ENISHI'S Aftermath: SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR

CHAPTER #9

In the morning Enishi had gifted the knives to Sumi, so she could feel powerful and not insecure. Two of them were hidden in her sleeves. Side by side they walked into the brothel, but this time neither hid under a cloak.

"Get me Touma," Enishi demanded, then sat down and put his feet up on a table.

Word had spread that this man had a lot of money, so it didn't take long for Touma to come. "Welcome. Are you here to sell her to me?"

"She's not for sale."

"Everyone is for sale. BOYS!" Touma called out and ten men came to join them. "You brought her back. My guys have been hunting her for years."

Enishi's anger began to ramp up and suddenly exploded when Touma made a move to grab Sumi. He leaped up and over the daybed that was between them, even before Touma's men could react. On his way, he grabbed one of the glass bottles, sloshing the water out of its neck. He cracked it on the side of the first man to attack, then used the jagged broken glass bottom and to hamstring a guy trying to kick him in the head. The bottle tore flesh and blood flowed like an erupting geyser. A second later his fist cracked Touma's jaw and laid him out cold on the floor.

While the ladies screamed and ran upstairs, Sumi stood frozen. Enishi was a blur, smashing another man's face off the dragon chair, causing the guy to slump to the ground unmoving. Twisting in the opposite direction, he delivered a solid head butt straight into a short man's nose, which meant game over for that thug. The man's blood had smeared a line across Enishi's forehead, which went unnoticed.

These men had yet to draw guns or knives, meaning they were amateurs and not use to dealing with sober patrons or a man who could fight. That was very obvious when one man lifted his leg, looking like a dog peeing against a tree. He was practically begging for Enishi to beat him. Grabbing the raised leg, the guy was thrown off balance and fell. A stomp to his balls and he vomited as the pain overwhelmed him. One thickly muscled man, threw a haymaker punch at Enishi, who knocked it to the side with a forearm and sunk his own fist into the soft belly. The man released all his air suddenly and went down with the follow up kick that landed on his solar plexus.

The seventh man that was one of Touma's boys, had Enishi use his left hand to grab the man's right elbow from behind, while squeezing it hard and pulling downward, propelling it forward. The guy tried fighting the downward momentum and forgot all about the forward motion. Feeding him a knee, the knockout came easily.

The last three men tried to run away, but the fattest of them, was way too slow. Enishi launched a powerful kick to the guy's nuts, that lifted the man off the floor, only to have him fall like a sack of potatoes. Blubber continued to move for that man. The second last thug standing, received a rib shattering kick and tried to break his fall grabbing onto his buddy. The shirt ripped and the tall guy escaped, until Enishi pushed off from the stairs and hit the guy with his shoulder in the centre of the chest. It staggered the man, like his legs were made of wet noodles. One last punch that landed on the temple, knocking the tall man out. In just five minutes all the men that were employed by Touma were either groaning in pain or unconscious.

"Sumi come here." Enishi held the wine bottle above Touma.

She finally moved forward and came to his side. He dumped the wine on Touma's face, which woke the man up.

"We're here to get her freedom. How that happens is up to you."

"Pay me."

Sumi was angry and unsheathed a blade. "You don't own me." She tapped the knife against his inner thigh.

"I paid your father good cash...." Touma began.

The knife made his groin bloody, then left multiple slashes on his arms, while the man screamed and thrashed on the floor. At last she held the blade by his neck. "Am I free?"

"You bitch... I'll have you killed...."

Enishi began to pound his fists into the man's face, pulverizing it. But Sumi stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "I can't kill him and neither should you." Standing up she called out, "KANA? Is Kana still here?"

A woman old enough to be Sumi's mother, but still very beautiful, came down the stairs. "Who's asking for me?"

"Kana, it's me... Sumi."

The woman stopped and stared, then finally spoke. "You've become a gorgeous woman Sumi, I can barely recognize the child I met so many years ago."

"Thank you for helping me escape back then Kana. I think you should own this place now. Do you want it?"

"It's the only thing I know.... Girls come remove these men and Touma... permanently."

Enishi smiled and then handed the woman a stack of cash. "Sumi wants you to treat the ladies well, use this to hire people you trust to take care of things."

"Are you sure Sumi?"

"Yes Kana. I owe my life to you. I'm sorry it took me this long to come back to repay you."

The two women hugged and then Kana turned to Enishi. "Take care of her, she's one in a million."

"She can take care of herself."

Kana grinned, "thank you Sumi."

Together Enishi and Sumi left the brothel. They returned to the hotel room. He gave her the kimono. "Please wear this, we're having tea and then getting on a ship to Shanghai."

Sumi unwrapped the blue kimono. "This is exquisitely elegant, but I've never worn one, I don't know how to put it on."

"I do or I can ask Kana to come here and help you."

In answer, she began to undress, but turned her back to him, when all that was left was her normal underclothes. Enishi had her put on the leather-metal vest and then helped her into the nagajuban. Next came the silk kimono itself and then the last was the obi or sash, which he tied in the back.

Turning to him, she asked, "do I look weird?"

"No. You look pretty."

"Can I keep the knives on me?"

"I'll carry them," Enishi said and patted her on the head. "Maybe have Kana do your hair."

"I can braid it, would that be okay?"

"Yes... I need to change, I got blood on me when I smashed Touma's face."

"There's some on your forehead too, use the water bag to clean up." She started to braid her hair, while he washed his face. As he began to remove the outer layer of his clothing, she spoke again. "Enishi?... Thank you for protecting me. I was too scared to move, when he recognized me. You were amazing."

"You faced what you feared the most and handled yourself well."

He finished dressing, then offered her his arm, like a true gentleman. Sipping tea seemed so refined and relaxed, compared to the chaos earlier.  An hour later, arm in arm they slowly walked through town, towards the port, where the ship to China awaited them.