Session 39. (22/5/02)

Sugiyama is in jail and things are looking hopeless. He has only a robe, there are bars on the windows and doors, and the walls are solid clay. However, Sugiyama prefers action to despair, so he takes his wood block pillow and starts trying to bash out the clay holding the bars in the window. A guard appears at the door and tells him to stop. When Sugiyama continues, the guard disappears for a while then returns with three others. With two blocking the door, two guards enter the room with swords drawn to take the wood block off Sugiyama. Sugiyama drops the block and kicks it over to the doorway. None of the guards take their eyes off Sugiyama, but with a lightning jujutsu move he shoulder-throws one of the guards so that he rolls into the doorway. The other guards move slightly and Sugiyama takes his chance, leaping into the slight gap between them. One of the guards manages to get a sword on Sugiyama and he falls between them, but quickly gets behind one of the guards and tries to draw the guard's second sword. The guard fumbles the sword and it falls to the ground. Sugiyama pushes the guard on top of the guard that was thrown into the doorway to increase the confusion, then picks up the dropped sword. The fourth guard slashes at Sugiyama but overbalances and stuns himself. Sugiyama nips behind him and uses Silent Kill to inconvenience him. Two more hits and he is dead, but by this time the other guards have sorted themselves out and are emerging from the doorway. Sugiyama runs round the corner of the corridor then nips into a doorway and waits for the chasers to arrive…

Meanwhile, Komako is heading cross-country towards Nango. On the way he encounters an o bakemono, a seven-foot ogre-like creature. It attacks, but hits its head on a branch. Komako gets a critical punch, hurting it, and follows up with a kick. The o-bakemono replies with a vicious swing of its tetsubo, which sets Komako's head ringing, but another punch floors the ogre. Komako presses on towards Nango and arrives at sunset. He quickly spies the two main buildings in the village and creeps closer. One is obviously a prison so he sneaks into the entrance. All at once he sees three guards rushing at him with swords drawn. He flinches but they just run past. The leading one suddenly stops with blood pouring from a wound. Komako asks what is happening but the guards just swear. Komako now sees that they are fighting with Sugiyama, who has by now finished off the first guard and started on the second. Komako turns to the third guard and hits him. The two heroes each dispatch their foes suffering only minor damage. They drag the bodies into Sugiyama's cell and go searching for Sugiyama's equipment and the priestess. They find the priestess first. Unfortunately for her she is still living through the alternative future she chose in order to avoid being killed the first time, and cannot cast prophesy for several more hours. Sugiyama and Komako charge towards Takayama. Sugiyama lands a blow with his borrowed sword and Komako knocks her out with a heavy punch. They search the room but find nothing. Sugiyama examines the priestess' body and pronounces her dead, having snapped her neck while Komako's back was turned. Then they go to look for Sugiyama's equipment. They find it in a room occupied by one guard. Sugiyama bursts in and cuts the guard down in a brief fight. Two other guards hear the commotion and come to help, but are intercepted by Komako. Komako drops one with a stunning kick, then he and Sugiyama finish the other between them. They gather up the equipment, slip out of the building and out of the village, and head for home.

In Nobeoka, Kimori receives a message. It is from Mizuno, the marriage broker. He says that he has set up a meeting for Kimori to see his prospective bride and her father at their estate in just a week's time. Kimori, gripped by nerves worse than facing an enemy army without his big chopper, immediately arranges even more intensive rhetoric lessons with Mariko. He studies this for seven days then goes back to his music teacher to polish his biwa skills. The teacher works with him on two pieces of music so that while Kimori's skill doesn't improve, he is better able to play those tunes than any others. Meanwhile, Mariko masters the biwa, Emiko masters bojutsu and goes looking for a weaponsmith to create for her a lightweight bo, Komako improves his butso-do and Sugiyama devises and trains in taisabaki, a skill for body positioning during combat. Finally, to get over his nerves, Kimori plays his selected pieces to the others. However, he does not impress...

Next week: All right on the night?

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