Love Hina Fan Fiction / Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ The Limitations of Bushido ❯ The Victor Shall Be... ( Chapter 3 )

Hello everyone, and sorry for the long delay again, but I had university mid-terms, hopefully I'll have more time to write in the future if I stop being so lazy as well. ^___^ Anyway, here's Chapter 4, I hope you all like it, please give me feedback, all of it will be read and appreciated. There's a parody on the Kenshin series here, as well as some more references in this and future chapters.

Chapter 4: The Victor Will Be…

Kitsune became bored with her `rent-a-guard' job, as she put it, and asked Mutsumi to bring her some sake. However, Mutsumi decided to stay with Kitsune to make sure their prisoner didn't escape. Kitsune could have her fun, thought Mutsumi, as long as her work isn't affected. After a few drinks, Kitsune became more lucid, and began talking to Hugh - the alcohol caused her to forget the apparent `danger' their prisoner posed to them, and she started to make conversation about - what else - alcohol.

"What I don't understand about our parents is that they claim to teach us about responsibility and drug addiction, and yet they sometimes have a few wines at dinner time *hic* - right in front of us, and dismiss it by saying `I need it to calm down after work.' Well, back then school was pretty stressful to us as well. Bit hypocritical, don't you think? Especially since they make rules by adults for adults! What do you think, Hugh? Please talk before I pass out!"

"Oh, hypocrisy? Yeah, I've experienced a lot of that. Those adults miss the obvious truth about alcohol - it is an intoxicating drug. The purpose of drinking is to get drunk. That is the truth, no matter how much they want to cover it up. Not only that, but there are those who swear in front of their children and complain when their children copy them." Hugh rolled his head back, in appearing to roll his eyes - if he still had any - instead, the flames in his skull grew more intense for a moment, then resumed their regular calm glow as he became calm once more. He continued, " Sickening. Then there are those who…"

Kitsune laughed hysterically and hugged Hugh in her drunken stupor. "That's what I've been thinking my whole life, but I haven't had many people agree with me."

Mutsumi looked at outside and saw the first rays of dawn creep over the horizon. "Ara! It's almost time for the fight. You guys have a ball, I'll go to sleep now."

Unfortunately for her, she passed out on the floor due to her anemia, and Kitsune had just lost consciousness from the 20th cup(or was it the 20th bottle?) of sake she drank. Hugh covered them with his red cloak, and stepped out to the courtyard to face Motoko. Naru was more angry than worried when she saw that he had come out alone, without either Kitsune or Mutsumi.

"Kisama! What have you done with them?!? If you've even scratched…"

"Please calm down, Naru," replied Hugh. "They were tired, so I just gave them a blanket and let them be."

Naru thought carefully and realized that Hugh could easily have escaped if it were true, and killing two of her friends would have been no trouble when they were defenseless. She realized that Hugh would not stick around if he had done so…and he had no reason to do so if he cared for his friends. She decided that if that were the case, he was not all that different from a human, but she still had to be sure. As a test, she declared that the winner of the battle would be the one who kills.

"Is that all?" said Hugh, which elicited a response of surprise from both Naru and Motoko. He floated up into the sky, continuing until he was a mere speck in the distance. Motoko prepared herself for any attack that would be coming, but instead he merely fell back to the Earth at breakneck speed. His landing created a sizeable crater, but Motoko and Naru were safely out of the way. The dust began to rise and eventually settle, and the two residents proceeded to inspect the carnage. To their indescribable disbelief, they saw Hugh climbing out of the hole, undamaged from the fall. Their eyes were still wide open when he spoke to them calmly,

"Rats. It's not so easy after all."

After composing herself, Motoko answered, "S-s-stop playing around! Here!" She tossed Hugh a katana in its bamboo sheath. Hugh took it out and looked at it closely. Most people would see a flawless blade, but he saw the imperfections that were created during the forging process. He resheathed it and put it aside on the ground.

"Are you that eager to die?" inquired Motoko.

"No," came the reply, and Hugh's bony fingers lengthened into sharp claws, each approximately the length of a kodachi. "I merely prefer to fight with my own body whenever possible. I do not distance myself from any messy or dirty work that needs to be done."

"I see," replied Motoko. "Let's begin!"

Motoko dashed across the yard towards Hugh, who was standing calm as a day without rain, with his claws at his side.

"She's fast," thought Naru, "It seems she has improved greatly since she dueled with her sister a few months ago.

"She's slow as grass growing," thought Hugh, "Is this what they used to fend off Heaven's army?"

Motoko swung at Hugh with a downward slash. When she brought her sword back for a second strike, her eyes widened with disbelief - for Hugh had sliced off her katana at its base. Only the handle remained intact. The blade spun in the air several times before embedding itself in the ground, where it quivered slightly before becoming still.

