The death of Seta

The sea air blew wildly at his face, tossing his hair in a crazy dance.Seta kept on walking along the dock way then suddenly he froze.


His right hand gripped the hilt of his katana. The grip was so tight his knuckles turned white on the ends. He did not draw, he just stood there frozen in the cold seaside night

It was a different feeling. A new feeling. He was not surprised that his first instinct was not to attack . He had heard of this feeling.

"Seta Hanbei?"

"Hai" he answered in a tentative.

"You have always known. You are a Hitokiri. You have slain many and looked into their eyes as the life dimmed from their sagging bodies. You have wondered. Deep down you knew the day will come Today is the day."

From the shadow cast by the huge crates a figure emerged. He wore a big black cloak and his face was half concealed by flowing red hair. He walked a few paces and stood right in the centre. The man turned turned his head sideways and looked at Seta.

"Make this night a warriors night."


Seta charged forward with all the determination of a warrior. He kept a straight path but the man did not move. Four, three two steps to go yet the man did not move. Seta drew his katana on the right and half raised it in the air. He stopped dead short one step, reeled on his left heel and swung the blade to the man's right.

Destiny

Seta closed his eyes . There was no sound, no sound of metal bitting flesh, no sound of metal clashing on metal just the sound of the ocean wind blowing.

The man had ducked.

Seta quickly shifted his weight onto his right foot and violently tugged his body away from the vortex of his swing. He landed heavily on his left foot and felt a sharp sting surge up his thigh. In an instant he clasped his katana on guard right before him.

"You are skilled that most. I would have cut off a man's heads by now but you were able to evade the trap just in time. Commendable."

The man walked a few more paces and turned to Seta again.

"You attacked. Now I attack. Prepare yourself!"

Seta tightened his grip on the hilt and watched closely as the man charged. The man charged straight on and low, katana held tight close to waist. The man flung his katana in a battiujitsu.
Seta broke into a pace sideways and met the man in a half circle. Seta lept into the air and came down with an Inuwashi Tsume Ryuu. The man fended off the flashing blow from above.

The man's eyes widened as he realised it was a metal sheath. The man leaned heavily outwards but Seta brought his katana from behind as his left foot landed on the ground. It cut across and sliced into the man's right shoulder and grazed his chest as he retreated.

"No one has wounded me before, truly tonight is special!"

The man recoiled instantly with another battiujitsu, Seta had no space for another Inuwashi Tsume and he braced himself for the impact.


The katanas clashed into a tight cross with a massive clang and for an instant the man's stone cast face was inches from his own. He even felt the cold breathe from his wide nostrils.

The man's tight lips curved up, putting a crease one one corner of his face. The man pushed Seta back and flung around on his heel and smashed down on Seta. Seta managed to block the hellish blow by stepping back to absorb the impact but the next turn and next blow came fast upon him he did not have time to regain his stance.The man swung and swung again like a raging tornado as his foe reeled back at the force of the blows. The sixth time he let fly an even larger blow that sent Seta skidding down the dork way.

Seta managed to stop his fall with a hand on the ground before him. He breathed heavily. and blood streamed down his hilt where he clasped his katana.

The man stood there some three metres away in the blowing wind.

"Can you feel the Hayate Ryuu, It can hack a man's neck or break his rib cage. You have managed to avoid that but by blocking it you have weakened and strained your hands. Can you feel your bones resonating to the force, can you feel the numbness."

Seta looked up with eagle eyes and a face of determination, he rose from the crouched position and clasped his katana in a Gautoutsu.

"Suka. Here I come again." the man said as he broke into a gallop and charged at Seta. Seta gave out a load war cry and charged the man

In an instant they were past each other. Seta now stood behind the man, and the man behind Seta.

Like a whip lash the man had turned again to face Seta. Seta raised his katana but his hand fell to his side. Blood started seeping out of his right bicep. He Knew.

Seta closed his eyes and mastered all his strength in one final attack. He burst forward in a Gautoutsu zero stance . The man flung his massive cloak over in front of the sword and turned on his side.

It was a sickening feeling as Seta's sword thrust into thin air. He swung out wards to his left at the disappearing figure. He flung as far as his human arm could allow. Then that tug. The hand had reached its limit. There time seemed to stop.

Seta's eyes opened wide and then he felt it. It was only for an instant but he felt it. It was cold. It was damp.
Seta breathed and blood came gushing out of his throat. He dropped his katana and his only good hand clasped in desperation to stop the bleeding.

Seta croaked as blood entered his airway, he staggered forward.

"The feeling is unbearable. the taste of metal clings to your tongue. The gushing won't stop. You want to die now but you can't."

The man continued to walk around Seta

"Death is the only refuge. You shall not suffer any longer. You have been a worthy foe."

The man raised his katana, it split the moon in half and glinted in the night light. It came crushing down on the knelt figure of Seta. The figure fell in a heap. The man flicked his katana and walked away into the shadows.