Translation Note: Shogun no Inu – This translates to something like "The Shogun's Dog" or "Dog of the Shogun" and is used in this chapter to refer to Hiroshi's father, who works as a samurai under the shogun.
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Releasing his gentle hold on Fuu, Hiroshi leaned back and smiled down at his betrothed, "Feeling better now?"
The waitress gave a small nod, only for her stomach to grumble a few moments later. Curse her appetite for ruining a tender moment! With a sheepish blush she looked up at her fiance, "I'll feel even better after I eat, though. I'm starving! I haven't had anything since breakfast!"
"Too busy at the onsen?" Hiroshi grinned at her as she cocked her head in a curious response, a small blush of his own dusting his features as he scratched his cheek and replied to the unasked question, "You're hair is still wet and...you smell freshly bathed..."
At this, Fuu went crimson. She didn't so much mind the comment, but it was embarrassing to think of him noticing her scent! Her feet shuffled in an awkward manner as she looked at the dirt road beneath them, "Ah, I see..."
The samurai's son cleared his throat to break the tension, and offered a smile, "Anyhow, we'd best get you something to eat. I know it's your day off, but perhaps we should go to the tea house...they do have delicious food, and a nice cup of tea will help you relax."
"That does sound nice, Hiroshi..." Once more she had to forcibly stop herself from adding the –kun to his name. It was a habit he wished her to stop, and she would do her best to concede. Marriage was about compromises, and once she was his wife she would need to address him more intimately anyway. Besides, he had a point when he mentioned at breakfast that she called her bodyguards without honorifics. And she'd only traveled with them for a year, while she'd known her fiancé the past four years.
With a smile and a nod the young man placed a gentle hand on the small of Fuu's back. The gesture was meant to comfort her, to make her feel secure after her run in with her former bodyguard. Instead, it made her a bit nervous, caged even. If she tried to separate from him, would he grab a fistful of kimono and stop her? They two didn't notice the figure that had been watching them slinking further into the shadows to completely disappear.
"He won't react well..." Shino fretted, glancing over her shoulder to where they had left their friend and her fiancé earlier as she walked down the street.
"So you've already said..." Jin comment, trying not to scold his wife for the constant nervous looks she cast behind them, "He won't be happy, true. He won't harm her though..."
"You're probably right...he really does care about her. Which just makes things all the harder! I want Fuu-chan to be happy, Jin, dear. But I can't help feeling that her marriage to Hiroshi-san would be settling! He loves her, but I don't think she can say she feels the same!" Shino sighed as her ranted observation closed. She was torn, wanting what was best for the girl she saw as a younger sister, but not sure what that would be. There was no doubt left that Mugen cared just like Hiroshi did, and Fuu most certainly cared for Mugen if Shino's hunches were right. But was it better for the waitress to wait for the former pirate to get a clue, or to marry a reliable and willing man?
"He won't harm her," Jin reiterated, choosing not to address the rest of the woman's words, "I would be more concerned about his overreacting and attempting to challenge Mugen..."
"Oh!" The former prostitute gasped, her eyes widening as his words clicked into place. If Hiroshi challenged Mugen, or baited the vagrant into attacking him, there was little doubt as to what the outcome would be, "That would be terrible! Fuu-chan would never forgive Mugen when he killed Hiroshi-san!"
"Then we should hope Hiroshi-san is wise enough to know better..." Jin sighed, adjusting his glasses upon his face. Love could make people do strange things...for instance stealing away a brothel girl and hiding her in a divorce temple until you could return and wed her, just as an example. Mugen didn't need jealousy as an excuse to fight, but Hiroshi might be quicker to jump into a fray if he knew the vagabond's words had hurt the woman he loved.
The atmosphere seemed to grow heavy with these thoughts as similar ones floated through Shino's mind as well. They continued on to the home they had been welcomed into in silence.
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Though his appetite wasn't what it had been when he entered the tea house, Mugen munched idly on his dumplings. He even took the occasional sip of his tea, if only to wash the food down. His mind wasn't really focused on his meal, instead it danced with thoughts of a certain young waitress, and echoed with words spoken by the tea house proprietress. Fuu cared...she often spoke of how he, Mugen, had saved her life.
Of course, she'd saved him too, though this was the first time he'd ever admitted as much. She kept the crow men at bay, chasing them away and pulling the rogue back from the brink. Her voice could reach out through the darkness of a fading life and somehow guide him to return to life. When he heard her whining turn to desperate pleading on his behalf, something in him knew he had to stay. He couldn't just leave her alone.
