Bushido

Draconic Will

The old man stood firm in his jiu-jitsu stance, but was clearly perplexed at the awkward fighting form Valk took before him.

"Last chance. Leave the village, without your items, or you will leave here missing an arm."

Valk's gaze became animalistic, gnarled with fury and hatred as he bolted forward. The ground he once stood on crumbled beneath his heavy first step as he dug his hand into the arm of the old man and twisted.

"GAH! Stupid brat!"

Reverting to a boxing style, he reeled his fist back and punched Valk in the stomach, before shoving him back, attempting for a 1 - 2 combo.

"YOUR FUNERAL!"

With a haymaker punch, he swung, creating a massive gust of wind to pick up and destroy the room, even blowing Juuzou off her feet. Despite all that, he never touched anything.

"Huh? Where'd he g-"

That was all he could muster before the outstretched claw-like palm of Valk careened into his neck, threatening to pierce through.

"I'm right HERE!"

Valk followed up, grabbing him by the scruff of his neck and throwing him to the floor, just before grabbing his first sword and was about to stab him in the eye before.

"Remontada."

Instantly, Valk lost all the strength in his body, and he fell to the floor, eyes wide at what had just happened.

"Well hello there young one. My name is Vitoshi, but you can call me Vito."

Around Valk's arms, kanji with the words weakness and sleep were spread all about, and he realized his strength had been sealed away.

"I see you've met Old Man Kyoretsu."

Valk stared down his foe, who got up perfectly fine as if nothing had happened to him at all.

"You see, we've been watching you per se. Since you entered the woods, we've seen you, and we wondered whether you were friend or foe. In order to figure that out, we had Kyoretsu fight you. You see, he's a Seer, and he can discern people's alignments through their battles."

Valk struggled under the weight of the seal, unable to talk, but partially nodded.

"Oh. Sorry. Recrucio."

The kanji slid off Valk's body, and into his shadow.

"Now." Vitoshi's face became 20x more serious. "What were you doing in our forest?" Vitoshi was in his face now, breathing down his shirt at this point. "Seems strange how someone who doesn't look like from they're around here somehow gets all the way down to the North."

Valk suddenly became scarily aware of the differences between them. Not only was he darker, but his eyes and nose were larger, and even his hands and feet looked different. He shied away, his speech returning to unintelligible mumbles.

"Speak up."

"I ran."

"Oh?"

Vitoshi's eyes lit up, and he stalked closer to Valk's face, somehow even closer without touching him. "Explain? Explain why you ran."

"None of your business, now I'll be taking my leave."

Valk grabbed his stuff, and made to leave, but suddenly a door of shadow formed.

"I never said you could go."

"And I never said you could keep me here."

With his swords in his hands, he seemed much more confident, and sliced in a X, carving straight through the wall.

"I'll be taking my leave."

"Funny."

The wall suddenly reformed, and Vitoshi glared daggers at Valk.

"Explain."

Juuzou and Kyoretsu, who were in the corner were silently looking at the mental battle going on in front of them, and weren't liking the possibility of it devolving into a physical one.

"Let me leave."

"No. I won-"

"So in order to leave, this wall has to drop?"

"Clearly."

"Then I'll pummel you till it drops."

Valk unsheathed his swords and ran at Vito, who instantly dropped the wall and prepared to attack. Instantly, Valk turned and ran, picking up his bag on the way.

"So he guessed I couldn't fight with the wall up? What scary intuition."

Valk ran, looking through the streets for a place to hide. As he darted through, people stared at him, giving him looks of disdain and hatred, as if he had done something. His eyes widened as he turned around to see Vitoshi atop a pillar, pointing at him, smiling wickedly.

"HIM. CAPTURE HIM ALIVE."

Just then, a large uproar could be heard as the entire crowd dashed towards Valk, trying to claim him for their glorious leader Vito. Somehow, through the bedlam, another voice, true and clear rang out. It was Juuzou's.

"HE'S INNOCENT, LET HIM LEAVE!"

Vito stared Juuzou down, before backhanding her away, sending her flying towards the ground.

"Means are means. And that boy is a means to an end. Get him. I have no use for a broken toy which won't listen to orders."

Valk began to pick up the pace, his breath evening out, and his movements becoming more relaxed and refined as he focused. The crowd after him was but a second thought at that moment, as suddenly he vanished from view, and appeared several hundred meters away, out of the jurisdiction of Vitoshi.

"Damn it. I will find you. And when I do, you will rue the day."