Otherworld - 3 - Bankotsu



Chapter 3 – Bankotsu

Toyko 1878 Hiei told the story of Otherworld and his Princess to a rapt audience. Kenshin looked down at the sleeping young man – he was over a thousand years old!


	“Wait! You said he had silver hair and golden eyes. He has neither. He has red hair, redder even than my own. And his eyes are green.” “Hn.” the little fire Demon squirmed uncomfortably; he had already told them too much. The group all looked at him but he said no more. They had already talked a good portion of the night away and after several attempts trying to make the stubborn Demon continue the story, they gave up and one by one left for their bedrooms. As Kenshin left, he saw Hiei resume his place, sword at the ready, next to Kurama.


Everyone was up early the next morning, but Hiei had already left. Kurama lay sleeping as usual. Megume came to change his bandages and Kaoru told her about the small Demon and the story that they had heard last night. Megume was fascinated. She had heard tales of Demons and dragons, of course, but to actually meet one!


	The day went by slowly, filled with their usual chores. Kenshin doing the laundry and making the meals – since he was so much better than Kaoru at cooking. He enjoyed doing the simple chores -- they were soothing to his mind.


Sometimes it was hard to remember that his teen years were spent as a deadly assassin for the Imperialist regime, until you watched him fight – then there was no doubt of his skill with the katana. The small red-haired man with the cross-shaped scar on his cheek had refused to kill anyone for 10 years now, using only a reverse-blade sword that could not cut. His atonement for the many deaths he caused during the war. Kaoru checked on their sleeping guest. She knelt by his side carrying a cup of water. Letting drops fall from her slender fingers, she gave Kurama water through his slightly parted lips. He was beginning to look better, not as white, and the bruises under his eyes were fading. Kenshin joined her and helped her change the bedding. He was so slender that he weighed only a little more than the diminutive Kenshin himself, although he was taller by 6 or 7 inches. “I can’t believe he is a Demon.” said Kaoru, gently touching his soft face. “He looks almost feminine.”

	“That he does.” Kenshin agreed. The fingers were long and slender, the body soft with no visible muscle tone, and the red hair was wild waves and curls. And the color of that hair! Unlike his own which was dark auburn, Kurama’s was a vivid red poppy color. A color he had never seen before on anyone. It was hard to believe that this gentle looking man was a powerful Demon?


Now, he could believe it of Hiei. Hiei had blood-red eyes and when he talked, a hint of fangs showed. He was small, shorter even than Kenshin, but his body was well-built and strong looking. His muscles well-defined. His forehead was covered with a white strip of material and his right arm was bandaged tightly. His black hair had the outline of a white star over his forehead. He did not look human like Kurama did. Although they passed the day as usual, each of them was waiting for dusk, waiting for the time when another guardian would come from Otherworld to keep watch over Kurama. Perhaps this one would be more talkative than the recalcitrant Hiei. Almost the minute the sun went down and the sky turned dark gray, a knock sounded on the outer door of the dojo. Sanosuke rushed to open the door. Outside stood a young man carrying what seemed to be a very large oar covered in purple cloth.


	“I am here to watch over Kurama.” he said, jauntily walking into the dojo. The others went out to meet their new guest. He was average height, not quite as tall as Sanosuke, with dark hair braided down his back to his knees. He had large dark blue eyes and the marking of a strange four-pointed star on his forehead. “I’m Bankotsu, the fourth male of Princess Aara,” he said proudly.


Kaoru took him to where Kurama was with the others following close behind. Bankotsu set the device he was carrying on the floor and knelt next to Kurama. He gently touched his friend's forehead. “He seems to be resting okay.” “He has been sleeping ever since Miss Megume, our doctor friend, stitched up his wounds.” “Well, he seems to be healing.” he smiled suddenly, turning toward the group now gathered behind him, “Got any sake?” Sanosuke laughed. This one was certainly more fun than Hiei. Kenshin went to warm sake for them and Bankotsu made himself comfortable on the porch, the purple-covered device at his side. “What is that?” Sanosuke asked, intrigued.

	“This? This is my Banyruu.” He picked it up by the long handle and uncovered it. It was a halberd – larger than the length and width of a grown man! Sanosuke gasped when he saw it. How much did that thing weigh? And Bankotsu was holding it as if it weighed little more than a feather. At that moment Kenshin came with the sake and almost dropped everything. That thing was a sword? He had never seen anything like it. Sanosuke used to have a Zanbattou, a very large sword that Kenshin broke during their first fight – before they became fast friends. But that was small compared to this monster.


“Can I try it out?” pleaded Sanosuke, remembering his Zanbattou. “Sure!” and Bankotsu set it on the side of the porch. Sanosuke took it by the handle and couldn’t lift it at all. And he was a strong man! Very strong, but he couldn’t even make the thing move an inch. He tried again, turning red from the strain and managed to lift it a few inches. He gave up, groaning.


	“Well, I guess not,” Bankotsu said, picking it up again. He walked to the center of the dojo yard and began twirling over his head as if it weighed nothing. Sanosuke slumped down on the porch, depressed beyond belief. “I thought I was strong.” he moaned. “You probably are – for a human! But I am a Demon.” Bankotsu told him.


“You don’t look like a Demon,” Kaoru said, looking him over carefully for fangs or claws. “I look pretty much like a human, I know. But I am a Thunder Demon! I can call lightning from the sky. I’d show you but lightning has a mind of its own and you never know where it will strike.” Humility was obviously not one of this Demon’s virtues! And through the evening and over many cups of sake, the friendly, happy Demon named Bankotsu, who could call down lightning, told them the story of how Youko Kurama became human.