Act IV: Unwanted Visitors

     Tired out by a hard day's work, Munenori and Miya head back to the building. They talk
along the way.
     "Well, thanks for helping out at the site," Miya acknowledges.
     "You can have my pay for the work."
     "Really? You don't need it?"
     "Trust me, I have enough money to handle my situation," Munenori answers.
     "Well, thanks again."
     Munenori and Miya reach the building. They walk inside, and immediately the door is
closed behind them by a man dressed fairly well considering the area they are in.  They see that
Ami and Kiko are being held by two other men.
     Miya turns to face the man who closed the door, "Atsumori, let them go!"
     The man slaps her in the face and she falls to the ground. Munenori stays back watching.
     "Dumb girl, you will refer to me as Mizuno-sama," the man speaks.
     Miya stares at him from the ground and grumbles, "What do you want?"
     Mizuno speaks, "I want my payment."
     "I don't have it yet, give me a little more time," Miya replies.
     "You're running out of time, little girl," Mizuno continues. "If you don't get the money
to me, something sorrowful may happen to one of your friends."
     Mizuno pulls out a knife and aims it first at Kiko. The man holding her has a knife of his
own that he holds up to her throat. Miya looks on with fear showing on her face. Mizuno moves
his knife towards Ami, and the man holding her pulls out a knife and holds it to her throat.
     "Yes, maybe this one," Mizuno says.
     "No!" Miya screams out. "They have nothing to do with it, don't hurt Ami!"
     Mizuno acts surprised. "So, you don't want me to hurt your little sister, huh? Well, than
who should I hurt? Someone needs to pay for your mistakes."
     Mizuno eyes all of them, before he notices Munenori standing off to the side.
     "Who's this?" Mizuno asks. "I haven't seen him around before. Miya!? Is he a client?
You need money THAT bad?"
     "No," she quickly says. "He's just a friend."
     "A friend, eh? Well, maybe your friend is interested in paying your debt."
     "Maybe I am," Munenori speaks up.
     "Oh really?" Mizuno asks a little startled. "You're going to pay this pathetic girl's debt?"
     "Yes."
     "Well, then let's see the money!" Mizuno orders.
     "I don't have money with me, give me a day and I'll get it."
     Miya and the others stare at Munenori. They are thinking he's only 14 years old, how
could he have much money.
     "No, I'm not waiting any longer," Mizuno speaks.
     "Fine," Munenori announces determined. "Then I'll pay for her payment whatever way
you wish."
     "No, Munenori. Don't get involved!" Miya shouts out.
     "Sacrificing yourself for this girl?" Mizuno questions.
     "Think of it whatever way you want. Just let them go," Munenori answers.
     "DON'T!" Miya shouts again.
     "Okay, boys, make him pay up."
     The other two men let go of Kiko and Ami as they brandish their knives towards
Munenori. They each take one side of Munenori. They start taking a couple steps forward. Miya,
Ami, and Kiko look on in fear. Kiko, who is holding on to Ami, covers her eyes.
     When they are both within a foot of Munenori, he pulls out his ryousha tsurai gijo and in
one swift motion slashes open each man's stomach with one of them. Disemboweled, the two
men fall to the floor. A look of astonishment flashes over Miya and Kiko's eyes. Mizuno stares
slightly disturbed.
     Munenori stands from his crouched position. He wipes his weapons off and places them
back under his jacket. He then walks towards Mizuno who remains mostly unfazed.
     "So now what, boy?" Mizuno asks. "You going to kill me too?"
     Munenori doesn't answer. He delivers a hard strike, just below the man's rib cage, and
drives upward. The wind is knocked completely out of Mizuno, and the old man collapses to his
knees. Munenori then grabs his head, which is by his waist, and slams it backwards into the wall
of the building. The shock makes a few small pieces of plaster fall from the dilapidated ceiling.
Barely able to see straight, Mizuno gets his head forced up to look Munenori in the eyes.
     Munenori simply says to answer his previous questions, "Yes."
     "Miya, Kiko, keep Ami in here," Muennori orders as he carries the old man outside the
building. Miya looks at Kiko and then runs after him.
     "Munenori! What are you doing!?" she shouts.
     "You don't want to see what I'm going to do. It's bad enough you had to see what
happened to the other two men in there."
     "Stop it, you can't just kill people," she exclaims. "Do you know what kind of toll it
takes on someone's soul?"
     "Have you ever killed before?" Munenori questions while holding the man by the throat.
     "No," she answers.
     "Then don't talk to me about killing. I started almost as soon as I could walk."
     "But...but..." she stutters. "How is that possible?"
     "Because of these," Munenori tells her as he pulls out his weapons. "Now go away, cause
I won't wait any longer for you to shield your eyes."
     Miya takes another step closer, and Munenori responds by driving one of his weapons
straight down into the throat of Mizuno. They hear a gargling sound as the blood fills the
screaming man's throat. Munenori tosses the body to the side like a piece of trash. Miya stares
on helplessly.
     "That's death, and don't preach to me about what it can do," Munenori says to her coldly
as he walks back into the house.
     Miya hurriedly follows him into the house. She finds him and Kiko watching Ami throw
a fit.
     "Bad man. I'll teach people like that how to treat my sister," she says angrily.
