Hey there, peoples! It's a very stormy night here in Indianapolis, so I figured it'd be a perfect time to finish up the next update of Legacy. As of April 12, I've finally turned 18 years old!
I've officially closed the poll. With a unanimous vote, it seems you readers really want a female Tenkai(Mitsuhide), so that's what I'm going with.
Last time, the battle in the homeland of the Saika Faction reached its end, with Kizami successful in his goal to ally his forces with the Saika. However, he must now deal with the negative repercussions of the encounter with Mitsunari Ishida. What will happen?
Text Key:
"speech"
'thought'
"enraged or spiritually empowered speech"
*sound effect*
*loud sound effect*
(author comments)
-{[scene heading]}-
flashbacks & emphasized wording
narration and song lyrics
(Last time, on Legacy...)
"Hear us now, we are the Saika Faction! The Red Bell rings, the pact we have made shall be known to all! Let it toll, let the bell toll across the land!" she declared, the loud echoing ring of a bell resounding throughout the camp in response.
At this, Kizami knew the pact was sealed.
"Thank you, Mago-nee. I really appreciate this." Kizami said, smiling at her.
"Your respect and payment are all the thanks we require, otouto...but you're welcome." she answered, lightly smiling back.
The two each withdrew a single pistol with their right hand, holding them outward towards each other and clasping them against one another at their sides. It was a gesture of camaraderie and friendship that they'd established a long time ago.
And thus, the Oda and Saika became allies once again.
(And now...)
The first step of many to achieving a land of peace.
Kizami, though he has succeeded in forming an alliance with the Saika Faction, did not complete his goal without hardship.
A small portion of his army destroyed. A dangerous enemy made in Mitsunari Ishida. Katsuie, severely injured and now under the care of Ieyasu. Oichi, unconscious for the foreseeable future. Along with Magoichi, Kizami must decide on the next course of action.
Will he continue to blaze a trail forward towards what he dreams of, despite the hole created in the Oda's military strength?
-{[story intro]}-
play "Naked Arms" by T.M. Revolution (Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes game intro)
*instrumental intro*
(Kizami prepares for battle as the camera zooms in on him tightening his gloves, holstering his sword, and finally walking outside as the screen is consumed by white)
All those dreams, all of my hope, all life come undone...
(Kizami, atop a white steed, races through a grassy field, a smile on his face as the camera circles around him)
In a world, beaten and broken, I can see a rising sun.
(zooming out, the camera reveals the Oda remnants trailing behind him as the sun's rays illuminate their charge; Oichi is mysteriously absent)
Burning down, scorching the earth, nowhere left to hide...
(panning a distance in front of them, the camera shows a different army rushing at them from the opposite direction)
Try to stop all this destruction; find a way, turn the tide.
(a close-up of the second army reveals Masamune and Kojuro leading it, the two forces about to clash with one another)
Reveal the bond that's made, between the light and the shade!
(Kizami and Masamune lock eyes with each other, each smirking as they leap from their horses and draw their respective weaponry; the screen freeze-frames and fades to white just before they clash)
*instrumental bridge*
Sengoku Basara: Legacy of the Dai Rokuten
(various characters briefly appear, in tandem, behind the title before fading, each of them sporting a smile or smirk: Kizami, Oichi, Katsuie, Masamune, Kojuro, Yukimura, and Sasuke)
Shining white and hot is a moon so unforgiving, the break of day will leave a scar.
(the title card screen shatters like glass, revealing Magoichi surrounded by flying crows amidst a crimson and black landscape as she backflips through the air and fires a shot at the camera)
Nothing we believe will project us from tomorrow, enjoy today from where we are.
(the screen shifts to a snowy mountain, showing Kasuga leaping from its peak, twirling through the air, and hurling a kunai at the screen as it is enveloped by ice)
I will believe to the end, even with my face pressed to the fire,
(the screen switches back to Kizami solemnly looking over a cliffside as the sun sets, sword in his right hand)
I won't be shaken or moved by the heat getting closer and higher...
(Oichi walks into view from behind him and embraces him from his left side with a wistful smile, Kizami smiling back and holding her with his free arm)
Sink or swim, lose or win, hold on with my naked arms!
(the smiles fade as they peer downwards, seeing a large army headed by Yukimura and Sasuke at the base of the cliff; Oichi reluctantly lets go of Kizami as he prepares to fight)
I see my infinite dreams coming to an end,
(Kizami leaps from the cliff, gliding downwards straight towards Yukimura, who responds in kind by launching himself upwards towards Kizami)
Sparks are flying, but my spirit will not break or even bend.
