He was nothing like the pair expected, he was shriveled, his skin was sagging brown leather. His hands were thick and calloused from being burned hundreds if not thousands of times. " Are you Hiro?" asked Koji.
" No, I am your mother" he said smiling a mouthful of yellowed and missing teeth, " what do you want?"
" A rifle" said Koji, " a good one."
The old man's big jackass grin immediately disappeared. " I don't make those" he said.
" Are you sure?" asked Rei, smiling at him.
He looked at her, " You have boobs, so what? My fat son has them too" he said.
Rei stood of straight, " We need your help" she replied, " what will it take for you to help us?"
" Can you cook?" he asked.
" Yes, yes I can" said Rei.
" Cook for me and we will talk" he said.
" Okay" she said, very confused but happy she didn't have to show him her body.
Hiro showed Rei into the kitchen, it wasn't much she'd make due. " I shall get to work right away" said Rei, plucking the apron off the wall.
Rei tied the apron on and looked around, this was going to be quiet the task. There was almost nothing to work with and all the herbs she had with her wouldn't exactly taste good. She poked her head out of the kitchen and motioned for Koji. He walked over, " Yes?" he asked.
" I need you to head across the street and see what is fresh" she said, " whatever it is bring it over."
" Okay" said Koji.
Rei dropped their coin purse into his hands, " And remember no girls or sake" she said.
Koji walked out the door to the laughs of Hiro, " You got him on a short leash don't cha" he laughed, " to bad I don't have a pair of those I'd have the world at me feet too."
Rei smiled at the crazy old man, " If you can get an advantage use it" she replied.
" That's my girl" Hiro laughed loudly.

Koji was crossing the paved street when he caught the whiff of something in the air. It was the smell of hot blood, human blood. Koji had spent enough time on the battlefield to know that smell. Koji looked around, he didn't see anything right away but something troubling was close. Koji walked into the tavern and a serving girl approached. Koji asked for enough food for the three of them. He paid and she left him. As he waited he coolly scanned the room as his mind played with the idea of why he smelled the blood.
Then he saw the reason why, sitting at the far table doing everything in his power to look casual was one of the Ikeda brothers. Koji wasn't sure if it was Shin or Taro, he only saw their pictures on the wanted posters his master use to have nailed to the board at the entrance to town. Koji carefully looked at him and noticed blood on the bottom of his kimono, guess Shin and Taro hadn't given up the life of crime. Koji laughed to himself, them two giving up their life of crime would be like Koji giving up his sword.
Koji had a sneaking suspicion that they were here after them, it explained the sounds last night. Koji received the chicken, spices, along with a cute smile from the girl. Koji could feel his eyes on him as he left. Koji just hoped those rumors about Arijin were just stories, he didn't want to have to face them today.
Koji walked back across the street, he looked around. If he was planning an ambush where would he hide. North side let the tavern and its assorted smells mask their approached. Koji walked into Hiro's blacksmith wondering who had sent them after him. Koji had the thought, what if it wasn't he they were after, what if it was Hiro. The invisible killer could want to shut Hiro up. Koji hoped to get some answers from the old coot before the steel was crossed.

Koji set the food down for Rei and patted her butt, " Now it's your time dearie" he joked.
Rei held up the kitchen knife, " Try that again, dearie" she joked, " now get out there and make him talk."
Koji returned to the main room and sat next to Hiro who was pouring two cups of sake. " Now what brings a pair like you all the way out to the back of beyond?" he asked, " come all the way to see little old me?"
" Yes, yes we did" said Koji, " we need a craftsman, an excellent craftsman for a special order."
" Me?" laughed Hiro, " I fix shovels and shoe horses. I'm afraid you have come to the wrong place."
Hiro drank his cup and poured another. " How is your sweet partner coming with our meal? Working metal all day works up an appetite" he said, " Hey! Beautiful, where is my meal?"
" It is coming" Rei called back, " you need a good woman to cook for you."
" My wife has been gone eight years" said Hiro, " our sons have gone off to the army, neither wanted to be a blacksmith. Can't blame them, its hard, filthy work and in the end all you have to show for it is burned hands a skin tough as leather."
Hiro had put down two more cups of sake during his grumblings, by now he was starting to really get drunk. Rei came out with the food and set it down at the table. During the meal she kept asking him about his family, his work, and the like. It took Koji a few minutes of eating Rei's dinner to realize she was trying to pry information out of him a piece at a time. Hiro was too wily an old coot to come out and say what they wanted from him.

