A las Barricadas!

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"Besides...I only know of a handful of bounty hunters that would even brother carrying large firearms. It just doesn't fit my style, I'm a miner by birth and blood. But with all the ice mining is because less and less needed, you know? With Sion's rapid terraforming processes and the such." Garnet was more or less just gabbing with the bartender at this point.

However, the bartender was now focused on Spinel and the fact that she had brought up the fact he had wet himself.... Garnet then took a quick glance over at the new voice. Judging by the way she was dressed, that women had to be a city slicker. Much like before, Garnet bit her tongue. She knew as being a miner by blood, she'd have issues with a rich girl turned bounty hunter...

But then something even more surreal occurred, that pistol wielding bum showed up. He looked like shit, meaning he had probably trailed Garnet all the way here....Was he the one responsible for sabotaging her bike?
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Spinel huffed as she looked around the bar, the bartender had promptly began ignoring her. "Very well, if you do not wish to answer my question at very least you could serve me a drink. I will take a tequila sunrise." Spinel said flatly, with a glance over to Agent 03 or "Garnet" as she liked to be called and sized her up.

"You know, the two of you look alike, are you sisters?" The bartender asked, having set down Spinel's drink and before she could respond she sensed a group of men approaching Garnet, turning to look Spinel could recognize that they were gangsters automatically. This will be interesting to witness, I'm sure. Spinel thought blankly as she stepped back with her drink to give the men room.
 
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As Spinel glanced behind her, there were six men all wearing a matching uniform of a Mexican Outlaw. These men where the very villains Garnet had been sent out here to defeat in the first place!"There she is! That annoying little girl that blew up our train full of diamonds!" One of the gangsters growled. He then pointed a Thomspon submachine gun at the back of Garnet's head. "Don't try anything stupid little girl or I'll shoot your pretty little head to kingdom come." Garnet then raised her hands in the air, suggesting she was going to surrender to these men.

"Please sir....Don't kill me. I'm only 17 years old...I've never felt the warmth of a man yet..." Garnet pleaded. "Well, well now. I see you're smarter than the boss said you were. Maybe we'll let you live for now...Assuming, you do a certain pleasure for us." Garnet then blinked, "But sir..." The gangster then repointed the gun towards her head, "Those are your conditions." Garnet then lowered her head, "I see...Then can I make one last request?" The gangster rolled his eyes, "Whatever." Garnet continued to look down, "I want a final dance...Before I have to leave this world. I wish to feel loved, even if it is pretend." The gangster laughed, "Damn...You must be really desperate to delay the inevitable. But fine, boys one last dance for this bitch." The gangsters then backed down, while the Thomspon wielding man placed his weapon on the table, "You ready?"

Garnet then formed an angelic smile on her face, "Before we dance, we need us some music on don't we?" She then flicked a quarter towards the man closet to the rusted juke box in the corner nearest the bathrooms. "Track 33A." The mustached cowboy then raised an eyebrow but put the coin into the machine. A normal bounty hunter wouldn't have been able to get away with something like this, but this was Garnet after all...



"That's the wrong song!" Garnet then faceplamed. The drunk cowboy shrugged his shoulders, "Whatever. Let's dance, asshole."

Instead of drawing out her pistols, Garnet reached for the sides of her biking jacket and threw out several throwing blades at superhuman speeds, causing the gangsters to hollow in pain, as they found their hands pierced by her weapons. She then began to run in every which direction, this time drawing out Hunter, her combat knife. With relative ease she slashed the throats of her foes. Her eyes were glowing a bright red, making her look like a demonic warrior of the Dark Ages.

