Chapter 188

*750 XP Gained.*

 

I swiped out cleaning my borrowed blade of blood as I took Musashi’s Katana in my other hand.

 

“Sorry, I’m so tired of hearing people tell me how important they are. You were saying something?” I asked the man that oozed danger. Even with the Menpo he wore I could tell his jaw was open a bit as he realized what I had done.

 

This had already gone way too far for me to care about future trouble.

 

Tyger Claws had come to kidnap and harm me. To hold me against Jun. As far as I was concerned. Everyone needed to die.

 

“Well, I’ll be damned. This might actually be interesting.” He offered as he stepped forward idly pulling off his Menpo and tossing it behind him where one of his men snagged it. “Komorebi Izuku. I have some stupid nickname that I don’t care for.” He greeted me slowly drawing a pretty nice Katana from his hip.

 

“Motoko Kusanagi. I like to go by Ghost in the Shell, but some of the Tyger Claws that know me call me the Onryo, or Yurei I suppose.”

“Heh. Fitting.” He agreed, glancing at the dead bodies around me. “You certainly are. I’ll try not to kill you, but I can’t allow you to resist. Those are my orders.”

“When I take your life, I’ll ensure your family know, you died with a blade in your hand.” I responded back just as smoothly, and the man actually looked pleased by my words.

 

Fucking sword maniacs.

 

Then again I was about to have a Katana battle myself so how much room did I have to talk?

 

I breathed in and out, and settled my stance. I would be on the defensive at first. I had no idea how good this guy was. Luckily I had two blades, and no one really expected the Dual Wielding to be effective.

 

There was a flash of a headlights, a car traveling the street behind us, that set us off. He moved. Sandevistan. I recognized it and activated my own.

 

He was still fast. Definitely a higher end Sandy, he blurred, but the reaction time I gained was enough. His blade flashed, glowing under the streetlights and I deflected it off with a twisting parry, and pushing him back with a swipe in turn.

 

He stepped back, both of us turning off our Sandy as it would be needed for the future. The men behind him gasped in surprise.

 

“She blocked it!”

I blinked, was that… Was that supposed to be some super move or something? Like ‘Light Speed Flash’ Or something?

 

Oh fuck. Right. These were Tyger Claws. I was dealing with a bunch of weebs.

 

But the two of us didn’t say anything, he simply went in again. This time he attacked with skill and not just speed, a surprisingly dangerous series of moves, twice I had to actually step back despite having two blades to keep myself from being cut.

 

This seemed to push him on, but as he continued he quickly realized the truth.

 

He couldn’t touch me. My defense was simply better, no matter how hard he tried to batter through, or slip a blade into openings there simply wasn’t enough for him to make the strike.

 

Which is why I was watching calmly and prepared for when he would activate the Sandevistan again. Because that would be what determined the winner here. Who activated their chrome at the right time to slip a wound through before the other could activate their Sandy and defend.

 

We continued our battle, him hammering away, his endurance far greater than Musashi. Either good Syn-Lungs, or just trained endurance.

 

But the difference between Musashi and this guy was night and day. Musashi was a skilled arrogant kid to Komorebi’s actual worked in talent.

 

Plus he had good chrome.

 

This was much more fun.

 

I felt myself growing a smile as we battled, a web of steel around us as I deflected and swiped making sure he couldn’t go entirely on the offense. The sing of steel scraping against steel filled the street, the sound of cars and people still all around us.

 

For a moment I wasn’t Motoko the Merc, I was Motoko the Street Samurai.

 

Then it ended, not because one of us activated a Sandy, or because a blade found flesh, but because suddenly Komorebi’s eyes went yellow as he stepped back, getting distance before meeting my eyes.

“Do you mind?”

“Oh no please go ahead.” I offered back just as cooly, neither of us out of breath or even seemingly tired from our match.

 

He nodded and took the call that came in, while I focused on what I had earned.

 

Dozens of alerts flickered through my attention, but the ones that most interested me were Ninjutsu of all things. I had felt it while hunting all the boys down, acting as a shadow killing them one by one.

 

*Ninjutsu skill level up!*

 

*1 Perk Point Gained.*

 

Ninjutsu 10.

 

I had felt it, and used it in the last little fight. There had been no doubt in my mind while ripping these idiots apart that they could find me unless I wanted them too.

 

Now I had an extra perk. To grow even further beyond the skill. I looked through the list while Kemorebi continued to have a seemingly serious conversation.

 

I searched, using the time to try and find the perfect option considering that there wasn’t much else to do. There were a few things that caught my eye, but one of them finally made me lock it in.

