Kiryu - Village - Yuki, Chiasa
Kiryu turned away from his attempted conversation to see a fat peasant trip onto the ground. A large mantis flew to the wall near him; KIryu considered that the mantis was truly a graceful predator, whose beauty few could comprehend, or approve of being comprehended.
Also, he noticed the peasant on the ground. Her pack read 'doctor', which struck him as strange. She looked far too fat and poor to be a doctor. Still, her timing was good enough.
"Hey." he said to her. "You a doctor? Those guys over there need help."

Leta on the street

Leta walked into a village unsure of where she was even at. All she knew was she needed food. She was nearly out, and her stomach was complaining something fierce. She walked in a careful dignified matter, but she was limping slightly. She had gone without stopping for quite awhile now. She was on the run. The last village she was in had seen her wolf transformation, and ran her out. She hated when that happened, because most of the time she didn't even live as a demon. In fact her transformation time was extremely short. A strand of her dark hair flew in her face and she brushed it aside. Her hair was getting kind of greasy as well. Her clothes were dirty, and she wished she could just stay somewhere for a little while. She supposed she would just roam until she ran into someone who could point her towards food, a bath, and perhaps somewhere that would hire a swordswoman. She had skill with the two blades she carried, and knew she could be of service somewhere.

Yuki & Chiasa in the village

"You a doctor? Those guys over there need help." Says a man nearby

"Someone needs a doctor? asks Chiasa sitting up an dusting off her clothes. Her former fear now vanished she heads over to the two injured men who were being tended by a young woman who was having them moved. She stood then hurried over to the two men and circled the group inspecting the two injured. What she saw was that one was in dangerous condition and the other while injured was suffering more from exhaustion.

"Please be very careful was this man his injuries are severe and the other is exhausted. It would be helpful if you would see that the exhausted man is washed so that I can see if he has any other wounds other than his feet. Also we'll need buckets of water, clean clothes and the strongest Sake you have.

Chiasa was normally a shy woman who disliked giving orders to anyone but when she became a doctor she changed in personality. She knew more than many the importance of time to a dying man and the wounded man had lost so much bllod that he was pale.

Ayame was surprised. She did not know who this newcomer was but she certainly seemed to know a lot about her profession. Maybe even more than herself. She also thought that she could probably use a set of clean clothes...

"You are a healer too? Please come with me then. We need all the help that we can get."

She directed the men to carefully lay the injured down to the ground and immediately began to search for the things Chiasa requested. Searching around she noticed that Umiko was still standing where she left her, slightly more clothed yet someone still reeking of fish.

"I don't think you should be here right now. Come on, this way."

She took her hand and lead her out of the hut.

"Go play with the other children. Make some friends. I'll go find you later."

With those words Ayame slid the doors shut and returned to her task.

"Someone get us some water, boys!"

Meanwhile, a group of sinister looking people were striding into town. They were clad in furs and wore battle-worn leather armour, wielding Naginatas, spears and various kinds of swords. Three of them were even carrying tanegashimas. Standing out in particular was a hulking 2 meter tall figure wielding a huge kanabo. A somewhat small man with long hair and purple robes walked forward and shouted in a shrill, high-pitched voice.

"We are The Band of the One-Eyed Wolf and we have come to take your stuff, booze and daughters!"

A bouth of laughter arose from the bandits.

"Or maybe some poor fool thinks he can challenge us?! If you do, come over here so I can kick your sorry ass first then rob you!"

More laughter emerged. One of the bandits even shot into the air.

"So what shall it be?! Are ya gonna bow down like the peasants that you are or are you going down like men?!"

When Kaji stepped outside he noticed the well armed group of men calling themselves the one-eyed wolf band. "so what shall it be?! Are ya gonna bow down like the peasants you are or are you going to go down like men?"

