The New Winds

For the first time he didn't have a mochi stand to work at. So he found the free time to finally try and practice his embarrassingly low iaijitsu ability. He really wanted to get good at it. He was likely to be mocked or insulted much of his life because of Emma-O's markings. One of his sensei had recommended he take lessons because of it.

Plus, the meditation earlier today had really made him calm enough to try and face another one of the things he'd been bad at.

Clunking around the bokken, he kept banging them against each other, which made a lot of noise. It sure sounded like there was a lot of people being rowdy outside. They'd probably want him to clean everything up tomorrow. Hopefully it wasn't too bad.

That's a bright light? Maybe there's a firework show he's missing?

They would've talked about fireworks, right?

No. Sensei said in a duel, you have to let the rest of the world fall away. There is only you and your opponent.

It was really hard to ignore all the noise, but Ginkarasu was nothing if not stubborn. It was a good test of his ability to focus.

There was a bunch of angry yelling.

Maybe the fireworks had ended abruptly?

No. FOCUS!

He did his best to repeat the draw and cut motion of an iaijitsu duel; for some reason he did a lot of standing upright, rolling backwards and then attempting to draw the blade as he stood up again.

If I get this right, I bet it'd look super cool.

He dusted himself off.

After the sixth time getting his bokken tangled between his legs during the roll, he decided there was likely a reason people didn't do this often. He'd definitely have to practice it in secret. He'd be a laughingstock, and if he ever did it in a duel and failed it'd be worse. But it might be good for a battlefield duel. A bit of a nod.

It'd grown quieter outside.

He should probably go get clean and get to rest. More testing tomorrow.

It took awhile to put back all the training dummies he'd been thwacking. And that stand of bokken he'd knocked over the 23rd time he'd tried the roll and cut.

Starting to yawn he bowed to the shrine of the Dojo, thanking its spirit for the space and tranquility to practice and learn.

He looked around again, making sure nothing was out of place.

Tatami mats. Check
Lanterns turned down. Check
Hole in the paper wall. Check
Wall Scrolls. Check
Training stands. Check

With a satisfied nod he turns to leave.

Wait.

He closed his eyes as his hand reached to slide open the door.

What? Ohno!Idamagedthedojo!HowdoIrepairthat?!

He ran over to the hole, hearing the crunch of hardened clay breaking. Looking down he was perplexed to think of how a roof tile had gone through the wall.

Bending down he looked through the hole.

He blinked a few times.

"CRACKED-MOSS-EATEN COIN FOUND IN DAIKOKU'S CUPBOARD!" He ran back to get a bokken as quick as he could.

All those bodies out there. All those small, kid-sized bodies in the dark.

A pit in the ground.

He gulped. "Okay. Something's killed all the other students. Its getting dark. You're a Crab." He had to talk it out. "Sure, Yasuki. But a Crab Bushi."

Fukorokujin's Lost Bookmark in Jurojin's Salty Soup this is bad!

"You don't know what's done it. Gotta be big, leave a big hole in the ground." He looks down at the bokken. "You can't kill something that big and dangerous."

He took deep, slow breaths. It was getting really hard not to panic.

He wasn't sneaky. He wasn't that smart. He wasn't lucky.

But there might be survivors. He could maybe lead whatever was out there away?

Yeah. Yeah. Where were the most guards? He could lead whatever it was to the guards. They'd take it out.

Or maybe the sensei? The sensei seemed more capable then the guards.

Another big gulp.

He'd have to prepare himself to scream. He could last long enough to scream. There were Crab here, they'd know what it meant.

He walked back to the door, step, step, step.

Everything was a bit blurry and his face felt a little wet, but.

Hand on door. He could do this. "I Can Do This."

Door slid open. He ran out, prepared to scream.

/scene.