Ken drew his sword from it's sheath. "What do you want, Rikku?"
"He... he shouldn't have touched me like that. What gives him the right-"
"Calm yourself, sister." Ken said. "Lose control of your emotions and you lose control of yourself. Do you really want to give Kuno that kind of control over you?"
Rikku shuddered and took several long deep breaths. "He loves his art so much. Take it from him."
"As you wish." Ken murmured, flicking his thumb lightly across the blade to draw blood.
Rikku closed her eyes and turned away as her brother pressed his bleeding thumb to the flat of his sword.
"It's okay, baby." Ranma whispered, wrapping his arms around his daughter's midsection. "This blood magic can't hurt you. After all, it's part of you."
"I know, dad." Rikku whispered. "After all, I forged that sword. But I never could understand why I forged the blood runes into it. Especially after what happened." Rikku shivered and traced her hands absently along the thin angry red scars that ran from the base of each palm to her inner elbow.
Ken murmured an unintelligible word, causing the sword to glow silver as he said. "Maybe because you wanted to be with me always."
"Maybe so." Rikku said softly. "So you undid everything?"
Ken nodded. "Only way to make it fair for Kuno. As of now, it's simply an exceptionally well made sword. Now, mother... what can you tell me about Tatewaki Kuno?"
***
Before long the appointed hour came and the majority of the student body had reassembled at the sports field.
"Tatewaki Kuno, you have repeatedly and consistently acted in a manner that is not only insulting to common sensibility and your supposed samurai lineage. While I cannot act for Akane Tendo or Ranko Saotome, it is within my rights to set terms for this duel. When I win, I demand a full public apology for your actions against my sister Rikku."
"I am a noble samurai. If I have given some offense to the maiden, I will gladly make amends. But know that when I strike you down I demand a date with the ruby eyed angel."
"That is something I cannot promise." Ken said simply.
"Are you afraid?" Kuno challenged.
"Not at all. But I cannot act or promise on her behalf without her consent. If she wishes to date you, you must court her for better or worse. Do you wish to ask something of me?"
"Very well! When I triumph over you, I shall claim your sword! Even from here I can sense the excellent craftsmanship and hidden powers within it. Such power can only be properly wielded by the Blue Thunder!"
Ken narrowed his eyes and shifted his gaze from the blade in his hand to Kuno and back. "My sister forged this blade for me, Kuno. She poured great emotion, passion, and power into this sword for a single purpose: my well being. Like my sister, this sword has always been there for me, and I'll be damned if your going to take either of them from me!" Ken's eyes flared from cold indifference to blazing hatred. "PREPARE YOURSELF KUNO, FOR THIS SHALL BE YOUR LAST BATTLE!" With that Kenshiro shifted his stance and waited a heartbeat as Kuno readied his weapon, then without warning he blasted across the field to clash swords with the older student.
"You handle a sword well, but you are still just a child." Kuno smirked.
"You don't have what it takes to conquer me, Tatewaki." Ken hissed, shoving the delusional fool away and spinning into his guard. "You can't even understand your own spirit."
"Foolish boy." Kuno laughed, twisting his sword at an impossible angle to block the Saotome's strike. "I bear the spirit of the noble samurai." The older boy shoved back sending Ken sliding away a short distance.
"You believe that," Ken said as he spun his sword into a defensive stance. "but that doesn't make it so." He seemed to coil himself close to his body before rocketing forward to meet Kuno in a flurry of sword strikes and clanging metal before he flew back
"Verily I begrudgingly admit you have some modicum of skill. Let us end this petty squabble, and you can take your place at my side as my heir and protégé."
Ken laughed heartily. "Study under you? I'd sooner have all my teeth pulled out by a blind dentist with a hook for a hand without the benefit of anesthetics." Ken shifted his sword and smirked before charging forward, pressing Kuno back to the far side of the field. "I will not lose to an ignorant fool who does not understand what he pretends to be."
