Chapter 4: A Different Approach

“A couple hundred years back, the Great Arms War ended. Weapons developers and warriors essentially battled to the death to decide the future of humanity.” 

Standing in a room, akin to a lobby, a young woman with a curvaceous figure and brown hair spoke as if she spoke to the reader. Her red Chinese dress and black panda buns gave an ethnic air to her. 

Chun Mei: It was at the moment of the Karmablade’s creation, that the sword ended the war. All forms of weapons were considered inferior, and the words of swordsmen became law. That’s why the Order of the Sword was born, and why each country has its own Swordsmen. 

She winks, raising a finger playfully. 

Chun Mei: Like right here, with the 11 Sunwheel Squads! (Nichiren 11) 

Staring at her with a dull expression, Nanashi responds. 

Nanashi:….I….Already knew that… 

Taken aback, Chun Mei hops on one foot, entering a bewildered and funny pose. 

Chun Mei: Huuuh??? You did???! Then why’d you ask for intel???? 

Nanashi: 😓 Yeah… about the Amatsu… 

Chun Mei: Ooooh… 

She points at Nanashi, looking over at Yuto who sat on the couch behind him. 

Chun Mei: Why didn’t he just say so? 

Nanashi: 💢 I DID! 

Yuto waves his hand playfully. 

Yuto: Now now, don’t worry about it. Chunnie MAY be our informant, but I doubt she knows anything about the Amatsu. 

Nanashi looks at Yuto in comical disbelief. 

Nanashi: HUHHH?! 

The brunette shrugged her shoulders. 

Chun Mei: He’s right. I ain’t got jack. 

Nanashi: WHAT THE HELL?! YOU SAID YOU’D TELL ME MOPHEAD! 

Yuto leans forward as he laces his fingers, his tone being more informative than before. 

Yuto: I know, and I will. But right now, you need to be patient. There are other groups out there that are wreaking havoc all across Amaterasu in the shadows… if we can knock some skulls, perhaps we’ll get far more leads on the Amatsu than you’d expect. 

Nanashi immediately went silent, thinking about it logically. 

Nanashi: Tch…. Whatever… 

Chun Mei makes a pog face. 

Chun Mei: (So cool!!) 

Turning to face Chun Mei, Nanashi spoke. 

Nanashi: Fine… what’s this info you’ve got..? Concerning this other manner..? 

Yuto: Yes, do tell. 

Chun Mei fixes her expression and folds her arms under her large bust. 

Chun Mei: Concerning the Chakratech smuggling? It’s pretty limited info. But I've got a face.

Yuto grins. 

Yuto: That’s all we need. 

Chun Mei pulls a photo from her cleavage, holding it out to allow the two Swordsmen to see it. 

It was a picture of two men exchanging a briefcase, both dressed in black suits. One, however, wore a hat. 

Chun Mei: The guy on the left is unknown. But the guy giving him the briefcase is a well known Yakuza boss in the criminal world, Senji Aizawa. He’s responsible for deals involving the Chakratech you mentioned… it’s led to the rise in more large scale crimes for the last couple of weeks…

Staring at the second man, Nanashi furrowed his brow in uncertainty. However, before he could think, Yuto claps his hands and stands up. 

Yuto: Sounds like we’ve got the info we need. 

Nanashi: But not the place… 

Chun Mei: Hm? 

Nanashi: This Senji guy… where do we find him?… 

Yuto: Sharp sharp! Nice one Nanashi! 

Nanashi: 😓It’s basic info gathering… 

Yuto: Eh, not my style. 

Nanashi gave him a look of disbelief before turning to the info girl. 

Chun Mei: Senji has been spotted all over the place, but he usually hangs in downtown Rakugai. 

Nanashi: Anywhere in specific..? 

Chun Mei: Ehhh he’s a frequent visitor of a club down there. The Drunk Crane, I think.

Nanashi: Got it… 

The two swordsmen make their way out the door, leaving the info girl to her vices. 

Chun Mei: Happy hunting guysss! 

As soon as the door closes, the girl comments- 

Chun Mei: So cool.

_________________________________

Meanwhile… 

A group of men in suits convened in a room, watching as one of them was getting beat down. The one to do so was a man in a white button up, his hair slicked back and sleeves rolled up. 

WHACK!!!

Laying the poor victim out, the man who did so caught his breath and stood up straight. 

?: Get up… I’m not done with you yet. 

Beaten up man: P-Please.. Mr. Senji, I beg of you… 

STOMP!!

