Chapter 19: Chapter 18: The Fifth Day
Almost a week has flown by since Batsu'unsai started her employment in Akachou's Tengoku. Her experience working in the teahouse was peaceful and well-received. Conflicts were seldom. Unless they were uneducated and uncivilized, patrons stayed within their limits. Of course, she had to deal with some unsavory customers on a few occasions. One group, in particular, was especially rowdy, even going as far as groping her. After being kicked out and placed on the blacklist, they threatened her and swore to return to 'play'.
Her first reaction was worry. Although she knew Kenji and Furoufushi were strong, any number of things could still go wrong. Arson and vandalism were just some indirect means. Retribution wasn't uncommon. But ploys for revenge against Tengoku never ended well for the perpetrators. And now with the addition of Furoufushi and Batsu'unsai, the situation became unpredictable. Citizens of Akachou paced the streets, solemn expressions on their faces as they steered clear of their paradise.
The prior concerns had borne fruit by the fifth day of Batsu's employment. Standing in front of the teahouse, a group of 20 men stood with foul and lascivious grins. Bladed and blunt weapons in their hands. The dirt road was crowded with on-lookers lining the streets, watching from rooftops, and peeping out windows. The air was stagnant, palpable with hair-raising tension, stifling the citizens' breath.
The scenery was reminiscent of a festival, but there were no cheers, no smiles, no dances or food. No one anticipated this performance. It evoked little happiness and excitement. The littered street is the stage. Twenty villains acted in tune, wolfishly whistling as Batsu left the building, entering the scene. Kenji followed soon after.
Surveying the atmosphere, the amount of bystanders was staggering to Batsu'unsai. Yet, no bystanders came to their defense. The happiness and excitement usually found in Tengoku had been replaced. Fear and hesitation on the faces of the weak made her realize their position. While Tengoku was an oasis, it still needed to be defended. Just as Furoufushi had said, it was a paradise, her paradise, and many would covet the status.
Kenji and Batsu stood outside the front door. Disregard and worry decorated their faces respectively. Another figure emerged from the shadows of the doorway. Healed and spry, Furoufushi stretched her body as she stepped onto the street, Zanpakutou in hand. Her black kimono had been loosened for combat. Her white undergarments revealed little skin. Her Zanpakutou had been silent much to her dislike, but that wouldn't stop her.
"Make everyone remember this for the next century."
Kenji's ominous words lingered as he turned and walked back inside the teahouse. Batsu and Furoufushi were left to deal with the situation. The one-eyed girl turned to her colleague, her voice brimming with anticipation.
"Are you joining?"
Batsu was instantly confused. Her eyebrows furrowed while she fixed her glasses.
"Joining what?"
"The fight, duh! It'd be a good thing for you, boobs. Let's you feel alive."
Batsu's lips morphed into a repulsed grimace. Before she could reject the 'offer', her partner clicked her tongue in irritation.
"Tsk~. Still a mutt huh? I'm tellin you boobs. Take one. That'll be enough for you. In fact, one sec… TENCHOU! I NEED ANOTHER SWORD!"
Exposing her back to the malicious twenty men, Furoufushi tapped her foot in waiting. Thirty seconds later, Kenji returned with a bokken [wooden sword] and a tantou [knife]. Holding out both, he gave them the freedom to choose. The pig-tailed woman snatched the tanto out of his hand. He lifted an eyebrow in silence, interest flashed in his dull black eyes. Walking over, she placed the same tantou in Batsu's hand as a word of warning leaked from her mouth.
"One thing. You're here now. Understand that?"
"Yes."
With a curt nod, Batsu gave cursory approval. Despite her agreement, Furoufushi shook her head and glared at Batsu. Dissent drove denial.
"No. Listen. You work here. For the next two weeks, you're gonna get your hands dirty. There's no in-between. I'll cut you down if you try it. We take what we want and give nothing if we feel like it. We feed animals, peace-loving, grass-eating, daydreamin' animals. Them."