     "Ami," Miya says sternly. "You won't do anything, hear me?"
     "But...but," Ami stutters.
     "You will not harm another living creature," as she finishes her statement, Miya stares
irately at Munenori. "See what kind of thoughts you are putting into her head?"
     "What!?" Munenori asks angrily. "I taught her a defensive move so she might avoid
being hurt, and now you are saying I have turned this four-year old into a sadistic devil?"
     "Wouldn't be that far from what you are," she says disrespectfully.
     "Then what are you?" he asks.
     "Huh?"
     "Might I ask what that guy meant by ‘client'?" Munenori questions.
     Miya stands up and slaps Munenori while stating, "That's none of your business."
     "Whatever it means, I don't really care. I just hope you don't have anymore of these guys
chasing after you."
     "No, he was the only one," Miya replies.
     Munenori comments with a laugh, "Well, now you don't have to worry about paying
him."
     Miya just stares at him before saying, "I would have preferred to be the honest person
and paid him back. No, he was not a good person, but I am just trying to be the best person I can
be. But you wouldn't understand that, now would you."
     Miya walks out of the building. Kiko follows her out with Ami. Munenori stares at the
door they walked out of for a moment. He turns back to face the bloody pile of the two men he
slaughtered originally. He walks over and begins cleaning the mess.

     Kiko, while holding Ami by the hand, catches up to Miya.
     "Miya, where are you going?" Kiko asks.
     "Anywhere that jerk isn't," she retorts.
     "What's your problem? He saved us from that terrible man."
     Miya stops and turns on Kiko, "What's MY problem? You think it is alright to kill
someone?" Miya questions. She looks at Ami and ands, "And in front of such a young child.
Who knows what damage he has done to her."
     "Look at her, really look at her," Kiko tells Miya. Miya looks at Ami's face. It trembles
slightly as if about to cry.
     "Look at her, she is more upset at your yelling than the violence she just saw."
     Miya takes Ami out of Kiko's hands. She wipes a tear out of Ami's eyes.
     "Don't be mad at Munenori-san," Ami implores.
     "Fine, but he better watch what he is doing. If it weren't that we were living in such a
rundown place, he would probably already be facing execution."
     "Not likely," a voice comments from behind them.
     "Munenori!" Ami shouts.
     "Hey," Miya says angrily. "How did you sneak up behind us like that?"
     "You have lived in the city long enough to know that being able to not be heard is an
important skill."
     Miya smirks, "So, you think you would escape the law by walking silently?"
     "Walking, no, running, yes," Munenori answers.
     "Running? Silently? how?" Miya asks. "You didn't run here, did you? No, you had to
have walked. Simple enough, you just followed us here by walking after we left."
     "Actually," Munenori pauses. "I cleaned the little mess I left in the house and added it to
my little pile outside the house. If I were walking I think it would have taken a little longer for
me to get here than it did."
     Miya starts to get angry at Munenori and sets Ami down, "Wouldn't it have been to not
create a ‘pile' at all?"
     "Wouldn't it have been easier to make money yourself instead of getting it from a loan
shark?"
     Miya stops and just stares at him.
     "I think he's got you there, Miya," Kiko comments.
     Miya turns on Kiko again, "No one asked you!"
     Munenori laughs. Miya continues devouring Kiko, "You're my friend, right? Where did
taking his side come in?"
     As Miya continues her berating, Munenori picks up Ami who is happy for the attention
and they begin walking away. As they reach halfway down the road, Miya finally notices them.
     "Hey! Wait for me!"
     Miya begins running clumsily making a lot of noise as Kiko calls out after her, "I'm
going home, Miya! See you another time!"
     Miya calls back without turning, "See you later!"
     Miya catches up with Munenori.
     "Did I say you can leave?" Miya asks.
     "Can you make any more noise running?"
     "Hey, I don't usually need to run, sorry," she says annoyed.
     "Well, I'll have to teach to run more smoothly sometime. You might need it."
     "What are you trying to say?" she questions. "That I will get into more trouble and need
to know how to escape it by running?"
     "Don't read too much into it," Munenori advises.
     He continues, "And by the way, there are other reasons why I would not have to face
execution."
     "And what are they?" Miya asks unbelieving.
     Munenori copies her former response, "None of your business."
     "Come on, sister, let's go home!" Ami exclaims.
     "Alright, Ami," Miya concedes. "We'll go home."
     "Do I still have a place to stay?" Munenori asks.
     "Of course you do," Miya says.
     Ami exclaims again, "Yeah!"
     "Well, I just thought I had done something wrong," Munenori comments.
     "You did do something wrong," Miya replies.
     Munenori stops and looks at her. She glances at him and remarks, "But I obviously can't
take care of myself."
     She walks away arrogantly. As she passes an old wood fence, she delivers a punch into
one and the board splinters. Miya skips ahead merrily.
     "You got an interesting sister, Ami," Munenori mentions.
     "Sister refuses to teach me whatever it is she knows. I'm happy you did," Ami tells
Munenori.
     "Well, there is a lot more where that came from," Munenori tells her.
     From off in the distance Miya calls back, "And you are not going to teach her any of it.
Hear me!?"
     Munenori shakes his head and they continue walking back to the building.