Slamming the bottom of his shoe on the grunt’s face, Senji spoke coldly. He repeatedly slammed and stomped his foot on the man’s face, allowing the blood from the man to land on his own face. 

Senji: I gave you one job; deliver the goods… and you up n decided to not only have it stolen from you… but return here alive and empty handed….The Yaojima family is dead, now’s not the time for weakness… 

Stopping his barrage, Senji turned his back to the bloodied man, holding out a hand as if he was beckoning someone. As a grunt walked toward Senji, he held out a katana with a yellow guard and a black scabbard. As Senji received the sword, the bloodied man slowly got back up, ending up on his hands and knees. 

Bloodied Man: I’m… I’m sorry… give me another cha-

SHNK!!!

In an instant, his head was sliced off as Senji had just drawn his blade. Senji sits on the sofa, sword in hand and seemingly glowing gold. 

Senji: Another chance?.... Like hell.. Jokes like you don’t deserve a second chance to land…

______________________________________________

Riding through town in a familiar looking car, Nanashi, Ruika and Yuto head towards the targeted point. 

Driver: Sooooo buddy! How's it been??? You take care of that thing you needed to handle???

Nanashi: Hm??? 

Matsuo: Oh c’mon! It’s me! That driver that dropped you off at that warehouse a few days back! Matsuo!

Nanashi: Oh… yeah, I remember you now. 

Matsuo grinned pridefully, lifting a thumb up.

Nanashi: Yeah… I did what I needed to do… But then these two decided to become a pain in the ass… 

Ruika narrows her hardheaded gaze. 

Ruika: Watch it.

Yuto: Yeeeowch! Hurtful…

Matsuo smiled, speaking up so Nanashi could hear. 

Matsuo: You know… it’s funny…

Nanashi: Hm? 

Matsuo: Last time I saw you, you were riding somewhere alone. You weren’t really all that talkative… But now, you seem way more talkative. Glad I could make your ride more comfortable!

Nanashi was taken aback. That wasn’t the reason, but he let it go, leaning back in his seat, and closing his eyes in response. Remembering a voice from his past. 

“Living a life without talking to others isn’t really living “-----”...”

He remembered the face of a woman, or at least the cloudy remains of it. She smiled and spoke, drying dishes as she looked over her shoulder. 

“Sometimes, you’ve got to be the first to talk. Because maybe, just maybe, it’ll make you a friend. I know your father prioritizes family over friends, but friends can be really helpful too. They can be there for you when no one else can, and they can be the change you need to keep moving forward, or to stay on your toes giggle”

The woman smiled warmly, revealing the beauty mark on her lower left side of her chin. 

“Just.. make lots of friends.. Okay, “-----”?”

The younger him simply watched her in awe, seeing her turn back around to face the sink. 

“Besides… If you don’t make friends, how can you ever find a girlfriend??? Girls like guys that can listen to them, sure. But they love a guy who can hold a conversation… although, the kind of girl I hope you find is the kind who can keep you on the straight and narrow, n can tell you when you’re being a silly billy..”

In a matter of moments, Nanashi snapped awake. The car had stopped, and both Yuto and Ruika gathered their swords, opening the car doors. 

Matsuo: You folks have a good rest of your day!

Stepping out of the car, Nanashi spoke under his breath as he held his sword in his left hand. 

Nanashi: Yeah… 

As Matsuo drove off, the trio stood at the bottom of the stairs of the large club. Yuto stepped forward and gave a lackadaisical tone. 

Yuto: Alllright you two, here’s the gameplan. Our big bad target is in this club, luckily, it's before opening. So we don't have any civis to worry about. Ruika, you take the back door. I want you to scoop up or slash up any goon that tries to make a break for it… or tries anythin’ funny. 

Ruika: Got it. 

Ruika makes her way up the stairs a bit before looking back at Nanashi. 

Ruika: Hey, Nanashi… 

Nanashi: Huh???... 

Ruika cuts a cold gaze at him. 

Ruika: You may be talented with a sword… and you are pretty strong… But don’t get a big head and screw this up for us, alright???

Nanashi’s eyes grew comically irate, his eyebrow twitching in annoyance. 

Nanashi: Noted… (Bitch…)

With that, the girl in the schoolgirl uniform ran up the stairs and took a left. 

Nanashi: The hell is her deal…?

Yuto chuckles in response. 

Yuto: Ohhh she’s just a stickler. Don’t take it too personally, she's like that to everyone. 

Nanashi sighs. 

