body spinning very close to the ground. Katsumoto's sword slammed into the wooden floor, shattering it easily. However, it seemed to get stuck between the planks when he tried to pull it back.
This was his chance. Kazuha recovered as quickly as possible from his last dodge and quickly charged at his opponent. He saw it coming but did not hesitate. Accompanied by a loud cry similar to the roar of a beast, Katsumoto again used his outstanding strength and slammed his sword to the side, further opening up the ground to free itself.
Kazuha watched in surprise as various pieces of wood flew out, right in his direction like projectiles. He quickly tried to dodge them all, but one of the larger ones hit him on his left temple, leaving a reddish mark and disorienting him a bit. And by the time he managed to react, Katsumoto was already on the attack again and practically on top of him.
The old samurai's deadly weapon swung at him with extraordinary speed, slicing through the air mere millimeters from Kazuha while he dodged. But with one of those attacks, he was not fast enough, and the edge of his former master's sword ended up touching him at the height of his right shoulder. A trickle of blood drew the sword's movement in the air, and a whimper of pain escaped Kazuha's lips.
Ayaka couldn't help but flinch a little at this. One of her hands went quickly to her mouth.
"Don't worry, it was just a scratch," Tomo whispered beside her. His tone, however, had become more serious. Perhaps he was concerned that it might have been more too.
Either way, Kazuha didn't let pain or surprise immobilize him. He quickly threw his body to the side with all his might. He braced himself with one hand on the ground to give himself more momentum with a somersault, then moved several meters out of Katsumoto's reach. Once at a safe distance, he couldn't help but put his hand on his shoulder. His fingers began to stain red.
Katsumoto did not approach him at the moment. He was staring at him with apparent disdain and disappointment...
"Such an erratic and vulgar way of moving," Katsumoto muttered with evident annoyance. "This is not how I taught you to fight… What happened to the boy with so much potential that I once knew? Seems like getting that damn vision completely atrophied you..."
Kazuha watched him silently, breathing heavily as he tried to use the moment to catch his breath. He got back to his feet, surprisingly relatively steady given his injury, when he could.
"You are still an extraordinary warrior, Katsumoto," Kazuha murmured slowly. "But it saddens me to see that you are no longer even the shadow of what you once were eight years ago..."
"What?" Katsumoto exclaimed, clearly confused by such words.
"The Katsumoto I once knew wielded his sword with his heart and mind united. There was no hesitation or fear in his movements because he was sure he was fighting for goodness and always with honor. But now, the only thing that moves your sword is hate and bitterness. Your heart is no longer with you, and your mind is in chaos. I can't help but wonder if this is a consequence of what happened to the clan, or maybe it was actually always there, inside of you. Perhaps that would explain why, despite being such a magnificent warrior, you never received a vision… no matter how much you wanted it."
"Shut up!" Katsumoto yelled at the top of his voice, totally consumed with anger. "I don't have to listen to words like that from a cowardly and honorless brat like you! If there's something wrong with me, it's only because of you and your rotten family!"
Katsumoto took up his weapon again, preparing to attack.
"Die in combat by my sword is the only honorable thing someone who has fallen as low as you can do!"
"You're right," Kazuha blurted out, relatively calm despite his opponent's outburst. "Perhaps I was a coward and selfish eight years ago, and I will have to answer for my actions, but not to you..."
Kazuha also took his weapon with two hands and placed it back. He planted his feet firmly on the wooden floor, ready to gather momentum and attack again.
"The next move will be the last," the Kaedehara boy warned. "And I'm sorry to tell you that there is no way you can defeat me."
"You're just talking nonsense," Katsumoto muttered, his voice caught in his throat with anger.
And again, they both stood still in a stalemate that, if Kazuha's prediction came true, would still be the last of the fight.
"Where does he get such sudden confidence?" Thoma muttered under his breath, a little puzzled. "He's either too brave or too crazy to make a statement like that, considering his opponent has been dominating the entire fight so far."
"Do you really believe that?" Tomo mumbled at his side in a mocking tone. And looking at him, Thoma noticed that the individual was looking forward with a carefree smile as if what he was seeing was a simple show and not two men dueling to the death.
Was that guy a friend of Kazuha? If so, why was he so calm? Did he also believe that he would win the duel in the next move?
Ayaka, for her part, wasn't precisely as skeptical as Thoma, but she wasn't exactly as confident as Tomo either. Indeed, that confrontation had been somewhat peculiar. Kazuha didn't fight like she remembered he used to. His movements certainly seemed erratic, as Katsumoto had mentioned, but… not really at all. Dodging Katsumoto's attacks, he moved gracefully and loosely, like air moving with absolute freedom, barely shaken by his opponent's sword movements. It wasn't that he wouldn't think about his moves; it was as if his body would react naturally on its own…
But would that be enough to win?
