"MacLeod-san?" Subaru came into his apartment, not really expecting the man to still be there. Looking at the unexpected gift in his hand, he wondered where he was going to put it. It seemed disrespectful just to leave it on the floor, but there wasn't really any place...

As Subaru considered his options, he felt that strange buzzing sensation in his head again. Was he under attack? He readied himself for anything, pulling out a few ofuda from inside his coat. As the door opened, he stood, waiting to see who would come in. When he saw it was Duncan, he lowered his arms, and relaxed.

"What's wrong?"

Subaru shook his head ruefully, and replied, "I felt this strange buzzing sensation, and I thought it was the beginnings of an attack. I suppose that I've become too paranoid-"

Duncan closed the door behind him, and said, "I didn't tell you this before, did I?" Subaru looked at him questioningly as Duncan sat down on the couch. "That buzzing sensation -- it's a warning system. It tells you when another immortal is near, but it's not very accurate. However, it ensures that no immortal can sneak up on you to take your head in secret. Of course, that's against the rules anyway, but if they're willing to sneak up on you-"

"MacLeod-san. I wish to ask you something." Duncan looked at the young man and nodded. "Are you a practitioner of magic? Is that how you healed yourself, and me as well? I find myself unable to accept this ridiculous tale of immortals hunting each other for some elusive prize-"

Duncan laughed out loud. "Magic? I don't believe in magic -- it doesn't exist. I have yet to see a concrete example of it in all the years I've been alive, and trust me, I've been around." Duncan stood up, and said in a more serious tone, "You can't deny what you are. It doesn't work that way. It may seem ridiculous, but it'll stop seeming that way when someone comes for your head. Look, I'm going to try to get you to learn how to defend yourself, but if you don't accept what you are, I can't do that."

Subaru sat down on the floor, his expression introspective. "I'm sorry, MacLeod-san. But I have seen healing spells -- while they are not usually as visible as yours, they do work in the same manner. I'm not sure how you managed to cast one on me, considering my protections, but that is nothing compared to my trying to believe that I am now an immortal."

Subaru stopped speaking, and looked into the mirror for a moment. Plumbing its depths, his eyes seem to look beyond himself to another world Duncan could not see. "I have enough trouble thinking of how I'm going to survive beyond a certain number of months. How can I accept infinity?"

This was said in a voice older than Subaru's should have been, making Duncan think back to a friend he had had many years ago... John had lost his leg in a war, and had sounded just like Subaru when he had come out of his operation...

"Look, kid. I don't know what you think you are, or what I am, but the truth is the truth. I can prove it to you definitely, if you want. Here." Duncan took out his sword, and handed it to Subaru. "Stab me in the chest."

Subaru looked at him as if he were mad, and dropped the sword. "MacLeod-san! I don't think that-"

Duncan looked at him quietly. "You wanted proof, right? I'm giving you proof. Fine -- I'll do this myself. By the way, just letting you know that dying isn't any fun, no matter how many times you do it." Duncan took the sword, and angling it so the dying would be easier when Subaru interrupted him.

"MacLeod-san. I believe you. Please don't do this, I don't need proof that badly. I just don't want to believe, but you're forcing me to. It's just-" Subaru sighed and took a cigarette from the pack he had in his jacket. Lighting up, he took a small drag before passing the box to Duncan.

"You smoke? Somehow, you don't seem the type."

Subaru smiled. "I wasn't before, and now I am. That's all. I-"

Subaru stopped speaking as MacLeod noticed the sword that Subaru had propped up against the wall- he still hadn't decided where he was going to place it. "What's this?"

Subaru gave the sword a rueful look. "It was a gift from a client. I had gotten rid of some hate-sendings at a dojo nearby, and I discovered the sword had attracted much of the energy. The client told me to keep the sword, telling me he felt I would need it -- how could I refuse? But what am I supposed to do with that, anyway?"

Duncan took the sword out of it's sheath and examined it carefully. Reverently, he put the blade back into its casing, and carefully put the blade before Subaru. "Have you even been listening to me? I told you that you're going to need a sword, and fate seems to have given you one. The game won't ignore you because you're too ignorant to know any better. Trust me -- I know."

Subaru took the sword and lifted it in front of him. For a moment he sat with his eyes closed, lost in his thoughts. Then Subaru whispered, "No killing. Ever." Duncan was about to protest, when he saw the look in Subaru's eyes. It was the same look that he remembered Darius having -- firm and beyond changing.

"All right. Then you probably won't live very long unless you spend all your time on holy ground." Duncan gave Subaru a measuring look. "Look, how do you think you're going to survive if you don't even try to defend yourself? At least train with a sword enough so that if someone tries to take your head, you don't make it easy for them!"

