Chapter 39

## Sneak Attack

**Chapter 39** is titled "Sneak Attack".

## Short Summary

Hachimaru and Ann manage to work through their issues and begin the road to truly understanding one another, but soon after, Ata catches up to the group. Daruma and Hanaichi ride out to meet him, but he makes a no one could have predicted.

## Long Summary

Hachimaru, having never heard about Ann's brother, asks about him. Meanwhile, Sanda and Ryu look for Hachimaru, but Daruma stops them from interrupting his conversation. Ann goes on to explains who Nanashi was, his death, and how Hachimaru made her remember him better. She then explains her brother's name and his life, which makes Hachimaru see that she grew in the same town as his friend Nanashi. Though he made seven wishes into a calling for himself, but he actually had eight, the last being to protect her. Hearing that her brother had a similar Calling to him makes him understand that Ann sees her brother when she looks at him.

Ann goes on, telling Hachimaru that she became a Princess to honor her brother, but it hurt to remember him. Though she wanted to forget him to avoid the pain, she continued training and pretended it didn't sadden her. This changed when she met Hachimaru: the similarities between him an Nanashi made her feel as though her brother was still with her, trying to follow his Calling. Hachimaru infers that Ann has become distant because she is starting to notice that his differences from Nanashi. He tells her that he is not Nanshi, he is himself: he can't replace Nanashi, but he does want to protect her as Hachimaru.

Hachimaru becomes sad when he realizes that Ann was being to kind not to him, but to the memory of her older brother. She apologizes for not seeing him properly, and the eavesdropping Daruma sees this as an example of what Fudo Myo-o told him about knowing the different sides of a person. However, Hachimaru immediately cheers up, happy that Ann shared her feelings and history with him. His openness makes Sanda jealous, until he brings it up to an oblivious Ryu.

With everything out in the open, Hachimaru asks Ann to hear *his* voice, and reiterates his oath to protect Ann. She asks he is saying this because she's his Princess of Fate, so he clarifies: he is promising to protect her simply because she is **Ann**. Daruma is glad because the two of them are seeing each other's true selves. Goku, who was also there, comments that his work is done: he can now sense a strong bond between them.

Meanwhile, Ichigo senses something approaches. Hanaichi asks about it, but he then senses what she's picking up. Daruma also catches it, and Hachimaru senses it too, recognizing it as Ata's gravity quickly approaching. Everyone gathers in the main area as Yoken alerts them to an Ususama vessel nearing. Hanaichi notices the Holder is in a form to maximize speed. With little time, Daruma pulls out Yasha's Samurai Soul fragment, intending to use it on himself and Hanaichi so they can turn Yoken and Nekomata's Samurai armors.

Aboard Ata's Holder Ryuki, he senses someone familiar besides Daruma in his path. He asks Niri to pray as he prepares to head out. On Yoken, Goku watches Daruma and Hanaichi fly out, focusing because he has never seen Hanaichi's true form or Nekomata's Armor form. Sen is also interested as two of the strongest initiates of their schools are fighting as a team. As they reach Ryuki, Ata summons armor from hs Holder and clashes with them. He notices that Hanaichi has betrayed him, who counters that ha has no right to speak of loyalty. Daruma notices that his student is using Soroken, but is confident that between himself and his ally, they can anticipate any of his moves. Ata knows this, though, and he reminds his foes that while the two of them are powerful, he is the only person who has learned to use moves from *two* schools at once. With that, Ata unleashes the first move to ever incorporate two styles: **Kongo-Yasha/Ususama Combined Style: World of Death**.

## Fights and Events

* Ann tells Hachimaru about her past and Nanashi.
* Ata shows the first move to combine two fighting styles.
* Daruma and Hanaichi vs Ata (Continued in next chapter)

## Trivia

* **Kishu** (奇 (き) 襲 (しゅう) , ***Kishu***?) means "Surprise Attack ".