But wasn't that what he was going to do? Leave Edo, never come back, let the girl have her life with her handsome samurai and erase himself completely. She wanted him to, though. She'd said so. She hated him, and she never wanted to see him again, and somehow, that made his stomach lurch and churn, despite the fact that he knew he wasn't hungry. Maybe he was sick? Yeah, sick of seeing her with Pretty Boy.
His eyes closed as he blew a sigh, placing the skewer that had been holding his four dumplings together between his teeth. The food was gone, so now he set to gnawing on wood that had pierced them. After hearing what the hag had said, he was beginning to realize some things, mostly about himself. He didn't know if Fuu hated him...but he was beginning to understand why he got so irritated when she and Junior Samurai were around. Looking back on things, he also began to notice some things about the journey he'd made with the waitress four years prior.
Back then, she was annoying as hell, the way she whined, the way she complained about him hitting the brothels, the way she always picked fights. But perhaps the most annoying thing of all was the fact that he couldn't shake her. Even when he wanted to run the hell away, he stayed. He just couldn't imagine leaving her alone, and for some reason he didn't want to leave her with just Jin. On top of that, spending all that time with her didn't really have any benefit for him! Sure, he complained about her lack of figure, but maybe that was an excuse, a way to talk himself out of seeing anything appealing. Because she was off limits...that girl was sweet and innocent, and needed him. For some reason he didn't yet fathom, he couldn't take advantage of that.
But now...now she wasn't a girl anymore, not really. She was twenty, past the minimum age for marriage, not that he wanted to settle down of course! Her slender fifteen year old form had bloomed into womanly curves. The argument that she was physically unappealing was quickly losing ground in his mind. Sure, she was still innocent, so there was that to hold him at bay. But it didn't stop him from being upset that she was getting married! And she was marrying a clone of Fishface, who she had contacted just to tell about the engagement apparently.
Mugen's features fell into a scowl. Not only had she accepted the proposal while Mugen was there, but she had almost seemed to do it to spite him. That wasn't Fuu though. Was it? She could be a whiner, and she could be spiteful, but she would definitely not use Junior Samurai just to get revenge. Besides, she liked the good guys. Like Jin...
The former pirate was yanked from his train of thought by a scuffle sounding outside. It was close, maybe a few establishments away. Not his concern. Not at all. Absolutely no way was he getting inv-
The he heard it. The sound was brief, obviously muffled by something almost as soon as it had been let loose, but it was unmistakable. It was her...and she was in trouble. His muscles tensed, he reached for his sword, hesitating a moment. He should let her fiancé handle it. Mugen wasn't her hero anymore, Pretty Boy was.
But what if that bastard wasn't close enough to help? What if she was alone for some reason and the only one who heard her was the rogue? Would he be able to live with himself if he didn't do anything and something terrible happened?
"Fuck," The word was a soft grunt as he grasped his sword and lunged to his feet, making haste for the door, "I'm comin' Girly!"
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With his hand steadily on the small of her back, Hiroshi guided Fuu toward her place of employment. It would be enjoyable; being able to eat with her there and not have to hurry so she could get back to work. A smile spread over his features as he thought about these things, not realizing that his fiancé was feeling uneasy.
Not only was Fuu feeling slightly trapped by her betrothed's hand on her back, but she couldn't shake the strange sensation that was giving her gooseflesh. Something was about to happen. This ominous feeling hung in the air, but when she cast a sidelong glance at Hiroshi, she could tell he didn't sense it.
Time seemed to suddenly slow down, her heart thudding to a stop as a dark chuckle sounded from the alley they happened to be walking by. The sound was echoed by a chorus of similar amusement from another alley on the other side, almost directly across from the first.
"H-hiroshi-kun..." Fuu stammered, forgetting to leave the honorific off as she stepped closer to her intended, half hiding behind him.
Intent on protecting the woman he loved, the young man tensed, hand on the hilt of his blade as he cast his gaze back and forth between the two alleyways, waiting for the threatening presence to appear. A few moments passed with nothing but occasional sinister chuckles. Getting frustrated with the mental game, the samurai's son growled out a challenge, "Are you just going to hide in the shadows laughing all day, or are you going to come out and fight, cowards?"
