The Hinomoto Rebellion (44 page)

Though he was stunned the Daimyo managed to scream “Bear! Foxfire! Ryoku! Get him!”

Shogun Kunota continued running, hoping he could somehow slip past the three men. He was closing distance with them fast just as the sound of shooting sounded from outside.

As Foxfire heard the Daimyo give his orders, he made a splitsecond decision. As fast as he could, Foxfire turned and punched Bear straight in the face, sending the larger man reeling straight into Ryoku and knocking both of them out of the Shogun’s path. Kunota ran past, his eyes wild, and Foxfire moved so he was between him and Yasakuto. He took a stance and held it.
This is for you and your Aka Ryuu, Andrea.

Below the streets 26 and the waiting
Kemono
heard screams and the sounds of gunfire. “Alright, let’s go!” shouted the Aka Ryuu, slinging Andrea’s katana over her shoulder as she grabbed the bottom rungs of the ladder up to the surface. She climbed quickly, aware that Deuce and the other
Kemono
were coming up right behind her. Just as she had almost reached the top of the ladder, the manhole cover was flung to the side and Roni and D looked down into the hole.

D reached down into the hole and seized 26’s wrist, hefting her the rest of the way up. Without a word she handed D the sword and he quickly attached it to his back. Deuce and a stream of other
Kemono
flowed up from the ground as the sky was suddenly filled with flying
Kemono
that were dropping from the tops of the buildings. The street had turned into a battlefield full of martial artists, policemen, humanoid beasts, and screaming civilians and journalists trying to flee from the scene.

Kanjou and Fushi charged at the line of policemen just as the officers opened fire on the approaching crowd of martial artists. Some of the more faint-hearted journalists behind the police were scattering in either direction, trying to get out of harm’s way, while the braver ones were either taking notes or continuing to roll their cameras as the
ronin
and
Kemono
army raced toward the line of police. Several fighters went down on the concrete as the wave of martial artists crashed over the line of officers.

The battle for Hinomoto had begun.
Chapter Sixteen
Break the Line

The sound of gunfire was barely audible in the Shogun’s office, but it still made Andrea stir slightly. She had been sitting with her head hanging ever since her chair had been set back upright, allowing the blood from her face to drip into her lap.
Gunfire... I wonder if that’s a good or a bad thing?

Andrea moved her head a little, trying to hear anything else from outside.
Screams. Lots of screams. Maybe he didn’t break his promise after all.

Andrea felt something hard under her chin. She opened her eyes enough to see the tip of Aki’s bo before her head was pushed up enough that she was forced to look in to her teal eyes. “Damn. I was hoping you had died,” Aki said, “Even though that would have made Daimyo Yasakuto angry, at least my revenge would be complete.”Aki scowled as she let Andrea’s head drop back down.

Andrea remained motionless, trying to hear as much as she could from outside. There was more gunfire and screaming, but nothing to indicate whether there was a battle or a slaughter going on. After another few minutes of trying to strain her ears Andrea finally moved her head enough to look up at Aki, who had been pacing back and forth across the room.

“Mm muff mm meh-meh,” said Andrea, her eyes cold. “What?” Aki asked, a cruel smirk on her face.
“Mm muff mm meh-meh, mmmif!”

Aki reached out and grabbed the gag that was in Andrea’s mouth, pulling it from her mouth. “Now, what was that?”

Andrea coughed and moved her jaw, grimacing at the pain that it caused her. “I said, turn on the T.V., dammit!” she commanded, using her head to motion to the television that was at the edge of her field of vision on her right.

Aki looked taken aback slightly, then smiled, a sadistic gleam on her face. “Alright then,” she purred as she crossed the room to turn on the box.

Kanjou smashed his fist into the face of a policeman as he raced through the line with Fushicho behind him. He’d seen the Shogun run into the building after pushing Yasakuto aside. Now the Daimyo had grabbed some policemen and was heading after Kunota, but Kanjou was determined to catch up to them.

Fushi’s leg lashed out at the face of a cop that was taking aim at Kanjou’s back. Her foot smashed his nose in and caused him to tumble to the ground, his face bloody. She turned and attacked a policeman to her left as Kanjou stopped for a moment, watching as the Daimyo entered the building, then turned and headed for a side entrance, pushing reporters and police out of the way as he ran.

