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Part 2

(Some time later, Rin stirs inside his dark bedroom as lights streams in through the now-open sliding door. He lifts a hand to block the blinding light, and his vision slowly adjusts as a silhouette steps into the doorway.)

Rin: Ayaka...?

(The figure glances up, revealing Ayaka's face, twisted by a mournful expression.)

Ayaka: (sadly) ...My love.

(Ayaka releases her binding grip on her robe, revealing a gaping cavity in her chest where her heart should be as it falls away. She chuckles sadly at Rin's silent horror.)

Ayaka: Why so surprised? You did this to me, you know.

(Ayaka closes her eyes as her chin sinks to rest on her chest, unleashing a shrill scream as a black-clad man grips a fistful of her hair and slices her throat with frightening speed.)

Rin: Hhhh!!

(Awakening with a start, Rin darts up into a sitting position, blindly scanning the darkness as his breathing slows. Rin's panic awakens Ayaka, and her soft, slender fingers close gently around his wrist.)

Ayaka: Mmph...Rin...?

(Rin gradually relaxes and lays down next to Ayaka, prying her hand free and interlacing his fingers with hers. Ayaka's face falls into a concerned frown, and she lightly kisses Rin's forehead.)

Ayaka: You're allowing the weight of your responsibilities to crush you...You can't be both a warrior and a civilian forever.

Rin: At least until the assault, I must. The puppet government's spies and secret police lurk around every corner, and report directly to the Chinese.

(Rin clambers out from beneath the sheets and continues talking as he dresses.)

Rin: Outside of you and my men, no one knows that I am the leader of the resistance movement...This is how it must remain for as long as possible.

(Rin leans over the bed and give Ayaka a quick kiss as he strides briskly towards the door, retrieving his katana from where it leans against the wall.)

Rin: I'll return in two days' time.

Ayaka: (nodding) Be safe.

(Rin slides the door shut behind him and exits the paper-walled house, slowly making his way down the front steps before mounting his horse and cracking the reins. The camera transitions as an identical snapping is heard, and a muscular young man teeters before tumbling to the ground as Rin's fist collides with his jaw. Rin's eyes narrow in disdain as he relaxes and rises from his combative stance.)

Rin: Get up, Haruto.

(Haruto groans as he rolls in pain, clutching his midsection.)

Haruto: (weakly) I...I can't...

Rin: You can't? Or you won't?

Haruto: You broke my rib..!

(Rin paces over to Haruto and kneels next to him, whispering softly.)

Rin: Do you know how I managed to break your rib?

(Haruto searches for a response, then grabs the lapels of Rin's robes and attempts to headbutt him. Rin palms Haruto's face and forcefully slams his head against the ground, bounding away from his prone adversary.)

Rin: Your determination is admirable...But continuing to fight after you have been bested once, especially when the reason for your defeat is unknown to you, is dishonorable.

(Rin turns away from the injured Haruto and addresses the crowd of soldiers.)

Rin: This fight is over. Dress your wounds and return only when you feel you've gathered the mental and physical strength required to knock me out of this ring.

(Haruto struggles to his feet and limps off, aided by two of his comrades as the onlookers murmur amongst themselves. Rin raises one fist, bringing immediate silence, and steps back into full view of the crowd.)

Rin: (shouting) I expect nothing less than perfection from all of you, because perfection is what will be required for this attack. We stand against an army far better armed, trained, and manned, but has that ever stopped us before?!

Soldiers: (shouting, in unison) Sir, no sir!

(Rin begins to pace as he continues.)

Rin: Centuries ago, when Kublai Khan and his Mongol horde set their sights on our shores, things looked quite bleak for those who dared to defend this land they called home. And yet fate was on their side, and the aggressors' ships were dashed upon the rocks by the Divine Wind, left stranded and vulnerable. They were massacred by the defenders, and Japan remained safe from invasion.

(Rin stops pacing and turns his severe gaze on the soldiers in front, prompting audible nervous gulps.)

Rin: Any of you who knows why the nickname "Land of the Rising Sun" was bestowed upon our homeland knows also that the moniker is symbolic as well as literal. With the sun cresting over the horizon each day, a new day begins...Full of uncertainty, but also promise, for the future. I ask you, is it mere luck that the former greatest Eastern empire shares directional orientation with the rising sun?

(Rin sighs deeply and bows his head, his voice decreasing in volume to just above a whisper.)

Rin: Never was there a dark day in Japan, before the chaos and uncertainty of the land where the sun is swallowed by the sky...(points) threatened to consume them whole, and so they sought out light. We offered assistance, but a single golden ray of sun wasn't enough, they said, and resolved to take it all for themselves.

(Rin's voice gradually grows louder as he lifts his head, reaching the decibels of a primal roar.)

Rin: For too long, we have allowed this darkness, this evil, to consume our once-glorious nation, allowed outsiders to exert influence and control. My friends...The day upon which this will no longer be the case fast approaches. As the Divine Wind favored our ancestors in their struggle, fate favors our audacious undertaking. You are the future of Japan-you are her liberators and her saviors. NEVER FORGET THIS HONOR!!!

Soldiers: SIR, YES SIR!!!

(The soldiers disperse, leaving a single man observing with an admiring grin.)

Kazuo: Your abilities as an orator have improved quite a bit, Rin...These men believe in your cause like never before.

Rin: (smiling) You liked it, eh?

Kazuo: Indeed...You have a natural flair for the dramatic. Adds a bit of fire to your words.

(Rin chuckles, his face darkening as silence returns.)

Rin: It's good to see you again, Kazuo...But I get the feeling that this isn't a social call.

Kazuo: (smirking) No overdue visit is worth a ride to Kyoto...And you're correct, of course. There is much to discuss.

Rin: Come, then. Let us walk.

(The two men step out of the arena, passing several groups of conversing soldiers as they walk deeper inside an immense, multi-leveled training structure.)