Love Hina Fan Fiction ❯ Fight Hina ❯ Chapter Seven ( Chapter 7 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: The Headcrook 
Anime/Manga: Love Hina Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Martial Arts / Drama / Action | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 04.20.2008 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.8K | Visits: 816 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Love Hina Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Martial Arts / Drama / Action | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 04.20.2008 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.8K | Visits: 816 | Status: Completed
Chapter Seven
Sure enough, several boys did arrive at the Hinata House, now a co-ed dormitory, much to Naru, Motoko and Kitsune's dismay. The first two were Keitaro's friends, Haitani Masayuki and Shirai Kimiaki. Keitaro had personally vouched for them to Ryu and Chun Li, telling them that they are good people. Haitani was a university major, having been successful in completing his entrance exams, whereas Shirai had a job working at Tokyo's Neverland them park along with Haitani.
The third person was Kentaro Sakata, having been thrown out of his father's house. Of course, neither male had any problems with the ground rules and that they were supposed to help out with the chores, with the exception of Kentaro, who continued to work at the teashop.
Shirai however was torn over his crush on Haruka to his newfound crush on Haruka to his new infatuation with Chun Li, who just shrugged it off. Kitsune, on the other hand, was alarmed. Following Keitaro's confession, she told Naru and Motoko what he had told her when they were out cold. After seeing Keitaro's outburst earlier, the girls were certain that he would eventually back up on that promise, leaving the younger girls at his mercy.
===
Early one morning, a Japanese chestnut tree had fallen, blocking the annex. Almost immediately, the girls confronted Ryu about it, demanding that he should get rid of it.
After checking out the turned tree (which Ryu suspected that it was Motoko's doing), Ryu grinned to himself and turned to Sakura. "Get my sword, and an axe," he said.
Minutes later, Sakura returned with his Masamune, as well as an axe. Ryu accepted his weapon from his apprentice and unsheathed the weapon. With the girls watching in disbelief, Ryu methodically dismantled the tree into several pieces as the girls slunk back into the house, all except for Motoko, who watched Ryu from the balcony as Sakura began to split several piles of wood, with Ryu watching.
"There are many sounds in nature," Ryu explained. "Each sound is more different than the last."
He had turned the wood splitting into a training session for Sakura, explaining that chopping firewood would (and was proven) strengthen her wrists and increase her reflexes. Motoko saw that Ryu wasn't a traditional martial arts teacher. He took rather unorthodox methods when it came to training Sakura, combining the old with the new.
"They are small enough to go unnoticed by the person, who is unaware," Ryu continued as Sakura had created a small heap of firewood at her feet. "Don't focus on hearing the wood split, but focus on the sound of the axe slicing the air. Read the air itself. It has much to say to you."
Motoko frowned. She remembered that Tsuruko had done something like this when she was younger. After several moments of watching Ryu and Sakura, she left as Shinobu came upstairs to hang the laundry out to dry.
===
The tension was present as everyone sat down for dinner. Following Keitaro's announcement several days earlier, Motoko and Naru watched both Haitani and Shirai like birds of prey. Fortunately, Chun Li had put a stop to it, but even she knew that it would be a matter of time before it would start again.
While everyone ate, Shirai, while stealing glances of Chun Li, turned and saw Motoko glaring at him. "What?" he asked. "What did I do?"
"You and the other males' here are nothing but an abomination to Hinata House," Motoko said in a cold tone. "Regardless of what that weakling Urashima said, this is still a girls' dormitory."
"Motoko, stop that," Chun Li ordered.
"It will only be a matter of time before you do something perverted to Shinobu or anyone of us," Naru said. "You should do us all a favor and leave."
"That's not your decision to make," Chun Li said. "You may not like what Keitaro has done, but you will have to live with it. Otherwise, you can always leave."
"We're not going anywhere," Naru said. "We were here first."
"And Keitaro is still the landlord," Ryu replied. "He decides the tenants, not you, Narusegawa."
"In that case," Motoko butted in, staring Ryu down, "I challenge you to a duel. If I win, not only you and Chun Li leave Hinata House and never return, but Hinata House itself is changed back to a Girls' Dorm."
Time stopped as Kentaro, Haitani and Shirai stopped eating and paled at Motoko's challenge. They both looked at Ryu, who gave Motoko a small smile. "No."
"What's wrong?" Motoko sneered. "Not man enough to accept?"
"You are not in my league. Besides, what do I get if I win?" Ryu asked.
Motoko snorted. "If you win, then we will drop this matter and allow you and the other males to stay."
"That's not good enough, Aoyama," Ryu replied. "Ever since I've arrived, you, Narusegawa and Konno have challenged the authority of me and my wife, not to mention the judgment of Keitaro. So here are my terms. If I win, not only will your lease will be terminated, Aoyama..." He pointed to both Naru and Kitsune, "but the leases of both Narusegawa and Konno will be terminated as well."