The meal was finished and Hiro continued to drink and tell them stories of his earlier days. Koji was getting more and more anxious to ask the direct questions and get it over with. He knew that Shin and Taro were out there and if they meant business they had their Arijin with them. He kept tapping Rei's leg with one of his chopsticks hoping to hurry her along but she wasn't paying any heed. Koji had enough and was about to cut to the quick when they heard a wicked howl. It was then a massive creature entered the room, not by the door but through the wall with a great crash.
The Arijin snarled and gnashed its pointed teeth. It stood six and a half feet tall worth of thick ropey muscles under an earthy red skin. It looked at the three occupants of the building as nothing but play things and then food. Its muscles tensed and it readied to strike.
Koji struck first grabbing the empty metal pan from the table and striking the beast square in the mouth in the hopes of really pissing it off. " RUN!" he howled as his sword sang from its sheath.
" B..." Rei started.
" Get him out of here!" Koji shouted as he charged for the Arijin.
Rei wasn't about to ask anymore questions and grabbed Hiro who was still drinking from his bottle of sake. She tucked him under her arm and ran. She sped down the hall hoping to escape through the workshop. As she passed through the doorway she saw a man holding an Arijin on a leash of heavy chain. Rei ducked back into the house and shook Hiro, " There a back door?" she asked.
Hiro motioned back towards the main room where Koji was making a hell of a lot of noise with the Arijin. " Great" she said.
Rei adjusted Hiro and ran again. Through the bedroom they ran and then out of the backdoor straight into two armed men. They were just as shocked to see Rei as she was to see them. Before they could react she grabbed Hiro's bottle and smashed it over the first's head before she kicked the other squarely in the groin. She raced past the two unconscious men and ran for safety through the rice paddies up to a small hill.
Hiro was dropped on his butt, laughing like a maniac. " This is just like the old days" he cackled slapping his knees.
Rei dropped her satchel next to him, " Hey? Where are you going?" he asked.
" I have one more person to carry out of there" said Rei.
" Did you see those things?" he asked, " you think there will be anything left to carry out?"
" Doesn't matter, I have to" said Rei.
" Wow, you must be sweet on him" Hiro laughed, " lucky bastard."
" He's all I got" said Rei.

Koji leapt through the window just as the roof collapsed into the house. Koji watched as the front of the house collapsed in on the Arijin. But before Koji could even figure out what to do next he heard the twang of bowstrings. Koji dove to the paved road taking the skin off his knees as the arrows clicked against the stones before snapping in half. Koji looked up and saw one of the Ikeda brothers and another man reloading. Koji pushed off with his hands and ran as fast as possible. The bowstrings twanged before he could close the gap. The arrows sailed through Koji's kimono, something which Koji didn't like, he really liked this kimono.
He slammed hard into Kitano, a knee to the groin and his blade between his ribs. Koji rolled around Kitano's falling corpse and drove his sandal into Shin's knee with a thunderous crackle. Koji leapt to his feet and struck Shin in the face with a well placed fist. He flopped against the side of the tavern and slowly slid down.
The crumbled section of the blacksmith's home roared and the Arijin burst out. He picked up one of the fall beams in his massive fists and held it aloft. Great now he has a weapon, thought Koji.
Koji watched as the Arijin rushed out at him. For being such a massive creature he moved like the wind and Koji barely had enough time to dodge the swing of the roof beam. Koji slashed at the Arijin's arm in the hopes of knocking the beam from his grasp but his sword barely made cut its thick flesh. This angered the Arijin who let off a great bellow and struck Koji with an open hand.
The slap sent Koji tumbling across the road just as two more men came around the corner, one being led by a second Arijin. The day had gone from bad to hopeless. Koji knew he had to run, but he knew he couldn't out run the Arijin. Koji got up and ran into the house through the crumbled second.

