Chapter 11 – THE REMATCH

Kenshi traveled far away from where he resided in Japan to avoid detection from his enemy, Kariudo. He went to a hospital and spent time recuperating. When he felt he was back at full health, he returned to the city of his residence. It had been almost a month since he walked the streets of his small town. He seriously doubted Kariudo still hid in his hiding spot down the road. He had to think of a way to get his attention without having Kariudo get the drop on him. He knew the former Shirai Ryu would quickly seize an opportunity to kill him from behind. After much contemplating, Kenshi thought of a great plan to entice the Hunter into combat. He slowly smiled as he thought of his plan.

It took some time, but Kenshi finally found the contact that people spoke to for assassination contracts given to Kariudo. Kenshi had delved into the criminal underground, captured and beat information out of henchmen, and paid off the most untrustworthy thugs in Japan to find this man.

Kenshi sat in a dark dive bar staring across his table at a fat, dirty, scoundrel of a man. The fat man looked back at Kenshi with an almost toothless grin.

“I represent a hunter that specializes in pest control. I assume you have a pest that needs to be hunted down and exterminated, right?”

Kenshi had a hard time understanding the odd accent of Japanese the man spoke. After he took a moment to understand what the fat man said, he nodded. “I do indeed. Fortunately for your employer, he will not need to spend much time hunting. I know exactly when and where to find the…pest.”

The fat man frowned. “Actually, my employer likes the hunting part. But money is money. Give me the details.”

Kenshi told the fat man that there was a field in the woods north of town. The “pest,” Kenshi said, meditates in that field just after sundown every day.

“Well it’s the middle of the night now. My employer will have your pest taken care of tomorrow at sundown. I need half the money up front. The other half when the task is complete.”

Kenshi frowned. “I think not. What if you take my half payment and split?”

“What if the exterminator does his job but you split? Either you or my employer has to trust the other will do his part. My employer trusts nobody but me. You are the one in need, not my employer. He is generous enough to make you pay half now and not all. So half now, or we are done doing business!”

Kenshi realized there was no way to barter with this man. He needed this to happen, so he knew he had to pay half the sum. Who knows? Maybe he will get his money back out of dead Kariudo’s pocket. “Fine. I will be right back.” Kenshi walked to the ATM and withdrew the money he needed. He returned and handed the money to the fat man.

“Pleasure doing business, sir. Meet me here around this time tomorrow night to pay the other half. If you don’t, the Hunter will be hunting for you!”

Too late for that. Kenshi just smiled at the thought. “Tomorrow then.” Kenshi left the hole of a bar and headed back to his hotel room.

Kenshi never thought he would ever have to hire an assassin, especially on himself. But Kenshi knew this was the only way to find Kariudo again without getting stabbed in the back in a dark alley. “Tomorrow at dusk, we finish this!”

Kariudo stalked around the tree line, watching his prey. A man sat in the middle of the field wearing a black robe. The man sat in the middle of the field, apparently meditating. After a moment, the man stood and started performing motions that Kariudo recognized as Tai Chi Chuan. Kariudo smiled. Must be one of those annoying Chinese monks. Why would anyone want a monk killed? Who cares? Blood is blood and money is money. Kariudo drew his sword and began sprinting across the field.

When he got close, the man became aware of Kariudo’s presence and turned around. Kariudo expected this, and used his elemental powers to shift into the earth. In a moments notice, he sprang out of the earth behind the monk with his longer than normal katana. The monk turned, drew a katana of his own, and blocked the attack.

Impossible! The hood of the robe fell back. Kariudo then realized this man was no monk. Rather, he was the enemy he had begun to think had simply fled Japan. This man was his archenemy, his nemesis. This man was Kenshi, the Sword Saint.

Kenshi sat in the middle of the field he told the fat man about. He sat on the ground and thought about his enemy’s fighting style and abilities. He needed to be sure he would kill Kariudo this time. When he felt relaxed, he stood and started practicing his Tai Chi forms. These forms were great for getting his body prepared for any fight using any fighting style he knew. It didn’t matter if he used Tai Chi, San Shou, Judo, Kendo, or a combination of them; Tai Chi was great for getting the body warmed up, stretched out, and relaxed.

While performing these forms, he heard someone quickly approaching him. He knew it was time. He turned to face his opponent. As expected, the earthly ninja faded into the ground. He watched as the earth shifted in front of him, below him, then behind him. He quickly turned and drew his sword to block Kariudo’s attack. The shock that appeared on Kariudo’s face was enough to bring a smile to Kenshi’s.

“Predictable as always, Kariudo!” He kicked the brown ninja in the chest. Kariudo fell back but sprang to his feet. Kenshi readied himself. “Let’s finish this, then!”

Kariudo just looked at Kenshi. “I was beginning to think you fled Japan. I’m glad you didn’t. I want to introduce you to my new friend.” Kariudo held out his new sword. Kenshi noticed how the blade was much longer than Kariudo’s previous sword, much longer than Kenshi’s, actually. “I should thank you, really. I would have never realized the power of range if it were not for you.”

“Need something to make up for the shortness of your manhood, huh? In case you didn’t get the memo, size doesn’t matter!”

“ENOUGH OF YOUR ARROGANT WORDS! As you said earlier, let’s finish this!”

Kenshi just smiled. He got into a stance he learned was great for defense and offense. Wait for him to strike. Like water, flow around him. Take him out.

Kariudo’s patience had grown thin. He charged at Kenshi.

