Meteor Arts Saga

Chapter 33

Some customers had approached the counter and bought some flowers they chose, while others were still browsing. Later by surprise, a handful of men in black suits silently raid inside the florist, even imposing all the customers present to leave the place. Touko was alarmed. She confronted them head on, "What's going on!? You're scaring my customers away!"

"You're coming with us," said the men.

"What do you want from me?" she asked frightfully.

"I'm afraid we can't discuss here. You will come with us now, whether you want to or not."

Koki yanked Touko away, retreating into the lounge and locked the door. But it was futile. The men broke the door down.

Touko snatched whatever she could to defend herself and told Koki to get behind her. As they get closer, she swung back. That has failed and fell into the clutches of these men.

Koki stepped in to rescue Touko from their grasp, but then he got pushed back. He knew his own size and strength are not enough to stop them. A chair nearby caught his eye, and was willing to grab it. With all his might, Koki swung the chair at the man who attempted to pull Touko away. He grabbed another chair and with it he bulldozed the rest of the men, throwing them off.

After being free from the man's grasp, Touko grabbed a chair next to her, ready to fend off the last one standing, but once again she got caught by the wrist right before she had the chance. Koki wrestled against the man holding Touko. He tried uncoupling his clenches, but it was useless. He bit his forearm hard, winced him. Touko reached out for a small vase on the table and smashed the assailant with it, knocking him out.

Koki yanked Touko's arm once more, desperate. "Come on! Let's get outta here!" He pulled her away to the storefront.

"No!" Touko stopped him for a moment. She saw more men in black suits approaching the entrance. She told Koki there was another way out. She pointed him to the back door right at their side. She pulled Koki to the door, but she almost had forgotten a small, first-aid kit on the kitchen counter. She grabbed the kit and rushed off with Koki.

They fled into the alleyways and hoping to make their way out to the main streets. They even noticed the men who raided into the florist discovered them, now they made a run for it. With no luck of finding a way out into the main streets inside the alleyways, outrunning the pursuers would not be easy.

Koki and Touko took the next turn to another alley. The alleyways acted like a maze and Touko believed it was an effective way to confuse the pursuers. They kept taking random directions within the alleys until they encounter two more men in suits appear before them. They look back and saw another two of the same pursuers who had finally caught them. They were surrounded.

Koki got Touko's arm strapped over him, protected, but he searched around, desperate for another way to escape. He soon noticed a wooden stick about ninety centimetres long, lying by the wall. He broke away from Touko's protective grasp and reached out for the stick, using it like a sword. His father had taught him kendo since he was five and he was determined to use it.

"No, Koki! It's too dangerous!" protested Touko.

With the stick on his hands, Koki felt so powerful he did not listen to her. "But I should be the one to protect you, right?" he reminded her. He felt he had the strength of a superhero and tried attacking using the kendo techniques he learnt from his father, but to his surprise the strikes were not as close as effective as he would expected. Tensions got higher and he was pushed back by the unmatched strength of adult men. Touko was able to save and pull him back to safety.

"Koki, don't push yourself any further," insisted Touko. "I don't want you to get hurt."

Koki was angry and allowed his stubbornness took over him. There was nothing to lose, he thought. He broke away from Touko and tried again, which surprised her. After performing his weak and sloppy attacks, Koki decided to take serious action and use a technique that he, even by his own father, should not do, especially at his level and age. His eyes were fiercely focused toward the enemy in front and he delivered a strong thrust attack to his neck and shouted 'tsuki!' It worked. Koki tried again with the same technique against another and it worked again. Everyone else was surprised by his effort, the men at the rear rushed over to engulf Touko.