She then slowly started to advance towards him, her knife dripping with fresh blood. Garnet's hair drooped over her eyes and she was now laughing. "What the hell?!?!!?" The Thompson man shouted. He reached for his weapon but Garnet got to it first. Now with the Thompson in her hands Garnet prepared to fire the machine gun. "Now do you have any last words, bitch?" Garnet asked. "Ehhhhh." The man squealled. "I guess not. See you in hell." She then fired at the floor boards of the tavern causing thousands of holes surrounding the man. "I'm...I'm still alive! Ha, you're real stupid you bitch! You can't even fire a machine gun properly!" Garnet then pulled out another quarter and flicked at the man's head. "Eh?" The man then fell through the floor and fell upon the filth that was organizing under the tavern....
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Back in town after her slaughter at the graveyard, Tessa was entering the hard part of her plan. Namely, the one where she killed everyone yet didn't die herself.

It was not a particularly well developed plan.

She had recognized Garnet from somewhere else-some famous bounty hunter. And she had shown that she could take care of herself, so telling a few suspicious folk that she was in town would help thin the herd.

But there were still a lot.

Well, that's why god created bullets.

Her gunshots rang through the town as she set to her bloody work. Strange, she thought-six years ago if you had told her she would be a revenge-thirsty wanderer she would have laughed. Ah well, times change. Ridding a town of crime was thirsty work, though, so she decided to stop in a bar and get a drink. Hopefully they'd have milk..

Inside, though, there was a suprise for her!
"Oh, hello Garnet! How's everything going?"
 
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Aramis watched the fight, convincing himself that if she hadn't been able to fend for herself, he would have helped her. Another woman casually strode in and Aramis glanced around the bar. There wasn't any food that he could see. His stomach growled and Cinder burned irately that he should be thinking of something besides his stomach. Aramis, still angry about earlier, shut Cinder out, brutally forcing his presence to the back of his mind. Ember retreated back, soothing as she sank down.

Aramis shook his head, his mind more clear than normal. "Are you all right, miss? I didn't catch your name - if you'd move around less, it would be infinitely easier for some hero in disguise to shoot your attackers" he said, his tone cheerful as he extended his hand to her. The place smelled of filth now, the floorboards wrecked, and he was hoping that someone around here had food, but he tried to think clearly, he'd been doing so well. The place seemed dingier than it had as he stood with the door open, perhaps due to the lack of light or maybe the disturbance in the seldom cleaned floor...

"Also, you must introduce me to your companions" he gestured at Spinel and Tessa.
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Garnet shook her head.... "Great, just fucking great...Why are you two circus freaks trialling me? Unless..." She then grabbed Tessa by the shirt collar, ignoring Aramis altogether. "This is the second time in a row, you've conveniently showed up at the same tavern that I've been at. I don't know who you are, nor how you know my name but as the daughter of the Company Store, I don't have put up with this sort of bullshit." She maintained her strong grasp on Tessa while moving her eyes towards Aramis. "I don't know whom Bluey is nor do I really care. As for this bloody cowgirl, I'm assuming she's some sort of stalker working for Sion. It would explain why some asshole claiming to be my father was able to hijack my computer terminal. " She started to tug harder on Tessa's collar. "And sorry bud, I am never a damsel in distress but thanks for the offer." She put her focus on Tessa once again, "You'd best be explaining yourself really soon Missie, unless you wanna end up in the basement like our little friend just did."
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The roof suddenly collapsed down upon Alex and the member from the gang that they were interviewing. On top of both of them was a man riddled with bullet holes. Alex seemed mostly unscathed but possibly unconscious, the gang member, however, didn't fare so well as he bled profusely from the head. The rest of the gang members shrank back, one crying out "BOSS!"

"Well shoot, that ain't no good. Now we ain't gunna find that part so easy!" Ruby groaned, walking back up the stairs and kicking in the door and glanced over at the group of people talking, the girl with white hair sticking out the most. "Hey ya'll know what happened up here? Who made that hole in the floor?" Ruby huffed, shifting her weight to one side and holstering her handguns, almost tempted to pull Gertrude off her back but changing her mind, the looks of the group was dangerous and she didn't want to have to fight unless she had to.[/bg]




Spinel glanced to the woman that burst into the room. Ah the other agent has appeared, now to observe both of them.