Kenshi watched as Kariudo charged towards him. Just as he got close, Kenshi lunged with his sword.

Kariudo saw Kenshi’s attack. He stopped just short of the blade’s length. He slashed with his own. He observed in satisfaction as his longer blade reached and cut Kenshi in the shoulder.

“What the…” Kenshi looked at his lacerated left shoulder. He then remembered how anyone in his Kendo class ever got a lucky score on him. Range! But he defeated all of them in the long run, so he pressed on. He attacked Kariudo again. Surprisingly, Kariudo was much faster than anyone Kenshi remembered sparring with in his Kendo class. Kenshi was not able to hit the ninja. He eventually parried one of Kariudo’s attacks. When he lunged forward for the finisher, Kariudo drifted into the ground and appeared to Kenshi’s left side. Kenshi knew his feet positioning would prevent him from turning to his left to defend himself. So he instead turned right to sprint a couple steps to put distance between himself and Kariudo. Kenshi forgot about the longer steel of Kariudo’s sword. Just as he stopped to turn, he felt a sharp pain in his right side.

Kariudo watched as Kenshi turned to put distance between them. He saw Kenshi’s exposed back. He lunged forward with a stab from his long katana. The blade sank deep into the back of Kenshi’s right side. He pulled out the blade and brought the sword up to finish off the Sword Saint. Miraculously, Kenshi was able to finish turning and block the slash.

Kenshi felt the cold steel bite into his warm flesh. The blade went into his back just below his right ribs. He prayed that the blade did not hit any vital areas. He had heard stories of people getting completely impaled and living to tell the tale. When he felt the blade pull out of his body, he instinctively turned and blocked a downward slash from Kariudo’s hellishly long blade. The block was enough to surprise Kariudo long enough for Kenshi to take a couple steps back to regain his composure. He brought his hand back to his wound. The blood was not pouring out too fast. He thought and hoped that meant the blade did not hit any serious blood vessels or organs. Regardless, he was losing blood. He was already beginning to feel the effects of blood loss. He felt tired. He felt weak. His arms felt heavy. His legs barely held him up. He knew he couldn’t keep fighting like this. He had to end the fight quickly, then seek medical help.

Without much thought, he charged into Kariudo’s direction and delivered the most aggressive assault he had ever attempted in his life. He watched as Kariudo calmly stayed out of Kenshi’s reach, then counterattacked successfully several times. Kenshi felt as Kariudo’s blade scored a small cut here, another cut there. Every second he grew weaker. His katana seemed as if it weighed a ton. He heard his rapid breathing and thunderous heartbeat trying to drown the other out. He thrust forward with a final jab from his katana. Kariudo knocked Kenshi’s blade down with his own, then delivered a powerful spin kick to Kenshi’s head. In what seemed barely a moment’s time, Kenshi was lying on his back in the field. He watched as the triumphant Kariudo stepped over him.

“Finally, I get to shut that prideful mouth of yours…permanently!” Kariudo raised his blade, point down.

Kenshi could not bear to see anymore of his enemy. He closed his eyes and mentally prepared to meet his end. He felt a warm tear form in his eye. So it ends like this. Live by the sword, die by the sword.

There was a shuffling near his head. Kenshi flinched as heard the familiar sound of steel on steel. He instinctively opened his eyes. Am I dead?

“I warn you young one, walk away now while you have the chance.” Kenshi did not recognize the calm voice. He looked up to see a very short, very old local man wielding a rusted-looking excuse for a katana.

Kariudo’s familiar voice came back. “Old man, this is none of your concern. Walk away now and I might let you live. If not, I will kill two people tonight!”

“I promise you, you will kill no one tonight. Leave my field. There is no need for bloodshed. But if you do not, there will be one less brown ninja in Japan.”

Kenshi watched the two in shock and confusion. The old man was very relaxed, shoulders slouched, katana hanging to the side. Kariudo was in a halfway offensive stance, the long blade pointing at the old man’s chest, which was maybe six feet away.

Kariudo flexed his knees. “Whatever. Die then!” Kariudo came forward in a blur. The old man calmly parried the attack with an upward slice. What was even more amazing was the old man pressed in towards Kariudo, and fought very calmly, and very effectively, against him. Even when Kariudo tried one of his earthly elemental tricks, the old warrior seemed to defend every attack. After a short melee, the old man used a spiraling maneuver with his blade that caused the overly long katana to fly out of Kariudo’s hands and onto the ground, several feet away. Kariudo instinctively put his hands up when he saw the old man’s sword point inches from his throat.

“Now be gone with you, trespasser.”

With a scowl on his face, Kariudo drifted into the ground. He reappeared by the long katana, picked it up, then vanished again.

After several seconds of looking around to make sure the Hunter was gone, the old man turned his attention to Kenshi. “Well that leaves us, huh? Tell me, why were you two conducting battle on my field?”

Kenshi just stared at the old man in disbelief at what just happened.

“Don’t make me ask twice, boy.”

“I…” Kenshi caught his breath. “He was hired to kill me, but failed. So he murdered many friends of mine to get to me. We decided to settle the score out here, where no authorities could intervene.”

“I’d say for you, it was a good thing I intervened. Show you no gratitude?”

Kenshi paused a moment. “Thank you…sir.”

“Let’s get you to my place and look at your wounds. Get you patched up and fed. What say you?”

Kenshi knew he had no choice. He nodded.

Long, but with a lot of action. I hope everyone liked it. Score: Kenshi-1…Kariudo-1. Time to finish it! Stay tuned…