Act IV. Part III.

Toshiko walked back into his grandfather's tea room, He briskly walked towards the door and gently slid it open.

"I can escort him out for you grandfather." Said Toshiko.

"How polite of you," Lars exclaimed. "Thank you for your time, sir. May the gods be with you." He said and proceeded to bow.

Lars left the room and Toshiko turned to look at his grandfather who remained seated with a pained expression, "Are you okay grandfather?"

"Wh- What else could I be?" He chuckled as he slowly lifted his teacup with quivering hands.

"Don't go anywhere I'll be back soon." Said Toshiko who then ran out of the room.

Toshiko caught up to Lars who was actually just standing in the garden. He seemed to be looking at something with much focus but he immediately turned to Toshiko as soon as he arrived.

"Hi, shall we go?" Lars said excitedly as he began to walk.

"Wait!" Toshiko shouted. "The reason I wanted to see you out was that… I had a request." Toshiko sighed as he finished.

"I thought you wanted to escort me out of the kindness of your heart. This really hurts me." Lars sobbed jokingly.

"Please, it's serious."

Lars let out a large sigh, "You're not making a request of me, you're asking me for a favor which I will ask for as well in turn. Agreed?"

Toshiko cursed underneath his breath as he thought of all the possible ways this could come back to bite him, "So what is your request?"

"Remember that place you saved me and my friends from?"

"Oh yes! The weapons testing facility. It was a shame that you were roped into that somehow."

'So that's the lie he went with.' Is what Toshiko thought to himself. "Yes, that incident. My friend Ryu has been missing for the past month and I'm worried the people we met in that place are the ones who took him. It has to be them."

"I see. This is a very serious matter. One of national security. What is your request, grandson of the Head of the Tokugawa family and the Kuroi-Ha?" Lars asked as he kneeled…

…

"Han. Where have you been? I've been looking for you for the past hour."

"Apologies young master, your grandfather had given me a task."

"Why didn't I bother looking there I wonder. Anyway, I need you to help-"

"And I had to see out Master Ryu."

Toshiko immediately froze, "Ryu was here? How long ago was this?" He asked expectantly.

"Yes, he was, about an hour ago. I met him by your grandfather's tea room, just a few minutes after you left there actually."

"Did he say anything?"

"Just that he was looking for your grandfather."

"Call the driver and come with me."

…

"Ryu!" Toshiko shouted as he slammed the apartment door open. "I know you're back."

Toshiko went into Ryu's room and it was messy. Toshiko was relieved by this sight and at the same time angered because Ryu hadn't reached out to them.

"Young master." Called Han.

"I don't think he's very far from here the back of the T.V. is still warm."

Toshiko quickly ran out of the apartment and downstairs looking for Ryu he turned and turned but to no avail.

"I suggest we head back. Master Ryu came around once I'm sure he'll come back to the house again. And you have an early day tomorrow."

Toshiko clicked his tongue and began walking back to the car.

…

Toshiko lay awake in his all-white sheets dressed in baggy black kimono pajamas, in an all-grey room with white tiled floors and his bed placed in the middle of the room. His bed looked like what you would find in a palace.

He quickly got up and walked into the winding corridor outside his room. He walked down the corridor for several minutes taking turns in a zig-zag pattern. Passing even more doors on both ends of the corridor, until he got to one at the end of the corridor.

He drew the sliding door and closed it when he walked in. The room was much like his, except for the color scheme and the bed; it was an all-white room and the bed had a veil over it.

He walked over to the bed and carefully pulled away the veil at the head of the bed.

"Who are you? Where did you come from? Are you related to Ryu?"

Lying underneath the veil was Aikaterine. Toshiko stared at her ghostly pale sleeping body.

"Young master your grandfather awaits you." Said one of the servants who spoke from the other side of the closed door.

As soon as he heard the voice he shuddered, "I'll be there in a minute,"

"Your attire has been laid out in your--"

"I won't need it." He replied as he closed the veil.

Toshiko fiercely marched out of the room and outside to the dojo.

Toshiko forcefully pulled apart the doors and grabbed the nearest bamboo sword he could see. He reached the doors to where his grandfather was. He took no time and pulled them apart.