"Oh-ho!" A sickeningly sweet voice sounded in response, "A tough guy, are ya? Steppin' up ta protect yer little lady, how chivalrous...too bad it ain't her we was supposed ta be getting'."
Slowly a group of thuggish looking men stepped into view, illuminated by the lanterns that chased away the growing night. Each wore a similarly ugly smile, marred with a variety of battle scars. And each had a blade that they most certainly knew how to wield. A man in mostly tan clothing seemed to be the leader, leering at Hiroshi before letting his gaze wander to Fuu, looking her up and down, "Though of course, she might be better..."
"Yeah," One of the other goons, a smaller statured man with bushy eyebrows giggled manically, "Bet the boss'd love a pretty thing like her!"
Fuu cringed, once more wishing she'd brought along her tonto. In front of her, her fiancé narrowed his eyes, shifting his stance to be ready if they attacked. He could guess who these guys were, "You had best leave her alone..."
"Think you get ta order us around, Gijouhei-kun?" The honorific was tacked on by the lead thug with a sneer, "Daddy's made some pretty nasty enemies tryin' ta chase our gang outta here. We don't take kindly to some Shogun no Inu tellin' us what ta do!"
Hiroshi huffed at their confirmation of his suspicions. A nudge of his elbow was gently given against Fuu, urging her to make a run for it, "Hn, so the Yakuza is out for blood? The Gijouhei heir should be plenty then..."
Taking her fiance's hint, the waitress inched back a few steps, letting him draw their attention to himself. Yakuza were bad news, she'd dealt with them before, during her search for her father. When she thought she could, she made a dash for it. Intent on taking shelter in the tea house.
"No ya don't!" Bush Brow crowed as he nabbed her around the waist, apparently having seen her trying to sneak away, and maneuvered himself to catch her, "Pretty little thing, smells so clean, but I can fix that!"
"Fuu!" It was a gasp let out by Hiroshi as he realized he'd just sent his love into danger's arms, quite literally. The distraction the waitress' capture provided was all the opportunity the Yakuza thugs needed. Three of them rushed the young male, safety in numbers, and swept their blades toward him. By the time he had refocused on the fight, he was only able to counter one of them. A cry of pain escaped his lips as he collapsed to the ground, a deep slash across his ribs on one side, and another over his lower back. The cuts were deep, his breathing labored as he tried to push himself off the ground, only to collapse once more.
"Hir-" Fuu tried to scream his name, a desperate plea for his survival, but her captor pushed his hand firmly over her mouth, giggling and grinning wickedly.
"Nuh-uh-uh!" He shook his head scoldingly, "You ain't goin' nowhere! Hey, guys! Hurry and finish Gijouhei-chan off! I want to have my fun with the girl!"
"You'll hafta talk to Boss 'bout that fun, girl's his first!" The lead thug turn away from the pouting Yakuza who maintained his grip on the waitress. A geta-clad foot came into hard contact with Hiroshi's gut, just below where he had been slashed, earning a weak, gasping cry from the samurai's son, "This boy's good as dead anyway. Let's get goin'."
The group began to make their way down the alley ways they had come from, Bush Brow dragging a struggling Fuu along the way, "Quiet, girl! If yer lucky you'll get ta play with me 'stead a Boss! He plays rough, hah-OUCH!"
What had started as another fit of giggles turned to a cry of pain as the waitress' teeth managed to finally find the disgustingly sweaty and filthy skin of her captor's hand. Though a snide comment sprang to mind, Fuu knew she had no time to mock the man, she had to find safety, and help for Hiroshi! While the Yakuza was distracted by his pain, she writhed out of his grasp and took off, "Hey! Hey someone, help! Help me!"
"Dammit!" The leader hissed, smacking the man who had let their captive escape, then shouting orders to his other gang members, "You idiot! Someone get her!"
The thud of wooden geta against dirt was gaining on her, and she knew she wouldn't make it to the end of the alley without getting caught again. None of the people in the streets seemed to notice. She thought she heard a familiar and demanding voice just out of sight, had he not left Edo yet? It was probably wishful thinking brought on by memories of rescues past, but she knew as she felt the strong hands of another Yakuza gripping her wrists that she had to at least try, "MUGEN!"
Since the time of the trio's travels through Japan, it seemed Mugen must have made a name for himself in the underworld. He hadn't let on to Fuu, but he had actually made an effort at legit work, taking on body guard jobs from time to time, several of which pitted him against Yakuza branches.
