The Tatakai

Chapater 16-"QualifyingRounds: Match16-"Nanashi vs. Mayhew"

By: Chibi-Akemi

A/N: I do not own Mayhew but I do own Nanashi! Mayhew comes from KonekOniko’s story TouchMeNot. Nanashi comes from my soon to be trilogy of Scarecrow Kakashi. I do hope I get the character right. Sumi-chan! You didn’t give me much to go on!! I also kind of added a little bit more to it.

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Nanashi opened his eyes and gazed around. The green tunic-clad scarecrow stood up and scanned his surroundings with wide eyes. He stood in a dried up wasteland beside a bottomless canyon. Kneeling down, he shook his head whistling lightly. “I do not wish to fall down there,” he said to himself. “Hmm. Where am I anyways?”

He stood up and gazed around. The desert wasteland stretched endlessly into the horizon. The landscape was the polar opposite of what he had always experienced in his life so far. In his mind, Nanashi longed to be back in the dark green landscape that he had journeyed in.

What he longed for more than ever though was his travelling companion, Yumi. The last memory he had was when a mysterious demon calling himself Shin had attacked. Yumi had fallen into a deep sleep, one from which he could not wake her up from. When he had fallen asleep, he had woken up here. What had happened between then and now? He had a dream...a dream about someone named Aavin Suthos...

“Again I’ve failed Yumi-san.” He said to himself with slumped shoulders. Shaking his head, he refocused his mind. “I must find a way out of here.”

Before he moved one step, a voice filled Nanashi’s mind. “You have been chosen for a great honour. Do not dishonour those who have placed their faith in your fighting skills. Battle with all of your heart, all of your strength, and all of your spirit. Do so not because you have to, but because you want to. Those are my words to you. Advice from the man you will face at the end of the Tatakai. Take it with you as you do battle against your peers.”

“Let the Great Tatakai begin anew!”

A shiver went down his spine. Whoever this man was, he paralysed Nanashi with fear. More than what he felt when he thought about the Demon King Shin. ‘Fight against your peers,’ Nanashi recalled what the man had said. Was Yumi in this battle as well? Was he this Aavin Suthos?

“But he also said that there are those who have placed faith in my fighting capabilities. Maybe perhaps she isn’t?” Nanashi shook his head in frustration again. “But there’s a chance that she is here. Somewhere in this wasteland, Yumi is looking for me.”

That was when he heard a soft note. And then another. “Yumi does not play an instrument as far as I know. Who…?” Nanashi felt himself being drawn to the musical instrument. He felt his eyes close as he walked the thin line between the safe land and dangerous pit. A flute was making the music. Or was it a heavenly instrument being played by the gods of this world? The tune felt soothing to Nanashi’s soul. He forgot about the mysterious voice. He forgot about everything he held dear to his heart,

The lyrics changed subtly. Unknowingly, the scarecrow turned sharply to the left and fell into the canyon. Nanashi’s eyes opened from his hypnotic sleep and he let loose a loud yell. He quickly twisted his body to face the canyon wall and grasped a chunk of rock. Useless, he was falling too fast. Instead, he pulled out his scythe and dug it into the canyon wall. He slowed down to a stop, a good twenty minutes climb to the top he concluded.

“What…what in the Great God’s name was that?” he whispered to himself. “An…enchantment?”

Nanashi moved himself to the right, trying to find a solid ledge to set foot upon. Finding one, he climbed up to it and surveyed his surroundings as he placed his scythe back. He gazed down to the canyon and picked up a stone from the wall. Taking a deep breath, Nanashi threw it down to the abyss. He heard it hit the other wall but never heard it land.

“At least now I know for sure,” he whispered quietly. “Whoever played that enchanted tune…wanted me to fall down endlessly.”

Nodding confidently to himself, Nanashi started to climb up the wall. Before he climbed over the top, a pair of shoes was in his line of sight. Blinking, Nanashi looked up at the owner of the shoes. It was a boy, definitely shorter than Nanashi himself. He had dusty brown hair, his bangs landing just above his blue eyes. The boy was clothed in a strange fashion that Nanashi had never seen before. In the boy’s land, what his black, sleeveless outfit was called was a traditional martial arts outfit. On the belt of the outfit, was a flute. In the boy’s hand was a sword.

And it was being raised!

Nanashi leaned as forward as he possibly could. The sword met the curved blade of the scythe strapped onto his back. The boy, surprised, jumped away. Nanashi took this as a chance to climb up onto the ground. He drew his scythe and measured the boy’s stature. Five foot ten, he thought, a little skinny but that would have madehim a swift opponent.

