After Sakura Wars
Part 3: Kaleidoscopic Fighter
By Shirogami
Disclaimer: All of the fiction written here is all fiction, and nothing but fiction; and I don't own Sakura Wars and its characters.
Chapter 9: Deal
In Cobra's building, a mysterious old man is observing an orb surrounded by green and purple aura in front of him. His eyes never leave the movies projected within the orb that is showing a certain samurai was being fooled around.
I may be a Kouma, he thinks. but unlike that stupid Dou, barbarous and mindless. For me, planning and calculation is more important in a battle, a tiny mistake will turn a winner into a useless maggot.
The old man slowly turns his sight to the room behind him. By the weak light beams down through the hole on the ceiling, he can see that Cobra is sitting on his huge chair, and a feminine figure is pumping non-stop with her butt sitting on his thigh and moaning loudly in ecstasy.
"So, my lad. How's the girl doing?" He asks.
Cobra breathes hardly and stares up at the ceiling along with his enjoying expression. By mumbling another charm, the old man makes the girl becomes more aggressive and hungers for her job.
"Glad you like my little present here. I just hope she doesn't disappoint in sense of her… natural ability."
But none of the old man's word is heard. As the other of fact, his presence is totally neglected, as Cobra finally cannot hold himself anymore and release all of his 'energy' onto her face, as she is licking his private place now and her braid swinging along with her nodding head.
Later in the night, someone is gazing at the night silently. His sight is lifeless and full of disappointment. The circus show was finished early due to the warning of missing girl. The night breeze streams over the wide, silent desert, but it feels more chilling to the discouraged swordsman.
"I let it slipped from my sight." Shirogami looks at his palm.
"And I almost get it!" He grabs his fist and closes his eyes. He grimaces and finally punches the ground for his anger.
Shirogami's frustration is inevitable: he was fooled like a mouse in a maze and became reckless when Kouma comes to the cases.
The moon is shaded by clouds, causing the environment becomes cooler. The swordsman starts rubbing his hands and adjusts the campfire to get warmer.
Lilly walks to Shirogami slowly. She is wearing a pair of long pants and long sleeve shirt because of the temperature changes, but the chilling wind still hits her senses. Even so, she insists to pass the blanket to the night guard. As for the guard, he is in his meditation now. His concentration is so tense until he totally forgets Lilly's presence.
"Shirogami, are you okay?" A familiar and caring voice awakes the swordsman.
"Lilly? I… I'm fine. Just a little tired." Shirogami tries to ease himself by rubbing his temples.
After being staying together for some time, Lilly can barely guess Shirogami's thinking from his reaction. Therefore, she knows his problem is more than just a tiring body.
But, she also understands that forcing Shirogami to spill out the truth is not the way to share his problem. Hence, she stops asking and puts the blanket over his shoulder quietly.
Shirogami thanks and fits the blanket to his body. Lilly brought a spare one for her own, so they do not need to share it this time. He keeps quiet after that, nothing more than watching the campfire. He does not want to share his worries with her, especially when he knows that Lilly will get herself involve and it is not what he wants.
"Lilly, you shouldn't accompany me tonight. The weather is killing out here." Shirogami advises Lilly to go back in the camp.
"You care?" Lilly returns the swordsman a playful smile and her brown orbs start teasing Shirogami by gazing into his.
"Of… of course. Catching the flu is never a choice for anyone." Shirogami ignores her sight quickly and looks at his other side with a light blush on his cheek.
"So, you are worrying about me." Lilly grins ear to ear which Shirogami just missed it.
"Then I won't get sick." Lilly's words confuse the swordsman. Lilly sweeps her long hair to her back, gazes again at Shirogami.
"Because you won't let it happen, right?" Lilly finishes with a satisfying smile.
Shirogami sighs in defeat, but smirks lightly for Lilly's trickery.
"You sure know how to read my mind, Lilly."
"It's because you are too easy to read." Lilly pokes his chest, which surprises the swordsman. "And you are far too kind to make people worrying about you instead for themselves."
"I'm sorry."
"Come on, you don't need to. It is normal for people to care for each other, that's why we are called human. There is nothing to apologize about. And don't try to put the whole burden over your shoulder, Shirogami. You won't stand it if you hold it too much."
Shirogami is listening, and yet he cannot fully agree with Lilly. For someone who had been traveling alone all this time, sharing problem with someone else is something he never has a chance to do, at least with people. His soul mates are no other than his katana. On top of that, the incidents with Todo Sakura, Mary and Zhi Lan had made him a mental note about his journey: those who get involved with him might end up in bad way.