"Oh no...she's back!" Spinel overheard the bartender mutter under his breath and Spinel sighed, shifting her gaze to Ruby again. So she must be as rough as our sister. I wonder if revealing that would be prudent at this time. Spinel stood off to the side, glancing at the man that mentioned her and seemed to be smitten with Garnet. She restrained a smile, knowing exactly what to do with him. If he's so keen on playing the white knight maybe I'll be his damsel!

"Sir, I've been scared, if you could enable yourself to comfort me I would be much obliged!" She cooed trying to put as much emotion as she could into her voice but quite aware of her lack. "As for your observation Miss, you'd probably be correct in assuming that she is a member of Sion. She does look the part." Spinel decided to stir that pot a little.
 
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Aramis tilted his head to one side, the woman was... attempting to do something, even though he wasn't sure what. "Comfort you? Ahhh... Everyone who was threatening the miss here is dead now. That's pretty comforting, right?" he blinked, very confused. He was quite unsure of what he was supposed to be saying, or even why the woman was talking to him. He attempted a smile, his bloodshot eyes wrinkling at the corners and the corners of his mouth tightening up. In short, he looked rather deranged and pained, though he was none the wiser.

"Is there any food left? I'm really hungry" Aramis piped up to Garnet as his stomach grumbled at him once again. It had been a while since he'd eaten a real meal and even dirty these women smelled appetizing. Not that this was the sort of thing he'd tell them.... he was pretty sure of that, at least. The smell of decay did little to deter him, and he noticed poignantly that he was currently the only man present at the scene.

His stomach rumbled again, and he forgot where that train of thought had been heading.
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If one could look into Garnet's mind, they'd find many many stress marks all over the place. There were one too many clowns in this bar now. And soon there'd be more. "I don't have any food. Just go pistol whip the damned bartender. This place apparently has good chicken strips. Now stop interrupting me!"

"There's the gringos!" One of the gangsters from the Banditos said as he led several more of his comrades into the battle torn tavern. Garnet then narrowed her eyes when she glared at Tessa. "You brought more company, Miss Sion. This means that you and I are going to dance. You're going to help me take these idiots down. After we're done, I'm then going to cut some of your hair off. Then you are going to run, far, far away. If you come anywhere near me, I'll know your scent rather well."

The mustached gangster then grinned at the two of them, "Well, well. If it isn't our two biggest foes under one roof. Garnet and Tessa, such a pleasure to meet two of the most infamous bounty hunters in all of Mars. Such a pity that you two will not come out of this place alive." He then raised his index finger. "On my command fire."
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Huh...she looks kinda like him...
Tessa's thoughts were off in her own little world as Garnet started interrogating her.
And that blue-haired girl looks familiar, too...

Eventually she just had to focus on Garnet's face and start talking.
"I don't work for Sion. Or, as of a couple minutes ago, anyone else. Wanna go kill all the gangsters in town with me? It'll make for a great night. I can get you dinner and a room afterwards if you want. Though I'm afraid if you decide not to join me our bandit friend won't be as kind."



 
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Garnet then raised an eyebrow. Tessa seemed to be off in her own world. It would only be a matter of seconds before they'd blown to kingdom come... However, the woman then spoke about helping her against the bandits. Would a Sion spy really be this haphazard?

It was doubtful....

Tessa had focused on her face. Then something strange overcame Garnet's mind...It was as if a hidden file was trying to break loose little by little. A bunch of numbers flashed before her eyes. The thoughts were telling her to defend this strange cowgirl. But why?




But this was all over in a matter of seconds, Garnet had learned to trust her instincts and now she'd see if she was right.

Garnet then released Tessa and turned her head towards the mustached men and his goons. "Hey fucker. Guess what. It takes two to Tango. I guess today is your boy's lucky day." Garnet stepped forward, moving towards the gangsters. "And you know what? You are armed with outdated weapons."

The man then chuckled, "How would you something like that? You're nothing more than a young girl."

