Destiny's Hand

The Hard Fight Fought

No matter how hard Mugen fought, the yakuza continued assaulting him from all sides. Beads of sweat were forming on his forehead and above his upper lip. With every slash of his sword his movements became slower and his sword felt heavier. It didn't dampen his appetite for blood or his thirst for revenge. He knew the real challenge was finding Fuu and killing Katashi before he got to her. These bastards were the only thing standing in his way and it fueled his sapping strength.

He saw that Jin was fairing no better. He knew they had to tag team these guys or they stood no chance. He called out, "Four eyes!".

Jin didn't need to look up to know what Mugen had in mind. He slashed forward to cut a path to Mugen. The yakuza in front of him jumped to the side and Jin took his chance. Simultaneously, Jin and Mugen slide into the opening and went back to back. They didn't need to say anything to know what their next move was. After months of fighting together, they had developed a special style.

Mugen side kicked an approaching attack. The man tried blocking the kick with his forearms, but didn't see the real intent. Mugen ducked immediately after kicking and Jin reacted by spinning around and cutting into the man. Another yakuza tried to seize the opportunity and attack Jin exposed back. As he jabbed forward, Mugen spun on his back and knocked him to the ground with his metal-lined geta. The man moaned in pain and had blood pouring from his nose and mouth. Mugen pounced on him and slit his throat open.

The other three men were shocked at the sudden change of tides. Their eyes trailed from their comrade's dead bodies to Mugen and Jin. Their bewildered expressions turned to hatred. Mugen met them with fire. His eyes held a maniac's glare, he was ready for round two. He wiped off the blood from his blade on the dead man's shirt. He spat on the ground and cracked his head from side to side.

Jin stepped forward this time, his top priority was making sure Shino and Fuu were safe. "You will tell us where our female companions are."

The yakuza smiled knowingly. The leader spoke for them again, "And if we don't say anything? Are you going to threaten us with the same fate as our companions? Then what would happen to your whores?"

Mugen lunged forward to slice him in half, but the leader threw up his sword. The swords met and clanged loudly. Each man threw his weight into their swords and grunted in an effort to push the other to the ground. They both stumbled back, then regained their balance. Mugen sprinted forward and attacked again, slashing and blocking. He got in a few good hits, but the man left little openings. Mugen decided it was time to take the offensive. He saw a tall tree nearby and knew it was his only chance. He started to hack wildly at the man, distracting him. When he had enough distance, he made one final blow at the yakuza and dashed towards the tree.

The yakuza started running after him yelling, "Stop being a chicken shit!"

Mugen braced himself as he approached the tree, he hoped his geta wouldn't slip. He crouched lower the last few feet and pumped his legs faster. He ran up the tree a good ten feet, then spun down right on top of the stunned yakuza. His blade hit the man's skull first, followed by his metal-lined geta. The yakuza laid motionless on the ground, a pool of blood steadily expanding underneath him. Mugen loomed over his dead body, with blood smeared over his body. His sword was wedged in the yakuza's head, Mugen had to grunt as he pulled it out.

Jin had been fighting off the other two. He was able to slice them deep, and they had grown weary on their feet. Watching their comrade being hacked open stopped them in their tracks. They stepped back a few paces and started running for the safety of the deep forest. Mugen and Jin quickly followed, they had to find out what happened to Fuu and Shino. Then they would end these men's miserable existences.