For Honor We Fall

Part 4

The air was still, the silence filling the room as everyone held their breath, unsure of what was going to happen next. Hanami turned the strange staff over in her hands, never having used one to fight before. Hayate was standing with the others along the edge of the room, watching with a heavy heart. Just what was the daimyo planning? Surely he had to know that the young woman had no hope in beating his master Taisho. So, why was he letting this happen? The more Hayate tried to see the situation from the daimyo's perspective, the more sick to his stomach he got.

The trio of musicians had halted their playing so the daimyo could speak, but with a wave of his hand, they continued to play softly. They, too, seemed eager to know what was going to happen to the strange girl in the black hakama. Hanami took a deep breath, trying and failing to still her wavering heart. It wasn't too late to back out, was it? She shook her head. If she was going to get this far just to turn tail and run, then why was she here in the first place? She could have just brushed Hayate off before getting this far. Something inside of her had led her here, and that small part of her was going to try its hardest to get her through this.

"Well..." At the sound of the daimyo's calm voice, every head turned to him, a mixture of worry and determination painted across the sea of faces. He resisted the urge to smile as he swept his hand lazily in the air. "What are you waiting for? Prove to me that you have what it takes, girl."

Hayate turned his attention back to Hanami, worried that she had bitten off more than she could chew. It was one thing to believe she could hold her own against a drunk in a sake shop, but this? He shook his head. He shouldn't doubt her abilities, even if he knew she had no hopes of winning.

The daimyo was right. What was Hanami waiting for? If she had been a samurai, she would have stepped forward and made her move by now. She tightened her grip around the bo staff, holding it before her as if her life depended on it. The general's mouth twitched, as if he were suppressing a smile. If she wanted to prove herself, it was now or never...

Without giving herself another moment to second guess her own abilities, Hanami leapt forward, the staff making contact with the general's. He grunted and pushed her away easily, swinging his staff as Hanami danced out of reach. Her heart was pounding hard in her chest, her nerves threatening to get the better of her. She let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding and surged forward once more, spiraling out of the way as the general swung his staff in a mighty arc, striking the ground where Hanami had just been standing. His eyes followed her movements closely, his body twisting out of the way as she tried to strike him across the shin. The general clicked his tongue and swiped the staff against the floor, catching Hanami off-guard and striking her at the ankle.

Once the bo made contact, she lost her balance, falling back before catching herself and twisting away, out of reach. Her legs were quivering, the impact having knocked the confidence from her heart. But she wasn't ready to give up. Not when she was just beginning.

Hanami danced forward, thrusting the bo toward the man, who simply deflected it with ease. The natural response, she was sure. With a small smirk, she bent, twirling on one foot as she swept her leg out, catching the general off guard this time. Her foot just barely grazed his chin, but it was enough for the onlookers to gasp in awe. Hayate balled up his fists, watching the battle with bated breath. He was silently cheering for the young woman, hoping that she could beat the odds and win over the daimyo.

The musicians had halted, too entranced in what was happening before them to focus on the melody. A young man behind them began to softly tap out a steady rhythm, watching the woman in the hakama try desperately to take down the Taisho. With every passing second, the beating of his drum echoed louder, spurring the pair on, both intent on winning the battle. The daimyo sat forward, puffing on his pipe with a look of amusement painted across his weather-beaten features. Just who was this dancing flower before him? And why was he silently rooting for her? It would be an embarrassment if a mere commoner could best his elite, especially if that commoner was a woman. But still, he found his heart being swayed with every twirl of her slim body. He almost regretted letting her change into the hakama, wondering how much more entrancing she would be dancing in her kimono. He shook his head, a soft chuckle falling from his lips as he watched on in genuine interest. Maybe this girl had a chance, after all?

No, he decided. The only way that a mere commoner like this woman could best his Taisho would be if she had some kind of special training. And he didn't exactly like where that thought was leading him. On the one hand, if she won, he would have to wonder where she had learned to fight. On the other, if she lost... Well, the only one she would be hurting is herself. He pushed the thought from his mind, focusing on the heated battle before him.

The Taisho thrust his bo forward, grunting and swiping it to the side as Hanami danced and ducked away from the hard wood. She wasn't used to moving around so much, and with every passing moment, she felt herself growing more and more tired. She retaliated with a short jab, aiming for the man's chest, but he simply caught the end of the staff, yanking her forward and against him. They stood frozen for a moment, eying one another before the Taisho twisted her arms behind her and slammed his boot against her back. Hanami stumbled forward, twirling around and watching as he flung her bo to the side. It crashed against the floor and skidded toward the wall, coming to a rest at Hayate's feet. Their gaze met and Hayate watched helplessly as Hanami's face fell. There was no way she would be able to get past her opponent to retrieve her weapon. Or was there?

Taking a moment to calm herself and think, she closed her eyes, shocking everyone in the room. Even the Taisho froze for a moment, confused. Hanami took a deep breath, crouching low and raising her hands in front of her. When she reopened her eyes, she met her opponent's gaze. The determination the man saw hidden behind her eyes took him aback. He respected this woman, he decided as he raised his staff, ready to charge and finish this. It was too bad she was going to lose like this. If the outcome had been up to him, he would have let the woman retrieve her staff so they could finish this fair. But doing so would show the daimyo that his samurai were going soft, and he couldn't afford that. So, with a final nod from the daimyo, the man surged forward, a battle cry falling from his lips.

Hanami waited for a moment, steeling her nerves before surging forward as well, hoping her plan would work. The general raised his staff and took a wide stance, twirling it around and aiming for Hanami's middle. She saw her opening and took it, dropping and sliding across the floor, using her momentum to slide between the mans' parted legs. He stumbled, blinking once and trying to twist around to catch her by surprise, but Hanami had already leapt up, palming her wooden staff once more. She was grinning, hardly able to believe that her plan had actually worked. Hayate breathed a sigh of relief. This wasn't over yet. The daimyo chuckled, watching the strange woman with a twinkle in his eye. She had style, that was for sure. If she had enough in her to surprise a general in his army, then maybe she could pull this off...

The Taisho smirked, unable to believe this woman was making him work this hard to win a pretend battle. He twirled his staff and hit the butt of it against the ground, holding it in place behind him. He raised one hand, motioning for her to make her move. Hanami let out a shaky breath and danced forward, raising her staff and aiming for the mans' exposed neck with a short jab. Their bo connected with a sharp crack and Hanami stopped short, straining against the creaking wood to gain the upper hand. The Taisho pushed her staff away, grabbing it in his free hand and pulling hard, making Hanami stumble forward. She hardly realized what was happening as the Taisho crashed his knee against her forehead. Stars swam behind her eyes as she fell back, falling to the ground hard. A sharp pain shot through her chest as the Taisho slammed his foot down onto her rib-cage, pinning her in place as he raised the butt of his staff level with her watering eyes.

Despair crashed over her. The battle was over, and she had lost. The general stood above her, sweat beading on his brow as he took in the sight of the battered woman below. To have stood her own for so long against an elite was a feat in and of itself. With a short clap from the daimyo's hands, the Taisho stepped away, offering his hand to help up his fallen opponent. Hanami took it gratefully, letting him pull her up as she brushed off her hakama. She stood on shaking legs, awaiting her sentence.