Act V: Threaten No One But Me

     The morning sun creeps through the old windows of the building. A stray ray of it lies on
Munenori's face. He wakes from his sleep, lets out a large yawn, and looks over the room. He
sees Miya kneeling beside Ami who is still sleeping.
     Miya looks a little distraught as she brushes a strand of hair away from Aim's face.
Munenori stands up and sits down next to her. Miya hardly acknowledges that he's there. They
sit silently until Miya finally speaks up.
     "She deserves so much better than this."
     Munenori looks up from Ami and looks at Miya, "That's why you always take her on
walks in the countryside."
     Miya looks up at Munenori, "It's about the best I can do for her."
     "Munenori-san! Sister!" Ami exclaims in a sleepy voice.
     "Ami, you are awake."
     "Sister, can we go somewhere today?" Ami asks.
     "Where do you want to go?"
     "I want to chase butterflies!" Ami announces playfully as she stands up excitedly.
     Munenori jumps to his feet and shouts, "Yeah! I want to chase butterflies too!"
     Ami giggles and Munenori continues, "Come on, sister, pleeeaaaasssseee!"
     Miya laughs a little and says, "Fine, we'll go for a walk today.
     Munenori and Ami exclaim together, "Yeah!"
     Miya stands up, "Well, come on then. Let's go."
     Munenori picks up Ami and together the three of them leave the house for a walk around
the mountain. A little time passes and they reach a field full of flowers. Munenori lets Ami down
and sees runs off ahead chasing the butterflies she so badly wanted to.
     "I'm surprised you do so well with her," Miya comments.
     "Why is that?" Munenori asks.
     "Well, you just seem somewhat like a violent person."
     "Violent maybe, but that doesn't mean I am heartless."
     "I think anyone who kills is heartless," Miya says turning away from Munenori.
     Slightly angered, Munenori speaks, "Well, I think it's a crime that someone so young and
beautiful would waste there time with something so perverted."
     Miya turns to stare at him, "What are you talking about?"
     "I can kinda tell what that Mizuno guy meant," Munenori tells her.
     "So you guessed it, huh?" Miya replies turning away once again and staking a few steps
away.
     Munenori begins walking after her as he speaks, "You don't have t-"
     "It was the best I could do at the time," Miya cuts him off. "I couldn't let Ai's life be any
worse."
     Miya stops walking and Munenori walks up behind her as she continues, "I didn't do it
for long, just there was no other way to get the money I needed. I realize it was a bad choice, so
now I work wherever I can get it. Unfortunately, it's not enough. That's how I get involved with
those loan shark guys."
     Munenori remains speechless. Miya turns back towards him, "They were the most awful
experiences of my life. I felt so used, but I had to, for Ami."
     "You know Ami would have understood if you didn't have the means to take care of
her," Munenori tries to comfort.
     "I didn't care if she understood or not. It isn't fair for her. I just hope she never has to go
through that."
     "How long did you do that?" Munenori asks.
     "A couple months," Miya suddenly breaks down and starts crying. Munenori awkwardly
lets her cry on his shoulder. "I feel so selfish because now we are in trouble financially again. I
can't even afford food for her anymore and I put her in danger like yesterday."
     Munenori slowly wraps his arms around her. "It will be okay now, though."
     She backs up, still in his embrace, "How?"
     "I will make it so."
     She repeats herself, "How?"
     You will know soon enough."
     Miya places her back on Munenori's shoulder, trying to wipe away her tears. Munenori
continues trying to comfort her.
     The moment is shattered as a loud shriek breaks through the air.
     Munenori and Miya let go of each other and in unison call out, "Ami!"
     They look down the road and see a man, with a mask on, holding on to Ami. Once the
man is sure they have seen him, he darts into the woods. Miya and Munenori quickly run after
the man.
     They run through the woods, tripping over roots as they go. The man who has Ami
appears more sure-footed than they are, and every once in awhile stops to make sure they can see
him.
     Eventually they come out in an open area surrounded by trees on the perimeter. There is
a house here, on the opposite side of the clearing. Side by side, Munenori and Miya walk
towards the house. The man with Ami appears at the doorway.
     "Ami!" Miya shouts reaching out with her hand.
     As Miya starts walking forward, tears in her eyes, Munenori stays back. He observes the
area and he notices a couple dark figures advancing from out of the shadows of the woods.
     "Miya! Get back!" Munenori shouts.
     A throwing knife splits the air as it heads towards Miya. Just before it hits her, Munenori
darts in and deflects it with one of his weapons.
     "Watch it, Miya!" he warns.
     Back to back, Munenori and Miya get surrounded by four men, dressed similarly to the
man holding Ami.
     Miya sets her stance as two men advance towards her. She quickly move forward and
lands a hard strike into one man's mid-section and follows it up with a strike under the chin. She
moves to her side and lands a harsh chop into the chest of the other man, and he is knocked into
the air a couple feet away from her.
     Munenori has his weapons drawn as two men advance on him. One carries a small
sword. The man with the sword lunges at Munenori, and he blocks the attack, catching the sword
in one of his weapons. The other man moves behind Munenori and grabs one of his arms.
Munenori loses one of his weapons as he gets disarmed. 
     Munenori takes a forceful step forward breaking away from the man who disarmed him.
His free hand grabs the shoulder of the man with the sword, which is still caught in Munenori's
remaining weapon. Munenori then swiftly moves and tosses the man into the other and releases
the sword from his weapon as they both go tumbling to the ground. As the four regroup, Miya
moves to stand next to Munenori who picks up his disarmed weapon.
