Sworn through swords (P, NK, IO)

Kazuo’s little slice of paradise was located in the Black Market, in a corner where not much business seemed to be going on at the moment. Scattered throughout Kazuo’s little camp were crates, hanging ropes, wooden support beams, and odd rubble, all roofed by a tarp. He had a campfire lit, which he was lying in front of, a few blades lying scattered around on the floor.

”Aaaah...” He said in satisfaction, laying back on the ground. ”This is the life, isn’t it?” He asked, looking over to the other inhabitant of the camp. Hanging by his feet from the ceiling was a man who looked very formal, and very out of place. He was bound and gagged. The man struggled with his bonds, fighting for freedom. Kazuo just sniggered. ”Look, all I want is a name. Give me that, and I’ll let you go.” He said to the man, kicking him lightly, so he began to spin on his rope.

Neku was strolling along the black market, noting various wares and goods he could come back and buy once his pockets were a little more full. He was on a fairly open pathway, when he entered a small corner of the Black Market's social zone, and found himself in someone's camp. He would normally have strolled right in and began talking to the camper, but he found himself frozen in his place. Even from behind, he recognized the man. It was someone he hadn't seen in...however long it had been. Quite a long time. But the face was etched into his memory.

Neku decided a head on attack wasn't a good idea, he'd be killed instantly. So, perhaps he could get the jump on the man. Moving behind him, Neku would note the swords laying scattered across the ground. The man's attention seemed to be on his rather well dressed, bound and gagged prisoner, so he probably wouldn't notice...would he? Neku would pick up two of the swords, putting them on his sides and tying them there. From there, he would unsheathe them, and attempt to get familiar to the weight. What he didn't think about was the metallic screech the blades made when drawn against the sheathes.

Kazuo’s attention would be drawn away from the man as a metallic screech came from behind him, alerting him that an intruder had arrived. Perhaps it was an accomplice of the man. Luckily, reflexes were something Kazuo had in scores. He would catch his foot on the saya of a blade laying on the floor, pulling with his left hand as he did so, and rolling back, coming up on his feet, sword in hand. At his hip were three other blades, one on the left, two on the right, giving him four blades to use in this fight. That would be plenty.
 
As he turned to face the intruder, he immediately recognized the face. How could he ever forget his face? Kazuo’s eyes widened in disbelief, and then in rage.

”You…” He muttered gravely. His Meigan would activate, causing his eyes to glow an eerie shade of red. ”Perfect.” He said, stepping forward, armed hand hanging loosely at his side. ”Come on, then…” He challenged, lunging forward, attempting to thrust the blade into the man’s stomach.

Neku saw the man turn around, only confirming what he already knew. It was the man he had grown to fear meeting, but one he would give anything to kill. He was supposed to have already, but the opportunity escaped him. Perhaps one of their deaths here would bring his torment to an end. Or maybe it would only further it. The man activated some form if doujutsu, made a few muttered comments, and lunged at Neku, aiming a sword right for his stomach. Luckily, Neku had already unsheathed the swords he held.

The sword in his right hand would go to work immediately, knocking Kazuo's sword to the right, and the hand would come back, twisting the blade so a slash could be aimed at his stomach as the weapon was pulled back. As that happened, Neku would take a step forward with his left foot, preparing for his next strike. Once the sword was pulled back, Neku would spin his body towards Kazuo, him passing by by now, and now the sword in Neku's left hand would be put to use, a slash aimed for the back of Kazuo's right knee. As he did this, Neku would slide his right foot back to a normal position, and his hands would return to a ready position.

"I've been waiting for this moment. You caused me these nightmares. It should've been your head instead of hers!"

He figured it wouldn’t be as simple as impaling the bastard with his first strike, so he was prepared for this. The blade held in Kazuo’s left hand was pushed to his left, and Kazuo could see a well executed riposte being prepared. If he didn’t act fast and aggressively, he was likely going to die here. He didn’t plan on letting that happen. His right hand, currently unhindered, went down to his right hip, grabbing hold of one of his blades, and pulling it free of the sheathe, bringing it up quickly, stopping Neku’s attempt at a slash. For a moment, Kazuo would be directly facing his opponent, his left blade stopped by Neku’s right arm, his right one clashing with that same blade. Their arms would be locked.
 
”If I could have gave my own life to save hers, I gladly would have. I tried my hardest, but I couldn’t get there in time to stop him… To stop you.” He retorted solemnly, raising his right foot, and kicking Neku square in the stomach, which would knock him back, freeing both of them from the clash. Kazou would hold both of the blades at his side for a moment, before sheathing the one that he held in his left hand, keeping his right blade outstretched. ”But now Aika will have her retribution. I’ll see to that.” He said, looking down at the scar burned into his hand.
 
“A.K.”
 

 Kazuo would dash forward, feigning an upward slash across Neku’s chest, before sidestepping to the right, turning his blade, and slashing at Neku’s side. If the slash connected, the gash would be enough to cause him to bleed out, if not be cut in two.