This time it was the girls' turn to stop and pale at Ryu's challenge. "You can't be serious," Naru said slowly.
"Does it look like I'm joking?" Ryu flatly replied. "You can still get out of this by simply leaving. If not..." He let that hang. "Then again, you can only fight defenseless men and not someone who is beyond you," he added.
That did Motoko in. "I accept."
Ryu smiled. "Outside, in the backyard, near the abandoned annex, five minutes." He then added with a cold grin, "Motoko, you have just made the biggest mistake of your life."
===
Hinata Tea Shop.
Haruka answered the ringing phone. "Yeah, Hinata Tea Shop."
"Haruka, it's Sara. Motoko's challenged Ryu to a duel."
That caught Haruka's attention. "Motoko did what?"
Haruka's outburst caught Keitaro's attention. He was in a corner table, studying.
"She's challenged him to a fight. Her, Naru and Kitsune had demanded that they should resign, revert the dorm back into a girls' dormitory, and bring Keitaro back. Ryu accepted on the grounds that should Motoko loses, then her, Naru and Kitsune will be kicked out. The fight's near the abandoned annex."
In an instant, Haruka hung up the phone and turned to Keitaro. "Motoko's challenged Ryu to a duel."
Keitaro's expression didn't change. "Not my problem. If she wants to get herself and those other two kicked out, less trouble for me. I'm considering changing the dorm back into an inn anyway."
Haruka was taken aback by Keitaro's attitude. It was true. After the way the older girls had treated him, he changed, having reached his point of no return. The old Keitaro was gone, she realized. She thought that it was just a phase, given the events that had happened when Keitaro had announced that the dorm was now co-ed.
Apparently, she was wrong.
===
At the abandoned annex, the stage was set for the duel.
Motoko looked at Ryu with nothing but coldness in her eyes as Sakura approached her, along with Haruka and Keitaro. Keitaro, for safety reasons, had ordered Shinobu, Suu and Sara to remain inside. Haitani and Shirai were standing beside Chun Li, anxious as to their fate at Hinata House.
"Motoko, I think you should reconsider this challenge," Sakura said. "You don't know what he is capable of."
Motoko looked at the Tokyo University student. "I am the heiress to the Shinmei Ryu School," she stated defiantly. "I will not lose to a lowly male."
"That 'lowly male' is one of the best fighters in the world," Sakura replied. "I've seen him fight madmen and psychopaths. You are not ready to fight him." Seeing that Motoko wouldn't listen to reason, Sakura shrugged her shoulders. "Don't say I didn't warn you," she said as she walked over to the sidelines.
Meanwhile, Chun Li was talking to her husband. "Don't you think that the terms are a bit harsh?" she asked.
"You think they are?" Ryu replied. "Okay, the terms will still stand, but I'll give them a reprieve." He then turned to Motoko. "Last chance, Aoyama. You can still walk away from this battle."
"I refuse," Motoko replied coldly.
"Just to make sure that we are clear," Ryu said as he unsheathed his sword, balancing the flat side on his shoulder. "This match is under Kumite-style rules. If I defeat you by knocking you unconscious, then you, Narusegawa and Konno are evicted immediately."
"Agreed," Motoko said. "And if I defeat you, then you and Chun Li are gone, Keitaro comes back and Hinata House is back the way it should be."
Ryu nodded. "However," he continued, "my wife thinks that I'm unfair, so I will give you a chance to save you and your friends' leases. As I've said, this match is under Kumite rules. If you say 'matte' in our match, then you and the other two will stay. Understand?"
"I accept," Motoko replied. She drew Shisui from her sheath and moved into a combat stance. Ryu moved into his own stance (if anyone played the Samurai Showdown games, his basic Ansatsuken Shinjutsu stance is Genjuro's fighting stance).
One major aspect of Ansatsuken Shinjutsu is that, like Shinmei Ryu, it uses ki energy for projectile attacks. The major difference is that a practitioner of Ansatsuken Shinjutsu, after years of practice and training, can train to use their ki and use the sword to absorb incoming ki attacks to the point of being destructive. Ryu was one of those people, the other two being Gouken and Gouki.
As he predicted, Motoko attacked first. She leapt into the air, releasing a blast of ki with her sword. "Hiken Zankuusen!"
Ryu raised his sword in what Motoko thought was a guard. But she was wrong.
The ki attack smashed into Ryu, or rather, his sword, the razor-sharp cobalt-colored blade absorbing the ki.
Motoko noticed something was wrong when she saw that Ryu was still standing. She also noticed that Ryu's blade, as a result of his ki-absorb technique, was glowing with a blue light.
Then Ryu swung his own sword at her. "Senpuuken!"
A violent twister, made out of bright blue ki energy, the combination of his and Motoko's ki energies, and as tall as Ryu, rushed towards Motoko with blinding speed. The Shinmei Ryu heiress barely avoided the attack as it crashed into a tree, reducing it to splinters.