(the two lock weapons, attacking back and forth as they fall back to the earth, pushing apart from each other just before reaching ground level)
Now I see my destiny only brings me pain,
(Kizami turns to his right and blocks a sudden attack by lightning-covered blades, revealing a smirking Masamune)
Now the sunshine and the shade are forced together again.
(still locked with Masamune, Kizami shifts his weapon and blocks a second assault from fire-charged spears, held by a yelling Yukimura)
I choose to follow the light, flowing through me here tonight!
(Kizami's eyes narrow as a blackened aura emerges from him and he pushes Masamune and Yukimura away; the two immediately charge Kizami once again as he readies himself)
*instrumental outro*
(the screen freeze-frames just as the three are about to clash, their mouths open in respective shouts)
-{[intro end]}-
-{[Oumi]}-
The sun was just rising into the skies.
The egress back to Oumi had been a quiet one, sans the sounds of the Saika soldiers' march. Kizami, who carried Oichi's still-unconscious form, had been completely silent, not saying a single word even to Magoichi.
The Saika leader honestly didn't mind the lack of conversation, however, as she herself had been thinking on certain matters...
-{[flashback; during the return]}-
(play Magoichi's theme from Sengoku Basara 3)
The journey back to Kanegasaki had just begun, and Magoichi couldn't help but think on Kizami's changes since she had first come to know him.
He held a somewhat calmer, more reserved countenance than times past, when he'd been energetic almost to the point of hyperactivity.
Of course, it was comforting to know that he hadn't fully detached himself from his emotions, nor had he lost a single semblance of his morals, as she clearly saw in his battle with Mitsunari.
He still held his belief that all life was precious, and shouldn't be wrongfully taken away or squandered by malevolent thoughts and actions. Her 'otouto' was always loathe to take a life under any capacity, but she knew by his words alone that he'd have few qualms in ridding the world of someone like Mitsunari.
Thinking about Kizami now, she felt what was to her a surprising amount of emotion, though none of it showed in her expression. She felt pleased at how much he'd matured, surprised at his improved skill in battle, and even slightly worried over him.
Looking at him, his stony visage betrayed nothing as he stared straight ahead, the sleeping form of Oichi held bridal-style in his arms. Since the venture began, his gaze had yet to waver...until for a scant moment, his eyes seemed to shift to her, then quickly turn back as their gazes locked on one another for a split-second.
That amount of time was all she needed to realize that he blamed himself for what had happened to his army.
-{[Kanegasaki Castle; outskirts]}-
(play "Tears" - King of Fighters '99)
And blame himself he did.
In the training fields just outside the main castle area, Kizami was angrily slashing his sword wherever his arm decided to go. He had originally gone there to practice his swordplay, but the harsher memories of the battle in Koya continually reared their ugly heads, plaguing his mind and utterly ruining any sense of his planned motions.
"You naïve fool! Soldiers die in war! The second they begin the service of their lord, they resign their lives to his cause, come what may! Their deaths are on your hands! You were the one who brought them here! You left them behind so you could go forge an alliance with the Saika! What happened to them was your fault, and your fault alone!"
That was what Mitsunari had said to him...and those words cut Kizami deeper than any blade had ever done before.
The lingering thought overcame him, the young commander dropping his sword and collapsing to his knees in anguish.
"I won't allow you to cause him pain again...I won't let you hurt my Taka-kun!" Oichi's declaration of protecting the one whom she loved.
"Kizami...-sama...he defeated me...and eliminated the others...the Kurai Kokuo..." Katsuie, nearly blacked out from the damage inflicted in the Dark King's onslaught.
'Oichi-chan...Katsuie-san...everyone...' Kizami thought, tears freely falling from his eyes. The unforgiving images simply would not leave his mind.
Oichi's unconscious form...
Katsuie's battered and broken body...
The corpses of his many dead soldiers...
The images continually swirled within his mind, twisting his psyche, until a single face appeared amidst the storm.
Mitsunari Ishida.
Just thinking of the man brought Kizami's blood to a boil. But with the anger came a sudden rush, his body doubling over as a violent burst of black energy emanated from his form, the shockwave denting the ground beneath him.