Taro saw his brother and Kitano laying motionless by the tavern and lashed out at the Arijin with Kieta's whip cutting deep into its back. It howled and broke free of the collar Kieta had around its neck. The pair howled at each other in their primitive language and rushed for the blacksmith shop. " Wait" said Taro, holding Kieta back, " let them do the dirty work."
" But what about Yoshio and Shou?" he asked.
" They should be smart enough to stay out of their way" he said.

Rei entered the rear of the blacksmith's shop just as the roof came crumbling down. A great cloud of dust blew past her. Rei cautiously made her way through the heavy cloud of dust, she could hear the roars of the Arijin but couldn't see it yet. She had neared the kitchen when suddenly a shape appeared in the cloud. Rei simply reacted and drew her daggers. She attacked and the figure attacked back. The pair struck time and time again, hitting with fists, knees, and the backs of their weapons. The attack got in a heavy blow to Rei's stomach knocking her into the kitchen. She grabbed what she thought was the boiling water from the meal and threw it, pot and all at her attacker. There was a clang and cursing but just as quickly he struck again.

Koji couldn't believe the skill of what he was up against, he had always thought the Ikeda Brother's real muscle was the Arijin. Guess they'd gotten more help since coming north. Koji leapt on the wall and pushed off. He grabbed at his attack and got a handful of soft warm flesh. There came a familiar shriek and a strong upper cut knocking Koji off balance. He crashed into his attacker and as the dust started to clear.

Rei saw Koji laying on top of her, his face soaked in water and he was starting to sport a black eye. He wanted to asked her why she was back here and what was she thinking but before they could even say a word a head smashed through the wall and the snarling visages of a very angry Arijin appeared. Koji and Rei scrambled for the door but the second Arijin appeared and swung his massive fist, barely missing Koji's head and smashing into the wall. Koji leapt into the rafters and Rei dove for the small window in the wall that separated the workshop from the rest of the house.
To Rei's horror she became stuck, her breasts had wedged her in the tiny window. Koji saw her plight and swung down from the rafter. The tip of his sandal connected with Rei's butt popping her through the window and into the store room of the workshop. He swung back up into the rafters and forced the thatch apart and scrambled up on the roof away from the Arijin. Or so he thought.

The Arijin with his head in the wall pushed himself through and wall and began to climb up the rafters with his long arms, effortlessly swinging up against him.

From his vantage point on the hill Hiro was having the time of his life. He had unearthed the secret supply of sake his neighbor the farmer hid on the hill. He liked to sit up here and drink escaping the constant nagging of his wife but now his secret stash belonged solely to Hiro who was not about to let it go to waste. He laughed as he watched the massive Arijin burst through his roof and begin to chase. What fun he thought as he opened another bottle.

Koji dashed across the roof, he could hear the roof starting to buckle under him. He spotted a weak patch and leapt over it. He spun on his heels and turned to face the Arijin. It charged straight for him and when he hit the weakened spot it collapsed under his massive weight and he fell straight through. Koji wanted to laugh at his luck but before he could move one of the Arijin's massive arms lashed out and grabbed a hold of his ankle. Koji let off a shout of surprise as he too was pulled into through the hole in the roof.

Rei got up, rubbing her sore butt. She wasn't sure if she wanted to thank Koji or strangle him for that. She would wait to decide, after they had escaped this death trap. Rei crossed the storeroom and slid the door open. She was greeted by the snarling face of the other Arijin. He bellowed at her, spit and foam dripping from his mouth. Rei grabbed the biggest thing she saw, a large hammer that hung on the wall and hit the Arijin with all the force fear could milk from her limbs.
The hammer cracked into its skull and the beast dropped down just low enough for Rei to make a all or nothing leap over him. She just barely cleared him and rolled into the workshop itself. The Arijin spun around, blood leaking from his left eye and ear. It was pissed. Rei leapt down on the bellows close to the fire and kicked up a great cloud of ash into its face. She grabbed for the sword in the brazier and swung. The Arijin's eyes opened just in time for the white hot piece of metal to slash across his face. The howl was deafening, as it grabbed at its now burned eyes. It swung in every direction, throwing every about as it howled. It tumbled over the anvil and barely missed Rei as it fell. Rei grabbed for another weapon but before she could strike a heavy blow struck her in the back.
Rei hit the soot covered ground, all the air rushing from her lungs and heavy clouds of soot filling them. From behind Yoshio had struck with his bamboo pole. Shou struck next slicing Rei's back open to her pained scream. Her blood oozed from the wound as she desperately tried to crawl away. The blood seemed to invigorate the blinded Arijin. It rose up, sniffing the air for the scent of fresh blood. It snarled, clicking its sharpened teeth together. It charged, letting off a howl reserved only when it was about to deliver a death blow.
Screams filled the workshops but they were soon cut off by the sounds of tearing of wet flesh and the crunching of fresh bones.