From the sidelines, the Urashimas and the Hinata House residents stood in shock as to what had happened. Not only did he absorbed her ki attack, but had combined it with his own ki and fired it back at her.
"It appears that Motoko has bitten off more that she can chew," Haruka noted.
Naru and Kitsune turned to the aunt of their wayward landlord. "What do you mean?" Naru asked.
"Aside from being a world-class martial artist," Haruka continued in her deadpan tone, "Ryu is the current Shihan of Ansatsuken Shinjutsu, which is the opposite of Motoko's Shinmei Ryu style. I've heard rumors about it, but it's true." She looked at the two younger girls. "Motoko just might lose."
The prospect of Motoko Aoyama losing and being evicted was too much for Naru to think. She hoped that Motoko would come out of this. She then turned to Keitaro and yelled, "Aren't you going to do something about this?!"
"Why should I?" Keitaro sniffed. "I'm not the manager. But it looks like that Motoko will receive what's coming to her."
Meanwhile, Motoko stood to her feet. She looked at the destroyed tree, then back at Ryu. "Impossible...how?!"
"I forgot to mention that I am the current Shihan of Ansatsuken Shinjutsu," Ryu stated casually. "I thought you were the heiress of the Shinmei Ryu School. They should not have given it to you. Tsuruko is a more worthy challenge than you will ever be."
That caught Motoko off guard. "How do you know my sister?"
"Shouryujinken!" Ryu shouted, unleashing another wave of ki energy - this time it was an angry reddish color, shaped like the head of a dragon - at Motoko. This time, Motoko knew that she couldn't avoid it. She raised her sword in a defensive block as the ki energy reached her, smashing into her and sending her into the air, until she landed, skidding several feet across the ground, her hand losing her grip on her sword.
"Motoko!" both Naru and Kitsune screamed.
Haruka shook her head. "He's playing with her, like a cat with a mouse," she noted.
Chun Li looked at Haruka. "You noticed that too?" she asked.
In the meantime, Ryu watched as Motoko retrieved her sword. Once she had it in her hands, Ryu attacked. Not with a ki attack, but instead, he lunged and swung his sword in rapid succession. He wasn't even using ki energy. He was moving that fast. Motoko was hard pressed to defend and deflect the blows as they rained down on her with no mercy.
However, Motoko did get a bit of a reprieve. She managed to lock her blade with Ryu's. He simply responded by slamming his head into hers in the form of a headbutt, which was immediately followed by a roundhouse kick that spun her to the ground.
"I'm waiting to be impressed, Aoyama," Ryu said.
Motoko slowly stood up. She tasted blood in her mouth and spit it out. Her legs buckled slightly, but she still kept her footing.
Ryu continued talking. "How I know your sister, you may be asking yourself? Easy. Ten years ago, I fought Tsuruko Aoyama in a duel. You were there, but you were a child then. The match ended in a draw, though."
At that moment, Motoko remembered. She was six at the time. She watched Tsuruko and a younger Ryu duel, which ended as Ryu had said it would end - in a standoff. He was a lot younger as well, with reddish brown hair, the skin tone was lighter and he was wearing a white headband instead of the red. But Motoko put the clues together and she realized that it was indeed him.
"You..." Motoko started. She then went into a full rage. "You!"
She charged at Ryu and leapt into the air. She wasn't going to use her ki attack this time.
She was going to cleave him in two.
Ryu quickly sheathed his sword, and went into his fighting stance. He easily sidestepped her attack and casually tripped her, Motoko landing on her back. He raised one foot and brought it down. Motoko rolled out of the way as Ryu's foot landed where her head once was located and jumped to her feet.
Ryu casually removed his sword, still inside his scabbard and casually deflected Motoko's attacks. Then he lashed out, catching Motoko in her torso. Once, twice, three times before the scabbard connected with her jaw, knocking her flat on her back.
"The blade's not the only weapon on the sword," Ryu said. He looked down at Motoko. "Give up, Motoko."
'He's as skilled as Oneesan!' Motoko screamed inside her mind. 'He maybe even better than her! No! I can't lose! NOT TO HIM!' As she was screaming at herself, Ryu was rapidly closing the distance, meaning that he wanted to end the fight.
Motoko, however was ready.
"Messatsu Zankuu Zanmasen!" the female kendoist yelled, unleashing her strongest technique on Ryu, in the form of a massive ki attack when Ryu was no more then several feet away, sword unsheathed.
Ryu smirked to himself. "I've seen that move before, Aoyama!" He yelled before somersaulting over the ki attack, much to everyone's amazement, although his gi was torn from the attack. Flipping in the air, he prepared his own ultimate technique, taught to him by Akuma by summoning his own ki and channeling it to the blade.
His sword glowing once again, this time with an unnatural purple glow, Ryu came down on Motoko, who brought her sword in a defensive block...
...which did absolutely no good on Ryu's final attack.
"Ready...set..." Ryu began, “and DESTROY!"