However, as quickly as it came, the energy wave was gone, phasing out of existence with a pulse of static.
If Kizami was in a fully-rational state of mind, he would have wondered why the wave had even emerged from him in the first place. He would've attempted to stem the anger flowing through him, hopefully pushing such dark feelings aside for more pressing matters. He would've foregone any and all thoughts of revenge...
But he wasn't.
'Mitsunari...-teme...!' he thought as he rose from his prone position and tightly gripped his sword, a dark look in his golden-yellow and slitted eyes. If he had his way right now, the blood of the Dark King would bathe the earth tonight.
He wordlessly began a solitary trek towards where he knew Mitsunari was located...
-{[Kanegasaki; landline border]}-
The sun had yet to rise even by the time he got here.
He'd encountered zero opposition by his soldiers, who were more than likely too stunned or fearful of his changed visage to say anything. Just before he could cross the border, however, a familiar face stopped him.
"And just where do you think you're going?" a certain mercenary leader said to him, directly blocking his path.
"You're an intelligent woman, Mago-nee. Where do you think I'm going?" Kizami answered, his expression monotonous and tone bitter.
It only took a second for Magoichi to find the answer...he was going after Mitsunari.
"I believe I know...and if that's true, then you've become more pathetic than I ever would've thought of you." she answered, quickly getting a rise out of Kizami.
"What?!" he snarled, his visage becoming one of anger.
"Since when has revenge ever mattered to you? In fact, you detest it, as far as you've informed me. You've told me that you loathe how it creates such scornful individuals like Mitsunari Ishida. Have you honestly sunken so low as to become a manner of being you hate overnight? If so, then my respect for you has truly taken a blow." she said to him, the young man averting his eyes from her for a second at her reproachful tone. Before he could respond, she continued.
"You didn't take revenge when Nagamasa Azai was executed. After all these years, you've yet to attack either Yukimura Sanada or Masamune Date for the death of...your tou-san. Not even when...she nearly..." Magoichi trailed off, the last recollection striking a chord within her being.
"Yeah, I remember...you had me covered on that one, Mago-nee." Kizami responded, his voice softer than Magoichi could ever remember of him.
That experience went like this...
-{[flashback; several years ago]}-
(Kizami's age: 14)
It happened during the years of Nobunaga's meteoric rise to power.
Kizami had long since been assimilated into the ranks of the Oda, and despite his young age, was sent to the front lines of battle many a time. In those days, he wielded twin sabers rather than the longsword he currently uses.
As per the instructions of his 'father', Kizami was to assist in annihilating the home base of the Ikko Rebels, the confidant of a large religious sect known as the Honganji, who had garnered a large number of supporters and risen in rebellion against Nobunaga. Magoichi had joined him in this mission, as the Saika had already been enlisted into the Oda forces and were sent along with the heir in order to provide support.
Another general who had accompanied Kizami was named Mitsuhide Akechi.
Kizami was always...disturbed, to say the least, about Mitsuhide. The female general was a sadistic sort of woman, one who easily and constantly took a great amount of pleasure in reveling amidst the blood and dying cries of the Oda's enemies. Kizami had conversed with her on one occasion, in hopes of potentially ascertaining the reason as to why she perceived the horrors of war in such a way. Her answer had left him utterly terrified of her.
"You ask why I take such pleasure in battle, Kiza-chan? Hahahaha, why would I not? It is all so divine...the horrified and defeated screams of the fools who dare oppose the Oda, knowing that in their last moments, they have finally come to realize the folly in standing against us; the delicious crimson blood flowing forth from their shattered, mutilated bodies as the last trickles of life escape their dying flesh...aahh..." she had trailed off at that point, her body falling into a shiver that was almost sexual in nature.
Kizami miraculously retained a calm visage throughout her oration...but the moment he was out of her sight, he'd promptly heaved all of the food he'd taken in over the previous day. He afterwards never spoke to her unless absolutely necessary, swearing profusely that he'd never turn out like her.
Unfortunately for him, he'd have heard something else from her had he stayed a bit longer...
"And most enjoyable...is dominating the marvelous, powerful young men in this world who actually have skill, who can actually harm me, thrill me, make me feel alive! Young men...like you, Kiza-chan..." the dark, sultry laughter which came from her with the afterthought would've chilled Kizami to the very bone.