Koji was flung hard against the bedroom wall, his back crunching into the plaster. His arm broke into a little hidden recess and something clattered out. It was a foreign pistol, an excellent quality pistol. It looked old, probably walled up with the house years ago. Koji picked the pistol up, he wasn't exactly sure how they worked but he got the basic concept, point open end at what you don't like and pull the metal piece, hopefully it made the bad thing go away. Koji, who had lost his sword shortly after being hurled into the bedroom knew this was his only chance of survival. He picked up the pistol and pointed it at the Arijin, whom he had stunned a moment early by kicking it in the nose.
He squeezed the metal trigger and a great explosion deafened his years. A cloud of thick black smoke obscured his vision and the bang had filled his ears with a loud ringing so he had no clue if it had done any good.
Slowly the smoke cleared and Koji saw the Arijin was still moving towards him. But there was a large hole in its forehead, and its movements were jerky. It kept coming until its head was between Koji's legs. Finally one last gasp of putrid breath and the creature dropped, breaking the wooden floor beneath it as it fell. Koji let off a long breath and looked at the pistol. In the future he would give these little toys much more respect than he had before. Koji dropped the pistol on the Arijin and slowly got to his feet. He worried about Rei, there was still a second Arijin out there. He found his sword and slowly limped out of the bedroom in search of her.

Taro and Kieta were cautiously circling the workshop, they had heard screams and the Arijin's death howl. Kieta was gripping his Arijin Spear close, these were special spears with a seven foot reach and a special long tapered blade that could slice through the inches of skin and muscle to inflict real damage to an Arijin. Kieta knew Arijin, knew them better than most and he knew trying to get one to stop fighting was damn near impossible, especially if wounded.
They rounded the corner and saw Shou, but only half of Shou. His eyes were wide open and full of terror. His hands desperately scraped at the paving stones with fingertips already scraped to the bloody bone. The Arijin was eating his intestines, the long slippery guts were like noodles to the creature and he slurped them up as he eat. Next to him was what was left of Yoshio, a hand with his distinctive naked geisha tattoo.
It looked up, its eyes seared shut from the hot iron. It sniffed the air and let off a low rumbling growl. Taro acted, he lashed out with the whip. The long black leather whip sailed through the air, the sharp metal barbs on the end sang in the afternoon light.
The Arijin lashed out and caught the whip before it could strike. It pulled back with all its strength and Taro screamed. His arm was wrenched from the socket and torn clean from his body. Blood decorated the road as Taro fell back. Kieta raised his spear just as the Arijin charged.
It hit the spear at full speed, it ripped clean through the Arijin's body. But the Arijin didn't stop, it gripped the spear and pulled itself further and further down it until its massive hands could grab Kieta's head. Kieta's skull was crushed between the two massive fists, both master and creature died together, collapsing in a heap on the road.

Koji had seen the carnage and now truly was terrified for Rei. He looked around, there was so much blood. He found her daggers, they were laying near the window and looked unused. " REI!" he screamed but still unable to hear her response screamed again.
Rei slowly pulled herself from behind the cooling rack and grabbed his shoulder. The pair looked awful, they were both covered in soot, their clothes ripped and bloody. They smiled at each other and hugged. " Come on" Rei said slowly so Koji could read her lips, " let's go talk to Hiro."
Koji stared at her, he couldn't barely read, let alone read lips. Rei shook her head and took a hold of his hand. She led him out of the now ruined blacksmith shop and up the hill where Hiro was.

They found Hiro, passed out surrounded by half a dozen empty sake bottles. " That is gratitude for you" Koji muttered, " we save his leathery hide and he doesn't save us a drop."
Rei picked the old man up and shook him until he woke up. " It over?" he asked in a dreamy voice.
" All over" she said, " now we want answers."
" Sure, sure" he said, " what do you want to know?"