"I'm a miner's daughter. My entire life has been a lifetime of combat." She then pressed a button on her arm and raised her fist towards the foe. "Plus, I always have a trick or two up my sleeve." A sly smile then formed on her face; several small buzzing rockets shot out of the finger tips of her gloves and embedded themselves in the Bandit's eyes.

Garnet then turned her head to face Tessa, "I like chicken dumplings. After we're done here, that's what I want. Got it? Now let's dance."
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Spinel raised an eyebrow at the cowgirl, Tessa was it? A strange expression crossed her face and she had the urge to run off and contact Father but she couldn't, not with Garnet and Ruby around, especially not with that girl...Tessa.

That doesn't make any sense, that model should've been shut down years ago...oh well I'll just file that for later.Spinel's gaze then transferred to the men that had come in. Bandits of course. Garnet exchanged some words with them and suddenly one of them was down, mini rockets in his eyes. With a sigh she drew her guns, ready for the fight. With a look to Ruby who had taken her cannon-sized gun from her back and held it at the ready as well. I will never know how she does that...


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Ruby was largely ignoring the group as they talked, she overheard Sion a couple of times but it didn't really mean anything to her until it clicked, they didn't like Sion, she figured she'd better clear the air before they found out and wanted to string her up for no discernible reason. She was about to open her mouth when a bunch of men stepped inside the bar and began to cause trouble. It seemed that there was a fight afoot and these gang members didn't have the looks of the others.

Well they won't know where that part is so I migh' as well have a lil' fun. She quickly pulled Gertrude off her back as Garnet shot one of the gang members in the eyes with mini-rockets. "YEEHAW! LOOKS LIKE OL' RUBY'S HAVIN' FUN TUHDAY YA'LL!" She cried out, pulling the trigger and the barrel of the gun spinning, warming up before a spray of bullets shot out of her gun, mowing down a couple of the gang members, the rest of them diving for cover from Gertrude's power. Ruby put her finger off the trigger and set Getrude down with a heavy thunk that cracked the wooden flooring a bit. "Ya'll keep goin' I gotta reload..." Ruby sighed.
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The second wave of Banditos had been driven off by Ruby's mastery of her massive firearm. However, not even this would stop yet another wave from busting into the scene for long. It was for the best to continue to stall the foe.

"Wanker. Looks, you're the only one left!" Garnet then said to the final Bandito that was still standing in one of the darkened corners of the rooms. He wore mostly black with a noticeable red Death's Head marking on the lower part of his long frock coat. This man was probably of a nominal rank within the society, considering how well dressed he was compared to the black suited, sombrero wearing underlings.

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"Rachel Valentinerne and Theresa Shaw. I am very impressed that both of you have made it this far against our Syndicate. And it seems that you have already gained one of the Agents on your side. Sion must be growing more and more desperate, if they are really unleashing their best soldiers this early in the game." The bandito spoke.

"You talk too much. You're lucky that we don't just shoot you on the spot." Garnet said, while Tessa stood firmly besides her.

"I have been accused of that. However, if you are in that much of a rush to die, fine by my means." The man spoke with a heavily accented English, suggesting he had origins in Eastern Europe, possibly Russian. He then pressed his thumb on the skull shape, and then the sound of heavy metal footsteps could be heard coming towards the small tavern. Like out of a scene from Jurassic Park, all the luquids in the single roomed establishment were shaking with each step the lumbering giants took.

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There was a reason why the bandits had been successfully raiding towns and villages on the frontiers of Mars; it was because of these black armored soldier machines called La Guardia.

"What the fuck are those?!?!!" Garnet yelled.

"Your undoing." The man then taunted.
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End of Episode Two​
 
Episode Three: Together




Scientists came up with the concept of terraforming planets when Earth’s population started to peak in the late 21st Century. The first location that it was test on was Earth’s closest planetary neighbor, Mars.