The thoughts she had of the demon's heir continued to mount as she witnessed his genuine ability in battle, how he would school his emotions and become a veritable whirlwind of death as he tore through his enemies with ease, doing whatever he was tasked with for the glory of the Oda. By the time the mission against the Ikko Rebels came along, she was practically burning with sheer, unadulterated lust for him, in spite of his young age.
All it would take was a single catalyst for her feelings to explode...and it eventually came, in this mission.
The leader of the Ikko Rebels attempted to surrender to Nobunaga, wanting a peaceful solution and desperately pleading the Dai Rokuten to spare his people if they came quietly...all the man received was a point-blank shotgun blast to the face for his efforts, the last thing he heard being Nobunaga's order to completely destroy the Ikko along with their homes.
The signal given, a large-scale fire attack was triggered within the Ikko village, just outside of which being where Kizami was waiting.
The young man executed his orders without fail, pursuing any rebels who managed to escape the blaze and mercilessly cutting them down. Many begged for their lives, or for those of others...all of them would meet their end by the edge of his blades.
Mitsuhide was ecstatic. She never would've dreamed that the heir would participate in such wanton slaughter! He was magnificent, never allowing a single enemy to escape his onslaught, his swords an ever-shifting and twisting dervish of death. And when it was over, every ounce of her attention was focused solely upon him.
The darkened expression on his visage...
The menacing look in his alluring, golden left eye sporting a slitted pupil...
The ever-so-glorious blood covering nearly half of his form...
The mere image was enough to put her beside herself with desire!
Stark against the towering flames in the background and combined with Kizami's naturally attractive looks, the visual led only to one single thought in her mind...she had to have him. She needed to have him! Consequences be damned, she was resolved to make him take her right then and there!
(Warning! Attempted rape of a minor! Skip to next emboldened line if you don't wish to view!)
And with that, she launched her 'attack'. Faster than even Kizami's battle-enhanced senses could perceive, she was upon him, practically collapsing on top of him. She pinned his arms to the ground by stabbing through them with her twin scythes, ignoring the pained scream from him and straddling his waist.
As he'd yet to start wearing chest plating, Mitsuhide ran roaming hands over his lithe, yet somewhat toned form, licking her lips and parting his shirt to allow for a view of his pectorals and abs, which had already started to develop muscle. Already eager for what she was about to do, she quickly shed the upper half of her clothing, removing her chest armor and letting it clatter on the ground next to them as she unfastened and shrugged off the underlying layer of cloth.
Kizami tried to avert his gaze from the tantalizing view of her pale, yet unblemished skin and her D-cup breasts, hoping to ignore the unwelcome sensations he was feeling due to her, but a hand pressed to his cheek forced him to keep his eyes upon her. She smiled at him with what would outwardly seem as loving affection, but Kizami knew Mitsuhide well enough to know that her intentions were anything but.
He struggled as best he could, but the woman's larger frame along with the constant pain from the weapons lodged in his limbs prevented him from producing significant results. His movements increased in intensity when she succeeded in removing his upper clothing, leaving his chest and abdomen just as bare as hers.
Mitsuhide was surprisingly not put out by his resistance, though. Rather, she actually seemed to enjoy his visual strain in trying to move, even maliciously giggling at his suffering.
"Hehehe...please do struggle more, my dear Kiza-chan. Keep the embers of your fire ablaze for as long as you can, so I can take my sweet, loving time squeezing them out of you...over and over again." she said in a sultry tone, pressing her bare chest against his and grinding her hips against his own. The constant stimulation proved too much for the demon's heir, as a certain part of his anatomy became erect and began to press against her maidenhood.
"Oh my, you're rather big for your age, aren't you? Now I'm really going to enjoy this." she remarked. The boy's member was only five and a half inches long, but it was over an inch and a half thick, making it more than enough to ensure a sizable amount of pleasure.
Though Kizami continued to struggle in a futile attempt at escape, tears were starting to fall from his eyes from both the unending pain and the knowledge of what he knew was coming. Mitsuhide planned to rape him.
"Aww, don't cry, Kiza-chan. I promise it'll start to feel good very soon." she said with a sensual smile, already moving to shed the rest of her clothing and ravage the young boy for hours on end.
Fortunately for Kizami, however, his salvation came in the form of a concerned and now very much angered surrogate sister of his.
(Attempted rape scene over! Any who skipped it can continue from here.)
"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HIM!" Magoichi screamed, rushing full speed towards Mitsuhide with her twin pistols already firing repeatedly.
