Sa kalagitnaan ng pag-iisip ni Kourin ng posibleng sagot tungkol sa pagkakakilanlan ng taong nagdala sa kanya sa lugar na iyon, agad siyang nakaramdam ng hindi maganda sa paligid niya. Thank goodness her ability to sense danger hadn't left her. But at that point, the situation would surely put her in a tight spot.
Mukhang sa nakikita ni Kourin, hindi pa rin pala siya ligtas sa lugar na iyon. She was about to say something when she saw the woman took ahold of the shamisen. Much to her surprise, the woman pulled out a short sword from it. Pero sandali lang iyon. Nahagip ng mga mata niya ang isang katana na nakapatong sa isang wooden stand at tila naghihintay lang na gamitin ng sinumang nagmamay-ari niyon.
"You can use it if you want. But of course, you still need to be careful," the woman said as she stood and prepared for the possible incoming attack.
"I had my share of using such a sword a long time ago. Sana lang ay hindi pa rin nawawala sa akin ang mga natutunan ko." And with that, Kourin took ahold of the katana she saw.
But for some weird reason, Kourin felt as if her heart had stopped beating for a few moments upon touching the sword. Wait a minute! Para saan iyon?
Saka na pagtutuunan ni Kourin ng pansin iyon. Sa ngayon ay kailangan niyang ihanda ang sarili niya sa posibleng pag-atake sa Japanese house na iyon. The moment the shogi door was slid open by force, the princess unsheathed the sword. As she had suspected, several men forced their way inside the house. Yet she and the woman were prepared to take them on.
Hindi na sorpresa para sa misteryosong babae ang pagsugod na iyon. Kaya nga lagi ay nasa paligid lang niya ang shamisen na isa sa pinaglalagyan ng kanyang mga piling sandata. At ang mga lalaking ito na nangahas sumugod sa tahanang iyon ay titiyakin niyang makakatikim na kaagad ng bangis ng kanyang abilidad sa sandatang napili niya. It didn't take her much to do things that would easily render her attackers immobile ― which was her other term of immediate death by slashing their throats and stabbing them right to the heart. Oo, ganoon siya kabrutal. But for her, it was still mild in consideration to the princess' possible reaction.
Pero sa tingin ng babaeng iyon, mukhang wala na siyang dapat ikonsidera pagdating kay Kourin. Sa nakikita niya, hindi na alintana ng prinsesa ang bayolenteng mundong pilit na inilalayo rito ng mga tagapagbantay nito. As soon as she realized that, she turned and remorselessly ended the last of her attacker, as she stabbed him.
Kourin wasn't doing bad at her end when it comes to dealing with the other attackers. In fact, she had already taken down most of them. But the fact that those guys were truly stubborn in going after her to kill her had never irritated her this much until now. Surely, she feared it so much for the past two years as she was assuming a new identity.
At mukhang ang iritasyon na iyon ang rason kung bakit nagagawa ni Kourin na patumbahin ang mga ugok na ito. Hindi nagtagal ay natapos na rin iyon. Soon after, she put back the sword to its sheath. But she froze to her spot as she heard a click from just behind her as she felt something was pointed to the back of her head. Hindi na lingid sa kanya kung ano iyon. Pero sa totoo lang, hindi siya makaisip kung ano ang gagawin para makakilos at maiwasan iyon.
"Sino ba naman ang mag-aakala na ganitong klaseng gulo ang ibibigay ng isang babaeng kagaya mo?" anang tinig ng isang lalaki na bagaman hindi pamilyar kay Kourin ay nagdulot naman sa kanya ng panlalamig.
Then the young clan princess heard another click from behind her head. Was the man using a revolver? A weird choice of weapon for a hired killer, if you asked her. Then Kourin scanned the area and found the woman blankly eyeing the man with her hold on the weapon pulled from the shamisen. Mukhang isang pagkakamali ― gaano pa man kaliit iyon ― ang tanging hinihintay ng babaeng iyon para sugurin ang pangahas na ito.
Until Kourin's sharp ears detected a faint sound as if someone was actually heading their way from... inside the house. At sa nakikita niya, pati ang babae ang narinig din ng yabag na iyon. It didn't take long for the attacker to hear the same sound, causing him to look around.
At iyon ang hinihintay ni Kourin! She unsheathed the sword once more and without hesitation, slashed the man's stomach with it even though she knew it wasn't enough. It caused him to drop the gun, which turned out to be a revolver as she had originally guessed.
"If I were you, don't even try anything more funny. I won't hesitate ending your life the instant you tried to hurt her again."
Napalingon si Kourin pagkarinig sa tinig na iyon. Espada ng misteryosong babae ang nakatutok sa gilid ng leeg ng kalaban kasabay ng isang baril na nakatutok naman sa noo nito. Agad na nagliwanag ang mukha ng prinsesa nang makita niya kung sino ang nagmamay-ari ng baril na iyon.
"Ryuuji-san!" Or at least that's how Kourin would usually address the said man.
"You've gotten good, Princess," sabi ni Ryuuji nang may ngiti ngunit hindi pa rin inaalis ang tingin sa kalaban.
Ilang sandali pa, nagsidatingan na ang iba pa nilang tauhan kung ibabase na rin ni Kourin sa insignia ng Shinomiya clan sa uniporme ng mga ito. Mukhang hindi basta-basta ang gulong kinasangkutan niya nang mga sandaling iyon.
The fact that Ryuuji Mikazuki came out and actually arrived for the clan princess' aid only meant one thing. Puspusan na ang paghahanda na kailangan niyang gawin. Hindi na rin basta-basta ang gulong sasalubong sa kanya sa mga susunod na araw.
Hinuli na ng mga tauhan nila ang lalaking natitirang buhay sa mga kalaban nila. One by one, the dead bodies were removed from the house and all Kourin did was to watch it with nonchalant expression. Para bang namanhid ang pakiramdam niya pagkatapos ng lahat ng mga nangyari.
"It's for the best if you both head home. Now that this had happened, there's no knowing what trouble will come ahead of you," suhestiyon ng babae kay Kourin habang pinupunasan ang dugong dumungis sa sandatang hawak niya. "Send my regards to the Fire Princess and the Blue Shadow."
"Pero..." Paano ba sasabihin ni Kourin na kahit gusto niyang gawin iyon ay hindi naman niya alam kung ano ang isasagot kung sakaling magtanong ang dalawang taong binanggit nito pagdating sa pangalan ng babaeng tumulong sa kanya?
May kinuha ang babae sa loob ng sleeve ng kimono nito at iniabot iyon kay Kourin. "Just show them that and they will already know who I am. Be careful, Princess of the Shinomiya Clan."
Napatingin lang si Kourin sa hawak niyang crest. She frowned at the sight of it for some reason. Bakit parang nakita na niya yata iyon noon? Three peach-colored roses with stems entwined on the blade of a Japanese sword ― iyon ang itsura ng simbolong nakaukit sa marble crest.
"I guess I don't need to explain to Ami where I disappeared to," nakangiting saad ni Kourin at nagpaalam na sa misteryosong babae.
With Ryuuji as Kourin's bodyguard, she left the house in order to head home.
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