Fushicho heard a click behind her. She turned quickly, recognizing the sound of a readying pistol when she heard it.
I’m not fast enough!
She realized with horror that she couldn’t get turned all the way around to kick the gun aside.

Just as the red-head got part of the way turned around, the uniformed policeman’s chest exploded in a shower of blood. Fushicho stopped in confusion as she watched the man slump to the ground. Standing behind him was a
ronin
holding an old katana, its blade stained and marked with years of wear. He pulled the blade out of the policeman and swiped to the side, flinging the blood from his sword. The
ronin
looked up at Fushicho as blood from a cut on his cheek trickled down his face. He nodded at Fushi and then turned his sword on another of the armed men.

Thanks,
Fushi thought as she ran forward.
“Fushi!”

The red-head turned and saw D and Roni running toward her. “Where’s Kanjou?” Roni asked, gasping for breath.

 

“He ran after the Daimyo and the Shogun!”

 

“Let’s go then!” said D.

 

Foxfire was prepared to take on anything to protect the Shogun’s retreat. He watched Daimyo Yasakuto get up off the floor and call for some of the police, then start heading toward him.
I’ll take on all of them if I have to. I don’t care,
he clenched his fists tightly and stood ready to attack the corrupt Daimyo and his police entourage.

As Foxfire prepared himself mentally for the coming attack, he didn’t realize that Bear was getting up off the floor behind him. Bear turned his small black eyes on Foxfire as blood trickled down the side of his face. Behind Bear, Ryoku stumbled to his feet and took off down the hall in the direction that Kunota had fled in.

Yasakuto stopped about 5 meters away from the defiant
ronin
. “You are standing in my way, Foxfire. Move.” he said, his voice emotionless.

Foxfire gritted his teeth. “No way,” he snarled, “I should have stood up to you a long time ago!”

A smirk worked its way across Yasakuto’s face. “Get out of my way, or I will personally see to it that your entire family is killed. Or did you forget about them?”

“I’m doing this
for
family! How can I face my children and my wife if I let evil scum like you win!? I know they would rather die than have me be your slave!”

Yasakuto glanced slightly at Bear. “Strong words... especially coming from useless
ochiudo
filth like you.” Daimyo Yasakuto nodded slightly, which made Foxfire arch a brow.

What the hell is he looking at?
thought the dark-skinned
ronin
. Before he could turn around Bear’s meaty hands came down with a crash on Foxfire’s neck. Caught completely off guard, he fell to the floor in a heap.

Yasakuto walked forward, motioning for the small police force he’d gathered to follow him. They did as ordered, and the Daimyo stepped over Foxfire as he said “Take care of him, Bear.”

Bear cracked his knuckles as Yasakuto and the police went past. “No problem.”

 

In Shogun Kunota’s office, Andrea and Aki watched the television broadcast. On the screen, a reporter that had picked up the camera her assistant had dropped was catching all the grim and gory details of the battle for Hinomoto. The video feed was punctuated by a never-ending narrative from the journalist.

“-there’s some sort of.. Monsters! There are big animal monsters coming down from the sky and out of the sewers now... This is just complete chaos down here! If you’re just tuning in, we are outside of the Capitol building in Shibasaki, where an army of
ochiudo
just came out of nowhere and started attacking police and bystanders! But now there are people covered in fur and with wings coming down from the sky! I don’t know what’s going on here, but I’ve never seen anything like this!”

More gunfire rang out on the television, which sent the reporter that was talking on the TV into a retreat. The camera jiggled wildly for a few moments before finally coming back to rest some distance away from the battle. “My god!” the reporter exclaimed, “The police are firing into the crowd! I don’t know what is going on here!”

Andrea smirked painfully.
It’s called ‘making things right.’

 

Foxfire groaned and moved slowly, his head spinning from the blow he’d received on the back of his neck. Just as his vision was beginning to clear, a large hand grabbed his ponytail and yanked upwards. Foxfire let out a curse as he was yanked to his feet. The world had turned into far away gunfire and sharp pain in his skull that was now punctuated by a blow to his gut.