Faita Hensetsu Fuubi - Roxas Winchester (epub ebook reader .txt) 📗

muscle of his shoulder.
“Do you want to repeat that, vermin?” the guard asked Hensetsu as he pulled the blade through his shoulder.
Hensetsu ground his teeth in pain, then repeated, “Go-to-hell.” The blade found its way to his side and drew deep crimson on its edge that dripped on the floor and ran down his side and soaked into the material of his pants.
“Why do you still resist us?” the second guard asked as he raised a whip with barbs on the end. The first guard retreated as the second advanced on Hensetsu; he swung the whip with such force that it whistled through the air before it tore the flesh of his chest. This time Hensetsu let out a cry of pain then colorfully swore at the two men. “Listen to the mouth on this one.” The second guard told the first joyfully. “You shouldn’t use words like that, someone maybe offended.” The man pulled back the whip again and let it fly through the air to Hensetsu’s face, tearing the side of it open in a large, long gash. His head snapped to the side, causing blood to spray in an ac on the floor.
“What the hell-“ Hensetsu started before the whip connected with his torso again and again. “Damn you, damn you both.” He ground out between clenched teeth before the barbs caught his pants at the knee and forced his legs to give out from under him. The sudden weight on his arms caused his shoulders to dislocate, and him to yell out from the excruciating pain.
“That’s enough boys.” The leader of the Council told them calmly. “You may leave now if you wish.” The two guards quickly left the room. The man turned towards Hensetsu after the door slammed shut. “Faita Hensetsu Fuubi, you are here because you were summoned, then you fought us. If it were someone else and not the best damned fighter around, you’d be dead right now, or wishing for death’s sweet release.” Hensetsu tried to focus his kijutsu, but it slipped away like a piece of melting ice. “Your kijutsu won’t work until I order Chijin to release it from his hold. Until then I hold your life and future in my hands; I can squash you like a bug, or you can agree to help us with our requests. It’s your choice.”
Hensetsu thought about it for a little, then ground out, “Fine, now release my kijutsu.” The man nodded and raised his hand, and then suddenly Hensetsu could feel his kijutsu flow like a cold river through him. Hensetsu quickly gathered some of his kijutsu and, without wasting time, used it to heal the side of his face and his shoulders, along with all the other abrasions that bled heavily on the ground at his feet. “What, never seen a person heal themselves before?” he asked the very wide-eyed leader who stared at Hensetsu. “Unbind me Katakidoushi, or I’ll unbind myself.” When Katakidoushi made no move towards him, Hensetsu’s bonds burned away and fell to the ground at his feet. Hensetsu rubbed his wrists and moved his arms to flex the muscles to get the blood back into his hands. Hensetsu glared at Katakidoushi until he gathered his thoughts.
“Faita Hensetsu Fuubi, the Sasori Council is requiring your services in leading its army into battle once again.” Hensetsu’s head dropped and turned away from Katakidoushi. “You cannot turn away from us Faita; the Sasori Council runs everything here, from the police to the smallest store owners. Even if you did run, there’s nowhere for you to hide from us. We have eyes and ears everywhere.”
Hensetsu stopped his retreat, “Why me? can’t you get another Faita, or are they all dead?”
“You would know, you killed all of them. The Council has been lucky enough to wrangle up some soldiers for you to lead into battle in two days time. All of them are well trained and will be equipped with armor and some knowledge on how to tap the kijutsu around them.”
Hensetsu looked at Katakidoushi and told him, “See you in two days.” Then turned and left. As he passed the two guards outside the room he noticed that they, too, now cowered as he passed.
The two guards raced into the room once Hensetsu left. “Sir, do you want us to retrieve him?” the first one asked Katakidoushi worriedly.
“For now, leave him. He’ll come though for us when we need him. After all, his honor is at stake with this battle.” Katakidoushi threw in quietly.