"Impossible! How did he do that?" thought Motoko. "I am used to extreme displays of speed - both my own and from my older sister when we duel. Yet he surpasses her by far. Not only could I not see his body move, he moved so quickly from a prone, defenseless position! I remember learning in class that the human eye takes several hundred `photographs' a second, which give the illusion of movement to our brain. That means - "

Motoko was not able to finish her thoughts as Hugh slammed his foot into her stomach, sending her flying across the front yard, where she landed a few feet away from Naru.

Naru fell down to her knees, scared, worried and guilty that she had caused Motoko harm. Her strong persona crumbled, and she began to cry. Kari and the rest of Hugh's friends, who had been awakened by the crash several minutes previous.

"Don't blame yourself, Naru," reassured Kari. "I can understand why you would need to test Hugh's loyalty - we did the same thing. And you don't need to worry about Motoko being hurt - Hugh is a master of non-lethal methods. He only kills if there is a threat to himself or to others."

Motoko got up and prepared herself once more. "Kuso. Now I know how Urashima feels when I hurt him. Even though he is a filthy pervert to me, such treatment is too harsh, even for him," Motoko said to herself. "You - Watcher - what was that technique you used? Some crazy form of Kempo?"

Hugh tensed his arms, retracting his claws into his fingers, making a fist with each, and turned side-on to Motoko. The stance vaguely resembled that of a master kempoist, but Motoko couldn't understand the purpose of the subtle differences.

"Kempo is but a shadow of my skill, child," returned Hugh, and he slammed his fist into the ground, opening up a fissure towards Motoko. She managed to jump out of its path, and saw that it stopped before reaching Naru, who was visibly shaken by the display of power she had just witnessed.

Motoko circled Hugh until she had reached the sword that Hugh had put aside as though it were a child's rejected plaything. She then attempted to circle Hugh like a dog wolf circling its prey, slowly increasing her speed.

"Ah, I see. You wish to strike me from behind where you think I will be less prepared. Very well. Two can play at that game."

Hugh began to copy Motoko's tactic, floating slightly above the ground and moving round, attempting to encircle her before she did the same. Their speeds were much the same for about ten whole minutes, and Motoko began to think she had a chance. Hugh, on the other hand, had other ideas. Playtime was over, and he increased his speed immeasurably until he became a blur around Motoko.

"What's this?" though Motoko, perplexed. "This is more than a mere ceremonial battle dance. Yet why isn't he striking? Perhaps it is for show after a-"

Motoko's theory was instantly shot out of the water as Hugh used the speed of his movement to lift her up into the sky, causing them both to land in the Hinata Hot Springs. Sara and Kaolla were having a splash-around when Hugh and Motoko landed.

When Hugh realized his error, he quickly turned away. "Gomen, gomen, Sara-chan and Kaolla-chan. This was the safest landing area I could find."

"It's all right," said Sara, "we're in our bathing suits, so there's no problem. We were having a splashing contest, but it's over now. You two won!"

Hugh laughed and chatted with the two young girls for several minutes before Motoko regained consciousness. Hugh had put her head gently on a rock after the landed so that she wouldn't drown. When she recovered, she was enraged at Hugh for not finishing her off.

"You! You had me there in the palm of your hand! Why didn't you finish me off?!?"

Motoko's breathing was heavy, and laboured. She held her sword at Hugh's throat, as if that would work as a threat.

"What's the point, Motoko?" replied Hugh, turning to face her. "You're already beaten. Killing you would serve no purpose, and I'd just get kicked out of here regardless. But there is something else. Let me put it this way - we aren't alive just because of our parents. Sure, they created us, but the rest of society lets us live, because of the agreement we have not to kill each other. We each have the ability to grant each other life, or death. You could have killed my friends last night, but you didn't."

"Damn you," retorted Motoko, "You mock me, and you've taken my honour, but you won't take my life! You heartless, cruel bastard! Why do you force me to die for my honour?"

Motoko pulled her sword away from Hugh and pointed its blade towards herself, becoming prepared for the ritual of hara-kiri.

"Kushana, to me!" Hugh's sword flew into his hand, obeying his command. Hugh struck Motoko's weapon out of her hands before she could plunge it into her chest. Motoko was shocked, for she saw a glow of rage in Hugh's eyes for the first time, and even her rigorous samurai upbringing could not prevent her from showing her instinctive fear.

"You'd die for honour? Think - if you're willing to sacrifice honour to stay alive, then you value your life more than honour. What is the point of throwing your life away to boot? I know this isn't the situation now, but it is all too common in the past. I have seen too many good souls and warriors lose to honour, though they were never bested in battle. And would `honour' do the same for you, Motoko? Do you honestly think that you would regain your honour by dying? If honour is to be gained from making Kaolla sad - look at her - she was bawling her eyes out when she knew what your plan was - then I am glad to be a very dishonest, and I intend to get `worse' with time."

Hugh sheathed his sword, and turned away. "If you wish to die now," he continued, "Then go ahead. I don't wish to usurp your free will any longer, but I felt that those were some things you just had to know."

Motoko did not attempt to retrieve her sword. She merely stood there with her hands in her face, crying.

*End of Chapter 4*

How was it? I hope you liked it, I'll try to complete the next one soon!