A Sword That Cannot Be Bought [Mission]

Posts : 65

Mission Obj.:

Galateia had been sitting by the tree with her eyes closed for a while, she was waiting for Aoi to go to sleep so that she could wander off again. Lately she‘s been going through some weird times, ever since she fought off the guards of a businessman and killed him because he oppressed the warriors of that small town. For some reason it felt strange, having killed someone who wasn‘t a fighter, who did not oppose her in any way. He without a doubt was a bad man, maybe not on paper but Teia knew that he was a baddie...

It was just like the Aku-Soku-Zan principle that Tsume, the old man working as the Security Force officer in one of the small towns described. Galateia killed an evil man on sight, then why did it feel so wrong? Was it because he didn’t fight back? Should Galateia have waited until he took a weapon to his hands and tried to kill her before killing him? Yes, that must’ve been it… Or maybe… She was looking for a meaning in that death, a meaning to fighting because so far she’s just been walking around aimlessly fighting whoever she found. Maybe it was time to change everything finally?

The young Aoi finally looked asleep, waking up from an upright position was not difficult, Galateia just stood up and wandered off into the darkness of the mountain path. Lately she’s been getting bored of this environment, almost an entire year of one and the same: wandering around the mountains, occasionally finding a small town and people to fight. Was that the meaning of her life? No! Galateia wanted to go further, to find actual challenges not kill defenseless scumbags. Aku-Soku-Zan had no meaning to her, not as much as she thought it’d have…

Recently the girl had learned an interesting new word: “Wanted”, apparently she was that. That murder of the businessman in the small town and the politician who allowed the Kuzuri-dan rampage in his town just because he thought that they killed “problem-people”. All those fights and murders, all that “Warrior’s Justice” she’s been handing out had already caught an eye or two and it just so happened that now the bandits that attacked her commonly wanted not only the things they usually wanted but also her head for the “bounty”.

Galateia kept walking forward wondering about the things that didn’t let her sleep calmly, she glanced behind her just to see if the pale Jiangshi boy didn’t follow her. He was persistent, he’d find her if he wanted to… The young warrior saw a small rest town, there were countless towns just like this all over the Lightning Country but just like Galateia had learned if one saw one of them, they’ve seen them all. Most of the towns were somewhat the same except some of them had more interesting challengers to fight. The warrior descended the small hill and walked into the small town.

It was about midnight, maybe an hour later than that, the town was still lively but it was slowly settling down. It was mostly people running about, rushing to their homes before the other kind of people take control of the town. Galateia could already see them: bandits, cutthroats and the sort hiding all over the place. As a Yoruma she knew how assassins operated, which spots they would choose to wait for their prey and this town was interesting in that accord. There were so many “lurkers”, cutthroats waiting for their prey to pass before sticking a blade to where they prefer to stick it that Galateia instantly picked that this town wasn’t a nice place to stay.

The girl shivered, she had not yet had the chance to get a new cloth top after the old one was torn up so she was mostly walking around with ragged and torn outfit. Without a doubt it attracted attention, men queued curiously turned at her and stared for several moments before deciding they were being rude, some didn’t even care and just kept staring. “They must have noticed my damaged armor… Without a doubt they perceive me as an injured prey, that must be why they are staring at me, they’re sizing up my combat potential…” the silly girl thought to herself still oblivious to the other obvious reasons she may have attracted attention.

And so the warrior stopped by an inn, she knew it was one because it was aptly named “Inn”. Galateia liked when establishments had their kind specified on them. It made things much more convenient for her because having to both plan her day and think about what sort of building this is was exhausting. The young lady entered the inn without hesitation, within the same instance countless stares shot at her as she approached the innkeeper.

“I’d like a place to stay… But I don’t really have any money, perhaps there is a job you wish me to do for that?” she said in a bland voice still trying to figure out the shocked expression on the man’s face. “For the love of God, child… Let’s go upstairs, I’ll give you some of my daughter’s clothes, she’s about your age and the armor might still go with it… You look like you’ve been through Hell, sure I’ll let you stay… You poor child…” the man started throwing out words of pity and almost shoved the battle damaged warrior upstairs.