Ryu impaled the sword into the ground, engulfing both himself and Motoko in a geyser of purple energy. The effect lasted for three seconds, but the results were devastating as the audience covered their eyes from the intense flash of light as Ryu executed one of Ansatsuken Shinjutsu's most powerful techniques.
The translation for the move was Continent-Destroying Vajra Slash, but it was better known as the Kongou Kokuretsu Zan.
Fortunately for Motoko, Ryu wasn't using all of his strength; otherwise, she would not have been alive once the dust settled. As the dust settled, everyone saw something that they weren’t expecting.
Ryu was still in his pose, sword still impaled in the ground. He looked practically unscathed, with the exception of the dust on his gi and skin. Motoko, however, was still standing, but her hakama was shredded in several places and she looked battered and beaten. The ground around them was a small crater, the end result of Ryu's attack.
Ryu stood up and yanked his sword from the ground. In one quick motion, he sheathed it. Looking at Motoko, he simply said, "This is where you fall down."
Motoko stood there for a few moments. First, her sword fell from her hand, landing on the ground. Then she keeled over.
For a long moment, everyone (with the exception of Chun Li and Sakura) tried to grasp the situation. Motoko Aoyama was defeated in combat. Haitani and Shirai's jaws dropped to the ground. This was the first time ever that Motoko was actually defeated in a match. Even Keitaro was in shock. He didn't realize that Ryu was that powerful, but the results spoke for themselves.
Motoko Aoyama was down.
Then came the scream.
The scream came from Naru, who sank to her knees and started to cry. Kitsune tried to take on a brave facade, but even she broke down in tears, shooting a nasty look at Keitaro, who was grinning from ear to ear.
Motoko had received a dose of her own medicine. To Keitaro, it was the sweetest thing in the world.
Ryu approached the two distraught girls and stopped. Without looking at them, he said, "As of this moment, you two are hearby evicted from Hinata House. You two - as well as Aoyama - have until noon tomorrow to vacate your rooms. Failure to do so will result in me calling the police."
As he tossed his sword to Chun Li, Ryu stopped. He then turned around. What he saw didn't surprise him the very least. Motoko, beaten and bruised, tried to stand, but one of her legs wouldn't allow it.
"Wait..." Motoko gasped. "I am not defeated yet."
Ryu looked at Motoko. "Just give up, Motoko. You can't stand on that leg of yours. It's over." He walked over to her, disarmed her when she tried to swing his sword at him and with one hand, grabbed her hakama top and hoisted her into the air, lifting her cleanly from the ground.
Motoko was helpless as she watched Ryu raise his other hand, which was balled into a fist. He cocked it back. "Goodnight, Motoko," he deadpanned as he sent his fist towards Motoko's head.
"...matte."
Ryu's fist stopped, mere centimeters from smashing into Motoko's face. "Excuse me? Did you say something?"
Motoko looked at Ryu with complete hatred in her eyes. "Matte," she said through clenched teeth.
"Say it so that everyone can hear you," Ryu ordered.
"MATTE!" Motoko screamed.
Satisfied, Ryu dropped Motoko to the ground. He turned to Naru and Kitsune. "Looks like you two still got a roof over your heads," he said as he walked away from the humiliated kendoist.
With the exception of Keitaro, Chun Li and Sakura, everyone was shocked as to what had happened. Ryu had not only defeated Motoko, but had humiliated her by making her say 'matte.' Even Haruka, whose deadpan expression was replaced with that of complete surprise.
As Ryu walked away, Motoko reached for her sword. If her ki attacks won't work on him, then she can always cleave him in two with her blade.
Chun Li saw Motoko. Ryu caught the look that his wife was giving him and gave her a quick nod.
"DIE, YOU...YOU...VILE MALE!" Motoko screamed as she charged.
"Motoko, no!" Haruka yelled.
Chun Li tossed Ryu his sword, who caught it. As he spun, avoiding Motoko's attempt to decapitate him, Ryu unsheathed his sword. When Motoko spun around, Ryu swung his own sword three times. "Ansatsuken Shinjutsu-ryu...Zantetsuken!"
Time seem to stop for a moment. Then, as Ryu calmly sheathed his sword. Upon hearing it click, Motoko's blade was reduced to several jagged pieces, Ryu having cleanly sliced through Shisui's blade.
The look from Motoko's face turned from anger to that of sheer horror. "No...NO!" she howled.
CRACK.
Her scream of anguish was abruptly cut off when Ryu smacked her in the head with his sword's scabbard, knocking her out. Ryu looked at the pitiful sight before him before turning back to the gathered guests, particularly Naru and Kitsune.
"Get your friend and take her back to her room," he stated calmly. He then added in a slightly dangerous tone. "Never challenge me or my wife's judgment again. Next time you do, you better be prepared for a fight. So keep your tongues in check and do what is necessary to keep this place running...or else."