Kaji walked out in front of them lazily "a one eyed wolf is only good for a nice fur coat. something tells me the same can be said for you sorry lot." Kaji didnt reach for his sword, instead his hands hung at his side as he looked over the bandits. to the untrained eye they looked formidable. maybe even intimidating. But to kaji, who travels with demons they look like lunch meat. unfortunately his traveling party was not here with them but as soon as he ran them out of the village his friends would find fresh food.

Take out the biggest first was the common practice in taking on a group of enemies. it lowered moral, then you take out the leader. shouldnt be too much trouble for him alone. But that was the beauty of it. these idiots didnt know that there were other warriors in the town. sooner or later they sould sho up. Kaji just had to make enough noise.

"Ahahaha! This guy's got guts! What a joker!" "You so eager to get beaten up, boy?" "I know what I'd do to him! Hehehe..." "Maybe we should keep him around. Train him to tell a joke when he gets kicked!"

Kaji's bravery was met with laughter, crude comments and threats by the bandits. They were used to stalking easy prey and they'd take any chance to fight, at least as long as they believed the odds were in their favour. The man in the purple robe spoke up again.

"Hah! Looks like this town isn't full of sheep after all! Aren't you disappointed, Toad?"

He shot a wide dirt-eating-grin to one of his comrades.

"Shut up! That isn't funny! It never was! And I never even..."

This exchange amused the other bandits and caused even more laughter. Like most bullies they were constantly picking on each other to assert dominance. Maybe their bonds weren't so strong after all.

"Yes, yes. Whatever."

The purple robed man shifted his attention back to Kaji.

"You've got spirit but got something to back that up? I tell you what, I let you pick whoever gets to beat you up. You know, because I'm a nice guy."

More laughter. Does it ever end?

Kaji shrugged "how kind of you. normally I'd go for the big one but seeing as your voices annoys me more than your total presence i'm going to pick you young lady" Kaji goaded the man in purple with an insult. he may or may not have been the leader of this merry band but at the very least he was the one calling the shots. Chances were there was a reason for that and at the very least he could find out why. Kaji was actually trying to stall. He wasn't one of the heroes the town was paying and didn't intent to act like it for much longer. But until then he might as well hold to his cover as a swordsman and stand up for the people... or something like that.

Kaji waited, keeping his eyes focused on he entire group instead of just one. he had no reason to think they would fight fair, just like he himself had no reason to fight fair.

Yasai opened his eyes. He had been awakened by the yelling of the bandits. "Can't I get a moments rest?" he mumbled. Still covered in blood and dirt with some difficulty he got to his feet. While low on energy he still was able to access his bodies emergency reserves. He began walking towards the bandits clumsily and loosed the blades from his gauntlets. He brought his eyes to meet the leader of the group and shouted. "Get the hell out of here! If you don't comply in five seconds ill kill every last one of you." His eyes had a strange look of intensity. Similar to that of a predator looking at it's trapped prey. The whip scars on Yasai's back burned. In that moment when every part of his body ached from intense pain Yasai wanted blood. Inside he hoped these foolish bandits would attack him.

Kiryu stepped in front of Orion. "You're talking too much for a battle." he said to him, before facing the bandits.

He placed his sword, sheathed, in his left hand, and stepped his right foot towards the enemy, minimizing his profile. His eyes narrowed as he eyed down the entire group.

"My name is Kiryu, student of the Azure Dragon style. Come."

Leta saw the bandits and withdrew her swords wordlessly joining the other fighters. For now she decided not to speak to the other fighters. She preferred to kill silently and in a dignified way. She decided chit chat would come later. She figured if she wanted to get hired she might as well defend the village, and get some credibility under her belt. She waited for the enemy to come, and readied herself in a skillful fighting stance. She felt the familiar itch building up inside. The battle lust was at a fever pitch. A sinister looking grin crossed her features. 'Nice way to to start in a new town.' She thought to herself, chuckling inside her head.

