Chapter 5: Crows Come to Roost 3


    A bunch of Kento''s cousins stepped out of the crowd. They were twelve in number. Akako and Shigeo


    had also joined the bunch. Apparently, being called a ''littledy'' had irked Akako. Kento did not leave


    his seat, turning a cold shoulder to the elbow nudges of the kids.


    Yuuki relocated a hundred feet away from the pavilion and marked a ck burnt circle on the ground,


    with ming kitsu. It was about seven feet in diameter.


    Yuuki(loudly): "The objective is to either make me step out of this circle, ornd a direct hit on me-


    physically or with kitsu. You can attack me together, or one at a time. All weapons are permitted. You


    can charge when I give the signal. Ah, I almost forgot, the winner will receive five whale tokens to the


    Shibai Matsuri."


    Yuuki held five small blue strips of wood to the crowd- the reward- five whale tokens. The Shibai


    Matsurimemorated the annual consecration of the Shibai Sharin- mother goddess of the continent


    of Kinenhi; she was feared and worshipped by all. The festival was set off on the following day of the


    consecration and included a grand carnival- with parades of kitsu floats, dancers in borate costumes


    and masks. There were theatrical ys, beast fights, and betting games; vendors from far-offnds


    with exotic foods and rare trinkets for sale. It went on for three days and three nights. A whale token


    could purchase an entire day of delicious food and other attractions. The lure was encouraging enough


    for the young Mikashita volunteers, who looked forward to the festival every year.


    The aspirants included a twenty-year-old desmith apprentice, Daigo, and a neen-year-old Sharin


    priest, Kafu. They were picked as leaders, as they were the most experienced inbat. Daigo had an


    exhaustible supply of petty knives at all times; small des with petite handles and acutely sharp


    edges. A skilled fighter could throw them, several at a time, like darts, and riddle the enemy. Often,


    these wereced with venom. Kafu was proficient in bestial kitsu, and fire was his favoured element.


    The aspirants split into two groups of six, led by Daigo and Kafu, respectively.


    Yuuki stood towards the east, on the open side of the training grounds, with his back to the sun. He


    looked gant, his robe beating a stato against the wind. The excited whisperings of thedies


    among the kin-members and the household staff started growing.


    Yuuki gave the signal.


    Off the groups went.


    Daigo led his group head-on, but at a slow pace, while Kafu''s group sprinted towards the north, in a


    curve, to attack Yuuki from the side.


    Daigo plucked his belt, and his hands were immediately full of petty knives- four on each. He whipped


    his arms and flicked his wrists, one after another, and the knives flew towards Yuuki- in an X contour.


    The barrage of des was cast to skirt through the entire area of Yuuki''s circle. There was no way the


    preceptor could escape being hit.


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    Just moments before the knives would tear into him, Yuuki somersaulted a foot forward- into the


    barrage andnded softly. The pavilion crowd gasped; that move was suicidal; he must be riddled with


    des.


    Yuuki held up his hands, and there they were the eight knives of Daigo. The preceptor had plucked


    them from the air in one sweeping caper. The youngsters in the crowd whooped and whistled while the


    ladiesughed nervously, in relief.


    Kafu''s group had taken a parabolic path and were just thirty feet away when the priest unleashed his


    bestial kitsu.


    Doi-kitsu! Fire shrews summoning!


    At least a dozen little fire-shrews red onto the ground and scampered towards Yuuki. The crowd


    cheered, kindled by the sudden change in momentum of the battle. The fire-shrews skittered on like


    lumps of burning coal.


    Yuuki twiddled his fingers and set a non-verbal kitsu in motion.


    A bunch of water sea snakes seemed to burrow out of the ground and skittled towards the shrews.


    They gobbled up the tiny animals graciously and dissipated. Kafu cursed at the setback and slowed


    down to let his raiki reserves recover. His group of five went on ahead to melee with their target. Akako


    was the youngest in the team and made up the rear of the group. They ran at him, swinging wildly.


    Yuuki refused to draw his sword. In fact, the preceptor had his arms behind his back. He raised a leg


    into the air while chanting a non-verbal kitsu and banged it hard on the ground.


    Fists of sand rose out of the ground and rammed into the bodies of his assants. They were thrown


    yards away, in different directions. The four fell on their backs and writhed in pain. Yuuki let out a sigh,


    pleased with himself and underwhelmed by the ineptitude of the children. It was disappointing. But, he


    had a lingering feeling that something was wrong. He looked around. Four of his assants were lying


    down in the distance. Where was the fifth one? That loud-mouthed, mean, littledy. In a flurry, he


    realised what had happened and turned his eyes to the sky. Akako fell at him from the heavens with a


    hail of dust. She had levered the sand fist kitsu to jump into the air and breach the distance between


    her and Yuuki. The crowd eximed as it seemed that her kick had made contact. As the dust settled,


    they squinted into the distance. Yuuki was still on his feet, and he held Akako, suspended in the air, by


    her neck, with one arm. She wriggled and kicked in vain, like a captured animal.


    Yuuki wanted to teach the spoilt littledy a lesson. Years of luxury and hollow kin pride had made her


    shallow and highbrow. Should he break an arm or stifle her till she passed out? Then he attempted to


    look into her eyes. They must be a pair of mean-spirited, arrogant eyes, he had thought, with prejudice.


    But they weren''t. The brown, beady eyes were looking at him with resignation and admiration. Did he


    misjudge her? After all, she made him use one arm to fight. His grip softened. Akako abused the


    chance and shook free of him. Shended on her feet, and their eyes met again for an elongated


    moment. Then she turned around and walked away, defeated.


    Yuuki smiled to himself and regained hisposure. It was time to end the bout. The priest, Kafu, was


    getting ready tounch another kitsu attack; arge water sea-snake slithered towards him, colliding


    squarely, and nailing him to the ground. Daigo''s group met a simr fate. Daigo, a strongly-built man,


    had the privilege of being battered by three sand fists before his knees buckled. In the end, none of the


    aspirants hadnded a scratch on Yuuki or disced him from the burn circle. In fact, he had barely


    moved from his position.