“I cannot wear this, this is not a suitable combat attire, it itches, old man!” Galateia exclaimed as the man almost forced the silk dress and a small sweater on top. “Well you won’t need a suitable combat attire while you’re staying here, young lady! I will have no fighting in my inn! Treat it as your “job” to repay me for the room.” the man replied angrily as he made a bed. Bed. That was one thing that Galateia had not used in ages. What was even the point of staying in this place? This man forbid her to fight and these clothes were only more useful that the rags she had before…

“I have heard that the girl who killed Okano was here, ah, there you are!” a short man yelled out in the most hilarious haircut ever, it went all over his head like bowl. He wore similar suit to Okano’s so perhaps he shared the man’s occupation. He had four men accompanying him, large but rather simple looking guys, with that build they couldn’t have possibly moved around too fast and in this space they couldn’t have jumped around too much, Galateia instantly knew that she could cut them all down if she wanted to.

“I’m here, what of it?” the warrior replied as both the innkeeper’s and the short bowl cut man’s eyes opened wise in surprise, the first one’s were filled with disappointment and fear but the second one’s were filled with joy as well.

Posts : 65

“Once you are good and settled, please come downstairs, I’d like to speak business with you!” the man raised his palm and then walked away, supposedly down the stairs to wait for the warrior in the silliest sweater to descend. The innkeeper was shivering. “A murderer… I’ve sheltered a killer who cut up a man in cold blood and incited a ransacking of Okano-san’s home… You have stained my honorable daughter’s clothes, she was an honorable young lady who died because of people like you, ruthless killers who don't care who dies because of them! Once you talk to Noriyuki-san, please leave my inn. We do not host people like you under our roof…”

The man’s voice was silent but effective. It was evident that he was tortured by the event of his past that took away his daughter, evident to anyone who wasn’t as numb skulled as Galateia as to her it seemed that the man just didn’t like her. She bowed her head, took her sword off of the bed and put it up on her back. Comfy beds weren’t for her anyway… Just like that the lady descended down the stairs and instantly noticed the bowl cut man surrounded by the four guards and also two more men sitting by a table.

Seeing how she had nothing else to do Galateia approached the table and just stopped by it. It took the man’s gesture for her to sit down to a spot that was soon abandoned. “I am Noriyuki. You may not know but this town belongs to me, in a way…” the strange shorty started talking, Galateia’s eyes turned at one of the men guarding him and she pointed at one with her finger. “You’re that Airwave-man, what are you doing here?” she asked nonchalantly interrupting the man. “You should really listen to Noriyuki-san, girl, I just work for whoever pays me…” the man just laughed out and scratched the back of his head as if this was something he was ashamed of.

“As I was saying… I am a very important man not only in this town but also everywhere around this town. I plan to move my business even inside Kumogakure soon but for that to happen I need a solid muscle wall to hide behind… You know how fast ninja are to act when their money is taken by someone smarter… So I’d like to extend you an invitation to join my ranks and kill for me, whether you like it or not, know it or not, you’ve made quite the name for yourself by killing Okano, he was a competitor of mine so I’m glad that he kicked the bucket, what will you say?” the bowlman smiled with his weird twisted smile.

“No way. I am free and always will be, I fight whenever and whoever I want.” Galateia replied and stood up. She then looked at the martial artist that she fought near Okano estate and smiled to him. “We should have a rematch some time, I liked fighting you back then!” and just like that she started walking towards the door, seeing how this town clearly didn’t want her and had nothing interesting to offer her it’d be best if she came back to Aoi and quietly settled down by the same tree.

A bowl of rice hit the wall on her way out almost hitting her by an inch. “YOU BITCH! I’M NOT DONE YET!” the man shouted out with his voice and tone clearly changed. “I know what you did in that small town but I hoped that I have misheard, talking about fighters having spirit and “heart”, what a load of bullshit! Do you know what I think of this “Heart of Sword”? I’ll give one million ryo to the man who lifts the head of this bitch up in the air by the end of this night! Let’s see what is stronger, warrior’s wish for subjugation or your stupid pride!” he yelled out.

Galateia turned around drawing her sword just in time to intercept the first attacker, apparently a fight was all that these men were waiting for. They probably barely even needed that one million ryo motivation. “One million ryo… I wonder how well such amount of coins stack up…” the girl wondered as she elbowed the man to the side of his cheek sending him stumbling away onto a table flipping himself and the table over. Galateia left the inn and stood calmly in outside, the innkeeper asked her not to fight there, he wasn’t a very kind fellow to her but she respected her word enough to do at least that. A group of swordsmen charged at her, their grips on their swords looked weird, their arms looked tense.

