A Blade to Protect (Masahiro)

[Yuy Masahiro™]

"Heh... can't let the kid do everything."

So I started to run around the village taking a look at places they might attack from. From there I found the best places to strike our counter attack from. I collected some wood blocks, matches, and wire. Yes this is all we would need for this. I climbed a top one of the rooftops and sat down. From there, I started to tie together the matches blocks in an intricate pattern as I waited for Haji to return.

"This better turn out right. Or I'll be pissed."

[Morei Haji]

"Thank you for your time, sir."

I would've bowed if my hands weren't full. I had two large barrels of sake, and was unsure about how I'd get them up to the rooftops. Getting to where Masahiro was, I'd give him a head's up before tossing the barrels up to him. I would then go fetch a large barrel of oil before coming back and carrying that heavy bastard up myself. Sitting down next to him, I'd let out a sigh of relief after making it up with that thing.

"So uh, what's the chance this will backfire on us?"

[Yuy Masahiro™]

I walked over and caught the barrels of sake that Haji brought to me. These would be perfect. As he brought them to me, I set them up on different rooftops, connecting them all with the wire and the and the wood. The wood was a stopper, it held the sake in places. A fuse was placed on each barrel such that when the wire was pulled the match would light the fuse. As the wires were pulled the wood blocks would move free of the barrels path down the curved roof tops.

"I'd say there's about a 75% chance of all of this blowing up in our faces. Literally."

I smirked a bit and stood as I walked over to the edge of the rooftop looking out to see if the enemy was coming. I turned back to speak to the kid.

"You still with me then Haji?!"

I forgot that in Japan it was considered rude to call someone by their first name without being close. Not to mention the complete lack of an honorific.

[Morei Haji]

"Literally... blowing up in our faces..."

I stared blankly at Masahiro. The idea of both of us being blown to smithereens did not sound like the most appealing thing in the world. However, there was a sense of adventure burning within me that told me 'Hey, why the hell not?'

So I looked over at Masahiro. "Hey, why the hell not?" I said, ready to join in Masahiro's crazy idea. It was a once in a life time chance to rain fire. In the distance, I could see a group of men approaching, all wielding weapons.

"Masahiro-san, it seems they're here!"

[Yuy Masahiro™]

“Shut up and stay low then!”



I grabbed Haji’s head and pushed him down. I also crouched low and kept my eyes on the gang of idiots coming after us. I took in a deep breath and turned Haji. I had to tell him the rest of the plan before we attacked.



“After we drop the barrels, I’ll get their attention, I want you to outflank them and get them from behind. The roads narrow enough that a bunch won’t be able to attack us.”



I motioned with my fingers to tell him when I was going to pull the wire. Three… two… one… I pulled the wire and allowed the barrels to drop down on the gang, the fuses lit they’d explode on their way down. As they did, I jumped down from the side of the building and swung around in front of them, holding my katana up as I slowly began to unsheathe it.



“I heard you were looking for me.”

[Morei Haji]

I nodded at Masahiro's plan, waiting for him to pull the wire. It was a crazy plan, one that made us seem kind of worse than the guys we were about to bust. Granted, it'd make for one badass day. And as Masahiro pulled the wire to drop the explosive barrels, amidst the chaos I would make my move.

I ran and jumped to an adjacent roof before dropping down on the other side of that building, landing on the ground and running to approach the men from behind. I drew both blades and struck out at them, striking two down before they could even notice me.

"This should even out the odds a bit. You guys against the two of us sounds pretty fair to me."

[Yuy Masahiro™]

“PREPARE YOURSELF!”

I finished unsheathing my sword and jetted forward, holding my sheath in my left hand. I slashed forward, my sword meeting metal. I saw another sword coming directly at me. I thrust my sheath up blocking the attack. I pushed forward with my left hand, moving the man that held the katana that my sheath blocked into the man that was currently blocking my slash. The two stumbled into each other falling. Quickly, I slashed horizontally, pulling my arm across from the right. I rotated my body to push more force into the attack. The two enemies fell in agonizing pain. I stopped my rotation with my back facing the enemy and sheathed my sword.