     Munenori motions for Miya to walk to the right of the group as he moves to left. Soon,
they are on opposite sides of the waiting group. 
     Munenori charges forward. The first man he faces throws a strike at him. Munenori takes
one side of his weapon he holds with his left hand and runs the blade up through the man's arm.
He follows up by driving his other weapon into the man's stomach. He swiftly slides to his right
and pulls out both weapons in the process.
     The man with the sword lunges at him next. He knocks the attack away with the side of
his left weapon. He then drives the right one up through the man's head. He then pulls the man
over his shoulder, and as the man hits the ground the weapon draws out of his skull.
     On the other side, Miya jumps into action with the first man she faces. She deflects the
man's strike with her right arm, and then drives her left knee into the man's side. She follows
that up by landing a strike into the throat with her right hand, and then punches the man with her
left. She then finally swings her left hand back forcefully, knocking the man to the ground
unconscious.
     She faces the next man. They get locked in a stare down. The man charges forward, and
Miya nails a harsh blow just underneath the rib cage that knocks the breath out of the man. He
takes a couple steps back, holding his mid-section. He turns his back to Miya hoping to escape.
When he looks up he sees Munenori. Munenori tosses both his weapons towards the man who by
reaction catches one in each hand. Munenori then runs forward and lands a hard chop to the side
of the man's neck, he falls to one knee and lets go of the weapons. Munenori then knees him in
the face, and he falls backwards unconscious.
     Munenori picks up his weapons and joins Miya who stare a the man in the doorway.
     The man speaks, "We have no time to deal with you little girls, we just want this man."
     "Well, I'm here. Now let them go," Munenori announces.
     The man pulls out a no-dachi from his large sheath with one hand. He moves the long
sword behind him mostly in the house. He sets down Ami who runs quickly to her sister.
     Munenori speaks to them, "Get out of here, let me handle this."
     "But, Munenori..." Miya protests.
     "Get out of here!" Munenori says sternly.
     Reluctantly, Miya picks up Ami and begins walking away. Once away from the clearing
she turns back and watches.
     "Who sent you?" Munenori demands.
     "That's not your problem," the man replies. "You have to worry about already."
     Angered, Munenori runs forward. As he nears the wood building, the man grabs on to the
handle of his sword with both hands and rips the blade through the wall. Wood pieces fly
through the air and Munenori is forced to stop and block the pieces. The man is immediately
charging forward. He runs the blade through Munenori's right shoulder. Munenori screams in
pain.
     Miya looks on fearfully from the woods. The man steps to the side and withdraws his
sword from the wound. Munenori backs away from the man, trying to hold his shoulder, whilst
also holding his weapon in his left hand.
     The man with the no-dachi raises it above his head. In a powerful downward motion he
brings it towards Munenori's throat.
     "Munenori!" Miya shouts unable to contain herself.
     The sound of metal clashing against metal rings out into the forest. Munenori struggles to
hold back the sword with his left weapon. He stopped the blade less than an inch from the right
side of his throat.
     "You're gonna have to do better than that," he struggles to say as he fights with all his
strength.
     Finally Munenori shoves the man away and each fighter regroups.
     "You are stronger than I thought," the man says. "Not what I expected from such a
weakly looking person as yourself."
     "Well, looks aren't everything."
     To the man's surprise, Munenori charges forward, even without the use of his right arm,
and strikes with his left weapon. The man blocks it with his sword, but now he is on the
receiving end.
     "You have heart, kid," the man comments. "But skill is what's important."
     The man positions his sword low and forces Munenori down with it. Munenori thinks to
himself, No, I know what is happening. I have done similar things like this before. Anyone who
gets a weapon caught in my weapons I can force to the ground because they have lost control.
Only once can I remember losing such control. With Akari, when we first met. I nearly killed
Naitsuu, but she blocked me with her own weapon. I attacked her with my free one and she
blocked that too. I remember being forced along by her, and then forced to drop my weapons in
order to free them. What do I do now? 
     The man inches closer, bringing the blade closer to Munenori's face as he holds his
weapon to the ground.
     "Can't move, can you?" the man asks. "I think it's time I finished you off."
     The man leans in on his blade bringing it dangerously close to Munenori. Just as
Munenori feels the man's weight transfer onto the blade, and he picks his moment. Munenori
drops his weapons and moves to his left. The man loses his balance and topples forward. The
blade misses Munenori's head, but slices deeper into his right shoulder. Munenori holds back a
scream, and moves the weapon he still holds in his right hand to his left, and drives it into the
man's side. The man screams in pain.
     "Now I finish you off," Munenori exclaims as he rips his weapon out and drives it
through the top of the man's head. He states, "Finished."
     Miya comes running out of the woods, "Munenori! I can't believe you did it!"
     She wraps her arms around his neck. He grimaces, but takes it.
     "I'm so happy you're alive," she tells him.
     "Happy?" Munenori questions. "I thought you didn't like killing."
     "Oh, you had no choice," she answers him. "I'm just happy you are alive."
     Munenori grunts at his injuries. "Look at you, w need to get you to a doctor," Miya
declares. "But where? And they won't help you unless you can pay for it."
     "Get me to the launch station."
     "The launch station?"
     "Trust me, I can handle it there."
     "Okay. But you'll need to do something, cause you won't make it there like this."
     Ami joins them and Miya helps Munenori walk.