"I have to, Lilly. But thanks for your concern anyway."
Shirogami smiles weakly and Lilly is speechless for his expression. This is not the first time she sees him with worrying face, but she feels something different about it this time.
The feeling of loneliness.
She will never feel it. She is always accompanied with lots of people and joyful laughing. Unless she is the one who wandering lonely all the way of the journey, without knowing her own real identity, without friends, or even a single piece of memory.
Lilly wants to apologize, for saying everything without concerning about his feeling but she cannot find any words for it. Instead, Shirogami leaves for patrol and escorts her back in the camp.
Lilly's sight never leave the lonely swordsman as he is walking away. The feeling is getting greater as she is gazing his back, which is getting further slowly and the breeze passes by his streaming blanket.
Shirogami stops after he is far enough from the camp. He is somewhere near by the street entrance now. He closes his eyes and waiting.
"You can come out now. I know you are following me all the way."
Slowly, Peter comes out from nowhere. Shirogami turns around and looks at him.
Peter is not giving him a good face after all. Right from the day when Shirogami rescued Lilly from being disfigured, he always been the spot for either Lilly or her father. He tries to hold his anger after Lilly stayed guard with Shirogami last time, he just cannot get himself pretending for not feeling jealous for what Shirogami gained from the group. Plus, he even sees Lilly's expression when she concerns for Shirogami, he needs to do something before his place is totally stolen away, or that's what he thinks.
"Leave the group."
"Excuse me?"
"Leave us and go to somewhere else."
"Without a proper reason? I don't think I can do that, Peter."
"Then why are you staying here? Aren't you a traveler?"
"Lilly saved my life from exhaustion. I have to do something to repay her kindness."
"Like courting her instead?" Peter's angry expression never leaves his face. His jealousy causes him to start a fight with the swordsman.
"Think as you like, Peter. I have said what I want. And one last thing." Shirogami starts to walk back to the camp.
"If you really love Lilly, Peter. Believe in her, no matter what happened."
Shirogami leaves Peter behind alone, and Shirogami will never imagine what he did just now can lead him into another danger.
Next morning, Shirogami wakes up early, even earlier than Lilly. He goes to the market again to search for the evil energy. He places his katana with his previous equipment, exclude the guards, and hooded himself like yesterday. He leaps from level to level until one of the building's roof so he can have better view of the town.
"Well, thing's sure peaceful around here." As he is watching from the top, Shirogami finds nothing attracts him other than the crowd in the middle of the market. He leaps to other building and continues his scout.
Suddenly, Shirogami stops at another building and stands still. He prepares himself with his katana and scans around the silent roof top like an eagle.
"Come out! I know you are here, coward!"
Slowly, a smoke morphs out in the mid air, and turns to its real form as the old man slowly. Shirogami does not know this old man, but he recognizes his aura that almost killed him before.
Shirogami points out his MuYing. "Now, Kouma. Let's settle this."
"Hold a second, will you? I am not here to fight." The old man rises up his palm to stop Shirogami from charging. "I can see the potential within you, and I come here to make a bargain."
The question totally surprises Shirogami, as his memories tell him that Kouma never tolerate or open for discussion, especially with a human.
"A bargain?"
"Yes, a trade you will never agree more than anything else."
"I don't think you can offer me anything I need!" Shirogami prepares to charge again.
"How about… your memory?"
The answer catches Shirogami's attention immediately. The old man smirks for the result.
"Yes, I know well what you have been looking for all this time, and I have something you want."
Shirogami lays down his katana slowly, but he still bewares of him. The bargain may sounds interesting, but he cannot simply believe it and lets his guard down, his flashback had reminded him about the consequences.
"The only thing I want from you is simple. In fact it even benefits you, rather than losing any part of your body." Shirogami wonders for what he really means by benefit.
The man snaps his finger. A braided woman jumps up from his back and stands before Shirogami. Her body is worn fully with translucent net-pattern sewed ebony gourmet from neck to toe, followed by black leather bikini and long high heel boots. From her height and shape of her face, Shirogami figures that she might be in her teen age.
She looks at the swordsman with her lustful eyes and passionate blushing cheek. The Kouma snaps and she starts rubbing Shirogami's Adam's Apple. Her act shocks Shirogami and he leaps away quickly. Just when Shirogami is out of idea of what kind of intention is in her mind, he observes her face carefully.