It was now Katsumoto who broke the stillness. Letting another loud roar into the air, he charged at Kazuha like a hunting beast. The Kaedehara did not stay still in his place and quickly approached him too. And similar to how his first attack had been, he jumped up and began spinning rapidly in the air. Katsumoto then pulled his sword hard against him, this time to break him.
At the moment of their meeting, Kazuha planted his left foot on the ground in front of him forcefully. Using all the acceleration he was carrying, he pulled his weapon forward upward. And it was at that moment that Ayaka saw everything clearly. The speed of the blow and its angle as opposed to Katsumoto's, and the point at which the two weapons would collide… The whole movement had been perfectly timed. And for this reason, she was not too surprised to see an instant later how Kazuha's sword completely pierced Katsumoto's blade, cutting it in two as if it were simple paper.
Before the astonished looks of everyone, including Katsumoto himself, the upper part of the blade fell off and spun a couple of times in the air until it plunged directly into the ground less than a meter from them. And while the former samurai's eyes instinctively remained fixed on the movement of the broken blade, they did not realize that Kazuha's attack was not over.
Following the momentum he had gained from his last attack, he continued the circular movement, turning his body completely, and bringing his right leg up in a high, throwing a withering roundhouse kick that hit Katsumoto right in his jaw; a vulnerable point, despite the size of any enemy.
Katsumoto's head snapped entirely to the side from the blow, and the rest of his body followed suit. From the samurai's perspective, the entire room spun, he felt his legs give out, and before he knew it, he was falling backward to the ground, totally dazed.
It all happened in a few seconds. And when it was all over, Katsumoto was lying on the ground, and what was left of his sword had slipped out of his hand and slid across the floor away from him. And Kazuha, having finished his spin, managed to plant his feet back on the ground and stand tall beside the fallen warrior.
"Awesome…" Ayaka whispered, surprised like everyone else. Although perhaps "amazed" would be a more appropriate word in her case.
Kazuha breathed slowly. His left hand instinctively went back to his injured shoulder. However, his gaze was fixed on his fallen opponent.
"You were my first teacher in the art of the sword," he murmured slowly. Katsumoto, gradually recovering from that kick, managed to turn to look at him slightly. "Your teachings were indeed the basis of my style. However, after we parted ways, I have had several other teachers. My combat style is no longer that of the Kaedehara but my own. And it is the one that has beaten you. So accept your defeat with honor, Katsumoto. Let's get this over with."
The former samurai started to get up and made the first attempt to get to his feet. However, his entire body was still so affected that he barely raised himself a few centimeters before falling back to his knees on the floor. In that state, there would be no way he could continue the fight, even if he still had a sword to do it with.
"There's only one truly honorable way to end this, and you know it," Katsumoto muttered acidly, looking down at the boy. "Do what you have to do. If you have even a little of the pride that once characterized your clan, give me the death by combat that a true samurai deserves!"
Kazuha gazed back at him in silence, unfazed by his request. He let out a small sigh then, spun his sword a couple of times, and swung it straight into its sheath, inserting it into it continuously.
"I won't," he answered firmly, "because I'm not a samurai anymore; I'm just a simple wanderer. And I won't stain my sword with blood if I don't have to."
"If you don't have to?" Katsumoto snorted, almost laughing as if he was somehow amused by this. He cast his gaze away, hiding his face from the sight of his victor. "Seeing what you have become is simply disgusting to me… But no more than seeing myself in this deplorable state…" His voice had suddenly changed. There was no longer any anger in his words but rather something akin to sadness. "I can't live with this disgrace anymore...!"
And to the surprise of Kazuha and all the other observers, Katsumoto recovered enough of his discomfort to launch himself to where the upper half of his sword had fallen, still stuck in the ground. But everyone knew that he didn't do it to use it against Kazuha… but rather on himself.
The samurai gripped the broken blade tightly in his right hand, cutting his fingers slightly. But this did not matter to him because he immediately pulled it towards him, the tip straight towards his throat...
"Katsumoto! No!" Ayaka exclaimed in alarm upon seeing this, instinctively taking a step forward. Kazuha had also charged at him, but neither would make it in a split second it took to stop him.
They don't, but someone else does...
Again, a purple flash covered the dojo, and a bolt of lightning crossed the entire room in less than a blink of an eye. And before they knew it, Tomo had moved from his position next to Thoma and Ayaka to crouching right next to Katsumoto. His hand was firmly gripping the wrist of the fallen samurai, stopping it so that the tip of the blade had barely managed to graze the skin of his neck a little.
"What incredible speed," Thoma exclaimed, his jaw-dropping.