Chiasa & Ayame work together

Chiasa looked at Ayame an smiled as she said. "Yes I am a Healer an medicine maker, I'm glad to help"

It is good that she doesn't know of the entry of the bandits as it would distract an worry her. Not that it would stop her from seeing to the needs of the wounded for she is a dedicated healer.
As soon as she sees the wounded man she goes to work on him. She begins by stripping away his tattered clothing and cleaning the wound site so that she may see the extent of his injuries. She leans close to the wound an sniffs it seeking to discern whether it is too late. She checks his temperature an opens his eyes an observes his pupils for cloudiness.

"He is in bad shape but with work and perseverance we will see he continues to live to an old age" she says as she pulls off her heavy outer robe exposing that she not a fat peasant woman but a slender woman

Bandits - Village entrance - Kaji, Yasai, Kiryu, Leta, Vosswald & Village Chief

"Ah... So more come to join the fray."
The bandit tried to appear calm but one could almost literally feel the tenseness in his posture
and the way his eyes were darting nervously from opponent to opponent.

"Since you aren't alone I think should have some help too. What do you say, boys?... eh..."

The bandits suddenly didn't seem to cheerful anymore. They thought they could bully and intimidate poor and defenseless villagers. They didn't expect such heavy opposition. Doubt began to show on their faces. One of them, a small man covered from head to toe in blankets, spoke up.

"I don't know, boss. This whole idea seems a little stupid now that I think about it." "Yeah..." "Uh-huh..."

Two of his comrades voiced their agreement. The purple-robed leader made a half-turn and looked at his followers before looking back towards the village's protectors. More people began to gather. Encouraged by their saviours display of courage. Among them were the village chief and Vosswald, who was drawn here by the sound of a gunshot. The bandit leader didn't know what to do. Attacking would be suicide at this point, running away would hurt his pride. It was at this moment that the giant bandit stepped forward. It put a reassuring hand on the leader's shoulder before pushing him aside.

"My turn."

The rest of the bandits all took a couple of steps back. They looked fearful but nevertheless content to remain observers for now, their strongest acting as some kind of champion.

"I can easily take on three of you at the same time. So who wants to try?"

Its voice had something inhuman to it, something that caused fear. Whatever it was it must be at least partially demon.

And it wanted to fight.

Yasai stood for a moment where he was. He was almost paralyzed by pain and lack of energy. He thought perhaps he had been too hasty challenging the bandits in his current state. Still it wasn't in his nature to run away from a fight. Yasai bit his tongue to motivate his legs to move. He charged towards the large bandit holding close to his body facing forward his right bladed gauntlet. Even with low energy he hoped he would be fast enough to close to the fighter before being struck by the kanabo.

Kaji stepped forward to meet the Giant. "just like bandits to piss their pants when someone actually stands up to them." Kaji made no indication of reaching for his blade yet. or any other weapon he had on his person. when the time came he would draw his sword but until then he would simply demoralize all of them verbally. "It seems we get the pleasure of taking the wolfs other eyes everybody. though..... i must apologize to this village, this display of our talents as your protectors is quite watered down. you hired men to fight demons and we are not presented with men. Though you might think it beneath us... well i think its beneath us anyway, though you think its beneath us watch closely at what your hospitality as awarded you in the form of your protectors" Kaji spoke theatrically but never once took his eyes off the Giant and his kanabo.

Bandits - Village entrance - Kaji, Yasai, Kiryu, Leta, Vosswald & Village Chief

Instead of avoiding the attack the giant charged forward to meet Yasai's attack. His gauntlet's blade sank into the wood of the giant kanabo before being ripped away violently, sending Yasai flying to the ground. The giant gave a sharp knock with the handle to the backside of his head knocking him out cold. Some of the kanabo's spikes were ripped off in the process and now littered the ground.

"Weak. Try again when you're in an actual condition to fight."

The giant's wolf-hide cloak came loose, exposing his face for everyone to see. Mouth twisted in a snarl, long wild black mane, sharp and predatory yet fully human eyes with pupils as black as coal. The obvious bump under his chest-armour left no doubt. The giant was actually a woman, much to the villager's surprise.

