Grandville: Le Dragon Rouge
Chapter 14: Symphony of Death
Rules are meant to be broken. I let him go, and then leaped up to the streetlights and up to the roof. I ran on top of the rooftops of Grandville with the 'ninja run'. I met back up with Toki and Okoi on one of the city bridges. Bombs were falling from the sky like rain, and tanks were moving through the streets in front of the advancing Ezo soldiers.
There was panic everywhere in the city. People were being shot in the back as they fled or being trampled. I saw a little boy lost in the chaos, and crying out to his mother, "Ladies meet me at the cathedral, now go, NOW!" I ordered as I saw a soldier looking the kill the child. Toki and Okoi bowed, and went off leaping away to the right and left.
Too many of my clan were killed by the gun. I am not going to stand by, and watch it happen again to an innocent child. I ran as fast as I could, but two soldiers spotted me. I leaped on top of his shoulders to divert the bullet from killing the innocent child. I blocked away their bayonets, and slashed one across the face and other across the neck.
I turned, and leaped off his shoulders in a front tuck and cut him and his rifle in half from the crown of his head to the groin. I slashed the blood off my sword, and put it back in my sheath behind my back. I led the child from the chaos while the bombs still rained from the sky, and French machine guns were firing back at the Ezo 'Hiryu' Airships.
"はやく, はやく! (Hurry, hurry!)" I said trying to be both gentle and commanding to the little boy while holding his hand, and leading him to a nearby alley. I smiled under my mask, and bowed to him to apologize for covering him in blood. I leaped away, and went to find Rocher-kun. I looked back to see the child was reunited with his mother.
The French Army was having trouble engaging the enemy with all the fleeing people. With the assistance of Ratzi-san, they quickly found out that their 7.5cm cannons can destroy tanks. I leaped off the turret of a Type 3 tank, and headed to the cathedral. I kept the shadows, and in my utmost silence as I saw Matsumoto and Rocher-kun.
"Beautiful isn't it?" said Matsumoto at the top of the cathedral, "the fire...the screams...the terror, the seeds of an empire are planted in flames, that is how it is in history, figures of the past had their time, the future belongs to me," He smiled, and drew his katana, "so much to do, and so little time, once Grandville falls, then I will have more,"
"You're the only thing that stands in my way, you know Jules, and to think I had so much faith in you, well...misplaced faith as it would seem to be, we don't have to do this, I am going to give you one last chance to join me, you can be my arm of the law as you are the law in Grandville," Matsumoto proposed to him. He glared at him intensely.
Rocher-kun unsheathed his sword, "You have turned my city in a hellhole, the only thing that will help me find peace is to watch you burn in it," Rocher-kun growled. Her had lost so much leading up to this moment. He had lost his wife, and now he was on the verge of losing his city and the country he serves to Matsumoto and the Ezo Republic.
The white fox smiled a serpent's grin seeing Rocher-kun ready his sword. It was his sword that started this entire endeavor from the slaughter of my clan to the murder of his wife, "You will soon find I am more than just handy with a gun, Matsumoto, now then...en garde," stated Rocher-kun with a ready sword, and his other hand behind his back.
"Let us dance," Matsumoto smirked, and attacked. The battle for the city had begun. I heard LeBrock and Billie coming up the spiral stairs. I gestured with my hand for them to stop. This was Rocher-kun's fight. Toki and Okoi were assisting Ratzi and the French regulars in making a stand in the streets a few blocks from the city's main cathedral.
Matsumoto parried and blocked every thrust and stab that Rocher-kun was attacking him with. Matsumoto had a constant light smile on his face, "You are surprisingly skilled with a blade, Jules, but...," Matsumoto found an opening, and parried away his sword, and slashed him across the arm, "I am just that little bit...better," Matsumoto stated.
