Chapter 5: Whip V Sword
The boy's legs tensing up, using them to hit the horse's sides, forcing it forward.
*Nyeeeeeih*
"Woah… waoh!"
It stands upright on its two hind legs kicking the front ones in the air. The peasants around look, with their eyes on the horse.
"Hahaha" A kid laughs behind his mother.
The nerve—
CLUMP!
It then touches the ground, the muscles having a strong firmness beneath me.
*Brfff* *Brfff*
"Damn horse!" His mouth churning. It's hooves plopping the mud.
…..
The boy rides closer to the man as he starts to walk away with those people, with their heavy and seldom faces.
"Hey wait." He reaches his hand forward, trying to call him out.
"Hmm?" The man pauses, turns his head and looks.
"Oh it's you…" His voice as if a heavy stone was dragged against dry grovel.
What does he mean "oh it's you"
Do I know him from anywhere or what?
"Wait! I have something urgent I need to talk to you about." The boy closes in on his horse.
"Can't you see I'm busy?"
"Sod off!" The man waves his hand at him like one does to a pestering fly.
He's treating me like some insect as if I'm one of the people he's whipping.
The boy, his blood feeling like bursting from his skin as the man walks off.
I've spent too long… all just do what?!
I can't let him treat me like this!
Who does he think he is?!
Quickly hopping off his horse, his boots slamming into the mud, bits flying off into the air.
"Hmm!" The boy grunts as he walks towards him, his legs heavy with each step.
"Hey!" Catching up to the man, cements his grip on his wrist.
The people around all just staring, murmuring and some cough, so wet that it rivals the dumbness of the mud.
"Oh no… doesn't he know?" One of the people he was barking at, said under their breath.
"What's the meaning of this?!" The man raises voice at me as he turns his head slowly.
"I said that I needed to ask you something." The boy says, each word slow and heavy.
"And I told you to sod the fuck off." The man shrugs his hand from the boy's grip.
Bending his head down—The boy's body trembling. But not in defeat or fear—But going every fibre in his body to hit that man!
Does he know who I am?!
Whatever useless position he has doesn't compare to me!
"Where's the Kumigara? Where can I find him?" His eyes deadlocked on the man, hands relaxing on the hilt of his sword.
"The Kumigara…"
"I don't know, you happy now?" He grins baring his yellow stained teeth.
"Bullshit." The boy's mouth says almost instinctively.
"So what? You're saying I'm lying now?" He fully turns his body, caressing his whip, grabbing it and points it forward.
"Look… I don't know who you are or what you want…"
"But you don't dare speak to me like that!"
"For I am the great Isan!"
He unrolls the whip and brandishes it into the air.
SNAP–WHIP!
"Damn… now he's riled up." A woman says as she skiddles along with her child.
"What can that boy do? Against Isan's whip?!" An older woman murmurs as she sniffs.
"Now… go away!" As the whip rolls in the mud.
The boy's lips shut, only his eyes look at him. A cool breeze blows, his cape dances with it.
"Isan was it?" moving closer, removing his sword from its sheath.
"I couldn't even care less who or what you are to this town."
"Why…You little kid!" He grips his whip so hard that a squeezing sound can be heard.
"Yeah I am a kid…"
"...Yet you still don't compare to me."
Pointing the tip at him as the little ray of sunlight penetrates the clouds and shines off it.
"And what sort of playful imagination led you to that?" He raises his whip high up.
"Its the imagination that you could never even afford."
"Even if you lived a thousand lifetimes." The boy glares at him directly looking into his iris.
"Hehehe." He tightens his jaw, cracking his neck. The cool wind blows once more.
"Maybe this will teach you some manners!" The man screams as he forwards the whip towards the boy.
"Hmm… pathetic." The boy mutters under his breath as he slants.
What a god awful whip!
SWHH–
CRACK!
Too easy.
A swift step to the side, his boots marking the mud. His cape billowed in the wind.
"What?!" The man's mouth gaped open, his wrinkles smoothing out.
lunging straight at him, the boy holds his sword in the air.
VVWISH!!
His eyes snapped shut.
A single bead of sweat tracing down a path down the side of his face.
The blade, held in suspension by the edge, the cold steel of my sword directly on the side of his face.
The sword feeling the shudder that ran through his body. His eyelids still glued together.
"Now…Where is the Kumigara?" The boy's tone lowers.
"Y-You damn bastard!" He stutters, quickly jumps away from the sword. Not even looking at the boy—his eyes fix straight at the ground as his face is riddled with sweat.
People gather around watching as if it's a puppet show, the children staring in wonder as well.
"Oh oh... Are they fighting?" A child asks as he digs his nose.
"Ha..haha…ha…" He chuckled as he reels his whip back in.
"...Its just dumb luck boy!" He tightens his whip.
"Dumb luck almost had your head cut off."
The boy's mouth stretching into a smirk.
"I'll soon teach you what disrespecting the one in command here means." He grits his teeth.
One in command…?
Does that mean he's the Kumigara?
Flinging the top of the whip in the air as he gleens, his poor dental hygiene being more exposed.
Even though...
... he's still utterly irritating.
The whip comes rushing down towards the boy's head, seeing this, the boy puts his sword out, holding it horizontally to guard his head.
CRACK-CLANG!
The sword successfully blocking the attack.
… what can a mere whip even do to someone bearing the crest of the Ujochi clan, and especially to someone of myself.
"Hahahahaha." The boy couldn't stop laughing just at the mere thought.
Isan, a vein bulging on his forehead, his teeth, clanking.
"Have you gone mad?"
"Hahaha… no… no…" The boy pats himself on the shoulder.
"Just thought of how you actually think that you could still win." His eyes, piercing him, his mouth, trying to retract itself.
Isan spits into the ground as he raises his whip in the air again, while the wind blows the boy's golden hair.
"HRAAHHH!"
—The end of chapter 5—