“Gaidansuburedo!”

Galateia’s technique gently tapped each of their tensed sword blows focused on anger and strength to come back at their own bodies hitting their own thighs, shoulders or the sides of their arms. Those were small injuries but each of them showed the angry and drunk men that Galateia was superior in terms of swordsmanship. Not that it mattered to much for them, they still tried to attack her, still the girl had to commend them for attacking her together.

“Hikari no Ashibumi”

Galateia’s strong legs moved her behind the lethal circle that the men had surrounded her in right behind the largest meatblock of a man. Right as she passed by them through a small gap they left open, the warrior charged forward driving her blade into the large man’s neck leaving a large gash and sending the man down on the whole group of angry drunkards. The men knocked down and injured decided that they were outmatched, or thought to call up more men as the night was still young but either way they didn’t move too fast.

“Well, I guess we can have our rematch now, “Silver Sunshine”.” Galateia heard a loud laugh as she saw the martial artist from before leave the inn and cracking his knuckles. “You like it? That’s how I keep convincing them to call you, all cool criminals have nicknames right?” the man smiled confidently as he entered his fighting pose. Galateia was really excited to finally get her rematch, she just hoped that it wasn’t going to be interrupted.

Stuff:

Posts : 65

As Galateia was huffing heavily she noticed the man‘s stance falter, he hesitated to fight. This was very odd to the girl, she knew that this man loved fighting just as much as she did and was always smiling and laughing and had that genuine face of excitement when fighting was involved. It was just so odd to see him not at his best again, to see that their match might be cut short and be inconclusive just like the last time. No! This time the warrior will make sure that the two of them come at equal strength.

“What’s the matter, spread you right foot forward more, your footing is weird. Do you want to lose again?” Galateia teased the man as he just cancelled his fighting pose and shrugged. “I dunno, Sunshine, I think that we shouldn’t have our match here and now. I mean… You’re breathing pretty fast – you’re tired after all those goons, right? That just isn’t fair, this fight will decide nothing.” Galateia smiled and stepped out of her pose too, she couldn’t help but laugh out loud making Noriyuki run out and get his face all red in sheer anger from the view.

“What are you laughing at?! Kill this bitch, now!!! What do I pay you for!” the man slapped his face. “It seems you’ll get in trouble with your “master”, let’s fight, it won’t be conclusive but at least he’ll shut up for once…” Galateia uttered as the man’s despicable face broke her out of her childish glee. The martial artist got back into his stance again. Once again the fight was interrupted, Galateia’s hand rose into the air as if she was a schoolgirl in the middle of a class. The brawler stepped out of his pose again.

“Can I ask you not to use your Airwave technique? I’ve seen it once and I can counter it well, all it will do is destroy my clothes again and these clothes are dear to Mr. Innkeeper. I don’t know why I care… Maybe it’s because his daughter meant to him as much as fighting means to me, maybe it’s his “Heart of a Father” that matches the “Heart of the Sword”…” Galateia asked, her opponent grinned angrily as he stepped back into his fighting pose and nodded. The two charged at each other.

Galateia slashed a couple of times to beat her opponent using the long reach of her sword but the man moved in throwing a couple of punches in. The girl grunted as she took them, they were fast but didn’t pack a lot of force behind them, they were just to size her up, see what sticks and what doesn’t, not much force was invested likely because her opponent wanted to be able to pull his arm out if she surprised him. Then the girl noticed her opponent tensing his arm, it was a slow but powerful punch. She thrust her handle forward as the two exchanged blows, the martial artist took a blow from Teia’s handle and the girl took his punch.

The two staggered back, instantly Galateia noticed something was wrong – she was standing. If the man really did punch with all of his force she wouldn’t have been, he reserved some of it for a follow up attack! Before the first signs of a follow up appeared Galateia charged in and leaned under the haymaker that he threw throwing her elbow into the man’s stomach. The man shouted out in pain as the two dashed back from one another after the first round was over.

“Not bad, Sunshine… You’re holding back though, you could’ve stabbed me instead of thrusting that handle, would’ve had my head on a stick…” the man grinned as he coughed up some slobber and wiped it with his glove.

