Chapter 2: Unforeseen Obstacle
…..
“Nh?!”
Waking up in a small white room, Nanashi looked around in confusion. His crimson eyes traced the walls, as he felt a cold chair under him as he sat.
Nanashi: What the??? Where-
KLKT!!
Nanashi:?!
With a cluttering sound, Nanashi realized that he was unable to stand from the chair. This was because his hands were bound behind his back and his ankles were cuffed to the chair legs by chains.
Nanashi: You’ve gotta be kidding me…!
“This is real alright. So get used to it.”
Hearing a young woman’s voice, Nanashi whipped his head forward to see the body the voice belonged to. A beautiful young woman wearing primarily black with a baggy half red half black jacket. She also had on thigh highs, short shorts, a crop top and short boots on. To top it off…she was incredibly short.
This young woman looked down at him with a judgemental look on her face. One that was stern, yet curious. That hint of curiosity stemming from a want to read him.
Nanashi narrowed his gaze at the silver eyed girl and tossed out a question.
Nanashi: Who the hell’re you…?
Stern Girl: That’s none of your business. Now, what was your reasoning for slaughtering the Yaojima family?
Nanashi: (Great… she’s one of those kinds of chicks..) Hm?
Noticing the sword on her hip, Nanashi got a better understanding.
Nanashi: Ahh… you’re a Swordsman…
Stern Girl: Ngh? H-Hey! Don’t ignore m-
Nanashi: Then that must mean I’m in some kind of government facility… that also means…
The stern girl interjected.
Stern Girl: You must be delusional…
Nanashi: Hm?
Stern Girl: Me having a sword doesn't mean I’m a Swordsman. I’m just a practitioner of swordplay. I use kendo in my field, it’s nothing that significant.
Nanashi: Yeah right…
Stern Girl: Hm?
Nanashi kept his gaze down, speaking calmly.
Nanashi: You say that… but the way you carry that sword…
He looks her in the eye and finishes his sentence with a serious tone.
Nanashi:…it’s a dead giveaway….
As tension in the room rose, the door behind the girl opened up. As it did, a familiar voice entered, along with a familiar face.
“Now now Ruika, let’s not be too harsh on the kid. He’s been through enough..”
Nanashi: Ngh..! It’s you!
Walking in with his hands in his pockets, Yuto grinned at the young man.
Yuto: Glad yer finally awake, Nanashi.
Nanashi raised an eyebrow.
Nanashi: Nanashi???
Yuto: S’Got a nice ring to it, huh??? I mean, you said you had no name right? N when we looked into ya, we couldn’t find anything either.
He gazed at Nanashi playfully.
Yuto: Should I be concerned???
Nanashi: Piss off…
Ruika narrowed her eyes.
Ruika: Tch, I say we just throw him in maximum security… We’ve got him dead to rights on the killings. He can just sit there until he confesses.
Nanashi gazed at the girl.
Nanashi: Geez, aren’t you a little ray of sunshine…
A vein appeared on the girl’s forehead as she took a step toward Nanashi, a pounding sound was faint as she stomped over.
Ruika: Why you-
Holding out his arm, Yuto stopped her.
Yuto: Now now Rui-chan, no need to get all riled up.
Ruika: Tch… fixes glasses whatever… and don’t call me that…
Nanashi: Look, I don’t care… whether you know it was me or not, it’s not going to stop me…
Yuto: Hm???
Nanashi: Where’s Asuma Yaojima??? He owes me answers…
Yuto’s smile fades.
Yuto: Oh? You dunno???.... You killed him.
Nanashi’s eyes widened.
Nanashi: What???
Yuto: Yeaaah… Whatever attack you hit the guy with caved his chest in. Ain’t no way some guy without real power was gonna survive that.
Nanashi: Tch… dammit..!
Yuto stared at the boy from under his bangs and spoke coldly.
Yuto: Why do you care so much?
Nanashi: Huh???
Yuto: You killed his entire group… N on top of that, you fought him with a Karmablade… one that I had no idea existed….so tell me… why was he so important to you..???
Nanashi looked down at the ground, remembering his past. His home with his family. He began to talk in a low tone.
Nanashi: I don’t care about him in particular… not as a person…
Ruika: ?
Yuto: Oh???
Nanashi: He had info… on the ones I wanna kill…
Yuto smirked and chuckled softly.
Yuto: The Amatsu, right???
Nanashi:!!!
Jolting in shock and a surge of emotion, Nanashi raised his voice.
