Disclaimer-I only own Pànduàn, Kirshun, and the Odigan Rebels. Everything else is owned by Koei. Oh, and but I do own any other OCs here.
Warriors Orochi: Dragon of Judgment
Chapter 25-Cūnzhǔ
The entire company stared in awe and horror at Pànduàn.
"T-t-this is Cūnzhǔ?" Da Qiao asked rhetorically in a completely shock and horrified voice. The young lord of the former city nodded.
"Oh my..." Yue Ying gasped.
"I cannot believe my eyes," Liu Bei said in terrible awe.
"I can't believe Kirshun could cause such destruction," Sun Ce stated.
Pànduàn shook his head, "It wasn't just Kirshun that caused this. It was our duel sixteen years ago."
"W-wait...you mean," Himiko trailed off. She didn't want to hear the last part.
"I am just as much to blame for the destruction of my village as he is. It was my rage and his will to kill me that caused this."
Pànduàn turned away and lowered his head. He began to cry, "I remember it like it was yesterday..."
Flashback
Burning, burning, burning.
That is what was happening to the house of the Cūnzhǔ Ruling Family. Kirshun, having sold his soul for power, had just slain Pànduàn Línghún, Shēnghuó Xīwàng, and Pànduàn Huǒyàn. Now it was on to the final member of the Pànduàn Family, Pànduàn Shén. It turned to his right to see the five year old heir to the Pànduàn family; the boy was crying over the butchered body of his dead mother. He expected this boy to be easy prey, to be fearful and terrified of his might.
But that isn't what he got.
When footsteps reached his ears, the young Pànduàn boy stood up and faced Kirshun, an enraged look on his face. This surprised Kirshun. A five year old brat thinking he could defeat the souless master of the Odigan Raiders? Unthinkable. A devilish grin grew under Kirshun's masked mouth; an evil glint crept onto his eye. He was unfazed by this boys sudden aggresiveness. He approached the seemingly helpless boy.
"Stay back..." the boy said in the surprisingly perfect language of an adult. This stopped Kirshun in his tracks. He had heard that this boy was supposedly a lot more advanced for his young age but this was far beyond expectance. Granted he had served as his father's security force commander for some time but back then the boy still sounded like a toddler speaking the language near-fluently. Here he was talking like an adult in an eight year old's voice when he was five. Was that even possible?
"You killed them..." the boy Pànduàn said, snarling his teeth. "You killed my family."
Kirshun narrowed his eyes; something was right here.
"YOU KILLED THEM!" young Pànduàn shouted and what happened next surprised Kirshun and even...terrified him.
A fiery blue aura suddenly erupted around Pànduàn's body. A strong...unbelievably strong magical power eminated from Pànduàn's body. Kirshun raised his in front of him; enough to block most of the light but also to allow him to still see his 'opponent'. Kirshun couldn't believe the power of sorcery coming from the boy. The ground itself was cracking heavily from such a release of power.
"I've never seen such a display of power," Kirshun thought. "The only other being that could possibly unleash this type of energy would be...no, it couldn't be!"
Kirshun then heard a clanking noise coming from beside him. He swiftly looked down to see his sword, the Black Phantom, sliding out of it scabbard and suddenly throwing itself in the young Pànduàn's direction, who caught it without any difficulty. The boy had a murderous look in his eye. Kirshun almost considered retreating, but he turned toward the body of the fallen lord of the Pànduàn family, Pànduàn Línghún, and grabbed the polearm used by the fallen man, Juggernaut. It was now two warriors using eachother's weapons in a duel. Kirshun couldn't believe it; he was fighting a five year old kid with the power of a Master. How was it possible?
With a great battle cry, the boy Pànduàn charged Kirshun. Kirshun held out the polearm in his hand and took the attack head on but the impact slide his feet back about a yard or two. The boy's power was unbelieveable. How could it be possible? Unless...it couldn't be so! There hadn't been a Master born since Master Zhìhuì Fǎshī , and that was over ninty years ago! Kirshun quickly block numerous fast strikes from the boy but he was too fast.
"Damn," he thought. "I knew I should've gotten used to this new power before I came here. Now I'm losing to this brat!"