Katsumoto was equally stunned by the sudden change. He looked up, almost fearfully, at the man beside him. Tiny bolts of purple electricity still shot out from his body, and some smoke rose from the ground and his feet.
"I'm nobody to tell a person what to do or not with their life," Tomo muttered slowly sternly, turning to look at him intently. "But at least have the consideration to do it away from the eyes of these two young people, who, for better or worse, still have so much appreciation for you. Although, in my opinion, you don't deserve it."
Tomo then twisted Katsumoto's wrist to the side, forcing him to drop the blade. Then he kicked it away on the floor so it wouldn't occur to him to try to retake it. Only then did he let go and rise again. Katsumoto grabbed his wrist, sore from the movement, but he made no move to do anything else. He just stood there, on his knees, with his head bowed and totally defeated...
And he wasn't the only one feeling this way. After seeing such a demonstration of the skills of those four, and above all their leader and the strongest of them defeated in this way, the other ronin no longer had the desire to continue fighting. Many began to approach the door to run away.
"Not so fast," Thoma warned them sharply, raising his flaming spear and pointing it at them. They all stood still, fearful of such a threat. "Let's call in the Tenryou Commission to deal with all these criminals..."
"No," Ayaka snapped suddenly with profound firmness, surprising Thoma. "I promised I wouldn't report them until tomorrow, and I will do that."
"But my lady…" Thoma muttered, perplexed. "They deliberately tried to kill you…"
"I know. But that is no reason for me not to honor my word. So please let them go, Thoma."
The housekeeper felt quite insecure with that order; he sensed doing that would sooner or later come back to them badly. However, he was really no one to contradict his mistress's word, especially when she wanted, as she had said, to honor it despite everything.
Thoma swung his spear to the side, dowsing its flames, and turned his back to the ronin. They did not miss the opportunity and quickly began to flee, terrified, through the door.
While the stampede raged, Ayaka approached Katsumoto, standing firmly beside him. He glanced at her sideways from the ground.
"Go away from Inazuma City, Mr. Katsumoto," the Heron Princess blurted out, sounding like an order. "And I warn you that this will be the last consideration I have for the man you once were. The next time we meet, there will be no more friendship or kindness between us."
Katsumoto rose slowly, apparently by now able to keep his balance better.
"I can guarantee that, Lady Kamisato," the ronin replied dryly, barely slightly looking at her. He then began to walk towards the door slowly. His huge figure was lost on the other side of the door arch, disappearing from their sight soon after, along with the others.
Once they were gone, Ayaka let out her exhaustion in a long sigh. Maintaining composure constantly was exhausting, even for the Heron Princess.
She swept her gaze slowly around the room. The dark, dusty corners were indeed empty. Those who had once used that place as a refuge had fled, leaving behind all the loot they had taken from the travelers.
But that wasn't what was on Ayaka's mind at the moment. And by turning her gaze to the side, she managed to see the person who was actually the subject of his main thoughts.
Kazuha had moved a few steps away and stood further back in the dojo. |He was in front of the point where the altar was once and the tablets with the names of the teachers and students. Now, however, there was nothing left, just a simple empty wall rotten like everything else.
Almost without meaning to, Ayaka began to cautiously advance toward him. Thoma watched this with some concern and instinctively wanted to stop her. However, someone else stopped him first.
"Hey, give them just a minute," Tomo murmured slowly as he took his arm.
"And who exactly are you...?" Thoma replied, looking at him suspiciously. The wandering samurai only responded with a small, carefree giggle.
Ayaka kept moving until she stood a few meters behind the former lord of that ruined estate.
"Kazuha," she murmured slowly but loud enough for him to hear her.
The boy was startled a little and turned to see her slowly.
"Ayaka," he whispered her name under his breath and then turned away again, embarrassed. "I… I'm sorry if you ended up getting involved in this because of me. I promise you, I won't…"
Looking up at her again, Kazuha was once again speechless. He hoped she looked at him upset, disappointed, or maybe sad. But none of that was what was reflected on her face, beautifully illuminated by a shaft of moonlight that filtered through a hole in the ceiling above them. No, she was actually smiling sweetly at him. And in her deep blue eyes, there was no anger at the sight of him but a deep and genuine… happiness.
"Welcome back, Kazuha…"
Author's Notes:
A chapter a little longer than usual, because do you deserve it! Thank you very much for the support you have given to this story so far, and thank you for the patience and trust you have had in me up to this point. In truth, everyone has been my greatest inspiration to be able to continue it so often. And as I said before, this is just the beginning. We could say that this matter of Katsumoto and his gang was like a small first arc, but there is still much more to tell. In the next chapter, we will have the last flashback that I promised you two chapters ago and a little closure for the scene in the Kaedehara Estate. And later? You'll have to read it to find out...