Still facing Batsu'unsai, Furoufushi pointed at the group of twenty that were laughing in derision. Nasty comments came oozing out of their rotting teeth. Crude insults and desires blew past the two women who were facing each other. Batsu gripped the tanto causing the wood to crack. Underneath the surface, emotions raged. A flurry of thoughts swamped her mind until Furoufushi placed a hand on her shoulder. And while not gentle, she spoke with a familiar quality. A sense of wistfulness washed over the two.
"Repeat after me. 'I understand, and I don't care.', say it."
Batsu was struggling to comprehend what the goal was. What was the point of saying those words? Seeing the bewilderment, Furoufushi clenched Batsu's shoulder tightly and gave a stern order. Her violet eye strained in demand.
"Say it."
After a few seconds of thought, Batsu couldn't find a reason not to. She repeated the words with little spirit.
"I understand, and I don't care."
"Good. Keep saying it. In your head if you have to."
Turning to the group of twenty, Furoufushi's mouth sprouted a playful smirk. She gazed around the street, looking at the hundreds, maybe even thousands of spectators. A sea of drab-colored clothing occupied her vision. Her voice boomed over the packed roads and buildings, echoing in everyone's ear within half a kilometer. Her mockery and fun bounced off the rickety walls.
"Such a nice thing to see an audience gather. I hope you all remember today. Boo-… I mean Batsu here is gonna get her hands bloody for the first time! Not self-defense, I'm talking the real deal here! So buckle in everyone, it's gonna be a hell of a show. This'll be the talk of the town for a hundred years!"
Her head turned to find Batsu whose jaws were tightened. Behind the thin glasses, the big round eyes narrowed in stress. The hand gripping the tanto had begun to bleed from the splintering wood. An approving smile spread on Furoufushi's face. Soon after, she turned back to the street. The twenty men were smiling and dismissive, their bodies relaxed. The grip on their weapons was loose and stationary.
Furoufushi gave a deafening howl, the vibration rattled off the buildings.
"LET'S DO THIS! WOOHOO!"
*Whish*
She bolted for the group, crossing meters within a second. In one swift movement, she vaulted into the air, rising high above the height of the men. Twisting in the air, her body inverted, her head toward the ground. Hanging in the air, she slashed at the leader below her.
*shik~* *shuk*
*thud* *thud*
The effect was immediate. His head was removed from his now flooding neck. The headless body collapsed on the ground, twitching its limbs in desperate defiance. Blood spilled onto the dirt road, painting the scene in its first red.
No death throe sounded out.
It stole Batsu's vision. The futility. The man was there one second ago. Laughing with his friends. And here he was. Like an animal to the slaughter, without a word, he left his body behind. The eyes in his head hadn't even registered the result. A vulgar smile still rested on his face. All the emotion he felt some moments ago became worthless. He was gone.
What was the point?
Her eyes lifted from the animal to see a fluttering camellia dancing amongst a group of weeds. The wind guided it along, compelling it to hover and kick up above the fields of grass. Its sharp petals mesmerized her as it threaded through the stalks. Slipping in and out of reach, its pink hue illuminated the dull shades. A sense of joy and liberation burst from the camellia. Dancing and drifting with merriment. It could be free from the fields of grass and weeds, if only for a moment.
It was here. Here was now.
Another animal escaped from the glistening meadows of scarlet, arriving at Batsu's feet. Tears of terror and muddy saliva smeared its hideous face. Hands rubbing together in atonement, it kissed her feet. Groveling in the filth, it pleaded.
"Sa-save me. I -I had nothing to do with them. Don't let her kill me! I'll do anything! Yes! Just save me!"
"I see."
Intense relief and gratitude swept over the defenseless animal. It kissed her feet once more in reverence. But one second later, it stiffened.
A merciless purr crept into its ears.
"I see now... I understand… and I don't care."
"Huh?"
*Shik~*
*SHUK* *Shuk* *shuk* *shluk* *shluk* *JUK* *JUK*
"GARRGH~ I- ARLLGH! Brokk~ guahh!"
"I understand, and I don't care."