He stalked back to the house, Chun Li accompanying him. Naru glared at Keitaro, her hands balled into fists, wanting to pound her vacationing manager into the ground. But after what she had witnessed, she concluded that it was a bad idea and after what she and the others witnessed, she would hold her temper...for now.
Sure enough, several boys did arrive at the Hinata House, now a co-ed dormitory, much to Naru, Motoko and Kitsune's dismay. The first two were Keitaro's friends, Haitani Masayuki and Shirai Kimiaki. Keitaro had personally vouched for them to Ryu and Chun Li, telling them that they are good people. Haitani was a university major, having been successful in completing his entrance exams, whereas Shirai had a job working at Tokyo's Neverland them park along with Haitani.
The third person was Kentaro Sakata, having been thrown out of his father's house. Of course, neither male had any problems with the ground rules and that they were supposed to help out with the chores, with the exception of Kentaro, who continued to work at the teashop.
Shirai however was torn over his crush on Haruka to his newfound crush on Haruka to his new infatuation with Chun Li, who just shrugged it off. Kitsune, on the other hand, was alarmed. Following Keitaro's confession, she told Naru and Motoko what he had told her when they were out cold. After seeing Keitaro's outburst earlier, the girls were certain that he would eventually back up on that promise, leaving the younger girls at his mercy.
===
Early one morning, a Japanese chestnut tree had fallen, blocking the annex. Almost immediately, the girls confronted Ryu about it, demanding that he should get rid of it.
After checking out the turned tree (which Ryu suspected that it was Motoko's doing), Ryu grinned to himself and turned to Sakura. "Get my sword, and an axe," he said.
Minutes later, Sakura returned with his Masamune, as well as an axe. Ryu accepted his weapon from his apprentice and unsheathed the weapon. With the girls watching in disbelief, Ryu methodically dismantled the tree into several pieces as the girls slunk back into the house, all except for Motoko, who watched Ryu from the balcony as Sakura began to split several piles of wood, with Ryu watching.
"There are many sounds in nature," Ryu explained. "Each sound is more different than the last."
He had turned the wood splitting into a training session for Sakura, explaining that chopping firewood would (and was proven) strengthen her wrists and increase her reflexes. Motoko saw that Ryu wasn't a traditional martial arts teacher. He took rather unorthodox methods when it came to training Sakura, combining the old with the new.
"They are small enough to go unnoticed by the person, who is unaware," Ryu continued as Sakura had created a small heap of firewood at her feet. "Don't focus on hearing the wood split, but focus on the sound of the axe slicing the air. Read the air itself. It has much to say to you."
Motoko frowned. She remembered that Tsuruko had done something like this when she was younger. After several moments of watching Ryu and Sakura, she left as Shinobu came upstairs to hang the laundry out to dry.
===
The tension was present as everyone sat down for dinner. Following Keitaro's announcement several days earlier, Motoko and Naru watched both Haitani and Shirai like birds of prey. Fortunately, Chun Li had put a stop to it, but even she knew that it would be a matter of time before it would start again.
While everyone ate, Shirai, while stealing glances of Chun Li, turned and saw Motoko glaring at him. "What?" he asked. "What did I do?"
"You and the other males' here are nothing but an abomination to Hinata House," Motoko said in a cold tone. "Regardless of what that weakling Urashima said, this is still a girls' dormitory."
"Motoko, stop that," Chun Li ordered.
"It will only be a matter of time before you do something perverted to Shinobu or anyone of us," Naru said. "You should do us all a favor and leave."
"That's not your decision to make," Chun Li said. "You may not like what Keitaro has done, but you will have to live with it. Otherwise, you can always leave."
"We're not going anywhere," Naru said. "We were here first."
"And Keitaro is still the landlord," Ryu replied. "He decides the tenants, not you, Narusegawa."
"In that case," Motoko butted in, staring Ryu down, "I challenge you to a duel. If I win, not only you and Chun Li leave Hinata House and never return, but Hinata House itself is changed back to a Girls' Dorm."
Time stopped as Kentaro, Haitani and Shirai stopped eating and paled at Motoko's challenge. They both looked at Ryu, who gave Motoko a small smile. "No."
"What's wrong?" Motoko sneered. "Not man enough to accept?"
"You are not in my league. Besides, what do I get if I win?" Ryu asked.
Motoko snorted. "If you win, then we will drop this matter and allow you and the other males to stay."
"That's not good enough, Aoyama," Ryu replied. "Ever since I've arrived, you, Narusegawa and Konno have challenged the authority of me and my wife, not to mention the judgment of Keitaro. So here are my terms. If I win, not only will your lease will be terminated, Aoyama..." He pointed to both Naru and Kitsune, "but the leases of both Narusegawa and Konno will be terminated as well."
This time it was the girls' turn to stop and pale at Ryu's challenge. "You can't be serious," Naru said slowly.
"Does it look like I'm joking?" Ryu flatly replied. "You can still get out of this by simply leaving. If not..." He let that hang. "Then again, you can only fight defenseless men and not someone who is beyond you," he added.