In many respects, Mars is the most earth-like of all the other planets in our Solar System. Indeed, it was thought that Mars once did have a more Earth-like environment early in its history, with a thicker atmosphere and abundant water that was lost over the course of hundreds of millions of years.

Over the course of a century of research, the first colonists arrived on the Red Planet and started the progress of change, starting in the polar regions. With the introduction of trees, the carbon dioxide was converted into oxygen.

MarsTransitionV.jpg

By the close of the 23th century, the transformation of Mars into a planet much like Earth was realized. In this century, the first humans born outside of Earth came into political power. Viewing themselves as a fresh start, they formed their own culture that was similar to the American West.

That being said, this has absolutely nothing to do with the current plot....
 


"You have to tell me where you get such nice toys.."
Tessa struck a pose, pointing her guns out to either side, before sweeping them together in front of her and pointing to the sky with her right hand.

It looked pretty silly, until another giant robot landed on the opposite side of the inn.

Yojimbo's hand came in through the back wall, and Tessa rode it up to the thing's chest, where she stood inside the open cockpit
"I'm going to break these toys of yours, then. Hope you don't mind."

The armor plates of the chest closed behind her, as the veins of her robot started pulsing with faint light as fluid started moving through them, and Yojimbo took a ready stance.

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"Well, well...Looks like the cowgirl has herself a robot. Means that you and I can dance, pretty boy." Garnet then pulled out her M1911 pistols. "My babies are looking forward to our Tango."

"Please Rachel. There's nothing chivalrous about pistols. If we are to fight, it must be with blades." The shadowed man said.

"And why's that? All your brutes have been using machine guns on us!" Garnet growled, "You rich scum are all alike. Sending in poor smucks to do your dirty work, while you hog the spotlight as soon as it is convenient for you to show up! So I refuse to play by your rules, asshole!" Garnet then charged straight towards the man. He grinned as she lowered her pistols as she approached.

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The man then jumped out of the way and now appeared in a lighted area of the tavern, revealing a younger man with glasses. "A predictable move on your part Rachel. Your acceleration module, is your trump card and you over use it." He then drew out a polymer blade. "As I said, I will only fight using blades. Pistols are weapons only suited for barbarians." His uniform was similar in color to Spinel's, with the exception once again being the large red Death's Head insignia on his frock coat.

"Stop calling me Rachel! I don't use that name anymore. I am Garnet now. It's that simple! And we'll see about that, prick!" She then fired several shots his way. Closing his eyes, the soldier blocked every bullet with his blade, which was now moving back and forth with a purplish energy emitting from it. "Rachel, this blade is known as a HF. It was molded from a lightweight titanium-osmium alloy, carved electronically instead of forged, and the entire process was monitored by a computer. In the hands of a skilled swordsman, a high-grade HF blade is capable of severing through six inches of solid steel in one single stroke."

"Using a knife in a gun fight? You're using fucking technology made by Sion! Well that's lame. At least I now know whom put the tracking device on my motorbike." She then drew her pistols back into their holsters and then drew out Hunter. "Of course, you should what you have is not a knife." Hunter then glimmered, "This is a knife. Of course, I'm willing to play a game of stabbity stab, assuming the others don't try shooting at you first pretty boy!"

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Just then one of the La Guardias came charing into the fray, smashing the tables and barstools nearest to Sion and Ruby. The weird dude with the pistols was still busy eating his newly liberated chicken sandwich. "Oh, I am going to make sure your friends don't intervene with my capture of the two biggest foes to the Banditos in years."
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Contentedly, Aramis chewed on the sandwich, watching his pseudo companions. Slowly, he took another bite, reassuring himself that they would all be fine and that he really wouldn't be too helpful anyway. Swallowing with great satisfaction, he felt the angry grumbling of his stomach subside and tried to remember what he was supposed to be doing for his pay. Something about hunting space bandits, he was certain.

