A/N
I guess I'm on a Love Hina kick.
Please Read and Review.
# # # # #
The gentle rustling of the leaves filled the peaceful glade, silencing the few creatures that stood in the clearing. An unexplainable fear filled each of the creatures as the wind died down. Rattled, the creatures scattered. It was not the scent of a predator though that drove the creatures from the glade but the overwhelming evil emanating from it.
Hunger drove the beast. It was not a craving for flesh, but a craving for power. For too long it had been dormant, subsiding on the vast energies that it had once fed on prior to its long slumber. Though it had woken in the past, those previous times it had not sensed anyone with sufficient power to justify it waking. But now, now it sensed an abundance of potential prey.
Yes, now was the time for it to go on the prowl. Now was the time for it to hunt and eventually feed, perhaps to even gorge itself on the abundant prey.
# # # # #
Sweat graced the young woman's brow as the heat of the summer sun beat down on her. But it wasn't the warm air that cause her to sweat, it was the furiously moving blade in her hands as its keen edge moved with blinding speed. She could taste the salt from the nearby ocean as the breeze blew through the clearing.
Freshly fallen leaves floated on the wind, providing her with plenty of new targets for her keen blade. Lashing out with blinding speed she cut each leave cleanly in two.
Though it was the last day of her kendo club's training camp, the slender young beauty was not content with the progress she'd made over the past few days. While only a junior member of the club, she was clearly the best on the team, surpassing even their coach.
'I've still got a long ways to go,' she lamented.
Another breeze rustled the branches in the trees around her, sending a meager offering of only a half dozen leaves.
Her keen eyes measured the distance and paths of the floating leaves. Again she lashed out.
A sudden, ominous presence sent shivers down her spine, causing her to miss the center of the last leaf even though she managed to cut it in two. 'What is this evil?' she thought as she sought to control her trembling body.
Turning around she focused her senses. 'It's moving west, further up that mountain,' she surmised. 'It's hunting something, or someone.'
Pushing aside the wave of fear that she'd felt, she chased after the evil presence. Years of training were finally going to be put to the test. 'There is no one else around,' she rationalized. 'If big sister were here she'd do the same.'
Her once immaculate white gi and red hakama paid the price for her blind rush through the foliage, ripping and tearing as the branches caught hold of the soft fabric. Yet she continued at a nearly inhuman pace, racing down the mountain that she and her classmates had been training on and up another neighboring mountain.
She barely noticed her own labored breath as one, then two kilometers passed before she found the creature's trail. The wanton destruction of nature's beauty struck the girl as she took in the broken trees and smashed boulders left in the wake of the unknown evil.
Adrenaline pumping, she charged ahead. Her efforts were soon rewarded as she heard the sounds of battle not too far ahead of her.
The trail of destruction gave way to a small clearing, allowing her to finally set her eyes on the evil she'd chased. The beast stood well over two meters tall. Powerful muscles rippled beneath the sickly greenish-yellow skin of the humanoid creature.
Again she paused as she again questioned the rationality of what she was doing.
She watched as ogre threw its powerful arms into the air before bringing them forcibly down only to have a beautiful woman gracefully parry before countering with a jumping spin kick.
'If she can do this, so can you,' the girl thought as she clenched the hilt of her blade.
Charging in at the creature's exposed back, she lashed out with a fierce overhead strike that would have cleaved through concrete, leaving only a slight gash on the creature's thick skin.
Though the blow appeared to have done little damage it was enough to draw the creature's attention. A swift back kick connected with her chest, sending her flying as she felt firsthand the might of the demon before her.
"Leave her alone!" the woman cried as the girl flew through the air.
Motoko watched as the long haired woman hit the creature with an open palm strike to the ribs. The creature merely shrugged off the hit before countering with a powerful but slow backhand that the woman easily avoided.
Another assailant rushed in, this one a boy no older than herself, delivering a swift yet powerful kick to the back of the creature's knee. The sound of flesh hitting flesh rattled the kendoka, drawing her out of her momentary daze.
Shaking her head, she rushed in yet again. Now she knew that she couldn't end the fight with a single strike. Now she knew that she could only hope to help wear the beast down gradually.
Sword in hand, she waited for the beast to lash out at one of the other attackers, leaving itself open to her blade. A quick slash cut the ogre's side, causing the beast to roar in outrage before it focused its attention back on her. This time she was quick enough to evade the powerful counterstrike, though only barely, a clawed foot raked her gi, shredding fabric instead of flesh.
Were she not in the heat of battle she would have blushed, maybe even fumbled with the tattered remains of her gi and her near nakedness in the presence of a male. Yet years of training were finally paying off as she ignored that fact, focusing instead on the evil entity before her.
Her fleet footwork kept her out of the creature's effective range yet within striking distance as she began to feel the flow of her fellow fighters. The woman darted in, connecting with two quick open fist strikes to the creature's chest and head. The boy blocked a powerful punch before connecting with a spinning elbow to the ribs, allowing Motoko to rake the beast's side with her blade.