Mitsuhide, thoroughly annoyed at the interruption, angrily clicked her tongue and roughly yanked her weapons of choice from Kizami's arms, eliciting another scream from the heir. She raised her scythes just in time to deflect a pair of charged bullets and backpedal away from the enraged gun wielder.
Magoichi would've pursued Mitsuhide to no end, if not for the young heir's crying. She stopped by Kizami's prone form, an absolutely furious look on her face. Mitsuhide scoffed and loosely reset her clothing, careful not to cut herself with her own weapons. Though the silver-haired woman's expression was simple annoyance, on the inside was a fair amount of anger.
'Why did she have to come now? I was so close to becoming one with Kiza-chan!' she inwardly ranted.
"If I ever find you trying to hurt my otouto again, I'll blow your head from your shoulders!" Magoichi declared, both barrels pointed straight at her.
"Hurt him? Why, I planned to give him the time of his young life." Mitsuhide responded with a malevolent smirk, having apparently disregarded the fact that she'd impaled his arms with her scythes. Said smirk faded in an instant when Magoichi fired twin bullets which whizzed directly past her face, leaving twin trails of blood in their wake.
"I'll say this only once...leave now." Magoichi ordered.
Mitsuhide glared darkly at her, clenching the grip on her weapons enough for it to be painful, but she nevertheless relented and wordlessly left the area. Seeing that the woman had left her line of sight, Magoichi quickly turned to Kizami, hoping to get him medical attention as soon as possible.
'You won't be around to protect him forever, Magoichi...Kizami Kurotaka will be MINE.' Mitsuhide thought lastly.
-{[flashback end]}-
Luckily, she'd never managed to succeed, as the heir became extremely wary of Mitsuhide after the event, and was able to effectively defend himself against her advances. Though, Kizami subconsciously rubbed his arms where even now, he still felt a hint of phantom pain whenever he reflected on the experience.
"Even though I was grounded by the injuries, I could still register what was said. You really would've filled her with holes if she'd given you half a reason, huh?" Kizami said, a ghost of a pained smile flitting across his expression.
"I already had more than enough reason to, but I knew that doing so would only lead to problems later on...and I couldn't leave you without your nee-chan, now could I?" she said, lightly smirking.
"I'm very happy that you didn't. I would've missed you far too much, Mago-nee." he responded, giving her a slight smile.
"But that's also why...I cannot allow you to leave." she began, bringing the two back to the matter at hand. "You know that you will not survive if you attack Mitsunari alone." she continued.
"I don't care. As long he falls, I'll be content." Kizami responded, his visage once again lacking emotion at the mention of Mitsunari.
"You...you don't care? You don't care?! You damned fool!" Magoichi yelled, immediately drawing a pistol and firing a shot, which Kizami deflected with a lightning-quick draw of his sword.
"Did you not once tell me that all life was sacred? Is your own not the same? Even if you don't care about your life, what about everyone around you?" she questioned, Kizami's eyes widening slightly at the inquiry.
"What of Katsuie and your other retainers? Who would lead them with you gone, your significant other incapacitated, and Katsuie himself gravely injured and taken halfway across the country? What of the Saika? What of..." she began, but was cut off by the emergence of another individual.
"What about me, Taka-kun?" a startlingly familiar voice called out, the two whirling and seeing that it was none other than Oichi.
"Oichi-chan!" Kizami said, surprised at her awakening.
"...does it not matter to you how crushed I would be if you were to die? How sad Magoichi-san would be? How Katsuie-san and the others would feel, knowing their lord had fallen and there was nothing that they could've done to have stopped it?" she asked softly, nearly in tears at Kizami's disregard of his own life.
"You're not alone anymore, otouto. You never truly were. You have too much to live for and far too many goals left in your life to merely toss it away on a whim!" Magoichi stated, hoping that Kizami would reconsider.
"Oichi-chan...Mago-nee...I..." Kizami started, his mind becoming conflicted.
In his heart, he knew that what he was doing was wrong, that he shouldn't throw away his life like this. He knew that both Magoichi and Oichi were completely and unequivocally correct in what they were saying.
But in his mind, the dark images persisted, twisting his rational thought and creating a mental war within himself.
'Maybe...maybe they're right...' 'He hurt them...!' 'I shouldn't do this...' 'He cut them down, with no reason at all...!' 'I'll die if I do this...' 'He must pay...!' 'There's still things I have to do...!' 'His blood must be spilled...!' 'I can't discard my life so needlessly...!' 'Mitsunari Ishida must die!' 'I won't abandon the people I care about!'