Subaru looked at the sword, which had the aura of death around it. It was perhaps weaker, but still within the blade. "MacLeod-san. I don't know why you seem to think that my survival is your concern, but I will try to train with the sword. However, I warn you that I am not going to be using it for defense anyway, so-"

"Why don't you not decide that until you're faced with a real enemy? One of my other students, Richie Ryan, is going to be visiting Japan also. He's around your age, and hasn't been an immortal long either. Maybe if you talk to him-"

Duncan stopped as he saw Subaru shaking with bitter laughter. "A real enemy, MacLeod-san? You have no idea of what an enemy is, or what I've faced. What I will still face..."

"Look. I'm not going to ask about your life before, but now, you're different. You can't live like a mortal anymore. You have to be careful, and not have any attachments. It's not going to be easy, but-"

Subaru put the sword down gently, and then stood to face Duncan. "MacLeod-san, I have never been anything but different. I think that I shall not last long enough for the training to matter. I will speak to your student, but I will not stop doing what good I can with my powers."

Duncan sighed. "Look, Subaru. I've been around for four hundred years, and I've never seen real magic. I've seen tricks, hypnosis, even a few so-called miracles. What you do is your business, but don't try to convince me that what you do is-"

Subaru smiled gently at Duncan, and replied, "It seems that we have a lack of trust in each of the other's fantastic stories." Subaru put out his cigarette and placed the butt inside a trash pail. "MacLeod-san, I will believe your tale, if you believe in my powers. Now, if you wish to have your friend see me, any time in the next few days would be good. I have no pressing engagements, so please give me a call before you come."

Duncan shook his head as he left the apartment for his hotel. "He's a strange one -- most of the new immortals are either hysterical, or just in shock. That one -- he just doesn't seem to care that he's immortal." As he stepped into his hotel, he felt a warning buzz- one that told him that a fellow immortal was near.

Tensed, he looked around warily, before dropping his guard and waving. "Richie! It's good to see you. Joe told me you were coming."

Richie came up to him, suitcase in tow. "Hey, Mac! Yeah, I was going to visit anyway -- it's not as if I have anything better to do. But when I heard about this new student-"

Duncan sighed. "Don't remind me, huh? He's an exorcist who refuses to kill, and he seems to be oh, just slightly depressed..." Richie started to laugh. "What?"

Shaking his head, Richie replied, "The only times I've heard you say anything in that aggravated tone is when you're talking about Amanda. Do you really think that he's that much trouble?"

"You talk to him and find out, ok? I'm glad you're here, Richie."

Richie grinned at his friend, and asked, "Why, Mac?"

Duncan returned his grin, and replied, "I need you to help me carry my things to your rental. By the way, thanks for letting me use it while you're here."

Richie looked at his older friend for a moment. "Mac! Since when did I volunteer to be your chauffeur?"

"When you came to Japan, expecting to stay with me. Be glad I'm not going to stay at this hotel -- I wouldn't have had room for you." Duncan gave Richie a look, to which Richie grumbled a bit, and then took his own luggage back out to the car.

"How did he know?" Richie shook his head a bit, and then went back to where Duncan was waiting. "All right, where's your room?"

:Hello? Subaru?:
:MacLeod-san. You told me that you wished for me to train-:
:Yeah, but I need to find a place where-:
:The owner of the dojo, Tanaka-san, told me that I could use the dojo to practice with the sword if I wished. Will that work?:
:That's great! I'll bring Richie over, too.:
:MacLeod-san. I meant what I said before... I will not kill.:
:We'll see.:

"Tanaka-san. Thank you for letting us use your dojo." Tanaka bowed to Subaru, and then asked, "How long will you need it for? I would not wish to bother you during your practice." Subaru looked at Duncan, who answered, "I think that two hours should be enough." Tanaka nodded, and then left the three in the empty dojo.

"Wow! How'd you get a place like this for free? I know that Mac here would have been charged-"

Richie stopped as Duncan gave him a look, while Subaru smiled a little. "It was in payment for a service I did him, as I asked no money. He really did not have to, but I am glad that he did." Richie stood still, surprised at Subaru's grasp of English, while Subaru knelt at the center of the dojo and started to chant a few esoteric syllables.

"Mac, what's he doing?"

Duncan watched the young man, who had his index fingers steepled in front of his face. "You expect me to know?"

Subaru let his mind feel the dojo, and was satisfied that Tanada had stopped his sendings. *Good. At least this is one thing that I don't have to worry about. The last thing I need is to use a sword that's going to attract hatred like a magnet...*

Subaru stood and faced the two. "I was attempting to sense whether or not the malicious attack on the dojo had stopped or not, and apparently, it has."