Nanashi: Whatever.. What’s our move, Mophead?

Yuto: Glad you asked. We’re the diplomats. 

Nanashi raised an eyebrow. 

Nanashi: Eh????...

Yuto held up a finger, explaining. 

Yuto: Our first move is to reason with the bad guys. We wanna make a peaceful resolution instead of one that ends up in a pile of corpses. 

Nanashi: Tch, are you kiddin’ me..?

Yuto: Nope!

Nanashi: RHETORICAL QUESTION!

With a chuckle, Yuto began to walk up the stairs, followed by a begrudging Nanashi. 

Nanashi: Good grief….

Soon, the two of them reached the front entrance of the club, guarded by ten to twenty men in suits. They held onto different kinds of weapons, most of them lazing about or playing card games. 

Yuto: Heeelloooo everyone!

Nanashi: ACK!! (THE HELL KIND OF APPROACH IS THAT??!)

The various goons all looked up at the duo, narrowing their gazes or focusing their lines of sight upon the two swordsmen. 

Grunt 1: Huh??? The hell are you?

Grunt 2: Beat it, the club’s closed!

Yuto: Oh don’t worry fellas, we’re not here for the music. We’re actually here for a different kind of party. 

Grunt 3: Ehhh????

Yuto smirked. 

Yuto: We’re here to talk to your boss, Senji Aizawa. 

!!!

Nanashi noticed the tension, feeling the grip on his sword grow tighter. The group of thugs eventually began to grab their weapons, surrounding the two. Nanashi narrowed his eyes, while Yuto stood completely relaxed. 

Grunt 1 held up a gun, aiming it at Yuto. 

Grunt 1: How in the fuck do you know that name??!

Yuto: Yuto: Woaah, careful bud. You could hurt someone with that. 

Grunt 1: Answer my goddamn question, asshole!

Yuto: Nanashi… 

Nanashi: Huh?

Yuto: Remember, we’re diplomats first… however.. 

Grunt 1: Tch! WHY YOU-

SHM!!

The moment the goon tugs on the trigger slightly, Yuto ends up behind him in the air ready to attack. Yuto was grinning, ready to strike as the thug turned around. 

Then-

KRAKKK!!!

Yuto lands a devastating kick to the goon’s face, twisting his head backward, killing him instantly. 

Nanashi:... 

Yuto: If assholes wanna start a fight… we won’t hesitate to take em out… 

One of the gangsters pulls his gun out of his suit top, but before he could aim-

SHWK!!!

Nanashi sliced through his arm and decapitated the extra. In a span of a few seconds, Nanashi had slain four to seven of them in three sweeping motions. The group of yakuza were disoriented, dealing with the speed that Nanashi was going at. However, reminding them of his existence-

SHNK!!!

Yuto bisects a thug, slicing him vertically and splitting him evenly down the middle. 

Yuto: Oh c’mon now fellas… I can’t be that boring, can I?

Grunt 7: Ngh! The fu-

SHNK!

Stabbing the grunt through the throat, Yuto spoke in his usual arrogant tone. 

Yuto: What am I, chopped liver???

Suddenly, another goon attacked from behind, raising his sword to slash Yuto in the back of the head. 

SHWSH!!

Missing the mop headed man, the grunt looked down in horror as Yuto ducked under the slash and slid into his guard. However, his consciousness, and in turn, his life was taken when Yuto rose up with a palm strike to the chest-

WHAM!!!

Blowing a hole through the back of the goon, killing him instantly. 

As the thug fell to the ground, Nanashi finished the last yakuza guard with a rising reverse grip slash, cutting through the chest of the grunt and sending him to the ground. 

Now, with a group of deceased yakuza at the feet of Yuto and Nanashi. Flicking their blades and sheathing them in their own manners, the duo turned to face one another. Yuto raised a hand for a high five.

Yuto: Niiice, Nanashiii~!

Nanashi scowled at Yuto, refusing to entertain him. 

Nanashi: You could’ve warned me, Mophead….

Yuto: Huuuuh, buut thats no fuuuun!

Nanashi: Tch, good grief… 

Suddenly, a shadow bathed over Nanashi, blocking the overcast sunlight. Upon looking up, Nanashi was met with a sight that was completely left fielded. 

Above him was a young woman who fell towards him. She wore a white top, and a black dress with white trim. Her long black hair flowed, tied into a low ponytail with a blue bow. Her fair skin added contrast to her striking appearance, but as her sapphire gaze met Nanashi’s, in that moment…

…everything changed…

End of chapter 4