However, just as it seemed the benevolent half of his thoughts had won out, a voice suddenly emerged within his mind above all others...
"Go forth and annihilate the one who has sinned against you. Destroy any and all those who bar your path."
...a voice that was not his own.
That single utterance was akin to a kami-given command, the order echoing within his mind...consuming it with the influence of another and overpowering all of Kizami's own thoughts, except for one...
'O...tou-sama...?!' was his last thought before his mind succumbed to the foreign intruder.
In the physical world, Oichi and Magoichi were becoming increasingly worried as Kizami had suddenly ceased all of his movement, his body becoming rigid and expression blank.
"Taka-kun...?" Oichi said softly, reaching out a tentative hand and about to caresses his face, until a sudden burst of energy shot forth from him, knocking Oichi back and forcing both her and Magoichi to shield their faces.
After a couple of moments, the two women uncovered themselves and took a step back in surprise at Kizami's changes.
His hair was now a stark black, with even his usual silver streaks somehow changed to black as well. His black lightning aura was in full force, though a hint of crimson-red seemed to tinge the edges, giving the energy an evil appearance.
But what really worried them was his eyes. Though they retained his normal amber color, the pupils had disappeared, leaving his eyes empty and expression emotionless.
"Oichi...-chan. Mago...-nee." he said, his voice low and rather halting, as if he had trouble adding the affectionate suffixes. Magoichi and Oichi knew something was wrong before the second word had even started to emerge from his mouth.
"The desire for vengeance...is a vice that consumes all human beings at one time or another, if even for only a glancing moment. I am no exception. Mitsunari Ishida will fall by my blade. P...please, don't get in my way." Kizami said, his voice still unnatural and the 'please' nearly clawing its way out of his throat.
Neither of the two women knew exactly how to respond, glancing worriedly at each other for a second. Had Kizami truly given in to his thoughts of revenge?
"Otouto...don't do this. You know that we'll have to stop you if you try. Don't make us use force." Magoichi entreated, hesitantly leveling her pistols at him.
"Taka-kun...onegai!" Oichi pleaded, tears already forming in her eyes at what was seemingly going to happen. But Kizami seemed to pay no mind at all to their heartfelt words.
"I will ask only once more...stand aside." he said, placing a hand on each of his weapons.
At this, the Demon Queen and leader of the Saika were forced to accept the haunting truth...Kizami was willing to even forcibly go through them in order to get to Mitsunari.
"Otouto/Taka-kun..." the two women said simultaneously, readying themselves.
Magoichi had her guns set, and Oichi raised her newly-gifted, dual-bladed naginata in preparation. A present she'd received from Kizami himself just before the travel to Koya, Oichi was mortified by the realization that he would be the first person she'd use it against.
"It seems you've both made your choice. Very well." Kizami said with finality, releasing his sword and gun.
(play "Bloodstained Lineage" - Guilty Gear XX L.A. vocal edition)
Keep me away! Keep me away! Keep me away!
"Die." Kizami said coldly as he charged forward, blade and gun in hand.
The two women braced themselves in response, resolved to do what they had to do in order to stop him...no matter how much it would hurt them inside.
The air is filled with suspicion, the guy is pretending to know nothing more.
And though we are in the middle of war, personal war happens in your brain!
His first attack was a vertical swipe, forcing the two beauties to split in opposite directions in order to dodge. At this, Kizami seemed to stop for a moment, looking back and forth between the two as if choosing who he'd attack first.
Get away from my life...get away from my life!
The decision was made for him when Magoichi fired a shot at him, the empowered heir batting it away with his sword and attacking the Saika leader.
Your loud screaming will melt in the air, the sounds of silence will freak you out.
Chasing you down, you can't hide; the sounds of war will freak you out.
The young commander's assault was swift, and Magoichi quickly found herself on the defensive, having to duck under a decapitating strike then being forced to backflip to avoid bisection at the waist.
The night is only halfway through, moonlit face...horror in his eyes.
Hold on, soon he will jump onto you...bite so hard, cut your throat, come on!
He didn't allow her a reprieve, as he jumped forward with his gun pointing downward and already firing. Magoichi responded by sending herself into a tailspin, pulling out an AK-47 and shooting, forcing Kizami to back off.
