Comics Which Contain This Story

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Characters

The following characters are mentioned in the story:

• Miyamoto Usagi

Story Synopsis

Kitsune and Usagi are rushing through town; They have to find Noodles! As they turn a corner, they run unto a huge crowd, with Noodles in the center of it! As Kitsune rushes forward, one of the officers swings his staff at Noodles. Kitsune nearly gets one on the head, but Usagi blocks it and hangs on. Usagi and Noodles are forced to keep away, as the crowd, which is in a frenzied state, is likely to go ballistic at any time and they could get hurt. Noodles is taken away to the shirashu <sands of judgement>, and is pronounced guilty. His sentence: Death.

Normally, criminals are executed in a period of a week or so, but the yoriki wants Noodles executed, so that the evidence is cleared against him and he has a lesser chance of getting caught in the cover-up.

Kitsune is determined to spring Noodles out,because he's innocent, even if it means her getting jailed. But, as they discover in front of the magistrate's home, the magistrate has left to witness the execution of the prisoner, namely, Noodles.

On the hill, they find Noodles crucified and about to die. Kitsune pushes through the crowd to the fence, and futilely tries to save Noodles by admitting to the thefts, but to no avail.

Later, the yoriki is approached by the gamblers. They need money, and they want it now. They force the yoriki to set up another theft opportunity, and to make sure his police are far away, like he has in the past few weeks. The yoriki sees this as an opportunity, and gives the gamblers a plan... (You know this means trouble, because the yoriki was cursing about Usagi and wondering why he could possibly have any interest in a common soba seller.)

That night, Kitsune and Usagi are walking down a road in town, when suddenly the gamblers leap out from behind a wall, swords drawn. They prove short work for a skilled swordsman like Usagi, and before the last one dies, he reveals the lies they were told so that they'd try to kill Usagi, and blame the whole thing on yoriki Masuda.

A week later, the magistrate goes to an inn for a meal, only to discover he's been robbed. He summons yoriki Masuda. On the way, the yoriki bumps into Kitsune, literally. He grabs her and accuses her of being a thief, and trying to pick his pocket. Two police officers arrive, but to the yoriki's surprise and embarrasement, he still has his kinchaku <money pouch>, and Kitsune has nothing of his. He lets her go, with a warning.

At the magistrate's residence, he gets reprimanded, and as he pulls out a cloth to mop his brow, the magistrate's kinchaku falls out. The magistrate figures out what's going on, and calls the guards.

Later, Usagi approaches Kitsune in the graveyard. On Noodle's headstone, there i only a bowl of noodles, and Usagi remarks that no one will know who it is. Kitsune explains, then envites herself to dinner with Usagi, his treat. After all, a girl does have to do what she can to get by, neh?