He was right. In his fury, the boy lord was causing a significant damage to the him. Him! The Souless Master of Darkness! How was this boy defeating him? But he already knew the answer.
"That boy is a Master!" Kirshun screamed in his mind as he parried numerous more blows. "Untrained but still deadly powerful. Ack! How could I not see this?"
How could he not indeed. He had known the boy since birth and since then he had brought forth numerous clues that he was, in fact, a Master. Talking at a young age, walking at a young age, learning things faster than most humans. Indeed, how could he have not have seen this? It was too late for the 'whys' now, he had to think about the 'hows'. How could he win this? He had to find away.
"I need to unleash all my power in a single attack," Kirshun thought to himself as he parried and dodged a few more strikes. "That is sure to end the Pànduàn line once and for all! I'm certain I can overpower this boy even if he is a Master!"
With effort on his part, Kirshun suddenly jolted backwards and away from the boy, who surprisingly did the same. They eyed eachother in hate for what seemed like an eternity before Kirshun spoke.
"So, boy, it seems you have some power after all. Even so, you are still going to die today!" Kirshun taunted. The boy was not impressed however, "You're all talk, Souless One! Don't think I haven't connected the dots. I know how you became what you are. Now you shall face judgment's wrath!"
With a furious battlecry, the boy Shén charged at him, floating off the ground surrounded by a fiery blue aura. The rush of power sounded like the mighty explosion of a volcano. Kirshun did the same save that his aura was blood red and did not make the great rushing sound as the boy's did. The two collided. The shockwave from the impact shook the very valley of which the city was in. The earth crack and broke releasing fire and ash upon the land and sky. For a few moments, the shockwave continued like an earthquake, neither warrior was winning the engagment... until Kirshun slowly started losing ground and it didn't take him long to notice.
"What? NO!"
He was being pushed back. He struggled to gain back his lost ground but to no avail. Suddenly, the boy unleashed a deafening battlecry as a blue fiery image of a flaming blue dragon with red eyes appeared behind the boy as he unleashed his full power. Kirshun wailed in terror and a massive explosion erupted from the area where the boy over powered the Souless One. The explosion grew and covered the whole valley in light, smoke, ash, and fire...
After Pànduàn finished his tale and unbearable silence followed. He had told him it was partially his own fault, too, but before they had mearly misinterpreted his words or didn't acknowledge that part of his story. But now that they had heard the entire tale of the duel between the Master and the Souless One, they couldn't ignore this critical detail any longer.
Pànduàn, the young man they had all grown to care for and respect, was responsible, though unintentially, for the destruction of his own city... his own people.
"P-Pànduàn?" Sun Shang Xiang stuttered. The young lord turned to face her, but after seeing his face again she could bring herself to say anymore. Tears fell from Himiko's eyes as she slowly walked up to him and held him tight, burying her face in his chest. He didn't seem shocked, he held her tight, too, and rested the side of his head on top of hers. No one made any comments. Not now.
That would be cruel.
That was when a hateful clapping filled the air. Everybody jumped and turned their attention to the source of the clapping. There, standing atop part of the ruins of the Pànduàn estate, was Kirshun, his head looking down at Pànduàn and Himiko, eyes closed, smirking under his mask. He stopped clapping and looked at them, "So the mighty Master Pànduàn Shén finally reveals all. Tell me Lord Shén, how does it feel to lose the people you care about?"
The entire company gave a deadly glare at the Souless One; Pànduàn glare being the most venimous of all. He slowly moved Himiko behind him and drew his sword in protective manner, "Why would you care, you bastard?"
Kirshun then let out an eerie laugh as he brought forth the polearm, Juggernaut, "Because, I am going to defeat you and chain you to the wall of your own ruined village and let you watch as the people you've grown to love and care about die... all over again."
Well, the final battle has started. To let you know, there should be about three or four more chapters after this, maybe five if it gets that long. Other than that this story is pretty much finished so keep an eye out for the sequel Warrior Orochi: The Rise of Kirshun probably coming sometime between January and March after I finish the three crossovers of my Dragon of Judgment fanfiction I promised to do. See, I do remember stuff! Anyway, please review and stayed tuned!
~Teddypro