"You… that braid and height… you are the missing one?" Shirogami suddenly remembers the picture he saw from the searching team yesterday.
The girl keeps chasing him. She holds his shoulder lightly and gets herself closer to kiss him. Although Shirogami had faced lots of enemies, but he never figures someone who can really reaches him that fast. He arches backward to avoid her 'attack' and cartwheeling backward.
"Stop!"
The old man finally orders and the girl doesn't move an inch and stands still like a doll. Shirogami even senses some weak but evil aura is surrounding the girl.
"Now, does the girl satisfy you?"
"What had you done to her? A human won't able to move that fast!" Shirogami stares at the old man and shouts. He has a bad feeling about the girl, her lifeless sight even ensures his wild guess.
"Looks like she gets your attention, am I right?" The old man smirks, "then the rest is simple, Mr. Samurai. I will let you know about your past, and all you have to do is…" The Kouma moves closer to the girl, wraps her abdomen and the girl responds by raises her arm and rings his head in ecstasy.
"having sex with this girl."
"WHAT?"
"You heard me right, lad. Isn't the deal good enough?"
Shirogami is totally blazing in anger. His right hand is gripping MuYing hard enough to crush a rock. He never thinks that a Kouma will try to manipulate him. This Kouma is far too clever and dangerous to let it lives. His hatred upon its doing is getting more when it even tries to insult his swordsmaship.
Finally, Shirogami decides to reach for his other katana and unsheathes it slowly. His sword aura is channeling and threatening his enemy.
Unfortunately, the girl stands against him immediately, pretending like a shield before the Kouma. Shirogami bites his teeth in anger for its dirty trick. In the mean time, the girl leaps towards Shirogami and tries to hug him. Shirogami bends down immediately and punches her stomach. The girl passes out on instance.
The swordsman takes his next move before the Kouma can react. At the moment it is thinking of his escape, Shirogami has pierced through his neck with Shirahatori, then he finishes his victim with a horizontal slash with MuYing. The slashed figure shatters and disappears in the air.
Shirogami stands up from his kneeling and sheathes Shirahatori back in its scabbard. MuYing is still within his grip, while he is looking at the awaken girl who is getting up as well. He cannot put a bet on the-servant-will-turn-back-to-normal-after-the-master's-death story.
That is for kids, and this is real.
As for the braided girl, she just stands like mannequin and looking at Shirogami with emotionless eyes. Shirogami feels pity on her, as she is totally lost her own soul because of that Kouma, and being used as a tool. He puts MuYing back at its scabbard carefully after he found out she is no a threat anymore.
"I will get you back to them, and see if there is a doctor who can cure you."
Finally, Shirogami decides to bring the girl back to the searching team and sees if she can be tuned back as normal, although it is a thin hope. The girl does not reply, she just gazed at Shirogami without any motion, even nodding her head.
"Okay, I will take it as a 'yes'."
After Shirogami finds the searching group, he hands over the girl to them. He finds not surprising if there is anyone will be shocked by the girl's condition. Her parents even cries out loudly but her expression never changes.
It's too late… even I'd killed that monster. After he passed the girl to the town people, Shirogami goes back to the circus camp. But on the other hand, he thinks it is time for him to leave for his journey, he has been staying for too long and all his injuries are cured.
At the same night, right near the girl's residence, a fat man is having his supper while he is ordered to take the night shift for patrolling the town. Without his notice, someone comes out behind him and starts molesting him. The night guard turns around and surprised to finds out that the braided girl Shirogami rescued not long ago, is seducing him now. She may be young, but her premature appearance makes the fat man hard to resist her: she wears loose pajamas, with some unfasten buttons and reveals her front. The fat man gulps his saliva and tries to control his hunger, but he finally advances when the girl starts undressing herself.
But, the fat man never knows, that it will be the last time he has sex consciously, right before he gazes at the girl's eye with purple aura twirling within them.
End of Chapter 9
Author's note:
First of all, thank you all for waiting and still reading this fiction, although it is very late.
This chapter might be a bit… out of rated, hope you don't mind for such content.
While I was facing mental block in finishing this fiction, I wrote some other works in Mai-Hime, Devil May Cry & Megaman. Please fell free to locate them in my profile and R&R them as well.
Sorry to keep you waiting, Lilly. And I will take your comment in mind.
Please R&R, no matter good or bad. See you in future.