That did Motoko in. "I accept."
Ryu smiled. "Outside, in the backyard, near the abandoned annex, five minutes." He then added with a cold grin, "Motoko, you have just made the biggest mistake of your life."
===
Hinata Tea Shop.
Haruka answered the ringing phone. "Yeah, Hinata Tea Shop."
"Haruka, it's Sara. Motoko's challenged Ryu to a duel."
That caught Haruka's attention. "Motoko did what?"
Haruka's outburst caught Keitaro's attention. He was in a corner table, studying.
"She's challenged him to a fight. Her, Naru and Kitsune had demanded that they should resign, revert the dorm back into a girls' dormitory, and bring Keitaro back. Ryu accepted on the grounds that should Motoko loses, then her, Naru and Kitsune will be kicked out. The fight's near the abandoned annex."
In an instant, Haruka hung up the phone and turned to Keitaro. "Motoko's challenged Ryu to a duel."
Keitaro's expression didn't change. "Not my problem. If she wants to get herself and those other two kicked out, less trouble for me. I'm considering changing the dorm back into an inn anyway."
Haruka was taken aback by Keitaro's attitude. It was true. After the way the older girls had treated him, he changed, having reached his point of no return. The old Keitaro was gone, she realized. She thought that it was just a phase, given the events that had happened when Keitaro had announced that the dorm was now co-ed.
Apparently, she was wrong.
===
At the abandoned annex, the stage was set for the duel.
Motoko looked at Ryu with nothing but coldness in her eyes as Sakura approached her, along with Haruka and Keitaro. Keitaro, for safety reasons, had ordered Shinobu, Suu and Sara to remain inside. Haitani and Shirai were standing beside Chun Li, anxious as to their fate at Hinata House.
"Motoko, I think you should reconsider this challenge," Sakura said. "You don't know what he is capable of."
Motoko looked at the Tokyo University student. "I am the heiress to the Shinmei Ryu School," she stated defiantly. "I will not lose to a lowly male."
"That 'lowly male' is one of the best fighters in the world," Sakura replied. "I've seen him fight madmen and psychopaths. You are not ready to fight him." Seeing that Motoko wouldn't listen to reason, Sakura shrugged her shoulders. "Don't say I didn't warn you," she said as she walked over to the sidelines.
Meanwhile, Chun Li was talking to her husband. "Don't you think that the terms are a bit harsh?" she asked.
"You think they are?" Ryu replied. "Okay, the terms will still stand, but I'll give them a reprieve." He then turned to Motoko. "Last chance, Aoyama. You can still walk away from this battle."
"I refuse," Motoko replied coldly.
"Just to make sure that we are clear," Ryu said as he unsheathed his sword, balancing the flat side on his shoulder. "This match is under Kumite-style rules. If I defeat you by knocking you unconscious, then you, Narusegawa and Konno are evicted immediately."
"Agreed," Motoko said. "And if I defeat you, then you and Chun Li are gone, Keitaro comes back and Hinata House is back the way it should be."
Ryu nodded. "However," he continued, "my wife thinks that I'm unfair, so I will give you a chance to save you and your friends' leases. As I've said, this match is under Kumite rules. If you say 'matte' in our match, then you and the other two will stay. Understand?"
"I accept," Motoko replied. She drew Shisui from her sheath and moved into a combat stance. Ryu moved into his own stance (if anyone played the Samurai Showdown games, his basic Ansatsuken Shinjutsu stance is Genjuro's fighting stance).
One major aspect of Ansatsuken Shinjutsu is that, like Shinmei Ryu, it uses ki energy for projectile attacks. The major difference is that a practitioner of Ansatsuken Shinjutsu, after years of practice and training, can train to use their ki and use the sword to absorb incoming ki attacks to the point of being destructive. Ryu was one of those people, the other two being Gouken and Gouki.
As he predicted, Motoko attacked first. She leapt into the air, releasing a blast of ki with her sword. "Hiken Zankuusen!"
Ryu raised his sword in what Motoko thought was a guard. But she was wrong.
The ki attack smashed into Ryu, or rather, his sword, the razor-sharp cobalt-colored blade absorbing the ki.
Motoko noticed something was wrong when she saw that Ryu was still standing. She also noticed that Ryu's blade, as a result of his ki-absorb technique, was glowing with a blue light.
Then Ryu swung his own sword at her. "Senpuuken!"
A violent twister, made out of bright blue ki energy, the combination of his and Motoko's ki energies, and as tall as Ryu, rushed towards Motoko with blinding speed. The Shinmei Ryu heiress barely avoided the attack as it crashed into a tree, reducing it to splinters.
From the sidelines, the Urashimas and the Hinata House residents stood in shock as to what had happened. Not only did he absorbed her ki attack, but had combined it with his own ki and fired it back at her.
"It appears that Motoko has bitten off more that she can chew," Haruka noted.
