“She’s already dead,” said Ken after checking for a pulse. “Be careful, this might be a trap.”

  “There’s one more this side. I think it’s a man...” she whispered, approaching the other tree with caution. “Oh shit! His eyes and cock have been gouged.”

  Ken’s stared at the mutited body and clenched his jaw. “This isn’t just insane,” he muttered, his voice barely masking his unease. “It’s a warning!”

  Natsumi knelt beside the blood soaked roots, her eyes scanning the iron nails. “Whoever did this wanted us to find it,” she said, her tone colder than usual. “Better be ready for–”

  “What are you braths doing in my falley?” said an eerie, masculine voice.

  “Did you hear that?” said Ken, drawing his katana without a sound.

  She gripped her ntern tighter. “We have company… be ready for anything.”

  “You may be wondering why I cruthified those thwo,” said the man, pausing to clear his throat. “Well, not only were they trespathing in my falley like you are doing, I caught them going at it like rabbits in heat.”

  “He’s somewhere in up in the trees,” said Ken before stepping on a twig.

  The tiny stick broke with a snap and they froze.

  “So,” said the man, raising his tekko-kagi (iron cws) in front of Ken. “I had to make an example for their sins.”

  A loud cnk echoed as the cw and sword cshed, forming a small spark.

  Hayai (He’s fast)! Ken thought, blocking the surprise attack. Before letting his guard down, another cw came and he dropped the ntern and gripped his katana with both hands.

  Before the scruffy looking man nded, Ken counterattacked and sliced through his cloak. When his bare feet touched the grass, he tossed the coat aside. He appeared to be in his te sixties, with battle scars all over his arms and torso. Each hand wore a tekkō-kagi with four cws and two bells dangled on his long kasa. The straw hat covered the rest of his face above a short, unkempt goatee. “Not bad,” he said, grabbing the cut on his left arm. “You’re the first person in a long time to actually injure me. I will make sure you are the st.” He grinned, showing several gaps in his front teeth. “Before I kill you, allow me to introduce myself. They call me the Demon of Death Falley–Hashimoto Gen.”

  “I’d like to see you try,” said Ken, tightening his grip. “Oh, and the name is Nakamura Ken.” Don’t lose your cool Kenny, this guy’s just a pushover. If I can maneuver through those nasty cws of his, I can cut him down.

  Nakamura, huh? Interesting… Gen smiled. “If you’re still busy finking,” he said, jumping in Ken’s direction. “I’ll make the first move!”

  The fight began and all Natsumi heard was loud cnks reverberating. Ken and Gen seemed evenly matched, blocking each other’s attacks as though they had sparred for years. If they keep moving that fast... She stretched her arm to shoot. I can’t aim properly… and this dim light isn’t helping at all.

  Ken’s katana met Gen’s cws in a violent csh. He swung in the opposite direction, and the rōnin blocked with the other hand. This exchange went back and forth for a few minutes before Gen countered with a sudden uppercut. Ken was quick to dodge the attack by swerving backwards at the st instant.

  That was a close! Ken thought, the sharp cws missing his chin by a whisker. An inch further, I would’ve been a goner. He leapt backwards, increasing the distance between them.

  “Scared, are we?” said Gen with a chuckle. “I’m sure you’re better than that Nakamura Ken.”

  Ken darted forward, his eyes locked on the enemy’s kasa. The sound... He feinted to one side before twisting into an upward thrust. It’s how he’s tracking me.

  At that instant, Gen’s bells jingled, and he jumped into a backflip. “Copying my move, I see,” he said, smiling as he nded on his feet like a cat. “You amaze me boy… my hands can’t wait to cw at your skin.”

  “Haha… I see you copied how I evaded as well,” said Ken with a chuckle. “Are you scared, old man? I’m pretty sure you’re better than that, Hashimoto Gen.” He turned to his comrade and shouted. “Natsu! Maneuver three!”

  Natsumi had been watching the two men fight at full speed. When they paused for a moment, she fired. The arrow soared, cutting the wind in a streamlined flow and the rōnin’s bells jingled for a second time.

  Gen stood still, covering his torso and neck with both hands. One hand hovered over his head and the other his back. The arrow impaled his left hand, just above his heart and he stopped it from going any further. Ten metres… south. He pressed his thumb on the index and middle fingers–making the Vyana (Sanskrit: outward moving air) mudra and vanished. “Hey there, girly,” he said, about to cw the kunoichi.

  Natsumi’s heart skipped a beat, seeing Gen appear right in front of her. Out of instinct, her body moved on its own and she jumped into a backflip. She nded on her toes–a safe distance away. That was a close call!

  “That’s a nice move you did there,” said Gen, sniffing about and rotating his head. “You’re quite light on your feet, girly. Very few have ever survived my Jinsoku tekko-kagi (Swift Iron Cws). So what do they call you?”

  Natsumi remained silent, sizing him up. She stood still, a few steps in front of Gen but he was unable to locate her. In that moment, she realised something and Ken had also noticed it.

  HE’S BLIND!