Inside and out, you are always on the run...the only way to keep you all alive.
Inside and out, you are always on the run...the only way to keep us all alive!
Your game is over...close your eyes!
Landing on her feet, Magoichi proceeded to empty a full round of machine gun bullets against him, just barely missing his legs as he ran across the field.
He caught a break when her clip ran dry, and he fired several shots at Magoichi while again closing on her position. She relinquished the AK and retrieved her twin pistols in order to return fire.
*instrumental break*
Running in an encircled pattern, the two gun wielders continually fired upon each other, their bullets constantly clashing against one another. However, the stalemate ended when Kizami quickly charged a shot and fired, the bullet astonishingly piercing through Magoichi's and exploding when it reached her.
Get away from my life!
Before he could press his seeming advantage, Kizami halted his advance and bent backward as the tip of a certain naginata grazed his form.
Now we'll make the blood into wine...eternal youth, it feels so divine!
Close your eyes, shut out all of the world...slowly turning, the beast is revealed!
Now knowing that Oichi had joined the fight, Kizami smashed the hilt of his sword against her abdomen, sending her sliding against the ground. He pressed his advantage and launched his blade forward with his 'Spin Drive' technique.
Your loud screaming will melt in the air, the sounds of silence will freak you out.
Chasing you down, you can't hide; the sounds of war will freak you out.
Though she managed to redirect the attack and send the weapon skyward, Kizami was right behind it, jumping and catching it mid-air, using his momentum to stab downward. Oichi evaded the attack by splitting her naginata into two separate weapons, making the strike hit the ground.
Come on, let's all just go insane! You've got to run, just turn and run!
You are going to lose it this way...go on and run, this is the way, come on!
Clasping the two polearms together, she yanked the sword from the dirt and threw it aside. Kizami backflipped at the temporary loss of his weapon, but Oichi pressed on, keeping the pressure on him with a series of slashes.
However, she was surprised when Kizami suddenly shot his legs out in a dropkick, nailing her across her chest and knocking her to the ground.
Inside and out, you are always on the run...the only way to keep you all alive.
Inside and out, you are always on the run...the only way to us all alive!
(pause song here)
Feeling a presence above her grounded form, Oichi looked upwards and saw Kizami, blank stare still in place, with his gun pointed at her and ready to fire!
'Taka-kun...please come back to me...!' she thought, her eyes shut in emotional pain and a single tear trailing down her face.
Seeing this, Kizami hesitated in pulling the trigger...though only for a second, it was enough time for Magoichi to regain her bearings and land a kick directly to his face, knocking him to the ground.
The Saika leader quickly helped Oichi to her feet, the two readying themselves once again as Kizami took a moment to rise from his prone position.
Magoichi couldn't make heads or tails of what was happening with her otouto. He showed no emotion and attacked without mercy, with even his fighting style having been...changed somehow.
As she knew him, he always focused on finesse while in battle, first deflecting or evading enemies' attacks and then countering with his own. But now, he was attacking wantonly, simply trying to overpower herself and Oichi. Combined with his judicious use of gunfire, he was fighting more like...Nobunaga than himself!
At this revelation, Magoichi knew that there was a way to get to him.
(resume song)
Keep me away...keep me away...keep me away...! Keep me away!
Magoichi stood defiantly in front of Kizami, who was now on his feet and advancing menacingly towards her and Oichi.
"Magoichi-san...?" the Demon Queen softly asked, wondering what the Saika leader was planning.
"Otouto!" she called out, but she received no response as the heir merely continued moving forward.
Keep me away, so far away... (Come oooooon!)
"This isn't you, otouto! You don't have to do this!" she yelled, but there was still no visible response.
Keep me away, so far away... (You'll never see...! You'll never see...!)
"Revenge is worthless, it won't solve anything! You know that!" she continued...there was a slight hitch in his step.
Keep me away, so far away! (You'll never see!)
"Damn it, Kizami! You are not Nobunaga! Now stop acting as though you are!" she finalized.
Get away from my life! (life, life, life...) Get away from my life! (life, life, life...)
After hearing that, Kizami stopped, his eyes wide and both of his weapons falling from his suddenly slackened grip.
Show me the way, all in the night; you are not going, you still have to fight.
Crushing pressure in your mind!
Kizami held both hands to his head, his body starting to stagger and his expression anguished, as if he was in pain. He eventually fell to a single knee, his mind once again in turmoil.