It was for this reason that as his name left her lips, the man who had gripped her arms hastily swung her form over his shoulder and took off, hissing to his comrades as he passed them, "Mugen's in town!"
Several murmured curses followed his words. If they still planned to take the girl to their boss, they had to hurry. Security at headquarters was thick, so they doubted the rogue would be able to get in if they could make it that far!
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By the time Mugen sprinted out of the tea house and onto the street, Fuu was gone. A circle of gossiping pedestrians had crowded close at one spot several buildings away. That had to mean someone there could give him some answers, even if he had to beat them out of the bastards! Dirt and dust flew up in the wake of his steel lined geta as he dashed down the road, never thinking to stop and glance down the alleyways, only desperate to find out what had happened, "Oi! Outta my way!"
He roughly shoved the onlookers aside, heart pounding as it occurred to him they could be looking at Fuu's lifeless form. As he finally reached the center, what he saw caused relief and concern at the same moment. A familiar form lay in the dirt, bleeding from deep gashes to front and back, struggling to attempt to rise. It wasn't Fuu, but he knew she'd be heartbroken at the man in the road's fate, "Shit...stop that, Pretty Boy! You're only gonna make it worse! Gah, fuck! I gotta find Fuu! Where the hell did they take her, can ya tell me?"
He knew he should get help for the samurai's son. If he didn't at least try, he knew the damn girl would never forgive him. But he would be wasting time that could be spent getting her back! His gaze darted rapidly between the young man at his feet, who had obediently stopped fighting, and the door the tea house, several buildings away.
"Ya-yakuza..." Hiroshi winced as he managed to stumble over his answer, "They took...Fuu-ch-chan...save...save her...Mugen..."
Well, didn't that figure. For the first time in four years the trio met in the same city, and Girly got herself kidnapped. Now all he had to do was figure out where the bastards took her...
As though the girl in question somehow knew what he wanted, a shout ripped through the air from an alley that split off from the road a shop or two closer to the tea house. Mugen took the time to grab a nearby woman by the elbow, gripping her tightly to ensure she was paying attention. Wide, fear filled eyes turned to him as he hissed a command, "Go to that tea house and tell the hag in charge that Pretty Boy needs help! You undertand? Oi! Understand?"
At first the woman trembled in fear, staring in stunned silence as he issued his command. Then, as he repeated the order, she gave a nod, dashing off as soon as he released her. He didn't bother watching to see whether she had actually listened. He'd done what he could for the samurai's son, Fuu was his priority.
No sooner had Mugen let go of the stranger than he was also darting down the road, sword in his grasp, ready for a fight. With a skid he turned down the alley, able to see the tail end of the group of thugs disappearing around the bend onto a little used road that went in the direction of back entrance of the pleasure district, which must have been run by this yakuza gang.
"Oi! You'd better let her go, you bastards!" He shouted after the group, still running, making long strides as he attempted to catch them. He knew he could, they couldn't move very quickly if they planned to stay together, especially when they had to make sure to keep the girl with them, "I said fucking stop!"
Though they had nearly reached Hiroshi's home, Jin suddenly came to a stop, causing Shino to pause a few steps later. Seeing that her spouse seemed to be listening to the wind, the former prostitute strained her own ears, "Jin, dear, is something wrong?"
"Fuu..." He murmured, his usually stoic expression shifting slightly to take on a concerned frown, "It might be my imagination..."
"What might be?" Shino quickly returned to his side, looking quite worried as she gazed down the road in the direction they'd come. Jin's gaze followed hers, and they could both clearly see people hurrying towards where they had left their friends, "She's in trouble...what happened?"
"I'm not psychic..." He sighed in mild irritation as his wife seemed to seek the exact nature of the disturbance he sensed. She shot him an apologetic look as he explained what he did know, "It was far off, but I think I heard her shout for Mugen..."
"For Mugen?" Shino gnawed her lower lip in anxiety, "You don't think Hiroshi-san actually hurt her, do you?"
The ronin shook his head slowly, "She's in trouble, but I don't think Hiroshi-san is to blame. I should go."
As he moved toward the scene of the incident, his bride moved to follow him, bumping into him as he stopped suddenly and let out another sigh, "I said I should go...you should continue to the house."
"But Fuu-chan is in danger! She helped when I was in the brothel! I want to-" Shino began to protest, but went silent at a stern look from her husband that let her know there would be no arguments allowed.
