Kasumi raised her brows in a light show of surprise. "Do you mean that they're demonslayers too."
"Basically, yes. A lot of what that sword style is for fighting demons and such. But it's more that they have demonslaying techniques than my sort of activity.
"Oh?"
"My work is to go out and search for spots of demon activity and stop whatever they're doing," the ninja girl explained, glancing over at her more domestic sister. "They come along more for fights head to head."
"If you say so...."
"You don't get it?"
"Well...." Kasumi apologetically began.
"What I think the case is that our dear sibling doesn't get the difference between you and them," Nabiki drawled, smirking slightly.
"Something like that."
"Taki's an enforcer, keeping the demons from starting trouble," Akane murmured, never taking her eyes from the screen. "They are more like special forces, sent in when things are already happening, and there's going to be a battle."
"You've got the basics of it," Taki admitted.
Nabiki gave the youngest of the girls there a questioning look. "And you figured this out because...."
"Back when the bosses had me, I saw plenty of that sort of thing. They'd send out certain people to do quick stuff. Surgical. Others? They'd be there to fight head to head, and win. Lot of them were bodyguards and such."
"Let me guess," the exhibitionist half teased. "You were one of the latter."
"No."
"Huh?"
"I was a pit fighter. We were there to be bet on, and I didn't hide how I felt. What they wanted were obedient dogs who'd fight for them no matter what, and pit fighters only got that position when we fit what they were looking for."
No one asked what exactly those bosses wanted, but none of the other three had any trouble coming up with images to 'answer' the unspoken question.
"In any case, the fact is that this tells us something important about our new master," the ninja said, brushing aside the talk of criminals for the time being.
"It does?" Nabiki asked.
"The Shinmei school isn't just some commercial dojo. They are really selective about who they train, and who they trust. And they don't ally themselves that easily."
"What? Some people turn to the 'Dark Side'?"
The expression that Taki turned towards the girl at the computer was carefully bland. "It's been known to happen."
"You don't mean...."
"Not everyone has a heart that is pure and honorable."
"Doesn't sound like fun."
"That may be true, but the fact still remains that there has to be something about this 'Ranma Saotome' that's trustworthy."
"Just because they'll let him in?"
"No, because they aren't ready to fight him for some sort of trouble or another."
"Oh."
"Not that any of this really matters to me," Akane commented.
"You don't care?"
Crossing her arms over her chest, the younger girl shrugged. "A master's a master, no matter who he is. I've seen guys who will turn honor students into dull eyed dolls. Someone who might be a little bother with his personality isn't something that I'll run away from."
"And the rest?" Kasumi asked.
"If he really is some skilled martial artist...."
"Which it seems that he is."
"Who is a fighter looking to do some good, especially teaching some lessons to some pompous jerks, I'll be happier."
Nabiki leaned back on her elbows and grinned. "At least we can say that he'll be interesting.
"If nothing else."
"Perhaps he'll have some interesting friends to bring over!" Kasumi chirped, clapping her hands together.
"That's entirely likely," put in an amused Taki, who traded a grin with Nabiki, while:
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(Posted Thu, 13 Sep 2007 03:32)
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