The giant bandit let out a sharp breath, ran her large free hand through her hair before letting her gaze rest on the remaining heroes. A wicked and malicious smile spread on her lips.

"Surprised?"

The remaining bandits cheered.

"not really. just kind proves you excell in kicking people when they are down" Kaji began walking towards the giant woman. Gender didnt really matter to him. nor did the other man getting knocked out. instead he reached behind his back and withdrew a small shuriken. he whipped his arm around, throwing the deadly weapon in a precairous tilted arch. i wizzed past the giants ear, cutting her hair but found it resting place between the eyes of one of the bandits that was holding a fire arm. "oops i missed. " but not really though

Kiryu took a running leap after Yasei. As the larger man got knocked back, he stepped up onto his huge frame, and took a jump off his shoulders.

While in mid-air, he spun the sword around his body, still sheathed, and thrust it towards the kanabo wielder.

Bandits - Village entrance - Kaji, Yasai, Kiryu, Leta, Vosswald & Village Chief

Kiryu's thrust caught the giantess off-guard and managed to connect with her midsection. It was not covered by her several-sizes-too-small armour. She let out a yelp and staggered for a moment before regaining her composure and locking eyes with Kiryu, breathing a little heavier than before.

"YOU..."

Her pained expression was once again replaced by a fiendish grin, like a cat waiting for the right moment to pounce.

"Finally a real challenge!"

She gripped her oversized kanabo with both hands and assumed a combat stance, waiting for Kiryu to make his move.

Meanwhile...

"Kenji! Are you alright!?"

The remaining bandits were tending to their downed comrade. They were relieved to find out that the shuriken had not pierced the skull. Still his comrade had been injured and now they wanted to teach the one responsible a lesson. The purple-robed leader took his friend's tanegashima and ordered in a cold emotionless voice.

"Get him."

No longer did fear and doubt fill their eyes. Instead they radiated cold anger and determination. Things just got personal.

"Alright. Let's see how our skill compares, then." Kiryu responded by bringing the sheathed sword up in both hands, one halfway down the blade, pointed forward as if it were a short spear. His face gave off a composed, serious expression.
He held still for a brief moment before making a fast dive, attempting to ram the blunt end of the scabbard into the foe's belly.

Kaji's expression darkened with a sinister smile. His dark hair hiding his eyes so that only his grin remained visible. He didn't falter nor take a step back. instead he took one forward, drawing his blade with one hand as the bandits rushed him. with is other hand he threw one more shuriken that was hidden in his clothes before gripping the blade with two hands. It flew low, catching one bandit in the leg causing him to fall and another to trip over him. Kaji had hope that someone would fall on a blade but it was hardly necessary.

Kaji fighting style was about misdirection. as most shinobi were. However unlike most shinobi he had an ability. one that could go unseen when fighting against groups. he wouldnt strike first. well...technically he already did but thats besides the point. As the closed in on him he went on the defensive/evasive. at the very least the bandits were slightly skilled but not enough to pose an issue to him one on one. so he would evade theirs strikes, parry a few that he wouldnt be able to dodge. he was increasingly difficult to hit. but not because he moved with anytime of godspeed. instead he would move his connect his shadow to theirs and paralyze them for an instant giving him time to react. in a mob like this it would be a while before anyone realized the secret of his defense. so when he finally swung his blade, it was across the leg of one of the naginata wielding bandits. bringing him down to his knees. Kaji flipped/rolled over the fallen band and stabbed him through his back in the heart. He flipped his grip to pull the sword out and broke into a dash, out of the crowd of bandits. one struck him in the shoulder but he was only really after one person. the man in purple. his dash had given him a head start so he was several feet in front of the rest of the bandits and closing in on the purple man very very fast. He held his blade in a reverse grip infront of his face as he made his way towards the man.