 

Ninja Running: Not being seen is stealth as well. Move quietly, and quickly.

 

I blinked and a whole world of information slipped into my mind. I knew exactly how long it would take to move out of someone’s line of sight, and how to move fast enough to escape it. I felt myself smiling despite the situation when I realized that I could go full Batman on people and disappear as they looked away.

 

How fun.

 

I also had a half dozen Blades XP. Which was a lot for just one fight.

 

*100 Blades XP Gained.*

 

Komorebi spent a little longer on the phone call before finally his eyes blinked and the light disappeared.

 

“It seems this situation has reached the higher ups.” He offered with a sigh. Looking almost disappointed. “Our little match is over.”

“Oh?” I asked, not bothering to hide the sinister edge to my words. I had promised to murder anyone that stupid mob boss sent after me.

 

“Apologies, but I am being recalled. A meeting has been called about this situation. I no longer need to bring you in.”

 

I felt like twitching even if I didn’t move.

 

Of course I would find an actual sword battle to the death and it would end early. I wanted it to continue. To cut down this fucking gangster and his men, and then go and assassinate the man that was responsible for all of this.

 

But a moment later I got a call, my eyes turned yellow. I closed my eyes for a moment and when I opened them I offered an apologetic look to the man. “Give me a moment?”

“Take your time.” He replied back and I nodded.

 

The person on the line was Jun of course.

 

*Motoko! Thank God you picked up, you need to run now! Something big happened, and some of the Tyger Claws will be after you!*

 

*I know. I’m fine Jun, I’m standing across from a Komorebi, but he jus-*

*Run! Motoko run right now! Komorebi is-*

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

*Already leaving!* I called out speaking over Jun’s freakout. *He just got a call to head to a meeting and he isn’t going to force it with me anymore. What’s going on Jun. I was jumped by a bunch of shitlings, and-*

*They dared!?* He roared into the phone then he went really quiet. *I’m sorry. This is my fault Motoko… I’m…*

*Jun, apologize if you need to later, explain now. Please?*

*It’s Yuto, he made another attempt on Kisaru. Kisaru was injured and Moritaka-Sama is friends with… It doesn’t matter. Some of the people involved decided to bring me in front of them as punishment, but Akari… She backed me up. Told me what was up, and we got to Fujimura-sama. He demanded a full meeting, and so things should be calmer, but…*

 

*She okay?* I asked, realizing that Akari could be in a lot of shit for going against orders.

*That’s up to Fujimura-Sama… I hope so. But this is getting big. They are holding a meeting. Like I said, a lot of the Oyabuns will be there… It’s about Yuto, and what punishment I will be given for allowing this to happen… Motoko I got… I got a message from Fujimura-Sama, he is saying you need to come to the meeting too? Why do you need to come?* I could tell Jun was talking outside of the call, sounding distracted.

 

*Tell him to fuck off.* I grumbled still staring at Komorebi who was patiently waiting for my call to finish, his hand near his blade in case he needed to draw again.

 

*Motoko! Be polite!* Then he went silent again and I just rolled my eyes. *Motoko… Did you kill some gangers?*

*Yeah? There were like a dozen that went after me.* I replied back instantly. Best if Jun understands.

 

*Fuck.*

 

*Language.* I instantly teased back, but Jun didn’t respond.

 

*Motoko. I’m going to this meeting, and you need to come too. We need to offer an apology for you to the higher ups so they don’t put out a kill order for you.* Jun said, sounding serious, but I just scoffed.

 

*I’m getting real tired of Tyger Claw assholes telling me what to do today Jun.* I snapped back, making sure my anger and frustration was apparent.

*Please, Fujimura-Sama says we can get this handled tonight, but you need to come.*

 

I tsked, as I considered it but eventually my desire to not have to fight for my life constantly won out. *Fine.* I looked around and walked over to Musashi’s corpse pulling the fine scabbard for the Katana I had been using out of his belt. A moment later it was sheathed, and I had to look towards the corpses of the assholes around my car to try and remember which one of them I took the second Katana from…

 

I slumped and just tossed it aside. It wasn’t high quality like Musashi’s anyways.

 

“Looks like I’ll be seeing you again soon.” I called out to Komorebi as I ended the call with Jun and sent a last glance towards him and his chooms all standing near their bikes.

 

“Perhaps we will get to finish this match another time then.” He offered with the sound of someone looking forward to it.

 

“Yeah, I’ll kill you later.” I mumbled back, but instead of offending the man he only grinned at me before turning and climbing atop his bike.

 

This whole situation was a fucking disaster. I looked down at the blade in my hand. Well at least I got some loot out of all this.

 

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