Naru and Kitsune turned to the aunt of their wayward landlord. "What do you mean?" Naru asked.
"Aside from being a world-class martial artist," Haruka continued in her deadpan tone, "Ryu is the current Shihan of Ansatsuken Shinjutsu, which is the opposite of Motoko's Shinmei Ryu style. I've heard rumors about it, but it's true." She looked at the two younger girls. "Motoko just might lose."
The prospect of Motoko Aoyama losing and being evicted was too much for Naru to think. She hoped that Motoko would come out of this. She then turned to Keitaro and yelled, "Aren't you going to do something about this?!"
"Why should I?" Keitaro sniffed. "I'm not the manager. But it looks like that Motoko will receive what's coming to her."
Meanwhile, Motoko stood to her feet. She looked at the destroyed tree, then back at Ryu. "Impossible...how?!"
"I forgot to mention that I am the current Shihan of Ansatsuken Shinjutsu," Ryu stated casually. "I thought you were the heiress of the Shinmei Ryu School. They should not have given it to you. Tsuruko is a more worthy challenge than you will ever be."
That caught Motoko off guard. "How do you know my sister?"
"Shouryujinken!" Ryu shouted, unleashing another wave of ki energy - this time it was an angry reddish color, shaped like the head of a dragon - at Motoko. This time, Motoko knew that she couldn't avoid it. She raised her sword in a defensive block as the ki energy reached her, smashing into her and sending her into the air, until she landed, skidding several feet across the ground, her hand losing her grip on her sword.
"Motoko!" both Naru and Kitsune screamed.
Haruka shook her head. "He's playing with her, like a cat with a mouse," she noted.
Chun Li looked at Haruka. "You noticed that too?" she asked.
In the meantime, Ryu watched as Motoko retrieved her sword. Once she had it in her hands, Ryu attacked. Not with a ki attack, but instead, he lunged and swung his sword in rapid succession. He wasn't even using ki energy. He was moving that fast. Motoko was hard pressed to defend and deflect the blows as they rained down on her with no mercy.
However, Motoko did get a bit of a reprieve. She managed to lock her blade with Ryu's. He simply responded by slamming his head into hers in the form of a headbutt, which was immediately followed by a roundhouse kick that spun her to the ground.
"I'm waiting to be impressed, Aoyama," Ryu said.
Motoko slowly stood up. She tasted blood in her mouth and spit it out. Her legs buckled slightly, but she still kept her footing.
Ryu continued talking. "How I know your sister, you may be asking yourself? Easy. Ten years ago, I fought Tsuruko Aoyama in a duel. You were there, but you were a child then. The match ended in a draw, though."
At that moment, Motoko remembered. She was six at the time. She watched Tsuruko and a younger Ryu duel, which ended as Ryu had said it would end - in a standoff. He was a lot younger as well, with reddish brown hair, the skin tone was lighter and he was wearing a white headband instead of the red. But Motoko put the clues together and she realized that it was indeed him.
"You..." Motoko started. She then went into a full rage. "You!"
She charged at Ryu and leapt into the air. She wasn't going to use her ki attack this time.
She was going to cleave him in two.
Ryu quickly sheathed his sword, and went into his fighting stance. He easily sidestepped her attack and casually tripped her, Motoko landing on her back. He raised one foot and brought it down. Motoko rolled out of the way as Ryu's foot landed where her head once was located and jumped to her feet.
Ryu casually removed his sword, still inside his scabbard and casually deflected Motoko's attacks. Then he lashed out, catching Motoko in her torso. Once, twice, three times before the scabbard connected with her jaw, knocking her flat on her back.
"The blade's not the only weapon on the sword," Ryu said. He looked down at Motoko. "Give up, Motoko."
'He's as skilled as Oneesan!' Motoko screamed inside her mind. 'He maybe even better than her! No! I can't lose! NOT TO HIM!' As she was screaming at herself, Ryu was rapidly closing the distance, meaning that he wanted to end the fight.
Motoko, however was ready.
"Messatsu Zankuu Zanmasen!" the female kendoist yelled, unleashing her strongest technique on Ryu, in the form of a massive ki attack when Ryu was no more then several feet away, sword unsheathed.
Ryu smirked to himself. "I've seen that move before, Aoyama!" He yelled before somersaulting over the ki attack, much to everyone's amazement, although his gi was torn from the attack. Flipping in the air, he prepared his own ultimate technique, taught to him by Akuma by summoning his own ki and channeling it to the blade.
His sword glowing once again, this time with an unnatural purple glow, Ryu came down on Motoko, who brought her sword in a defensive block...
...which did absolutely no good on Ryu's final attack.
"Ready...set..." Ryu began, “and DESTROY!"
Ryu impaled the sword into the ground, engulfing both himself and Motoko in a geyser of purple energy. The effect lasted for three seconds, but the results were devastating as the audience covered their eyes from the intense flash of light as Ryu executed one of Ansatsuken Shinjutsu's most powerful techniques.