“I don’t want to kill you, if I did we wouldn’t have this fight resolved. I want to fight you again and again and again many, many times!” Galateia smiled wiping blood off of her broken lip and her bleeding nose. The man certainly did pack a punch but the girl now knew a bit about his casual fighting style, if she was to exchange blows with him again she’d be faster, she’d predict his moves much more precisely. She didn’t reveal that much to him, she was mostly adapting to his style and moving along with his own movements.

“For your information, my Airwave is not that simple… It is not a singular projectile, it is a technique I use in succession to lock you into an endless cycle of pain. Still, because you value this girly sweater so much I’ll keep it for the next time.” the man laughed out and raised his fist in the air. Galateia smiled and nodded, “I see I was not the only one to keep something back…” she smiled, “You keeping your Airwave away will compensate my exhaustion, we can fight without worry now!” the warrior lady added with immeasurable excitement.

“Hm…” the man laughed as he dashed forward with Galateia following his movements, he thrust his punch forward in a brutal and primitive manner, it looked incredibly strange but it was only after dodging it by moving her head sideways that the warrior understood what was going on. This was just a distraction for the man’s leg to kick her shins causing the girl to lose balance and fall forward right into the man’s uppercut. Galateia shouted in pain as she could barely even feel her body lifting off the ground, her consciousness moved away for a while. It looked as if she was in another place for a moment, completely white and warm, so relaxing and comfortable…

The girl’s sword was driven into the ground as support for her to get up. “I have to hand it to you, you have some pretty neat teeth… I saw one guy’s jaw completely shatter when I punched him with my “Godly Uppercut”.” the fighter laughed out as the warrior lady stood up, her vision was still jumping all around and her head felt extremely dizzy – that hit was something. Galateia lunged forward, she knew that the man will try it again, he had to. The technique was successful and a second landed hit would pretty much hand him the fight. The girl already felt like fainting.

“Godly Uppercut!”

“Rising Sunset!”

The two techniques clashed but honestly there was no comparison. Galateia’s technique worked in the air, the man’s kick to her shins would never connect which meant she had some time to vault over him and cut him. As the swordswoman landed behind the man she already knew the fight was done and as the man’s shoulder gash opened up and spat out blood as if it was a fountain before he collapsed it was over. The girl sheathed her sword back and started walking away.

“Hey! Hey, bitch! Where the fuck do you think you’re going! I’ll find you! Anyone with a wish for some coins will find you! I’ll pay any price anyone will ask as long as they bring me your head, the more suffering you go through before you die the better!” she could hear the funny haired man yell waving his puny arms in the air. What she cared about more was the injured fighter bleeding out on the ground – he was tough, he’ll live but… Did he acknowledge this win, was it an honorable victory? Is their match finally concluded? “I wish I could’ve showed you my “Godly Wind”…” Galateia heard, she turned around with a smile, “You’ll show it another ti…” she started speaking as she saw Noriyuki’s boot snap the man’s neck.

Galateia's eyes opened wide in horror, without saying a word she lunged forward as the dirtbag kept talking to the man's corpse. “Fuck you, you useless piece of trash! You good for noth…” he spoke as his filthy speech was silenced by a cut from a blade cutting his body in two. As the man’s body split open a shower of blood soaked the innocent and feminine attire that the girl was wearing, it was no longer sacred to the man, whatever meaning it had to him, whatever innocence it portrayed it was no longer there. “You make me sick…” the girl uttered with sadness as the pieces of the man’s body just fell down on the ground as a sack of potatoes. Galateia sheathed her sword back and turned around.

Tears started forming in her eyes, she stained this nice dress, she failed the innkeeper, she dishonored his daughter’s memory just like he said she did. She never really cared too much about those things but for some reason it pissed her off, she tried so hard to keep this dress clean and intact. Maybe what saddened her more was that a good fighter died today, someone she could’ve fought with many times in the future… “Aku-Soku-Zan, Noriyuki…” the lady warrior uttered to herself.

She now understood the meaning of those words, had she killed that bastard when she realized he was a bad man that brawler wouldn’t have had to die. Bad guys needed to die instantly so that they had no chance to do their evil deeds. Galateia now knew why that principle worked for Tsume but she wasn’t too sure if she wanted to live by it. Somehow it felt like it imposed on her freedom too much, Galateia wanted to kill only those that she wanted to kill and not be tied to a duty to kill all evil people on sight. There was much thinking to be done for this young immature mind on this later…

“This sweater itches… I need some clothes…”

[MISSION COMPLETED]

Spoiler: