Rakurai wakes up at the light of dawn after having a horrific nightmare, he gets up and goes out to the training yard. "I need a plan, I know Ryoto will come after me soon..he always does. but this time, I won't get caught. I'll stick with Takanashi and Hemori until we make it off the Island."
Rakurai gets in stance and strikes the wooden dummy with some punch combos.
Takanashi walks up to Rakurai as he enters the training yard.
"Hey, what's up with all the noise? Why are you up so late?"
Takanashi asked.
"I'm training and it's five in the morning, it's early."
Rakurai said as he'd stopped striking the wooden dummy.
"Whatever, it's all the same thing just a different setting but now that I'm up, I can't sleep...so let's spar."
Rakurai nodded and got in stance.
"Alright, give me your best shot." Rakurai says with a determined look in his eyes.
Takanashi smirked "Take this." Takanashi grabbed two wooden katana from the casing on the wall and tossed one to Rakurai.
Rakurai catches the wooden katana and just as he did so Takanashi charged at him and swung his katana at Rakurai's torso, Rakurai saw the attack coming and leaps back then tries to sweep Takanashi off of his feet. Takanashi countered and pushed the tip of the wooden katana towards Rakurai's face, in one swift maneuver Rakurai shifted right, switching his stances as he would do so, and slashed his katana at Takanashi's rib cage.
Takanashi was caught off guard by Rakurai's counter and got hit by the blow. he'd leap back and take a deep breath as Rakurai charged towards him.
Takanashi leaped back once more, placing his palm on the ground before doing a backflip, he'd kick Rakurai in the chin before landing on his feet. 'Damn...he's good.' Rakurai says to himself after recovering, he'd throw his wooden Katana towards Takanashi and Takanashi dodged.
Takanashi dodged to the right on foot as the katana flew past at lightning speed, piercing through the tree.
'The damn wooden katana just went through a tree, that could have been lethal if it was me...who and what is this kid??' Takanashi said to himself as he'd glance at the wooden katana inside the tree.
Rakurai charged Takanashi while he was dodging and off balance, he'd spin before throwing a powerful spin kick to the torso that sent Takanashi sliding back.
'Damn, this kid is pretty good.' Takanashi said to himself as he'd rub and hold his rib cage.
"Hey you two, come help me with breakfast, you can finish training later."
Hemori says as she steps out then back in. Rakurai and Takanashi nodded at each other and walked inside.
"Takanashi, that was a good match, definitely have to do it again but next time we'll go all out." Rakurai implies.
"Right, I'll make sure not to hold back next time, if that's what you want but right now thats besides the point. Let's worry about breakfast first."
Rakurai nods and follows Takanashi inside and helps set up the table and sort out the food then sits at the table with Takanashi and Hemori.
Takanashi takes a bite of his food then glances at Rakurai and Hemori.
"So about your uncle..what do we do about him? The plan is to kill him, right?"
Rakurai stops eating and looks over at Takanashi.
"I'm not sure if killing him is the best option, we can just free all the slaves and get him arrested then head to Kyoto."
Takanashi raises a brow and sighs.
"Rakurai, the only way that would work is if we turn him into the Osakai clan but I'm sure if we did that, it would start a lot of commotion and that still won't stop your uncle from corrupting the island, so the only option is to kill him, that's our only choice but first we need to go to Kawagoe, there's this noble there, actually a princess...I only know her because I've trained her and her younger brother, her name is Maia Osakai-"
Rakurai interrupts after taking a bite of his food.
"Princess of the Osakai clan huh? Why not just report it to her then."
"Because she can't do much, there are people who out rule her, in the end, she doesn't make the decisions, all she can do is give us weapons and gear in private but let me finish. We get some new weapons and gear from Maia and do a couple of missions to earn some money so we'll be able to support ourselves. we can't fight on empty stomachs and with weak gear."
Hemori nods in agreement.
"Now finish up so we can head out, you guys."
Hemori says as she'd finish her food and Rakurai and Takanashi would shortly after.
"Yeah Takanashi you're right, I'm gonna need a change of clothes but I'll wait until we make it to Kawagoe."
Rakurai gets up and takes everyone's dishes and washes them.
"Okay, I'm ready."
Rakurai grabbed his Katana and put it in the sheathe that he has strapped on his back.
Hemori leaves out with Rakurai and Takanashi following her.
Hemori looks around the village. "Hey Rakurai, Takanashi. we've got two options either go to Kawagoe by boat or on foot. on foot would take a whole day while being on the boat would only be a couple of hours but being on boat would be more troublesome since there are more Yakanaki clan enforcers at sea than on land.
Rakurai nods. "I'm ok with either but I'd rather go on foot."