The translation for the move was Continent-Destroying Vajra Slash, but it was better known as the Kongou Kokuretsu Zan.
Fortunately for Motoko, Ryu wasn't using all of his strength; otherwise, she would not have been alive once the dust settled. As the dust settled, everyone saw something that they weren’t expecting.
Ryu was still in his pose, sword still impaled in the ground. He looked practically unscathed, with the exception of the dust on his gi and skin. Motoko, however, was still standing, but her hakama was shredded in several places and she looked battered and beaten. The ground around them was a small crater, the end result of Ryu's attack.
Ryu stood up and yanked his sword from the ground. In one quick motion, he sheathed it. Looking at Motoko, he simply said, "This is where you fall down."
Motoko stood there for a few moments. First, her sword fell from her hand, landing on the ground. Then she keeled over.
For a long moment, everyone (with the exception of Chun Li and Sakura) tried to grasp the situation. Motoko Aoyama was defeated in combat. Haitani and Shirai's jaws dropped to the ground. This was the first time ever that Motoko was actually defeated in a match. Even Keitaro was in shock. He didn't realize that Ryu was that powerful, but the results spoke for themselves.
Motoko Aoyama was down.
Then came the scream.
The scream came from Naru, who sank to her knees and started to cry. Kitsune tried to take on a brave facade, but even she broke down in tears, shooting a nasty look at Keitaro, who was grinning from ear to ear.
Motoko had received a dose of her own medicine. To Keitaro, it was the sweetest thing in the world.
Ryu approached the two distraught girls and stopped. Without looking at them, he said, "As of this moment, you two are hearby evicted from Hinata House. You two - as well as Aoyama - have until noon tomorrow to vacate your rooms. Failure to do so will result in me calling the police."
As he tossed his sword to Chun Li, Ryu stopped. He then turned around. What he saw didn't surprise him the very least. Motoko, beaten and bruised, tried to stand, but one of her legs wouldn't allow it.
"Wait..." Motoko gasped. "I am not defeated yet."
Ryu looked at Motoko. "Just give up, Motoko. You can't stand on that leg of yours. It's over." He walked over to her, disarmed her when she tried to swing his sword at him and with one hand, grabbed her hakama top and hoisted her into the air, lifting her cleanly from the ground.
Motoko was helpless as she watched Ryu raise his other hand, which was balled into a fist. He cocked it back. "Goodnight, Motoko," he deadpanned as he sent his fist towards Motoko's head.
"...matte."
Ryu's fist stopped, mere centimeters from smashing into Motoko's face. "Excuse me? Did you say something?"
Motoko looked at Ryu with complete hatred in her eyes. "Matte," she said through clenched teeth.
"Say it so that everyone can hear you," Ryu ordered.
"MATTE!" Motoko screamed.
Satisfied, Ryu dropped Motoko to the ground. He turned to Naru and Kitsune. "Looks like you two still got a roof over your heads," he said as he walked away from the humiliated kendoist.
With the exception of Keitaro, Chun Li and Sakura, everyone was shocked as to what had happened. Ryu had not only defeated Motoko, but had humiliated her by making her say 'matte.' Even Haruka, whose deadpan expression was replaced with that of complete surprise.
As Ryu walked away, Motoko reached for her sword. If her ki attacks won't work on him, then she can always cleave him in two with her blade.
Chun Li saw Motoko. Ryu caught the look that his wife was giving him and gave her a quick nod.
"DIE, YOU...YOU...VILE MALE!" Motoko screamed as she charged.
"Motoko, no!" Haruka yelled.
Chun Li tossed Ryu his sword, who caught it. As he spun, avoiding Motoko's attempt to decapitate him, Ryu unsheathed his sword. When Motoko spun around, Ryu swung his own sword three times. "Ansatsuken Shinjutsu-ryu...Zantetsuken!"
Time seem to stop for a moment. Then, as Ryu calmly sheathed his sword. Upon hearing it click, Motoko's blade was reduced to several jagged pieces, Ryu having cleanly sliced through Shisui's blade.
The look from Motoko's face turned from anger to that of sheer horror. "No...NO!" she howled.
CRACK.
Her scream of anguish was abruptly cut off when Ryu smacked her in the head with his sword's scabbard, knocking her out. Ryu looked at the pitiful sight before him before turning back to the gathered guests, particularly Naru and Kitsune.
"Get your friend and take her back to her room," he stated calmly. He then added in a slightly dangerous tone. "Never challenge me or my wife's judgment again. Next time you do, you better be prepared for a fight. So keep your tongues in check and do what is necessary to keep this place running...or else."
He stalked back to the house, Chun Li accompanying him. Naru glared at Keitaro, her hands balled into fists, wanting to pound her vacationing manager into the ground. But after what she had witnessed, she concluded that it was a bad idea and after what she and the others witnessed, she would hold her temper...for now.