Nanashi: How did you know that??! Answer me!
Yuto: Jeez, touchy touchy. That’s a familiar look, just like the one when we first met.
Nanashi: Rrgghh..!
Yuto looked down at the bound boy, smirking at him.
Yuto: I can tell you everything about em, if you cooperate.
Nanashi: Oh screw you! I’m not some pawn in your guys’ little game!
Yuto: You’re right, you’re a thorn in the Order’s side. Particularly our homefront. We can’t just have you runnin’ around unchecked, not with a sword like that… especially not with that arm of yours.
Nanashi growled in anger, feeling himself grow more and more impatient. But before he could bark anything, Yuto raised a finger in objection.
Yuto: I’ll offer you a deal…
Nanashi:?
Yuto: You beat me in a duel, and I’ll tell you everything you wanna know about the Amatsu. But if you lose, you’ll be sent to maximum security prison until your sentencing. Sound fair???
Ruika objected, raising her concerns.
Ruika: Huh?! You can’t just do that! That goes against orders from the Elders!
Yuto chuckles and pats her shoulder.
Yuto: You worry too muuuuch, lighten up Ruikaaaaa~!
Nanashi: I have your word…?
Yuto: Hm?
Staring deep into Yuto’s hidden gaze, Nanashi clarified the deal with absolute determination.
Nanashi: …If I beat you… you’ll tell me everything I want to know…?
Yuto makes a peace sign and smiles widely.
Yuto: Scout’s honor.
Nanashi paused for a moment before responding definitively.
Nanashi: Deal….
Yuto grinned and raised a thumbs up.
Yuto: Perfect! Let’s not waste time then, The training facility isn’t too far from here.
Walking toward the exit, Yuto waved to Ruika lackadaisically.
Yuto: Ruika-chan, pleeeease get this guy his sword. I’ll see you at the site!
Ruika: Ngh! Huh?! Wait!
Before she could object, the door was closed, resulting in the black haired woman to rub her forehead with a sigh.
Ruika: There he goes… I swear the adults these days are worse than the kids…
Nanashi: Uh, hey… Can we hurry up n unchain me already?... I wanna get to it so i can get the hell outta here.
Ruika tilted her head in confusion. Looking at Nanashi, she could see that he sat regularly in the chair. Without chains or cuffs to bind him.
Ruika: Huh??? What chains???
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After exiting the interrogation room and walking the long isolated hallway, Nanashi checked his blade, trailing behind the poised swordswoman, Ruika.
Nanashi: So this is a sector of the Order of the Sword…
Ruika: Seems it’s not as secretive as it should be… not that it’d matter…
Nanashi: Swordsmen are the most powerful warriors in this day and age… If there's any group that’d have an issue with me doing my work, it’d definitely be the Order…
Ruika stopped and gazed over her shoulder.
Ruika: What is your line of work exactly?...
Nanashi stopped as well, narrowing his eyes and responding in kind.
Nanashi: The same as you… taking out the scum that others can’t…
Ruika: Is that what you think of us..? Murderers???
Nanashi froze for a moment, but Ruika began to walk toward him, looking up at him as she glared bluntly.
Ruika: Unlike you, us Swordsmen are fighting for the protection of our people… Not petty self service. Maybe you should learn some manners and show some respect to the people actually doing something instead of mindlessly killing criminals.
Nanashi narrowed his gaze at the girl and walked past her.
Nanashi: Whatever….
Furrowing her thick eyebrows, Ruika walks behind him with a huff.
Ruika: (This guy….)
Soon, the two of them arrived at a pair of double doors, with a sign over the massive doorway reading “Training Facility”.
Nanashi: This is it…
Ruika: Let's go…
CREEEEEAKKKK!
With a loud squeak of the doors, the two young adults were met with Yuto, who stood on his lonesome in the wide open concrete room. He smiled at the duo, holding onto a katana with a blue grip and a white scabbard.
Yuto: Heeeey~! Y’all made it! Didja enjoy your lil make out session?
Nanashi was taken aback in confusion as Ruika blushed and angrily yelled at Yuto.
Ruika: WHAT?! NO! NOTHING LIKE THAT HAPPENED, YOU PERVERT!
Yuto chuckled, waving off her embarrassment.
Yuto: I’m just messin’! Hahaha, you should see your face!
Ruika: Grrrrrt!
Looking in Nanashi’s direction, Yuto smiles kindly.
Yuto: You ready???
Nanashi grips onto his sword as he begins to draw it.
