Act VIII: Old Things Grow Tiresome and Useless

     The ships of Venus take off to meet the ships of Earth and it's moon. Akari speaks over
the communication system to the fleet.
     "We will all concentrate on a certain part of the barrier. Get the most firepower into one
region and we can break through. Then it's on to Europa where we will attack alongside our
friends from the outer territories. Good luck to you all."
     The ships charge forward. A relatively small part of the Martian border is bombarded by
attacks. It is not long until the fleet breaks through. Reinforcements from other areas of the
Martian barrier join in the fight, and some ships stay behind to ward them off so as to allow time
for the others to get away.
     With Jupiter in sight, the ships continue their rapid pace moving closer and closer to the
base colony of the empire. Soon, they can see Europa in the distance. Large Imperial ships
surround it, but fighting has begun on the other side. The side facing the ships from Venus and
Earth is less guarded for some ships were called away to fight the ships from the outer colonies.
     Akari orders, "We must take this opportunity our friends have provided us with. For the
greater good, attack!"
     The fleet engages the Imperial guard in battle. Ships fly around wildly in one on one
combat as big battleships shoot from afar. The larger ships of the resistance fleet close in on the
battleships.
     A small group breaks away from the rest. It is Akari and Miya's ship along with a few
other transports. They descend upon the moon of Jupiter. They get as close as they can to the
building that acts as the center of the government without being shot down. They land a short
distance away and the ships unload.
     A man accompanies Akari and Miya, "We advise that you stay back while our men clear
things out some. We can not take everything out, but we can make a path for you. You will be
joined by our best fighters when we storm the throne room where the emperor surely is. As you
already know, it's on the very top of the building. Just above his office. We will have to barge in
there coming up from the bottom. It's our only option."
     "Than act on it," Akari commands.
     "Yes, ma'am."
     The large group or resistance moves forward. They fight Imperial soldiers as they begin
closing in on the building. Soon, they break into the building, fighting off the guards and
charging upwards.
     Akari, Miya, and the elite force follow behind the original force until they reach the top
floor of offices. Akari and Miya get into the middle of the elite soldiers. All together they charge
up into the Emperor's suite. They break through the various chambers until there is just one
room left. It is the room that acts as the throne room. The group knocks the door down and
enters.
     There is only one man in the room. No guard, just one man wearing a black gi. The elite
soldiers surround the room. It has become apparent that the one man is Emperor Tsujimoto.
Akari move forward to address the man, Miya steadily rising into her stance and Akari arming
herself.
     Akari addresses the man, "You, who have caused so much pain, turn around and face
me."
     "It seems my short-lived time as ruler has ended," Tsujimoto says unmoving.
     "Do you acknowledge this?" Miya questions. "Will you surrender?"
     "I am a warrior," Tsujimoto states. "I am not willing to fall. I will never surrender."
     "Your guards are dead, your armies are being destroyed. And you are surrounded," Akari
declares. "Do you really think you stand a chance?"
     Tsujimoto turns and asks, "Will you face me?"
     Akari looks surprised, "Huh?"
     "One big final battle," he says. "Most of the people I have killed were killed in covert
fashion. I am a shinobi. My technique lies in the shadow. And yet, it seems that person to person
was enough to finish off your cousin."
     Akari tries to hold back her anger. Tsujimoto finally notices Miya and says, "Oh, it's you,
is it? Then why don't you challenge me as well? Two on one sounds fair enough to me."
     Miya prepares for a fight, "You don't know how much you have hurt me. I will have my
revenge."
     Tsujimoto laughs a little, "Do you think I care about your vengeance? Or your hurt? I
have done more than my fair share of hurting, as well as having received such wounds in this
life. Do you really think it would matter to me now what you feel?"
     "No, it just proves what a monster you really are!" Miya shouts.
     "I'm no monster," Tsujimoto responds. "I am motivation."