"You wish to repay that kindness with your life, and that of our child? It is better for you to stay safe, Shino. Mugen will save her, he has before." Jin tried to remain calm, even as the thought of losing his wife and unborn child tore at his heart. He mentioned Mugen's past rescues of their friend in order to persuade that things would be alright, and to appeal to her sense of romance. Mugen would play the hero, he knew Shino would think it might bring the rogue and Fuu together, "I simply go to see if I can assist."
Her lips set in a thin line, the former brothel girl gave a resigned nod. She could tell what Jin was trying to do by specifically mentioning the former pirate. She also knew that what he said was, technically true, Mugen had always saved Fuu. It didn't mean she liked feeling helpless when her friends needed her though, "Alright then, Jin, dear. But be safe. And bring them back, both of them."
"Hn," He gave a small sound of agreement before a stoic smirk lifted his features, "Though I doubt Mugen will be welcome in the house..."
Shino slapped him lightly on the arm, a sign that she found the remark amusing despite her scolding, "Just keep them safe, then! Now go, before you're too late!"
And so Shino moved as swiftly as a pregnant woman could to finish her way to the house while Jin took off at a sprint towards the scene near the tea house.
When the ronin arrived, the circle had widened, but still remained gathered, allowing work space for the woman who ran Fuu's place of employ to kneel beside Hiroshi, her face contorted with worry.
Jin made his way to the center of the crowd, as politely as he could manage and still be quick about it. His gaze flickered over the scene, and he knew that someone had attacked, taken Fuu and injured Hiroshi, and then Mugen had given chase. The vagrant would have to take care of their friend on his own, help was needed here.
A firm but comforting hand was placed on the woman's shoulder. The man was searching his mind for remnants of what he had picked up from seeing Fuu tend his own woulds, as well as Mugen's, during their journey, "Fetch warm water, towels, blankets..."
The younger male would need stitches most likely, but that was something Jin wasn't sure how to do. He took up a place at the woman's side, sitting on his heels, and once he had done so, the tea house matron climbed to her feet and raced off, grabbing another girl to help her gather supplies, "I need someone to fetch the doctor. I know there must be one, Edo is a big enough city. And someone should get the boy's father as well, Gijouhei-san is a samurai, he and his family live on the edge of town."
Two of the younger members of the gathered crowd, teenagers by the looks of them, perhaps fifteen or so, stepped forward. A young girl, hair in a tight bun, took off in the direction of the doctor, or at least Jin hoped that was where she was going. The boy, whose hair was in a short ponytail, raced toward Hiroshi's home.
Now that the most important orders had been given, the ronin's attention turned back to the wounded party. The young man was breathing heavily, struggling with each intake of air, wheezing each time he let it escape. He was pale, far more so than usual, a cold sweat beading on his forehead. His eyes cracked open just enough to shift an unfocused gaze toward the ronin, "F-fuu-chan...w-where..."
"Mugen has gone for her...do not worry..." Jin tried to sound comforting. He knew that having the girl in the rogue's presence concerned her fiancé, but he was sure that he wouldn't object to Fuu being rescued, even if it was by a rival in love. After all, if Shino were in danger, he would do anything to have her safe, no matter whom he had to entrust with her life.
Hiroshi's eyes closed, his head rolling to the side, facing away from Jin who could only tell he still lived because the labored breathing continued. Soon enough, the women who had gone to fetch the supplies returned, each kneeling near the injured man, ready to help in whatever way they could.
"I make no promises, but I will do what I can. I have sent for the doctor," The ronin informed the women, dipping a towel in a pot of water heated to be warm but not scalding and dapping at the slashes to clean them, "We can clean the wounds and make him as comfortable as possible while we wait..."
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A feral grin spread over Mugen's features as he chased after his quarry. He might have lost them with all the turns and back alley roads they were taking, had Fuu not be such a spitfire. He could her her berating them every so often, demanding that the Yakuza thugs put her down, and stating with utter confidence that they would find themselves dead if they didn't.
And they would, he'd make sure of that. They'd be dead whether they let her go or not. Especially when he heard a particularly loud complaint regarding where she should, and should not, be touched. Mugen growled angrily at that one, promising himself that whatever hand had led to that protest would be the first thing he hacked off!
-------
"Dammit, he's still after us! We gotta lose this guy!" The leader griped as he cut another sharp turn through the labyrinth his group was weaving towards their headquarters. One arm was wrapped firmly around the captive's waist to hold her over his shoulder, he only wished the other could get a solid grasp on her mouth to keep her quiet.
