manner, as though killing was no different than washing his clothes. It made his movements easy to predict. She sensed him as he stepped into another house and began killing the inhabitants within. Moriko sprinted to the door of the house and hid just to the side of it. The hunter, confident in his ability to sense all those around him, wouldn't even be wary.
Her suspicions were correct. The hunter finished his work inside and turned to walk back out the door without a trace of suspicion. The moment he stepped through the door, Moriko made one cut, taking his head clean from his shoulders. The hunter had only had time to glance in surprise towards Moriko before it was too late.
Moriko didn't stop to gloat over her victory. The other hunter would realize his partner had been killed, and would know there was someone out there. He wouldn’t allow himself to fall into an obvious trap. Moriko knew her second kill would be harder than the first.
Again, Moriko's assumptions were correct. The other hunter came towards her. Moriko moved from house to house, always staying in cover and never allowing herself to be within her opponent’s line of sight. She circled around and worked her way behind him, watching the hunter’s movements carefully with her own sense.
The second hunter stopped at the body of his companion, and Moriko risked a glance to see what her opponent looked like. What she saw surprised her. Her opponent was a hunter, and a woman. Thus far, Moriko had only met male hunters. She had never seen a female among them. She shook and cleared her head. Man or woman, it made no difference. She was one of the hunters who had destroyed more than one village.
A shrill cry of rage and grief rose from the hunter’s throat, sending a chill down Moriko’s spine. Clearly, Moriko had struck a nerve. The hunter cried out in the language of the Three Kingdoms.
"Come out! Come out, you coward, so that I may end your life for you."
Moriko debated her options. She was a strong fighter, but she also knew her strength relied primarily on stealth, not on one-to-one combat. The safest course of action was to hide in the shadows and wait until she had an opportunity to strike with a clean kill once again.
But some part of Moriko rebelled against the smart decision. She wasn't sure how long it would take to get another clean strike like the one she had gotten on the first hunter. While she waited for the perfect moment, this hunter could kill many more villagers. Moriko would have more blood on her hands. But what really drove her was the opportunity to kill the hunter face-to-face. She wanted the hunter to see her death coming for her.
Before she could fully think it through, Moriko stepped away from the house she was hiding behind and walked into the small square where the hunter was waiting. She said nothing, holding her sword ready in front of her.
The hunter’s eyes took her in, running her up and down and trying to judge her worth as an opponent based on her stance. Moriko stood there calmly doing the same. It was easy to see that the second hunter was a formidable enemy. Moriko didn't detect any flaws in her stance.
"So you must be the one we were warned about, the one that escaped."
Moriko nodded.
"Good. Then I will gain much honor among the demon-kind for bringing them your head."
The hunter leapt forward, conversation at an end. Moriko snapped and hid her presence from the sense in the same moment. She easily deflected the first cut, and the battle was joined in earnest.
Her opponent was skilled, consistently pressing the attack, but always in balance and never leaving an opening for Moriko to strike. She may not have gotten any openings, but she also didn’t feel as though she was in any danger. She could sense the cuts coming long before they arrived. If the hunter wanted to cut her, she would have to risk herself, and she wasn’t ready to do that yet.
The two women fought back and forth in the square, and Moriko
Her suspicions were correct. The hunter finished his work inside and turned to walk back out the door without a trace of suspicion. The moment he stepped through the door, Moriko made one cut, taking his head clean from his shoulders. The hunter had only had time to glance in surprise towards Moriko before it was too late.
Moriko didn't stop to gloat over her victory. The other hunter would realize his partner had been killed, and would know there was someone out there. He wouldn’t allow himself to fall into an obvious trap. Moriko knew her second kill would be harder than the first.
Again, Moriko's assumptions were correct. The other hunter came towards her. Moriko moved from house to house, always staying in cover and never allowing herself to be within her opponent’s line of sight. She circled around and worked her way behind him, watching the hunter’s movements carefully with her own sense.
The second hunter stopped at the body of his companion, and Moriko risked a glance to see what her opponent looked like. What she saw surprised her. Her opponent was a hunter, and a woman. Thus far, Moriko had only met male hunters. She had never seen a female among them. She shook and cleared her head. Man or woman, it made no difference. She was one of the hunters who had destroyed more than one village.
A shrill cry of rage and grief rose from the hunter’s throat, sending a chill down Moriko’s spine. Clearly, Moriko had struck a nerve. The hunter cried out in the language of the Three Kingdoms.
"Come out! Come out, you coward, so that I may end your life for you."
Moriko debated her options. She was a strong fighter, but she also knew her strength relied primarily on stealth, not on one-to-one combat. The safest course of action was to hide in the shadows and wait until she had an opportunity to strike with a clean kill once again.
But some part of Moriko rebelled against the smart decision. She wasn't sure how long it would take to get another clean strike like the one she had gotten on the first hunter. While she waited for the perfect moment, this hunter could kill many more villagers. Moriko would have more blood on her hands. But what really drove her was the opportunity to kill the hunter face-to-face. She wanted the hunter to see her death coming for her.
Before she could fully think it through, Moriko stepped away from the house she was hiding behind and walked into the small square where the hunter was waiting. She said nothing, holding her sword ready in front of her.
The hunter’s eyes took her in, running her up and down and trying to judge her worth as an opponent based on her stance. Moriko stood there calmly doing the same. It was easy to see that the second hunter was a formidable enemy. Moriko didn't detect any flaws in her stance.
"So you must be the one we were warned about, the one that escaped."
Moriko nodded.
"Good. Then I will gain much honor among the demon-kind for bringing them your head."
The hunter leapt forward, conversation at an end. Moriko snapped and hid her presence from the sense in the same moment. She easily deflected the first cut, and the battle was joined in earnest.
Her opponent was skilled, consistently pressing the attack, but always in balance and never leaving an opening for Moriko to strike. She may not have gotten any openings, but she also didn’t feel as though she was in any danger. She could sense the cuts coming long before they arrived. If the hunter wanted to cut her, she would have to risk herself, and she wasn’t ready to do that yet.
The two women fought back and forth in the square, and Moriko
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