Ginkotsu plowed through the dirt on our way to the castle, all of us standing a top him.
"Look, there it is," Bankotsu nodded towards the castle visible through the trees.
"It makes me sick," Suikotsu spat.
"You got that right," Jakotsu agreed with the same amount of venom.
"I still remember like it was yesterday…" Bankotsu trailed off, absorbed in his memories again.
I watched him. I felt my heart tighten in my chest. Would this end the same way it had last time? Would I be left alone until someone else revived them? Would I, too, die? I looked down and away. I didn't know if I could live through that again.
"Hah…Before I was killed, I, myself, had killed 999 men. It's time to finally even things up," he said softly to himself. Louder he said: "Alright this is it, don't fail!"
"Common, I'd never lose in a real battle," Jakotsu said.
Bankotsu leapt off of Ginkotsu, I followed after. "Well, you'd better not," he said.
Bankotsu raced to the castle gate. The guards yelled for him to stop.
"Hey, I'm here to take back my companion," he said stopping. I hung back a foot or two behind him.
"It's-it's him!" The guards yell, large eyed and afraid. "Take him!"
The other five members of the Band of Seven appeared behind us. Before the guards could get a single swing in, they were dead.
Bankotsu and I made our way inside as the rest of the Band made quick work of the guards. Even though there were guards inside the castle itself, we had no problems handling them.
Several stood in front of a single door. "Must be our stop," I muttered. Bankotsu grinned. The guards rushed at us. I twisted their arms behind them and threw them skywards. The only thing stopping them from getting that high was the ceiling. Their heads stuck in the wood beams.
"Thanks, beautiful," he said.
I could hear dim voices coming from the other side of the door. Bankotsu slid it open. "Oh, there you are. Did you get my letter?"
"It's-it's you!"
There were only two men in the room. One was the lord, another maybe his general, I wasn't sure.
"But-but what about my guards?" the lord asked.
"Huh?...Oh! Your guards. I think they're a little hung up right now," Bankotsu said.
I laughed behind my hand.
"But-how did…?"
"Okay then," Bankotsu said cracking his knuckles.
"Wait! Just listen!" The Lord cried. He gestured at the halberd behind him. "You've come here to reclaim the great halberd, have you not?"
"Hey! It's my Banryu," Bankotsu said. He acted like he hadn't noticed it yet, but I knew it was the first thing he had truly looked at when he entered the room.
"It's yours…er…take it," the Lord said letting Bankotsu pass. I hung back at the door, alert for any sign of trouble.
Bankotsu picked up the Banryu and I could see the Lord's shocked face. I could only imagine what he was thinking, but it probably had something to do with noticing how strong Bankotsu truly was.
The purple cloth cover fell from Banryu and Bankotsu whistled. "Hey, look it's so shiny. You polished it, huh?" I rolled my eyes; leave it to Bankotsu to be entertained by something that simple.
"Eh, yes…Listen, I don't care if you are a specter," the Lord said. "Will you serve me?"
"But my lord!" the other man cried. He was probably just a little pissed off that he was being replaced.
"Be my new general, and together we will conquer this land!" The lord was getting himself worked up over something that would never happen. Idiot.
"Hey, com'on now," Bankotsu said. He patted the Banryu affectionately, but his gaze was on the Lord. "Are you sure you read my letter?"
"What letter?" The lord asked.
"'No bounds,'" Bankotsu said.
"'No Bounds?'" he asked, confused.
"'Our vengeance will know no bounds,'" Bankotsu clarified. "Or something like that."
He had lifted the Banryu off his shoulder and smirked evilly. "One Thousand…" He swung and the heads of the two men rolled off. Their bodies collapsed and blood splattered the walls.
"Thanks, Bankotsu," I said wiping the splatters from my face. He didn't answer. He walked past me and out the door. I followed, not at all insulted.
"It just got fun again!" I heard Jakotsu yell from outside.
"Heh, I guess it's time for the next round," Suikotsu answered him.
"You two, step aside," Bankotsu told them. Soldiers on horsebackwere riding towards us. I grinned.
"Oo ho! You got your companion back!" Jakotsu impressed.
"Yep and it's time to test it out," Bankotsu said.
I stood next to Jakotsu and Suikotsu. "Any problems?" Suikotsu asked.
"Nah…well the Lord asked Bankotsu to be his new general," I said, shrugging. Suikotsu and Jakotsu both laughed. "But, you know Bankotsu: took the guys' heads off before he could even consider the offer."
"Him again!" the general riding in front yelled at Bankotsu.
"Hey there, it's been awhile," Bankotsu said. He had his smug smirk, but he was serious this time. Even I recognized the general, though I had never met him. He was the one who executed Bankotsu and the others. I felt my blood heat up beneath my skin.
"Damn you! What did you do with our Lord?" The general asked.
"One thousand," was all Bankotsu said.
"What?"
"Our heads were chopped off, if you recall. So, I returned the favor," Bankotsu said. He bounced Banryu lightly on his shoulder.
"A curse on you!" The general said pointing a spear at Bankotsu for good measure.
"Are you ready to follow your lord?"
"Kill them!" the general ordered. The horses raced at him, but he jumped in the air. Spinning the Banryu above his head, he fell on top of the lord, killing anyone within range with the spinning halberd.