Inside and out, you are always on the run...the only way to keep you all alive!
Inside and out, you are always on the run...the only way to keep us all alive!
Your game is over...close your eyes!
Magoichi and Oichi, though only speculating that he was no longer threatening them, each moved towards him and placed a single hand on one of his shoulders in a comforting gesture, hoping that he would soon return to normal.
And within the heir's mind...
*instrumental outro*
'I'm not him...' "Do not falter." 'I'm not him...!' "There is no room for mercy." 'I'm not him!' "Destroy them for defying me!"
Get away from my life!
'I am not you, Nobunaga!' Kizami mentally screamed, his own mind and rationale finally regaining control.
"You are my living legacy. You cannot escape from your fate forever." the inner voice said, lingering for several moments before finally fading completely.
(end song)
Kizami's visage slowly shifted back to normal, his eyes' pupils returning and his silver streaks of hair appearing once again.
The two women almost physically felt his countenance revert to his usual self, and both of them smiled. Oichi gave him a tight embrace, and Magoichi's expression lightened and became soft.
"Oichi-chan...Mago-nee...I'm..." Kizami started, seeking to apologize for attacking them, but he was cut off by his surrogate sister.
"It's alright, otouto. We know." Magoichi said.
"We're happy that you're back, Taka-kun." Oichi stated, one last tear falling from her eyes out of joy.
The group stayed that way for a moment, content in the feeling that whatever had been afflicting Kizami was gone.
"Well, that was quite the show you put on there. Hope I'm not too late for the party." an new voice said, the other three people in the clearing turning to see who the speaker was.
They were shocked to see that it was Masamune Date, the One-Eyed Dragon.
-{[end]}-
-{[story outro]}-
play "Shinjitsu no Uta" by Rumiko Takahashi (Inuyasha anime ending #5)
Akaku nijimu taiyou wa subete o,
(the scene starts with Kizami walking solemnly through a completely black landscape, the only light being a white outline around his body that illuminates his form)
Terashite kita ima mo mukashi mo.
(the camera shifts to a headshot view of Kizami, who is still walking, as he levels a hard stare straight ahead at an unknown spot in the distance; only half of his face can be seen)
Kono yuuyami ni egaiteru souzou wa
Hatashite kono te ni oenai mono na no ka?
(the image fades to a ghostly gray, but is still visible as other images appear on screen; Masamune unleashing his 'Six Claws', Magoichi firing two of her pistols repeatedly, and Yukimura swinging his spears while yelling)
Motto ima ijou ni hadaka ni natte,
Ikite yutsu de oshiete yo.
(all images fade to white as Mitsunari appears on screen, slashing his sword in slow-motion as a black sky appears to emerge, trailing after the blade)
Honno sukoshi dake watashi o yogoshite?
(Mitsunari is now fully immersed within the dark landscape, his visage slowly fading until only his golden eyes can be seen)
Sou yatte hitori kizutsuitari,
Mawari o nakushita to shite mo,
(the camera pans a distance behind him just as Ieyasu emerges from the sky, slamming a fist into the ground and generating a light-emitting shockwave that flows forth in all directions)
Shinjitsu no uta wa kono mune ni nagare!
(the scene shifts back to Kizami, still walking within the darkness as a bright white light consumes his form)
Motto ima ijou ni watashi o yogoshite...
(the light fades and reveals Kizami walking along a rocky path, the Oda remnants flanking him on both sides and parting before his advance; Kizami shares a nod with Katsuie as he continues)
Honno sukoshi dake watashi o yogoshite...
(Kizami nears the end of the path and sees Oichi waiting for him; she turns and happily embraces him, Kizami eagerly returning it as the two turn to look at the sunset)
Shinjitsu no uta o michishirube ni shite.
(final image: the screen depicts a landscape that is divided in half by a thin white line; Mitsunari and his 'dark world' on the left, Ieyasu and his 'bright world' on the right; Kizami and Oichi are perfectly in the middle)
-{[outro end]}-
Notes
And there it is, hope you liked it. The next chapter will be the last time I use this particular intro/ending combination. Things are starting to heat up!
Just as Kizami overcomes what seemed to be an attempted mental takeover from the long-dead Nobunaga Oda, Masamune Date has unexpectedly come to Kizami's territory! What are his intentions? Find out next time, on Legacy!
Ravien VaLente Spada is signing off! R&R, please!