Neku's attempt at cutting the man was for naught, and his blades were soon locked by Kazuo's. Looking into the glowing red eyes of the man, he knew he had to right this. The man made a comment about how he would've take the girl's place, but he was too late to have stopped her execution. After saying that, the man raised his foot, and kicked Neku away, sheathe one blade, and say that Aika would have retribution now. Aika? Was that the girl's name? At least he could finally put a name to a face. Perhaps after this was all said and done, he'd find where she had been buried. Give his apologies, make amends for what he had done. Maybe then he'd be able to sleep at night.

"Stop me? You're the one that conspired with her! You were supposed to be the one to die. You killed the man that had taught you in cold blood, and then ran from the crime, using her to help you. Don't you act like I wronged you, you're the criminal." Neku would say, and then the man attacked. He aimed an upward slash at Neku at about chest level. Neku would take a step back with his left foot before noticing it hadn't been followed through. Following Kazuo's body, he saw the next attack coming at him from his left. Neku would once again aim to deflect the blade off to his left, then sweep his right foot out, bringing his body to face Kazuo's, and aim a stab for the man's stomach. At the same time, Neku would flip the blade in his left hand around, holding the sword in an upside down manner, and bring it back, aiming to slash across Kazuo's chest.

The man spoke as Kazuo responded to his attacks. He seemed to believe the same lie everyone else believed, that he was the one who killed his master, and that he had simply left Aika to die. Nobody truly knew that Kazuo’s master had been killed by the new, corrupted leader, nor that Aika was not the only one involved in his escape.
”Do you believe everything they tell you? You know that place is corrupt, the whole lot of them are!” He retorted as his blades struck against Neku’s, sparks flying through the air as it happened. ”You put an innocent girl to death for saving an innocent man. The only murderer I see here is you.” Kazou said, words cutting like the blades they fought with. Kazuo had never killed an innocent person. Each of his marks for revenge were corrupt government officials, and of the three that bothered him most, Johan, Raian, and Kaigo, two of them were either a murderer or a money-obsessed bandit. Johan, well… Kazuo had no control over himself at the time.
 

As Kazuo’s blade was knocked aside, he would take a quick step to his right in order to dodge the stabbing motion done with Neku’s right blade, while at the same time bringing his right blade back just in time to clash with Neku’s left blade, stopping his attempt at a slash. Now, with one hand still free, Kazuo would drop his left hand down to his waist, quickly drawing a blade in icepick grip, aiming an upward slash at Neku’s face, which would be difficult to block if he tried using his free sword.

Neku paid near to no mind to Kazuo's words, but they struck him nonetheless. Corrupt? How could he call them corrupt? But...no, he couldn't believe his words. He was just trying to shake his conviction. Right...? Ah well, he'd have time to think about these things later. Now, he had to focus on the fight.

And that thought was the one that almost killed him. His mind got back to the fight just in time to notice what was happening. A blade was being swung for his face at an alarmingly fast rate, and it was one Neku knew he wouldn't be able to dodge completely. And so, he would move out of the way of the slash as best as possible, the result being a cut starting under his right eye, and moving across, ending above his nose.

Neku would cry out, blood flowing from the wound immediately, and he would lash out with his right blade, aiming a slash at Kazuo's face. After that, he would unlock his left blade from Kazuo's, and try to stab the man in the stomach with it. After doing that, whether it failed or succeeded, Neku would jump back, and quickly wipe the blood from his face.

"You...you shut up. Those people were my family, and you call them corrupt? You're...you're a liar. I won't believe you." Neku would say, awaiting Kazuo to charge him.

As Kazuo’s blade made contact with Neku’s face, Kazuo cursed under his breath. It was not a killing stroke, as he had hoped it would be. The man still cried out, which gave him some satisfaction. As Neku leapt back, he began speaking again, likely an attempt at stalling him while he wiped the blood from his face. Well, no such luck was to be had. Kazuo was a dirty fighter, after all. A Samurai’s honor was all well and good, but on the battlefield, there was no fairness.
 
As the man rubbed blood from his eye, Kazuo would step forward with him, flipping his left blade around to a normal grip, and bringing it in a downward diagonal slash aimed at Neku’s neck, keeping his right blade ready in case Neku decided to employ a counter. As he executed this attack, Kazuo would speak.
 

”You think they aren’t? Well, there’s got to be a reason you’re in a shady place like this. Did you come here to kill me, or did you come here because you’re running from the nightmares?” He would retort, pressing the man. ”What kind of justice is publicly executing a young girl for saving the man she loves? What kind of justice is giving neither her nor me a proper trial?” He asked, emotion starting to show on his face. His voice, which was generally deep and stoic, was giving way to that of the young boy he had been before he met Miyamoto.

(TWC: 1144)

Neku would see the man's attempt to attack him. Well, this man clearly had no honor on the battlefield. But hey, he too believed that all was fair in love and war.

The slash was aimed for his neck, a killing blow. Neku wasn't ready for that, but he couldn't let it happen. He would not die here, and not to this man. Neku would bring his left sword up, clashing it with the blade that would have killed him. At the same time, Neku would swing his right sword, and aim a slash across the man's neck, a killing blow if it landed, a potential lock Kazuo were to block it. While doing that, Neku would speak.

"I...SHUT UP! I was just doing what I was told, what was expected of me. I was told to kill a criminal, I killed. What would you have had me do? She was going to die either way." Neku would say, before backing off and clearing his face again. This wound was getting worse by the second. This fight needed to end soon.