Space bandit hunting could come after he had finished his sandwich though. They would still be there, he was fairly certain, and there was no rush. Chicken sandwiches should not be rushed, anyway. The bread was so soft in his mouth, so fresh and tasting lightly of yeast. Top notch bread, which he savored with delight. The chicken was not dry and hard to swallow, but neither was it dripping in wet juices. Aramis was content.
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Ka-chunk Gertrude was reloaded and Ruby stomped on the hammer before yanking the gun back up just in time for one of the enemies' giant robots to come crashing over towards her and the blue haired gal.

"Yeehaw! Ya'll want to play too? Well she-oot, I've got some fun fer yah!" Ruby exclaimed pulling her gun back and slamming it forward like a battering ram into the robot's stomach area and sent it sliding back along the wood floors. A grin crossed her face as she pulled the trigger a spray of bullets made neat holes in the machine and it flopped to the ground, sparking a bit, before she turned her gaze on the woman that the others kept calling Rachel but claimed her name was Garnet.

"Yeah! That's it! MESS HIM UP!" Ruby cheered placing Gertrude back into the holder on her back and grabbing the leg of the nearest table, lifting it up and smashing it down the leg staying in her hand. She chuckled and threw the leg full strength at the man, catching him on the side of the head but not really inflicting much damage. "HEY! YA'LL AIN'T WINNIN' SUGAH!" She cried out pulling out Bethany, one of her pistols and stepping up to where Theresa had been a moment ago before she had mounted her mecha, ready for the next part of the fight.[/BG]



Spinel could only think of one thing as she looked over the new man: enemy. She hadn't even noticed the robot that Ruby had deflected nor the fact that Tessa mounted her mech, nor even the fact that Garnet and the man were about to throw down and have a knife fight.

"Evan Trebunskaya..." She muttered under her breath. She knew clear and well of this man and she intended to end him before he revealed whom she worked for. Spinel pulled out her guns and charged alongside Garnet, twisting about so her cord blades snapped and whipped at the man. He was a rogue scientist from Sion and if she killed him Father would be even more pleased with her. Plus he might jeopardize her observation of the other agents, which apparently were thick in this area of town.

I'll need to get away after this fight to file a report She thought as her ropes snapped back and she began firing at the man, not even noticing if she hit.
 
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"Idiot!" Evan growled when he noticed that Spinel had decided to join the fray. Of all the beings that Evan was not in the mood to deal with was one of the Agents of Sion. Spinel was notrious amongst the rebelling faction of scientists as a cold blooded murderer of anyone that openly questioned her "Father." Enough of his comrades had already been taken down by this flower of carnage...

She first struck with the cords that were connected to her arm links. These tools granted her several tactical advantages. The most obvious being the fact that they could be used for whips at a long range. Both struck his flesh with great accuracy, tearing off pieces of fabric and flesh. "Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah." He growled. Then she fired her shots. Evan feel the ground....

However, her shots weren't as lucky as they normally were. One of the bullets struck Evan's shoulder blades, but nothing happened. "Idiot. Your daddy isn't the only one that realized the potential of the Daughters systems! My own body is now 78% Daughters. That gives me a maximum strength greater than what you have!" He then shot up and charged at Spinel...
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Mecha are built by men. When creating them, men carry in their heads and imaginations ideas built upon that which they have already seen. As such, giant robots have a tendency to resemble other, not-giant things. Yojimbo's fight with the La Guardias resembled nothing more than a scene out of a period drama, and is perhaps best described as such.

The samurai stood, feet shoulder-width apart, as the gang of thugs stood in front of him. They were all unarmed, and all had too much pride for their social station. Ruffians.

They charged, the first thugs eager to get ahold of the warrior and his valuables. But a warrior was trained not to let such simple scum tarnish their reputation, and so the first of the thugs was effortlessly disemboweled by the much smaller samurai's blade. Another charged, and was cut down by a sword through the temple.

The remaining thugs hung back a bit, not eager to repeat the fate of their compatriots. For his part, the samurai kept his sword in front of him, pointed at whatever thug thought to charge next.