With the three of them now working effectively, the beast appeared to hesitate. Rather than lashing out, it stood its ground as it shifted from offense and counter striking to pure defense. Trapped as it was between the three fighters, it eyed each of them as they slowly circled around him.
"I may not feast on your flesh today," it proclaimed. "But someday I shall savor the sound of your flesh being torn from your bones."
Crouching, the beast let its powerful muscles propel it out of the clearing and into the trees.
Turning, Motoko nearly gave chase. If not for the strong, firm hand on her wrist she probably would have charged blindly after it.
"No," the woman ordered. "Alone we're not match for it."
Motoko paused. "You're right."
"Thank you," the woman said, a slight smile forming on her beautiful face. The woman was tall, taller than even the kendoka who was said to be tall for her age. Dirt and grime marred the woman's white top and black pants. "If not for you it would haveà But how did you find us?"
"I felt the creature's presence," explained the kendoka. "Though it was perhaps a bit foolish of me, I pursued it here."
"You must be an exceptional martial artist if you were able to sense its presence and not give into the fear it radiated," the woman complemented. "But where are my manorsà I am June Kazama, and this is my son, Jin Kazama."
Motoko nodded. "Motoko Aoyama," she returned.
"Ah," the woman exclaimed. "That explains it. You're one of the Shinmeiryu."
Startled, Motoko nodded. Few modern martial artists knew of the Shinmeiryu. Then again, few martial artist had faced an actual ogre like the one they had just faced.
A gentle cough interrupted her thoughts and conversation.
"Again, where are my manors," the woman said as she took off her jacket and offered it to Motoko.
Blushing, the kendoka accepted the article of clothing as she realized her state of undress.
"You'll have to excuse my son," June said as she wrapped her jacked around the younger girl. "I've raised him up here for the past fifteen years, he hasn't seen breasts other than mine."
"Mother!"
Motoko's blush deepened.
"I think it best that you stay with us tonight," June stated. "It might still be out there, and it's best that we all stay together."
In the years that she'd trained under her sister Motoko had come to recognize the 'I'm not taking no for an answer' tone and June had clearly used that. "Ià" she started to say despite the hopelessness of the situation. The adrenaline rush she'd experienced while chasing after the demon and in the fight suddenly vanished as the threat had vanished. Staggering from the overwhelming pain she suddenly found herself in Jun's strong arms.
"Why don't we get you back to our cabin," June suggested as she guided them back towards the lone building. "I'll take a look at your wounds there."
X X X X X
I guess I'm on a Love Hina kick.
Please Read and Review.
# # # # #
The gentle rustling of the leaves filled the peaceful glade, silencing the few creatures that stood in the clearing. An unexplainable fear filled each of the creatures as the wind died down. Rattled, the creatures scattered. It was not the scent of a predator though that drove the creatures from the glade but the overwhelming evil emanating from it.
Hunger drove the beast. It was not a craving for flesh, but a craving for power. For too long it had been dormant, subsiding on the vast energies that it had once fed on prior to its long slumber. Though it had woken in the past, those previous times it had not sensed anyone with sufficient power to justify it waking. But now, now it sensed an abundance of potential prey.
Yes, now was the time for it to go on the prowl. Now was the time for it to hunt and eventually feed, perhaps to even gorge itself on the abundant prey.
# # # # #
Sweat graced the young woman's brow as the heat of the summer sun beat down on her. But it wasn't the warm air that cause her to sweat, it was the furiously moving blade in her hands as its keen edge moved with blinding speed. She could taste the salt from the nearby ocean as the breeze blew through the clearing.
Freshly fallen leaves floated on the wind, providing her with plenty of new targets for her keen blade. Lashing out with blinding speed she cut each leave cleanly in two.
Though it was the last day of her kendo club's training camp, the slender young beauty was not content with the progress she'd made over the past few days. While only a junior member of the club, she was clearly the best on the team, surpassing even their coach.
'I've still got a long ways to go,' she lamented.
Another breeze rustled the branches in the trees around her, sending a meager offering of only a half dozen leaves.
Her keen eyes measured the distance and paths of the floating leaves. Again she lashed out.
A sudden, ominous presence sent shivers down her spine, causing her to miss the center of the last leaf even though she managed to cut it in two. 'What is this evil?' she thought as she sought to control her trembling body.
Turning around she focused her senses. 'It's moving west, further up that mountain,' she surmised. 'It's hunting something, or someone.'
Pushing aside the wave of fear that she'd felt, she chased after the evil presence. Years of training were finally going to be put to the test. 'There is no one else around,' she rationalized. 'If big sister were here she'd do the same.'
Her once immaculate white gi and red hakama paid the price for her blind rush through the foliage, ripping and tearing as the branches caught hold of the soft fabric. Yet she continued at a nearly inhuman pace, racing down the mountain that she and her classmates had been training on and up another neighboring mountain.