Rocher-kun held back the bleeding wound on his arm, cringing I pain. Matsumoto attacked again, and this time Rocher-kun was gaining an upper hand as he found an opening on Matsumoto which he quickly closed on him, and slashed at his stomach making another wound on him. Rocher-kun fell to the ground away from his sword,
"Well, Jules Rocher, the rock in my boot, it is about time I removed you," it was then that I came out of the shadows, and made my move to the shock of Rocher-kun, "how unexpected," I blocked the blade with my body, "I knew you were there the entire time, I did not think you would do something so foolish, a good ninja should know better,"
If you love somebody with everything you have, you would give everything you have to defend them. I would willingly do so to see Rocher-kun live, "KINU NO!" Rocher-kun cried, Matsumoto's blade pierced me from the back and out my stomach. As the blade came out of my flesh, I fell down on my knees and fell into Rocher-kun's waiting arms,
"why would you do this? I told you not to get in the away, why won't you listen to me?!" He belted. I saw tears welling in his eyes as I reached up to touch his cheek.
"-You have your honor again...let me rest with mine-," I said looking into his eyes, "because I love you," I said for the first time in English to his awe. There is a saying the samurai have 'go into battle thinking you will die and you willing surely live, go into battle thinking you will live and you will surely die'. It does not matter to me anymore.
"LEBROCK!" Rocher-kun called out, and he and Billie came to my aide, "tend to her wounds, I don't think it is fatal," he ordered, and LeBrock was bandaging up my wounds. I did not want to give in. I wanted to be there for Rocher-kun. He was now fighting the white fox that murdered his wife. I do not want to see the man I love suffer even more.
"Oh? Struck the right nerve did I?" said Matsumoto with that ever present grin, "maybe now you can give me proper contest,"
Rocher-kun growled, and attacked while I was in the care of Billie. The fates have told me to live, and I dare not turn against their time around, Rocher-kun had gained an upper hand, and parried away his katana to my surprise. Now it was up to Rocher-kun. I could let him go and let his police handle arresting him, or finish him off.
Matsumoto smiled, "If you kill me, I will die with not a single regret in my heart and mind, in everything I do, I do willingly for a New Japan," He said.
"You killed my wife," Rocher-kun said lightly kicking Matsumoto's katana off the ledge to the streets below as I was walking towards Matsumoto with the tip of his blade pointed at his neck, "you hurt the one I hold dearest to my heart!" I could see the look in Matsumoto's eyes. He showed no fear of death. Matsumoto was ready to die.
Rocher-kun had him backed up against the ledge of the high cathedral, "and you threatened my city and the country that I serve, there is no jail that is going to hold you," with that, Rocher-kun stabbed Matsumoto in the heart. I watched as he fell to the flaming streets below. a few Ezo soldiers were there to retrieve the body as all was lost.
When Matsumoto died, his dream of conquering Europe died with him. The French regulars captured the Ezo soldiers still alive from the fighting in the streets. I was relieved to see Toki and Okoi were still alive, not unscathed but still alive, "It is done, Rocher-kun, now it is time to rebuild," I told him as I stood up with ease by my own strength.
LeBrock's ears perked up hearing my voice, "What? You speak English? Why didn't you tell me?" LeBrock asked, seemingly demanding an answer from me. I lightly smiled under my silk black mask. I suppose Toki is right about LeBrock, he does have a slight silly side to him. He can be difficult at times, but LeBrock is a good man none the less.
"You never asked," I said with a wink. The firemen were coming out to put out the fires as the sun rose off in the distance. I turned to Rocher-kun, and he put his gentle hands on my shoulders. His eyes softened as did his smile. He gently pulled down my mask. I disobeyed a direct order from him. Like I said, rules are meant to be broken.
"I apologize for disobeying you," I said, he shook his head as if to tell me that it did not matter anymore. At sunrise, we shared a kiss and looked out at the damage to the city. I could feel all his love, and emotion in his kiss. He was ready to move on with his life. I smiled, and closed my eyes, "there is still much work that needs to be done,"