     "Motivation to kill is not admirable, Tsujimoto," Akari remarks.
     "I'm not talking only about killing, although some might find it admirable," Tsujimoto
begins. "I'm talking about history. No matter what good idea you decide upon, stick with it long
enough and it will turn bad. A nation selects a strong trustworthy leader, and in time he turns
into an old, hypocritical liar. The universe is for individuals who wish to grasp their own wishes,
hopes, dreams, and anything you can imagine."
     "If you are talking utopia here, you definitely failed," Miya chimes in.
     "No, that's not it," Tsujimoto replies. "Utopia for all is impossible. One person's heaven
is another's hell. You should know that to be true. Is it so wrong for me to want to create my
own utopia?"
     Akari interjects, "It is if it hurts others."
     "Are you going to stick with that narrow-minded idea?" Tsujimoto asks.
     "I will for as long as people are hurting," Akari tells him. "And I know they are."
     Tsujimoto stares directly into Akari's eyes, not turning away, "Stick with something long
enough and it will turn bad. You use that same frame of mind over and over. And not only that,
but your choice of how to fight comes up as the same over and over."
     "I will fight you to the end however I must,: Akari aggressively tells him.
     "Then we have a fight between the two of us," Tsujimoto grins. "And the same technique
over and over will not work."
     Tsujimoto's icy stare works it's way into Akari's system. With the idea of a one on one
challenge in everyone's mind, Tsujimoto lunges forward at Akari. She tries to fall back on her
reaction given to her through her family, but she can't lift her weapon. Tsujimoto slams a strike
into Akari's throat and she falls to her knees, one hand on the floor with the weapon steadying
herself, the other holding her throat.
     Tsujimoto stands straight, "Old things grow tiresome and useless."
     "How dare you!" Miya shouts out.
     She lets out one of her forceful strikes on Tsujimoto. Hardly moving, he catches her by
the wrist, wrenches her arm downward, and throws her to the floor.
     "Is there anything else you'd like to try?" he asks.
     The elite soldiers start moving in, but Akari calls out, "Stop! Let us handle this."
     The soldiers back away again and Akari struggles to her feat.
     "Ah, I must admire the spirit of you people to push on with so much pressure against
you," Tsujimoto says as he locks eyes with Akari again. Miya looks on from the floor, going
back and forth between the two. "Tell me, are you feeling a little crushed?"
     Akari legs begin to tremble, Tsujimoto moves forward again and lands a harsh strike into
the stomach and follows it with a chop to the neck. Akari falls to the ground again. Tsujimoto
stands straight once again.
     "Is that all you can bring me?"
     Akari struggles to her feet again.
     "I must punish you for your treason even more?" Tsujimoto questions.
     "It's not treason if I beat you," she responds staring at him.
     "Ah, so true," Tsujimoto says. "The winner decides what is right."
     "No," Akari responds. "It is not right. None of this is right. If it were right you would be
running this government to give everyone the best possible lives they could have. We may never
reach utopia for everyone, but at least we can give the people a little something to enjoy on their
comparatively short period of time in this life."
     "Aww, such sweet sentiments," Tsujimoto says matching her stare. "Too bad they aren't
realistic. Unrealistic as the way you fight me!"
     Akari seems frozen as Tsujimoto sets himself into stance this time. Miya suddenly speaks
up, "Akari!"
     Her concentration is broken and she looks towards Miya.
     Miya shouts, "Don't look into his eyes."
     "Huh?"
     "AHHH!"
     Tsujimoto charges forward to attack Akari. She has no time to see what is going on, she
just reacts. The tip of her weapon as it is flung around in her ‘dance' digs into Tsujimoto's arm
and he backs away holding it in a slightly bent forward standing position.
     "Hey..." Akari stutters. "I... I did it that time."
     "It was his eyes," Miya tells her. "He was controlling you with his eyes. He's become
such a strong shinobi that a trick of hypnotism through his stare worked even against your years
of ancestors trying to help."