"Vile cur!" Kuno roared striking out with a viscous upward slash that carved a shallow gash in his shirt and chest.
"Gah!" Ken cried out as the blade lifted him up and back. "You bastard." He hissed, caressing the thin gash across his jacket, shirt, and sheath.
"Verily thou dost cast insults at me, because you fear my righteous blade."
"I." Ken cast off his sheath and tossed it aside as he tossed his sword straight up into the air. "Fear." He grabbed his shirt and jacket in one hand, pulling them off in a single fluid motion as he tossed them to his sister, leaving him bare chested. "Nothing." He hissed catching his sword as it fell gracefully into his hand.
Of course, this brought a flow of appreciative comments from the female portion of the student body.
"Wow he's cute!" One girl squealed as Ken leapt back into the fight.
"He's such a hunk!" Sayuri gushed. "Is he seeing anyone?"
Nabiki gawked and sputtered. "He's my son!"
Yuka pressed the issue. "So he's single, right?"
Nabiki twitched violently. "He's only twelve."
Ryonami gazed longingly at the young swordsman. "He's so mature for his age. I think it'd be interesting dating a younger guy."
The loud grinding of teeth from Nabiki was cut short as Ken flipped back away from Kuno to land in a crouch with a thin trickle of blood trailing down one cheek from a slash beneath his eye. "Kenshiro!" Rikku growled, clenching her fists and covering the field with as wide a glare as possible. Only the slightest change in the set of his head indicated she had his attention. "Enough. Finish this."
"As my lady wishes." Ken said straightening up. Shifting to a defensive stance, Ken closed his eyes and focused his energies as he began to glow with a soft white aura. "Omni Ken, Water Path, Final Technique..." Ken opened his eyes as the glow coalesced around the blade of his sword and he shifted his grip so the flat of the sword was presented to Kuno. "Tsunami Wave Smash!"
Observers are still hard pressed to explain what happened that day, but for Kuno, time seemed to slow to a crawl as Ken charged the older student then flowed past him with a sharp thunderous crack. Kuno stared at his hands for a long moment before falling to his knees and letting out a wail of inhuman agony.
"What just happened?" Sayuri asked as Ken strode past the fallen kendoist to retrieve his sword's sheath.
"I shattered all the bones from his wrists down." Ken said dispassionately. "Even after they heal, he'll never be able to wield a sword again." He slid the sword into the sheath and faced Rikku. "Is your honor satisfied?"
Rikku glared at the pathetic wailing man. "Yes. We've wasted enough time here." She grimaced as she handed him his shirt back.
"The shirt is pretty much worthless." Ken said in his usual bland voice. "This shirt was woven from a single thread of silk. Any attempt to fix it would only make it worse."
"You're bleeding." Rikku said, producing a crimson silk handkerchief and a flask of clear liquid. "Don't worry. This won't even leave a scar." She said, soaking the cloth and pressing it to his face.
"Oh man." Yuka whined.
Rikku glared. "You want my brother to be scarred for life?"
"Eeep! Well, no ma'am. I thought it would... er... that is..."
"Spit it out." Rikku snarled. "We don't have all day."
"Ithoughtitwouldmakehimlooksexy." She mumbled.
"Again. Slower." Rikku stared.
"I thought it would make him look sexy... rugged you know."
"Why are you- never mind. Bro, are you ready to go?"
"Shortly." Ken said throwing on his jacket and sheath before crossing to Kuno. "Tatewaki. You are no longer a samurai. You will never be able to hold a sword in your hands again. It's time you stopped hiding behind your delusions and take a good long look at your life and see where you've been... and where you want to go."
"You demon! You bastard!"
Kuno raved."Say what you like. It changes nothing. Father, did you finish your business?" Ranma merely nodded as the girls fell in behind him. Ken adjust his sword and turned to follow. "This bores me. Where to now?"
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(Posted Sat, 27 Nov 2004 00:23)
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