“What’s your name?” Nanashi asked. “I cannot fight a nameless opponent!”

“Mayhew.” The boy answered. “And you are?”

“Nameless. But I do call myself Nanashi.” He answered with a small smile. “Must we fight?”

“Aavin Suthos. He is the man I will beat. He is the man that I will beat and prove to everyone that I am not useless!” Mayhew answered calmly. “I wish not for your death…Nanashi…But if it means my proving myself to the rest of the Koyo band than so be it!”

“I see. If this Aavin Suthos is the road I must take to finding Yumi then all I could say in respond is…” Nanashi held his scythe up. “Ditto.”

“Your Karma shall be your downfall!” Mayhew charged at Nanashi, holding his sword up above his right shoulder with both hands grasping the hilt. The scarecrow dodged to the left and grabbed Mayhew’s shoulder. “Don’t fall down the canyon.” He warned and jumped back.

As Mayhew charged Nanashi again, the scarecrow decided not to dodge but toparry the blow. Both men could only think of one thing. Who had the mostmeaningful motive to win? Was it one who wished for the respect of his family? Was it the one who searched for the meaning of his life and the life of one he held dear?

Nanashi swung at the boys legs but he jumped up gracefully and took a swing at the scarecrow's shoulder. With a quick side step, Nanashi was able to dodge the swing and use the momentum of his movement to swipe again at the boy's feet. Surprisingly, Mayhew landed on the flat end of the blade.

A smile crossed Mayhew's face as he raised his sword again. Nanashi could not risk losing the fight and mustered his strength up into one unexpected maneouver. He lifted the sword up and threw Mayhew into the air. The Koyo adoptived bandit however took this surprise into his own attack. He brought his sword down as he fell toward the scarecrow. Nanashi lifted his scythe up and readied to parry the blow. Mayhew landed on the ground as their blades met and he continued to push his against Nanashi.

“You…” Mayhew muttered. “You have no fighting style do you?”

“Fighting style?” Nanashi smiled quietly. “I…” Mayhew pushed his blade harder against Nanashi’s scythe. For someone so small, he certainly had strength! “I just improvise!”

Nanashi had the idea of sweeping Mayhew off his feet again. Before he did so though, the boy had done what he had just thought. He fell down to the ground onto his back. Nanashi choked as the boy placed his foot on his throat. His hands loosened their grip on the scythe.

“Your Karma…is horrible.” Mayhew said with a small smile. Or was it a smirk? All Mayhew knew was that he just had a hint of the sweet nectar of victory.

Nanashi frowned, his eyes hardened. “I never did a damn evil thing in my life.” He replied and grabbed Mayhew’s legs with his hands. With Mayhew caught off guard, Nanashi lifted up his leg and flipped Mayhew over him and towards the canyon.

Mayhew cried out in surprise. The scarecrow, catching his breath quickly, ran over to the cliff’s edge. He grabbed Mayhew’s hand and with his other, held the edge tightly. “Hold on!” he yelled. “Maybe we can take on this Aavin Suthos together! Then we both could get what we hold dear!”

It was like the first time he met Yumi. Now, all Mayhew had to do was respond with his other hand. All he had to do was take hold of his hand. But Mayhew shook his head. “If I am to die,” he said quietly. “I will leave you with my last strike. Your heart Nanashi!” Mayhew yelled. “Your heart is your weakness!”

With that, Mayhew lifted his sword up and dug it into Nanashi’s shoulder. He yelled in pain and unconsciously let go of Mayhew’s hand. The adoptive Koyo bandit fell down, deep into the abyss. His sword was soon followed as Nanashi pulled it out and threw it down.

“I gave you a chance.” He murmured quietly and then threw down his scythe yelling to the sky. “I gave you a chance!”

Unable to cry, Nanashi sat there shaking. It was exactly like the moment with Yumi. Except…

“Mayhew…made the wrong choice…” Nanashi gripped the wound on his shoulder. “I must find Yumi, before she meets up with this Aavin Suthos. Before her mind is corrupted like Mayhew’s was.”

Standing up, Nanashi fitted the scythe on his back again. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath; a faint image of a straw blond, white tunic mage filled his mind. Opening his eyes, Nanashi nodded to himself. Everything will be all right, he thought as he set out again. Nanashi looked towards the canyon as a pillar of light enveloped it. As he turned away, he himself disappeared in a pillar of light. The deserted canyon was left with one sentence finally muttered under the scarecrow's breath.

“Aavin Suthos will pay.”