[Summer is beginning. You're just heading home to get out of your over-restrictive uniform so you can practice with your amazing ninja powers, or whatever it is that ninjas do after school. You're just passing a chinese restaraunt when you get the eerie feeling you're being watched.] [Karasu Intro... FIGHT!] * Karasu walks casually. His eyes shift from side to side, searching for whoever's watching him, but there's no other indication that he's noticed anything. * Standing outside the chinese restaraunt, leaning against the wall casually is a very pretty man of middling height, with short, white hair. He's dressed in a black overcoat, with a black suit underneath. It looks rather stylish, and though his hair is white, he doesn't look particularly old. He is, perhaps, in his early fifties, but he's aged quite well. He seems to be quite obviously watching you, though. The street itself has gone strangely quiet. * Karasu stops and observes the man. * Man observes Karasu right back. * Karasu waits a minute for the man to do something. If he doesn't Karasu continues on his way. * Man quirks an eyebrow, but otherwise doesn't do anything. * Karasu walks. * Some ten minutes later, as you're passing the flower shop, you spot him ahead of you. You've got no idea how he got there, since you didn't see him pass, and there are no cars in sight that he could have used. * Karasu stops again, observing the man more carefully. * Man smiles enigmatically. Are you following me? Yes. * Karasu asks, "Why?" He doesn't sound irritated at all, just curious. Why should I tell you? * Karasu shrugs. "There's no particular reason you should." Very good. Young punks should know their place in society. * Karasu frowns. "Why did you insult me?" Because I can, and there's nothing you can do about it. That's not completely true. Oh really? But you wouldn't like the results much. * Man quirks an eyebrow. Who are you to say what I would and wouldn't like? * Karasu shrugs. "No reason." I didn't ask for a reason. I asked who you are. Why should I tell you? Because if you don't, I may decide to kill you? * Karasu blinks. "Why would you do that? That's an awfully irrational thing to do." I would do that because I already know who you are. Then why did you ask who I was if you already knew? Because I wanted to see how you reacted, foolish boy. * Karasu shrugs. "You might have gone about it a nicer way." I might have. But I didn't. No, you didn't. So tell me... why shouldn't I kill you? I could come up with a number of reasons, but I guess the one you're most likely to listen to is that I might hurt you more than you hurt me. You overestimate yourself. I might. I might not. Then show me. * Karasu shrugs, and falls into a fighting stance. "I don't like needless fighting, but I figure you're not going to let me go unless I do, right?" If you don't show me, I'll kill you. So you don't have a choice. * Karasu sighs. "I was afraid of that." * Karasu doesn't move forwards. Instead he spreads his hands out from himself. "Raven Wing!" A dark blast of energy shaped like a raven flies forth. * Man snaps his arm forward, palm flat towards Karasu. The attack intersects the plane described by his hand and splashes off a barrier of some sort. Not strong enough, boy. * Karasu wastes no time in charging for the man, throwing a swift kick. * Man doesn't move from his casual standing position, he just snaps his arms around swiftly, and it feels more like Karasu is kicking a brick wall, or maybe a steel telephone pole, than a human arm. Can't you do any better than this? * Karasu keeps his offensive strong. He slashes at the man with a hand engulfed in dark energy. "Raven Nine-Needle Slasher!" * Man is quite suddenly not there. * Man reappears behind Karasu. "Let's see how you can take what you dish out." He lashes out with a straight kick that has all the force of a speeding car, catching Karasu in the small of the back and sending him tumbling through the wall of the flower shop. When Karasu's wits return, he's surrounded in roses. * Man steps through the hole Karasu left in the wall. * Man looks down at Karasu. * Karasu staggers to his legs. ...still conscious. Impressive. Stay down, boy. I'm not going to kill you. * Karasu grins. "Change- " He spits out some blood. "of heart?" Maybe. Or maybe I never intended to kill you. Listen to me, Mifune. You've got darkness inside you. I'm going to burn it out, or see you dead. Been tried. * Man tosses a formal-looking envelope to the ground at Karasu's feet. Not by me. That's your invitation and your plane ticket. Don't lose them, and don't be late. I'll be expecting you to be at school on time. * Karasu doesn't say anything to that. What, no questions? Figured you wouldn't give me any answers. Ok... Where am I going, why am I going there... the obvious. You're going to Battle High. You're going there because I'll be there. And how do you expect to help me? I'm not going to tell you that. Suffice it to say, I'll have more than enough resources to do whatever I want. * Karasu wipes his mouth with the back of his sleeve. "That's all the questions I have." Fine. I'll see you at opening assembly, then. It's in three months. Be there. * Man walks out the hole Karasu left in the wall. * Karasu gets up and looks at the letter. * Inside the envelope is an official-looking, gold-embossed invitation to Battle High School for one Karasu Mifune, along with a plane ticket. The ticket specifies a gate number, time, and date, but no destination. * Karasu looks at the items curiously. * Karasu puts them back in the envelope and shoves them in his trenchcoat pocket, then continues on his way. [Intro fight... Draw]