     "You are a smart girl," Tsujimoto says. "But possessed or not you WILL lose."
     Out of nowhere Tsujimoto drops a smoke bomb that fills the room with white smoke.
Akari's eyes start to tear up. Bursting out of the cloud comes Tsujimoto, a small dagger in hand.
Akari can't see through it all. Tsujimoto rips the blade into her shoulder. She lets out a wail in
pain as she begins to fall over, dropping her weapon.
     Tsujimoto rips the blade back out and goes for the kill. From his side, Tsujimoto is hit
with multiple strikes from Miya, who has emerged from the smoke.
     "Years of dealing with odd characters in the city has taught me a thing or two about
fancy tricks like these."
     Tsujimoto falls to his hands and knees, dropping his dagger, but he is quickly back up.
     "Little girls, you don't know what you're getting into," Tsujimoto says as he sends a
shuriken into the window, shattering it. 
     He starts running towards it. From his gi he pulls out a rope with a hook on the end. He
throws the grappling hook on the edge of the opening. While still running towards it, multiple
guards emerge, cutting him off. He stops immediately as they all stare him down.
     "You are not getting away," Akari says climbing back to her feet.
     "No, Akari, lie down, rest," Miya pleads.
     "No, I am going to finish this," Akari declares walking towards Tsujimoto without her
weapon. "I will do this by myself. I need no help from my ancestors."
     "You are a foolish one," Tsujimoto says.
     "No, I believe the foolish one is you," Akari retorts. "For believing your own
invincibility."
     As she nears, Tsujimoto decides to strike again. With a punch going out, Akari reacts and
grabs his wrist. She pulls him around to her side and then flips him. Rather than landing on his
back like most inexperienced opponents she may have faced, Tsujimoto rolls and uses the
momentum to break free of her grasp.
     "Is that it?" he says. "You are like your cousin, or should I say a little less."
     "I am who I am," Akari responds.
     "A noble remark," Tsujimoto acknowledges. "Tell me, do you know anything other than
Aikido? I am sure that was what it was. Your cousin used it along with his own interesting
inherited form of Ninjutsu. It made an interesting combination. But he couldn't beat me. Naitsuu
couldn't beat me with his mastery of the peaceful martial art. Even the great Rakushoda couldn't
beat me."
     Everyone in the room is startled by this announcement.
     "That's right, I defeated Hirohisa Rakushoda. Not long after his defeat of Tenkei
Hachimonguu. I'll have you know the emperor had me assigned to Tenkei's assassination the
very night that Rakushoda killed him," Tsujimoto stops to admire the effect his words are having
on those around him. "Just be happy that I can't add Naitsuu's father to my list of people you
know who I killed."
     "Whatever I know will be enough," Akari states. "Peaceful it may be, but I will still
make you squeal."
     "Not likely."
     Akari falls back into stance. Tsujimoto does so as well.
     "If you are so good, attack me," Tsujimoto says.
     "You know well enough I won't attack," Akari says. "I can turn that back on you. If you
are so good, attack me."
     With little warning, Tsujimoto lunges forward and grabs Akari's wrist. He starts bringing
her in. Miya watches on with horror as she starts to relive Munenori's death. 
     Miya says to herself, "Tsujimoto is going for the same move. He is going to break
Akari's neck!"
     Akari suddenly shifts weight. She goes beneath, taking Tsujimoto off his feet and
throwing him back first on the floor with a loud crash. Using the shock value of the reversal she
then forces Tsujimoto on to his stomach and pins him. The elite soldiers crowd in, tying him up,
and taking him out. Akari walks over to Miya.
     "I was so scared when I saw that," Miya begins. "He was going to do to you what he did
to Munenori."
     "Yeah, well, the same technique over and over will not work," Akari quotes.
     Miya laughs a little, and so does Akari. The two of them join one of the remaining
soldiers who escorts them out of the building to safety.