“Not done yet…”

Quickly I spun around to face the enemy. As I spun around, I quickly pulled my sword free from my sheath. The sheath guided the attack and my battojutsu, while not amazing, slashed another man, thrusting him back, bleeding. I slashed the air to throw the blood off of the blood. I tucked my sheath into my belt quickly, and grabbed my sword with two hands as I waited for the next attack.

“How you doing over there Haji?!”

[Morei Haji]

I had to admit, swinging the swords they were meant to be swung felt nice to me. It improved my form, made combat feel easier. Masahiro was right about the weapons being dulled down enough, their blades would cut my opponents but not enough to do any serious harm.

I blocked a blade coming down at me with both of my swords, kicking at the guy to knock him back before spinning around and striking him in the face with the butt of my sword. As he fell, more came from behind him, and I would parry their blows before slashing at any who came my way. I would fail to parry one slash, and it slashed through my kimono, narrowly missing my side. Kicking the guy in the stomach before backhanding him, I would let out a sigh of relief.

"Doing pretty good! They don't stand a chance!" I would say as a couple more appeared from behind a building and charged at me. It was definitely getting tiring to say the least.

[Yuy Masahiro™]

Let’s go… you can do this. You know how to do this. I waited as a few enemies came running at me. Ryuukansen! Crouching low, I side stepped the first one still facing forward. Quickly I put my sword at about stomach level, I quickly slashed horizontally and put myself into a spin. With this technique, I slashed the two who were still charging at me across the stomach, and slashed across the one that passed me’s back. I aimed my sword down and looked at the next oncoming enemy. I wasn’t done yet.

I crouched low and darted forward. Ryuushousen! As I approached my enemy I jumped forward slashing upward with my sword’s sharp edge, placing my hand on the dull end of my blade, I slaced the man’s throat and chin vertically. I continued to jump higher into the air. This was it. Ryutsuisen! I grabbed the hilt of my blade with both hands, bringing it up over my head. I slashed down at my enemy’s head from above, bisecting the man once I finished. Quickly I sheathed my sword, returning to a battoujutsu stance. I unsheathed my sword with great force horizontally and combined it with the spin from the Ryuukansen, striking down another three. I turned to face the others, they seemed almost petrified by fear.

”These… these guys are crazy! First fire now this! SOMEONE GET THE BOSS!”

[Morei Haji]

Blocking another attack with my blade before spinning around and slamming the hilt into another guy's face, I would look on with awe at Masahiro's attack. He seemed a lot more experienced than I when it came to warfare, what with his flashy techniques and all. I was just a guy who practiced the basics his entire life.

Our enemies suddenly mentioned getting their boss and ran off, and I walked towards Masahiro, looking around and keeping my guard up. "Not too shabby." I would say, looking in the direction our enemies ran off to. I wondered if their boss was anything special.

[Yuy Masahiro™]

"Thanks, but this isn't over. Get onto that roof."

I nodded my head to the left telling Haji which roof as I sheathed my sword again. I myself ran towards the right and climbed a top another roof. I stayed low as to wait and watch. The bandits came back... this time a large hairy man led them. He wore a pathetic looking helmet with a crescent moon symbol on it. Six awful looking katana were on his hips, three at each side.

"I AM LORD DATE MASAMUNE! WHO DARES CHALLENGE ME?!"

What? Was this really the fabled Date? I stood up from the roof, nodding at Haji, and jumped down in front of them again, standing sideways not facing them. I placed my left hand on my katana's sheath and crouched low before turning to them.

"I do. Yuy Masahiro."

[Morei Haji]

I climbed onto the roof at Masahiro's command, guessing he wanted us to ambush them again. At the bandit chief's arrival, my eyes widened. Did he really say Date Masamune? Of Oshu? The legendary six sword wielding samurai?

I peaked over the rooftop to get a look, but was sorely disappointed by what I saw. A hairy man with a terrible looking helmet and six unkempt katana. Was this guy for real...? Date must have really let it go throughout the last few years.

I positioned myself to where I could jump down from the roof to get behind the opponent if Masahiro needed aid. But somehow, I felt like he'd be just fine.