Richie asked in a curious voice, "Does that magic stuff really work?"

Duncan sighed. "Richie, not now. We're here to train, not to discuss-"

Richie ignored Duncan and went up to Subaru. "Come on -- I bet you could show me something, right?"

Subaru looked at the eager young man and nodded. "If you like, I can put up a small protective ward. It would be a good idea anyway, considering the fact that the sword is especially vulnerable here." With Duncan and Richie looking on, Subaru took out a thin piece of paper with an 'Om' written on it.

Duncan looked at the young man with a skeptical expression. *I should have known Richie was going to do this...* This expression vanished as the ward started to glow, and mists started to gather around it.

After a moment, Subaru slapped the paper onto the floor and stood with the sword in hand. "That should do it."

Richie stared at the young psychic with an expression of awe. "That was awesome! How did you do that?" Subaru looked at him with an expression of surprise. After all, he was not used to seeing the near-idolization that was in Richie's eyes. Usually, people looked at him with respect or fear, but not as if they wished to be able to do what he did...

"It is my vocation, and has been the occupation of my clan for thirteen generations. I do it because no one else can, and no one else can combat the other side of the magic..." Subaru stared at the blade of the sword for a moment, his eyes far away. *Seishirou-san... if I really am an immortal...*

He shook his head, and looked at the shocked Duncan. "MacLeod-san-"

Duncan held up his head. "Please, Subaru. How about Duncan?"

Subaru looked at him for a moment before nodding. "All right, Duncan-san -- what do you think I should know about this?" Looking at the sword in his hand, Subaru held it hesitantly. "Weapons... that is not what my clan uses to fight. I trained in a certain amount of martial arts, of course, to promote discipline and health, but that was a long time ago."

Duncan gave him a measuring look. He saw a thin frame and a face that looked far too frail. Subaru had burning, obsessed green eyes, but even those betrayed a certain pain that did not bode well for his inner state. All in all, not the best person to start on an aggressive training plan...

"Subaru, I doubt that you've ever held a sword." Subaru looked at him and nodded, glancing at the blade with an uneasy expression on his face. Duncan sighed for a moment, and continued, "I have to tell you that my teaching program is not traditional. I teach you how to win at any cost, and some of the techniques I use would never work for a mortal -- but for us, it works."

Duncan waved Richie in closer, and the red-head came to face Duncan with his own sword drawn. "Richie, I think that we should demonstrate how a sword fight between two immortals can be different." Aside to Subaru, he said, "We take risks usual swordsman will not, as you'll see."

Richie grinned a reckless smile, and took off his shirt. "I have a feeling this fight's gonna get painful and I'd rather not get too much blood on this shirt." Duncan nodded, and took off his own shirt as well The two circled each other for a moment before attacking full force.

Parrying a swing to his chest, Duncan managed to counter-attack, stabbing Richie in the arm. Leaping away with a curse, Richie ignored his wound and pressed Duncan until they were both bleeding. Finally, Duncan managed a feint that got him a sword in his chest, but also got his own blade at Richie's throat.

Richie looked up at the panting Duncan, and both of their eyes locked for just a moment. Richie could feel the sweat dripping down his face to sting at the thin cut the sword blade was making at his neck, and he couldn't help remember Duncan after he had had the dark quickening. "He-hey Mac. Come on-"

Duncan grinned down at Richie's face, and then let the sword fall away from its threatening position. Turning to face Subaru, who had backed away slowly from the savage fight, he pointed to his chest. "See... an ordinary fighter... wouldn't take risks like this. But an immortal-" Duncan sat down slowly, and sighed. "Damn -- I hate this part..." He sank down to the floor, blood coming out even faster from his wound.

"Duncan-san!"

Subaru rushed to him, only to be stopped by Richie, who had a sour expression on his face, and one hand to his neck. "Don't worry about Mac. He's done this before -- damn it, he didn't have to play with me like that."

As Subaru watched, the gaping hole in Duncan's chest closed with a little flash of lighting, and Duncan himself took a deep breath and sat up. "Like I said, dying isn't fun, and you don't get used to it. But, we are immortal, and there are going to be people who are going to be hunting you. It may seem strange, but-"

Subaru looked at him solemnly, and touched his still-bloody chest. "All this blood, and no wound -- is this what is going to happen to me?" At Richie's solemn nod, Subaru looked at his fingers, and a pained smile crossed his face.

"Duncan-san, Richie-san. Being hunted is not a foreign thing to me... but now, being the hunter has just gotten easier. Thank you, but I shall not be needing the sword against the one I must fight." Subaru got up and handed the sword to Duncan. "Please do not stay in Japan on my account. What I am involved in is none of your affair."