[Anomaly]

The stance serves a simple purpose. It focuses the mind while relaxing the body, allowing for a tensity of spirit but not of body. As such, a skilled fighter can absorb damage while reacting with split second manuevers of his own. As the mantis preys or the tiger strikes, it is much the same as the coiling of a spring. This is the calm before the storm, the silencing of insects before the earthquake. The time of gods.

So it is, when Reikoku charges, not a muscle twitches in the old mans body. With the first low, diagonal swipe, both hook swords sweep down and catch the blade with an X shaped guard. The Haiiro-rein is trapped only momentarily, however, as a follow up strike is directed at Ketsurui's neck. This is easily blocked by the crescent guard of his hook sword, moved gently to intercept. The same can be said of the next, similar assault.

During the entire exchange not a flicker of emotion crossed the Bloody Tears face. Only the minimum of effort was expended for the maximum effect. Standing with swords locked, Ketsurui leans gently forward.

"And you never will again."

Reikoku had unwittingly left himself extremely open. With a gently flick of his wrists, Ketsurui thrusts the hooks of his swords beneath the plate armor protecting his enemies stomach. Still using the crescent guard of his hook swords to hold his enemies weapons in check and his armor open the old man delivers a swift kick to the Ruthless stomach. In almost the same motion, he pushes hard on his enemies swords, breaking the lock and hopefully knocking his enemy over onto the stones.

Leaping backwards away from the bird bath the old man fades into the shadows beneath one of the gardens trees. Hidden from the moon light, there is a soft sigh in the high bows of the trees as Ketsurui uses his hook swords to pull himself up into their branches. His soft leather shoes allow him to grip the branches beneath his feet while he guides himself through their spreading canopy. Thin branches that would normally snap under his weight bear him anyways as he moves swiftly towards the over hanging hoof near the corner the little garden occupied.

Again his leather shoes aid the old man as he alights upon the tiled first story roof over the kitchen where he first entered the courtyard. He moves quiet as a cat, using the tree as cover so that has enemy cannot as yet see him. Working quickly, he combines the two hook swords and slips them into a sheath hidden on his back. Carefully, and slower than a normal person would've been able to, he removes his long segmented chain from around his waist without making so much as a clink. Wrapping the weighted end of the chain around his left arm, he grips the bulk of its length in his right hand and begins to creep along the roof.

The full moon is his greatest enemy now. Though the infrequent clouds made its gleam hazy, it also made it almost ever present. It moved steadily to its setting in the west, but not fast enough to be of any help at the moment. He keeps well under the eaves of the second story and in their shadow as he creeps along the north wall, well out of the breeze so that no tell tale movement of hair or cloth would give away his position anymore than the play of moonlight might already. He was hoping his enemy would be looking for him on the ground, or would've assumed he had retreated into the house. The trees certainly wouldn't be the first choice of a regular swordsman, and defiently not the roof.

Circling around slowly, he comes within striking distance of his enemy. A poisoned needle might reliabley be employed at this point to end the battle, but if the Ruthless suspected anything, his guard would be up for that weapon. Besides the lighting and the fact he was heavily armored made such an assault risk. Better to trust in the armor and weapon breaking strength of a snap of his lightning fast segmented chain.

His enemy is facing the other way. Stepping out onto the very edge of the roof, he can insure a powerful strike. Softly, without making a sound, he spins the sharpened end of his chain once, and then lets it fly through the air like a bolt of lightning from the gods. Right before it would make contact, he jerks back hard with his left arm, snaping the chain with enough precision to scythe open his enemies skull...or shatter a sword.