Death of a Shiba

This article, , follows on from Search for the Kikkashō and again features Kentaro Hiroshi as the POV character, with Akiye and Suitai Shiba featuring.

“Argh, this is maddening!”

Kentaro sent a large leather-bound tome skidding along the tabletop though Akiye, without lifting her head from her own book, stopped it short from falling. She then shook her head in a slight display of irritation but otherwise showed no indication that it had even occurred or that she had been disturbed.

“You'd think there'd be something more concrete even if they do live in the shadows.” Kentaro complained.

He walked towards a small stack of books numbering no more than eight or nine though in-truth they appeared much more formidable; it was all the information they had been fit to find on the Kikkasho organization, despite the fact Kenji had said he had put none of it to paper. Each book Kentaro had looked through so far had been written by the same neat hand and the writing was familiar to him: it belonged to Yoshiro Kazuki, who had recently been killed by a Battle Doll created centuries ago by Averian. So in a way Kenji had told the truth; he hadn't put any of it to paper, but Yoshiro had obviously done his own digging.

"You'll be missed Yoshiro."

“Take a few minutes,” Akiye suggested, noticing Kentaro's sad expression, before shivering visibly. “Close that window would you? There's a chill tonight.”

He did as he was asked but as the window slammed shut Kentaro had a sudden thought.

“... Books are all well and good but I know of another source of information.”

“Oh? What would that be?” Akiye asked.

She stretched her arms and yawned tiredly before again looking to Kentaro with an expectant look. He was surprised she hadn't connected the dots yet. Maybe she was tired? He had been up most nights digging up scraps of information and all the while Akiye had been at his side. They'd barely slept at all.

“Suitai Shiba... He was the one who told me about the Kikkasho, so it stands to reason he knows about them; even if it is only a little.”

Akiye looked at Kentaro as if he'd just spoken complete and utter rubbish. Which he should have half expected to be honest. He'd forgotten that the only one he'd told about Suitai's survival was his father; everyone else who had spoken to him or read his report on the matter would think old Suitai dead. Truth be told he was very much alive; just as Kentaro had intended. He even had a fair notion where he was.

“You coming with or not?”

That was how they came to be standing outside an old run-down white house in the middle of nowhere in the World of the Living. There was a full moon tonight with nary a cloud in the sky but the wind would have cut right through you. Even Kentaro, who was loath to wear jackets or coats, had his old kimono draped over his frame. Akiye wore a thick coat, woolen gloves, big furry boots, and a black scarf around her neck and she was still shivering.

“This couldn't have waited to morning could it?” Akiye complained.

“I gave you a choice didn't I?”

She hit him.

The old door protested loudly when Kentaro opened it and the floorboards creaked beneath his feet. Dust hung heavy to the furniture within and cobwebs clung from the high roof rafters. Anyone would think the place was abandoned but Kentaro was no fool. The hallway ended with a towering staircase leading to the top floor which overlooked the floor below and as expected there was a light burning in the distance.

“Stay on your guard.” Akiye warned. “I sense... something. And it's not the good kind either.”

Now that she mentioned it this place felt wrong. Kentaro couldn't quite put his finger on it but... He was uneasy all of a sudden and he couldn't understand why. Then the door slammed shut behind them!

“Crap.”

Instinct took over. Kentaro spun and his Zanpakuto flashed free of its sheath in one fluid motion! A head struck and bounced along the floor as blood spurted from a shadowy figure whose clothes seemed to blend with the air.

“Behind you!” Akiye warned.

It came just quick enough. Kentaro side-stepped to the left and brought his Zanpakuto around his body in a semi-circle to catch his attacker, who slumped to the floor dead. As this occurred Akiye stabbed through the fabric underneath Kentaro's left arm to catch the third attacker who had moved to Kentaro's back.

“You're getting sloppy.” She said teasingly.

He hurled his Zanpakuto to the right and embedded it in the far wall. It struck with an audible thump and the outline of blood against the wall showed clearly he had just split some poor sods skull open! A throwing knife fell to the floor by the dead man's feet.

“Am I? Funny I couldn't tell.” He replied. “Now to find Suitai.”

“No need for that.” A voice called from the second floor. It belonged to Suitai. “I see my guards are dead. Very good but I don't know whether to thank you or curse you, Kentaro. You just ensured that they'll send more.”

“You're a prisoner?” Kentaro asked, incredulous.

Suitai walked down the rickety staircase with obvious discomfort. He wasn't moving very well and he looked as white as the paint lining the outside walls. Bandages covered his upper body and legs and he was using a stick to balance himself.

“You sound disbelieving of my predicament but consider this my boy: you left me in no shape to defend myself after our battle, so what choice did I have? In a way you did kill Suitai Shiba because I'm certainly not as good as I once was. The Kikkasho are unforgiving. Especially after I had already betrayed them to warn my blood of their intentions, considering they planned to kill you. You are welcome by the way.”

“You expect us to believe that?” Akiye asked.

“... Why try to be the good guy now?” Kentaro asked. “You never shied away from the criminal stuff before. Why start now?”

“They had never tried to kill my own before.” Suitai declared. “A lot of what you hear about me Kentaro is exaggerated. I did not get on with my brother true but I did not try to kill him, nor did I try to usurp his place as head of the Shiba clan.”

“Bullshit! What about the other stuff? You tried to kill my father!”

“That was before I knew he was a Shiba.” Suitai revealed. “But is that what you are here to ask? Out with it boy before more arrive to 'detain' me.”

“... Let's not talk here.” Akiye suggested.

“I'll have the truth from you Suitai... so how about we get those wounds seen to?”

End.