"Same," Takanashi said as he'd pull his straw hat on his head.
Rakurai stops.
"What's wrong Rakurai?" Hemori asks.
"It's nothing, I think I have an Idea..hey Takanashi how fast can you run to Kawagoe?"
Takanashi looks to the side for a moment then back at Rakurai as he thinks.
"About an hour tops if I go at full speed the whole time."
Takanashi replies.
"That's good enough. I'll go at your pace so don't worry about having to keep up."
Rakurai says with a smirk before speeding off, quietly but quickly dashing from branch to branch as Takanshi would follow behind with Hemori on his back.
after an hour or so the group would make it to Kawagoe, it was now nighttime, Kawagoe was always one of the most beautiful islands in Japan and one of the most populated.
"Over here Rakurai," Takanashi said as he'd put Hemori down and walked through an alley then into a blacksmith's shop.
"Takanashi, Hemori. what are you doing here? who is the new face with you?"
Hemori responds "Oh that's Rakurai, hey Mr. Goro have you seen Maia? we need her." old man Goro pointed to the back.
"She's out back testing a new Katana I just made."
he'd say as the three would go to the back.
Maia swings the freshly made Katana and slices a bamboo stick.
"Hey Maia." Hemori would say before running up to Maia and hugging her.
"Hemori!" Maia said as she'd hug Hemori back.
"Hello, Maia" Takanashi said with a nod.
"We need three Katana and some armor."
Takanashi said.
"I prefer if you'd just clean my Katana and give me new attire."
Rakurai said while putting both hands on the top of his head.
Maia looks at Rakurai. "And you are?" she asks.
"Oh, I'm Rakurai. Takanashi and Hemori are my friends.'
Maia nods "You're the first friend of their's I've ever seen."
Rakurai looks. "I hope that's a good thing."
Maia nods and chuckles a bit before going to the armory room, she'd bring back fresh gear for rakurai. a black and white kimono jacket with a short hooded cloak and black light armored arm & leg gauntlets with a armored chest plate and a black chokuto and two tanto blades.
"I can get your katana repaired but it'll take a week or two."
Maia said to Rakurai.
"That's fine." Rakurai hands his damaged katana to Maia and equips the gear she gives to him.
Maia nodded and took Rakurai's katana and put it up for repair then brought back a Katana and Wakizashi. she handed Hemori the wakizashi and Takanashi the katana.
"Thanks Maia." Hemori said aftter taking the Wakizashi.
Takanashi sheathed his new katana and placed a hand on Maia's shoulder.
"Before we go, I'm gonna need some information on the Yakanaki clan."
Maia looked to the side then grabbed a scroll off of the repair table.
"Take this, it has all the information on the Yakanaki that you'll need."
Takanashi takes the scroll and hands it to Hemori and she puts it in her pouch.
"Alright, we're gonna head out." Takanashi says as he exits the building.
"Bye Maia." Hemori says. "I'll be seeing you, Maia." Rakurai says as he and Hemori follow Takanshi out of the building.
"What's the plan now you guys?"
Hemori asks, Rakurai steps forward.
"I think we should go back to Kasumigaseki and stop my uncle, but we do it quietly and quickly. we go and scout the area, check and see if my uncle will be home and we catch him alone in his quarters, Takanashi, we both should take out the guards and then my uncle together. He'll be expecting me but not us." Rakurai says with a determined look in his eyes.
"Look at you actually being all strategic Rakurai but no seriously that plan is decent, Hemori should be hiding somewhere near but not too close, somewhere high up like the mountains behind the Yakanaki clan castle."
Rakurai and Hemori nods.
"Well what are we waiting for? let's go be heroes."
Rakurai says as he dashes into the forrest and jumps up to the trees, leaping from branch to branch, heading towards Kasumigaseki. Takanashi held Hemori on his back and trailed Rakurai.
A while later the group passed the entrance of Kasumigaseki and Rakurai would come to a stop as he looked around then back at Takanashi and Hemori.
"This isn't right, there's something wron-"
before he could finish a man with long black hair, yellow eyes and black armor jumped from a nearby building at high speeds and swung his Katana at Rakurai trying to slice his neck. Rakurai shifted his body and dodged but the man would manuever and kick Rakurai sending him flying through a nearby building.
"Rakurai!" Hemori screamed as Takanashi unsheathed his Katana.
"Who are you?" Takanashi asked as he'd get into stance. The man grinned as he stared at Takanashi.
"Oh? Me? I'm Ito Yakanaki, the one that's about to kill all of you." he said in a dark tone.
Takanashi charged Ito, swinging his katana at Ito.
Ito grabbed Takanashi's Katana with his bare hand and grinned once more.
"I don't think so."
[End Of Chapter]
(To Be Continued)