Hensetsu stormed down the stairs and found Chijin in a room below the one he had just been in, listening to the conversations going on above him. When the door banged against the wall when Hensetsu entered, Chijin jumped with surprise and fear when he saw who it was. “Chijin, how could you? Why would you?” Chijin remained silent. “If you value your life right now you will answer me.” his eyes widened in fear and he started to gather his kijutsu as backed away. “Don’t bother, who do you think will win in a fight with our kijutsu anyway? Unlike most people I don’t gather my kijutsu, I hold onto it and pull other people’s in when I fight. That’s why I still have the rare Faita title.”
Chijin backed into the far wall and his hand found a hidden panel in it that called guards into the room. The panel sunk in silently as Hensetsu threw a ball of glowing kijutsu at Chijin’s stomach. Heavy, quick footsteps could be heard in the hall outside coming to the room for help. “What the hell did you do?” Hensetsu growled at Chijin when he heard the men coming.
The men entered the room with swords raised ready for a fight. “Ten against one, that hardly sounds fair.” Hensetsu commented lightly. “Let me even the odds a bit.” As he said this he sent his kijutsu out to fetch Shouten from the room above. The katana flew through the grates in the floor above Hensetsu’s outstretched hand. His hand grasped the hilt and he got in a ready battle stance for them to come.
They waited a few moments then came rushing forward at Hensetsu yelling. He waited until they reached him, and he started swinging his blade. Shouten whistled and sang as it flashed through the air to meet the steel of its enemy’s blade. The clash that was made when steel met steel was deafening in the enclosed space. Hensetsu whirled around in a low kick that knocked the men’s feet out from under him. The man behind him came forward, Hensetsu shoved Shouten into his chest, and pulled it out, spraying blood along Shouten’s arc as it cut another man from shoulder to hip. When the blade was low from its swing, Hensetsu drew it across another man’s Achilles tendon, causing him to collapse on top of his fallen comrades. Before Chijin could withdraw any of the powder from within his bag, Hensetsu cut the bag then the drawstring on it, the powder and bag both falling through the grates in the floor to the room below. Suddenly Hensetsu felt someone tapping into his kijutsu supply, looking around while parrying the swords coming at him he saw one guard holding back from the fight, his eyes unfocussed and distant. Hensetsu latched onto the man’s own kijutsu and severed it from the man, the man yelled in pain and Hensetsu ground his teeth and let out a shout of pain as well, when the mans kijutsu was drawn into his own pool and refused to combine and mix at first. The guards ceased their fighting to look at the man who lost his kijutsu and at Hensetsu who collapsed on his hands and knees with pain when the man fell to the floor.
“Sir, sir what’s wrong?” the men asked their leader frantically.
The leader stopped his shouts, then looked up quickly at Hensetsu who met his gaze easily. “What the hell’ve you done to my kijutsu? I can’t reach it, and I can’t draw any either.”
“I’ve severed your bond with it permanently; you’ll never be able to use it in the slightest bit.” Hensetsu told the man calmly.
“Chikushou.” He growled at Hensetsu angrily.
“Yes I am.” He replied lightly.
“Kill him!” the men rushed at Hensetsu immediately, he parried the first attack then threw three of the men through the far wall with his kijutsu. The remaining two swung wildly at Hensetsu in an attempt of mindless swings, which were easily deflected by Shouten. The men’s attempts finally ended when Shouten cleanly cut through both of their rib cages. The men fell to the side, landing on top of one another as their blood ran into the room below through the grate on the floor. Shouten came to rest on the last living guard’s throat, its edge sharp and cutting the skin on the man’s throat as he swallowed nervously.
“Why do you constantly try to fight me when you know full well you’ll always lose?” Hensetsu asked the terrified man. “Go, and tell Katakidoushi I’ll be ready for battle, but if he keeps allowing his men to fight me I’ll go into battle as his enemy. Go and tell him that.” Hensetsu lowered Shouten and the man scrambled to his feet and ran quickly away, falling over his own feet as he left. “As for you,” he said as he bent down to wipe the blood off Shouten with the clean material of a fallen guard’s coat. “Chijin, why do you side with them?”
“They run everything here, to disobey them means death, or battle where you won’t come back from. Don’t you get it? I can’t disobey the Sasori Council, and you shouldn’t either. Especially when your own father leads it.” Hensetsu’s attention snapped back to Chijin with fury in his eyes.
“How’d you find out? Only Katakidoushi and I know about that.”
“You two came to the Sasori Council at the same time and you hated him enough to have known him well before he came into power. No, you may not call him daifu or father, but you don’t try to kill him either.” Chijin told him then continued. “Katakidoushi is the head of the Sasori Council, while you, his son, is the stinger on its tail.”
Hensetsu looked at Chijin questioningly. “What do you mean?”
“Well, you are the Council’s sole Faita ranked soldier, since the rest, you know, died.” Hensetsu nodded slowly as Chijin spoke. “You are-and always have been-the best in the Faita ranks. But to the Council, you’re not much better than a hired sword.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because, I’ve seen hired swords treated the same as you are, and other Faitas treated like little more than inu kuso.”
“Gee, thanks for that. Like I needed you to tell me something I already knew. Besides, it’s not that different from how I treat them, except that they gave me a reason to treat them like inu kuso first.” Hensetsu stood, sheathed the now clean Shouten, and left the room.

The room above was silent as Hensetsu retrieved his jacket and strapped Shouten on his hip. The way out was clear of Council members and guards as he exited the building, even the guards that were by the door outside moved to the side when he passed. Even though they had changed since the time Hensetsu entered the building earlier.
Hensetsu made his way to the familiar tavern he crashed at after his visits to the Council or after any battle he’s fought in. The usual customers who knew him shifted in their seats to get farther away from him, hoping they wouldn’t get hurt if he lashed out. As he approached the bar the new bartender smiled at him kindly.
“Can I get you anything sir?”