Kasen breaks Ran's nose for a basket of bread.
Ran was flying back with her prize to Lady Yukari. It wasn't anything fancy, just a basket of plain bread, but everything was valuable in current circumstances. Her journey was interrupted, however, when a hermit stepped into her way.
"I apologize in advance, but I have no choice." The words were followed by a flying kick. The fox dodged it without trouble by lunging back. However, the hermit followed up with a punch. Ran already managed to put enough distance between them, so the punch couldn't connect. At that moment, the bandages on hermit's arm unfurled, revealing that nothing was behind them. Before Ran could react, the hermit's arm reformed right in front of her face, delivering a blow powerful enough to knock her some distance away right into the ground.
Ran managed to raise herself a bit just in time to see the arm, holding the basket she released from the shock, reattach to its owner. The fox felt the blood gushing down her now-aching face, and it wasn't because of something pleasant this time. The punch felt stronger than what a human or even a hermit is capable of. It was more on the level of a? an oni.
"What was that for, you lunatic?!" Ran shouted, wiping her face.
"I'm sorry, but I have my reasons. I have to win here. At any cost." With these words, the hermit turned away and took off.