Toshiko's grandfather sat staring at the mural on the wall at the end of the room, and as usual, Toshiko sat facing his back and readily held the tip of the training sword with his left hand and the handle with his right.

"Grandfather?" Toshiko said meekly.

In every fight against his grandfather Toshiko had always been able to see when his opponent was going to strike first, but this time his grandfather sat completely motionless. Just this alone sent fear into the frustrated and determined Toshiko.

His grandfather unhurriedly got up while still facing the mural. Toshiko contemplated striking first as his fear just continued to grow.

"I need a win today," Toshiko said to himself as he slowly stood up and gripped the training sword with both of his hands which began to clatter like teeth in winter.

.

Toshiko charged at his grandfather as he raised the blade diagonally and slashed at his grandfather's back with what can only be described as a combination of fear, anger, and swiftness. Toshiko's grandfather immediately turned around and their swords clashed, he raised his sword blocking the slash. but his grandfather wasn't using a training sword.

"Grandfather why are you using a real blade?!" Toshiko asked with a confused expression as he looked into his grandfather's emotionless eyes.

His grandfather kicked his torso and Toshiko was sent waddling backward. He quickly regained his footing and held his sword with both hands. His grandfather raised his to his eye line and charged towards him. Toshiko attempted to swipe his feet with a low slash but his grandfather jumped. Toshiko quickly lifted his sword and turned to hit his grandfather's back but his sword didn't hit flesh but a katana which got stuck in his grandfather's sword. Once again, they met eyes and they backed away from each other just to charge towards each other again.

Their swords clashed multiple times and each time Toshiko's sword received a cut. They both quickly back-stepped away from each other, and Toshiko heavily panted trying to catch his breath. They simultaneously raised the tips of their swords towards each other with one hand, they grabbed their hilts with both hands and raised the tips, lowering their hilts of their swords and a sharp chink sound came from His grandfather's sword.

Toshiko ran towards his grandfather who then made a shocked expression. Toshiko threw his sword at the mural and slid to tackle his grandfather who quickly jumped over him but as Toshiko reached the other side of the room, several bamboo pieces dropped and Toshiko reached out and grabbed one. As his grandfather turned around Toshiko leg locked his feet dropping him to the ground.

He then quickly got up and held the bamboo piece to his grandfather's neck as he held one of his arms behind his back.

"It's my win" Toshiko breathily said.

His grandfather let out a laugh, "You've grown strong, haven't you?"

"Grown strong? You came at me with a real sword!" Said Toshiko hysterically.

Toshiko's grandfather laughed even louder, he opened his eyes and looked at the bamboo pieces on the floor. He then raised his head to the mural and it had been scratched.

His grandfather dropped his head and grabbed the bamboo shoot aimed at his neck and crushed it. He quickly raised his head and headbutted Toshiko who fell to the floor on his back. His grandfather picked up his sword and stood over Toshiko with the blade aiming at his neck.

Toshiko stared at the tip of the blade filled with fear with an anguished expression and turned to look at his grandfather's emotionless eyes. Toshiko's grandfather slowly raised the sword upwards and Toshiko began to plead. But just as he had raised it high enough for a lethal blow his grandfather stopped. Toshiko was hyperventilated from the feeling of relief.

And his grandfather thrust the sword towards his neck, Toshiko let out a scream.

The blade had cleanly perforated the side of Toshiko's neck. Toshiko held the side of his neck with both of his hands as he glared at his grandfather. With tears in his eyes.

His grandfather threw his sword and quickly knelt to attend to Toshiko.

"Are you okay?! Let me see the wound."

His grandfather pulled away Toshiko's hand from the wound and tore a part of his sleeve which he used to stop the bleeding. Toshiko held the torn sleeve to his neck and pulled away.

"I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me." He said looking up to Toshiko.

"Don't worry about it we both got carried away." Toshiko said with a faint smile. "Let me go and prepare for school and have this properly dressed." He said turning his eyes to his wound.

His grandfather clutched his stomach and reached out, "Toshiko!"

"Yes?" Said Toshiko as he turned around.

"I- I just wanted to say have a good day." He said with a smile.

end