"Boy, are you guys gonna get it! I'm telling you to let me go! Mugen's not going to let you escape!" She was blathering, and he jostled her to attempt to shut her up, which worked if only for a minute.
It might have lasted longer if a certain giggly yakuza hadn't chosen that moment to attempt a punishment. Bush Brow reached up, being shorter of stature than the other members this was necessary, and swatted her on the behind, "Uh-uh! Hushy-hush! That's for bitin', and talkin' outta turn!"
Fuu shrieked and writhed wildly in the leader's grasp, lashing out with her foot, which managed to successfully catch the pervert in the face and knock him stumbling back, "YOU PERVERT! Where do you think you TOUCHING! Get your disgusting hand off me!"
"Stop foolin' 'round!" The leader hissed, knowing that Mugen definitely had their location after that outburst, "You wanna get us killed, nimrod?
"And you," Another firm jostle was given to the girl draped over his shoulder, "Shut yer trap, or ya might not live ta see Mugen even if he does get us!"
"Bit late for that, ain't it?" A rough voice landed on the leader's ear, the entire group whirling to see a wild faced man with bloodlust in his steely gaze. In one hand he held a severed arm, elbow to hand, that had once belonged to the shrieking man kneeling beside him.
Bush Brow grasped the stump that had once been his dominant arm, screaming in absolute horror. He'd fallen behind after the kick to his face, and been caught by surprise as the vagrant skidded into the alley, slicing off his arm below the elbow. Now he glanced up in shock and terror as the swordsman tossed the appendage toward the leader, letting it land at the other man's feet in a puff of dirt.
"Looks like Girly got a nice kick in ta his face, but I figured the punishment should be more personal...so what d'ya-" With a sigh he flicked his blade and severed the still shrieking man's head from his shoulders, "Sorry, couldn't her myself thinkin', let her go."
"Heh," A nervous laugh slipped past the leader's lips at the demand accompanied by his comrade's death, "Heheh...so yer Mugen, eh? What was it they call ya? Dancin' Death or somethin', I think. Mighty Bodyguard-san..."
Mugen's eyes narrowed at the comments. He wasn't aware his reputation had gotten this far, and he hadn't taken any such jobs since being in Edo, "Somethin' like that, you gonna let the girl go or what?"
Fuu tried to look at the former pirate from her place hung over the yakuza's shoulder, unfortunately most of what she saw was the back of the thug's head. She had no clue what all this talk about Dancing Death and stuff was, but it didn't really matter. One thing mattered to her right then, as tears of relief began to form in her eyes, "M-mugen! You came!"
"Yeah, I came." Mugen huffed in response, his sword draped lazily over his shoulder as he waited for the next thug to dare attack him, "Didn't really think I'd just let them have ya, did ya, Fuu?"
Only a part of what her rescuer had said managed to register before a huge realization hit her. Brown eyes widened even more than usual as she gasped softly. He'd called her by name! He hardly ever did that...in fact, had he ever done so? Certainly not during his stay in Edo, "Mugen..."
"H-hey! Cut out the sap, Girly!" The vagrant had just realized that he'd slipped and used her given name. He gulped to fight the sensation of heat rising in his face, the last thing he needed was the distraction of embarrassment and emotions when he had some ass to kick!
"Oh-ho!" The man who held Fuu over his shoulder smirked and jostled her, bouncing her form and using his free hand to give her rear a firm slap and squeeze, "I see, looks like we've got Mugen's woman, huh?"
At the rough treatment from her captor the waitress let out a squeak, renewing her struggles as he groped her, face flushing brightly at the man dubbing her Mugen's woman, "H-hey, stop that!"
"Probably a good idea ta let her go then, huh?" Mugen replied with a smirk, though his eyes were a blaze at the way the other male manhandled Fuu. When she didn't hear him spitting vicious denials of her being his woman, the twenty year old female stopped struggling in shock, whipping her head around to once more attempt looking at him as her features went from pink to crimson.
"See, here's the thing..." As the leader of the yakuza group spoke his gang was circling cautiously round the former pirate, looking for angles of attack, "Once I got somethin', I dun like ta give it up, an' I know the Boss'd real mad if I let this beauty go..."
Steel eyes shifted as Mugen observed the group surrounding him, he'd had harder fights, this was a piece of cake. With a sneer he retorted, "Hey, it's your life..."