She barely noticed her own labored breath as one, then two kilometers passed before she found the creature's trail. The wanton destruction of nature's beauty struck the girl as she took in the broken trees and smashed boulders left in the wake of the unknown evil.
Adrenaline pumping, she charged ahead. Her efforts were soon rewarded as she heard the sounds of battle not too far ahead of her.
The trail of destruction gave way to a small clearing, allowing her to finally set her eyes on the evil she'd chased. The beast stood well over two meters tall. Powerful muscles rippled beneath the sickly greenish-yellow skin of the humanoid creature.
Again she paused as she again questioned the rationality of what she was doing.
She watched as ogre threw its powerful arms into the air before bringing them forcibly down only to have a beautiful woman gracefully parry before countering with a jumping spin kick.
'If she can do this, so can you,' the girl thought as she clenched the hilt of her blade.
Charging in at the creature's exposed back, she lashed out with a fierce overhead strike that would have cleaved through concrete, leaving only a slight gash on the creature's thick skin.
Though the blow appeared to have done little damage it was enough to draw the creature's attention. A swift back kick connected with her chest, sending her flying as she felt firsthand the might of the demon before her.
"Leave her alone!" the woman cried as the girl flew through the air.
Motoko watched as the long haired woman hit the creature with an open palm strike to the ribs. The creature merely shrugged off the hit before countering with a powerful but slow backhand that the woman easily avoided.
Another assailant rushed in, this one a boy no older than herself, delivering a swift yet powerful kick to the back of the creature's knee. The sound of flesh hitting flesh rattled the kendoka, drawing her out of her momentary daze.
Shaking her head, she rushed in yet again. Now she knew that she couldn't end the fight with a single strike. Now she knew that she could only hope to help wear the beast down gradually.
Sword in hand, she waited for the beast to lash out at one of the other attackers, leaving itself open to her blade. A quick slash cut the ogre's side, causing the beast to roar in outrage before it focused its attention back on her. This time she was quick enough to evade the powerful counterstrike, though only barely, a clawed foot raked her gi, shredding fabric instead of flesh.
Were she not in the heat of battle she would have blushed, maybe even fumbled with the tattered remains of her gi and her near nakedness in the presence of a male. Yet years of training were finally paying off as she ignored that fact, focusing instead on the evil entity before her.
Her fleet footwork kept her out of the creature's effective range yet within striking distance as she began to feel the flow of her fellow fighters. The woman darted in, connecting with two quick open fist strikes to the creature's chest and head. The boy blocked a powerful punch before connecting with a spinning elbow to the ribs, allowing Motoko to rake the beast's side with her blade.
With the three of them now working effectively, the beast appeared to hesitate. Rather than lashing out, it stood its ground as it shifted from offense and counter striking to pure defense. Trapped as it was between the three fighters, it eyed each of them as they slowly circled around him.
"I may not feast on your flesh today," it proclaimed. "But someday I shall savor the sound of your flesh being torn from your bones."
Crouching, the beast let its powerful muscles propel it out of the clearing and into the trees.
Turning, Motoko nearly gave chase. If not for the strong, firm hand on her wrist she probably would have charged blindly after it.
"No," the woman ordered. "Alone we're not match for it."
Motoko paused. "You're right."
"Thank you," the woman said, a slight smile forming on her beautiful face. The woman was tall, taller than even the kendoka who was said to be tall for her age. Dirt and grime marred the woman's white top and black pants. "If not for you it would haveà But how did you find us?"
"I felt the creature's presence," explained the kendoka. "Though it was perhaps a bit foolish of me, I pursued it here."
"You must be an exceptional martial artist if you were able to sense its presence and not give into the fear it radiated," the woman complemented. "But where are my manorsà I am June Kazama, and this is my son, Jin Kazama."
Motoko nodded. "Motoko Aoyama," she returned.
"Ah," the woman exclaimed. "That explains it. You're one of the Shinmeiryu."
Startled, Motoko nodded. Few modern martial artists knew of the Shinmeiryu. Then again, few martial artist had faced an actual ogre like the one they had just faced.
A gentle cough interrupted her thoughts and conversation.
"Again, where are my manors," the woman said as she took off her jacket and offered it to Motoko.
Blushing, the kendoka accepted the article of clothing as she realized her state of undress.
"You'll have to excuse my son," June said as she wrapped her jacked around the younger girl. "I've raised him up here for the past fifteen years, he hasn't seen breasts other than mine."
"Mother!"
Motoko's blush deepened.
"I think it best that you stay with us tonight," June stated. "It might still be out there, and it's best that we all stay together."
In the years that she'd trained under her sister Motoko had come to recognize the 'I'm not taking no for an answer' tone and June had clearly used that. "Ià" she started to say despite the hopelessness of the situation. The adrenaline rush she'd experienced while chasing after the demon and in the fight suddenly vanished as the threat had vanished. Staggering from the overwhelming pain she suddenly found herself in Jun's strong arms.
"Why don't we get you back to our cabin," June suggested as she guided them back towards the lone building. "I'll take a look at your wounds there."
X X X X X