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
[Batsu'unsai POV]
Where was I?
Wasn't I doing something just a second ago?
I could've sworn I was talking to the monkey a moment ago.
Oh? My body's shaking a lot. This isn't normal.
*SMACK*
"OWW!" Something just hit the back of my head.
"You can stop now Boobs."
That irritating voice. I spun around to look at her. She stood over me, blocking the grey sun. Shadows hazed her figure and face. Her violet eye gazed at me with an unreadable emotion. With contrasting pale skin, her face was bathed in drying blood. Her twin tails were stained red, causing the dark pink and ruby red to blend like a blooming flower. Darkened splotches marked her black kimono.
My eyes drifted to the sword in her hand. Its blade was dirtied with blood and fat. She pulled a rag out from inside her loose kimono and cleaned her weapon. An amused remark emerged from her smirking lips.
"You did quite the number, little girl. I said you could take one, not three."
Her words confused me. I repeated in turn.
"Three? Three what?"
"Ahh. Makes sense now. Well, you see little princess, you made a big fuss a couple minutes ago. Take a look at the audience."
She gestured to the crowd surrounding us. I swung my eyes to the distant, blurry people that lined my vision. Their fuzzy faces seemed grim and repulsed. With ashen countenance, they feared us, increasing the distance. A number of them were vomiting on others. Fu's knowing voice slipped inside my skull.
"Now take off your glasses and look down where you're kneeling."
My glasses. They were hard to see out of right now. I took them off, but what I saw puzzled me. The lenses were smeared and crudely cleaned. Traces of red sat on the edges of the lens. I started to wipe my glasses with the fabric of my hanten. However, my hands were met with a heavy, soaking cloth upon touching my coat. I peered down to look at my clothing, but my eyes landed on the ground.
Heads intact, three armless corpses rested in front of me.
Agony and terror reflected in their soulless, dry eyes and torn, cracked lips.
Shreds of ripe flesh dangled from their ghastly shoulders.
One body was stabbed countless times. Any sign of an abdomen is absent.
Rivers of blood flowed away from where I knelt.
Half a dozen severed limbs lay at our wayside.
The scent of iron, urine, and feces overwhelmed me.
Seventeen headless bodies lay on the other side of the street, neatly placed in a row.
My ears began to ring with a pitch I'd never heard.
A firm hand gripped my arm, I turned to look. Tengoku-san had both Furoufushi and me in his grasp. I felt myself being pulled up and away. The distance between me and the bloody bodies widened. The sea of people parted for us as we moved down the street.
Wait? We're walking?
A slight, comforting squeeze drew my attention. I gazed up. His dull black eyes focused on me. I saw concern and relief flicker in his pupils. Ah.
How long has it been since I felt safe?
"Thanks Tenchou."
He smiled. It felt warm. Like those big bear hugs that Mom and Dad used to do. Still, a stern look overtook it. His frowning lips and furrowed eyebrows made it seem like he was scolding me.
Hmm~? What's he saying? His lips are moving. Can't hear him. Can't really hear anything.
Must be shock. I can't even feel my body. Moving's hard too. Oh?
Why are you wiping my face? Am I really that filthy? Not my eyes. Wait.
I can see better. I'm crying, aren't I? Can't really see the monkey either. What's she doing?
*SMACK*
"OWW!?"
She hit me again!
"Snap out of it. We're going for a bath. Big sis doesn't want you to drown like a toddler. Little brat."
Her coarse words were annoying. Who's a big sis? Look at that irritating smirk. The bitch! Just because you're a few decades older? I got a pretty big urge to kick her ass now. She saw me wind up my fist. Her body faced me head-on. But some 'friendly' advice stopped us.
"No more fighting. You're both exhausted. After the bath, we'll take the day off. Rest and relax…"
A chill crept down my spine as his words turned mischievous and unsettling. I couldn't look up or talk.
"Because tomorrow, both of you are gonna start training. My~. How fun…"
Maybe coming to Akachou was a bad idea.
Maybe.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
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