Nanashi:…
Yuto: The strong silent type… I respect that…
Nanashi: Let’s just get this over with.. I don’t have all day.
Yuto: Oh?
Nanashi: Fall from Heaven, Arise from Hell… the cycle of life and death… begins in the Abyss…..
The black energy began to rise off of Nanashi and his sword.
Nanashi: Tensa Shin’en…
Yuto: So… that’s your Karmablade…
Nanashi: Hurry up…
Yuto: Hm?
Nanashi gets in his stance and narrows his gaze at Yuto.
Nanashi: Draw your sword…
Yuto: Ohhhh??? How nice of you to care, but don’t worry about it.
Nanashi: Huh??
Yuto: You won’t hurt me, I promise.
Nanashi: ?!
Yuto smirks in a playful manner.
Yuto: You’re too weak.
Nanashi’s eyes widened as he dashed at Yuto with a quick and deadly attack, only to have his attack blocked by Yuto’s sword. A ripple of force blew out in a shockwave that blew the combatants' clothes around.
Ruika: He’s crazy fast…! He closed the distance before I could even realize it..!
Nanashi glared at the older swordsman, clashing blades and allowing the edges to remain stagnant as he pushed against his guard.
Nanashi: Nnnhhhhhh!!!
Yuto: That was a solid slash Nanashi, way better than I expected.
Nanashi: Tch! Shut uuuup!!!
Shifting his weight, Nanashi moved to his weak side, attempting to slash at Yuto’s ribs. The older man grins in response, as Nanashi angrily barreled toward him.
Nanashi: (This bastard thinks I’m a joke.. I’ll show him… I’ll wipe that smug look off his face!)
With two slashes, Nanashi swipes at Yuto, only to have them blocked as the darker haired man jumps back and draws his sword just enough to block but not remove it from its sheath. Keeping the pressure up, Nanashi throws his sword at Yuto, aiming for his neck. As Yuto leans out of the way, he avoids the attack, but is immediately surprised the moment he heard-
“Mu..”
In an instant, Nanashi appeared behind Yuto, catching his sword while attempting to slice Yuto’s spine.
Yuto:!
Ruika: NGH! YUTO SENSEI! LOOK OUT!!!
In an instant, Nanashi’s blade reached something, however it wasn't the sound of blade on flesh. Instead, it was blade to blade.
KLNK!!
Nanashi:?!!!
With a swift motion, Yuto drew his blade and held it perpendicularly to Nanashi’s, blocking his strike with an over the back guard.
Nanashi: (How did he…?!)
Yuto: Phew, that was a close one. You’re a pretty unorthodox fighter, I’ll give you that. It’s something most Swordsmen don’t consider. But…
With a flick of his sword, he parried Nanashi, opening up the young man’s guard.
Nanashi:!!!
In a blink of an eye, Yuto appeared in front of Nanashi, readying his hand to strike.
Yuto: ..That’s not gonna be enough to win..!
WHAM!!!
Striking Nanashi with an open hand palm to the chin, he knocks the vigilante swordsman off balance, causing him to be open for more strikes.
WHAP!!
With an elbow strike to the chest, Nanashi stumbled, ending up on the heels of his feet and susceptible to being moved.
Feeling a hand touch his shoulder, Nanashi looked up to see Yuto above him, with his feet in the air like he was cartwheeling off of his shoulder. With a glimpse of his eyes, Nanashi knew he was in for trouble. Shifting his weight, Yuto eventually lands. And with a firm motion, throws Nanashi toward the nearby wall, resulting in Nanashi bouncing off of the ground before hitting the wall with a big explosion of dust and rubble.
BOOOM!!!!
Yuto shakes his hand a bit, chuckling as he looks toward his opponent’s location.
Yuto: C’moooon. I know that’s not all you’ve got, Nanashi. That’d SUCK.
A moment of pause occurred before a sudden black wave of energy was fired in the shape of a crescent moon. It cleared the smoke with a slice.
“Kugetsu!!!”
SHHMM!!! BOOM!!!
Missing Yuto, the blast hit the wall behind him, exploding on contact.
Ruika: Ngh…! That attack… he’s capable of throwing those out of his sword???
Yuto grinned in response as he saw a bleeding Nanashi standing with his sword in hand. He huffed with fatigue as he stared the wavy haired man down.
Nanashi: Of course that’s not all I’ve got… Mop-Head….
Yuto gazed at the boy with intrigue, continuing to smile at him.
Yuto: Good.
*End of chapter 2
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