Chapter.40: The Water Blade vs The Black Cloth

Kaori emerged from the shadows into an isolated area. She put on the outfit she wore for guard duty for Sen. She heard rustling in the area, her scarf flung behind her, it was deflected by a blade. The blade was the SuiRyu, Ren was there waiting for her.

"How did you find me?"

"Easily. I had a suspicion about you since the first time we met. I knew the Yozora family had a secret. That must be you."

Kaori glared at Ren, he was staring at her with cold intent in his eyes.

"Why are you here? This is a vacation trip, why did you come if you're assigned guard duty to Master Sen."

Kaori wouldn't answer, and Ren wouldn't believe her even if she told the truth.

"You came for someone, didn't you? Did you come for Hayashi?"

Kaori twitched hearing it, Ren guessed right on the first try.

"Stay away from him. I'm not friends with him personally but I can tell you're hurting him more doing this. Your fate is yours and your family's alone, don't drag someone else into your drama."

"What would you know?"

Ren was tensing the muscles in his legs, he was preparing in case of an attack.

"Do you have any idea what I've been through? How much hate I had to bear for something that wasn't my fault. How many times I've tried to kill myself but never went through with it? You're just a lapdog, a weak Esper whose only good quality is swordsmanship. You have a good family to serve. I'm stuck in a cage called the Yozora family, my only chance of being free from them is to be transferred to another cage in hopes it'll be lesser hell. The only real thing I have is someone who really wanted me around, not for killing, not to erase a shame, someone who treated me like I was a real person. Do you know what it feels like to be treated like an object to erase someone else's mistakes and not be truly allowed to live your own life?"

Ren couldn't respond, he would never admit it but he was sold to the Mizuno family when he was a kid, his Master was kind to him along with Asuka. He wondered if circumstances were different would he have ended up like Kaori did? Kaori tried to leave, but Ren wouldn't let her, not until he made some sense go into Kaori's head.

"If you care don't leave then. You leave now, do you think he'll recover from that? Abandonment is the worst thing you can do to someone. You of all people should understand that pain."

Kaori couldn't respond properly. She didn't want to leave, but she had to. She only came to say her goodbyes before the ceremony would begin in the later months. Kaori snuck an attack behind Ren, he dodged it in time before another one came from the side. Ren struck each attack with swift strikes with the SuiRyu, every strike was lightning fast like he was trained to do.

Kaori sped up the attacks, they were getting faster, even harder to see with the cover of darkness hiding them. Ren had to concentrate, Kaori was right that he was weak, he had no special Esper skill like Ryuji and Tatsuya, and his sword skills were what made him of value.

He dodged one barely getting a graze to one of his legs, he jumped on a tree to use for an extra boost before the attack nearly sliced it in half. The cover of darkness proved to be a big advantage for Kaori, it was her field of expertise she used many times when eliminating threats to Sen or helping Lady Yozora in her schemes.

Ren had to think fast, unable to now track the attacks was becoming a challenge. Ren activated the power of the SuiRyu, the blade was generating a water coating on itself. The addition of the water and Ren's skill added to the strength of the SuiRyu and his chances of fighting off the rapid strikes.

"Mitsurugi Style, Kasumi Giri(Mist Slash)."

Ren sent a slash wave of a dense mist in a crescent shape that blocked the attacks and covered the area. Kaori's field of vision was subdued temporarily. Ren took the chance to strike her with the blunt end of the blade, she was hit in the back than her legs. Kaori pulled darts from her sash filled with paralysis position. She threw at Ren when she finally caught him. Ren swung his sword, the blade sent water drops at high speed like miniature bullets at the darts stopping them from reaching Ren.

"Mitsurugi Style, AmeDan(Water Bullet)."

Kaori had enough, she refused to be beaten by Ren. Her abilities memorized Ren's movements, she released a smoke bomb that was thick and concealed her presence perfectly. Ren tried to keep his guard up, but the scarf struck him relentlessly, he was going to lose if he didn't find a way to win.

Ren closed his eyes, and he concentrated hard on his senses, from sight, smell, and touch. He focused hard on shutting off his eyes to empower the others. In his mind all his surroundings appeared clear as day, they looked like they were drawn in brush strokes, he saw the image of the spider-headed scarf coming toward him.

Ren's sword struck it down, his movements were getting faster as well, Ren could feel his body become lighter, his strikes more accurate. Ren found his skill, he was utilizing it in the moment to beat Kaori.

"I see. You shut off your sense of sight to strengthen the others. Maybe I was wrong to judge you. However, a skill you just acquired won't beat me. Try again in ten years."

Kaori's scarf twisted itself into a drill shape, and it launched again at Ren, he tried to block it but the impact was harsher than earlier, and it knocked him on his back. The scarf wrapped itself around his face, it started suffocating him till he passed out. Kaori let off on the strangling, she had no intent to kill Ren just subdue him.

Kaori began to walk off and heard the words repeat in her head from what Ren told her earlier.

"If you care don't leave then. You leave now, do you think he'll recover from that? Abandonment is the worst thing you can do to someone. You of all people should understand that pain."

Kaori clenched her teeth. She didn't want to admit he was right. Even if Lady Yozora didn't care she took the trip, staying would have been just painful to her, like a slap in her face to remind her what she would never have. She let out a frustrated scream before striking everything in sight, all the memories she had with Koutetsu bombarded her mind. She fell to the ground with the head buried in her lap unsure what to do. Her fingers clenching her legs, Kaori was breaking, she was reaching a limit were she didn't know if she would be able to dace Koutetsu again.